Checkerbloom Discovers a New Way to Party!


                                            > Sunlight beaming through the window landed on Checkerbloom’s closed eyes, prompting her eyelids and wings to flutter in sync as she stirred from her deep slumber.

                                            > The tall mare yawned loudly as she streeeeetched her legs and her wings, tousling the covers off.

                                            > Her body was just a hair sore after yet another night out partying and dancing but her muscles were pretty well used to the activity now. Her heavy hoofsteps echoed from the wood floor and off the walls as she made her way to the bathroom.

                                            > She quickly hopped into the shower, her hooves clacking on the cold tile. Brrrr! With extra motivation she grasped her mouth around the knob [spoiler]heh[/spoiler] and turned.

                                            > The showerhead hissed. A wonderfully warm stream of water cascaded forth onto her namesake, messy mane and she smiled as she spread out her wings.

                                            > The wild checkers of her mane began to straighten out into their black and white stripes. Checkerbloom hummed to herself as she swayed her way over to the soap rack. The music she was dancing to the night before was still fresh in her mind and her legs.

                                            > Her large hooves tapped against the wet tile as she rubbed her sides and rump against the soap rod, only stopping their rhythm so she could coordinate her wing tips to spread the soap in harder to reach areas.

                                            > She spun around in time with the beat playing from her memory to rub her mane and neck along the soap. Checkerbloom sighed with pleasure as she lifted a forehoof up to scratch the soap on her chest and rub it around into her coat.

                                            > Itching that spot was always such a pleasant bit of tactile sensation. One day she’d have a nice stallion by her side to tend to it for her. She smiled widely at the thought of gently wrapping her forelegs around him to push his face right into the longer hair of her chest. One day…

                                            > As the soap finished running off her coat and into the drain she twisted the knob, cutting off the flow.

                                            > Checkerbloom shook her whole body back and forth, twisting her torso to get the water off. It was the most fun way to get dry, and she had the ok to do it as long as she kept it inside the shower walls.

                                            > She lifted her towel off the rack as she clip-clopped her way out of the shower, rubbing herself down to finish drying off. After tossing it back to its spot she gave herself a winning smile (with wing flare!) in the mirror. Confidence came with practice after all!

                                            > Her younger sister’s sink was tidy as usual, while her’s was… honestly a bit of a mess. A clean mess though! As long as she could find all her stuff it didn’t need to be THAT organized right?


                                            > Checkerbloom fluttered her wings to manipulate the humidity of the air around her. Researching advanced weather magic had practical uses too! Her mane and tail were soon dry and ready to be crimped into stylish waves.

                                            > As she was putting the final few crimps in her tail, Checkerbloom noticed the sticky note on her mirror. Each letter was precisely uniform and proper. She rolled her eyes a bit at the detail of perfection, then read the note.

                                            > “Went to Banana Pancakes’ place to study this AM, think I found something amazing. Still thinking about tonight. Not sure if I want to go. See you over there when you’re up. <3”

                                            > Checkerbloom blew a gust of air through her nose at that. She was so sure she’d finally convinced her sister to let loose for once. Well, she’d just have to convince her again!

                                            > She did smile at the heart though - maybe she was finally breaking through.

                                            > The tall pegasus took a moment to appreciate the scent the soap left in the air. It was a new holiday spice soap for the wintertime from the local soapmaker [spoiler]>>39299412[/spoiler]. The aroma alone made her feel warm, staving off the drafty air.

                                            > Checkerbloom trotted back to her dresser, donning her black and white neckerchief while humming her favorite tune she’d been dancing to lately.

                                            > “hmmm hm hmm hm, dada da da da… I know this pretty rave mare…”

                                            > On her way out the window, she plucked one of her fresh flowers to tuck between her mane and ear. She loved having her own little flowerbed sill just outside of her room.

                                            > A pink daisy would do nicely. Now she was ready for the day (and night) to come!

                                            > With a powerful wingbeat Checkerbloom propelled herself skyward into the brisk winter air and set out toward her friend’s house.

                                            > She contemplated heating a pocket of air around her but for a short flight the crisp coolness felt nice in her mane.

                                            > Just as she was going to speed up however, she noticed her neighbor trotting home with a bag precariously full of supplies!

                                            > Checkerbloom banked on her left wing and dove down to hover above her friend’s teetering goods and stabilize it from the top. Another minute and there would have definitely been spilled clay in the street.

                                            > “Sheesh Jolly, we need to get you bigger saddlebags. Couldn’t have made two trips?”

                                            > Blocks of raw clay and bottles of various glazes and paints clinked together in towering stacks from both sides of the poor mare.

                                            > “Oh! Thanks Bloomer! I didn’t want to miss out on the today only sale so I uh, maybe went a teensy bit overboard, whoopsie!”

                                            > The blonde earth mare trotted onward with more confidence now that Checkerbloom was holding onto the stacks from above.

                                            > The two mares working together made good time and quickly found themselves in front of the shop. The building was right next to where Checkerbloom and her sister were staying.


                                            > “Jolly’s Pottery” pronounced the sign hanging above the door. It was a heavy ceramic piece made by the mare herself. The lettering and her cutie mark shone with vibrant colors, backed by the rustic nature of the heavy chain links suspending the sign itself.

                                            > As Jolly Pottery nudged the door open with her nose Checkerbloom had to duck under the arch to keep up.

                                            > Carefully, Jolly bent down her hind legs to slide the saddlebags off while Checkerbloom kept both towers of items steady.

                                            > Jolly’s rich clay colored coat bristled in the cold air of the morning as she unpackaged her prizes. Checkerbloom lent a hoof to remove the items from the saddlebag but left the organization to the earth pony.

                                            > Each shelf and cabinet was set up to store a specific blend of clay, or certain shades of ceramic glaze, but none were labelled. Checkerbloom simply laid down on her belly and watched Jolly as she rapidly disseminated her new materials to their proper places.

                                            > She knew better than to attempt to hold a conversation – whenever Jolly was focused on a task she was in /the zone/ as she liked to call it.

                                            > Checkerbloom had fun watching anyway. She didn’t mind breaks of silence, even if she was typically the most outgoing mare in her group. Although that hadn’t always been the case, Checkerbloom had learned to fill her own horseshoes after her large stature had garnered attention at a young age.

                                            > Within just a few minutes the ceramic supplies were neatly filed away (neat in the system that Jolly understood, at least). She turned and gave a bright smile to her blue friend before wrapping her forehooves around her in a hug.

                                            > “Thanks a bunch again Checkerbloom! I almost got home no problem but I’m really glad you were there to help! ...again.”

                                            > Checkerbloom’s golden eyes sparkled with mirth like rays from the sun through the clouds. “Well, at least I got there soon enough! I know it was only 10% or so of your haul that spilled last time, but when you’ve got that much stuff…”

                                            > Jolly giggled at the memory of her pegasus friend trying (and failing) to catch all the breakable jars as they fell. Both mares needed a long bath after that incident.

                                            > Both mares abruptly stopped giggling as their bellies rumbled with hunger at the same time. This of course prompted them to laugh again even harder.

                                            > “Come on, Panny will love to have you join us!” Checkerbloom looked expectantly at Jolly.

                                            > Jolly’s eyes lit up, already imagining the fluffy pancake treats that surely awaited their arrival. “Mare you know it! Lemme just grab my scarf.”

                                            > Soon the two mares were trotting briskly down the cobbled stone street, chatting with merriment about their friends and their plans for the night.

                                            > The larger pegasus mare’s enthusiasm was infectious and so Jolly quickly found herself agreeing to help convince Checkerbloom’s sister to attend and take part in the dancing.


                                            > Most ponies in this district of Canterlot were staying indoors for the chilly morning, enjoying the weekend inside.

                                            > The two mares’ hooves clip-clopped loudly on the stone, the noise echoing from off the walls of the houses around them and joining with their laughter.

                                            > A sleepy mare named Naptime poked her nose through her blinds to watch the ponies trot by, however she quickly returned to the warm sanctuary under her covers. Today was her day to sleep in and her more boisterous friends were not going to keep her from diving back into dreamland, even if it did look like they were having fun.

                                            > Shortly, Checkerbloom trotted right up to the door of one Banana Pancakes. She quickly moved to knock with her right hoof but Jolly held her back. Checkerbloom looked at the door and blushed at seeing her own hoofprint in the wood from her previous enthusiastic visit.

                                            > Panny insisted that it was fine but Checkerbloom resolved to make it right with her soon.

                                            > She gave a measured and gentle knock. The two mares watched their own breath steam in front of them for two whole moments before the door swung open to reveal the golden baker mare herself.

                                            > Banana Pancakes had slight dark circles around her eyes not unlike the brown spots on a banana, yet she lit up with a big grin upon seeing her friends.

                                            > “Bloomy! Jolly! Yay!” Banana nickered with joy upon seeing her friends at the door and gave each one a quick neck hug, ushering them in from the nippy air.

                                            > Checkerbloom and Jolly quickly made their way to the kitchen. It was the main attraction of the home and everypony there knew it. Banana smiled, happy that she had gone with this house. Sure her other choice had been fancier and more modern, but this one had old charm too it. It also must have been built with company and cooking in mind, since the largest room was the kitchen.

                                            > Open and spacious with seating and two islands for extra countertop space, it was the ideal hangout place especially for a host like her. Plus, having guests close by encouraged them to help out, even if she still had a hard time accepting it.

                                            > The kitchen was already filled with rich scents of mixed batter and the sound of sizzling pancakes.

                                            > As Banana went back to her stovetop (with included griddle, thank you whoever designed this house!) and flipped more of her famous pancakes, another familiar face set down her mixing bowl to greet the new arrivals.

                                            > “Pudding!” Both of the new mares shouted, as Banana’s sister Pudding Pie gave each of them a flour dusted neck hug. The mare’s tan coat shed some of its flour as she bounced in place and her wavy rich chocolate mane shone with the same joy that filled her eyes.


                                            > “I’m so glad to see you both! This visit just keeps getting better!” Pudding was shaking slightly with both excitement and nervousness, she didn’t socialize all that often but always had a great time when she did. “Just wait till you get to try this recipe! Pecan pudding pie, but I’m experimenting with the maple syrup! Oh oh and it’s gonna be finished with powdered sugar on top! A little daring, I know, but I saw the flour on my mane earlier and got the idea!”

                                            > Checkerbloom smiled at her as Jolly trot her way over to Banana to chat (and probably drool a bit over the pancakes).

                                            > “It looks and smells delicious already! Can’t wait to try it Puddin’!” Pudding fluttered her wings as she smiled under the praise and quickly busied herself with mixing again, allowing Checkerbloom to walk around the island to her sister.

                                            > Turtleneck Check sat at the island with her face close to her books. As usual, she was content to be a part of the gathering but mostly keep to herself. The smaller sister looked up as Checkerbloom’s heavy hoofsteps caused her book’s page to flutter. “Hey sis.”

                                            > Checkerbloom recognized the effort her sister was putting in to her smile as well as her whole demeanor. “Hey mare! You know we’re on a break right? Hehehe, what’re ya readin’ about?” She knew the fastest way to get her introverted sister to open up was to engage her interests.

                                            > Turtleneck Check perked up a bit at the genuine question and she sat up taller, leaving the protection of her cozy turtleneck sweater she had previously huddled up in.

                                            > “It’s all about repetition! Amplifying magic I mean. See, I’ve been cross referencing what’s known about advanced arcana, both major and minor.” Turtleneck didn’t hesitate once she started talking. She knew her bigger sister was intelligent like herself, at least enough to follow along. She lit her horn to flip a few pages in the larger textbook to her right, to display a detailed cross-section of a unicorn’s horn.

                                            > “By structuring your spells according to certain math, you can increase your magical output OR the degree of precision of your casting. This much has been known for a while, but I really think I’m onto something big here! Repetition! Formulae which result in repeating digits have always seemed a bit more powerful in my practical tests, subtle but definitely there. Once I started trying out exponential numbers with repeating figures? I could definitely feel a big difference. Again, positive numbers increase your power, and negative increase your precision. Following me so far?”


                                            > Checkerbloom nodded as her own smile grew to match her sister’s wide beam. This was her favorite part of her friends (and family!). Being able to encourage them, nudge them into ‘blooming’ fulfilled her like nothing else. She mentally gave herself a hoofbump for pushing Turtleneck to come to Canterlot and pursue advanced studies with her. Sure she had letters of acceptance from all the Cloudsdale circuit universities, but she loved her sister and knew she could really grow with her here.

                                            > “So, I thought to myself, what’s the next logical step of repetition? I was literally scratching my head when my hoof bumped my horn and it came to me! Right then and there! Look, no wait, feel it, here.” Turtleneck grabbed Checkerbloom’s hoof in hers and placed it onto her horn. “Feel the grooves? It seems like a simple spiral at first but there’s so much more! Look!”

                                            > Checkerbloom followed her sister’s pointing hoof to the diagram in the book as Turtleneck narrated “See, even on the surface, the grooves have tiny smaller grooves branching out. Look at the cross section though! The inside! It’s a fractal!”

                                            > Checkerbloom’s eyes widened as she bent down to look closely at the diagram. It was a sublimation of an image from a very powerful microscope, that much was obvious. The incredibly detailed pattern on the inside took her breath away. Without knowing what to look for it would be easy to miss, but there was no denying the tiny spirals that sprouted off each branch of the parent spiral, repeating over and over again to fill the entire horn.

                                            > “I know pegasus magic tends to be more emotionally driven than a unicorn’s, but I’m confident it’s based on the same structure! Just think about your feathers, each one branches off from your wing, and each feather branches from the center tube.” Turtleneck was almost glowing at this point with passion for her discovery.

                                            > Checkerbloom looked back at her wings, spreading them fully to examine her feathers. What her sister was saying made sense.

                                            > “So, first year and it looks like you’ve already found your big lifetime discovery huh? I told you you’d be too smart for these ponies Turtleneck!” Checkerbloom wrapped her sister up in a big winghug. Turtleneck blushed at the praise. She usually thought herself just a little bookworm, but with her sister’s encouragement she really felt like she was accomplishing something real! “At this point I’ll just need to test it in different applications and find practical uses but even without that this should enhance magical research in lots of fields! Any unicorn can enhance their magic if they learn and understand the right way to channel it, and if you construct items to incorporate this math into the design they can run much more efficiently!”

                                            > “Easy work for my genius sister! I know you can do it mare!” Checkerbloom beamed with pride. “Soo…”

                                            > Turtleneck grimaced in a bit of mood whiplash. She knew what was coming. “Y-yeah?”


                                            > “This means you’re gonna come out with us tonight right? Now you’ve got even more reason to celebrate than just being on break!” Checkerbloom’s eyes twinkled as her smile widened even more.

                                            > Turtleneck sighed in resignation (with a small smile that she unsuccessfully tried to hide). “Oh, alright then. I’ll go to the club with you-huurk!”

                                            > Checkerbloom immediately hugged her sister with her long squeezing legs and wings, before remembering her own strength. She quickly let go with a small cough and slight blush. “I’m so happy you said yes! I know you’re gonna have a great time! You gotta promise to actually get out on the dance floor with me too, at least for one song.”

                                            > Turtleneck smiled shyly but gave a small “mhmm!” to show her agreement.

                                            > The two blue sisters relaxed into their seats to wait for breakfast to be done. The warmth of the kitchen along with the delicious aroma made this the comfiest place in Canterlot, bar none.

                                            > Suddenly their attention was drawn to the heated words being exchanged by the other unicorn/pegasus sibling pair.

                                            > “Waffles are the superior way, it’s just a fact, they’ve got pockets for the syrup and butter!” Pudding harrumphed.

                                            > “Well of course you’d think that you syrup addict! No appreciation for the ingredients in the batter. They’re good enough to eat on their own, no they’re actually better without toppings!” Banana shot back.

                                            > “You just love pancakes so much because they’re as flat as you are!” Pudding Pie flicked her tail as she put her uncooked pie into the oven.

                                            > “Our teats are the same size!!” Banana Pancakes’ body slumped with frustration and tiredness, no doubt leftover from her stressful culinary training.

                                            > Meanwhile Jolly Pottery stood somewhat between the two cooks, unsure of a good spot to intervene.

                                            > She desperately looked to the blue sister pair for help.


                                            > Checkerbloom stood up and walked over to the bickering mares. They quieted down as her deep hoofsteps got closer, then both gave an ‘eep!’ as she swept both of them under her wings for a forceful hug.

                                            > “What’s goin on here gals? Come on, deep breath in and out.”

                                            > Both mares tensed up and then sighed. Banana felt exhausted under her wing, so Checkerbloom prompted the younger sister to speak first. “Pudding? Tell old Bloomy what’s on your mind.”

                                            > “I wanted waffles…”

                                            > Checkerbloom raised an eyebrow at her.

                                            > “Oh you’re right, that’s no reason to get upset is it? Sorry sis, you know I’ll always like your pancakes too!” Pudding Pie trotted out from under the wing to give Banana a hug. “It was only supposed to be a bit of teasing, honest.”

                                            > Banana returned the hug but still looked like she needed to talk. “Your turn Panny, Haute Cuisine giving you a hard time again?” Checkerbloom kept her comforting wing draped over the older of the two bakermares.

                                            > Banana’s measuring spoon necklace jingled as she nodded her weary head. “I get that she wants perfection but I wish she’d give just a bit of praise now and then. With her it’s always about what I’m doing wrong.”

                                            > “It’s tough to carry that kind of expectation every day, I get it. Maybe it’s not all black and white though?” Panny giggled as Checkerbloom poked her hoof at her own black and white mane. “Have I ever told you about my flight instructor?”

                                            > Banana shook her head as she plopped her rear on the floor to listen. Pudding and Jolly quickly followed suit, interested in the story.

                                            > “I used to actually be pretty shy if you didn’t know. Being the biggest filly in our town made me self-conscious. I never could seem to get used to my own size, always bumping into things or other ponies. Since I was taller than all the foals my age and a lot of the older ones too, it felt like I was the center of attention - not in the good way.”

                                            > Checkerbloom smiled “Sometimes I still feel too tall but it’s thanks to Reckless Charge that I was able to grow into my hooves. Our parents had no idea what they had signed me up for, they can’t fly themselves and were unfamiliar with her reputation. All they heard about was a retired Wonderbolt holding classes for first-time flyers, and for cheap! They went for it.”

                                            > “That first week of practice was TORTURE. Oh I was so mad with them for putting me in that class! I thought I was the worst flier in that whole cohort, I felt so slow compared to the other foals. My reaction time was bad and I would crash into things all the time, my wingspan was so big I kept clipping the other flyers, it was awful!”


                                            > “The worst part was Miss Charge. Every time I crashed she was right there, criticizing what I had done wrong and pushing me to my hooves to do it again. She was relentless!”

                                            > “Two weeks in I was crashing less often but it still felt so hard to fly properly. After the other foals had gone home for the day Miss Charge had kept me there, to keep drilling the same turn. I was tired, hungry and all my muscles hurt. Every time I failed, she barked out exactly what I had done wrong. Gosh, I can still hear her voice: ‘Again!’” Checkerbloom shook her head.

                                            > “After hitting the ground for who knows how many times I was done. I stomped and shouted through my tears at her. It was the first time I stood up to somepony, and the first time I saw her smile. ‘There’s that pegasus spirit!’ She hugged me and finally gave me some praise on my flying technique – she’d been spending extra time with me because she thought I had the most potential.”

                                            > “She showed me how I’d been improving the whole time, but I needed a big push to have confidence in myself. After that she still wasn’t very verbal with her praise, but I could measure my progress for myself. Once I felt comfortable with my big wings I was best in my class, even set an air displacement record for my age!”

                                            > Checkerbloom blushed “Oops, I think I got carried away. Anyway Panny, maybe Haute is hard on you because she sees your potential? You’ve obviously got talent for cooking, and once you’ve worked here for a while you could even open your own place like the Greasy Spoon! I’m not sure how exactly you can connect with her but I know you have it in you.”

                                            > Checkerbloom gives a smug smirk to her friend “Either that or she’s just got a stick in her ponut, not your fault.”

                                            > Banana giggled. “Bloomy! Don’t be crass... but thanks. I’m feeling better, maybe I can really make the most of this. We’re still out of milk though, thanks to SOMEPONY using the last of it for her pie mix!” She blew a raspberry at her sister who shrugged.

                                            > Banana blew some air through her nose. “If we want more pancakes-” “Or waffles!” Pudding chimed in.

                                            > “-or waffles… we’ll need more milk. They were out of milk yesterday too so this “Breakfast Club” meeting is gonna be kind of pitiful…”

                                            > The mares all looked downcast, it wasn’t a true Breakfast Club unless everypony’s plate was overflowing. Checkerbloom soon got a look on her face though…

                                            > “Panny, Panny. You’re telling me you and Pudding never figured this one out?”

                                            > The two cooks looked at her blankly, prompting Checkerbloom to trot over to the pantry. She soon emerged with several jars and placed them in front of each mare, lifting her eyebrows a couple times to get her point across.

                                            > The mares all slowly realized the implication and their faces started burning with embarrassment, one by one. Checkerbloom’s freckles raised up with her smile as she barely contained her laughter.


                                            > Her friends were so fun to tease, but she was actually serious this time. “Come on girls, I expect everypony to contribute! We’ll need lots of energy for the dancing tonight.” Grabbing a jar she flew off to one of the private rooms.

                                            > Each mare stared at the jar in front of her. Jolly was the first to gingerly reach out and grab her jar, quickly trotting away with her ears pinned down. Following her lead, each pony quickly did the same. They all wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

                                            > …

                                            > A few minutes later, the group of friends were all looking at the filled milk jars on the counter. Each face was still blushing, but Jolly Pottery and Checkerbloom both couldn’t stop laughing over the situation.

                                            > Each jar of warm milk had a slightly different color and undoubtedly different flavors. The baker mares had filled their jars with a creamy looking milk. The Check sisters’ milk was a bit thinner, pale blue in color but undoubtedly sweet.

                                            > Jolly’s jar represented her earth pony genes well. It was thick, clearly high in fat content and nutritious. It even had a little bit of foam at the top.

                                            > Banana and Pudding were very embarrassed but couldn’t help their minds from thinking about the different recipe applications of each mare’s milk jar.

                                            > Checkerbloom whispered in Jolly’s ear to prompt another burst of laughter as Panny shakily grabbed her and her sister’s jar.

                                            > Soon there was a fresh batch of pancakes sizzling on the griddle while Pudding mixed up another batch of pie filling, her lips tightly sealed. It looked like she was trying to bore a hole in the bowl, refusing to look anywhere else out of embarrassment.

                                            > “You know Panny… I bet you could bag a 10 outta 10 stallion if you told him about your ‘special pancakes.’”

                                            > Banana whipped around to glare at Checkerbloom’s wide smile. “BLOOMY I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU SOMETIMES!” Jolly fell out of her seat, clutching her tummy as her sides started to hurt from laughter.

                                            > The mare on the floor chimed in as she barely caught her breath from giggling. “Yeah! Just tell them you really put YOURSELF into making their food! Hhehehhee!”


                                            > Turtleneck Check had her face buried in her book trying to forget what she had just done with that jar. It was not uncommon for Checkerbloom to instigate uncomfortable (although funny) situations like this. She wondered if this happened to every group of bachelorette mares or if it was a part of her sister’s special talent. Turtleneck did have to admit that they made for good stories later.

                                            > Checkerbloom stomped her hoof in laughter. “Come on stallions from far and wide! Step right up to get a taste of Panny’s 100% fresh, HOMEMADE pancakes! Ahahahahaa!”

                                            > Banana’s ears burned as she turned back around and flipped her pancakes.

                                            > However…

                                            > She was having trouble concentrating on her cooking. Those words spoken in jest had planted a seed of an idea in her mind, especially after what she had to do to get that milk…

                                            > Cooking for a loving stallion like that? What a thought. The thought of this dream stallion rubbing her neck as she cooked for them both took over her imagination. Her tummy felt like it was doing flips. What if they had a foal running under their legs playfully?

                                            > Banana had to shake her head to refocus on her griddle after one of the pancakes started to smell burnt. She managed to save the batch, which she set aside for herself. She didn’t mind her cakes to be a bit toasted.

                                            > Pudding Pie moved the milk jars to the fridge as conversation settled into a comfortable flow between everypony present. They talked about their excitement of the wintertime, possible plans to visit or host family, and joy at the opportunity to try on some new winter fashion.

                                            > Except Turtleneck Check of course. She already knew her favorite clothing article (Checkerbloom made a note in her mind to persuade her sister to go shopping and try some beanies later).

                                            > Pudding Pie said she would be bringing Banana Pancakes on her return trip to their parents in Vanhoover, smiling with joy that her family would spend some time together.

                                            > Jolly Pottery discussed her concepts of Christmas designs for her pots and vases. Earlier she had purchased among her supplies a new glaze imported from the Crystal Empire and was excited to see how the new shimmery finish would reflect the light.

                                            > Ideas were tossed between the group of possible designs, ranging from hearts to pony silhouettes. One that everypony liked were to paint snowflakes with hearts in the middle.

                                            > Soon each mare had a tall stack of Banana Pancakes’ famous banana pancakes neatly plated in front of them. Butter and syrup splashed on their plates as conversation gave way to satisfied sighs, the sounds of content ponies sharing a delicious brunch filling the air.

                                            > Warmth flowed from the food as well as the hearts of the ponies as they relaxed together. Time seemed to slip by and soon the pudding pies had cooled enough to eat. Pudding Pie performed a powdered sugar fly-by over the countertop once she had placed a slice on each plate.


                                            > Her final addition made it look like a fresh snow had graced the pie.

                                            > Each mare took a bite and the sound of satisfied appetites flowed forth. Each exclamation of culinary joy varied, ‘ooh’ and ‘mmm’ echoing from the grinning mouths. It was an interesting combination of sweet flavors, almost too rich but very delicious. The natural maple flavor seemed to bind to each bit of solid pecan in the pudding mix, providing just enough crunch.

                                            > Pudding grew a wide smile on her face and her wings fluttered in place as her friends praised her cooking. She and her sister were able to make other ponies happy once again just by sharing what they loved to do. Giving food was as much a gift as receiving back the company of those close to them.

                                            > The group of friends continued to share stories as they relaxed in the kitchen area. Merry sounds of shared laughter drifted through the air, warming the hearts of all the ponies present. They all listened to Turtleneck excitedly talk about her research. The endearing way her eyes would sparkle when she got passionate made it easy for the other ponies to take interest, even if they were not all necessarily able to keep up with the speed of her mind.

                                            > This talk gradually opened up conversation between the differences of their day to day lives. How Jolly managed to be so talented with just her hooves to use, managing her whole shop with no wings or horn. She blushed at the attention but it was easy to get her into her ‘zone’ and she discussed the finer points of making ceramics. What it took to balance different blends of clay together and get them to play nicely as you shaped them, the benefits and drawbacks to different types of clay and which ones worked best with which techniques. There were apparently as many different mixes of glaze as there were colors, and the suspension of material inside the mix contributed to the color as well.

                                            > The two sister pairs chimed in with their unicorn and pegasi perspectives as all the mares enjoyed the coziness of being warm inside with cheerful company. Time seemed to pass quickly for the ponies as the late morning swiftly moved into an early evening, the sun beginning its descent earlier during these colder months.

                                            > The sleepy mares were roused from their comfy food comas and slow conversation by Checkerbloom, boisterous as ever as she stomped her hooves three times. “Come on fillies! They’ll be opening soon, we need to start our makeovers!”

                                            > Synchronized sighs came from the introverts while Jolly and Pudding jumped up with excitement. Checkerbloom went to a certain storage cabinet where she knew last year’s gift she gave to Banana Pancakes would be hiding.

                                            > She returned carrying a once-used crimping iron and wearing a certain look on her face. “Pannyyy~”


                                            > Banana withered, knowing she wouldn’t be able to say no (and secretly looking forward to getting her hair done fancy). Reaching up with her magic she undid her mane to let it flow down and acquiesced to Checkerbloom, lowering her head so the blue mare could begin to crimp her long mane into a sharp funky style!

                                            > Turtleneck was firm in keeping her mane the way it was but offered her magic to assist Jolly Pottery with tying her mane into a side-ponytail. Pudding Pie set to work with a brush and a small amount of mane oil. Soon she had conditioned her hair to hang down in front of her face, seductively curtaining over one eye.

                                            > Jolly fetched the eyelash curler and set to work, fluttering her eyes in the mirror to make sure they looked pretty. Each blink waved those dark curtains and brought attention to her sweet, golden eyes. Perfect!

                                            > She even managed to talk Turtleneck into curling her eyelashes! The unicorn was not looking for extra attention but still enjoyed getting small makeovers. Seeing her subtle touch-ups in the mirror made her smile and even start looking forward to the night out (she’d never admit it to her sister though).

                                            > At this point Checkerbloom had successfully crimped out Banana’s mane & tail. The normally reserved mare blushed to see herself in the mirror, all done up with the wild (and pretty!) style.

                                            > Her grinning blue friend in the mirror nodded rapidly with excitement, clearly a fan.

                                            > “See Panny! Stallions will be asking you to dance with them all night once they see you! You really should do your hair more, it’s fun isn’t it?”

                                            > She didn’t want to disappoint Checkerbloom’s enthusiasm so she nodded in agreement. At least that’s the reasoning she gave herself in her mind, so she wouldn’t have to admit she secretly liked it.

                                            > Of course Checkerbloom knew the tricks to get her introverted friends to open up and try new things. She’d take the blame for ‘forcing’ them and they’d get a convenient excuse to let loose.

                                            > With that knowing smile and twinkle in her shining eyes, she threw a hoof over Banana and whipped her tail in the air – the small crack got the other mares to start moving out the door. Twilight was now ushering in the night proper and it was time to trot over to Unicanter!

                                            > The group of mares had to pick up their hooves to keep pace with Checkerbloom’s excited stride. It was easy for her to get carried away with her long legs and she could already feel her pulse thrumming in time with the beat in her mind.

                                            > The ponies started to feel the bass pulsing in the cobblestone under their hooves as they got closer to the club. Checkerbloom’s substantial posterior began to sway with her steps in response. She had a good feeling about tonight, for her friends and herself!


                                            > Once her own heavy hoofsteps were lost in the sound of the club she knew they were close, and sure enough as they rounded the corner Unicanter’s sign shone brightly in the cold night air. The mare above the lettering was dressed up in a style similar to Checkerbloom, with glow bracelets and her horn sparking to shoot alternating colors.

                                            > This old school rave scene was clearly popular as many other groups of mares and stallions made their way in, various fashions and manestyles from modern to retro present among the excited chatter.

                                            > The open door spilled sound and light, tantalizing Checkerbloom with promises of a super fun evening to spend with her friends and hopefully make new ones!

                                            > Her wings flared out as she reared up with joy, kicking her hooves up in the air to usher her group forward into the warmth of the club.

                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ItOvtJn8yo

                                            > As the group of newcomers made their way down the ramp into the club proper they could feel it – the raw energy in the air. Checkerbloom was trotting in place in response, near her limit of waiting to start dancing.

                                            > Each pony on that dancefloor was jamming out in their own way yet the whole crowd seemed to move in sync, waves visible in their combined silhouette.

                                            > The slight scent of clean sweat from ponies mixed with the excited expressions flashing in the dark as the lightshow pulsed in time with the beat.

                                            > Although many in her group were not very social, all the mares could feel their skin tingle from the full, coordinated sensory stimulation.

                                            > Checkerbloom winked and tilted her head toward a nice looking group of stallions who were dancing without a care as she gave her friends a push forward into the crowd.

                                            > To the surprise of the mares in her entourage, the smooth music was already making them start to dance and move. It was almost magical how light their spirits and hooves felt – they just couldn’t stop their growing smiles!

                                            > The normally introverted Banana Pancakes felt that dancefloor rush – the excitement of the ponies around her and the music driving them, the sight of the lasers and glow bracelets all moving in rhythm.

                                            > She’d done this once before. Her hooves were already moving, guided by memory. This foray into the club didn’t intimidate her as much now and the whole group of friends were getting into it.

                                            > Turtleneck started to stomp in place following her sister’s lead while Pudding & Jolly started to shake their manes up and down, hooves kicking out to their sides.

                                            > Checkerbloom was ecstatic to see her friends joining the silhouettes of ponies dancing to an unfamiliar sound.

                                            > Not the most typical environment to make new friends but she loved it! Speaking of new friends…

                                            > Checkerbloom’s golden eyes glowed in the dark as she spotted him. A super cute stallion, kinda hunky… a rich jet-black mane above his forest green coat.


                                            > He was clearly new to the club scene, trying to dance here and there while awkwardly looking around to find the friends he had lost in the mix.

                                            > Checkerbloom licked her lips. Perfect. A young, unsure stallion ripe for her to groom [spoiler] into the best version of himself, encouraging him to feel comfortable and let loose dancing. [/spoiler]

                                            > [spoiler]Also to get to know more intimately… if things felt right. [/spoiler]

                                            > Checkerbloom kept swaying her hips in her dance as she watched him, making her way around the dancefloor to size him up. A question mark adorned his firm flank. Hmmm….

                                            > Ah! There, she caught his eye. Checkerbloom kept right on dancing, swaying her hips and her neck rhythmically.

                                            > Checkerbloom knew exactly which song she was going to request tonight and promptly made her way to the DJ.

                                            > Her dearest foalhood friend Snow Symphony was running the booth tonight, adorned in one of her favorite sets of socks – light blue and magenta stripes to match her mane. After a big heartfelt winghug and brief catching up, Checkerbloom pointed at the stallion who’d caught her eye. Snow Symphony smiled and giggled, her cutie mark almost glowing as she lined up Checkerbloom’s song request.

                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA9ayCxYt-Q

                                            https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/39423423/#39434124

                                            > …

                                            > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsxlZVUwyNM

                                            > A new piece of music starting up startled them out of each other’s eyes.

                                            > The two ponies had lost track of time after sharing in each other’s passion, for the music and each other.

                                            > After all that dancing and… tongue dancing, Checkerbloom’s striped mane had checkered up even more into its signature style. It was like her crown as queen of the dance floor.

                                            > Checkerbloom could tell her stallion was still infatuated, breathing heavy as he was. Giggling softly, she leaned over to his ear to give it a lick and whisper a place to meet her on campus later that week.

                                            > The stallion jumped a bit as Checkerbloom snapped one of her own bracelets around his hoof, a keepsake for him to think on.

                                            > With a wink and a swish of her tail she made her way out of the main crowd, eager to find her sister and friends.

                                            > She could see Pudding and Jolly dancing with another group, but her more introverted friends were nowhere to be found.

                                            > Checkerbloom danced her way around the floor as she investigated. She wanted to be sure her sister and friends were all having a good time. However no matter where she looked she could not find them in the crowd.

                                            > Checkerbloom trotted up to the DJ booth again for a higher vantage point, giving Snow Symphony a hoof bump. “You seen my sister lately Snowy?”

                                            > Snow giggled a bit into her sock-clad hoof. “Sure did Bloomy, she had fun for a while but her and Panny retreated to the Bunker.”

                                            > “The what?”


                                            > Snow Symphony gently laughed again, her melodious voice like chimes in a cold winter wind. “Well of course you wouldn’t need it yourself you party animal. It’s above the club, through the oak door.”

                                            > Snow Symphony flicked her tail toward the back of the DJ booth, indicating a door out of the way of the main party.

                                            > “Thanks Snowy! Love ya!” Checkerbloom gave her a neck hug and bumped her rump to Snow’s on her way down to the door. Gently framed by the warm glow of an old lightbulb, a muted swirl of greens and blues invitingly welcomed her in.

                                            > How had she never noticed this before?

                                            > The hinges groaned, the door thick and heavy even for her stature as she pushed it open. As it swung closed the club music was nearly silenced, the bass thumps barely audible in the stairwell.

                                            > A calming incense smell was heavy on the air as Checkerbloom clip-clopped her way up.

                                            > A curtain of beads awaited her at the top of the stairs, their gentle colorful pattern beckoning her forth.

                                            > Pushing her face through the curtain, Checkerbloom’s mouth hung open at the expansive room she had no idea even existed until now.

                                            > Comfy couches, lounge chairs, booth seats, assorted pillows and blankets arranged on the floor, everything a stressed out pony would need to relax or even take a snooze.

                                            > What really caught her attention though were the lamps strewn about, on every table and shelf, casting their playful light for the various ponies relaxing near them.

                                            > Checkerbloom was brought out of her admiration by the feeling of air moving near her coat. Somepony was… sniffing her?

                                            > The cheerful countenance of an older mare smiled at her when she turned to face the source of the sniffing.

                                            > “Hello there young one. Quite the free and adventurous soul you are, hmm? Ohohoho I remember when I was your age, so spirited!”

                                            > Checkerbloom eyed this older mare with curiosity. The faded lilac of her coat and wavy mane of purple shades certainly made a statement, especially when they framed those seafoam green eyes.

                                            > The inquisitive mare’s flank was adorned with a magnifying glass, in a pretty bow. Fitting.

                                            > “These days I prefer to run my club from up here, though I used to be quite the dancing pony! Much like yourself dear.”

                                            > ‘My club’ thought Checkerbloom.

                                            > The mare nodded in response to the realization on Checkerbloom’s face. “That’s right! I’m the owner of Unicanter.” With a slightly challenging smile she added “And I used to be the queen of the dance floor before you even knew what a dance floor was! You can call me Gift Sniffer.”

                                            > “You were into rave dancing?” Checkerbloom’s tone showed she didn’t quite believe Ms. Sniffer just yet.

                                            > “Sure was! I still love to watch young ponies such as you enjoy the music.” Gift Sniffer gestured to the thick glass wall making up part of the Bunker. “I’ve slowed down quite a bit though, there are things to enjoy at every pace. Come, join your sister and relax a while. I think you’ll find something you like here.”


                                            > Gift Sniffer pointed to one of the free standing tables with an assortment of lamps atop it. Sprawled on the cushions nearby were Turtleneck Check and Banana Pancakes looking a bit worn out and sleepy from their time in the main club, yet they both had wide smiles.

                                            > Checkerbloom lit up seeing her friend and sister, and she gave Gift Sniffer a quick but hearty wing hug in thanks before rushing over to them.

                                            > However she didn’t quite rush over, instead something about the environment had her so relaxed she just cantered slowly instead.

                                            > To her surprise she even laid down on the cushions as Panny and Turtleneck gave sleepy yawns as a greeting.

                                            > Whatever she was going to say to them became lost, as Checkerbloom found herself staring into the assorted lamps.

                                            > The shapes inside had her full attention. The way they bounced and slid along each other, twisting in columns to then split into smaller shapes.

                                            > Each lamp was unique in not only color but behavior. The material inside could behave fairly symmetrical in some before splitting into multiple distinct columns, or it could start out as a bunch of smaller spheres before joining together to form one large pillar.

                                            > Checkerbloom was hooked. Her sister and friend continued to rest their eyes while she watched, and watched, and watched.

                                            > There were also two glitter filled lamps in front of the mare. Now this was plenty to look at and see.

                                            > Checkerbloom sleepily thought to herself how these lamps were like a whole party in a bottle, a party you could give to someone…

                                            > Her eyes sprung open once more.

                                            > That was it! This was how she could always ensure her friends had a part of her, a little party with them always.

                                            > Checkerbloom had suddenly developed a new passion, an extension of her love to see others express themselves in dance. A gift that could inspire, provide calm meditation, or display a little slice of the dance parties she held so dear. She had a need to understand what these were made of.

                                            > As Checkerbloom marched back over to Gift Sniffer to inquire about what went into these lamps, she noticed she was feeling… groovy!