Chapter 30 - My SI Stash #30 - Hope Bearer by shadenight123 (Multiverse Cross) (2/2)

I was so going to have words with her when I came back...meanwhile, the pony who had 'doused' me in water gasped and retreated abruptly, closing the windows behind her.

Restart In Progress.

As it was, I ended my nice, normal, vacation-like walk at a large building that worked as the town hall of the place. I stepped inside, trudged up a couple of steps, and came short of the mayor's desk, where the Mayor seemed busy behind it. There was no secretary of sorts, but again, Ponyville was more of a town than an actual city.

”Ahem,” I coughed politely, trying to catch the mayor's attention and failing miserably at that.

”Ahem!” I coughed a bit louder.

That got the Mayor's attention, who dropped the parchment and looked up at me, with a puzzled look. ”Oh my! May I help you?”

I inclined my head to the side and sighed. ”I am Shade Neight,” I growled my surname and felt the burning d_e_s_i_r_e to burn Yui to a stake, which soon passed as I remembered I was here for a vacation, a happy, fluffy, comedy filled vacation of friendship and happiness and burning people to the stake wasn't in the program...yet. ”You should have received a letter about my arrival today?”

Hoping Yui did everything properly, of course.

”Of course, of course Mister Neight!”

”Shade, please,” I replied dryly. If I heard my surname pronounced like that one more time, I'd swing my lightsaber-right, right, that explains why she didn't give me my lightsaber. Damn you, Yui. I want my lightsaber back, do you hear me?

”Mister Shade, I am Mayor Mare, nice to meet you,” the Mayor replied. ”I'll show you to your house immediately.”

”You look busy, and I wouldn't want to impose-”

”Nonsense, young colt! These can wait,” I just had to smile and let it be, then. I was the one who had insisted on going somewhere else, and Yui had found the perfect place to drop me, where even my angst-driven and hatred-filled self could not worsen things up.

I didn't know where or when exactly she had dropped me in the timeline of the show, but it didn't matter.

I just had to take a vacation, and everything would be fine.

A vacation away from the Limbo dimension, because I couldn't stand punching Cthulhu in the face one more time.

Really, how hard is it to remember taking the sleeping pills every new moon?

Detachment Start.

The blood drained from my face as I realized there were quite less pony hanging around Ponyville than I imagined. It was...clearly, it could only be one thing.

”There's a surprise party waiting for me at my home, perchance?” I asked offhandedly, as the Mayor skipped a couple of steps in shock.

”W-What brilliant idea! Ah! I do not know what made you think such a great-”

”Feigning ignorance will not work with me, Miss Mayor.”

The Mayor looked sideways and coughed politely with a hoof to her face. ”Could you please try to look surprised?”

”Of course,” I dryly retorted. ”Wouldn't want to hurt Miss Pinkamena's feelings.”

”You know of her?” the Mayor asked, and I nodded grimly.

”She is quite...famous for her parties. I will live through this headache, provided it is the only one I have to suffer through.”

”Certainly,” Miss Mayor said. ”I'll make sure to warn Miss Pie you do not wish to be disturbed.”

”Shade!” Yui grumbled in the back of my head. ”You've got to take it nice and easy and have a vacation! You can't act like an anti-social jerk from the get-go! Go out, have fun, go to parties!”

I will rip your spleen and feed it to the dogs, Yui.

”Shade, I know you don't really mean that,” Yui replied with a giggle.

Try me.

Separate The Masses.

The house was a normal, pastel beige colored, house on one floor with a pair of windows, a small garden, and nothing more. It looked like the poster-card of coziness and peace and tranquility, and...and yet I dreaded the first step inside as the Mayor handed me the key...to turn into the key lock with my mouth, of course.

It wasn't really that difficult.

What was difficult was keep a straight face as I stepped inside, in the dark room, and wait.

Two seconds later, the Mayor turned on the lights.

One second later, after I barely had the time to gaze at the words 'WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, SHADE NEIGHT!' written on a large piece of cloth hanging from the ceiling, I was assaulted by loud noises, confetti, party-stripes and whatnot that somehow managed to cover me into them as Pinkie Pie emerged with a bright cheerful voice from behind a sofa, yelling at the top of her lungs.

”SURPRISE PARTY! HELLO! I'M PINKIE!”

Die in a forest fire, pink pony of hell and doom.

”Shade!” Yui chided me.

You can follow her fate, Yui.

I was lifted by strong hooves, Pinkie's hooves, and literally sent tumbling through a hundred and more presentations. I felt kind of sick by the time we were done, especially because I somehow ended up with a party hat, a cake in one hoof, and a party-flag in the other.

And my ears were being talked off by the never-ending stream of questions Pinkie seemed to be sending my way.

Defy His Will.

”I reckon ye can give the guy a breather, Pinkie,” Applejack said, an amused expression on her face. ”He hasn't gotten a word in yet.”

Pinkie's eyes widened, and she quieted down and looked at me. ”Oh gosh! I'm so sorry! You wanted to say something!?”

I looked at Applejack, and then at Pinkie Pie, and I nodded once. ”Thank you for the party,” I said calmly. ”The cake look's nice, but I don't eat chocolate.”

Pinkie literally disappeared with a 'OH MY GOSH!' and I blinked at the spot she had been a moment before. I was no longer holding the platter with a piece of cake in hand, so I reckoned she had gone...to bake another?

Applejack laughed nervously. ”Pinkie's a bit excessive, hope yer not offended.”

I shook my head. ”I came prepared for this,” I replied. ”Her...fame is well known.”

”Even in Canterlot?” Twilight Sparkle asked, coming in from the side of my vision. She had the unicorn horn and nothing else -not yet an Alicorn, then.

”Yes,” I nodded. ”Even there,” I added with a sigh. ”You are Miss Sparkle, am I right?”

I could do polite.

I always could do polite. Lacking a lightsaber, I could be the picture of politeness.

”Yes, Pinkie presented us,” Twilight Sparkle replied.

”You oversee the library of Ponyville, correct?” I asked again, ”I might be visiting it.”

”Then I will be waiting,” Twilight replied.

”Hey, you work with Pegasus?” Rainbow Dash asked, nearing me.

”Oh no, I'm a teacher,” I replied with a small smile. ”The Cutie Mark's not a light baton. It's a red marker.”

”Yer the new teacher then!” Applejack said, thumping her hooves slightly on the ground. ”That's what Applebloom was saying. Ye start next week!”

Refuse His Words.

I nodded, and smiled lightly. ”What can I say,” I said trying to keep my voice light. ”I love teaching.”

”You love traumatizing people to the point of breaking their minds. Now I dare you to traumatize kid ponies. I dare you to try that,” Yui remarked with a triumphant tone. ”We'll make a normal person out of you Shade, don't you worry!”

Yui, I am always willing to start a fire, and cook you over it.

The party dwindled down a few hours later, if with a brief spark of interest for Pinkie returning with a vanilla frosted cake without chocolate.

That was a good cake. Yep. That was a very good cake.

I concede the point that the cake was really, really good.

And Pinkie, always the party planner, also cleaned the place up before leaving with a cheerful goodbye.

I sighed and trotted towards the bed.

I had a dreadful day ahead of me, and it wouldn't do to go at it while sleep deprived.

The Project Shall Never Be Halted.

Vacation time...

Well, what could possibly go wrong?

I Shall Find The Answer.

Author's notes

...

I regret nothing.

I never did a proper 'Sequel' story after a 'Happily Ever After' so...why not?

There will be fun, happiness and much more, I swear!

Paranoia here I come, right right where we started from, paranoiaaa~