“Mush! Mush!”

“Will bạn cut that out?!”

Off to the west, amongst towering thunderheads and unsettled rainclouds, Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy and her passenger touch down. Much to Stylo’s relief, this ride was much thêm enjoyable than the last one.

He hopped off Wild Fire’s back and took a look around. They weren’t alone – many other pegasi darted this way and that, clearing away the stormy vapor. He spied colts and mares of all different màu sắc – there was an trái cam, màu da cam one, and a màu hồng, hồng one, and a gray one, and… a cầu vồng one.

“Oh hey, there’s Rainbow,” Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy commented, waving to her captain.

“Mmm. Could we… relocate, perhaps?” Stylo asked, anxiously.

“What’s up? These thunderheads scaring you?”

“No no, it’s just that working so close to Cap’n cầu vồng over there is going to make it hard to slack off,” he replied, apathetically poking at a nearby đám mây lump.

“Dagh!” Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy groaned, “You just made me fly bạn all the way here!”

“Yes, but now my plan is ruined. Now we-… bạn know what? Let’s just go get some coffee hoặc something and wait until this all blows over. Ponyville’s not so far, right?”

Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy simply stared, dumbfounded as Stylo reached into his áo, áo khoác pocket.

“I’ve got couponnnnnsssss…!”

Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy tromped over to her lazy colleague. “WHAT are bạn TALKING about?! Do bạn not see these clouds? These are some of the biggest, most out-of-control storms we have EVER. SEEN. And bạn just want to ignore it and… and slurp coffee like some kind of idiot?!”

“…Yes?” Stylo replied, shrugging.

“And WHY are bạn wearing a coat? It’s July!” she spat, her fiery gaze burning a hole in Stylo’s fancy jacket.

Stylo tilted his head up and crossed his forelegs. “My soul knows no seasons!”

Wild Fire’s eyelids drooped. After a few giây she bellowed out, “RAINBOW! I CAN’T WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS!”

“Shhh-shh-shhhh! Come on, let’s leave these ponies to their silly clouds!” Stylo leaned in and coaxed.

Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy took a deep breath. “No. If I’m going to teach bạn anything, it’ll be how to get motivated.”

Stylo’s smile fell for miles before reaching a desperate frown. “Nnnyuuuuuggghhhh…!”

“Here, take this. Treasure it like your little black book.” Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy poked her head around in her saddlebag and came out with a hand mirror clutched in her teeth. She held it out to her confused companion.

“A mirror?” he mused, taking the aforementioned object and eyeballing his reflection.

“It’s the most powerful motivational tool of all. Whenever I’m feeling down, hoặc useless, or… like you, I look myself straight in the eye and say…”

The proud pegasus looked up to the heavens and put a hoof on her heart.

“I can DO it!”

Stylo was unimpressed. Wild ngọn lửa, chữa cháy motioned to his mirror.

“Go on… say it!”

“You can do it.”

“No no no, I can do it!”

“Be my guest.”

“Blagh!” she grunted, throwing up her hooves.

“And why should I get motivated about this work, anyhow?” Stylo began, stuffing the mirror in his pocket, “Who are we to decide what nature does? Who are we to dictate the weather? If the natural order calls for these monstrous storm clouds, I say, so be it! Mother Nature knows best!”

Stylo looked over at Wild Fire, who sat with her forelegs crossed and her eyes narrowed.

“Do bạn understand what I’m saying? Let’s just leave the weather alone!”

Stylo eyed the moody pegasus, eagerly awaiting a response. Without warning, she jumped up in Stylo’s face and raised a hoof.

“AAH! Okay, I’ll help bạn clear the clouds!”

She sat back down, smirking. Stylo buried his face in his hooves.

“Ohhhh… I’m surrounded bởi brutes…”

---
“No no, bạn don’t understand, Trixie’s plan was to simply make an appearance! That way, the pegasi would spread stories about my volunteering and admire my great generosity!

cầu vồng Dash scratched her head. “Trixie, pretending to be generous and being generous aren’t the same thing.”

Trixie looked up in desperation. “I know, but it’s so harrrrrd…! Small steps are better than none, right?”

“…I guess, but come on…being nice isn’t that hard. I do it all the time!”

Trixie collapsed into a bow. “Teach me, Kind and Generous One!”

cầu vồng picked her up off the fluffy ground. “It’s easy! Just think for a second… if bạn were a nice person, what nice things would bạn be doing right now?”

Trixie thought for a second, then clapped a hoof to her head. “Ouch!”

cầu vồng was taken aback. “Did thinking nice thoughts just give bạn a headache?”

“No no, it’s this blasted spell! Even the Great and Pow…heh, even Trixie has trouble walking on clouds for long periods.”

“Oh! Here.” cầu vồng flew over and scooped Trixie up. “Now bạn can do all the thinking bạn want!”

Trixie beamed and clapped her hooves together. “My hero! So this is what it’s like to be nice…!

“Ooh ooh! Can bạn carry me next?!”

cầu vồng and Trixie looked over to see a happy màu hồng, hồng ngựa con, ngựa, pony bouncing up and down.

“Hey! What’s up, Pinkie?” cầu vồng replied, gliding over to her friend. “Are bạn here to help clean up the clouds, too?”

“Oh gee, that sounds like a lot of fun, but I’m here on important business! Have bạn seen a ngựa con, ngựa, pony that looks like this?”

Pinkie quickly put on a long black áo, áo khoác and screwed her face into a moody scowl.

“Oh! That would be Stylo,” cầu vồng answered, “He’s probably in the cafeteria having bữa tối, bữa ăn tối with the others.”

“Thank bạn thank bạn thank you!” Pinkie cried and bounced off toward the cafeteria.

---
Stylo sat in a corner, far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the cafeteria, gently penning lines in his notebook.

The ngựa con, ngựa, pony and the cloud
The piper and the pit
Do battle once more
In a hasty fit

But this great machine
Makes a rattle and hum
Captain cầu vồng forgets

Stylo smirked before nghề viết văn the final line.

Pegasi are dumb

“Hello!”

An ear-shattering voice tore Stylo from his thoughts. He looked up in surprise to see a màu hồng, hồng mare standing not two inches from his nose.

“Hello.” Looking past her smiling face he noticed she was an earth pony. “How was the balloon ride?”

“Oh, it was great! But some nasty birds popped a few of them on the way up. I should stop bringing so much food!”

Stylo simply stared back blankly.

“Hey, are bạn Stylo?!” she asked abruptly.

“Afraid so.”

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” She grabbed his left hoof and gave it a hardy shake. “I’m here on important business!”

“Oh, are you…?” Stylo asked halfheartedly, looking back at his book.

“Yes sir-oonie! My staff tells me that bạn haven’t been to a single Pinkie Pie party since, well… ever! I’m recruiting bạn for mandatory party hours for Pinkie Pie’s Party Progress Pinitiative! Or… Puh-puh-puh-puh-puh!”

“Party Prog-… No! Uh-uh! I’m not doing any thêm of this nonsense!”

“Sorry, Pinkie, but he’s gonna be busy for a while.”

Pinkie whirled around to see cầu vồng Dash behind her.

“Stylo here is doing Weather Team time. He’ll have to put in his hours for me before he goes to any parties.”

Stylo jumped up and ran over to Rainbow. “Yep, mm-hmm! That’s right!”

“Ohhh… darn it!” Pinkie groaned, snapping her… fingers?

“Take it easy, okay?” cầu vồng gave the two of them a wink and trotted away.

“Well, since I’m here, let’s get to know each other better!” Pinkie piped up, staring at Stylo with big ol’ eyes.

“Uhhhmmm-“

“I really like your mane!” Pinkie commented, running her hoof over Stylo’s icy locks.

“Oh, well… bạn can thank Cap’n cầu vồng for that.”

“How long have bạn two been friends?”

Stylo’s expression faltered. “Mmm? We, uh… we aren’t… friends.”

“Whaaaaaaaat?!” Pinkie bellowed, “Who are bạn Những người bạn with?!”

Stylo strode back over to the bàn and scooped up his little black book. “My only Những người bạn are my pen and paper.”

Pinkie looked horrified. “WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!”

Stylo covered his ears. “Agh!”

“WE NEED TO GET bạn SOME Những người bạn RIGHT NOWWWWW!!! WE NEED TO…we need to…”

Ding! A 50-watt bulb suddenly appeared over Pinkie’s head.

“We need to get bạn to Cloudchaser!”

“…Who?” Stylo asked, cautiously swatting at the light bulb above Pinkie’s head.

“She should be in here, somewhere!” Pinkie jumped up on the bàn and scanned the bustling cafeteria. “Ah-HAH!” She called, pointing a hoof over at the far south end of the building. She jumped down off the bàn and clutched Stylo’s face.

“She’s perfect! You’re both pegasi… you’re almost the same color… I like both of your manes… it’s like you’re twins!”

Stylo slowly removed Pinkie’ s hooves from his face. “…Yeeeahhh…”

Pinkie looked up at the now-dark lightbulb above her head. “Oh!” She grabbed it and held it out to Stylo. “You can keep that!”

He nervously took the bulb and slid it into his pocket.

“Come on! This way!” Pinkie sang, bouncing off toward the front entrance. Hypnotized, Stylo followed. Maybe Pinkie was right… maybe he could use a friend. Silence was wonderful, sure, but the emptiness of that old Ponyville house drove him mad some nights. And if Cloudchaser was half as endearing as Pinkie made her out to be, perhaps he could finally find a pegasus whose company he could stand. If he was lucky, he could experience the mythical and oft-mentioned “pleasant conversation”.

And it’s… not like he had anything better to do.

--END OF ACT I--