"You are the laziest pony I have ever met!" A voice rang out in the afternoon air, coming from a small restaurant/house in Ponyville. The Mashed Potato was a restaurant owned by one Couch Potato. She had one worker named Ice Blossom who did basically everything besides make the food. That was Couch Potato's job, if she ever got up.
"Don't yell, Ice, I just woke up." The sleepy pony moaned, throwing the blankets back over her head. Ice Blossom huffed and tore the blankets off the bed.
"It's already 2! You haven't even started making the food for tonight!" She stomped her hooves on the ground for emphasis, but it didn't seem to bother Couch Potato. She got up slowly, her mane in a messy bun. She didn't bother brush it and slowly trudged down the stairs with Ice Blossom following close behind.
"Are the tables set?"
"Yes! I finished hours ago!"
"Hmm." Couch Potato stifled a yawn as she walked into the kitchen. All her dishes consisted of potatoes, so the most abundant ingredient that flowed from her cabinets were potatoes. Being an earth pony, she made each and every dish by hand. She dragged over her stool to a corner where most of the unpeeled potatoes and took a seat. Ice looked at her, expecting her to start peeling, but was shocked to see that she was softly snoring away.
"Boss!!" Her shout woke Couch Potato with a start and she almost fell off of the stool. She picked up the peeler and, with the slowest pace ever, began to peel the potatoes.
"Why don't you go take a walk, Ice. Maybe it would get the ants out of your pants." Ice hadn't realized it, but she had begun to pace back and forth as Couch Potato worked.
"You promise that you won't go back to sleep?" She prompted, not sure if she should leave her good-for-nothing boss to take a walk.
"I'll be fine. Go on." She waved her away. Ice Blossom took the employees exit and walked to the park. She took a deep breath, trying to relax. Sure, Couch Potato was very lazy, but somehow she always managed to make her delicious dishes in time for the restaurants night-time opening. Sitting down on a bench, Ice suddenly felt the tension melt into sleepiness. She had woken up quite early to do a little practicing with her ice magic before heading over to the place of her employment. She usually set up the dining room, making sure everything was clean and tidy before customers came in.
Her afternoon, after eating a meal Couch Potato would have cooked for her the night before, would consist of waking up said pony, who seemed to sleep for hours upon hours in her home above the restaurant.
Without realizing, Ice Blossom had fallen asleep on the bench. She was awoken by the sound of a group of children as the arrived at the park to play ball. She shot up, looking at the clock tower in the town and gasped. The restaurant had been open for a full hour! She raced back into town and flung open the door to the restaurant, startling the ponies already eating inside.
"Huh?" She walked in with her mouth open as Couch Potato walked out of the kitchen, tray of food in hoof. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a tight bun and her glasses were actually on her face.
"Oh, hey Ice. Did you have a good walk?" Ice Blossom couldn't get the words out. Somehow, Couch Potato had gotten the food ready and had been prepared to be the waitress.
"W-why didn't you come find me?" She finally stuttered out. Couch Potato delivered the food she was carrying and put a hoof on Ice Blossom's shoulder.
"You seemed like you were tired and needed a break, so I did what I could here without you." Ice Blossom felt her eyes water up as she took in her boss' consideration for her. She followed Couch Potato back to the kitchen and cleaned herself up to start her job for the night.
It was now midnight and the restaurant was closed. Ice Blossom had just finished up cleaning the dining room when she went back to the kitchen were Couch Potato was supposed to be doing the dishes. She smiled as she found the pony leaning against the counter, fast asleep. Using her magic, she put a spare table cloth over her shoulders and shut the light off.
"See you tomorrow, boss." She whispered before exiting the building.
The Greatest Game of Hide and Seek
"Ready or not!" Ace cried out, removing his hooves from his eyes and turning to look at the field of clouds below him. He was playing hide and seek with his friends late at night and was deemed the seeker for the first round.
"Derpy, I can see your tail sticking out from that cloud!" He shouted, flapping his little wings in excitement as he flew over and tagged said pony's tail.
"Aww." She whined, popping out of the cloud. She followed him as he began to search for the other children.
"Found you!"
"Nice try!"
"That's not even a good spot!" All the children were found rather quickly and they stood in a circle, all complaining.
"It's too bright out here!
"Yeah, the moon is full! You'll be able to see us no matter where we hide." Ace listened to his friends complaining, wondering what he should do. He looked up at the sky, staring straight at the moon. It's light was piercing and he had to look away quickly. There were some problems living in Cloudsdale, so high above the ground and close to the sky. The moon's light could pierce any thin cloud in the area, making the game almost worthless.
"There has to be something we can do!" He said above the other voices. They all went silent and looked at him, expecting him to present them with a solution right then. He laughed nervously, looking from each pony's face. That's when he noticed the large cloud sitting in the sky. He looked at it, then at the moon, an idea forming in his mind.
"Wait here!" Using every thing he had, he flew up to the cloud and placed his front hooves on hit. Using his wings, he slowly maneuvered the cloud in front of the moon. The area that he and his friends were playing was suddenly bathed in darkness. He flew back down to his friends, who were all cheering.
"Now we can play!"
"Thanks Ace!"
"You get to hide this time!" Ace reveled in the cheers of his peers and they proceeded to play the greatest game of hide and seek ever!
As he arrived home, his parents gasped, pointing to his flank.
"When did you get your cutiemark?!" He gasped and turned to see a bright moon with a dark cloud covering a part of it on his rear.
"I must have got it when I moved that cloud!" He shouted, jumping around for joy. Not only did he just play the best game ever, he had also received his cutiemark and his calling; weather control.