Chapters “Come on, Avram, let’s go!”
“Nnnnnnope,” Avram said mockingly “I came to get a plush doll and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Jonathan sighed and turned away from the pink shopping aisle. The two brothers had been in the girls section for 10 minutes waiting for Avram to pick what he wanted to buy. Jonathan hated that aisle but their parents insisted the two brothers go together to the store so that Avram could buy himself a plush doll. Another plush doll, actually. Avram was a Brony, a male fan of the TV show My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic. It happened quite by accident, two years previously, when he and Ezriel were fighting over the remote.
*
“Gimmie the remote, Ez!” Avram shouted at his younger brother. “It’s Pokemon time!”
“No way, Avster!” Ezriel screamed at him. “It’s time to play the Weakest Link!”
“No!” Avram roared, grabbing the remote and flipping to his channel. “Inuyasha. Ha, beat that!”
Ezriel snatched the remote from his older sibling and changed channel again. “Wipeout. Let’s start.”
Avram pounded him with the large 2-foot cushion he was sitting on and reached for the controller once more. “Ben 10 is in the house!”
Ezriel pulled his yellow karate belt from under the couch and wrapped it around his brother’s chest and arms. He picked up the remote and tauntingly flipped through to another channel. “Oh yeah. Splatalot!”
“That’s it,” Avram said once he freed himself from the judo accessory’s embrace. “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” He jumped on his smaller sibling and the two brothers began rolling on the floor, unceremoniously slamming each other onto the remote control, which caused the TV to move from channel to channel. After a few minutes of brotherly wrestling, which resulted in several bruises and friendly scrapes, the two boys heard a song coming from the TV set. They stopped fighting, rolled off of one another and stared at the screen, neither of them believing what they saw.
“Oh, no!” Ezriel groaned. “Not My Little Pony!”
“What is that?” Avram asked slowly.
“What is that?!” Ezriel shouted in disbelief at his older brother. “I’ll tell you what that is: My Little Pony, the biggest most girliest show in existence.”
“Oh my G-d,” Avram said. He was silent for a moment and then said. “Hey Ez, could you let me watch this?”
Ezriel’s mouth fell opened in surprise, having not expected to here that from his older sibling. “Eh, what? What did you say?
“Could you let me watch it?” he asked again in a gentle tone.
“Why in the world would you want to watch this?” Ezriel asked in a not-so gentle tone, more of a worried one. When Avram didn’t respond, he sighed and got up from the floor. “Fine,” he said as he left the TV room. “But I warned you. Don’t come crying to me once the girliness finally gets to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Avram asked with a smile.
“My Little Pony is the ultimate TV show for 5-year-old girls, fact. They’ve been doing it for years and disappeared for a while. I can’t think of the reasons they had for trying to air it again.”
“Huh,” Avram muttered at his brother’s very-detailed analysis. Still, he was rather intrigued to find out what this show was exactly and he knew the only way that would happen is if he watched it. So he said to Ezriel “Thanks, but I’m gonna watch the show now.”
Ezriel sighed once more. “Okay, but I’m not sticking around.” And he left the room.
Twenty minutes later, the average time for an episode of any TV show, the whole house heard a very loud shout coming from the TV room. Everybody stopped what they were doing and prepared for what was to come next. Avram came sprinting into the living room, where most of the family was assembled.
“OH YEAH!” he screamed with joy. He started running around the house with no sign of slowing down or tiring, singing like a CD player on repeat.
“What happened down there?” asked Hannah, the older sister.
“He was watching TV, duh” answered the youngest boy, Shachar, obnoxiously.
“I know he was watching,” Hannah snapped at him, “But what was he watching?”
“My Little Pony,” Ezriel admitted to them.
Awkward faces were made at this confession. Then Jonathan asked him “Are you sure he was watching My Little Pony? Maybe he switched channel as soon as you left.”
Ezriel made a duck face at him. “You don’t believe me? Maybe you should listen to him singing a bit more.” And that’s when Avram started crashing down the stairs, singing with such exhilaration as the family didn’t see very often
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Ah, ah, ah, ah
My Little Pony
I used to wonder what friendship could be
My Little Pony
until you all shared it’s magic with me
Big adventure, tons of fun
A beautiful heart, faithful and strong
Sharing, kindness, it’s an easy feat
And magic makes it all complete!
My Little Pony
Do you know you’re all my very best
Frieeeeends!
A look of disbelief ran across his siblings faces as he came to a stop in front of them. He took one look at all the crazy faces and a smile exploded on his own.
“’Hi guys," he said, waving at them crazily. “Having a great day? I sure am.”
A moment of silence followed, until Hannah spoke up and asked him “Avi, what’s been going on down there?”
“What’s been going on?” he repeated with a leap in dynamics. “I’ll tell you what’s been going on! I've come across the most awesome thing I ever!” He looked at his siblings' confused faces, realizing that he hadn't explained clearly. Probably on purpose. “You're right. I gotta find out more.” He bounded off to the computer.
Nixie, the youngest child, shook her head intelligently at her older brother’s antics and said “Avi needs to go to bed early tonight.”
Shachar and Ezriel walked over to the computer, where Avram was typing furiously with his tongue between his teeth. The two younger boys looked over his shoulders and tried to make sense of what he was doing. After deciding he wasn’t getting anywhere, Shachar asked his older brother “Whatcha doin’, Av?”
“Research,” he answered proudly as his fingers combed the keyboard at a crazy speed. All at once he stopped and stared at the screen, his face frozen and his mouth hanging ajar. Ezriel took one look at his brother’s expression and then glanced at the computer.
“Eh, what’s this thing here, ‘bronies’?” he said aloud. “What’s that, a play on words or something?”
“’Bronies’” Avram said slowly. He clicked on the link in the search results and a website opened up. As the two brothers scanned the page their shock and surprise grew.
“No. Freaking. Way” Ezriel muttered in dismay.
“Oh. My. God in heaven,” Avram whispered.
Shachar looked at his older brothers in confusion and then at the screen. “I don’t get it. What is this?”
Avram’s fingers zipped across the keyboard, opening new windows and tabs at an alarming speed. Images and clips popped up in a data-based mess and a mixture of sound poured out of the loudspeakers. Videos with people speaking, singing and arguing flooded the desktop. And Avram’s heart was beating like the wings of a drunk hummingbird.
He opened Wikipedia and searched ‘bronies’. He read the page that opened up faster than his brothers who were trying to read the page too. Before they finished reading, however, Avram reached the end and turned off the screen. An ominous silence filled the house as his other siblings walked over to the computer, trying to find out what the humongous noise was.
Jonathan tapped Avram on the shoulder and asked “What did you find, Avi?”
The teenager was silent for a moment before he found the answer. “Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony”
*
“And that’s how it all happened,” finished Avram with a smile.
“I know that’s what happened,” Jonathan remarked. “I was there. But I still don’t see why you keep buying these dolls.”
Avram patted his older brother’s shoulder sympathetically. “Jonathan, you’ve been living in our family since I knew My Little Pony and way before that. You know exactly why I buy these things.”
“Not really,” he admitted. “I’m a computer dude. Role-playing games and online interaction and whatnot.”
“Each to his own,” Avram said shaking his head. Then he whispered “Too much phony, not enough pony.”
“I heard that,” Jonathan called from the other end of the aisle. The toys and collectibles were starting to get on his nerves. “Can we go already? How long does it take to pick a pony doll?”
“I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” the younger teen called back to him. “It’s just so hard to choose between a different maker of one I already have and one I don’t have at all.” Indeed, he had been buying and collecting My Little Pony toys and items for months, but now it seemed he was suffering from indecision. He couldn’t decide whether to buy another Rainbow Dash or keep an eye open for a Luna doll. He walked back and forth along the aisles until something caught his eye. There, on the top shelf, was a plush doll of a purple unicorn pony twenty inches tall, with a purple coat and a cutie make of a large pink 6-pointed star with five smaller stars around it. Avram recognized it instantly, along with its dark purple mane and tail with a pink and light purple streak.
“Twilight Sparkle,” he whispered as he reached out for the plushie.
“You mean that egghead-bookworm?” Jonathan said with a smirk. “She freaks out about everything. She’s a total neat freak.”
“Just like me,” Avram sighed as he held the large doll in his hands. He suddenly noticed something. “How do you know she’s an egghead?” he asked with a grin.
Jonathan answered immediately with certainty. “It’s because your broniness is rubbing off on me and everybody else.”
“What’s wrong with that?” asked Avram innocently. Not waiting for an answer, he went to the counter and bought the plushie. Jonathan groaned and walked over to his younger brother and the two siblings left the store and began the walk home.
*
The two brothers left the toy store and began walking home. They passed by the bakery, which Avram dubbed 'Sugercube Corner', on their way on a shortcut through the park.
The boy's family has lived in this town for years and were well known for all their different talents. Their father, Elijah, was a great lawyer and their mother, Grace, was a famous music teacher. All the kids in the family were good at something or other and were very popular with the rest of the people in town. But ever since Avram had discovered My Little Pony the whole town has been changing. Kids, teens and adults were watching the show without a single care towards their gender role. Parties and themed celebrations were held and games and competitions were organized. Each street and shop had its own name but if you asked a younger brony for directions he'd probably give you the place's ponified nickname. All this has earned the town its worldwide nickname, Bronyville.
Avram was the cause of it all. The first thing he did in the act of going public was post the existence of the show on the town’s Facebook page. The first comments were from people who already knew about the show and suggested that their friends watch it. Like a laugh, the ‘pony sense’ jumped from person to person, house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, until nearly the entire town consisted of bronies and pegasisters. In fact, once at school, Avram asked the principal, who was also a brony, for permission to mess with the recess bell. When recess was over the whole school was targeted by the sound of the MLP opening theme, encouraging the already existing bronies to sing along with no shame. During the following week the classes were abuzz with their new feelings towards My Little Pony and brought even more people into the herd.
As Jonathan and Avram began to cross the park, a mixed group of people moved in their direction, chatting animatedly. They stopped in front of the two brothers and one teenager separated himself from the crowd and approached them.
“Oh, hi Arch System,” Avram called cheerfully, recognizing the brony. Arch System was a carefree guy that Avram met in school during a talent show. Arch, whose real name is Darius, was an amazing architect who not only designed buildings but even built scale models from the actual materials required to make a full-size building. He was also the town’s leading brony architect and had even helped renovate the convention center where the bronies held their various activities.
“Hey guys,” Arch said to the two brothers. “Where are you off to?”
“We’re on our way home from a very successful shopping trip,” Avram answered, pulling out his new plushie with a flourish. The crowd of bronies exclaimed in awe and amazement at the workmanship on the doll. Some walked closer for a better look and Avram didn’t pull away, he even let them hold it and feel it.
“So freaking awesome,” muttered Arch with a grin. He then continued “So, you coming to the dance party next week? All our favorite songs are on request.”
Next week. It wouldn’t happen. Jonathan glanced at his younger brother and watched his face fall. What Arch didn’t know was that their family was moving away. Their parents needed to find a bigger house as well as a home that was closer to their work areas. The thought of leaving Bronyville on all his friends saddened Avram to a dangerous level. He would spend long periods of time in his room, his eyes closed and his mind clouded with confusion and despair. He couldn’t even bring himself to tell all the bronies that he was leaving Bronyville.
“Are you going to tell or should I?” Jonathan asked his younger brother. Avram shook his head and stepped towards the group.
“I have some sad news, everypony,” he began. “Me and my family are leaving Bronyville.” He waited until the bronies stopped their stream of sad murmurs and cries of depression before continuing, “Now listen. I know we’ve been through a lot together and I’m sure you’ll be able to continue without me.”
“It won’t be the same without you,” a pegasisters called out from the crowd.
Avram sighed and said “I know, I feel the same way. But we have to look at the bright side of everything. Thanks to me you’re all bronies and thanks to you I have lots of great friends. We shouldn’t stop just because we’ll be far from each other. We’ll keep calm and brony on.”
“Keep calm and brony on!” the group of bronies repeated after him.
Avram felt a hand on his shoulder. “Come on,” Jonathan said. “We have to get home and finish packing.”
“Right,” Avram replied gloomily. He waved towards his friends and walked out of the park, Jonathan trying to stay in line with him.
The minute they left, the bronies began conversing amongst themselves. “We can’t just say goodbye like this,” Arch System announced. “It’s not how we should send him off.”
The pegasister librarian, Checkout, spoke up. “I wish we didn’t have to say goodbye at all.
Arch nodded and continued, “Be as it may, he’s leaving and it won’t be the same without him.”
“The Dance Party sure won’t be the same,” muttered Rap Seed, the town’s D.J.
Suddenly, Arch had an idea. “I’ve got it! The perfect solution for this whole situation. But we’re going to have to work really hard and I’m going to need everypony’s help to get it done.”
“We’re all ears, Arch,” Checkout said enthusiastically.
Rap Seed chuckled “Yeah, pony ears.” Everypony laughed and Arch went on to explain his plan.
“Buck up, Av,” Jonathan said, trying to cheer up his downed brother. Avram was seriously down in the dumps with the thought of leaving Bronyville and Jonathan was running out of positive ideas.
“’Buck’,” Avram repeated slowly, “Very funny.”
“Oh right,” Jonathan muttered apologetically, remembering the word’s origin. He was never really into My Little Pony, no one in their family was except for Avram, and he had no idea what he could say to bring back his brother’s happy demeanor.
They walked in ominous silence along Mane Street until they reached the top of their street, Fetlock Corner, which they walked down until they arrived at their house. It was an average 3-storey building with a white paint job and plenty of space. The real problem was that it was really far from their parent’s work so they were going to move to a closer city. Jonathan was beginning to understand how his brother felt. He had lived in this house most of his life and this sudden change was going to be hard. But he convinced himself that it was something that had to be done, one way or another.
They walked up the patio and pushed the door open. Boxes and crates littered the once tidy interior of the house. Belongings stacked seven feet high and fragile items encased in bubble wrap stood in the corners. The grand piano still sat in its place by the staircase, waiting for everything else to be loaded onto the trucks.
Avram and Jonathan walked into the kitchen, where they found their mom making a pot of pasta. Grace was an excellent cook and was often asked to make desserts for parties and bake sales. Although the packing was taking a toll on her energy she held onto her positive view on life.
“Hey boys, welcome back,” she said warmly as her two sons came forwards and hugged her. When they finished their embrace, she turned back towards the stove and stirred the pasta, saying “Lunch will be ready soon. Why don’t you go finish clearing your room?”
“Thanks mom,” Avram murmured and dragged himself towards the stairs.
“What’s up?” Grace asked Jonathan the minute Avram was out of hearing.
“Same old thing,” Jonathan replied. “Leaving town. Friends go bye-bye. Gotta hoof it.”
“Maybe a last-minute party will cheer him up.”
“We ran into the bronies in the park. Next party is next week.”
“Oh dear, that won’t do the trick,” Grace muttered. “Something has to be done.”
“You know what, mom,” Jonathan admitted. “I think something is being done.
Back upstairs, Avram entered his room. The bookshelves were either folded on the floor or bare on the walls. Most of the clothes had been packed away into the boxes on the desk. The only thing that stood out from this tidy territory was a single shelf right beside his bed. On the shelf were dozens of plush dolls, figurines and various items, every single one a My Little Pony item. He knew every character’s name and had even thought up his own set of pony names for his entire family, although he never used them in conversation with them. He found an empty space on the shelf and held up his newest plushie. He looked at the large purple eyes and the bright pink star on her flank and couldn’t help wondering: What would it be like to see and live as they do? Of course, that was every brony’s dream, to live the lives of their favorite characters, that was why some bronies wrote fan fiction. Avram had read several fan stories but it was never enough. He wanted to know what it was like to live in Equestria, use magic and write letters to the princess. He wanted to learn, play, live, love and tolerate on his own four hooves. He wanted to go to the place where he felt he belonged.
Placing Twilight amongst his other ponies he sat down on his bed and sighed. For 2 years he had been a hard-core brony and here he was, about to leave his best friends and his beloved hometown for a new location. He wished it didn’t have to be so but financial situations had backed them into a corner with only one way out: The one he didn’t like.
He left his room and walked back downstairs. Grace had finished boiling the pasta and the steaming pot sat on the table with Jonathan beside it already helping himself. Plopping down in a chair by the table, he pulled a plate over and began serving himself some pasta, topping it with cheese and ketchup. He ate in silence, pondering the future while the rest of the family sat down to eat.
Avram finished eating and was about to go back to his room when he heard an unbearably loud noise coming from the computer in the corner of the room. The rest of the family turned as well, having not heard such a racket from the computer since Avram’s brony discovery.
Avram skipped over to the computer where his little brother Shachar was trying to control the buzzes, beeps, songs and dings that the loudspeakers were blaring. Avram sighed, reached over for the volume control and muted the sudden symphony. The family sighed in relief when at last all was quiet.
The young brony glanced at his younger brother, who was wearing one hell-of-a creepy grin. “What happened here?” he asked, putting on a fake calm tone.
“I dunno,” replied Shachar, squeezing his joystick, “I was just sitting here playing when the Internet popped up in front of me. I think I lost.”
Ignoring his brother’s complaining, Avram opened the window in question. It was Bronyville’s Facebook group. Someone had posted an important message. It was Arch System.
Avram read the post out loud for the rest of the family. “Hello everypony. After speaking with our party organizers we are announcing that the Brony Dance Party is being moved to tonight, where we will be making an important announcement. Be there, for 3 good reasons: 1. Everypony likes to party. 2. The announcement will take place when most of the bronies are there so if you’re used to being late start early. 3. CUPCAKES! The party will begin at 17:00 and we’ll drag it on for as long as we can.
Arch System. Bronyville architect”
Avram cracked a smile at the sight of the post. He was quite sure he knew what this was all about. The family was also intrigued by the news. “Looks like you’ll be attending one more party before we go,” Hannah said.
Ezriel was pondering the ‘three reasons to go’. “What’s all that about cupcakes? I really don’t see the connection to anything.”
Avram facepalmed. This was one of the things that lead him to discovering his saying, ‘too much phony, not enough pony’. He wasn’t going to try explaining now.
“Can I go to the party?” he asked his parents nervously.
Elijah and Grace looked at each other. The whole room was suddenly quiet as the family waited for their answer. The eldest son Byron was tapping his tablet absent-mindedly. Nixie was giving Hannah a fierce hug of comfort. Ezriel and Shachar were obnoxiously rolling their eyes which got them stern looks from Jonathan. Avram simply looked on in anticipation, hoping that his parents would let him have the packing night off.
Finally their father broke silence. “You can go.”
Most of the kids were shocked. “Why does he get out of packing the boxes?” Ezriel complained loudly.
“Unlike you, Avram has socialized with most of the town and has worked very hard. Since this will probably be his last party here obviously he should be allowed to attend. Of course, he’ll have to get back to work as soon as he gets home once the party’s over.”
Avram ran over and hugged his parents. “Thanks mom! Thanks dad!” he shouted as he ran upstairs to get in some more work before he left.
Byron shook his head and smiled. “I've got to clear up my desktop,” he told his family, referring to both his room and his laptop. He got up from the table and went upstairs to his room.
“I got stuff to do too,” Hannah admitted, rising from her chair and heading for the kitchen. The remaining family members took a hint and all went back to work, each person radiating a positive aura.
*
At quarter to five that afternoon, Avram dropped his scissors and tape and ran to his room to dress appropriately for the upcoming event. He went to his closet and pulled out his favorite shirt. On the front was a picture of Twilight Sparkle with the caption ‘Bronies Forever’. The shirt was one of the first pony items he bought and the memory was still bright in his mind. He put it on and went downstairs, told his parents he was off to the party and left the house with a hop, skip and a jump.
As he made his way along Mane Street Avram thought. He did a lot of thinking but this time it was different. Like everything else that happened that day it was because of the moving. He was excited about seeking new friends to make and introduce them to My Little Pony and maybe even build a new brony community in their new home, but at the same time he wondered how his brony friends here would manage without him. He was the lodestone that kept them going, the glue that held them together, the key to Bronyville’s friendship. The bronies might even fail and disband without him.
No , he told himself. We’re stronger than that. Even without me Bronyville will continue to live on, in our lives and in our hearts. And once we get to our new home I’ll be able to start all over again, making new friends and starting a new brony community .
The positive thoughts brought the smile back to his face and he walked on with a joyful skip in his step towards the convention center. He looked at his Rainbow watch and realized that his thinking session had delayed him, so he decided to take the shortcut through the Boulevard of Equine Dreams
The boulevard was named after a parody written by one of Bronyville's musicians. It was a popular place for bronies to hang out and also a great place for graffiti, with its high walls and winding paths. As he walked along, Avram saw someone in a black hoodie put some finishing touches on a piece of graffiti. When the person left, Avram approached the wall. It was a picture of Vinyl Scratch, the pony D.J., with the word 'Wubs' beside her. Avram cracked a smile at the art of vandalism.
As he drew near the convention center, he took a minute to study the building. It was approximately 50 feet high, built in the shape of a semicircle. The interior was one huge chamber with a second floor built into the walls. It was designed with pretty much one purpose in mind: Loud, explosive parties.
Avram drew closer towards the center, targeted by the lights spilling out the transparent doors and the music blaring from every window. Inside, the sound of singing, shouting and laughing could be heard. Every now and then a loud explosion sounded followed by the happy cries of startled bronies.
Party cannon , Avram thought to himself. Those thing are always good for a laugh . Eager to get the night started he put on a burst of speed and ran the rest of the way, up the stairs and right to the door. He took a second to make sure he looked okay and pushed the double doors open.
The sound and light hit him like a shooting star. Rap Seed was up on the stage playing their favorite tunes, inviting people up to the microphone for karaoke. Bronyville’s baker, Ember Waffles, was at the buffet table on one end of the room, making sure there was always something to eat while his sister, Sober Sip, set up beverages at the bar beside him. Looking around, Avram began recognizing other bronies. He saw Spectrum, the town’s leading pilot, talking to Cut Above the tailor. He saw Splicer Watt working with the lighting controls while making wild hand gestures to his younger brother, Voltage Fuse. Slowly he made his way towards the dining tables, where Arch System was sitting with Principal A+, the headmaster of Bronyville Elementary.
When Arch saw Avram approaching, he quickly rose from his seat. "Bro, I'm so glad you could make it!" he cried energetically, raising a fist.
"Wouldn't have missed it for the world, Arch," replied Avram, lifting his own hand and completing the brohoof with the architect.
Principal A+ walked over to them. He was dressed for the evening, foregoing the outfit he usual wore for school time for a more dance-worthy gear. He brohoofed with Avram before speaking, "I'm so glad you came, Avram. It just wouldn't have been the same without you."
"That's what everypony keeps telling me," the young brony replied. "I'm sure that you'd manage just fine."
"I don't want to imagine Bronyville without you, my young friend," A+ said. "School would also be rather dull without you."
"Come on, you old stallion," Arch butted-in. "Stop depressing everypony and lets go get a drink. See you 'round, Av!"
"You too!" he called after them. Looking around, Avram began to notice other things besides. He watched a group of bronies drag in boxes of fireworks and spare party cannons. Other bronies were relaxing at the tables, chatting with their friends or dancing in the center of the huge room.
Avram finally dragged himself over to the bar, where he sat himself down on one of the stools. "Hay, Sober Sip!" he called. "Can't a brony get a drink here?"
A pegasister popped up on the other side of the bar. Sober Sip was slightly older than Avram and an excellent brewer. She was one of the main caterers in Bronyville, although she mostly did drinks while her brother worked with the baked goods. She picked up a towel and a wet glass and started drying. "Hay there, Avram," she said in her cheery voice. "What can I get'cha?"
"Just a Sweet Apple Cider, please."
"Coming up!" Sober Sip whirled around and went to work, taking only a minute to produce the cider. She plonked the foaming mug down in front of Avram, waiting for him to finish before speaking. "It's good to see you here."
Avram placed the glass on the countertop. "That's what everypony else has been saying."
"Only because it's true. You're the town's favorite brony, the boy who earned us our reputation as Bronyville. Also, I would never have discovered my talent in brewing if it wasn't for you. I owe my financial life to you."
Avram was almost lost for words. "Gee, thanks Sober Sip."
"No problem," she replied happily. "Excuse me, I gotta get back to work."
"Okay." Getting up from his seat, Avram made his way towards the stage. When he got halfway there, three kids ran passed him, their arms laden with fireworks. These were the town's Crusaders, but they seemed to enjoy a good prank almost as much as they enjoyed crusading for their talents. Chasing the three youngsters was X-Pression the school teacher, who was being lead on a merry chase around the convention center by the Crusaders.
What a joy it must be to still be looking for your place in the world . Avram found himself at the side of the stage, where Rap Seed was singing 'Winter Wrap Up' with Checkout. He closed his eyes and listened to the two bronies sing, the familiar tune and the recognizable voices combined to recreate one of his favorite songs. He sighed as he watched the two bronies wrap up the song. They make an interesting pair , he said to himself. Maybe next Hearts and Hooves Day .
His train of thought was interrupted when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he found Bronyville's mayor, Egalitaria, and his secretary, Even Out. The mayor was dressed in a bright blue suit with a rainbow tie, a patch displaying a brohoof over his lapel. Egalitaria was a very good spokesperson and an excellent mayor. When the brony craze began he decided to give the show a chance, and soon he was up and organizing celebrations with the rest of the herd.
Avram stood up respectfully and held out his hand in greeting. "Good evening, sir," he said politely.
The mayor just smiled. "Non of that formality tonight, my good friend," he declared. This is our night." He held up his fist.
Returning the smile, Avram responded to the brohoof. The mayor then continued, "Tonight is a special night, but it is also very important. We both know why," he added, his face now wearing a serious expression.
All Avram could do was nod in agreement. "All right then," Egalitaria said, "Looks like Rap Seed is done for now. It's time for the announcements." He climbed the steps onto the stage, his secretary following behind him.
Avram steered himself to the dance floor, where bronies were beginning to gather, waiting eagerly for the mayor's speech. Ember and Sober Sip came away from their stations and found their places in the crowd. X-Pression, having caught the Crusaders and returned the fireworks to their rightful place, was attempting to herd the troublesome threesome into the group. Splicer Watt finished setting up a projector, casting a picture of the town's banner on the wall behind the stage. The bronies cheered loudly, waving their hands over their heads and brohoofing the closest person.
The mayor raised his hands and the crowd fell silent. When the last whisper was uttered, he began to speak. "Dearest friends and community members. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate our newest military brony, Guided Missile, for his service in the army and now for our city." He gestured to a man standing at the side of the crowd and paused to let the bronies finish cheering for Guided Missile before continuing. "We are gathered here tonight for our annual celebration, showing our thanks and gratitude to the people behind the making of our favorite equine characters. We are the most ponyfied community in the world, something which we hold dearly. The support we give each other and the love we share is what really makes us special. Each person in this room, different in their own way, contributes their best qualities to the herd, making us better, stronger and, most importantly, united. Standing together as one, getting through hard times as a group, that is unity. Together we will see it through. We will keep calm and brony on!"
"Keep calm and brony on!" the crowd echoed, followed by their clapping hands and clopping feet. Avram found himself joining in the shouting and stomping. This was why he loved the fandom: everyone loved and tolerated, worked together, celebrated as one, kept the fire alive. Every person in the building was proud to be a member of the world's most fan-populated city, Bronyville.
The mayor signaled for silence once more, and the bronies hushed up. "This leads us now to the second piece of news that was mentioned in the last friendship report on the town's Facebook page. For this, I would like to invite the one who started it all, the colt with the most, the pony of popularity, the one our town owes it's world-wide renown to -"
"CRIMSON GLOW!"
The bronies went wild. Splicer projected an image on to the wall: a six-spoked wheel, the spaces in between the spokes filled with a different color. Avram, known by everypony elsewhere as Crimson Glow, climbed up onto the stage as Egalitaria and Even Out took their leave. He looked down at the bronies before him, cheering for him. He had earned the respect of every brony in town, having been the first to reveal himself as a fan of My Little Pony and leading them all through very successful times and events.
Avram waved once, wishing to begin. The bronies ended their symphony of joy, bringing silence to the convention center. "Hello, everypony." This was greeted by a great deal of clapping and whooping. "I can't tell you how happy I am to be here tonight with all of you. Everypony in this room has brought something special into my life. Working together, you helped make my dreams come true. Living here in Bronyville is, without a doubt, the best thing I could ever hope for." He stopped. Arch System was standing beside the stage, looking up at him. Avram returned the stare with a raised eyebrow and watched as Arch's face slowly became a mask of melancholy. The young brony understood what the architect was trying to tell him without alerting the herd. Facing the bronies again, Avram continued, "As much as I would love to keep the high-spirited atmosphere at its absolute maximum, I'm going to have to bring something to your attention. As most of you know, the Brony Dance Party was supposed to be held next week." Murmurs and whispers of agreement spread through the crowd. "The party has been moved to tonight, everything arranged in record time, for one single reason." He took a deep breath. "Me and my family are leaving Bronyville."
In comparison to the sounds that he heard right then and there, the bronie's outburst in the park was like a feather hitting the ground. Between the shouts of confusion and cries of sorrow were quite a few "NO!"s, "Mother of Celestia!"s and hopeful "April Foals?"s. The only ones who didn't react were Arch System, Checkout and the other bronies form the park, who had braced themselves for the announcement, and the mayor who stood at the side, wearing a dismayed look on his face . Avram waited for the bronies to calm down a bit before going on. "Because of financial difficulties, we have no choice but to move to a city that's closer to my parent's work. I would have let you know sooner, but I just couldn't summon the courage to tell you all." He was on the verge of tears and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, everypony. I can honestly say this hurts me as much as it hurts you and I hope you'll-" He never finished his sentence. Liquid misery flowed down his cheeks, the sound of his sobs echoing throughout the convention center. Checkout climbed up onto the stage and embraced the tearful boy, who responded in kind. Everyone in the room felt the sadness emanating off the two and each brony hugged the one beside them. No one could bear the thought of losing the town's leading brony by themselves, so instead they shared their pain, making sure nopony stood alone to carry the painful burden.
The sad spell lasted for a whole minute before being broken by Checkout. She held Avram's head before her's, staring into his dark-green eyes which were red from crying. She looked out at the crowd of pony fans and declared "Alright, everypony! This will probably be Crimson Glow's last party, so we have to make it the very best party we've ever thrown. Turn up the music! Pour out the drinks! Get out the party cannons!" The librarian gestured wildly at the bronies, who started doing exactly as she said, rushing to and fro, sometimes running into one another in the midst of the chaos. "Light the lights! Set up the cameras! Hit the dance-floor! Only together we can make this the BEST NIGHT EVER!"
"YEAH!" The music was blasted back on, the lights flashing everywhere, bronies dancing like whirling dervishes. Now they had a purpose to party. Now their friendship would light up the night like never before.
Avram and Checkout clambered off the stage, while Rap Seed and the other bronies jumped up and sang out as one. The young brony smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. Everything the bronies were doing was in his honor.
Checkout took him by the hand and led him to the dance floor. "Come on, Crimson," she said. "Let's party."
His eyes shining bright, Avram whirled the pegasister around him. "Yes. Pinkie Pie style."
*
While the party raged on, high above Bronyville, perched on a rocky cliff, two figures crouched in the shadows, watching, listening, spying.
"Looks like we were right," one of them whispered to the other. "They are moving tomorrow."
"I guess we'll be launching it on time after all."
Nodding, the first one said, "Let's go and tell everyone. They'll be eager to hear this." The two shadowed people disappeared into the dark night, unseen by anyone.
Avram awoke the next morning feeling happy and refreshed. The Brony Dance Party had lasted long after midnight(At which point they had started singing songs about Princess Luna) and he hadn't come home until an hour after that, when most of the family was already asleep. He positively dashed all the way home, singing at the top of his lungs with the other bronies, each one of them splitting from the group when they reached their homes. By the time he got to his address he was soloing the streets.
Getting up, Avram noticed that his brother wasn't in bed. Checking his watch he realized that he had slept in rather late, the time now being eight o'clock in the morning. Shaking his head at his own bodily functions he walked over to the window and looked out on his beloved hometown. Bronyville was not only the most fan-populated city in the world, it was also one of the most environmentally green settlements ever. Avram looked on, past the houses and shops, towards Bronyville's solar farm, where Splicer Watt and his family lived. Thanks to them, the town didn't have to get electricity from burning fuel like most places, the solar panels gathered more than enough power to light up the city and run everyone's appliances and thus assisted in the battle against pollution.
Throwing on his clothes, Avram bounced down the stairs, where most of the family members were finishing the packing. The last of the dishes had been wrapped up and boxed, everyone's clothes folded and stacked together, and an 18 wheeler, triple-trailer moving van was already parked outside, waiting to be loaded up.
Byron, his laptop bag slung over his shoulder, was making his way to the door, a large box held in his hands. "Well, look who finally got up," he said brightly.
"What did you expect?" Ezriel called from across the room. "He was, like, up all night."
Avram smiled sheepishly. "Not quite all night."
Their mother waded through the forest of boxes. "All right boys, back to work." She then turned to Avram. "Don't you have some special things to pack?"
"Eeyup." Avram picked up an empty box and ran back upstairs to his room. He started placing all his pony goods on his bed. He had quite a lot of everything: plushies, figures, clothes, comics and accessories. For two long years, being a brony had had quite an effect on his inventory and wardrobe. Carefully folding the shirts, hoodies and hats, he laid them in the bottom of the box and put the comic books on top of them. He calculated the space that the figures took up and added that to the plushies' size and organized them on top of the comics. He closed the box and looked at the bed, realizing that he had forgotten one thing: Twilight Sparkle. She stood there on his bed, standing tall and proud as a stuffed doll can. He stared at her large purple eyes that were almost staring back at him and came to a conclusion: she would sit with him during the car ride to their new home.
Sealing the box with tape, Avram placed Twilight on top and carried the box downstairs, where his mother was waiting for him.
"You can go ahead and put your box in the van," she said, writing his name on the box with a black marker. "Just be sure that anything you want stays with you."
"I will," he called back, walking out the door into the fresh morning air. The sun was shining in the cloudless sky, the birds were singing their songs and it seemed to Avram that the world was perfect, despite all the known problems in the world, such as war, politics, poverty and terrorism.
Chasing away these unpleasant thoughts, the young brony made his way across the patio and on to the sidewalk. The moving van was stationed directly behind the family car, the doors on the back rolled up while a mixed group of movers and family members loaded boxes, crates and furniture inside.
His father came out of the second trailer, wiping his hands clean of dust. "Nice to see you up and about, Avram," he said. "How 'bout you put your stuff somewhere it won't get squished accidentally?"
"Good idea, dad. Which trailer should I put it in?"
Elijah thought about this for a moment. "The third car is mostly for personal items," he answered, pointing at the mentioned vehicle. Avram walked over to the last trailer connected to the huge truck and clambered inside, where he found a forest of boxes, each one labeled or marked with someone's name. Carefully placing his own box where it wouldn't be damaged, he picked up his Twilight plushie and perched it on his shoulder. Smiling, he exited the trailer and went back inside the house to help. With everyone in the family working together alongside the movers, they managed to get to job done in just a few hours. Avram couldn't help beaming: not only had Twilight not fallen off his shoulder the whole time he was working, but loading the truck with the his siblings, his parent and the movers gave him a strong feeling, a bond of sorts, that could only have originated from one thing: the fandom.
And here I go again, he said to himself miserably. Thoughts of the fandom always lead back to his uneasiness about leaving Bronyville. He looked around at the familiar buildings, remembering all the people he knew and loved. He had achieved so much here and had gained so many friends, yet here he was, about to leave it all behind, It was beyond depressing.
After lunch, they were ready. The moving van was all loaded up and locked for the journey and the 9-seater family car was stocked with small bags that they might need during the ride. Avram clutched Twilight close to him, his heart beginning to despair all over again. He watched the movers climb into the truck cabin, looking over the map to choose the best route. His parents were double-checking the house to make sure they didn't forget anything. Avram's younger brothers, Ezriel and Shachar, were already in the car with Nixie. Byron was in the navigator seat with his laptop, while Hannah and Jonathan stood by the car, chatting animatedly about online multiplayer interaction. He glanced down the road, taking in every little detail he could, wishing that there was at least a friendly face to see him off. He couldn't hold it back any longer. He started to sing.
I did all that I could to help the fandom grow
I'm the type of brony, every brony, every brony should know
But now I'm leaving the herd, I've no choice but to go
I'm the type of brony, wishing every other brony would show
The movers poked their heads out of the windows of the cabins as Avram continued his composition.
Becoming as popular as popular can be
Sharing the love, tolerating all in our society
They made me head of the herd, everyone's favorite bro, yeah
I'm the type of brony, wishing every other brony would show
Elijah and Grace listened to their son's serenading, his voice carry itself across the city, filling every silent street corner with song.
Our celebrations lasted well into the night
Events and games we held made us feel all right
I'm the head of the herd, my name is Crimson Glow
I'm the type of brony, every brony should know!
Byron, Ezriel, Shachar and Nixie turned their attention to their singing sibling, Hannah and Jonathan ending their conversation to hear their brother.
Each one of us helps out with their special skill
Developing all we've got right here in Bronyville
They made me head of the herd, my name is Crimson Glow, yeah
I'm the type of brony, wishing every other brony would show!
By now, both the movers and the family were enchanted by the young brony's song, each one of them was still as Avram began the closing verse.
Because I'm the type of brony
Yes I'm the type of brony
Yes, I'm a brony wishing any brony would show.
A tear formed in his eye. It traveled down his cheek and shot off his chin, splattering the grey bricks beneath him. Avram looked down the road once more, noticing the empty, almost ghost-town-like area. The movers were motionless, the impact of the song having left a strong impression on the. Grace made her way to her son's side, closely followed by her husband. Byron and the others were silent, the final echos of their brother's voice bouncing off the houses. An unnatural stillness filled the neighborhood.
The deep silence was shattered by a voice coming from behind the street corner. It was quickly joined by other voices until it was practically a choir. Looking down the road, the family and the movers beheld a huge crowd of people marching down the street.
The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
Forever it burns, even when we're apart
No matter where, we'll remember you
All that we've stood for will still be true, will still be true
We are a circle of pony fans
Our circle of friends we'll be to the very end!
Avram ran towards the bronies, laughing and singing along with the rest of them. The crowd quickly dragged him into their midst, where he was brohoofed and embraced by every brony in town. The Crusaders ran up to him and gave him a big three-way hug. Splicer and Voltage dragged out their life-sized party cannon and started firing loud bursts of confetti and streamers. A portable stage was wheeled out and Avram was lifted onto it, where he found himself standing beside Principal A+ and the mayor, Egalitaria.
The mayor embraced Avram and then addressed the crowd. "Today, we are here to give our favorite brony the best send off anypony has ever done. Everything he has done for us, everything he's contributed to the fandom, will be remembered. Our friendship shall live on, no matter where we are, no matter what will happen. Hopefully, there will be a time when the power of our friendship will be seen by all, and never again will people want to bring war upon their neighbors!"
The crowd cheered. The bronies of Bronyville were always eager for world peace, positive it was the answer to all the world's problems, but also that it would be the key to every brony's dream: The Portal to Equestria. The one, tricky theory that some bronies had come up with, namely, a doorway to an alternate dimension, some drawing up an equation using friendship, magic and harmony as the integers. But of course, no such gateway could possibly be powered by friendship while the world's occupants fought each other over trifling matters.
Even Out, the mayor's secretary, stepped up onto the platform, a cloth-covered item in her hands. Egalitaria stood between Even Out and Avram and continued, "Our friend, Crimson Glow, has done so much for our city, and I am proud to present him with this!" The mayor pulled off the cloth with a flourish, revealing a shining award modeled in the shape of a group of ponies in various poses on a wooden base. Engraved on a plaque on the base's front was the following message: The Community of Bronyville presents the Favorite Brony Award to Crimson Glow, for his outstanding service to the public, desire for spreading love and tolerance, amazing friendship making skills and equine accomplishments. Egalitaria placed the award in Avram's opened hands, the boy staring out in awe at the bronies before him, all of them cheering for him. He couldn't believe just how well-known he was among the citizens of Bronyville, and definitely not imagining being more admired than anypony else in town. Manly tears made their way across his cheeks as his emotions found the path of least resistance.
Splicer dragged out a set of amplifier, and cranked it up. Songs from the fandom spilled out over Fetlock Corner, bronies getting into the groove without warning. Soon enough, the street was full of dancing people, pedestrians finding the allure of the music inescapable and joining in. Even Avram's family and the movers couldn't help but rock to the beat, the moving temporarily forgotten by all. The wonderful sensation filled them all and the sound of their voices carried throughout the city. The danced and sang for nearly an hour, by which time people started crashed onto the pavement, occasionally tripping up someone else, until everyone was down and beat. Still smiling, still laughing, still bronies.
Avram dragged himself to his feet, helping Arch up as well. The young brony felt elated, looking around at the many, mostly prostrate, people that had worked together to make his time in Bronyville sensational. He was so glad to have friends like the bronies, friends who would always be ready to lend a helping hoof to those in need of it.
When every last person had been hoisted back up on to their feet, Egalitaria mounted the stage once more. Even Out handed him a microphone and the mayor began to speak. "Well, it's certainly time to say it: thank you, Crimson Glow, for everything you've done for us. We will never forget the things you've taught us, and we hope you won't forget us, either. We wish you luck in your new home and may you continue in your equine activities, wherever you may be. Farewell, Crimson Glow!"
The mayor's cry was taken up by the herd and Avram found himself, once more, subjected to hugs and brohoofs until he reached the family car, where everyone was buckled up and ready to go. He climbed into the car, bronies still throwing last-minute goodbye presents at him, and fastened his seat belt. Elijah turned on the engine and the car drove up Fetlock Corner, the moving van following behind with its three trailers. The bronies pursued them, some waving hand-held party cannons and firing them, showering the herd with confetti and streamers. Avram poked his head out the window, smiling and waving like there was no tomorrow. He caught sight of Arch System, gesturing wildly in an attempt to get his attention. Avram pointed at the architect, alerting him of his awareness.
"Brony on!!" Arch screamed above the calls of the others.
"Brony on!" Avram shouted back.
"BRONY ON!" the bronies called out together.
The car rounded the corner and sped around the traffic circle before heading for the city exit. The bronies followed until the roundabout where they all stood, waving and shouting, making sure that their favorite brony would never forget this send-off. A loud bang and a cloud of colored paper arose from the car, indicating Avram's own party cannon, which was greeted by a roar of approval from the herd. When at last Avram's family disappeared from view, Bronyville's citizens found themselves thankful for the times they spent together, and everyone knew right then and there, that Crimson Glow would never be forgotten.