It was a brand new day in the Equestrian city of Manehattan. All around the city, the streets were covered in thick white snow. Coil Sparks and Humble Pie were inside the small apartment they shared. Coil Sparks stirred in his bed before fully waking. “Ehhhh, good morning, Coo,” he said sleepily, forelimbs hugging the stuffed pigeon resting beside him. “Hmmm? That's odd,” he said to Coo. “Usually the smell of chocolate pancakes is in the air.”
Getting out of bed and placing Coo in his birdcage first, Coil began to walk down the hall. He stopped to look out the window—there was a new billboard across the street with an ad for Photo Finish's new studio—before proceeding to the kitchen. There, he was greeted by the sight of Humble getting ready for the day, but there was no sight of breakfast at all. “Oh, Coil, you're up,” said Humble looking at his friend while running a comb through his mane. “Good morning. How'd you sleep?”
“Oh, nice. I came up with a ne—” All of a sudden a growl came from Coil's stomach. “Umm, Humble?” asked Coil, rubbing his tummy.
“Yeah?” replied Humble while putting his winter coat on.
“Where's our chocolate pancakes?” Coil pointed at the empty wooden table. "And Slit?"
“Oh yeah, forgot to tell you we're out of groceries. And Slit is staying with family down south for the winter."
“Oh, ok—wait, what!? We're out of pankcakes!?” shouted Coil, foods of days gone by running through his mind. “No more sandwiches? No more cider? No more chocolate pancakes!? Nooooo!” He collapsed into mess of sobs.
Watching his friend cry, Humble quickly moved to improve the situation. “Coil.”
“N-n-no more muffins!?” sobbed Coil, not hearing the other pony.
“Coil," Humble said again, watching his friend sob.
“Waaa, waaaa!” cried Coil into his own now-damp coat
“Coil!” Humble shouted, causing Coil to stop his weeping and look at him. “I was waiting for you to get up so we can head to the new diner down the street." Humble slapped a beanie on over his mane.
“But-but what about lunch and dinner?” sniffled Coil.
Humble turned around seeing how he looked in the mirror as he replied, “Well, we can get some groceries on the way back, then."
“Okay, ready to go!” said a cheerful, suddenly winter-coat-sporting Coil.
The city of Manehattan was coated with two feet of snow all around, like a blanket of white had covered the city. The streets were like snowy valleys, with the buildings lining each side as the frozen cliff faces with their frosty grey walls. A few unicorns trotted along the sidewalks here and there, shovels gripped in their magic to clear walkways. Coil shivered as he walked. “Bwwwr!” he said. “It's so cold.”
“Well, we better hurry then,” Humble said in reply as the two walked down the road to Hay's Diner. “Ahh, Snowflake would be proud of her invention, right Coil?”
“Huh?” Coil paused his search for two identical snowflakes. “Oh yeah, very proud. I hope I can make a invention as great as hers one day,” he responded with a down-turned head.
“I'm sure you will, my friend. I'm sure.” Humble patted Coil on the back before saying, “Look!”
Bringing his head up, Coil saw before him a small structure built in the shape of a baseball field on the corner of the street. It had the words “Hay's Diner” on the front. “We're here!”
Rushing to the door while tossing snowballs at one another, they were welcomed in by a sudden burst of warmth. “Ahhhh,” said Humble, taking a moment to relax by the nice heat.
The diner was a small place with white tables, wooden booths, and a counter at the front. Standing next to the duo was a mare dressed in a apron with the restaurant's name printed on it. “Hi there,” said a whitish-blue mare in a pleasant tone. “I'm Blue lens, and I'll be your sever for today. Table for two?”
“Yes, please. Booth, if you can,” replied Humble while Coil grabbed some crayons from a nearby basket.
“Of course, this way please." As Blue Lens led them to through the dining area. As they passed the kitchen, the two friends caught sight a blue-feathered griffon in a chef's outfit with the words "Head Cook" sewn on it. Blue Lens stopped at a wooden booth and said, “I'll be right back with your menus,” before turning and leaving their table.
Coil and Humble sat down across from each other. Coil was pulling off his winter coat when he noticed something weird. “Humble?” he asked with a curious tone.
“Yeah?” replied Humble, taking off his own coat, leaving him in a sweater.
Coil pointed at Humble's coat, commenting, “That button on your coat is odd."
“It is?” replied Humble, holding up the coat in question.
“Yeah, that button is in No Stallion's Land. It's off a bit don't you think?” Coil grabbed some of the crayons.
“Huh, I guess it is. Oh, look, they left some complimentary daisies for us,” said Humble, taking a bite out of one of the flowers.
“I see you guys are hungry, am I right?” Blue Lens said, returning with a notebook. “So, have you two decided on what you want?
“Yes, I'll have a hay omelet with an apple spice coffee," was Humble's response.
“And you, sir?” Blue Lens looked at Coil, who was deep in thought.
“Huh?” said Coil after a moment, looking up at the mare as a crayon fell out of his mouth.
“Are you ready to order, sir?” asked Blue Lens.
“Oh, I'll just have a chocolate pancake with some spiced apple juice,” he said, heading back down his trail of thought.
“All right, sirs, I'll just take these,” Blue Lens reached her hooves out, taking the menus before continuing, "and be back with your orders."
“Thank you, miss,” said Humble as the mare left.
“Emm hmmm,” added Coil while drawing a bunch of numbers. “Dang it!”
“What's wrong?” inquired Humble, concerned for his friends odd outburst.
“I'm trying to—nah, you’d think it's stupid." Coil just put his head down on the table.
Humble was poking at a pack of sugar as he prodded, “Come on, tell me."
“Well, alright,” Coil gave in. “I'm trying to figure out how to make a way for energy to be distributed safely.”
“Really? Huh....” Humble gave his friend a puzzled expression. “May I ask why?"
“That way, a person doesn't get kil—pancakes!” shouted Coil, his mouth watering at the sight of the chocolatey treats being brought by Blue Lens.
“Here ya go, sir,” she said, putting it down. “And for you, sir.” She placed the hay omelet down as well. “Enjoy,” she chirped before leaving.
“Thank you!” called Humble before turning to Coil who was already digging into his meal. “So, what were you saying?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Coil looking up with chocolate on his face. “It might kill ponies. Mmmm, this pancake tastes so good! You know I can't have ponies dying due to my inventions, especially not now."
“That's nice—the you-making-it-safer part, I mean, not so much the killing,” said Humble, eating his omelet. "Oh! I also got a letter from Pinkie."
"What does it say?" Coil wiped some syrup off his muzzle.
"It reads: 'dear Unkie Humble...'"
"Today, I helped stop an angry goat-thingy that was destroying all of Equestria! But Twilight did that thing where she learns something and it fixed us up, and gave us new hairdos! Love, Pinkie!"
"I keep telling her to not write quotation marks in her letters," Humble said, folding the letter back up. "Oh well, we better get going soon if ya wanna get to the grocery store."
After having left Hay’s Diner for breakfast, Humble Pie and Coil Sparks walked in the snow weather of Manehattan. “Humble!” shouted Coil who had gone to a bank of snow.
“Yeah Coil?” replied Humble trying to remember where the store was.
“Take this!” shouted Coil answering Humble’s reply with a orb of frozen water and soft ice. “Your hit!”
“True,” Humbled said wiping the snow off him. “But take this!” he proceeded to make a orb of ice to respond using a method of combat called :throwing back” he hit Coil directly on the nose which caused them both to laugh.
Meanwhile across the street a daughter and mother were walking down the street till the daughter saw the two stallions. “Mama can I go play with those two colts?” asked the filly.
“Those two are not colts honey now lets go,” said the mare taking her daughter away from the sight of the laughing stallions.
After getting clean up and having shoved so snow down each others coats, Humble and Coil proceeded to walk to the grocery store. “Where is it?” asked Humble looking for the store.
“Hmmmm, there it is!” shouted Coil pointing at a large building with the words “Bargain Barn” on it’s front.
“Oh, good job Coil,” said Humble as he and Coil walked over to the store.
Entering the building the two we met by a some what warmer but still kinda cold breeze. The store was empty this morning save for the employees and a few customers. Coil scoured the area till his eyes were met by a sight of beauty. “Pancake mix!” shouted Coil rushing to the aisle.
“Okay you get the mix while I get the other stuff,” replied Humble to the already gone Coil. Getting a basket, Humble headed over to the body care aisle. “Hmmm, shampoo, shampoo, sha-ah!” he said noticing the brand they always get. “Well we got enough soap and conditioner so I guess I should head on down to the cheese aisle.”
While Humble was searching for cheese, crackers, drinks, and mostly food, Coil had found his pancake mix and was just heading to get some chocolate chips. “A la di de da,” he said skipping to the aisle. “Okay chips, chips, where are the chi-there you are!” he announced seeing the only bag of chocolate chips left. “Well I’ll just take yo-” he said grabbing for the chips before being bumped into by a fellow reaching hand. Looking up, Coil saw a familiar face that made him want to explode in rage. “Light Wizard,” he snarled looking at his archrival.
“Coil Sparks, what brings you here?” said Wizard with a smirk.
“To get groceries with my friend Humble, why?” he said with a cautious tone.
“Oh no reason I just didn’t know they let fools in here,” said Light with a laugh.
Now usually Coil would have just walked away from this sort of insult and then complain about it to Humble and Slit while they ate dinner, but this was not a usual moment….usually. “Yeah, but then what are you doing here?” said Coil with his own laugh.
“Oh how original. Copying a comeback,” said a sarcastic Light before doing the unspeakable, “Now then I’m just gonna take this here chips-”
“Over my dead body,” said Coil grimily.
“That can be arranged,” replied Light has he and Coil grabbed plastic spoons.
“Mmmm, should I get sparkling apple cider or non sparkling apple cider?” said Humble looking at the two brands. “Hmmm, non sparkling,” he chose putting the bottle of sparkling cider back on the shelf. “Now I’ll I need is some donuts for the pantry and some pumpkin bread.”
“He ya!” shouted Coil as he lunged for Light only to be thrown into a stack of tomato soup cans.
“Is that all you go-ohmp!” said Light being hit by a can.
“Nope,” said a smirking Coil. “Now feel my wrath!” Throwing himself at Light he was kicked by his hind legs as he almost reached him.
“No, feel my pain!” shouted a raging Light as he attacked a recovered Coil with a whisk.
“So many choices,” said Humble as he looked at the varieties of donuts. “Should i get jelly or joe’s brand? So hard to choose….I’ll just take six of both please,” he said to the donut attendant.
“You call that whisking!” this is whisking as Coil took out a fans blade before replacing it which a whisk causing it to spin rapidly near Light.
“Your whisk fan can take this!” he shouted throwing a tomato at the fan causing the rudder to get stuck.
“My whisk! You bastard!”shouted Coil as he wrestled with Light till the fell over into a bunch of shelves causing it to tip over.
“Oh no,” squeaked Light and Coil as it fell.
“Hmmm,” said Humble trying on some earmuffs. “Comfy, well I suppose that’s all we need. Better go get Coil.” He turned around to the sight of eight rows of food and appliances knocked over with a tomato covered Light and Coil strangling each other. “Hmm, and it’s not even tuesday,” he said walking over.
“This is your fault!” shouted Light as he and Coil strangled each other.
“Mine?! You started it you thief!” replied Coil.
“fool!”
“Stealer!”
“Virgin!”
“Traitor!”
“Enough!” shouted Humble causing the two fighting stallions to cease their bickering and look at the source of the voice. “You two are acting like children! I mean look,” he said waving a hoof at the chaos surrounding them. “ you ruined the store!”
“Mr. Humble, Coil here started it!” said Light.
“Humble don’t believe him! He’s a liar!” replied Coil.
“idiot!” shouted Light.
“Motherbucker!”
“Pigeon creeper!”
“Ugh,” groaned Humble with a facehoof as the two rivals bickered on.
“So to make a long story short” said Humble to Babs. “Light and Coil both payed for the damages to the store and were not required to be near each other in 6 yards...for 2 weeks.” said Humble eating his sandwich.
“Huh, that explains why they’re throwing snowballs at each other from the street,” Babs said looking at the crowd surronding the fighting inventors battle before them. “But Mr. Humble?” asked Babs with a determined look.
“Yes hon?” said Humble, ordering some soup.
“Why do Coil and Light hate each other? Is it because their just rivals?” said Babs to know the origins of the duos feud.
“partly, but the real reason would require us to go b a long time ago,” said Humble ordering another sandwich at the cafe.
“How long ago?” asked Babs ready for another story.
“Back to when Coil and I came back to Manehattan.”
