Nimble Hoof
It was a rainy day in Ponyville. The sun was not shining, the birds not singing, and a dour mood permeated the usually cheerful town. However, there was one pony who stood against this. Ponyville’s number one advocate for smiles and laughter, Pinkie Pie, worked all day to make sure her plan would go off without a hitch. She sent invites, baked sweets, and set up decorations, all for this moment. Eventually, it was time. 6 PM, only a matter of seconds before her efforts would bear fruit.
“3!”
“2!”
“1!”
“SURPRISE!”
Pinkie Pie studied the faces of the two rain-soaked arrivals with anticipation. To her delight, one of them reacted with a wide grin. The other’s reaction though… she couldn’t see it.
“A party?!” the father, an earth pony named Steel Beam, said. “For us? Bah, you shouldn’t have!”
“It’s your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie said as she bounced over to the family. “If you like it, then there’ll be more where this came from! We’ll have the ‘Thanks for Staying in Ponyville’ party, the ‘One Month in Ponyville Anniversary’ party, the ‘Two Months in Ponyville Anniversary’ party, the ‘Five Parties Landmark’ party, the-“
Steel Beam chuckled, holding up a hoof to stop her blabbering. “You sure like your parties, huh? I appreciate the effort.” He looked down to his son, another earth pony, who was hiding shyly behind him. “What do we say, Nimble Hoof?”
“Thank you…” Nimble Hoof mumbled.
She lowered herself to his level. “You’re very welcome, Nimble Hoof. I like the name! My name’s Pinkie Pie!”
Instead of replying, he studied his hooves. He reminded Pinkie of a certain quiet Pegasus.
“He’s a shy one, my Nimble Hoof,” Steel Beam said, sighing and shaking his head.
“Oh, I don’t mind! I’ve got shy friends myself, y’know.”
“Doubt they’re as quiet as this one,” he said, laughing. Nimble Hoof did not look as amused.
“Oh, he doesn’t seem so bad!” She winked at the foal. “Anyway,” she said, standing back up, “I’ve got some things to check on. Enjoy the party!”
At that, she hopped away to ensure things were running smoothly. You know, check up on guests, taste test the food, reread the music playlist, taste test the food again, that sort of stuff. While she did so, she ruminated on the family the party was thrown for.
Steel Beam had moved to Ponyville mere days ago, a construction worker working on contract for Mayor Mare’s new renovations of Town Hall. It appeared that he was a single father, his only family being his son Nimble Hoof. He was a handsome stallion, with a tight build and a cropped mane the color of sand. Nimble Hoof was a colt around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a short, skinny little thing whose pitch-black mane just reached his eyes. While even Pinkie, who just met them, could tell the two differed quite a bit, it was clear that at the very least Nimble Hoof’s snow white fur was inherited from his father.
She remembered when she first found out they had moved in, even though it wasn’t a terribly interesting story. Steel Beam entered Sugarcube Corner to buy a pie, idly explaining to her that he was new in town, and she managed to finish the order without trembling in excitement. Pinkie, as usual, had wasted no time in setting up a party for them, mentioning to Steel Beam that Sugarcube Corner would have a sale tomorrow night at 6 PM sharp, and that he definitely should bring his son along for some complimentary pastries. Technically, she was telling the truth about the free food.
“Seems like they’re already enjoying the party,” Rainbow Dash said to her by the punch bowl. Pinkie smiled as Rainbow pointed to Steel Beam in the middle of some story, surrounded by a crowd of ponies. They suddenly erupted in laughter at something he said, Steel Beam chuckling at his own joke. He was already leaving a great impression. Still, something was missing…
“You said ‘they’, Dashie. Do you see Nimble Hoof?”
“Who, the kid? I thought I saw him… Guess not.”
Pinkie frowned as she flicked her eyes this way and that, trying and failing to locate the colt. She knew that nopony should be forced to have fun, but the fact that the shy child was nowhere to be seen, not even with his father, concerned her. Not to mention the slight itch on her eyeball, which, to her Pinkie Sense, either meant somepony near the party was sad, or that they were almost out of muffins. Neither of which were good.
Maybe, she wondered, he was with foals his age? Scanning the party again, she found the trio of fillies she needed quickly. She zoomed away, leaving Rainbow Dash behind without a word of goodbye.
“Hey girls!” Pinkie said, materializing before them.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked up from their conversation at her quick approach, mildly shocked looks on their faces.
“Oh… hey Pinkie!” Applebloom said. “This sure is a fun party!”
“A fun Pinkie Pie party, huh? What else is new?” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey! I was just complimenting the host-“
“Aw, it doesn’t matter! I know you love my parties!” Pinkie said, wanting the subject changed as soon as possible. “Anyway! I’ve got an important question for you guys. Have you seen a foal by the name of Nimble Hoof? White fur, black mane, kinda skinny?”
“He’s one of the ponies this party is for, right?” Sweetie Belle asked. “No, we haven’t seen him. We’d love to meet him, though! Is he a blank flank?”
Pinkie realized she never checked to see if he was. “I just can’t find him anywhere! If he doesn’t like parties, that’s fine, but I don’t know where he could’ve gone!”
“Uh, maybe he went home?” Scootaloo said.
“But it’s raining buckets out, and I’m pretty sure he lives on the other side of town!”
“He must be a fearless, independent foal, like us!” Applebloom said with pride.
Pinkie scratched her head. “He didn’t seem it, but-”
Applebloom interrupted her. “If ya see him, tell him we’d love to help him get his cutie mark! If he is a blank flank, that is. Even if he isn’t, we’d still like to meet him!”
By this point, she knew they wouldn’t be any help. “Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie said, eye twitching, before bouncing away, the Crusaders visibly confused at her demeanor.
The party went on into the night, and the itch in her eyeball never went away no matter how much she rubbed it. There were plenty of muffins, she checked multiple times, so it had to mean somepony near the party was sad. Her gut told her it was Nimble Hoof, but she didn’t want to ask all over for him and appear nosy. She got called that enough!
She sighed. Being a party host was fulfilling, and she loved it, but, sometimes, it was more stressful than it appeared. Even she needed a breather, and so she snuck out the back into the rainy night.
“It’s not too big a deal, Pinkie,” she said to herself as she walked through the empty streets of Ponyville, the cobblestones slick with moisture. “Just a kid who doesn’t enjoy parties. Simple, ri- OOF.“
She suddenly tripped on something, plunging into a puddle on the ground. The water chilled her to her bones, her fluffy mane straightening out as soon as it touched it. She grunted as she hoisted herself up, her hooves impacting the shallow pool with a splash. Whatever she ran into audibly groaned, and she turned to see that sprawled out next to her was… Nimble Hoof!
“S-Sorry, miss…” he said, scrambling to stand again, his mane soaking wet and covering his eyes. With a flick of his head, it went behind his ears.
“No, no, it’s alright! It was my fault, really. What are you doing out here?”
“Just walking,” he muttered, staring at the ground. His soaked fur and shivering form told Pinkie all she needed to know.
“You’ve been out here the whole time, haven’t you? It’s not healthy to walk in the rain without protection. You could get sick!” she said.
“Look at the pot calling the kettle black…” he said under his breath.
Pinkie chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She held out a hoof to him. “I get you might not like parties, but we really should get out of this weather.”
“I… really don’t want to go back,” he said, running his hoof through the puddle in circles.
“Why?”
“I just… don’t, OK?”
“Hmmm…” Pinkie tapped her chin in thought. “How about I walk you home, then?”
He looked to Pinkie with a jolt, as if he was struck. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
“I learned from Cranky Doodle Donkey that some friends just like to be left alone. It’s my goal to get ponies smiling, and it appears I haven’t done a good job with you. If it’ll make you happy, then I’ll absolutely walk you home!”
“I don't know what you're talking about, but thank you,” he said, meeting her eyes with his own for the first time.
The two walked across town in the night rain, Nimble Hoof leading the way. The moon reflected on the deep puddles permeating the town, the image broken up from ripples caused by fat raindrops and their heavy hoofsteps. Pinkie was rarely one to slow down and take in the scenery, but she supposed there was a certain beauty to a flooded Ponyville around this time of night. It was as if she and Nimble Hoof were the only ones in the world at this moment, traversing through a submerged Equestria. She allowed the rain to wash over her, realizing with a shiver she would probably get sick because of this.
Nimble Hoof, however, appeared to be taking the weather in stride. She briefly wondered why he didn’t just go home by himself, but figured the child didn’t want to go alone. Despite his shy nature, she could see that there was a part of him brimming with untapped energy. He didn’t say a word to her, but often took the moment to stop and take leaps into the puddles, threatening to soak her even more with the resulting splashes.
“You like the rain, huh?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“I’d like to think it could be my favorite kind of weather,” he said, closing his eyes and tilting his head up towards the clouds. “Usually, nopony is around, so I get to do things by myself. But the downside is…”
“The downside is what?”
“Well, if it rains my dad usually doesn’t go to work. He says the rain complicates things.”
Pinkie tilted her head, her soaked mane flopping to the side. “You don’t like it when your dad is home?”
His eyes widened. “H-He’s just kind of annoying, you know? I like being alone, and he always tries to talk to me.”
“Parents, eh? I know how it is! My parents were rock farmers, kinda the complete opposite of me, but we’ve grown to accept each other!”
“Wow, aren’t you lucky…” He leapt into another puddle, this time with much more force. The resulting wave hit her like a slap to the face.
The kid was beginning to open up, but that response concerned her. The itch in her eye was still there, and he hadn’t smiled once. However, before she could say anything else, they had arrived. He opened the door, the light from inside pouring into the street and highlighting them both.
“Thanks for walking me home, Miss… Sorry, what was your name again?”
“Pinkie Pie!”
“Thanks for walking me home, Miss Pinkie Pie. Good night.”
As he turned to walk inside, her eyes caught his flank and she finally realized it was indeed blank.
“Wait!”
He glanced back. “Yeah?”
“I forgot to tell you. There are these three fillies, we call them the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who told me they wanted to meet you! Doesn’t that sound nice?”
A brief look of nervousness crossed his face. “Fillies, huh? I-I guess so. Good night.”
He shut the door, leaving her alone in the rain. Not a single smile. She sighed, and drifted away from the house, defeated. Good going, Pinkie! You really messed it up this time!
The walk back was uneventful, and by the time she returned the party was still going strong. She ignored the concerned glances of her friends and plodded her way towards the steps to her room, neglecting to stop the dripping rain water from pooling on the floor around her. She paused, however, when she saw Steel Beam still cracking jokes, seemingly unaware of where his son was.
“Hey, Steel Beam!” she said on her approach, interrupting whatever he was currently saying.
“Oh, Pinkie! You good? Cuz you look like crap!” he said, some of the ponies around him chuckling at the comment.
She forced a laugh. “I’m fine! I just wanted to tell you Nimble Hoof went home.”
The wide smile he wore all night disappeared. “Home? I told him to stay at the party!”
“Just thought I should inform you. Good night!” she said before returning to the steps, ignoring whatever anypony else was saying to her.
Once in her room, she immediately dried off and went to her bed. She rarely did this, it was rude of the host to leave the party before it ended after all, but she felt strangely tired and was confident her friends could wrap things up fine. Trembling under the covers, and trying to tune out the music and chatting voices downstairs, she nonetheless didn’t regret what she did. There was something about Nimble Hoof, what it was exactly she couldn’t put her hoof on, that intrigued her, and she was happy to walk him home. Even if she failed to get him to smile, she felt she could coax one out in due time. She closed her eyes, dearly hoping she wouldn’t be sick tomorrow.
…
Yup, she was sick.
Constant coughing, a sore throat, copious amounts of mucus, shivers from even the slightest breeze, it was the whole shebang. Still, she had to work. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out of town with Pumpkin and Pound Cake, leaving her to run things, and she couldn’t let them down. Maybe it would be a health hazard, but the show must go on.
Her friends did a good job of cleaning up last night, but that didn’t mean she had nothing to do. She hurried the hour before opening to make things presentable, forcing her sluggish body to do work it constantly protested against. Thankfully, once Sugarcube Corner was open, the day was relatively slow, and the ponies who did show up were sympathetic to her plight. Still, she fought the urge to groan as the bell over the door signaled yet another costumer.
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner…” she said without her trademark cheer, falling into a coughing fit afterwards.
“Hey, Pinkie!”
She perked up a little at the voice. It was Steel Beam.
“Oh, hi Steel Beam! What brings you here?”
“I just wanted to thank you for the party last night!” he said. “And, um, apologize.”
She quirked an eyebrow, and sniffled to hold back a deluge of snot. “Apologize for what?” she asked stuffily.
“I asked my son how he got home last night, and he said you walked him home during that horrendous downpour. I bet he put you up to it… I’m guessing that’s why you look so under the weather. Don’t worry, though, I disciplined him over it. He won’t bother you again.”
Another coughing fit, this one the result of a surprised gasp. “Disciplined…? No, it wasn’t like that! I offered to do it!”
Steel Beam’s eyes narrowed, as if studying her. “Why would you do that?”
Pinkie sneezed, before sniffling again. “Excuse me! He super-duper wasn’t into that party, and was standing outside in the rain the entire time. I guess I decided he’d have more fun at home. I've learned that some friends need their space,” she said, rattling off the friendship lesson like a foal in school.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Steel Beam said, sighing. “What Nimble Hoof needs is some friends, real friends. Not the wrong kind, ya know? He’s been isolating himself for a while now, so that party could’ve been a great opportunity for him.”
Pinkie shivered and hacked out yet another cough. She was in a bad mood, and this conversation was making it worse. “I get it. But, I noticed he was gone before you did.”
“What did you say…?”
“It’s just, he was gone the whole party.” She rubbed her nose. “I could tell, but you were too busy telling funny stories to realize.”
Steel Beam’s eyes narrowed again, this time with anger. “Are you implying I don’t care about my son?”
Another sneeze. “Excuse me! No, not at all. I’m just saying to pay a teensy bit more attention, alright?”
He growled. “You’re still young. You don’t understand what it’s like to be a parent. Here.” He placed a bag of bits on the table. “For the party.” At that, he turned and walked out, slamming the door as he did.
“Wait! The party was… on the house…” Evidently her scratchy voice, unable to hit the high pitches it normally did, didn’t reach him.
She sighed. She didn’t mean to offend him, she really didn’t. It just came pouring out. Steel Beam definitely wouldn’t be smiling because of her today. As she clutched her head between her hooves, groaning at the general suffering her body was being put through, she realized she wasn’t as unhappy about this as she typically was. He assumed she didn’t know how to parent, after she had watched Pumpkin and Pound Cake by herself multiple times AND was trusted with running a small business while sick as a dog! Plus, disciplining his son for something she decided to do? The nerve of some ponies…
…
It only took two days, and she was back in tip-top shape. As soon as she woke up that morning and realized that there was not another drop of snot in her nose, she decided to celebrate by taking a triumphant walk around town.
“I’m back, baby!” she said to herself, as if she had legitimately been gone for an extended period of time. With a leap of joy, clacking her back hooves together midair, she left the front steps of Sugarcube Corner behind and began her morning journey. The first ponies she ran into on her walk, mere feet away, were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“Hiya girls!” she said in greeting. “Whatcha up to?”
“Hey Pinkie!” they said in unison.
“Just walkin’ to school,” Applebloom said. “Oh! Get this. You remember that Nimble Hoof foal you were tellin’ us about?”
She perked up even more at that. “Did you meet him?”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “He’s not very talkative, though. We offered to help him find his cutie mark, and he just gave us a weird look before saying ‘No’.”
“He usually just sits in the back of class, not saying anything,” Scootaloo said. “It was funny, though. Sweetie Belle was practically throwing herself at him, and he didn’t return the feelings at all!”
“She’s lying!” Sweetie Belle said, blushing.
Pinkie decided to ignore that last part. “Interesting… Well, you three better be off before you’re late. If you see him today, tell him Pinkie Pie says hi!”
“Will do!” Applebloom said as the three of them raced off.
Pinkie continued her walk, though it would be more accurate to call it bouncing rather than walking. It was the opposite of that rainy night, with Celestia’s shining sun casting warm, golden rays upon the town. Everypony she passed greeted her with a smile and wave, which she reciprocated with glee. If her sickness and brief conflict with Steel Beam brought her down, this day made up for it and more.
It all came to crashing halt, literally, when she tripped over something.
As she lifted herself back up with a grunt, she realized that this situation was familiar when the thing she ran into groaned.
“Pinkie Pie…?” a young voice said from the ground.
“Nimble Hoof?! Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” She held out a hoof, which he took, and lifted him up.
“Well…” he said as he got his bearings, “I got suspended during morning homeroom. For a fight.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Go on…”
His nostrils flared. “It was all that stupid Snails’ fault! He kept annoying me, like poking at me and telling me to talk, until I couldn’t take it. I told him to back off. He didn’t, and then…” He went silent and kicked at a pebble.
“Wow, good for you!”
His eyes widened, mouth agape. Was that the wrong thing to say?
“Oh, I mean… Bad! You shouldn’t have done that!”
Nimble Hoof chuckled, much to her delight. Finally, a visible smile! It wasn’t a perfectly happy one, but it was a start. “That’s a nice impression of my dad!” As soon as that word left his mouth, though, his mirth ceased. “Actually… I was on my way to ask you something, Pinkie.”
That was the last thing she expected to hear. “Really? What?”
It took a few moments to say it, courage somehow visibly building inside him. “C-Can I… Can I stay with you until the school day ends? Just so my dad doesn’t find out about the suspension. He’d kill me if he found out!”
She had just met this kid days ago, and he was already asking to stay with her? Was his dad that much of a jerk? “Oh, I don’t know…”
“Please!” he said, falling on to his knees, eyes pleading. “Just for today! You’re the only adult I know here, but I promise I’ll find somewhere else tomorrow!”
She couldn’t say no to that cute little face. “…Oh, OK mister. You can join me. BUT, I expect you to be ready to explore your culinary side!”
“…Huh?”
Before he could question that further, she lifted him on to her back and dashed to Sugarcube Corner in a flash. They entered the kitchen, doors opening with a slam into the adjacent walls.
“This is where you and I’ll be working today, Apprentice Chef Nimble Hoof! I couldn’t do much baking while sick, so we need to catch up. But don’t worry, you’re under the tutelage of the best baker this side of the Everfree Forest!” she said. Grabbing a chef’s hat, she placed it on the foal’s head. It was too big, sliding past his ears and eyes until landing on his snout. He looked unamused.
“I don’t have any cooking experience…” he said as he removed the hat.
“Not a problem!” she said, putting a bowl on the counter. “Just do what I tell you, and it’ll be fine! Now, Filthy Rich has ordered a cake for Diamond Tiara’s birthday…”
They set to work. Well, it’d be more accurate to say she went to work, and occasionally had Nimble Hoof retrieve items for her. The colt seemed unsure of himself, and she didn’t want to throw such an important task at him off the bat.
“So,” she said as she mixed the batter, “besides the fight, how’s school going?”
Nimble Hoof, who was focusing on watching Pinkie work, blinked. “What did you say?”
She giggled. “I said, ‘How’s school going?’”
He snorted. “What are you, my mom? Why do you care?”
“I like making conversation!”
“That makes one of us… Well, it stinks. Grades are fine, I guess, but everypony refuses to leave me alone. I just spend the whole day wishing I was home. But when I go home, I spend the rest of the day wishing I was somewhere else. And then, if I do go somewhere else, I think about how much I don’t want to be there. It’s a vicious cycle.”
She hummed as she worked. “Where do you want to be, then?”
“I don’t know…” He peered around the kitchen, taking in all the ingredients and supplies. “I guess here isn’t so bad…” he said, so quiet she barely heard it.
“Oh, sorry, what was that?” she said, a knowing smile on her face.
“This place isn’t so bad… I guess,” he said, louder this time.
“Aw, that’s sweet of you to say!” She ruffled his mane playfully until he swatted her away.
“You messed up my mane!” he complained, running his hooves through it to straighten it out.
“You mean that dead animal covering your eyes?” she said in a tone of faux-derision. “I think I made an improvement!”
Nimble Hoof paused in his fussing, eyes widened. She worried internally if the joke was too mean. Her fears were unfounded, though, as he suddenly burst out laughing. Pinkie joined him, the two busting a gut together at her not-very-good joke. Why he found it so funny she couldn’t say, but his laughter was enough to fuel her own. As she slammed her hoof on the counter with tears in her eyes, trying to catch her breath, she realized she was neglecting her order. The laughter descended into faint giggling.
“OK, you little scamp. Focus! We need to finish this, or Filthy Rich will sue my pants off for false advertising or something.”
“Sue you? Not me, then. Got it,” Nimble Hoof said with another giggle.
They went back to work, this time the teamwork a lot more pronounced. Nimble Hoof listened with rapt attention as she explained, among other things, how to read a cookbook, the measurements needed for the flour, the perfect amount of time to have the cake in the oven for maximum fluffiness, and the right quantity of icing needed to be sweet but not overbearing. In her opinion, that right quantity of icing was a lot, but she accepted that she was an outlier on that front. Every so often a customer would enter the store proper, and Pinkie would attend to them, not wanting word to get out that Nimble Hoof was with her. In the end, she figured it was a fulfilling work day for the both of them.
Just as she put the finishing touches on the cake, Nimble Hoof glanced at the clock and sighed.
“School’s almost out. Guess I gotta head home…”
“So soon? Aw, I’ve been having so much fun!”
He scratched the back of his head bashfully. “Me too…”
“You’re still suspended tomorrow, right? I’ll definitely need my apprentice again!”
He smiled, a real, genuine smile that warmed her heart. “Really? Thanks, Pinkie! You’re the coolest adult I’ve ever met!”
They said their goodbyes, and then he was gone. She was unsure if aiding the kid in lying to his dad was the responsible thing to do, but she figured she was helping him out in her own way. His smiles were rare treasures, always genuine whenever coaxed. Plus, who else thought she was cool?
“Heh, guess I still got it…”
…
“Am I gonna help make anything today, Pinkie?”
“Of course! What else would my apprentice do?”
Nimble Hoof showed up again the next day, just as promised. There was a certain eagerness in his eyes she hadn’t seen before as they entered the kitchen.
The order for today, cupcakes for Lyra and Bonbon, seemed like the perfect use for him.
“So…” Pinkie said, as she placed measurement cups on the counter. “I get that this may be a dumb question, but have you made any other friends in town yet?”
He put down a carton of eggs. “Any other…?”
“Besides me, silly!”
His jaw dropped. “You consider a kid like me a friend?”
“Of course! I try to consider everypony I meet a possible friend, no matter what they’re like. But, you didn’t answer my question!”
He still seemed stuck on her friend comment. “Wow… Oh, no. You’re my only… friend. But that’s more than I usually have!” he said, genuine excitement in his voice.
“Good for you, buddy! If you need help making more, I’ve got all sorts of pointers. My friends and I are kinda, heh, friendship experts,” she said with a wink, and a distinct lack of humility.
He tapped his chin, and then shrugged. “I don’t know if there’s anypony else I’d want to be friends with.”
“How about the Cutie Mark Crusaders? They told me they talked to you.”
“You put them up to that?” he said, tensing up.
“No, they’re nice fillies who came up with the idea on their own! Why don’t you want to be friends with them?”
“They’re fillies. What if they want to be… more than friends?”
Pinkie remembered Sweetie Belle’s blushing face. “Ah, afraid of girls! Is that it?”
It was Nimble Hoof’s turn to blush. He hesitated, before continuing. “It’s the… opposite actually.”
“Huh?”
His blush deepened, and he suddenly became very interested in the egg carton in front of him. “I-I don’t want to give them the wrong idea. Y’know?”
“Wrong idea?” she said, scratching her mane in thought. Then, suddenly, the lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh! You’re… into colts?”
He nodded shamefully, unable to look up from the eggs. “Yes… I know what you’re gonna say. I’m disgusting, right? Dang it! Why did I even tell you? I finally had a friend and I ruined everything…” he muttered, tears beginning to leak on to his cheeks.
“Hey, hey!” She put her hoof under his chin, and lifted his head until they were looking at each other. “There’s nothing wrong with that! I’m still your friend, and you’re not disgusting in the least!”
Genuine shock appeared on his face. “I-I’m not?”
Her heart broke. “No! Why would you think that?”
He fell silent and lowered his gaze to the floor.
“…We haven’t started those cupcakes yet, have we? I’ll give you more to do this time! What do you say, Apprentice Chef Nimble Hoof?”
A smile crept on his face. “I’d like that…”
And so, they went to work. As she led him in the process, mixing ingredients, creating the batter, pouring the batter, baking the batter, cooling off the cake, finishing it off with a dollop of icing, she realized he was catching on quickly. It wasn’t long until they were done. They decided to make another batch, and then another, and then another. One of them, which he chose to be chocolate flavored, he made all by himself.
“Wow, look at all these cupcakes! They took half the time they would’ve if I made them by myself!” she said in wonder at the multitude of fresh sweets in front of her. They all looked perfect, every single one.
Nimble Hoof didn’t respond the way she expected. “Whoa…” he said breathlessly.
She forced her attention away from the sweets. “What-“
Her voice gave out when she saw the visage of him staring at his flank, a brand-new image of a chocolate cupcake adorning the once blank spot.
“Oh my gosh! You got your cutie mark! Congratulations!” she exclaimed, clapping for him rapidly. “And in baking, no less. I always say I have a keen eye for young talent!”
If he was as excited as she was, he didn’t show it. “My talent is… baking? Shouldn’t I have more, I don’t know, experience?”
“Cutie marks are weird like that.” Pinkie approached the foal, and put a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “Mine appeared in such a dramatic way, a literal explosion of rainbows! But sometimes, they’re, like, way more low-key. Like yours!”
He ignored her, and she could feel him shaking through her hoof. “Oh no… how am I gonna explain to my dad what happened?!”
She narrowed her eyes in concern. “You just got your cutie mark, and that’s what you’re worried about?”
“You don’t understand…“ He trailed off.
“…Don’t understand what?”
He whimpered. “My dad always talks about the construction business. I think he expects me to follow in his hoofsteps, for some reason...”
“That’s stupid,” she said. “You can’t decide a cutie mark before you get one!”
“He says a cutie mark doesn’t matter if you put your mind to something else.”
“Easy for him to say!” Pinkie remembered catching a glimpse of his cutie mark when they first met. It was a wooden board with nails in it, clearly construction related. Part of her had a hard time relating the seemingly friendly, charismatic pony she saw him as that day with the strict, controlling father he was if Nimble Hoof was to be believed (and of course she believed him). But she remembered how he acted at Sugarcube Corner the last time they saw each other, and it all made sense.
“Wait a minute…” Nimble Hoof’s head swiveled to the clock. “I’m supposed to be home by now! My dad’s not gonna be happy!”
Pinkie frowned. She didn’t like what all he said was implying. Not only what he was saying now, but what he had said in every conversation they had since they met. “Stop by anytime, buddy. You’re always welcome here.”
He paused in his scramble to leave, and glanced back at her. “That’s… good to know. Thank you.”
With that, he left.
…
It was a week later, and she hadn’t seen Nimble Hoof once. When he didn’t show up day after getting his cutie mark, she didn’t think much of it. Considering his suspension, it was possible he was back in school. She’d rather him do that than play hooky with her every day. However, as the week went on, the fact she never even saw a single glimpse of him concerned her deeply. She remembered how much he enjoyed their relatively brief time together, how much he enjoyed baking. But she also remembered how angry he assumed Steel Beam would be, and how controlling the foal said he was. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. A pit had formed in her stomach and refused to leave.
She thought of going to their house many times. Would that make things worse, or better? Oh, she couldn’t bear it any longer! She was going, and her doubts weren't going to stop her. However, she knew that she couldn’t just show up uninvited and hope things would change. As such, she came up with an idea. With determination within her, she closed Sugarcube Corner and made a quick detour to Twilight’s castle.
“TWILIGHT!” she screamed, pounding on the door. “TWILIGHT! OPEN UP, THIS IMPORTANT!”
“What is it, Pinkie-” Twilight began as she opened the door. Pinkie didn’t notice, and slammed her hoof in Twilight’s face, causing her stagger back in pain.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight!”
Twilight rubbed her snout with a groan. “You know you can come in here anytime you want, right?” As she saw Pinkie’s serious expression, though, she got straight to the point. “What’s wrong?”
“I need your help with something…”
…
Once she got to the house of Steel Beam and Nimble Hoof, she finally gave it the good look she couldn’t during that rainy night. It was small, only two floors tall and one or two rooms wide, and not decorated in any way. It was a bland beige color, ironically standing out amongst the more colorful buildings surrounding it.
She knocked on the front door rapidly.
“I’m coming, sheesh!” a muffled voice she recognized as Steel Beam said.
As soon as he opened the door he was glaring daggers at her.
“Um, hi Steel Beam!” she said, trying to muster as much enthusiasm as possible.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here, you know that?” he seethed. “Allowing my son to play hooky? Teaching him to bake? Giving him a talent he doesn’t even want? You’re lucky I was polite enough to not barge into Sugarcube Corner and give you a piece of my mind! What in Tartarus were you doing to him?”
She frowned. She didn’t know what Nimble Hoof told his dad, but he was already getting facts wrong. “I didn’t give him that talent, it came on its own.”
“Likely story. My son isn’t some... faggot baker.”
She gasped. “Watch your language, mister! That’s not a nice word!”
He snorted. “Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, lecture me?”
“Look,” she said with a growl, “I’m just here to check up on Nimble Hoof. I haven’t seen him in a week, and I’m worried.”
“There’s no need to worry, he’s not allowed to see you anymore. As it should be.” He went to close the door, but Pinkie held it back with her hoof, eyes glaring into his.
“And did you ask him what he wants?”
He tried to close the door again, and once more Pinkie held it open. With a snarl, he exploded. “I know what’s best for him, not you! I raised him myself, I worked myself to the bone! He owes a lot to me, and I won’t have him insulting me by becoming some baker! Now, leave my property or I’m calling the authorities!”
“You didn’t seem to mind this baker when she threw you a party!” she yelled back, so loud her voice reverberated through the house.
“Pinkie…?”
The two of them turned around at the voice. It was Nimble Hoof, who was at the bottom of the steps in the back of the room.
“Go back to your room, Nimble Hoof,” Steel Beam ordered.
The colt lowered his head. “OK…”
“Wait!”
Before Steel Beam could react, Pinkie dashed into the house. Tuning out his indignant cries that she would be arrested, she approached the colt.
“How’s my Apprentice Chef Nimble Hoof doing?” she asked, smiling sadly.
His head lowered, Nimble Hoof shuddered. “I-I’m not allowed to see you, Pinkie.”
“Don't worry,” she said, lifting his chin up with her hoof. “You-“
She paused when she caught a good look of his face.
“Where did you get that black eye?”
Suddenly, forelegs encircled her throat and she was thrown back. Stumbling around in daze, she fell to the ground in a heap. Nimble Hoof cried out.
“He got into a fight in school,” Steel Beam said through gritted teeth as she stood back up. “Now, get out of my house!” He punctuated each syllable with another jab to her body.
She stood her ground, a resolute expression on her face. “No.”
“What did you say?”
“I said no! Nimble Hoof frowns every time he talks about you, and now I see why. You’re nothing but a monster! I can’t believe I threw a party for you!” In Pinkie’s mind, one could consider that the ultimate insult.
“You brought this on him,” he said, not even bothering to hide it anymore. “I need to discipline him to force the bullshit you spew out of his head.”
“What? That he’s a baker? That he’s fine the way he is?”
“If he thinks he’s a faggot, he’s not fine the way he is!”
In a flash, she was between the father and son, head lowered and legs braced protectively. “You’re not gonna lay another hoof on him, you hear me?”
She couldn't remember the last time she was so angry.
“He’s my son, not yours. You gonna steal him from me?”
“I believe the proper term is 'foalnap'.”
Steel Beam turned back towards the door, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle, a quill and parchment floating next to her.
“'Steal' implies he's an object, and he's no object," she continued. "Anyway, I think I’ve heard, and transcribed, enough to show you’re not fit to be father. A little iffy as evidence under most circumstances, but I’m the Princess of Friendship! I think my testimony counts for quite a bit.”
Pinkie didn't move from her spot, and nodded at Twilight. "Thank you."
She waved a hoof. "No need. I should be thanking you for bringing this to my attention."
Steel Beam was sweating terribly. “W-What's going on? Did you trick me?”
“I just asked Twilight to listen in on our conversation, that’s all,” Pinkie said, face grave. “You’re the one who said and did those bad things.”
Steel Beam gaped. “This is absurd. I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“You have a very warped view of parenting, Steel Beam,” Twilight said, shaking her head with a sigh.
As Twilight dealt with Steel Beam, Pinkie turned to Nimble Hoof. He was staring at the ground, tears visibly trailing down his cheeks. She was with him in an instant, hugging him and giving words of encouragement. She only wished she had done this sooner.
“It’s OK, Nimble Hoof. He won’t hurt you anymore.”
The stream of tears turned to a river as he released pained sobs into her chest. This was best for him, she knew, but it wouldn’t be easy, not by a long shot. If she was going to see him smile again, she needed to be with him. Every step of the way.
…
It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and a cheerful mood permeated the town. Of course, there was one pony who took advantage of this. Ponyville’s number one advocate for smiles and laughter, Pinkie Pie, worked all day to make sure her plan would go off without a hitch. She sent the single invitation, baked some sweets, and eschewed the decorations. Eventually, it was time. Pinkie watched the door in anticipation. In mere moments, her efforts would bear fruit.
“3!”
“2!”
“1!”
“SURPRISE!”
Nimble Hoof jumped as he entered, before a small smile found its way on his face due to the sight in front of him. It was Pinkie, by herself, a tray of chocolate cupcakes sitting in front of her.
“What’s this?” he asked as he trotted up to her.
“Your ‘Thanks for Staying in Ponyville’ party! I know you don’t like regular parties, so I made some adjustments.”
He peered around the empty Sugarcuber Corner. She really had. “Stay? But how do you know I’m going to stay? What if they send me off to some orphanage in Manehatten?”
It was a valid concern. In the time since confronting Steel Beam, he was arrested on charges of child abuse based on multiple testimonies, including Twilight’s and her own, as well as the visible injuries on Nimble Hoof. As a result, the foal was left without a legal guardian, as there were no known living relatives to take custody of him. Twilight let him stay at her castle during this transitional period, but that couldn't last forever. Typically, this would end with a one-way trip to an orphanage.
She grinned.
“Well, I kind of enjoyed having an apprentice around, and the Cakes agreed with that, because sometimes they’re all overworked too, and with Pumpkin and Pound Cake needing taking care of that adds even more to our workload, plus sometimes we get too many orders for us to handle-“
He held up a hoof, and she stopped her blabbering. “What are you trying to say?”
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re staying with us.”
His eyes widened. “Staying… with you?”
“Yup-“
She barely got the word out before his hug knocked the wind out of her. Giggling, she ran a hoof through his long mane. As she did this, she wondered what the future would hold. What exactly was he to her? A friend, a brother… maybe some sort of son? She couldn’t deny the maternal feelings that welled up inside her. She knew him a relatively short amount of time, but it already felt like it had been a lifetime. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter, not now. All that mattered now was that he was safe and with her.
“Thank you, Pinkie!” he said, looking up at her.
His face bore a wide smile, the widest, most genuine she had seen. And it was wonderful.
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just wanna say, great story, you should be proud
9864912
Thank you so much!
9865036
Really means a lot, thank you!
i found this on my front page by a whim, and im happy i clicked!! this was such a sweet story, im so glad nimble got to be in a good and loving home in the end
9865155
He deserves it! Thank you for reading!
great story 10/10 maybe you could do more nimble stories in the future if you wanted too of course
9865419
I didn't start this story imagining I would make a sequel to it, but now I can definitely see the possibilities. I probably will someday. Thanks for the read!
I used to be sad that the frontpage system changed, but after reading this... I've changed my mind! this is a good, in character story that doesn't go completely over the top edge, and yet still retains a bit of that icky realism that makes some pony stories really good.
Maybe it's been a while since my last good oneshot, but still, this is good!
I want to start by applauding you for trying to tackle such difficult and emotionally fraught subject matter, like child abuse and homophobia. I'm also really gratified to see a story with a clear, rigidly three-act structure; there's clear progression between the different plot elements and a gradual escalation resulting in a climax and a resolution. I'm not trying to damn you with faint praise; nailing down a sense of structure and organization in a short story like this is difficult, but it's one of the stronger elements in yours.
That being said, the overall story being told within that structure leaves a lot to be desired. There are aspects to your approach that I think you could work on, and tweak, for future stories, especially if you intend to carry on with the Nimble Hoof character, and tell more stories about him and Mama Ponka.
I'll start with exposition. Background information about the characters and setting are inharmoniously worked into the story, at times breaking the narrative flow of the scenes you're trying to construct. For example, at the beginning of the story, the narrative winds to a halt while Pinkie Pie, through inner monologue, reflects on who Steel and Nimble are, and what brought them to Ponyville. It's very clearly information being presented for the benefit of the audience, rather than the scene and the characters, and while you do need to communicate all of that, there are more effective ways to do it. A short conversation between Pinkie and Steel about what brought them to Ponyville, his work, their familial situation, what brought them to the Sugarcube Corner party in the first place, would allow you to convey the same information, but in a more natural way.
It also gives the characters a chance to speak for themselves; you could say a lot more about Steel's character by just having him talk to Pinkie than by having Pinkie narrate who he is to the reader. Maybe she notices inconsistencies in his story, or realizes that he and Nimble never stay in one place too long; he doesn't stay long enough for her to get more information out of him, but you've sown the seed for the plot twist at the end of the story.
Speaking of character, the way that the bond between Pinkie and Nimble develops is a little uneven, inconsistent. I can definitely see her walking him home from the party as the foundation for some kind of bond between them, but the way that he starts opening up to her after that strikes me as abrupt, rather than the product of gradual, deepening trust. In a few days, he's gone from cautious acceptance of her company to coming out of the closet to her, something that it's implied he never does with anybody, and something which he immediately regrets sharing with her.
Shouldn't someone with as much shame and self-loathing centered around his sexuality be much, much more resistant to sharing it with someone he just met? Even if it's Pinkie Pie? Rather than confirming what she said immediately? I can see him trying to maybe deny it initially, but just outright outing himself to her?
(Also, it's kind of a dick move for Pinkie to just blurt out such an intimate question when he's plainly uncomfortable talking about this at all; it seems to have worked out alright, but still, it's uncharacteristically unempathetic)
I'm also gonna be That Guy and critique the way you handle Nimble's sexuality.
So, this is a story about child abuse and parental neglect. Along with those themes, we have the core ideas of Nimble not living up to his father's expectations about masculinity in general, and Nimble's father not accepting his son's sexuality in specific. But the latter them is entirely incidental to the story. In less wordy terms, Nimble's sexuality is treated like an important idea, but narratively speaking... it's not. Despite having attention drawn to it, Nimble being gay doesn't play any kind of meaningful role in the narrative. It isn't even entirely clear from the story that Steel is aware Nimble's gay. His abuse doesn't seem centered on Nimble being gay, but on (what my friend Oroboro would describe as) Nimble transgressing against gendered norms.
And I think that's fine, but if Steel thinks his son is gay because of his talent for baking, and Nimble actually is gay, then that's just... coincidental.
Now, I'm not saying that a character's sexuality should be explicitly dealt with, or it should go completely unmentioned, as a general rule of writing. But if you're trying to tell a story about child abuse based on homophobia, then it absolutely should play more of a role than it it is right here. As you've written it, Nimble coming out to Pinkie is done entirely for the audience's benefit, to add an additional layer of tragedy to the story, rather than for the benefit of the narrative, where it could be excised entirely to no detriment to the story.
To put it another way: Imagine if Nimble hadn't been caught fighting Snails, but kissing him. On the cheek, or something, because they're still little kids. And imagine if his father found out about that, and that, as much as Pinkie baking with him and getting him a non-butch cutie mark in the process, set off Daddy Steel.
Or just leave it subtextual, and avoid ever confirming Nimble's sexuality; hint at it through action (like refusing to flirt with Sweetie) and dialogue (hastily changing the subject when Pinkie brings it up) while keeping the focus on his disinterest in stereotypically masculine pursuits.
Right now, it's inelegantly worked into the story, rather than being part of the juicy blend of narrative ingredients you're pouring up.
The last thing I'm going to critique here is the story's climax. The heart of my criticism here is that Pinkie resolves the conflict by basically getting someone else to resolve the conflict for her.
Since Pinkie Pie is the protagonist, you'd expect Pinkie Pie to be the driving force behind resolving the conflict and pushing toward that resolution. As a story element, confronting Steel at the house works well enough; it's the kind of proactive behavior that you'd expect from Pinkie Pie. It's good. It's great.
Then Twilight, God-Princess of Friendship and Ruler of the Free World, shows up, lays down the law, and takes Nimble away from his abusive father. Because Pinkie Pie asked her to. As soon as Pinkie Pie talks to Twilight (punching her in the face in the process; that, incidentally, was an amusing little sight gag), all tension is gone from the story, because everybody knows what's about to happen.
I'm sure you know what a deus ex machina is. A lot of times, a deus ex machina crops up because a previously unmentioned story element appears at the end to fix the problem; something from outside the narrative wraps up the conflict, rather than the solution to the conflict arising from something within the story. That's what's going on here. Twilight has had no part in the story up until now, but she's brought in at the end to solve the problem and put Nimble into a loving foster home.
It's also a literal deus ex machina, because Twilight Sparkle is the God-Princess of Friendship and Ruler of the Free World.
(I have just been told that this is half-literal, because while Twilight is a god, she is not coming out of a machine)
Like, I can see the temptation to involve her in the story. That's a problematic aspect for a lot of ponyfic, because post-season three, Pinkie and friends are literally best friends with one of Equestria's rulers, who is morally, ethically, and through the bonds of friendship bound to find solutions to people's problems. But it devalues Pinkie as a protagonist by having her seek a solution from Twilight, rather than push for a solution on her own, using her own talents and wiles to save Nimble from his dad. Especially since Pinkie Pie, herself, is a national hero.
It's like if Luke Skywalker saw a guy beating his girlfriend in public... and called the space-police on him, rather than intervene himself.
(also I think Twilight's approach here is kinda weird; why does she need to gather evidence for a court case; she is literal royalty and just saw this guy trashing his son and giving sketchy explanations for why he has a black eye; he also assaulted Pinkie Pie; she could have him arrested and Nimble put in foster care before sundown, if she wanted to)
On a final note: I think there's a tonal push-and-pull going on here, between the IRL themes of abuse and homophobia that you're trying to explore, and the setting of the show. That's a problem that, again, a lot of ponyfic has to navigate carefully, because we don't associate things like gratuitous violence and bigotry with the colorful and friendly world of Equestria. If we're not careful, then integrating such subject matter into a story that's trying to hew closely to the themes of the MLP universe might not work out. It could come across as gratuitous, unnecessary, or even comical.
I'm sorry to say, I don't think your approach to fusing MLP with more adult subject matter is working. This is the kind of thing show!Pinkie Pie might say if Gilda called Fluttershy a dorkus-malorkus, or something, not the kind of thing an empathetic, socially progressive young
womanmare says to a father who drops the f-slur on his own son. If you want a more worldly and (I hate myself for using this word) "grittier" Equestria as the setting for your story, then that, too, is something you need to lean into.Finding the right balance between cartoony and worldly is difficult, and takes time to really nail, and if I knew the secret to getting it absolutely right, I'd tell you in a heartbeat. It's something to work on for future stories, however.
I know that this story is getting heaps of praise, and even wound its way into the featured box, which is how I found it. I'm sorry that I am not one of the chorus of voices singing its praises. But I found too many narrative and thematic flaws in it to give it... uh, whatever seal of quality that I'd give stories (if such a seal I indeed gave). There's potential here, and if you take an honest self-assessment of this story's shortcomings, you could probably turn out stronger and more effective stories in this continuity, if you wanted to keep running with it.
So. Keep at it, I guess.
9867583
Hello!
I thank you for taking the time to thoroughly criticize my story. As I read through it there were concerns that I myself had already thought of, such as the rushed moments. I began writing it wanting it to be a one-shot, but it sorta grew larger as I thought of more ideas. I wondered not long after I submitted if I should've made it a multi-chapter fic, but by that point it was too late. There were other concerns that didn't pass through my mind as much but I certainly agreed with, such as the handling of Nimble Hoof's character or the deus ex machina ending. Anyway, as I formulate ideas for a potential sequel I will definitely take what you said into account. I'm only just beginning, so improvement is my biggest concern.
As to how this made it in featured... I'm still kind of baffled it did, but I'm grateful for the support I've gotten, critical or no.
I agree with most of what Posh said, and I don't think I can improve on it, so I'll just go a compliment. This is an intense story, and I'm glad things went the way they did. Certainly having Pinkie Pie challenge Steel Beam herself would have been intense, but the character is so unlikeable (I started realizing something was off with him early on), but quite frankly I'm glad Pinkie brought in the Twilinuke.
While certainly not the grittiest thing I have ever read, nor the most d'aww inspiring, I always appreciate when authors attempt to touch upon difficult subjects in a world like Equestria, not because I enjoy ponies being jerks to each other, but for some reason I find that human-centric tales often hit too close to home, whereas with ponies I can feel for the characters without the instinctual "gag-reflex" if you will, when I hear stories like this in non-fiction. Also, in non-fiction things are often written in ways that just don't quite engage the reader, they are for a lack of better words boring.
I wish you success on the sequel and any other stories you write in the future.
While this isn't exactly an MLP story, it is a well done story on abuse and mistreatment.
8/10.
Very touching! This is really well written and an interesting concept, great job! :)
Honestly: Nimble Hoof was rather jarring. He's presented as a child, but it doesn't feel like he's a child. It doesn't feel like he should be in elementary school, with the CMCs.
Edit: Here's the problem. I couldn't put my finger on it before, but here's a line from the start of the story:
Nimble doesn't act or sound like a pre-pubescent child, in the rest of the story. I think it'd make more since to have him be 12 to 14, then to have him be an elementary-school age colt.
i support the hell outta LGBTQ+, this gets 5 stars in my book!
9868644
The sad truth is that mistreated kids often do behave this way. Because of their lives, they don't really get to be carefree.
Hence why Nimble Hoof, for example, isn't excited about a party.
9869044
I don't mean him not being excited about a party.
9869059
It isn't just the party. The combination of a bullying dad and his shame about being gay means he doesn't have the attitude of a child.
9869077
Actuality, him being gay is part of it. It's not that common for a pre-pubesent boy to be homosexual, or heterosexual. Because they're not sexual. Sexuality comes with puberty.
So unless he thinks he's gay, for the same reason a child might think he's Superman: I don't think he's exactly acting like a child there.
9868644
I get where you're coming from. The show itself is ambiguous enough about the ages of these characters that it makes it kinda hard to pinpoint exactly where they are developmentally. I myself kind of imagined them around 12 years old by this point, near the end of grade school. Speaking from my experiences, that's when I started having real sexual feelings.
Good story, I really enjoyed reading this. I made a story about Pinkie Pie dealing with an abused foal last year.
Added to Pinkie Pie Stories.
Well done!
9869087 *glances at your profile*
Hey, a blog containing the proclamation that "LGBT stuff doesn't belong in kids' television."
Okay, so now we know where you're coming from, and we can discount your opinion on the subject of sexuality altogether. Thanks!
9869389
Ten or twenty years ago: LGBT stuff in kids' shows was unthinkable. Now suddenly: Anyone who thinks that is a flat-earthier who should be mocked?
I could mock you for that. I do honestly find it hard to take you seriously, when you think that the winds and fads of your decade are some sort of unquestionable dogma. But maybe we could just not mock each-other, and instead, have an intelligent respectful conversation about this fanfiction.
And if you want to have a civilized respectful conversation about LGBT stuff in kids' shows, we can do that in PM.
9869410 you must need a lot of lotion, with all the hand-wringing that you do
9869419
This is disappointing. You saw an opinion you disagreed with, and your response is to throw childish insults.
Honestly, I used to lean in favor of the LGBT movement. But attitudes like yours slowly turned me against it. And that's sad.
People like Nimble Hoof, they deserve our compassion. For you to use people like Nimble as a weapon, an excuse to be mean to others: That's low! I don't think Pinkie would approve. But I bet Nimble's father would approve. Because the mocking insults you're giving me, they're probably not so different from the mocking insults Steal Beam gives his son.
9869454 i feel such utter shame at having disappointed a bigot 😔
9869454
9869530
Imagine existing in the MLP fandom and being unironically heterosexual. 😬
Good job on character portrayal.
9869676
us JJBA fans say HELLOOOO!!!!!
Also dear Celestia this story was sad and morbid
great job