Gee, this place seemed so much smaller from the sky. I thought aloud as Twilight, Spike, and I traversed through the town. Sightseeing in my case, Twilight was still being a Gloomy-Gus, and Spike was carrying a large checklist for the celebration while I carried him.
"Summer Sun Celebration Official Overseer's Checklist!" Spike announces proudly from his perch as the road brought us to the outskirts of what appeared to be a large farmland. "Number one; Banquet preparations: Sweet Apple Acres!"
As we passed under the white archway covered in ivy and saw a wooden sign with an apple carving on it, I noticed the expanses of this little patch of heaven: a large barn just forty paces away, complete with most of the typical things a farm has, such as fields and orchards, a small henhouse nearby, and, well, a well. Yeah, I know I'm terrible!
Shortly after arriving, I heard the telltale holler of a true country pony with a hearty "Yee-haa!" just to our right.
A vibrant orange mare earth pony, her wavy blonde mane and tail tied up neatly in a playful "ponytail" style, galloped energetically towards a sturdy apple tree. Sunlight danced off her smooth coat, accentuating the speckles of freckles that adorned her cheeks. Her bright green eyes sparkled with determination, reflecting her spirited nature. Proudly emblazoned on her flank were three lush red apples, her cutie mark, symbolizing her deep connection to the orchard. A stylish, well-worn stetson hat sat snugly atop her head, casting a slight shadow over her eyes as she charged ahead, ready for the day's adventures in the orchard.
With a quick twist of her hips, she struck the treetrunk with her hind hooves, and apples rained down directly into the baskets arranged perfectly underneath. She crossed her foreleg over the other as she smiled proudly!
Even from this distance, it was clear that this girl was dedicated to physical fitness; her physique exudes athletic elegance, strong enough to rival that of a stallion. Her figure is harmoniously shaped, reflecting a robust health and vitality that speaks to her hearty appetite. She embodies the archetypal beauty of a farmer's daughter—radiant and vibrant, with an air of resilience that suggests she's no stranger to hard work in the fields.
With a sigh that said she really didn't want to be here, Twilight uttered, "Let's get this over with." before walking towards the farmpony. I nudged her not too harshly to remind her to at least be polite.
"Good afternoon," she said in a much more approachable tone. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and..." Her tirade was shortly cut off by having her hoof shaken in an almost violent manner with apparently more strength than she was used to. Leaving the poor student wincing from the "hoofshake".
"Well howdy-doo miss Twilight, a pleasure makin' yer aquaintence" she said with a genuine smile. "I'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends!"
"Friends? Actually, I--" Twilight could hardly focus with the crazy vibrating; it was quite hilarious to both Spike and me as we withheld our chuckles.
"So," Applejack said after releasing Twilight's hoof. "What can I do ya, and yer stallion for?" she asked with a wink. The purple mare still shaking her hoof in the air before Spike grabbed it with a chuckle, earning a glare from his boss.
My eyes must've shrunk to pinpricks at that because Spike started laughing a bit harder after helping Twilight out. "Oh, no. Nononononono. That's not what this is!" Twilight started with a nervous glance my way.
"Right, I'm just an escort. The name is Ace, by the way; Ace Pentagon!" I introduced myself with my ears flattened against my skull as I grinned, lifting my hoof in greeting.
She smiled as she returned the greeting, shaking my hoof too. But since I had a more active lifestyle than most in the castle, besides the royal guard, I could keep pace with the cowgirl.
Clearing her throat, Twilight said with a smile, "Well, I am in fact here to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. And you're in charge of the food?" she inquired with a hoof gesture.
"We sure as sugar are," Applejack said proudly, before asking us if we'd like to sample some of her culinary creations.
My rumbling tummy decided to vouch for us in that regard, especially since I skipped breakfast in the rush to catch up with Sparkly.
"Well, as long as it doesn't take too long." Twilight said while glancing at me with a grimace.
Taking that as a yes, the farmpony zoomed off to ring a dangling iron triangle, much to our confusion, before hollering, "Soup's on, everypony!" and the next thing we know, we're being swept up by a stampede of eagerly hungry ponies. When the dust settled, Twilight, Spike, and I were seated at a table surrounded by trees covered in a decent awning, trying to shake off the dizziness.
Once the trees stopped spinning, Applejack popped up next to us with an eager look. "Now, why don't I introduce you to the Apple family?" she announced as the crowd of earth ponies of various colors came closer with equal eagerness.
Looking more uncomfortable than a cat in a dog park, Twilight tried to politely decline. "Thanks, but I really need to hurry." However, her words fell on deaf ears as pony after pony brought an apple-themed meal, and Applejack introduced us to her extended family.
"This here's Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious..." The list seemed endless, and so did the food! Not that I'm complaining about either, especially with how happy Applejack sounds with her relatives.
And hoo-boy, was there a lot of food! I'm pretty sure I was salivating more than Spike when he's allowed an entire chest of gemstones. The sight before me was truly beautiful, even if everything was apple-themed!
Her gasping for breath recaptured my attention as she named three more members with a bit more emphasis as if they were her closest family. "Big Macintosh..." a huge burly red stallion with orange hair, green eyes, and freckles, and an apple slice with the seeds showing as a cutie mark, holding a small cupcake in his hoof and wearing a horse plow collar. "Applebloom..." a small, adorable yellow filly with amber eyes, rose-colored hair, and a large bow in her mane, holding a triple-layer cake with green icing. "Aaaaand..." Applejack trailed off, pausing for effect as she shoved a green apple into Twilight's mouth. "Granny Smith." pointing to an elderly lime-green mare with white hair tied in a bun, a pie for a cutie mark, and wearing an orange handkerchief covered in red apples, asleep in a rocking chair.
"Up and at'em Granny Smith, we got guests." Applejack called, waking the old pony.
"Wha? Ugh, soup's on," she said tiredly. As the elderly mare approached the banquet, her joints made this richoty and squeaky noise that made me wince, feeling sorry for her.
"Why, I'd say they're already part of the family!" Applejack proclaimed as she put a hoof over Twilight's shoulders with a smile. Twilight, on the other hoof, spat out the half-chewed apple bits with great force, directly onto my face!
Oh ho ho, she's asking for it. I glowered as Twilight gave a nervous laugh, and not because she spit all over me.
"Well, I can see the food situation is handled, so we'll be on our way!" said the unicorn mare.
Not if I have anything to say about it. Were the words running in my head with a sneer.
Fortunately, Applebloom spoke up in my stead in a much more sincere way than I had planned. "Aren't you gonna to stay for brunch?" she said with the signature puppy-dog eyes and a pouty lip that children seem to have a knack for in all cartoons.
I will honestly admit that the sight before me was so adorable that it hurt. Twilight seemed to be made of sterner stuff, because her reply was, "Sorry, but we have an awful lot to do."
To that, the whole family chorused with a saddening "aww," downcast expressions littered all around.
My stomach agreed that we just had to stick around a little longer, so I spoke my mind, and belly, to the stubborn filly with a knowing grin. "You know, Sparkly~," I said in a singsong voice, which earned me another glare. "It's one thing to 'see' if the food has been taken care of, but a different matter entirely to see if it tastes good enough for the celebration!"
"And besides, we both know that you haven't eaten all day, and it's only going to make you into a real grouch. So wadda ya say?" I whispered while waggling my eyebrows at her.
Now put on the spot like that, Twilight looked around at everypony self-consciously, before she let her face sport a frown as she said, "Fine." not looking at anypony.
And with that said, the entire Apple family gave a cheer. Before it turned into laughter from mine and Spike's eating habits!
"Food's all taken care of, next is weather!" Spike said as he checked an item off the list as he was walking back to town. Looking back, he sees Twilight and I keeping pace with him; I'm as content as Winnie the Pooh after a delicious pot of honey, wearing a smile as broad as daylight, while Twi, on the other hoof, looked like she went all out on the buffet, her full stomach making her walk at a slightly slower pace than me.
"Ugh. I ate too much pie," she groaned next to me with regret, soon shooting me a look that screamed, "You did this to me." All I could do was offer an apologetic smile her way.
"I honestly didn't know you were hungry enough to outeat me, Twi," I said gently, trying not to aggravate her. "But hey, if it helps, I can brew you up a nice cup of tea to settle your stomach later if you want?"
She seemed to consider the offer, but with her still giving me that disapproving look, I couldn't tell if she was trying to figure out if I was being snarky or not.
"We'll see." She muttered, turning her attention to Spike.
The dragon in question started looking around the sky ahead of us, saying, "Hmmmm...There's supposed to be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds."
Twilight and I looked up at the sky as well, seeing quite a few clouds all over above town. "Well, she's not doing a very good job, is she?" Twilight remarked, as if she knew this 'Rainbow Dash' character would be unreliable.
"Maybe she took a leave of absence?" I threw out there, looking up as well. The sky was definitely partly cloudy today, which is obviously going to get in the way of watching the sunrise tomorrow.
My ears flicked upwards at the unmistakable sound of something flying very fast, and getting closer by the second! I looked up, and I could see something that looked to be a cyan-colored pony falling towards us at supersonic speeds!
"Watch it, Twi!!!" I yelped as I had barely seconds to push my charge out of the way of the speeding equine, which crashed into me, and we both landed in a random mud puddle in the middle of the street.
Face meet dirt. Nice to be reacquainted with thee! I groaned in my head.
I felt the weight of the other pony on top of me, sitting in a completely awkward and uncomfortable way, her prismatic tail in my face. And by the indication of her voice when she gave a far too late, "Uh, excuse me?" this was obviously a mare, and a pegasus too.
She leapt off into a hover just above me, chuckling a bit nervously. Twilight and Spike were not too far off. While I'm glad I knocked the prized pupil out of harm's way, I wasn't very appreciative of her laughing at my situation.
I furrowed my brow for a second before I got an idea for some payback; dipping a hoof in the mud and scooping up a large glob of it, then tossed it at her little smirking face!
Twilight went through a quick range of emotions in a span of a second; fear, surprise, disgust, and anger as she glared at me with an intent to retaliate.
Then, hearing the pegasus say, "Let me help you," with a snicker before dashing off, leaving two mud-covered ponies in the street.
Twilight approached me with the most heated expression I've ever seen her wear in my life, her teeth grinding together as her hooves stomped the ground.
"Wow Twi, looks like you need to cool off a bit." I said with a straight face, before levitating more mud globs with my magic.
"No, don't you dare!" Twilight warned, her own magic charging up. Knowing where this would lead, nowhere fun that's for sure, I dropped the mud I'd gathered back into the puddle. Although, some droplets still splashed onto her coat, and we both looked like we had been mudwrestling.
The pegasus pony came back shortly with a cloud in hoof, then proceeded to jump on it, making it rain on both of us. Now we were cleaner, but soaked to the skin, and our manes covered our eyes.
"Oops, I...I guess I overdid it!" the mare said in her raspy voice from the cloud she sat on, hooves to her cheeks. "Um... ugh, how about this?" she said after dispelling the cloud and zipping around us so fast that she started a tornado with the colors of her rainbow-themed mane and tail. The water and mud dried off over an increasing amount of time. "My very own patented... Rain-blow dry!"
After she finished, she slowly dropped to the ground with a confident smile and closed eyes. "No, no, don't thank me. You're quite welcome!" she said before getting a good look at us.
Twilight's mane and tail were in an almost sixties-style frizzled afro, which, in my opinion, was quite a nice new look for her. My hair, however, was spiked upwards on a cowlick, while my tail was fluffed out like a spooked cat. Both of us gave the cyan mare a disapproving look.
Said mare, however, tried to hold back her laughter. Failing that, with tears in her raspberry eyes, she burst out in full guffaws as she collapsed from the laughing. And Spike, adding his two cents, joined the pegasus on the ground too. Lying across her back.
"Let me guess, your Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said with a flat look, catching the other girl's attention.
"Very perceptive of you, Twilight," I nearly whispered.
The newly dubbed "Rainbow Dash" bolted upright so fast that Spike was knocked off her back. Acting quickly, I intercepted his fall and caught him like a baseball catcher. I placed him on my back shortly after. "The one and only!" Rainbow stated proudly with a hoof to her chest in a pose, taking to the sky again.
"Why? You heard of me?" she said, getting in our faces.
This mare exuded an unmistakable energy that spoke to her athletic lifestyle. Unlike Applejack, who possesses a sturdy, workhorse physique built for hard labor, this mare showcased a lean, graceful body reminiscent of a racehorse finely tuned for swift aerial maneuvers. Her movements were fluid and agile, as if she was always ready to take flight.
Prominently displayed on her flank was her cutie mark—a vibrant cloud intricately intertwined with a striking rainbow-colored lightning bolt, symbolizing her dynamic spirit and affinity for speed. Her wild beauty was captivating, reminiscent of a spirited tomboy who thrived on adventure and excitement. She radiated confidence, clearly favoring exhilarating experiences over the conventional choices often made by more traditional mares.
"I heard you're supposed to keep the sky clear!" Twilight repremanded, causing Rainbow Dash to back away from the snippy unicorn.
With a sigh she continued. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the Princess sent me to check on the weather." The cyan mare, however, lost interest in the conversation and flew back up to the low laying cloud to lounge.
"Yeah, yeah, that'll be a snap. I'll do it in a jiffy. Just as soon as I'm done practicing," Dash said off-handedly, peaking mine and Twilight's interest.
"Practicing?" Twilight asked. "For what?"
"The Wonderbolts!!!" Rainbow announced excitedly, pointing to a poster on the side of a building of a squadron of pegasi in a militaristic air force style. Another reason why I should have been a pegasus! "They're performing at the celabration tomorrow, and I'm gonna show 'em my stuff!" she said as she did a loop-de-loop in the sky before settling on another cloud.
"Wow," I said looking at the poster. "I've never seen a Wonderbolt's show. Now I have something to look forward to this year!"
"The Wonderbolt's?" Twilight asked with a shrewd smile.
"Yep."
"The most talented fliers in all of Equestria?"
"That's them!"
"Where are you going with this?" I asked the purple girl, only receaving a loud, "Pfft!" for a response.
"Please, they'd never hire a pegasus who can't keep the sky clear for one measly day!" Twilight said in a condiscending tone, completely ignoring the annoyed look she was getting from who she was irratating; me and Rainbow.
"Hey!" Dash said in with a glare. "I could clear the sky in ten-seconds flat!"
"Prove it!" Twilight said, daring the pegasus to back up the claim.
"Five bits says she'll do it." I mutter to the unicorn mare.
Regarding us both with lowered eyebrows, Rainbow accepted the challenge with a powerful jump that burst the cloud she was just lying on.
Within seconds, she was all over the place, kicking and ramming into clouds with a speed that would leave Sonic the Hedgehog impressed. The wind whipped past us as she raced this way and that above us.
"Loop-the-loop around and wham!" she said while destroying the last cloud in the sky without breaking a sweat. Once she finished, Rainbow Dash landed on a bridge railing, not even looking the least bit winded. "What'd I say?" Rainbow said with her confidence kicking in. "Ten seconds flat. I'd never leave Ponyville hanging!"
All three of us newcomers were slack-jawed from the sight. Spike and I recovered shortly, but Twilight was still frozen, as I heard what sounded like a sheep bleat coming from her.
"Well, would ya look at that? Alright, Sparkly, you owe me five bits, now hoof 'em over." I said comically, Spike laughing behind his claws.
"You should see the look on your faces," Rainbow said mirthfully, lazily flying over our heads. "You're a laugh, Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out some more." She said, snapping Twi from her trance.
Rainbow Dash then turned to me with an equally large smile and said, "You're alright too, big guy. I never caught your name, but I'd like to hang out with you sometime as well!"
"Why," I quipped, "do you need Ace Pentagon to be another pony-landing pad?"
She started laughing at that, placing a hoof on my shoulder before saying, "Maybe." Then she raced off, who knows where!
"She's amazing!" Spike said in awe, pointing at the retreating form. But then he started playing with Twilight's curly mane with a snicker, earning a groan from the mare as she turned and walked away. "Wait, it's kinda pretty once you get used to it!" Spike said, trying to make amends with his sister figure.
I just followed along with a shake of my head, chuckling along the way to town hall.
"Decorations!" Spike said, checking another item off the list.
Inside town hall was a wondrous sight; banners, flags, tapestries, and ribbons were hung up quite meticulously. White flower arrangements and blue decorations were placed along the platforms, and the curtains looked brand new too. "Beautiful..." Spike said breathlessly.
Twilight and I couldn't help but admire the dedication somepony put into all of this, and she even voiced our equal thoughts. "Yes. The décor is coming along nicely."
But her next words soon took the joy out of the moment. "This should be quick. I'll be back at the library in no time. Beautiful indeed!"
"Did you have to mention the library?" I said through gritted teeth.
However, before we could go back at each other's throats, Spike said something in an almost dreamlike state. "Not the décor...her!"
Her? I thought incredulously, looking where the drake was pointing. And I must say, my jaw nearly unhinged like a snake's at the sight before me.
A marshmallow-white unicorn mare with sapphire-blue eyes, mascara on her eyelashes, a deep-purple mane and tail done up in elegant curls, and a trio of blue diamonds for a cutie mark stood a few paces away on the stage, hardly noticing our arrival.
I must admit, this mare was stunningly beautiful! She carried herself with an air of refined elegance, reminiscent of the noble ladies from Canterlot. Her coat was impeccably groomed, gleaming in the sunlight, and her petite frame exuded a grace and poise that spoke of pure class. Every aspect of her presence seemed to blend sophistication with an undeniable charm, making it impossible to look away.
She was using her magic, which shone in a cerulean glow, to levitate ribbons of different colors and seemed to be picking through them with the eye of an artist. "No...no...no...Oh, goodness no!"
Looking back at the baby dragon, I couldn't help but grin seeing the poor lad's predicament; he'd been struck by the love bug badly, if those floating hearts were any indication.
"How are my spines? Are they straight?" Spike asked me, checking to make sure he looked presentable to the lady.
Twilight merely just looked at her number one assistant before rolling her eyes and approaching the decorator.
"Good afternoon." Twilight said in greeting, and if I'm not mistaken her attitude sounds like it improved a bit since the Rainbow incident.
But the white mare held a hoof up briefly as she said, "Just a moment, please. I'm in the zone, as it were." while still sorting through ribbons. Until she found a bright red glitter-coated one that she found appealing. "Ah, yes! Sparkle always does the trick, does it not?"
I'm not sure who she was asking, but I figured it would be best if I stayed silent for now.
"Why Rarity, you are a talent." said the newly dubbed "Rarity", complimenting her fine work. "Now, how can I help you..." Her sudden holler made me back up a step in fright, my horn barely flickering to life.
"Oh my stars, darling, whatever happened to your coiffure?" Rarity said in shock, looking at the wild mess on my associate's head. At that moment, I was glad she hadn't noticed me yet.
Twilight looked confused for a moment, (and I would be too if someone shouted before spouting a word from a foreign language,) before she looked at her own curls dangling above her eyes.
"Oh, you nean my mane? Well it's a long story. I'm just here to check on the decorations and then I'll be out of your hair!" Twilight said in a reassuring manner.
But that didn't seem to comfort the sophisticated pony as she replied, "Out of my hair? What about your hair?" Then she quickly got behind Twilight and started pushing her in a specific direction.
"Wait, where are we going? Help!" Twilight called out worriedly. Spike, too love-struck to be of much help, started to hover in the air like a tiny blimp and propel himself forward with his tail.
"Ace, do something!" Twilight said in exhasperation, pointing her head at the mare pushing her away. But once I got closer in an attempt to possibly help, the white unicorn noticed the state of my hair, widened her eyes once again in shock, and merely grabbed me in her magical grasp to drag me along with her.
"Hey, what gives?" I said, momentarily immobilized, once again floating against my will by an insistent unicorn mare.
"Don't worry, darling. You and your marefriend are in capable hooves!" Rarity said, smiling pleasantly. Causing both me and Twi to go blank as we vanished into a two-story pink building that I'm guessing was a boutique that looked like a carousel, something kids back home loved to ride.
Shortly, both Twilight and I had our hair done up quite nicely in what looked to be a showroom, but Rarity didn't seem satisfied with just fixing our manes.
She brought us to a section of the building with plenty of mirrors, and dresses on racks before putting Twilight through a good many outfits as a living mannequin.
"No..no..no..uh uh..." Rarity said as she went through the different outfits she put on Twi.
Boy, I sure am glad I'm not a part of that, I thought to myself as they went through outfit after outfit like crazy; first what looked like Lady Liberty, a "southern" formal wear, a Spanish dancer, a Victorian-themed dress complete with a wig to match, even an aerobics outfit. Each time, Rarity only styled my charge's hair, and I've got to be honest, I wish I had a camera to see how ridiculous, but also quite pretty, Twilight looked in each one.
Finally, they stopped on an attractive white saddle-like corset fitted with gemstones of various colors, as Rarity started to work the straps on it. She also wore a matching bracelet that looked like it was made from pearls!
"Now go on, my dear. You were telling me where you're from." Rarity said, grabbing the straps with her teeth and pulling. Poor Twilight looked like she was being squeezed from a tube of toothpaste, standing on her rear legs as Rarity actually used her body as leverage to tighten the corset. I cringed at the sight, hoping that Twilight had digested all her pie before now.
"I've...been...sent...from...Canterlot...to." Twilight gasped out, starting to make me worried for her.
As Rarity gasped, she released the struggling mare, sending her flying my way! I had mere seconds before she crashed on top of me, and the next thing I knew, I was muzzle to muzzle with the mare who hates me with a passion. We quickly separated, both with burning blushes; mine from close contact with a girl in general, while Twilight's was from sheer embarrassment.
"Canterlot!?" Rarity cried in excitement, rushing up to us with an extra sparkle in her eyes. "I'm so envious; the glamour, the sophistication. I've always dreamed of living there!" she said with passion as she posed dramatically, before rounding on us with an eager smile.
"I can't wait to hear all about it!" said the white mare in a way like girls do when they want to hear the newest gossip. Then she sidled up to Twilight, completely ignoring us boys thankfully as she said, "We're going to be the best of friends, you and I."
My charge looked surprised again, hearing that word so many times today that I'm sure it wasn't funny anymore.
"Emerald?" Rarity's startled cry snapped both of our attention to her again. "What was I thinking?" After shaking her head as if chastising herself, she glanced back with excitement, saying, "Let me get you some rubies!" Before she pranced off.
Acting fast, Twilight bolted for the door, saying to me, "Quick, before she decides to dye my coat a new color!" With a nod, I snatched up the dazed dragon and followed Twilight out of that fashion factory, high-tailing it out of there!
Hours later, the three of us were back on the road again, searching for the pony in charge of the last item on the list. Twilight had quickly removed the saddle before leaving for the outskirts of town, and I was still carrying the little loverboy.
"Wasn't she wonderful?" Spike asked dreamily, gazing at nothing in particular from behind me. I couldn't help but tease my surrogate brother about that.
"Oh ho ho ho, looks like someone's got it bad!" I joked, causing the drake to snap out of it.
"Focus, Cassanova," Twilight said with a flat look, before getting back down to business. "What's next on the list?"
At my own flat looked I sent her way. Spike cleared his throat before reading aloud, "Music, it's the last one!"
"Great! Now all we have to do is..." I trailed off, hearing something nearby. Spike and Twilight looked around as well. I think it was a fanfare being whistled somewhere up ahead, past the bushes.
In a secluded glade, surrounded by the soft rustle of leaves and the gentle hum of nature, we discovered a magnificent tree, its branches teeming with colorful birds that filled the air with their melodious songs. At the heart of this cheerful symphony was a butter-yellow pegasus mare, her long, flowing pink mane and tail cascading in delicate waves, curling slightly at the ends like the petals of a spring flower. Her warm, cerulean eyes sparkled with joy as she gracefully floated among the birds, skillfully guiding them with gentle wing flaps that seemed to synchronize perfectly with their melodic notes. Adorning her flanks were three perfectly aligned pink butterflies, a symbol of her unique talent, as she effortlessly orchestrated the delightful fanfare, creating a harmonious blend of nature's beauty and enchanting music.
The music sounded lovely, definitely something new to experience in this world. Until one of the birds started singing off-key. "Oh my," said the mare quietly, before calling out in a slightly louder voice, "Um, stop, please, everyone!" Then she fluttered up to the tree as all went quiet.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" she said to what looked like a blue jay in a soft voice. "I mean no offense, but your rhythm is just a teeny bit off," she said politely, earning a nod of understanding from the bird.
flying back down the pegasus mare then said, "Now, follow me please. A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three." preping to start over.
"Hello!" Twilight called out, interrupting the whole thing and spooking not only the ensemble of birds, but the yellow mare as well.
The mare gave a yelp before turning our way with beautiful teal eyes, seeing Twilight standing in the open. Spike and I stayed behind in the bush, hoping that Twilight would try to be friendly with this mare, but we could see that either the pegasus didn't like socializing or was scared out of her wits, shyly hiding herself from the purple introvert.
The pegasus mare stood out with an elegance that surpassed all the ponies we encountered today; her long, flowing mane shimmered in shades of rosy pink, cascading down her neck like a waterfall. Every curve of her petite, delicate frame exuded grace, making her appear as though she had stepped right off a fashion runway. Her large, expressive eyes glimmered with kindness and intelligence, a captivating combination that could easily melt hearts. Though her wings seemed less robust than those of Rainbow Dash, their slender structure added to her ethereal presence, evoking the image of a celestial being poised to take flight. Each movement she made was fluid and refined, as if she were dancing on air, enhancing her angelic appearance and leaving a lasting impression on everypony around her.
"Ooh, she's really dying out there." I muttered to my best friend, who nodded as we watched the exchange between the two.
"Yeah, she is." Spike replied. "Why don't you go over and help her?" He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. At my incredulous look, he then said, "Come on! Out of the two of you, you're far more approachable than Twilight there?" We both looked back at the scene with grimaces, seeing Twilight backing away slowly.
"Oo-kay then," Twilight said awkwardly, walking back to us as we slipped out of the bushes. "Well, that was easy," Twilight commented uncertainly.
Murphy must have heard her, because the only warning we got was an excited cry from the shy mare. "A baby dragon!" she gasped in a full-blown shout, rushing over and knocking Twi off her hooves to get a closer look at Spike!
Once again, my face reunited with the dirt as the purple protégé crashed onto me, leaving us dazed for a bit. Why does it seem like the universe is putting me in these situations just for kicks?
"Oh, I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's so cute!" cooed the ecstatic mare, completely oblivious to her sudden burst of strength. While Spike, ever so humble, seemed to be drinking in the attention.
"Well, well, well!" said the dragon with a smug look as he turned back to his admirer.
"Oh my, he talks?" questioned the pegasus.
The unicorn on top of me grumbled as she climbed off, "Almost constantly."
"I didn't know dragons could talk! That's just so incredibly wonderful, I..." The yellow mare seemed to be getting so excited that she started to take to the sky a bit. "I just don't know what to say!"
To Spike's chagrin, buzzkill Twi struck again as she picked him up in her magic and hoisted him onto her back, saying hurriedly, "Well, in that case, we better get going!" before walking back to town. I was just a few steps behind her.
"Wait," called the pegasus, following us. "What's his name?" she asked, looking to both Twilight and me for an answer.
Deciding to be a nice guy, I said in a gentle tone, "Why don't you ask him?" With my best smile.
She was momentarily nervous in my presence, with no idea why, but shook it off once Spike eagerly answered her question. "Hi Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon!" said the now-known mare, soon asking another question. "And what do dragons talk about?"
"Well, what do you wanna know?"
"Absolutely everything!" Twilight's eyes nearly popped out at that as she once again groaned at the turn of events, while I couldn't help but grin.
"Well, it all started when I was a cute little purple-and-green egg..."
After what felt like hours of listening to Spike talk, we arrived back in town and were almost at the library. Twilight was glaring harder than an angry rhino as she involintarily heard Spike's retelling.
"And that's the story of my entire life!" Announced the little guy, regaling Fluttershy with our livelyhoods. I will admit, he does have a good storytelling voice, which honestly sounded more interesting from his point of view of our endeavors together.
"Well, up until today. Do you want to hear about today?" Spike asked eagerly, getting an equal response from the mare.
"Oh yes please!"
Until Buzzkill made an abrupt stop, turning quickly enough to make Spike yelp in surprise. "I am so sorry, how did we get here so fast?" Twilight said, indicating the library we were standing next to.
This library was certainly something interesting; a large, honest-to-goodness oak tree that had been hollowed out to serve as a building had a balcony on the second canopy, several windows, and a rustic hardwood door with an image of a candle painted on it.
Wow, an actual treehouse! I thought with a chuckle, wondering how this thing was still alive since it had bright green leaves up in the branches. I even considered using my magic to see if the library tree 'tree-brary' still flowed with life, but decided against it, since I would have to reveal my true power in front of civilians.
"This is where I'm staying while in Ponyville, and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep." Twilight said with faux concern.
"No, I don't!" Spike immediately objects, like any kid does whenever an adult says the word "sleep." But, with a phony grin on the purple pony, she discreetly bucked the baby dragon off her back.
She shortly leaned down at Spike and said in a babying voice, "Aww, wook at that. He's so sweepy he can't even keep his wittle bawance!" Spike however, just glared at his sister figure, planting fists on his hips.
However, I, like Spike, saw right through her forced grin. She was trying to dismiss this mare who had been nothing but friendly since we first met her!
I couldn't say the same for Fluttershy, as she swooped in to scoop the hatchling up in her arms. "Poor thing, you simply must get him to bed," she said in a motherly tone, flying into the library with Spike in hoof.
Twilight quickly pushed the kind filly back outside next to me. "Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, goodnight!" Twilight said in a rush, then abruptly slammed the door in her face. Leaving me with the surprised mare.
"I'm so sorry about this, Miss Fluttershy." I said in an attempt to ease her conscience, but it must not have been effective because she started to grow nervous in my presence. "Twilight is a very..." I paused, trying to find the right word to describe her behavior all day. "Focused mare." I managed to cough up.
Maybe if I introduce myself, she might feel more comfortable? I planned in my mind, clearing my throat as I gave a bow to the yellow mare.
"Ace, Pentagon, at your serv-hey!" My introductions to Fluttershy had been interrupted by the prized pupil, who grinned nervously as she dragged me by my tail, (which is honestly very sensitive), with her magic inside the library.
"I guess I forgot my bodyguard. Heh heh, silly me!" said the purple menace with a dry laugh as she slammed the door again after dragging me in oh so painfully to the lobby.
"Huh, rude much?" Spike said in an annoyed tone from the unwelcome interruption, to which I could have seconded if I could see anything.
"Sorry, Spike, but I have to convince the princess that Nightmare Moon is coming, and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time!" Twilight said, her words sounding more stressed near the end of her speech.
"Oh, come on, T. I can understand your concerns, I really do, but wanting to shut yourself away from the world is no life. Trust me on this," I said sincerely, looking where I last heard her voice.
"And I'm supposed to take your word for it? Fat chance," Twilight rebuked hostilely. "Besides, how am I supposed to trust someone who practically sided against me all day? If you can't do your royal duties right, then maybe you should leave me to mine! Now where's the light?"
Flick!
Ouch! I remarked in my head, to the sudden blinding light, my ears ringing from the collective "SURPRISE!!!" from the ponies hidden in the library, and from Twilight's stinging words.
Confetti rained down on us as the party had been set off, full-swing. The whole place was filled with ponies of every pastel color in the spectrum!
Apparently, somepony had thrown a party within the library for us, but who? Once my vision cleared up enough, I saw the same pink earth pony mare from this morning pop up from out of nowhere to yell, "Surprise!" in a cheerful way, beaming with glee.
This pink pony was undeniably hyperactive, embodying an energy that felt almost cartoonish. Her words tumbled out in rapid-fire sequences, a whirlwind of excitement that reminded me of the frenetic dialogue found in animated shows. I could hardly keep up; no one back home could ever talk that fast and still convey meaning! It seemed as if she had indulged at the sweetest of shops, her body sporting a hint of pudginess that was subtle but certainly present, giving her an added layer of charm.
Her baby-blue eyes sparkled with uncontainable cheerfulness, lighting up her face and radiating warmth wherever she went. Adorning her flank was a whimsical cutie mark depicting a trio of balloons—one bright yellow and two shades of blue—symbolizing her playful spirit and zest for fun. Altogether, she exuded an endearing quality, an irresistible cuteness that made anyone around her smile!
"Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you!" Aww, that was sweet of her, honestly. "Were you surprised? Were ya, were ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?" she asked, bouncing around both of us.
"Haha, totally!" I said, my spirits lifting, and I cracked a small smile in the pink pony's direction. No wonder she was my sister's favorite pony; her jauntiness was pretty infectious!
"Very surprised!" Twilight answered. She then said in an annoyed tone, "Libraries are supposed to be quiet."
And with that, I felt my expression darken for a bit as I gave a snort, and left Twilight to try and cool off. Listening to Pinkie ramble on to my charge.
Spike followed behind me, looking uncertain for a bit as we searched for the snacks. "Um, are you okay, bro?" asked the little hatchling. Of course, with him being next to us as we regularly fought all day, I could understand his concern. We've been basically the only family Spike has ever known, and no child likes seeing grown-ups throw harsh words at one another.
"I'm good, Spike," I said, mostly trying to reassure myself. I picked up a chocolate cupcake with my magic as I lifted the hatchling onto my back. "Honestly, I'm sure I should be used to this sort of behavior by now." I shrugged as if it didn't bother me.
"But you shouldn't have to!" Spike shot back, clearly not buying the act, grabbing a cupcake himself. "In fact, she should at least be more grateful for all that we've done for her over the years, and yet she gets ticked off at us for trying to give her a nudge outside of her comfort zone!"
"Maybe so, kiddo, but Twilight does kinda have a point," I said, turning to the now confused dragon. "All day, I've been letting her get swept up in all that unusualness so she could experience interactions with different ponies."
"I knew that if I did what she thought was protection and interjected every time anypony tried to prolong her stay here," I stated as we saw Twilight surrounded by the same five mares she's had the displeasure of meeting by the drinks. "Not only would we have been here sooner, but we would also seem quite rude to the locals."
Spike hopped off to face me, using his reptilian tongue to clean his face. "I guess that's pretty clever, in a sneaky sort of way," he said unsurely, causing me to chuckle at his bluntness.
"I guess so, buddy. Why don't you go enjoy the party? I'm not yet ready to deal with Sparkly over there." I said, making us both laugh.
Shortly, the baby dragon ran off to where Twi and the other girls were gathered. I could clearly hear Pinkie Pie saying from here, "See? And now you have lots and lots of friends!" completely oblivious to my charge's disinterest in friendship.
Heh, I'm surprised she hasn't snapped at one of them yet, I thought to myself with a frown. Until I saw Twilight's face contort into pain with puffed out cheeks, turning beet-red with tears streaming down her face. Then suddenly she jumped up as her ears gave a steamy whistle, her mane and tail catching on fire momentarily, then ran off! Leaving some confusion only to the five who tried to befriend her.
"What happened?" I asked, approaching the quintet of mares. The only one to answer was Pinkie.
"She's so happy, she's crying!"
However, Spike noticed something on the table with the drinks. Curious, I went over to see for myself. "Hotsauce?" We chorused incredulously, looking at each other with concern. Pinkie then tipped the bottle onto a cupcake and promptly ate it, shocking the rest of us.
"What? It's good!" Pinkie declared through her full mouth, which was kind of a silly spectacle to which even I couldn't help but smile. The other mares did the same, probably more used to it than I'll ever be.
Looking in the direction that my charge had decided to run off, I began to grow a bit worried; all day long she's been going on about a possible future disaster coming up, and now she's acting like the fate of Equestria rested on her shoulders!
Well, maybe if it did, then what am I here for? To chaperone a mare who would prefer to lock herself in her room than try and enjoy life while awaiting her destiny?
I kinda had a feeling that I had already been in the beginning of the show, which I'm still glad I never watched; don't want spoilers of any kind or to freak ponies out about knowing who they were before meeting them. But like any show, the protagonist has to discover something about themselves to help them grow up in the world they live in.
"Oooh! Your new too!" I suddenly heard, bringing me back to, well, somewhat of a reality. All five Ponyville mares were standing in front of me, each one smiling at me in their own friendly way. "Gasp! I need to make you a special "Welcome to Ponyville" party too! I'm definitely going to need more balloons for this!" Pinkie said hyperly, almost racing out before Applejack snatched her tail in her jaws to stop the party pony from leaving.
"Hold it there, Sugercube," the farmpony said after releasing the poofy pink tail. "This fella's with Twilight. This is just as much his party as it is hers." She proceeded with a wink in my direction.
"Ahem, yes. Uh... my name is Ace, Ace Pentagon for those of you who didn't know that," I said with a polite bow, earning a giggle from the gaggle of girls. Making me feel selfconcious.
"Oh, we're in the presence of a gentlecolt here!" Rarity said with a titter, batting her eyelashes. She sauntered up to me like a cat stalking a mouse. "And from Canterlot to boot! I really am looking forward to getting to know you better, darling!" I think I started impersonating a raincloud with how much I was sweating from her being within my personal space, nervously backing away and trying to look at anything but her. Practically squeaking, "Oi ve!"
"Simmer down there, Rare's, your scaring the poor guy." Applejack said with a flat look, Rainbow Dash snickering at my predicament while Spike was glaring daggers my way.
"Aw, but I want to know if he's single!" Said the white mare in a whinny tone, looking back to the other girls who she had suddenly peaked the interest of.
Taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart and shake off the lingering nerves, I squared my shoulders and stood tall, commanding attention from the group gathered before me. "Alright, everypony," I began, my voice steady and clear. "I'm here to answer any questions you might have to the best of my ability. So, let's get started. To address the most pressing inquiry first: yes, even though Twilight and I arrived together, my role here is primarily that of a bodyguard for her safety. I take that responsibility very seriously. Now, who has the next question?"
My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro
The Lion Guard belongs to Disney
Valt the Wonder Deer belongd to Dream East
I own nothing except my oc.