The Comet of Ages

Chapters

Chapter Two: Arrival
Chapter Three: Unlocking Magic
Chapter Four: Apples and Books
Chapter Five: Finding His Wings
Chapter One: Dreaming

Chapter Two: Arrival

Twilight Sparkle was happy.

She had just bought a bundle of books, and was bringing to the Library. Twilight was lost in fantasies of curling up in a corner and reading the night away with the new books. Twilight waved to Mr. and Mrs. Cake as she passed Sugar Cube Corner. They waved back

"Twilight, have you seen Pinkie Pie around?" Mr. Cake called out.

Twilight shook her head. "I cant say I have, I'm sorry."

"That's fine dear, we were just wondering. Heavens knows the kind of trouble she can cause." Mrs. Cake said. Twilight nodded, then continued on her way. Shortly thereafter, she reached the Library. Twilight smiled as she pushed open the door to enter. She never made it inside. a pink blur shot out, tacking her and pinning her to the ground.

"Oh hey Twilight, you'll never guess what I found in the woods! oh, never mind, you're taking to long, and you'd never guess it. I'll just have to show you!" Pinkie Pie blurted, hopping around Twilight. Twilight slowly picked herself up.

"So you found something in the forest, did you Pinkie?" Twilight asked.

"Yep! It's really cool. I just cant wait to show you!" Pinkie responded. Twilight sighed, then used her magic to gather the books and put them carefully inside.

"Then let's go." Twilight said, slightly weary of what Pinkie might be leading her to.

"Yay!" Pinkie said, bouncing off down the road, north of Ponyville, Twilight in tow.

'ugh... my head...

where am I?

there's a breeze... I must be outside

I'd better get up, or I'm going to be late... for... for what?

I cant remember...

except... a name? My name.

Kentarvos Keaton.'

Kent attempted to open his eyes, but he couldn't. they felt like metal plates, weighing them down. even breathing was an effort. Kent heard a pair of voices, as if through a layer of down, both female.

"Alright Pinkie, where is it?" The first voice said, a little wearily.

"Almost there Twilight! Right past this little shrub!" the second voice said, bright and bubbly. There was some rustling, then a gasp.

"Pinkie, how long has this poor pony been here?" the voice called Twilight said

'Poor pony?' Kent thought 'What on Earth are they talking about...?'

"Oh, I found him an hour ago. He looks like a pile of snow!" The one called Pinkie said, giggling

Kent groaned slightly, as his head throbbed, and he managed to open his eyes slightly. He promptly closed them when he saw two brightly colored ponies, one purple and one pink. 'Whatever did this to me, it seriously messed me up...' Kent thought, then opened his eyes again. The ponies were still there. The purple one stepped forward.

"Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle. My friend here, Pinkie Pie, found you out here, passed out. Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"I" Kent started, then winced slightly, coughing. It seemed his whole body hurt for some odd reason. "I'm... hurting all over, but nothing... to serious it seems.... besid the fact that I'm probably hallucinating." Kent finished.

"Hallucinating? Why in Equestria would you think that?" The one called Twilight said.

"Oh.. I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm talking to a couple of technicolor ponies who are talking back." Kent said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Hey, you aren't so dull yourself snowboy!" The pink one responded, giggling at the nickname.Kent cocked his head confused, then looked down at himself.

"Holy Lord!" Kent said, panicking as he saw himself. He'd been transformed completely, and was now a pure white pony, some bizarre thing like the other two. He balked, rearing up onto his hind legs, his wings flaring. 'wait.. wings?!' Kent thought as he overbalanced and fell backwards, crashing into the pond.

"What... what happened? How?" Kent spluttered as he surfaced. The two mares appeared very confused

"I know as much as you do. What do you remember?" Twilight asked.

Kent sighed. "that's the problem... I can't remember anything, save my name. Kentarvos Keaton."

"Forgetty forgetterson, how could you manage to forget everything?" Pinkie said, bouncing up to him, stopping, then turning to Twilight. "Twilight, I thought Celestia and Luna were the only Ali-whatsits."

"Alicorns." Twilight corrected. "And I thought the same, until now." She finished, mystified.

"What on earth is an Alicorn?" Kent asked, equally confused.

"It means you've got these" Pinkie poked Kents wings "and you've got one of these" She finished, poking something coming out of Kent's skull.

Kent turned to the now-peaceful pond. "Will wonders never cease?" he said as he saw a foot long horn extending from his forehead. He turned back towards the other two, sighed, then sat. He hung his head sadly.

"Hey, what are you so down in the dumps about, Kentsie?" Pinkie asked, sitting in front of him.

"I'm some kind of freakish pegasis-unicorn hybrid, I can't remember anything save my name, and on top of it all, it's getting dark and I don't have anywhere to stay!" Kent stood, advancing slowly on the pink mare "I ache all over from being turned into whatever the hell I am, and I'm soaking wet! Why on earth do you think I'm upset?!" His voice rose the whole time, turning away from the two and walking back to the other side of the clearing and pacing angrily.

"Look, i understand you're upset;" Twilight said, walking over to Kent. "But there's no need to get angry with us, and certainly no need for such language" she admonished sternly.

Kent looked at her, slightly dumbstruck. 'Yes mother.' he thought to himself, then said "I know... and I'm sorry Pinkie. I'm just so... so... confused? Lost?"

"Cold and wet?" Put in Pinkie, apparently unaffected by Kents spiel.

Kent laughed darkly, a warm rich sound. "Cold and wet too."

"I know what'll cheer you right up!" Pinkie Pie said energetically. "A party!!! I'll go get the others, and set it up. Twilight, you take Kentsie and get him back to Ponyville." She directed, then bounced off into the brush.

Kent blinked. "A party?" He asked, confused.

Twilight laughed. "That's Pinkie pie for you. When in doubt, party!" she explained.

"Right." Kent said wearily. "Lets get back to... what did Pinkie call it?"

"Ponyville." Twilight responded. "I'll show you the way. Come on!" She walked towards the bush Pinkie had disappeared through. Kent followed after her. After a fifteen minute walk, they reached a hill overlooking Ponyville, a scenic looking town, with cottage-like houses standing in picturesque rows.

"So, where is it that we're headed exactly?" Kent asked, curious about the new world, and resigned to his fate for the moment.

"Sugar Cube Corner, that's where most of Pinkies parties are." Twilight responded as they approached a structure that reminded Kent of a gingerbread house. "that one right there." She finished, pointing at it. They walked up to the door, and Twilight knocked. Nobody answered, so she tried the door. it swung open, revealing an almost studiously empty space. The two of them walked in, and flinched as five ponies jumped out at them, shouting

"Surprise!" Several confetti poppers went off, as well as a small sparkler

"Well? Were you surprised? Be honest Kentsie." Pinkie said as she bounced over to him.

Kent nodded slowly "Yes. very much so, yes." He said faintly.

Pinkie giggle then bounced over to the other four ponies, all mares from what little Kent could tell.

"This is Rainbow Dash" a cyan pegasus with a rainbow-hued mane, "Apple Jack" An orange earth pony with a yellow mane and a cowboy... or girl? hat atop her head, "Rarity" An ivory unicorn with a dressy purple mane, "and Fluttershy." a yellow pegasus with a pink mane she seemed to be trying to hide behind. "You've already met Pinkie." Twilight finished.

Kent nodded, committing the names to memory. 'Ha. memory, a vague thing anymore.' he thought darkly to himself.

"Nice ta meet ya" Apple jack said.

"A pleasure, I'm sure." Rarity greeted.

"Eh, you seem alright." Rainbow Dash said dismissively.

"Oh, hello..." Fluttershy said quietly, clearly intimidated by Kent, who had just now realized he was a good head taller than all of them.

"Its good to meet you all." Kent said, slightly stunned by the variety of colors between the mares.

The party lasted well into the night. They played games, such as pin the tail on the pony, bobbing for apples and the like. Kent found the other ponies amusing to be around, and quite likeable. However, one of them, Twilight, seemed to stand out to him. She was possessed of a confident nature, and seemed at ease with the others, taking their antics in stride.

Eventually, The party drew to a close, and Kent had to decide what to do for the night.

"Is there anywhere I can stay, like a hotel?" Kent asked the six mares.

Twilight stepped forward. "There's a space at the library I can lend you." She said. Kent cocked his head, confused.

"The Library?" he asked.

"Oh yes, didn't I tell you? I live in a library, it's great! There are hundreds of books, fiction nonfiction, children's books, novels, poems, and all other kinds!" Twilight said, lighting up.

"That wasn't tha best question ya coulda asked her." Apple Jack told Kent in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Right, I'll remember not to bring it up." Kent whispered back, then said to everyone "Well, it seems as if I'll be staling at the Library for now. It was nice meeting you guys- erm, girls."

Twilight and Kent left, and the others made their ways home as well. Kent looked around as Twilight led him to the Library. "So, everybody back there, how long have you known them?" Kent asked.

"What do you mean by 'everybody'?" Twilight responded, confused.

"All of those ponies at the party."

"Oh, that must be how you say 'everypony' where you come from." Twilight concluded.

"I guess so." Kent said, shrugging. "You never answered the question." He said after a moment of silence.

"Oh, sorry. I've known them for roughly a year, since I came to Ponyville." Twilight answered. Kent nodded, then stopped as they reached their destination, the Treehouse Library of Ponyville.

It towered over most of the neighboring buildings, and had several terraces and windows peeking out from its leafy canopy. as the two of them entered, Kent gasped. the central room wound up to the top of the tree, with recesses all along the walls. And inside those recesses were books. Hundreds upon hundreds of books lined the recesses, of all kinds, ages and bindings, presenting a vast array of knowledge, entertainment to any who simply reached out and took a look.

Curling up the wall directly to the right of the door was a staircase leading to a second floor room. There was a gap in the shelves where a door to another room, presumably where there were more books.

Twilight laughed at Kents amazement, then pointed to the back door. "Your alcove is in there, up the staircase." She told him. "I'm heading to bed. Goodnight Kent, and I'll see you tomorrow." Twilight finished as she scaled the staircase into her room. Kent stood there a moment more, then headed to the back room. he pushed open a door, revealing a room similar to the first, albeit smaller. There was a similar staircase, which Kent climbed up to a small alcove.

In the alcove, there was a bed, and a glass door leading to one of the terraces Kent had seen outside. There was also a vanity opposite the bed, with a mirror and a brush. A desk stood next to the headboard, Ink and quills neatly lined up across the top. Kent thought this odd. 'How am I supposed to write if I don't have hands?' Kent shoved the thought aside for the moment as the events of the day washed over him, and he sank onto the bed, lying prone on top of the covers.

Strange half-formed beings haunted his dreams, hovering at the edge of a thick mist that shrouded his mind, clutching at him, yet never completely physical, never quite gone. Yet still he slept until morn, safe for the moment from reality.

:iconkentarvos:

Chapter Three: Unlocking Magic

Kent awoke the next morning surprisingly well rested, considering the events that had transpired the previous night, but a little disoriented within his new body. He eventually managed to shake the lingering clutches of his human sense of movement, and rolled out of bed, standing. Kent walked over to the steps, pausing as he caught his reflection in the vanities mirror.

Kent turned towards it, studying his reflection carefully for the first time since he'd been stranded in Equestria. His coat was a snowy white color, with an almost iridescent quality about it. his mane was more of a silvery color, stirring on its own, which Kent found odd, but put it down to just one of the many curious occurrences that happened in Equestria. Kent also noticed a strange black glyph on both of his flanks. The glyph was strange to Kent, but also seemed familiar, as if from a from an inner part of his being. He stood about two meters at the shoulder, with another quarter of a meter added with his neck and head. At about a foot in length, his horn was longer than than the two unicorns he had met yesterday.

'What were their names?' Kent thought to himself 'Oh yeah, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle.' Kent turned away from his reflection, heading down the steps toward the door into the main room. As he pushed it open, Kent noticed there was a small, purple and green bipedal creature on one of the ladders, retrieving a book.

"Hey, who're you?" it said as it slid down the ladder with the book. "and why are you in the Library?" It turned toward the steps as the door at the top opened, and Twilight stepped out. "Twilight, do you know who this is?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, I do. Spike, this is Kentarvos, Kent, this is Spike, my dragon, and also my assistant around here. Spike, there's a little explanation due." Twilight trotted down the steps, and crossed over to Spike. "Kent is in a little situation." She stated.

Kent raised an eyebrow. "A little situation? Right. Well, I was stranded here yesterday with no memories and-" Kent paused, wondering if it was wise to spread the fact that he wasn't originally a pony. "And nowhere to stay." He finished. "So Twilight was kind enough to lend me the back space to stay in for the time being, until I can remember, and find a way back to, where I'm from."

Spike looked at Twilight, then back to Kent, then back to Twilight before he said "Oh. Okay. Just as long as he doesn't burn the place down or something." Spike held out the book he had gotten earlier to twilight, Who took it with her magic, holding it in front of her.

"Oh! I forgot all about this!" Twilight said as she flipped to a spot about halfway through. "Today's the day I had planned that slumber party with the girls! I hope they're still up to it, what with Pinkies party last night." She paused, then turned to Kent, saying anxiously "Oh, Kent, you're okay with that, right? I mean, I'm not used to having somepony else beside Spike here and-"

Kent cut her off, saying "It's fine. I can get to know them a little better this way. I mean, it is the same five as the other night, right?" He asked. Twilight nodded.

"Well, nice meeting you and all, but there are some chores I gotta take care of." Spike said, trundling off into the back room.

"Oh, yeah, I have a couple of questions for you." Kent said.

"Ask away, Kent." Twilight said.

"Okay, first off, what is that?" Kent said pointing to Twilight's flank.

"Oh, this? This is my cutie mark. A cutie mark is a symbol that appears on a ponies flank when they discover what their true talent is. For example, Pinkie Pie's special gift is throwing parties and making others happy, so her cutie mark is balloons. Although, I've never seen one like yours before. It almost looks like a glyph in High Equestrian to me." Twilight responded. She walked over to one of the shelves, pulling a book off with her magic.

"Second question, how do you do that?" Kent said.

"Do what?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Move things without touching them." Kent explained

Twilight took a breath, then launched into a very long and very detailed lecture on that particular subject, leaving Kents head spinning.

"I'm sorry I asked..." Kent said, shaking his head. "Is there any other, simpler way to explain it?"

"Eheh... sorry. And, yes there is." Twilight responded. she pulled a thinner volume from the shelves, and placed it on her desk. "Imagine the space between the book and your horn as just a chain, made of links that you can control with you magic. Then, you simply will the 'chain' to move, and the object, in this case, the book, will move. At least, that's the theory behind it." She explained. Kent was slightly skeptical, but nodded nonetheless.

"Why don't you give it a shot Kent?" Twilight suggested.

"Eh... If you say so. One more question. How do I get to the magic to move the book?" Kent said, slightly embarrassed at knowing so little.

"Don't worry, it'll come. Go on, you'll do fine!" Twilight reassured.

"Alright." Kent said as he stepped over to the desk. He lowered his horn apprehensively, trying to imagine the space between it and the book as nothing more than a chain, as Twilight had said. Kent closed his eyes, concentrating, and a silver aura flickered to life around his horn, and then, ever so slowly, the same aura flickered to life around the book, and it began to float off of the desk. Kent opened his eyes, then cheered. "Yes! Hah, I did it!" Kent brought the book carefully over to him, where he examined the cover. "Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump. What on earth... is this a children's book or something?" Kent said, snickering slightly.

"As a matter of fact, yes it is. One of the most popular, actually" Twilight answered. "And that was also very good for your first time. Now how about you try with multiple things?" She suggested.

And so it was that they spent their morning teaching Kent the ins and outs of magic, a process which Kentarvos and Twilight Sparkle found amusing at times, frustrating at others. They discovered that Kentarvos had an extremely large magical reserve, due to his being an Alicorn. Twilight Sparkle thought to herself that he could have power to rival, maybe even greater than, Princesses Celestia and Luna, once harnessed properly. Also, when performing legitimate spells, they found that Kentarvos had the tendency to mutter strange and convoluted words that had an odd quality to them. They theorized that these were ancient words of power, words in High Equestrian, the language of the Alicorns. The words must Kentarvos spoke must be an instinctual habit of the Alicorns.

Around noon, they decided to call it quits and prepare for Twilight Sparkle's friends arrival.Kent used his newfound power to assist in the preparations, cleaning and such while Twilight made, of course, a list of things to do.

"Let's see, pillow fight? Check. Truth or dare? Check. Makeovers? Check." Kent stiffened. "That pretty covers most everything." Twilight said to herself, smiling.

Kent trotted over to Twilight. "I think I might just have to skip, umm, certain parts, you know, for the sake of my sanity?" Kent said, smiling nervously.

"Don't be silly, there are stallions down at the spa getting makeovers all the time. It's not like it's unheard of." Twilight said persuasively, edging closer to him.

Kent shook his head. "For me it is. I don't want any part in the makeovers." He said.

"If you insist. Though I doubt Rarity is going to take no for an answer this easily." Twilight said, giggling slightly.

"That makes me so completely terrified. I think I'll go hide in a hole somewhere." Kent replied sarcastically, returning to cleaning.

"Suit yourself." Twilight replied, shrugging. After a few moments of silence, there was a rap on the door. Kent turned toward it and opened it with his magic.

"Howdy there Kent, nice ta see ya again. An the same to you Twilight!" Apple Jack said as she entered, followed by Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and finally, Pinkie Pie. They all said there hellos,excited about the upcoming party. After the initial hubbub had settled,Rainbow stepped forward.

"So,what are we doing first girls?" Dash said, then looked at Kent and added "And guy." Kent grinned.

"If we're going according to Twi's list, I know exactly" Kent smiled wider. "What we're doing first." he finished, then glanced at Twilight. She nodded. "Pillow fight!" They shouted together, and used their magic to pull down a pile of pillows, hidden on top of the door frame, crashing down on the others heads.

"Ooh! Yay!" Pinkie burst out of the pile of pillows, scattering them. "I love a good pillow fight!" She said, then grabbed one of them with her mouth and tossed it back at Kent, where it hit him squarely in the nose. "Direct hit!" Pinkie cheered.

The others soon freed themselves from the pile, and a glorious free for all of flying pillows ensued. Apple Jack bucked the pillows at her opponents, Pinkie threw them, Rainbow and Fluttershy dropped them on ponies heads, and Rarity, Twilight and Kent used their magic to launch them through the air. Eventually, with much effort and many pillows thrown, Pinkie emerged the clear winner, leaving the others dazed and confused.

"Yay! I win! Hehe, you're all covered in pillows!" Pinkie giggled, looking around at the others.

"Oof... Yeah, thanks to you Pinks!" Said Rainbow, rising to her hooves and shaking pillows off herself.

"How on Earth did she do that?" Kent asked, amazed that Pinkie had singlehoofedly taken all six of them out.

"I have no idea. She just does these things." Twilight responded, pulling a pillow off here back. "Okay girls, and Kent, Item one? Check!" She said to the others, checking it off on her list. "Next up is some truth or dare, to calm down after that pillow fight."

"Oh, good. I, for one, am glad that is over." Rarity said, picking herself up from the floor delicately.

"Oh, yeah right Rarity, ya were havin' just as much fun as tha rest of us." Apple Jack said, starting to pile up the pillows in the corner.

"Well... it was a little entertaining, I admit" Rarity conceded, using her magic to pick up several pillows at once and placing them on the pillow pile.

After the ponies gathered up the pillows, they sat in a rough circle. Twilight went first.

"Okay, so, Rainbow Dash, Truth or Dare?" Twilight asked.

"Hmm... eh, Dare." Dash responded, confident she could do whatever Twilight dared her to.

"I dare you to finish the rest of the 'Daring Do' series by the end of the week." Twilight said, knowing Dash wasn't the fastest reader.

"Pshh, I can do that, no problem." Dash responded. Truth was, she had already finished them all, having gone on a 'reading binge' per say, after she had discovered the series.

"Alright, My turn." Dash said. "Kent, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Kent replied, slightly surprised that he'd been picked so soon.

"Hmm..." Dash thought for a minute. "Since you've been in Equestria, have you done anything really embarrassing?" She asked, smiling impishly.

Kent laughed nervously. "Eheh... yeah..." he paused, then said "It's not really that embarrassing, but I fell down the stairs. Three times. I couldn't figure out how to climb them, because I was used to two legs" Kent looked at Twilight who was struggling to contain laughter. Kent rolled his eyes."Well, I guess I'm next?" Twilight nodded. "Okay then. Well, Rarity is it? Truth or Dare?"

"I think I'll opt for the Dare." Rarity responded.

Kent thought for a moment. He glanced at Apple Jack, then grinned. "I Dare you to wear Apple Jacks hat for the rest of the night."

Rarity gasped. "But I- I just- ooh, I will get you for this one Kent." She vowed, turning to Apple Jack, who walked over to her and placed the hat on her head. "Hmph. Well, Apple Jack, Truth or Dare?"

"Ah say Dare."

Rarity nodded. "I dare you to get your mane braided, and to Carefully keep it that way for a day."

Apple Jack sighed. "Ah' figured ya'd do somthin like this."

Twilight glanced between the two, then pulled out her list. "Okay, well, I'd say that's enough for now. Lets move on to the next Item. Makeovers!"

There was a general cheering at this, save Kent, who quietly attempted to slip away. However, his attempt at escape was stymied by Rarity who stepped in front of him.

"And where, Dear, do you think you're going?" She asked haughtily.

"Ehh... there are some... books! I forgot to re-organize the back library! gotta go." Kent said, attempting to sidestep around Rarity, who let him pass. However, Kent should've realized it was too easy. As he reached the back door, he was held in place by Rarities shimmering azure aura. Her aura dragged him back to the circle of mares. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

"Nope." they chorused. Kent sighed, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

The mares put him through the whole thing, giving him a pedicure, putting a mud mask on him, complete with pickles, and Rarity even styled his mane. after an hour of similar treatment, the six ponies turned their attention away from Kent, planning on braiding Apple Jack's mane. He took this lapse in concentration to quickly chant a line in High Equestrian. His quicksilver aura ran down his horn and enveloped his body, letting him vanish into the air. By the time the mares had turned back to him, he was gone, merely a spectre in their midst.

"Hey, wheres Kentsie?" Pinkie said, then turned directly to the spot where Kent was enshrouded, winked, then turned away.

'How does she do that?' Kent thought, amazed. He shook his head, starting to realize this was a regular occurrence with her.

"Oh no, I had a cute little bow I was going to put in his mane all prepared, and now he's gone!This is the worst. Possible. Thing!" Rarity said, bemoaning her fate.

"Get over it Rarity. He probably pulled some vanishing act with that fancy Alicorn magic of his." Rainbow Dash said disparagingly.

'Right on, Dash.' Kent thought, treading as quietly as he could.

"Well... um... I guess he just... you know... needed some time to himself." Fluttershy put in quietly.

"Ah guess so. We should jest leave him be fer now." Apple Jack said

"You're probably right. Now, where were we girls?" Twilight responded.

"We were just about to braid Apple Jack's mane!" Rarity said excitedly. Kent sniggered quietly as he slipped into the back room, muffled protests coming from the main room. He ended the invisibility spell, then clopped up his steps. He sat down on the mat in front of his desk.

Kent had decided to write a journal to keep track of what happened in Equestria, in case he forgot again. So, for this purpose, Kent drew out a quill, some ink, and a sheet of parchment, and, using his magic, he began to write. A short while later, Kent put down the quill, finished with his first entry.

He slowly walked out onto the terrace, and sat, staring up into the stars. As he gazed into the infinite heavens, he felt an odd sensation, almost as if something clicked inside his head. Kent stiffened, and suddenly, he wasn't there anymore. He was human again, standing on another terrace, in another time, another world. There was a girl standing next to him, radiant in the starlight, whose hand he was holding as they scanned the night sky together. She pointed and gasped, saying "Look, Kent! A shooting star!" True enough, flying through the stagnant field of stars was a bright pinpoint of light. The girl leaned further over the railing. Kent's heart lurched as he felt the rail give way with a loud 'Crunch!'. Time seemed to slow as the girl slipped over the edge, into empty space. Kent swiped at her outstretched hand, missing by mere millimeters. The last sight Kent saw of her was her formerly beautiful face twisted with a mask of horror and fear. "Selena! No!" Kent shouted, as he was jarred into reality by the sound of Selena's body hitting the ground with a sickening crunch.

"Kent? A-are you okay?"

Kent whipped around, startled by the voice, sounding so similar to Selena's. Standing at the entrance to the terrace was Twilight, surrounded by her friends, all wearing worried expressions.

"We came ta wish ya g'night, but ya were in some sort of trance!" Apple Jack said.

"Well... I think I... I just remembered something... but I need some time to think." Kent said, confused and hurt by the memory, but happy that the mares were concerned enough to worry about him.

"Okie-Dokie-Lokie Kentsie! C'mon girls, he needs his space, and the chapter's almost over anyway!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing out of Kents room.

"The end of the wha?" Rainbow Dash said. "Ah, nevermind. probably just more pinkie randomness."

The rest agreed, and left, save Twilight.

"Kent... Are you sure you're okay? You know you can talk to us anytime, we're your friends." Twilight said concernedly.

"I know. Thanks for the offer, but I... I just need some time to think." Kent muttered. Twilight hesitated a moment more, but eventually cantered off to join the other mares. Kent slipped inside, pulling the terrace doors shut with a silver glow. He shuffled over to his bed and flopped down onto it, pulling the covers up with his mouth.

Kent sought respite in sleep, but it refused him it's sweet embrace. Instead, his mind haunted him with a replay of that fateful moment, as Kent missed, causing the death of a friend. Eventually, weariness overtook him, and he fell into a restless slumber.

Chapter Four: Apples and Books

Kent awoke the next day as Dawn, with her fingertips of rose, lit up the sky. He rolled out of bed, groggy and weary from his restless night. He was confused as to why there were so many voices emanating front room. Eventually he recalled that the others had spent the night.

Kent walked over to the vanity and recoiled slightly, then let out a hearty chuckle. His long mane was sticking directly out to the left, as if in a extreme gale. In a soft silver glow, he picked up the brush and attempted to get it to lie flat, but soon gave up, as his mane had other ideas. Kent settled for running the brush through his knotted tail a couple of times.

After his struggle with his mane, Kent trotted down the steps, almost falling again in his half-asleep state. When he reached his door, he just pushed through it, emerging into the main room. As he did so, Kent heard a gasp, then hooves trotting over to him. Kent pulled the door closed then turned around o see Rarity standing in front of him, a hoof over her mouth, shaking her head.

"You poor dear! Why, I cannot let this stand,this must be corrected immediately! How in Equestria did this happen, darling?" Rarity said, as dramatic as usual.

"Sleep." Kent said frankly. Honestly, he couldn't care less as to what shape his mane was in, it would eventually settle. However, Rarity had other ideas, much to the others amusement. Rarity used her magic to, again, move Kent towards the other mares. She plopped him down in the center of the room, then dashed over to her saddlebags, from which she drew a brush, and several other instruments whose function Kent couldn't fathom. She approached him, the items from her bag floating around her.

For the next ten or so minutes, Rarity fiddled with Kent's mane, bemoaning how he had let it come into such bad shape, after she had worked "Sooo hard" on getting it "Just so." The night before. The five others just giggled at Kent's situation, amused that, after all the effort he had gone through to escape Rarities attentions last night, here he was.

"I will remember this." Kent vowed under his breath.

"Why, I should hope so, my dear." Rarity said, then held up a mirror. "Well? Now doesn't this look so much better darling?" Kent had to admit, it did look a lot better. Rarity had brushed most of it off to one side, and tucked it behind his ears, leaving only a lock that drooped in front of his face. It reminded him slightly of Fluttershy's mane.

"Yes." Kent muttered begrudgingly. "Well, If we're all done here, I'm going out to get some food, we burned through a lot of what we had last night. Any suggestions as to where I should go?"

Most of the ponies looked at Apple Jack, who replied "Ah'll take ya down to Sweet Apple Acres. We got all kinds of treats down there!"

"Okay, then it's settled. we'll see you guys later." Kent said as he and Apple Jack exited the treehouse library. They immediately turned right, and traveled in silence for a little while.

"So, who all is down at the Acres?" Kent asked curiously.

"Lesse here..." Apple Jack said. "There's mah eldest brother, Macintosh. We call him 'Big Mac', on account of his being one of the biggest stallions in Ponyville. Then there's mah younger sister, Apple Bloom. She's a rambunctious one. Ah think she an' her friends are gonna be at the Acres today as well, so steer clear." Kent nodded.

"Anybod- I mean, anypony else?"

Apple Jack nodded. "Granny Smith. She's a real old-timer, so she's probably still asleep right now."

Kent nodded again. The two lapsed into a companionable silence for a while longer

"So, who is this 'Selena' you were callin' out for last night?" Apple Jack asked, then immediately knew that that had been the wrong question as Kent stiffened ever so slightly, a pained look on his face. they kept walking.

"I'd prefer not to say." Kent said amiably. His tone didn't reflect his body language, as he was obviously pained by the question.

"Allright. Ya know ya can always talk with us if ya need to, m'kay?" Apple Jac responded concernedly. They lapsed into silence again for a distance, this time an uncomfortable one. The duo reached the top of a rise that overlooked the entire Sweet Apple Acres, and Kent stopped abruptly.

"Woah..." He breathed as he beheld the acres upon acres of orchard, as well as the farmhouse and the barn. Hundreds, no, thousands of apple trees covered the earth. There were all types, red delicious, gold delicious, granny smith, and many others beside!

Apple Jack smiled. "Beutiful, innit? Yep, one time I attempted to buck the whole orchard! That didn't end well, for me, or for anypony else."

"The whole thing?" Kent asked, amazed at the earth ponies fortitude.

"Yep. Hey, hows about we have ourselves a little ol' race?"Apple Jack proposed.

"Okay. To the farmhouse?" Kent suggested.

"The farmhouse it is! Ready set go!" Apple Jack shouted, dashing off down the dirt path.

"Hey!" Kent shouted after her as he galloped headlong after her, kicking up a cloud of dust. The run exhilarated him. the feel of the dirt giving way beneath his hooves, flying headlong across the earth. It was amazing!

Kent laughed as he started to catch up to Apple Jack.

"C'mon Kent, at this rate ah'm gonna beat ya!" She said, glancing back at Kent. Apple Jack as surprised that he had gained so much ground, and was still gaining. Kent grinned at her deviously. He continued to gain on her, no matter what she did. By the time the archway that marked their finish came into view, Kent had almost overtaken her. For the last ten meters, they were neck and neck, both vying to win. As they streaked under the gate, Kent pulled just barely ahead, snagging the win. He tried to stop himself, but only managed to end up flipping head over hooves, and landing on his back in the dust. His sides were heaving from his exertions.

Apple Jack cantered to a halt next to Kent, and flopped down next to him.

"how'd'ya... do that... Kent? Usually only Rainbow... can best me like that!" Apple Jack said, breathing just as hard as Kent.

"I... don't know, I... just ran.... Heh... If this was... a friendly race, I'd hate.... to see a real competition!" Kent said, laughing loudly. Apple Jack joined in the laughter, and they both went into convulsive laughter for several minutes. After their mirth had subsided, they picked themselves up and shook hooves.

"Good race Apple Jack."

"You too Kent." Apple Jack paused for a second. "D'ya hear that?" She said.

Kent cocked his head to the side, one of his ears standing on end. "Yeah. Sounds like a group of little girl- I mean fillies."

"Yup. That's mah sister an' her friends, sounds like the're comin' back from their clubhouse out in tha orchard." Apple Jack confirmed. Sure enough, out of the orchard emerged an orange pegasus with a purple mane, a white unicorn with a pink-and-purple mane, and a yellow earth pony with a red mane that had a matching bow. "The orange one's Scootaloo, the white one's Sweetie Belle, and the yellow one's mah sister, Apple Bloom." apple Jack informed Kent, who nodded.

The three fillies looked over at Apple Jack and Kent, stopped dead, their mouths agape, then dashed over to them, all of them talking at once, their voices hitting the two of them like a physical force.

"Girls! one at a time!" Apple Jack said loudly, getting their attention.

"Apple Jack, is this pony your coltfriend?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"What- no! Nono, not in tha slightest, why would'ya even think that?" Apple Jack spluttered, much to Kent's, and the trio of fillies amusement. "He's just a guest, ah'm takin' him to brunch with Big Mac."

"Nice to meetcha!" Scootaloo said. The others repeated the greeting.

"Nice to meet you fillies too, the name's Kentarvos.." Kent said, then turned away from them towards Apple Jack. As he did so, he heard three little gasps.

"Yer an Ali-whatsit? Apple Jack, Why didn't ya tell us?" Apple Bloom said disbelievingly.

"What? Oh yeah, that. I'm an Alicorn, yeah. I keep forgetting that it's not common." Kent said bemusedly.

"Not that common? Why, there are only two others!" Sweetie belle exclaimed, her voice cracking excitement.

"Yeah! That's so cool!" Scootaloo said excitedly.

"Eheh... yeah." Kent's stomach rumbled loudly, emptied by the race. "But just because I'm an Alicorn doesn't mean I don't get hungry apparently."

"Ah'm sorry Kent, Ah'll get these here littl'uns out of yer mane. Hey, You three, didn't you have some big Cutie Mark Crusaders event planned in Ponyville in tha afternoon?" She said to the trio of troublemakers.

"Oh yea, she's right! we did have somethin' goin' on in Ponyville! C'mon girls!" Apple Bloom said, and they cantered off down the road.

"That was actually pretty simple." Kent remarked.

"Yep, those little fillies have the attention span of a fly in a pigpen. C'mon, lets get somethin' to eat now, mkay?" Apple Jack said, then lead Kent to the farmhouse, a humble two story affair. As they entered the front room, Apple Jack called out "Big Mac! Ya got brunch ready?"

A voice came from the kitchen, deep, yet gentle sounding. "Eeyup. it's on th' table!"

Apple Jack led Kent through a simple sitting room to a combined kitchen and dining room area. Standing in the kitchen half was a stallion that seemed to occupy most of the space. He had a red coat and a golden mane, a wooden harness about his shoulders. His green eyes were doing the same as Kents, looking him up and down. Kent walked over to him.

"My name's Kentarvos, nice to meetch'a." Kent extended a hoof, and Big Macintosh took it and shook it. " You know," Kent said, "you're the only Pony that I've met since I've been here that's on eye level with me. Now I understand why Apple Jack calls you 'Big Mac'!"

"Eeyup." Macintosh said, then turned and picked up a tray of freshly baked apple goods. Kent's mouth watered at the sight of them, but restrained himself and sat around the table with the Apples. They said a quick Grace then dug in.

Kent could quite easily say that this was one of the best meals he had ever had. The taste of the apple pies, apple tarts, apple turnovers, they were all delicious. Kent had wolfed down several apple fritters before he remembered his manners, and slowed his pace, albeit only a little. Several minutes later, the trio finished their meal.

"Man, that was great! Thanks for the food!" Kent said afterwords, his stomach comfortably full.

"Yeah, ya outdid yerself on this one Mac." Apple Jack complimented.

"Nnope. It was nothin'." Macintosh replied, slightly embarrassed by the praise.

"Well, I'd best be headed back. D'you mind if I take the leftovers?" Kent inquired.

"Be our guest Kent! Beside, we can have this anytime we want too!" Apple Jack stated, laughing "C'mon, ah'll take ya out to the archway."

The pair left the farmhouse, headed to the arch. On the way there, Kent felt that telltale click in his head once more, and he stopped abruptly, stiffening. Once more, Kent was transported into the past. Kent was once more in his human form, albeit much younger, his white hair cropped short. He was saying something to another boy, taller than him, but roughly the same age. The boy pointed down the road, and said something indistinct, as if Kent was listening through water. Kent realized all of his senses were this way, unlike the previous memory. Then, the pair took off running, obviously racing each other. Shortly afterwords, a plain, off-white house came into view. As soon as Kent saw the house, his senses sharpened. He could see the individual hairs on his friends head, feel distinctly each pebble under his bare feet, smell the dirt the two of them kicked up. They slowed to a jog, then to a walk as they neared the house. The other boy turned to Kent.

"It's quieter than normal Kent, dont'cha think?" He said.

"Yeah, kinda weird Seth." Kent replied as they neared the front door. When they reached it, Seth fiddled with something on the handle until the door opened. The pair of them froze, petrified by what they saw. Over Seth's shoulder, Kent saw two adult figures lying prone in a pool of crimson blood on the floor of a living area. There was a man clad in black and wearing a mask hunched over them, picking over their bodies as a buzzard might.

"Oh no... Seth! Seth, snap out of it!" Kent shouted to his friend, shaking him, but Seth remained rooted to the spot. The man stood and turned to the two of them, raising his hand, a metallic object enclosed therein. There was a resounding bang as the weapon discharged, and Seth toppled over, a hole in his head. "No... No! Seth!" Kent saw the murderer lift the weapon again, and Kent ran. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to put the terrible sight of his best friend's parents, and his friend, all dead. Kent ran, back into another time, another place, another world.

Kent came back to reality, gasping for air as if he had been running.

"Kent! Oh, Kent, are ya okay?" Apple Jack said, leaning over him. "Ya were doin' the same deal as last night, goin' all stiff and trancey on me."

Kent groaned and shakily stood. "I will be alright, eventually. I just hope this doesn't happen with all my memories." He said, trying for a joke, but failing miserably.

"Well... If ya say so. Will ya be able ta get back home alright?" Apple Jack asked concernedly.

"Yeah. Well, thanks for the food A. J., I'll be back for more!" Kent said, lifting the bag of food he had been given with his magic, and placed it on his back again. Apple Jack nodded and waved after him as he left, still looking concerned. Kent cantered home, taking about a half hour since he didn't have to race Apple Jack this time. As Kent walked through Ponyville, he found he was starting to recognize some of the ponies that he encountered.'Well, glad to know my memory is still functioning.' He sighed in relief as the Library came into view. As Kent approached the Library, he thought about is two memories. They had both occurred when he had been doing something similar in reality, and had been very vivid, save the beginning of the second. Kent shrugged these thoughts off as he pushed open the front door.

"Hey Twi! I'm back!" He called out, and the door to the top of the stairs opened. Twilight emerged, lighting up at the prospect of some Apple family goodies.

"Welcome back Kent!" Twilight said as she picked her way down the stairs. Kent noticed there were books everywhere, as if something had ransacked the Library.

"Been studying?" Kent said jokingly.

Twilight blushed, embarrassed. "Yes... But it's fine, I was going to reorganize everything anyway. You can get in some magic practice at manipulating multiple objects while we're at it!" She said. Kent nodded in agreement.

"Do you mind if I take some books on Equestria though?" Kent asked.

"Sure, go ahead. Do you want to go read now,or practice magic?" Twilight responded.

"Eh, maybe later. I'm going to go read." Kent said, then headed into his room, several thick volumes floating alongside him, ensconed in his quicksilver aura. He entered his alcove shortly thereafter, and began to read about Equestria. As soon as he finished one tome of knowledge, Kent moved immediately to another, engrossed in the history of this great land that he was in. Hours later, after the sun had set, Kent finished the final book he had brought with him. He glanced at the clock on his wall and recoiled slightly. "Woah. I forgot how much time studying can eat up." Kent piled the leather-bound tomes carefully next to his bed, which he proceeded to flop down into. 'Whoops, forgot to write in my journal' He thought to himself, then rolled out of bed, and proceeded to jot down his entry for that day. He climbed into bed, again, and this time let the weariness of the day wash over him, and fell into sleeps gentle caress.

Chapter Five: Finding His Wings

Kentarvos awoke at the hour he had taken to arising, dawn, and slid off his bed, accidentally dragging the covers along with him. He glanced over his shoulder at the offending article. Kent glared at the covers for a second, then turned away, telling himself that he would get them later.

He never did.

Kent walked over to the vanity and studied his reflection briefly, now familiar with his equine shape. He had discovered he occasionally had problems moving about indoors, given that he had a larger build than other ponies. He managed most of the time, and was fairly pleased with his new form.

After giving his silvery mane a quick once over, still finding it odd that it moved on it's own occasionally, as is stirred by a slight breeze. Kent turned and trotted down the steps. However, he never made it to the bottom. he tripped, again, halfway down. He instinctively flared his wings to stop himself, and the resulting reverse pressure unbalanced him, sending him toppling off the side of the staircase. The floor rushed up to meet Kent, and, with a loud thump, meet him it did. Needless to say, Kent wasn't as glad to see the floor as it was to see him. Groaning and rubbing his head, Kent slowly stood, taking stock of himself. Finding only his pride to be injured, he headed towards his door.

“Oh, wait, I forgot to grab those books from last night. Jeez, maybe my memory really is starting to go again.” Kent said to himself, and gazed up at his alcove. A short moment later, a stack of books floated out from it, enveloped in Kent's aura. He trotted towards the door, opening it ahead of him in a soft silvery glow. As he entered the main room, he found Spike and Twilight already awake and eating breakfast. “Mornin' you two.” Kent said, joining them at the table, sliding a bowl of oats towards himself. “Twi, I can understand you being up this early, but Spike?” Twilight giggled, and Spike pouted, upset at this accusation.

“I can getup at any time I want!” Spike said petulantly, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, you can. It's staying awake that's the real trick.” Kent said, barely containing laughter. The look of complete disbelief on Spike's face sent Kent into a gale of mirth.

“Can you believe him? I mean, seriously! Here we are, letting him stay out of the goodness of our hearts, and he goes around insulting me? Sheesh.” Spike vented at Twilight, who was also giggling. “Oh, not you too!”

“Calm down Spike, it was just some friendly chatter.” Twilight said, nudging Spike. She then turned to Kent. “What was that crash earlier?”

“Erm... It was... I mean... I tripped again.” Kent said, pawing at the ground embarrasedly. “Off the side of the stairs.” Spike was the one laughing now, laying on the floor and clutching his sides as he shook with mirth.

“Oh Kent, again? You're not hurt are you?” Twilight said, both amused and concerned.

“Only my pride, and possibly several of Spikes ribs if he doesn't stop laughing. I mean, laughing is a good thing, but too much of a good thing can hurt ya.” Kent said, then hurriedly added “I'm not threatening him or anything, I swear.” As Twilight had shot Kent a dangerous glance. "Eh... yeah, so I'll be headed into town if you guys need me, bye!" Kent called over his shoulder as he dashed out the front door, closing it behind him with his magic.

Kent slowed to a trot after a few meters and glanced around himself, paying close attention to his surroundings for future reference. The dirt road crunched beneath his hooves as Kent trotted through the picturesque village, noticing that most of the buildings surrounding him were nearly identical. 'Must be in a housing district.' Kent thought to himself, then came to a sudden halt, having reached a semi-solid wall of ponies. Kent craned his neck to see what had attracted the crowd, which wasn't that difficult due to his taller-than-average stature, and saw that he had reached the Ponyville Marketplace.

It seemed much like a crowded thoroughfare with vendors selling their wares along its sides, calling out to passerby and promoting their goods. As Kent continued to scan the Marketplace, he noticed a pair of familiar faces. He dove into the stream of ponies, hurrying through them to the far side of the Marketplace thoroughfare, reaching it fairly easily.

"Apple Jack! Rainbow Dash! Hey girls!" Kent called out as he neared the duo.

"Hiya Kent" Rainbow Dash said, relaxing in the shade of Apple Jack's cart and sipping from a flagon of apple cider.

"Well howdy there Kent, fancy meeting ya here. How ya doin'?" Apple Jack inquired happily.

"I'm great, just out exploring Ponyville for the day. How 'bout you Apple Jack?" Kent replied, crossing the small distance from the crowd to Apple Jack's cart.

"Ahm doin' pretty darn well Kent, sales are up today." Apple Jack grinned.

"Yeah, and their cider is as good as ever!" Rainbow Dash put in, holding up the flagon. "Oh yeah, there was something I wanted to show ya Kent. C'mon, lets go!" Rainbow Dash set the emptied flagon on Apple Jack's cart, flipping her a few bits. She turned into the crowd. "Thanks for the cider Apple Jack!" She called over her shoulder as she and Kent delved into the crowd once more.

"Anytime sugarcube! Come on back whenever you feel like it, ya'hear?" Apple Jack responded, waving after them.

Kent and Rainbow Dash maneuvered their way through the throng, quickly winding over to the end of the Marketplace. As they emerged from the press, Rainbow Dash quickly cantered off down a side street, calling out "Race ya to the park!" Kent gritted his teeth and galloped after her, attempting to catch her. He had no luck however, due to the fact that Rainbow Dash was not only faster than him, but knew the streets of Ponyville much better than him. It came as no surprise to Kent when he reached the park that Rainbow Dash was already there.

"Haha! Not even an Alicorn can best Rainbow Dash in a contest of speed!" She boasted as Kent neared her.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to show me?" Kent said, deliberately changing the subject.

"Oh yea. Slipped my mind. C'mon, it's up here." Rainbow Dash said, and took off into the skies, landing on a cloud as Kent remained on the ground. "What are you doing Kent? Cat got your wings?"

"Eh... well... I can't fly." Kent said reluctantly. Rainbow Dash glided down next to him.

"What was that?"

"I can't fly."

"For the love of-" Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her forehead. "Fine. I'll teach you then. I know a good place as any to do this." She said, headed into the park. Kent followed her to a tall, steep sloped hill covered in a soft, springy moss. "Here we go. Now you won't get too badly scraped up when you fall." Rainbow Dash commented dryly.

"Too badly? Right. Well, what first?" Kent said, now slightly concerned for his health.

"First off, we need to take care of the boring stuff, teaching you how to move your wings right. So, lets start by having you spread your wings." Kent did as instructed, spreading his wings out parallel to the ground, noting that they were longer than any of the pegasus's that he had seen. "Good. Now flap them. Slowly." Rainbow Dash said, slightly uninterestedly. Kent did so, flapping his wings in slow motion. Kent found it slightly ridiculous, standing there flapping his wings with Rainbow Dash circling him, occasionally adjusting something or demonstrating proper 'flapping technique'.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash was satisfied with Kent's flapping, and had him stop. "Alrighty, that's good... enough. we'll try a first flight and see how you do. Try and jump off the side of the hill for some extra hangtime, and I'll grab a cloud to try and catch you with it." Ranbow Dash said. Kent nodded, not trusting himself to speak just then. He backed up to the edge of the hill as Rainbow Dash zipped up into the clouds and returned with a Kent-sized one.

Kent took a deep breath, released it, then rushed to the beginning of the slope, jumping off the side and thrusting himself into empty space. Kent snapped out his wings and flapped, praying they caught air. They did, for about five seconds. The wind blew, pushing Kent to the side and out of the sky, right past Rainbow's cloud, and into the ground. Rainbow Dash peered over the edge of her cloud.

"Whoops, sorry, my bad." She said, sniggering as Kent picked himself up off the ground and made sure nothing was unduly damaged.Everything seemed to be fine, but his right foreleg twinged slightly whenever he put weight on it.

"Yeah, your bad!" Kent called up to her as he climbed the hill again. This process repeated itself many times that day, though Rainbow Dash managed to catch Kentarvos every time after that. The flights were infrequent and short when they came, Kentarvos needing to be caught most of the time when he jumped. Eventually though, Kentarvos managed to get the hang of it, finding that there were certain adjustments that needed to be made due to his larger wingspan.

The sun was beginning to set as Kent readied himself for one last flight. He backed up to the side once more, and launched himself into the air. Kent held out his wings and, instead of rapidly flapping, he attempted to glide, catching the updrafts caused by a day of warm sun. Kent let out a shout as he soared, making his way once, twice, three times around the hill before losing the updraft and beginning the familiar plummet to the ground. Rainbow Dash was too far away to get to Kent in time, and Kent realized, too late, that he was too far from the hill to land on its soft moss, so he angled himself towards a nearby tree. The tree greeted him with scratching twigs and bruising branches, scraping at him and thwacking into his flesh. Eventually, he hit a particularly sturdy branch and came to an abrupt halt, legs wrapped around the branch to prevent his falling off. Kent slowly took stock of himself as he settled at the joint where the branch met the trunk. He had collected a variety of bruises, and a bad cut below his right eye, staining his white coat with the blood that was oozing from it.

Rainbow Dash flew over, alighting carefully on the branch. "You okay Kent? You got some blood on your face." She commented, pointing to where it was.

"Ah, thanks. I'll be fine, just some scrapes and bruises is all." Kent said, wiping what blood he could off his face. "That was actually a pretty good flight until I lost the updraft."

"Yeah, for a novice, it was." Rainbow Dash agreed, nodding. "Now c'mon, you see if you can reach that cloud over there and I'll show you what I originally wanted to." She said, hopping off the branch and winging her way over to said cloud. Kent jumped from the branch and extended his wings, alternately flapping his wings and gliding, depending on the situation. he reached the cloud without incident. "Okay, you just sit tight and watch the coolest pegasus in all Equestria do her thing!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Who? Where is she?" Kent said, feigning ignorance. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and jumped off the edge of the cloud. She streaked downwards, then leveled out as she reached the ground. she zigzagged between a row of trees, zipping along at a breakneck pace. As she reached the end of the row of trees, she blazed up into the sky, spinning around several clouds and making them turn themselves. Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, watching them, then rocketed higher, flying straight upwards. When there was hardly enough air to support her weight, she angled herself towards the earth, speeding downwards. Kent watched in amazement as she dove earthward, a faint barrier forming ahead of her. The barrier began to grow, and as Rainbow Dash neared the ground sharpened into a funnel. Seconds before she slammed into a sudden death, there was an explosion of sound and color that rattled Kent to his very core, and Rainbow Dash streaked skyward, trailing a magnificent rainbow. She arced up and around, eventually alighting on the cloud once more.

"Pretty awesome..., huh?" Rainbow Dash asked Kent, panting.

"Pretty awesome. Pretty. Awesome? That was amazing! you broke the sound barrier! I mean, that should've killed you, but it didn't, and you're fine and... Woah." Kent spouted, dumbstruck by this display of speed and skill.

"I know right? No other pony in Equestria can top that move, the Sonic Rainboom." Rainbow Dash said, grinning at Kent's reaction. "Alright, now that that's out of the way, I've got one more thing planned...."

There was only a sliver of Celestia's burning star left as Kent and Rainbow Dash perched, hidden, among the leaves above the entrance to the Library. Kent glanced over at Rainbow Dash. "So, Dash, what's the plan?" Kent asked.

"Keep it simple. The ol' bucket of water on the head trick." Rainbow Dash responded, bringing out a pail of scummy pondwater. "With my own personal touch, of course" She added, sniggering. She fell silent as Twilight came into view, humming a lively tune. "Here's how it's gonna go. Twi's gonna come up to the door, and you're gonna use your magic to levitate the water out over her. Then splash! Soaked Twilight!" Rainbow Dash whispered to Kent, who chuckled quietly. The devious duo waited patiently as Twilight approached, Kent waiting until Twilight was almost directly below them to quickly levitate the pail above her and overturn its putrid contents onto Twilight's head.She gasped in shock as the cold and scummy water hit her, and Kent and Rainbow Dash cracked up.

"Rainbow! Kent! Where are you two!?" Twilight shouted, looking up to where the laughter was emanating. Eventually, Kent and Rainbow Dash emerged from the leaves and glided down next to Twilight, containing laughter. "Rainbow, did you really have to go in for the pond water?" She asked, poking her head inside the Library to levitate a towel out and dry herself off.

"Of course! It just wouldn't be the same Twi'." Rainbow Dash said. "No harm done, see you're already dry, and the towel can be washed."

"Come on Twilight, you gotta admit that it was a good setup." Kent jibed.

"Yeah, you two did have a good plan, I'll admit that. I just hope this doesn't become a trend with you though Kent." Twilight said grudgingly.

"Yes mawma" Kent said, mimicking Apple Jacks accent. Rainbow Dash laughed.

"That's actually a pretty good impression, Kent!" She said, then collapsed into laughter again. Twilight merely rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm going inside to do some studying. I'll see you later Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, then did so.

"Ooh, man... good times." Rainbow Dash sighed, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. "We should do this again sometime Kent."

"Yeah, sure thing! The expression on Twi's face when the water hit;" Kent mimicked it. "Was priceless!"

Rainbow Dash giggled at the expression. "Yeah, she makes some weird faces. I'll see ya around Kent!" she said as she flew off, headed for her cloudy home. Kent grinned, then headed inside, closing the door with a push of his hind hooves. He stretched, spreading his wings, then wincing as all the bruises he had amassed that day protested, along with his wings.

'Right, I'd better get that cut on my face patched up.' Kent thought as he felt it twinge while he yawned. He trotted up the steps and knocked on Twilight's door.

"Yes Kent?" Twilight answered from inside.

"Uh, do you have any bandages? I kinda had a not-so-pleasant meeting with a tree earlier while Dash was teaching me how to fly." Kent said. The door opened with a violet glow.

"Second drawer, third row." Twilight said absentmindedly, already absorbed in her books. Kent wandered over to the said drawer and opened it with a quick flash of silver. He retrieved a bandage in his mouth, then left Twilight's room. He looked down the steps, then opened his wings and jumped off the side, ignoring their protests as the glided down to his door, which he nudged open. Simply walking up the steps this time, he soon reached his alcove. He lifted the bandage form his mouth with magic, and going before the vanity so that he could see what he was doing, placed it on the cut below his eye. Satisfied with his patch-up, Kent stretched his sore muscles once more and meandered over to his desk, where he wrote his journal entry for the day.

Having finished writing his journal, Kent turned to head to bed, but stopped as a splitting headache tore through his skull. Kent gasped, and sank to the ground. There was something superimposed over his sight which, after a couple of blinks, resolved itself into the two people from his memories, both very young. The girl, Selena was soaking wet, and judging by the bucket the boy, Seth, was holding, had just suffered a similar prank to what Kent had just pulled.

"Seth, come on! I just got finished drying these!" Selena said, crossing her arms petulantly.

"Relax Selena, they're just clothes." Seth said, unconcerned.

"Yeah, you can always dry them. Again." Kent heard, rather than actually said, himself say.

"You two are impossible!" Selena exclaimed, then stomped off into the room behind her Seth and Kent looked at each other and shrugged, then the vision dissipated, leaving Kent with unobstructed sight once more.

"That was weird." Kent said, shaking his head and standing shakily. "At least I didn't go comatose again. Maybe only major memories do that? I dunno... I'm to tired for this." he shook his head again, then flopped down on his bed, falling almost instantly to sleep due to the days activities.

His sleep was far from peaceful though...

Chapter One: Dreaming

Kentarvos sighed as he entered his home, bone weary from a long day of work and school. He paused for a second, feeling a oddity about the place, almost oppressive in nature. 'Something's not right...' he thought to himself. Kent shrugged it off, putting it down to his imagination and tiredness. He sat next to the door, slipping off his coat and shoes and putting them away. He stood, then lightly brushed a picture depicting a smiling couple with their child, who was no more than an infant.

"Hello Mom, Dad. I'm home." Kent said wearily, letting his hand drop from the picture. He shuffled down his hallway, which acted as the spine of the house, with several rooms branching off of it. Kent slowly walked to the door at the very end, which he opened. This led into his room, where he dropped his work bag as well as his school supplies. He stretched and yawned, then flopped down on his recliner next to his bed and grabbed his laptop from its table next to it.

Kent powered the laptop up, smiling slightly as the familiar whir of the fan faithfully greeted him. A strain of chimes signaled the computer was ready for use. Kent then signed on to a favorite site of his, logged in, and pulled up Divergent Days, the story he had been reading. Kent read until he could barely keep his eyes open, and decided to call it a night.

He powered down the laptop, set it down, and got ready for bed. He flopped down onto his bed, not even bothering to get under the covers. As he lay there, he thought he felt that odd, oppressive feeling return. However, even with the sense of uneasiness that coiled in his stomach like a curled-up serpent, Kent could not fend off sleep for long. Despite his weariness, he slept far from peacefully. Kent dreamt. He dreamt that he was in a vast white space, seemingly infinite, with two massive stone Gates towering both behind and in front of him. Kent looked around hoping to see some sign that would tell him why he was there, but all he saw was the blank whiteness.

There was a slight whispering, almost unnoticeable, emanating seemingly from everywhere and nowhere. The whispering gradually grew louder, until Kent started to notice it. He looked around again, and again saw nothing.

"What do you want?" Kent called out into the emptiness at the voices, his voice reverberating with an eerie quality off of the gates. The whispering grew louder, more urgent, until Kent clearly heard a loud voice boom.

"We want you, Kentarvos Keaton," the voice rang forth. "We need a savior, for a great peril approaches our land! Thousands will surely perish if you do not venture forth from your world to ours."

"A hero?" Kent shook his head. "Look, I think you've got the wrong person… I'm no hero, I'm just a nobody from Edgeville." Kent sighed. 'I couldn't even save my own parents…' He thought to himself, the cracking report of a pistol ringing in his head.

"You are greater than you think, young one. If you are so unsure of your own abilities, I shall put you to the test," the voice thundered ominously

"A test?" Kent inquired cautiously. "What kind of test?"

"When you travel to our world, you will be made clean and pure. You shall be stripped of all your memories of this life, and it will be solely up to you to see if you are up to the challenge." The voice spoke slowly and emphatically, as if trying to convey the importance of its words more thoroughly.

Kent hesitated for a moment, then said, "If the price to save these lives is my memories… I-I'll gladly pay it!" 'Not losing anything by leaving this life now am I...?'

"Well said, young one!" the voice rumbled. "Now, Kentarvos Keaton, enter the Gate!" The Gate in front of Kent swung open, revealing an empty black oblivion. Kent stepped towards it, slowly and deliberately. He paused in front of the gate as he was about to step through. He had an odd feeling, as if he had just dropped something precious. He shrugged it off, then stepped through the gate, into the black maw of oblivion, and he knew no more.