Embodimentsby Thorn buckChaptersThe Man With The Weird NamePreparationsAnythingThe Man With The Weird Name"Pish posh, rish rosh!" A tall man with a pale white skin, twirly mustache and brown hair complained as he gazed at the over sized map in his hands. "It seems that in my enthusiasm I have forgotten to take the correct path to the location of my old chaps!" He turned his brown eyes on the busy street he was currently standing on, the green bucket hat on his head bouncing from the sudden motion. "Why must the streets in this city be so mind dazzlingly complicated? Oh, how I miss the simplistic, but charming country roads of Hollow Shades.." The man sighed, his white sock and sandal covered foot tapping the ground slowly. "But alas!" He yelled out, casting a finger in the air dramatically. "These shortcomings wont stop me from reaching my goal!" Several people on the street stopped and gave the loud man confused and wary stares, some whispering to each other about the possible mental illnesses he could have. "I might not be the best map reader, but I will certainly give it the good old college try!" He finished with a smile. "I just have to find the righ-" He stopped as he noticed that a small crowd had formed around him. "Is he right in the head?" "He seems a bit creepy.." "Whats up with that weird mustache?" "What a dreadful outfit." The gathered crowd murmured. He gave a broad smile to the mass of people and waved. "Greetings! A fine day for walking on the streets, is it not?" The man said cheerfully. The gathering of people went completely silent, some giving the man an awkward smile and returning the wave while others just quickly scurried away from the clearly insane person. "Now then!" He snapped his head towards the map in a fluid motion. " Where should I advance to correct my path?" The man spoke to himself again. "Hmm.. I should figure it out any minute now.." One hour later "RISH ROSH!" A shout of frustration and dread echoed in the streets. "Why must map reading be so rigedy digedy hard!" The bucked hat wearing abnormality whined, lowering his head in shame. "This is quite embarrassing...." A weary sigh escaped him. "Perhaps it is best if I just indulged myself with some delightful hospitality by asking some directions from the locals." He said with a defeated tone and carefully folded his map. The sun had already lowered quite a bit, casting a pleasant evening light on the buzzing city. "But where should I ask?" He hummed in thought while twirling his mustache, eyes scanning his surroundings. "Maybe...AHA!" He snapped his fingers as the perfect place grazed his eyes. "This is perfect!" He quickly stuffed the map in one of the pockets of his blue short sleeved shirt that was decorated with palm trees. Eagerly grabbing a big and old suitcase, the tall man quickly made his way towards the target with long strides, hat and mustache bouncing happily with each step he took. If one desired to now their way around a city like this, they would most certainly go to a... He grinned as he reached his destination. ....BAKERY! The man thought in triumph and moved in. The door bell announced his arrival as he entered the empty shop with a smile on his face. "Greetings! May I have a mome-" "WELCOME TO SWEET SHOPPE, MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER!?" "EEEEEEEEENT!?" He yelped as a fast and loud pink blur suddenly filled his vision. "Oh, sorry!" The ball of pink chuckled. " Didn't mean to startle you." "W-what in the name of afternoon tea?" He gasped, leaning on his suitcase for support. Standing in front of him was a poofy haired and pink colored young lady with a very stained apron. "So! What can I do for you?" She said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. "We don't usually get customers at this time of the day! I was actually just about to close shop before you came in, Mister." The grin plastered on her face only grew in size." Aaand since you are the only one here that means that you get the Pinkie Pie special treatment!" She giggled and threw a handful of confetti up in the air. "T-that is very kind of you lady...Pinkie Pie was it?" The man asked, still leaning on his suitcase. The girl gave a rapid nod. "Yup, thats me!" "Right, I apologize for my rather...jumpy response to your jolly hospitality." He said apologetically as he stood straight and fixed his disheveled mustache. "It was rather rude of me to react in such a startled manner." "Aww, theres no need to feel sorry, Mister! You're not the first one to get startled by little old me" An appreciative smile found its way on to the mans face. " Such positivity! A rare trait these days." Pinkie Pie blushed in embarrassment. " Shucks, theres no need to be so formal! It’s just who I am." "Even a stranger like myself can see that very clearly, young lady." He chuckled, his gaze turning towards the clock on the counter . Oh dear,It seems that I'm running quite late on the promised schedule. The others will certainly not be pleased with my rather late arrival. He thought grimly, his smile slightly lowering in response. I should not dilly dally any longer "So! What kind of pastries would you like?" Pinkie piped up, pulling him from his musings." We have cupcakes, muffins, cakes, pies and loads of other things to sooth your sweet tooth!" She giggled again. "Get it? Because pastries are sweet?" The man could only give her a polite nod "That sounds very nice, Miss Pinkie, It truly does, but.." He pulled the map from the pocket of his shirt. "...the reason I came here was not to buy pastries, which I'm sure are delightful,but to ask for directions." He showed his map to her. "Oh." She said, her hair visibly deflating in response. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away.." The pink girl said with an awkward chuckle. ...Did her hair just pop like a balloon? He frowned at the sight and patted her shoulder. "Pish Posh, young lady! One should expect that people would come here to enjoy the fruits of your labor, rather than to ask for directions!" Her hair poofed back up and her trademark grin returned. He could also swear that he heard a light "squee" sound in there. How in the name of cold socks does that wor- "You are very kind, Mister!" The cheerful teen beamed, interrupting his train of confusion. " And don't sweat it, Pinkie Pie here knows the entire city like the back of her head! Just say the place!" A dumbfounded expression painted the mans face as he stared at the pink anomaly. Pinkie tilted her head to the side. "Umm,hello? Is everything alright?" He quickly shook his head when he noticed that he was just standing in complete silence. "S-splendid!" He stuttered and clapped his hands together excitedly, trying to clean the awkward atmosphere that had fallen upon them. Pinkie frowned. "Are you sure? You were kinda spacing out there for a moment." He waved his hand dismissively. "Pish posh! I was just taken aback by your positive and helpful nature! You have made this old man quite happy." The man said smoothly, giving her a quick bow. This time she was the one patting his shoulder, although rather awkwardly due to the height difference between the two. "No need to thank me, tall Mister." She giggled, standing on her tiptoes. He chuckled at her antics and placed the map on the nearby table. "Charming, but let us not dilly dally any longer and move to the topic at hand." He motioned at the laid out map. "Okie dokie!" She nodded and hopped to side of the table."What do you have in mind?" "Miss Pinkie, could you point me the in the direction of the motel called "The Hungry Rooster"?" He asked calmly, giving the clock a sideway glance. "Sure! All you need to do i- THE HUNGRY ROOSTER!?" She suddenly shouted out, eyes wide like dinner plates. "Indeed! That is my location." He said with a smile. " Could you tell me the most direct way to it?" "Th-Th-The Hungry Rooster is in the most not-nice-scary part of the entire city!" She blurted out in disbelief. "It’s filled with all sorts of nasty and mean people!" "Thats what I have been told, but The Hungry Rooster is known for its rather cheap prices, so it suits a chap like me just fine." He reassured her. "Besides, I'm not going to be spending my time alone there. I have old chaps that are waiting for me in that very same location." "B-b-but!" She gave him a pleading look. "It’s going to be fine, Miss Pinkie." The man said soothingly. "I believe a jolly old fellow like me can survive just fine!" He winked at her. "...If thats what you want, Mister.." She said in defeat, her hair slightly deflating again. "You have my deepest gratitude!" "BUT!" She raised a finger and shot him a determined glare. "You will not go there alone! I will personally escort you!" His grin turned into a confused frown. "Miss Pinkie, theres no need to do th-" "Not buts!" She said fiercely. "Oh dear..." He muttered. "You really are something, Miss Pie, not many people would be willing to escort a complete stranger." Sighing the man grabbed his map and suit case and motioned towards the door. " Well, we best be going before night falls and shrouds our merry path." Her glare immediately vanished. "Great! Just follow me then!" She grinned and jogged towards the door. "Miss Pinkie, what about the bake-" "No worries! No one comes at this hour anyway!" She yelled back. The man hummed, giving her an calculative stare, before following. "Sooo..." "Yes, Lady Pie?" They had been walking in comfortable silence for several minutes, with Pinkie Pie leading the way and the man following just behind her. This was clearly a huge no-no for Pinkie, so she decided to move with the same pace as her escort did. "What brings you here, Mister?" She asked with genuine curiosity, her eyes looking up at him." You are cleaaarly not from around here." He blinked owlishly and looked down at her. "Rish rosh! How did you figure that out? I thought that I blended with the locals like hot water with tea!" She giggled at his extravagant response. "Firstly, everyone knows where The Hungry Rooster is, it’s pretty much common knowledge around here with the nasty reputation and all..." Pinkie shuddered for a bit, but kept going. "Secondly, you dress like a tourist!" She pointed at his clothes, causing the mans jaw to drop at the claim. "Wh-what!?" He gave himself a once over. "This is a perfectly normal casual outfit!" His guide playfully rolled her eyes. "Bucket hat, palm tree shirt, shorts, white socks and sandals...I don't have to be Rarity to know that you look like a classic tourist." "Damnation!" He slapped his forehead in shame. "This is the last time I take advice from a coffee cup commercial..." She snorted in amusement and faced the road. The odd duo made their way through the evening streets of Canterlot City, all around them shops were starting to close up as their attendants prepared to return home after a hard day of working. "...Who's Rarity?" Her mustached companion asked with confusion as they entered a park. "Oh, shes a good friend of mine!" Pinkie chirped. " She too likes to use those fancy confusing words like you do, Mister." "Confusing words? Oh dear." Her escort sighed glumly, his bucket hat sliding to the side. "She also designs veeery neat clothes! Though I wouldn't go near her dressed like..." She coughed into a fist and nodded towards his outfit. "...that." "I will take that into consideration, Miss Pinkie." The man said with a curt nod, knowing that the young lady didn't mean any harm by it. The streetlights lit one by one as the sun lowered in the horizon, illuminating the shadowy park and providing comfort for those who found the chilling darkness uncomfortable. Though that didn't seem to bother his guide at all, she just kept walking with a big smile and bounce to her step. A rare trait to witness, but not unwelcome. "It’s getting pretty late, Miss Pinkie." He hummed. " How much longer till we reach this "famous" part of the city. I would hate if you would have to walk a long road home at this hour." "No worries! We should arrive there in about five minutes." She pointed forward. "The street that leads to The Hungry Rooster is on the other side of this park." "That is a jolly thing to hear. I would hate to take so much of your time, Miss Pi-" "Geez, no need to be so formal, Mister! It’s really not an issue for me." She scowled playfully, before her eyes widened in realization. "OH! You still haven't answered my first question!" He looked down at her with a raised brow. "What questio- Ah!" The man said with a snap of his fingers. "Now I remember! My apologies, I got so distracted by the topic of my fashion-" He pouted quickly at the mention of fashion "-that I had completely forgotten the main point!" "Happens to the best of us, no biggie!" She said with a happy shrug of her shoulders."So, what brings you here?" "Oh, many things actually, but lets just say that I was invited to this city by a group of my old chaps." He said cryptically. "Old chaps? Like friends?" The man idly pulled his twirly mustache with a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm...I believe the word "acquaintances" would fit us better. We rarely see each others these days and when we do, it’s usually when all of us are needed to get a job properly done" "Soo,like work partners then?" "That is correct, Miss Pinkie." He said with a smile. "Cool! What do you do?" She asked with childish wonder. Her companion chuckled at her enthusiasm. " Nothing special, we just do a little research." She tilted her head. "About what?" "Anomalies." The man said simply. "Ano-what now?" He patted the young girls head like a father would. "I doubt you would understand it even if I explained to you in a greater detail, Miss Pinkie. Lets just say that it’s related to my work and that research is involved." "Aaah, grown up professor stuff! " Pinkie said with a smack of her lips and a thumbs up."I gotcha." "I'm glad you understand." He said with a slight bow of his head. "Do you have any other questions? I would gladly answer them." The man inquired. "Oooh, theres so many things I would like to ask you, but..." Pinkie sighed and pointed ahead."The Pinkie Pie express has arrived to its destination." He followed her gaze with a raised brow and a flick of his mustache." Is that so? Time truly flies when you spend it in good company." They had arrived at the edge of the park, the soft grass giving way to hard asphalt. In front of them stood a small street entrance, its red neon lights that decorated the walls blinking erratically, giving it an eerie look. The street itself was in a rough shape, trash littered the ground which attracted rat and other vermin that were looking for an easy meal. The surrounding houses looked like they would collapse at any second, their walls dirty with filth and grime, the lights that shined from the windows being the only sign of life. "Well..here we are." Pinkie said halfheartedly. "Aah, yes!" The man said with a satisfied sigh, seemingly ignoring Pinkies worried and nervous tone. "I have finally reached my destination! By my magnificent mustache, It was certainly quite the task.." He turned towards her and removed his hat. "A task that would have been extremely hard to achieve without your help, Miss Pinkie! Truly you are the embodiment of joy." The man placed his bucket hat on his heart and gave her a deep bow. "You have my infinite gratitude!" "Eh..heh, thanks?" Pinkie said with a forced smile, eyes glancing towards the menacing street. "Look, are you really sure that you wanna go there? I mean, maybe you should return here when theres daylight?" She turned and gave him her best puppy eyes. "You know, when there arent any nasty people arou-?" "It has been a pleasure! Mayhaps I shall visit your lovely bakery when I have the time!" The man said, already making his way towards the entrance. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" Pinkie screeched, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Miss Pin-KIEH!?" He yelped in surprise when the pink menace seemingly teleported right next to him. "IpromisedthatIwouldescortyouthere!" The girl blabbered frantically. The man blinked in disbelief."Theres no need of that, Miss Pinkie. I can continue from here on out." He said reassuringly. Pinkie opened her mouth to protest. "No buts, young lady." She clamped her mouth shut and sighed. "Okay dokie.." Pinkie muttered sadly. "Pish posh! No need to feel sad, Miss Pinkie." He patted her head. "I'm very certain that you will see me entering through the doors of your fine establishment very soon." She looked up at him with an unsure look. " You will?" "Most certainly! It is only fair that I returned the favor..." He drummed his fingers against his chin in thought before continuing. "And who knows, perhaps I shall bring the others with me." He paused for a moment. "Well, if they are in the right mood that is, they can be a rather serious bunch." He added with an awkward chuckle. A small smile returned to her gloomy face. "I would like that. It would be nice to meet the people you hang out with." He grinned and extended his hand towards her. "So it shall be!" Pinkie Pie clasped the offered hand and shook it gently. "It’s a deal, Mister! " She giggled. "You know, you're pretty fun for an adult! Most grown ups cant stand me!" "You flatter me!" He chuckled and gave her another deep bow. " You are quite the person yourself! It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the company of a silly old man like me." The man grabbed his luggage and winked at her. "I shall see you around then, may you return home safely!" He gave her a wave and turned towards his destination. "WAIT!" Pinkie yelled out suddenly. "Yes, Miss Pinkie?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You haven't even told me your name yet! Calling you just "Mister" will get old really fast." "Oh dear, how foolish of me!" The man smiled sheepishly and tilted his head towards her. "The name's Görnebog!" "Geyne..borg?" Pinkies asked with a raised brow, having difficulty pronouncing the foreign name. "You're really not from around here." Görnebog chuckled."Not the most prettiest or easiest of names, but you will get the hand of it eventually." "I sure hope so! I would hate to get your weird-sounding-but-kinda-funny name wrong every time." She giggled and waved at him. "I will see you around then,Geurnbork!" Görnebog waved back. "Indeed we will!" Pinkie flashed him one last smile. "Bye!" She beamed and quickly jogged back towards the park, leaving Görnebog alone with a soft smile plastered on his mustached face. PreparationsCanterlot High Sunset Shimmer was tired. "-and then Trixie ate another potato chip an-" Extremely tired. The girl gave a sigh of pure anguish and massaged her worn eyes. "Ooh! And then I almost tripped on a banana!" "Thats nice to hear, Pinkie." Sunset muttered without even a tinge of interest. They were currently sitting on their favorite spot on the cafeteria. Twilight and Rarity were busy discussing about the coming math class while Fluttershy hummed a soft tune as she fiddled with her phone. "Umm, Sunset?" Applejack waved her hand in front of Sunsets face. " Ya okay there?" "Hrm?" Sunset grunted and slowly turned her head towards Applejack. "Did you say something?" She droned out. "Well, ya seem to be a little...out there." Applejack said with worry. " Everything alright?" Her question was met with an loud exhale. "Its fine, Applejack." Sunset tried to reassure her as she ran a hand trough her hair. "Sleep just has been difficult for me these past few days." She stifled a yawn. Her friend frowned at her. "Ya been staying up late again?" Sunset groaned and plopped her head on the table."Its not like that,I just can't get myself to fall asleep." The muffled voice replied. "I have no idea why." "Have you tried counting the hairs on your head? It always works for me!" Pinkie chimed in happily. Applejack raised her brow at that. " Ya count yer hair?" "Yes! All one hundred and seventy thousand of them!" She said proudly. "...Really." The farm girl deadpanned. "It takes a really long time for me to fall asleep." Pinkie said with a grin and a twitch of her eye. Applejack gave her a bewildered stare "Alright." She said slowly and nudged Sunset with her elbow. "Anyway, have ya considered seeing nurse Red Heart? Ah reckon she could give you something fancy fer that head of yours." "Yeah." Sunset drawled. "I didn't really want to bother her with such a minuscule problem like this, but it looks like I got no choice." She said begrudgingly, lifting her head up. " Moments like this make me miss my wide variety of spells I had back in Equestria." "Come on, Shinny," Pinkie patted her shoulder, "you still have your magic here! Granted you can only read minds and shoot rainbows when we combine our powers, but that counts for something, right?" "I know, I know.." The bacon haired girl gave a small smile. "It just would make life easier if I could cast a sleeping spell, I mean, medicine is fine and dandy, but magic is really more convenient." "Eeh, I guess," Pinkie shrugged her shoulder, "but enough about that! Happy thoughts, Shinny!" Sunset chuckled at her antics. "Thanks, Pinkie." She stretched her arms while yawning and quickly stood up. "Well, I guess I better get going to the nurses office before the classes start," She grabbed her bag, "see you girls in class!" "We'll make sure the teacher knows if ya can't make it." Applejack said with a tip of her hat. " Can't have them blaming ya for skipping class." She smirked. "Don´t forget that we have to finish that yearbook Shinny! So remember to get some rest, because we have a lot do tomorrow." Pinkie reminded her. Sunset gave her an appreciative smile. "Hey, you are talking to the girl in charge of the whole thing, so you can bet that I will not miss out on that. " Giving a thumbs up, the girl swung the bag over her shoulder and quickly jogged out of the cafeteria. Rarity, having just finished her conversation with Twilight, watched as Sunset left with a curious look. "Oh? Where did she hurry of to?" Pinkie reached into her hair,pulling a frosting covered cupcake out of it "Shinny just has a case of the good old insomnia, nothing really serious," She presented the cupcake to Rarity, "cupcake?" "Ergh.." Rarity gave a strained smile at the sight of the hairy pastry. "Maybe later." Pinkie shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself." She plopped the treat in her mouth, swallowing it whole with a single gulp. Rarity's smiled wavered at the sight."Right." Quickly clearing her throat, she returned to the subject at hand. "Still that must be terribly for poor Sunset, a lady must have her beauty sleep after all." She said with a frown. Twilight, having stayed quiet the entire conversation, decided to join in. "Well,it could be stress," She offered. "I mean, she is the president of the year book committee. Id be surprised if she wasn't a little bit stressed out." Applejack nodded her head." Yeah, the whole thing is a pretty large project if ya ask me." Rarity sighed lightly, idly fiddling with her hair. " I suppose we might be over thinking this." "Yeah, all those magic incidents have made us mighty paranoid." Applejack muttered. Rarity scoffed and waved her off. "Pish posh, darling, we are not being paranoid. Just a little.." She spun her hand, trying to find the right word,"concerned, for the lack of a better term." Pinkies eyes narrowed in concentration at those words. There was something about Rarity's way of talking that reminded her of something, but she couldn't for the life of her recall what exactly. Why does it feel that little old me here is forgetting something? She wondered internally. Lets see, I fed Gummy, did all the chores and the homewor- no wait, Gummy ate those...or was it me? She shook her head. Anyway! What else? Taking a quick sniff of her shirt, she gave herself a mental head pat. I did remember to take a bath. She slumped on her seat a bit, ignoring the conversation between her friends. Humph! I hate when this happens. Pinkie groaned, softly hitting her head with her fist. Nothing really special happened yesterday either. I was working the entire day and helped that one tourist with a really strange name to find his way. The girl hummed. What was his name again? Geurnyuduck or something like that. Quirky mister, talked a lot like Rarity now that I think about it. She mentally shrugged. Eh, thats about it nothing really out of the ordina- She slammed her fists on the tabble with the force of a thousand cupcakes. "Icompletelyforgottotellyougirlsaboutthisreallynice,manImetyesterday!" The cafeteria went completely silent as everyone stared at Pinkie with their jaws hanging open. "Hi girls!" Rainbow appeared with a burst of speed, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry I'm late! I had to finish my homework at the library." Her smile vanished when she noticed that her friends weren't paying any attention to her. "Umm, did I miss something?" She said with a tilt of her head. The others continued ignoring her as they ogled at Pinkie with wide eyes. Canterlot City "Greetings! May I have a moment of your time?" "No" "What a lovely day! Can I persuade you to spare me a few seconds?" "Leave me alone." "Good morning! Do you wish to participate in an university sponsored quiz?" "Nah, sounds like a bore." "Jolly day! Might I as-" "Get away from me, you pale skinned, gay basketball player looking freak!" Görnebog watched with a frown on his face as his latest attempt to gather information ran away from him. "Hrm, it seems that finding our little anomaly will be harder than I thought." He said to himself as he continued to walk down the street with a steady pace. "The lack of eye witness testimonies is to be expected, but to also have a shortage in rumors or even gossips! " Worry oozed from his words as he contemplated his situation. He pinched his mustache and twirled it between his fingers. "Rish rosh, I will have to triple my efforts! The others are certain that the anomaly is located in this area, theres no mistaking it, I just have to find it." "Um,Sir?" "Since field research has been rather unfruitful, I must redirect my gaze to other areas, but where?" "Hello?" He stopped at the traffic light, hands clasped behind his back. "Perhaps gossip magazines and newspapers would be the best source of information." "You dropped your pen." He smiled to himself. "Jolly good idea, Görnebog!" The light turned green, signaling that it was time to move again. "Could you stop, please?" "I believe that I can find everything I need at the library!" He hummed happily. "Yes, this will work! The others will be very pleased with me when I have dealt with the anomaly." "SIR!" Görnebog stopped, head turning from side to side in confusion. "Hrm? I someone trying to get my attention?" "Behind you!" Görnebog slowly turned around, brow raised. Standing behind him was a young girl with a long green hair and a matching sweater. "Greetings, young lady." Görnebog bowed his head slightly. "Was it perchance you who called for me?" The girl crossed her arms, pouting as she did. " I have been trying to get your attention for a while now." She said with a quiet voice. Görnebog slapped his forehead in shame. "Oh! One hundred apologies, I was so invested in my internal discussion that I completely ignored my surroundings." He said apologetically. The girl sighed. "Its fine, I'm used to it." She said, muttering the last part. Görnebog winced internally at the girls sad tone. Rish rosh! I have offended this lovely young lady with my ignorance! This must be corrected. "Here." The girl said, holding a pen towards him. " You dropped this." His eyes widened at the sight, hands patting his pockets and not finding his pen. "Rish rosh! When did I lose that?" The man took the pen from the girls waiting palm. "When you were talking to yourself." The green haired girl said with a slight deadpan. Görnebog stared at her awkwardly. My God, when did I become so irresponsible! Quick, salvage this situation! He gave her a deep bow. "Thank you for being this helpful!" She blinked in disbelief, before fidgeting in place nervously, eyes looking away from him. Apparently she was not used to someone thanking her. "I-its fine. I just did what any other person would have done." Görnebog scoffed. "Pish posh, young lady, you have shown an act of kindness by returning my pen instead of taking it! This must be rewarded." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out an over sized leather wallet. "Lets see, what would be the perfect reward for a helpful young lady such as yourself?" He hummed. The girl gave a strained smile and slowly inched away from the eccentric man. "Oh, theres no need for that! Really, its fine." She swiftly pointed at her wrist clock. "Oh! Look at the time, I really must be going! Can't be late for..." Sweat started to form on her browns as she tried to come up with a good excuse. "..Gardening." "Ice cream!" Görnebog suddenly shouted out. Her smile faded. "What?" She deadpanned. The man smiled at her and pulled out a couple of bits from his wallet. "Your efforts shall be rewarded with ice cream!" He said triumphantly. The girl groaned, slapping her forehead. This is so awkward.. She moaned internally. Should I just erase his memory and be done with it? "Lots of ice cream!" Scratch that, doing it now. She made up her mind, her hand moving towards her backpack. "Oh, let me get that burden from your shoulders!" Görnebog proceed to snatch it from her back with a quick swipe. "A gentleman always helps a lady in need." "H-hey!" The girl blurted in disbelief. "Now then!"He swung the backpack over his shoulder. "Let us go find a good spot to fulfill your reward!" The man said cheerfully as he rapidly moved forwards. The teens jaw dropped at the mans actions, her eyes wide. "Wa-wait!" She yelled in panic, running after the man. "Give that back!" This can't be happening! AnythingWallflower Blush stared at her strawberry sundae in complete disbelief. She had tried her hardest to retrieve her backpack from the disturbingly cheerful man, but the dammed mustached oddity had insisted on carrying it for her till they reached the desired place. He had stated that he wanted reward her properly and that a gentleman never falls back on his word. Honestly, in any other situation she would have been flattered by this kind of treatment, but the man couldn't have chosen a more bad time to do it. It didn't help that people were giving them funny looks when they passed them. She really hated drawing so much attention. After the man had finally found an ice cream bar to his liking , he quickly rushed her inside and planted her on a chair. She didn't even have a chance to open her mouth to protest because the odd man had already blitzed to the counter. She thanked the powers above that the place was relatively empty, the thought of everyone staring at her made her feel weak. It wasn't long before he returned with a bowl of ice cream and a large smile on his face, dropping it right in front of her. "I hope it is to your liking, young lady." She tore her gaze from the icy goodness and stared at the man. She had to admit, the dish did look quite appetizing. "It looks pretty good.." She sighed. "You really didn't need to do this for me. A simple ´thank you´ would have been more than enough." As expected the man just brushed her off with a shake of his head. "Pish posh, you need not to be so modest. This reward is something you have earned." "Fine, I will accept it." She gave in with a roll of her eyes. " Can I now have my backpack back, please?" The man smiled and nodded. "Of course." He handed it over to her and she quickly took it. Phew, finally. She internally sighed in relief. The thought of just erasing the weirdos memory entered her mind, but after a moment of thinking she decided against it. It would be too much of a hassle to bolt away and to leave the man to his own devices. Besides, it would be rude to erase his memory after all the trouble he went trough to reward her, even though the pale man had a weird way of going on about it. The ice cream was a nice plus as well. Well, might as well dig in.. She took a small spoonful and plopped it in her mouth. She let out a pleased hum. Yep,it was delicious. She wasted no time and started to happily munch on her desert. The man smiled at the sight, leaning into his fist. "Tell me something, are all the young people here this helpful?" He questioned. She raised a brow at the question. "Whad do yhouh mean?" She asked with a mouthful of ice cream. He chuckled at the sight, causing her to blush in embarrassment. "Ah, I see that the ice cream is indeed to your liking!" Wallflower buried her face into her palms, groaning in defeat. "But back to your question. It was just yesterday when a young girl helped me to find my way in this city!" He caressed his mustache. "Now that I think about it, she seemed to be in the same age group as you. What a lovely coincidence." She lowered her hands, having recovered from her embarrassment. "Really? " She asked surprised. "What was her name? If she was the same age as me, I could maybe recognize her." The man smiled at the memory. " I believe her name was Pinkie Pie." A look of recognition appeared on her name. " Pinkie? We attend the same high school." The man smiled gleefully." Jolly coincidence! Is she a friend of yours?" A frown found its way to her face. "Well..not really." She said, her eyes downcast. "I mean, shes nice, but we never actually hung out together." A sigh escaped from her lips. The man frowned slightly,taking note of her downed mood. "Oh, but surely a helpful girl such as yourself has many other friends." He tried to cheer her up Wallflower wondered why the man cared about her social status. It was odd and it made her feel out of place. "To be honest I don't actually have many friends." The words seemed to escape from her mouth. She had no idea why she decided to open that can of worms to this weird man. Maybe its because she had never talked to anyone for this long since forever. His smile faltered for a brief moment. "Ah, do you wish to talk about it?" He offered with a soft tone. Wallflower snorted. "It would be nice, but it feels weird to talk about these kinds of things to a total stranger, you know?" He nodded understandingly "Naturally, humans have a tendency of fearing the unknown after all." He raised a finger. "But I reassure you that I am not some any no-face from the streets. I am a professor and have years of experience in dealing with students such as yourself." Her eyes widened in surprise. The man was a teacher? She was not expecting that. "You are a professor?" "Indeed! My name is Görnebog." He tipped his hat. "What would yours be?" "O-oh, Im Wallflower Blush." She stuttered at the sudden question. Görnebog nodded his head approvingly. "Hmm, a beautiful name for a beautiful young lady." Wallflowers face turned red from embarrassment again. "O-oh thats..nice to hear?." She said awkwardly. Quick! Return the compliment like a normal person would! Her inner voice screamed at her. "Your name fits you too! Its very.." She cleared her throat. "...Nonsensical?" Wallflower offered with a strained smile. Görnebog stared at her silently with a look of utter confusion. Her smile fell, replaced by a blank stare. " I actually have no idea what your name even means." Smooth. The man blinked before letting out a small chuckle. "Understandable. There are only a few who do know." Awkwardness was replaced by intrigue. "Really?" He nodded. "Indeed. Its quite the rarity" He winked at her. "A smart girl like you has probably already figured out that I am not exactly from around here." Wallflower gave a small smile. "Well yeah, the weird name was a dead give away." She winced at her poor choice of words "No offense of course!" she added. Görnebog waved her off. "Pish posh! None taken." The man clasped his hands together. " Now that the introductions are past us, shall we return to the main topic?" Wallflower sighed. " You mean my lack of friends?" She asked dryly. Görnebog nodded and motioned her to continue. "Fine, but its nothing really special." The girl muttered before continuing. " I have always had problems in socializing with people. I do not know how to start conversations without it turning awkward or uncomfortable." She fidgeted in her seat, eyes downcast. "Others have tendency of ignoring me when I try to speak to them, and they never really talk to me either..." She rolled her eyes. "Expect when they want me to do something. It feels like little old me is completely invisible to everyone. " "That sounds very unfortunate." Görnebog said with a soft tone. "Have you tried talking with someone about your predicament? The school counselor or a teacher could provide you with a way of explaining your situation and finding a solution." Wallflower scoffed. "Been there, done that. They just told me to try my best and interact with my fellow students more." "Exposure therapy." Görnebog added, tapping his finger on the table, "Like all forms of therapy the results vary from person to person." He flicked his mustache. " I can see that it wasn't suitable for you." He said firmly, catching her of guard. She wasn't expecting the man to actually have experience on the matter. "Yeah, it just made things worse." Görnebog was silent for a moment before continuing. "Tell me something.What was your childhood like?" She raised a brow. "What are you getting at?" Görnebog leaned slightly forward on his chair. "A major part of a person's personality is molded in their childhood. It is true that one can change or tweak their personality during the course of their lives, but the foundation always has roots to ones childhood." Wallflower stared at the man with an unsure expression. "Well..." Should I really be opening up my life this much to a stranger? She debated internally. Ugh! Nevermind. He doesn't seem like the´I will use your information to blackmail you`type of guy. Besides, it seems like this is my only chance of getting actually good advice. "My parents wanted to shield me from the evils of this world, so they raised me very protectively." She sighed. "It was nice back then, but now that I'm older I can see that maybe it wasn't the best way." "That caused you grow up as an introvert child?" "Bingo.." Wallflower drawled. "Thats what happens when you don't have any contact with children your age outside of school." "I see, that certainly explains the difficulties you are facing now." He said with a thoughtful hum. "So...Any advice?" She asked hopefully with a strained smile. The man tapped his chin, before nodding slightly. "Do what you want." Görnebog said simply. Her eye twitched "...What?" "Go were the fence is the lowest." He added. "What does that even mean?!" She hissed. "Use your sense of individuality and bring some comfort to your life." "Okay." Wallfower massaged her eyes in frustration. "Stop talking like a board game quest giver, and just give it to me straight." "A simplified response?" Walllower groaned and nodded her head. "Yes, please.." "Very well, young lady." Görnebog said professionally. The man pinched his mustache."To put it simply: Do anything that gives you even a slight wisp of comfort." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Anything?" "Anything." Görnebog said firmly. "You have tried your best with the tools you have been given. At the pace you are going, it could take a lot of hard work for you to reach the level you desire." He spun his hand. "Not saying it is a bad thing, these things take time after all, but I have a distinct feeling that you don't want to wait that long." "True.." She said slowly. "But I'm still not entirely sure what you mean by ´do anything`." "Eat foods that you like, engage in your favorite hobbies, enjoy the little things in life, teach the the students who have ignored you a lesson. The list goes on." He listed casually. "Wait. What was that last part?" Wallflower asked completely baffled. Had he actually said that? "Teach those who ignored you a lesson, young lady." Her jaw fell open slightly. That had come completely out of nowhere. "W-what!?" "You don't have any fellow students that you dislike?" "Of course I have..." She muttered, a certain bacon haired girl coming to her mind. "But what you are saying is-" "Morally wrong? Under normal circumstances yes, but you have gone past that point. It is a widely known fact that inflicting a healthy dose of jolly retribution to a person that has done you harm creates a feeling of success and accomplishment. " "B-but." "Miss Wallflower. I am not implying that you should give them a wallop, only that you give them a justifiable lesson for treating you so poorly." "O-oh. I kinda see your point, but that still sounds a bit...extreme?"" "Pish posh, don't dwell on it too much. You will see what I mean when the moment presents itself to you." Görnebog said with a good natured wink. "If you say so.." She drawled, still a bit unsure about the whole thing. "Trust me on this one, young lady." Görnebog said with confidence. "Do not give into despair, stop thinking about how others would react or how they feel about you. Enjoy life and have fun." The man suddenly spread his arms in a very theatrical manner "Pish posh, rish rosh! Do anything you want, remember that the world isn't as black and white as one may think." He said with a burst of energy and a grin. She stared at the strange display and declaration with wide eyes. I-I guess I have to think about that... Her eyes wandered to her backpack where the memory stone was currently hidden. I do have the tools for it. Wallflower massaged her chin in thought after several seconds of pondering. "Anything, huh?" Görnebog smiled knowingly at her. "Anything, young lady."
The Man With The Weird Name"Pish posh, rish rosh!" A tall man with a pale white skin, twirly mustache and brown hair complained as he gazed at the over sized map in his hands. "It seems that in my enthusiasm I have forgotten to take the correct path to the location of my old chaps!" He turned his brown eyes on the busy street he was currently standing on, the green bucket hat on his head bouncing from the sudden motion. "Why must the streets in this city be so mind dazzlingly complicated? Oh, how I miss the simplistic, but charming country roads of Hollow Shades.." The man sighed, his white sock and sandal covered foot tapping the ground slowly. "But alas!" He yelled out, casting a finger in the air dramatically. "These shortcomings wont stop me from reaching my goal!" Several people on the street stopped and gave the loud man confused and wary stares, some whispering to each other about the possible mental illnesses he could have. "I might not be the best map reader, but I will certainly give it the good old college try!" He finished with a smile. "I just have to find the righ-" He stopped as he noticed that a small crowd had formed around him. "Is he right in the head?" "He seems a bit creepy.." "Whats up with that weird mustache?" "What a dreadful outfit." The gathered crowd murmured. He gave a broad smile to the mass of people and waved. "Greetings! A fine day for walking on the streets, is it not?" The man said cheerfully. The gathering of people went completely silent, some giving the man an awkward smile and returning the wave while others just quickly scurried away from the clearly insane person. "Now then!" He snapped his head towards the map in a fluid motion. " Where should I advance to correct my path?" The man spoke to himself again. "Hmm.. I should figure it out any minute now.." One hour later "RISH ROSH!" A shout of frustration and dread echoed in the streets. "Why must map reading be so rigedy digedy hard!" The bucked hat wearing abnormality whined, lowering his head in shame. "This is quite embarrassing...." A weary sigh escaped him. "Perhaps it is best if I just indulged myself with some delightful hospitality by asking some directions from the locals." He said with a defeated tone and carefully folded his map. The sun had already lowered quite a bit, casting a pleasant evening light on the buzzing city. "But where should I ask?" He hummed in thought while twirling his mustache, eyes scanning his surroundings. "Maybe...AHA!" He snapped his fingers as the perfect place grazed his eyes. "This is perfect!" He quickly stuffed the map in one of the pockets of his blue short sleeved shirt that was decorated with palm trees. Eagerly grabbing a big and old suitcase, the tall man quickly made his way towards the target with long strides, hat and mustache bouncing happily with each step he took. If one desired to now their way around a city like this, they would most certainly go to a... He grinned as he reached his destination. ....BAKERY! The man thought in triumph and moved in. The door bell announced his arrival as he entered the empty shop with a smile on his face. "Greetings! May I have a mome-" "WELCOME TO SWEET SHOPPE, MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER!?" "EEEEEEEEENT!?" He yelped as a fast and loud pink blur suddenly filled his vision. "Oh, sorry!" The ball of pink chuckled. " Didn't mean to startle you." "W-what in the name of afternoon tea?" He gasped, leaning on his suitcase for support. Standing in front of him was a poofy haired and pink colored young lady with a very stained apron. "So! What can I do for you?" She said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. "We don't usually get customers at this time of the day! I was actually just about to close shop before you came in, Mister." The grin plastered on her face only grew in size." Aaand since you are the only one here that means that you get the Pinkie Pie special treatment!" She giggled and threw a handful of confetti up in the air. "T-that is very kind of you lady...Pinkie Pie was it?" The man asked, still leaning on his suitcase. The girl gave a rapid nod. "Yup, thats me!" "Right, I apologize for my rather...jumpy response to your jolly hospitality." He said apologetically as he stood straight and fixed his disheveled mustache. "It was rather rude of me to react in such a startled manner." "Aww, theres no need to feel sorry, Mister! You're not the first one to get startled by little old me" An appreciative smile found its way on to the mans face. " Such positivity! A rare trait these days." Pinkie Pie blushed in embarrassment. " Shucks, theres no need to be so formal! It’s just who I am." "Even a stranger like myself can see that very clearly, young lady." He chuckled, his gaze turning towards the clock on the counter . Oh dear,It seems that I'm running quite late on the promised schedule. The others will certainly not be pleased with my rather late arrival. He thought grimly, his smile slightly lowering in response. I should not dilly dally any longer "So! What kind of pastries would you like?" Pinkie piped up, pulling him from his musings." We have cupcakes, muffins, cakes, pies and loads of other things to sooth your sweet tooth!" She giggled again. "Get it? Because pastries are sweet?" The man could only give her a polite nod "That sounds very nice, Miss Pinkie, It truly does, but.." He pulled the map from the pocket of his shirt. "...the reason I came here was not to buy pastries, which I'm sure are delightful,but to ask for directions." He showed his map to her. "Oh." She said, her hair visibly deflating in response. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away.." The pink girl said with an awkward chuckle. ...Did her hair just pop like a balloon? He frowned at the sight and patted her shoulder. "Pish Posh, young lady! One should expect that people would come here to enjoy the fruits of your labor, rather than to ask for directions!" Her hair poofed back up and her trademark grin returned. He could also swear that he heard a light "squee" sound in there. How in the name of cold socks does that wor- "You are very kind, Mister!" The cheerful teen beamed, interrupting his train of confusion. " And don't sweat it, Pinkie Pie here knows the entire city like the back of her head! Just say the place!" A dumbfounded expression painted the mans face as he stared at the pink anomaly. Pinkie tilted her head to the side. "Umm,hello? Is everything alright?" He quickly shook his head when he noticed that he was just standing in complete silence. "S-splendid!" He stuttered and clapped his hands together excitedly, trying to clean the awkward atmosphere that had fallen upon them. Pinkie frowned. "Are you sure? You were kinda spacing out there for a moment." He waved his hand dismissively. "Pish posh! I was just taken aback by your positive and helpful nature! You have made this old man quite happy." The man said smoothly, giving her a quick bow. This time she was the one patting his shoulder, although rather awkwardly due to the height difference between the two. "No need to thank me, tall Mister." She giggled, standing on her tiptoes. He chuckled at her antics and placed the map on the nearby table. "Charming, but let us not dilly dally any longer and move to the topic at hand." He motioned at the laid out map. "Okie dokie!" She nodded and hopped to side of the table."What do you have in mind?" "Miss Pinkie, could you point me the in the direction of the motel called "The Hungry Rooster"?" He asked calmly, giving the clock a sideway glance. "Sure! All you need to do i- THE HUNGRY ROOSTER!?" She suddenly shouted out, eyes wide like dinner plates. "Indeed! That is my location." He said with a smile. " Could you tell me the most direct way to it?" "Th-Th-The Hungry Rooster is in the most not-nice-scary part of the entire city!" She blurted out in disbelief. "It’s filled with all sorts of nasty and mean people!" "Thats what I have been told, but The Hungry Rooster is known for its rather cheap prices, so it suits a chap like me just fine." He reassured her. "Besides, I'm not going to be spending my time alone there. I have old chaps that are waiting for me in that very same location." "B-b-but!" She gave him a pleading look. "It’s going to be fine, Miss Pinkie." The man said soothingly. "I believe a jolly old fellow like me can survive just fine!" He winked at her. "...If thats what you want, Mister.." She said in defeat, her hair slightly deflating again. "You have my deepest gratitude!" "BUT!" She raised a finger and shot him a determined glare. "You will not go there alone! I will personally escort you!" His grin turned into a confused frown. "Miss Pinkie, theres no need to do th-" "Not buts!" She said fiercely. "Oh dear..." He muttered. "You really are something, Miss Pie, not many people would be willing to escort a complete stranger." Sighing the man grabbed his map and suit case and motioned towards the door. " Well, we best be going before night falls and shrouds our merry path." Her glare immediately vanished. "Great! Just follow me then!" She grinned and jogged towards the door. "Miss Pinkie, what about the bake-" "No worries! No one comes at this hour anyway!" She yelled back. The man hummed, giving her an calculative stare, before following. "Sooo..." "Yes, Lady Pie?" They had been walking in comfortable silence for several minutes, with Pinkie Pie leading the way and the man following just behind her. This was clearly a huge no-no for Pinkie, so she decided to move with the same pace as her escort did. "What brings you here, Mister?" She asked with genuine curiosity, her eyes looking up at him." You are cleaaarly not from around here." He blinked owlishly and looked down at her. "Rish rosh! How did you figure that out? I thought that I blended with the locals like hot water with tea!" She giggled at his extravagant response. "Firstly, everyone knows where The Hungry Rooster is, it’s pretty much common knowledge around here with the nasty reputation and all..." Pinkie shuddered for a bit, but kept going. "Secondly, you dress like a tourist!" She pointed at his clothes, causing the mans jaw to drop at the claim. "Wh-what!?" He gave himself a once over. "This is a perfectly normal casual outfit!" His guide playfully rolled her eyes. "Bucket hat, palm tree shirt, shorts, white socks and sandals...I don't have to be Rarity to know that you look like a classic tourist." "Damnation!" He slapped his forehead in shame. "This is the last time I take advice from a coffee cup commercial..." She snorted in amusement and faced the road. The odd duo made their way through the evening streets of Canterlot City, all around them shops were starting to close up as their attendants prepared to return home after a hard day of working. "...Who's Rarity?" Her mustached companion asked with confusion as they entered a park. "Oh, shes a good friend of mine!" Pinkie chirped. " She too likes to use those fancy confusing words like you do, Mister." "Confusing words? Oh dear." Her escort sighed glumly, his bucket hat sliding to the side. "She also designs veeery neat clothes! Though I wouldn't go near her dressed like..." She coughed into a fist and nodded towards his outfit. "...that." "I will take that into consideration, Miss Pinkie." The man said with a curt nod, knowing that the young lady didn't mean any harm by it. The streetlights lit one by one as the sun lowered in the horizon, illuminating the shadowy park and providing comfort for those who found the chilling darkness uncomfortable. Though that didn't seem to bother his guide at all, she just kept walking with a big smile and bounce to her step. A rare trait to witness, but not unwelcome. "It’s getting pretty late, Miss Pinkie." He hummed. " How much longer till we reach this "famous" part of the city. I would hate if you would have to walk a long road home at this hour." "No worries! We should arrive there in about five minutes." She pointed forward. "The street that leads to The Hungry Rooster is on the other side of this park." "That is a jolly thing to hear. I would hate to take so much of your time, Miss Pi-" "Geez, no need to be so formal, Mister! It’s really not an issue for me." She scowled playfully, before her eyes widened in realization. "OH! You still haven't answered my first question!" He looked down at her with a raised brow. "What questio- Ah!" The man said with a snap of his fingers. "Now I remember! My apologies, I got so distracted by the topic of my fashion-" He pouted quickly at the mention of fashion "-that I had completely forgotten the main point!" "Happens to the best of us, no biggie!" She said with a happy shrug of her shoulders."So, what brings you here?" "Oh, many things actually, but lets just say that I was invited to this city by a group of my old chaps." He said cryptically. "Old chaps? Like friends?" The man idly pulled his twirly mustache with a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm...I believe the word "acquaintances" would fit us better. We rarely see each others these days and when we do, it’s usually when all of us are needed to get a job properly done" "Soo,like work partners then?" "That is correct, Miss Pinkie." He said with a smile. "Cool! What do you do?" She asked with childish wonder. Her companion chuckled at her enthusiasm. " Nothing special, we just do a little research." She tilted her head. "About what?" "Anomalies." The man said simply. "Ano-what now?" He patted the young girls head like a father would. "I doubt you would understand it even if I explained to you in a greater detail, Miss Pinkie. Lets just say that it’s related to my work and that research is involved." "Aaah, grown up professor stuff! " Pinkie said with a smack of her lips and a thumbs up."I gotcha." "I'm glad you understand." He said with a slight bow of his head. "Do you have any other questions? I would gladly answer them." The man inquired. "Oooh, theres so many things I would like to ask you, but..." Pinkie sighed and pointed ahead."The Pinkie Pie express has arrived to its destination." He followed her gaze with a raised brow and a flick of his mustache." Is that so? Time truly flies when you spend it in good company." They had arrived at the edge of the park, the soft grass giving way to hard asphalt. In front of them stood a small street entrance, its red neon lights that decorated the walls blinking erratically, giving it an eerie look. The street itself was in a rough shape, trash littered the ground which attracted rat and other vermin that were looking for an easy meal. The surrounding houses looked like they would collapse at any second, their walls dirty with filth and grime, the lights that shined from the windows being the only sign of life. "Well..here we are." Pinkie said halfheartedly. "Aah, yes!" The man said with a satisfied sigh, seemingly ignoring Pinkies worried and nervous tone. "I have finally reached my destination! By my magnificent mustache, It was certainly quite the task.." He turned towards her and removed his hat. "A task that would have been extremely hard to achieve without your help, Miss Pinkie! Truly you are the embodiment of joy." The man placed his bucket hat on his heart and gave her a deep bow. "You have my infinite gratitude!" "Eh..heh, thanks?" Pinkie said with a forced smile, eyes glancing towards the menacing street. "Look, are you really sure that you wanna go there? I mean, maybe you should return here when theres daylight?" She turned and gave him her best puppy eyes. "You know, when there arent any nasty people arou-?" "It has been a pleasure! Mayhaps I shall visit your lovely bakery when I have the time!" The man said, already making his way towards the entrance. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" Pinkie screeched, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Miss Pin-KIEH!?" He yelped in surprise when the pink menace seemingly teleported right next to him. "IpromisedthatIwouldescortyouthere!" The girl blabbered frantically. The man blinked in disbelief."Theres no need of that, Miss Pinkie. I can continue from here on out." He said reassuringly. Pinkie opened her mouth to protest. "No buts, young lady." She clamped her mouth shut and sighed. "Okay dokie.." Pinkie muttered sadly. "Pish posh! No need to feel sad, Miss Pinkie." He patted her head. "I'm very certain that you will see me entering through the doors of your fine establishment very soon." She looked up at him with an unsure look. " You will?" "Most certainly! It is only fair that I returned the favor..." He drummed his fingers against his chin in thought before continuing. "And who knows, perhaps I shall bring the others with me." He paused for a moment. "Well, if they are in the right mood that is, they can be a rather serious bunch." He added with an awkward chuckle. A small smile returned to her gloomy face. "I would like that. It would be nice to meet the people you hang out with." He grinned and extended his hand towards her. "So it shall be!" Pinkie Pie clasped the offered hand and shook it gently. "It’s a deal, Mister! " She giggled. "You know, you're pretty fun for an adult! Most grown ups cant stand me!" "You flatter me!" He chuckled and gave her another deep bow. " You are quite the person yourself! It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the company of a silly old man like me." The man grabbed his luggage and winked at her. "I shall see you around then, may you return home safely!" He gave her a wave and turned towards his destination. "WAIT!" Pinkie yelled out suddenly. "Yes, Miss Pinkie?" She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You haven't even told me your name yet! Calling you just "Mister" will get old really fast." "Oh dear, how foolish of me!" The man smiled sheepishly and tilted his head towards her. "The name's Görnebog!" "Geyne..borg?" Pinkies asked with a raised brow, having difficulty pronouncing the foreign name. "You're really not from around here." Görnebog chuckled."Not the most prettiest or easiest of names, but you will get the hand of it eventually." "I sure hope so! I would hate to get your weird-sounding-but-kinda-funny name wrong every time." She giggled and waved at him. "I will see you around then,Geurnbork!" Görnebog waved back. "Indeed we will!" Pinkie flashed him one last smile. "Bye!" She beamed and quickly jogged back towards the park, leaving Görnebog alone with a soft smile plastered on his mustached face.
PreparationsCanterlot High Sunset Shimmer was tired. "-and then Trixie ate another potato chip an-" Extremely tired. The girl gave a sigh of pure anguish and massaged her worn eyes. "Ooh! And then I almost tripped on a banana!" "Thats nice to hear, Pinkie." Sunset muttered without even a tinge of interest. They were currently sitting on their favorite spot on the cafeteria. Twilight and Rarity were busy discussing about the coming math class while Fluttershy hummed a soft tune as she fiddled with her phone. "Umm, Sunset?" Applejack waved her hand in front of Sunsets face. " Ya okay there?" "Hrm?" Sunset grunted and slowly turned her head towards Applejack. "Did you say something?" She droned out. "Well, ya seem to be a little...out there." Applejack said with worry. " Everything alright?" Her question was met with an loud exhale. "Its fine, Applejack." Sunset tried to reassure her as she ran a hand trough her hair. "Sleep just has been difficult for me these past few days." She stifled a yawn. Her friend frowned at her. "Ya been staying up late again?" Sunset groaned and plopped her head on the table."Its not like that,I just can't get myself to fall asleep." The muffled voice replied. "I have no idea why." "Have you tried counting the hairs on your head? It always works for me!" Pinkie chimed in happily. Applejack raised her brow at that. " Ya count yer hair?" "Yes! All one hundred and seventy thousand of them!" She said proudly. "...Really." The farm girl deadpanned. "It takes a really long time for me to fall asleep." Pinkie said with a grin and a twitch of her eye. Applejack gave her a bewildered stare "Alright." She said slowly and nudged Sunset with her elbow. "Anyway, have ya considered seeing nurse Red Heart? Ah reckon she could give you something fancy fer that head of yours." "Yeah." Sunset drawled. "I didn't really want to bother her with such a minuscule problem like this, but it looks like I got no choice." She said begrudgingly, lifting her head up. " Moments like this make me miss my wide variety of spells I had back in Equestria." "Come on, Shinny," Pinkie patted her shoulder, "you still have your magic here! Granted you can only read minds and shoot rainbows when we combine our powers, but that counts for something, right?" "I know, I know.." The bacon haired girl gave a small smile. "It just would make life easier if I could cast a sleeping spell, I mean, medicine is fine and dandy, but magic is really more convenient." "Eeh, I guess," Pinkie shrugged her shoulder, "but enough about that! Happy thoughts, Shinny!" Sunset chuckled at her antics. "Thanks, Pinkie." She stretched her arms while yawning and quickly stood up. "Well, I guess I better get going to the nurses office before the classes start," She grabbed her bag, "see you girls in class!" "We'll make sure the teacher knows if ya can't make it." Applejack said with a tip of her hat. " Can't have them blaming ya for skipping class." She smirked. "Don´t forget that we have to finish that yearbook Shinny! So remember to get some rest, because we have a lot do tomorrow." Pinkie reminded her. Sunset gave her an appreciative smile. "Hey, you are talking to the girl in charge of the whole thing, so you can bet that I will not miss out on that. " Giving a thumbs up, the girl swung the bag over her shoulder and quickly jogged out of the cafeteria. Rarity, having just finished her conversation with Twilight, watched as Sunset left with a curious look. "Oh? Where did she hurry of to?" Pinkie reached into her hair,pulling a frosting covered cupcake out of it "Shinny just has a case of the good old insomnia, nothing really serious," She presented the cupcake to Rarity, "cupcake?" "Ergh.." Rarity gave a strained smile at the sight of the hairy pastry. "Maybe later." Pinkie shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself." She plopped the treat in her mouth, swallowing it whole with a single gulp. Rarity's smiled wavered at the sight."Right." Quickly clearing her throat, she returned to the subject at hand. "Still that must be terribly for poor Sunset, a lady must have her beauty sleep after all." She said with a frown. Twilight, having stayed quiet the entire conversation, decided to join in. "Well,it could be stress," She offered. "I mean, she is the president of the year book committee. Id be surprised if she wasn't a little bit stressed out." Applejack nodded her head." Yeah, the whole thing is a pretty large project if ya ask me." Rarity sighed lightly, idly fiddling with her hair. " I suppose we might be over thinking this." "Yeah, all those magic incidents have made us mighty paranoid." Applejack muttered. Rarity scoffed and waved her off. "Pish posh, darling, we are not being paranoid. Just a little.." She spun her hand, trying to find the right word,"concerned, for the lack of a better term." Pinkies eyes narrowed in concentration at those words. There was something about Rarity's way of talking that reminded her of something, but she couldn't for the life of her recall what exactly. Why does it feel that little old me here is forgetting something? She wondered internally. Lets see, I fed Gummy, did all the chores and the homewor- no wait, Gummy ate those...or was it me? She shook her head. Anyway! What else? Taking a quick sniff of her shirt, she gave herself a mental head pat. I did remember to take a bath. She slumped on her seat a bit, ignoring the conversation between her friends. Humph! I hate when this happens. Pinkie groaned, softly hitting her head with her fist. Nothing really special happened yesterday either. I was working the entire day and helped that one tourist with a really strange name to find his way. The girl hummed. What was his name again? Geurnyuduck or something like that. Quirky mister, talked a lot like Rarity now that I think about it. She mentally shrugged. Eh, thats about it nothing really out of the ordina- She slammed her fists on the tabble with the force of a thousand cupcakes. "Icompletelyforgottotellyougirlsaboutthisreallynice,manImetyesterday!" The cafeteria went completely silent as everyone stared at Pinkie with their jaws hanging open. "Hi girls!" Rainbow appeared with a burst of speed, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry I'm late! I had to finish my homework at the library." Her smile vanished when she noticed that her friends weren't paying any attention to her. "Umm, did I miss something?" She said with a tilt of her head. The others continued ignoring her as they ogled at Pinkie with wide eyes. Canterlot City "Greetings! May I have a moment of your time?" "No" "What a lovely day! Can I persuade you to spare me a few seconds?" "Leave me alone." "Good morning! Do you wish to participate in an university sponsored quiz?" "Nah, sounds like a bore." "Jolly day! Might I as-" "Get away from me, you pale skinned, gay basketball player looking freak!" Görnebog watched with a frown on his face as his latest attempt to gather information ran away from him. "Hrm, it seems that finding our little anomaly will be harder than I thought." He said to himself as he continued to walk down the street with a steady pace. "The lack of eye witness testimonies is to be expected, but to also have a shortage in rumors or even gossips! " Worry oozed from his words as he contemplated his situation. He pinched his mustache and twirled it between his fingers. "Rish rosh, I will have to triple my efforts! The others are certain that the anomaly is located in this area, theres no mistaking it, I just have to find it." "Um,Sir?" "Since field research has been rather unfruitful, I must redirect my gaze to other areas, but where?" "Hello?" He stopped at the traffic light, hands clasped behind his back. "Perhaps gossip magazines and newspapers would be the best source of information." "You dropped your pen." He smiled to himself. "Jolly good idea, Görnebog!" The light turned green, signaling that it was time to move again. "Could you stop, please?" "I believe that I can find everything I need at the library!" He hummed happily. "Yes, this will work! The others will be very pleased with me when I have dealt with the anomaly." "SIR!" Görnebog stopped, head turning from side to side in confusion. "Hrm? I someone trying to get my attention?" "Behind you!" Görnebog slowly turned around, brow raised. Standing behind him was a young girl with a long green hair and a matching sweater. "Greetings, young lady." Görnebog bowed his head slightly. "Was it perchance you who called for me?" The girl crossed her arms, pouting as she did. " I have been trying to get your attention for a while now." She said with a quiet voice. Görnebog slapped his forehead in shame. "Oh! One hundred apologies, I was so invested in my internal discussion that I completely ignored my surroundings." He said apologetically. The girl sighed. "Its fine, I'm used to it." She said, muttering the last part. Görnebog winced internally at the girls sad tone. Rish rosh! I have offended this lovely young lady with my ignorance! This must be corrected. "Here." The girl said, holding a pen towards him. " You dropped this." His eyes widened at the sight, hands patting his pockets and not finding his pen. "Rish rosh! When did I lose that?" The man took the pen from the girls waiting palm. "When you were talking to yourself." The green haired girl said with a slight deadpan. Görnebog stared at her awkwardly. My God, when did I become so irresponsible! Quick, salvage this situation! He gave her a deep bow. "Thank you for being this helpful!" She blinked in disbelief, before fidgeting in place nervously, eyes looking away from him. Apparently she was not used to someone thanking her. "I-its fine. I just did what any other person would have done." Görnebog scoffed. "Pish posh, young lady, you have shown an act of kindness by returning my pen instead of taking it! This must be rewarded." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out an over sized leather wallet. "Lets see, what would be the perfect reward for a helpful young lady such as yourself?" He hummed. The girl gave a strained smile and slowly inched away from the eccentric man. "Oh, theres no need for that! Really, its fine." She swiftly pointed at her wrist clock. "Oh! Look at the time, I really must be going! Can't be late for..." Sweat started to form on her browns as she tried to come up with a good excuse. "..Gardening." "Ice cream!" Görnebog suddenly shouted out. Her smile faded. "What?" She deadpanned. The man smiled at her and pulled out a couple of bits from his wallet. "Your efforts shall be rewarded with ice cream!" He said triumphantly. The girl groaned, slapping her forehead. This is so awkward.. She moaned internally. Should I just erase his memory and be done with it? "Lots of ice cream!" Scratch that, doing it now. She made up her mind, her hand moving towards her backpack. "Oh, let me get that burden from your shoulders!" Görnebog proceed to snatch it from her back with a quick swipe. "A gentleman always helps a lady in need." "H-hey!" The girl blurted in disbelief. "Now then!"He swung the backpack over his shoulder. "Let us go find a good spot to fulfill your reward!" The man said cheerfully as he rapidly moved forwards. The teens jaw dropped at the mans actions, her eyes wide. "Wa-wait!" She yelled in panic, running after the man. "Give that back!" This can't be happening!
AnythingWallflower Blush stared at her strawberry sundae in complete disbelief. She had tried her hardest to retrieve her backpack from the disturbingly cheerful man, but the dammed mustached oddity had insisted on carrying it for her till they reached the desired place. He had stated that he wanted reward her properly and that a gentleman never falls back on his word. Honestly, in any other situation she would have been flattered by this kind of treatment, but the man couldn't have chosen a more bad time to do it. It didn't help that people were giving them funny looks when they passed them. She really hated drawing so much attention. After the man had finally found an ice cream bar to his liking , he quickly rushed her inside and planted her on a chair. She didn't even have a chance to open her mouth to protest because the odd man had already blitzed to the counter. She thanked the powers above that the place was relatively empty, the thought of everyone staring at her made her feel weak. It wasn't long before he returned with a bowl of ice cream and a large smile on his face, dropping it right in front of her. "I hope it is to your liking, young lady." She tore her gaze from the icy goodness and stared at the man. She had to admit, the dish did look quite appetizing. "It looks pretty good.." She sighed. "You really didn't need to do this for me. A simple ´thank you´ would have been more than enough." As expected the man just brushed her off with a shake of his head. "Pish posh, you need not to be so modest. This reward is something you have earned." "Fine, I will accept it." She gave in with a roll of her eyes. " Can I now have my backpack back, please?" The man smiled and nodded. "Of course." He handed it over to her and she quickly took it. Phew, finally. She internally sighed in relief. The thought of just erasing the weirdos memory entered her mind, but after a moment of thinking she decided against it. It would be too much of a hassle to bolt away and to leave the man to his own devices. Besides, it would be rude to erase his memory after all the trouble he went trough to reward her, even though the pale man had a weird way of going on about it. The ice cream was a nice plus as well. Well, might as well dig in.. She took a small spoonful and plopped it in her mouth. She let out a pleased hum. Yep,it was delicious. She wasted no time and started to happily munch on her desert. The man smiled at the sight, leaning into his fist. "Tell me something, are all the young people here this helpful?" He questioned. She raised a brow at the question. "Whad do yhouh mean?" She asked with a mouthful of ice cream. He chuckled at the sight, causing her to blush in embarrassment. "Ah, I see that the ice cream is indeed to your liking!" Wallflower buried her face into her palms, groaning in defeat. "But back to your question. It was just yesterday when a young girl helped me to find my way in this city!" He caressed his mustache. "Now that I think about it, she seemed to be in the same age group as you. What a lovely coincidence." She lowered her hands, having recovered from her embarrassment. "Really? " She asked surprised. "What was her name? If she was the same age as me, I could maybe recognize her." The man smiled at the memory. " I believe her name was Pinkie Pie." A look of recognition appeared on her name. " Pinkie? We attend the same high school." The man smiled gleefully." Jolly coincidence! Is she a friend of yours?" A frown found its way to her face. "Well..not really." She said, her eyes downcast. "I mean, shes nice, but we never actually hung out together." A sigh escaped from her lips. The man frowned slightly,taking note of her downed mood. "Oh, but surely a helpful girl such as yourself has many other friends." He tried to cheer her up Wallflower wondered why the man cared about her social status. It was odd and it made her feel out of place. "To be honest I don't actually have many friends." The words seemed to escape from her mouth. She had no idea why she decided to open that can of worms to this weird man. Maybe its because she had never talked to anyone for this long since forever. His smile faltered for a brief moment. "Ah, do you wish to talk about it?" He offered with a soft tone. Wallflower snorted. "It would be nice, but it feels weird to talk about these kinds of things to a total stranger, you know?" He nodded understandingly "Naturally, humans have a tendency of fearing the unknown after all." He raised a finger. "But I reassure you that I am not some any no-face from the streets. I am a professor and have years of experience in dealing with students such as yourself." Her eyes widened in surprise. The man was a teacher? She was not expecting that. "You are a professor?" "Indeed! My name is Görnebog." He tipped his hat. "What would yours be?" "O-oh, Im Wallflower Blush." She stuttered at the sudden question. Görnebog nodded his head approvingly. "Hmm, a beautiful name for a beautiful young lady." Wallflowers face turned red from embarrassment again. "O-oh thats..nice to hear?." She said awkwardly. Quick! Return the compliment like a normal person would! Her inner voice screamed at her. "Your name fits you too! Its very.." She cleared her throat. "...Nonsensical?" Wallflower offered with a strained smile. Görnebog stared at her silently with a look of utter confusion. Her smile fell, replaced by a blank stare. " I actually have no idea what your name even means." Smooth. The man blinked before letting out a small chuckle. "Understandable. There are only a few who do know." Awkwardness was replaced by intrigue. "Really?" He nodded. "Indeed. Its quite the rarity" He winked at her. "A smart girl like you has probably already figured out that I am not exactly from around here." Wallflower gave a small smile. "Well yeah, the weird name was a dead give away." She winced at her poor choice of words "No offense of course!" she added. Görnebog waved her off. "Pish posh! None taken." The man clasped his hands together. " Now that the introductions are past us, shall we return to the main topic?" Wallflower sighed. " You mean my lack of friends?" She asked dryly. Görnebog nodded and motioned her to continue. "Fine, but its nothing really special." The girl muttered before continuing. " I have always had problems in socializing with people. I do not know how to start conversations without it turning awkward or uncomfortable." She fidgeted in her seat, eyes downcast. "Others have tendency of ignoring me when I try to speak to them, and they never really talk to me either..." She rolled her eyes. "Expect when they want me to do something. It feels like little old me is completely invisible to everyone. " "That sounds very unfortunate." Görnebog said with a soft tone. "Have you tried talking with someone about your predicament? The school counselor or a teacher could provide you with a way of explaining your situation and finding a solution." Wallflower scoffed. "Been there, done that. They just told me to try my best and interact with my fellow students more." "Exposure therapy." Görnebog added, tapping his finger on the table, "Like all forms of therapy the results vary from person to person." He flicked his mustache. " I can see that it wasn't suitable for you." He said firmly, catching her of guard. She wasn't expecting the man to actually have experience on the matter. "Yeah, it just made things worse." Görnebog was silent for a moment before continuing. "Tell me something.What was your childhood like?" She raised a brow. "What are you getting at?" Görnebog leaned slightly forward on his chair. "A major part of a person's personality is molded in their childhood. It is true that one can change or tweak their personality during the course of their lives, but the foundation always has roots to ones childhood." Wallflower stared at the man with an unsure expression. "Well..." Should I really be opening up my life this much to a stranger? She debated internally. Ugh! Nevermind. He doesn't seem like the´I will use your information to blackmail you`type of guy. Besides, it seems like this is my only chance of getting actually good advice. "My parents wanted to shield me from the evils of this world, so they raised me very protectively." She sighed. "It was nice back then, but now that I'm older I can see that maybe it wasn't the best way." "That caused you grow up as an introvert child?" "Bingo.." Wallflower drawled. "Thats what happens when you don't have any contact with children your age outside of school." "I see, that certainly explains the difficulties you are facing now." He said with a thoughtful hum. "So...Any advice?" She asked hopefully with a strained smile. The man tapped his chin, before nodding slightly. "Do what you want." Görnebog said simply. Her eye twitched "...What?" "Go were the fence is the lowest." He added. "What does that even mean?!" She hissed. "Use your sense of individuality and bring some comfort to your life." "Okay." Wallfower massaged her eyes in frustration. "Stop talking like a board game quest giver, and just give it to me straight." "A simplified response?" Walllower groaned and nodded her head. "Yes, please.." "Very well, young lady." Görnebog said professionally. The man pinched his mustache."To put it simply: Do anything that gives you even a slight wisp of comfort." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Anything?" "Anything." Görnebog said firmly. "You have tried your best with the tools you have been given. At the pace you are going, it could take a lot of hard work for you to reach the level you desire." He spun his hand. "Not saying it is a bad thing, these things take time after all, but I have a distinct feeling that you don't want to wait that long." "True.." She said slowly. "But I'm still not entirely sure what you mean by ´do anything`." "Eat foods that you like, engage in your favorite hobbies, enjoy the little things in life, teach the the students who have ignored you a lesson. The list goes on." He listed casually. "Wait. What was that last part?" Wallflower asked completely baffled. Had he actually said that? "Teach those who ignored you a lesson, young lady." Her jaw fell open slightly. That had come completely out of nowhere. "W-what!?" "You don't have any fellow students that you dislike?" "Of course I have..." She muttered, a certain bacon haired girl coming to her mind. "But what you are saying is-" "Morally wrong? Under normal circumstances yes, but you have gone past that point. It is a widely known fact that inflicting a healthy dose of jolly retribution to a person that has done you harm creates a feeling of success and accomplishment. " "B-but." "Miss Wallflower. I am not implying that you should give them a wallop, only that you give them a justifiable lesson for treating you so poorly." "O-oh. I kinda see your point, but that still sounds a bit...extreme?"" "Pish posh, don't dwell on it too much. You will see what I mean when the moment presents itself to you." Görnebog said with a good natured wink. "If you say so.." She drawled, still a bit unsure about the whole thing. "Trust me on this one, young lady." Görnebog said with confidence. "Do not give into despair, stop thinking about how others would react or how they feel about you. Enjoy life and have fun." The man suddenly spread his arms in a very theatrical manner "Pish posh, rish rosh! Do anything you want, remember that the world isn't as black and white as one may think." He said with a burst of energy and a grin. She stared at the strange display and declaration with wide eyes. I-I guess I have to think about that... Her eyes wandered to her backpack where the memory stone was currently hidden. I do have the tools for it. Wallflower massaged her chin in thought after several seconds of pondering. "Anything, huh?" Görnebog smiled knowingly at her. "Anything, young lady."
