It was a nice day in Ponyville and the townsfolk were going on with their business. Among them was a green, plump earth pony stallion pulling a hayburger cart. He continued to pull his cart until he arrived to the nearby train station. The green stallion prepared the grill in his cart and put a hairnet on his black, pompadour-styled manes. He brought out some frozen hay patties and placed them on the grill. The green stallion also pulled out a spatula and waited for the patties to cook. Brawny Bold would usually wait by the train station to look for some hungry visitors who were in a mood for some freshly-made hayburgers. Brawny heard the sound of a train whistle nearby and he turned to see a train slowing down towards the station. The train's doors opened to allow the passengers to exit. Brawny recognized some of the passengers as returning residents of Ponyville who went out of town. Brawny also recognized some new faces. Some of those visitors sniffed the patties grilling and decided to go to Brawny's cart. When the visitors gave Brawny their bits, he cooked up some delicious hayburgers and put them in paper bags to give to the visitors.
"Brawny!" said an older stallion's voice. Brawny looked up to see none other than Filthy Rich approaching his cart.
"Hey Mr. Rich," Brawny said. "Welcome back to Ponyville,"
"Thanks, Brawny." Filthy responded. "I have to say that it was quite busy up in Canterlot. How are your parents, Brawny?"
"The same as usual. They're out of town again for some new investment opportunities." Brawny answered.
"Your parents are lucky to have a good son like you watching over their home while they're away." Filthy Rich praised.
"May I interest you to a hayburger as a welcome home lunch?" Brawny said while he flipped some patties.
"I appreciate the offer, Brawny. But I must decline as my wife is constantly telling me to watch what I eat." Filthy Rich said.
“Okay, you rest up now!” Brawny said to Filthy Rich. Brawny continued to flip some more patties.
“Oh! Those look delicious!” A female voice said loudly.
“I’ll say!” Another female voice said. Brawny looked up and he got really nervous. In front of Brawny were two mares who looked like they were the same age as him.
“Uh…hi there,” Brawny said quietly. “Would you like some hayburgers?” Brawny started to sweat a bit. He can be very nervous when it comes to pretty mares, especially when they are talking to him.
“Yes! Two hayburgers please!” One of the mares said. Brawny tries to calm down as he knew that these two mares were customers. He refocused on the hayburgers and made sure they were really well cooked. As Brawny cooked, he couldn't help but feel a bit down as he wasn't able to make good impressions towards girls. But Brawny thought that his main priority were the hayburgers.
“Your hayburgers are ready.” Brawny said as he put the hayburgers in a paper bag.
“Great! So how much do we owe you?” One mare asked.
“It will be on me!” A male’s voice said from the distant. Brawny and the mares spotted a yellow earth-pony stallion approaching Brawny’s cart. Brawny almost thought the new stallion was a celebrity from the way he looked. He had short and nicely-combed brown manes and tail. He smiled to show-off his pure white teeth. When the new stallion made it to the front of the food cart, he pulled out some bits from his bag. “After all, pretty mares such as yourselves shouldn’t waste a single bit.” said the new stallion. He turned his head so his manes could flip. This caused the two mares to giggle.
“We really appreciate it, stranger.” The one of the mares said while winking. "What's your name?"
"I'm Feather Bangs," The new stallion replied.
"Well Feather, we hope to see you around." The other mare said as she and her friend took their bag and trotted away. Brawny was a bit lost from what just happened. Brawny thought it was strange for this Feather stallion to just show up out of the blue to pay for some mares' food. Brawny thought perhaps Feather was just being nice, which was fine for Brawny as long as he gets paid for the hayburgers.
"That was really smooth, huh?" Feather asked Brawny.
"Um, yeah, you can say that." Brawny answered. "What made you want to pay for their hayburgers?"
"One way to swoon girls is to do little things for them." Feather said. "I saw those mares while leaving the train and I thought it would be nice if I impressed them. I'm Feather Bangs in case if you weren't listening."
"I'm Brawny Bold." Brawny introduced. "Welcome to Ponyville,"
"Thanks, this is a nice-looking town you have here." Feather said as he looked around. "I previously lived in a town way smaller than this place. It was too boring for my tastes. That's why I decided to go and explore all around Equestria to see what's out there. This is just my first stop."
"I do hope you enjoy your stay here." Brawny said.
"Thanks, I'll see you around." Feather said as he left Brawny. Brawny resumed flipping some more hay patties until he noticed Feather coming back. "Quick question, where is the nearest hotel?" Feather asked.
"Oh, the Ponyville Inn is located down over there and next to Town Hall." Brawny said as he pointed towards Town Hall.
"Thanks, I don't really have a map of Ponyville." Feather confessed.
"I believe the Ponyville Inn provide maps of Ponyville." Brawny said.
"Thanks, I'll make sure to ask." Feather said as he finally left Brawny.
It was near sunset when Brawny finally packed up his cart and pulled it away from the train station. He felt satisfied as he was able to make a lot of bits from the new visitors. Brawny also kept recalling what happened earlier with Feather and the two mares. A part of Brawny wished that he was able to impress girls like Feather did. Brawny thought that perhaps Feather could give him some pointers. But Brawny thought against it as Feather was probably too busy with his journey across Equestria. Brawny continued to trot until he made his way home. He parked his food cart inside the nearby shed and entered his house. As Brawny went inside, he saw that no one was there. Brawny figured that he was home alone as his family members were off in different places. He went to the fridge to prepare his dinner. Just as Brawny was about to dig in, he heard some knocks from the door. Brawny wasn't sure who would be visiting him at this hour. He went to open the door. Much to Brawny's surprise, Feather Bangs was at Brawny's doorstep.
"Feather?" Brawny said. "How did you find my house?"
"I asked some nearby ponies where you lived and they pointed me the way. You are actually quite well-known around here." Feather said.
"Thanks?" Brawny responded. "So what are you doing here? I thought you were at the Ponyville Inn?"
"Here's the thing, the Ponyville Inn is completely booked. I tried to find some other hotels but the inn was the only place Ponyville has. Is there any way I could stay here for a while?" Feather pleaded. "I just got here and I don't know the locals that much. You were one of the first ponies I got to know since I started traveling. I promise I won't be too much of a burden. I just need a place to crash until I travel again." Brawny put some thought about his decision. To Brawny, Feather doesn't look like the kind of pony who wouldn't bother Brawny too much.
"Alright, you can stay." Brawny answered. "Just make sure you behave yourself while staying here. This is my parents' home and I don't want anything in here damaged."
"Thank you so much, Brawny!" Feather said as he took Brawny's hoof and shook it. "I'll make sure to be in my very best behavior!"
"Great! Come on in!" Brawny said as he moved aside. "I'll make you some dinner." Feather made his way inside with Brawny following in pursuit. After Brawny and Feather finished their dinner and cleaned the dishes, they made their way to the living room.
"Hmm! Your cooked hay was great!" Feather said. "It's no wonder the locals here praise about your hayburgers."
"Thanks, I get my skills from my mom." Brawny said.
"As much as I like talking about your culinary skills, I think it's time for me to hit the sack. I'll be taking the couch." Feather said.
"Actually, I can give you something better than that." Brawny said as he lead Feather to a nearby door. Brawny opened it to reveal a small bedroom with some boxes stacked to the side. "This is our guest room that we sometimes use for storage. You can stay here until you leave Ponyville." Much to Brawny's surprise, Feather gave Brawny a tight hug.
"Thank you so much!" Feather said with a smile.
"No problem," Brawny said. Both stallions brushed their teeth in the bathroom and went to their bedrooms. Brawny went to his desk and started writing a letter to his parents. He thought it would be best to inform them about Feather and hope that they will allow Feather to stay. Brawny sealed the letter and had it ready to be delivered. Brawny laid down on his bed while processing what happened to him today. Brawny not only met an interesting stallion, but that stallion also became Brawny's temporary house guest. Perhaps Brawny could learn a thing or two from Feather, especially when it comes to flirting with girls.
Brawny was in the middle of making eggs for breakfast. Today was Brawny's day-off from work and this allowed him to relax. Brawny had to make some extra eggs considering that his new friend, Feather Bangs, was staying here. Brawny finally put the eggs on some plates and placed them on the dining table.
"Morning, Brawny." Feather said as he entered the kitchen.
"Morning, Feather." Brawny replied. "I made some eggs for you if you want some."
Feather's eyes lit up with joy. "For me! Oh you shouldn't have." Feather said as he sat down on the dining table. "I appreciate the meal!" Feather started eating his eggs as Brawny sat down to eat his. It was quiet as the stallions were eating.
"So Feather, which place are you heading next?" Brawny asked. "Canterlot is just one train stop away from here."
"I'll consider it. For now, I want to see what Ponyville has to offer." Feather said as he kept chewing his eggs. "Are there any touring services for Ponyville?"
"Not that I can think of." Brawny said. "Tours are for major cities like Manehattan. Ponyville is just another small town on Equestria's map."
"That's not what I have heard and read." Feather said. "Isn't this town where Princess Twilight and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony live?" Feather asked.
"Yeah," Brawny answered.
"So why aren't there so many tourists gathering around here!? They might come face to face with some of the saviors of Equestria!"
"I'm not so sure about that either." Brawny agreed. "Maybe because those tourists don't want to get involved with the dangers that come across here as well."
"Whoa! Now I'm really interested in a tour in Ponyville!" Feather said before his ears drooped. "Too bad there aren't any here."
"If you want, I could give you a tour around Ponyville." Brawny offered. "But I have to warn you that I'm not very skilled in giving flashy tours you would usually experience."
"I'll take what I can get! Plus, it never hurts to be guided by a friend!" Feather smiled.
"Okay, let's finish up our breakfast before we go." Brawny said as they went back to eating their breakfast.
The stallions made their way through the streets of Ponyville. Brawny watched as Feather looked all around the area as if he was a foal in a candy store.
"So where should we start first?" Feather asked.
"I guess I should tell you where we are right now." Brawny said. "This is the main square of Ponyville. You'll probably see a lot of stores and vendors here selling all sorts of things." Brawny then pointed at Town Hall. "You remember the Town Hall building, right?"
"Yeah, it's right by the Ponyville Inn which is over there." Feather said as he pointed at the inn.
"Yep, I usually have my cart around there in case if those guests become hungry customers." Brawny said.
"Wow, you must be an expert on attracting customers." Feather commented.
"The trick is to be where most ponies would want food the most." Brawny said. He then heard Feather gasped and he galloped towards something. Brawny quickly followed in pursuit and found Feather standing in front of Princess Twilight's castle.
"Whoa! This place is huge!" Feather claimed.
"Yeah, that's Princess Twilight's castle. It's pretty much where she lives now ever since the library got blown up."
"Whoa! How did that happen?" Feather asked.
"It got blown up by Lord Tirek a while ago when he was causing havoc across Equestria." Brawny said. "Then, I think some kind of rainbow box fell on to a spot and it sprouted the castle."
"Brawny, we have to take a tour of the castle!" Feather said with excitement.
"I guess it never hurts to ask." Brawny said bluntly. Feather smiled as he and Brawny made their way to the castle's front doors. Brawny knocked a few times to get the attention of whoever is inside. Brawny and Feather waited until one of the doors opened. Spike was the one who opened the door.
"Hey there, Spike." Brawny said to the young dragon.
"Hey Brawny, what brings you here?" Spike asked.
"This is my new friend, Feather Bangs, and he was wondering if he could get a small tour of the castle since this is his first time in Ponyville."
"Sorry Brawny, but Twilight doesn't offer tours of her castle. It's just that Twilight really prefers some privacy." Spike said. "I do hope you understand." Feather sighed and slowly left the castle. Brawny felt bad from seeing Feather look so sad. Brawny came up with an idea and he whispered something to Spike. As Feather walked further from the castle, Brawny caught up to him.
"Good news, Feather!" Brawny said. "Spike will talk to Twilight about giving you a very small tour of the castle."
"Really? That's great!" Feather smiled. "But what changed Spike's mind?"
"I made him an offer which he gratefully accepted. He just has to talk to Twilight and we have to hope from there. Spike will send a letter to my house once a decision is made."
"I appreciate that, Brawny." Feather said. "Could you take me to another part of Ponyville?" Brawny lead Feather to another part of town.
The stallions kept walking until they came across Carousel Boutique.
"That building over there is Carousel Boutique. It is the home and workspace of Rarity, the Element of Generosity."
"No way!" Feather said in disbelief. "We got to check the store out!" Feather said as he hurried to the door. When Feather pulled the handle, it didn't budge. Feather looked up and saw a closed sign hanging on the front door.
"Aw! The boutique is closed!" Feather complained.
"Oh right, Rarity had to close up shop because she had to take care of her other boutique in Canterlot. She won't be back until later." Brawny noticed that Feather hung his head in disappointment. "But I do know a place in Ponyville that is always open." Brawny said as he led Feather to the next destination.
Brawny and Feather made their way to the forest area of Ponyville where there were a lot more trees around. They kept trotting until they came across a small area with a small waterfall, some tiny birdhouses on some of the trees, and small platforms where animals would climb on. Feather never thought he would see so many exotic animals in one place. It was like a zoo without signs or carts that sold overpriced snacks.
"This is Fluttershy's animal sanctuary." Brawny said. "This is where animals of all kind would gather to."
"Whoa! This place is beautiful!" Feather claimed.
"I'm sure Fluttershy doesn't mind some ponies visiting the sanctuary." Brawny said as he saw Feather getting close to a small, white kitten that was napping.
"Um Feather, I'm not exactly sure if Fluttershy will allow any pony to touch the animals." Brawny warned.
"It's fine, it's only a kitty." Feather said as he lowered himself to pet the cat. "Aren't you a little cutie." As Feather ran his hoof on the cat's fur, its' eyes opened and cried out with rage. Both stallions panicked and ran for their lives while the cat was chasing them. They were able to get so far away that the cat no longer chased them. Brawny and Feather slowly panted while regaining their energy.
"Okay, I think now is the time to head somewhere else." Brawny said.
"Agreed," Feather said as he followed Brawny.
Feather was amazed as he saw so many apple trees while following Brawny. They continued to trot until they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres.
"This is Sweet Apple Acres." Brawny said. "I can assure you that this place won't closed too often. It's also home to Applejack, the Element of Honesty."
"I honestly have to say that I have never seen so many apple trees in an orchard." Feather said as he kept looking around.
"Sweet Apple Acres is one of Ponyville's most important landmarks as this was the very first farm that helped with the creation of Ponyville." Brawny explained. "Sweet Apple Acres is also well-known for making the best apple cider."
"Do you think we could get some cider samples?" Feather asked.
"We should probably ask one of the workers for that." Brawny said as he looked around for any of the farmers. He then noticed a familiar red stallion pulling a cart. "Hey, Big Mac!" Brawny said as he made his way to the farm stallion.
"Hey there," Big Mac said as he parked the cart.
"I was wondering if there is a way my new friend could get a sample of your family's apple cider." Brawny said as he pointed at Feather. Brawny noticed that Feather remained still from his position while looking very shocked. "Feather? Is something wrong?" Brawny turned to Big Mac and the farm stallion was also lost for words as he stared at Feather in disbelief. Brawny kept turning to Big Mac and then back to Feather while feeling completely confused about what was going on. "Can somepony tell me what is going on?" Brawny asked the two stallions. Before anypony could answer, Sugar Belle exited the farm house and noticed the stallions.
"Oh hey, Feather! Long time no see!" Sugar Belle said as she approached Feather.
"Uh, it's good to see you again as well, Sugar Belle." Feather said with a nervous grin.
"What brings you to Ponyville, Feather?" Sugar Belle asked.
"I was just doing some traveling and I found this small town. Brawny Bold let me stay at his place for the time being." Feather said as he gestured to Brawny.
"That's great! I do hope you enjoy your stay here! This town is really great!" Sugar Belle claimed.
"Yeah, we were actually just leaving." Feather said as he nudged Brawny to the exit.
"But I thought we were going to get some cider." Brawny whispered to Feather.
"It's fine! It's fine! I actually need to see another part of Ponyville immediately!" Feather desperately said. Brawny didn't say anything else as the stallions left the orchard.
Brawny and Feather decided to stop by Sugarcube Corner for some refreshments. As Brawny and Feather sipped their milkshakes, they remained quiet as they were processing what happened at Sweet Apple Acres.
"Did you know Big Mac and Sugar Belle?" Brawny asked Feather.
"In a way," Feather replied. "It's kind of a long and embarrassing story."
"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press further." Brawny assured.
"Nah, it's not too bad. I can tell you." Feather said. "Sugar Belle and I used to live in the same town. I was really attracted to Sugar Belle and I would often flirt with her. Big Mac came into the picture as he would often deliver apples to Sugar Belle's bakery and he soon fell for Sugar Belle. I became jealous as I had to compete with another stallion who caught Sugar Belle's attention. So I started to get in the way of Big Mac whenever he attempted to get close to Sugar Belle. It wasn't long until Big Mac and I competed with one another. It made Sugar Belle really upset and I left her alone. When I tried to win her back, Big Mac was able to win her heart and she chose him."
"Wow," Brawny said as he was surprised to hear such a story. "I'm sorry, Feather. I didn't even know you and Big Mac had that kind of history."
"It's alright, I try not to remember all of the bad stuff." Feather said.
"I should also be apologizing to you for how bad this tour is." Brawny added.
"What do you mean? I'm having a good time." Feather smiled.
"You are?" Brawny asked while surprised.
"Yeah, I got to see so many great places this town has to offer." Feather smiled. "Not to mention there are some cute mares here as well." Feather said as he winked at some of the nearby mares who couldn't help but giggle. Brawny couldn't help but let out a small sigh as those mares didn't even notice him. "Are you alright, Brawny?"
"I got to be blunt here, Feather. How do you do it?" Brawny asked.
"Do what?" Feather asked.
"Flirt with girls." Brawny replied. "When I speak with girls, they only just say hi to me and they just leave. When they see you, they get very interested in you." Feather was starting to catch on what Brawny meant.
"Well Brawny, getting girls to notice you takes so many things. If you want, I could show you some pointers about how to impress the girls." Feather offered.
"Yeah, I would like that." Brawny said while smiling.
"Let's settle this with a toast!" Feather said as he lifted his milkshake glass. "To Brawny! In hopes of him becoming a girl magnet with the help of my guidance!" Brawny couldn't help but chuckle. He also raised his milkshake glass to clink Feather's. This was the start of Brawny's lessons in attracting girls.
It was around evening when Brawny came home from another day of cooking and serving hayburgers.
'I wonder what Feather has been doing while I was out.' Brawny thought as he entered his home. Brawny noticed that Feather was busy dressing up a pony mannequin with a blonde wig and a long red bathrobe that belonged to Brawny. Feather looked up and smiled. "Ah, Brawny! Welcome back!" Feather said as he finished up dressing up the pony mannequin.
"Hey...Feather," Brawny said as he took off his apron and hanged it. "What's that?" Brawny said as he looked at the pony mannequin.
"Since you wanted to learn from the girl-flirting pro, I had to make preparations for our lessons." Feather answered. Brawny recalled that he did ask Feather about teaching him about how to flirt with girls.
"Ok, so where do I start?" Brawny asked.
"Before I could teach you anything, I'm going to need to see how you talk to girls first so I know what I'm working with. Consider it like a pretest. Start by talking to this cute mare right here. Her name is Cutie." Feather said as he pushed the pony mannequin closer to Brawny.
"Umm...okay." Brawny cleared his throat before he started talking. "Uh, hey Cutie, how are you?" Brawny expected the pony mannequin to not say anything until Feather spoke.
"Why I just got done having my manes groomed from the spa. Does it look good?" Feather said in a high tone to sound more female.
"Uh...yeah, it looks good." Brawny said while smiling nervously. At the same time, Feather started writing some notes on a clipboard.
"I also felt like I need to do some more exercises. I'm starting to feel a bit plump as of late." Feather continued to voice for Cutie.
"I really can't tell. You look fine." Brawny responded. Feather continued to write some more notes. Feather continued to speak for Cutie as Brawny continued to talk to the pony mannequin. The more Brawny talked to Cutie, the more uncomfortable he was. A short time passed before Feather put down the clipboard.
"Ok, that should wrap up the pretest." Feather claimed.
"So how did I do?" Brawny asked.
Feather looked over all of his notes that he wrote down. "Based on what I have seen and recorded, you have no skills with the ladies." Feather said bluntly.
"Yeah, I figured." Brawny said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"That means I will have to pull out all of the stops in order to make you as good as me when it comes to picking up girls." Feather said. Feather suddenly heard some growling which came from Brawny's stomach.
"Hehe, can we have dinner first before we get started?" Brawny asked while blushing.
"Good point, can't learn with an empty stomach." Feather agreed. Brawny started cooking some dinner while Feather prepared the dishes. Brawny was able to whip up some fried hay with a side of small salad. Brawny and Feather ate their food while remaining completely silent.
"Mmm! This is delicious!" Feather said as he took another bite.
"Thanks, I was lucky to learn this recipe from my mom in case if I had to make my own dinner while my parents are out."
"Your mother is a clever one." Feather said as he continued eating. When Brawny and Feather were done with their meal, they went to the living room to start their lessons.
"You know, Brawny, from the short time since we met, I never asked about why you took up cooking hayburgers. Could you tell me?" Feather asked.
"Okay, I guess I can tell you since we're friends." Brawny said. "It started when I was younger and I mostly enjoyed eating the food my mom cooks. I started to ask my mom if she needed help in the kitchen and she showed me how to prep certain ingredients. I especially enjoyed it when I helped my mom make hayburgers as those are my favorite. As I got older, I was able to make certain foods by heart. I was able to get my cutie mark when I realized that I was really good at frying up hayburgers." Brawny said as he showed his cutie mark.
"That's some story, Brawny. It's not too extraordinary, but it's nice." Feather commented.
"I believe it's my turn to get to know you, Feather." Brawny said. "How were you able to be such a girl magnet and how did you get your cutie mark?"
"Well, both questions have two different answers, Brawny." Feather answered. "To answer the first question, I started to flirt with fillies when I was in grade school. They thought I was cute due to my appearance. I tried to pretend that I was a dashing prince like from those fairy tales we used to read. Soon, the fillies were gathering all around me like candy from a piñata. To answer the second question, it started when I was reading a lot of poetry about romance and I wrote my own poetry. That was when my cutie mark appeared."
"Gosh, you were a girl magnet even at a young age. I would have been envious of you if we went to the same school." Brawny said.
"It's not all about what comes naturally. It took me a lot of practice and self-teaching to be attractive to girls." Feather said. "Perhaps my teachings can prove to you that what I said is true."
"We'll see." Brawny said as he looked at the clock. "Oh shoot! It's already late! I got to start preparing the hay patties for tomorrow!" Brawny gathered up his dishes and put them in the sink. "Is it alright if we postpone the lessons to tomorrow? I got to make some hay patties for my future customers."
"It's no problem, Brawny." Feather smiled. "I'll help wash the dishes since you cooked for us." Feather gathered up his dishes and put them in the sink. Brawny went to the fridge and prepared the hay patties. Although he wasn't able to start his lessons, he was able to get to know more about Feather.
