Adventures in The 6ix

by Wiz Ahmad

Chapter 10: A Visit to the Park

PINKIE AND SKYSTAR POV

HOME, HALF AN HOUR EARLIER

“And… your turn,” Pinkie muttered for the hundredth time, reclining back on the couch.

“I mean, I liked this game at first, but now it’s become so boring,” Skystar muttered. “We’ve played like 1000 times.”

“We’ll try to use the keyboard after this match,” Pinkie suggested. “Even we’ve played that before.”

The chess game continued, with Skystar picking up good defense points with her rooks. But Pinkie was a genius at finding the slightest mistake in pawn positions, and soon Skystar found herself at odds with how to effectively block access to her queen and king. In the end, Pinkie took hold of Skystar’s bishop while she attempted to defend her king.

“Ah, you’re too good at this,” Skystar groaned. “You’ve won more than I ever have.”

“Don’t be sad, Skystar,” Pinkie reassured, caressing the hippogriff’s cheeks. “You just have to perfect your strategies. How about some music? Let’s see about ideas… I actually like cheerleading.”

It wasn’t long before Pinkie found an entertaining, upbeat song. On the desktop, she looked in a folder called “Sheet Music” and found the same song.

“Hmmm, this one looks rather complicated. Skystar, can you play? I can sing and play the drum pad.”

Rather painstakingly, Pinkie set up the instrument layout with a guitar and drum kit, and then hit the record button. They then began together.

“When I need motivation…”

“My one solution is my queen ‘cause she stay strong…”

They continued on, smoothly letting each line out in time with the note pitches. Unfortunately the MacBook’s weak internal mic made the resulting audio so weak that Pinkie had to turn it way up.

“Aw, it sounds distorted,” Skystar pouted. “Let’s try again.”

Pinkie saved the project and started a new one. This time they turned the mic volume all the way up and made sure their vocals were bang-in time with the musical notes.

“Let’s hear it now,” Skystar suggested after playing the last notes. “I’m out of breath.”

“How can you be?” Pinkie laughed, hitting the play button. “You’re part fish, silly!”

The notes still sounded off, until Pinkie realized something.

“Ah, silly me! Forgot to do this!” she giggled, tapping the quantize button.

“Now it sounds better!” Skystar beamed. “I feel like...like I’m running and flying. It’s so upbeat.”

“Well, let’s go outside! There are so many places we could go!” Pinkie exclaimed, unfolding a map of Parkdale. “Look, here’s a little park we could visit! We could play buckball and maybe even enjoy the playground!”

“What are we waiting for?” Skystar exclaimed.

“Actually, I just remembered something I could use!”

Skystar stared in bewilderment as Pinkie zoomed into Xavier’s room, returning with a wheeled board and a ball.

“Now I’ll have someone to roll with! Yay!” Skystar squealed.

Pinkie opened the door and Skystar climbed up the steps, albeit slowly. Pinkie followed her out the door with the board and ball, shutting the door… and forgetting to lock it.

“Woah…” Pinkie gasped, trying to keep her balance on the board with her back legs while holding the ball in her front hooves. Together they headed up the road and onto Downing Avenue, before passing an apartment and eventually turning onto King Street.

“Which way was the park again?” Skystar inquired, catching up to the eager Pinkie (who’d quickly picked up on how to ride the penny board and was bus lengths ahead of her friend).

“Um, it was… that way!” she proclaimed, pointing right. “Let’s go! Shouldn’t be far off.”

Pinkie kick-turned and sped off down the sidewalk, still upright and holding the ball. Skystar happily chased after her as quick as her slender front legs would carry her. Almost immediately, Pinkie’s “sense” crept up.

“Um, Skystar?” she asked worriedly. “I think we’re being watched.”

Across the street and further up the sidewalk, people stood, their eyes locked onto the pink pony and the wheelchaired hippogriff. Some were in shock, others in awe.

“We should keep moving,” Skystar urged. “Maybe they’ll just leave us alone.”

Pinkie nodded and kicked off. Soon they passed a laundromat and a grocery store.

“Ooh, I wonder if Joyce works here,” Pinkie wondered, briefly peeking in through the window.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the loud sound of a speeding tram.

“Hey, I didn’t know this place had trams! Twilight told me about these. Maybe we’ll take a ride later.”

After passing a couple apartment blocks, Pinkie and Skystar finally arrived at the park. It was enclosed, with only one narrow entrance. Pinkie didn’t care and tossed her board and ball over the fence, then vaulted over. Skystar ran around to the entrance and darted through, only to find a wide expanse of hard, dry concrete. There was hardly any grass.

“Bummer!” Pinkie whined, catching up on her board. “Well, at least we have a wide expanse to play as opposed to that tiny little basement.”

Setting her board down under a bench, Pinkie set down the ball and rolled it towards Skystar, who was resting in the soft grass under a tree.

“C’mon, Skystar, pass!” she coaxed, lying down like an eager puppy. Skystar got up and grasped the ball in her hand, then threw it at Pinkie.

“Oh yes!” Pinkie whooped, jumping up and kicking the ball back. Skystar ran, reared up, and tossed the ball back, using her good hind leg to support her balance.

The two passed the ball back and forth, playfully running around as they did so. For the first time in days, Skystar felt happy and free, playing with her best friend in the warm city air of the afternoon. But it wasn’t long before their antics started to attract attention from other park-goers who arrived.

A little girl ran up to Pinkie, wearing a jersey, shorts, and sneakers. Her mother tagged along behind,

“Can I play too?” she asked eagerly.

“Of course you can!” Pinkie exclaimed, winking at the mom. “Three times the fun!”

Pinkie passed her the ball, and she kicked it towards Skystar, who then passed it back to Pinkie. The three soon enjoyed their game of ball together. At first Skystar was concerned that Pinkie would kick too hard, but the little girl’s body was stronger than the two anticipated.

“You’ve been practicing well,” Skystar thought, observing the girl’s moves.

After several brief mini-soccer games, Skystar rested under the tree while Pinkie cooled down with gradual slow walks, before sitting down next to her hippogriff friend.

“Shall we play tag?” Skystar asked. “But you have to be on the board.”

Pinkie got up and stepped onto her board, then pushed off, only to fall flat on her belly as she turned.

“Oops, I guess I leaned too much,” she said with a giggle. “Let me try one more time and we can begin.”

Pinkie hopped back onto her board and pushed off again, this time watching her balance. After two tries she made a full circle around the park at considerable speed. Skystar rose to her feet and eagerly pranced after her.

Just as Skystar was about to catch up, Pinkie noticed a car with lights on its roof across the side street. Some distance away, a cop stood questioning a young woman.

“Sorry Skystar, but we gotta get out of here, now!” Pinkie exclaimed, already running straight for the fence. Grabbing the board, she leapt right over it and onto the sidewalk.

“Wait!” Skystar pleaded, running up to the fence, only to realize she couldn’t jump. Pinkie threw herself back over and unbuckled the wheelchair, allowing Skystar to briefly fly. With Skystar now on the sidewalk, Pinkie lifted up the wheelchair and tossed it over, then jumped back onto the sidewalk.

“What about the ball?” Skystar asked anxiously, balancing on three legs.

“Never mind,” Pinkie muttered, securing the wheelchair straps back onto her friend. “This. Is. Serious. Follow me, keep up, and don’t look back.”

Without another word, Pinkie glanced back to make sure the car wasn’t moving, then kicked off on her board, zipping down the sidewalk, with Skystar running as fast as her slender front legs could carry her.

“Coming through, sorry!” Skystar called out as people jumped aside and cyclists swerved. Pinkie looked around anxiously, hoping that they wouldn’t get spotted. At least, not by the “wrong people”.

“This way!” Pinkie whispered, half-skidding, half-kick turning around a curb bend at the home street. Skystar skidded to a stop so hard her wrists almost skinned clean off. Turning fast but gradually, she took off after her friend down the road, where the surface was smoother.

“Almost there…” Skystar pleadingly whispered, noticing the iconic gravel driveway at the end of the dead-end street. On the sidewalk, Pinkie was starting to wobble from constant cracks and bumps in the surface, but she kept it together.

Just as they reached the driveway, sirens could be heard in the distance.

“GET IN!” Pinkie hollered, wrestling the door’s knob and yanking it open. Skystar galloped across the driveway, heading straight for the basement entrance. As soon as her tail was in, Pinkie shut the door and locked both locks, panting.

“That… was close…”

“I know,” Skystar sighed. “We should’ve known that those cops would be looking for us. We’re nothing but accused fugitives.”

“Yeah, and they don’t even know us!” Pinkie added, a hint of anger in her voice. “What kind of creatures claim to live so peacefully and then try to go after and do who-knows-what to other creatures simply because they’re different!”

Skystar’s face fell in sadness, and as they made their way back down the steps, a single phrase could be uttered simultaneously.

“Xavier was right.”

Author's Note:

The world isn't looking up for these poor ponies. I'll try to get a new chapter out sometime later this week, once I can figure out which "path" I'll be taking this story down.

Comments

[K Bird]

hell yeah dood, Toronto! HERE WE COME!!

[Captain Morgan]

I like the new cover art you made, very nice!

[vampnyx]

I read the description and I laugh my ass off!

[Captain Morgan]

Are you going to write more chapters or are you taking a break?

[Wiz Ahmad]

8685612
Hey there Cap'n! Thanks for asking. Final exams are just around the corner and I've also fallen ill currently, so yeah, on a break. I'll try to work on it periodically starting next month when I can get a proper schedule sorted out.

[Captain Morgan]

8686289
Well good luck on those exams, also I hope you get well soon!