Hammer & Anvil

Current Time: 7:32 AM, Wednesday

Twilight Sparkle trotted into the kitchen and saw Spike preparing breakfast.

“Morning Spike.” She said. “Watcha making?”

“Just some eggs.” He answered. “Want some? Sunnyside up or scrambled?”

“I’ll take scrambled, if you please.” The alicorn answered.

“Good because I already scrambled them.”

Twilight chuckled.

She then looked over at the breadbox.

“I think I might make some toast to go with it.” She said as she made her way to the counter. “Care for a slice?”

“Sure, two please.”

The dragon and princess pulled stools up to the preparation table and began to feast upon their breakfast.

“This is very good Spike.” Twilight said. “Could you pass the salt?”

“Sure.”

Spike slid the salt shaker to Twilight as he returned to buttering his toast. He then put some of the egg on the second slice and ate it all like a sandwich.

As Twilight wiped her mouth, she took notice of the clock in the room.

It was now almost eight o’ clock.

“Have you seen Jackboot?” She asked. “He’s usually up at this point.”

Spike swallowed the last of his toast and egg.

“Nope, guess he isn’t up yet.”

As the two put their dishes in the dish, they heard the sound of the kitchen door opening.

“M-Morning…” A dreary voice said.

The two turned and saw Jackboot entering the room.

“Morning, Jackboot.” Twilight said. “Forget to turn your alarm on?”

“No…” Jackboot said. “…I couldn’t find the will to get…”

Suddenly Jackboot coughed really hard, causing his hat to fall off.

“…get up.”

Concerned, Twilight approached her friend and put a hoof to his forehead.

“Oh my goodness, Jackboot...” She said with worry. “…you’re burning up. Come on, let’s get you back to your room.”

She then turned to Spike.

“Spike, go and find the thermometer.”

Spike entered Jackboot’s bedroom. Who of which was sat on the bed.

“Got the thermometer.”

Twilight thanked Spike and took hold of the thermometer and stuck in Jackboot’s mouth.

“Hold this under your tongue.”

Jackboot complied and kept the thermometer in place.

After a minute, Twilight took the thermometer from Jackboot’s mouth and was surprised by the number the mercury landed on.

“Sweet Celestia!” She said. “One hundred and five!”

“Don’t worry Twilight. I’m fine.” He tried to stand up. “I’m just going to take a couple of pills and I’ll be fine by lunch.”

“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere.” Twilight said. “You’re staying in the bed right here.”

“But Twilight, I’m fine.”

“Oh really? In that case, how come you were having trouble getting out of bed earlier?”

“Haven’t you had one of those days?” Jackboot asked.

“He’s got a point.” Spike said.

The purple alicorn turned her head gave her assistant an annoyed look.

“Oh, I’m not helping.” He said. “Sorry.”

Twilight then sighed.

Suddenly, she then thought of a way that’ll make sure that he’ll stay in this room. Something she'd never thought she'd eve have to say.

“Jackboot…” She began. “…as the Princess of Friendship, I hereby order you remain in this room until you’re better!”

Jackboot’s eyes went wide. He mostly certainly didn’t see this coming.

He let out a sigh.

“Okay…” He said. “…as your wish, Princess Twilight.”

“Very well.” Twilight said. “Do you need anything right now? Some water?”

“Not at the moment. I’ll lie…”

Jackboot paused as his breathing started to quicken.

“I’ll just…”

His face started to go pale.

“I’ll…”

He suddenly felt his mouth fill with saliva and his stomach begin to heave.

“Bathroom!”

He then bolted for the door. He then looked around the hall before turning to the princess and dragon.

“Where’s the bathroom!?”

Twilight answered his question by making her horn glow and zap Jackboot, making him disappear.

This caught Spike off guard.

“Where’d he go?”

His question was answered by the sound of the most violent sounding vomiting he’s ever heard coming from down the hall.

“I’ll check if he’s okay.” Twilight said. “I think you know what to do, Spike.”

“Careful, careful.” Ballpin said to himself as he hammered a nail in place.

He was in the middle of Town Square where a lot of ponies were working on stalls for the Summer Sun Celebration, which was the day after tomorrow. The stall he was helping set up belonged to the Cakes, and was making sure the sign was in place.

He wasn’t alone as Pinkie Pie and a light brown unicorn named Frosted Cookie was helping.

“Perfect!” Pinkie said. “Thanks a lot Bally!”

“No problem.” Ballpin said as he hoped of the stand. “Anything else you need help with?”

“Nope, not right now anyway.” Cookie said.

As Ballpin gathered his tools, a red pegasus touched down right behind Cookie.

“Gotcha!” He said as he wrapped his front legs around her.

Cookie chuckled.

“Hi honey.”

She and the pegasus exchanged a brief kiss.

“Like the sign.” He said. “Build it yourself?”

“Well, not on my own. Pinkie and Ballpin here helped me out.”

The pegasus approached the two.

“Nice to meet ya, ma’am.” He said. “I’m Dive Bomber, Wonderbolts reserves.”

“You’re with the Wonderbolts?!” Pinkie asked with glee. “Does that mean you know Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah, we met one another yesterday.” Dive Bomber said. “And how are you Ballpin, you doing good?”

“I’m doing well.” Ballpin said. “I’m a little busier today. With Jackboot being sick and all.”

This caught the unicorn and pegasus’s attention.

“Is he okay, what happened?” Cookie asked.

“He got caught out in the rain the day before yesterday.” Ballpin explained. “From what I heard from Spike, he had to make a desperate trip to the washroom if you understand my meaning.”

“You think he would mind if we stop by?” Dive Bomber asked. “Just to see how he’s doing.”

“I was actually on my way there.” Ballpin said. “I was going to grab some food from the Hay Burger on the way. If you’re interested you can come along.”

“Everything okay in there, Jackboot?” Spike asked from outside the washroom door.

“Yeah I’m… …one moment!”

Spike then heard Jackboot start to loose what he had for breakfast. Or what was left.

“I’m going to grab you some more water. I’ll be right back.”

Spike made his way down the hallway, until he heard the sound of somepony knocking at the door.

“Coming!”

He opened the door and was greeted by two unicorns he recognized.

“Hey, Rarity, hey Ballpin, what’s up?”

He then noticed that there was another unicorn and a pegasus accompanying them. These two he didn’t recognize.

“Never seen you two before.” He then stuck out his claw in greeting. “I’m Spike.”

“I’m Dive Bomber.” Dive Bomber said shaking the Dragon’s claw. “And this is my girlfriend Frosted Cookie.”

“Just call me Cookie.” Cookie said as she shook the dragon’s hand.

Spike then sniffed the air and was met with a familiar aroma.

“Is that…?”

“Yes it is, Spikey Poo.”

Rarity then floated over a white paper bag that said “Hay Burger” on it.

“Wow thanks!” Spike said as he took hold of the bag.

“We all thought we’d have lunch with Jackboot.” Ballpin said. “Is he doing well?”

His question was met by the faint sound of sickness coming from down the hall.

“Oh come on, where’s all this coming from!?” Jackboot asked loudly in the distance.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to eat, but I think he’d enjoy some company.” Spike said. “Come on.”

The toilet flushed as Jackboot wiped his face with a moist towel.

“This is getting annoying.” He said to himself.

He opened the door and slowly walked out.

As he made his way for his room, he heard a familiar call his name that caused his spirits to rise.

“Jackboot, there you are darling!”

A smile grew on his face as he turned around.

There trotting down the hall was Rarity.

“Oh, hey.” He said.

Rarity stopped in front of. She was rather surprised by what she was looking at. For one thing Jackboot was not wearing any of his clothing, his hat, or his boots. But it wasn’t the first time she seen him like this. What really surprised her was that his face looked so pale.

“Are you alright?” She asked.

“I’m alright.” Jackboot said. “I must look terrible don’t I?”

“Nonsense, you still look handsome as the day I met you.” Rarity said.

She then approached him to give him a kiss.

Jackboot backed up.

“As much as I would like a kiss from you. I don’t want you getting sick.”

“But I’m already sick.” Rarity said.

She then suddenly leaned forward and planted a kiss on Jackboot’s cheek.

“Sick with love” She said with a wink.

As Jackboot blushed, he spotted Spike and three other ponies behind him. Some of them were holding familiar white bags.

“Had I known I was having visitors, I would’ve freshened up a little.” He said jokingly.

“Alright so the stage will be set here?” Twilight asked.

“Yes it will. As you see we’re making some real progress.” Mayor Mare answered.

Twilight was in the square overseeing the organization of the Summer Sun Celebration. From the entertainment to the food, everything must be perfect.

Blue Collar approached the Princess and the Mayor.

“I just spoke to Granny Smith and the Apples.” He said. “According to them they have enough Cider to fill the Ghastly Gorge and enough pies and fritters to feed an army or two.”

“Okay good, thank you Blue Collar.” Twilight said.

“Anytime, Princess Twilight.” Blue Collar said in return. “Have you seen Ballpin anywhere? We need to get back to work.”

“Last I saw him he was heading over to the Castle.” Twilight answered. “He’s probably seeing how Jackboot is doing. I hope he’s doing well. He couldn’t keep food down earlier.”

“I see. I think I might give him a visit. I haven’t seen him in a while.” Blue Collar said. “I’ll see you later, Princess.”

“And that’s why you should never taste the rainbow.”

Everypony in Jackboot’s room laughed after hearing Dive Bomber’s story.

Jackboot’s stomach was a lot calmer this time around. As a precaution, Rarity had cut up his burger into smaller pieces. According to her, it was so he wouldn’t risk his stomach taking so much at once.

“Thanks again for the Hay Burger by the way.” He said. “I just hope I can keep it down long enough.”

“Don’t worry, darling.” Rarity said. “It’s been, how long has it been since you last, well, expelled?”

“I think it’s been like I don’t know, maybe almost twenty five, thirty minutes.” Cookie said. “I don’t know.”

“What’s it say on your watch, Jackboot?” Dive Bomber asked as he wiped his mouth.

Jackboot’s eyes went wide. He completely forgot that he told everypony that he left the watch here in Ponyville.

Now that he was here in Ponyville, what excuse did he have now.

Before he could even think of one, there was a knock at the door.

“Thank Celestia!” He thought. “Come in!” He said.

The knob of the door turned and opened in inward and in came Princess Twilight.

“Having a party in here?” She asked, seeing the amount of ponies in the room. “How are you feeling Jackboot?”

“A lot better than before.” Jackboot answered. “I’m managing to keep my food down.”

They were all joined by Blue Collar.

“How you feeling, Jackboot?” He asked. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been doing well.”

Blue Collar then introduced himself to Cookie and Dive Bomber.

“Well, I hate to ruin you’re fun, but Ballpin and I need to get back to work.”

“Okay.” Ballpin said with disappointment. “I hope you get better, Jackboot. We still have to work on the main module.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Jackboot said. “And we still need to figure out how to make sure the charge doesn’t backfire. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Okay, well I see you tomorrow.”

Ballpin and his grandfather left the room.

“I need to get going too.” Cookie said. “I got to help out at Sugar Cube Corner. Between baking and looking after the babies, the Cakes and Pinkie need all the help they can get. See ya later, Jack.”

“Well, I got to get back and help Mayor Mare organize.” Twilight said. “Will you be okay on your own Jackboot? Because I’m going to need Spike’s help.”

“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll look after him.” Rarity said. “The boutique is closed today until after the Celebration, so I have a lot of time on my hands.”

“In that case, I’ll see you two later.” Twilight said. “Come on Spike.”

Spike then bid his farewell and followed Twilight out, closing the door on the way.

The room went quiet for a moment.

“So, how was your day?” Jackboot asked.

“It was nice.” Rarity answered. “I helped out Rose and the other mares from the flower store, spoke with Fluttershy, she was convincing all the gofers not to dig around the square, and then I ran into Octavia and Vinyl, they’re doing well. What about you?”

Jackboot shrugged his shoulders.

“To put it bluntly, I just slept, drank water, talked to Spike, and vomited all day.” He said. “And now I’m talking to you. So, my day is going pretty well.”

Rarity then got onto the bed lied down next to him.

“So what are you going to do tomorrow?” Jackboot asked. “Because I might be available once my illness goes away.”

Rarity then wrapped her front legs around Jackboot’s left front leg and nuzzled him.

“You might want to be careful; I don’t want you getting sick because of me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Rarity said. “By the way, thank you so much for feeding Opal.”

“It’s no problem at all.” Jackboot said.

Something then entered his mind.

“You mentioned Octavia earlier, right?”

Rarity nodded.

“You know that Ballpin has a crush her, you know.”

“Oh yes, he told me himself.” Rarity said. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I probably should’ve told him, but it didn’t come to mind till now.” Jackboot explained.

Rarity was confused.

“What do you mean, darling?”

Octavia set her cello on its stand after spending some time practicing.

“Almost sun down already.” She said as she stretched. “I think I’ll have some evening tea.”

As she waited for the water to boil, there was a knock at the door.

“I wonder who that is.”

She trotted over to the door and opened it, revealing the knocker to be a familiar blacksmith.

“Oh, good evening Ballpin. Please, come in.”

Ballpin followed Octavia into her house.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He said.

“Oh don’t worry, I just got done practicing.” Octavia said. “I really feel like I got this piece down. Care for some tea?”

Ballpin accepted the mare’s offer and took a seat in the living room.

Several minutes later, Octavia came into the room with a tray of tea.

“Thank you, Octavia.” Ballpin said as he accepted a cup and saucer.

He took a sip of the hot drink as Octavia took a seat.

“So how was your day, Ballpin?” She asked.

“It was nice.” Ballpin answered. “Helped set some stalls up and I went and saw how Jackboot is doing.”

“Is he alright?”

“He’s fine.” Ballpin said after taking another sip of his tea. “He got caught out in the rain the other day and he got pretty sick.”

“I hope he’s alright.” Octavia said.

Ballpin looked upon the mare who sat near him as she drank her tea.

“It’s now or never.” He thought.

“Octavia, can I ask you something?” He asked.

“Of course, Ballpin, what is it?” Octavia asked as she set her cup and saucer down.

Ballpin then cleared his throat.

“Octavia I…”

Ballpin was then interrupted by a knock at the door.

“I wonder who that is.” Octavia said. “Pardon me, Ballpin.”

The gray mare hoped up from her seat and trotted to the door and opened the door.

“Surprise!” Said a male voice from outside the door.

“Oh sweet Celestia your back!”

Octavia practically lunged at the unseen stallion.

Ballpin grew concerned. Who was Octavia talking to?

“Please come in!”

Octavia then returned inside the house followed by a stallion Ballpin has never seen before. He had a grayish blue hide, a dark blue mane and tail, gamboge eyes, and a cutie mark that consisted of two black music notes.

“Noteworthy this is my friend Ballpin.” Octavia said. “Ballpin, this is Noteworthy, my coltfriend.”