Have I not been too long in the Shadows

    “Ugh, by Luna and Celestia how much further to the next town? My friggen legs are killing me.” lamented Moonsorrow as he walked and walked along a road toward gods know where. His exhaustion was slowly catching up to him, explaining why he now is becoming irritable. Even worse, the pain in his side is becoming more apparent. ‘Stupid llamas, using poison gas, makin’ me need surgery’, he thought to himself. ‘Man, I’m really feeling crappy. Maybe I should stop at the next town’.

    He has traveled for days to find the pony he is looking for, but has yet to reach his destination. It’s apparently some place called Ponyville, a predominantly Earth Pony township. And it’s apparently WAY away from the rest of society (in other words, metro areas). If experience told him anything, these resident’s may not take too kindly to him. Just like the last couple of towns, and most small communities he’s been to. Probably because he has a gloomy air about him. This is always difficult, coming home.

    Then again, it has always been difficult to adjust to being in the homeland after being gone so long. No matter how many times he leaves and returns to Equestria, he can never really adjust. Oh well.

    He decided to stop for a moment after he turns the next bend. Reaching under the cloak, he searched for his map, wondering if he can find out where he is. Sudden pain twinged in his head and eyes. The sun shouldn’t be affecting his eyes when he has his hood on. Then, realising it’s -this- kind of headache, he sighed. ‘Again? Whatever, I’m not going to answer. Don’t any of those jerks recognise that they're being ignor-’

    Something jumped out of a bush right in front of him, startling him. He let out a quick yelp and fell on his back. ‘The heck was that?!’, he thought.

Looking up at the figure who apparently was waiting for someone to pass by, he saw it was a Pony. A young mare, average civilian height, with a light pink body and hot pink mane, jumping up and down with a goofy smile on her face. Perplexed, he thought, ‘Ok, what’s this now?’

     “Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie. You seem new around her. What’s your name? Why are you on the ground?” she asked hyperactively, still hopping around. ‘Holy crap, she talks fast.’ Not wanting to reveal much at all, he decided to ignore the questions for now. He started to get up when he felt pain in his side. The spot in his ribs that was stitched up was hurting quite a bit now. She’d knocked him off his concentration and so he can’t suppress the pain. He let out a short hiss and cringed a little as he got up.

    Her eyebrow rose a bit hearing him. “You ok? You sound like you're hurting.” she asked. He realized he was showing he was hurt. ‘Crap’, he thought,  ‘she noticed. Our golden rule, never show weakness. Meh, whatever. Not trying to impress anyone anyway. No need to worry about -them- watching.’ He got up and, figuring there is no avoiding it, answered her.

    “Uh, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”, he said even though that probably won’t work. “Um, wait. What was your name again?”

“Pinkie Pie! At your service~” She turned her head upside down and stuck her face near mine and asked; “Can you tell me yours please? It’s only fair since I gave you my name, and granny Pie always said it’s polite to-”

“FINE-FINE-jeez! I’ll tell you...” I rubbed my temples after hearing her start that tangent. She didn’t seem upset in the slightest by my getting angry with her, in fact she seemed happier that I gave in to her demands. Plus she forgot about my injury, win-win I guess. “My name is Moonsorrow... can I please just look at my- Hey! Where the-” My map was missing from the ground where I had left it. I looked back at the pony and she had somehow taken it from me while I wasn’t looking.

“Where are ya headed? Is it Ponyville?”

“That’s none of-- Actually yes... how did-?”

“It’s pretty close to here Moonsorrow~ You look like a.. Straight-to-the-point kind of colt, so follow me! La-lala-lala-lala~” She began hopping away from me, in the direction I came from.

“Wait! Why should I listen to you- YOU STOLE MY MAP!! Get back here!!” I yelled after her. But her singing and prancing was hard to shout over, I had no choice but to go after her. She seemingly toyed with me as I chased her, she managed to always stay ahead of me, regardless of how fast I ran, if I was on some kind of drug, I’d appreciate knowing which and why it showed me this pink mare... ‘Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me’, he thought, remembering his visit to Kronos earlier.

‘So is this is the fool? The one signifying i’ve made it to my destination,’ remembering the reading with Fable O’Shannon. ‘OK, so I should follow her’. She slowed down, noticing I had done so.

“C’mon! You coming or what?” She called back.

“Yes...” I said slothfully, slowly catching up to her. Trying to regain concentration was getting harder due to the pain increasing in my noggin and side. I calmed myself and decided to just ignore the pain for a few minutes. No harm in trivial conversation. I sped up my pace and caught up to her.

“So... can I have my map back?”

“Sure, I was just having fun!” She said handing it over, having a playful smile on her face. She apparently likes to just laugh, have fun, or be random. Jeez, I feel like a heel. I can already tell that I am not going to like her as much. Meh, oh well. Back to conversing.

“So, judging from your demeanour, I’m going to guess you like parties, yes?” I inquired. Might as well check if Fable was accurate.

She inhaled with a big smile on her face, her eyes lit up, and, somehow, she started to talk and move faster than before. “OH MY GOSH I LOVE PARTIES! I THROW PARTIES ALL THE TIME AND EVERYPONY LOVES THEM AND THEY HAVE SO MUCH FUN AT THEM! I THROW PARTIES FOR MY FRIENDS, FOR CELESTIA, FOR MY NEIGHBORS, FOR GUMMY OR JUST TO THROW A PARTY! (GASP) I’LL THROW YOU A WELCOME PARTY!!! IT’LL BE SO NICE AND SO AWSOME AND-” She was darting around extremely fast, and is throwing around confetti.

‘Oh, what in the name of Luna have I done?’ I thought while processing what she was saying. Well, Fable’s tarot was spot on. That means Ponyville is where the one I’m looking for is at. So... ‘Wait, did she say she was going to be throwing me a party!? I hope she’s just joking!’

“Did you say you’d throw a party for me?” I asked, hoping she was.

“YEAH I AM!!! IT’LL HAVE BALLOONS AND CAKE AND PUNCH AND EVERYPONY IN PONYVILLE WILL BE THERE AND-” she stopped when I shoved my hoof in her face. I cannot draw undue attention to myself.

I gave her an  intense stare, hoping to get the point I’m about to make across to her. I did my best to avoid projecting my will, hoping to be able to persuade her.

“I. Do not. Want. A party. Please, do not do throw me a party, when I did not ask for one. And I don’t like parties much anyway.” I pulled my hoof away and started to walk again. She trotting along near me, not hopping along, at the same pace. She looked rather indignantly and quizzically at me.

She then asked, “How could you not like parties? They’re so fun and nice and-”

“I don’t like those kinds of social gatherings.” I interjected, hoping vainly that would end it there.

“But everypony loves a good party!” she responded with a smile. “They have fun talking to friends and and meeting new ponies and have so much fun!”

“Still though, that’s not my thing.” I said as we went over a small hill. The town started to come into view.

“But why don’t you like pa-”

“Woah, wait.” I said, “Hold up, I thought Ponyville was a small town.”

“It is, why?”

“Then what’s with the banners and.. what the- is that a VILLA in the middle of town!?” I was amazed, having heard of the town of Ponyville and looking through documents and other information, it was a backwater little town of low importance. Yet I could make out banners, commerce, pieces of importance and notice, even royal guard patrolling the streets! This is an important place. Yet, now that i’m thinking about it, the emblems on the banners are unfamiliar. ‘The heck is going on here?’

“Hm? OH! Thats Twilight’s home! It’s also the town library. It’s something Celestia gave her since her coronation!” She was jumping up and down as she said that. She seemed very excited about that.

“Who? Wait- did you say someone was- was CORONATED!? WHEN?” I asked with some semblance of alarm. ‘What all have I missed since I’ve been gone?’

“How DON’T you know?” she asked when she stopped jumping. She was looking at me as if I had just insulted her. ‘Well I guess a lot has happened.’

“I’ve been out of country for quite some time. As such, I’m unable to keep up on news back home. Here. In Equestria.” I said truthfully.

She looked sceptical for a couple of seconds. ‘Maybe she wouldn’t believe me’, I thought.

“OK, that makes sense. then I’ll explain. (inhale)”. Then her mouth shot off an entire explanation faster than I could possibly understand. ‘Holy god, how does she talk that fast?’ I wondered. ‘Is she even real? I hope not. But you don’t always get what you hope for. (sigh)’

Almost as fast I had finished my thoughts, she had finished explaining. I had no idea what she had said and she was looking at me, expecting me to respond. “Uh, ok?”

“Exactly!” she said with a smile and hopping up and down again. “That was all simple enough, right?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. “Right. Anyway, welcome to Ponyville! La-lala-lala-lala” she said as she, finally, left me behind. I just stood there befuddled, trying to process what I had seen.

Well, might as well go into town. Guess this is where she is. I just hope Fable’s predictions weren’t all accurate. I proceeded to enter town, whilst thinking of how I should approach the one I'm here to see.

I sighed, “Ugh, Moonsorrow, what have you gotten yourself into this time.”