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

[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.

[basic_powers]

"Wha-hauagh!" Tyler's not dodging many of those, and soon enough he's lining up another precision shot from a fencepost to retaliate.

[nponyc]

Other snowballs are quickly made and shot back at Rainbow Dash. Some hit their target; some don't. Within thirty seconds, a free-for-all snowball fight has broken out in the crowd, with ponies laughing and whooping as they lob snow at each other with hooves or wings or magic.

[basic_powers]

As soon as the free-for-all starts, Tyler's catching about as many snowballs with his body and face as he throws into the crowd before ducking out laughing and shaking the powder from his mane.

"Heheh...hehhehehehahahaha!"

[nponyc]

Surprisingly, it's now much less crowded outside of the little knot of snow berserkers. Possibly because of the line forming at the long buffet table at the far end of the town square.

Decisions, decisions: look at the booths while waiting for the supper rush to die down, or go get food now before all the good stuff is gone?

[basic_powers]

It takes a moment of thought before Tyler wanders over towards the booths to look at them curiously. The food can wait, after all, the buffet line is that more likely to have people asking questions he can't really readily answer..and some overly concerned adults looking for the colt all on his own.

He's grinning though, looking over the lantern designs for one booth. Digging into the little pouch hanging from his neck along side of the medallion, tyler pulls out a small opal.

"How much for that one lantern with the filigree moon and stars?"

[nponyc]

Before the pegasus stallion manning (ponying?) the booth can answer, a familiar voice speaks up. "Darling, I must know--wherever did you get such a flawless white opal?"

It's the unicorn pony in the blue coat. (Come on, Rarity has a built-in gem detector, what did you think was going to happen?)

[basic_powers]

0-0

Opal still in hoof, Tyler's turning to look at the unicorn from earlier in surprise. "Uncle Ray gave me some...he's got a bunch of em."

[nponyc]

"Really." The unicorn's eyes twinkle. "I might have to make the acquaintance of this uncle of yours... ah, but where are my manners? My name is Rarity. And you are...?"

[basic_powers]

"Sharp Tack, Miss Rarity. You wouldn't happen to be related to Sweetie Bell would you?" He's handing over the opal for the lantern and getting some change in return, trusting the pegasus stallion to at least be honest in giving him the correct change.

[nponyc]

"Why, yes. She's my baby sister. I take it you've met her?"