Chapter 2, the first day
In the small town of ponyville, a Pegasus woke from his dreams. Blaze sat up in his comfortable feather bed, rubbed his eyes, and looked to the window. Outside the sun was just beginning to rise, a small band of orange lit up the horizon. He yawned, slid out of bed, and made his way to the kitchen. After fixing himself a quick breakfast of simple oatmeal and apple juice, he made his way out on to the front porch and watched the world slowly awaken from its own slumber.
The town of ponyville was situated within a medium size valley, a small post of civilisation in the centre of a vast sea of green grass. Towards the east were the sun rose he could make out the silhouette of the apple family barn, standing stoically on the same hill it had stood on for decades. Around it he could make out the dark shapes of the orchards, stretching out over the valley floor and into the small foothills at the sides of the valley. At this moment he knew his friend Applebloom was already hard at work, bucking the apple trees and collecting the harvest.
In the west there ran the main road, a small cobbled highway that wound its way past his home on the outskirts and into the centre of ponyville, and past that to the train station. He knew that none of the ponies in the town would be awake yet, they where all still asleep in their beds. Some of them, like his other friend Sweetie belle, wouldn't be awake 'til midday at the least. Blaze crunched thoughtfully on his oatmeal as he contemplated the day ahead, chewing with mechanical efficiency as he dug his way through the bowl.
Today he had to get down to town and see if steel shanks has anymore dragon iron for the forge, he had to go to the market for mother and pick up more cathayian silk from the seamstress for her new line of summer clothing. 'I'll probably be modelling again' despite his mother Rarities insistence that Blaze was a handsome pegausi; he never did like the idea that somewhere in Canterlot or Manehattan was buying the clothes specifically because he looked good in them. he also had to stop by the jewellers and see how his latest order was coming through, it had to be absolutely perfect. 'Calm down blaze, there's no need to worry. Gemstone is one of the towns best jewellers, he's not going to mess anything up…but still, best check just to make sure'
There was a soft chinking noise, and he looked at his bowl to discover he'd eaten his breakfast without even realising it. He gulped his apple juice down, went inside and placed both the bowl and the glass in the sink, and then grabbed his flank pack from its hook by the door and stepped outside. He adjusted his pack, made sure he had his wallet, and then set off down the road, his hooves softly chiming on the cobbles as he trotted into town.
As usual, the streets were just coming into life as he reached the town square. Across the square from him, ponies wearing clean and smart waiters uniforms set up the out-of-doors tables of a small café named 'the bread basket'. He leaned idly against a lamp post outside the seamstresses whilst he waited for madam Chloe to open shop, watching the world go by. A few doors down from the café a baker, wearing his own apron, stepped out of his establishment to place a fresh lot of loaves straight from the oven into several baskets outside his door, knowing the smell would soon attract plenty of hungry ponies out for their breakfast.
As the smell of fresh bread and pastry drifted across to him, Blaze felt his mouth water. 'if you've got enough bits when we're done then feel free to treat yourself, but the errands have to come first' he thought, resisting the temptation of warm bread. Three mares trotted past him "Hi Blaze" they said simultaneously, and they each gave him a wink, Blaze smiled back. When he was younger, his mother had always told him that one day he would look just like his father. When he asked why that was a good thing, Rarity had told him that when his father Nova had first arrived in ponyville, he had caught the eye of every mare in ponyville (though she would never say how or why he came, or what he did when he got here)
"And one day you'll look just like you're father, tall, proud and handsome and all the girls will love you"she'd said when she was done, an affectionate smile on her face "I've always wanted to see my son being chased by mares, showing the world what he's got". Blaze smiled as he remembered his mothers face when he'd come home from his first day of school, a gang of fillies following behind him. But he snapped out of his day dream as he heard the chiming of a bell behind him, and turned to find the earth pony named madam Chloe standing in the door way to her shop, wearing her usual garb of fine silk.
"Ah Blaze, how did I know you would be my first customer for the day?" she smiled and gestured for him to come in "I have your mothers order in the back, please give me a moment whilst I go fetch it" she told him as he stepped inside. The seamstresses shop was warm inside, light pouring through a large skylight overhead. Over to the right of the large main room he stepped into was a small raised platform, surrounded by mirrors, over by the large window facing out onto the street stood three mannequins, each wearing an outfit that Blaze had modelled for his mother. A small counter ran along the wall opposite to the large window, and behind it was a door that led out to the store room where madam Chloe kept her looms of fabric. "Please take a seat" madam Chloe gestured to a set of plush chairs that sat behind the mannequins "my daughter will keep you company whilst you wait"
"Thank you" Blaze said as he took his seat, madam Chloe smiled warmly, made her way behind the counter and disappeared through the door to the store room. Blaze sat a waited, enjoying the strange muffled silence of the fabric surrounding him, when a quiet voice spoke in his right ear.
"Hello Blaze" it whispered, Blaze felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he suppressed the instinct to jump out of his seat with fright.
"Hello Weave" he said over his shoulder, and smiled as a small pink earth pony appeared to his right. Weave was only a year younger then Blaze, her body was bright pink, her eyes where a bright blue and her mane was a cascade of darker pinks, with the slightest hints of purple towards the tips. "How's school been?"
"Oh come on Blaze, six months without me and that's what you want to talk about?" she pouted "when did you become so boring?"
"Oh knock it off Weave" he said with a smile, Weave smiled and giggled quietly.
"Schools been fine, but I've been so bored. There's nothing to do at white towers, nothing at all…" white towers was a boarding school for mares somewhere slightly north of Trottingham, and specialised in educating mares in the fine arts of being a lady, though from everything Blaze heard at school, the mares spent their nights behaving in less than lady like ways.
"Well let's hope the half term is more fun then" he said, with a sly grin on his face. It was a game he was playing here, a game of subtlety, or more rather trying to be subtle whilst flirting. 'Am I good at flirting? I never thought to ask'
"I hear that the lakes are beautiful this time of year" Weave gave him a knowing smile "maybe we should check it out sometime" Blaze grinned, and was about to answer when madam Chloe came through the door behind the counter, a loom of bright pink silk in her hooves.
"here you go Blaze" she said, setting the loom down on the counter "that will be…" she scanned a set of notes she kept behind the counter "twenty six bits" Blaze whistled.
"they don't make it cheap anymore, do they?" he said as he counted out twenty six bits from his wallet.
"to my knowledge the stuff was never cheap" madam Chloe said with a smile "have a good day now" she told him as he slid the roll into his flank pack and stepped out the door.
"Bye Blaze" he heard Weave call before the door closed behind him, leaving him out in the now busy street. 'next stop, the jewellers' Blaze made his way across the square, past the town hall and down a small side street. Eventually ending up in a small back alley, in front of him was a simple door, with a sign hanging above it that said 'Gem stone jewellers, makers of jewellery and watches'. Blaze stepped through the door and into a tightly packed room, where most of the space was taken up by glass counter, behind which lay row upon row of rings, necklaces and bracelets. Each one shone brightly, the gem stones set into them catching the light and reflecting it in a million different ways.
"Ah, master Blaze, come to check on your order have you?" said an aging stallion behind the counter. Gemstone was a unicorn bordering on the age of sixty, his once chestnut brown skin had begun to darken and gray with age. His mane and tail, once deep brown where both streaked with grey and white. His mane had been cropped short, and his green eyes where hidden behind a pair of smart glasses, He didn't look like a jeweller at all.
"you know it mister Stone" Blaze said with a nod, Gemstone nodded back and reached under the counter, pulling out a wooden box. He laid it on the counter and pushed it across to Blaze.
"I finished it a week ago, finest piece of work I've ever done, if I do say so myself" Blaze reached tentatively towards the box, pausing to savour the moment, and then he slowly opened it. Inside was a delicate necklace, its tiny chain made out of pure silver. Attached to the necklace was a pair of emerald green wings, overlaid with tiny emeralds and its tiny feathers etched out in incredible detail.
"It's incredible" he whispered "perfect, just like I imagined it" he told Gemstone, a broad grin on his face. "What do I owe you?"
"Seventy three bits" Gemstone told him, obviously pleased with Blazes reaction. Blaze simply nodded and pulled out his wallet, placing the bits on the counter. Once he'd counted them all Blaze said his thanks to mister Stone and stepped out into the cool shade of the back alley.
'perfect, just like I dreamed it would be' he thought as he set off down the street 'sweet cream will love it' he thought with exultation, and with that he spread his wings and leapt into the sky, rolling and looping as he flew home. Over head the sun shone as bright as ever, and in the streets below ponies stopped to look up as he rolled and spun and dived across the sky. It was all going to plan, hearts and hooves day was only a week away, and now he was all set 'sorry Weave, but we won't be going to the lakes' he thought as he did a lazy barrel roll 'I have a date with a angel called sweet cream'
It was good to be home
Authors note: I would like to dedicate this chapter to Timefather 64, looks like you've got your story, enjoy.