A New Colt In Town PART ONE

A New Colt In Town


The bus shuddered to a stop, jarring the book straight out of my hooves,  and into the slop on the floor

Great, all I needed...

just as I was picking up the soggy Richard Burrchman novel, my seatmate nudged me one

"dude, time to go"
"huh?"

I looked up.  Ponyville already.  I mumbled something rude under my breath about the soggy horror novel, and, after the rather plus sized stallion got out of my way, I clambered off.  I was glad I'd packed kinda light, but my wallet was also kinda light 'cause of the bus ticket.

the bus pulled out in a cloud of dust before I could move, the driver/engine having other things to get on with, making me gag...and leaving a fine layer of stuff all over my specs

"aw horseapples!" one mare gave me a rather profound stare at that
"what? these things cost me a couple hundred bits!" I took em off and did a quick blow to get rig of some of the dust, then pulled a rag out of my one sided saddlebag.  she huffed and stuck her muzz in the air.  
"those silly little things? you really ought to have thrown them away a long time ago."   
a brief glimpse at her flank gave a big explanation
"some of us ain't rollin in bits, darlin" I told her in my best "redneck" accent, and perched them back on my face.
"well, I never" she stormed off like some southern belle.  I chuckled to myself, and started looking around.

the place was about as small and cozy as I thought it would be.  all the buildings already well familiar, if with more of them than I expected.  I set out looking for one specific building.

I heard the "boingboing" long before I saw the quivering pink bush of mane and tail that was emitting it

"I was starting to wonder, Pink"
"Choccie!"
I got glomped by a laughing pink mess of cotton candy colored mare
"whattokyousolongChoccieiwas..." she started riffing off words like she swallowed a gross of heavily frosted cupcakes
"calm down, darlin.  you sound like you ate a can of coffee grounds!"
"butyourherenowandiSOlook.." i let her natter as we got back on our hooves, and headed for the cube.

I should explain something.  my name is Chocolate Flash.  I'm the oddest stallion in Equestria, 'cause I'm not a rainbow color mess.  even my "cutie" mark was kinda plain.  it was a single winged Choccolate bar, as my talent had come up focusing on junk food early in colthood.  I also zipped around like a spaz.  I was here for a job.  and if your wondering how come I knew who Pinky Pie was already?  well, I had contact through her folks.  Sometimes there's an advantage to knowing about the Amish ponies.

Pinkie spazzed on about throwing me a welcome party and other stuff while boinging in place.
"just take me to the shop, darlin.  I need to put stuff down"
"Okey-Dokey Lokie"  she bounded off toward the 'cube.  I just shook my head and chucked. she was in a perpetual state of rumsphringah

I entered to a tinkling bell and the greetings of the cakes.  on the way, I'd spotted a spearmint colored mare parked on a bench in a REALLY funky position, and chuckled thought I was the only one that did that

the Cakes directed me to a spare room, where I plopped my bag, and pitched the Burrchman novel into a garbage can for 2 points, I'd already read it, anyway.  sighing, I popped into the bathroom to natty up a bit.  I blew stray bits of butterscotch forelock out of my eyes and started working a brush best I could through the perpetual mess.  there's nothing worse than being an earth pony and trying to get all the little details without a little magical assistance
I REALLY need a manecut or someone who knows what to do with it I thought, before braiding it up as best I could.  all this time, and I still hadn't quite got the hang of hoof-handling everything.

I curried of as best as I could, and headed back downstairs.  the cakes were busy with customers, of course, so I went for the kitchen where pinkie was happily baking away.  I inhaled deeply an caught the scent of standard blueberry muffins while pinkie's energy was being burned turning batter into smooth, pourable soon to be cupcakes
"Just blueberry?"
"there are no REDberrys silly" she went on, grinning at me
just then Mister Cake stuck his head in the door
"Der...I mean Ditzy is here with the mail and for her usual"
"Coming right up!!" pinkie bounced out the door with an already cold tray.  how they didn't just bounce out, I'll never know.  

Mr. Cake shook his head and smiled, then trotted over
"pinkie says you specialize in candies?"
"Chocolates, actually, it's kind of a given" i gestured at my cutie
He chuckled "True. Do we have the ingredients for them?"
"unless you two put them all in brownies"
"not quite.  there should be a couple blocks of chocolate hanging around, yet" the oven dinged, and so did the customer bell "Could you get those?"
"hang on"
he went out for another customer, and I pulled the tray VERY carefully out with a hot mouth-pad.  th aroma was mouth watering, and my stomach decided it was time to protest
"later, hungry" I told myself and started finishing the pouring for the next batch.  I sprinkled some sugar crystals on the blueberry's, and set to work.
* * * * *
lunch turned into a hefty sized salad drowning in a white dressing that caused a look or two.  so did the fact I sat out behind the back door for lunch, so I could look up at the sky, birds, and trees.  I was just relaxing when pinky bounded out the door
"what are you doing out here, Choccy"?
I brushed a stray forelock strand out of my face
"need a break, sometimes, PD"
she almost flat-maned at that
"don't do that, Anthony Michael Flash"
"don't you start going grannie pie at me just cause I know your whole name"
she really DID flatmane at that point, so I kissed her one on the cheek.  she brightened right back up again, and blushed
"I perfer you perky.  besides, wait till I get all sugared up, then there'll be two of us pogoing around"
She giggled "okey Dokey"
"how  is Granny Loki, anyway"
she shrugged "I dunno, how's granny Coyote?"
I had to laugh at that.  it was the one thing we really had ended up with in common, a trickster god somewhere in our bloodline.  it also explained my unusual milk chocolate and Caramel booted hide.

after the chortles subsided, I cleaned my plate, and slugged a bucket of water.
"c'mon, i wanna have some energy left for the party I know your throwing me"
"aw, you know about that"
"pinkie, you are so predictable…'cause your random"
she giggled, and returned to full cotton candy fluffiness and boundless energy.  we headed back inside
"I've got a muffin recipe you guys might wanna try"
"you do?  what is it  tellmeellmetellme" she pogoed in place
"I think somepony will like it.  ever heard of Banana nut?"

* * * * * * *
it was a long day before I got to some chocolate samplers made at the end of it.  keeping up with the goodie orders was a big challenge.  a couple of the new recipes I'd introduced the Cakes' to were starting to pick up customers.  I packed up my apron, and yawned pretty loudly
Pinkie was still full of sugar, especially at the prospect of a party.  I stretched for good measure
"are you coming?  i know this great place"
"oh yeah?" I asked, setting the samplers into the display case
she bounced right there, giving me a big fat grin.
"arright allready, pink, gimmie a sec.  see you later Mister and Misses cake"
Mrs. C waved at me from near the till, where they were already counting the days takings, and looking pleased at the amount.  I followed a bouncing Pinkie Pie out the door.  she was beelining for a literal treehouse.  I hadn't heard of THAT one before, but had a sneaky suspicion.
she opened the door to a blackout, and one of my OTHER favorite smells in the world...books.  when the surprise popped up with the lights, confetti, streamers, balloons, and half the contents of town (including a few customers I recognized), I didn't jump THAT hard.
Pinkie promptly started introducing me around.

the first other guest she brought me to was a well toned orange mare in a cowboy hat of some sort
"this is Applejack"
the mare smiled at me "howdy"
the accent caused me to break out in a big old grin
"well, howdy yerself, miss Applejack" I said, giving the accent right back at her, but with my own Yankee twist. she wide eyed at that
"well, where y'all from?  sounds like my kinda folk"
"Ponysylvania, 'tween Pittsburrgh and Phillydelphia, way out in the sticks.  dairy country.  we got some of Pinkey's folks out our way"
"well, ahm from right here in Ponyville. We have a farm called Sweet Apple Acres"
pinkie was trying to strap a party hat over the one Applejack already wore.
"stop that, willya, I'm tryin to have a conversation, here" she said.  Pinky ignored her, and ended up snapping the rubber band a bit "OW"
"pink, lay off the lady a second willya"
"Ah ain't no lady"
"don't take that personal, sugarcube" she REALLY grinned at that
"ah think I'm gonna like you"

the second was a mare the color of snow with a highly quoiffed mane
"This is Rarity.  she makes dresses and stuff like that"
She held up a hoof.  I took the cue, did a deep bow, and actually kissed it with my best British style "ma'am"
"what a gentleman you are" she then did a take "my dear you simply must do something with that mane"
I sighed "don't remind me.  if it's short, it stands up in spikes, if it's too long, it turns into ropes you can't do a thing with"
she visibly shuddered at that.
"Is there a barber anywhere"
"there is an absolutely delightful spa in town..."
"I'll save that for formal occasions" I broke in
"did someone call?" an absolutely adorable Dragon whelp sauntered up, still bipedal.  he was holding a drink with a gemstone in it, trying to look a bit grown up.
I chuckled "lemmie guess, your name happens to be Spike?"
"yeah"
"Now, Spike," came a high voice as a bookish mare trotted over " you don't need to pester our guest.  I'm twilight Sparkle"
"now that name rings a bell...oh yeah.  You beat me to the last copy of 'Two Goddess's guide to myths and Legends of Equestria' that Tia signed"
"oh?  Wait...Tia?" she actually tilted her head and looked puzzled.
oh horseapples!
i promptly headed for the nearest guest to cover up the gaffe, but not before ruffling the whelp's headscales as a distraction.  Spike went crosseyed staring up to see HOW that happened
"How did he do that?"
"unbelievable, he actually..."
when I approached a butter yellow pegasus with a pale strawberry mane, she eeped and jumped a few feet, I actually jumped back myself
steady now, Flash
we both started apologizing profusely. dang sympathy vibe I thought.  after several moments of overriding apologies, then awkward silence,she finally let her name be knon in a barely audible tone
"i'm...Fluttershy"
"Chocolate Flash"
more awkward slience "sorry" i mumbled, and moved on

the second pegasus was the color of the sky itself, with a literal rainbow mane and tail.
why did my heart just do a flip flop?
"sup"
"sup.  name's Rainbow Dash"
"Chocolate Flash"
" 'Flash', huh?" she smirked "there any speed to go with that name?"
I smirked right back " I could beat you on the ground on two hooves"
"Yeah,Yeah, you wanna prove it, smarty?" she asked, practically heabutting me.
"Try me, featherweight"
i swear I felt...magic...pass between us or something
"What the hay is with you two?" Applejack actually went and intervened between the two of us "we Don't need no racin right now"
the separation didn't take long, but it kinda felt like it. I'd also swear, through the haze the rest of the party went through, that dash was suppressing a bit of a wingboner.

* * * * *

I finally had to remind Pinkie, even in my distracted state, that we had work in the morning.  she let out an AWW, then I pointed to the fact  that people were starting to yawn despite being full of sugar.  she bugeyed a bit at that
"Oh, um..."
even Twilight was starting to shoot her a few dirty looks.  it WAS her house after all.  resounding snores echoing from inside the punchbowl weren't helping.  I sighed, and literally had to shove her out the door.
"sorry about that, Ms Sparkle"
"Pinky being Pinkie" she yawned broadly herself "I'll get this in the morning" she said, nearly stumbling up her stairs, magicing along Spike all balled up.
everypony followed us out the door mumbling soggy thanks to pinkie and "nice meetin ya" to me. I shook my head, embarrassed
she just grinned at me and pogoed a couple times "Soooooooo,".  I knew what that tone meant.  she'd spotted the state I was in, but had she spotted the who? "Who's the lucky mare that got Choccie's attention, HMMMMMM?"
she grinned toothily at me
I smirked "you better figure THAT one out yourself, wise gal"
"oh, your no fun" she put on this perfect trembling lower lip.  i laughed my haunches off at that.
"get yer butt going.  I better hear you cleaned that mess up" i gave her a swat
"Okey Dokey, Choccie.  but what about you?"
I rolled my eyes.  "pink, you got me so fulla sugar, I gotta go burn some off"
She giggled a bit at that, cause she knew exactly how I burned off energy.  i wasn't bragging about the "flash" part of my name.
"You just make sure you come back"
"Pinkie, relax, I'm not your baby brother, you know"
she giggled, gave me a peck on the cheek, and bounced away.  I'm still not sure how she did that constantly without busting a cannon bone.  of course, I should talk.
* * * * *
once I got to the outskirts of town, it was a different story.  at the first flat piece of ground, I kicked in the overdrive.
When I slowed down again, most of the sugar burned off, I found the perfect little hill to do some gazing. the moon was fat and full, and everything twinkled just right
Tia must be finally getting the hang of this
I must have said that out loud, because there was a sudden loud gasp, and I suddenly found myself flat on my back, all four hooves in the air, and staring up at a muzzle I hadn't seen in a LONG time
"Terry!!"
"L-L-Luna?!"
my jaw hung open, and I got squeezed HARD
"Lu...when...how?!"
"my baby brother's back, too!!"
hoo boy....

TO BE CONTINUED...