[Ponyville] An Odd Visitor

[Cinnamon]

Taking another "puff" of her sandwich, Cinnamon continued monologing to Pinkie Pie:

"'Uh.. yeah, of course I'm a friend of Fluttershy,' I say, trying to hide the fact that I've been spying on Fluttershy, 'how else would I know about you, Pinkie?' I hope nopony is able to figure it out. I certainly don't want a repeat of what happened with the Great and Powerful Trixie. Pinkie introduces me to Ms. Rose, whereupon I find out that she is, in fact, a he. That certainly explains the name. I stare at him awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say. 'Er, sorry Miss- uh, Mister Rose, I just.. thought..' I can't think of anything that would improve the situation, so I blurt out, 'You just look like a filly from across the street.' I look around; there is no street. 'Er, from across the way.' I extend a hoof to Mr. Rose in greeting.

"Suddenly, another unicorn bumps into the group, eyeing me nervously. He seems... wary of me, somehow. Perhaps he's been spying on me? And if so, for how long? And... why? It could be any number of things. The Martian Empire, perhaps, or maybe the plane of Nightmare. I briefly consider the possbility of Gibberkin, but discard that theory; it is broad daylight, after all. I keep an eye on the unicorn, to make sure he doesn't try anything funny."

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble Rose looked helplessly around at everyone. He weakly shook Cinnamon's hoof, rolling his eyes skyward and giving a sigh. He gave a little shake to his head, and looked over to his cousin.

"Pretty much, every pony in this town is crazy." He mused over that statement for a moment. "And I should probably include myself in that comment as well. But. Everyone's welcome to come along, but we're going to go get food, and something to drink." He smiled to Sir Knightly. "And me and my cuz are used to being lonely - strange new friends are never a bad thing with us. Now let's go. Too hot out here." He ducked his head and wriggled into the harness of his cart again.

"This way!" he said happily, leading onwards to the cafe.

[MudBug]

Goodness there were so many ponies. Blinking at all of them and smiling all the brighter, she offered a small and thankful look towards Rook, atleast he was alright. She'd have hated for him to hurt himself on her, she did stick out like a sore thumb. When the ponies congregated around herself and her cousin, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. But in a good way. She'd never...NEVER had this sort of attention before in her life, not even in her youth, not even from mother and she couldn't help but feel slightly giddy on her hooves.

Glancing to the odd pony in the longcoat and the pink filly, she was about to say something when the ball of pink sugar suggested a party, a party? A real party? Blinking her deep chocolate eyes she went a little pink herself in the cheek as her chin dipped to her neck bashfully.

Turning to her cousin she smiled sweetly to him.

"Oh Bramble, darlin', Ahm overwhelmed! Ah do declare, this is the nicest little pony town Ah've ever been too."

Smiling all the brighter, her cousin's suggestion of a meal and everypony's support of such made her powerful hungry all of a sudden, her smile spreading from ear to ear as she followed after her cousin before glancing to Rook again. Her name? Oh how impolite of her! Batting her big eyes shyly she chuckled nervously.

"Oh how silly of mah'self, mah name is Bluebelle." Looking back forward she removed her hat and rested in on her back, shaking her head so her long ears flopped happily now that they were free from their floral dungeon.

"Now let's go get us some brunch, Ahm absoloutley starvin'."

[holypony20]

Knightly followed Bramble along with his cart. "Your cousin seems like a shy but nice lady. I would like to get to know her. I'm sure she would like to also get to know all the other ponies that have joined us." He was just at the cafe but he didn't mind coming along with the group of ponies to get something to eat. He could be a sociable Pegasus if he needed to be.

[Tempest Rime]

"Ooh, yeah, Cinnamon, this is Sir Knighty," Pinkie added, realizing she'd forgotten to introduce the white pegasus, "I think he's a knight or something, I don't know him super well, but I'm sure he's real friendly. Anyway, more ponies is ALWAYS more fun." Her already divided attention shot back to Cinnamon, unsure how to interpret her weird monologues.

"Spying on Fluttershy is no good, if she found out she'd might feel bad, cause she's so shy, and since you like her then you'd feel bad too!" She was convinced that her logic would convince Cinnamon to stop spying, even though she wasn't sure that's what Cinnamon actually meant she was doing. The doubletalk between what Cinnamon was saying and what she was narrating was confusing, and Pinkie figured the narration stuff might just be a joke. Unaware of the possible can of worms she was opening, she added, "what's a Gibberkin?"

Bouncing alongside the ground as they proceeded to the cafe, she grinned broadly at Bluebelle's praise of her town. "Ponyville is my favoritest place in the whole world! Not that I've been to that many places, I guess, and Appleloosa was pretty nice too, Applejack's cousin Braeburn was really friendly when I went there, and Little Strongheart and made this delicious mushy stuff, but nopony there understood my song and dance routine." She frowned at the memory.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble Rose trotted along in the harness of the little cart happily. "Oh, they sure are! They're very friendly around here!" he replied to his sister. He blushed as he noticed a flier while they were walking past, for the local clothiers, showing himself wearing a fancy tux. "I've gotten a few odd jobs here and there along with the flower job," he says quickly, hoping that she doesn't notice. It just hadn't clicked with him that these would end up *everywhere* in town...

"And made lots of friends. Someone's having me come try out to be a backup singer in their band... can you imagine me, up on stage? And Pinkie there was *going* to try to get me a job at the candy store, all cheerful-like, till Lily came along."

He turned his head towards Sir Knightly. "She's wonderful. Had a bit of a hard life, but it's just made her appreciate kindness all the more. She's always been nothing but a sweetheart to me, too, ever since we were little. My sire used to bring me along whenever he went on one of his business trips, so we could stop off and visit with that side of the family."

Bramble turned his head back to Pinkie. It just showed how new he was to this town that he had to ask, "Oh, you sing and dance? I'd love to see that sometime!"

[holypony20]

"Then I will make sure to be myself around her and show her the kindness a knight shows to everyone. I have had a bad past myself I know how that is like. I grew up in Roughrider Ridge and it was no pushover there." He didn't want to go into it to much it would bring back all the memories that he doesn't want to come back.

[Dio]

Rook

Suddenly, another unicorn bumps into the group, eyeing me nervously. He seems... wary of me, somehow. Perhaps he's been spying on me? And if so, for how long? And... why? It could be any number of things. The Martian Empire, perhaps, or maybe the plane of Nightmare. I briefly consider the possbility of Gibberkin, but discard that theory; it is broad daylight, after all. I keep an eye on the unicorn, to make sure he doesn't try anything funny.

"I thought you were supposed to eat the sandwich?" Rook raised an eyebrow. 'You realize I can hear everything you're saying, right? For the record, I'm a pony, just like you are. Martian, definitely not.'

The unicorn smirked as he rebutted Cinnamon's narrative line by line. 'Though Nightmare? Perhaps. Depends on how much you hate needles and medication. I'm just a doctor, but like any doctor, I'm absolutely vilified by little foals. Also, the only thing funny about me you'll find will be my jokes.'

'By the way, pleased to meet you, Cinnamon.'

Now let's go. Too hot out here.

Rook chuckled. 'Funny, I thought it was just fine. That's what I get for living out west, I suppose. I'm probably going to regret that when night falls on Ponyville. I haven't been in a temperate area in a while.'

Oh how silly of mah'self, mah name is Bluebelle. Now let's go get us some brunch, Ahm absoloutley starvin'.

'No hard feelings, ma'am. I'll let Bramble lead the way to the café, since he seems to know where he's going.

OH! If you're gonna be stuck in town for a day or two while the train pullers rest, we should throw you guys a SUPER FUN PARTY!

'I… party? I was just in the mood for a quiet evening, Pinkie Pie. But I guess we can all talk about this over brunch.'

Rook did his best to juggle the conversations as he followed Bramble's cart. So five ponies and a mule walk into a bar. This is beginning to sound like the start of a really bad joke. Still, the company he had met seemed friendly and welcoming enough, even if Pinkie Pie was a motormouth and Cinnamon talked to herself about everypony else. Ponyville was a charming town and Rook had a feeling this wouldn't be his only trip there in the future. Maybe the trip out would be enough to get his mind off more recent events...

[MudBug]

There was such a joyful flicker that ran through her heart as she trotted beside her cousin and the ponies that had become their entourage as they made their way to the cafe, she never thought in her wildest dreams she'd ever get a greeting to a town like this. She hoped her greeting in Appleloosa was just was nice. Beaming away happily she glanced at the variety of ponies, pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns, everything seemed so happy and nice here.

Glancing to her cousin as he spoke and noticing the posters of him as such a fashionable looking colt, the mule couldn't help but smile good naturedly before she leant in to playfully nudge him with her shoulder.

"Don't look so shy, cousin dear, Ah think you look dashin'."

As Pinkie Pie perked herself up again, she blinked. She was just a ball of energy wasn't she? Smiling she listened on before a slightly suprised look crossed her face, she'd been to Appleloosa? Creasing her brow in faint concern she tried a small, reassuring smile for the pink filly.

"Ah'd love to hear you sing sometime, Pinkie dahlin'."

[Tempest Rime]

"Silly," Pinkie said to Rook, grinning maniacally, "what kind of party is quiet? Booo-riiing! I mean, duh, I want to make you guys feel super welcome, so you'll come back and visit sometime!"

"YOU WOULD!?" exclaimed Pinkie excitedly when Bramble and Bluebelle expressed an interest in hearing her sing. Without further ado, she took a deep breath, bounded up in front of the procession, and launched into an impromptu song, leaping and somersaulting through the air as she belted out a ridiculous ditty.

"When you're tired and lonely from a long day's work,

Or you're feeling sad 'cause of some mean jerk,

There's one thing to do to regain your perk,

That's when you throw a paaaaaarty!

"When the rain is pouring and there's lightning out,

And there's nothing to do but stay inside and pout,

Don'tcha dare cry, don't scream or shout,

Just gather up your friends and paaaaaarty!

"Celebrations, good vibrations,

They'll flip over your frown.

Friends and laugher, sing down the rafter

And you'll never stay down!

"So if you're new in town,

Let me show you around,

I'll throw a ho-down,

'Cause parties are my renown,

You don't need a ball gown,

Just a party hat crown,

And I'll throw you a Pinkie paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarty!!"

She landed from a final backflip, winded from holding the last note, and giving the group a goofy, extremely pleased grin. In spite of her singing at the top of her lungs in public, few of the locals had given her so much as a second glance, indicating how commonplace this sort of thing was for Pinkie.

[Cinnamon]

Cinnamon continued to monologue:

"Pinkie Pie asks me what a Gibberkin is. I ponder my response. Should I tell her of these hideous creatures, these beings of madness, darkness, and shadows? Should I explain to her their bloodshot eyes, their mouthless grins, their spindly frames? Should I warn her of their constant watch over ponykind in the name of some dark purpose? I shake my head and simply say, 'You don't want to know.' A lie, of course - she almost certainly does - but the lie is better for her sanity."

"Rook looks at me and denies being a Martian. 'I... don't know what you're talking about.' I stammer. Has he been reading my thoughts? Certainly, a Martian would be able to do so, although telepathy is not out of the question for certain creatures of Nightmare or other, stranger things. I find myself growing suspicious of his denial. Perhaps he is, in fact, an agent of the Empire - then again, he could be using reverse psychology to send me down a false path of investigation. I continue to watch for clues as the the unicorn's true natura and motivations."

"Suddenly, Pinkie Pie bursts into song and dance. I find myself clapping along to her singing; none of the other ponies do. Do they not appreciate a good musical number? Music is always a good addition to any story, whether to lighten the mood or add drama, and my story is no exception. As Pinkie finishes her song, I applaud, 'Nice musical number, Pinkie! It's good to see that somepony else here appreciates the value of a good musical.' Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from the pink one; my impromptu music skills have always been a bit... lacking."

[holypony20]

Knightly clapped at the great musical number that Pinkie pulled off. "That was great Pinkie you are a good singer." He looked over to the strange pony that was talking with Pinkie about Gibberkin's. He whispered to the pony. "Its a good idea that you didn't tell her about Gibberkin's there nasty little creature's." He thought that the pony probably would be surprised that he knew about them but Knightly traveled enough that he has had encounters with them.

[Dio]

Rook

(( OOC: A SONG? YOU WROTE US A SONG? XD ))

"Wow! That was... nice," Rook said, smiling awkwardly. The grey unicorn wasn't particularly fond of Pinkie's brand of song, but he wasn't about to be inhospitable. No one else even seemed to notice, suggesting that this was a regular occurrence. Nothing at all like being out west. The denizens of the Painted Pinto Desert and the lands beyond were hardly as, how to put it, forward or as talkative as the inhabitants of Ponyville.

I find myself growing suspicious of his denial. Perhaps he is, in fact, an agent of the Empire - then again, he could be using reverse psychology to send me down a false path of investigation. I continue to watch for clues as the the unicorn's true natura and motivations

Rook shook his head. There was no reasoning with that filly. 'Believe what you like, Cinnamon. I'm sticking with my story.'

Turning to Bluebelle, Rook attempted to strike up conversation; all the talk of Gibberkin, Martians, and Nightmare was starting to put a damper on the otherwise cheery mood of the day. 'So where were you headed, Miss Bluebelle? Or is Ponyville your final destination?'

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble blushed at the praise of his sister for those silly fliers. There was another one, with him looking rather elite in an expensive silver saddle. He shook his head a bit and tried to ignore them. "Y'all are always too kind," he murmured. Every time he visited with her, he started picking up her accent - remnants of his youth, when he'd spend days with her family. Right now it was just very mild, but he rolled his eyes at himself. No doubt he'd sound just like her if she was here for any length of time.

He blinked as Pinkie Pie took their polite words to heart, breaking out into sudden song. He found his hooves lifting a bit higher, his spirits becoming a bit brighter, he laughed merrily, pausing to clop his hooves against the ground in appreciation. Singing in public... woo! He admired that sort of bravery.

That strange monologuing pony, though... he had no idea what to think about her. On one hand ... who does that? On the other, it was kinda neat, seeing the world around him like one of those old noir novels...

Before long, the small mob arrived at the cafe, busy as usual with ponies of every description. Bramble paused in hauling the cart, shrugging out of the harness with a sigh of relief. He trotted over to lead the group to one of the empty tables, settling down onto one of the bales of hay. "So now ah know what brings y'all to Ponyville, cuz," he said to Bluebelle merrily. "But what're y'all doin' headin' to Appleoosa?"

[MudBug]

Well, she hadn't expected the song. In her wildest thoughts, she'd never thought someone would be so confident and so bubbly as to start singing in public and Bluebelle had to stare slightly in growing awe. Her walking turning to merry skips that faltered a little with her clumsiness, but she quickly caught herself with a slightly nervous chortle to escape her lips as she watched the other ponies revel in the singing.

Even the strange monologuing pony who was talking about....Gibberkins? She wondered what in Equestria they were. They sounded like vile little creatures.

When Pinkie was done with her song, the mule excitedly pounded the ground with her hooves in an appraising round of applause and well deserved too by her standards!

"Oh Pinkie dahlin', that was magnificent! You have a lovely singin' voice!" She chimed in that southern drawl, smile bright as she followed after her cousin to the cafe.

Oh it looked so quaint! Nothing like the buildings in Canterlot and watching her cousin find a table, she smiled to the other ponies and sat herself down on an opposite hay bail, glancing to the gentleman Rook aswell as she decided to answer both their questions. Taking a dainty napkin from her saddle bag and wiping her hooves befpre placing them on the table.

"Well, mah momma always fussed 'bout me movin' outta Can'erlot, on account of she didn' exactly want ponies to know we were related." Smiling in faint embarassment she quickly perked up.

"But Ah was readin' the papers a few months ago an' Ah found a beautiful plot of land for sale in Appleloosa, oh it looks so lovely! An' jus' wait, 'cause Ahm gonna be growin' all mah beautiful flowers there when Ah get there in the next few days! All mah bluebell's, an' begonia's an' tulips so sweet y'all 'll wanna spread 'em on a fresh slice of toast!"

By this point, that tasseled tail of hers was waggling away as she beamed happily.

"Ah jus' can't wait! Ahm so excited to get there!"

[holypony20]

Knightly sat next to bramble as he unstrapped the sword on his back and leaned it up against the table gently. He always kept it well taken care of. He heard Bluebelle talking about Appleloosa and he was thinking that would be a great place to go to next. "I heard Appleloosa is a great place for travelers I was thinking of going there myself. I dont know if I can join in the train to go there though. I would like to see the place I have been in Ponyville for awhile." He really thought even though he liked Ponyville a lot he should start moving again. He was a traveler and he couldn't stay in one place for a long time.

[Tempest Rime]

Pinkie beamed with pride at the mostly favorable responses from the group. It was more than she usually got from the local ponies, most of whom had long since gotten used to Pinkie's tendency to burst into song without warning.

"Gibberkins, Martians, and Nightmares?" Pinkie queried of Rook and Cinnamon. "Are those all the same things? I met a Nightmare once. Her name was Black Snooty, and she went and did all kinds of mean things, but my friend Twilight showed her who's boss and totally shot beams of light out of her eyes like 'PEW PEW PEW PEW', and Black Snooty was all like 'Noooooooooooo' and we all got shiney necklaces, except Twilight, who got a crown. Then Black Snooty turned back into a cute princess, so I guess that would mean that Nightmares aren't really bad ponies deep down, they're just sad, so you shouldn't be afraid of them, or they'll just be sadder."

She plopped down at the table and began to make a mental list of all the things she'd need to get ready in order to throw a party tonight. As she thought about it, her face twisted into odd expressions as each thing occurred to her. She wasn't actually doing it on purpose, it was just that her thought played over her face as soon as they popped into her mind.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble grinned excitedly as Bluebelle spoke of the garden she hoped to make, leaning forward. "Oh, wonderful!" he said, eagerly - flower gardens always got him excited. "And you'll have some Desert Roses too, right? Have any particular plans for how you're going to lay them out? I suppose you won't need a greenhouse out in the desert, except doesn't it get cold during the night? So I suppose you might need one after all, but not with nearly so many windows, and with some blinds you can pull during the day so it doesn't bake the flowers... do you have any land yet? How close is it to water?"

The questions just bubbled out of him as he tried to picture it in his minds' eye. "Oooo, I can't come with you *right* away, with my new job and all, but I'd love to visit you *soon* and maybe give you a little help with giving your garden a little *boost*?" A little green spark flared at the tip of his horn.

It wasn't that he didn't care about any of the other ponies... but this was his cousin! And flowers!

[MudBug]

Smiling the mule nodded towards Knightly with a bright and excited look over her face, she was so happy! This was going to be her future and she just loved that her cousin was so excited to help her in that. Glancing to Pinkie as she joined them, her joy just grew with the warmth that fluttered in her chest like an eager butterfly flitting over every flower in a bountiful garden.

"Oh Bramble, Ah'll be sortin' everythin' out once Ah get there, but Ah hear it's one of the best growin' land out in that desert."

She saw the soft green glint at the tip of her cousin's horn and couldn't help but smirk playfully, he was getting riled upp into his gardening mind. The mule admired that of him a lot. Letting out a playful giggle she nodded eagerly towards the slender unicorn with little reluctance.

"You know Ah'd welcome you with open arms, dahlin'!" Rubbing over her stomache she went a tad pink. "But let's get ourselves and these wonderful ponies some food and drink, shall we?"

[holypony20]

Knightly smiled. "I agree getting some food would be good. I will pay for peoples stuff if its fine." He looked over to Bluebelle. "If I go with you too Appleoosa I can help you set up stuff at your house Bluebelle if that's fine with your cousin." He looks over to Bramble Rose. "Is it fine with you your cousin will be under my protection. I just want to get your consent because she is your cousin and you care about her more then any other pony here does."

[Tempest Rime]

The thought of food snapped Pinkie Pie from her party-planning reverie. "Ooh, Mocha makes the best mocha lattes, they are delicious, though they make me a little hyper. Mocha's runs this place, she's really nice, though I don't tend to come here that often, mostly I hang out at Sugarcube Corner when I want snacks. Hmmm... a cream cheese danish sounds good..." Her mouth started to water just thinking about the treats they had here.

"So you grow things too, Bluebelle? I could never get the hang of growing things, even though I grew up on a farm, though we didn't really grow things there, rocks don't really grow anyway." She turned to Knightly. "That's a good idea, you never know what could happen on the way, like a buffalo train hijacking! Or dragon desperadoes! Or maybe even ninja outlaw bandito diamond dogs!" She got more and more excited the more she considered the possibilities.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble eyed Pinkie Pie cautiously. He hesitated to try to think of what she'd be like 'a little hyper.' It was hard enough to keep up with all these strange ponies - Pinkie Pie was just so *random*, and that other pony who kept narrating everything ... but Pinkie Pie, made hyper by her standards? That was terrifying.

He looked over to Sir Knightly. "Thank you, good sir," he said softly. "I don't have many bits, just yet. I promise to pay it back ... or pay it forward ... once I am able, in the future. And if you wanted to guard the train, well, I would be more than happy. I don't want anything to happen to her."

He didn't even need to glance at the menu. when the pony came around for their orders, he was happy to order a clover sandwich with oat bread - one of his favorite foods. "well, my first long weekend I can take off, I'll be sure to stop by, cuz! and we're here, so you can order whenever you want!"

[Dio]

Rook

The group had arrived at the Café Delights, a squat one-story shop with an atrium-esque bay window showing off the main dining area. Rook peered inside through the atrium, noting the chocolate-colored unicorn behind the counter. From her practiced motions and the way she addressed the neon-yellow filly who also worked the counter, he guessed that she was the head barista, if not proprietor of the establishment. From what Pinkie Pie was saying, this place had among the best, if not the best, coffee in town; and if there was one thing Rook liked, it was coffee.

The ponies and mule took their seats around one of the exterior tables, merrily chatting as they went along. Rook felt awkward merely listening in. He was a skilled watcher and listener, but not so great at breaking into an already ongoing conversation. With all those hours of patrol and medical under my belt, you'd think I'd be better at small talk. However, his thoughts were jarred by Knightly.

I agree getting some food would be good. I will pay for peoples stuff if it's fine.

Argent Rook chuckled at Knightly's offer. 'Thanks, but I think I can take care of myself. We've just met and I don't think anypony here is under any obligation to pay for any other pony; I'd feel rude if I were to ask you to do so.'

The waiter arrived shortly thereafter. Bramble Rose seemed very familiar with the place; no doubt from having lived in Ponyville for some time. Without even peeking at the menu, he placed his order and gestured the waiter on. As the stallion came to Rook, the grey unicorn floated his menu onto the waiter's hoof, having decided to take a chance.

'Iced mocha latte, house style. I'm told it's the best,' he said, glancing at Pinkie Pie. 'And a fruit salad, please.'

That's a good idea, you never know what could happen on the way, like a buffalo train hijacking! Or dragon desperadoes! Or maybe even ninja outlaw bandito diamond dogs!

Rook's ears perked up as Pinkie Pie went on about her adventures out west. 'I'm really hoping that you mean that figuratively, especially if you're not talking about going any further than Apple-loosa. I've personally never run into any trouble East of Apple-loosa. All the criminal activity and violence seems to be confined to the Griffon lands.'

Rook tapped his chin with a hoof as he mused, mostly to himself, but definitely audible. 'I guess that ponies must have a fundamentally different worldview from the West…'

[holypony20]

Knightly was ready for his order too. "I will have the special today." He looked over at bramble. "You dont have to pay me for anything dont worry about it this is for a friend its no big deal. And anyways it would be a delight to accompany your cousin to Appleloosa." He looks over to Rook. "Sorry I was just offering. Also I'm sure its not dangerous down that way I was just offering protection just incase. I've never been down that way myself so I didn't know."

[MudBug]

...Bandits....?

...Ninjas...?

The powder blue mule had to blink at Pinkie Pie as a slightly fearful expression swam over her face...did all those horrible things actually do that whilst you were on a train? Then again, the pink mare did seem to have a very...active imagination. Smiling weakly, her eyes turned briefly to Knightly and a small blush came to her cheeks.

All this nice attention, she wasn't truly used to it after all the time at home.

"Oh, sir Knightly, y'all are too kind, but Ah wouldn' wan' to be a bother."

Smiling softly, reassured that no danger would possibly happen thanks to her cousin, she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

What to have.

She was assured that they must've had a wide range, rubbing her stomache gently, her mind quietly went over the options before it finally stopped on something that...honestly must've been the best choice to her because her smile split so brightly across her muzzle.

"Ah'll have an apple juice an' a muffin."