• Published 27th Jun 2012
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Living in Equestria - Blazewing



A young man finds himself in a world beyond his wildest imagination...

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The Brimstone Lounge

The pegasi went at a good pace, but even then, the flight took quite a long time. There was no shortage of conversation, however.

Derpy was chatting with the Cakes, and was especially keen on a new item they said they were adding to Sugarcube Corner’s menu, called a ‘Lemon Muffin Surprise’. That did sound tasty. I’d have to see to it once my diet was over with. Twilight was speaking in general about the historical significance of the land we were crossing, but it was doubtful whether anyone really heard her. Spike and Sparkler were discussing what kind of foods would be on the menu at the Lounge. Sparkler seemed very interested in Spike’s opinion on the taste of certain gemstones, something of which he was proving to be quite the authority. The little guy appeared quite proud of being given such attention, and Twilight, too absorbed in her history lesson, wasn’t stopping him.

Pinkie, meanwhile, had been engaging me in several ‘road trip games’, like ‘I Spy’ and all that. Now, we were on ‘Would You Rather’ I didn’t mind. The more distracted I was, the less I thought about how I wasn’t sure my stomach could handle eating once we got to the restaurant.

“Ok, here’s one, Davie,” said Pinkie, smiling deviously. “Would you rather speak every language in the world, or play every instrument ever?”

Now that was a doozy. I let out a long, deep sigh.

“That’s a toughie, Pinkie,” I said. “Both would be really awesome, buuuut...I’d probably want to speak every language. As long as it doesn’t overload my brain,” I added.

“Good choice!” Pinkie said. “Ok, your turn!”

“All right. Hmmmm....Ah! I’ve got one. Would you rather always have the same song stuck in your head, or have the same dream every night?”

I could see by Pinkie’s expression that I’d really stumped her.

“Oooooh, wow,” she muttered. “That’s a tough choice. As much as I like singing, I think I’d rather have the same dream every night. Most of mine are about frosting, and I love every minute of them.”

She licked her lips in a dreamy way, her eyes going out of focus. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from her. It also made me wonder what Princess Luna’s opinions were on those kinds of dreams.

After what felt like an eternity, the carriage finally landed with a gentle bump.

“Aha!” Sparkler said, suddenly, as she looked out the window. “There it is!”

Everyone crowded around the windows for a look, myself included. With Pinkie’s squishy cheek pressed against my face, it wasn’t easy to see what Sparkler had been indicating, but at last, I found it. What I saw…

Let me just say that if my jaw hadn’t been attached to my skull, it would have dropped straight to the floor, amidst the ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s of my friends.

We were out on a stretch of land that seemed to be divided between snowy valley and rocky wasteland. Situated on the halfway point, as it were, was an absolutely enormous building! Even from this distance, it was easy to see how huge it was. It looked the size of a football stadium, maybe even bigger, but it had a roof, and seemed to be made of dark-gray stone. A massive red ribbon was stretched out between two columns in front of it. Now I knew how Gulliver must have felt in Brobdingnag, or how the Lilliputians must have felt in his presence.

I could see a crowd already congregated outside it, the numerous dragons easily prominent among them. I tried to see if I could pick out Brutus, Minister Ironmane, or even the princesses, but I couldn’t see them yet.

“My goodness,” said Mrs. Cake.

“It’s huge!” breathed Spike.

“Yeah!” gushed Pinkie. “It’s so huge, I need a word to describe how huge it is! How about...Ooh! I know! Gigantomungous!”

Everyone stared at her, but she just smiled, apparently proud of herself.

“Brimstone Lounge,” said the guard, in the tone of a conductor announcing a station stop. “Watch your step as you exit.”

I was closest to one of the doors, and I practically tumbled out, clutching my sign. My legs felt like jelly. Dimly, I was aware that the others were making for the congregation of guests, so I followed them, bringing the deafening babble of talk closer and closer. There were many well-dressed, distinguished-looking ponies, as well as some griffons, not to mention plenty of reporters and paparazzi, but my attention was attracted by the dragons.

Some of them were even taller than Brutus, at least 20 or 25 feet. Some were a little shorter, 8 or 10 feet. The majority, however, seemed to be around his height. There were skinny dragons, round dragons, and brawny dragons. Some had wings, some didn’t. All had vibrant and diverse scale colors, and all seemed to be bipedal, or at least fairly comfortable with walking on two legs. It was just possible to distinguish the males from the females, in much the same way as one could pick out mares among stallions. Having become used to Brutus, I wasn’t as cowed by the look of them as I would have been if I had never met him, and to be fair, in spite of visible fangs and claws, none of them looked particularly threatening or ill-natured.

We were nearing this throng when I felt a pluck at my elbow. I turned, and found myself looking at a pony enveloped in a black hooded cloak. My friends were all staring at this newcomer with puzzlement and interest.

“Er, hi,” I said. “Who are you?”

The barely visible muzzle of this stranger split into a smile.

“Such a silly question, to ask of somepony like me,” they said, in a voice I thought I recognized.

It took a few seconds, but at last, it hit me, like a battering ram.

“Trixie?!”

The cloak was whisked off, and it was Trixie herself, wearing a silver dress that shone like diamonds. My friends looked nothing short of stunned, especially Twilight and Spike. Trixie reared up and threw a foreleg around me, clasping me to her side with a big smile on her face.

“Indeed, my good friend, it is I, the Great and Powerful Trixie! Surprised to see me?”

“Very!” I said. “I didn’t know you’d be here, too!”

“Trixie’s powers of prestidigitation were requested as part of the entertainment. A wise choice, if I do say so myself. My skills have been hitherto unknown to members of draconic society, though I’ve come to know they have entertainers of their own. They’re in for a real show, let me tell you.”

“No doubt,” I said, grinning.

“It’s good to see you again, Trixie,” said Twilight.

“Of course it is,” said Trixie, smugly, then added, in a more polite tone, “but it’s good to see you as well, Twilight Sparkle, and your friends. How is Ponyville faring without my presence?”

“Oh, it’s surviving,” said Twilight, with a roll of the eyes. “I’m sure you’ll be back to spice things up again one of these days.”

“In due time,” said Trixie, idly flicking her hoof. “In due time. Oh, and that reminds Trixie. She heard some pie is on the dessert menu tonight.”

Twilight’s only response was another roll of the eyes. Pinkie, meanwhile, looked eager at the prospect of pie, though, if I’d guessed right, that wasn’t why Trixie had brought it up.

At that moment, the doors to the Lounge flew open with an echoing bang. Everyone’s attention turned to them, the hubbub dying down. Through the doors came Brutus, Minister Ironmane, and one or two official-looking ponies and dragons. The first two mentioned looked in the best moods I had ever seen them in since I started working with them. Once they were all outside and in the open, Brutus opened his arms wide.

“Dragons, ponies, guests of all races, lend me your ears!” he boomed. “Welcome, welcome to the grand opening of the Brimstone Lounge!”

There was an explosion of applause, of which we all gladly took part. Eventually, Brutus raised his claw for quiet, and silence fell again.

“For far too long, relations between our kinds have been sadly negligible. However, it is not up to us to pass responsibility or blame onto any side. Today shall go down in history as the day when dragons, ponies, all creatures of Equestria have come to a mutual understanding. I need hardly stress my gratitude and pleasure in seeing this day come to pass. When I first joined the Equestrian Foreign Relations Council, I had hoped to see peace between our kinds, but little did I expect the outcome of that hope. It fills my heart with pride.”

Another burst of applause. Now, as Brutus stepped back, Minister Ironmane stepped forward and spoke.

“I believe I speak for all of ponykind when I express equal feelings on such an occasion. We have long wished to see relations between ponies and dragons strengthened, and to see it come to fruition in my lifetime is more than I can begin to feel grateful for. However, this Lounge would not be possible without the aid of several worthy individuals. The construction, of course, comes down to the tireless joint effort between the dragon and pony task forces. These were appointed by the High Dragon’s Council and the Equestrian Foreign Relations Council, headed by Gilli Brutus and myself, who in turn work under the Dragon Lord and Princesses Celestia and Luna. They send their best wishes, as well as these gifts to commemorate the occasion, and to symbolize the new unity between our kinds.”

It was only then that I noticed a pair of tarp-covered shapes standing by. Ironmane and Brutus whisked the tarps away to reveal beautifully-carved statues. One was of a dragon, the other a pony, both made from marble, and yet the craftsmanship in both was just barely possible to distinguish. As Ironmane indicated, the pony statue came from the dragons, and the dragon statue from the ponies. The guests burst into wild applause. Looking in the crowd at this time, it was just possible to pick out my colleagues from the council, all applauding heartily.

“Next,” said Brutus, “Miss Sparkler Hooves, who not only provided the Lounge its name, but very generously provided the Lounge’s staff with the proper grounds to harvest gemstones for their recipes. Without her, we would not have the resources to make the Lounge what it is. Come forward, Miss Hooves.”

Sparkler must have expected something like this, as I couldn’t see any surprise on her face. She stepped forward amid cheers and clapping, and took her place beside Minister Ironmane. Derpy’s face was aglow with teary pride.

“And lastly, but most certainly not least,” said Ironmane, with a smile on his face, “Councilstallion David, who first came up with the idea for the Lounge itself. If not for his bright idea, debates over a peaceable settlement might still be ongoing on both sides. May this day represent peace between not only dragons, ponies, and all of Equestria, but humans as well. Step forward, David.”

I was sure my face had just caught fire, I was blushing so badly. I should have expected that I would be called up too, but my legs didn’t seem to want to listen. At last, Pinkie gave me a bump from behind to get me going, and I stumbled forward, carrying my sign, highly aware of all the eyes on me, belonging to friends and strangers alike, as they cheered me on.

After what felt like an age, I was finally among them, Sparkler beaming at me, Ironmane and Brutus smiling at me with pride. I tried to smile too, but my mouth didn’t seem to be working properly, so it must have come out more like a grimace. I could see my friends and fellow council members waving at me, all smiling up at me. Pinkie was going particularly crazy, bouncing up and down and whistling wildly.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” Brutus asked.

Dimly, I realized he was talking about the sign. I held it up.

“S-Sign for the Lounge,” I stammered. “M-Made it myself. Friend gave me the slogan. I should have given it to Minister Ironmane a week ago, but I’d forgotten.”

I cast a glance at Ironmane, wondering if he was going to chastise me in front of this crowd. However, he simply took the sign in his magic, gently removing it from my grip, and looked it over. Brutus leaned in for a closer look, and seemed pleased. My tension started to ease up a little.

“Excellent work, David,” said Ironmane. “The time and effort you took is plain to see.”

“I’d say so,” concurred Brutus. “And that slogan. Your friend has creativity.”

“T-Thank you, sirs,” I mumbled.

“Now, then, this will only take a moment.”

He handed the sign off to one of the unicorns standing behind him, who bent his head so that the tip of his horn touched it. Gold magic glowed from the horn and enveloped the sign. It shone brilliantly, as though it were suddenly changed to polished metal, and then it faded. The unicorn raised the sign to the eye level of one of the dragons beside him. He gazed at it for a moment, then breathed a thin stream of flames on it.

A thrill of panic and shock went through me, but a second later, I realized what he was about, as the flames vanished, and the sign was completely undamaged, not even singed. The dragon’s face broke into a smile, and he gave the thumbs-up. A new wave of applause and cheering broke out as the sign was magically affixed beside the doors. I felt about ready to faint; this was too much for me.

“Thank you, everyone,” said Brutus, finally. “This all would not have been possible with you. And now, Minister?”

Both stepped away from the crowd and up to the immense red ribbon. With a glow from his horn, Minister Ironmane drew out, from behind one of the columns supporting it, the biggest pair of scissors I had ever seen in my life. Brutus took one of the handles in his great claw, and Ironmane held the other handle in his magic. They positioned the scissors over the ribbon, and then, after a brief pause, the ribbon was snipped in two.

Someone standing far off would have thought a bomb had exploded, so deafening was the applause that followed, mostly because the dragons were so large. I should say, though, that I made my cheers and clapping as loud as I could. With the Lounge finally a reality, and to know that I’d had a hand in making it happen, it really let loose something inside me. I didn’t remember ever feeling this jubilant except at one of Pinkie’s parties.

“And now, come inside, everyone!” Brutus called over the tumult. “Today, we feast like kings and queens!”

And with a great surge, I was swept along with the rest of the crowd, as we were brought inside at long last.

***

The Lounge seemed even more massive on the inside, and we were only in the main dining room. Although the walls and floor were made of the same stone as the outside, the room had a very cozy feel to it. There were rich tapestries hanging from the walls between torch brackets, a golden chandelier, later identified as a gift from Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, hung from the ceiling, the furniture was polished to a gleaming luster, and a great, roaring fire was blazing in the fireplace in the corner. It was very welcoming after the chill outside. All of us from Ponyville were still craning our necks to take in everything, until I felt sure I was going to give myself a crick.

Most of the guests gravitated to the tables of their choice, but some had been set aside for me, my friends, and the council. Brutus, Ironmane, and my fellow council members, along with members of their families, occupied one, and the rest of us were split between two more adjoining them. Even though I was part of the council, I felt more comfortable being among my Ponyville friends. Twilight and Spike, however, had decided to join the council at their table, for two reasons, it seemed: so Twilight could talk to Ironmane, and so Spike could get acquainted with Brutus. The two were already getting along well, by the looks of it, discussing favorite gems, Brutus telling Spike about the dragon lands he helped govern, and Spike telling him about Ponyville. It was good to see the little guy getting along with a member of his own kind, especially one that dwarfed him so much.

As for me, I’d taken the time to introduce my friends to my fellow council members, and we all got on amicably well. Cornelius, accompanied by his wife, Minerva, murmured how proud he was to see this day come in his old age. Apollo, who had brought his wife, Gwendolyn, called the Lounge ‘simply capital’, while Sure Shot, a self-professed bachelor, gave it the title of ‘cozy digs’. Eagle Eye had brought along her husband, Hawke, who looked just as militaristic as she did, Rolling Stone an elderly buffalo whom he designated as his grandfather, Steady Boulder, and Rock Solid his wife, Ramona, a minotaur as equally formidable and athletic in appearance as he was. I was even formally introduced to Ironmane’s wife, Viola, who was a very sweet-natured lady, expressing her delight in meeting a human for the first time, especially one her husband knew so well.

Trixie, meanwhile, had parted from us to get ready for her show. In the meantime, the Lounge was full of rich music. I soon found the cause of this to be Octavia and her ensemble, dressed to the nines and performing on a gilded stage. I supposed they had been booked for the occasion as well. It wasn’t just them, however. A selection of dragon musicians, with instruments in proportion to them, were accompanying them, and despite the size difference, it made no change on the quality of the music. On the contrary, it seemed to enhance it. Only at the end of the first song did Octavia notice me. I waved to her, and she smiled and winked in return.

Menus had been placed at our tables. They were quite thick, which made sense on reflection, as this place catered to dragons and Equestrians. Really, it was interesting just to see the various gem dishes that were listed. Some used actual whole gemstones, some had them ground into a powder or garnish, and some, especially the desserts, had them studded into them like chocolate chips. I could see this ‘sapphire cupcake’ Pinkie mentioned the Cakes making, among other cupcakes with different gem flavors. There was also a selection of traditional pony cuisine, the kind of stuff I’d grown used to, but something caught my eye that made both of them pop wide open.

Fresh Seafood

The Lounge offered fish as an option!

Fish, as in meat!

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!

Not just typical cooking fish, either. There were shrimp dishes, crab and lobster dishes, clam chowder, you name it! I’d had no idea dragons in this world ate fish, too. I was so used to the idea of them eating gemstones.

“See something you like, Davie?” Pinkie asked.

“And how,” I said. “They’ve got seafood on the menu! I had no idea!”

“Of course,” said Brutus, who had overheard. “The Lounge is dedicated to catering to the tastes of all guests. There are certain dragons that prefer fish to gemstones.”

“And humans are generally omnivorous, are they not?’ asked Ironmane, more as a plain question, rather than an accusation.

“Well, yeah,” I said, hesitating slightly. “I mean, I’ve been all right going meatless. I just don’t want you guys to feel too weirded out if I...you know.”

“Go for it, Davie!” said Pinkie. “We’re not gonna think any differently of you from eating fish!”

“Of course not,” said Twilight. “You order whatever you want, Dave.”

Everypony else nodded and made noises of agreement. To see even Ironmane joining in was something. The last time I’d seen him this...unruffled was when the Empire had been saved.

“Take my advice, though,” said Brutus. “Order some sugar candy crystals as well. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried them.”

I grinned.

“Challenge accepted,” I said.

Eventually, a dragon waiter approached our cluster of tables.

“Good day, everyone,” he said. “My name is Felman, and I’ll be your waiter today. Have you had enough time to peruse your menus?”

Everyone made signs in the affirmative.

“Very well, then,” said Felman, taking out his notepad. “For you, sir?” he asked me.

“The fish and chips, please,” I said.

“Excellent choice, sir. And to drink?”

“Root beer.”

“Very good. And you, madam?”

Once everyone had placed their orders, and some bowls of this crystal sugar candy Brutus mentioned having been ordered as well, Felman disappeared. Other such waiters were conducting similar business at the other tables. Most of them were dragons, but I could have sworn I saw a human-sized canine dressed in a waiter’s uniform walk by. Wasn’t that a Diamond Dog?

At that moment, there was a pause in the music, the lights dimmed, and then came a drum roll. A spotlight turned our attention to a stage that had been set up. Presently, a familiar voice rent the air.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, drakes and dragons of all ages, the Brimstone Lounge proudly presents the one, the only, the Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie!”

There was a poof of smoke, and there was Trixie. It looked like she was back in her old outfit, but it seemed much newer and fresher somehow, as though this was a recently made set. Everyone applauded, even the dragons.

“Trixie is honored to be given the opportunity to perform for such an audience,” she went on. “It is her job to make this historic event even more historic! But. it is even more of an honor to be a great and powerful pony performing alongside a great and powerful dragon! Yes, Trixie has great pleasure in sharing the stage with the master of sleight-of-claw, Fergus the Fantastic!”

There was another poof of smoke, and the shortest full-grown dragon I’d seen yet appeared beside Trixie. He was barely my own height, his scales as green as emeralds, with a tufty beard on his chin and a merry twinkle in his eye. This time, the dragons’ cheers were the loudest of all. It seemed this Fergus was their answer to Trixie.

“Thank you, thank you!” Fergus said, in a loud and jolly voice. “So nice to see so many fresh faces in the crowd today!”

He clapped a claw over his brow to shade his eyes, making a big show of taking a look around.

“Dragons, ponies, griffons, couple minotaurs, some Diamond Dogs, a buffalo or two, why, even a human! How lucky are we!”

“Quite lucky,” said Trixie. “Shall we, Oh Fantastic Fergus?”

“Ready when you are, Oh Great and Powerful Trixie!”

It would go on for too long if I described everything in this joint performance. All I could say was, they complimented each other very well, especially considering I’d always thought of Trixie as a solo act. The audience was enthralled at the stuff they pulled off, both alone and as a team.

As the show was going on, our food and beverages arrived. I could hardly believe my eyes: a great hunk of fried fish, a positive mound of fries, and a big mug of root beer sat before me. The smell coming off my meal was wonderful. Not wasting any time, I cut off a piece of the fish and bit into it.

Delicious!

After going for months without meat, this was bliss! I’d almost forgotten the taste of fish, but this...This was exactly what I’d been hoping for. It was enough to make a grown man cry, and believe me, I very nearly did.

As it was, I just dug in with gusto, occasionally popping in a sugar crystal from time to time. Those, too, were delicious. Pinkie had gotten a whole bowl to herself, and was chowing down as though she’d been starving for days, mentioning something about her sister Maud between mouthfuls. Everypony else seemed to be enjoying their meals. Spike, in particular, had ordered what looked like a pot pie, but it was filled with gem fragments. He looked like he was in heaven. Many of the dragons, Brutus included, were drinking deeply from great flagons of something that steamed visibly. The menu called it ‘Fire Brew’, a beverage so strong and hot, that only a dragon’s constitution could endure it comfortably.

When Trixie and Fergus took a break for intermission, I noticed something odd. I had seen, out of the corner of my eye, someone flitting from table to table, but I’d assumed it was just a waiter. However, now that the hubbub of the show had died down, and the lights had come back up, I could see that it was a pegasus stallion, and not just any stallion.

It was Lightwing, the pegasus who had been so rude and accusatory towards me on the way to the Crystal Empire.

None of my other friends had noticed him; they were chatting and eating away. I, however, followed Lightwing with my eyes as he made his way to a table occupied by two middle-sized dragons, male and female. I strained my ears to listen over the racket my friends were making, and I caught this:

“On a scale from 1 to 10, how subversive is the plot to unify the dragons and the ponies before taking over them both?”

The two dragons eyed him suspiciously.

“Listen, pal,” said the male dragon, gruffly, “I don’t know what plot you’re talking about. I’ve been looking forward to the opening of the Lounge ever since they announced it.”

“So have I,” said the female dragon. “I never had anything against ponies personally.”

“I see, I see,” said Lightwing. “And do you feel these relations will endure? You don’t foresee any chance of them being twisted to suit the selfish needs of one who would abuse this opportunity?”

“Yes, and no,” said the male dragon, somewhat testily. “Now, would you mind keeping it down? The show’s about to start again.”

Lightwing didn’t press them further, but looked dissatisfied. As he turned to leave, his eyes locked with mine, and never before had I seen such a look of mingled suspicion and hostility. However, he didn’t seem to dare risking a confrontation in the open, so he moved on without a word.

As much as it disturbed me that Lightwing was here, it was a comfort to hear these dragons not take him seriously. He was going to have to try harder than that. Besides, as long as he left me and my friends alone, I didn’t care what he did. Comforted with this thought, I returned to my fish and chips as Trixie and Fergus returned for the second half of their show.

***

The festivities at the Lounge lasted far into the night, and it was past midnight by the time the guests of the grand opening set off for home. We were all full, sleepy, and contented as we made our way back to the carriage, the grounds of the Lounge packed with everyone else doing the same with their conveyances, while the winged guests and dragons took flight themselves. Pinkie had grown lethargic, and asked me to give her a piggyback ride back. I wasn’t jazzed about the idea, but she gave me such pathetic puppy dog eyes that I gave in fairly quickly. It certainly didn’t help that her belly was stuffed full of candy crystals, though; I was lucky my back didn’t break before we got to the carriage. Spike had fallen asleep on Twilight’s back. Everypony else was alert enough to move on their own.

“Cheat day,” I said, trying not to topple over from Pinkie’s weight. “This was a cheat day, and a special occasion. Bon Bon can’t possibly find fault in me for this.”

“Of course she won’t,” said Twilight, reassuringly. “How’s she been lately? I haven’t seen much of her since your welcome home party.”

“I haven’t seen them all week,” I said. “Then again, I was sick for that week. Before that, Lyra sent a note saying the two of them were going to be busy getting ready for the week of Hearts and Hooves Day, so I was on my own when it came to my diet and my piano practice. That’s all well and good, but now that you mention it, they’ve been acting kind of different lately.”

“Different? How so?”

“Well, on our last walks, they just walked along side by side, without saying anything. Usually, they go at their own paces, talking about this and that. I figured it was none of my business, so I didn’t trouble myself about it. I hope they aren’t fighting again or anything.”

“Hmm,” said Twilight, looking thoughtful, but she didn’t say more.

At last, we made it to the carriage. With her magic, Twilight helped me haul Pinkie off my back and onto a seat, where she promptly fell asleep. We had all gotten in, and I was about to close the door when a voice hailed me.

“One moment, David!”

It was Minister Ironmane. His horn was lit up to light his way, surrounding him in a silverish glow of light as he came up to the carriage.

“Yes, Minister?”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to depart without giving you your weekly dues,” he said, placing my usual weekly bag of bits into my hands as he spoke, “along with my sincerest congratulations and appreciation for your efforts.”

“I...Well,” I stammered, “I...I’m glad to have been able to help out, sir.”

“Of course,” Ironmane went on, smiling somewhat wryly, “you realize that with renewed relations, we may now glean a little more knowledge on dragons that we never had access to before. That means new research, and new research assignments. Granted,” he added, “it may take some time to get things properly settled, so you’ve no need to fret just now. This is merely a friendly word of warning.”

If I hadn’t become accustomed to this by now, I would have groaned aloud, even without the twinge in my writing hand. However, I managed a small smile in return.

“Of course, sir,” I said, finally. “Whenever that might be, I’ll do the best I can.”

“Then we can ask for nothing better,” said Ironmane. “As for my part, I feel a vacation is in order. I haven’t taken time off for quite a while..”

“Wow,” I said. “Well, if anypony deserves time off, it’s you, Minister.”

“Thank you, David. Have a safe trip home.”

“You too, sir.”

With that, Ironmane took his leave, and I shut the carriage door. I looked around at my carriage companions. Most of them had all fallen asleep, even Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Twilight, however, was still awake. She didn’t say a word, but the smile on her face spoke volumes. Slightly embarrassed, I nevertheless smiled back. At that moment, with a slight jolt, the pegasi took to the air, and were whisking the carriage, and us, back toward Ponyville.

Monday, February 4

Author's Note:

And with this chapter, I've exceeded 500,000 words! :pinkiehappy:

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