Short stories about ponies and whatnot

by shutaro

Mares on a hill

Angel saluted as Fluttershy walked out the door. She had a basket full of baked goods on her back. Angel couldn’t help but smile as his owner disappeared behind a bend. She had come quite a way from the recluse two years ago. Back then a picnic would have required him to practically carry her there.

“Hello Rarity,” Fluttershy greeted her friend. “Oh, I hope you haven’t waited long for me.” She hid behind her mane and pawed at the ground bashfully.

“Hello, Fluttershy darling. No, of course not. I’m just too early. Listen.” In the distance Ponyville clocktower rang once low and twice high. “Half past one, just like we agreed. Let’s go, you know how Twilight gets when we are not on time.”

The ponies smiled at the thought of a nervous Twilight Sparkle. “We can’t let that happen,” Fluttershy agreed and they set off for the big tree that housed the library.

Not much was said on the way there. They had exhausted this week’s gossip on their usual chat in the spa yesterday and not much had happened since then. So the two friends just waved at some acquaintances and friends, traded a “Hello” here and a “How are you” there. They stopped at Sugarcube Corner and bought some cream to go with Fluttershy’s home-baked cake.

“It’s amazing how quiet this town is without Pinkie Pie, isn’t it?” Cup Cake placed the cream in the basket with the utmost care. “I just hope she gets back from her parent’s place soon. The twins have so much energy, without her we can hardly contain them.” As if to prove a point Carrot Cake’s voice could be heard from the upper floor. “Noo, Pumpkin, not the powder!”, then a loud sneeze echoed through the house. “I’ll better go and and help him,” the baker sighed. “Could you be dears and turn the sign to 'closed' on your way out?”

Rarity and Fluttershy agreed to help and walked out of the cafe. They stopped once more at Roseluck’s stand to have a little chat with the mare, and Rarity bought some daisies on a whim. “You know, daisies just go with everything. Even more daisies,” the flower seller joked.
Fluttershy bought some, too.

When they reached the library Twilight Sparkle just closed the door behind her. Her saddlebags were bursting at the seams with books, but her friends didn’t comment. Twilight Sparkle was Twilight Sparkle after all.

“Oh, just on time girls.” The clocktower rang twice in the distance. “I’ll just teleport us -”

Rarity lifted a hoof to interrupt the lavender pony. “Let’s just walk, please. You may have a lot more magical energy now, but I still like my mane unscorched, thank you.”

Twilight threw her a sheepish look, then she started walking. She winced a bit, the bags clamped down around her wings. Fluttershy noticed and helped the alicorn to adjust the bags so they sat behind her wings. “Thank you Fluttershy. There are so many things I have to relearn with these.” She shuffled her new appendages. “You wouldn’t believe how long it took me to find a comfortable position last night. And preening will need some time to get used to, too.”

Fluttershy and Rarity listened to their friend’s complaints and sorrows and advised where they could, mostly Fluttershy, but Rarity too had a few tips to share. Before long they reached the site for their picnic, a small hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. Rarity produced a rug from her bags, a set of plates and cups, a teapot and a thermos. “Twilight, be a dear will you.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You ask me, the first unicorn ever to become an alicorn, the one who became a princess and transcended even the revered Starswirl, to heat your tea water?”

Rarity smiled. “Of course I do.”

“Then it is my pleasure,” the alicorn smiled back. The thermos glowed for a moment in her magical aura, then the teapot glowed in it too. “We can’t forget the pot now, can we?”

Meanwhile, Fluttershy had taken the cake and the cream from her basket and put them on the rug. Both Rarity and Twilight complimented her on the smell and soon the first slices of cake were equally praised for their taste. The aroma of tea wafted over the hill as the three friends enjoyed the view.

“It’s a bit strange how quiet Ponyville is without Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow,” Rarity commented. “I guess you never noticed how much life they bring to this town until they’re gone.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, it’s strange how everything is so calm. Did you notice, even Scootaloo drove her scooter at a slow pace. I guess I could get used to this.”

“But then those three would never return,” Twilight looked up from her teacup. “As much as I enjoy to read a book without Rainbow crashing through my windows, I don’t want that."

Fluttershy opened her eyes. “No, I don’t want that either. It’s just that a tranquil Ponyville is nice too, once in a while.”

“Yeah, once in a while,” Rarity agreed. She took some embroidery from her bag. “You girls don’t mind if I do some needlework on the side?”

At that Twilight presented a book from her bags, “Certainly not. I have brought a bit to read actually. Do you have something too, Fluttershy?”

“No. But you girls go ahead. I’ll just enjoy the peace and quiet. You know, while they last.” Fluttershy took another sip from her cup and listened to the wind, the rustle of paper when Twilight turned a page and the soft hum of a song from Rarity. She leaned back and watched the sky. As the afternoon rolled in they shared the daisies.

When the sun started to set on the little town the three ponies collected their stuff and walked back into town. As they strolled by the station the evening train from Canterlot left. Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh had just welcomed their sister and the three joined them. Applejack looked completely exhausted, but she said the Canterlot rodeo had been great fun. Fluttershy sighed a bit as she heard the party cannon all the way from Sugarcube Corner.

“Guess who else is back,” Twilight Sparkle smiled at her.

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity answered just in time as the multihued contrail appeared over the town. A moment later the light blue pegasus pony landed in front of the group.

“Guess who’s back!” she crowed.

“We already did that, Rainbow,” Rarity replied. “It’ Pinkie Pie, Applejack and you. You’re in last place by the way.” A mischievous grin played around her face.

“Yeah, that’s me ... wait, what!?” Rainbow looked a bit annoyed.

Rarity looked at Fluttershy and Twilight. “Good we had that picnic today, right girls?”

Fluttershy smiled back and Twilight nodded in agreement.

From across the market Pinkie Pie could be heard. “Did somepony say picnic?”

Author's Note:

Have some Slice of Life. It's the calm atmosphere of Ponyville on a day when all the troublemakers are out of town. Nothing much happens.

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The Prompt: Katawa Shoujo OST - Track 14 (Raindrops And Puddles)

Whatever you may think about the game, this music is a nice piece.