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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Nov 9, 2011 0:25:19 GMT -5
It had been almost a week since a horrible cultist group calling themselves Twilight's Hammer attacked Equestria. And no, they had nothing to do with that little filly who always used to visit the cafe with lots of studying to do.
Twilight and her friends had since left their usual Ponyville home on an important mission, and the regal sisters have been working their flanks off on preparations to make sure Equestria remained relatively safe from any future invasions. The pasty chef known to most as Pony Joe, however, simply kept his cafe business running. Equestria opening a link to other worlds or not, ponies still liked their pastries, coffee, and hot chocolate.
It was morning, and Pony Joe had already baked a number of goods and got a few brews going. The cafe was open, and he was in the process of finishing up wiping the tables. Telekinetically, he rang a dishrag over a bucket and used it to wipe down the table top.
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Nov 9, 2011 0:31:07 GMT -5
Not even a few minutes after the shop had opened, a chestnut Pegasus trotted in, a bag slung on his back. Looking around, he noticed Joe and said, "Hello! ...This is Pony Joe's, right? One of the best cafes in Canterlot?"
He trotted over to a dry table and sat down, taking some lined paper and a pen out. "If it's not too much trouble, could I have a cruller and a decaf coffee, please?"
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Post by Felix Falora on Nov 9, 2011 0:37:25 GMT -5
She did come here sometimes, back to the land she was born and raised, in order to enjoy its sights. Ponyville was amazing, but nothing beat the grandeur of Canterlot. With its beautiful decor and amazing sights, not to mention its high culture, it was the envy of all of Equestria... or so she had heard. In essence, Penny didn't really notice the differences that well, other then the fact that mostly unicorns resides in Canterlot. A good reason that everything looked so fanciful was the magic used in order to make things easier. Every unicorn had at least some telekinetic control. As a result, they barely had to raise a hoof or learn to use their mouths. Penny was happy for the extra help in her writings, for example. How do earth ponies and pegasi send letters anyway?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she reached her destination. Like most ponies of Canterlot, she had parents. They sent her money ever so often, and she made quite a bit from doing odd jobs here and there when she wasn't selling books. So where did she spend it? Well when she was a child, this was a place she came to often to enjoy the tasty delights of the pastries within. Pony Joe's. Even as an adult, she still enjoyed it. As she walked in, and Joe would most likely recognize her as a regular, name basis or not, she smiled. "Good morning Sir Joe. I'd like to order a baker's dozen and a cup of hot chocolate please." She then noticed the pegasus and offered a friendly smile. "Well hello there. I've never seen you around Canterlot before. How goes it?"
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Nov 9, 2011 0:50:16 GMT -5
Pony Joe finished wiping the last table before sending the rag in the bucket behind the counter. He nodded as the pegasus gave his order. "One cruller and a decaf," he acknowledged, heading behind the counter to pour a cup. "Powdered sugar, cinnamon, or chocolate?"
Just as his customer was giving his response, the bell above the door rang, signaling the arrival of another. Pony Joe looked around to the door and smiled, recognizing the newcomer as an old regular he hadn't seen in awhile. "Penny Parched. It's been awhile," he said. "I'll grab your order in just a sec..."
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Nov 9, 2011 0:54:36 GMT -5
Arpeggio chuckled to himself. "Ah... I completely forgot. Cinnamon, please."
He then turned to the newcomer. "It's going quite well, I dare say. Two more concerts on this tour and then I return back home to Ponyville." He laughed slightly, gesturing to his staff paper. "At the least, I have considerable amounts of down time to indulge my other career. Canterlot really is quite beautiful."
He then extended his hoof. "Penny Parched, is it? That's a nice name. I'm Arpeggio... pleased to meet you."
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Post by Felix Falora on Nov 9, 2011 1:03:38 GMT -5
"Thank you sir." Ever polite. It was how she was raised, after all. Be polite to all. Even the commoners... well if there was one thing she didn't agree with her parents or any of the nobility on, it was the caste system. She aimed to be polite to everyone, show no discrimination. It definitely showed in her interactions with Joe and would show in her interactions with the pegasus pony, who introduced himself as Arpeggio. "Arpeggio. What a musical name, very fitting and... very dashing," she replied. "The pleasure is mine, Sir Arpeggio. I am glad you are enjoying the wonderful city of Canterlot. It's a rather inspirational land. Sometimes I find myself coming back here just to see if that spark I need will finally strike. I'm a bit of an artist myself, though I work not with music, but with words."
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Nov 9, 2011 1:15:37 GMT -5
A cinnamon-topped twisted ring floated out of the cruller section and onto a napkin which landed in front of Arpeggio. Joe carefully sent a piping coffee the pegasus's way as well. "Careful; it's hot," he warned. He added in a somewhat lightheartedly snarkish low tone, "Yeah, I know that should be obvious, but I'm legally inclined to warn anyway..." before adding aloud, "Sugar and cream are on the counter if you'd like 'em."
He then pulled out a box for Penny's order and magically folded it into shape before pulling out a small variety of donuts to fill it with. He went for all the ones she would usually order when she came to his cafe.
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Nov 9, 2011 1:25:56 GMT -5
Smirking at Joe, Arpeggio said, "Thank you kindly." He didn't touch the cream or sugar, though, preferring his coffee black.
Turning back to Penny, Arpeggio motioned to another seat at his table. "You're welcome to join me here if you like. ...Anyway, you said you work with words. A poet, perhaps? Or a writer? That's quite interesting."
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Post by Felix Falora on Nov 9, 2011 2:20:47 GMT -5
She giggled at Joe's humor. She did not bug him about her hot chocolate. She always had one of them, save for in the summer when she would order an iced tea of sorts. She knew they took a while to make, but when Joe made one of his hot chocolates, you best knew they were worth the price. Thanking him again after she had her dozen, she smiled at the pegasus' question. "A writer, yes. It's been a while since I've written anything of prestige though. My spark had not come to me for much of a while... though I must say, recent events have opened up new possibilities. I will not deny I feared for my life during the raid on Ponyville by those ruffians in that accursed cult, the human called it Twilight's Hammer, but I don't see why the Element of Magic would use a hammer, but now that it's all over, I've no urge to rest."
Penny smiled. "Later on today, I'm meeting up with her, the one who stayed behind. Another reason I came back to Canterlot. It'll be sometime though, but I've already got everything set up. I intend to ask her about her world. Maybe with ideas on a new world, I can find some sort of spark... and start writing once again. It'll be hard to keep it to our world's standards though. From what all of us have seen, there are some freaks in that world. Good people as well, but a lot of freaks." She telekinetically raised a chocolate donut to her muzzle and took a bit of it, chewing it, savoring the flavor, and swallowing before continuing. "And the wars that apparently wage on in that word... quite undigni..."
She gasped. She realized she had just been going on and on giving him no time to speak. She did that sometimes. It wasn't something she was proud of and, when she caught herself in it, she sometimes became anxious. She tried to keep her cool, however, for his sake. "I-I'm sorry, I get that way sometimes... um... so concerts, eh? I take it you really are a stallion of music then?"
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Nov 9, 2011 20:13:42 GMT -5
Pony Joe prepared a cup of hot cocoa the way Penny usually ordered it and floated it over to her.
"Actually..." he then piped up, "I have noticed my customers occasionally mentioning concerts composed by an Apreggio lately..."
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Nov 9, 2011 21:05:14 GMT -5
He said, "I was here in Canterlot when that cult attacked Ponyville... I hope no one was hurt. ...I'd like to meet the one that stayed behind, myself..." He also waved off her run-on talking with his wing, saying, "Don't worry about it; it doesn't bother me."
At Joe's comment, he blushed slightly, not used to that kind of praise. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he said, "Yeah... I do composition... I'm here in Canterlot right now with a choir; we're going to be performing at the Castle Courtyard in a few days... This is the first time I've heard someone talking about a concert that I composed, though..."
His eyes lit up in recognition and, turning to Penny, he said, "...I thought your name sounded familiar; I've read some of your works before. Oh... I can't remember the one I've read most recently... it was so good, too."
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Post by Felix Falora on Nov 9, 2011 21:24:55 GMT -5
"She's an odd one from what I've seen," Penny replied. "I didn't get to talk to her much and I was lucky to be able to schedule anything at all, but despite being as timid and shy as anyone would be in an alien world, she carries an immense power. It's as if she's both Princesses Celestia and Luna, yet she's only one person. I saw it myself; bright holy powers that healed the wounded turned into dark, night-like energies that felled the invaders effortlessly, as if she were the duel persona of the Sun and the Moon itself." She telekinetically lifted her cup of hot chocolate to her muzzle and sipped at it lightly before putting it down. Then she stopped speaking there to let him speak of himself, as any polite listener would.
She grinned. "If the folks of Canterlot are taking kindly to your concerts, then I should probably attend one when I can spare the time. I do love a good performance. Music truly is a wonder to the ears. I thought of writing lyrics once, but I could never match the tempo or rhythm, sadly enough." She took another bite of her chocolate donut, savoring it as always, before swallowing. When she heard, however, that he was a fan of her works, she smiled, flattered of course. "Well thank you, sir, it's always nice to hear kind words. Can't remember? Might you be able to recall the plot? I could help identify it if I knew what it was about."
(Just make something up =P )
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Post by DM: Dersite Merchant on Nov 9, 2011 22:02:36 GMT -5
"Personally, I liked your that one novel about that rich socialite from Fillydelphia who disappeared on the eve of the Winter Moon Festival," the pastry chef chimed in. "Heh... That one had me in suspense from cover to cover."
He smiled a little, explaining, "I like to keep track of my old regulars from time to time. Since you live in Ponyville, you probably know or know of that young mare Twilight Sparkle; she frequented here a lot as a little filly. Always had a big stack of textbooks to read when she came..." A somewhat nostalgic look spread across his face.
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Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Nov 9, 2011 22:08:14 GMT -5
Arpeggio said, "You mean that violet-colored unicorn, right? I've seen her around town from time to time... and sorry, Penny, I'm just not remembering it."
He took a large drink of his coffee and a bite of his cruller. "But anyway... it seems that things in Equestria have been rather chaotic as of late... and I'm not just talking about when that freaky cult attacked. ...It's a little worrisome, to tell the truth... kinda like when Discord was free... 'least from what I heard; my group was in Appleloosa at the time and it didn't get attacked, thankfully."
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Post by Felix Falora on Nov 9, 2011 22:34:39 GMT -5
"The spark for that one hit hard, Sir Joe. It was a fanciful tale and I was enthralled in its creation." Penny held a sort of smile on her face that wasn't too egotistical, but did not fully throw away pride in and of itself. She sipped at the hot chocolate again; gulping it down was in bad taste, after all, and she was a lady, even if she wasn't as high strung as she heard the Element of Generosity could be. She then heard of Twilight Sparkle and smiled. "Unfortunately I've never gotten the chance to meet Madam Sparkle, though I've heard of her. And she's went off, I've heard, probably to find the other missing ponies who symbolize the Elements of Harmony. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie... they're actually very good ponies in town otherwise, though I've never spoken to them."
She then heard Arpeggio mention Discord and her eyes widened heavily. "DON'T...!" she began loudly. Then she realized she was about to lash on an innocent and quickly calmed herself. "My apologies... that fiend's influence on Ponyville is a sort of... tender spot to me still...' She kept a sort of nervous smile on her face.
"Hahahahahaha! Burn it down, all around, from the top, to the ground! Burn it thus, let it rust, turn it all into dust!" The chaotic Penny, influenced by Discord, was burning all of her writings to the ground... by burning her house to the ground. Who needed books anyway? They were useless pieces of crap.
... ... ...
"Oh by Celestia's mane, you've GOT to be kidding me!" Penny looked over the remains of her home. The house was easy enough to replace, it was the works in there that were invaluable. Gone forever, never to be remembered and never to be replicated again. She sunk to her knees and silently buried her head in her hooves.
Penny didn't reply after her flashback, merely taking another sip of her hot chocolate. "So... Appleloosa, huh? I've heard it's a nice place, save for the.... one fight."
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