Comfort Far Away

by Spic Ultimo

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Sad, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Romance, Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 11829

I've never known anything about my childhood. I've been told by the orphanage I was found on the street as a child. Tired of my life there, I ran away to a small town called Ponyville in hopes to forget everything I've known.

Alone...thats all I've ever been as far as I know. I was born with some not-so-natural abilities that the orphanage I was raised in was not so fond of. I'm heading to a small town, named Ponyville, with nothing but a train ticket and the scarf around my neck, in search of a place that will hopefully be more accepting of what I have to hide...

Published 2013-09-29 18:00:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-23 01:43:04 UTC

Across the Line

I awoke on my old, worn out cot with a familiar sense of a slight headache. "Five more minutes..." I mumbled to no one specifically as I was slowly lured back into sleep.

*****

I woke up a couple of hours later finally feeling rested enough to take on the day. I went through my morning routine of brushing my teeth and straightening out my mane before heading back into the room the orphanage provided. I Headed to my bed and placed my scarf around my neck. I took a moment to look it over. I was told i was wearing it at the time i was found, and that i was very hesitant to take it off.

Pulling my thoughts away from the scarf, i turned my attention to my pillow. I made sure no one was looking before reaching into the pillow case and pulling out the bright gold train ticket. Ponyville... a nice quiet town that can be seen from the mountains of Canterlot itself. The time of departure was at 9pm, which gave me plenty of time to prepare for my departure.

I was finally leaving...the very thought of escape made me giddy on the inside. I could already imagine leaving this town on the horizon, and finally having a normal life with a job, a house, and if I'm lucky, a special somepony. I couldn't wait to finally leave. I began to tuck the ticket in my scarf for safe keeping. After all, i didn't want to lose-

"WHAT'CHA GOT THERE SOLUS!?"

"SWEET CELESTIA!" I yelled after hearing the outburst from that all to familiar voice. "What the heck Echo!? You scared me shitless!" I yelled at the earth pony. He has a blue coat and a white mane with a steak of gray going through it, and a cutie mark of a sound wave. He was mostly known for his.... explosive voice.

"Which just happens to be the reason I yelled at you!" He said with a large grin. "So what's that your trying to hide from everyone?" He asks with a face of confusion.

"You cant tell anyone, no matter the circumstance, alright?"

"Ok, so what is it? Are you sneaking food again? Is it a con- mmphhh!"

"Echo! Keep your voice down or else the whole orphanage will hear you!" I yelled at him after I shoved my hoof into his mouth.

"So it IS a condom!"

"NO! It's a train ticket...."

"Why do you need a train ticket?" He asked with a slight hint of realization in his voice.

"Echo...I'm.....I'm leaving....I got a ride for tonight. You've been a good friend, but I can't handle being such an outcast any longer.... I don't want to get hurt anymore..." I said with a very somber tone.

"But...but we..." He stuttered, tears starting to glisten in his eyes. I felt bad leaving him here like this, but I barley had enough bits for one ticket. He was the only one who actually stuck to me, despite my.... special abilities. I remember that day clearly, even though i tried so hard to forget. But then again, How can one forget such a life changing experience?

*****

I ran trying to escape them, but they were very persistent. "Stop running so we could get this over with!" I heard from behind me. I was in the orphanage for three months at the time, and I had no trouble having someone wanting to beat the crap out of me for no reason.

Slowly I heard the hoofsteps slowly getting closer in my feeble attempt to outrun the other colts.I turned a corner and, to my dismay, I was face with a dead end. the hoofsteps stopped behind me, then started again, slower than last time. I turned to face the other three colts, and realized I had no escape.

"You had to make this harder on yourself, huh? We were gunna go easy on you, but since you made us run, you get to have a broken face now." The leader said, as he slowly started approaching me.

"Go away...please" I whimpered as my last attempt to be left alone.

Slowly...oh so slowly he smiled. "Get him." he whispered as his lackeys jumped at me.

I felt every blow against my side, neck and face, each blow harder than the next, and with each blow came another tear.

"stop..." I managed to cough out as the beating continued.

"Stop.: I managed a little louder, a feeling I've never felt before filling me up.

Then suddenly.... "STOP!!!".... I yelled as a shockwave I released blew them all away from my body.

"What the buck!?" the leader yelled as he saw my pupils disappear, and a black aura slowly engulf me as I stood up. My wounds began immediately healing in seconds. Slowly, I turned to one of the lackeys, and stared him down. He glared at me before he got up and charged straight at me. Suddenly, he stopped moving and was slowly lifted up into the air. I gave him a sick grin before I picked up the second lackey and threw them both against the wall with a sickening crack.

I giggled a little, as I turned to the leader and slowly trotted over to him. That's when I realized, I wasn't in control of my body. I gave him a grin as I stood in front of him, and lifted him up as well.

"Stop! Put me down, please!" He begged as I kept grinning.

"Okay." I said as I slammed him on the ground with a loud crack.

The black aura slowly dissipated, and my eyes returned back to normal, and I sat there, tacking in the monstrous deed i had done, and began to cry. I had possibly murdered three colts with something inside me I didn't know was there, something that was able to take control of my body... and I was afraid, more than when I was running.

A month had passed after that, and by then the three colts were out of the hospitals on wheelchairs. By then, word had spread, turning me into more of an outcast than I already was. The only person who talked to me was Echo, who apparently found my power "cool". By then, I learned to summon it at will, but I could only levitate objects, and when the power was summoned, my eyes turned a deep crimson red. Of course, Echo helped me develop my levitation by making me do stupid, crazy things.

And thus, my first friendship was started...

*****

"But you can't leave! what about everything we've done!? Are you going to throw it all away?!" Echo yelled. He has been rambling on bout this for the better part of an hour.

"Echo, I'm sorry... my mind's made up..." There was a couple of hours left until my departure. He was taking it harder than I thought. "You have a chance of finding a life here, I have nothing... I need a new start. You're the only one that even looks at me anymore, and I appreciate that, but I can't live this way anymore.

"Alright... I give up... have fun in Ponyville." He said as he walked away with his head held low. I almost felt like crying again seeing as how i left him so heartbroken. But it's for the best... I hope.

*****

It's eight o'clock now. I was just about getting all my stuff ready to go. I would pack more bags, but i want to make sure i leave everything behind... not that I had much to take anyways. With one suitcase of personal belongings, the scarf around my neck and the ticket tucked away inside it, I set off to find Echo for my final goodbye.I entered the bedroom al of us shared, and trotted over to the bed at the far corner.

"Echo?" I asked getting no response from his lumpy form in bed. "I know you're probably mad right now, but I'm on my way to the train station." I still had no response from him, and I started feeling even more terrible. "So... I guess this is it... see you later." As I walked away, I couldn't help but feel sad as I left him, there. I towed my luggage out the door, it being heavier than I remember, almost like a dead weight.

I put it off as small depression, and made my way to the train station. It was the mid-fall months, so there was a chilling breeze running through the air. As i walked through town, i couldn't help but think about the life i was going to make in Ponyville. I was starting my life all over, and , if I was lucky, no one would have to know of my abilities. I would have friends, a job, heck, I might even have a marefriend. I couldn't help but smile out the window as I Kept thinking of my new life in Ponyville. The only downside, besides leaving Echo, was that I've heard strange stuff about that town. Somehow, it was attracting danger from all around Equestria, and It rests right next to the Everfree Forest.

Pullng my thoughts away from the town, I reached into m luggage for a bottle of water I had stored. I open the zipper without looking, and as I reached in, I felt something soft and squishy. Confused, I turn to look at the luggage and find...Echo!

Just when I was about to yell, he put a hoof over my mouth. "Shhhh..." He said as he removed his hoof and slowly zipped up the luggage once again.

Tired as I was, I decided not to question it further. Though I wanted to yell, and Celestia knows I did, i kept my mouth shut for fear of getting kicked out of the train. With my mind emptied of my thoughts, I got in a comfortable position on the seat before o started to slowly doze off.

Author's Note

So here we go... hope this turns for the best. First fanfic here, so go easy on the criticism. Suggestions would also be greatly accepted :D Also, looking for an artist that would like to draw cover art, seeing how much I suck at drawing. Here's to my first fanfic! *raises glass of apple juice*

--Solus

Leap of Faith...

I awoke to the morning light shining bright on my face. My throat felt dry, like sandpaper. I gave my wings a quick stretch before I remembered the bottle of water, and the pony in my luggage as well. Giving my luggage two kicks, it unzipped and out came a hoof holding a bottle of water. As I took said bottle, I looked out the window and noticed we were going uphill. As we reached the top, I couldn't help but get excited. I've never been on a mountain before! When the train reached the peak, I gave a slight gasp.

Below the mountain stood a beautiful town that was complimented by all the greenery around it. It looked so... clean, so full of life. Bordering the town on one side was a big, dark green mass that seemed never ending fairly close to the tracks. There was also a huge mass of clouds somewhere above the town. 'Cloudsdale' I thought. The thought seemed funny to me...a pegasus who had never seen Cloudsdale once. Somewhere on another mountain, I saw the city of Canterlot, the city gleamed, even from this distance.

My sight drifted back down to the town in the valley. Ponyville seemed like such a great place from here. Part of me prayed it was as nice as it looked, otherwise I would have to move again.

"Whoa... that's a lot of green" Echo whispered from beside me.

"Yeah." I agreed, before I turned to look at him. "Get back in the bag!" I yelled at him as I realized that he was in plain sight.

"What're 'ya worried about, its not like they'll kick me out this far into the trip" He commented in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Or perhaps we will." Came an unfamiliar voice from behind us. We both turned to see one of the train staff, a brown unicorn stallion with a baton strapped to his side. We both started panicking when he picked it up his magic.

"RUN!" Yelled Echo as he bolted down the train carts. I followed a couple of seconds after, bags in tow and adrenaline pumping.

"Halt, or I will have to use force!" The stallion yelled as he charged up his horn.

Echo, having seen that, yelled "We're gunna die!" as we kept running.

"Shut up Echo!" I yelled back at him. As I looked ahead, I noticed we were on our last cart. Echo and I briefly looked at each other, before w jumped out the back of the train, one of our stupidest ideas yet. The landing was horrible. We tumbled for about ten feet before we slid to a stop.

"And stay out!" The stallion yelled when he was just within earshot. I got up and dusted myself off once I was up. As I looked myself over for injuries, I had a constant sore feeling on my snout. I reached up with my hoof, and felt a wet, warm sensation. Drawing my hoof back, I confirmed my suspicion when I saw the crimson liquid mixing with my purple coat. I turned around and gave Echo the stink eye, but stopped when I saw him holding his right forehoof with his left, while trying not to yell.

I gave a light sigh as I held my hoof out to pick him up. "Uh, yeah... I don't think that's going to happen." he said through clenched teeth. "Maybe you can lift me with your levitation?"

"You know I can't," I replied, "What if someone sees?" As I said that he gave me an "are you serious?" face.

"Really, Solus? In the middle of the forest? Get real." He said with slight anger, still holding his hoof. I considered it for a moment. I have never really pushed my abilities to their max, and it seemed reasonable enough. Something still didn't seem right about it. Eh, why not.

"Fine," I replied. "But only to the edge of town." I said with a stern voice, which he replied to with a mock salute. I focused and felt the energy course through me, and soon enough, my eyes turned that crimson red.

"Dude, I will never get tired of that." Echo said with that goofy grin of his.

"Whatever." I said as I picked him up and headed out to the general direction of town.

*****

Apparently, walking through the forest for half an hour while levitating a pony really takes a toll on my body. Mostly on my head, and I think It also made my nose bleed more than it was supposed to. In the distance, there was a clearing of light, almost angelic in the dark forest. Once we were at the edge of the foliage, I could see a town on the horizon and what looked like a small house about half a mile away.

"Here's your stop." I said as I set Echo down next to me, and supported him with my shoulder before I finally dispersed my magic and my eyes went back to normal. I felt relief from the small ache at the back of my head. Giving a sigh, I set out for that small house slowly so that I wouldn't drop Echo.

Soon enough, the house came into view. It was like a picture taken straight from a fairytale. The house itself looked like a tree stump that was still blooming with life. All around the building, there were animals scurrying about in perfect harmony. As I led Echo up a small bridge over a stream that led into the house, the animals all went silent and were watching us very closely.

"Dude, this is creeping me out." Echo said as he eyed all the little critters. Ignoring his comment, I crossed the last couple of yards with my companion in tow, and gave three solid knocks. From the other side of the door, there was a quiet voice that I couldn't make out. A couple of moments later, the door opened just a crack, in which I saw a vibrant turquoise eye looking back at me. The door shut a couple of moments after with a squeak.

My heart dropped. The first person I meet treats me the way every one did back "home". "Miss, could you help us? We were in the forest back there and we managed to injure ourselv-

"Oh my! Are you okay?" Came from the mare after she threw the door open. "Wait right there, okay?" I looked over to Echo and he had that stupid grin on his face again, to which I just rolled my eyes with a smile from his goofiness. Moments later, the yellow mare came back with a first aid kit. "Umm, c-can you lay him here? If you don't mind, that is..."

"No problem." I said while laying Echo down on the grass. Right away, the mare moved over to him and started inspecting him. "Right forehoof's sprained. His hoof got, uh, stuck in a root while we were..."

"Chasing a chicken! Yea... a chicken." Echo finished for me while I hesitated.

"Oh, I hope the poor thing is okay..." she said. believing our lie, apparently. "Okay, you might feel some discomfort." she said while taking Echo's hoof, and setting the bone. I took this time to look her over. She had a canary yellow coat with a soft pink mane and tail. her cutie mark consisted of three butterflies with cyan bodies and pink wings, and the turquoise eyes I mentioned earlier. "There, all set." she said smiling at her work.

"Thanks umm... I didn't catch your name." Echo said as he looked over the cast she set, and then over to her.

"M-my name is Flutte..." the mare said trailing off into a soft whisper whisper

"I'm sorry, didn't quite catch that, could you speak up a little?"

"My name is Fluttershy." she said again, loud enough to hear this time. Interesting, it suits her well, but then again, so does mine and Echo's.

"I'm Echo!" Echo exploded, causing the Fluttershy to wince.

"And I'm Solus," I said, "Echo is a little explosive with his voice, but you get used to it." I told her, getting an eager grin from Echo. I looked back over to the town and back at Fluttershy. "Say, do you have anything for this?" I asked while pointing to my nose. "I, uh, hit my nose on a low branch."

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything for your nose, unless you would like some painkillers." She said as she pulled out a bottle of pills.

"No thanks, not good with pills..." I said, right before my stomach rumbled. I looked up and saw the sun was directly overhead. "Uh, we gotta go, we missed breakfast, so we'll be on our way then." I moved over and hoisted Echo on my back.

"Do you think you could give me a couple of those?" Echo asked as Fluttershy was putting the bottle away.

"Umm, okay." she said just above a whisper. Echo took two pills from her and swallowed them dry.

"Thanks, bye!" he said as we started walking away. "She seemed kind." He said when we were out of earshot as we made our way to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Suggestions, editors, and cover art are all still accepted :D

--Solus

Make Them Remember (Rewritten)

As we continued to go into town, we were constantly reminded of our hunger every thirty seconds from an annoying growl from the pit of our stomachs. "I'm Hungry... " Echo commented for the tenth time in the past time in five minutes. "Are we there yet?" he said, once again, drawing out the "yet" for about three seconds.

"Echo..." I said softly while staring at the ground, "Take a look around, and answer me this, 'Are we there yet?'" I continued at the same volume.

Echo lifted his head and looked around for a while, before grinning and practically shouting, "Yup!"

I quickly lifted my head, "Wha..." I said looking around in confusion. I swear the town wasn't this close when I looked down. Oh well, I'm not complaining. "Great... now lets ask that mare over there if she knows any restaurants in this town." I started leading Echo to a mare with a pink coat and darker pink mane and three balloons as her cutie mark, who was happily bouncing in our general direction. "Excuse us, do you happen to kno-

At that moment, two things happened almost simultaneously. The first, there was a loud, drawn out gasp followed by a pink blur going in the opposite direction with a cloud of dust where the pink one was standing. After the initial shock of it passed, Echo literally melted into the ground with a grin I've never seen on his face before. "Uh... you okay, bronie?"

He Got back up on three hooves and looked in the direction the cloud of dust was heading. "Never been better..." he said with a faraway voice, the grin still on his face.

Then it hit me like a rock. I forgot my luggage at the tracks, all my leftover bits still inside. My heart dropped when I realized there would be no food. My stomach rumbled in annoyance, and I mentally kicked myself for being so foalish. I slowly turned to Echo, who still had that look on his face. "Seriously, you sure you didn't hit your head?" After a couple of seconds with no response, I wondered if that pink mare had anything to do with it. But then again, I was right next to Echo and whatever happened to him didn't happen to me. "Echo?" Still no response. maybe if I... "Well, I'm getting something to eat, later!" I said after I set him down and walked away.

"H-hey! Wait up!" He responded as he started sliding himself across the ground, much like an inch worm would. "I Want food too!" This time I stopped and waited for him to catch up. I hoisted him up on my shoulder again before I filled him in on the situation at hoof and his grin slowly changed to a frown. "But... but food." He said tears slowly forming in his eyes. 'Only you would' I thought. Suddenley, his face brightened and he started shaking me around.

"What if you do that thing you used to do when we were little! You know? When you would sing and attract a crowd and we'd get money and buy doughnuts at Doughnut Joe's!" I thought about it for a moment, and it was a good idea. the only problem was that I was a colt back then, and I doubt people want to hear a boy with changes going on in his body sing. The last time I sang was about three years ago. Celestia knows just how much my voice has changed.

"Okay... just tell me how I sound at the moment, k?" I asked, to which he vigorously nodded. After adjusting to my new voice for a bit, I sang part of a song I heard a Stallion sing when I was just a colt. After just a part of the song I stopped and looked over to Echo. "So?"

"You sing like an angel!" He replied with a particularly squeaky voice.

"Great... now for the hard part." I said as I looked into the crowd of ponies shopping at the marketplace. I walked to an empty and sat in the front. there was an empty can of beans from Mexicolt. I steadied myself as I began to sing the first verse of one of my favorite songs

As I started, I caught the attention of a mint-green unicorn with a lyre as a cutiemark. I stayed as calm as I could, knowing nerves could distort one's voice. As I continued, the crowd slowly started to get bigger.

After about a minute and a half into the song, I had gathered a good sized crowd who were all swaying to the rhythm, some who knew the song quietly singing along. I continued with the song, Echo started adding the little drum beats, making the song sound better. The song slowly progressed along, and and I began to fell the music within myself, my confidence earning a boost.

Once I finished, the crowd gave a small cheer and stomping of hooves, then proceeded to drop their bits into the can. I looked up from the can and noticed a light blue mare with a blue and mane and tail with purple accents. She had the most beautiful pair of turquoise eyes I've ever seen. This mare was absolutely gorgeous.

"You have a really nice voice..." She said, looking away with the slightest hint of a blush. It took me a while to realize she had complimented me.

"Uh... thanks, I guess." I said as I looked into her captivating eyes again. She was the only one left after the crowd dispersed. I couldn't look away for the life of me.

"I g-guess I'll see you around..." she said before she trotted away. This feeling I have... I've never felt it before. It was so foreign, but so... right, as if it belonged.

"Dude! We made fifty bits! And a.... a note?"

A note? Who would leave a note behind. I took it from Echo and read it out loud. "Come to Sugarcube Corner at eight o'clock PM. Bring your friend." I looked over to Echo, and he shrugged, just as confused as I was. I wondered who would leave a note behind, and why they wouldn't just tell us in person.

"What time is it?" I asked Echo he looked at his bare hoof and answered me in a chilled voice.

"Three thirty, no biggie. We can probably find a food stand or something in the meantime. Maybe one with donuts!"

"Maybe we should find out what the place looks like first, just to get heads up." I suggested, to which Echo nodded happily.

"What do you think it looks like?" Echo asked.

"Think sugary and colorful, something that says 'eat me' and it'd be very tempting to. Kinda like-"

"That gingerbread house!?" Echo exclaimed excitedly. I looked in the direction his hoof was pointing to, and sure enough, there was a giant gingerbread house with a sign reading 'Sugarcube Corner'.

"That was quick," I muttered, "Alright, time for a long overdue meal." I stated, Echo bouncing happily beside me. "Hey, nice to see your up on your hooves again!"

"Nice to be on my hooves. Bouncing is too fun to pass up!" He said as we headed back into what seemed like the market place.

*****

We found a nice little fast food stall, and got ourselves situated on one of the several benches of what seemed like an outdoor food court. There were smells mixing in the air from all the other stalls, and there was a slight bustle of people going about their daily lives, some giving us double takes and waving at us, to which Echo happily waved back.

"Everypony's so nice here!" He said with a mouthful of fries. "You picked a good place to escape to!"

"I honestly wasn't expecting this kind of treatment." I replied, swallowing a bite of my hay burger, "If anything, I was expecting only a slight improvement from home." Which was true. Ponies seemed much more alive here, and I often heard ponies greeting each other by name, instead of the usual, 'Watch it, bub!' Looking up at the clock tower in the center of the town, I saw it was five thirty, and we still had a few more hours to kill before showing up to Sugarcube Corner. "You want to do anything else before we head to the bakery?" I asked Echo, knowing he'd come up with something on the spot.

"I dunno. I kinda just wanna relax for a bit." He said, melting into his seat. I nodded at him. I guess we could just relax, the town isn't going anywhere, after all.

I stood up and decided to familiarize myself with my surroundings, and maybe find someplace comfy to sleep tonight. I doubt we can afford a room without much money. "I'll be back." I told Echo, getting a hum in response. I looked up into the air and saw a few pegasi lazily gliding through the air. I stretched out my own wings to take a looked at them, and frowned. Being as old as I am, not knowing how to fly really destroyed my confidence. I tucked my wings back in and gave a weak sigh as I began to walk towards the park.

*****

When I returned to Echo, I found him sleeping soundly and slightly drooling. Being as it was now seven fifty, I decided to wake him.

"C'mon, brony, time to rise and shine." I said while giving him a light shake. He woke slowly, a confused look in his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked sleepily, looking down at his bare hoof again. "Oh, it's bakery time." He answered to himself with a small grin. "Let's get going then!" I nodded at him, and we began to walk to the bakery, second thoughts coming to me about this whole ordeal.

Author's Note

How do you guys feel about the speed of the updates? I personally feel they are too short for a week of work. Let me know in the comments
Have a nice day!

--Solus

Party With Pinkie (Rewritten)

As we approached the colorful building, I started to have second thoughts. What if there was a serial killer waiting inside? Or better yet, what if some psycho was going to turn us into cupcakes? Never having been in a situation like this before, I didn't really know what to do. Echo noticed my hesitation, and gave me a nudge with that goofy grin of his, and apparently, that was all that I needed. Bracing myself for the worst I reached for the door handle, and pushed it open.

"Hello?" I spoke into the dark building, "Is anypony he-"

"SURPRISE!"

"AHHH!" I yelled, completely surprised by the loud noise that attacked my ears. Taking a look around I noticed a banner that said "Welcome to Ponyville!" and was attacked in a hug by a fluffy pink mass that smelled like bubble gum. As I tried to recover from the ringing in my ears, the pink one was bombarding me with questions that I couldn't hear. I looked over to Echo and saw that he had his hooves over his ears and his eyes shut tight, despite being a loud pony himself.

"Were you surprised? Huh?Were ya? Were ya? Were ya? You see, I've never seen you around town before and I know everyone, and I mean everyone in Ponyville so when I saw you with your friend I thought you would feel alone being new In town and I know I hate being alone, but then again, who doesn't? Being alone is like, the worst feeling ever and- mfffhh!"

"Alright, that's enough Pinkie." Said an orange mare with a southern drawl. I vaguely remember her being at one of the stalls. "Ah'm real sorry 'bout that. Pinkie can be a little over-energetic at times."

"Uh, its okay..." I said while scooting over to Echo, giving him a few pokes on his stomach. "You can open your eyes and uncover your ears now, coast's clear." I told him. He stood back up and took a look around before getting that grin on his face.

"Alright! Party!" he yelled while taking a look into the crowd of dancing ponies.

"Y'all right, Sugarcube?" The orange mare spoke, apparently I had dozed off... again... great, so much for first impressions.

"Yeah, just a little shaken. I'm not used to anything being louder than Echo." I said, gesturing to him while he was... crowd surfing? That escalated quickly. "Umm... I'll catch you later..." I said, never have gotten her name.

"Oh! Where are mah manners? The names Applejack, but 'ya can call me AJ If 'ya like." She said extending her hoof. "Whats yer name?"

I bumped her hoof with mine. "My name's Solus, and That over there's Echo..." I trailed, not really knowing what else to say and ended up making the conversation awkward.

"Well, Ah'll leave ya t' enjoy yerself, its yer party after all." That felt stanger to hear. I've never been to a real party before... just the times me and Echo would buy a couple of doughnuts and eat them on the roof of the orphanage while looking at the stars. Surprisingly, he "found" a book of constellations one day and we got to memorizing them. That was probably one of the best times of my life. I looked up and noticed AJ was gone, along with the pink one. I had dozed off again. Shaking it off, I headed over to the buffet table, and found Echo in a muffin eating contest against a gray mare with a blond mane. Her eyes seemed... off, and she was beating Echo by a landslide. She was inhailing muffins one by one while Echo stopped trying and looked on in disbelief. The crowd around them continuously chanting "GO!GO!GO!GO!"

'Someone's enjoying himself.' I thought as i grabbed a chocolate covered doughnut and bit int it. I widened my eyes in disbelief at the pure sweetness of the pastry, never having one as good as this one. I quickly ate it, only to take another one in just as fast. 'Chew, Solus' I thought to myself, finishing the doughnut and looking around the table for anything else that looked tasty.

Suddenly I heard a loud cheer, followed by "DERPY! DERPY! DERPY" I looked over to Echo, but this time his eyes were staring straight ahead and were twitching. I walked over to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder.

"You okay?" I asked when I didn't get a response. He semed lost in a faraway world.

"Too many muffins." he said before darting over to he restroom in the far corner before I could question. Well, he enjoyed himself while it lasted, at least. I started scanning the crowd, when the music dimmed down a bit and a voice came out of the speakers.

"Everypony make some noise!" I looked up and noticed a white mare with a stunning electric blue mane and a music note as her cutiemark, surrounded by large speakers that were flashing lights to the beat of the music. She was also wearing some purple glasses, it seemed. She brought out a black record and set it on the turn table. Suddenly loud electronic beat was blasting through the speakers around the DJ booth. It was a new type of music I've heard about recently. What was it called again? Dubtrot? Eh, I'll just stick to my old fashioned hard rock, but that doesn't mean this music wasn't enjoyable either. Out on the dance floor, lights were flashing, were ponies dancing, and everypony seemed to be having a good time.

Seeking out refreshments to quench my thirst, I started walking around in search of a... a punch bowl? They have those at parties... right? Well, I'll find out soon enough. I walked around the crowd of ponies, not wanting to get bumped into and have to awkwardly apologize. Soon enough, I saw a table with various drinks. I walked over and right away spotted what I was looking for. Apple Family's Apple Juice. My face brightened, and as I extended a hoof to the closest bottle, I bumped another hoof reaching for the same one. A light blue hoof. Slowly I looked up and found the mare from earlier today, the one with the captivating eyes.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry." She said. I didn't respond, however. I was too lost into her eyes. Suddenly, I realized I was staring and quickly snapped out of it. I pulled my hoof back while awkwardly apologizing.

"I'm sorry, It's just that your eyes... they're so... " I trailed off, finding myself getting lost again. "Beautiful..." I finished, to which she blushed and smiled.

"W-well, I like your eyes too..." She said looking away. It was my turn to blush. I had that feeling stirring in my chest again. It was so foreign, but so right. "Whats your name?" She asked.

"Solus... and yours?" I asked in return, looking around as to not get trapped in her eyes again.

"Ares Starlight, but you can just call me Star, if you want." Just as I was about to respond to that, I heard a voice over the speaker again, this time, a bit more high pitched and energetic.

"Can anyone find the new ponies? We need to celebrate their coming into ponyville!" Once she finshed there was a loud cheer.

"I think that's your queue." Star stated, I nodded to her, grabbed a bottle of apple juice with my wing, and made my way over to the stage nervously. Once up on stage, I noticed Echo wasn't around, and began to panic.

"Where's your friend?" The white mare asked quietly from behind the booth. Suddenly, there was a loud flush of a toilet and Echo came out finding everyone staring at him. I waved at him to come up on stage and he ran up as fast as he could. Pinkie then came up to both us us, holding a microphone with the curl at the font of her mane...

"Alight! Right here we have..." She directed the mike towards me, startling me slightly.

"Oh, Solus." I said, voice cracking a bit from the nervousness, and was awarded by a cheer from the ponies on the dance floor.

"And his friend..." She said, directing her mike to Echo next... oh boy.

I quickly covered my ears, as he grinned, before yelling into the mike. "I'm Echo!" The speakers began to ring from the sheer volume of his yell, and the crowd of ponies all visibly winced, before giving a small glare at Echo.. The DJ, however, seemed unfazed.

"Alright! Everypony give these two ponies a proper welcoming!" She yelled into the mike which caused everypony to yell out as loud 'Welcome to Ponyville!' as loud as they could. Echo, the nut he is, started bowing to the crowd before he set a hoof around me.

"So, Solus, word around town is that you can sing. Care to sing for us?" the DJ asked, followed by the rapid nodding of pinkie in agreement. I contemplated it, never having sang on a stage with a microphone before. I quickly decided against it, seeing as to how many ponies there were, in comparison to what i usually deal with when I sing.

"M-maybe some other time..." I trailed off, getting a few disappointed groans from the crowd.

"One more question!" Pinkie said, "Why don't you have cutiemark? Most ponies around your age should already have one, shouldn't they?" There were a few whispers going around in the crowd, all eyes now on my blank flank. Now there's something I don't think about. It doesn't really bother me either, though. I never really sought out to find my special talent like other ponies do.

"I haven't really tried finding my talent. It's never been that important to me." I said, getting a gasp and multiple confused looks from the crowd.

"Now that's a story for another time! I'm sure we'll be the bestest friends ever! Anywho, lets keep the party goin'!" She said, firing up the crowd, and the speakers, once again. As I was stepping off the stage Echo dove into the crowd and started crowd-surfing again. I've never seen him this happy before... it made me feel horrible to think I was going to leave it behind in that wretched place. Looking around one again, I sought out to make the best of the party.

*****

Sometime near the end of the party, I found myself talking to Star again, and we stepped outside for a quieter environment.

"And those three stars up there, the ones lined up, make up Orion's belt. " I said, showing her the constellations. We were sitting on the grass idly conversing, and we eventually got to star gazing. "And the full constellation makes up Orion, A warrior said to have walked on two legs and come from a far away land a few thousand years ago.

"How do you know all this?" She asked with a light giggle. "I thought you said you didn't have anything more than a fifth grade education."

Grinning, I said, "Me and my friend, Echo, would look at the stars as colts. We found a book on constellations, and got to memorizing them. Well, mostly me, anyways. Echo was never patient enough." I said, with a light chuckle and looked over to her. She turned to me as well, and we sat there staring into each other's eyes. I found myself captivated again, and slowly, we both started leaning into each other. I closed my eyes and got closer, an-

"D'AWWW! Look at you two!" I heard from behind, causing me to yelp and fall backwards. I looked at the source of the yell, and found Echo staring at us with a gleam in her eyes, and hooves pressed into his face making his lips puff out.

"Echo!? What are you doing?" I asked, my heart pounding from the shock.

"I've been looking for you! The party finished, like, ten minutes ago!" He said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh shoot!" I heard Star say "I gotta go! I'll catch you later!" she said darting off. She stopped a couple of feet away, however, before coming back and giving me a peck on the cheek. "Bye!" She said, shooting off into the air. I stood there, a bit shocked and felt my face flush. Did she just-

"Echo to Solus, come in Solus." Echo said, knocking on my head. I quickly shook my head, and began to walk back into the building, face still flushed.

Author's Note

Sorry for the late chapter!!! I went out of town for the weekend, and didn't have much time to do this without it getting in the way of my family. As apology, I made it extra long just for you guys!

Anyways, As always, cover art and editors still being accepted!

Have a Nice day!

--Solus
P.S. Thanks to all of you who have been sticking by me so far, I really appreciate it :D

To Be Loved

Once I entered the building, i noticed that the place looked a whole lot different when there weren't sweaty, screaming ponies on the dance floor. There were just a few ponies left, aside from me and Echo. Six, to be exact, three whom we already know. The first was a lavender with a dark purple mane and a pink streak going through it. The second was a cyan pegasus with a... rainbow mane? Huh, that's new. And the third was a pure white unicorn with a purple. styled mane. The purple one was the first to speak of the three. She seemed like a leader figure, compared to the rest of the group.

"Ah, so you're the new pony!" She said, "I didn't get a chance to see you during the party." She continued while studying me closely

"Uh... I was on stage." I said pointing to the general direction to where the stage was only to realize it was gone.

"Oh, right, well you see-"

"Twilight here had her nose buried in her books again, isn't that right, Twi?" The rainbow maned mare interrupted, to which Twilight blushed. She had a raspy, tomboyish voice and a bit of an attitude. "I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in all of Equestria!" And there it was, the competitive athlete, I assumed.

"Rainbow, darling, it is very unladylike to boast in such a manner." This time it was the white unicorn. She sounded like she belonged in Canterlot. "I'm Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique." A dress maker. Well, at least she doesn't seem as conceited as most ponies from Canterlot. In fact, this is a pretty... fun looking group of ponies. We have the party animal, the shy one, the jock, the smart one, the hard worker, and the... I'm not too sure what Rarity is...

"I'm Solus, and this here is-"

"Echo! Ha, totally finished that for you!" Great... way to make a first impression. I turned over to him in time to see him gallop towards a tray of doughnuts. Soon after Pinkie bounced over his way, and started talking to Echo about baking all sorts of things. Echo listen on and began to drool.

"Quite the fan of sweets, I see." Twilight spoke up. I smiled and turned over to her.

"Yeah. We never rally had too many sweets growing up. He probably feels like he's in heaven."

"What do you mean?" Crap... looks like It's about to be story time.

"How do I put this?" I began, "We, umm... we come from an underfunded orphanage, so we never had many sweets growing up." Now I had everyone's attention. Surprisingly, Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up.

"So why are you here, then?" She said, asking the million dollar question. "Shouldn't you guys still be over there?"

"Yes, but it wouldn't be safe. There's been a sudden spike of crime in the past month, and it was either move somewhere else, undetected of course, duke it out at the orphanage, or succumb to a life of crime." I finished, everybody looking towards our direction with shocked expressions. Everyone except for Twilight. She looked more baffled than anything else.

"That's strange," She began, " The same has been happening here in Ponyville, from what I've been noticing."

"Just the other day, a stallion tried to get away with a hoof-full of my gems!" Rarity stated.

"And I heard of a robbery at the Quill and Sofas." Rainbow Dash finished. These crimes seem a little low caliber, though.

"The crimes of my town were of a higher degree... there's been murders and hostages along with bank robberies."

"WHAT?" came a loud, collective gasp from all six ponies, Pinkie and Echo haven just gotten here moments ago.

"How many murders have there been?!" Asked Twilight, clearly panicked. Looks like there hasn't been a murder here in a while.

I braced myself before answering. "Umm... about four the past month." Nothing came. I looked back and noticed everybody had horrified looks on their faces. Scratch that, there hasn't been a murder here in a REALLY long time.

"What if that starts happening here in Ponyville?" Came a soft voice. I looked over to Fluttershy and saw tears welling in her eyes. Now I felt like a douche.

"I'm sorry... I... I didn't..." I stopped when she started to openly cry. Crap. She looks like one of those ponies who should never cry. As every one went to comfort her, I sat and stared at the ground. I've never liked upsetting ponies, it seemed like the worst thing I could possibly do. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hooves wrap around from behind me, and a soft voice speak.

"It's okay, I forgive you. you had no idea how we would react." Fluttershy spoke. Now I was surprised. I've never had someone forgive me so easily.

"Thank you all..." I stated, feeling an overwhelming need to gratify the ponies before me. "You guys have shown me nothing but kindness and hospitality, that is so much more than I could ever ask for." I continued, voice cracking a bit. next thing I know, I was engulfed in a group hug by all remaining ponies in the room. That reminds me... "As nice as this is, we don't have a place to stay, and i was wondering if it was illegal to sleep n the park here in Ponyville." I stated, getting a few giggles from the group.

"You can stay at my place, my cloud home is big enough for the two of you!" Rainbow Dash proudly stated. Uh oh...

"Umm, two problems," I began. Here it goes. "One, Echo's an earth pony, and two, I can't exactly fly."

"What?! But you're a grown pegasus! You should have learned years ago!" Rainbow Dash began. Like I didn't know that.

"Enough, Dash!" AJ snapped at her. She's the last person I would expect to defend me. "Y'all are welcomed 'ta stay in mah home, we got enough room for the two o' 'ya."

"Thanks, AJ." I said, earning a smile from her by using her nickname. "Well then, I guess this is good bye for now." I started, looking at the group, who were all wearing smiles, Pinkie's being the biggest. "Thanks for the party, Pinkie." I said as the three of us exited the building and walked in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

Looks like things are starting to look up.

Author's Note

I'm sorry for the late chapter guys, I've been preoccupied with school. Lets just say that at the end of an essay typing week there isn't much of me left to be typing. Anyways, Help still wanted and all that fun stuff.
Have a nice day!

--Solus

Already Home

Once I exited the shop, I noticed there was a crisp breeze outside. It was on of those perfect nights for stargazing, when it wasn't too hot or too cold. I looked up to the sky and saw it was so much more illuminated here in Ponyville. 'Maybe I could put off sleep for just a few more hours.' I thought to myself.

"Someone's gonna stargaze tonight," I heard Echo tease from my left. "I don't blame you though, the sky here is a lot more beautiful." He said as if he was reading my thoughts, and sometimes I think he actually does.

"Stargazing? The only pony Ah ever really hear that from is Twi, 'nd even then she keeps it ta herself." I figured, she seemed very studious, like she could answer any question you've ever had... almost.

"I take it not many ponies find the night interesting?"

"Not any that ah know of." That didn't sit well with me. The night was so beautiful out here for ponies to not be enjoying it. Heck, even the moon seemed brighter, and it had a halo around it.

"That's a shame." I said a little louder than I intended. "Do you think Twilight has an extra telescope I could borrow?" I added as an after thought. I've never used a telescope before, and the very thought of it seemed very exiting!

"Ah wouldn't know mahself, ya should try askin' her next time ya see'r." Setting the personal quest to the back of my mind, we continued walking down the dirt path.

Then everything went quiet. I mean, sure, the night was quiet on its own, but this was an eerie, unsettling type of quiet. I stopped on a dime and Applejack seemed to notice.

"Somethin' the matter, Sugarcube?" She asked, concern in her eyes. I shushed her, and perked my ears as I glared at a building several yards to my left. Slowly, I made my way towards it, and started going around it. As I neared the corner, I heard two distinct voices, a male and a female, one which I recognized.

"Please, I don't want any trouble..." She said, then it dawned on me who she was.

"Don't worry, this'll be over in just a second." I heard the male say in a menacing voice. I knew I had to save her, but I knew that revealing my powers could come back and bite me in the flank. I stepped around the corner, plan formulating in my head.

Once I was in Star's sight, she had a look of fear and worry when she looked my way. The stallion noticed her turn, and he looked over to me as well. He seemed amused at my glare, given his size he was half a foot taller than me.

"Get outta here kid, ya didn't see nothing." He said in that scratchy voice of his. Still formulating a plan, I decided to stall.

"On the contrary, I have two other witnesses that say otherwise." I said, now having a good idea of what to do. now if only I could get angry.

"Oh yeah, what're you gunna do 'bout it?" He asked as he yanked Star towards him, stoking her face with his damned hoof.

"Back off." I stated, simply and calmly, but with so much hidden meaning. It was by then that he walked over to me and stood right in front of me, sizing me up. He leaned into me and spoke.

"Make me." Next thing I know I was sent flying a few feet back. I wasn't anticipating an attack, but now I was down right pissed. I released my hold on my "Magic" and glared at him dead in the eye, which made him waver a little bit.

"'Ya think your eyes are gunna scare me boy?" It was at this point that I stood back up and began walking towards him, keeping my sight on the ground so the others wouldn't see my eyes. "Come back for more?" He said readying himself for another buck, that is, 'till I looked him in the eye.

I spin around on my front hooves and bucked him in the face. Hard. a fraction of a second later I used my "magic to send him flying to a building a dozen feet away. From what I could tell he was unconscious, and had a broken jaw. I brought my power back inside me and felt my eyes go back to normal. I looked over to Star with a worried expression on my face. She ran up to me and embraced me without a second thought.

"T-thank you." She said, and it meant everything in the world to me.

"Hey AJ, how about we have Solus meet us at the farm." I heard Echo state from somewhere behind me.

"Uh, sure, we'll see ya at the farm, ahm sure ya cant miss it." Very discrete, but I guess I couldn't complain. They began to walk in the direction Sweet Apple Acres.

"So... I guess I'm walking you home now." I said, earning a slight giggle from Star. I broke the embrace and bean to look around. " So, uh, which way?" I asked.

"It's this way, follow me." She said as se took the air. Uh oh. "What's wrong?" She asked, clearly oblivious to the embarrassing fact that I can't fly.

"I... I can't exactly fly..." I said, feeling warmth flood into my cheeks. Never before have I felt this embarrassed, but then again, Star gives me such different feelings.

"It's never too late to learn." I heard her say as she offered me her hoof.

*****

"This is amazing!" I yelled into the night sky, feeling the cool night air rush past my face. I looked over to Star to see a smile on her face as well.

"Come on, lets take a break." She said while banking towards a cloud. I followed close behind and had a rough landing, resulting in both of us tangled in each other's hooves. Once again, I was mesmerized by her eyes. I realized I was staring and got back up immediately.

"S-sorry!" I stuttered, not really knowing what else to say.

"Don't worry about it." she replied with a small blush on her face. It was at that moment that I let gravity take me down and I lay on the cloud and gazed at the stars. "Bit for your thoughts?" I heard her say from right next to me

"The sky here is beautiful." felt her lay right next to me, and felt her hooves wrap around me. I turned over to her and looked her straight in the eye. "But not as beautiful as you." I finished, earning a bright blush from her. We suddenly found ourselves leaning into each other, but this tome there was no interruption.

Our lips met and there was no other feeling like it. Actions really did speak louder than words. I knew as I slowly found myself into unconsciousness, that I found a home. That everything would be alright.

Author's Note

Thanks to the week long break I was able to get my thoughts back in order, and came up with a chapter I'm proud of.
Cover art and editors still being accepted, yada yada yada.

Have a nice day!

--Solus

Nightmare

Fire. It was Everywhere. The sky was dark and smoke and ash filled the air. Everypony was running in the opposite direction I was facing. Taking a closer look, there were many flaming piles of rubble that I’m guessing used to be houses.

Now I was definitely curious on what was going on. I tried to stop an incoming mare, only to be ignored completely. With a little more determination, I got in the way of a stallion running in my direction, and found he wasn't stopping anytime soon. I braced myself, expecting an impact, but it never came. He had gone right through me, leaving me with an odd, slightly nauseating feeling.

After a moment of recovery, I set out to find out what the hay was going on. The fire around me seemed to be arranged into a trail, leading me in one direction only. Then there was a scream, a scream from an all too familiar voice.

“Star!” I galloped down the road, being directed only by the walls of fire, and the general direction of the scream. After what seemed like hours of galloping, I saw a silhouette of a pony backed up against the wall through the smoke. “Star!” I yelled again, and once I got closer I saw she was battered and bruised with nothing but pure terror in her eyes. They seemed to be fixated on something through the smoke.

Following her line of sight, I began to see the shadow of a pony hovering in the air, slowly making its way in our direction. I soon saw that this pony had wings, but still managed to hover in the air without flapping them. The closer it got, the more I could make out its features. Next I found the pony was a stallion, and his eyes were glowing a blood red, and has an evil grin on his face.

Suddenly, a tendril of what appeared to be dark magic shot through the smoke and swiped up Star from the ground. She began struggling right away, pounding on the tendril, pleading to be let go. Then the pony hovered out of the smoke, and what I could not comprehend what I saw next.

It was me.

I was frozen in shock, not really knowing what to do. He brought Star to his face and stared into her eyes, slowly tightening his grip on her. Once she was about to black out, he dropped her, and she landed hard on her back. The other me then raised his tentacle high ith the air, constantly expanding in size as all I could do was watch. Star gave one last look at the other me, a single tear falling from her face. And then it came down on her.

*****

I gasped when I awoke, covered in a cold sweat and greeted by the sky of approaching dawn. I frantically looked around and noticed I was still half intertwined with Star. I noticed right away that she wasn't battered and bruised. ‘A dream,’ I thought, ‘It was just a dream.’ I gave a sigh of relief and sat up in the cloud, remembering that I didn't go to Sweet Apple Acres. ‘Echo’s never gonna let this go.’ I mentally frowned, expecting a lot of teasing the next time I see him.

I felt Star stir, and realized she was beginning to wake up. She gave a yawn and stretched her legs. “Good morning.” I said, a little louder than intending to, startling her a bit.

“Oh, hey.” she said with a sleepy smile, and a bit of a bedhead.

‘How does one get a bedhead on a cloud?’ I thought, but decided to question it later. “Sleep well?” I asked, hoping to start a conversation with her.

“Like a foal, and you?” She replied, taking this conversation exactly where I didn't want it to go.

“A little bad dream, but nothing to be worried about.” I lied with a smile, remembering the look of horror on her face. Oh boy, that’s gonna scar me for a while. “Other than that, we’re up just in time for the sunrise.” I said, pointing to the horizon.

Star gave a smile as she walked up and sat next to me on the edge of the cloud. Afterwards, she leaned on my shoulder while I held her hoof in mine. Slowly, the sun came up over the horizon, illuminating the sky and the world under it. I leaned over and gave Star a peck on the forehead, earning a sigh and a little more cuddle.

‘I could get used to this.’ I thought, feeling more at peace than ever before. “I think we should get going. Echo’s probably worried sick about me.” I suggested, not really wanting to go myself.

“Yeah, I gotta get home too.” Star said. She turned over to me and smiled. “I’ll see you later, kay?”

“Sounds good to me.” I replied with a smile, looking into her captivating eyes. She leaned in and gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek.

“Later!” She said, diving of the cloud, and flying into the distance.

I looked into the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. “Here we go.” I mumbled aloud, and began gliding towards the direction of the apple farm.

*****

Once the farm was within walking distance, I landed on the dirt road and trotted in the direction of the farm. When Apple Jack’s house was in sight, I noticed she and Echo were waiting for me on the front porch. ‘Oh, boy.’ I thought at the sight of Echo, expecting a barrage of dirty jokes. Or maybe I was just overreacting. With one final push, I continued towards the house, catching the attention of both ponies. Echo, unsurprisingly, was the first to speak.

“So how was it?” He asked while wiggling his eyebrows, getting AJ to snicker lightly. This is going to be a long day...

Author's Note

Well... this is pretty late. I blame school work, and a bit of laziness. Not much else to say from here...

Have a nice day!

--Solus

P.S. No tentacle jokes!

Monsters

"For the last time, nothing happened!" It was at this point where Echo had asked for the hundredth time, 'What happened?' I can't really complain,though. That's classic Echo for you.

"Alright, that's enough, you two," AJ said, "Breakfast should be ready soon, if yer hungry." We were relaxing under one of the apple trees in the orchard, discussing what exactly we could do in a small town like Ponyville. "'Sides, can't bicker on an empty stomach, can ya?"

"Can't deny that." Echo replied, "We should head inside. I'm pretty sure Solus here needs a shower form doin' the dirty deed." He said as he turned and stuck his tongue at me. Instantly, my cheeks flared red, and Applejack gave no attempt to stop her laughter. That little... well, at least it couldn't get any worse.

I have a hefty sigh before saying, "While I will deny that anything happened, I will not say no to a shower. Do you mind, Applejack?"

"None at all, Sugarcube. Help yerself." As we walked inside, she introduced me to three other members of her family. "This here's Applebloom." She said pointing to a yellow filly with a red mane. "This is Big Macintosh, or Big Mac for short." She pointed over to a stallion way larger that i was. he had a black coat and a short blond mane. And last, but not least, there's Granny Smith." she finished, gesturing towards a green pony with a white mane resting on a rocking chair. For a second, she seemed dead, until she gave a loud snore that startled me a bit. "And Apples, This here's Solus." She said, pointing towards me.

"Uh, hey everypony." I said awkwardly, all their attention suddenly directed towards me.

After my horrible greeting, AJ directed me to the bathroom and I gave her a quick thanks. "Now be sure ta be out by breakfast, ya hear?"

"Yes ma'am." I said, giving a mock salute. After she was out of sight, I closed the door with my telekinesis and locked it. I took off my scarf and set it on a towel rack as I pushed aside the shower curtains and started the water. I quickly noticed the had warm water, which was something that was never available at the orphanage.

I gave a hefty sigh when I felt the water come into contact against my coat. I don't remember the last time I bathed in warm water, so i just let it cascade down over my body for a while. I began to clean myself, using my telekinesis to wash my back and other places generally difficult to reach. Stepping out of the shower, I noticed a thick cloud of steam hung in the room. I hadn't realized how hot the water actually was.

I began to dry myself as the steam was slowly starting to clear, and retrieved my scarf once it was easier to see. I walked up to the mirror to put my scarf back on, but it was blurry with the water vapor so i began to rub it off with my hoof. When I moved my hoof out of the way, my eyes widened with pure terror and I nearly lost my balance at the sight of my reflection.

The evil me from my dream was staring at me with his blood red, pupiless eyes and sickening grin, up until he started speaking.

"So, did you enjoy our little show last night?" He asked, sounding exactly what something from the deepest pit of Tartarus would sound like.

"Who are you?" I asked, getting a wierd feeling from his general direction.

"A friend, an enemy, I can be either, depending on how you choose to behave yourself within the next months." He said showing off his overly pointy teeth.

"W-what do you want from me?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

"It is not what I want, but what we want. Be careful, boy, you will not be able to contain me for much longer." He said, his image starting to dissipate.

"Solus?" I heard Echo call from outside the bathroom. "You alright in there? Breakfast is getting cold, and the apples won't start 'till everyone's at the table."

"I'm c-coming!" I said, hastily putting on my scarf, wanting to get away from the mirror as fast as possible. Unfortunately, that caused me to crash right into Echo, who was still right on the other side of the door.

"Whoa! You okay there, Brony?" He asked, searching my eyes with a bit of concern.

"Yeah... I'm just... really hungry?" I lied, coming up with that horrible excuse in mere seconds. Fortunately, he bought it, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Then what're you waiting for!" He exclaimed, galloping to the dining room. Chuckling slightly at his antics, I followed suit and was almost instantly greeted with the scent of apples upon entering the area. My jaw nearly dropped down to the ground at she sheer amount of Apple related foods that seemed to cover every inch of the table's surface.

"Close yer mouth, or you'll catch a fly!" Applebloom directed towards me. I did as she said, but still stared in disbelief at the table. The only other time I had seen so much food was at Pinkie's party, but even then there were so many other ponies there that it was reasonable. But this much for only six people? I had no idea what to make of it.

"Somethin' the matter, Sugarcube?" I heard applejack direct towards me, and shook me from my thoughts.

"It's just... that's a lot of food, and I was kind of expecting a small meal, not anything like this." I said a bit sheepishly, not knowing how any of them would respond. "Are we expecting company, or something?"

"No sir, this is for anyone and everyone at this table, so what're ya waitin' for? Dig in, everypony!

******

Needless to say, breakfast a AJ's was awesome, even if everything did have an apple-ish taste to it. We were just finished and were on our way to town, when I remembered about the stallion last night.

"Hey, AJ?" I called out to her.

"Yeah?" She responded turning over to me.

"What happened to the stallion that had attacked us last night? Did we just lave him there?

"We'll, you did, but me and Echo called over the closest night guard and had him taken care of. Ah'm sure he-"

"Did you see how cool the guard looked?! With his bat wings and his awesome eyes and dark coat!? And then the armor! Solus! We have to enter the Night Guard Batallion! Think of how awesome we could be! We could be like Batmare and Robin, the Colt Wonder!..." I let Echo go off on his rant, mostly because I like seeing him happy.I just smiled and listened on, putting one hoof in front of the other. Though it sounded far fetched, it's not the first time he's mentioned it, and I have considered it a couple of times. They're always looking for a couple of faceless nobodies, so I figured, 'why not'. I guess we'll be able to find out in a while.

Author's Note

Once again, sorry for being late! On the bright side, we've now reached 100 views! this is only the first milestone of many to come!

Have a nice day!

--Solus