Taku's Holiday Mishap


                                            >It's a crisp winters morning with noon fast approaching

                                            >You sit aboard a sleigh being pulled from the town's edge to a tree farm just outside it's borders

                                            >Sitting next to you is Taku, a mare you met when you both found yourselves quietly seething at the ponies reading right in front of the manga shelves you were trying to browse at the book store.

                                            >She's generally pretty quiet until you bring up anything Neighponese like anime and Manga at which point it's hard to get her to be quiet.

                                            >Not that you mind that

                                            >Her passion when talking about an anime she just found that she loves or her rants about how there are too many lazy isekai animes coming out warms your heart.

                                            >Although not warm enough for this winter's day.

                                            >It doesn't seems to bother Taku much

                                            >In her lap sits a tool bag with all the tools you'll need to bring home a Hearths Warming tree

                                            >"Hashire sori yo..."

                                            >"Kaze no you ni..."

                                            >Seems she's singing a Neighponese Hearths Warming carol

                                            >"Tskukimihara wo"

                                            >"Padoru! Padoru!"

                                            >She sings while gently swaying side to side and gently kicking her hooves

                                            >You would join in but you don't know the words

                                            >The sleigh comes to a stop

                                            >The large pony pulling stretches a bit before turning back towards you

                                            >"Whelp, here we are"

                                            >You disembark from the sleigh and take the bag from Taku before she jumps down

                                            >"I gotta pick up some folks who came by earlier but I should be back in about half an hour"

                                            >You note a tall post with a vibrant red bulb on top.

                                            >"Sounds good" you say before dropping a few bits into a little cup mounted on the back of the sleigh"

                                            >"See ya then!" you say as he pulls away.

                                            >You turn to see Taku is already examining trees

                                            >"How do you know which trees are good or not?" Taku asks just before sniffing a tree

                                            >It's clear she doesn't get /out/ very often

                                            >"Well" you start

                                            >"Depends on what your looking for in a tree"

                                            >She doesn't look any more enlightened

                                            >"We're looking for a tree that's not too tall and not too wide, like not too much taller than this"

                                            >You stretch your arm upwards as far as you can.

                                            >"And not much wider than this" you form a large circle with your arms.

                                            >"I see.." she says as she looks over the tree she just sniffed

                                            >"Don't worry, I'll let you know when we come across a good one"

                                            >You didn't really know too much about picking a good tree as you probably lead her to believe, but this was more about giving Taku a nice day out of the house.

                                            >You just went from tree to tree looking them over briefly before watching Taku do the same.

                                            >However she seemed to get distracted by birds and squirrels for the most part.

                                            >You start looking at one tree when you hear Taku call to you

                                            >"Look at this one Anon!"

                                            >You look over and see her pointing at a tree

                                            >Seems like a good enough tree as far as you can tell

                                            >You look it over a bit, checking for anything you think stands out

                                            >"Looks you picked a winner Taku"

                                            >She gives you big smile, her braces gleaming in the winter sun

                                            >"Now to cut it down"

                                            >Setting down the bag you begin to open it up

                                            >"I got this!" Taku exclaims pulling the bag from under you

                                            >Odd

                                            >You've never seen her do anything relating to the outdoors besides reading some mangas about camping

                                            >She's probably never even held an sa- that's not a saw

                                            >Taku pulled a katana from from the tool bag

                                            >"What are you going to do with that?"

                                            >"I'm going to cut down this tree!" She declares before unsheathing her blade and taking hold of it with her mouth.

                                            >"T-Taku!" you shout to her as she prepares her attack

                                            >But it's too late

                                            >"KAMAITATCHI NO KAZE!!!"

                                            >With that she dashes towards the tree flying through the air just above the ground landing and skidding several yards from the tree.

                                            >"Oh damn..."

                                            >"Impreshive washn't it Anon?" Seems only now the sword is impending her speech

                                            >Approaching the tree with a grimace you answer "I mean... I guess that was impressive"

                                            >"I mean it washn't a Kaze no Kizu but shtill pretty cool"

                                            >"Well I mean... you did get the blade halfway through the tree before it snapped, that's actually pretty impressive"

                                            >"HUH!?"

                                            >Her eyes slowly look down to the sword in her mouth before drifting towards where the blade used to be.

                                            >A moment of shock before she gently removed the sword from her mouth and held it in her hooves looking at it in disbelief

                                            >Tears starting to well up in her eyes

                                            >"Hey hey..." you pull her in for a hug "That was still an impressive move... that Kamigawa no... it was really cool and I didn't know you could move like that!"

                                            >She's still pretty distraught over her sword and not in a talking mood

                                            >Carefully you remove the blade from the trunk of the tree and finish the tree off with a saw.

                                            >The rest of the day Taku was in a pretty dour mood

                                            >Every once in a while you'd hear her mutter "idiot" which meant something was really wrong

                                            >Normally when she made mistakes she'd call herself "Baka" in presumably jest

                                            >But seems there was nothing in jest about this

                                            >She didn't seem to interested in decorating the tree either.

                                            >She just lay there under her fancy blanket table, a kotatsu or something like that you think it's called, looking sad.

                                            >Laying down beside her and getting under the ko-whatsit you talk with her

                                            >"What's the matter? are you still upset about breaking your katana?"

                                            >She nods

                                            >"I can get you another one! I'll pick one up at-"

                                            >"It's not the same!" She huffs before turning over to face away from you.

                                            >"What do you mean? Isn't it the same kind of sword they sell at-"

                                            >"Floor Bored gave me that one!"

                                            >"Oh..."

                                            >Taku rolls back over

                                            >"She got it for me when my dog Ein died on my birthday"

                                            >"Now Floor will think I'm stupid for breaking her present..."

                                            >"Oh well... I... we..."

                                            >"I don't want to talk about it anymore" She says rolling back over.

                                            >"O-okay..."

                                            >Taku fell asleep shortly after leaving you to think about that sword

                                            >Thinking about the sword just bummed you out

                                            >Nowhere near as much as Taku but enough to warrant a distraction

                                            >You pick up the remote from the table and start looking for something to watch

                                            >News... don't know know... don't know... History... Cartoons... News....

                                            >Wait a minute

                                            >You go back to the history channel to see large cubic furnace.

                                            >You watch a bit longer to see it's how the Neighponese make the iron for their swords

                                            >If only you could go to Neighpon, you aren't even sure you could travel there.

                                            >Oh wait...

                                            >As the documentary goes on they show that the region this is taking place in is actually part of Equestria, and seemingly within reach of a train.

                                            >You wonder if maybe...

                                            >It's worth a shot

                                            >You wake up the next morning bright and early

                                            >Taku is still asleep under the table

                                            >After removing the other tools you grab the bag with the broken sword and make your way to the train station

                                            >It takes a while but you find a train going to Neighpon and it seems to be a slightly longer ride than you anticipated

                                            >Must be nice to be an otaku in Equestria, you can just take a train ride for your dream vacation instead of spending thousands of dollars to fly across the globe

                                            >The train stops in a rather rural looking area

                                            >You waste no time trying to find a swordsmith once you get off the train

                                            >There is just one issue

                                            >You can't speak neighponese

                                            >Running around like a madman you try to find a pony who understands you

                                            >Nothing

                                            >Sitting down on a bench you take a breather and think

                                            >A pony and presumably her daughter sit down next to you

                                            >"Daijōbudesuka?" she says

                                            >"Do you speak english?" you ask knowing full well the answer

                                            >"Ah..." she looks a bit saddened she can't understand you

                                            >"Figures..." you mutter

                                            >Her attention turns to her daughter who is coloring in a book

                                            >Wait a minute!

                                            >Looking around you spot a wrapper of some kind and gesture to the filly to borrow a crayon

                                            >The mother looks at you confused as you scrawl across the wrapper

                                            >You then show her the crude drawing you made of a pony with a hammer hitting something and then holding up a sword

                                            >"Oh! KatanKaji!" she exclaims

                                            >She hold out her hoof gesturing towards the wrapper and crayon

                                            >Crayon in mouth she carefully draws out what seems to be a map and hands it back you to you.

                                            >You stand up and bolt up, shouting back "Domo Arigato Mrs. Roboto!"

                                            >She waves at you looking a little confused.

                                            >Following the map leads you to small building on the outskirts of town

                                            >The front door is open so you peak inside

                                            >Inside is a middle aged pegasus stallion sitting in a rocking chair watching a small tv and puffing away on a pipe

                                            >He takes notice of you

                                            >"Nandeshou?" he asks sharply

                                            >Shit, you didn't think about how you'd communicate with this guy

                                            >You pull out the sword pieces and show them

                                            >"Can you fix this?" you ask

                                            >"Oh, a foreigner... in more ways than one I see..." he says getting up.

                                            >"Hand it over" he says.

                                            >You hand him the two pieces and he carefully examines them

                                            >The swordsmith begins to look angry and confused

                                            >"What in Tartarus is this? It's all one piece!" he says looking at the broken ends.

                                            >"How'd you break it? cutting sticks in the backyard?"

                                            >Looking down to avoid his judgmental gaze "My friend uhh... she tried to cut down a Hearths Warming tree with it..."

                                            >silence

                                            >"With this?!"

                                            >"She did get halfway through it..." you sheepishly reply

                                            >silence again

                                            >You look up to see him looking at the handle

                                            >"That is actually rather impressive" he remarks after a moment "considering how it appears to have been made..."

                                            >"is it fixable?" you ask "It was a gift for my friend from her childhood friend"

                                            >The smith turns his gaze from you to the broken sword and contemplates

                                            >"A gift huh..." he lets out a large puff of smoke "Normally I'd tell ya to throw such a... thing... out. But seeing as it was a special gift..."

                                            >He thinks on it a bit

                                            >"I can't really fix it... but I can reforge it into an actual katana and not whatever poor imitation it used to be. The hilt will still be weird though..."

                                            >"Really?!" you exclaim.

                                            >"For 300 bits"

                                            >It's a steep price but you can afford it

                                            >"Deal!"

                                            >"Thankfully for you business ain't what it used to be these days so I got plenty of time for it. Beats making kitchen utensils anyway" he says as he takes the pieces into his workshop

                                            >"When should I pick it up?!" You shout

                                            >He stick his head out from the workshop door

                                            >"Oh... uh..." he lets out a few puffs of smoke as he mumbles to himself

                                            >"This time Tommorow" he says before disappearing.

                                            >You hear a sudden burst of fire followed by it's dull roar

                                            >"O-ok, see ya then" you shout back, unsure if he heard you.

                                            >You decide to pick up dinner while you're here, Taku would probably really appreciate some genuine Neighpon food today.

                                            >Unfortunately the sword set you back a bit so you can't get anything super fancy but She probably won't mind.

                                            >You get some curry and yams before boarding the train back home.

                                            >Probably shouldn't tell Taku you went to Neighpon without her.

                                            >You get home as it starts to get dark

                                            >"Where did you go Anon?" Taku asks.

                                            >She still looks rather depressed

                                            >"I got dinner" you say holding up the bag. "It's Neighponeeese" shaking it a bit

                                            >She perks up a little bit hearing that.

                                            >Thankfully she doesn't seem to think too much about why it needed to be reheated

                                            >You spend the rest of the night watching .Hack//Roots with Taku before going to bed

                                            >The next day you wake Taku up

                                            >"Taku, wake up! I got a surprise for you!"

                                            >"Huh..?" Taku rubs her eyes before putting on her glasses

                                            >"Surprise? what kind of surprise?"

                                            >"Just get up and come with me"

                                            >Taku Sluggishly gets out of bed and follows you out

                                            >She seems confused until you get to the train station where she sees where the two of you are going

                                            >She practically bounces in her seat the whole ride

                                            >There is still plenty of time before the sword is ready so you and Taku spend the day going to various stores and food stalls.

                                            >The two of you take a break from all the shopping and dining on a bench

                                            >"Taku is sitting beside you kicking her hooves as she reads a manga she bought

                                            >You check your watch

                                            >Looks like it's time

                                            >"Ready for the real surprise?"

                                            >Her face darts from her manga to meet your gaze

                                            >"There's more?!"

                                            >"c'mon, it should be ready now" you say as you get up.

                                            >Taku follows you to the swordsmith's shop

                                            >"What's this place?" She asks

                                            >"Hm, oh! A customer." says a voice from the back

                                            >Out steps the swordsmith letting out a puff of smoke from his pipe.

                                            >"OH! you're back!"

                                            >Taku looks confused

                                            >"And I take it this is your friend who cut the tree"

                                            >Taku is visibly embarrassed

                                            >"Who is this and why did you tell him THAT?!"

                                            >The smith laughs

                                            >"Surprised you did as well as that fellow said with that thing, and I think you'll have better success with..."

                                            >He graciously places the katana on the counter before Taku "This!"

                                            >Taku begins vibrating with excitement

                                            >"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!" She shouts before kissing both you and surprisingly the smith on the cheek before grabbing the sword and bolting out the door.

                                            >The smith stares at the door before composing himself

                                            >"Eh um... Well... glad she likes it"

                                            >Taku's face pops back into view "C'mon Anon we gotta go!"

                                            >"Go where?" you ask confused

                                            >"REVENGE!" she shouts before bolting off again

                                            >"Uhh... well thank you." You say as you start to follow Taku

                                            >"Glad to be of help" the smith says before he sits down in front of his TV

                                            >"Much more fun than making cutlery at least"

                                            >You barely keep up with Taku as she bolts onto the train

                                            >You get on and seemingly lose sight of her

                                            >"T-Taku?" you ask as you get on

                                            >Over here

                                            >Taku is in a seat wearing a cloak sakkat

                                            >"Where did you get those?" you ask

                                            >Don't worry about it

                                            >"Where are we going now" you ask sitting down next to her.

                                            >"Revenge..."

                                            >Taku that doesn't...Wait... the Christmas tree farm?"

                                            >She nods

                                            >Oh jeez

                                            >The rest of the ponies on the train stare at Taku, but she either doesn't care or doesn't notice.

                                            >The ride feels a lot longer with ponies staring at the two of you like that.

                                            >A few more awkward transits later you find yourself in the back of a sleigh heading up a hill.

                                            >"Whelp, here we are" says the pony pulling the sleigh.

                                            >The two of you dismount and Taku walks off

                                            >"Say... didn't you folks already get a tree?" The pony asks

                                            >"Oh uh... we're getting a tree for a relative" You reply

                                            >"Ah, of course, of course" he says "Well, I'll be back to get ya in 20 minutes"

                                            >"Sure Sure" you reply as you catch up to Taku.

                                            >Taku looks around.

                                            >"Taku, is this a good idea?" You ask

                                            >Seemingly ignoring you she looks around

                                            >Her eyes lock on one tree in particular

                                            >"YOU!"

                                            >She casts her robe and hat aside

                                            >"Why did you wear those if your were just going to throw them aside?"

                                            >She unsheathes her sword

                                            >"KAMAITATCHI NO KAZE!!!"

                                            >Once again she bolts through the air landing past the tree skidding a little ways away.

                                            >"Taku!" You run towards her.

                                            >You stop a ways away

                                            >Taku turns to you

                                            >The sword is still intact

                                            >"Whew..."

                                            >But the tree is still upright.

                                            >Taku sheathes her sword

                                            >"Did... did you actually hit it?" you ask examining the tree

                                            >Taku closes her eyes

                                            >"Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru..."

                                            >"Huh?"

                                            >Suddenly the tree shifts and a moment later falls over onto you

                                            >"I did it!" Taku says jumping up and down

                                            >"Uhgg... you sure did..." you say climbing out from under the tree brushing pine needles off

                                            >You look at the stump of the tree

                                            >A perfect cut

                                            >"Wow you really did it"

                                            >"Yup and now we can go home!" Taku exclaims as she trots towards the path.

                                            >"What are w gonna do with this though" you ask

                                            >"with what?" she replies

                                            >"This" you say pointing at the downed tree

                                            >"oh yeah..." Taku says

                                            >"Oh we can give it to Floor!"

                                            >Guess that works, plus she can brag about how she cut it down to Floor

                                            >You grab the tree along with Taku's costume she threw off.

                                            >Taku rubs against you as you walk back "Thanks for getting my katana fixed Anon, it means a lot to me"

                                            >"I know you'd do the same for me" you say patting her head

                                            >"Looks like we have a good while to wait before he comes back" you note

                                            >"That's fine" she yawns "Gives me time to rest.

                                            >With that she leans against you

                                            >You sit down and let her rest leaning against you as you wait for the sleigh pony to return and you two can enjoy the rest of the season together.


                                            End