Tuesday Morning, Head in Hooves
Tuesday Morning
Castle of Friendship, Ponyville
Twilight Sparkle paced back and forth in front of the map table. "Alright, everypony," she said to her assembled friends, each sitting on their respective thrones (except for Starlight Glimmer, who sat on Twilight's throne.) "I've checked with Mayor Mare and she has no record of a pony with that cutie mark living in Ponyville. What have you all found?"
"That's no surprise," Pinkie Pie chimed in with a smile, "since I know everypony in Ponyville and I didn't recognize that cutie mark so you could have just asked me, silly!"
Twilight stopped and glared at Pinkie. Her expression was the opposite of amused.
Pinkie caught the hint, settling back in her seat. "I mean, I asked Maud and she never saw a mark like that when she was researching her rocktorate dissertation. So I wrote to Cheese Sandwich to see if he's met a pony with that cutie mark while throwing parties all over Equestria, but he hasn't written back yet."
Applejack noded. "I asked Granny Smith and she's doesn't remember a mark like that." She sighs. "And Granny was feeling extra alert, too! I only had to remind her of what we wanted four times."
Rainbow Dash jumped in. "Well, I asked the Wonderbolts. But, um, none of them know that mark either."
Twilight pressed a hoof against the bridge of her nose. "Rarity, please tell me you have better news."
"Oh, I would love to, darling," Rarity began brightly, causing Twilight to lean in with a hopeful expression. "But I'm afraid I can't. I don't know the pony in question. I will write to all my assistants, as well as Fancy Pants, and ask if it's anypony they know."
Twilight gave an exasperated groan and dropped her face against the map table. "Fluttershy," she said without looking up, her voice muffled by the table. "I don't suppose you've heard anything."
Fluttershy's ears drooped and she shook her head. "I'm really sorry, Twilight. None of the animals at the sanctuary have seen a cutie mark like that. Although most of them lived in the wild, so they don't know a lot of ponies."
Twilight desperately turned to Starlight.
Starlight was wiggling back in Twilight's throne, smiling. "I could get used to this," she muttered quietly. Seeing Twilight looking at her, she sat up and cleared her throat. "I already told you I don't know them," she said. "I can write to the ponies of my old village, but it's not a big town. I'll write to Sunburst, too. Maybe it's a pony he's seen around the Crystal Empire…" She added quietly, "In the library."
Twilight took a deep breath, lifting a hoof to her chest and extending it out with her exhale. "Alright," she said in a confident tone. "We'll just have to look farther out. I just don't know where to start."
Spike piped up. "Maybe you can write to the other princesses. Even if they don't know this pony, they might be able to help search."
Twilight pressed her lips together and took a slow breath. "Yes, good idea, Spike," she said. "I mean, that's an obvious place to start. Anypony could see it right away "
The others all exchanged concerned glances. "Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked carefully.
Twilight sighed. "Yes. I didn't really sleep last night is all. Why don't you all reach out to the ponies you know? Let me know right away if you find anything." She turned to Spike. "Let's go start those letters, Spike. I'm sure the princesses can help."
Cobalt's apartment, Baltimare
Cobalt sat with his face down on the kitchen table, groaning in frustration. His flanks continued to flash and glow. He opened an eye and glared down at his cutie mark. "Why do you hate me?" he grumbled. "Haven't I always taken care of you?"
There was a jangle of keys and a click of the door lock. A knock came as the door was opening. "Cobalt? It's Dusty," called Dusty Rose as she stepped inside.
Cobalt lifted a hoof in a half-hearted wave, moaning out, "Hey Dusty," without lifting his head off the cool wood.
She turned to the kitchen with a big smile. "Good, you're up!" she said brightly, carrying a couple carryout bags over and setting them on the table in front of him. "I brought breakfast." She finally stopped and looked him over. "Wow, you look like Tartarus."
He sighed against the table, closing his eyes again. "I can always count on you to help me feel better, Dusty," he murmured.
She let the comment pass, unloading carryout boxes. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?" she asked, sliding a delicious-smelling box in front of his nose.
"I don't know which was worse," he said, reluctantly lifting his head. "Waking up and realizing it wasn't all a bad dream, or that I'd only slept an hour."
Dusty shook her head. "Maybe you should stay in today, Cobalt," she said while setting out a thermos. She waved at the box in front of him. "Eat up while it's hot," she added and got cups from his cabinet.
Cobalt opened the box with a weary sigh. "I can't stay in. I already missed one day of work." The smell of hash browns and eggs perked him up. "I was just thinking hash browns sounded good before you arrived. You are amazing, Dusty." He eagerly took a bite.
"I'm glad you noticed," she said with a smile, setting two cups in front of him and one for herself.
He raised a brow, still chewing on his omelet. "What's with the two cups?" he asked.
She opened the thermos, pouring a fragrant tea into her cup and one of his. "We always have breakfast tea, Cobalt," she said with a smile.
He nodded slowly. "Yes, but why get me two cups?"
Dusty reached into the bag and removed a second thermos. "And then you stop and get coffee on your way to work. I had a feeling you might not listen to great advice and insist on going in today."
He stared at her as she poured a cup of dark coffee. "How do you know me so well, Dusty?" he asked.
She smiled again, giving her mane a flip with one hoof. "You said it yourself, I am amazing." She winked and poured some cherry syrup on her haycakes. "Now eat your breakfast or you'll be late."
Tuesday Afternoon
Clear Casing Custom Glassworks, Baltimare
Soda Lime poked her head out from the office into the oven-like heat of the glassworks. The large fans venting hot air out of the building were the only thing keeping it tolerable for the dozen ponies blowing and shaping glass vessels on the production floor.
All but one of them.
"Cobalt!" she shouted. "I told you to take that cloak off. That's the seventh time you caught fire today,"
Cobalt beat on the singed edge of his cloak with a wooden block, sending embers flying off the fabric. "Sorry, boss," he called back. He wiped away the sweat pouring over his forehead then flicked his hoof at the last cinder on his cloak, which extinguished with a hiss. "I've got it under control."
"No, you don't," Soda Lime said as she stepped out onto the catwalk. "You're distracting everypony here."
Colbat turned to look at his coworkers. Each one quickly resumed their tasks when his attention landed on them. Hen Shawl hid a bucket of popcorn behind his kiln.
"It won't happen again, boss," Cobalt promised, looking back to her. "I'll be careful."
She nodded. "Yes you will, and you'll start by taking off that cloak. You're gonna pass out, or burn up… or pass out then burn up. Whichever it is, it's not happening in my shop!"
He winced. "Do I have to take it off, boss?" he begged. "I really don't want anypony to see—"
"Cobalt!" Soda Lime shouted. "Take off that cloak or get out of my shop!"
"Yes, boss," he grumbled. Reluctantly, he pulled the cloak off and revealed his glowing flanks.
There was a collective gasp from the assembled ponies. Then the sound of glass shattering on the concrete floor, *crash*. And again, *crash*. Over and over, *crash, crash, crash* the sound kept coming.
Cobalt winced with each sound until they stopped with the tenth one. He waited, hearing no more, and finally relaxed his shoulders. "Sorry, boss, I—"
*Crash*
Soda Lime and Cobalt both turned and glared at Hen Shawl. He smiled nervously. "I thought it was a team building activity," he said, then quickly grabbed a broom and started sweeping.
Soda Lime sighed. "Cobalt, my office, now." She stepped back through the door.
Cobalt lowered his head, ears drooping, and trudged to the catwalk stairs. As he reached the top he glanced out at the others. They turned back to their work immediately. He sighed and stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. "Yes, boss?"
Soda Lime stood next to her desk, looking at him. "Have a seat, Cobalt," she said and moved around to her chair.
He sighed and sat on the chair in front of the desk. "Boss, I can explain," he said plaintively.
She raised a brow. "This should be good," she said. "Alright, explain."
Cobalt opened his mouth, and paused. He raised a hoof like he was about to make a point, but still nothing. "You see, I…" he began, then stopped. "The truth of it is…" He put his hoof to his chin, looking down at the desk, then sighed. "Y'know, I really thought you would have interrupted me by now."
Soda rolled her eyes. "Why don't you start with why your flank is glowing and when it will stop?" she suggested.
"That's just it, boss," he said. "I don't know why this is happening! The doctor didn't know, even the wizard he sent me to didn't know. It just started glowing yesterday morning and won't stop!"
She nodded slowly. "So that's why you were out yesterday," she said quietly.
Cobalt nodded quickly. "I didn't have a choice, boss," he pleaded. "I thought I could get it taken care of, but instead I can't hardly sleep."
Soda raised a brow. "So why did you come in today if it wasn't taken care of?"
"I couldn't just leave you in a lurch. We have that big order for the mayor's charity gala for homeless fillies! That's a lot of custom champagne flutes to make."
"Cobalt," she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How many flutes did you have to get done today to stay on track?"
Cobalt winced. "Twenty."
"And between putting out fires and nearly passing out from the heat how many have you finished?"
He lowered his head, ears drooping again. "One," he admitted.
Soda Lime sighed and stood, stepping around beside him. "Cobalt, how long have you worked for me?" she asked.
"Ten years, boss," he muttered, still looking down at the desk.
"And in that time have I ever had a problem with you taking time off when you're sick?" she asked.
Cobalt looked up. "There was that one time—"
"A hangover from a bachelor party trip to Las Pegasus doesn't count."
His ears drooped again. "Then no, boss."
Soda put a hoof on his shoulder. "Cobalt, you're one of my best glassblowers. Right now it's clear you have a lot to work out." She glanced at his glowing flanks. "Really clear. I want you to take some time off until it's sorted out. With pay."
He nodded, standing up. "Yes, boss," he said sadly, walking to the door.
She sighed. "Cobalt, after all this time, I think you can call me Soda. Don't you?"
Cobalt paused with his hoof on the door handle. "Yes, boss," he said and opened the door.
There was a clattering of hooves on the catwalk as ponies hurried away from the door and back to their work stations, and Hen Shawl fell forward through the door onto his ear. Popcorn spilled over the office floor from the tub he was holding.
Cobalt stepped over him and slowly headed for the exit. He heard Soda Lime clear her throat as Hen Shawl stood up. "Popcorn?" Hen Shawl offered, holding the tub out to his boss.
Best Buds Florists, Baltimare
Dusty Rose smiled and passed the bouquet of marigolds to the pegasus standing at the sales counter. "Here you are. Your marefriend is going to love them," she said brightly. "That's four bits."
The pegasus dropped the coins on the counter. "I sure hope so," she said. "I've forgotten birthdays and anniversaries before, but I never saw her as angry as this. I mean, her pet cricket's adoption day? Is that even a thing?" Taking the bouquet, she flew out the door with a wave.
Dusty held her smile until she was gone, then swiped the coins into the cash drawer with a sigh. She shook her head. "She should have sprung for the roses," she said. "Her marefriend is going to tear her apart. Never mess with the pets." She turned back to the flowers on display, looking for any that needed to be replenished.
The door chime rang and Dusty adopted her polite and welcoming "service" smile before turning back to the door. "Welcome to Best Buds! How can I help— Cobalt?" She dropped the smile in favor of a more honestly confused expression. "Shouldn't you be at work? I thought we were meeting at the diner for dinner."
Cobalt stepped through the door, looking down at his hooves, with his singed cloak covering his flanks. The light from his cutie mark flashed from underneath. "Hey, Dusty," he said dejectedly. "I wanted to tell you I won't be at the diner."
She stepped out from behind the counter, hurrying to his side. "What's going on?" she asked and resting a hoof on his shoulder. "Did something happen at work?" She furrowed her brow and sniffed. "And are you smoking?"
He looked back and swatted at the smoldering ember on his cloak. "Yeah, sorry. It kept getting into the furnace."
Dusty sighed. "Don't tell me you tried to wear a heavy cloak inside a glassworks," she said with a frown. "Are you trying to end up in a burn ward?"
He gave her a sidelong look. "No, mom," he said sarcastically. "I was just trying to avoid distracting everypony else."
She gave his shoulder a light shove. "I don't have to be your mother to care about you, you dope." He turned his head away at the admonishment. She lifted her hoof to his cheek and turned him back to face he. She smiled softly. "Tell me what happened."
Cobalt took a deep breath before starting. "My cloak kept catching fire so Soda Lime told me to take it off. So I did and my glowing flanks distracted everypony just like I was afraid they would and she called me into her office and told me to go home."
Dusty gasped. "Soda fired you over this?"
He shook his head. "No, but she might as well have. She told me to go home until I can get it sorted out."
Dusty frowns. "And what if it takes a while? How does she expect you to pay the bills?"
He looked down at his hooves, which he scuffed against the floor. "Actually, she said I would still get paid while I was out."
Dusty cocked her head to one side, looking at him closely. "So, let me get this straight. Soda saw you risking severe burns to cover up and told you to stop. Then when she found out you had a thing happening that affected your work she told you to take time off to deal with it, with pay?"
He nodded, grimacing at the plain description. "Well, when you say it that way it doesn't sound so bad."
She stepped beside him and bumped his flank with her own. "That's because it's not bad, Cobalt. That's called paid leave! It's like getting a vacation to get this fixed."
"That's the problem," Cobalt said in exasperation. "I don't want a vacation! I don't want time off or to have to think about what's happening. I just want to do my job and have breakfast at the diner with you and be able to sleep at night." He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I just want my life back to normal."
Dusty put a foreleg over his shoulder. "That's exactly what this will let you do," she said softly. "Somepony somewhere has to know what this is. We'll figure it out and you'll have your life back."
He lowered his head and stepped out from under her embrace. "I'm just going to try to sleep, I didn't want you to think I skipped out on dinner." He trudged towards the door.
"That's alright," she said quickly. "I'll pick up takeout again and bring it by your place. How about pizza? I know you love a good mushroom with extra cheese."
His shoulders drooped. "No thanks, Dusty," he said without looking back. "I don't feel like eating. I just want some sleep."
Dusty's brow wrinkled with worry. "Cobalt, wait!" she said quickly and rushed back behind the counter, searching the flowers. By the time Cobalt looked back she was smiling brightly. "Here." She held out a single pink rose, the same shade as her coat. "Nothing like a nice rose to cheer a pony up. On the house."
Cobalt looked at the rose for a moment, then turned back to the door. "I still have the ones you brought yesterday," he said and opened the door. "Good night, Dusty." He walked slowly out to the street.
Dusty stood there, the rose still held out toward him, and watched him leave while her smile melted away.
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so the elements are using their network of freinds to try find him while he is about to go looking for answers. i wonder how long it will take
Will you be using all of the lyrics from that song as chapter titles?
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Of course not!
... I'm using lyrics from a bunch of different songs.
Great... Now I'm just imaging this happening to Radish from The Only Mark That Matters
damn I'd call this dude unrealistic and a dick if this isn't how I acted.
What kinda past trauma he got
Now I'm curious if your gonna have him meet twilight/mane6/glimmer with no fuss or more likely they'll play a game of musical doors(cities) until they finally meet after he's accidentally solved the friendship problem.
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He sounds like a workaholic than anything else.
Stumbled across a minor typo:
Pretty sure that asterisk should be a quotation mark, and the “asks” “asked” because the rest of the story is kind of in past tense as well.
Besides that, I’ll be following this. Eventually the initial shenanigans are going to come to a close (either from Comet Tail’s eventual letter making the connection or because someone in Canterlot is in fact running some sort of cutie mark registry for all of Equestria, I’d expect) and the story will have to switch to addressing whatever the actual friendship problem even is, but I can certainly enjoy them while they last and then see what comes next.
Huh. I don't remember tracking this, but it seems interesting so far! Hope another year doesn't go by before I get to see more!
It'd be funny if the friendship quest somehow resolved itself before things cleared up, leaving the signal to awkwardly peter out, or perhaps the problem is in his hometown and he incidentally fixes it unknowing.
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No matter how many proofreading passes I make, one always seems to slip through. Fixed. Thank you.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that this story had updated. I look forwards to seeing where it'll go.
A few questions:
What about that thing where the CM leads characters to the castle map?
Have the mane 6 tried visiting the location the CM is hovering over on the map?
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If he keeps looking in his pillow, it could take a while
11430846
Hmm, yeah, the map does do that sometimes, but hasn't here. Weird.
Not yet. That might depend on how desperate Twilight gets. We'll see.
Oh boy...
cancelled?
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Dear author, how can I slap through the screen and tell cobalt to stop worrying so much?
Sincerely, your faithful reader, CE