Lunastice

[no_vampires_plz]

As Twilight leads the little foal down the path, the character of the woods around them changes. The trees are bigger, the brambles thicker, and the few plants that are still growing look considerably more... exotic than what one generally sees around Milliways. The most noticeable change, though, is in the weather. The thin layer of snow and frost on the ground is replaced by thick snowdrifts that crunch under their hooves, and the leaden sky of a Scottish winter gives way to a clear dark blue. The setting sun makes the snow gleam gold and pink as the trees thin out and give way to rolling hills.

"Alright. If anyone asks, your name is Sharp Tack and you're a friend of the family visiting from Canterlot."

Comments

[no_vampires_plz]

"Okay, shall I meet you there in half an hour?"

[basic_powers]

"Sure, I think I'll look at the lights some more.." As for how to pay for the buffet, well, he'll see if he can't sell or trade some of his paper art he's been keeping busy with.

[nponyc]

Meanwhile, he is accosted by an earth pony filly who appears to be about his own age, or perhaps just a little younger. Her coat is pale yellow, and her mane is a vivid red with a very large bow tied into it. "Howdy!" she says. "Mah name's Apple Bloom. What's yours?"

[basic_powers]

"I'm Sharp Tack, but you can just call me Sharp if you like." Tyler replies, looking at this new filly with his ears up surprised.

[nponyc]

"You must be new, right? I know all the foals in Ponyville." She looks a little wistful. "I was startin' to think we were the only blank flanks left in the whole world..."

[basic_powers]

"Nah, there's a bunch still in Canterlot." Tyler smiles just a little, he's recalling what Twilight told him about cutie marks. "Didn't think anyone'd notice my lack here."

[nponyc]

"Hey, Apple Bloom! Who are you talking to?"

That would be an orange pegasus filly with a spiky fuchsia mane, walking alongside a white unicorn filly with a mane of pale pink and lavender curls.

"Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! You made it!" says Apple Bloom. "This is Sharp Tack. He's from all the way out in Canterlot."

[basic_powers]

"Hi, pleased to meet you."

They seem like nice..fillys. Probably wouldn't hurt to meet them.

[nponyc]

"So what are you doing in Ponyville?" asks the unicorn (who, presumably, is named Sweetie Belle). "Rarity says the Lunastice lights in Canterlot are way fancier than they are here..."

[basic_powers]

"They are but..I kinda wanted to go out and figure things out, you know. Explore!" Tyler replies. "Anyways it can get really crowded sometimes too. Uncle Ray managed to convince my parents that it'd be okay if I went somewhere quiet for Lunastice this year."

[nponyc]

"Who's Uncle Ray?" asks Scootaloo.

"An' how'dja get yer parents to letcha come here all by yerself?" asks Apple Bloom.

[basic_powers]

"He's a light technician, he's from Manehattan, which is where mom's from." Tyler says, the quickly formed lie rolling right out. "Dad thought it'd be a great way for me to find my cutie mark. Mom was kind of against it though, until Ray said he'd try to find someone trustworthy from Canterlot to meet me at each station."

[nponyc]

Apple Bloom pouts. "Granny Smith won't let me go anywhere by myself."

"Since when does that stop you?" says Sweetie Belle. "You go to Zecora's by yourself all the time."

"I don't have to get a train ticket to go to Zecora's," Apple Bloom protests. "It's diff'rent!"

[basic_powers]

"Who's Zecora?"

[nponyc]

"She's a friend of mine who lives in the Everfree Forest," explains Apple Bloom. "She's a zebra."

"And she's weird," adds Scootaloo. "She always talks in rhyme."

"That's the way all zebras talk! --I think," says Sweetie Belle.

[basic_powers]

"Oh? ...I guess it's best mom doesn't know about her yet then...she's kinda...fussy." Said like any pony whose mother really does worry about the unimportant things just a leettle too much. "So what all is there to do around here? I was thinking of getting something for mom and dad as a souveneir."

[nponyc]

"There's booths selling little lanterns," says Apple Bloom. "And Miss Cherilee has a table set up where you can make 'em yourself."

"Rarity said she was gonna sell scarves and things," adds Sweetie Belle. "But I dunno where her booth is..."

[basic_powers]

"Guess I better just start wandering around and looking then..." Tyler says, lifting his head and neck up as far as they'll go...even balancing up on his hind legs to get a view around the crowd for anything really interesting.

[nponyc]

SPLAT.

That would be the sound of a snowball hitting Tyler in the back of the head. When he turns around, he'll see a blue pegasus with a rainbow-striped mane whistling innocently while perched on a small and very low-hanging cumulous cloud.

(He may or may not be able to pick out that one of the cloud's billows is actually a pile of snowballs.)

[basic_powers]

..Or he might just pick up one the whole farce of whistling innocently and look back up at her, sizing things up for an especially mature response.

"Pbbbbbhhht."

[nponyc]

The rainbow pegasus sniggers.

A white-coated, purple-maned unicorn in an elegant blue-and-silver coat gives her a Very Stern Look from ground level. "Really, Rainbow Dash, must you do this every holday?"

"Aww, calm down, Rarity," says the pegasus. "I busted my rump today get the snow just right for Lunastice, aren't I allowed to enjoy it?"

"Your idea of 'enjoyment' is--mmmf!" Rarity's lecture is cut off with a muffled yelp as Rainbow Dash lobs a powdery snowball at her face.

[basic_powers]

To finish that white and blue unicorn's statement...

...is apparently a VERY GOOD DISTRACTION.

And given Tyler enough time to get a snowball onto a fence post...take aim with his rear leg and launch the snowball at Dash.

Paff!!

It's so worth it for the smug grin.

[nponyc]

Rainbow Dash blinks in surprise through a faceful of snow. Then she shakes it off and grins.

"Oh, it is on, short stuff."

[basic_powers]

That? That line right there just gets a real bubbling laugh out of Tyler.

"Bring it!" He's already forming the next snowball.

[nponyc]

Evidently, Rainbow Dash has been taking bucking lessons from Apple Jack. She turns her back and starts firing off kicks at the heap of snowballs, which shoot toward Tyler with remarkable precision.

...remarkable, but not perfect precision. There are some startled yelps in the crowd as several innocent bystanders suddenly have snow where snow ought not to be.