These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

by DragonGeek

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Random, Slice of Life, Main 6
Length: 1864

A story about the Mane Six and the things they love.

This story is about the little things in life, and about taking time to notice and enjoy them. That's about it, really.

Part of the Springtime Sequel-Slash-Sandbox Switcheroo, for Super Trampoline. Roughly based on his story "OH BOY". I hope I struck a good balance between being inspired by his story and keeping it in my own style instead of his heavily random one.

Published 2018-04-23 21:20:06 UTC
Last updated 2018-04-23 21:20:06 UTC

Applejack

Applejack loved the feeling of a job well done. Whether it was the solid THUNK as her hooves hit a tree or a good harvest stockpiled in the barn, it filled her with satisfaction. It was the feeling that she had accomplished something of value with her own two hooves. It was the first bite into a juicy, crisp, perfect apple. It was looking over her accounts and seeing how well the family was doing, the family she'd guided to this point.

She loved feeling the soil under her hooves. The way it parted just the faintest bit, the feeling of richness and growth that it held within. The way the grass tickled, parted beneath her, got inside the little crannies at the back of her hoof. She could tell good soil from bad just by stepping on it, and sweet Celestia did good soil ever feel wonderful.

She loved her family. Sure, they might have their quarrels and missteps, even their feuds occasionally. But the fact was, they made life richer and fuller, and she knew she could always depend on them--and they could always depend on her.

She loved watching plants grow, from a tiny, weak seedling into a powerful, towering tree. She could tell you exactly how each tree in her orchard was doing, how it was growing, what challenges it had and how she was working on making it grow even stronger. Each tree was special and unique, and she could watch as each of them developed.

She loved the fact that everypony in town could depend on her. They relied on her to be there when they needed a little extra help, and they counted on her to always tell the truth, no matter what. She had great satisfaction knowing she'd earned their absolute trust.

Rarity

Rarity loved giving gifts. She liked finding the perfect thing to make her friends happy, the one thing they needed or wanted most. It gave her such a warm feeling to see their faces when she realized what she'd done, and even when she had to give up things that were important to her, it was always worth it--because nothing was more important to her than giving others what they needed.

She loved creating things, building beauty with her own two hooves--or one horn, as it may be. Starting from nothing but a bit of fabric, she made something amazing, something ponies would love to have and wear, and nopony else would ever make quite the same thing. It was a thrill, knowing that her work was completely unique, that no matter how many ponies were in the fashion business, they'd always come up with different takes on ideas.

She loved anything that sparkled, anything that shone. Gold, silver, and copper, diamonds and emeralds, the stars in the sky--she didn't care in the slightest what it was. Anything that glittered with light was beautiful in her eyes, and she tried to make the most of it in her designs. She adored it when clothing caught and scattered the light, catching the eye of everypony nearby.

Most of all, she loved finding that perfect dress for somepony, the one that would make them not just look beautiful, but feel beautiful. Watching their eyes light up, watching them gain new confidence and joy, would never get old. She believed that everypony should feel like the most beautiful pony in the room at least once in their lives, and her goal was to make that happen. And when it did, it filled her with a warm joy that nothing could ever, ever replace.

Pinkie Pie

Pinkie Pie loved baking. She liked to experiment with new flavors and create sweet things, but the most important part of any baked good would always be whether it made ponies happy. Everypony in Equestria could find at least one thing to like at Sugarcube Corner--some loved her rich chocolate cupcakes, other preferred the savory muffins, but everypony liked something there. And if somepony didn't, that just meant she could experiment!

She loved throwing parties, where ponies could have a fun time. There was something for everypony there too: they could dance, they could eat delicious food, they could play games, they could chat with friends, or they could even hide quietly in the corner if they preferred that. The point was that ponies would have a good time, no matter what they chose to do. She had once held a party for a young colt, where everypony ignored the games she'd prepared and played with the balloons instead. It didn't matter--they had so much fun!

Her favorite kind of party was one where ponies who didn't know each other were able to become friends. Everypony in town was her friend, and she loved it when her friends were friends with her friends! Whether it was a party for a grumpy griffin to help her open up, or her sister and a close friend getting to know each other, any time ponies became friends was a good time for her!

Of course, her absolute favorite thing was making other ponies happy. When other ponies were happy, Pinkie was happy. When other ponies were unhappy, Pinkie was happy then too, so her happiness could make them happy! That's why she loved those other things! Sweet food, parties, and friendship all made ponies smile, and that meant she was doing her job.

Fluttershy

Fluttershy loved natural sounds. The birds chirping as the first rays of morning sun touched them, branches rustling and waving in the breeze, the whistling of a gentle wind, the babbling of a quiet brook. Nature had a music all its own, and she loved singing along with it, joining it in harmony. It was like she was a part of the beauty and softness of it all.

She loved silence. Nopony else seemed to realize that silence was its own sound. In fact, there were almost as many types of silence as there were sounds, and she loved them all. Well, most of them. She wasn't a big fan of the hush in the crowd when every eye was on you or the silence when you were called on in class and didn't know the answer, but she adored the expectant lull of the crowd right before music started, or the silence when she buried her head under the water while she took a bath, or the release of tension when she was finally alone in her home, the door was shut, and all the bustle of the town faded away.

She loved small, cuddly animals. Or big cuddly animals. If it was furry and she could hug it, she loved it. She didn't care if snuggles made a mess or she had to brush her coat and the coat of the animals, because they were so rumpled--she just loved the feeling of fur on fur, the feeling of being held and holding somebody else in turn.

She liked spending a quiet evening inside her cozy house. She liked the tiny acts of kindness that would brighten somepony's day, sometimes more than she ever knew. And most importantly, she liked to appreciate all the littlest things--because who else would?

Author's Note

I'll be honest, I'm really nervous about this one. It's a lot more 'artsy' than what I usually do. I hope you all enjoyed it, though! I know I did. Hopefully it made you think about the things you enjoy. That was the goal, anyway.

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash loved speed. The feeling of soaring through the air, detached from everything--from the ground under her, from other ponies, from gravity--was exhilarating. The wind whistling in her ears and tugging at her mane and feathers, drowning out all other noise, was second only to the earth-shattering BOOM that echoed through the air as she performed a Sonic Rainboom. Even the cheers of an adoring crowd, or the voices of her five favorite friends raised in greeting, couldn't compare to the sounds of her own flight echoing in her ears.

She loved color. Whenever she visited Manehattan, she made sure to schedule a night where she could just go out and fly over the city, watching the skyline that glowed with brilliant light in a thousand shades. She loved sunsets that painted the sky blinding oranges, purples, and pinks. Flower gardens, swarms of bright birds and butterflies, and the dragon migration were all colorful in different ways, and she loved them all. Her favorite place to find color, of course, was in the rainbow she was named for, but who could blame her for that?

She loved preening her wings, feeling every feather slot perfectly into place so she could fly her best. She loved feeling the wind pull at her mane, whipping it around her face. She loved a well-done prank that made everypony laugh, even the victim. She loved the soft, squishy feeling of clouds under her hooves. She loved strong wind and lightning, weather that pushed against her and forced her to push back. She loved the thrill of winning, of facing a difficult challenge and coming out on top no matter what the odds. She loved things that were bright and bold and wild, and to her eyes, the entire world was filled with them.

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle loved libraries. The sound of paper crinkling as pages were turned, of ponies eagerly (but quietly) discussing what they were reading, of quills scratching on parchment. The tall bookshelves surrounding on all sides, giving a feeling of closeness and safety. And the smell--oh, the smell!

She loved learning, two kinds of learning. One kind was looking through dusty old books, searching for knowledge, putting together sources from many different places to learn something from all of them together. The other was doing her own research, forging new grounds in scientific discovery, creating new knowledge instead of learning from old. Both were important, and both were beautiful in different, unique ways.

She loved organizing things. Creating a perfect system to be able to find almost anything. A place for everything and everything in its place. It was so satisfying, knowing that she had used the most efficient possible way of organizing something--at least until she discovered a better way next week!

She loved a good story. Books weren't just for knowledge, they were also for entertainment, and there was no better feeling than losing herself in a thrilling tale of far-off places and grand adventures. Sure, she went on great adventures every other week, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy reading about other ponies having them too. The Daring Do series, one of her favorites, was even more interesting now that she knew it had all really happened--this way, she also gained knowledge about many of the ancient civilizations Daring visited. Twilight would never say no to knowledge.

She loved the feeling of casting magic, the energy flowing through her horn and out into the world to affect things out there. She'd been working with magic for most of her life, but that exhilarating feeling never got old.