Channels

by Buttery Biscuit

Death of the Best Show Ever

A black twelve-inch Ponsome TV sat on a shoddy wooden stand thrown together by a demanding unicorn, a crotchety earth pony and a torn-up Ponkea manual. In front of that setup, on a couch that only a grandmare would own, sat that earth pony. That light green earth pony cried on the plush, flower-patterned, mothball smelling, hoof-me-down.

White text crawled up the black screen of the TV ever so slowly as the earth pony, Solar Fury, sobbed. They would do anything to get it back, but there was nothing they could do. To make it even worse the ending wasn’t even all that great; it was ok at best. It was much too short, much too soon, much too abrupt. What else would they do Saturdays at 9 am?

Solar Fury sighed deeply as they wiped their tear-stained muzzle off, not that it helped as more tears kept rolling down their cheeks. Their other hoof busy holding a half-eaten soft pretzel covered in obscene amounts of ketchup. Solar shoved the rest of the pretzel into their muzzle as they rubbed their hooves into a dark green-blue mane. As Solar thought, they rubbed their hooves into that mane harder, and harder, their brows furrowed, a sigh heavier than a wagon full of apples left their muzzle.

Solar Fury leaned forward with a grunt as they grabbed the silver and black remote from the matching couch ottoman. Solar clicked the lightly worn out, light blue, up arrow button in the hopes for after credits. One minute left and they knew, there would be no after-credits for this show. Solar Fury sighed once more as they stared into the white credit abyss looking for an answer to their problem. Taking a deep breath, they cradled the remote to the TV in their hoof. It seemed like Solar would have to fill their Saturday mornings with something else, something new.

Unfortunately, Solar Fury did not know where to start looking. Guess it was time to text a friend for a suggestion. Solar picked up the solid crystal piece next to them, causing it to light up with a light blue hue. Onto the wall, it projected a lock screen. A pixelated display of two ponies, Solar and their unicorn partner, the same one that helped put together the TV stand, appeared instantaneously. They appeared to be kissing under the mistletoe, surrounded by snow, taken last year at the Griffon’s Hearths’ Warming market.

Solar smiled lightly, the pain from the loss of Solar’s favorite show already easing at the thought of Solar Fury’s special somepony. Solar Fury pressed their hoof to the crystal, waiting as it took their hoofprint for the password. “Ding,” it rang as it opened up to Solar Fury's home screen, projecting another picture of a happy couple swimming in the lakes of the Crystal Empire.

“Text Shadow Snow,” Solar Fury instructed, prompting the crystal to open up their text history. There, last night's conversation sat in green and blue bubbles. And, in a light gray box, a white line blinked constantly as it awaited for the pony to speak. “Sup, I just finished the show of the century. What do I watch now? Nothing nerdy. I know you like that but, science is for lame-oids.” Solar spoke to the crystal, as they did so it typed out everything spoken aloud.

“Are we still planning to go to The Rocking Horse? Love you,” Solar said as they blushed a deep shade of red. "Send text," they marbled out, muzzle scrunched, heart beating faster than a hummingbird.

That blush faded from their face as Solar Fury waited, and waited, and waited. Minutes had passed and there was still no answer. Then, they remembered that Shadow Snow was working that day, until six o'clock that night. No wonder their date was at eight. Solar Fury sighed, with their favorite pony preoccupied, what they were to do now? Solar Fury took one last look at the credits, it looked like the end of them. He knew that from the three logos of the largest production companies in all of Equestria in elaborate well-designed logos sitting in the middle of the black screen. Rising Sun Ink, Friendship Corporation, and Discord Waz Here. Well, since they were here may as well see what was on next.

Solar grabbed the remote tightly and clicked the equally faded channel up button.