Hammer & Anvil

The sun began to set as ponies poured into Fancy Pants’ mansion. All of these ponies were of Canterlot’s upper class elite and were most certainly dressed for the occasion. Four of these were Jackboot, Emerald Button, Rarity, and Sassy Saddles, all of which were dressed in their best formal wear.

Jackboot wore a black tuxedo white and, instead of his newsboy cap, he wore a homburg of the same color. He also didn’t wear his boots, at the suggestion of his mother. The three mares all wore dresses. His mother’s dress was green with silver tassels; Sassy’s was black frilled, while Rarity’s made her look like a Princess, better yet a queen according to Jackboot. She had told him that she wore it when she attended the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Hard to believe that we were at the same party without knowing it.” Rarity said with glee. Jackboot had told her earlier that he was a part of the wait staff during that year of the Gala. Unfortunately, Jackboot couldn't remember seeing her, or any of her friends. “It’s too bad we didn’t meet then.”

The four entered through the front door of the mansion, following and being followed by other members of the city’s elite. They were welcomed by members of the wait staff as they entered the ballroom. On one side of the room was a band playing classical music while on the opposite side was a table where a spread of horderves where a couple of ponies could be seen sampling some of the delectable snacks. In the center of the room was a large spot cleared to serve as a dance floor.

“Where should we sit?” Jackboot asked. “By the snack table or near the band?”

Before either of the mares could answer, they heard somepony calling over to them.

“Jackboot!” That somepony said. “Jackboot, my boy, is that you?”

Jackboot looked over at table that bordered the dance floor and saw six ponies there. Three of them were stallions and the other three mares.

All of which Jackboot recognized. The one who called over was a unicorn stallion with a light azure mane.

Jackboot smiled and approached the group.

“Hello Fancy Pants.” He said. “It has been a while.”

Ballpin and Octavia sat at a table at the Clover Café. It was good time to be there as it was Just as Celestia was lowering the sun, and the stars in the sky were popping out.

“How long have you been playing the cello?” Ballpin asked as he took a sip of his water.

“I started playing it when I was merely a filly.” Octavia answered. “Since then I got a good feel for it.”

Ballpin smiled as their food arrived. Octavia had ordered a garden salad, while Ballpin ordered a hay burger with hay fries.

As Ballpin began to take a bite of his burger, Octavia decided to ask a question of her own.

“Do you play any instruments as well?” She asked before taking a bite of her salad.

Ballpin swallowed.

“I don’t actually.” He answered as he took another bite. “But…” He then swallowed. “…I do sing sometimes.”

This caught Octavia’s interest.

“Really?” She asked. “What sort of songs do you sing?”

“An assortment of them.” He said as he popped a couple of hay fries. “Pretty much anything that sounds good to me. But I don’t sing that often.”

“Why is that?”

“As you probably noticed, I stutter and mix my words sometimes.” Ballpin explained. “Just the thought of going out in front of a crowd makes stutter me.” He realized my mistake. “I mean, me stutter.”

“Maybe if you were in front of a couple of ponies you know, you’d feel more comfortable.” Octavia said. “And then work your way from there.”

“I don’t know.” He said as he looked down. “I’d probably just mix my words up again.”

He suddenly felt something touch his hoof. He looked and saw that it was Octavia’s.

“I know you’ll do fine.” She said. “I myself had trouble when I first starting playing the cello. Now that I think about it, Vinyl had a lot of trouble when she got into music. Now she’s one of the best musicians in Ponyville. She is even has her own little dance club over in Manehattan.”

“Really?”

Octavia nodded.

“I’ll tell you what.” She said. “Maybe once we’re done here we can go back to my house and see what you can do.”

Ballpin thought for a moment.

“I don’t see why not.” He said. “But I don’t want to stay out to long. I got to get up in the morning to open the shop.”

The dinner party was in full swing.

Jackboot and the three mares were sat at the same table as Fancy Pants and his entourage. He had introduced two of them as writer Trenderhoof and Fancy Pants’ lady friend, Fleur Dis Lee. Who of which Jackboot went to school with when he was a colt, while he had actually read some of Trenderhoof's articles.

“So you’ll be demonstrating this Pentagon device at the celebration?” Fleur Dis Lee asked from Fancy Pants’ side.

“I will, yes.” Jackboot said. “I’m almost done with the construction with the modules. The only parts I need are the glass domes, ten tubes of twittermites, and the black crystal. Thankfully the domes will be ready by tomorrow morning and I have a partner back in Ponyville who is collecting the twittermites. And I assume he’s collected all of them by now. Come to think of it, if it wasn’t for him, the deadline would be much closer than it is.”

“What is this pony’s name?” Trenderhoof asked as he pulled out a notepad and pencil. “Will he be helping you with the demonstration?”

“His name is Ballpin.” Jackboot answered as he took a sip of his cider. “And I’m not sure if he’ll be helping me. I haven’t asked about it yet. But with him being a unicorn I think he’ll a great help.”

“Why does it matter that he’s a unicorn?” Sassy Saddles asked.

“You see, only a unicorn can operate the Pentagon.” Jackboot explained. “I have this theory that, if one unicorn can get the charge going and keep it going, then a second one can maintain the charge.”

Trenderhoof wrote in his notepad.

“This is really something.” He said. “I’d like to meet this Ballpin at the celebration.”

“Sure, I’ll introduce you.”

Jackboot then took another drink of his cider.

“This is very good cider by the way. Where did you get this from? It tastes rather familiar.”

“Why thank you.” Fancy Pants said. “I got it imported from Sweet Apple Acres. Funny enough, Miss Rarity here is friends with the mare that works there.”

“So am I.” Jackboot said. “Come to think of it, I think I helped buck the apples that went into this cider.”

Suddenly Jackboot felt his stomach growl.

“Somepony’s hungry.” Rarity said from Jackboot’s left.

“If you are, help yourself to the horderves we have.” Fancy Pants said. “I highly recommend the black apple-root mushrooms.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jackboot said as he got up from his seat. “Does anypony want anything while I’m up there?”

“Mmm, everything looks so good.”

By the time Jackboot got to the center of the row of food tables, the plate he carried was almost completely full.

As he pondered on what pastries he wanted, one of the caterers got his attention.

“Hey, Jackboot!” She called quietly.

Jackboot looked up and saw that it was Frosted Cookie in a white chef’s coat.

“I was wondering when I was going to see you.”

“I just got here a couple minutes ago.” Cookie explained. “Anyway, do you see anything that interests you?”

As Jackboot selected a cinnamon roll, he saw Cookie’s face change.

“Hey baby!” She shouted quietly over to an unseen pony.

Jackboot looked behind him and saw somepony that made his eyes widen.

“How’s my favorite mare?” The red pegasus ask, giving Cookie a kiss on the cheek.

The flying stallion had a red and yellow mane and tail, blue eyes, and wore a tux similar to Jackboot’s. But what made his different was that he wore a blue six pointed star with a gold border around his neck on a gold chain. His cutie mark was a red arrow with a yellow border. Inside the red of the arrow was an object that Jackboot had only seen on very rare occasions, a bomb, the kind that is dropped from the sky.

Cookie then turned the stallion’s attention to Jackboot.

“Let me introduce you to a friend of mine.” She said. “This is Jackboot. He was a class mate of mine when I was in magic school.”

The pegasus looked over at Jackboot.

“Oh, I know ‘em already.” He said. “What’s up Jackboot?”

He then stuck his hoof out.

Jackboot looked at the hoof and then at the pegasus’s face.

“I’ve been doing well.” He said as he shook the hoof. “Dive bomber.”

Ballpin sat down on the sofa as Octavia made tea in the other room, while Vinyl sat beside him listening to her music.

“I see your headphones are working fine.”

Vinyl didn’t hear him.

“And indeed are they…. …I mean, they are.”

Octavia walked into the room with a tray of tea.

“Let me help you.”

Ballpin then grabbed the tray with his magic and carefully set it on the table in front of the sofa.

“Thank you, Ballpin.” Octavia said with a smile.

She then sat down in a chair across from her friends and grabbed a cup and took a sip.

“This is good tea.” Ballpin said. “This is Earl Grey, right?”

“Indeed it is.” Octavia said. “It’s very good tea to drink before singing. At least for some ponies anyway.”

Ballpin took a sip of his tea before setting it down.

“So, what song do you want me to sing?” He asked. “Because I know a couple.”

“Any song you feel comfortable with.” Octavia answered.

“Well there was this one that caught my interest. It was one of the proposed anthems for Equestria after Luna returned.”

Octavia and Vinyl looked at one another and smiled before looking at Ballpin.

“That’s sound good.” Octavia said. “How about that?”

Ballpin took a long swig of his tea before standing up. He then stood at one end of the table.

“When you ready.”

Ballpin took a breath.

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The two mares had a look of amazement on their faces.

“That was…”

Octavia was at a loss of words.

“…awesome.” Her blue maned housemate said.

“Was it really that good?” He asked.

“Yes it was.” Octavia said. “Your voice is just so, clear and perfect.”

Ballpin blushed.

The white unicorn spoke up again.

“Hey Tavy…” She said. “…I think the celebration just got a new act.”

“You think so?” Ballpin asked. “You think I can do it?”

“Yeah, you’ll do fine. It’ll all be good.”

Ballpin blushed as he scratched the back of his neck, until he realized something.

“Wait a moment.” He said. “Vinyl, you can talk?”

The white unicorn merely smiled and gave off a sassy shrug.