The Alleys of Ponyville: Short Stories from the Noireverse

by PonyJosiah13

The Dance Troupe

The music was indescribably wonderful, a mixture of thumping drums, the wild and cheerful wails and whoops of flutes, all mixed with the jingling of little bells and beads, like rain on a rooftop.

Sirba stood in the middle of the troupe of zebras on the stage of the Apple Pie, leading the entire group in dance. They pounded their feet, swaying left and right, every movement perfectly in sync; their voices joined in a chorus, the song echoing off the walls. They shook their manes and tails, the beads that decorated their hair ringing out musically. Amidst the two drummers, Muziqaa stood with his flute, stamping his hind legs to the rhythm as he played.

Two of the zebras broke off from the group and stood at opposite ends of the stage, shaking their tails to produce a constant rattling. Every zebra except Sirba stepped back, continuing to stamp their hooves in rhythm. Sirba stood in one place, hopping from hoof to hoof. The flutes all held a single note as the drums began pounding louder and faster. The audience watched, breath bated: what was going to happen?

Without any warning, both of the zebras sprinted towards Sirba. Just when it seemed like they might gallop right into her, she ducked, and they both jumped. They both tucked into a perfect flip, passing so close to one another that they nearly touched, and landed on all fours. Sirba gave a shout in her native tongue, which the other zebras echoed, followed by a undulating cheer as the music stopped. The crowd stared for a beat, then burst into applause, the cheers seeming to make the windows of the tavern vibrate in their settings.

“Wow,” Daring commented, applauding along with the rest from her stool at the bar. “She’s great.”

“She is wonderful,” Suunkii commented from beside her, his eyes on his wife. A wide, bright smile was on his face, and his eyes glittered with love as they focused on Sirba. She, in turn, waved to him and blew him a brief kiss. Muziqaa waved as well.

“Say, how’d you two meet anyway?” Daring asked, swirling her drink. “Kinda hard to see somepony like her with...well, you know, you.”

Suunkii raised an eyebrow at her briefly, then chuckled once: a sound that seemed completely alien coming from him. “I take no offense, Daring Do,” he answered. “As a matter of fact, it was largely through dance that I met her.”

He took a bite of the grinder that he’d ordered before continuing. “Ten years ago, when Phillip Finder was still an officer in the department, he managed to convince me to go out and do something on the weekend. I was initially hesitant, but we decided upon a performance of a zebra dance troupe.

“As soon as the dancers came out, I forgot about the music, the crowd, everything around me. My eyes focused upon a single mare, the leader of the troupe. Sirba. She was…” He smiled and let out a happy sigh, his eyes drifting up towards the ceiling in reverie. “She was, as a statement of fact, the most beautiful mare I had ever seen in my life.”

“Never thought I’d hear words like that coming out of your mouth,” Daring commented.

“I state it because it is true,” Suunkii replied. “I was transfixed, utterly focused upon her; the way she moved, her voice, the smile upon her face, were all a joy to behold. In fact, it was not until after the performance was almost over that Phillip pointed out that I had had a…” He blushed furiously and cleared his throat. “Physical reaction to her appearance.”

Daring stared at him. “Physical…?”

Suunkii blushed and glanced down between his hind legs. Daring stared for a moment longer, then burst out laughing. “Oh, my...you…” She planted her face against the table, vibrating with laughter.

“It is a physical reaction, a part of evolution,” Suunkii grumbled. “It was not something that I had any conscious control over.”

“Ah, it happens, right?” Daring snorted. “I know I’ve accidentally let a few ponies get a peek while I’m flying around.” She smirked and glanced over at Phillip, who was sitting at another table, speaking to Twilight. “Granted, not all of them were accidents.”

“In any case,” Suunkii continued. “Phillip arranged for me to meet the dancer on a blind date. I believe it was partially a joke on his part.”

“Didn’t know that he had a sense of humor,” Daring commented.

“Well, the first meeting was...somewhat awkward on my part, but fortunately, she was very open-minded,” Suunkii continued. “And the rest, as the saying goes, is history.”

“Sounds like a fairy tale, almost,” Daring said, turning back to the stage. Sirba was currently dancing in place, hopping on her hooves, with Muziqaa dancing on her back.

“My tribe believes in rationality and logic above all things,” Suunkii stated. “But even stories have a place in our lives. My forefathers knew that there are some things that cannot be explained. Love is one of them.”

Daring looked over to Phillip. Seeming to sense her gaze, Phillip looked up at her. Their eyes met and he smiled at her.

“Can’t be explained,” Daring said to herself, smiling back.

Author's Note:

Suunkii and Phil's past is something I've always wanted to devote more time and focus to. The two were once best friends, and in many ways, still are, after all, and Suunkii's family is an important part of Phil's life as well. Giving Suunkii and his wife and son a chance to shine was a nice diversion.

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

“I state it because it is true,” Suunkii replied. “I was transfixed, utterly focused upon her; the way she moved, her voice, the smile upon her face, were all a joy to behold. In fact, it was not until after the performance was almost over that Phillip pointed out that I had had a…” He blushed furiously and cleared his throat. “Physical reaction to her appearance.”

Daring stared at him. “Physical…?”

Suunkii blushed and glanced down between his hind legs. Daring stared for a moment longer, then burst out laughing. “Oh, my...you…” She planted her face against the table, vibrating with laughter.

“It is a physical reaction, a part of evolution,” Suunkii grumbled. “It was not something that I had any conscious control over.”

Hahahahha, I'm sure.

But you'll have to remind me who Suunkii is. There are so many characters in this story by this point it's hard to keep track. I also had to try so very hard not to mistype that name as Sunkill.