Crescent Moonbeam Ep. 2 Schedule Conlict

by GlitterBit

A Growing Problem

The rest of the crew walked in. Most of the ponies were yawning and seemed half asleep. They blearily started going about their work. Hats were donned and most of them sat down to a pile of letters and began sorting them into smaller piles. Others began pulling the letters from the past day and sorting them into bags. Crescent joined the group around the pile of letters.

Some of the ponies looked at her, but most seemed too asleep to notice at the moment. The bags looked like they were the different routes that the post ponies would take in a few hours to begin their deliveries. So what were the piles? Crescent picked up a letter and looked at the address. 225 N Bloom Blvd., Canterlot.

These were the outgoing mail. Crescent watched as more piles began to develop. She started picking through the main pile. Canterlot, Manehattan, Manehattan, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, Crescent sorted each letter to its assigned city.

The other ponies eventually started blinking sleep from their eyes and began talking to each other. “How’s your garden doing Goldy?” one pony asked another.

“Oh alright. I’ll be quitting soon so I can take care of my carrots now that the seasons back.”

“Well that’s nice. Think it will be a good harvest? I heard you had a few rotten carrots last year goldy.” One pony grinned tossing a letter onto a pile.

“I always have a good harvest.” Goldy sniffed back. Crescent kept sorting letters quietly. Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Vanhoover, Baltimare, she rattled through each of the town names sorting them out. When she reached a letter that didn’t have a pile already she tossed it into an empty space and kept sorting. Crescent heard a small cough behind her, but the other ponies were talking, so she ignored it.

The cough came a bit louder and Crescent looked up from the letter in her hooves. None of the ponies were paying much attention to her at the moment. None of them looked like they’d coughed, or heard anything either.

“Ahem!” Crescent turned around surprised. She still didn’t see anything. She checked her memory to see if she’d taken her medication that morning. She rolled her tongue around her mouth and could still taste the bitterness in her mouth despite breakfast. She felt a light tap on her flank and she looked down.

Crescent blinked unsure of what she was seeing. It was a mini-Twilight, looking slightly annoyed. Crescent blinked again. The Twilight stayed put, and grew even more annoyed.

“Well?” It asked pointing a hoof at one of the piles Crescent had just started. The one letter sitting alone on the floor.

“Well, what?” Crescent asked. She furrowed her brow. Maybe she needed to talk with Dr. Remedy about a new dosage.

The mini-Twilight rolled its eyes and sighed heavily. “Routine for new mail piles states that you must first confirm that nopony else has started a pile of that city or address before starting one and informing everypony of the pile on its creation.”

“Why should I listen to you?” Crescent asked.

The mini-Twilight rolled its eyes again. “I’m a Reminder. We’re created to remind ponies of their duties and responsibilities. You forgot to confirm that the pile hadn’t been created and didn’t tell anypony about the pile you did make, so I’m here to remind you about it.” It explained.

“Umm… OK. Um…” Crescent turned back to the other ponies around the pile in the center. A few had started watching her without trying to be obvious. “Anyone have a letter pile for Vanhoover yet?” She asked. All the ponies looked at her, then down at the different piles on the floor. They shook their heads. “Ok I started one over here then. I hope that’s okay.” Crescent noticed the mini-Twilight Reminder thing nod in satisfaction. The other ponies just shrugged and went back to sorting again. Crescent turned back to the Reminder.

“Ok, is that it?” She asked. The Reminder nodded then turned to the door of the back office and started walking away.

“Where are you going?” Crescent asked as she picked up another letter.

“I’m not going anywhere.” The pony next to her responded. “I’m staying for the next few weeks at least.” He sorted a few letters as he spoke.

“I wasn’t talking to you. I was trying to ask her.” Crescent pointed at the Reminder that was walking away. The pony next to her nodded and shrugged, before going back to sorting. A few of the other ponies started looking at each other with raised eyebrows. Some even whispered and tilted their heads in Crescent’s direction. Oh great. Crescent thought. I guess it couldn’t get worse than being crazy on the first day though.

The Reminder turned to face Crescent when another cough came from the other side of her. Crescent turned to find another mini-Twilight Reminder on her other side. “What?” She asked.

“You forgot Employee Etiquette #4: Be polite and courteous to other employees.” It waved at the pony next to her. “You really should offer him an apology.” Crescent sighed and turned to the pony next to her.

“Sorry.” She muttered, tossing a letter into its correct pile.

“For what?” He asked.

“I was a little snappy earlier. I’m sorry.”

“Oh that’s alright.” He leaned in a whispered. “To be honest, that was nicer than most ponies at this hour can muster.” He grinned at her. Crescent missed a letter pile and she felt another tap on her flank.

“I missed a letter. I know I did. Just hold on.” She picked up the letter and moved it to its correct pile. Another tap on her flank. She looked down and saw two Twilights standing next to each other. One looked pacified the other was still annoyed.

“I resorted the letter! What problem do you have with that?” She asked. She ignored the skeptical looks she was receiving.

“Mail Policy states that incorrectly sorted letters must be readmitted to the central pile before being resorted.” It stated. Crescent looked at the four assembled Reminders, the one by the door had rejoined the group, then at the clock. It was only five minutes since Twilight had left.

“Are you all going to tell Twilight what I forgot?” She nervously asked. They all nodded, Crescent looked at the clock again. Four mistakes in five minutes! What will Twilight think of that? Crescent panicked. She’ll think I can’t even do this without her help! I won’t be able to get away from anything! The list will just be the start! She felt a tap on her side and turned, expecting to see another Reminder, when she saw it was the pony next to her.

He had a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright? You seem a little distracted.” The other ponies nodded with his statement.

“You can’t-” She looked over her shoulder at the Twilights walking towards the door. “Never mind. Just first day of work problems is all. Would you excuse me for a second.” Crescent stood and trotted after the small group of reminders. What do I do? I don’t want Twilight to think I can’t do things without her help, but what can I do about them?

She crept up behind the Reminders and coughed to get their attention. They turned and looked up at her. “Hi, would you mind not telling Twilight about my mistakes? For now at least?” She asked smiling. The Reminders shook their head and the first one spoke.

“We have to do as the spell requires. We will inform the caster of our purpose before our termination.” The lead Reminder seemed to quote while the others nodded. Crescent nodded along with them worriedly.

Well that was a longshot anyways. What else can I do? Could I trap them somehow? That’d keep them from telling Twilight for a little while at least. Crescent leaned forward and nudged one experimentally.

“Hey!” It looked offended and backed away from Crescent’s probing hoof. They were definitely
solid, at least to her.

Then Crescent had another thought. How do they form? What is the spell attached to that generated them? “Sorry.” Crescent apologized halfheartedly. “I was wondering something though, where did all of you come from? Where’s the spell if I might ask?” Crescent watched them closely. The Reminder she’d nudged looked annoyed, but it gestured over at her saddle bags.

“There’s a list of all our duties and reminders on a schedule in there. We’re linked to that.” It explained.

Crescent nodded and quickly snatched the Reminder up. Immediately all the Reminders began protesting loudly demanding that she let it go and let them be on their way. Well Crescent wasn’t going to do that. She moved over to her saddle bags with the protesting Mini-Twilights following her. She dumped the first one in and all of them stopped for a second before turning and trying to run out the door.

Crescent cut them off and chased them back towards her saddle bags. She scooped them up and dumped them inside the bag before closing it and strapping it tight. She watched the bag squirm with shouts of protest. “Hey! You’re not supposed to stop us!” One of them called from within the bag. Crescent caught a faint flash through the bag.

“You’re supposed to be sorting.” Another voice called. Another flash.

“Don’t forget to neaten the piles every few minutes or so, so they look nice.” Another voice and another flash.

“Try and make a new friend today.” The Reminder called, Twilight wasn’t just interested in helping Crescent with her first day of work. The bag was now, notably, more full than it had been before. Apparently the Reminders were still coming from the list inside the saddle bags. Crescent adjusted her glasses and ran a hoof through her mane distractedly, she’d need to figure out what to do about that.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” The pony from before asked. Crescent turned around and noticed that all the sorters had stopped to watch her and a few of the delivery ponies had entered the room and were watching curiously as well.

“Just checking on somethings. I brought a lunch and wanted to make sure it was still fresh.” Crescent lied hurriedly.

“After only 30 minutes?” Goldy asked skeptically.

“I like to be safe?” Crescent tried, quietly walking back to the sorters. She started sorting again and after a few worried looks and whispers the others went back to work as well. Crescent tried to lose herself in the sorting, but she couldn’t help glancing at her saddlebags.

A few flashes happened in the next fifteen minutes, but the strap to the bag held and kept the Reminders trapped. After another half hour and another few flashes the bag began to bulge dangerously against the strap and Crescent began to worry.

Could she let them out now? What would happen if she did? They’d tell Twilight she’d trapped them inside her bag. Crescent began tapping her hooves against the floor. She wished she could get up and pace. What could she do? They’d probably break the bag eventually and get loose anyways. Could she get rid of them somehow? Crescent kept tapping her hooves as she worried.

The pony next to her leaned over. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think any of us have asked your name.” He said.

“No you haven’t.” Crescent responded distractedly watching the saddle bag.

He stopped for a second. “So what is your name then if you don’t mind?” He asked.

Crescent sighed and put a hoof to her head. “Sorry, I’m Crescent Moonbeam. Nice to meet you.” The other ponies nodded and introduced themselves. Crescent tried to remember their names, but she was still too distracted by another set of flashes and the increased struggling of her bag.

After introductions, conversation started up again. Crescent noticed that the ponies had stopped whispering about her. “So Crescent, I’m going to assume you’re new in town since nopony’s seen you before, what brought you to Ponyville?”

“Umm…” I came here after getting out of Canterlot Mental Hospital to get a fresh start in Equestria. Didn’t seem like a good introduction to start with. Thankfully Crescent heard her name called from the front.

“Looks like Abacus is calling you. We’ll finish introductions later.” The pony smiled and Crescent gratefully went to go see what Abacus wanted. She sighed with relief as she walked through the front.

“What do you want to see me about Mr. Slate?” Crescent asked.

“Grab your saddle bags. We’ve got enough sorted that I want you to go delivering with Derpy for your first day.” Abacus said.

Crescent got excited. It would be her first time delivering and she got to do it with Derpy! Then it turned to worry and fear when she remembered what she had trapped in her saddle bags.

“Is there a problem?” Abacus asked when Crescent had stood there a few more seconds than necessary.

“No sir.” Crescent smiled nervously and turned to go get her saddle bags.