Just Trade Something Will Ya
Just Trade Something Already Will Ya!?
An earth pony named Sunny Days strode through the busy streets of Rainbow Falls. He had tried to trade his old golden watch - the one that stopped working years ago. He thought it was unique enough to get something good - or at least decent - for his marefriend. But so far, there had not been any luck.
He returned the watch back to his saddlepack. Of course nopony would be interested to trade for an old and broken watch... For the love of Celestia, our anniversary is closing in and I still haven't been able to get anything!
He stamped his hoof onto ground from frustration, sighing loudly. And that stuff that pink pony was offering didn't make any sense at all! “Not so funny she says...” he muttered. “Who cares if an old watch isn't funny?!”
“Someone who might be too beholden to her own opinion,” a female voice answered behind him.
“Sounds like someone I know intimately,” a male voice replied.
“Oh please, brother...” the female countered Sunny could hear the facehoof in that tone. Both of them sounded rather bored. Sunny quickly turned to see two unicorns standing before him. Both of them wore same kind of brown and tailored clothing. Fully clothed from shoulders to hind.
Their coats were light teal, and they were so close in appearance that they could pose as twins on Nightmare Night with nary a costume. Twins? he wondered. “You two from Canterlot?” he asked.
“No,” the mare answered.
“Manehattan?”
“Not by a long shot,” the stallion replied with a bemused smirk.
“Las Pegasus?”
The mare rolled her eyes.“Preposterous.”
“Okay,” Sunny sighed in defeat. He liked to be polite, but it seemed that such decorum wasn't in the minds of this befuddling pair. “Forget I asked anything.”
“We've heard these questions quite many times before,” the stallion explained.
“Far too many to count, even if we have been keeping track,” the mare added enigmatically. “But we can tell you we come from a rather... distant place.”
Sunny eyed the unicorns again. Maybe they weren't your usual stuck up nobles like he first thought. They seemed arrogant, but with a counterintuitive humility.
“All right, I guess,” he said. “So, did you come here to trade?” he asked before mentally slapping his forehead. They’re at the Rainbow Falls trading post, idiot. Of course they’re here to trade-
“What might have given you that idea?” the mare asked.
“What if we are here simply to inspect what’s available?”
“Or rather who is available?”
“Or maybe just wish to sing a song for a bird?”
Sunny deadpanned, shifting his gaze from them to a sizable - and sizably empty - bird cage that levitated above the ground. “No offense, but you don't exactly strike me as a duet...” he said.
Both of them smirked, exchanging knowing looks with each other. “We just might surprise you,” the mare said.
“But you are, of course, correct.” the stallion added, instantly decapitating any ambiguity. Sunny rolled his eyes from the obviousness. “We are trying to trade this cage; it proved far less popular than the songbird...” the mare said with a frustrated exhale at her companions remark.
“OK...” Sunny replied with slight interest, eyeing the cage. It certainly did look well kept. The surface was well-polished and Sunny didn't see any dents on it. But why would somepony only want a bird without the cage? Sunny gave a quick thought and decided it was worth a try. These two were certainly odd enough to entertain a trade for his broken watch.
“So, do you think could,” he then moved his hoof in his saddleback. “Could maybe exchange that cage of yours for...”
He grumbled as he struggled to withdraw his offer from his saddlebag. Sometimes, he liked to complain how he was born as Earth Pony. Unicorns don't have this kind of problem. Even Lightfeather, who's a Pegasi doesn't have this much trouble…
A sudden smile appeared on his lips then. And then Featherlight would remind me, how I’m great just how I am.
After a few unsuccessful tries, he finally retrieved the watch. “For this rather old watch of mine?”
The duo exchanged looks before turning back to Sunny. “You wish to exchange your old watch?” the mare asked.
“Yes.” he replied.
“For our, exquisitely crafted, and no doubt expensive bird cage?” the stallion emphasized.
“Yeeees?” Sunny groaned. His hoof found its way to the ridge of his nose while feeling his small bits of sanity cracking because of these two. And just when I thought that pink pony wouldn't be annoying enough!
“A rather interesting choice,” the mare then said.
“That you think there is a chance of getting something for such a seemingly-inconsequential item” the stallion continued.
“As no doubt, you haven't got that kind of luck just yet,” the mare teased. Sunny was feeling like just start screaming and running around in circles. What did I do to deserve this?!
“And yet you keep on trying. Quite stubborn.”
“But maybe you already have succeeded?” the mare suddenly suggested. Sunny looked at the mare with a sour and shocked expression.
“It is a possibility that in some other reality, you already have been able to exchange your watch-”
3 hours later...
Dear Celestia! Did I join with Discord in my possible past life and am now paying for it? Sunny didn't remember the last time he had such a headache. All I wanted just to exchange my watch for something nice. Is that too much ask for?
These two have gone on and on about something about choices and dimensions! What is this... Lutece Field?
“-in short: There are infinite of possibilities and chances how this trade will in the end turn out. Trade, traded, will trade.”
“Trade, traded, to be traded,” the mare finished, still sounding less interested than if they had been discussing the drying of paint. Sunny's temper finally boiled over.
“Will you two just SHUT IT and trade or not!?” Sunny Days shrieked.
All the ponies within earshot stopped talking and walking, their eyes riveted at him and the two unicorns. Sunny felt his face quickly burn from embarrassment. He wished he could just make himself invisible and disappear.
The two unicorns, on the other hoof, didn't seemed to be affected by the glances of, no doubt hundreds of ponies.
“We apologize,” the mare suddenly said with a slightly louder voice. Wait what? Sunny thought, confused.
“It appears that we upset this poor stallion,” she continued.
“If you would be so kind, you may return to your own trading and just act like this never happened,” the stallion called to the assembled crowd. And with that, the throng returned back to their trading, acting like nothing had happened moments ago.
Sunny and the two unicorns stood motionless. Sunny exchanged an awkward glance at the two unicorns, not knowing what to say.
Once the group of curious onlookers had dispersed, the mare turned back to Sunny Days. “Now, I think we can get back to business.”
“Uuuuh... sure.” Sunny replied with a suspicious look. “And, I guess, I'm also sorry about my outburst before. Hope we can put that behind us?”
When the pair nodded in sync, he continued. “So,” he hesitated, fearing they would start their ramblings again. “Can we get back to our trade?”
The twins looked at each others before turning back to Sunny, nodding simultaneously. Sunny was feeling confused as he wasn't sure if this was actually happening and not some kind of evil plot against him. But it seemed to be real. “OK...” he said, slowly taking his watch out and handing it to them.
A light blue aura then grasped his watch while the cage was lowered next to him. “The trade is then done,” the mare said. “I hope you are satisfied with this.”
“Well...” Sunny started, changing his glance between the cage and the twins. “After all of this, I guess I am...” he wasn't sure if he really was happy with this trade. Yes, he was happy that he now finally got what he had hoped to get for his marefriend, but it had taken a lot from him (in his opinion anyway) to get the darn cage.
“I believe this is where we depart then,” the mysterious stallion said.
“Yes brother, I believe we might be needed someplace else.”
“OK.” Sunny said, glancing to the cage again. It certainly was really nice, Featherlight would no doubt like it. But... “I still need a bird,” he said out loud. Turning back to the twins. “Did you two say you sold a bird to-”
The enigmatic couple had disappeared.
“OK, that is really creepy...” he commented before turning back to the cage. “Well, at least I can take you back.”
His smile at having finally completed a trade quickly turned into a horrified frown as he realised something else as well. “HOW IN THE HAY AM I GOING TO TAKE THIS THING BACK!?”
Author's Note
Here is my little one-shot I had after "Trade Ya" episode. Yeah, this is VERY late. But I forgot about this for a little while. And yeah, there is an OC here, but I think that was bit better choise than Mane Six. And I've wanted to make some kind story, even short one, with an OC.
But here it is finally, I hope you have liked it. If not, sorry that it sucked.
