Aces' Diary

A/N: From now I’ll be calling Thomas: Tom, because it’s shorter and seems more appropriate.

Chapter 6: Nightmare Night is Neigh!

“What do you mean you don’t have any costumes?!” Pinkie gasped in shock, glaring at Thomas as he backed away from the outburst.

“Err…” Tom grumbled, drying his brain for a good answer. “I… just arrived, and err…”

“Yepperonie!” exclaimed Pinkie, still bouncing. “Let’s get you to Rarity’s boutique for your costume!”

“Err… Lead the way then.” He nodded and turned to Vinyl. The said mare shrugged, then walked beside him. “Would y’ mind if I stop by at Wes Navigate’s shop fer a map?” he asked Pinkie who was bouncing her way to Rarity’s boutique.

“Sure! If you have a map, you can go to Rarity’s by yourself! Sadly, I don’t have the map with me today and I haven’t restocked the stash yet. Anyway, can you say hi to Wesy for me?”

“O’course,” he replied, then looked at Vinyl who was following them since they had departed from Lyra and Bon Bon’s unharmed house. “Shall we, lass?”

“Yeah, let’s go!” she exclaimed.

Walking fast, they reached their destination without much talking. The shop was two stories tall with a paned window on the front, showing the hardware on sale. Without hesitation, they opened the front door. The bell rang as the door swung. The clerk sat there, reading a newspaper. He was a dark brown unicorn stallion with a shaggy silver mane, a pair of glossy lime green eyes ,and a map with a golden compass over it for a cutie mark.

Wes rose from his seat in surprise as the duo approached the counter.

“H-Hello, how can I h-help you?” he asked nervously at Thomas who easily doubled his size.

“Sire, do y’ hav’ map o’ this town?” Tom asked back with his thick Scottish accent. The clerk answered with an approving nod.

“Just a second, please.” His horn lit up, levitating a ribbon tied scroll from the cabinet behind him. “Here you go, sir.”

“How much is it?” asked Tom. Then he realized, he hadn’t got any pony’s money on him. He looked at Vinyl, who was looking around the cabinet for anything she might need. “Is it possible fer y’ to lend me some quids o’ yer?” he whispered next to her ear. She thought for a moment, before levitating her coin pouch, then gave him five bits. He thanked her and turned to the clerk again.

“It’ll be two silver bits,” he said, looking at Tom, wondering if he knew how the Equestrian currency works.

“Just give him a bit,” Vinyl said annoyingly. He obeyed, giving the clerk one of his five coins. He levitated it into the register, exchanged it for a silver coin, and gave it to him. “Thanks, have a nice day.” He smiled and waved to him as he walked out.

“Oh!” Tom exclaimed, “Pinkie Pie said hi,” he said. The stallion chuckled and went on to finish the newspaper.

Tom untied the red ribbon on the map and rolled it out. The map was decent enough: the placement of each household, landmarks’ names and direction to other cities. Rarity’s boutique was on the south part of the town, southwest of the Town Hall.

The duo continued their journey. When they were halfway to their destination, Vinyl broke the silence:

“I just realized I need a costume too,” Vinyl spoke up indiscreetly. “My costume’s gonna be so awesome!” she exclaimed cheerfully and wore a weird expression on her face.

The boutique: a tall building which sloped into a dome with two pony-shaped decorations on and a red triangular flag flying on the spiky tip of the dome. Somehow, it reminded him of the Old Bailey in London.

Tom took another look at the map to be sure. He perked up, smiling. “Tally ho! Let’s race t’ the boutique!” he shouted. Bending down, he started running toward the tall building.

His breathing quickened and his acceleration started to drop. Vinyl was galloping up to him, stamina starting to run out too. A smirk slowly crept on Thomas’s face. He slowed down a bit, preserving his half-empty stamina.

Finally, the agile Tom reached the destination: Rarity’s boutique, his stamina half depleted. A minute later, Vinyl arrived and collapsed to the ground immediately, panting hard.

“It… seems… that… I… win,” he muttered in his panting.

With blood rushing through her body, Vinyl’s heartbeat greatly quickened. Noting this, he decided to ask: “Can y’ walk?” Her mouth moved; nothing came out but air. “I take it that y’ can’t.” She merely nodded at his assumption. He crouched down and lifted Vinyl up into his arms; she wasn’t as heavy as he had thought.

He headed for the boutique’s door. Removing his arm, he knocked the under-sized door.

“Come in, darling! The door isn’t locked!” shouted Rarity. He proceeded inside instantly.

The interior was extremely tidy and clean. Several pony mannequins stood in order by size: from tiny filly to fully grown stallion. Few yards of many colours fabric leaned against the wall. A gramophone placed on the corner, playing a French-like tune.

Rarity, who was wearing a pair of red glasses, came to greet them with a cup of tea in her magical grasp. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. How may I help—” she stopped mid sentence as soon as she noticed Thomas, still carrying Vinyl.

“She an’ me raced ‘ere. She’s jus’ exhausted,” explained Tom, panting no more. “Do you hav’ anywhere I could put ‘er down?”

Thinking for a moment, she levitated a fancy red couch out and put it down in front of him. “There, darling,” said Rarity, before taking another sip of her brew.

After he had gently dropped her on the couch, he proceeded to attend to his business.

“Miss Pinkie Pie ‘ad suggested that I should hav’ a costume fer Nightmare Night,” he paused, feeling that he had missed something. “Oh! an’ Miss Scratch ‘ere also in need o’ one.”

“What pray tell, do you wish your costume to be like?” politely asked Rarity.

Thinking, Tom put a hand up to his chin. A wonderful idea came up to him, but Rarity might need to make him a whole new uniform. And he needed some makeup.

“Make me ‘nother uniform, will y’?” he requested. “I’ll use this one fer tonight. An’ I may need some makeup.”

“Of course, darling. Would you like to have it customized or the same?” asked Rarity.\, who had already had taken out several measuring tapes.

“Same please,” he replied.

Rarity gestured for him to turn around which he obeyed unquestioningly. She probably needed the design to begin with. The measuring tapes flew around him in Rarity’s magical grasp, doing its purpose of measuring. She took note of every measurement that had been done.

Professional indeed thought Tom, who stood still to make the measurement easier.

“Finished!” exclaimed Rarity, “Your new uniform will be done in more or less than an hour,” said Rarity, levitating out some blue fabrics. “You can come back after lunch for it.”

“Much appreciated.” He looked at Vinyl, who had recovered from the exhaustion. “Ah! How are y’ feeling?” he asked worriedly.

“Much better!” Vinyl replied with an assuring shout. “Now, my costume for tonight.” She brought a hoof over to her chin. “A suit, white shirt, and a black tie would be good.”

“Isn’t that too formal, Vinyl?” Rarity asked incredulously, but Vinyl shook her head energetically, like she hadn’t galloped at all.

“As you wish,” said Rarity. “Yours will be finished as soon as possible after I had finished with Tommy’s.”

“YEAH!” Vinyl exclaimed happily and walked up to Tom. “Let’s get something to eat. It’s noon already!”

With that cheerful statement, they exited the boutique and stood at the entrance. Tom pulled out his map and unrolled it. There were three places which should suit them well.

“Where d’ ya think we should eat?”

“I say…” Vinyl lost in thought for a moment, pointing her hoof at him, before something came up from her mind. “How about my favourite pub?”

“Aye, let’s hit ye road.”

*****

With the sun looming high over the hospital, a human woke up. Gerhard’s eyes fluttered open, the mid-day light shining into his eyes. He quickly shielded them with his hand. Soon he realized that something was wrong, at least in a good way.

He felt no more pain from his injuries.

“Oh you are awake!” He looked to his side, to the speaker. It was Octavia, she gave him a small smile.

“Huh?” he muttered in confusion.

“The Doctor came in earlier to inspect your wounds,” she explained. “They said you can leave as soon as they are done with paperwork.” This news gave Gerhard a huge smile. “I’ve been asking them about the Doctor and that nurse,” she continued, “but they didn’t seem to have any staff that matches the descriptions given…”

“How ist das possible?” asked Gerhard. He started inspecting his healed injuries. The cuts had been healed, leaving little scars. His broken bones were sealed together once again. “At least they healed me,” he muttered happily.

“From what you have told me,” started Octavia, “You have nowhere to go, isn’t that right?” he nodded deceptively as an answer. “You’re always welcome at my door, Gerd.”

“Danke. I don’t know vas to say…” he silenced himself to remember the direction to her house.

There were several knocks on the door. It swung open, revealing Gerhard’s surgeon: Dr. Scalpel. He was a short dawnlight orange pegasus with a chestnut brown mane. His cutie mark, of course, was a scalpel. During the operation, he was the one who saved his life, which he really appreciated.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Barkhorn. You can now leave the hospital; we’ve finished the paperwork,” stated Scalpel. “Although you’re healed, you have be careful around your wounds, or they will re-open.”

“Verstanden,” the human replied enthusiastically and got up from the bed with his officer cap on. “I will visit you sometimes, Schatzchen.” He waved goodbye and left the ward.

Pacing leisurely, he approached the reception. The nurses at the counter were no longer scared to see a human. He sighed in relief that he needn’t to be too careful anymore.

“Guten Tag. Do you know wo ist meine equipment?” asked Gerhard.

“Just a second please,” a nurse replied. One of them went away, probably fetching his gear.

A minute later, she returned with a cardboard box on her back. She handed (or hoofed) him the box, and went back to work. He nodded thankfully and walked out the front door.

Ambling along the cobblestones path, he opened the box and checked on his equipment. Everything seemed to be intact and accounted for.

Now I need to get to Octavia’s, thought Gerhard. And the unicorns have magic. Hopefully, they can fix my ‘eagle’…

Then, he proceeded on the direction given by Octavia. Hopefully, her roommate: ‘Vinyl Scratch’ was already awake at this time.

*****

A couple of minutes later, a railroad track crossed his path. He could see the station on his far right. WIthout further sightseeing, he continued his journey to Octavia’s place. At this time, the street was crowded with ponies going about their usual business. On his right, the first milestone stood tall: Golden Oak Library. He turned left. From what Octavia had told him; her place should be at the end of this road.

A house with two stories stood in front of him. It looked pretty much like some old German house back home, except for the hay roof. This gave him a bit of homesickness, but he shrugged it off. It was strange that it had a yellow awning on the side.

He approached it and knocked on the door, but no answer came. He knocked again, harder,  and added several more knocks into the series.

Maybe she’s gone out? Wondered Gerhard. Now, where should I go?

Suddenly, the corner building’s door swung open, immediately catching his attention. It was none other than Tom, with a white unicorn mare beside him. They were singing a tune which could only have belonged in a tavern. Tom’s cheeks were red like tomatoes: clearly tipsy, but his companion didn’t seem to share the same madness.

When the British ace noticed him, he waved cheerfully and walked up to him with his mare companion.

“Oi, Jerry!” yelled Thomas, in a little drunken manner. “Me thought y’ were in ye olde quiet hospital?”

“There was eine mysterious doktor that healed me, und he wasn’t one auf hospital staff,” Gerhard explained flatly. “Und mein wardmate: Octavia, offered me zu resident in ihre Haus. She told me zu see ein mare name ‘Vinyl Scratch’.”

“That’s me!” Vinyl exclaimed in a less drunken behavior when compared with Tom.

“How convenient,” Gerhard chuckled and smiled sanguinely. “Now that Sie haben  informed, shall I go mit you two?”

“O’ course, Jerry!” exclaimed Tom. “We just ‘ad lunch, and on ye way t’ retrieve our Nightmare Night costume.”

“Und was bitte schön, ist Nightmare Nacht?” His native German speech greatly puzzled Vinyl, who scratched her head in confusion.

“It’s something like Halloween. I believe Kraut hav’ that too, ain’t y’?”

“Ja, wir haben Halloween.” When Gerghard’s reply ended, a snow white owl landed on the ground next to the trio, its leg tied with a small scroll. Noticing this, Vinyl freed the scroll with her magic and unrolled it. She cleared her throat and read aloud:

Dear Mr. Barkhorn and Mr .McMorrow,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Princess Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns. Please find… Wait! That was wrong letter form!

Ahem! You are invited to “Welcome to Ponyville Party and Nightmare Night” party! Tommy would’ve got a costume for tonight by now. You need a costume, Jerry! And be at the Rally Point (Sugar Cube Corner) at five in the evening!

With love,

Pinkamena Diane Pie.

PS: Bring Scratchy too!

The three stood in silence, dumbfounded by the letter’s content. Vinyl was the one to break it. “That means you need to come with us, Jerry. We’re on our way too.”

“Then let’s go, Miss Scratch,” said Gerhard.

“Call me Vinyl.”

*****

Within a few minutes, they’d arrived at the boutique. By this point Tom seemed to have sobered up a bit, at least judging from his behavior, and that his Scottish was less pronounced now. Vinyl proceeded to knock the door without hesitation.

“Come in!” shouted the voice from the inside.

They stepped in. Gerhard opening the door for Vinyl, saying “Fräulein first.” She giggled at his gentlecoltness and went through the entrance coyly.

Once again, Rarity emerged from another room to greet them. But this time, she noticed Gerhard.

“Oh my stars!” Rarity exclaimed surprisingly and rushed to the German ace. “Those wounds surely don’t heal this quick. How pray tell did they heal you?” Gerhard answered the same lines he told Tom and Vinyl, which triggered suspicion from Rarity. “I don’t mean to press, darling! Just that it’s so good to see you up and about again.”

“Danke. Fräulein Pie wanted mir zu have ein costume.” Gerhard said with a small smile on his face. “Which I have no idea was I should dress as!”

“There’re many choices, dude,” suggested Vinyl. Tom nodded sagely in agreement. Gerhard was lost in thought, and then the lightbulb lit up.

“Even das ist ein bit disrespecting, but das wird do für jetz,” said Gerhard.

He requested a paper and pencil from Rarity and start doodling. He drew a long square with a circle in the middle and finished with a swastika inside. “Das ist the actual size.”

“So, y’ will go as a Nazi, Jerry?” asked Tom, who made a frown and put both hands on his hips.

“Ja, but I require ein kleine mostasche too.” With that statement, Tom ooh’d loudly and laughed his bum off on the floor. They all looked worriedly at the laughing ace, including Rarity’s cat: Opal.

A while and a scolding later, Tom finally stopped his madness. Wiping tears from his eyes, he stood back up, grinning quietly.

“Anyway Jerry, darling. Isn’t your costume a bit too… little?” Rarity asked as she stopped the glare and started working on Gerhard’s armband.

“Nein, this ist jus—” Rarity interrupted him by giving the Nazi party’s armband, “—recht…”

“Now, the moustache…” she disappeared into the next room. A minute later she returned with a pot of ink and a miniature paintbrush. “And the style?”

Gerhard put his hands on both side of his face, making a tiny space under his nose. “Kleine square under my nose,” he instructed flatly.

After that, she proceeded to paint his face. Gerhard frowned worriedly, but Rarity made an assuring smile to calm him. “Worry not, darling. This is washable,” she said as she left a finishing touch to make the moustache realistic.

Another grin crept onto Tom’s face, “Toothbrush…” he muttered in his resisted-fullout- laugh. But this time, Vinyl laughed instead. She collapsed down.

“Dude, that was priceless!” Vinyl stated in her laughter.

“Git y’ arse up, Vinyl,” commanded Tom. She complied and stood up, still laughing.

“Look who’s talking,” jeered Vinyl.

“Oi! shut up ‘n let’s pay Rarity fer ‘er service,” Tom averted with an annoyed expression on his face.

The said seamstress shook her head, “That wouldn’t be necessary, darling. For the sake of fashion; both your uniforms simply looked horrid,” declined Rarity. Both aces tried to object, but she shushed them. She turned to Vinyl, who was leaning against the wall. “Except you, Vinyl. It will be three hundred and eighty bits in total.” Vinyl grumbled disappointingly before requesting for a pen to write her cheque.

When she had finished, she blew a raspberry and joined the aces. Tom and Gerhard shared a hearty laughter on her reaction.

“Nun that das Köstum business ist done, let’s head zu das Sugar Cube Corner.”

“T’ Sugar Cub’ Cornar!” Tom exclaimed and ran outside with his usual cheerful nature.

“To Sugar Cube Corner…” Vinyl muttered deceptively and followed suit.