The Summer Faire in Ponyville
Author's Note
This is my first story on this site, let me know what you think!
Please PM me for grammar and spelling issues.
The Summer Faire in Ponyville
“Come on dad! The Funhouse is this way,” the young ebony colt said, hooking his foreleg around mine and trying to drag me towards the attraction.
“Have you seen Mom? I thought she was right beside me.” I looked around trying to find her.
“I saw her over there by the arcade games talking to another pony,” he said, pointing over to his left with his wing.”
Trying to catch her attention by waving my wing and hoof, I see she is talking to another earth pony mare with a light violet coat and a two toned pink mane. She is totally oblivious to my attentions as I am being dragged away. Over the noise, I shout the word funhouse to her in hopes she understands.
As we approach the entrance to the ride we are greeted by a gray mare. “Two tickets, please.”
“Here you go ma’am. Go ahead son, I’ll be right behind you.” We entered the funhouse, and went through the spinning disks, the uneven walks, and eventually entered the mirror maze. And that's where I caught a glimpse of her. A white mare with a blonde and pink mane with a braid around one ear! Just like her picture in the books! I can’t believe it. She’s here! Crystal Wishes! But how do I get to her and say hello?
Giggling, Crystal calls to her husband, “Silent, come on! The exit is this way.”
“But I can’t seem to get out of here,” he said, giggling and smiling as well.
Turning around to face my son, I find I’m staring at his reflection. “Come and get me, Dad!”
“Where’d you go? I kept on bumping into mirrors and force fields.” Apparently some unicorns went nuts with this place. I go around a mirror, and see my son, with a big smile on his face.
“You almost have me, Dad,” the pegasus colt says.
I walked straight to him not expecting anything in the way. Thump. “Ow! That one hurt.”
“Ha! Gotcha, Dad!” I watched him scamper off.
Rubbing my nose, “I’ll get you yet,” I said smiling, and proceeded to work my way around this maze. With one wing on a wall at all times, I am able to feel where the breaks in the walls are and where the mirrors are placed. It was amazing how some mirrors lined up to bounce a reflection through the force fields and let you see somepony from another part of the maze. More than once I was fooled by the reflections. At one point I was staring back at my reflection through a force field. Finally, I was able to ‘capture’ my son and we headed off to the next part of the funhouse. I am still wondering if I really saw my favorite author. We rounded the next corner and it had a rope bridge to cross, then a tunnel that rotates. We lingered there trying to stay in one place, but unable to due to the floor wanting to become the wall. We finally made it out and in the distance I could see her, Crystal, along with a white stallion with a cut back mane. Kind of intimidating, if you ask me.
“Son, my favorite author is here in Ponyville! I have to meet her. Come on Howie! Let’s meet an author!”
Rolling his eyes he said, “You’re not gonna freak out like last time are ya?”
“No, of course not, and just for the record, it was A. K. Yearling that caused all the ruckus, not me. I wasn't trying to sneak up on her, it's just that she turned around at the same time I turned around and shouted her name. The next thing I knew I was on the floor with a hurt snout and she was standing over me, shouting at me.”
Looking ‘down’ at me as only a young colt can do while craning his neck to look at me he said, “That's not what Mom said happened. The way she put it, you tackled her for an autograph. She was just defending herself against an attacker. Lucky for you she didn't press charges. Or how about that time in Canterlot, at a Wonderbolts show? You flew at Soarin for an autograph, coming at him from above, and the guards had to forcibly evict you from the show. Or what about that other time...”
“Alright! I get the picture, son. I promise I won't do anything stupid.” Looking embarrassed and hoping no one else was listening, I didn't notice a certain guard perking her ears up at the outburst in the conversation. He continued, “Let’s see what other rides there are. I’m sure we can find a rollercoaster.”
The guard in question, was an earth pony mare with a dark grey coat and a moss green mane. She wore the uniform of a specialist with a beret on top of her head. Mirage was one of the war veterans of the Griffon War, recently given a weekend pass from Canterlot, after months of therapy. Her sergeant thought it would be a great idea to give the most promising of veterans a weekend out of the city to try to integrate them back into pony society. So, he thought the Summer Faire would be a good distraction. She followed at a discreet distance, unaware of herself falling back into old habits from the war.
After a few more rides Howie and his dad finally found the rollercoaster. To his dismay and his dad’s delight, they passed Crystal Wishes and Major Knight departing the ride. Howie noticed the look on Dad’s face and knew that something is going to happen if he didn't do anything about it. “Come on dad, it's this way.” He said, grabbing his dad’s hoof.
Downdraft pulled his hoof away absently handing his son the rest of the roll of tickets. “Here you go, take a ride. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?!” The pegasus shouted, desperately trying to regain his father's attention. “Dad, No!” Trying to grab his hoof to lead him away only to be dragged along a short while. Giving up he gallops away to find mom, thinking: maybe she can talk some sense into him.
As Downdraft trotted off, he was oblivious to the earth pony following him in the shadows. He rounded the corner and spotted Crystal again walking towards the games of chance. I need to talk to her, let her know I'm her biggest fan. He thought, desperately trying to weave his way around all the ponies, but not making any progress. “I'm losing sight of her! I have to get to her.”
Needless to say, the grey mare tailing him only heard “I have to get her,” thinking he was going to attack somepony.
Weaving in and out of the crowd Downdraft was barely able to keep them in sight. Finally he gave up and took to flight to get ahead of the crowd. The aerial view offered the best way to find his target. Flying was always the best mode of transportation, he thought, and he would find any opportunity to use it.
After a few minutes of searching he found his target and planned an intercept course, coming in a little too fast, not that he would notice. Right as he was in hoof’s reach of landing behind Crystal, out of the corner of his eye, a grey streak came tackling him by the shoulder. It knocked him right out of the air, tumbling off his glidepath and onto the ground, wings, legs and feathers going everywhere. A grey face with pupils the size of pinpricks was the last thing he saw before a hoof landed on his head.
“Corporal, what were you thinking!” Was the first thing he heard, waking up from what he could only assume was an attack. He had a splitting headache when he finally opened his eyes to take in the surroundings. He was on a cot in a white tent an earth pony with,as a cutiemark, a red cross with hearts in the corners. was facing away from him. He tried to listen to the conversation happening outside of the tent.
“Sir, he was stalking, and about to kill your wife sir.” You could hear that the mare was standing at attention.
“Do you know that for sure? How could you tell? An angry and definitely male voice was saying. “You recently came back with General Hammer, correct?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Have you finished your therapy classes?” A shuffling of hooves could be heard.
Yes sir!”
“You may want to think about getting more help, if your actions today are any indication of the success of your re-integration.” Disappointment in his voice could be heard.
A deep sigh, “Yes, sir.”
“I think it would be best for you to head back tonight, don’t you think?”
With a sigh, “Yes, sir.” You could actually hear the melancholy in the plodding of the hooves as the sound drifted away.
“Oh, you're awake.” a mare said as she turned around. “My name is Nurse Redheart. How are you feeling?”
“Do you have a sister standing next to you? And I've got a splitting headache.” I said. “Where am I?”
“Why you are at the first aid station on the fairgrounds sweetie. Apparently you had a run-in with a member of the Guard. Major Knight is outside talking to her, then he will be in to speak to you,“ Redheart said sweetly.
Just then, a white stallion whose mane and tail was blue enters along with the pony I desperately wanted to see. Her face showed concern, and the faces I could see on him were not happy. As he was walking toward me the two of him coalesced into one rather imposing stallion. “My name is Major Knight. Just what were you thinking mister, flying in so close, scaring other ponies around us, including my wife?” He said.
I tried sitting up, but felt dizzy as my head came up. “Easy there,” said Redheart. She was holding me steady. “If you are seeing double, you should really be heading to the hospital to be checked out by a doctor.
“I see only one angry stallion now, I think I may survive this.” I said, a slight giggle escaped Crystal's mouth. “I just wanted to get an autograph from Crystal Wishes and am never able to get to any of the conventions or shows. My boss always assigns me work on those days.” My ears droop and I look down at the ground. “I guess I'm in some kind of trouble.”
Well, an incident will have to be filed with the Guard, but since nopony other than you seems to be hurt, the local guard graciously gave me the lead in this investigation. I am willing to forgive this little ‘incident’ and not press charges provided you have learned your lesson.”
“Yes, I have.” I said, looking between him and Crystal wanting to ask her a question.
A light purple pony burst in with a scowl on her face saying angrily, “Downdraft! How dare you embarrass me again! How many times will it take for you to get it through that thick skull of yours. You can't run up to celebrities and scare them!” Turning to Silent, In a calmer tone, I am sorry for this Major. It won't happen again.”
Crystal is about to say something when Bright Eyes grabs me by the ear...Again. “ Come on you!” pain erupts both from my head and my ear as I stumble out the tent, shedding a few feathers and trying to get my hooves under me.
“Ow, my head!” I exclaimed, in pain.
Fading in the distance you can hear a tirade of angry comments coming from her “Just u wait tee get home, I'll give you something to complain about! You Will need the hospital when I'm through with you… Of all the feather brained ideas...”
“Silent?”
“Yes, Crystal?”
“He never did get my autograph.”
