The Daily Life of Jalokim and Spiral Swirl
The train clicked and clacked in a steady rhythm as I gazed out the rain streaked window. Thoughts weighed on my tired pony mind, thoughts that haunted me wherever I went. I let out a tired sigh and let a few tears obscure my view. Moving to Ponyville had to be the answers to our problems. I can’t stand the idea of it not working out. For my friend and sister’s sake, I had to hope for the best.
As I gazed into the blackened night, I heard the squeal of the cart door being moved. There stood Dropping Rain, who had basically become the center of my whole life. Hey, who said it was easy raising a teenager when I myself was only one. She blinked blearily and gave me a sad, depressed smile she only let me, Spiral Swirl, and Daisy Day, my best friend see. Dropping Rain looked at me quizzically and started firing off a zillion questions about what I was doing up at this hour and shouldn’t I be asleep or something or was my stomach upset and maybe I had insomnia or etc. I tried my best to suppress an annoyed sigh. No wonder the bastard kids in Manehattan had called her question Doodle. I had beaten up more ponies than I care to name. Well, having awesome skills like mine is pretty cool. Just saying.
Dropping Rain placed a bandaged hoof on my foreleg as she gazed out into the stars. Celestia only knows what she was thinking.
“Sissy, my forelegs are hurting again. Can we please see a doctor? I think they are infected.
I tightened my jaw and gave her a hard stare. “Absolutely not. I don’t need a damn doctor in our business. You’ll be fine.”
She muttered okay under her breath and looked down at the ground, refusing to meet my gaze. I tenderly lifted her head and wiped the tears collecting at her eyes. She smiled slightly and sniffled. I sighed again. Why did she have to go and cut herself multiple times? Or try to take that magic potion to poison herself? She still had scars around her neck from the burns. I covered them with bandages. It’s not like I loved seeing her like this, it’s that I couldn’t stand asking for help. Why? I don’t need someone nosing in on our private life. If there was anything I hated more than bullying, it was nosy, annoying people toying with the sort of peaceful life I had managed to keep together.
“Spiral Swirl-I-I-I’m scared. What the heck is Ponyville going to be like? Will it really be better than Manehatten?”
I wiped the tears now streaming down her face as I gazed into the passing night.” I sure hope so, sis, I sure hope so”
~*****~
“Lights! Camera! Action!” I cried, screaming into the megaphone from my director’s chair. It was a sunny day in Ponyville, and I, the great Jalokim, was about to produce the most magnificent scene ever!! It was the final piece to my play.
Everything was coming together nicely.
“How’s the lighting looking?” I called to Pixel, the special effects manger and my right hand man.
“It’s going good.” He called, adjusting something or other to prepare for the big finale. I was on the very edge of my seat, nervous with anticipation. The climax was just about to get to the good part when SHE showed up.
“Hey guys!!! Guess what, guess what, guess what!!” shrieked Pinkie Pie, blowing confetti and balloons from her party cannon. The deafening bang left a ringing in my ears and confetti all over my main. I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
“Yes Pinkie Pie?”
“New ponies have arrived? It’s that super, ultra exciting!! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!” she jumped five feet in the air and landed in my lap. We gotta go see them!! Come on!!”
Before I could utter a sound of protest, she dragged me away from my chair and my work. I struggled to pull away but she had a death grip on me.
“Pinkie-Pie, come on!! What’s the big deal about a couple of new ponies? Ponies come here every day!! Let me get back to my work, please and thank you.
She ignored me as she dragged me along. I sighed. What was the big deal?”
When me and Pinkie arrived, I saw the new ponies. There were three of them, two seemed about the same age, and the other was younger.
Well, let’s get this over with so I can get back to my work, the play is in a week, and I have no time to waste!
Pinkie merrily skipped over to the newcomers. I have to put on my welcoming face, as these new ponies just might be useful in my performance. The scene I was just working one needed someone in the background to do some neat skateboarding tricks, and the person I have at the moment isn’t exactly the greatest one could get.
“HEY! I’m Pinkie Pie, and this is my bestest friend ever, Jalokim, well, I’m pretty sure EVERYPONY is my best friend, anyway, we would like to welcome you to Ponyville!”
Yikes, better step in before Pinkie scares away our wonderful guests here!
“Sorry about my friend Pinkie here, she can get a little carried away. I am the marvelous Jalokim, at your service.”
I bow to show the sense of style that I have graced Ponyville with when I first came to this wonderful town.
One of the three, the one with the purple coat, glasses, and the cutie mark with a couple of flowers, spoke up.
“Say, aren’t you the one who was in that play in Manehatten a couple years ago?”
Finally, someone who recognizes me!
“Why yes I am! In fact, I am working on a performance here in Ponyville right now!”
“Jalokim is the greatest director ever!” Pinkie said.
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I am pretty good for a stallion of my age.”
Pinkie skipped around the newcomers.
“Hey! Why don't we give you a tour of Ponyville? First stop, the theatre!”
I sighed. It was impossible to fight against Pinkie. Looks like I'm going to have to give a sneak preview of my new production. Who knows? Maybe this will benefit me in some way.
“Sure! Why not?”
I then led the group to the theatre, with Pinkie bouncing as usual.
******
As I sat there testing the lights for the play, I thought about how I got here in the first place. It was only a couple years ago that I, Pixel Sizzler, had been working at the Manehatten theatre as a special effects manager. One night, when Jalokim had been performing, he had noticed the special effects I had produced with my horn. He had been so impressed that he invited me to assist him with his other performances around Equestria. Me and Jalokim have been friends ever since then.
Even though I prefer to handle things behind the scenes rather than having everypony’s attention, I still love to help out a smile on everyone’s faces. It’s the reason why I am still with Jalokim.
To my left, Daisy came up to me.
“Hey Pixel, is Jalokim back yet? I need him to rehearse for the next scene!”
“No, not yet. I think he’ll be back soon though.”
Daisy seemed unimpressed.
“Hmph. Jalokim knows that he is a crucial part of this production, being the director, writer, AND star of the play. He should know better than to dilly dally.”
I sighed.
“Come on Daisy, don’t be so hard on him, you know that he can’t help himself all the time, especially when Pinkie Pie is dragging him along. And besides, he always makes up for any delays by making the performance ten times better than it would have been.”
“I guess you are right. It’s just all this tress. This is the first time Jalokim is trusting me with a role as important as this one.”
I nudged her with my hoof.
“It’s alright. Hey, I’m surprised he didn’t give you this role sooner, you are as talented as he is!”
“You really think so?”
“Of course! Jalokim brings only the best with him on his performances! And you are one of the greatest he has ever met!”
Daisy blushed. I never knew that she would be so touched by what I said. I was just stating the truth, wasn’t I?
Daisy pointed behind me.
“There he is! And who are those other three?”
I looked to where she was pointing. Indeed, there were three ponies he didn’t recognize trotting behind Jalokim.
“Hmm. I dunno, let’s go meet them, shall we?”
With that, me and Daisy went to greet the newcomers to the theatre.
***
As we met and introduced ourselves, I couldn’t help but suppress a sigh. Was all this hoopla necessary? I needed to get my sister and friend to our new home pronto, so we could settle in and get comfortable. The train ride wasn’t that fun, and I needed some rest and relaxation.
I put a hoof up and forced a polite smile. “Look, it’s been nice talking with you, but we really must be going. I have unpacking to do and thing to—
“B----bb----but you’ll miss your super awesome special welcome!!” Pinkie Pie shrieked in my face. She blew confetti in my face from a canon and started into what I guess was her “welcome song”
I scooted away as far as I could, trying to pull Dropping Rain and Flower Day with me. They seemed unimpressed by my attempts and more interested in Pinkie Pie. Dropping Rain fired of a zillion questions and Flower Day just laughed and sang along. I groaned and edged away from the crowd.
‘What are you doing?” came a voice from behind. I whirled around and stared right into the director guy, known as Jalokim. I rolled my eyes and gestured to the goofballs over by the set. “I just want to get home. Isn’t there such a thing as privacy around this place?”
He just laughed and shook his head. “Ponyville is a very vibrant, involved community. We just want to give you a warm greeting, as all.
“Pppsshhh, whatever. I need to get going. Flower Day, Dropping Rain, c’mon. Fun time is over. We need to get going.”
They ignored me and even were joining in the song. I was getting mad now, which Jalokim was starting to notice.
“Hey, it’s all cool. We’re just trying-
“Yeah, whatever.” I cut him off as I walked to the cart we had been hauling. I grabbed my skateboard and zoomed over to them, doing a 360 in the middle of the crowd. That should get their attention.
Everything went dead silent as everyone stopped and stared. I was just about to hop off my skateboard and fetch my friend and sister, when all of a sudden a hoof yanked me to the direction of the set.
“Oh my Celestia!!! You have to show us these moves again!! I’ve been looking for a person like you! You’re a natural born star!!” cried Jalokim, rushing me into the middle of the scene with these two bewildered looking ponies.
A pleasant blush creeped up to my face as everyone smiled and applauded. All except for Daisy, who was shooting daggers at me.
“You have to show us more of your moves. How about we meet here tomorrow at 10:40 so we can discuss how to fit you into the play?”
I sighed and shook my head. Sure, why not show off some of my awesomeness?
“Sure, why not?” I said, trying to act non-chalant.
He smiled slyly, seeing through my act, and winked, “So it’s a date then?”
“Oooo----A date!! Jakolim hasn’t been out with a girl for a reaaaaallllllllyyyyyy long time!! Pinkie Pie yelled to the Whole. Entire. Crowd.
Our faces were on fire as we both shouted in unison “Pinkie Pie!!”