Chapters Howdy, name's Blue Pen. I'm a sketch artist at Ponyville Art College. I occasionally draw stuff like wildlife and landscapes, but I also tend to sketch little portraits of my friends and me in fun vacation spots. Problem is, I'm havin' a little bit of trouble with inspiration these days. I know, t'ain't normal for a southern pony like me to want to be inspired, but I ain't no normal southern pony.
I'm plannin' on taking a while off of college to visit new places. I've been to Manehattan, I've been to Canterlot. They couldn't stick it for me. I heard of a far off place called Deivans. Takin' my roommate Nightly Storm there for a start.
Nightly's a pegasus from the south. Knew each other growin' up, actually. She's tryin' for oil on canvas. I tried it before. Didn't work. May coincidences have it, Nightly's having a bit of an art block, too. How nice! Hopefully it storms in the new landscapes in Deivans.
"You all packed?" I ask as Nightly and I get ready to leave to get on the train to Deivans.
"Yep! What about you?"
"Answer that for yourself," I jokingly snap. She and I can kinda read each other's minds, which makes things quicker sometimes. It's a special power that not a lot of ponies have.
Okay, we can't really read each other's minds. I'm an earth pony, and she's a pegasus. We don't possess the magic. We just tell that to ponies to freak them out.
"I'll take that as a yes," Nightly chuckles. "Welp, since we're all packed, let's head off to the train."
"Wait!" I stop her. I've kinda half been very well known by everypony I know for triple checking everything. "Did we remember our art supplies?"
Nightly sighs and checks all the dressers and our luggage. She pulls out the canvas and paints from her bag, and the sketch canvases, pencils, and colored pencils from mine. She chuckles again. "I think we're good, Pen. Now come on! We're gonna miss the train!"
We run out of our dorm and down to the lobby. We book it to the train station, just barely making it. We step onto the train. Deivans is extremely far away, should be a two night, three day trip. We each have our own neighboring rooms. I sit in my bed and look out the window at the landscape. I lay my pen on the sketch pad and draw.
"Pen, get off yer lazy little pen n' paper lovin' flank!" I shout. We have finally arrived at our destination, Deivans. Name's Nightly Storm, or just Nightly. I'm a southern pegasus pony artist. Mouthful, I know. My friend Blue Pen and I are on our way to find some inspiration for our art, startin' off in a far off land that other ponies rarely visit. I heard it storms a LOT here, and I draw storms an awful lot, so... that's pretty good.
My friend here's Blue Pen. Known her since kindergarten. She's my best friend in the whole of Equestria. Can I even say that if we're not even in Equestria? I guess I can. If not, "best friend in the whole world." There, better. We each have our own separate interests when it comes to art. She makes quick little pen and paper sketches with the occasional color, and I make oil on canvas drawnings. I draw storms a little too much and she draws animals and wildlife a little too much. It's not a big deal, really.
"I'm up!" Pen groans. She grabs around for her luggage, but I have already grabbed it. I throw her her canvases and pens. We rush out of the train onto the station floor.
As soon as we step off the train, we realize nothing is the same as Equestria. For one, there's a lot more than just ponies, donkeys, and mules. We see stuff like wolves and cats flying overhead. It's like we walked right into a rainbow's garden, then one of the artists from school spilled their paint all over it. Definitely wasn't what we were expectin'.
"D'you think we made a mistake?" Pen asks.
I shake my head. "Heck no! This may just be the best idea we've ever had! Explorin' new lands for inspiration? What could be better?"
"Once again, you've convinced me!" Pen chuckles. "So uh... now what?"
I look around, seeing what we can do. "Let's go find a place to stay, and then after that we'll see what we can do."
Pen and I searched all over Deivans, rather shocked at the sight of all these rainbow colored wolves and cats. From what I saw, they seemed to speak the language of ponies. They walked and talked around just like they were part of us. Yep, Devians is certainly the weirdest place I've ever been to, and I've been to Las Pegasus.
Pen and I just found a really really good hotel. It's not all run down and cruddy, but is actually well constructed and welcoming. We dropped our luggage off in our room and trotted through the streets of Deivans. We walked around for a while until we reached the market, and what a sight! I ain't gonna lie, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. The only thing that would've made it better was if it stormed a bit, but I can live with it.
"Ow!" somepony says. It's a light blue unicorn stallion in a scarf. He and his friends bumped into Blue Pen. He's with a pegasus stallion and a female Deivans-style wolf with dragon-like wings and the oddest coloring I've ever seen.
"Oh, Celestia! I'm so sorry, sir!" Pen stammers.
"'Sir,'" the stallion chuckles. "How formal. Name's Snowfire, what's yours?"
"Blue Pen, and this pegasus over here is my friend Nightly Storm. We're art students visiting to find a bit of inspiration," Pen explains.
Snowfire smiles and introduces his other friends. "My pegasus friend over here is Burner, and this wolf here is Featherbrook. We're art students, too."
I chuckle. "Really?"
"Well, kinda. Featherbrook here is into painting and sketching, whereas Snowfire and I are into performance arts," Burner explains.
"We were just heading out to find some of the nicest wild landscapes," Pen says, "wanna come?"
"Sure, why not! We actually know the perfect place! Burner, Snowfire, lead the way!" Featherbrook says. She has a southern accent, similar to mine and Blue Pen's. "Do you guys have a certain style?" she adds as Snowfire and Burner lead us to the wildlife spot.
"Nightly here absolutely loves to draw storms! Guess that all has somethin' to do with her name. I like to draw wildlife and landscapes. I sometimes draw portraits of my friends. Of course, I have my own little art style that isn't really realistic," Pen explains.
"I stay to oil on canvas, and Blue Pen sketches on paper," I add.
Featherbrook chuckles. "Well, lucky for you, Nightly, we've got some rain planned this afternoon. I, myself, love rain!"
"Same here!" I exclaim. "When I was in high school, I helped a bit with the weather for money. I still do today in order to pay for my and Blue Pen's apartment."
"What does Blue Pen do?"
"She sells some of her sketches to a collector."
"Already goin' big I see!" Featherbrook chuckles again.
"Hey!" Burner shouts from the front of the pack. "Here's the perfect spot, fillies."
Pen and I walk over a hill and see probably one of the most beautiful landscapes ever. It was a large circular area surrounded by a forest on all sides except ours, and one giant oak stood in the middle.
"This is honestly beautiful!" Pen shouts. She looks over as we hear a rustling in the leaves. A bunny hops through the undergrowth.
Featherbrook's eyes widen and she chases after the bunny. Snowfire chuckles. "She's still in touch with her feral roots!" he sighs. The ponies rush down the hill and start running around the big oak.
"Okay, picture this; a wolf named Pupear has her siblings stolen from her pack by another pack, and she places it upon herself and her friends to save them," Snowfire explains.
"I think that's insane!" Blue Pen chuckles.
"Not as insane as Burner's story idea. Go ahead, tell it to her!" he says as he looks over at Burner.
Burner chuckles. "Fine! Three canine assassins that work for the government named Emily, Talon, and Moon, run away once they learn that their most recent target is their old friend, Crescent. They live with Crescent's new family and hide from their old colleagues for the rest of their lives."
"Okay, it seems y'all love putting wolves in pony situations!" Pen says, busting out laughing.
"Well, you saw Featherbrook!" Burner says, casting his glance to Featherbrook running across the open field, chasing a rabbit. "It's not entirely impossible!"
Pen chuckles. "I guess you're right." She takes her colored pencil and finishes up her drawing.
"What'cha working on?" Burner asks as it starts to rain.
"Check it out!" Pen calls them over to her. She holds up her sketch pad.
"Woah! It's the clearing!" Snowfire says.
"Yup! Much better than the one I drew a few days ago." She shows them the sketch she made on the train.
"Ooh!" Burner winces. "Yeah, that's bad."
"Heheh, yeah..." Pen sighs. She puts her sketchbook back in her saddlebag to keep it from getting wet. "Whaddya got, Nightly?"
I look up from my painting. "Come here and look!" I say.
Burner, Pen, and Snowfire rush over to see my canvas. It's of the clearing during the rain.
"Well put me on a boat and call me a sea lion, this is fantastic!" Pen exclaims.
"Pfft what?" Snowfire chuckles. "'Put me on a boat and call me a sea lion'? What kind of expression is that?"
"Don't judge me!" Pen shouts, falling over in the dewy grass and fake-crying.
"Gee, sorry!" Snowfire mocks. "But seriously, Nightly, this is amazing! But, the rain only just started. How did you get this much painting done in time?"
"I pictured what this place'd look like during the rain. It's not that hard, really." I say.
Lightning strikes, followed by an explosion of thunder.
"Oh, Celestia," Blue Pen says. "I think it's about time we went back home. It was great meeting y'all! Seeya tomorrow?"
"Sure! How long you plannin' on staying in Deivans?" Featherbrook asks.
"We're not entirely sure," I say.
"Oh well! Seeya tomorrow anyway," Burner says. We all say goodbye and head back to the city.
Pen and I get back to our room in the nick of time, when the rain had picked up. We flop on our respective beds, leaving our saddlebags with our art supplies on the floor.
"Wow! What a day, huh?" I exclaim after catching my breath.
"Yeah," Pen says. "Glad we met three citizens who know the city inside and out."
I sigh and squint my eyes. "Ugh, I'm getting tired. You?"
"Yeah. G'night, Nightly!"
"Night!" We shut off the lights and go to sleep.
It took three knocks on the door to wake me and Nightly. I get up to get the door, even though Nightly's bed is closer so she could have gotten it, but that doesn't matter anymore. I open the door, and Featherbrook is standing right there.
I forget we're in Deivans where wolves and cats frolicked around like ponies. "Augh! Wolf!" I jump backwards into my and Nightly's art supplies.
"Calm down, Pen, it's just me," Featherbrook assures me. "We all felt like you needed to get to know us each individually, so I'm spending the day with you, no one else!"
"Sounds like fun," I comment. "What do you think, Nightly?"
She groans and rolls over in her bed. "Just a little longer, grandma, I'm wanted… stuff… done…" she mumbles.
Featherbrook and I chuckle. "Nightly!" I shout.
"Ugh, what do you think the answer is?" she groans.
"I'll take that as a big fat 'yes!'" I say.
"Ding ding ding! We have a winner," Nightly says, getting out of bed.
"Wait till I show you my favorite restaurant! It has meats and vegetables, for the carnivorous wolves and for the ponies," Featherbrook exclaims.
Nightly and I look at her in disgust.
"What? A lot of the natives here eat meat. It's part of our diet," Featherbrook explains. "Ohhhh you must be worried that we eat horse meat. No, we don't. Just chicken, pig, cow, and potato."
"Um, Featherbrook," Nightly begins, "potato is not a meat."
"I know, but still! It's potato!"
I wince slightly at the intentionally poor grammar, but I live with it. After all, it's kinda hypocritical to think that when I go around sayin' 'y'all' when most ponies believe it's not really a word.
Featherbrook leads us to the restaurant. "We'll start here for breakfast, then I'll show you around Deivans.
"I can show you the art museum or the park. I'd say the park first, because the modern art is to die for! You can hardly tell what it is, except beautiful! But, the art museum has more variety with the art," she says.
"Sounds like somepony- wait," I stop myself, "what do we say here when referring to someone anonymously?"
"Somebody," Featherbrook says.
"Okay, then! Sounds like somebody - gosh, that feels so weird to say - has our day planned left and right!" I comment.
We order our food and talk. Nightly talks about herself first.
"I have an older brother who moved to Canterlot - basically the capital city of Equestria - to try and become a member of the royal guard. I don't know whether or not he made it, but it'd be cool if he did! Imagine a country pony makin' it as one of the most respected ponies in Equestria!"
I sigh and roll my eyes. As much as I love Nightly, I get slightly annoyed when she brags about her brother.
"I also have a girlfriend back in Ponyville. Her name is Golden Strokes," she adds.
Featherbrook chuckles. "Funny! What with how close you and Pen are I would've thought you two were together in that way."
I sharply look up from my drink. "I don't swing that way!" I yell, my face burning hot.
"Kidding!" Featherbrook sighs. "You got anything interesting to share?" she adds to me.
"Not really. I grew up an only foal, so I don't have any brothers on the royal guard like Nightly. I also don't have a coltfriend, so nothin' there."
"I've noticed Burner giving you those google eyes," Featherbrook comments with a chuckle.
My face burns up. "Ah shut up!" I exclaim. I try my best to change the subject. "Well, what about you? Anythin' interesting 'bout you?"
Featherbrook makes a stupid face and chuckles. "Not much. No siblings, no lovers. Kinda odd I don't have anythin' interesting about me considerin' I'm a walking talking rainbow wolf." She chuckles again. "Of course, one time I was at a wedding and got chased by a 7-inch non-talking frog."
Nightly and I laugh. With our little 'mind-sharing powers that aren't really there,' I can tell we're both thinking the same thing, how we never thought we'd hear someone say the phrase 'non-talking' in reference to a frog of all things.
After getting and eating our food, Featherbrook takes us out of the restaurant. We chose to go to the art museum first. One of those 'save the best for last things,' where the worst is first. I really hate the art museum. I mean, Nightly gets a lot of her inspiration from art museums, but to me they're incredibly borin'. I stick it out, though, for my friends.
Ha! Friends. How nice to know I've been making friends in a new place. A certain princess would be proud.
"How long will we be walkin' around?" I groan. My legs are getting really tired.
"Pen, I know you hate the art museum but-"
"We can leave after you meet this friend of mine. Her name is Vacía," Featherbrook assured, interrupting Nightly.
"Vacía... strange na- wait, I thought you said it was just gonna be us three today!" Nightly's tone wasn't angry or upset, but it was that strange joking tone we take sometimes, where we sound mad but we're not. What's the word? Ironic! She was being ironic!
"Yeah... I lied. But you'll love her! She has a beautiful hispanic accent and the brightest green eyes and the fi-"
"Got a crush, ey Brook?" I comment snarkily.
"Is this revenge for what I said earlier about thinking you and Nightly were together? I was just joking!" Featherbrook scoffs.
"I'm not hearing a no~"
"Shut up!"
Nightly and I laugh at my snark. If there's anything I'm known for other than my art, it's my snark.
"So what's this 'Vacía' look like? Is she a pony, or another wolf like you?" Nightly asks, mimicking my snark. She's not as much a snark-master as me, but she gets an 'A' for the effort.
"Neither! She's a fox! Well, a fox mixed with a dragon... a bird... a lion... She's just a fox-dragon-bird-lion-gryphon-thing."
"Now I wouldn't say I'm a thing, Featherbrook. I'm no weirder than you." A new voice interrupts the conversation. I know from the second she ironically insults Featherbrook and uses a snarky tone that it's Vacía. I must say, the snark is really being thrown around today. Must be Tuesday.
"Cía!" Featherbrook's ears perk up, and I could swear I saw her light blue collar glow. Might just be the lighting, though. Which brings back a mental note I made earlier; Pen, buy pale colored pencils or perish in the depths of art blocks.
Featherbrook runs over to hug this fire-orange and black fox-lion-dragon-bird-gryphon. 'Not a weird thing' my flank! Still, she looks awesome. I've got to draw her.
"It's been so long since I've seen you! How'd life treat you in Occe?"
"It was okay. Little boring sometimes. I'm glad to be back in Deivans, and I can see you've made new friends," Vacía commented.
Nightly and I introduce ourselves, finally making it out of the most boring place in the world, and make it to the park. I can honestly tell you, it's loads better. The sky is somewhat overcast, and smells strong of rain. I tell Cía, Nightly, and Brook that I'll stick behind and sketch a bit. I sit down on a nearby bench, pull out my sketchbook, and draw a bit of Deivans.
Author's Note
Disclaimer:
This line is in NO WAY meant to imply that Blue Pen, Nightly Storm, or any of my characters are on friendly terms with the Mane 6. It's just my way of referencing canon characters in my story. My characters will also sometimes be referenced in Nearly Drowned, but not in a way that they're Mary-sue-ish.