Whole New World

This chapter contains two different links to two different songs. The links are song*, and song^. Please click on them to fully enjoy the scene in which they were placed. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Whole New World
Chapter 10
Friendship

Dano awoke to the sound of Echo snoring. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, and the world was dark and quiet. Dano let the images of his dream flood back into his mind, and they settled in his brain. He had a job to do, so he might as well get up and start.

Dano sat up and sighed quietly. He hoped his movement wouldn’t wake up Echo, but the wolf woke up once Dano sat up. Echo looked at Dano with the same worry as before, and made a quiet whine. Dano smirked and patted the dog on the head.

“Everything’s okay buddy, no need to worry.”

Echo smiled and barked quietly. Dano chuckled, he didn’t know what he said, but he knew it was something supportive. The two hopped out of bed and began the day. Dano put on his clothes and Echo stretched. Dano realized that his toothbrush and toothpaste were back at the cabin, and he cursed. He would have to go back home and grab his toiletries, or find some in Ponyville.

When the two survivors finished getting ready they walked out of the guest room and into the living room. The house was starting to fill with light, and the animals that called it home began to stir. Dano could hear movement coming from upstairs, and he bet Fluttershy was just rising. He decided to go outside and give her a little space, it was her house after all.

Dano and Echo walked out of the front door quietly, and moved down the small path to the bridge. Dano rested his upper body on the guard rail that faced east and watched the sun power over the mountains and beam into the valley. He enjoyed watching the sun rise, for he never really woke up early enough or wanted to stay up all night to see it before his accident. Dano froze, he had actually died. The thought worked through his mind. He didn’t really think about the whole ‘you died and then was brought back’ part of the conversation last night.

Dano was about to zone out when he caught some motion in the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see Echo sitting on the bridge next to him, he was shifting restlessly while his head and eyes darted around. Dano smiled at the obviously nervous wolf, and decided to have some fun.

“What ya looking at buddy?” Dano smiled at Echo.

The wolf stopped shifting and gave Dano an innocent look, as if he was just looking at a tree or something.

“You looking for that husky Fluttershy was talking about?” Dano’s smile grew as Echo’s expression changed to one of denial.

“She looks nice, not that I’m into dogs or anything…”

Echo looked at Dano with questioning and hopeful eyes, as if he was saying ‘you really think so?’

“Go on now, go find her. I will be fine without you for the day.” Dano returned his gaze back to the horizon, and spoke casually.

Echo’s ears perked and he looked exited, but as he took his first step towards the house the wolf’s demeanor changed to nervousness. Dano chuckled and Echo shot him a look over his shoulder and growled a bit. Dano returned the look with one that sent the message of ‘are you kidding me?’. Echo returned his gaze forward and sighed before trotting off to find Jenna.

Fluttershy came out of her house right when Echo took off, and watched him go while holding a bag of bird seed in both of her arms. She walked down the path to Dano and paused just short of stepping on the bridge. She wore a long canary yellow dress, which shifted as she walked, with the pink flat soled shoes that she was wearing when she was lost in the woods. To Dano she looked like she wanted to say something, so he decided to break the barrier first.

“Good morning Fluttershy, how was your night?” Dano didn’t turn his gaze away from the horizon as he spoke, hoping that the lack of eye contact would make Fluttershy more comfortable.

“Um… it was alright…”

Dano let a small smile grow across his face, he wished it would soften his look enough for Fluttershy to not be so nervous.

“What are you up to?”

Fluttershy uncomfortably shifted her weight, the bag in her arms made a crumpling sound as it moved inside of her embrace.

“I um… I’m just feeding the birds.”

Dano saw out of the corner of his eye that she was still trying to say something. Her eyes, though staring at the ground as usual, were filled with internal conflict. After a few minute of awkward silence Fluttershy spoke.

“I um… I want to thank you. You know… for… for last night. I mean, my f-friends have been there for me, but they never really understood. Rainbow Dash l-lost her father and Applejack lost her parents, but they never um… never let it show.” Fluttershy gained a little confidence as she spoke, but only minutely.

Dano finally turned his gaze over to Fluttershy, and she seemed to pull even deeper behind her hair with the attention.

“It’s no problem, really. I’m happy that I could make you feel better.” Dano gave her a large smile, and Fluttershy returned the grin with a small one of her own.

“H-how long are you going to, um… stay in Ponyville?”

Dano returned his gaze back to the horizon and shrugged.

“I was thinking about staying for a while, but I left some things back at my cabin. Plus I don’t know where I will be staying.”

Fluttershy looked defeated, as if she didn’t want Dano to leave. Dano chalked it up to the experience from last night, and was a little saddened at the sight.

“You can stay here. If you want to…”

Dano didn’t really have anywhere else in Ponyville to go, plus he loved Fluttershy’s cooking.

“That sounds great Fluttershy. I bet Echo will be exited that we will be staying here too.” Fluttershy smiled a little, and it made Dano smile. “I’m going into town today to grab my things from Rarity, Echo should be around here somewhere.” Dano said as he looked for the wolf.

Fluttershy nodded, and said goodbye before she started her chores around the house. Dano reciprocated as he crossed the bridge and began the walk back to Ponyville.

Dano was about halfway to town when he turned a blind corner that went around a somewhat steep hill and ran into someone, literally. Dano fell backwards in a storm of papers and landed on his rear a little dazed. When he regained his composure he saw a woman with blonde hair and gold eyes sitting in front of him. She was wearing a light grey short sleeved polo with even darker grey pants. Dark brown leather boots covered her feet, and she had a dark blue satchel that rested on her left hip that was filled with letters. Dano guessed that was where the cloud of papers came from.

The survivor was first to recover from the accident and began to pick up the scattered letters. Dano noticed that most of them were pink and covered with glitter, but the though was only a murmur in the back of his head. The woman recovered soon after Dano, and also began picking up the scattered papers. When the two completed their cleanup they both stood, and Dano began to apologize.

“I’m sorry for running into you. I really didn’t see you there.” Dan rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

The woman only smiled, before she spoke.

“It’s not a problem, happens all of the time.”

Dano returned the smile and offered his hand.

“My name is Daniel, but please call me Dano.”

The woman took his hand and shook it.

“My name is Ditzy Doo, but everybody calls me Derpy.”

Dano wondered why she was given such a name until he looked into Derpy’s eyes. Her right eye was off center and looking to the right. She had a lazy eye, and she noticed that Dano was looking at it.

“You know it isn’t nice to stare right?” A little annoyance in Derpy’s voice.

Dano jumped a little, and smiled sheepishly.

“My bad.” He chuckled.

“It’s alright, I just need to concentrate and…” Dano watched her lazy eye move to where it was supposed to be. “there.” Derpy smiled.

Dano’s smile turned from one of embarrassment to one of actual happiness before his curiosity got to him.

“Why are you carrying all of these letters?” Dano indicated the satchel Derpy was carrying.

She looked confused for a second, before her mind put things together.

“You must be the new guy Lotus was talking about.”

Dano made an overly deep bow.

“The one and only.”

Derpy chuckled before she answered Dano’s question.

“I’m the mail woman for Ponyville. Since people work all day the only way they can get groups of people together is through the mail.”

It made sense to Dano, and he nodded. Derpy made a face of realization, and began to dig in her satchel.

“I think I have something here for you… Ah,” She handed Dano a pink letter, “here it is.”

Dano was confused, he had only been in Ponyville for a night and he had mail. He took the letter from the mail woman, and said goodbye as she walked past Dano and on to Fluttershy’s house.

He stared at the letter in his hand for a while, and re-read the address on the front several times. ‘Daniel Masset, Fluttershy’s house.’ Dano was even more confused, he never remembered telling anyone his last name. He opened the pink envelope and pulled out a hot pink card with three different colored balloons on the front that looked familiar. Dano opened the card, and confetti shot out at him. Dano had a mixture of surprise and annoyance on his face as the confetti settled on his chest and head. He tried his best to get it off, but the occasional piece seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Dano sighed and read the card. ‘You are invited to a welcome party for Mountain Man Dan at the Pink Hole. The party starts at seven, and don’t be late. We all know how Twilight gets when things are tardy.’ Dano blinked in disbelief, and looked at the return address on the envelope. ‘ Pinkie Pie, 14 Stirrup Street, Ponyville USA.’ Dano blinked again. Pinkie is throwing me a party tonight? Dano decided to go talk to her before he got his equipment back, something didn’t fit.

Dano finished the walk to Ponyville, and began searching for the Pink Hole. After asking around he finally made it through town and to the desired location. The front of the building was mostly windows, and Dano could see most of the interior from outside. The walls, floor and ceiling were all painted or tiled in earthy tones and hues, with dashes of pink here and there. Most of the shop was dominated by an dining area, with mostly chairs and tables, but there was a couple alcoves made out of sofas that looked welcoming. A sign rested above the windows that read, ‘The Pink Hole’ in large pink letters, and the O was replaced with a giant doughnut.

Dano entered the shop, and a bell above to door chimed. The smell of pastries entered Dano’s nostrils, and he unconsciously began to salivate. The shop was filled with warm air, but not oppressively. It was comfortable and inviting. Dano noticed that Rainbow Dash was behind the counter, but she looked occupied.

Dash was resting her chin in her hands, and her elbows were sitting on the counter next to the cash register she was supposed to be attending. Her eyes were glazed over, and Dano knew she was daydreaming.

Dano quietly moved through the shop and to the counter. He realized that Rainbow Dash had changed clothes from the last time he saw her. Underneath a plane white apron she wore a cyan t-shirt, and her lower half was covered in the standard tight blue jeans. Dano couldn’t see her feet from his position in front of the counter, but he bet they were encased in the white running shoes he had seen her in yesterday.

The survivor reached the counter without drawing Dash’s attention. He followed her gaze to a group of people Dano’s age, and he put two and two together. Dano rested his right arm on the counter and leaned over to Rainbow Dash.

“Who are we looking at?” Dano’s voice was quiet, quiet enough that nobody else heard what they were talking about.

“Soarin.” Dash replied dreamily.

Dano covered his mouth with his hand to cover a chuckle.

“Soarin’s pretty hot isn’t he.”

Rainbow Dash sighed contently.

“Yeah.”

Dano was on the verge of bursting out laughing.

“Hey Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah?” Dash’s voice remained in its dreamy state.

“You realize you just said that out loud?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes unglazed and she returned to the real world. She looked at Dano with horror as she quickly straightened. Dano laughed as her cheeks began to turn a very dark red that almost matched the red in her hair. Dash scowled at Dano.

“What do you want?”

Dano had to fight to control himself, but he got the answer out between chuckles.

“To see Pinkie.”

Without a word Rainbow Dash turned around and entered a door behind the counter, a scowl still on her face. It only took a few seconds for the embarrassed woman to return with Pinkie in tow. Pinkie Pie was wearing a pink chefs coat and black pants, her pink Converse still on her feet. Her uniform was covered in a thin dusting of flower and a couple globs of frosting. The same could be said for her face, which also had a huge smile on it.

“How are you doing Mountain Man Dan?” The enthusiasm that danced in Pinkie’s eyes also came with her voice, which was bouncy and a little high pitched.

“It’s Dano, Pinkie.” Dano like the nickname his father gave him, and not Mountain Man Dan.

“Okiee Dokiee Lokiee.”

Dano raised an eyebrow at the response, but continued anyway. He pulled the letter from his pocket and showed it to the overly happy chef.

“How did you find out my last name?”

Pinkie seemed a bit confused.

“That is your name right?”

Dano nodded.

“But how did you find out about it, I never told anyone here.”

Pinkie just answered the question with a smile. Dano sighed and decided to move on.

“How did you get a party together so fast for me. I have only been here for one night.”

Pinkie threw both of her hands out in dismissal.

“Psh. I knew you were coming for a while now, well not you specifically, but someone new was coming, and I guessed it was you. Looks like I was right.” Pinkie punctuated her answer with a proud toothy smile.

Dano was confused how she could have known this.

“How Pinkie?”

“Pinkie Sense.”

Dano raised an eyebrow and looked at Rainbow Dash, who just shrugged. Before Dano could figure out what the ‘Pinkie Sense’ was Pinkie perked up even more that she was right now.

“Got to go Dano, doughnuts are done.” She turned and bolted through the door she had exited to talk to Dano.

Dano sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Pinkie confused him so much his head was about to explode. Dash giggled at Dano’s expression.

“She does that to everybody. You will get used to it.”

Dano sighed again and removed his hand from his face. Rainbow Dash looked less flustered, so Dano decided a conversation was in order.

“So who’s this Soarin you told me about.” An evil grin spread across Dano’s face.

Dash’s scowl returned, but then dropped it when she realized that Dano knew enough to get her into trouble if he wanted to. She looked at the ground embarrassed and whispered.

“The one with the short navy hair.”

Dano turned to the group and took in their features more deeply than before.

There were four people sitting in a booth made up of couches, two of them male the other two female. Dano saw that each member of the group wore a flight jacket with small variations in color and design to each. Dano recognized the patches on the shoulders of the groups flight jackets, and each one represented a different military air demonstration team.

Dano first recognized the man Rainbow Dash had picked out. He did in fact have somewhat short navy blue hair, and he filled out his jacket nicely. His green eyes were filled with youthful enthusiasm, like he was still a child. Soarin’s jacket was exactly the same as Dash’s, including the Blue Angels patch, except it looked newer and less faded. Light blue jeans and blue sneakers with black highlights and laces made up the rest of his outfit.

The next group member Dano examined was a woman with two different shades of orange in her hair. Her orange eyes beamed confidence, and her jacket was a little too big for her frame. The leather jacket was unzipped, and a deep yellow t-shirt covered her torso. The rest of her ensemble was the same as most people, blue jeans and sneakers. Dano didn’t have to dive too deep into his military knowledge to figure out that the patch on her shoulder belonged to the Thunderbirds, the army’s acrobatic team. He had the feeling that she was the leader of the group, just by the way she oozed confidence like it was something that came natural to her. Maybe it did.

Next up was the other male of the team. His hair was white with grey highlights, and it had a poof to it, not as extreme as Pinkie’s though. His eyes were grey, but they weren’t dull. They were vibrant, and he seemed to always be smiling. His jacked looked a little too small for him, and probably wouldn’t zip up without tearing. A white t-shirt covered his upper body, and dark blue jeans covered his legs. His feet were covered in black low cut boots, and they were shining in the light. Dano realized that his father probably taught him how to properly clean his boots. The patch on the large male’s shoulder took a little while for Dano to recognize, and he guessed it was the United Kingdom’s army air show team, The Red Arrows.

The last of the group wasn’t actually sitting on a couch, but on the man who wasn’t Soarin’s lap. She was the smallest, and it looked like she could use her jacket as a tent. Her bright white hair complimented her light blue eyes. Her jacket was zipped up, and she wore dark blue jeans and white sneakers. Dano recognized her patch as the emblem of the Snow Birds, the Canadian air demonstration team.

When Dano completed his evaluation he turned back to Rainbow Dash, who had yet to look up from the ground.

“Why don’t you go talk to him? You two look like you have a lot in common.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, and her voice was filled with doubt.

“No we don’t.”

Dano was a bit confused.

“What do you mean? You both have Blue Angels patches on identical flight jackets, what else do you need.”

Dash sighed.

“His father gave him his jacket, but mine came from my grandfather. And on top of that… my grandfather wasn’t in the navy.” The last part was rushed, as if Dash was embarrassed.

Dano knew what she was talking about, but pressed anyway.

“How could he be a Blue Angel and not be in the navy?”

“He was a Marine.”

Dano already knew this. In his research to find the best branch to enlist in he found the Marine Corp. to be one of the better ones, along with the army rangers. Dano had found out that the Marines fielded a pretty competent air force, and that one of the Blue Angels was always a Marine. This wasn’t the part that Rainbow was worried about though. She was worried about the assignments that the Marine received in the Blue Angels. He didn’t get to fly any of the jets, but the C-130 Hercules transport plane that accompanied the jets. It would transport parts and equipment between shows, and during the shows did some stunts. Nothing to impressive.

The worry that Dash’s grandfather would be considered a pack mule was pounded into place by the rivalry between the Marine Corp. and the navy. To Dano’s knowledge it was a feud at the best of times, and a hatred at the worst. Dano could understand where Rainbow Dash was coming from, and wanted to help.

Dano reached across the counter and placed a hand on Dash’s shoulder. She looked startled at the contact, but didn’t shy away.

“Take pride in the fact that your grandfather was one of the best Marine pilots. How else could he be chosen to become a Blue Angel?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, and Dano gave her a confident look.

“You’re right,” Dash began to gain her confidence back, “my grandfather was one of the best Marine pilots.”

Dano chuckled and removed his hand from the woman’s shoulder.

“I’m gonna talk to him…” Dano saw a brief flash of nervousness in Dash’s eyes when she saw the group, “when he’s alone.”

Dano chuckled.

“Whenever you want to Rainbow Dash.”

Dash smiled.

“Thanks Dano.”

Dano waved a hand dismissively.

“Not a problem.”

Suddenly Pinkie burst through the kitchen door with her trade mark smile, and a doughnut in her hand. It was chocolate with blue and yellow frosting.

“I just had an idea, and this is it.” Pinkie held up the doughnut like it was the key to the world. “I overheard your guy’s conversation about the Blue Angels and junk, and it made me think. So I made a doughnut with the Blue Angels colors, and I’m going to call it the Blue Angel.”

Dano wasn’t really listening to Pinkie’s spiel about the doughnut’s origins. He was staring at the pastry. It smelled delicious, and the color of the frosting was vibrant. Dano felt the saliva begin to build in his mouth, and he had to swallow or else he would begin to drool. Pinkie noticed.

“Do you want to be the first one to try it Dano?”

Dano regained his composure.

“I don’t have any money.”

Pinkie just giggled.

“It’s ok, it’s free.”

Dano looked at Pinkie and waited for a catch. All he got was a large smile. Dano shrugged, took the doughnut from Pinkie and took a bite. BY THOR’S HAMMER!! Dano groaned as he chewed on the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. The pastry was moist and it felt like it melted in Dano’s mouth. The frosting was perfectly sweet, and Dano’s brain literally stopped working. Pinkie just giggled, and Rainbow smiled at Dano’s expression.

By the time Dano regained his composure a second time Pinkie was laughing harder than was socially acceptable, and Dash was matching her volume. Dano blushed as everybody looked over at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. He decided now was the time to leave before he did anything else to make him look even more like a fool.

“I’m gonna get outa here now, it was nice seeing you two.”

“We will see you later at your party, right?” Pinkie asked between fits of laughter.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Pinkie smiled then said goodbye before moving back into the kitchen. Dano said his goodbye to both Pinkie and Rainbow as he left the shop.

Dano wandered around town as he ate the most delicious doughnut in the world. He eventually found himself in the town square, where the fountain Dano had seen on his way through town rested. Dano walked over and sat on a bench, one of the many wooden benches that rested on the perimeter of the square. While he sat Dano watched people come and go, and found himself asking himself why everybody had such weird hair and eye colors. His mind went back to the conversation he had last night with Sun and Moon. ‘…the portal worked as a conduit that funneled the magic of harmony into your world…’

Maybe that was it, maybe the magic altered humans a little. Like the strange eye and hair color was a result of their bodies being purged of the ‘magic of chaos’. This also explained why Dano was unaltered. He was a remnant of the old world, one soiled by the chaos that human beings naturally emitted. The theory solidified in Dano’s mind, it explained everything around him.

After zoning out for god knows how long Dano sighed and was about to get up when he heard a four wheeler approaching. Dano looked to the right and saw an old orange ATV with Applejack driving it. A large wagon was attached to the back of the quad, and was full of produce. She noticed Dano, and pulled up next to his bench.

“How y’all doing sugarcube?”

Sugarcube?

“I’m doing good Applejack. I was on my way to Rarity’s to pick up my things, but I got a little side tracked.”

Applejack chuckled.

“That’ll happen ‘round here. Say, why don’t ya help me out, if ya do ah could drive you over to Rarity’s lickity split.”

Dano stood up and smiled.

“Sounds good to me.”

Dano climbed onto the quad and placed his hands on the rear rack to stabilize himself. Applejack chuckled.

“Ah aint gonna bite ya.”

Dano laughed.

“I’m comfortable right here.”

Applejack shrugged.

“Suit yourself.”

The farm girl pressed the accelerator with her thumb and the quad bike moved forward. The ride was pleasant, and Dano spent most of his time fighting off Applejacks long blond hair or looking around. One shop caught Dano’s eye, for it was boarded up and abandoned. Dano only got a quick glance at the building before Applejack turned a corner. The sign read ‘The Punch Bowl’, and Dano was certain it was a bar. He resolved to ask somebody about it later.

The duo entered a more than usually crowded area with dozens of stalls lined up in three rows. The corridor between one row of stalls to another was about five feet, and the quad easily fit through the gap, even with people milling about. Each stall was colorful and vibrant in their owners attempts to attract people and turn a profit.

Applejack pulled up to one stall that was decorated with painted apples of all colors, and a small sign was stuck into the ground in front that read ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ in elegant cursive. Other than the painted apples the booth was just plain wooden crates and boxes filled with mostly apples, and some other produce. Sitting behind the booth was a man Dano didn’t recognize.

Applejack hopped off the quad and Dano followed. She called to the man inside of the booth.

“Consarnit Big Mac, don’t be rude and introduce yourself!”

The man stood and walked out from behind the produce, and Dano took in the person. Big Mac wasn’t tall, only a couple inches taller than Dano, but he was wide. His shoulder span was at least one and a half times wider than Dano’s, and his arms looked like they were logs. Big Mac had a sprig of wheat hanging out of his mouth, and his green eyes gave off the same aura of honesty as, what Dano guessed, his sisters. He wore a tight red t-shirt that was stained just like Applejack’s, and dirty, dark blue jeans that ended in large cowboy boots. His dirty blonde hair was short, and looked unkempt.

Dano could see the muscles shift under the tan skin and red shirt of the farm boy as he raised his hand so he could shake Dano’s. Dano was a little nervous when Big Mac offered his hand, but took it. Instead of his fingers being crushed Dano was surprised to find out that the hand shake was polite and firm.

“Nice to meet you.” Big Mac’s voice was deep and considerate.

“Dano, my name is Dano.” Dano responded as he shook the giants hand.

“Well, now that y’all have been acquainted its time to unload wagon.” Applejack called with an amused grin on her face.

Dano and Big Mac complied and moved over to the wagon. As the three of them worked Dano decided to talk to Big Mac.

“So, you're Applejack’s older brother?”

“Eeyup.”

Dano raised an eyebrow at the answer, and continued.

“Do you own Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Nnope.”

“Then who does.”

“Granny Smith.”

“You have any other siblings?”

“Eeyup.”

“And they are?”

“Applebloom.”

“Is she younger than you?”

“Eeyup.”

“Is she older than Applejack?”

“Nnope.”

Dano was getting frustrated with the one sidedness of the conversation. He turned to Applejack as the last of the crates of produce were set by the booth.

“He doesn’t talk much does he.”

Applejack chuckled.

“Nnope.”

Dano and Applejack burst into laughter, and Big Mac kept his calm demeanor as he shifted his wheat sprig from one side of his mouth to the other with his tongue. Once the laughter stopped Applejack spoke as she whipped a tear from her eye.

“Well, ah promised you a ride to Rarity’s. So let’s get goin.”

Dano nodded, and helped Applejack remove the wagon from the rear of the quad. Once it was off the hitch the couple climbed on and took off. Applejack waved at Big Mac, who had returned to his place behind the booth, as she left. Dano was too busy fighting off hair to wave.

It didn’t take long for Dano and Applejack to reach Rarity’s house, but when they got there the day was winding down, with the sun beginning to set. Rarity lived in a building which also doubled as her place of work. The building was two stories, and painted light blue. Around the roof and windows of the building there was an elegant white wood trim. The carpenter who put this place together really showed his stuff with the intricate designs in the wood. The shingles of the pitched roof alternated shades of purple, and the windows were large and elegant. A sign rested above the door that read ‘Carousel Boutique’, and was written in calligraphy that was so drawn out that it was hardly legible.

Dano chuckled a bit, he could definitely see Rarity living someplace like this. He dismounted the quad and waved goodbye as Applejack turned the bike around and drove away. Dano moved up to the door and knocked loudly. The sound of high heels on tile echoed from within as a feminine voice called out that she was coming. The door opened to reveal Rarity in an elegant white top, and black dress pants. On her feet were a pair of heels that weren’t the most extreme, but still tall enough that you needed practice to keep your balance.

Rarity smiled when she saw Dano.

“My word, I thought you were never going to show up.”

Dano just shrugged and smiled as Rarity let him in.

The shop area of the boutique was large and open. Several small stages with dressed mannequins lined the light purple walls, and there were dozens of large mirrors scattered around the room. Each dress or outfit was elegant and fancy, and Dano couldn’t figure out how or why a place like this could stay afloat in a town filled with only working class people.

Rarity disappeared though a threshold on the right side of the room that appeared to be a hallway to some doors. Another archway directly in front of Dano led to a large kitchen with a small table in it. The cabinets were a lighter shade of purple than the walls, and the white tile floor and countertops shined in the artificial light of a small chandelier.

Rarity returned with Dano’s clothes and equipment. The clothing was neatly folded, the boots spotless, his pack neat and his weapons had a light sheen to them. Rarity set Dano’s things down on one of the stages, and grabbed a tape measure.

“Now darling, let’s get started.”

Dano was confused.

“Start what?”

“Your fitting.”

Dano took a step back from the approaching fashionista, and raised his hands defensively.

“I just came here for my clothes Rarity.”

Rarity scoffed.

“And that is what I am doing darling.”

Dano’s back was against the wall now, and Rarity now looked devilish as she advanced. Dano was about to dive out of the door when a voice came from the hallway that Rarity had gone down to get Dano’s things.

“Hey Rarity, when is dinner going to be done?”

Dano looked over Rarity’s shoulder to find a girl who was around the same age as Spike. She wore a pale pink tank top, blue jeans capris and pale pink flat sole shoes. Her hair was just as curly and stylized as Rarity’s, but a combination of faded pink and purple covered her scalp. Her light green eyes were full of confusion at the scene in front of her, and Dano thought she looked just like Rarity. Rarity sighed and looked over her shoulder at the teenager.

“I’m working Sweetie Belle.”

The teenager ignored Rarity and stared at Dano.

“Who are you?”

Rarity gasped.

“Sweetie Belle, how rude!”

Dano waved a hand dismissively at Rarity.

“It’s okay.” He turned his attention to Sweetie Bell. “I’m Daniel, but call me Dano.”

Sweetie Belle smiled.

“You must be the new guy everybody around town has been talking about.”

Dano laughed.

“That’s me.”

Rarity sighed and turned around to face Sweetie Belle.

“Sweetie Belle, you know that I am going to a party tonight. Dinner is whatever you can put together.”

Sweetie Belle barely acknowledged Rarity with a small nod. She was more concerned with Dano.

“Where are you from?”

Dano didn’t really know how to answer the question.

“Well, I live in a cabin quite a distance away, but originally I’m from a town called Fulton. It’s way up north.”

Sweetie Belle looked on with enthusiasm.

“Why are you here?”

Dano decided now was the time to play with the teen.

“Decided to drop in and see the sights.”

Rarity covered her mouth as a chuckle escaped her throat, and Sweetie Belle looked confused.

“The sights?”

Dano laughed.

“Of course.”

Sweetie Belle just continued to look confused as she wandered through the room and into the kitchen. Rarity was smiling when she turned back to Dano.

“Well, that was amusing.”

Dano nodded, and checked his watch.

“It’s almost seven, we should get going.”

Rarity sighed.

“Of course darling, let me just wrap up an ensemble that you can wear tomorrow.”

Before Dano could protest Rarity was off again, disappearing through the hallway she retrieved Dano’s items from. He sighed and moved to his equipment.

Dano picked up his EBR and looked it over. Someone must have cleaned the outside, since the metal had a small shine to it. He pulled the bolt back and inspected the internal workings of the weapon. Everything seemed to be in place. Next came the Magnum, which was removed from its clean leather holster. The revolver had a marvelous sheen to the weapon, and Dano could almost see his reflection in the stainless finish. He let the cylinder smoothly slip out of its place and hang to the side of the weapon. All six rounds were there, and the stainless finish of the cylinder also shined in the light. Whoever cleaned the weapon had done a good job, doing both the exterior and interior. Dano snapped the cylinder back into place and put the Magnum back into its holster. Lastly was the M9. Its midnight black finish looked spotless. Dano pulled the slide back just enough to see inside of the weapon without letting a round discharge. Dano smiled as he saw a bullet chambered, just like he left it.

“What ya doing?”

Dano looked up to see Sweetie Belle standing right outside of the kitchen with a sandwich in her hands.

“Just looking over my guns.” Dano smiled.

“Can I see?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

Dano shrugged.

“Sure.”

Sweetie Belle set her sandwich down on one of the stages and walked over to Dano. Dano, knowing about gun safety, removed the fifteen round clip from the weapon, and discharged the chambered round. The unused bullet made a pinging sound as it hit the tile. Dano turned the weapon around in his hand and presented the pistol grip to the exited Sweetie Belle, but as she reached for it Dano pulled away.

“Now Sweetie Belle, I am going to tell you some very important safety facts about guns. I don’t want you ignoring me. Okay?”

Sweetie Belle’s gaze never left the weapon as she half nodded.

“Sweetie Belle?” Dano’s voice was serious.

“I get it.” Sweetie Belle’s voice carried the usual annoyed teenager tone.

“Okay,” Dano smiled, “first things first. Rule number one is to assume every weapon you pick up is loaded. Second rule is that you will only point a weapon at something if you are, without a doubt, going to shoot it. Last rule is you never rest your finger on the trigger unless you are going to shoot. Understand?”

Yes, I get it.” Sweetie Belle looked annoyed.

Dano sighed and handed the unloaded pistol to the teen. She twisted it around in the air, taking it in at every angle. Dano decided now was teaching time.

“Now, what is rule number one?”

Sweetie Belle looked exited as she remembered the answer.

“Every weapon should be treated like it loaded.”

“Good,” Dano smiled, “how do you check if the gun is loaded?”

Sweetie Belle looked a little confused.

“I-I don’t know.”

Dano kept his smile as he walked behind the teen. He kneeled so he was her height and wrapped his arms around her shoulders so he could show her what to do.

“Are you left or right handed?”

“Right.”

Dano nodded as he looked over her shoulder.

“Ok, then put the pistol in your right hand then with your left hand you are going to pull the top part back and look inside.”

Sweetie Belle compiled, and tried to pull the slide back. The internal spring fought her all the way, and only with a little help from Dano did Sweetie Belle pull the slide back far enough. Sweetie Belle looked into the pistol.

“I don’t see anything.”

“Alright then, just let the slide return slowly then we can move on.”

Sweetie Belle tried her best, but the slide moved a little too fast for Dano. He let it go, and moved back in front of Sweetie Belle.

“What’s rule number two.”

Sweetie Belle’s courage bounced back with her knowledge.

“Never point a gun at anything unless I’m going to shoot it.”

Dano smiled.

“Good, and rule number three?”

“Never rest your finger on the trigger.”

Dano patted Sweetie Belle on the head. She beamed with the positive support, and Dano had the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something nice. Sweetie Belle handed the pistol back to Dano. He took the weapon from the teen, and set in back on top of his things while he looked for the round that hit the ground. Dano found it with little effort, and returned the bullet to its magazine before sliding the magazine back into the M9. The metal made a satisfying click as the magazine rammed home, and Dano chambered a round before putting the weapon on safe. Rarity walked back into the shop and put some new clothes on top of Dano’s things, as Dano put his pistol back into its holster. Sweetie Belle practically ran to Rarity and began to jump around the fashionista.

“Dano taught me about guns!”

Rarity’s expression was a mixture of confusion and shock.

“What?”

Dano quickly intervened to save his ass.

“She wanted to see my pistol, so I let her. The gun was empty and there was no way Sweetie Belle could have hurt anyone.”

Rarity didn’t look convinced.

“Why does she need to know about guns? She’s only a little girl.”

Dano frowned.

“Knowledge is power. What would have happened if Sweetie Belle found a gun, but didn’t know how to properly take care of it?”

Rarity went to speak, but couldn’t find words. Dano sighed and continued.

“I’m sorry for not telling you, but just look at her.”

Dano pointed to Sweetie Belle, who immediately made puppy dog eyes. Rarity chuckled, and Dano joined in.

“Yes, she can be quite… persuasive.”

The two adults and the teen all got a healthy laugh out of the comment.

“Well, enough chit chat,” Rarity tossed he hair, “we must be off.”

Dano nodded, grabbed his things, said goodbye to Sweetie Belle and followed Rarity out of the boutique. The two walked through the now dark Ponyville with only the sporadic street light to illuminate their path. The Carousel Boutique was on the outskirts of town, and the Pink Hole was more towards the center. This meant the duo had to walk through a good portion of Ponyville to get to their destination.

The conversation between the survivor and the fashionista was light, and not very personal. They talked about the town and weather, not very important things. This changed when they turned a corner and Dano saw another building that was boarded up and abandoned.

There was no sign identifying the building, and Dano guessed that it was actually written on the covered windows. The two story structure’s pink and navy paint was sloped at a forty five degree angle, but looked worse for wear. The bottom windows were covered in plywood, and the door had a sign that said ‘Closed’. Strangely the windows that were on the second story had light beaming through them. Dano turned to Rarity as they walked down the dirt street.

“What is with the boarded up shops? This is the second one I have seen today.”

Rarity looked a little depressed when Dano brought up the abandoned structure.

“That was Bon Bon’s shop. She used to live there with her fiancé Lyra. I was planning their wedding when Bon Bon just disappeared a couple months ago. She never left a note or anything, she just left.” Rarity sighed. “Lyra still lives there, more a ghost now then a person. She only comes out to get food.”

Dano felt bad about Lyra and Bon Bon’s situation, but the feeling wasn’t the normal ‘poor strangers’ feeling you get when you see a homeless person on the street. It was felt to the bone, because Dano knew that Bon Bon was actually abducted by Discord’s avatar. That her mind was twisted, and she probably wasn’t herself anymore. Dano sighed, and he asked Rarity about the Punch Bowl.

“What about this one place I saw, the Punch Bowl?”

Rarity looked at her feet as she walked.

“That was the local bar. It was owned by Berry Punch, but she disappeared a month and a half ago. A real pity. Her bar was where anybody could go and have a drink with friends, and not just beer. Berry Punch had some of the most exquisite wine you have ever tasted.” Rarity smiled as her brain flashed back to drinking wine with friends.

Dano kept walking, and faded into his mind. Berry Punch and Bon Bon were in Discord’s clutches now. He felt a tad bit of guilt, for his mission was to defend Ponyville. He sighed and returned to the real world.

“That’s tragic.”

Rarity nodded.

The two continued to walk in complete silence. Dano was too busy feeling bad about his already failing mission, and Rarity was too busy thinking about friends and acquaintances that just disappeared. Eventually the two melancholy people found themselves outside of the Pink Hole. The sound of a beat softened by the building reached Dano’s ears, and the bright light that shone through the front windows assaulted his eyes. Dano could see dozens of people either sitting, eating or dancing in the doughnut shop turned club, and he wondered how he was going to remember everybody’s name.

Dano opened the door to let Rarity in, and the unhampered sound of the music echoed through the quiet Ponyville. Rarity walked in with a polite smile, and Dano followed. The heat inside of the building had skyrocketed from earlier, probably from all the bodies. Dano could see a DJ who had blue hair with light blue highlights and purple sunglasses over her eyes behind a turntable and a ton of speakers right next to the counter. She was wearing a grey t-shirt with a pair of beamed eighth notes on the front, and a pair black of headphones surrounded her neck. The DJ wore black cargo shorts around her legs, and Dano couldn’t tell what was on her feet as she moved to the bass she was dropping.

She was blasting a song* Dano knew and loved. It was a Glitch Mob remix of Seven Nation Army, and Dano had once listened to it on his stereo system so loud that the RA had to come and beat down his dorm room door.

Dano chuckled as he remembered the good times. He scanned the room, and he found Applejack, Twilight and Fluttershy sitting in one of the couch booths. Dano moved through the jostling crowd to the couches, and sat down next to Applejack. He rested all of his things on the ground in front of him. Twilight and Fluttershy sat on the other half of the alcove facing Dano.

“Hello Dano!” Twilight yelled over the music.

“How you doing Twilight!”

Twilight smiled.

“I’m pretty good! A little bummed that I had to leave Spike, but he isn’t allowed to these parties!”

Dano was a little confused until he saw a beer bottle in both Twilight’s and Applejack’s hand.

Dano was about to respond when the music suddenly stopped, and Pinkie Pie appeared right next to Dano. She had changed from her work clothes to pink jeans and a blue tank top, her hair as bouncy as ever. Pinkie was standing on the sofa’s arm rest, somehow keeping her balance, as she yelled over the crowd.

“Hey everybody! Dano’s here!”

Dano stood as everybody yelled. The whole scene reminded Dano of the frat parties he had attended. Everybody had a beer in their hands, and people were acting crazy. Dano caught a look at Pinkie’s face, and it was one of pure joy. She must love throwing parties. Dano waved at the crowd and took his seat. If people wanted to say hi they would. Pinkie handed a beer to Dano before disappearing again. The music started up right where it left off, and the party resumed.

Dano opened the beer and took a sip. He wasn’t a light weight, far from it, but he never drank to just drink. He would drink to get drunk, and he didn’t want to do that on his first party in Ponyville. Dano had the feeling that this wasn’t going to be his last party in this town, so it didn’t bother him.

Dano was about to start the conversation back up with he saw Twilight giggling.

“What’s up?!”

Twilight just pointed over Dano’s shoulder, so he looked. Two booths down was a group of five girls. Dano recognized two of them as Aloe and Lotus, but the other three were a mystery. When they saw Dano look at them they all blushed a little and giggled. Applejack had also looked over her shoulder, and began laughing.

“Looks like you’re the hot commodity at this party!” Applejack said as she turned around.

Dano laughed.

“You think so?!”

“Don’t let it go to your head sugarcube!”

“What! Don’t you think I’m sexy?!”

Everybody in the booth laughed, even Fluttershy gave a small chuckle.

“Ah’m not into that stuff!”

Dano shrugged, he didn’t know that Applejack was a lesbian. Dano turned to Twilight.

“What do you think?!”

Applejack elbowed Dano in the arm.

“She ain’t gonna answer that sugarcube! She’s into Big Mac!”

Twilight blushed, and spoke defensively.

“I am not!”

Dano and Applejack burst out laughing. Twilight crossed her arms and looked angry.

“We are just having some fun Twilight, no harm meant!” Dano had to fight through his laughter to make sure Twilight’s feelings weren’t really hurt.

Twilight huffed, and it only made Dano and Applejack smile even more.

The conversation continued on once Twilight had stopped pouting until the song ended. The DJ spoke into her mic.

“Yo party people, how are you doing!”

The crowd roared in response, and it made the DJ smile.

“That’s what DJ Pon-3 like to hear. Now this next song^ goes out to my fav party goer Pinkie Pie.”

Dano heard synthetic noted come out of the speakers, and he realized the song was definitely techno. Over the music Dano heard Pinkie Pie yell.

“THIS IS MY JAM!”

A small circle had formed in the middle of the small dance floor, and Dano stood so he could get a good look. Pinkie was alone in the circle, her hands resting on her head making them look like rabbit ears. Her feet were close together, and once the beat began her hips began to sway to them as well as make her hands move like she was waving. Dano began to smile, the dance was one of the funniest he had ever seen. Eventually other girls joined her, Rainbow Dash was one of them. Dano understood why none of the guys joined in, that dance was definitely for the women.

Dano sat back down and the conversation picked up after its second interruption. Rarity soon joined the group, followed by Rainbow Dash. Dash looked tired, but happy and Rarity looked a little bored. Dano ignored it and talked with her anyway.

The party went on into the night. DJ Pon-3 put on a lot of dubstep and techno, and Dano loved it. He also loved watching the drunk citizens of Ponyville try to walk or dance. It reminded him of Delhi so much he almost called some of the people by the names of old friends. Dano felt his spirits dampen a bit from those thoughts, but somehow Pinkie would show up. She would cheer him up with a song off the top of her head or stories about other parties. Dano was happy that Pinkie Pie was looking out for him, and hoped they would become good friends in the future.

It was early in the morning, or late at night, when the party ended. Most of the people had left anyway, and the DJ had stopped. Dano stood with the rest of the group and made for the exit. Once outside Dano said goodbye to everybody and began escorting Fluttershy home. She hadn’t said two words during the party, and looked pretty nervous so Dano left her alone.

The night was cool quiet as Dano and Fluttershy walked. She offered to carry some of Dano’s equipment, so he gave her the new clothes Rarity had given him. The two were silent as they walked down the path to Fluttershy’s house until the small abode came into view.

“I um… went into town today, and I bought you some things. You said you needed to leave to get it, so um… I got it for you. If you’re willing to take it though…”

Dano smiled.

“Thank you Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy’s face stretched into a small smile.

Dano saw a sleeping Echo in front of the door when he and Fluttershy crossed the bridge. The wolf immediately woke up, sat up on his haunches and did it’s best to cross his front arms. Dano chuckled at Echo.

“I’m sorry I’m late dad, but there was this rave and there were some girls there…”

Echo laughed and returned to four paws. Dano patted him on the head.

“How was your day?”

Echo shrugged as Fluttershy opened the door.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Dano asked as he walked through the threshold with Echo in tow.

Echo made a little whine and shrugged again.

“Courting a dog not as easy as it sounds?” Dano raised an eyebrow.

Echo nodded and looked at the ground. Dano patted his head again.

“Don’t worry buddy, you will get her eventually.”

Echo sighed.

Fluttershy, who had gone into the kitchen as Dano talked to his K9 friend, returned with a small paper bag. She handed it to Dano then said goodnight. Dano reciprocated and opened the bag. Inside was a small can of shaving cream, a reusable razor, a toothbrush, floss and a tube of toothpaste. Dano smiled. He didn’t have to leave Ponyville to get his own toiletries, all to Fluttershy’s kindness.

Dano went into the kitchen and used the sink to brush his teeth. He made a mental note to remember to shave in the morning as he walked out of the kitchen, and into the living room. Fluttershy had left the clothes she was carrying on top of the fireplace, so Dano grabbed them and the rest of his things, which he had thrown on the floor. Dano moved all of his things into the guest room, and found a place for them. His rifle, armor and vest went into the trunk under the bed while his pistol, Magnum, and all his accessories went onto the top of the dresser. Dano organized his clothing into the different drawers of the dresser.

Echo was already asleep when Dano finished putting everything where he wanted it. Dano stripped and hopped into bed. He was tired, and it didn’t take long for him to slip into unconsciousness, a smile across his face.

Hey logic, what does the scouter say about the word count of this chapter?
im not doing this
cmon man
no
fine then, you ask me.
*sigh*, hey author, what does the scouter say about the word count of this chapter?
ITS OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAND!!!
happy?
quite

sorry for the slow update guys and gals
i bet you were all like this:

but now you see my new chapter and your probably like this:

hope you enjoy the links to the songs (song* and song^ be the links)
and dont forget to comment
that is all
kthanxbai