Living in Equestria

by Blazewing

Crazy Sunday

It took me a little while after waking up the next day to remember that it was Sunday. Ironmane had said that a subordinate of his would be taking over delivering my dues. He also said it would hopefully be somepony I could actually engage with, rather than the overly-taciturn guards. I greatly welcomed that idea.

Sure enough, around the usual time, there came a knock at the door. I opened it up, and found myself staring, mouth slightly open.

I felt like I was seeing double. Two identical pegasus stallions were standing on the doorstep. They were both palominos, with gold-yellow coats and white-blonde manes and tails, cut and styled exactly the same between them. Both had cutie marks of clouds, though one, I noticed, was comprised of wispier ones, while the other’s were puffy-looking.

“Councilstallion David?” they inquired, in unison.

“Er, yes?” I said.

“I’m here,” said the puffy-cloud stallion, “to deliver your weekly wages.”

He took out the a bag of bits from his saddlebag and handed it over.

“Thanks,” I said, still slightly bemused.

“And I have some news from Minister Ironmane,” said the wispy-cloud stallion.

He reached into his saddlebag and took out a thick bundle of papers. I had to pocket my wages before I could take it in my hands without dropping it.

“What is it?” I asked.

“As the minister may have already told you,” said the wispy-cloud stallion, “establishing ties with dragons means a lot of new information about a previously-murky culture coming our way. In which case, Minister Ironmane wants to be sure his fellow delegates are on top of things. So, he would like you to write on the culture, habits, and characteristics of dragons from the information included in that packet, to be finished no later than 2 weeks from today. He’s even included the address to his new home when it’s time to mail it to him. Does that sound fair?”

“Er, yeah, that sounds fine to me,” I said. “He did warn me something like this was coming, and I’m pretty interested to learn more about dragons, especially after the opening of the Lounge.”

“Excellent,” said the puffy-cloud stallion, and both broke into identical grins. “And with that out of the way-”

“-Allow us to introduce ourselves,” said the wispy-cloud stallion. “The names are Cirrus-”

“-and Nimbus,” said the puffy-cloud stallion.

“We’re twins!” they said, in unison.

“Um, yeah, I noticed,” I said, noticing that their professionalism had practically vanished now.

“And we,” said Cirrus, “are your personally-assigned-”

“-wage and news deliverers for the Council,” finished Nimbus.

“At your service,” they said simultaneously, and bowed.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you,” I said, “but I’m pretty sure Minister Ironmane only mentioned one pony.”

“Figured he would,” said Nimbus, turning to his twin. “Didn’t I say so, Nimbus?”

I blinked.

“Wait, but I thought you were Nimbus,” I said.

“Did I say that?” he asked, looking surprised.

“He’s not Nimbus,” said the other, looking equally surprised. “I am.”

“You might wanna get your hearing checked, buddy,” said the first, solemnly. “I think I know what I said.”

“Me too,” said the other.

“But I could’ve sworn-” I said, now very much bewildered.

“Only joking,” said the one I thought was Nimbus, grinning. “I’m Nimbus, and he’s Cirrus.”

“And I’m Cirrus, and he’s Nimbus.”

And the two broke out laughing. All I could do was stare at them for a moment or two, but, in spite of myself, I smiled.

“Ok, you got me,” I said. “That was kinda funny.”

“Ha!” laughed Cirrus. “I like this guy already, Nimbus.”

“Good sense of humor,” said Nimbus, nodding. “But Ironmane knows there’s two of us. We both work for him, after all.”

“Officially, I am here for your payment,” said Cirrus, “while-”

“I am here to deliver your assignments,” said Nimbus. “We traded on the way here.”

“And he allowed that?” I asked.

“Normally, Ironmane’s not the type of pony you ought to joke around with,” said Cirrus.

“But he trusts us, you see,” said Nimbus, “so he wouldn’t put up much of a fight about it.”

“Wow,” I said, impressed. “What did you guys do to make him trust you so much?”

“Sorry,” said Nimbus, “but that’s between us-”

“And Minister Ironmane,” said Cirrus. “Anyways, Councilstallion David, or do you prefer just David? Or Dave”

“Either’s fine for me,” I said, shrugging. “My friends call me Dave. You guys can, if you’d like.”

“He already considers us friends,” said Nimbus, winking grinningly at Cirrus.

“A good start right off the bat,” said Cirrus, grinning back.

“Anyways, Dave,” said Nimbus, taking a look about the exterior of my house, “nice house you’ve got here.”

“Quaint little neighborhood, too,” said Cirrus. “Away from the hustle and bustle.”

“Just you-”

“-and your neighbors.”

“Peace and quiet.”

“Home sweet home.”

“Know what I mean?” they asked together.

“Er, I think so,” I said.

I couldn’t help smiling. These two were extremely animated, and much better company than the guards. Though I didn’t doubt I’d miss Ironmane, these two certainly made a better first impression on me.

“Would you guys like to come in for a bit?” I asked.

“Love to,” said Cirrus.

“But we can’t,” said Nimbus.

“Lots to do.”

“Ponies to see.”

“Busy as bees.”

“Busy as beavers.”

“It never ends,” they said together, wearily.

“But it was very nice to meet you, Dave,” said Cirrus, sincerely, extending his hoof.

“And we hope we’ll be the best of chums,” said Nimbus, doing likewise.

“I definitely hope that as well,” I said, honestly, shaking both hooves.

“Well, until next time-”

“We bid you-”

“So long!” they said in unison.

And, spreading their wings in perfect sync, they took off. I watched them fly off into the clear blue sky, until they were out of sight. My head was still buzzing from what I’d just been through, but it was in a good way.

“I like those guys,” I said to myself as I went back inside. “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

***

After that bit of morning fun, I headed out to fulfill one of my post-diet promises: to visit Sugarcube Corner. As I walked, I once again couldn't help admiring the springtime scenery about me, and the smell of grass and flowers. However, I also heard the low drone of bees buzzing among said flowers, and I quickened my pace a bit. I wasn't overly fond of bees, having been stung by one when I was a kid, and not wishing for a repeat.

The smell of flowers didn't stop there, either. Daisy, Lily, and Rose had set up their flower stalls with all-new springtime blooms: pansies, tulips, daffodils and poppies. The myriad of aromas coming off of them was quite something, even for someone like me, whose knowledge of flowers was pretty basic. They had quite a number of customers at the moment, and I even observed some of the buyers snacking on their floral purchases as they left. Only natural, as they were ponies, after all.

A little further on, I could see a burly stallion hitched to an open wagon, the wagon itself filled to the brim with what looked like the entire stock of an electronics store. Vinyl and Octavia were keeping pace behind it, and the former was drawing quite a lot of attention by keeping up a running commentary.

“Nice and easy there, buddy. Anything drops, it’s coming out of your bill! You have any idea how hard it is to come by some of this stuff these days, especially here? The turntable itself’s custom-made, man! And the console! The volume goes to 11! You can’t buy ‘em like that anymore!”

“Honestly, Vinyl,” said Octavia, exasperatedly, “he’s a professional mover. He knows how to handle delicate furniture.”

“Just saying,” said Vinyl, shrugging.

Octavia rolled her eyes, and they moved on. It looked like they were still in the process of moving. I hadn’t reckoned on how much fragile equipment Vinyl had in her line of work. I just hoped she and Octavia really could share a home together, with their clashing ‘musical specialties’.

When I walked into Sugarcube Corner, Mrs. Cake was behind the counter. Pound and Pumpkin were playing with toys in a corner beside the counter, babbling happily. Mr. Cake, Pinkie, and Moonlight seemed to be busy elsewhere. Mrs. Cake looked up as I approached.

“Oh! Hello, dearie! How are you?” she greeted me, warmly.

“Pretty good, Mrs. Cake. How’s everything here?”

“Pretty well, thanks. What can we get you today?”

“Well, what’s the latest thing you’ve added to the menu?” I asked, eagerly.

“Ooh, I’m glad you asked,” said Mrs. Cake, keenly. “Carrot and I were telling Derpy about it the day we went to the Brimstone Lounge, and we only just released it: our Lemon Muffin Surprise!”

Intrigued, since I did recall that being brought up, I watched her reach down behind the counter, and she straightened up holding a muffin, topped with yellow glaze, upon which sat a small slice of lemon. Now, I was a big fan of anything citrus-flavored, especially in sweets. The smell coming off of this muffin was tantalizingly tart.

“Perfect!” I said. “I’ll take one.”

I handed over some bits, and she handed me the muffin.

“I think you’ll really like it, Dave,” said Mrs. Cake. “Derpy’s already given it her seal of approval, and everypony considers her a savant when it comes to muffins.”

“Well, if Derpy approves, it must be good,” I said, grinning, and took a bite.

My eyes snapped wide open, and I almost dropped the muffin in surprise. An explosion of lemony flavor had gone off against my taste buds, so strongly sweet and sour that it almost felt painful. Inconceivable! Inconceivable that one little muffin could contain so much flavor!

“Surprised?” asked Mrs. Cake, with a small laugh.

“Very,” I said. “This muffin really packs a punch!”

“Pinkie said almost the exact same thing,” said Mrs. Cake. “She taste-tests our newest goods, and even she couldn’t believe how strong the flavor was. That’s saying something, because that girl’s got a stomach and taste buds of iron.”

“No kidding,” I said, regarding the muffin more cautiously. “So, everything's going well?”

“Oh yes,” said Mrs. Cake. “Pinkie and Moonlight are really quite the dynamic duo when Carrot and I are busy. In fact, we’re considering letting the two run the bakery themselves soon, just for the day, so the two of us can enjoy a day away with the twins.”

“That sounds nice,” I said, “and I’m sure they’d both be up to the task.”

I carefully ate up the rest of the muffin, but despite the flavor still hitting my taste buds forcefully, it went down better than the first bite. After that, I felt something large and soft hit me in the side of the head. Looking around, I beheld Pound and Pumpkin giggling at me, while a stuffed monkey sat at my feet. At that precise moment, Pound next threw a stuffed turtle, which hit me in the torso.

“Now, now,” Mrs. Cake chided. “No throwing things, Pound.”

“Oh, it’s fine, Mrs. Cake,” I said, picking up the monkey and turtle and giving them back to Pound. “It didn’t hurt. I remember babysitting this one time back home, and the kid had quite the throwing arm when it came to his toys. Pound could’ve hit me with a lot worse.”

*SPLAT!*

I’d chosen my words poorly, it seemed, though Pound wasn’t the perpetrator this time. Pumpkin had somehow gotten her hooves on a cupcake, and had thrown it right at my face, splattering all over my glasses. Even though I couldn’t see her, I could still hear her and her brother laughing themselves silly.

“Pumpkin!” Mrs. Cake scolded. “Dave, I’m so sorry.”

The pink frosting obscuring my glasses was wiped away as Mrs. Cake swept a towel over the lenses, looking very apologetic. I was a bit annoyed, it was true, but I couldn’t bring myself to be angry at the twins. They were only babies, after all.

“It’s no big deal, Mrs. Cake, really,” I assured her. “I’m just glad I could give them a bit of entertainment.”

Mrs. Cake couldn’t help smiling at that.

***

A little while later in the day, I was strolling down the street, reasoning that I may want to stop into Barnyard Bargains for some groceries, when I heard the tinkle of a door bell nearby. Pinkie came out, and clutched inexplicably in her forelock was the tallest ice cream cone I had ever laid eyes on, a veritable stack of scoops, and each one a different flavor, by the look of it. What surprised me more than the size of the cone, however, was the rather put-out look on Pinkie’s face.

“Hi, Pinkie,” I said, genially.

She stopped and looked at me, the cone swaying ominously.

“Oh, hi, Davie,” she said.

She smiled, but it didn't seem like the right kind of smile.

“Is something wrong?” I asked. “I'd hardly picture you as the type to be morose over so much ice cream.”

I gestured to the monster cone. Pinkie glanced up at it and sighed.

“I wouldn't be, normally,” she said, “but this is different. See, even before winter was over, I had a hankering for ice cream, but it didn't feel right eating ice cream when it's cold. It's a warm weather treat, after all, like lemonade or sno-cones.”

I nodded, to show I knew what she meant.

“But I wanted a specific ice cream,” Pinkie went on. “I wanted a cone I'd been craving for a long time. I wanted a chocolate-strawberry-peach-vanilla-banana-pistachio-peppermint-lemon-orange-butterscotch cone!”

My brain reeled from such an extensive list of flavors, which was inexplicably familiar, though I couldn't place where. I took another look at the cone.

“Aaand isn't that what you have?” I asked, puzzled.

Pinkie stared at me as though I'd lost my marbles.

“Are you crazy, Davie?!” she cried. “That's not what I have at all! Look again!”

I did look again. Judging from the colors of each scoop, they seemed to be in the order she described.

“I still don't get it,” I said, scratching my head.

Pinkie sighed in frustration.

“It's supposed to be a chocolate-strawberry-peach-vanilla-banana-pistachio-peppermint-lemon-orange-butterscotch cone! What they gave me is a butterscotch-orange-lemon-peppermint-pistachio-banana-vanilla-peach-strawberry-chocolate cone!”

I was really getting befuddled by these compound flavors, as well as Pinkie’s confusingly roused ire about them.

“So, you're saying…” I said, inviting her to press on.

“I'm saying,” Pinkie said, through gritted teeth, “that they put the chocolate on the bottom, and the butterscotch on top, when I wanted the butterscotch on the bottom, and the chocolate on top! They put my ice cream cone together upside down!”

Ohhh, that was what all the fuss was about. Then again, that was what all the fuss was about?

“Pinkie,” I said, in a reasonable tone, “don't you think you're being a little, er, dramatic about this?”

Pinkie gave me that same ‘have you lost your mind’ look from before, only I perceived a twitch in her left eye.

“I mean, does it really matter which order the scoops are in?”

Pinkie looked about ready to explode.

“‘Does it matter’?” she echoed, quietly, before repeating it, shrilly. “‘Does it matter’?! Of course it matters! I wanted to save the chocolate for last! It's always the best part!”

I recoiled from her tone. She was really starting to scare me.

“But it'll all get eaten up in the end anyway,” I said, shrugging helplessly. “Besides, I didn't imagine you'd be so particular about flavors, when you eat almost anything.”

Pinkie scowled at me, her forelock somehow tightening on the cone, making a rather ominous cracking sound.

“You're a smart guy when it comes to a lot of things, Davie,” she said, coldly, “but you just don't understand ice cream at all.”

Her long tongue looped around the bottom scoop before pulling it out of the stack, the other scoops falling perfectly into alignment on the cone. She then pulled an abrupt about-face, showing me her pudgy rump and poofy tail before trotting huffily away, the cone still wobbling precariously in her mane’s grip. Her shouting had attracted quite a few onlookers, but they soon started acting like they hadn't been listening or watching.

For my part, all I could do was stare in utter bewilderment. What in the world had just happened? I couldn't recall ever seeing Pinkie getting so angry before, although, knowing her eccentricity, it would figure that she would get mad about something so trivial, even if it didn't seem so to her. The fact that she snapped at me left me at a loss, as she'd never gotten angry with me before, and I'd only been trying to be reasonable with her. How was I supposed to respond to this?

“Rough day for ice cream, huh, honey?”

I stopped and turned around. Dolly Tribune was standing behind me, bereft of her usual work attire, and holding a double-scoop cone in her magic. She was as curvy as ever, and was wearing a friendly smile.

“Hello, Dolly,” I said.

“I was in line when Pinkie Pie bought that monster cone. She got pretty uppity with the pony at the counter about the order of scoops, but I guess he was already having a bad day. He raved on about some little colt complaining about the size of the cone he got, and how he kept changing his mind every time he got him a new one. He stubbornly refused to make Miss Pie another cone like hers, told her to take what she had, and to eat it standing on her head if she insisted on eating the scoops in that order.”

Ohhh. So that was why she was in such a bad mood over it. The nerve of that guy!

“Wow,” I muttered. “No wonder she was so touchy. I had no idea.”

“It's ok, Dave,” said Dolly, rearing up and giving me a gentle squeeze around the shoulders. “I'm sure she'll be back to her old self sooner than you think. Plus,” she added, “I’m not gonna print a word of what happened. Not just for her sake, but for poor Cherry Top, too. I wouldn't want his place to go under just because of one little mishap with an unusual order. His ice cream’s way too good for that.”

She chuckled, and I couldn't help giving her a smile.

“Thanks, Dolly. Can’t believe you’re giving up on a scoop, though.”

She grinned, showing me that golden tooth of hers.

“That scoop, maybe, but not these,” she quipped, brandishing her cone. “See ya around, hun.”

She got back on all fours and trotted off, taking a lick at her cone. As for me, I remembered that I'd meant to go to Barnyard Bargains, and I headed that way, trying my hardest not to dwell on Pinkie too much.

“SNAKES ON A ROOFTOP!”

I jumped so badly that I thought my heart would fail. The shout had sounded right in my ear. I looked wildly around, as well as up, but I couldn't see any snakes on any rooftops. Several ponies who were nearby looked just as perplexed as I was, so none of them must have shouted it. Granny Smith was running as fast as her old legs could carry her, though, shouting to ‘run for the hills’. However, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw somepony flying away.

“Never a dull moment in Ponyville,” I muttered, as I continued on my way.

***

The inside of Barnyard Bargains looked completely transformed. Well, at least, the stuff that first met my eyes did. Now that winter was over, the foremost displays of merchandise were geared towards outdoor activities, especially gardening. There were flowerpots, trowels, packets of seeds, and bags of fertilizer in pride of place as soon as you walked in. There was also a substantial array of umbrellas. Spring was a rainy season, after all.

I started browsing around, taking my time in picking out what I wanted. My diet may have been over, and I had more liberty over what I could eat, but I didn't want to go too crazy. Still, I couldn't resist getting a nice big packet of popcorn, the kind you pop on the stovetop. It would be perfect for reading with Moonlight tonight.

“Finding everything all right, sir?”

I turned around, in the midst of grabbing a jar of pickles. A pony in an employee vest was standing nearby, wearing a polite smile. A second or two later, I recognized him.

“Oh, hello!” I said. “I remember you! I saw you at the party yesterday.”

“That's right,” said the employee, and he gestured to his name tag. “Almond’s my name, sir. And you're Dave, if I'm not mistaken.”

“That's right,” I said. “Nice to meet you. I am finding everything all right, thanks. This place has quite the selection.”

“Indeed it does,” said Almond. “And we're expecting our next shipment of Zap Apple Jam not too far off from now.”

“Oh?” I said, interested. “Does it sell out fast?”

“It is a very popular item, sir,” said Almond. “Stays fresh for moons, thanks to the jars, and absolutely delicious.”

“I do remember the Apples mentioning it,” I said. “I'll have to keep a lookout for when the season rolls around.”

“You won't be sorry, sir,” said Almond, grinning.

“So,” I said, putting the pickles in my cart, “you're friends with Moonlight too, huh?”

“Why, yes,” said Almond, his cheeks faintly reddening. “I mean, I hope I can be considered her friend. She's very sweet, and fun to talk to, and she's quite a good dancer, too.”

“She is a wonderful friend,” I said. “Have you two had a chance to hang out after work?”

“No, not yet,” said Almond. “Besides the party yesterday, that is. My schedule’s a little haphazard lately, and it's difficult finding a time that agrees for both of us.”

“I know how that feels, trust me,” I said, nodding. “It'll all work out, though, I'm sure.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Almond, gratefully. “I really should be getting back to work, but it was nice to meet you officially. Have a good day.”

“You too, Almond,” I said.

Almond took his leave, and I continued my perusing, but not before grabbing a nice big bottle of ketchup for potato fries.

***

I was wending my way home, laden down with shopping bags, when I heard both the flap of wings and the whirring of a propeller. Looking up, I saw Rainbow Dash hover into view, followed by her pet tortoise, Tank. He was wearing a pair of aviation goggles, and a dome-shaped apparatus on his shell, topped with an active propeller. So that was how he got around with his owner.

“Hi, Dash,” I said.

“Hey, dude,” said Rainbow. “Dunno if you met him yet, but this is Tank, my little buddy. Tank, this is Dave, my big buddy.”

“Hey there, Tank,” I said, genially.

The tortoise blinked his eyes slowly, but his beaky mouth curved into a little smile.

“He's been hibernating all winter,” said Rainbow, “so I'm getting him back into his daily flying exercises.”

“That so? Well, that's a pretty nifty flying machine he has there.”

“Isn't it?” asked Rainbow, proudly. “Twilight asked Doc to put it together, so Tank can go with me wherever I go. He's still a bit clumsy with it, though.”

As though to prove this fact, Tank suddenly jerked forward, bonking me right in the forehead with his shell. I staggered backwards, almost dropping my purchases, but Rainbow sped behind me to steady me, her hooves at my back.

“Sorry,” she said. “It's a good idea to invest in a sturdy helmet when you're around him. You only wanna get hit with a flying tortoise once, trust me.”

I couldn't help wondering how many times she'd been hit in the head by Tank. I refrained from asking, however.

“The real reason I came to talk, though,” she said, “is to tell you we've got some showers ahead this week. Mostly just some light drizzles throughout the day, but also a couple big ones mixed in. Tonight's one of them, starting at 7 and going late into the night. It’ll probably wrap up around 10 o’clock, maybe closer to half-past.”

“All right,” I said. “Thanks for the warning, Dash.”

“Anytime, buddy,” said Dash, grinning. “By the way,” she added, with a more quizzical look, “did you hear somepony yelling about snakes on a rooftop earlier?”

“I did, actually,” I said, recollecting that very odd moment earlier. “It sounded like somepony screamed it right in my ear. No idea what it was about, though.”

“I haven't got a clue, either. Somepony trying to be a practical joker, probably. Couldn't wait until next month to pull it off. Ah well,” Rainbow added, shrugging. “See ya ‘round, Dave, and stay dry.”

“Thanks, Rainbow. See you later.”

“Come on, Tank.”

After making another swerve that came close to giving me another knock on the head, Tank flew off behind his owner, the two soon out of sight. I regripped my grocery bags and continued homewards.

My progress was halted, once more, by a pony hopping into view before me. It was Pinkie, and she was wearing a very contrite expression on her face, which was a bit marred by the sticky, multicolored residue on her muzzle.

“Hi, Davie,” she said, sadly.

“Hi, Pinkie,” I said, a bit warily. “Are you all right?”

Pinkie shook her head.

“No,” she said. “I feel really awful for getting mad at you, and saying you didn't understand ice cream. That was really mean of me, Davie, and I'm sorry.”

She wasn't crying, but I was worried she was about to. Setting my bags very carefully down beside me, I knelt in front of her and gently tousled her mane.

“I'm not mad at you, Pinkie,” I said. “Dolly told me you were already having a bad time in the ice cream parlor. From what I heard, the vendor was really rude to you. Still, I didn't make the situation any better by not understanding why you were upset. Will you forgive me for my ignorance in ice cream?”

Pinkie's lip trembled, but she smiled all the same.

“Of course I will,” she said.

She leaned up and warmly nuzzled me, leaving a good-sized splotch of what was on her muzzle on my cheek. I couldn't help feeling grossed out, but this was pretty typical Pinkie behavior.

“Oopsies,” said Pinkie, smiling sheepishly. “Here.”

I was afraid she was going to lick it straight off. However, she merely pulled an unopened wet-nap from her mane and gave it to me. She ran her tongue over her muzzle to get what was on her own face while I blotted off what was on mine.

“Thanks,” I said.

“You're welcome. To be honest, I ate the cone the way it was, and it still tasted really good.”

“Well, that's good to hear,” I said.

“I was gonna eat it standing on my head to eat the scoops in the right order, but I worried that if I got brain freeze, it would go to my ears, and nopony wants freezy-ears.”

She twitched her ears for emphasis, then giggled in that adorable way of hers. I couldn't help chuckling, either. It was good to see her cheerful spirit restored. She gave me a hoof picking my bags back up (after unashamedly poking her nose in to see what I'd bought), bid me a cheery adieu, and hopped off, while I made for home once again.

***

After putting my groceries away, I beguiled the afternoon playing some more piano, and reading up on some of the information on dragons I’d received for my next assignment. It was all very fascinating. It described their yearly customs and traditions, most of which were merely tests of their strength, endurance, and determination. One was a particular coming-of-age practice in which fledgling dragons demonstrated their fire breathing and flying skills. They also had their own types of sports and athletic events, most of which involved pools of lava or the use of heavy rocks. Unsurprising, really.

It also featured aspects I hadn't considered before about dragon nature. Dragons could be greedy, but love of wealth and materialism was apparently a psychological aspect passed down from the earliest generations, and which took a strong will to suppress. The granddaddy of all dragons, the Dragon Lord, was appointed every century or so, after accomplishing a task of his predecessor’s choosing. Whatever the Dragon Lord said was dragon law, and no other dignitaries or heads of race in Equestria ever met with him unless on very pressing business. The opening of the Brimstone Lounge was one such notable exception.

I was thus occupied when the sky began to darken. Looking out the window, I saw some thick and dark clouds being moved across the sky. By the look of them, this was indeed going to be a pretty nasty downpour. I just prayed Moonlight would arrive before it started.

As 7 o’clock drew nearer, I started getting the house tidied up, and got some refreshments ready. A nice, big bowl of buttery popcorn, some two-liters of soda, and my new bag of candy, for good measure, sat on the coffee table, ready for consumption. Knowing Moonlight’s extraordinary metabolism, I felt confident this array would satisfy her.

I was starting to get nervous as the skies got darker and darker, but just as the clock was striking 7, there came a knock at the door, and a very hurried one at that. I bounded over, and opened it up to find my young friend. Before either of us could say a word, there was a terrific clap of thunder, quite close at hand. Moonlight gave a terrified squeak and bounded forwards, knocking me off balance and putting both of us in a heap on the floor. A gust of wind slammed the door as, with a great rush and patter, the rain started coming down in buckets.

Moonlight was panting heavily from her place on top of me, and she was shivering as well, her eyes wide with shrunken pupils. It seemed she was still not over her old fear. I reached up and gently patted her head to console her.

“Just in the nick of time, my friend,” I said, bracingly.

She nodded shakily, before shifting to get off of me.

“Sorry,” she said. “I guess I'm still not over storms yet.”

“It's all right,” I said, standing up. “Heck, I'm still scared of snakes, and going to Cloudsdale hasn't made me any less afraid of heights.”

Moonlight smiled at this, and I gestured to the couch and coffee table, where the copy of Shadow Spade and the refreshments sat waiting.

“Shall we?” I asked, politely.

Moonlight smiled wider and nodded. She sat herself down on the couch, and I joined her as she admired the eatables I'd laid out. She popped a couple kernels of popcorn in her mouth, munching happily.

“You spoil me, Dave,” she said, after swallowing.

“Only the best for my besties,” I said, grinning.

I picked up the book, opened it to the beginning, and with the rain drumming against the windows, the two of us began poring over it with the same attention as if it were a Daring Do novel.

***

By the end of our reading session, we’d luckily (or unluckily) ended on a rather intense cliffhanger. The popcorn, one of the bottles, and a good portion of the candy had been eaten and drunk clean away over the course of our reading. Moonlight and I looked from the page we’d stopped on to each other’s faces, mouths hanging open.

“Wow,” we both said together.

“What do you think?” Moonlight asked. “Do you think Monsieur LeBronc is guilty?”

“Hard to say,” I muttered. “His alibi seems to check out, but the thief did use his personal horseshoes, when they left those dirty prints.”

“Right,” said Moonlight, nodding. “Or what about the gardener, Weed Whacker? He’s pretty shifty, and he has a grudge against Madame Pennyfeather for all the work she puts on him.”

“True, but would they really make it that obvious?” I asked.

“Good point,” Moonlight said.

“What I can’t help admiring is Shadow Spade’s character,” I said. “She’s polite, charming, and she’s got a mind like a steel trap.”

“And she’s one tough cookie when she needs to be,” said Moonlight. “It’s like she knows exactly what to say or do to make the ponies she’s talking to open up.”

“Yeah. I think I can see why Rarity admires her, not to mention the amount of detail the author puts into her wardrobe.”

Moonlight giggled.

“By the way,” I said, recollecting something, “I ran into your friend Almond at Barnyard Bargains.”

“Oh?” asked Moonlight, her interest peaked.

“Yeah. He seems like a nice guy. He was also telling me he really wants to find time to spend with you, if your schedules would only agree.”

“Yeah,” said Moonlight, ruefully. “It hasn’t been easy, when our shifts don’t cooperate.”

I was half-tempted to make a joke about the two of them making it a date, but I refrained. I’d already teased her about it before.

“Well,” I said, “if you’d rather skip a reading night and have a night with him, all you’ve gotta do is say the word. I don’t wanna be the guy keeping you from being with a new friend.”

Moonlight smiled and patted my arm.

“Aw, Dave,” she said. “You’re not the problem, not by a long shot. We’ll work something out, but I appreciate your consideration. You’re a very sweet friend.”

“So are you,” I said, smiling back.

Just then, I noticed something. I put a hand to my ear and listened for a second or two.

“You hear that?” I asked.

Moonlight twitched her own ear, looking curious.

“I don’t hear anything,” she said.

“Exactly,” I said. “The rain’s stopped, and so’s the thunder. Perfect timing, huh? It’s almost like Rainbow Dash knew how long we’d be at it, and planned the storm accordingly.”

Moonlight giggled amusedly, and the two of us stood up as I walked her to the door. In the moonlight, I could see great wide puddles dotting the ground, and the air was thick with the smell of wet grass. There was a sizeable puddle right in front of my doormat, and I winced at how close it was to where I was standing.

“You’re lucky you’re a pegasus,” I said.

“Why?”

“Because you don’t have to worry about getting your hooves muddy. You can just fly right over the puddles. I’ll probably forget this is here tomorrow and step right in it.”

Moonlight smirked at me in a sidelong way.

“Am I hearing a bit of jealousy there?” she asked, bumping me with her hip. “You’re wishing you had wings, too?”

“Oh, please,” I retorted, smirking back at her. “If I had wings, I’d be too terrified to will myself off the ground. I’m perfectly happy with good old terra firma, thanks.”

Moonlight giggled.

“Well, good night, you big goofball,” she said, hovering up to give me a nuzzle.

“Good night, you little goofball.”

I watched her until she had safely entered her own house, then went back inside to get ready for bed. Only the second day of spring, and between new faces and new surprises, it had been very busy.

(Only in Equestria), I thought to myself.

Sunday, March 3

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Between Pinkie and Twilight, Im sure they can time and motion plan just about anything to at least the minute.

[Shisarakage]

I get where Pinkie's coming from on the ice cream bit. And the twins, Cirrus and Nimbus, reminded me a lot of Fred and George Weasley, and it was pretty funny to watch. I look forward to the next chapter, Dave.

[Regreme]

Another cute chapter.^^ Honestly, would love if this became a romance with either Moonlight or Pinkie, though it seems Moonlight now has another proposition there. XD

[ArcaneVisions]

Hmm maybe there is no love in his future, or maybe it will come from somewhere we will never suspect.

[Dan50]

Yay, an update! I am so happy to see this in my inbox! I have missed this story greatly!

[Sparkz]

Oh goodness, it's the Fred and George Weasley of ponies. Equestria isn't ready for this XD

[JeromyTG2]

Welcome back! And I thought of something funny. When Dave ate the lemon cupcake and made a reaction, does anyone thought about Food Wars?

[sorenxoras]

Mmmm, another great chapter. It's been so long since i've had time to do any reading, i've started to forget why i loved it. Thanks for the reminder~

[Thatguywiththeface]

8191079
That was beyond disturbing

[Nyperold]

“And we hope we’ll be the best of chums,” said Nimbus, doing likewise.

Ehhh... I don't think they can really compete with the likes of Pinkie, Twilight, Lyra, Moonlight...

8404056
He has a girlfriend back on his homeworld... provided she doesn't leave him because he might never come back. (Or, if she doesn't believe him, because he's not only missing, but perpetrating a hoax.)

[WhalenJP]

... Oh dear lord, It's Fred and George Weasley... RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!