In a quaint little cottage in Ponyville, just off of the marketplace, a mare smiled to herself. It had taken weeks to sort this out, but that was fine. It hadn’t been cheap either converting her cottage for this. But money wasn’t an object or everything. It could only bring slight enjoyment for a while. No, this was much better.
-
A bush twitched outside a quaint little cottage near the marketplace of Ponyville. Nopony took any notice of it. A pink tail stuck outside of the bush, which was only part of the spoiler. The other major spoiler was the fact that the bush had apparently grown through the middle of the cobbled path, partly blocking the way.
The lavender unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle trotted up to said foliage and sighed to herself. The badly disguised bush had been there a week now. Birds were actually setting up a nest in it. She went to open her mouth but before any sound could come out, the bush hushed her. An insane pink mane and forehead appeared out of the top of the bush.
“Twilight! Can’t you see I’m on a stake out! I’ve got doughnuts and everything!” the bush said. A doughnut rolled out of the greenery and down the path.
“And WHAT are you staking out exactly? You’ve been watching that cottage for a week Pinkie!” Twilight replied, watching the unhealthy treat roll on through Ponyville.
Suddenly the top half of Pinkies head submerged back into the bush and her legs popped out to drag Twilight in. Before the unicorn could protest or scream a glazed doughnut was crammed into her mouth. Pinkie held her hoof to her mouth and made a slight “shhh” noise.
Twilight took stock of her surroundings and was surprised. The bush outside looked like it could barely hold Pinkie. Instead she found that there was more than enough room for both ponies to stretch, and that was including all the cake boxes, board games and portable oven. It appeared that Pinkies tail just wanted to sit outside. The pink earth pony pointed out of a gap in the bush.
Outside the staked out house a group of pegasai had arrived. One stallion, sporting a baseball cap and nine o’clock shadow positioned himself slightly higher than the building and started barking orders to the others. The unicorn could just about make out local mailmare Bright Eyes, also known as Derpy Hooves, screwing a pole into the wall above the door.
After a short while which involved something heavy dropping, some shouting and somepony asking where slot B was, they dispersed. The cottage now had a sign outside of it, which from their angle; the peeping ponies could just about make it out as a series of wavy lines. It looked almost like a picture of calm water. Twilight gulped down the doughnut in one go.
“It’s a new shop Pinkie...” she sighed, slightly annoyed at all of this.
“But, why all the secrecy? Why haven’t we seen the new pony? I’ve asked everypony I know and none of them know who’s opened it up. And what does it sell? Boating gear?”
Sighing some more, Twilight pulled up a pair of binoculars and peered down them towards the shop. It was hard to see what was inside the building, there seemed to be nothing but darkness in there. What she did spot though was that the sign on the door flipped from closed to open.
“Well, let’s go and have a look” she said, looking for the exit to the bush.
“But, there could be eeeeeevil things in there!” the Earth pony cried, dragging Twilight away from a possible exit.
“Like an evil canoe or lifejacket?”
Twilight forced her way out at last. Pinkie Pie clung on though, being dragged through the partly busy street. Neither pony took any notice of the stares thrown at them as the unicorn marched up to the door.
Gingerly Twilight pushed the door open slightly, peering inside. Pinkie Pie had decided to raise her viewing position by resting her chin on the lavender ponies head. Darkness greeted them. Despite the large lounge windows, the only light to come in was from the door. The student guessed that the curtains hadn’t been drawn yet. The two mares pushed forward, the door silently opening further. Eventually it caught a catch and a bell above chimed.
Both ponies squeaked in fear, Pinkie flying in the air before collapsing onto Twilight. There was a slight gasp heard in the gloom and somepony moving around.
“Just a moment, I wasn’t expecting anypony to come in yet.” A voice sounded out. The mare’s voice was calm despite the minor shock and would be the sound of velvet incarnate.
Suddenly the curtains to the room were flung open, blinding the pony heap for a moment. As their sight returned the two mares looked up to see the pony owner. She was an Earth pony, with a dark brown coat with a lighter brown to beige mane and tail. She wore a red blazer and her Cutie Mark was a mug of coffee with stars surrounding it. The oddest thing about this pony was the wooden pipe that sat in her mouth.
“Oh dear! Are you two okay?” the pony asked. With each syllable she said a bubble or two came out of the pipe and popped a moment later.
“We’re fine, thank you...” said Twilight, just about standing up. As she slowly rose, Pinkie Pie slipped off into her own little pink heap. Her face was a picture of wonder and confusion.
“My names Twilight Sparkle and this is my friend Pinkie Pie. We were wondering what thus shop was.” The unicorn continued, taking note of the room now.
It was obvious it was a former living room that had recently been converted. A counter had been set up with a till near a door to outback. In the centre of the room was a pair of comfy cushions divided by a small coffee table. Shelves stacked with labelled boxed covered the walls and a small fireplace sat in the corner; a single kettle sat waiting to be used.
“Well, my name is Smooth. I recently moved in from Manehatten. This is my Relaxation Shop. It’s to try and help ponies relax.” The blazer wearing pony stated, a stream of bubbles floating around them. Pinkie suddenly shot up, popping a bubble with her nose.
“I remember you!” she cried, causing her friend to stare at her in disbelief.
“Pinkie! You said you didn’t know who owned the shop!” Twilight almost shouted back.
“Well DUH! That’s because I hadn’t seen her! She just said she’s only just moved her. Anyway, when did I last see you...” the party pony trailed off, audible gears whirring from her head.
“It was when we were fillies. I was visiting Ponyville with my mother and sister.” Smooth helped her, slowly sliding towards the fireplace. She left a trail of bubbles behind her.
“Yeah! I had just moved here after getting my Cutie Mark!”
There was a clunk as the kettle was filled up and put over the fire. The new arrival was nodding as she was sifting through some of the boxes.
“A lot has changed since then, but as my first customers, let me make you a drink and have a see if I can help you relax. Please, have a seat.”
As Twilight went to protest, Pinkie Pie had suddenly teleported onto one of the comfy seats. Smooth was coming back round from the counter with a stool, notepad and pencil, looking at her expectantly. Relenting under the pressure, the purple mare sat down.
“So, where do we begin?” Smooth started.
-
It was an hour later when they finally left the shop. At first, Twilight has been unwilling to divulge much information. It wasn’t until the herbal tea had been poured that she had felt relaxed enough to talk. She now found herself with a bag of blended herbs, a recommendation for music and some advice on how to sleep. She wasn’t sure how many Bits it had cost her.
Pinkie on the other hoof hadn’t been affected at all. The only thing she’d left with was a list of goodies Smooth would like and a suggestion to cut down on caffeine.
“So, who should we tell about Smooth first?” the pink pony asked, looking at her list. Through the sea of tranquillity and the sea of insanity, both minds came to the same conclusion at the same time.
“Fluttershy and Rarity!” they both cried.
-
Smooth sighed to herself, leaving one bubble lingering in the air. It had been three days since her first and only customers. She wasn’t sad, nor annoyed at this fact. It was just so, dull, sat in what was her den. She’d had the time to organise everything twice, which made her twitch slightly. A mailmare with a strange eye condition had come by the day before with her post. Smooth had attempted a sale but the grey pegasus had further post to deal with.
Smooth sipped her herbal tea and sighed again. It tasted of strawberries and cream and she could feel some of the tension she’d built up melt away. Placing her pipe on a special stand, she picked up a pencil and attempted to find a blank spot on her notepad. Finding a space in-between two games of noughts and crosses and some doodles, she made a note to ask for tea from her father. She could never make that sort...
There was a gentle thud against the door, making the Earth pony look up. There was somepony out there, she knew it. She pulled the pipe to her mouth and got up to check the door when it slowly opened. Smooth could just about make out a light yellow leg pushing the door open.
The door clicked on its catch, causing the bell to let out a cheerful chime. A female squeak was heard and the leg suddenly retracted. Eyes widening, Smooth leaped to the door, landing too early and sliding the rest of the way. Looking up she saw a slightly frightened pegasus with a long pink mane staring down at her.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was looking for a pony called Smooth...” a very timid voice mumbled from behind the pink mane.
“That’s me!” Smooth panted. Exercise has been something that happened to other ponies.
“Oh! Well, I, erm, hear that you run a relaxation shop, but I can see you’re busy...” the mare stumbled.
“No! I mean, I’m not buys! Far from it, please, come in.” Smooth said, partly losing her calm facade.
Getting up off of the ground, she opened the door fully, the pegasus meekly stepping in. She was ushered to one of the seats as Smooth quickly grabbed a cup. The Earth pony took her seat and poured the newcomer a cup of her tea.
“So, first of all, what’s your name?” she asked, flipping a page in her notebook.
“Well, I’m Fluttershy...”
Smooth made a quick note, juggling the pipe and pencil in her mouth.
“So, what seems to be the problem?” she asked, somehow ignoring the blatantly obvious for the sake of the pegasus.
“Well, I get very, um, nervous...” the timid one mumbled.
“About anything in particular?”
"Well, the only things that don’t worry me that much are my bunny wunnies, and my animal friends, and sometimes my pony friends...” Fluttershy trailed off again before sipping her tea. Smooth nodded her head.
“Out of interest, have you ever tried deep breathing? That’s usually a good help.” She said, bubbles floating around.
“Well, kind of. Like this really.” Fluttershy started breathing in and out rapidly.
“Well, it’s a start. But that’s actually hyperventilating. It should be like this.” The Earth pony stated, before taking slow deep breathes.
Fluttershy nodded and took another sip of her tea, finishing the dainty cup. She allowed a nervous smile to creep onto her face and put the cup down. Smooth could see the pegasus still had a lot of anxiety, despite drinking an entire cup of HER tea. This was something that had never happened before. She poured Fluttershy another cup.
“Oh, thank you. It’s very nice, did you make it yourself?”
“Yes, I make different flavours and use medicinal herbs to help ponies relax.” Smooth responded, thinking she’d made a breakthrough. “Do you notice anything?”
“Oh yes!” cried the pegasus. The Earth pony screamed for joy in her head.
“It tastes like strawberries and cream!”
Steam gently rose from the pipe as the brown pony maintained a face of pure calm. On the one hoof, this might be harder then she thought. But on the other, this would be a REAL challenge.
-
In the kitchen behind the ship front, Smooth washed the teapot and cups up. She’d been tempted to pile Fluttershy with a large quantity of high dose herbs but had decided against it. She was going to relish this challenge, and she WILL win. Despite her protests, Fluttershy had left some Bits for the tea and herb, so maybe that was progress.
Sitting at her kitchen table, Smooth opened a box she had got at daybreak from Sugarcube Corner. A plate of cookies stared back at her. Smooth would have been the first to admit she had a self control problem with some confectionary; if her mouth wasn’t crammed with cookies that is. Technically these were meant for customers as they talked, but seeing as her one and only customer hadn’t given much time to grab them, well...
Placing the pipe to the side, she picked one up with her teeth and bit down on it. A barrage of flavours hit her mouth and she couldn’t resist inhaling the rest. Triple chocolate cookie goodness washed around her mouth as a single tear came to her eye.
‘Pinkie Pie, you are a deity of bakers...” Smooth thought in her sweet bliss.
As she leant down to grab another treat, her confectionary based euphoria was interrupted by a cheerful jingle in the shop.
“Hello? Is anypony around?” a voice cried out. It sounded to Smooth like the sort of pony her father hated; stuck up, snooty and vain.
After grabbing her pipe, the Earth pony stuck her head through the door to see a white unicorn stood by a shelf, looking at a box of herbs she had levitated down.
‘Father would have sneered at her if she was lucky by the looks of it.’ Smooth thought, noticing the elegantly styled mane and tail. ‘Still, I’m not father.
“Hello there, how may I help you?” she said, stepping out behind the counter.
The unicorn turned and smiled at Smooth, her eyes widening as she took in the Earth pony’s appearance. The azure eyes seem to focus on the bubble pipe a moment more than needed. Smooth smiled back; her father would have described her as a marshmallow with less brains.
“I take it you must be Smooth? My name is Rarity and I was wondering if there was any help you could give me.” The unicorn introduced, not allowing Smoother a moment to confirm her identity.
To the Relaxation Expert, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with Rarity. There were no physical indicators of stress, her voice seemed calm enough and there was nothing in the eyes. But then again, as Smooth knew too well, stress didn’t always show straight away.
“Well, that’s what I’m here for. Would you like some tea?” she asked, smiling.
“That would be wonderful, thank you!” Rarity responded, no hint of force in her voice. She popped the box back in its place.
Crying on the inside, Smooth bought the cookies out first, followed by a pot of hot water. Judging Rarity to be a pony of class so high she could almost be pegasai, she chose a combination of herbs to give a rich taste but only a slight calming effect. Once it was poured, Rarity sipped her tea politely.
“Mmm, exquisite! I must have the recipe!”
“Of course, on the house naturally.” Smooth's pride took over her sales side. It had seen that Rarity was being honest and couldn’t accept more of a reward.
“Oh but I insist! It’s not every day I meet a pony able to make such a wonderful blend!” the snow coloured unicorn added, silencing both the pride and sales mare in Smooth.
“Well, thank you. So how can I help? I have to admit, so far you are the only pony to trot in here without any real issue.”
“Oh, that’s because I’m not actually working. I’ve found that since I’ve started taking more orders from Manehatten and Canterlot, I’m starting to stress out more easily. And according to my friends, I can’t help but focus on the smaller things too much at times. I have to make sure things are perfect.”
Smooth sat there for a moment rubbing her chin with her hoof. A bubble floated up now and then as the pony thought to herself. In the silence, Rarity took a cookie and gently nibbled it. Eventually the intermittent bubbas ceased and the mare had come to a conclusion.
“Well, I’d say that the latter is a mild form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Really, nothing wrong with either thing in my opinion. Maybe some mild herbs for your nerves as you work.”
The unicorn nodded and levitated her tea back for another sip.
“Also, you mentioned orders to Canterlot and Manehatten; you’re Rarity of Carousel Boutique?” Smooth continued, an eyebrow raised.
“Why yes! You know of my work?” the unicorn said, her face lighting up.
“Yes, my mother has ordered a few dressed from you. She loved them to bits.”
“Of course! Twilight did say you came from Manehatten! I simple must give you a make at some point, my treat!”
Smooth found her jaw wide open. Did she just get offered a maker over for free? In an attempt to not appear rude, she quickly crammed a cookie in her mouth and gulped it whole.
“Y-you don’t need to do that! Honestly, I’m here trying to help you. Besides, this would just create more work for you!” she said, her stomach making off noises from swallowing the cookie whole.
Ignoring the noises, the two carried on their discussions for some time, Smooth making sure to avoid any of own life. Eventually, the tea fully drained, Rarity rose from her seat and smiled warmly at Smooth.
“Now, let me see, the recipe, the tea, and the advice. I hope this is enough.” some of Bit’s were put down on the coffee table as Smooth handed her a piece of paper. A moment later, a few for Bit’s jingled on the table. “For the herbs to make this up darling, I don’t think I have the ingredients.”
Dumbfounded by the small pile of Bit’s that now sat in front of her, Smooth merely nodded at her customer. Eventually her legs found more sense than her brain and got up to gather a week’s worth of herbs. Once she had passed the paper bag over to unicorn, she had only just gathered enough sense.
“Well, thank you Smooth. I’m sure I’ll be back, don’t you worry!” Rarity said, before leaving.
As the door shut behind the unicorn, Smooth collapsed over the counter, looking at the door, the pile of money and the half eaten plate of cookies one by one. The full force of meeting Rarity was just coming to light.
“What the hay just hit me?”
-
The next morning, Smooth trotted into her den. She was feeling better, that was certain. Her experiences with Fluttershy and Rarity had cheered her up. Who knew what the day would bring. If it was quiet, let it be. After setting the kettle up over the fire and placing muffins she had got earlier on the counter, she made for the door. Breathing in, she unlocked it and flipped the sign on the window. No sooner had she done that it began to open, forcing her back quickly. Looking at the new comer, it was a large stallion with a red coat. Smooth knew big stallions, and even these would hide behind him, with his orange mane and sliced apple cutie mark. A tiny bubble floated from the pipe from her hidden shock.
“Ah, sorry miss. Ah wasn’t expectin’ you to be right there. I had heard about your shop, and Ah need some help.” He said, looking sensible.
“Er, certainly, what’s the problem mister...”
“Macintosh, Big Macintosh Ma’am. And it ain’t mah problem. It’s mah sister. She has an awful stubborn streak, and Ah I heard from her friends ya’ll might be the one to help.”
“Her, friends?” Smooth just about uttered, and heard a murmur behind the giant pony. He stepped in and she could see a small crowd. There was a light green unicorn and a cream earth pony talking hurriedly to one another; a mare who reminded her of a brand of toothpaste; a stallion with an hour glass Cutie Mark and what seemed to be a pink mare with grapes as her Cutie Mark holding her filly tightly. And these were the ones she could see!
“Eeyup. Miss Fluttershy was telling mah sister about you, and Ah heard it in the market as well.”
“I heard it from Rarity as we were looking for formal clothes!” cried the cream coloured mare, her pink and blue mane bobbing up and down as she tried to get inside whilst being held back by her friend.
“I think, I’m going to need to put on another a kettle for you all.” Smooth said, a little smile forming on her calm face. There were so many of them, she’d have to find a way to thank the four whirlwind like mares for attracting this much custom to her.
Outside, among the queues, a single, rolling doughnut finally came to a stop as it nudged against a very obviously fake bush. The bush, in turn, got up and slipped away, as smooth as possible.
Smooth yanked the curtains in her bedroom open and smiled. A thick blanket of snow was all over Ponyville, the street’s covered by the white substance. Having grown up in Manehatten, most of the time she saw snow it had already become mixed with the busy city life, making it grey slush rather then snow. It was the first time in years she’d seen snow like this.
After a quick mane brush, she pulled on her jacket and grabbed her pipe, bounding down the stairs like a little filly. After a quickly made meal of oatmeal and getting the fires going in the cottage, she went into the shop. It had changed a fair amount since she’d had first opened up a few months ago. Whilst it’s main goal was still to help ponies relax, it had turned a bit more into a coffee shop. It made a bit more money, and it helped more ponies then before. There wasn’t anypony in yet though, far too early. For the moment, it was just her in her den.
Sipping a homemade herbal tea, she began to flick through her morning copy of Equestria Daily. The weather looked to keep this winter bliss up for months, making her giggle slightly. She didn’t often show her emotions, but on her own, the calm facade she put on was allowed to drop slightly. After finishing off her tea she began to check on the shares section of the paper.
Before she could get into her grove, there was a pounding at the door. Letting out a single bubble out of her pipe she got up from her seat and trotted over to door. She unlocked it slowly.
“We’re not open yet. Come back after nine, when the fire’s had a chance to wa-huh?” she tried to say, before the door was forced open.
Stepping in was a pink pony with a light green mane. Smooth blinked before she recognised who had just barged in.
“Daisy? What’s wrong? Do you need a tea that urgently?” She tried to joke with a deadpan voice.
“It’s terrible Smooth, you’ve got to help us!” the mare cried, putting her front hooves onto Smooth’s shoulders and shaking her about slightly. “There’s a trio of ice trolls heading to Ponyville, and they look angry!”
A small bubble emerged from the pipe as shock went through the calm ponies head.
“Surely it would be better for the stallions to do something? Or even Rainbow Dash and Applejack? What can I do?!” Smooth responded, the last question causing a barrage of small bubbles.
“All the stallions are up at Sweet Apple Acres helping some planting accident or something! The same with Rainbow, Applejack and their friends! We’ve sent Ditzy up to get them with a letter, but there’s no time! Come on! You’re the pony of relaxation! Nopony can stay tense with you around! I haven’t even fainted yet!”
She couldn’t ignore this fact. It seemed that no matter what, she was going to have to face these, ice trolls. From behind the door she pulled on a thick winter coat over her regular blazer. It covered all over from her neck down to flank. Daisy galloped ahead, forcing Smooth to try and catch up with her.
The town was deserted as the two galloped into town. There was evidence there had been some life, but it all seemed to have lead into the buildings. Looking around the two ponies could make out that there were ponies peeking out of the windows and doors. Before Smooth could motion towards them to come out, the ground began to shake.
Coming down the street were the ice trolls. They were large creatures, walking on two legs, as wide as a cart and over a storey tall. The skin was thick and blue, covered only in scraps of fur, making the monsters modest. One carried a thick branch like a tree club, despite all three having limbs like tree trunks and hands like ploughs. It was rare to see such creatures this far into civilisation, as they usually had their own food stored for winter.
Looking at the trio, Smooth heard the gently thud and crunch of snow behind her as Daisy fainted. The standing mare gulped heavily and readjusted her mane into a less windswept position. Adopting her normal calm features with a slight grin, she slowly trotted to the three trolls.
“Why good morning gentlemen, how can we help you this fine day?” Smooth said, the bubbles surrounding her.
What Daisy had said was to, a degree, correct. Smooth gave off an aura of calm; much like many ponies did when it came to their special talents. Fluttershy radiated kindness and you could bend steel around the feel of Honesty around Applejack. But Smooth’s ability relied on trusting her face and being enticed by her products and voice. The trolls though, driven to stalking the pony town, were not easily swayed. The lead troll swung his monstrous fist round.
THUD
Smooth flew into the wall of a cottage and bounced off into the ground, her pipe landing several feet in front of her. The ponies hidden in their buildings gasped at the sight of the downed mare. Their gazes then turned to the trolls, advancing towards the prone Daisy, licking their lips. They didn’t notice at first as Smooth raised her head, her calmed features replaced by pure rage. Shakily, she got up, stretched her aching body with a few pop’s and clicks and began her charge, scooping up her pipe as she did so. Steam roared from it as she launched herself at the lead troll.
The troll was only able to see the front hooves smash into its face, knocking the huge creature clear out; forcing Smooth onto the ground to avoid even more serious injuries. Letting out a small gasp as the tree branch rose above the mare's head, she dropped the pipe and rolled away as it smacked into the ground. Not giving the beast the chance, she quickly galloped up its arm, spun on its massive shoulder, and bucked it with all her might. It shuddered with the force, the top half of the body swaying over as it fell into pain induced sleep, teeth flying out to spread on the snow.
The third troll, confused by the event, could only gawk at the pony as she leapt from the falling figure. A silent snarl was etched all over the face of the mare as it stalked towards the troll. Realising that fist alone might not be able to stop the pony, the monster moved as fast as possible, snatching up the tree branch and swung wildly at the pony. Except, it wasn’t there. Dashing round the sides the brown pony was able to smash her hooves into the backside of the creature, sending it into the lead troll, who was shakily attempting to get back up.
In the distance, the gallop of dozens of hooves on snow sounded, alerting the two conscious trolls to reinforcements of these mad creatures. Nodding in agreement, they got up, using one another for support, and continued that way as they shambled out of town. Smooth stood there, gasping silently for air. When it was clear they were not going to come back, not even for their friend, calm took over her again. Ignoring the pain, Smooth began the search for her pipe, only to realise where it lay.
In the imprint in the snow, left by the branch smashed into the ground, were the pieces of the crushed wooden pipe. The bubble liquid dissolving into the snow as it thawed around it. The galloping hooves drew closer and stopped at the sight of the fallen troll and Smooth, who had begun to weep. The weep turned into a waterfall of tears, gushing down her cheeks as she opened her mouth. Where a scream or yell or roar should have erupted, there was only silence. Rounding on the unconscious beast, the mare pounced to its stricken form and began slamming hooves into its face.
The first blows caused immediate damage to the knocked out troll, cutting through the skin and dislodging more teeth. But after each blow, the strength gave out on angry mare until eventually, her hooves were just weakly smacking into bloody face. Finally, Smooth gave up and rolled off the creature.
“We’ll, take it back to the Everfree...” a stallion said, attempting to put his hoof on Smooth’s shoulder. Shrugging it off, Smooth galloped away towards her home.
An hour later, Twilight opened the door to the library to Daisy.
“Daisy? Are you okay? After what had happened earlier, I didn’t expect to see you about...” Twilight started before the mare on the other side of the doorframe raised her hoof.
“I’m fine, I only fainted. It’s Smooth that you should be worried about. She’s well, locked herself in her shop, and she left this...”
The Earth pony showed Twilight a cardboard box filled with the fragments of the pipe.
“We think it’s her voice...”
Twilight looked at Daisy as if she had been shaved right in front of her and was now wearing a bikini made of cheese. The unicorn raised an eyebrow.
“Now I know what you’re going to say Twilight, but hear me out. Ever noticed that Smooth ALWAYS has this in her mouth when she talks? And she doesn’t without it?”
“Well, yes, but that-“
“But, when she didn’t have the pipe in her mouth in the fight, she made no noise! She looked like she was screaming, but the ponies indoors said they heard nothing! And when she was crying her eye’s out, once again, they didn’t even hear her gasp for air! The girls said it may be a magic pipe...”
“And, you want me to look it over, repair it and return it to Smooth so she can speak?”
Daisy nodded, handed the box over and left Twilight to examine the pipe. The unicorn set the pieces out on a desk and began to probe each individual fragment, seeking any possible ounce of magic. At the same time, once a piece was considered useless, she began to loosely reassemble the pipe, like a 3D jigsaw puzzle.
“Oh! I remember these! They were really popular a few years ago and then everypony forgot about them! I got an Eifel Tower set one!”
Shocked, Twilight propelled to an empty space in shelves as Pinkie Pie bounced round her desk. The party pony poked the pipe periodically before hopping over to Twilight, a grin on her face.
“PINKIE?! How did you do that?! And what have I told you about doing that?!”
“Oh silly filly, I had to come by when I saw Daisy drop this off here! I mean a brand new puzzle! I had to be here when you started work on it! Although, it doesn’t seem to connect in anyway... Is it meant to be a model then? Have you got any glue?”
Sighing, Twilight clambered out of the shelf space and shook her head, trotting back to the desk and broken pipe.
“No, it’s Smooth’s bubble pipe. She was asked to take on those ice trolls, and it got smashed in the fight. There should be magic in this pipe, to help make her talk, but I can’t find a single trace-“
Twilight stopped when Pinkie put her hoof on her shoulder. Looking at the pink mare, the normally cheerful pony shook her head solemnly.
“It’s magic Twilight, but the wrong sort. Put it back in the box, I know a pony that’ll be able to fix it.”
The unicorn went to argue but Pinkie let a small smile creep across her face. It held more confidence then Twilight had ever known somehow, so she merely nodded and gathered the pieces together.
“The Joke Shop?! Pinkie, how will this help Smooth get her voice back? You can’t prank something like that back!” The purple unicorn screamed as Pinkie leads her to the shop. Life had returned slightly to the snow covered town, but few were near the toy shop.
“Do you know what ponies often forget about the joke shop Twilight? It sells more than jokes, which isn’t so bad.”
Before Twilight could question or argue. Pinkie had hopped up to the door and was going in. Twilight had to gallop quickly to catch back up with her, and was instantly greeted with a horrible sight. A pale pony puppet hung from the ceiling its mane a dark green and it appeared to be wearing a purple tuxedo. It also happened to be wearing the most awful grin to ever be present on a puppet, or even a pony in fact. The horrible sight appeared to go past Pinkie Pie who bobbed past it and right up to the counter.
“Hello? Miss Quinn? Are you there?”
There was an almost uncomfortable moment when from behind the counter a head eventually appeared. The unicorn seemed to be a cross of red and black in colour, and had died her blonde mane into two bangs. On her flank was the image of a Harlequin sticking its tongue out at the world that dared to look at it. Her naturally set grin was evident behind her face paint of a grin.
“Oh hey there Pinkie Pie! I didn’t know it was you and a friend!” her accent was thick from the south of Manehatten. “How can I help you today? I’m sorry to say that the order of whoopee cushions you made last week isn’t in yet.”
The pink pony shook her head and adopted a more sombre look on her face.
“Can you repair anything you made, no matter how long ago it was made?” The question was met with a high pitched giggle.
“Of course I can sweetie! If I made it, it can be rebuilt! Hayseed, I bet I can repair things other people made. You don’t need to worry about ol’ Mistah Jay there purple, he won’t bite, hard…” The last comment was made to Twilight, who instantly stepped away from the puppet again. Miss Pie ignored this.
“What about this then?” The package was slung up onto the counter. Quinn’s magic instantly surrounded it and ripped it apart to find the destroyed pipe.
“My my, I haven’t seen one of these in a few years. It stopped being ‘proper’ to have these, even if they did just blow bubbles. Shame really, I used to put some real craftsmareship into these. This looks like it’s seen a fair amount of use though…”
“How much will it cost to repair?” the other unicorn couldn’t help asking, interrupting the natural flow of conversation that was being shared by the two fun loving mares. She looked a little sheepish when the two gave her a look.
“This toot’s, nothing at all.”
Before the two friends knew it, the pipe was wrapped in Quinn’s aura, the colour deepening as she work on it. Piece by piece it reassembled, the cracks sealing up as if they never existed. It a matter of seconds, it was done. Any damage made by the fight was now gone, a memory. All that remained were the scuff and bite marks that had worked its way into the pipe. It was quickly placed into a new box. The shop owner wiped her brow with a hoof and smiled at the pair.
“I’d forgotten how much passion I’d made things back in those days! Just tell the owner to bring it by for a buff and a shine at some point!”
“We will Miss Quinn! Thanks for everything!” Pinkie blurted out, grabbing the package and Twilight at the same time, before galloping off.
For a moment, there was no sound but the dust settling.
“And they say I’M crazy…” the voice came out of the air.
Sighing, Quinn walked out from behind the counter and trotted up to the puppet. Her eyes never left the sight of the creepy doll.
“Yes, but you are nothing more than a puppet that I put too much magic into making, Mistah Jay. Besides, she’s a cute kid…”
“Cute yet my dear,” the puppet said, its head turning to face the unicorn. “But not as cute as her butter coloured friend, the one with the long pink mane.”
“Mistah Jay! Say it ain’t so!” Quinn gasped, grabbing Jay with her magic and dragging him to her face.
“Harley my dear, you’re the only mare for me and you should know that.”
The red and black pony squeaked with delight and nuzzled the toy with a tight hug, content with what she had.
The pink hued pony leant against the door, willing it to open. Behind her, Sparkle looked bored and frustrated in front of the snow covered shop, shivering a little in the cold.
“It’s locked Pinkie. She won’t let us in this way, and we can’t just break in…”
Seconds later, Twilight was wishing she hadn’t mentioned that to her friend. They were round the back of the Relaxation Shop, Pinkie clambering over her back to climb the wall. The purple pony was then pulled upwards and with great care, dropped on the other side in the little garden. Herbs and flowers sat in small greenhouses in an attempt to keep as much of Smooth’s wares fresh. Leading the way, the Earth pony tried the back door; it opened with ease.
Stepping into the kitchen was a shock for the pair. Smooth always gave the impression of a pony that was well in control of her actions, and a degree of organisation. The kitchen, normally bare of much more than the essentials, looked as if a whirlwind of parasprites had hit it. The larder and all the cupboards hung open, the wares scattered on the work surfaces and table. Most of the food had been consumed it appeared, even the goods meant for the customers. A messy trail led up a flight of stairs, which the two followed.
A short hallway at the top gave way to two doors, the trail leading to the most immediate one. Using her magic, the student of the Princess quietly opened the door, also using it to silence the squeaks of the door. There was no sound but the gently clip clop of the hooves from the friends as they looked about. Unlike the kitchen, the room seemed to have more life to it, a painting over a small fireplace, a well-loved sofa, a bookcase overflowing with novels and a gramophone with a stack of records waiting to be used. Then, from round a corner, there was a short sudden gasp for air, but no other sign of life.
“Smooth?”
A head appeared, then the rest of the pony. All of the calm, the relaxation, was gone. Her mane was a mess, hey jacket all over the place. Her face was covered in dirt from her depression lead binge, bar two streaks from hey eyes. Even then, she continued to cry as her mouth moved. There was no sound as the mouth got wider and wider, words failing to sound out. It was obvious what she was saying though, but the two refused to leave.
“Smooth, we have something for you…” Pinkie said, sliding the parcel across the floor. Looking at as if it was something strange and unusual, the pony just about managed to open it. The eyes went wide.
Hopping around the place, the young Pinkie Pie couldn’t believe her luck. Since leaving her parents, the filly had been able to get a job at the local bakery, despite her age. It has only been a week, and already she’d had three parties and two requests to host more. Ponyville it seemed was the greatest place in Equestria.
Hey eyes immediately fell upon a group of Earth ponies leaving the bakery, what appeared to be a mother and two fillies, younger than her. One was dark blue, almost grey with dark brown mane and tail. The other filly was a dark brown with a cream like mane and tail. The second of the fillies seemed to hang behind the other two, almost in fear of the world around her. Neither of them had their Cutie Mark’s yet. All three wore coats of some sort, thought the fillies seemed to be growing into theirs. Realising she knew none of them, the pony darted up to them.
“Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie! Are you new in town? If you are, that’s so funny because I only just got here myself!”
All this did was startle the three, the brown filly retreating further behind the elder pony.
“W-well hello there Miss Pie. I am Mrs Rollings, and these are my children, Adal and Smooth. Say hello girls.”
“Hi there Pinkie…” the bluish mare said. She then leaned over to her sister, who whispered something. “Smooth says hello as well.”
“Aww, is Smooth ill? Why can’t she say hi to me herself? I can throw her a get well soon party...”
“No, she is just like that Miss Pie.” The mother said, smiling sadly at the pink one. “And we’re only stopping for a day before we go on home. I don’t think we’ll have time for your party.”
“Well, that’s okay! I’m sure you’ll come back at some point!” Pinkie cried before hopping away merrily. The family stood there, confused at what had just happened.
-
Later, on yet another merry bounce scaring the locals who still hadn’t gotten used to the insanity that was Pinkie Pie in a good mood, the pink mare couldn’t help but notice the Rollings family again, sat outside the local restaurant. Smooth seemed to be leaning in on her sister, as if she were afraid to lose her. The waiter came over to the table, took the order and left a bottle of something in front of the sisters. Adal, confused, opened it up to reveal what looked like a plastic spoon missing the middle. A gust of wind went by, creating a small series of bubbles that floated around them. Smooth clapped her hooves together and giggled wildly.
“Do it again!”
The voice seemed uncertain to itself, but it was clear that it was there. Another burst of bubbles floated out, causing more giggles and the brown pony began to talk at lengths to her mother, her voice fading as the bubbles died out. But Pinkie had seen enough. She spun on the spot three times until she pointed in the right direction, and sprang into action towards the Joke shop.
-
The sister’s pushed their plates away, having finished what was in front of them. Neither of them looked too content, having been forced to eat all they had been given, even the yucky stuff they hated.
“Good girls. Now, you can have a treat when we get home.” Mrs Rollings claimed, getting a pair of groans as her reward. She let out a small one herself as she spotted the mad pony from before bouncing, actually BOUNCING up towards them. She wasn’t a nasty or stuck up mare, but sometimes, well, living in Manehatten rubbed off on you in more ways than one. She went to try and stop the pink pony but she was beaten to the punch as a box was placed on the table.
“Hi again Mrs Rollings! Sorry to interrupt, but I thought of something that might help Smooth talk better!”
Flabbergast was a word that previously had no context to her life. But sure enough, that’s what Mrs Rollings was now. Noticing the parcel had a simple tag on it that said the name of her youngest daughter, she nudged it over to Smooth. Shaking a little, the filly opened it up. Whilst she looked at like an alien object, Mrs Rolling’s gasped loudly.
“MISS PIE?! How dare you present such a, a vulgar item to my child! Where is your par-“ a well-placed cupcake from nowhere ended the verbal assault.
“Smooth, put it to your mouth and give it a blow!” Pinkie cried, smiling widely.
With her mother unable to talk and her sister as equally amazed, Smooth picked the pipe up with her mouth and blew. A stream of bubbles came out, causing the fillies eyes to widen along with her smile.
“Oh wow! That’s so cool!” Smooth said, confidence radiating off of her for a brief moment, stunning her mother and sister.
Gently biting the toy, Smooth picked up the pipe in her mouth, shaking a little. It felt perfect in her mouth.
“Th-thank you, Pinkie…” the voice came. It was rough from crying and had lost the calm, smooth tones it usually had. “I suppose I;ve made a foal of myself…”
Pinkie wrapped the younger mare up in a hug, getting covered in the mess Smooth was in.
“No, you just need to maybe learn how to cope without your pipe…” Twilight said, sitting on the sofa.
“I, need it too much. Without it, I’m mute, I have no confidence…”
Pinkie stepped back and pushed Smooths head to face her own. The smile was inviting, not the insane, over the top one she usually wore.
“We can help you know. There’s nothing wrong with what you do, but you can’t rely on it too much silly. I never thought you’d have kept my gift after all these years!”
Smooth blushed and looked away, then groaned, clutching her stomach with a hoof.
“Lets just say, that’s the first part of motivating you to cope without your pipe Smooth.” Twilight said, discovering she’d sat on a half eaten custard pie. “Anytime you lose control, your just going to get a stomach ache!”
The three giggled as Smooth looked out the window at the beautiful snow.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learnt that sometimes we rely on a comfort zone that we create for ourselves. We don’t like to break it, but when we do, it’s usually for the right reasons. Whilst I didn’t learn this from one of my friends today, it is still valuable. Having something to support you isn’t a bad thing, but you must be ready to one day face the world without it. And that friends are always there to help you cope with it, for better or for worse.
I also learnt that Pinkie Pie still confounds me, somehow able to be so many different levels deeper then you’d expect her to be. Like how she seem’s to know elocution lessons. Okay, she admitted that she lernt those off of Fluttershy, but still, I would never have guessed that!
Your Faithful Student
Twilight Sparkle.
(Excuse the pie stains, Pinkie hugged me a bit too tight…)
