Crescent Moonbeam Ep. 2 Schedule Conlict

by GlitterBit

The Schedule Begins

Crescent Moonbeam woke up and stretched. She smiled, she’d been in Ponyville for a week now and nothing had happened. She’d been able to meet Twilight’s friends some more and had spent a few lunches with Derpy.

All of it had been organized or chaperoned by Twilight, and had been thankful for that. Ponyville was very different from the hospital, and it had somethings Crescent had needed to get used to, Twilight had helped a lot with that, but she felt she would be alright now if Twilight would let her..

Crescent smiled again as she remembered that her job started today. Finally something I’ll get to do by myself. She stretched again and the door burst open.

“Aaahh!” Crescent yelled flailing around in her blanket. She fell over and the blanket tangled itself up around her. “Mmpfmghfmlh.” Crescent said muffled as she tried to unwrap herself once again.

“Good morning Crescent! It’s time to get ready for your first day of work!” Crescent recognized Twilight’s voice. The blanket was illuminated by a purple glow and pulled away from Crescent. Crescent fell out onto the floor slightly surprised.

She sat up rubbing her head. “Good morning to you too Twilight. And I was already up, you could have just knocked.”

“Well I’m just excited. As your Mentor, it’s my job to get your life situated and your first job is a wonderful opportunity.” Twilight said enthusiastically pulling a scroll out from behind her. Crescent’s eyes widened as Twilight let the scroll unroll to the floor and bounce a few times across the room.

“I’ve got it all planned out. Get up was the first one on the list.” Twilight turned the list around to show Crescent the first box as she checked it off. She pointed to the next box. “Next is to get ready for the day. I’ve separated that one into different stages to account for everything we need to do.” Crescent pulled the scroll close and eyed the bulleted list with dismay. She hadn’t put her glasses on yet, so she needed to squint to read it.

“Cosmetics? I don’t have any with me, and why do you have stretching on here? Meditation?” Crescent asked looking over the different items.

Twilight smiled off to the side looking a little abashed. “Well I didn’t know exactly what kind of morning routine you had, so I just planned for everything.” Twilight explained.

Crescent looked up from the scroll relaxing her eyes. “Thanks Twilight. I’ll be there for breakfast just give me a second.” Crescent said stretching.

“We’ll be waiting, you can keep the checklist in case you want to look over it. I have a copy.” Twilight smiled and trotted out of the room.

Crescent blinked and looked over the list again. “She has a copy of this.” She muttered unbelievingly, setting it off to the side.

Crescent reached over to the shelves and put her glasses on. A few books and papers were scattered over the shelves now, Crescent had only half-heartedly unpacked so far. She pulled the medicine jar and spoon off the cupboard and took her daily spoonful for the day.

She grimaced and her horn sparked. She looked up at it worriedly. “I really should ask Zecora or maybe even Twilight why that happens. It is interesting.” She mumbled, stood up, and headed for the bathroom.

She mumbled to herself while she finished getting ready. “An entire checklist. Just for getting ready? It’s starting to feel like the hospital all over again.” She brushed a tangle out of her mane sighing. “It’s alright. She can’t possibly schedule everything. Right?” She smiled at herself in the mirror. Her mismatched eyes looked back. “Right.” She responded, adjusting her glasses She gave her mane and tail one last brush and headed off for breakfast.

Crescent kept talking as she walked to breakfast. “It won’t be like that. It won’t be thirty minutes of free time, then group therapy until twelve, then thirty minute lunch, then Awareness Practice for two hours, and a meeting with Dr. Silver Remedy. It won’t be like that.” She crossed through the castle until she found the stairs again.

She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at the banister. She looked around. Nopony was around and she always wanted to try this. “Why not.” She said and hopped on, sliding down the banister. She grinned as she slid down, and leaped off the end with a little shout of surprise. She skidded across the floor into a wall.

“Crescent!” Spike rushed up from down the main hall. He helped Crescent up. Crescent shook her head and fixed her glasses. “Are you alright?” Spike asked as they walked towards breakfast. “What did you do?” Spike asked opening the door.

“I tried sliding down the banister. I didn’t think it’d be that hard.” She admitted looking over her shoulder.

Spike laughed quietly and patted her side. “Don’t worry about it. I tried it once too.”

Twilight had a book propped open and was reading while she ate cereal. She looked up when they walked in and instantly raised a checklist over the table and ticked a box off. “Excellent. Now we can move on. Breakfast.” She said and waved them over.

Spike walked over and took a bowl off the table. He filled it with some cereal and milk and began crunching noisily. Crescent looked over the table for a second. Cereal? She thought a little sadly.

Just like the hospital again. She shook herself and walked over to the table. She grabbed a bowl. What was I expecting? Of course they eat cereal! At least they aren’t pouring it for me. She thought.

“Here let me get that for you Crescent.” Twilight levitated the cereal box.

Crescent snatched the box out of the air a little hastily. “No!” Twilight and Spike looked at her surprised. Crescent looked abashed and poured the cereal into her bowl. “Sorry. I like to pour my own cereal.” She muttered and started eating.

“That’s alright. Though you could have just said something.” Twilight said looking back at her list. Crescent crunched through her cereal.

“After breakfast we’ll head to the post office so we’ll have plenty of time to figure out the rest of your schedule.” Twilight said looking over the checklist again.

Crescent stopped mid crunch, nearly choking. Twilight and Spike looked over at her as she coughed. “The rest of my schedule?” She asked.

“Yes. One of the best ways to make a good first impression at a job is to-” Twilight pointed at the book she was reading. “show good organization and consistency in your performance.” Twilight quoted. Spike rolled his eyes and Crescent felt a little bit of worry creep into her.

“What kind of Mentor would I be if I let you go to your first day of work unprepared, and with this list, you won’t forget anything!.” Twilight ate some more cereal. “You won’t have to worry about anything. It’ll all be right here for you to check, and if you ever get behind I’ve included some hints to help you get back on track.” Another bite of cereal, she looked over at Crescent.

“Where’s your list? Did you forget it upstairs?” Twilight asked.

“I guess I did” Crescent responded moodily. She stood up and sighed. “I’ll go get it.” At least she could do something a little off schedule.

“No problem. Let me do it.” Twilight’s horn shimmered and the list popped into existence on the table before Crescent could protest.

Crescent sat back down and ate silently, hoping the rest of the day would be better. I’ll be sorting mail. Not terribly interesting, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. Crescent smiled, remembering Derpy knocking all the scrolls and packages over. I’ll get to see her again too. Crescent finished the rest of her cereal.

Twilight looked at the clock. She checked a box off the checklist. “Excellent. We should get going now.”

Crescent stood and checked the clock, then stopped. “Twilight. It’s seven.”

“Yes! Plenty of time to head for the post office and get situated and make the rest of the schedule.” Twilight smiled, winding her checklist back up and walking to the door.

“The rest of my schedule.” Crescent muttered and picked up the list Twilight had made her. She groaned as she followed towards the door.

“What’s wrong Crescent?” Spike walked up beside her. They crossed to the main room where Twilight was waiting.

Crescent looked at Twilight who was looking over the rest of her list and smiling. Crescent shook her head. “Nothing Spike. It’ll be alright.” She half muttered to herself. Spike looked at her skeptically.

“What?” She looked back at Spike.

Spike shook his head. “I’ve heard that before, and let me tell you, if you have something you want to tell Twilight, tell her.” Spike pointed at Twilight. Crescent watched Twilight as they walked closer.

“Um, Twilight?” Crescent asked as they walked up.

“One second. I realized I had part of the list duplicated. You’d have been going in circles if I hadn’t noticed.” Twilight squinted at part of her list and scribbled it out.

Crescent stood there for a second while Twilight fixed the list. Spike motioned for her to ask. She looked back at Twilight, who was looking over the list again. Spike made a more frantic motion. “Um, excuse me for a second.” Crescent dashed off to one of the side rooms without waiting for a response. She closed the door and started pacing.

“What can I say? She just wants to be a good Mentor. What do you say to that? I’m sorry Twilight, but could you back off? I really think I’ll be alright and your lists are making me anxious.” Crescent shuddered. Lists and schedules, how much of her life had been lists and schedules until now.

“I thought I’d seen my last list when I came here. Yet no I find out that cousin Twilight is the Princess of lists as well as friendship. Like the fact that she has the entire library organized and cross referenced seven times over.” She muttered. Everything she’d done had been on a list. Everything had been on a schedule. All those attendants, doctors, and even other patients all standing, waiting, making sure you never left the schedule.

“Still, she is trying to help. I can’t blame her for that. I did ask her to be my Mentor after all and this is how she thinks. You can’t blame someone for trying to help you, even if you dislike how they do it.” Crescent paced around the room anxiously.

“So do I tell her? How do I tell her? I mean it is just a list, what will she think if I get this upset over a list? I don’t think she’d write the hospital about that, would she?” Crescent stopped imagining the letter showing up on Dr. Remedy’s desk and her being recalled to the hospital. Crescent shook the image from her head.

“No she wouldn’t do that. Still... I don’t want her to think I don’t appreciate what she’s doing…” She started pacing again, muttering the whole time.

Spike opened the door. “Um, Crescent, are you alright?” He asked.

Crescent stopped pacing and breathed. “Yes, I think I am.” I’ll just get to work, smile, wave goodbye and then ignore the list the rest of the day. Crescent nodded to herself. “Yes, I’ll be alright Spike.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “What? I’ll be fine. What do you think could happen?” Crescent asked as they walked back to Twilight again.

Spike shook his head. “I don’t know, but the last few times something like this happened somepony regretted it.” Spike warned.

“Nothing like that will happen.” Crescent assured herself. “I mean what could possibly happen?” She asked as they reached Twilight.

“You might be surprised.” Spike muttered.

Twilight looked up from her list a little worried. “Okay we lost a little time, but we can make it if we hurry.” Twilight walked out the door at a quick pace. Crescent and Spike followed. Just ignore the list. You can go about your day after that. Crescent thought quietly in her head as they walked into Ponyville.

Author's Note:

Like I said. This will be a little like a mini series. Hopefully the rest will be up faster.