Chapters Prologue
"I'm both proud and weird out for you, Iwano," Cynthia said. "I just can't believe you're now a brony."
"I know," I happily said, unaware of her weariness. "But I still have the Pokémon within me! Don't worry about it, Cynthia. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is quite famous in Reality". I looked at the clouds of the night of IW. The moon had been painted with a picture of Mordecai and Rigby in color red, but I really didn't mind since that was normal here. The stars twinkled every second I blinked. It was a normal night in IW.
I then faced to Cynthia. "Thanks to Lorenzo in Reality, my life in both there and here is now both exciting and adventurous again! Look at the positive outlook of this journey, Cynthia: if we recruit and make friends with the Elements of Harmony, Princess Celestia and other ponies we can trust, our forces will get stronger against the Elementals. And Equestria will unite with us.”
Cynthia had long, beautiful blonde hair tied with black-and-yellow striped raindrop-shaped bands. She wore her signature black coat with fuzz on its rims, black pants and black high heels. Her eye color was gray. She was, to me, stylish, beautiful, flawless and powerful.
Cynthia and I were talking in Dew Stroll Square of IW—the square was wide and its grass were light green, with lampposts in each corner, blue benches, marble paths that shifts directions, and a fountain with a stone Luvdisc on its tip spitting water out. Cynthia might had been thinking that I’d become a gay, or rather that she was concern that my Forbidden would take over me again or destruction might befell in Equestria—I thought that second thought made more sense. Every world we’d been for the first time with my sister Lentae, danger always comes...and hope comes out if it in the climax.
Besides, we needed new allies to rely on and new powers for me to develop. And also, once I entered Equestria, a new dark power would be born within me…I needed the help of the Mane Six—Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. Oh, and Spike would help too. I also needed the Mane Six for something even more important…
We’d been standing in front of each other for a few minutes. Cynthia was probably thinking deeper of my entering to Equestria alone, while I was having the thought of meeting Fluttershy.
Cynthia finally sighed. "You are our Leader, Iwano, and I won't argue with that. You have every right to go into a new world to discover new things, create a new power, find new inspirations, and find new friends and..." Her voice began to collapsed and she looked down.
And new girls to fall in love with , she thought. I read her mind with my powers. I was known to be called in IW as the Lady Killer because I fell in love with other girls often in IW and likewise to me too, but they got endangered in the process. It was weird. Cynthia always tried her best not to become jealous, but deep in her heart, she was always hurt whenever this happens.
"I understand," I said. Her sadness quickly washed away from her face and a smile replaced it. "Let's just do this for fun and IW!" I cheerfully said.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Cynthia said. "Do you need me accompanying you?"
"Nnope," I replied. Cynthia had been with me in many adventures and new worlds, but IW needed a sub-Leader. Lentae doesn't know how to handle Imaginundia and I still don’t trust Kassias Grandiel, my secretary and ambassador of the Grand Chase world. “And seriously, I can handle this, okay? Stop worrying!”
"Well, have you come up with your official alternate name in Equestria?" she asked.
My watch blinked. I then raised my left arm, held out my palm, and opened a portal to another world. The portal showed the dirt road entrance to Ponyville, my first destination.
Time and events are very different between IW and Reality. With My Little Pony rolling their fourth season, the memories and circumstances of Equestria would often change depending on the aired episodes. So if there were any changes, I and Equestria would just flow with it. But if the Mane Six or any character met me, they would remember who I was.
For example: if it was November twenty-three right now, the time in my world would be entirely different by time or date sometimes. I couldn't tell what time it was in Reality, but I really didn't want to to know at all.
I then waved goodbye to Cynthia, ran to the portal and cried out, "I am Iwano Imagination!!!"
As the portal closed, Cynthia felt uneasy.
“An Alicorn OC,” she said. “Oh, mother of Arceus, does he even know that most of the fandom hates Alicorn OCs?” She sighed. “An Alicorn as his form and he said he loves being a Unicorn…I just hope for the best he can do this on his own.”
This was a story of my first adventure in Equestria…
Chapter 1: Who Are You?
"Are you ready to see it?!" Pinkie Pie said as she walked the Cutie Mark Crusaders—Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo—to the Sugarcube Corner. As they entered the house and went up the stairs, Pinkie Pie just kept smiling that it almost looked liked it consumed her whole face.
"Tadah!!!" Pinkie Pie showed to the Crusaders the whole room, undecorated from its streamers, balloons and its walls all opaque.
Pinkie Pie’s eyes were light cerulean, her mane puffy like cotton candy yet soft, brilliant raspberry and her coat was pale, light grayish raspberry, and she was an Earth pony. To me she was just all pink from hooves to muzzle. Her cutie mark was two blue balloons with yellow strings and one blue balloon with a blue string.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders was a club consisting of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Babs Seed—four fillies in search for their cutie marks.
Apple Bloom was an Earth pony, had brilliant gamboge eyes, brilliant amaranth mane with a pink bow, and pale, light grayish olive coat.
Sweetie Belle was a Unicorn, had pale, light grayish harlequin eyes, mane colored grayish mulberry with pale, light grayish rose streaks, and light gray coat. Her magic aura was light green.
Scootaloo was a Pegasus pony, had grayish purple eyes, moderate cerise mane, and light brilliant gamboge coat.
Babs Seed was also an Earth pony and cousin of Apple Bloom from Manehattan, had moderate spring bud eyes, her mane was light brilliant amaranth with brilliant amaranth streaks, and brilliant gamboge coat.
"Uh, why are we even here?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Pinkie Pie zipped towards the filly comically. "Well, I want to give this floor some refreshment and help you filly-willies get all your cutie marks," she then zipped above them. "So it would be twice as fun for you girls and me to enjoy! Whattcha say, fillies?!"
The Crusaders looked at each other, unsure. "Uh, Pinkie Pie," Apple Bloom said. "Sorry, but, we're a bit busy today,"
"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"We already planned to do something today."
"What is it then?"
"MARATHON RUNNING!!!" the Crusaders answered in unison as they galloped out of the place like three rabid squirrels chasing a runaway acorn with legs.
"Oh, okay!" Pinkie Pie said, still happy. "I'm just gonna—"
The decorations she needed flew off in every direction, causing a mess. Pinkie Pie just gawked in wonder. ANd the decors stopped.
"That's the sixth time!" Pinkie Pie said happily as she clapped her hooves. "Well, back to work then!"
In the middle of decorating, a Pegasus Royal guard bumped into Pinkie Pie and stumbled her while she was sweeping while dancing and while decorating. She looked at the Pegasus. The Royal guard was clad with armor of gold, like any other in Canterlot. The Crystal Empire’s Royal guards’ armor were the same, but were exclusively crystal sheen with more decorative details—gleams and shininess.
"Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully and salute to her customer as if she was one of the Royal guards herself. "How may I help you?"
In the quiet, white clouds in the sky, a streak of rainbow color zoomed out of a nimbus cloud, dispersing it into puffs like smoke.
"Let's try it again!" Rainbow Dash said as she flies to every part of the sky above Ponyville. "I'm going to—" Before she finishes her sentence, she suddenly veered down from her straight coursing and crashed down into the ground, head first. As she raised herself from the ground and getting her hoof up, her mouth was filled with dirt and her nose with worms.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes were moderate cerise, her mane colored as a rainbow—a combination of light brilliant red, light brilliant vermillion, light gold, moderate sap green, brilliant cornflower blue, and moderate violet—and her coat very light cerulean, and she was a Pegasus pony. Her cutie mark was a blue-red-yellow lightning bolt with a cloud.
She spat the dirtiness and worms, and shook herself to cleanliness. "What happened? I thought my flight was perfect?!" she flew again above.
As Rainbow Dash soared through the skies again, she passed by a yellow cloud chasing a flock of pigeons. "That's the sixth time already," she said as she rolled her eyes annoyingly. "I saw weird clouds before, and that yellow one's one of them." She snorted. "I'll deal with that later. What's the worst that could happen when that thing finally catches one?"
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Rarity screamed inside her closet of her boutique. She continuously screamed her voice high-pitched and ear-piercing. She went out of her closet and looked around her in desperation, trying to find a way to stop herself from screaming. First, grabbed her glass of water and drank it while screaming, which was quite weird. She wasn’t able to swallow the water; instead it just overflows her mouth and made gargling sounds. She spat the water out, but she's still screaming. Out of panic, she began putting her own draft of clothes into her mouth and rolled on the floor as if she’s on fire—from screaming. After a few minutes later, her urge to scream disappeared. She spat out the clothes she stuck in her mouth, all of them wet.
Rarity’s eyes were moderate azure, her mane bouncy curved and stylish moderate indigo and on the shadow side a gradient of dark mulberry to moderate mulberry, and her coat light gray, and she was a Unicorn. Her cutie mark was three lozenge diamonds.
"Now, that was quite odd," Rarity said. "Why did I scream so loud? And why did I have that sudden urge to do that?" Rarity thought for a while. "Well, no matter!” She then just went back to her work. "My slobber is that putrid?!"
"A good walk with me in Ponyville should make you feel better. Right, Angel?" Fluttershy said to Angel the rabbit. The two were walking together in Ponyville’s quiet street. "Do you want anything, Angel?" Fluttershy asked the rabbit. The rabbit, expressionless, just shook. "Oh well then, we'll just—"
Angel suddenly hopped around her frantically, like the rabbit was trying to tell her something.
The rabbit's eyes were black with white pupils and his coat was white.
Fluttershy’s eyes were moderate cyan, her mane pale, light grayish rose, and coat pale, light grayish gold, and she was a Pegasus pony. Her cutie mark was three butterflies with cyan bodies and pink wings.
"What's wrong Angel—" Angel then hopped too high into sky and bumped into Rainbow Dash, who was in a middle of flying. Angel and Rainbow Dash then crashed into Applejack, who was pulling a cart of apples. Apples were spread everywhere on the street after the impact. Fluttershy then came to Rainbow Dash, Angel and Applejack, all dizzy but unscathed, except for the cart.
Applejack’s eyes were moderate sap green, her mane pale, light grayish olive, and coat light brilliant gamboge. She wore a Stetson hat on her head, and she was an Earth pony. Her cutie mark was three red apples.
"Are you three okay?" Fluttershy asked in a soft voice.
Rainbow Dash got on her hoof. "Yeah we're fine," Rainbow Dash irritatingly said. "That was the sixth crash today making a total of thirty-six crashes within six days.” The rainbow-maned pony didn't mention about the yellow cloud.
Fluttershy grabbed Angel with her mouth unto her back. Applejack stood up and looked at all the apples on the street. She quickly gathered all the apples, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, into one place.
After the three gathered the apples, Applejack then faced to Rainbow Dash. "You said this is your sixth crash today and thirty-six in all within six days?" Applejack asked.
"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash replied as she flew up. "I don't know why, but my flying is always perfect! It’s been going on like that for six days."
"That's strange. When I was buckin' some apples back in the orchard, these weird yellow weeds began sprouting everywhere in the acres. It kept goin' for six days, countin' today. Me and Big Mac got rid of the recent weird weeds this morning. Believe me, they were really buzzin' my ears."
"And a while ago," Fluttershy joined in, "The animals in the woods just won't come near me for six days. I became desperate, but I was able to control myself this time thanks to Angel's company." She snuggled her rabbit affectionately. "I just don't know why. Oh, I hope they would like me again."
After her story, Rainbow Dash cracked into laughter and fell on the ground rolling. "You wanna be forever alone with a bunny? I'll remember it!"
She kept laughing and laughing until Applejack glared at her and stopped.
"Uh, sorry," Rainbow Dash apologized as she scratched her mane in abashment.
In a library atop an ivory tower, Twilight Sparkle was dodging books falling from their shelves. She stopped and immediately used her magic (its aura was light brilliant raspberry) and conjured a dome to protect herself, while she scowls.
"I'm here to just dust off and organize these books while waiting for Cadance's instructions for our royal meeting later," she muttered, "and this is what I get as a welcome-back party?!" The Princess turned around and just saw hail of books. It was as if the book rain would never end. "First the Golden Oak's Library's books were flying and I had to stop them and search for the rest of the other missing books all over Ponyville yesterday...and now falling books?! All I'll also call this disorganized ."
The rain finally stopped and Twilight flared her nostrils.
"Spike!!!" Twilight Sparkle called. Her face was full of shock and disbelief. Spike then came. Spike’s eyes were moderate pistachio, his spike frill moderate harlequin, and his scales light mulberry with a light spring budish gray underbelly and light lime green "ears".
"What's going on, Twi?" Spike asked.
Twilight Sparkle's eyes were moderate violet, her mane silky straight with bangs and colored moderate sapphire blue with moderate violet and brilliant rose streaks, and her coat pale, light grayish mulberry, and she was an Alicorn. Her cutie mark was a pink six-pointed surrounded by five small sparkles.
"I organized these books six hours ago and left for a meeting with Princess Celestia. And when I came back, all the books are disorganized . This is already the sixth time." Twilight looked around.
"Don't worry, Twilight," Spike said as if he always said that, which was true. "You can just organize them again. It's no biggie since you can organize very well.” Seriously , Spike thought. They’re just all mixed up. It’s not that even important, Twi.
"I know, but in a few minutes I'll be having a meeting with Princess Cadance in this library. Then I’ll have a lot more."
"Well, we can just organize these books later—"
Princess Cadance entered the library. Her eyes were grayish purple, her mane curly-licked by its tips and colored dark violet with moderate roses and pale gold streaks, and her coat pale, light grayish cerise, and she was an Alicorn, just like Twilight and the rest of the princesses. Her cutie mark was a teal crystal heart with a gold lace.
Twilight then sighed, smiled and walked to the princess.
"Hello, Twilight," Princess Cadance greeted. "We need to postpone our meeting first.
Twilight sighed in relief, but her face turned to question. "Why will it be postponed? Is there something wrong?"
"You'll find out soon once you and Spike come with me to the throne room with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."
Spike and Twilight looked at each other, and then walked with Cadance.
The royal gates opened were opened, by two Unicorn Royal guards with their magic, for Twilight, Spike and Cadance to enter.
Princess Celestia's throne room was a long hall. The floor was a checkered pattern of light-blue and white, with a long red carpet decorated with yellow hearts. Detailed-marked, marble columns supported the room's roof and were ornamented with flowers and flags. On the sides were tall glass windows and stained ones, depicting the past, memorable and noble events in Equestria—Discord's defeat, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's ruling over Equestria, Nightmare Moon's banishment to the moon for a thousand years, Twilight and her friends wielding the Elements of Harmony to wipe out Nightmare Moon back into Princess Luna, and Twilight Sparkle's transformation into a princess—into an Alicorn.
Where is Flash? Twilight thought. Twilight, no time for that—this might be really important! She then asked Cadance, "What are we doing here?"
"I really don't know," Cadance replied. "Princess Celestia might fill you in the details. I'll see you soon then, Twilight."
They stopped at the end of the carpet before Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Twilight's friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity. Cadance bid Twilight goodbye and left the throne room.
Princess Celestia’s eyes were pale, light grayish magenta, her mane ethereal—swaying just like Luna’s—striped with light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue and pale heliotrope, and her coat light fuchsiaish gray, and her cutie mark was a stylized sun. She wore a gold collar with a purple lozenge gem on the center and a gold crown with the same gem.
Princess Luna’s eyes were moderate cyan, her mane was moderate cobalt blue—I loved cobalt blue, besides anything green and yellow—and her coat was dark sapphire blue, and her cutie mark was a crescent moon on a dark background. She wore a black collar with a moon on its center and a black tiara.
Twilight was both surprised and happy to see her friends again with all their smiles and good nature, but that didn’t answer her question.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked again.
There was silence at first. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna then looked at each other. Celestia then spoke up, "I know all of you are wondering why the lights are off, the Royal guards not in and all of you here, correct?"
"Yes, princess," Twilight replied. "What's going on again?"
"I had this ominous feeling in my spines. And I have something important to tell all of you, which is connected to all your minor mishaps probably a while ago—or the past six days.”
The Mane Six widened their eyes and asked in unison, “How do you know?”
"Why are they so important, princess? And how do you know about all that?" Applejack asked.
"I'll explain by telling you all of what I’ve dream last night,” Celestia replied.
"It's story time!" Pinkie Pie excitedly sat on the floor and brought out a box of popcorn. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
"I was dreaming that I was in a field of evergreen," Celestia began. "I was looking at skies and the beautiful fields. Everything was peaceful, until the clouds turned gray. The clouds thundered and strong winds blew everywhere like as if a typhoon was going to hit me. That was when I realized that it was caused by somepony. As lightning struck and blinded me for a second, a mysterious pony appeared in the shadows of the clouds.
"It then walked towards me. It appears to be an alicorn, but a stallion. His appearance is quite thin compared to a stallion and he has the same height as Luna, and a little of her built as well. He was light-green in color, his mane was cobalt blue and his eyes were golden yellow. When I looked through his eyes, it may appear to be innocent and timid, like Fluttershy's, but deep down I can feel...Dissonance."
He then began flying and displaying an aerial performance for me—flying patterns and tricks that were so alien to me that it looked like they were from another world. I smiled in delight, but I was a bit nervous. Lightning struck six times behind him, which indicates the number of days and each mishap you ponies are having—today was the sixth day and all your mishaps will be gone, by the way. He appears to have the same speed as Rainbow Dash. He then land in front of me and said this message that I might never forget:
Discord will arise in your land,
Which will dry up everything into sand
I will be the herald
And to enter a hoof in your land I shall.
I want to be friends
Let's be allies with no end
Cure me of the discord within
I Pinkie Promise that I'll not try to be Forbidden.
I will arrive soon
Please be brave and not be gloom
Try to get to know me
And in the end we shall see.
After the message, I was in shock. I then asked 'who are you?' He then replied to me his name: Iwano Imagination.”
Chapter 3: Enter with Colors
Chapter 2: The Meeting
After the story and the message, everypony in the room was fascinated by Celestia’s story, except Luna whose face was disgusted and upset. Her face was like that since the beginning of Celestia’s story.
“I never knew there’s an Alicorn that is a stallion,” Twilight said. “As far as I know, princesses in Equestria—such as you, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and I—are the only known Alicorns. What is he?” Twilight asked with her mind beginning to fill up with curiosity. A stallion Alicorn...what is he? What does he want from Princess Celestia? And more importantly, why is he here in Equestria, other than that message he gave?
“He’s fast as me ? I’m faster than that.” Rainbow Dash bragged.
“He might be a pony from another land,” Celestia guessed. “But what I believe is that he wants to do is to find friends in Equestria to quench his thirst from his Dissonance. That is another reason why I need you all here for this mission: I am asking all of you to go back to Ponyville and search for the mysterious Alicorn. Will all of you accept?”
“How do you know he needs to be quenched of his Dissonance , Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked.
“His eyes in my dream were staring at me and were like sending me a message already,” Celestia answered.
Twilight remembered the chaos Discord made a long time ago. She did not want it to happen once again. She thought that this mysterious Alicorn was far worse than Discord’s power of chaos. She looked at her friends and Spike. Judging by their expression on their eyes and muzzles, they too didn't want chaos to happen again, and would like to accept the mission.
“We accept,” Twilight said, and then finally noticed Luna. “But why does Princess Luna look upset?”
“It is her job to enter dreams and help ponies conquer their nightmares. But for the last six days, she was not able to enter any dream to give either nightmares or good ones. Not even I could help. Luna and I had a theory that this mysterious Alicorn may be the reason why,” Celestia answered.
“It is completely preposterous! I want to meet this mysterious Alicorn,” Luna said as she stomped the floor.
“Calm down, Luna. We will solve this,” Celestia told Luna. Luna sighed and nodded.
“Most of my dreams are made of frosting!” Pinkie Pie said as she hopped in circles. “And I don’t have the slightest bad dream!”
“Thou are difficult to give nightmares these days,” Luna said as she rolled her eyes.
"Wait a minute," Rarity said. "How does he know the Pinkie Promise?"
"I do not know," Twilight answered. "But what matters is that he must be stopped of his Dissonance within."
Celestia nodded and was pleased of Twilight's determination to prevent the soon-to-be chaos.
“I want to give all of you ponies a mission to save Equestria: Find and help this Alicorn from its Dissonance—a dark power, I believe. The minor unfortunate events that happen to one of you may be small, but the true danger may come if we just let him be a loner. He might be a lonely pony who needs friends. Find the Alicorn in Ponyville, which I believe he will be there today. Do I make myself clear?”
They all nodded except Twilight.
Meanwhile, a green Alicorn was hiding near the Everfree Forest sitting down and closing his eyes, thinking of positive thoughts of the ponies back in Ponyville. That alicorn was me.
Yeah, Princess Celestia described me. But that was inaccurate since that was only a dream. Here was my physical description: my eyes were golden yellow, my mane was short and had bangs that were straight front—not down—and colored deep cobalt blue with strong cobalt blue streaks, and my coat was strong green. My muzzle was angular and square off, but not large as other stallions. My built was just like Luna’s, but a bit buffer, but I was skinny compared to other muscular stallions such as Big McIntosh. My wings were weird—they were both dragon wings. I had a cutie mark, of course—a rectangle with a small triangle in an orange circle by the center, surrounded by blocks of different colors. My cutie mark meant that I was elemental and powerful, since I was the Leader of IW. I didn’t wanna brag, but my cutie mark was awesome!
Why do I had the feeling that I’d forgotten something? Hmm…I couldn't seem to put my hoof into it.
It was morning in Equestria and to my disbelief; it was 10:30 AM—it was 10:30 PM in Reality. Times in both IW and Reality were always weird, especially since I was now in this world. I would just focus on the time in Equestria. And today was Sunday.
I was the one who sent that dream to Celestia's head before I entered this world. I just wanted the ponies to look for me faster and I wanted to be more mysterious. I did warn her about my Dissonance within. Did my plan look stupid? Maybe it was.
In every world I had been through, chaos always happened because of me. But I was able to end it with the help of Cynthia and my sister, Lentae. Once the chaos ends, the world would be at peace. If a world I got really attached to—like Pokémon and Digimon—had any chaos, it would only fade away after a few years.
My mission was to be influenced of the Elements of Harmony because of my newfound dark power—Dissonance. It was born within me when I first watched the very first episode of MLP—Friendship is Magic, part 1—and I researched everything about the show and its characters. A few weeks ago, my first dark power—Forbidden—took over me and unlocked my path to Equestria. It was great, but unfortunately that path my Forbidden unlocked was evil, that it gave me the Equestrian version of my dark power.
My second mission was to recruit the good forces of Equestria against my upcoming war with the Elementals—the fifth race of Imaginundia. Our forces were futile against my exhibition battle with Elemental Iwano, my Elemental twin. He was very, very strong that I turning into a Forbidden to defeat him was useless—including all my IW powers. But with these ponies on our side, we might have a chance to take the Elementals down.
My third mission was to develop new powers. With my broad imagination, I might be able to create them. It would take time for my new powers to be born.
I had secondary missions, but they were classified. But I also wanted to find friends here in Equestria.
I was walking north towards Ponyville. The sky was quite cool and breezy. The shrubs and bushes on the sides of the dirt roads were healthier than the ones in Reality. I was just thinking that maybe the ponies might hate me...
Shoot! I was becoming insecure again. Being insecure was one of my problems in Reality. In IW, it was like a little, defenseless colt was trying to wrestle a crocodile in a swamp. Was that harsh?
While walking towards Ponyville, I sang this song called Hall of Fame by The Script featuring Will.I.Am. I just loved singing songs that can cheer my mood up into happiness.
While I was in the middle of the chorus, my iWatch10 suddenly rang on my left hoof. I stopped and took a look at its screen. Cynthia was calling me. Ugh, I bet she was worried again. I used my mind to open the call. A small hologram of Cynthia appeared—I thought she would be in her pony form, but she was in human.
"How's your entrance? Was it safe?" she asked.
"My entrance was fine like every first time in every new world, Cynthia," I answered as I scowled.
"What about that time? Remember that time when Natsu Dragneel's in a middle of a fight with Grey Fullbuster and you entered in their crossfire the first time you entered Fairy Tail guild in Fiore?" she recounted for me. Of course I remembered. It was the first failing entrance I've ever had in a long time. I was unconscious after that.
"Uh, yeah, I know that. But again, my entrance is safe.”
She sighed. "Remember your goals in this world, Diego." She hung up and the hologram disappeared. I was a bit mad when she used my Reality name. I didn’t like it at all.
I continued on the road and sang Fireflies by Owl City.
Meanwhile, Twilight and her friends boarded off the train in the train station and walked to Ponyville.
"It’s great to be back in Ponyville, Twilight?" Applejack asked. "Uh, Twi?" Twilight ignored Applejack, her head facing the ground.
"Twilight? Are you okay?" Rarity asked. Twilight was still ignoring.
"Hey Twidy-Widey? Are you heary-witty?" Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully. Twilight was still ignoring.
"Is she deaf?" Fluttershy worriedly asked.
"Hey, earth to egg-head?" Rainbow Dash teased as she knocked on Twilight's head. Twilight was still ignoring.
"Twilight!” Spike called her out by the ears that she finally snapped out.
"What the?!” she looked around, snapped out of her thinking. "Oh, sorry girls, I was just thinking about the message that mysterious alicorn told to the Princess. It's haunting me," Twilight explained. "The first four lines of that message already got me thinking of who this alicorn really is. Then, the second four lines... Ugh! I got to stop and..." She began thinking of it again. She then began to recite my message:
“Discord will arise in your land,
Which will dry up by everything into sand
I will be the herald
And to enter a hoof in your land I shall.
I want to be friends
Let's be allies with no end
Cure me of the discord within
I will Pinkie Promise that I'll not try to be a Forbidden.
I will arrive soon
Please be brave and not be gloom
Try to get to know me
And in the end we shall see."
"Twilight!” Spike called her out by the ears again. They then went back to their conversation. “Yeah,” Spike pretended to somewhat agree. “I mean, he knows what a Pinkie Promise is.”
“Hey, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight looked at her. “Did you by any chance party with him somewhere?”
“I’ve partied in the Sugarcube Corner, Canterlot, a cave, and more!” she said as she hopped high. “But I’ve never seen him or know what he looks like.” She then wore a pair of reading glasses and brought out a notepad. “‘Iwano Imagination’?” she said as she browses through her list of ponies and other creatures she met. “Nope,” she took away her glasses and notepad—where? “Never knew him.”
“What I know in general,” Twilight said, “is that he wants our help before he becomes a big threat to Ponyville and to all of Equestria.” Twilight then stopped and turned her back to her friends. “Listen up. Let’s split up and search the whole town for the alicorn. Meet me by the library within an hour if none of you found him. If we do, we must take him to Princess Celestia for an interview or an interrogation, to be more serious.”
“I’m already on it!” Rainbow Dash saluted and flew to the sky.
“An aerial view may help,” Twilight said as she looked where Rainbow Dash flew. “Let’s start!”
The rest of the ponies split up while Twilight and Spike are left together.
“Come on, Spike.” Spike then rode on her back.
The search began.
Pinkie Pie was popping everywhere in the streets of Ponyville in search of the alicorn with a pair of binoculars—where did she get those? Flower pots, clouds, hats of ponies, carriages, the fountains, the houses—anywhere! Name where, and she was there—literally.
Pinkie Pie then spotted a green horn behind a brick wall between two houses. Her eyes widened in excitement and began literally crawling like a snake towards it. And then, she jumped and lunged at the pony behind the wall and land on it.
“I got him! I got him!” she said out loud and looked at the pony. It turn out that it’s just a mare Unicorn Pony. Pinkie then looked at her back—No wings. She immediately got off the mare which has gotten mad at her.
“I’m so, so, so, so, so, so sorry!” Pinkie Pie apologized and ran away in a flash.
Rainbow Dash then zoomed from one cloud to the other while scanning in the sky. She looked down while flying, too.
“If that pony’s an alicorn, then he can fly!” she said to herself. “Maybe he loves to fly like me, so he must be flying right now. All I need to do now is—” She stopped as she found a pair of green wings in a cloud in front of her. She gotten excited and instantly zoomed towards those wings and caught a pony.
“I got you…” she held the wings, but it was actually just a green stallion pegasus pony. She grabbed and looked at his head—no horn.
“Oops, my bad!” she shrugged and flew away before the pegasus gets mad at her.
“Excuse me, sir?” Rarity asked a brown stallion earth pony. “Have you seen a green pony with a horn, wings and cobalt blue hair?” The earth pony shook and left her. Rarity then asked a mare earth pony the same question while she was flower arranging her flower pots outside her house. She shook.
“There’s got to be a way for that alicorn to show up his face to me,” she then thinks for a minute. “That’s it! I’ll use that spell Twilight thought me,” she then began closing her eyes and concentrating. Her horn then shines a color light blue. Everypony around her turn their heads to her and suddenly was mesmerized. Their eyes are all focused on her.
“Well know, let’s see...” She began scanning the hypnotized crowd of ponies for the alicorn.
“Get her horn!!!” Affero shouted out. And after that, approximately twenty to thirty ponies charged towards Rarity. She then panicked and ran away fast as a beautiful gazelle being chased by twenty to thirty cheetahs.
“Somepony please help me!” she cried out.
Wait , Rarity thought. Why did I even cast a spell? Twilight did not even teach me that. What’s going on with me? Wait, was that a ‘want it, need it’ spell I just conjured—on my horn?!
While Applejack was in a middle of her search in the center of Ponyville, she then bumped into Fluttershy.
“Howdy Fluttershy,” she greeted. “Seen the Alicorn yet?”
Fluttershy shook. The ground then began to rumble underneath their hooves. They look around of what’s causing it.
“What in overcooked apple pie is going on here?” she asked herself.
“I think that!” Fluttershy point a hoof behind Applejack. Rarity was being chased by a stampede of ponies, probably still under her spell.
Applejack and Fluttershy then ran away with Rarity.
“What did you do, Rare?” Applejack asked Rarity.
“I used a spell whereas everypony would look at my glamorous horn,” she answered. “But I think I did not got it right this time,”
“Why d’you do that, Rare?!” Applejack seemed to thought and wondered, since when did Rarity learned a new spell? It’s not like she became a smart pony like Twi. What’s going on? Her thought was blocked by anger.
“Well, to find the Alicorn, of course!” the two began to argue. As they do that, they began slowing down. Fluttershy then looked at them in worry that they’ll be crushed by the many hooves of the stampeding ponies. So she decided to take action, even if she feels afraid. Fluttershy then carried Applejack with her hooves and bumped Rarity unto her back. She fluttered her wings hard to fly into the air. Successfully as she flew, the two ponies stopped their argument and realized that they were in the air. Fluttershy became tired and was perspiring. Applejack and Rarity looked below. The ponies chasing them went back to normal and walked away in confusion.
“Darling, you can bring us down now and thank you very much,” Rarity said, ashamed of her argument.
Fluttershy carefully landed on the ground near the Town Hall.
“Sorry that we’re arguin’, Fluttershy,” Applejack apologized.
“That’s okay,” Fluttershy said. “I am glad that we are all right.”
While the Mane Six were still looking for me high and low—Pinkie Pie was digging through a tunnel under Ponyville—I was walking calmly in Ponyville. Everypony were looking at me and murmuring about who am I. I hid my wings using a spell. It will come back once I say alae , the Latin word for wings.
The Mane Six and Spike were walking along together were still looking around for me.
"I thought finding him by covering more grounds and the sky in Ponyville would help," Twilight said. "But I never knew he would be this difficult to find. I mean, I think we searched everywhere!”
"He's even harder than finding my needle through a haystack!" Rarity said. "How can we find an Alicorn who is green, has both a horn and a pair of wings and with cobalt blue mane?"
"You mean that Alicorn?" Fluttershy pointed on their left. I was there by the Joke Shop, thinking if I can buy an item. The Mane Six and Spike were agape.
"Let me think..." I had my right-front hoof on my chin. I've been there for forty whole minutes.
"We have been searching all over Ponyville," Applejack said. "And we did not even see'em there?!"
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash's expression became serious. Pinkie Pie grabbed a rope out of nowhere and tackled me with Rainbow Dash. Twilight, Spike and the rest of the non-wranglers just watched in shock.
Twilight shook her head. "STOP!” she shouted. We instantly stopped. In our frozen state, I was upside-down while I hoof wrestle Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash was tightening the rope around my hind legs.
"Uh, thank you?" I said. She then walked forward, went muzzle to muzzle on me and the look on her face feels like I was in trouble. Was I?
"We are taking you to Princess Celestia. Immediately," she grimly said.
Chapter 3: Enter with Colors
This was just like the time when I was in the Land of Ooo. Princess Bubblegum identified me as a threat (which was true) and interrogated me in a dungeon in the Candy Kingdom with Finn the Human and Jake the Dog. I was supposed to be excited to meet and see the Land of Ooo, but I was wrong… just like this one. Maybe things would turn up good after this.
Before I knew it, I was in Canterlot's Castle on the way to the throne room of Princess Celestia.
My bottom was pushed by two Pegasi Royal guards using their heads. Following us were the Mane Six and Spike. I was all plain and there were no violent reactions from me, though I managed a scared face.
"Excuse me, sirs?" I courteously asked. "I could just walk, if you don’t mind."
"The princess's orders were to push you to the throne room—like this," the first Royal Guard reminded, though it was like he wanted to just let me walk.
"And you have the right to remain silent!" the second one chided.
I wasn't expecting this to happen , I thought to myself. I hope this isn’t like my first time in the Candy Kingdom…
Two Unicorn Royal guards opened the royal doors as we all entered. There were no other Royal guards in the room other than the pushers and the door guards. And I thought they would all have to headbutt me to Celestia. The lights were on and everything was normal inside, except two Royal guards pushing me.
"The two of you are dismissed," Twilight said to the guards. They saluted to her and flew away to the doors, and closed them shut.
They finally stopped pushing me when we reached Celestia by her throne. The Mane Six and Spike all waited for the princess to start talking. With Celestia was Luna beside the throne, looking at me with hatred. She was still angry? Cadance wasn’t here. I thought she was doing some important royal duty in the Crystal Empire with Shining Armor, her husband. Ugh.
There was silence.
The princess examined me from her throne. Her eyes were really observing me with intent, though she didn't have the same hateful expression as Luna’s. I was glad about it.
"Where are your wings?" she asked, but she was not accosting unlike Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, the Royal guards and Twilight. How did she know?
"What wings? I have no wings," I lied in my best casual tone. "I am just a regular old Unicorn like every other in Equestria."
"From where, exactly?" she asked again. I thought I have to be in Casual-Lie Mode now (not a mode).
"I am from Los Pegasus."
"What is your favorite color?"
"Yellow," I answered again, but this time I wasn't lying about my fave color.
"What is your favorite hobby or hobbies?"
"Reading and writing stories." I was expecting Twilight to get interested of me when I said my hobby of it, but she wasn’t.
"What is your favorite fruit?"
"Mangoes."
"How do you summon your wings?"
"Easy! I say alae —shoot!" My wings instantly came back to me in a flash of green light. Dang , I thought. She’s good…or am I just stupid?
Everypony gasped in marvel.
Celestia smiled. "You are the Alicorn in my dream."
I sighed and slap my face with my left hoof. "You caught me. Am I supposed to tell everything and every detail of whom I am and why I came here?"
She nodded.
"Yay, story time again!" Pinkie Pie said joyfully as she brought out a box full of popcorn and sat down again. Applejack rolled her eyes.
Okay, maybe I should stay cool.
"My name is Iwano Imagination. I came from a faraway kingdom called Imaginundia. I am a ruler—a powerful and skillful king—in that kingdom." I had to lie again a little more just to shroud my identity, for their safety, I thought. "Everypony there lived in harmony—Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi."
Besides being a king there, I am an adventurer, too!" I flew several loops in the air and land. "Things have been great in my kingdom, until a great dark power was born within me through my sadness and insecure feelings. Though I was good, there were times that I may hurt my fellow subjects physically and emotionally," Twilight was listening to every word I say to see if I was telling the truth, which was a little. "So six days ago, I left my kingdom in the hands of my loyal assistant and went on a journey to find the rumored possessors of the Elements of Harmony who all reside in Ponyville, as I heard. I met many creatures along the way. And I think I encountered one of your 'friends', too." The ponies looked at each other in question, except Twilight. "I named my dark powers the 'Elements of Dissonance', for they are the opposite of your elements. That is all."
I ended my story.
"The Elements of Dissonance ?" Twilight mused. "Dissonance means discord and discord means..." Her expression became alert as she realizes what it meant.
"Correct, Twilight," Celestia said. "For that, I will give you all the mission for the six—including Spike—of you ponies: all of you must prevent and cure the Elements within Iwano. Each of you possesses an element opposite of his that may help him control or better wash it away. I know the elements were returned to the Tree of Harmony, but that does not mean all of you can't help. Do you all understand the importance of this task?"
Without a single complaint, the ponies humbly accepted.
"We'll do our best, princess," Applejack said.
"Clearly I may give him the proper etiquette to my element," Rarity said.
"Count me in!" Rainbow Dash said with pride, though I think she wouldn’t since she was a bit brash about it. I thought…
"We promise to help him understand," Fluttershy said softly. Fluttershy…
Twilight did not say anything. She kept her eyes on me the whole time without blinking for a second. She was looking at me in suspicion. She then sighs. "We will, princess. But if I may ask: why would you not help him instead?”
“I have too many duties for my kingdom and whole of Equestria, my faithful student,” Celestia asked. “I may have some wisdom, especially from all your Friendship Reports, but I think he needs to be livening up here.” She looked at me with hopeful eyes. I wished she was right about them helping me. "In order to prevent this chaos to fall in Equestria, we must help him see and understand the magic of friendship," Celestia said to the Mane Six then faced to me. "Iwano, you may interact, mingle and socialize with the other residents in Ponyville, even the one who resides in the Everfree Forest."
"Do you mean Zecora?" I guessed which was correct.
"How do you know Zecora?" Twilight asked.
"I just know, that's all," I answered. "Like, your name's Twilight Sparkle. You were tasked by the princess to research on the magic of friendship. And you also represent the Element of Magic." Twilight was agape.
I then turned to Applejack. "You're Applejack. You work and live in Sweet Apple Acres with Big McIntosh and Granny Smith. You like to work hard for your friends and family. You represent the Element of Honesty." She was then agape.
I then faced to the rest of the ponies. "You're Fluttershy," I said as I pointed a hoof on her. "You are very shy and timid. You take care and love animals, except scary ones like dragons. You used to live in Cloudsdale along with Rainbow Dash. You are the Element of Kindness." She was agape. I then pointed at Rarity. "You are Rarity. You love elegance and gems. You own the Carousel Boutique. You are actually a fancy type. You're the Element of Generosity." She was agape, too.
I was then grabbed by Pinkie Pie excitedly by the head. "Are you psychic?!” she asked eccentrically. Why did this look familiar, liked I’d seen this in a movie?
"No, I am not," I replied, still casual. "But you're Pinkie Pie. You worked at the Sugarcube Corner and you have the Pinkie Senses." Pinkie Pie's jaw hit the floor hard.
"Can we just please take him to Ponyville now before he gives stalker info on me?" Rainbow Dash whined. Celestia nodded.
The princess giggled but was not offended by the rainbow-colored mane pony. “As you wish, Rainbow Dash—oh, Iwano, do you have a time limit?”
I wanted to tell her that I only had seven days before my Dissonance can really took over me, but I did not brought it up because that would make the Mane Six and the princess uneasy. So I just shook. Celestia opened the throne room’s doors without ordering the Royal guards and let it open. I shut up for Rainbow Dash and walked with the Mane Six and Spike out of the throne room. Celestia thought about me. While she was at it, Luna forcibly closed the doors with her magic.
"You did not tell him that he was wrecking my job, my sister," Luna said angrily. "I could have just punished and thrown him into the dungeon for blocking my job! And he is Dissonance, you cannot trust him!”
Celestia sighed. "I will tell you something, Luna."
In Ponyville, I was hanging out with the Mane Six and Spike. I was having a great conversation with Pinkie Pie. She reminded me of my friend Vincent “Vice” Lacuna back in Reality. They both made me happy and laugh in a conversation of a random topic. Every time I looked at her, my heart pounded fast in an instance, faster than her comically pursuing Rainbow Dash in every land of Equestria.
I have to control it…
"I never knew your lil' brothers can be that baddy-naughty with your stuff," Pinkie Pie said as she was amused of the story on how my lil' brothers back in Reality did when they ran away from me with my books. "Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake's even worst! But they're actually super-duper fun to be with."
I was talking to her because she was enthusiastic to know me, but deep within I really didn’t wanted to chat with the most annoying pony I’d met.
"I hear ya, Pinkie," I said. "My lil' bros can be helpful and useful in one of my most important times, like finding my present for my best friend's birthday party."
"Ooohhh! Tell me about eeeeeverything about your friend's party!" I laughed a bit because of her enthusiasm. Maybe talking to her would help me for a while.
While I was telling her my story about my best friend's party—Naruto Uzamaki’s party—the rest of the Mane Six were wondering about me and staring at me, especially Twilight.
"How does he know about all of our names especially that we hardly have known him at all?" Rarity asked.
"How does he know 'ow we act and knew our personality?" Applejack asked too as she adjusted her Stetson hat. She must’ve been probably thinking of how I also know her mannerism.
"And do you guys think him and Pinkie Pie can—" Rainbow Dash chuckled and whisper to her friends. "Become couples?" she tried to contain her laughter. Why would she laugh?
"Why is that funny to you, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Nah, I'm just bored. But I'd like to see that happen—"
"Everypony!" Pinkie Pie and I dashed surprised the ponies and Rainbow Dash fell down in surprise as well.
"Iwano wants to do something for everypony in Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie excitedly. "Guess, guess, guess!"
"Uh, go around Ponyville and say 'hi' to everypony?" Twilight guessed.
"Nope! That—" Pinkie Pie pointed at me. I then winked at them. I concentrated on my magic, which made my horn glow golden yellow. After accumulating a bit of focus, I blasted a pink colored beam into the sky. Everypony in Ponyville, including the Mane Six and Spike, watched in wonder. After a minute, the beam splits up and scattered all over the town. Everypony is about to panic, but as the beams hit one of the cottages, they were instantly decorated with balloons, streamers and rainbow colored banners. Ponies hit by the pink beams got dressed in tuxedos and gowns--they were quite surprised and some were happy. The Mane Six were also hit and they were wearing their gowns from the Grand Galloping Gala. Everypony's dressed up elegantly and fashionably, even Rarity was kissing her own dress.
"What in blazing hooves is goin' on?" Applejack asked hesitantly with her dress.
"Pinkie Pie, what did you and Iwano planned?" Twilight asked. Pinkie Pie and I giggled.
"Just two words, Twilight:" I said. "Musical Colors!"
"Bring it!" Pinkie Pie said and became a one-pony orchestra. A happy tune was then played by her with a cassette player connected by four big speakers. Vinyl Scratch—she was wearing a silver colored gown decorated with small CDs and neon light outlines—put up her glasses and blinked in surprise. "How'd my speakers get there?" she asked Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie shrugged. "Iwano said he borrowed them.” Vinyl had no time to get mad, because I was now going to perform and sang a song which was an impromptu composition in my mind: Enter with Colors! I toned my voice with a wee bit of Adam Young, singer of Owl City.
What you were about to read in this story was the lyrics of my song "Enter with Colors". It was both a happy and sad toned music. If you readers didn’t know the tone at all, use your imagination.
ENTER WITH COLORS!
Hello everypony! My name is Iwano! [I was walking through the crowd of ponies]
All I want is for you all to know… [My horn was giving a small glow. This indicates that I’m using my magic, which was making my voice loud for the ponies to hear me]
That I’m a bit weird and quite strange [I zoomed to many ponies that made them easily startled. Well, I had that kind of habit of startling]
I like to act lively and not deranged [I flew up into the sky, flying above the cottages fast…]
But let’s just go on with my intro!!! […And used my magic to spread glitters everywhere. Pinkie Pie opened her mouth and swallowed some of the glitter. I bet she thought the glitters were sugar. She just savored the flavor. Weird...]
I am lazy and a bit dishonest [I landed on a crate softly and act lazy, then…]
But I’ll work hard for anypony that I promised [I pushed a cart of five barrels into the streets, just to show off my strength]
I always stay true to my word [I went to Applejack to said it]
And I love to eat food and not a sword [I went to Derpy and ate the muffin she was holding. She began to sob a bit, but I gave her a bag of muffins. Then I saw a stallion earth pony swallowing a sword]
Let’s just say I am true to myself
And I have a feeling that we’ll get along soon!!! [I went to the center of the crowd in joy]
I always feel that I am lonely,
Sad, isolated and so gloomy
Believe me I always have sadness [I showed everypony my true and sad expression. It hurt me in the inside to do it…]
But inside I do have happiness [I made a large smile and flew up again cheerfully and full of gaiety]
Happiness and smiles are everywhere [I used a bit of my magic to make everypony smile. Pinkie Pie excitedly followed me in pursuit of my “rain of happiness”]
Even in dark places like my heart [Pinkie Pie then saw a hammock hanging between two trees, and used it as a launcher for her to get to me. We then fell into…]
Let’s just laugh, prank, joke, dance and cream ourselves with some jam!!! [We fell into a large pool of jam! Where did this jam came from? We didn’t care! We just lied down and made jam angels!]
As you can all see?
That I’m not all that bulky [I pointed at a very bulky and white stallion pegasi. He looked like that “YEAH”pegasus from the episode “Hurricane Fluttershy”. He was a bit weird, but at least he helped in that episode]
But I am quite flexible [I put my hind hooves behind my back]
And it’s the same as being faithful [I went to Rainbow Dash and gave her an expression saying: Come and race! ]
Occasionally I have faithlessness [Because of that, she and I raced fast and furiously through the clouds, the crowd of ponies and through the cottages. Everything we passed by were swaying through the wind that everypony’s mane were riding it. Rainbow Dash got a clown make-up all over her face. I giggled at her face, but she was full of competitiveness in racing me. Without even saying it, the finish line was reaching the Mane Six. By an inch, I reached them and won]
But for some reason I love to be loyal [Rainbow Dash was surprised and impressed of my speed. I was expecting her to go all impulsive on me]
Let’s go fast and zoom
Leaving a rainbow and let’s all be cool!!! [I used my magic again and blast a beam on the sky that turned into a rainbow. The populace of Ponyville was even more enjoyed than ever! Time to turn it up with a real fashion: me! I quickly used my magic yet again and glowed, like a crystal pony]
Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! [I called to everypony]
How do I look in my suit? [I was showing off again. Rarity seems to admire my suit the most than others]
It defines me of who I am
I actually like to design, decorate and be artistic [Rarity held on her mane and pulled it frantically in excitement just by me saying that line]
But try to look within me [I looked at Rarity in a distance in the eye]
I think I’m quite selfish [I then saddened]
But I am quite generous you see
Let’s all just share our beauty within!!! [Everypony now loved my song that they started following my movements and synchronized with me]
If you remember that I said I am isolated [I disappeared by teleporting with my magic again. Everypony were looking around for me. What they could only hear was me singing]
It is true… And I am also very sensitive
I am just afraid of making mistakes
I’m insecure, self-conscious and timid
I can’t handle crowds of ponies
I’m just feeble and weird
But I do like kind and good ones [I startled Fluttershy behind her by teleporting]
The ones who can also understand [She was about to trip over. I teleported and caught her with my “arms”. I sort of blushed a bit because of that]
Let’s just be kind with our heart!!! [I steadied her balance and cheered her up with just my smile]
I like to be smart [I was now excited to sing these lines to her. I then became very enthusiastic!]
I read books
I love libraries
They’re really cool!
Adventures, romance, horror and educational
I’ll like any kind of book with wonder and mind
I also like words
I read a dictionary often
But let’s all just say that I love
Being an intellectual!!! [I sang these lines to Twilight only. The other mares want me to sing it to them, but I was just focused on Sparkle. I saw a grin on her face, but she managed to fade it away. She must not trust me yet. But I was honest with those lines—I loved books!]
Hello everypony! Now you all know me! [Everpony surrounded me in a circle and swaying to the music and my voice. This was quite…great!]
But that’s not all, as you can see…
I’m quite mysterious but I want to have friends
I have emotions—it’s colorful and grand
Let us all be friendly with our colors
I am Iwano Imagination!
I will enter with Colors!!! [After singing that line, everypony said it too out loud in perfect harmony. Even the Mane Six and Spike—except Twilight—do the same]
After the song, I stopped and caught my breath for a minute. Suddenly, roar, cheer and claps engulfed me.
Chapter 5: Mining For Generosity
Chapter 4: Green Eat
After the song, everypony immediately clapped and stomped their hooves to my performance and began gathering around me. Okay, I didn’t clearly have this in mind about being in crowds. They then started commenting and asking me a ton of questions which jumbled my brain. Just like what I said in my song: I can’t handle crowds of ponies . I then grinned to all of them nervously and courteously, just to make sure not to hurt their feelings. I couldn’t handle this at all! My heart was pounding; my hooves were shaking and my head vibrating. Hesitant, I used my magic to teleport myself unto the top of the Town Hall. Everypony were surprised of my disappearance.
“Woah, he is timid,” said Baritone.
“He should really mingle with his true self instead of just singing his heart out,” said Bell Perin.
“Let’s just wait for that pony to show up again soon, folks,” Mayor Mare said to everypony. They all just went back to their normal business with their suits and gowns. I guess they really like their outfit. Those outfits are designed by Elesa of Nimbasa City in the Unova region, Pokémon world. How did I somehow make them wear those? It’s just magic.
I was still on the top of the Town Hall, thinking of negative thoughts about my performance. I covered my eyes with my hooves and readied myself to cry. I was a disgrace…was I?
“That’s a migh’ defyin’ performance you got there, Iwano,” a voice said to me below. I looked down with my eyes open and saw the Mane Six and Spike. I guess Applejeck was the one who complimented me. “You aren’t bad with your singin’ and dancin’.”
“And I thought Pinkie Pie’s the only one who makes random performances and presentations,” I said.
“Seriously,” Rainbow Dash said irritably as she went muzzle to muzzle on me. “How do you know us very well?” I was about to nervously answer her question when Twilight flew up between Rainbow Dash and I.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said to her. “Give him some time to answer that. He’s still new in Ponyville and our mission is to cure or contain Iwano of his Dissonance, not adding him up with more timidity and anxiety. Who knows? Maybe those things would fuel up his Dissonance.”
She was correct there.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Twilight looked at me to see if I accepted it. I just nodded modestly.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was practicing my shuffling steps and her legs got tangled up into a knot. Her tongue was out and in an impressive sailor knot. That was weird…no wonder she was been a favorite to many bronies.
I then flew down to the ground to my new friends .
“Okay now,” Twilight said. “How can we help you, Iwano?”
I smiled and inhaled myself to calmness. “Well, I just want to hang out with each of one of you girls until seven days are up, each taking turns if one of you decides—” I then turned to face the sky. It was about to sunset. “And I need a place to sleep in for the night. And I thought I finally made them uneasy when I said about the deadline of seven, but they were unfazed.
“I’ll let ya sleep in the barn,” Applejack said. “Today, you’re with me for your first day here, sugar cube.”
“You mean in Sweet Apple Acres? It’s a sure thing, Applejack!”
The ponies looked at each other in delight, but Twilight was still suspiciously staring at me. It seemed like she would have a hard time trusting in me for seven days. Twilight really needed to lighten up.
All of us separated and farewell to each other. I was going with Applejack.
While walking, I was staring at her from top to bottom. She was quite pretty. She was full of honesty—I could feel it—and a hardworking pony to me. She’s… she’s… WOAH! I shook my head to avoid being infatuated and mesmerized with Applejack. You could say I was quite amorous with too many girls in IW who I thought are pretty and good in their heart. I had to stop myself from falling in love all over again! I got to stay focused on my major objectives: put a control or cure to my Dissonance in this world, bond and recruit anypony I could trust, especially the Mane Six, Spike, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
"Um, Applejack?" I asked.
"What is it, Iwano?"
"Are you, um, weird out of my performance? I mean, usually ponies are always weird out by me." I can already imagine of what she'll say.
"Are you kidding me, Iwano? Just like what I say a while ago: That was a migh’ defyin’ performance . Pinkie Pie loves to do those kinds of things.”
“Well, okay. It’s t-time to change the subject. A-are w-we friends?” Dang, my tone sounds bashful. I even stammered. Why am I always like this with girls? I wasn’t like that with girls in Reality, though.
“Of course! I’ll help you in any way to cure your Dissonance. I’m known to be as the Element of Honesty. So Iwano, do you lie often?” Applejack asked.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Wow, that answer of yours was pretty straightforward,”
“I lied to many ponies in my life just to make myself more interesting or to bridge up a relationship,” everything I said is true in Reality.
“Lying can be bad if you just kept on doing that, Iwano,”
“I know,” I whined. “But I don’t want anyone to think I’m that boring—” I drooped. “Or useless—” I let my face rub on the ground while walking. “Or unreliable—” I raised myself. “Or—”
Applejack covered my mouth with an apple. Where did she get this apple? I thought. I just ate the whole apple by a mouthful and spat out the apple core instantly. She then waved in front of me and pointed at our right. It was Sweet Apple Acres! There was a white fence and an entrance, decorated with apples and shrubs, to the family farm/orchard. Applejack and I just smiled at each other. This was a delight for me to first time stay in SAA!
“Is it okay if I can just sleep in the barn by the haystack?” I asked Applejack.
“Well, sure thing!” she replied.
Later, I was just lying down blankly on the haystack.
“Are ya shore you don’t need anything else?” Applejack said as she was about to leave me and close the barn’s doors. “I can give ya some apple pie, apple cider, apple juice, apple cake, apple—”
“I’m fine!” I insisted. “Your hospitality is enough. This is all I need.”
“If ya need anything just ask me.” She then left and closed the doors. She was quite great…
I looked around. The windows were still opened. I used my magic to close all of them shut. For the first time, I would not be using iWatch10 to communicate with Cynthia. Instead, I used magic. Since I was still a powerful leader of IW, I could use my magic as an Alicorn in ease.
I then used my magic and made a rectangular screen like a flat-screen television. The image was blank in white for a second, and then an image of Cynthia appeared. She was in her desk compiled with papers. Her face told me that she was a bit worried but managed to have a subtle smile.
“I knew you’re going to use that kind of magic,” she said. “So that’s why I asked Mari to upgrade my laptop for it to be connected with magical communication and messages.”
“Well, that’s good,” I said. “How are things in IW?”
Her glad smile faded into a frown. I could tell she was having a stressful day as a substitute Leader. “You not being here’s a problem—again. The Elementals are wreaking havoc in some parts of IW and to the other worlds, mostly on the Pokémon world, the Land of Ooo and the Ninja world. In other words, IW is beginning to become imbalanced again.”
I frowned as well. “I recently visited those worlds before I came here in Equestria. Why would they want to wreak havoc in those worlds frequently?” I asked.
“It’s unknown,” she answered. “So how’s everything there?”
“It’s great!” I told her everything of what happened from the entrance to here I was in SAA. She didn’t seem to like Twilight scowling at me. I guessed Twilight still did not trust me for I may be another villain she needed to spray friendship on.
“You really need to make Twilight act more friendly towards you. That song you just—” she giggled. “Sang and perform is not going to do help. You need to be yourself and stay focused on the task, especially staying smart on any predicament.”
“That’s another problem.” I realized I wasn’t seating down on the hay, so I did. “I’m starting to fall in love again.”
Saying that makes her stress even more. “Do. Not. Fall in love again. You know what will happen!” she got off her seat just by saying that. Ugh, whoever I would fall in love with would become special, but also be endangered. It was like a curse but with no cure at all.
“Okay, okay,” I said calmly to settle her down. “I will control it.” She then sat down again, but I doubt a bit that I might be able to control it.
“Now, let’s change the subject, shall we? Tell me about the Mane Six and Spike.” I’m glad she changed it!
“Rainbow Dash, just like Twilight, doesn’t trust me, but for knowing too much about anything related to Ponyville’s populace and Canterlot’s royalty. She’s Rainbow Dash after all.”
“What about Rarity?”
“As usual, she loves fashion and a lover for all things beautiful and arabesque and all. She loved having two of her Gala gowns during my performance. She is Rarity.”
“What about Applejack?”
“She’s impressed of my performance and she did let me live in the barn—”
“For how long?” she interruptedly asked.
“I didn’t tell her, but I think I’ll be leaving this place tomorrow.” I used my magic and opened a window by my left. The moon was already in the horizon. It was nighttime? That was quick. I then closed the window again. “Applejack is quite a nice country-like pony. She’s hospitable, pretty, fabulous and—”
Cynthia grunted. Besides being an overly protective assistant who cares for my safety and others from my evil transformation, you can say that she’s my girlfriend too.
“As I was saying,” I continued. “Let’s now go with Pinkie Pie. She’s eccentric and very random, especially exuberant just like how I tell you when we had our conversation. Who even knew she can twist her neck? She’s energetic as usual and helped me gain my confidence in doing my Enter with Colors performance. And I still don't like her, yeah.”
Cynthia giggled again. “What’s wrong with me doing a performance like that?!” I irritably asked. “You weren’t like that when we had our concerts.”
“I’m sorry, Iwano. Now, how’s Fluttershy?”
“Fluttershy,” I said her name dreamily, though Cynthia knew I was in love with her which she accepted. “She’s timid, bashful and shy, as usual. She’s very kind and my type of pony.”
“When you took that Bronyland Personality Test in Reality, you were classified as Applejack.”
“With a dash of Fluttershy and Twilight,” I reminded.
“Fluttershy should be meant for you, Iwano. She’s shy and timid like you when you’re in school in Reality. She’s kind like you and likes animals—you’re a junior zoologist yourself.”
“Amateur zoologist,” I corrected her. “Anyways, about Twilight Sparkle. She’s looks intellectual and loves to read books, which I already knew. And—”
“She still distrusts you,” she finished my sentence. “I know, Iwano. You don’t need to repeat that like as if you…” Her voice trailed off. “In Reality, you’re usually in love with girls who are kind-voiced and very smart, like Patriz Pacheco. You like her too, do you?”
“Cynthia, I do,” I simply admitted. “I’m weird, okay?”
“And I thought you falling in love with a harpy who memorizes the parts of the Sibylline prophecy is weird. Is there any more ponies you’re in love with?” she asked. Her voice sounded like she wanted to hunt down the ponies I fell in love with and warn them to never be in love with me or she would kill them—even worse: kill me.
“Nnope!” I answered like Big McIntosh’s voice and accent. “Not at all, Cynthia.”
“Remember: your first task of Dissonance curing/diminishing/controlling is to bond with is Applejack, who is the Element of Honesty,” she reminded. “Oh, you forgot something, amnesiac,” she blithely said. “You forgot your stuff in your house.”
I blushed. So that was what I was forgetting! When would my forgetfulness ever leave? “Fine, let me teleport my stuff here.”
I used my magic and imagined on my mind of my stuff back in my home. A few seconds later, my bag appeared which is like those saddlebags for horses, or ponies in Equestria — was it a saddlebag? I then levitated my stuff out and lay them in front of me on the ground. I brought three pencils, two notebooks—namely IW1 and IW2 respectively—, two erasers, and a metallic sharpener. But there was this weird feeling I was having about my saddlebag. Nah, it was just my saddlebag.
I then heard a crashing sound of a wall. “What was that, Cynthia?” I asked.
“Oh, that was just Thea Stilton. She was testing her newly modified motorcycle… which she first used for a crash test in my office,”
“Why your office, Cynthia?” I asked. Seriously, Thea should stop crashing into other people’s walls, especially mine and Geronimo Stilton’s office.
“Well, we made a deal and—” Just before she finished answering my question, I lost communication and the magical screen disappeared into a haze. Thea must have probably turned Cynthia’s upgraded monitor into her first tech-type road kill. Great.
I winced. IW, my world, was in danger without me there. But I can’t just abandon my most important mission! I really needed to contain my Dissonance and unite Equestria with IW. But I have to be arcane and stay incognito until the time was right.
I then packed my stuff, levitated it beside me and cuddled myself in my hay bed, though it felt itchy initially. I made myself drowsy by thinking of Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City, Kanto region, Pokémon World. When I finally went to sleep, I suddenly drifted into a dream.
I always had weird dreams, like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter’s. All my dreams could predict the future often. But this dream was not one of them at all.
I wished I hadn’t slept yet.
In my dream, I was still an Alicorn. I was in an open and clear field of grass. It was night with twinkling stars and the bright moon shining vividly. But something was bothering my aura about this dream, as if it wasn't a dream at all. I scanned my surroundings for anypony.
“Hello? Is there anypony out here?” I called out. No answer.
I thought I was stuck in a dream void when suddenly I heard flapping behind me. I turned around. She was an Alicorn just like me. Her eyes were moderate cyan, her mane was moderate cobalt blue—I love cobalt blue, besides anything green and yellow—and her coat was dark sapphire blue. Her expression seemed unfriendly, but I thought she was like that before I even began dreaming into this isolated field.
It was Princess Luna, the Princess of the Night.
“Thou are the Alicorn whom my sister spoke to?” she asked. Yes, she was not friendly towards me at all because of her insistent tone in her voice.
“Um, yes I am the one your sister talked to, Princess Luna,” I answered with regality in my voice. It was a good thing Princess Bubblegum taught me how to talk all royalty before I went here. I was prepared for this kind of conversation with the Equestria princesses, especially Luna. Wait a minute. Luna was there when I was talking to Celestia. Why was she asking?
“Why were you causing a disruption to my job as the Princess of the Night?” she asked again, but she became more aggressive.
“What are you talking about, Luna?”
“Before and now when you came here to Equestria, I cannot go into other pony’s dreams. Do you realize how much irritation you gave me and the little fillies and colts I have to help of their fears?” Okay, I backed a few steps from her, but she then began walking towards me. This was bad.
“Uh, if I did that, I am sorry. I do not know what I was doing.” I became a Fluttershy the moment she began asking me that question—my tone all shy and timid with fear. I was not really used to people—or ponies—talking so accosting to me.
“Remember this: I dislike you. You are the source of all of my problems now the moment you came here. Just like Twilight, I do not trust you for you are filled with Dissonance. You will someday become a threat to the citizens of Ponyville and soon, the whole of Equestria. If you are to become of who you truly are, I will be prepared for you. And If I do... you are dead.”
My legs began to shake. “But Luna I—”
“Princess Luna, you ingrate!” she chided. Eek!
“I mean, Princess Luna, I am not the cause of your dream problem anymore! It stopped—really! See—” I waved my hoof in the air. “You’re entering my dream. Or rather you made my dream,”
“True, but you are still a threat. Heed my warning, Iwano Imagination. I shall now go back to my job and watch. Thou are now my enemy.”
She then flew into the air and left with a scowl and disgust, probably because she doesn’t really want to talk to me. I felt down and sad of Luna distrusting me. First Twilight and now Luna—who else, Applejack? My dream began to blur and turned dark. While talking to Luna, my heart was pumping fast. I thought I knew what that meant, but I wouldn’t let it take over me.
I wish I’d still be talking to Luna rather than waking up, even if it meant bearing her aggression towards me.
I woke up and yawned in my hay. I stood up, stretched my whole body from hooves to wings. I licked my lips to wet them—why do my lips taste like apples? And why am I not hungry? I am supposed to be hungry every time I awoke. I walked to the barn’s door and opened it for me to get some fresh air. But the only fresh air I smell was leaves. Why leaves? I looked down and saw scatters of it. I wondered then realized that there were leaves everywhere on the ground. My face was full of curiosity. What happened? I asked to myself. What happened to this place? Queries filled my head immediately—what happened?
“How could you, Iwano?” a voice asked me from my left. I looked for where the voice came from… and it’s no surprise of who owns that Sothern American accent. I have to quench my confusion with answers. I ran to the orchard which is just behind the barn and—what in the name of Great Hoole!—I’d got my first Equestria surprise…
The orchard’s apples were all gone! All the trees were naked of their apples and its leaves were barely healthy and half gone. Some of the orchard’s trees were timbered down and ruined. What in the name of Carter Kane’s griffin was going on!?
“Well?” Applejack said behind me. “Can you explain everything?” she was upset and, of course, angry.
I stammered and went gibberish at first for a few seconds but gotten my focus after that. I then began explaining. “I was just in the barn yesterday—or last night?—thinking about stuff and went to sleep after that. That’s all I can remember!”
“Did you even remember eating all the apples at night while I was trying to catch you with my lasso but you were too darn fast?”
“Um, I don’t even remember that! But, what’s your side of the story?”
She sighed and began her side of the story. If only Pinkie Pie were here to listen to Applejack’s story with me, I would feel lighter from my confusion with her. “I was sleeping in my room, cozy like a little bunny in her burrow. While I was dreaming of becoming the number one rodeo pony in Equestria, I heard a loud noise, like a tree snapping and falling outside in the orchard. I went out to check what the fuss was going on. When I arrived at the orchard, I saw you—you!—eating up all the apples in the trees! You were hungrier than a hippo that hadn’t eaten anything for a month! I’ve never seen any pony—besides me—eating all the apples that wildly.
Without hesitation, I grabbed my lasso as quickly as possible from the barn. I tried to lasso you up, but you used your magic to release yourself whenever I caught you. You were even too fast for me to catch up, since you do have wings and you were flying, too. In your face, I saw that you were annoyed of me chasing you, so you knock me out by shooting an apple core out of your mouth—nasty. I woke up this morning from being unconscious after that.”
I was in shock about that story. “Was I even sleep walking, Applejack?”
“You were awake and your eyes were glowing red like an evil pony, which you are!” Applejack pointed a hoof at me.
“D-d-did I say anything that time?” I asked with my teeth chattering.
“Well, just some grunts and neighs. But you did say this: I shall bear the fall of Equestria and everypony will be devoured by me .” A chilling sensation crawled up in my spines, like a thousand of fire ants making their way into my head. Dissonance must’ve been controlling me that time. I was probably unconscious in my sleep or maybe it happened while I was talking to Luna. Applejack shuddered of those lines.
“Applejack, I am deeply sorry of all of this—wait! I can just use my magic! Watch this!” I ran to the middle of the orchard, avoiding the fallen trees and apples. I stopped then I raise my head and waited for my magic to take effect… nothing. Nothing happened! This time, I used my imagination and concentrated on my magic—not a single spark. I stammered.
Applejack then walked towards me. I thought she wants more explanation—do I have to be honest? I saw in her expression that she now disliked me. Is it? I’m not so sure at all! And this wasn’t my fault!
I reluctantly ran away from her. Was it my fault? Or was it my Dissonance?
I thought this was Deceitfulness’s fault—Dissonance.
Chapter 6: Gifts and Forgiveness
Chapter 5: Mining For Generosity
This was my first time making somepony mad at me for a “hollow reason”, besides Luna.
I packed up with my saddlebag and left Sweet Apple Acres immediately. I was upset too that my Dissonance took over me while I was asleep. How did it control me that easily? I shook my head of all the questions and replaced them with plans—plans of controlling myself of this stupid Dissonance. Why should I be so negative?
Before I’d entered Equestria, I’d known that my Forbidden within me will be identified in this world as Dissonance. My Forbidden were seven, while my Dissonance were six—the same number as the Elements of Harmony, except they were the negative opposite of them.
Illusion, Malevolence, Deceitfulness, Faithlessness, Greed and Sadness were the exact opposite of Magic, Kindness, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity and Laughter, respectively. The origins of my Negativity happened a long time ago—five years ago. But that was another story.
Right now, I was walking through Ponyville on the way to the Carousel Boutique for Rarity. I hoped she would accept me to sleep in the boutique for tonight. According to my watch it was 8:26 AM. The sun was about to rise up in the horizon. I knew Celestia was doing that—she was the Princess of the Day/Sun, after all. I was thinking if Princess Celestia might find out that my Dissonance was slipping from my chained pocket, causing a chaos that I would never fix.
I used my magic again to make a block of ice appear… and it worked this time. Maybe my magic won’t work when somepony was mad at me for “letting” it out. It was weird, but serious. I left the block of ice where it was. Snips and Snails passed by, noticed the block of ice and started licking it. But got their tongues stuck after a few licks. That cheered me up a bit.
“That’s terrible!” Rarity exclaimed. She and I were having tea on a fancy table and seating down on fancy chairs inside the Carousel Boutique. “I never knew your Dissonance was that, well, bad.” I told her everything that has happened in Sweet Apple Acre’s orchard. Pouring that story out made me feel better.
The Carousel Boutique, in which Rarity makes dresses for customers and friends, also doubled as her home. Rarity did most of her designing in the main workroom on the ground floor of the building. The room was stocked with materials and supplies such as mirrors, dress form mannequins, and movable screens. In the upper floor was Rarity´s bedroom.
“I know right?” I said with a bit of feminism, just to feel a little bit friendly to a dramatic pony like Rarity. I took a sip of my tea from my cup—lotus? “That’s why I need you girls to help me. I need you all to influence me with goodness and all your Harmony.”
Rarity seemed to be really concerned for me. “Why didn’t you tell that to us when were in Canterlot? Well, Princess Celestia did tell us that.”
I was prepared for that question. “If I just simply say that to you mares, all of you won’t take me seriously. So I have to cloud my true motives and identity with my messages and riddles.”
“Which were proven to be true?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” she sipped her tea. “You can stay in my boutique as long as you want—” Her expression then became serious for a minute. “But do not—and I mean do not!—mess up my work.” She didn’t have to tell me that since she’s an intricate fashion designer and a skillful seamstress. Her boutique’s full of pony manikins and rolled up clothing. One mannequin from my far right was dressed up in pure red, rose themed clothing. Its details are accurate from the gown to its collar—the whole thing was embroidered with roses. Its rims were decorated with small rubies. As a Pokémon Trainer in the Pokémon World who admires Grass-types, I immediately liked it. Nature was awesome.
“I see you admired my latest dress,” she noticed me staring at the rose dress. “You know? I always named my dresses, but I never thought of a name yet for that yet,”
“What about Scarlet Streak Bloom ?” I suggested.
Rarity put her hoof on her chin in thought for a minute. “Hmm… That would be a nice name. But I’ll think about it.” She sipped all of her tea and stood up from her chair. “I’ll be going outside Ponyville with Spike and collect more gems for my next dress for awhile. You just behave yourself here—”
“Can I come with you, too?” I asked. “I can become easily bored in mere seconds,”
“Sure! You can come!”
Going out with a small dragon pulling a cart for carrying gems and a fashion pony outside Ponyville didn’t help me clear my mind of what Applejack might think about me back in the orchard. I just looked down on the ground while walking with the two, feeling depressed of the look Applejack gave me. I brought my saddlebag with me, by the way—I’ll never go anywhere in Equestria without it, except in some occasions, though.
“Um, Iwano, are you okay?” Spike asked. I snapped out.
“Uh, yes! I’m feeling okay, Spike. Thank you for asking,” I hesitated.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked again. He and Rarity seemed to have no animosity towards me, unlike Twilight and Applejack. I was quite glad. “I’ve been noticing that you’ve been really depressed even fetching me from the library afterwards. Why looking glum?”
“Applejack gotten mad at Iwano for eating the whole orchard’s apples last night,” Rarity explained for me. “So he decided to run away and never to show his face to Applejack.” Hearing that made me a little depressed again.
“The WHOLE orchard’s apples last night? In ONE night???” he said in amazement and in doubt. My stomach rumbled and I felt that I was going to burp. Oh, I hadn’t burped yet. I then abruptly gave out a belch as loud as forty tubas combined! The ground rumbled and my two friends were in shock.
In Ponyville, the citizens were terrified of the belch and panicked shortly.
I believed my belch lasted for twelve seconds. When I stopped, my two friends were agape to me. “Uh, excuse me?” I said.
After walking a few more yards, we stopped by a barren land of grey soil with bedrocks in its area—this reminds me of that episode whereas the Diamond Dogs kidnapped Rarity into becoming their “gem detector”. I really was disgusted of that episode! But Spike did save the day, though I believe.
I seemed to get an uneasy feeling that this place was exactly where those Diamond Dogs kidnapped Rarity. I suddenly got worried.
“Excuse me, Rarity?” I anxiously asked. “Are you sure this place is safe? I mean, the Diamond Dogs might come out of nowhere and—”
“Kidnap me again? No they won’t,” she finished and answered my question.
My eyes widened. “How’d you know that I’m going to ask that and how sure are you?”
“I just know darling and I can just act like a lady if I had to. Now, would you two mind helping me find some gems?”
“I’ll be humble to—”
“I’ll do anything for my Rarity!” Spike interrupted me and began bowing down to her, which made Rarity knit her eyebrows—lover dragon. I just rolled my eyes.
“Hey, Rarity,” I said. “I can also use my magic to find gems.”
“Well, that would be very helpful!”
And then we began.
I walked around the area for gems. Every now and then, my horn would blink gold yellow—the color of my magic aura. This indicated that a gem was beneath me. Unlike Rarity scanning for gems and Spike digging for her, I would be doing both.
We’d been going on for an hour or so now. I didn’t even check my watch. So far I found ten topazes, fifteen rubies, eleven emeralds (I was keeping one in my saddlebag, which made it ten now), fifty-five diamonds, eight amethysts, nineteen sapphires, seven peridots and twelve onyxes. I still need more! I really want to please the beautiful Rarity—wait a minute!
Dang it, Iwano , I thought to myself, don’t you dare fall in love with her! Besides, Spike might get jealous . I doubted that dragon was going to turn me into ashes, though. I saw Spike with a chuck load of diamonds on his arms, which made him wobble and unbalanced him a bit awkwardly to the cart.
I suddenly felt like something was literally biting my heart. Was I jealous? And I thought I knew who that jealousy was inside me—Wolfredoom, my Forbidden of Envy.
Dude don’t you dare , I told him inside my thoughts. Look, I believe Giganaut was the one who forced my Greed into eating the apples in the orchard. So, tell him he’s in trouble and don’t you dare influence me, even if I felt like it . After that, I heard no response. That was good.
I then went back to gem-finding. I walked around the area again. When I was walking a few paces away from the duo, my horn began to glow brighter—a big gem probably nearby?
I bowed down a little near the ground and started walking in random directions to find that strong signal. To me, I look awkwardly like a metal detector. Spike found it weird but Rarity was glad for me to help, even if it means being all weird.
A thought hit me. If I can’t find that gem that’s been giving my horn a very bright glow, maybe I can use my magic.
“Rarity! Spike!” I called out to them and they stopped. Spike was about to eat a bulky sapphire behind Rarity, but I didn’t told her. “Check this out!” I closed my eyes and began using my magic in my whole surroundings for any gems. In my Aura Sight, I can see many more gems underneath us—a lot! They became visible in my vision. After locating all of the gems, I used my imagination…I opened my eyes and the ground began to shook.
“Not again.” Spike held on to his sapphire.
“What in pony blazes are you doing, Iwano?” Rarity anxiously asked, but I ignored her. I was motionless and exerting my powers into all the gems underground.
The shaking stopped and there was silence. Rarity and Spike looked around for anything unusual to happen.
“Okay, Iwano,” Spike said with a grin. “Joke’s over. Let’s just get back to—”
A diamond shot out of the ground in front of Spike which made him about to trip into his behind. Then a topaz shot out behind Spike and hit him, though it stopped him from falling down and hurt him a bit. Later, multiple gems shot out of the ground like a gunshot.
It took a few minutes for all the gems to completely be in midair—all the gems around us underground were all gone and all of them were in midair.
Rarity stared at the gems above her. They were like multiple colored stars sparkling by the sunlight, making a constellation of iridescence. Spike was fascinated not just because he was in gem heaven but the sight was beautiful as well, though he was drooling.
Iridescence.
I closed my eyes again and placed all the gems near the cart, because it won’t take the weight of five hundred and seventy-four gems—I counted them with my Aura. I opened my eyes and back to normal. It was easy to do all of this if you’re a Leader of an imaginary world and have experiences with magic and Aura.
Using my magic to do that didn’t even break me a sweat! I was awesome!
“That was fantastic, Iwano!” Rarity said as she and Spike ran to me. “I never knew you are very talented with your magic!”
“Yeah, he’s even more talented than Twilight,” Spike added. I blushed, but was I really more talented than Twilight?
“Uh, let me make more carts for these gems,” I said.
“Make more carts ?” Spike repeated in question. “How can you—oh…” It looked like he read my clever expression.
“What is it, Spike?” Rarity asked.
“You’ll see.” He pointed at me as I closed my eyes again. I used my magic again effortlessly and conjured, out of nowhere, ten more carts. After that, I levitated all the gems into the carts. Spike and Rarity were even more awed of how I just simply used my magic than my Enter with Colors performance. I now opened my eyes.
“You are the most helpful, most talented and most creative alicorn I’ve ever met!” Rarity complimented, her eyes sparkling at me.
I frowned. “What about Twilight? Isn’t she the most talented alicorn to you?”
“Well, what I mean is that both you and Twilight are my most talented friends,” she rephrased. My heart was in a marathon around the borders of Equestria—my heart was pounding! Did she just say “friends”? All I can do is give a big smile and blushed a lot. I felt a strong happiness.
I think I was in love with her… But I already placed my heart on just one pony. Oh Glob, not again!
“Are you going to even pull these carts?” Spike asked enthusiastically. I see he wants me to do much more.
“Of course, Spike,” I answered. “Just watch how the king of Imaginundia can do!” I flew up and conjure two long ropes that circled around me. Then, the ropes attached themselves into all the cart’s handles together—the carts were now instantly aligned like a train with the ropes. I flew down between the first cart’s handles and used my magic again to conjure reins attached to my back for me to pull the carts. The first cart instantly turned into the front of a carriage’s seat—for Rarity and Spike to sit on.
I looked at Rarity and Spike. I bowed down. “This is all I can do to help, Rarity.”
“You’ve done more than that, Iwano. You impressed me!”
Chapter 7: Mannequin Mayhem
Chapter 6: Gifts and Forgiveness
A few minutes later, we were on our way to Ponyville with a cart-train full of gems.
“Hey, Rarity,” I called her behind me. She was being fanned by Spike with a fan, which I conjured along the way.
“Yes, Iwano darling?”
“I had some plans with the other gems when we reach Ponyville.”
“And what is that?”
“I wish to donate some gems to Mayor Mare for Ponyville; give some gems to everypony in Ponyville; some gems to Spike and of course, you get the rest, Rarity.”
“That is very generous of you, Iwano—generous! I think you already know some values of Generosity, am I correct?”
“Yeah,” I felt a bit uneasy. “It’s just that, I want some gems too, Rarity.”
“You can have some. After all, you were the one who contributed big for all these gems. I wanted to say thank you for finding these gems. I never knew you would even collect ALL of these gems back there.” She was the Element of Generosity and she was really generous. I could feel my Greed diminishing, but not entirely. My Dissonance was very strong than I thought in this world.
When we reached the dirt road entrance to Ponyville, I stopped to check my watch—it was 12:32 PM. We’d been mining, excavating and digging for four hours. At least it lifted my spirit from that “Apple Orchard Incident”.
“Let’s stop by at the Town Hall for Mayor Mare,” I said to Rarity. She nodded.
We went to the Town Hall immediately and parked the train-cart in front of it. Mayor Mare was talking to Dr. Hooves—I wanted to also call him “Dr. Timeturner Hooves”—when I excused her for a word.
Mayor Mare’s eyes were moderate phthalo blue, her mane light cornflower bluish gray with a lighter streak (her actual mane color’s brilliant fuchsia) and coat pale, light grayish amber. Her cutie mark was a tan scroll tied with a blue ribbon.
Dr. Hooves’ eyes were pale, light grayish cobalt blue, his mane dark amber and coat grayish amber. His cutie mark was an hourglass.
I then told her my donation.
“You want to donate three carts of gems for Ponyville?” she asked to make sure she heard me right. Rarity and Spike were with me. “That was very generous of you, uh, what is your name again?”
“Iwano Imagination, but you can just call me Iwano,” I answered her.
“Oh, you’re the mysterious performer from yesterday,” she exclaimed. “Your performance in Ponyville was very fun and we had to clean up the decorations you put up out of nowhere.” It sounds to me like she was a bit sarcastic on that sentence.
I blushed in embarrassment. Why had I forgotten about it! “I’m sorry. I can be very forgetful sometimes.”
“That’s alright. Thank you for your donation. These gems can be quite useful for Ponyville’s—”
“Ponyville’s repairs, food, construction, water supply, farming and money.” I finished her sentence.
“How do you—”
“How do I know what you’re going to say? It’s one of my ‘abilities’—it’s an honor to donate.”
“Thank you so much, Iwano!” she and I shook hooves. I was then being watched by other ponies around me. They were all murmuring of who I was. Some didn’t know me and some remembered me, but all mostly looked up to me as a good pony.
Somewhere in the crowd, I saw Twilight Sparkle. I winked at her. She quickly averted her gaze, scowled and walked away. I wanted her to like me as a friend, but she was making it hard for me. I already lose Applejack. I didn’t want another Element of Harmony to hate me.
It was time for the second operation.
Everypony walked away from us now. Mayor Mare asked Cherry Fizzy, Chocolate Haze, Coconut and Felix to pull the carts. I doubted four would be enough to pull those carts. So I secretly casted a temporary enhanced strength spell at the four. It would wear off after an hour. I’d got a topaz, ruby, emerald, diamond, amethyst, sapphire, peridot and onyx from Rarity. It was what all I needed, though I had two emeralds now. We now had eight carts left.
Rarity and Spike went back to their “carriage seats”—whatever I called it—and I went back to being the train-cart puller.
“Can we now go back to the Carousel Boutique?” I asked Rarity. She nodded. Spike was eating some gems behind her, but he was trying to resist the urge to devour all of the gems.
When we arrived at the Carousel Boutique, the duo went down of their seats, though Rarity needed some assistance from a “gentle-dragon”.
“Okay, we have now eight gem carts, Rarity,” I told her. “How many carts will you have?”
“Hmm, I think I’ll take three,” she decided.
“What about me?” Spike asked excitedly. “Can I have a whole cart?” He was drooling again from staring at the carts.
“Spike, you’ll be asking for some gems from Rarity,” I told him. “You don’t want to turn into a giant and greedy dragon again, would you?”
Spike’s expression fades into a frown and at the same time question. “How’d you know I turned into that before?” I thought I was beginning to be a bit creepy knowing too much.
“And how do you know Mayor Mare?” Rarity asked too. “You did frighten me out a bit, Iwano. It is no wonder why Rainbow Dash and Twilight doesn’t trust you. They were suspicious of how you knew so much about us, Spike, Canterlot and the other ponies and non-ponies we’ve met.”
I have only one answer to that. “Remember what I said back in Canterlot? I said I heard all about you ponies in Imaginundia.”
“It was just quite… creepy.” Her face seems a little worried of who I really was—a stalker? No.
“Look, it is okay that I know everypony in Ponyville. I’m just like Pinkie Pie, okay?”
“And how do you know Pinkie Pie can remember everypony in Ponyville?” she asked again. I’d got to control myself.
“Just never mind that!” I was desperate to change the subject. “Now, three carts you say? Then we have five left.”
“Are you going to really give everypony some gems in a day?”
“I am going to, Rarity,” I assured her. “Besides looking for gems, I have another trick on my sleeves.” Rarity and Spike exchanged looks. I glanced at the sky for some calmness. It was now 12:50 PM.
It was time to start!
I used my magic on the five carts. I blasted a small, gold yellow beam on all of the gems and they all disappeared in a poof.
“What did you do to the gems?!” Spike asked in shock of all of his “food” in their disappearance.
“If you want to find out, just follow me if you can.” I turned to Rarity. “I hope these gems are enough, ‘cause I’m on my way!” As I said it, I now flew up to the sky to begin my sharing operation—Operation: Generous Gem.
Spike was still staring at Rarity’s gems. He then realized that I already left, so he dashed to follow my trail. Looks like that little dragon really wanted to see my stuff, eh?
“Good-bye Spike, good-bye Iwano!” she waved to us. When she turned to her gems: “Wait a second. How can I fit these carts into my boutique?” she asked herself dramatically.
Just use your magic , I wanted to answer, but I was now quite busy…
Awesomeness…
There it was again. What was that?
What was that on my head? Nah, that didn’t matter.
Vinyl Scratch was talking to Octavia Melody in Ponyville’s streets.
Octavia’s eyes were the same as Rarity’s and colored grayish mulberry, her mane dark gray with a lighter tint and her coat goldish gray. But her appearance was sophisticated and elegant than Rarity, and she wore a pink bow and white collar as a musician. Her cutie mark was a treble clef.
Vinyl Scratch’s eyes were moderate cerise and full of “musical” life, and her mane short to its spike tips below and colored moderate cobalt blue with brilliant cyan stripes. She wore, as usual, her signature glasses—gradient from dark purple to moderate heliotrope with lighter steaks, like strobe lights in a party. Her cutie mark was a backward double quaver note.
In cobalt blue streak, I gave those gems each to them that match their mane color in front of their hooves in a flash without even seeing me. I also left a note to Vinyl:
Dear Vinyl,
Thanks for the awesome speakers from yesterday! If you still don’t know me with Octavia, the name’s Iwano Imagination. You’ll know more about me soon with your friends. We’ll meet to know each other someday!
Sincerely,
Iwano Imagination
P.S. That gem is a gift of thanks from those speakers…
Big McIntosh was given a gem from me from above while he was fixing a gazebo.
Big Mac’s eyes were moderate sap green, his mane light gamboge and coat moderate crimson. His cutie mark was a green apple sliced in half. His body build was muscular, like he could pull a cart with two oxen. I believed that was the same gazebo that appeared in the MLP episode Hearts and Hooves Day. I saluted to him and left in a flash, though he reminded me of Applejack. I shuddered.
Derpy Hooves was walking with a chocolate muffin on her head. I took her muffin and replaced it with a gem unnoticed. I couldn’t believed she was that stupid than the rumors I’d heard about her.
Somewhere in Ponyville’s streets, Twilight Sparkle was reading a book about alicorns when I swooped pass her with a gust of wind. She spun around with her book still levitating. She spun, and spun, and spun until finally, she bumped into Pinkie Pie, who was caught by the Twilight tornado. After spinning for a few seconds later, they stopped and fell down on the ground on their backs.
“Are you all right, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked her dazedly with her hoof on her forehead.
“My mini Pinkie Pie army is not all right.” Pinkie Pie replied with her eyes circling, which relieved Twilight. They both got on their hooves. “Oh, Twilight!” she said exuberantly on Twilight’s muzzle. “Iwano gave me this!” Pinkie Pie showed a pink gem on Twilight’s face.
“I believe that’s an amethyst,” Twilight determined. “But why did Iwano give you that?”
“Not just me, Twilight. Everypony in Ponyville got a gem from Iwano—including you!” She pointed at Twilight.
“Me? Iwano have not—” She looked down and saw a magenta gem between her hooves. She used her magic and levitated my gift and examined it. “Why would he do that?”
Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Maybe it’s one of his greetings to everypony in Ponyville—it’s very generous and kind of him to do that!” she cuddled her amethyst. Twilight looked around her. Pinkie Pie was right—everypony got a gem from Iwano (me). She saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders passing by—they had mud all over themselves—each with their own gems on their backs that matches their mane color. She also saw Mayor Mare with one, Lyra Heartstrings, Cranky Doodle Donkey, Diamond Tiara, Ms. Cheerilee, Big Macintosh and more. Questions began filling Twilight’s head.
“He had a performance yesterday,” Twilight recounted.
“Which it was super-duper-colorfuller fun?” Pinkie Pie added with her head popping from above Twilight. “I love it!”
“And now he’s doing all of this,” Twilight continued while Pinkie Pie was shining her gem on her mane which caught on fire because of her rubbing too fast, but Twilight was too distracted from her thoughts to notice the burning pink pony. “Why is he doing all of this? He is seeking for our help to cure or contain his Dissonance by staying with each of in a day, but does he have another motive?” She looked above as if I were there. “I need to ask him questions now!”
“I need to put this out now!” Pinkie Pie shrieked as she was desperately looking for anything to put out her fire. She quickly then spot Applejack wistfully walking along with an apple cider on one hoof.
Pinkie Pie snatched the cider and poured it all over her head and the flames extinguished, but it didn’t entirely burn her whole mane. She sighed in relief, and then noticed Applejack’s face was depressed. “Why are so sad, Applejack?”
Applejack was just steady and looking down on the ground as if watching a sad movie. She didn’t pay any attention.
Pinkie Pie thought for a second and got an idea (a light bulb appeared above her head). Nearby a tree, she pulled out a tuba. She wore the brass instrument, sneaked near Applejack from behind and—BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Because of that, Applejack jumped in a startle and fell, and shortly had her hoofing.
“What in hill-belly is goin’ on?!” she complained. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked, “Why didja’ do that, Pinkie?”
“You were all sad,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Is there something wrong?”
Twilight overheard the tuba sound and noticed Applejack.
“Hello, Applejack,” Twilight said as she approached her friends. Applejack seemed to be back to normal but her face was a bit stern, although she tries to hide it by managing a smile. Twilight was able to read her expression. “Was there something wrong, Applejack? Anything bad happened with you and Iwano?” she said my name with sourness.
Applejack made a heavy sigh. “I guess I should tell you.” Twilight was ready to listen with Pinkie Pie. Applejack told everything about how I was “sleep-eating” the whole orchard’s apples and how she “banished” me to never return and see her face again. But she didn’t tell them of what I said that night when I’m in my “trance”.
“He ate the whole orchard’s apples in one night???” Twilight repeated Applejack’s last sentence in question. “That. Is. Impossible.” More questions filled Twilight’s head. She began to think that I was more than myself…
“I’d like to think of that too myself,” Applejack said.
Pinkie Pie came out of nowhere between the talking ponies—I believe all her movements in my story are mostly exuberant and comical, like what she’s doing right now. “If there’re no apples, there would be no apple cider, apple pie, apple fritters, apple cake, apple ice cream, apple juice, apple everything!” she finished by falling down. She said all of those things frantically and with each apple food she mentioned she also brought them out of nowhere on a plate she’s holding—I wonder where are those apple food now…
“Iwano eating all of the apples in your orchard was the craziest thing I’d ever heard.”
“Tell me about it,” a voice spoke out of nowhere. Twilight and her friends looked around to find it. “And I thought the craziest thing to me ever was you ponies mistaking Ms. Peachbottom as the real games inspector, but it think that’s one of them.” The ponies looked above them—it was me, flying above them in secret.
“How long were you there above us?” Twilight asked in surprise.
“I was following Applejack which led me to you and Pinkie Pie,” I answered.
“How come we didn’t hear the flaps of your wings?”
“I’m a silent flier.” Because I was trained in a world where owls live , I wanted to add but I kept it in. It was true—I was trained in the world of Ga’Hoole as a Philippine Eagle-owl there. Twilight was skeptical about it.
“Why are ya followin’ me?” Applejack demanded. Yup, she hated me.
“I just wanted to give you a gem, that’s all,” I replied as I conjured a gem from my hoof—its color was the same as Applejack’s mane. I tossed it to her and she caught it with her hat. “Look, it’s a sorry-gift to you for, you know. Anyway, you can either sell it or something.” I then landed on the ground with them.
Applejack seemed to be unsatisfied of my apology. “Thanks, but it would take a long time for the orchard to produce more apples again.” Although I was thinking of another answer from her besides that, that would do.
“I think I can handle that.”
“What do you mean?”
Without answering, I zoom to the sky.
“Where do you think he’s going?” Applejack asked Twilight. She shrugged. Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Applejack followed.
Meanwhile in the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was able to put all the gems inside and stored them in a closet although it looked like it was about to burst anytime, but I doubted that would happen. Rarity was sort of busy with a sewing machine made some sort of clothing. But what was it for? Her tongue was out and sweats drip from her mane, but it didn’t distract her at all. Why was she so focused? She usually hated sweating much. She had a pencil stuck on her mane, tape measure around her neck and wearing red squinted glasses. Was she nearsighted whenever she was working on a dress? The draft of fabric she used was cobalt blue—the color of my mane.
After a few minutes, she turned off the sewing machine, wiped her sweat with a piece of cut clothing and swoop down her finished product unto the floor flat. “Well, Rarity, you outdone yourself again,” she told herself, did tippy-toe steps and squeal. “I can’t wait to show this to Iwano!” She looked through her window on hopes that I would return soon. “I wonder where he is now.”
Whatever she made which may be for me, I would be there soon. Right now, I was heading to the apple orchard. Confidence filled me and calmness. I would not be afraid of Applejack anymore… if I did this.
I landed at the middle of the orchard which was all cleaned up from my wreckage and devouring, including the apples. I felt quite bad, but that didn’t stop me with my new trick.
The three of the Mane Six arrived of where I was.
“Iwano,” Applejack called to me. “If you’re going to do even worse than eating the apples, don’t do it!”
“Wait, Applejack,” Twilight said to Applejack before she even tries to tackle me. “Maybe he has a reason,” she turned to me. “What are you going to really do, Iwano?”
I gulped, believing that Applejack won’t still forgive me. And I sighed. “I will do this.” I closed my eyes, my horn glowed in gold yellow and opened my eyes glowing gold yellow, too. I ascended to the air and imagined that all the orchard’s apples were back before I even ate them all. A Lindsey Stirling song then kicked in my head—“Elements” was the song. The ponies just stare at me in wonder.
“What in the name of Celestia is he going to do?” Twilight asked herself. Pinkie Pie brought out a camera and pictured me—where did she even get that?
After a few seconds of imagining and listening to the song in my head, I spread my arms—or front hooves—wide and a wave of shimmering gold was conjured from me, making a shockwave. The ponies tried to stay steady. Applejack held on with her hoof and hat from being blown away, Pinkie Pie had the “pancake face” and holding on and Twilight was steadied on her hoofing with her eyes fixed on me, full of intent and focus. She was trying to see how I used my magic and was observing how. Suddenly, one by one, the apples in the orchard appeared in its trees. Soon, the whole orchard’s apples were back—every apple was back.
I stopped my magic—eyes back to normal and glow gone—and land down slowly. I smiled as I looked around. What I was imagining besides the apples back in the orchard was Applejack being happy. It was what I thought of that calmed me down a while ago and helped me concentrate.
Thinking positive and imagining good things helped me—a lot.
Pinkie Pie zoomed towards me with her eyes close to mine. I blushed and my heart was pounding as she gotten close, and asked, “Iwano, how’d you do that?!”
“I am an alicorn,” Twilight said, but she sound as if she isn’t really who she was. “How can you have that—?”
“How can I have that so much magic power?” I finished her sentence with my powers. “I’m just special.”
“How’d you do that?!” Pinkie Pie asked again but I was ignoring her. I was actually waiting for Applejack to say something.
“I have found out why my magic can’t bring back all of the apples in the orchard,” I said to Applejack with a shaky voice. “It’s because you frightened me—the way you talk to me when you get mad, or probably because my Dissonance took over me that night and drained a lot out of my magic. Whatever the cause of my actions to eat all the apples, I’m just glad I was able to bring the apples back. I only wish for you to forgive me in return, Applejack. That is all I can ask.”
I expect Applejack to just simply applebuck my head until my eyes fall out. But instead, she simply smiled at me. What?
“Shucks, fine, Iwano,” she said as she gave me her smile. “I forgive you.”
“Pinkie Pie, how did I do all of this?” Pinkie Pie smiled at me as I asked her about her ignored question. “Well, it’s a secret.”
She frowned. “Oh, bacon cookies!”
“Oh, can you help me smile?” I asked.
“Sure thing!” she accepted with excitement and “over-stretched” my cheeks into a big grin, which was quite funny yet weird.
“I am very happy as a hyena!” I happily said with a “happy smile” thanks to Pinkie Pie.
I was really glad and happy Applejack forgave me. Twilight’s face was filled with little gladness but mostly skeptical about something as she stared at me. I bet she was still wondering of who I was.
I suddenly heard flapping sounds. It wasn’t wings. It was more like flapping fabric. I sniffed the air and used my Super Smell mode—it smelled like fabric alright, but also with lotus fragrance.
“What are you sniffing, Iwano?” Twilight asked.
“Is it your breath?” Pinkie Pie asked as she sniffed near my mouth. “It smells like apples and apples.”
“Um, you can let go now, Pinkie Pie,” I told her. She released my cheeks which hurt my jaws a bit. I then began to explain. “It’s just that I heard flapping fabric and lotus fragrance,”
“First, you can hide your wings magically,” Twilight started enumerating. “Second, you were able to dress everypony in Ponyville and create a big performance; third, you ate all of these trees of their apples; fourth, your speed easily matches that of Rainbow Dash; and now, you have an acute sense of smell and hearing? That is impossible,” she said all of those things as if I never really done them.
“No, I’m serious,” I assured her.
Applejack looked up and studied the sky. “You mean that?” She pointed a hoof above us.
It was a flying cape.
Chapter 7: Mannequin Mayhem
When I was in the Wizardry World—the world of Harry Potter—I was chasing my broom, which was being enchanted by the ghost of Albus Dumbledore as a part of my test in that world of how worthy I was. That story was just like this, except this wasn't a test at all.
The flying cape above us was cobalt blue with a hood, an embroidered Poké Ball on the center (what?), rainbow-colored rims and two holes, which I guess was for wings to pop out. It was moving above us like a vulture circling around a dead animal.
“Okay, now that is weird,” I said. “Why would there be a flying cape?”
Pinkie Pie was following it with her head turning like an owl continuously until it reached its limit and spins her head from the start, except she was a bit more “reflexive”. Coming from a distance, we heard a panting sound of an exhausted pony. The pony came towards us and it was Rarity. She was sweating and her mane was smudged with mud. We were all in shock of her appearance—dirty and non-Rarity-like at all.
“What happened to ya?” Applejack asked. “Why all dirty and unlike ya?”
She was catching her breath. “I am fine, except I was chasing that annoying cape for an hour now and I’m now all filthy and tired!” she said all of that in her usual trans-Atlantic dialect, although she didn't use any complex and sophisticated words—in front of me yet. I wanted to talk sophisticated and complex right now.
“I’ll let myself actuate into this right now!” I said as I flew to the sky to catch that cape. When I closed into it into my grasp—my mouth—it veered away from me to the left. I veered as well, but it kept dodging me. It was fast and quick. It started waving its corners into me. Was it mocking me? I then tried to tackle it into a tree, but I ended up crashing into it and apples rained down on my head, covering me in piles. I dug out of the apples, fuming in annoyance. The cape was then wiggling from above while I scowled.
Okay, I was getting sick of it already!
My temper rose immediately and filled me with irritability from that teasing-and-mocking cape. In Reality, I hated those who would go away from me, especially when they’re trying to make a fool out of me! Yup, I was angry.
The cape saw my expression and it said something like: Okay, what about another game, friend? What about hide-and-seek? And then it ran—or flew—away from me again.
“You will not abscond from me, you fuss-of-a-flight cape!” I snarled. I then zoomed right after it. We were like Tom & Jerry, except we’re more like in our own show, Alicorn & Capey . The cape was trying to lead me to trees for me to crash again while veering impressively, but I’m smarter than that. “I am not going to be fooled by that trick!”
While chasing the cobalt blue cape, Twilight asked Rarity, “Rarity, tell me what’s going on?”
“I was waiting for Iwano to come back to the boutique after he gives gems to everypony in Ponyville,” Rarity began to explain while Pinkie Pie got another pack of popcorn (seriously, where did she get those?). “I was just planning a new design when the cape suddenly come to life and started flying out of my window. I was desperately finding it all over Ponyville. There was a part when it led me to a mud puddle near Sweet Apple Acres! Oh, my mane’s now all filthy!” She tried to rub the mud out but was still stained on her mane. “I was actually then chasing the cape around Sweet Apple Acres in circles for an hour. It now led me here!” She was more exhausted in explaining than doing physical fitness around the acre.
That reminded me. I made a quick glance at my watch before I dodge a trees branch by lowering down.
“Did you use some sorta magic again like ya made all of the ponies in Ponyville go cuckoo?” Applejack asked, though Rarity took it as an insult.
“Why, no, Applejack,” she replied to her sarcastically. “I was just using my magic to sew a new hat for you just in case it get shredded by the cape.”
“Are you insulting me?” Applejack demanded.
“You were—” Their uprising argument was interrupted when the cape swoop Rarity of the ground, making her scream in terror in the open sky. I imagined the theme song A Whole New World to Rarity’s ride which was kind of funny, but I was still mad chasing that dumb cape! Now I had to both save Rarity and chase the cape.
“How was that cape able to come to life without Rarity even knowing that spell?” Twilight asked herself as she scratched her mane, though she wanted to help but couldn't help herself from thinking.
“I don’t know about ya, Twilight,” Applejack said clearly as she twirls a lasso with her mouth. “But I’m helpin’!”
I wasn't sure if Applejack was about to lasso Rarity or the cape, but either can help. She fixed and focused her eyes on the flying duo—Rarity or cape? She breathes to gather focus, examined her trajectory and she tossed the twirling rope…at the cape! The cape was tied tight. Rarity was then about to fall down with a scream. With no hesitation, I swooped down to save Rarity on my hooves just in time before her rear can touch the ground. I then settled in midair watching Applejack tying the troubling piece of cloth like it was a rodeo.
“Way the go, you two! Yipee!” Pinkie Pie cheered and bounced in joy. Twilight, snapped out of her questions, was glad that her friend was safe. I wanted to say something to this princess.
When we gathered around, Applejack was done rolling the cape and tying it up nearby an apple tree’s branch.
We began our conversation with me glaring at Twilight.
“What are you looking at me like that?” she asked me as if she didn't know I was feeling. And she shuddered.
“May I remind you that you’re an alicorn, Twilight Sparkle? You could had either used your exceptional magic or fly to catch that cape for me.”
She cleared her throat as if she’s about to give a speech. “First, I am still not accustomed to my wings yet ; second, I was actually testing you since you said that you’re a powerful l and skillful king in your land; and third, you didn't ask me to help you, if you don’t even remember.”
I winced. She was right—all right. I was reckless of my actions and just let my irritation of the cape took over me. I shook. “But you’re supposed to be a good princess to—”
“Enough!” Applejack chided. “What’s more important is that this whole thing has been all tied up.” She winked at me. I guess she’s trying to be a humorous since I already apologized. I blushed.
“I guess you’re right, Applejack,” I agreed to her. “At least this was just a minor mishap.”
We suddenly heard another panting. And this time, it was from a small dragon. Spike came running to us, all sweaty and tired.
“I got… to say… something…” he said while trying to take a breath.
“That I was too fast for you to follow?” I asked.
“No,” Spike replied as he breathes deeply and calmed down… from what? And then he started to panic “You all have to come to Ponyville—pronto!” We all exchanged looks of worry and followed Spike to Ponyville. I got the rolled up cape all tied up with Applejack’s rope inside my saddlebag. I wondered how much stuff my bag could store. I meant, the cape fit with all my notebooks and writing materials. Nah, that doesn't matter!
At least I eating the whole orchard’s apples wasn't the weirdest thing to me anymore—pony mannequins were.
We were by the entrance of Ponyville when we stopped to see this. We stared in both horror and astonishment of pony mannequins moving—all alive—and galloping all over Ponyville, wreaking havoc to the ponies and their cottages. There were some who were chasing ponies, some stealing and wearing the clothes of other ponies—I saw a mannequin with a Wonderbolts uniform—and destroying property. Ponies were panicking. Some tried to defend themselves even in numbers, but the mannequins were smart because they worked together like a team in taking down a pony. Ponies locking their cottages on time or in advance couldn't hold the dummies’ strength in kicking down their doors.
“What in the name of Luna is going on here?!” I was the first one to say something from my horror.
Twilight gave me a stern look. “Did you’re magic worked a little too well back in the orchard that it also sends a shockwave here in Ponyville?”
I was a bit confused, and then I shook. “There’s no time to argue, Twilight,” I told her as I turned to face the situation. “We have to—oh my Glob…” I saw a mannequin wearing Rarity’s Scarlet Steak Bloom dress.
Rarity followed my gaze and instantly became distressed as she stood up with her hooves on her head. “Not my latest creation!!!” She trotted out to her rose dress when I was about to stop her.
“Spike,” I snapped. “Give me a summary—now!”
Spike hesitated. “I-I was looking for you everywhere in Ponyville for an hour. When I passed by the Carousel Boutique for Rarity, she’s not there. But what I found instead inside when I came in were pony mannequins coming to life. And before I knew it, they started wreaking Ponyville of their homes and clothes.”
“We got to take action,” Twilight said. “Maybe I have a spell that can stop these mannequins into themselves again.” She looked around fast. She saw a mannequin crushing a mailbox. She trotted towards the mannequin, concentrated for a minute and quickly zapped the dummy with a beam from her horn—the aura was light brilliant raspberry. The mannequin shook for a second and froze. Twilight smiled in success. She turned to me with an expression that I liked: Let’s do this together . After that, she galloped away and began freezing other dummies in her surroundings.
I smiled. That was the way I liked it. “Spike, help Rarity in catching her rose dress,” I said to him as he was biting his nails in panic.
“What about you, Iwano?” he asked.
“I’m gonna go ‘zappy’—”
“Iwano, Iwano, Iwano!” Pinkie Pie called out for me. “What can I do?”
“You and Applejack have to knock out any mannequin from wreaking anymore havoc.”
“You can count on us!” Applejack said. “Yeehaw! Let’s go buck up us some dummies!”
“Roger, commander Iwano!” Pinkie Pie said as she wore a soldier camouflage helmet—where did she get that?!
Spike nodded in understanding and went off to help his pony. Applejack and Pinkie Pie—hopping happily yet fast— followed as I said. I was the only one left. Ordering them around made me feel a little bit of a leader in this world like what I was in IW—it felt great! I closed my eyes and concentrated on what Twilight did—using my powers to copycat. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and my eyes glowed golden yellow again. Even if I felt that this was a mode, it felt like it was just magic. I guessed Equestria was mostly all about magic and stuff like that.
I started looking for a mannequin with my eyes glowing in power. I saw one chasing Mayor Mare by my north-west. I lunged forward, thrust my horn on the mannequin’s location and zapped it. It froze back to normal. Mayor Mare stopped running, took a look at the mannequin and sighed in relief as she waved to my in thanks, though she was frightened of my eyes. But I just waved back and went on.
Next, I saw two mannequins playing by a fountain like little infants on my east. Were they trying to cool off from all the horrid making? I thrust my horn at them, zapped, and they froze back to normal, floating on the water.
I then ran to every street in Ponyville to find any kind of mannequin wreaking havoc. I zapped a mannequin who was wearing Vinyl’s glasses. I froze the dummy and took the glasses, but there was no sign of Vinyl looking for this, so I stored it in my saddlebag to give it to her if I had a chance.
Rarity was holding on to the rose dressed dummy like Applejack in a rodeo contest, but with annoyance rather than fun. Her grip was very tight on the neck and she gritted her teeth in exasperation. “You are not going to trot away with my masterpiece of roses!” Spike was doing his best to corner the rose mannequin. I zapped a little of speed on the little dragon. He instantly had gotten faster—zipping and swift—in cornering, making the mannequin nowhere to run.
“Whoever turned me faster, I like it!” Spike thanked, but I that spell would wear off when this situation was over.
Rarity was sweating again from her unofficial rodeo contest. She gritted her teeth even harder. “That’s it!” She raised a hoof and karate-chopped the mannequin by its head repeatedly, causing it to crack. Her chopping was so fast that I thought she had a triangular hoof. The mannequin slowly crumbled and a dust cloud covered their scene, making Spike cough a bit. The scene cleared and the mannequin was completely disintegrated into dust and Rarity got her rose dress on her back. “Never abscond from me again!” She tenderly said to her dress as she rubbed it. I swear to Luna that I would never try stealing any of Rarity’s dresses. I didn't want my skull turned to dust. I guessed her anger must have boosted her strength.
Applejack was doing well. She was knocking off dummies with tackles and rams, especially with her applebucking kicks that could even send one flying, that were terrorizing the citizens of Ponyville. Pinkie Pie was sort of helping by distracting mannequins by dancing the can-can in front of them from terrorizing anymore ponies—she was even wearing eye-popping glasses, a tuba (seriously with the tuba?!) and fifteen balloons tied on her tail. When a dummy was about to hurt a pony, Pinkie Pie just steps in and do some random dance like the robot, can-can and break dancing—she could break dance? Glob, she was random!
Twilight was galloping her way in the streets, blasting mannequins nonstop like a gatling gun. Even if she was doing a great job at it, she was now beaded with sweat on her face. I wondered how long this was already. I took a look at my watch—it was 1:40 PM. I got to end this fast.
I flew high up in the sky to get a full view of Ponyville. It wasn't a bit pretty. The houses’ and stores’ windows and doors were all shattered and broken, respectively. Pegasi were swooping ponies to the top of any cottage roof for safety. At least they were helping. Speaking of pegasi, I wondered where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were. Rainbow Dash could really help since she was really fast to bring ponies to safety and could fight these dummies with Applejack, but I doubted Fluttershy would help due to her timidity. But that was fine by me—she was herself, after all. Some ponies were defending themselves well like Applejack. Unicorns were using some magic to defend as well like shielding or levitating stuff. But those ponies were just a few.
I was in midair motionless for a while. I closed my eyes again and used my imagination—shockwave for normalcy all over Ponyville. I then glowed with an aura of golden yellow around me. While I was at it, I glowed brighter and brighter every minute that the mannequin swarm were all looking at me, though they didn't have any eyes.
Twilight was in the middle of zapping when she realized what was happening to me above. She looked at me with her hoof covering half her face from my brightness. “What in the worldwide of Equestria is he doing now?” she asked herself. I span my wings wide and glowed even brighter that the citizen’s of Ponyville were blinded, even the mannequins. Multiple beams shot out of my horn into every mannequin in Ponyville, even the ones hiding from sight.
“What are you, Iwano?” Twilight asked softly in amazement. She was now very curious of my magic and identity. “I want to know you more.”
After a few minutes later, all the mannequins have been frozen. But I was not done yet. I raised my hooves up and again caused a golden yellow shockwave. As the wave passes, all the mannequins disappeared, everything damaged was instantly repaired and the stolen clothes were returned.
Everypony in Ponyville cheered for the mannequin chaos was over.
Below me, I heard Rarity screaming. I looked down—my eyes back to normal—and saw her chasing a mannequin who has her rose dress on its head. I thought I missed one. I swooped down and snatched the rose dress away with me in midair. I quickly blasted the mannequin back to it lifeless.
I slowly went down with the rose dress on my hoof and walked towards Rarity. “Here’s your dress back.”
“Oh, thank you, Iwano! Thank you!” she thanked me as she took the rose dress and hugged it. It made me all fuzzy inside to see her happy, but it was the right thing for something good like that. “You are the most splendid and most talented pony ever!”
I just smiled with happiness. I helping her find gems, amaze her with my magic in front of her for the first time, donating and giving gems, stopping a dummy chaos and recovering her dress made me really happy and worth being here in Equestria. I closed my eyes and think of happy thoughts.
Suddenly, I got smacked in the cheeks with a kiss. I opened my eyes and gasped. I frantically looked around with my heart pounding and me panting.
“Who in the name of Luna kissed me?” I asked the ponies around me. Coming towards us were Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, all agape (I was getting tired of these girls doing that). I looked at Spike and he was agape as well and eyes widened.
“Spike, is there something wrong?” I asked the paralyzed dragon. I blew him and he fell with a thuk sound like a wood. “Is there another mannequin I have to blast?” I looked around frantically again.
Rarity chuckled. “There’s no more mannequins trotting around anymore, Iwano,” she confirmed. “Well, the pony who kissed you was the creator of your ravishing cape and the sophisticated rose dress.” She winked at me.
Faint Mode: activate.
Chapter 9: The Bolt Wing Competition
Chapter 8: Tredaspo Gem
Why did you faint? It doesn't matter. I've seen your progress. It looks like you have the influences from the Elements of Generosity. That’s very good, but you must be influenced by Honesty, too, for your Deceitfulness almost slipped out of your heart. As it didn't completely take over you, Deceitfulness took advantage in your sleep and used you to eat all the apples in the orchard. It wants you to be more dishonest than who you are, even if it really wasn't you who did that—Dissonance is a part of you, after all. Iwano…stay strong as Twilight Sparkle. I did notice that she has an antipathy towards you. But she’s doing her best to contain and influence you with Magic. The time will come for you to open your heart, Iwano Imagination. Awake!
My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes slowly (hey, it rhymed). I was lying down on something soft and I saw a moderate blue ceiling with lights. Who was that gentle and regal voice that spoke to me?
“Look, he’s waking up.” I heard Twilight’s voice. I immediately shot up and startled the ponies and dragon in the room—Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack.
“Are you ‘kay?” Applejack asked.
“Did your magic just drained you and made you faint?” Twilight asked, too.
“Or you faint because Rarity kissed you in the cheek?” Spike grumbled with his arms crossed and looking upset. Oh…It looked like I found a new hater, maybe.
I rubbed my head and just sat down properly. It appeared I was lying down on Rarity’s couch. My head was aching a little but not painful.
“How long was I out?” I asked as I looked at my watch—3:40 PM. My eyes widened. “I swooned and fell asleep for two hours!” I exclaimed.
“We had to carry you and let you sleep for awhile on my couch,” Rarity said as she offered me a levitating cup of water. I took it with my magic and drank. Who was that voice in my sleep? It began to nag me. I looked down in thought aside.
“I-I am sorry Iwano,” Rarity apologized and blushed. “I-I shouldn't do that.”
I took a deep breath and blushed, too. Spike was beginning to be really jealous as he started tightening his crossed arms. “That’s, uh, okay, Rarity,” I said. “A lot of mares do that to me whenever I did something heroic or somewhat like that in my kingdom. It’s actually normal.” I stared by the boutique’s window on beside me by the left wall. I sighed. “Can all of you get out except Rarity? I need to talk to her in private.”
The ponies exchanged looks and Twilight nodded. As they all went out except Rarity, Spike was glaring at me and gesturing, I got my eye on you.
Rarity and I were now alone.
“Why do you want me secluded from them?” Rarity asked. Her cheeks were beet red. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Rarity,” I said and gulped. “Uh, what do you actually think of me?”
She was looking around as if her answer was lost and was looking around to find it. “To me, you are a very generous and helpful pony, Iwano. Even if you said that you’re filled with Dissonance, I believe you are a very good pony.” She put her hoof on my chest, which pounded fast. I tried to keep cool. “You are also like a gentlecolt to me…and the sweetest, too. Your magic was exemplary back when we were mining for gems—I was more astonished than your performance here in Ponyville. When you conjured the gala dresses my friends and I have worn in the Grand Galloping Gala, I already think that you are something special, not just threat—wow, your heart is really pumping fast.” She was right. While she was talking and I was listening, I kept gulping that my throat was about to go dry. My head was shaking. “Is there something wrong, Iwano?” She’d let go of my chest. What a relief!
I gave out a heavy sigh. “I’m fine. It’s just that, I’m nervous around you,” I admitted. “You are, to me, a beautiful pony with your dazzling moderate azure eyes, your accent and… and… and…” I lost my words. My cheeks were beginning to feel hot—I was blushing really hard. “And you’re friendly…”
Rarity was also blushed by the words I said. “You really mean it, Iwano? Well, Spike always complimented me like that.”
“That’s because he loves you, Rarity,” she giggled.
“I know that. Both of you and Spike are sweet.” She began to frown. “But I did notice that Spike was—”
“Was jealous of me? I know that.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re amazing than I can ever think.”
“That’s nothing. I already knew that from the—” I stopped myself. If I told her what I knew that from the beginning, well, I didn’t want to risk it. “Anyways, I also want to say thank you for accepting me as your friend and saying those good things about me. Oh, and thank you for the cape, too.” I levitated my cape out of my saddlebag and unrolled it. The cape didn’t fly out anywhere—it was lifeless. “That’s odd. I expected it to fly away.”
“No matter,” Rarity said. “How’s my designing?”
I examined the cape carefully as to see if she made any mess or error. It had none. “The cape’s wonderful!” I wore the cape and tied straps from my collar around my neck. Then something reminded me: the Poké Ball embroidery. “Wait a minute, Rarity. Why did you put a red and white colored circle on this cape?”
She blushed with embarrassment. “While you were away giving gems, I saw a sketchpad on the floor with your name on it. I took a look at your drawings and they were simply marvelous and artistic! Your abstract clearly captures my eyes and bedazzled me with its colorful patterns.” She used her magic to open a drawer behind her and levitated my sketchpad in front of me. I immediately store it in my saddlebag. I have no resent towards her for looking at my drawings. “On the first page, that’s where I first saw your circle. I was thinking it was valuable to you since it’s on the first page, I decided to embroider it on your cape—”
“Why did you make a cape for me?” I asked as I rolled up my cape again and stowed it.
“I made it as a token of my appreciation for what you've done for me today,” she answered. I looked at my watch—3:50 PM?
I just stared at Rarity. In IW, I designed my own clothes and let Elesa made them for me. Nopony in IW made me a cape like this especially for me before. I couldn't stop smiling, too. An act of anything virtuous such as this one melted my heart easily. I suddenly had the urge to kiss her, but I simply controlled myself knowing she would just freak out like a drama queen, which she was. Besides, Spike would become even more jealous. My brain began to sort out my feelings into one thing: singing. The lyrics immediately composed themselves in my head. I wanted to sing this to her.
“Rarity,” I said. She shook her head and blinked. Was she staring at me, too? “Since you gave me this cape as a gift to me, I have something to give you.” Her face brightened up in excitement. She might probably think I’m going to give her a dress. “It’s a song.”
She didn't frown, but she’s still excited. “Well, sing it then.” Her voice tone sounds humble and, uh, generous for me to do it.
I breathe for a few seconds to gain my confidence. Even if it was only her alone with me in the boutique, she unnerved me. Because she was a pony I was crushing on, though I strongly loved Fluttershy. I began.
You are special whatever you are
I believe you’re beautiful
And your eyes shine like the stars
I can imagine you in a dress
Of vividness and iridescence
We are a gift to each other
I’ll share you my virtue
And you can shine your beauty within!
... Rarity hugged me after that last line. I blushed even harder and redder. When she let go of me, she said, “Your voice was so melodious and serene, that you’re suited to be not just my hero but a singer!”
I was flattered. “Aw shucks, Rarity. It’s just one of my talents—what do you think?”
“That song is beautiful as your constellation of gems, Iwano—magnificent! You are again sweet and shown bountifulness of your heart.” As she said that, bliss filled my heart. I can feel Greed—the Element of Dissonance opposite of Generosity—burning, but not fading, from all of this. I then thought what I was doing would be very corny in Reality, but apparently it wasn't in this world, especially to Rarity.
My saddlebag began to shake.
“Why is your bag shaking?” Rarity asked as she noticed it. Different colors of light began to flash out of my saddlebag. I used my magic to open it and my emerald came out, glowing bright green. In Rarity’s closet, it bursts open but not flooding us with gems. One of each gem began to float from the pile and glow to its color: topaz, ruby, diamond, amethyst, sapphire, peridot and onyx.
“What in the name of Luna’s going on?” I asked myself. The gems, including my emeralds, began to circle around us above the same speed as my cape was a while ago. While Rarity stared at the circling gems in wonder, I then realized what was going on. Once I gotten too deep on my emotions, the effects were usually weird—either I would turn into a lover-maniac or, just like what was happening now, something was about to be created. Was it a new power, weapon or magic? My question was answered when the gems stopped circling around and merge within each other, causing a bright light of iridescence to blind both Rarity and I.
A clinking sound occurred. We both opened our eyes. My eyesight was a bit dim from the flash and so as Rarity. When we got our sight back, we looked around for anything unusual that happened.
“What is this?” Rarity said as she pointed on the center of the floor. Right where Rarity was pointing, a diadem lied on the floor. The diadem was made out of the gems that were glowing and flashing a moment ago. It had seven pointed tips. Out of all the guesses I made, the gems formed into an accessory?
“My word! This diadem is sparkling and beautiful!” Rarity exclaimed as she took it into her hooves and examined it. I was smart enough to know that it was not just an accessory…it could also be a weapon, but what kind? But what does it do? My weird powers could make many weird things, like one time when my powers—combo-inspiration powers—combined a Cross Loader and a Poké Ball into what I called a Fusion Ball. It functioned like an ordinary Poké Ball, but it could catch more than one Pokémon and could also catch more than one Digimon. When you beckoned your Pokémon/Digimon out, they were fused together. When you clicked the button on the ball’s center, they diffused but not released.
“But what is this?” she asked.
I scratched my head for an ideal name. It was combined with a topaz, ruby, emerald, diamond, amethyst, sapphire, peridot and onyx into one diadem. And then I’d got it.
“I’ll call that the Tredaspo Diadem,” I decided.
“Why do you call it that?” she asked as she was bedazzled by the crown. What a beauty lover…
“The name Tredaspo is abbreviated with all the gems combined to it, forming into that diadem!” I explained.
“That’s a wonderful name, Iwano! So are you—”
“Going to keep that thing? No, I’ll not. That’s my gift to you, Rarity, since I haven’t given you any gem except your pile which is for work and a song. Besides, I want to be generous sincerely, right?”
Rarity zoomed in and hugged me again, this time I hugged back eccentrically. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Iwano!” She used her magic to levitate the diadem unto her head. “How do I look?”
“You’re like the princess of all gems, Rarity,” I said dreamily, “makes you a ‘generous’ leader!”
We both laughed.
I had the feeling we were being watched this whole time. I stopped laughing and she followed.
“What is wrong again?” Rarity asked.
“Are the windows closed with their curtains?” I asked back.
“I think they were not.” We turned to the windows. Yes, they weren't’t covered. And that means…
“I think it’s time for our friends to come in,” I said as I walk towards the door and opened it. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike are still there. “I can tell by the faces that one or all of you've been listening and watching us, is it not?”
“Um, we’re sorry,” Applejack apologized as she scratched her hat. “We’re just curious.” I was a bit fuming, but extinguished it with just a sigh. I didn't really like anypony eavesdropping on me, especially something like this one. Rarity and I went out of the boutique to our friends.
“Can I take a look at your diadem, Rarity?” Twilight said as she used her magic to examine the crown in front of her without Rarity’s permission, but I thought she was okay with it, though. Twilight examined it carefully as if it would cause mayhem. “Iwano,” Twilight turned to me and showed me the diadem. “How did you make this? Is it one of your magic again?”
I explained to her of how my emotions could go deep that it could do negative on me, or positive effects on someone or something. Twilight was intrigued, but she was still suspicious of my magic and my identity. Being a studious and an intellectual, Twilight may uncover of who I was soon. I would try my best to conceal it better.
“I’ll have to take some tests and observations of this diadem’s properties and maybe see if it has some kind of hidden magic,” Twilight said.
“I refuse,” Rarity said as she takes the crown from Twilight’s magic grasp with hers. “This diadem is a gift from Iwano and I will not have anything mess its newborn beauty. Well, it’s been a long day for me. So, I’ll be back inside my boutique and having my beauty sleep. Iwano, let’s go in now.” Rarity went inside her boutique.
“Uh, see you ponies later!” I said bye to my friends as I followed Rarity and closed the boutique’s door. Twilight’s face was full of concern and skepticism.
“I can enumerate the odd things that have happened,” Twilight said. “But Iwano is definitely hiding something from us in the beginning.”
“Come on, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said. “He’s really super-duper fantastic with his magic and what-sy!” At least she was optimistic about me, which would also help shroud my identity.
“Yeah, but he ate the orchard’s apples.”
“I know, Twilight,” Applejack said. “But he somehow did return all the apples back with magic. I think he’s not all that evil with his Dissonance.”
Twilight sighed. “I know, I know. He is helpful, friendly and all, but there’s this feeling I have whenever he’s around me—something’s not right about him at all with his Dissonance.”
“Maybe he has some sort of connection with the mannequin riot and the flying cape chase,” Spike grumbled with his arms crossed again. Twilight noticed his upset expression, but she didn't ask.
“I think you’re right, Spike. Before he entered Ponyville, we have these small mishaps. Seven days ago when I was back in Canterlot before this mission began, whenever I organized my books by section, genre, subject and type, they were all in disorganized the minute I left them. It kept going on and on until we met Iwano, probably.”
“Oh, ooh, ooh!” Pinkie Pie raised her hoof like a little filly calling for teacher Twilight. “Seven days ago, I always lost my balance that I need to twirl, jump, and whirl and carry myself with a crotch!” She said those things while literally twirling, jumping, and whirling and she even brought out a crotch and used it from out of nowhere. I was now beginning to be curious as Twilight on Pinkie Pie’s gag acts. Maybe I should put that as my minor side quest in my agenda.
“Hey, Twilight,” Applejack said. “Seven days ago throughout those, I've been sometimes slow movin' like a banana slug even if I ain't exhausted. Today, I ain't that already.”
“Seven days? Let’s subtract one day, since Iwano revealed himself to us yesterday. Six days? The Elements of Harmony consists of six elements, which are also the number of days of our minor mishaps and the number of Elements of Dissonance Iwano has.”
“And I've been crash landing six times within six days before Iwano arrives,” a voice added up in Twilight’s calculations. “That’s a total of thirty-six crashes—those were the worst.” Twilight and her friends followed the brash tone. On the roof of the boutique, Rainbow Dash was sitting there wistfully. She yawned.
“What’re you doing up there and how long?” Twilight asked. “First was Iwano above us and now you? Who else? Princess Celestia?” Please let it not , she thought
“I've been following you girls with Iwano all day,” she replied. “Yup, Iwano is fast as me—in a slow contest!” She chuckled.
“Wait, you were there when Iwano was chasing his cape in the orchard?” Applejack asked.
“And I was in the dummy riot chasing a dummy stealing my Wonderbolts uniform—yeah, I’ve been there.” She crossed her hooves in the thought of how the mannequin took her uniform with annoyance.
“And you didn't do anything to help?” Twilight asked again with a bit of fuming.
“Hey, I lift the other ponies from the riot, okay?You just didn't see homw fast I am. Besides, I was testing Iwano's speed and aerodynamics.”
“What was that for?”
“I know, I know, I know!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she hopped. “Rainbow Dash was testing Iwano if he can join the Wonderbolts and she wants to out-fly him in a race in front of every Wonderbolts in the academy!”
“Uh, what she said,” Rainbow Dash pointed at Pinkie Pie as the answer. “But it’s not only that, Pinkie. I wanna compete against him and make him my wing pony. It’s all for the fun out of it. Oh, before he can do that there will be a competition tomorrow. The whole event was a ruckus at first, so maybe my schedule for that green Alicorn might change. What should I call him?"
“Did you even listen to Iwano's Enter with Colors song? He’s sensitive,” Applejack reminded Rainbow Dash. “We don’t even know if he can take those kinds of spectators, especially Spitfire. What if he’s just like Fluttershy? HE wouldn’t take it.”
“Trust me girls,” Rainbow Dash assured them as she flew up. “Let’s all meet here again tomorrow by the boutique. Get Fluttershy, too. Tomorrow’s gonna be interesting.” And she flew away in a streak of rainbow.
Twilight exchanged looks with Applejack in worry. Pinkie Pie was grinning in excitement for tomorrow. Spike was staring at the boutique in thought of Rarity and I together. He was definitely jealous. They all departed—without even saying goodbye to me and Rarity? That’s fine by me anyway.
Twilight and her friends weren't the only eavesdroppers. Rarity and I overheard everything outside. This time, we had the curtains closed as we peered outside and listened.
Rarity’s face became uneasy when Rainbow Dash said that last line. “What’s wrong, Rarity?” I asked her.
She grunted. “Rainbow Dash may have planned your second ‘performance’, Iwano,” she replied.
“How can you tell? She just wants me to become her wing pony. What’s the wrong in that?”
“It’s just that—you may know her personality as well—she can be a bit competitive with other ponies when it comes to her speed and awesomeness,” she tiredly said. “When I was in Canterlot with my friends because Princess Celestia beckons to us, Rainbow Dash bragged that she’s faster than you, according to the Princess Celestia's description of your aerial flight in her dream.” Rarity’s voice was full of concern for me with a dash of annoyance of Rainbow Dash’s pride in her flight abilities.
I never knew Rainbow Dash would say that. There might be a probability that Rainbow Dash will hate me besides Luna, whom I am not over with. I had a feeling that she has some sort of scheme for me besides being her wing pony possibly. I don’t wanna be fooled and made fun of, especially if this would happen.
Wait, what competition Rainbow Dash said?
“But don’t worry, Iwano,” Rarity said. “I have hopes in you will win that competition. I have faith in you.”
I blushed. Rarity, so far, was one of the ponies who trusted and cared for me. I began having thoughts that Rainbow Dash might embarrass and humiliate me in front of the Wonderbolts, especially Spitfire the captain. I yawned. I didn't realize that I was actually exhausted of all that work I’d done today, especially with the Mannequin Mayhem. I wish the thought of being humiliated by Rainbow Dash would give me anxiety and stress to make myself awake, but it didn't work. Applejack reasoned to Rainbow Dash that I was sensitive as Fluttershy. All of that was true. Back in Reality, I was easily humiliated by my classmates in school. After all that, I only have a little confidence and pride left, but it eventually comes back in a few occasions. I hope it would come back to me when I have to race Rainbow Dash.
“Where can I sleep?” I asked.
“You can sleep with me in my room for today.” She happily replied.
We went up a staircase leading to the upper floor to her bedroom. When we entered, I inhaled the scent of her room. It smells like fabric and assorted perfumes, since she lives in a boutique.
“What part of your room can I sleep in?” I asked.
“You’ll be sleeping with me in my bed,” she answered.
“WHAT?! Why would you?!”
“Oh, uh, since you've been very good to me I decided to let you sleep in my bed with me.” Why in the whole Equestria! I gulped. Sleeping with a girl I had a crush on gave me pants, nervousness and anxiety, with my heart pounding hard and fast. The last girl I’d slept was with was Violet in Mouseford Academy, Whale Island of the Mouse world when I was an undercover student/recruiter there for the Thea Sisters. I thought this was entirely different. I would have to stay cool.
My eyelids became heavy. I really did want to sleep right now.
Rarity noticed my drowsiness. “I see that you've exhausted yourself with all the gem-mining, gem distributing, cape chasing—”
“And dummy exterminating,” I added.
She examined my face. “Was it also because you’re emotionally tired now?”
I winced. I’d been keeping my emotions in of her ever since I've entered her boutique. How was she able to tell that? “How do you know?”
She frowned and averted her head from me. I gulped harder, as if I were swallowing and wanting to digest my emotions into my gastric acids. Was it even possible? Her, Rarity, having this possibility…no, I didn't believe in that—never in millennium. “I… I was just…I …” she stammered. “I was just concern for you, you know?” She managed an explanation. “I mean, you have your so called ‘Elements of Dissonance’ within you and it might cause some kind of catastrophe. I just want to influence you with my generosity aura ! You get me, right?”
“Um, I get you,” I replied, though I sounded like I was asking and I was unsure of her reason. She was blushing again. I sighed and smiled. “Thank you for your generosity again, Rarity.”
“I should be the one thanking you for everything you've done today, Iwano. You’re just simply remarkable!”
“Thank you again.”
It was now 4:30 PM. Sleeping beside Rarity made my teeth chatter, and it was not even this cold in her room, though it was a bit. I was not afraid of her because of my teeth chattering. This was what I was around with girls when I was too close to them, especially sleeping beside each other. She and I shared a lavender-colored blanket. She wore an eye mask.
Why does she want me to sleep with her? I could always just sleep on the ground floor of the boutique’s floor and ask for a blanket and pillow from Rarity. Yet, I should be grateful. Rarity was the Element of Generosity, after all—she was a generous pony. I was, too.
I blocked and shook the thought of Rarity with me on her bed with what Rainbow Dash said: wanna compete against him and make him my wing pony , she said. But Pinkie Pie’s “hunch” seems more reasonable, since she and her mirror world counterpart were both silly yet smart in guesses. Rainbow Dash was testing Iwano if he can join the Wonderbolts and she wants to out-fly him in a race in front of every Wonderbolts in the academy! , Pinkie Pie said. Were they all true? This was my guess: I may be now faster than Rainbow Dash in the whole Equestria that she became envious, so she wanted to humiliate me in front of the Wonderbolts and make me her wing pony as an addition to lower my self-esteem. Were they all true? I shook my head of that thought, too. Rarity beside me and Rainbow Dash’s scheme—this was giving me some stress. My thoughts were now filled with pessimism of the Mane Six towards me as a newcomer.
I tossed and turned on the bed. I began having a headache of all these negative thoughts. They all suddenly washed away when Rarity hugged me—I was muzzle to muzzle on her. My breath became hot and I was blushing even harder than a while ago. Rarity was just sleeping peacefully and happily as she hugged me. My heart pounded faster. My lips were close to hers. Why did she hug me all of the sudden? Was she dreaming of Spike? I hope it was. I expected her to whisper, mumble or murmur anything about Spike in her dreams. Instead, she whispered this: “Iwano, you are lovely to me…”
I wanted to get out of here, but I was too tired to even push her gently away from almost kissing my face, or lips. I turned my head to face the ceiling—good thing. I now then let sleepiness embraced me instead of Rarity’s. I admitted, but Rarity hugging me wasn't all that bad. It was just that I was doing my best not to be infatuated of her, or better yet, fell in love with her. She was soft to the touch. As a pony of fashion and beauty, I bet she visited the spa every week. Maybe that was how she became soft.
I finally closed my eyes… and dream again.
I think this dream was trying to tell me something. I was inside the Sugarcube Corner, a baker and confectionery of Ponyville which was operated by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and sometimes Pinkie Pie. This was also the home of that pink, party pony.
I was in the upper floor of the Sugarcube Corner, but this place wasn't right at all. The wallpapers were all ripped and ruined by some sort of slash marks. There were no tables, chairs, lights or any furniture. I walked toward the window behind me as I noticed it and looked at the sky. It was night and the moon was full. The whole upper floor was so gloomy and ominous that it gave me shivers in my spines down to my hooves. Something told me this would be a nightmare.
“Hello? Is anypony here?” I called out. There was no response. I scanned the whole floor for an exit. The floor had none. This is strange, I thought to myself. There’s supposed to be some sort of floor exit. Maybe I should go through the window . And so I did, but it won’t budge as I pushed the window with all my might. It was no use. I scanned my surroundings—no exit and no other windows. This was just great. Even my magic wasn't working when I tried.
I gulped in anticipation for any nightmarish creature or event to appear and scare me to unconsciousness. What was going on? I couldn't't’t seem to get out or wake myself up.
You may have Generosity to like you, but that would never be enough , a voice spoke somewhere. I looked around again with bewilderment. You’ll never succeed in this quest. I will make sure of it. Or should I say, you will make sure of it .
“Appear to me,” I demanded. “I want you to show yourself!”
And it did. Right in front of me, shadows merged together and formed a pony. Its eyes were sharp as knives and pupils bloodshot-colored. Its build, wings and horn were exactly like mine. No, it couldn't be…!
“I’m not fully formed yet, but I can only be in this shadow form and with eyes,” said the shadow pony. “But you, my friend, need a change of color and appearance as me.”
It was Dissonance—my Dissonance! But his whole body wasn't complete…yet.
“What do you want and why am I here?” I demanded.
“Just a little bewilderment before you wake up in the morning, Iwano,” he replied. “I have nothing else to say, but maybe this dream will say something to you someday. Good night, Iwano.” As he said that, I was instantly consumed by arms of shadows, making my struggle for freedom inevitable. What is this? ! I let them consumed me…
Where am I? Why do I feel cold but breezy?
My dream turned black and shifted me to somewhere else. I was in the night sky floating but not flying—I wasn't flapping my wings at all. I frantically looked around at my surroundings. The sky was dark, with clouds appearing like flying cotton and very puffy—maybe these were what Equestria's clouds looked like unlike Imaginundia's—that I’d like to continue sleeping peacefully on them. But that did not happen, fortunately. A rainbow appeared in a shimmered above me. I smiled at its iridescent beauty—I love colorfulness and anything iridescent, except Rainbow Dash.
“Maybe this isn't just a nightmare,” I said to myself. “Everything’s just—”
My happiness suddenly faded when I was rapidly scratched all over my body. It was excruciating.
Chapter 9: The Bolt Wing Competition
I woke up with a splash of icy cold water on my face. I instantly flew shot up in surprise and coldness of the water.
“What the hay was that?!” I complained. I was soggy and cold, shivering and mad. I looked below me and saw the Mane Six and Spike, looking at from above. Rainbow Dash had a wooden bucket on her back. There was no doubt that she was the one who dunked me with this cold liquid. I shook myself like a dog and sprinkled water all over my friends. Sorry for that , I thought. I didn’t care if they got wet. It was Rainbow Dash’s fault. I then landed on the ground and apologized. I shot a look of annoyance at Rainbow Dash and she smirked back.
“Well, it’s clearly Rainbow Dash’s fault,” Rarity said and she turned to Rainbow Dash and asked her to apologize to me.
“Sorry, Iwano,” Rainbow Dash said, though it sounded like she was muttering. “But there’s no time for that! We’re wasting time.” Speaking of time, I looked at my watch—exactly seven in the morning and today was Tuesday. I only got four days left. “We’re going to the Wonderbolts Academy!” she said as she excitedly flies upward. I rolled my eyes. After Rainbow Dash flew and landed, she explained everything to me of why. There were details she gave me which Rarity and I’ve never heard of.
“Wonderbolts members, including trainees such as myself, can select a Pegasus to compete in a friendly competition in the academy—a race and other events,” Rainbow Dash explained. “The winners or best fliers get to become official members of the Wonderbolts, or even become trainees, lead ponies or wing ponies.” I thought the term she was referring to was “humiliating” instead of “friendly”.
“Why would they make a competition like that?” I asked.
“Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, held this competition to see if there’re any more worthy fliers in Equestria, besides myself,” she answered. “Oh, and I’ll be telling you all the other events later when we get there. And maybe there’re other details.”
“It’s also for entertainment and encouraging other Pegasi to join the academy,” Twilight added, which made more sense to me than a competition. “There will be other Pegasi to watch, too, maybe even the whole Equestria.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Rainbow Dash with the Wonderbolts, too,” Fluttershy said. Hearing her voice immediately melted my heart with her soft and cute tone.
“And RD here chose ya to be in it, Iwano,” Applejack said. I can see in her face she didn't want her rainbow-maned friend to join me in.
“Enough chit-chat!” Rainbow Dash broke in. “Twilight, get into your balloon.”
“What balloon?” I asked Twilight. She replied by pointing above us. Good thing my horn didn’t pop it when I shot up into the sky. Above us was Twilight’s hot air balloon. It was colored light-purple with its carrier. A rope was tied nearby a tree beside the boutique.
“You have a spell that can temporarily allow your friends to walk on clouds, right?” I asked Twilight again.
“Yes, and again, how do you know?” she asked back. I should really stop doing that.
“You are very special alicorn with the power to do any spell, am I not right?” I countered.
“Most spells, yes. I already applied it on all of my friends except Rarity. But the Wonderbolts Academy had a paved road, Iwano, she doesn’t need and we don’t need—”
“Maybe I can give her the temporary wings she used to have. You know the wings that are made of morning dew she used to have?”
Twilight sighed. “I will for now on never question you in how you know every single event we had before you came here.” She gave up. Good.
“Okay then,” I said as I faced Rarity. “Just stay calm and prepare yourself to get beautiful again with wings!”
"I'm going to have beautiful wings again!" she squealed. "Fire when you're ready!"
My horn glowed as I was prepared to blast her. After a few seconds, I shot a beam on her.
After Rarity applied her wings—they looked like butterfly wings patterned beautifully with colors and transparency—we all ascended into the sky. Rainbow Dash lead the way with me and Fluttershy by her side. I allowed myself to pull Twilight’s balloon with her passenger friends with a rope tied on my left hind leg. The balloon with its passengers wasn’t all that heavy since it was supported with a balloon. Twilight was following us last but not too far so she could practice her flying. We passed through the clouds and unfazed when we crashed into one, it just dispersed. Rarity was just flying happily with her wings above the balloon.
While Pinkie Pie was playing with a pompom on her head, her tail twitched hard. She noticed and warned, “Uh-oh, I think something or somepony’s about to fall!” She covered her head quickly with four more pompoms. I would not ask where she’d got those.
“What’s gonna fall?!” Spike asked worryingly with a pompom on his head.
“I don’t really know,” Pinkie Pie replied. “But my tail was so hard twitchy-twitch, I think it would be hard as my teeth broke when I chewed on jawbreakers—it was delicious!” Her saying that happily was creepy to us, but we all took a hard mental note about what was about to fall.
“Where are we going again, Rainbow Dash?” I asked.
“We’re going to the Wonderbolts Academy, egghead,” she replied. What?
“I heard that, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said behind.
“Sorry,” Rainbow Dash apologized indistinctly. “I’m not used to another nerd.”
I fumed. I swear I would make her eat my dust, if there were any in the sky, during the race if she ever joined. I wished she would.
I thought it was all because of Celestia’s description about me in her dream-message. She did say that Rainbow Dash and I were both fast in terms of aerodynamics, speed and agility, I thought. All I could put in my mind was that Rainbow Dash wanted to be faster, even if it meant putting someone down, which it would be me. If that was what she wanted to do, then I would accept without complaint!
I looked behind me to see Twilight’s reaction on Rainbow Dash’s apology. She seemed to cool down easily. Maybe she used the breathing exercise Cadence taught her back in the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t do the same. I would just imagine stuff to hold my temper.
I’d to admit, but I had to thank Rainbow Dash from waking me up when I was in the middle of the fall. I would have a mini heart attack if I hit the ground, or worst, never to pull myself together after! But that doesn’t meant I would forgive her for her wake-up call.
We all came to a halt when Rainbow Dash stopped. “We’re here!” she exclaimed.
Below us was the Wonderbolts Academy. The academy was a boot camp complex located in the peak of a mountain plateau consisting of a paved runway. Dotted near the mountaintop were buildings and a mess hall made of clouds.
We all landed and I tied the balloon near a flag post. I hoped nopony noticed it there. Training in the runway was different Pegasi flying and exercising.
“What are the other events in this competition besides racing, Rainbow Dash?” I asked.
“You’ll find out once you registered yourself, young flyer,” a voice spoke. Her voice was raspy and full of authority. I turned back and saw the captain. Her eyes were brilliant orange like an ember and full of sharpness. Her mane was stylized like a blazing fire and colored light brilliant orange with light brilliant amber streaks. Her coat was light brilliant gold, colored like the sparks of flames. Her cutie mark was three licks of flames resembling an abstraction of a phoenix, and she was a Pegasus. She was wearing a blue suit which I thought was for sergeants, and tinted glasses. “I see you have found your choice, Rainbow Dash. And it's a unique one, too."
“Spitfire,” I said. “You’re the captain of the Wonderbolts.”
Blaze...
Spitfire lowered her glasses and knitted her eyebrows. “Heard of me?” she asked.
I nodded. Rainbow Dash gave me a look of suspicion, but immediately gazed on her captain. “Yes captain,” she said with a salute. “I have chosen a contestant. He is really fast and agile with his flying. I’ve seen him done that.”
“I hope,” Spitfire said with a smile. “It’s always great to see new young flyers, especially as him. Who are you, cadet?”
“My name’s Iwano Imagination, captain,” I replied. “I am happy that Rainbow Dash, your trainee, entered me into this. It would be a lot of fun to compete with other Pegasi. I promise you I would be interesting.”
“I hope you would,” Spitfire took a notice of my horn. “Are you an alicorn?”
“Um, yes ma’am.” I replied.
She grinned. “Well, you already interest me. I hope you would play fair without your magic.”
“Don’t worry. I am honest to myself. Besides, you can tell if I’m using my magic if my horn glow its aura.” Applejack seemed to like what I said with a smile
“True. Just to let you know, this event is called the ‘Bolt-Wing Competition’. If my trainee here already told you about it, let me explain it again with some details. The Bolt-Wing Competition is an event whereas the flyers chosen by our official members and trainees are to compete by showing off their wing power, aerodynamics, speed, agility, accuracy, precision and endurance. The Wonderbolts who chose his or her pony will also coach.” That raised my brows up. “The best fliers of my choice will become official members—probably become wing ponies or lead ponies, or even higher rank in terms of membership—of the Wonderbolts. This also serves as a training program for other Pegasi and may encourage other flyers to join the academy. This event will also be broadcasted all over Equestria.” Uh-oh , I thought.
Good, her explanation was now almost clear to me. But I was really curious of the events that they set for us. “Thank you for the info, captain. I’m looking forward for it.”
“I hope you’ll enjoy the academy and its treats.”
“Are you kidding me? Seeing and talking to the blazing and fiery-colored Spitfire for the first time is already enjoyable and a treat!” I cheerfully said.
She blushed. “I’ll be on my way now, Iwano. Good luck!” and then she flew away; probably she had other things to attend to.
“Wow,” Twilight said. “It’s like you and Spitfire have known each other for a long time, even if you two talked for a short time. Have you two met?”
“No,” But I know her and her info , I wanted to say but I just sincerely answered. “It’s just that, Spitfire is an interesting pony.”
She knitted her eyebrows and shook her head. “Let’s go get you register—” Before she could finish her sentence, Rainbow Dash took me immediately in a flash to a table where the registrar was. I was startled when she pushed me really fast there. She really was excited to see me humiliated, if it ever happened.
“I’d like to enter Iwano Imagination to—you?!” The registrar pony had an orange mane which curved back and waved, like cool fire. Her coat was light opal. Her eyes were brilliant gamboge, but looked lightning colored to me; in fact her eyes looked striking like it. And her cutie mark was a lightning bolt with three stars. She wore the Wonderbolt uniform—their suit were azure blue with golden yellow lightning pattern and sport a uniform icon on their flanks over where the ponies’ cutie marks were; the icon varied on the gender of the member (males: the mark is a winged lightning bolt, females: a long streak of lightning. But Soarin’s cutie mark was already a lightning bolt with wings before he even joined).
“Lightning Dust,” I said. Rainbow Dash stared at me for knowing her.
“How do you know her?” she carefully said.
“Enough of that, RD,” Lightning Dust said. “Do you want to enter your Iwano Imagination or not?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head from her confusion and was intrigued of her former lead pony’s return. “Yeah and why are you here?”
I just signed my name and looked at the other entries. I was surprised to see Derpy Hooves’s name. Who in their wrong minds would choose Derpy to enter this competition? She would just destroy all of us with her clumsiness—she would even wreck the place before we even started the event! Besides her, I could also be a bit clumsy which was bad as hers. One time, I leaned and bumped into a crate of isotopes in the nuclear power plant of Springfield in the Simpson’s world, and blew the whole plant up. Of course, I fixed everything with my powers—imagination. I wondered what the result would be like if Derpy and I combined our clumsiness. I decided not to let that happen.
“Spitfire chose me to enter the competition so she would give me another chance from last time,” Lightning Dust answered Rainbow Dash. “Everypony deserves a second chance, right?” She seemed to be friendly enough for me, but not to Rainbow Dash. I remembered when she was kicked out of the academy—or stripped off of her rank—for endangering the other Wonderbolts with a tornado that she and Rainbow Dash whipped up. Rainbow Dash really didn’t really mean to do it, though. It was Lightning Dust’s fault. She back in the academy as a contestant also intrigued me. But I was actually cool with it. But not Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash glared at her. “Okay, Iwano is now registered, right?”
“Yes he is,” Lightning Dust replied.
“And you’re in this as well?”
“Yes again, RD. It’s too bad you’re still a trainee.” I could now see Rainbow Dash fuming and Lightning Dust’s sneering. “And when Spitfire sees my skills in the competition, she’ll surely promote me as an official member—maybe even higher than that or a lead pony!” The two former teammates just kept staring at each other. I could see a rainbow-colored spark striking a lightning spark between them. It wasn’t my imagination. All I could thought of her was that she was friendly. I hoped Lightning Dust would become good again.
“Excuse me, Lightning Dust?” I broke in their staring contest to avoid any possible fight. “Where are we contestants supposed to do now when we’re registered?”
She fazed away from Rainbow Dash, who was glaring at her, and answered, “You must find Soarin and get a Wonderbolts uniform, such as what I’m wearing right now. Then, you must wait for the signal for Spitfire to assemble all of you to her.”
“Oh, okay. I understand,” I said with a nod.
“Say, I have a question for you, Iwano,” she said. “How do you know me and do you know Soarin?”
I should really start acting stupid and not knowing everypony in Equestria. Everypony would be suspicious of me. Instead I just answered, “I do know Soarin and I know you. I want to answer your question with details, but I need to go and find him now. Bye!”
The Mane Six, Spike and I left the registrar’s table and walked around the academy to find Soarin. Pinkie Pie was hopping frantically and was trying to eat the clouds above us. Rarity was gingerly flying with her wings away from any ray of sunlight, caring for it not to burn up again like last time (I cast those same wings on her because I wanted her to experience flying again). Rainbow Dash was muttering and questioning to herself about Lightning Dust’s return. Fluttershy was looking around her uneasily.
Concerned, I asked, “Fluttershy, is there something bothering you?”
“Oh, uh, maybe,” she replied.
With my aura, I could feel Fluttershy’s uneasiness, but I was not reading her mind. I decided not to ask or find out.
Twilight was reading another book. While I was giving away gems back in Ponyville, I did saw her reading a book on alicorns. Now, she was reading a book on Equestria’s geographical settings and its lands.
“Why are ya reading that, Twilight?” I asked with a pinch of worry.
“Trying to see if Imaginundia is in this book, and I’d read it seven times and it’s not here,” she said as she forcefully levitated the book towards my face. I shoved it away from me.
“Maybe your book’s not updated,” I guessed, which I hoped I was right. “I know you’re vexed of where I am and about my identity, Twilight. Will you just quit it?”
“Oh, I think you’re really hiding something—”
“Look down below!” Pinkie Pie fell down on us with a giant fluffy cloud that explodes as it crashes down on us, dispersing away. Around and all over us, we were covered entirely with clouds like snow. I had a cloud hair shaped like Twilight’s mane, which was really funny that I chuckled. Everypony had cloud beards. Pinkie Pie stood up unscathed with her whole body wearing a cloud coat. Everypony just laughed. I was glad Pinkie Pie was able to abrupt Twilight’s sentence because when I used my powers to read her mind, Twilight completely forgotten what she was about to say next.
“Hello down there!” From above and landing towards us was a Pegasus with moderate emerald green eyes, and they looked like they had eye bags. His mane was dark grayish phthalo blue. His coat was a very pale cornflower blue, and his cutie mark was a yellow lightning bolt with wings. He was wearing a Wonderbolt uniform with his goggle up his forehead. “Is that your new recruit, Dashie?”
“Yes sir, Soarin!” Rainbow Dash said with a salute. Soarin had in his back three folded Wonderbolt uniforms. “And we’ve been looking for you for the uniforms.”
Soarin chuckled. “What’s funny?” I asked.
“All your facial clouds!” Soarin laughed.
“Oh.” We noticed that we were still wearing our props. We wiped them off clean. Pinkie Pie just ate hers with a single slurp. How does she do that?! I rolled my eyes and just focused on Soarin.
“I thought we’ll be wearing the Wonderbolt trainee uniforms. You know? The close-fitting cadet uniform ones,” I said. The trainee uniforms were half the official Wonderbolt suit in its upper.
“Spitfire wants the contestants to experience being an official member, well, until the competition ends though,” he replied.
“Anyways, can I have one now?” I asked. Soarin just gave me the uniform with its goggles in reply.
“Now, Iwano,” Rarity said. “You can now just—” Before she finished her sentence, I dashed off into the sky. “Wear it?”
I spun around while wearing the uniform. I wanted Soarin to be the first official Wonderbolt to be impressed of my skills. I flew around spinning while easily suiting me up. I then removed my saddlebag and it fell beside Twilight, thinking I would trust her enough to take care of it. The suit fitted perfectly. I then somersaulted and land with a prideful smile. The Mane Six and Spike clapped to my stunt.
Soarin was agape. “Hmph, looks like we have a worthy competitor!” he said. I took it as a compliment. “I’d like to stay and see more of your awesome stunts, but I have other things to attend to.” And just that, he waved and flew away with the remaining Wonderbolts uniform.
“Your simultaneous groom and stunt really impressed Soarin,” Twilight said and giggled. “Oh, and including Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash was agape, too. She frowned. “And he said your stunt was awesome? He never said that to me.”
“That’s okay there, Dashie,” Applejack. “He was mostly impressed of yer—”
“He was impressed of your rescuing of Rarity and the other fallen Wonderbolts back in the Best Young Fliers competition.” I finished Applejack’s sentence—and covered my mouth with my hooves.
They all stared at me. Iwano, you fool! I thought. You better stop saying their past events or they’ll think you’re a villainous spy or something . I managed a smile. “Okay, let’s go and—”
A whistle blared. Rainbow Dash shot up. “That’s the signal!” she exclaimed then shot a sneer on me. “Good luck!”
We were all mustered to the center of the academy. We all formed four rows and seven columns—we were twenty-eight in all—and arranged ourselves by height, according to Spitfire’s command. I glanced around. The balloon being tied to the flag post was parked and tied on a pole near the mess hall. I was on the fourth row, fourth column since I was tall. On my front was Lightning Dust, on my left was Derpy Hooves—why was she beside me?—and on my right was Prism Glider. I got a little bit shaky of Derpy, anticipating her clumsiness. But she just smiled and focused in front, if only she didn’t do her funny looking wall eyes. I chuckled shortly there.
I was having a thought that maybe Lightning Dust had some sort of plan in this competition, but what? All that was possible was that she would do anything to put me down as vengeance to Rainbow Dash. I prayed to Celestia that it woouldn’t happen.
Rainbow Dash just kept scowling whenever she saw Lightning Dust. Despite her friendly demeanor towards me, which I thought, maybe she was just trying to annoy Rainbow Dash. Was she trying to seek out a payback on Rainbow Dash? Was she blaming her for that tornado whip-up incident? The only way for me to find out was to participate.
“Alright, fliers, today we’re going let you all train with all of your coaches before the event this afternoon,” Spitfire announced. “I know one of you is inexperienced with this kind of competition, so we’re prepping all of you with your coaches. I also wish that all of you would be obliged to join this event for it will be broadcasted all over Equestria and inspire many young fliers to fly proudly or join the Wonderbolts. Is there anypony who wants to back out?” There was silence for a few seconds, but nopony raised a hoof or flies away—they all wanted to participate. Spitfire grinned. “Very good, nopony wants to do it. Now, I will give you all until two to train and work with your coaches. You’re all dismissed!” We all immediately scrambled to our coaches. I quickly flew towards my coach and the Mane Six, which I probably thought that we were a team. I looked at my watch and it was 8:32 AM.
“Okay, Iwano, I have something to tell you,” Rainbow Dash said with a frown. “I was supposed to—”
I raised my hoof to stop her. “I didn’t read your mind, but you’re supposed to humiliate me in front of everypony in Equestria.”
Rainbow Dash was agape. “How did you know?”
“Rarity and I eavesdropped with your plot yesterday,” I answered. “And it’s all because of Lightning Dust’s return, right?”
She glared at Rarity, who was polishing her diadem, and nodded. “I’ve seem to be really felt guilty of doing that, Iwano. I’m sorry.”
Applejack puts her hoof on her back in comfort. “I think Iwano already forgives you in advance, right sugar cube?” she turned to me. I just simply nodded.
“Oh, and not only Lightning Dust who makes me nervous,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Derpy?” I guessed.
“Maybe, if she started wrecking the whole place. But I was actually referring to her.” She pointed in at distance an animal which was not a Pegasus. The creature’s eyes were golden with a gray light purple around them. Her coat was made of feathers and colored moderate orange amber with darker wings and white head. Her talons and beak were brilliant gold. Tail, eagle talons, body of a lion, head and beak, wings, hind paws—all these features were that of a griffon.
“I think you know her,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Gilda!” I said. “She joined the competition?! I didn’t even saw her name in the registration.”
“You didn’t look at the first page. You were looking at the second.”
“Gilda and Lightning Dust joined—who else? Who even picked her?”
“She joined with no one choosing her. I didn’t even know if Spitfire really accepted that,”
I sighed. I really needed to be careful of Lightning Dust for she might be plotting something on me which would affect Rainbow Dash. I’d seen the episode Griffon the Brush, Gilda’s appearance. In that episode, she was a thief and a bully. She was also shown to be a skillful flyer, having no need for a coach. Why did she join the Bolt Wing?
“Okay, Iwano, let’s get things straight!” Rainbow Dash announced as she was in midair. “Again, I’m your couch, it’s my responsibility to train and develop your flying talent, which you’ve shown during your cape chase. Twilight will be measuring your wingpower, Applejack will provide your snack and refreshments, and the rest are our cheerleading squad.”
Pinkie Pie wore a blue skirt, a white shirt with my cutie mark on it and pink pompoms. “Fly high and low, Iwano! Just stick to the cloudy flow!” Pinkie Pie cheered, which I thought was in working progress. Rarity and Fluttershy wore the same. I then noticed that Rarity was wearing her Tradespo Diadem. Why hadn’t I noticed it before?
“So Applejack will be getting snacks and refreshments in the mess hall?” I asked.
“Nope, sugar cube,” Applejack said. She pulled beside her a cart full of apple pie and a jug filled with apple juice, provided with eight cups. “We got all our stuff aboard Twi’s balloon before we took off. We go’ all them down thanks to RD and Flutters here when you were in the assembly.” Smart and prepared they all are.
“And I brought my own whistle, cap and shades,” Rainbow Dash said as she slap on her cap, shades and whistle, which she blew on immediately. “It’s time to get you all pumped up! Remember, quitters eat smog for breakfast! Now get your wings flexing and flappin’ and let’s go!!!”
Rainbow Dash was a coach to reckon with, if you ask me. There was no doubt when she was Ponyville’s Pegasus trainer of the town’s Pegasi in the Hurricane Fluttershy episode. Her demands were so strict yet effective that I became more disciplined and strong, but I’ve done some clumsy stuff during training, though—I do not want to mention them. It was also been a long time since I’d never had a strenuous flying training when I last been from the Owl World—Ga’Hoole. My last flying coach was Twilight, a Great Gray owl—not Twilight Sparkle pony—who trained me both strictly and joyfully. Unlike him, Rainbow Dash was very serious of preparing me for my competitors, especially Lightning Dust and Gilda. I don’t want to have any apparent contempt for those two, since I’m more of the peaceful kind of pony. Love and tolerance is what bronies are in Reality—some. Rainbow Dash taught me flight maneuvers, aerial recoveries, smooth landings and cool poses to strike whenever I had any “awesome moments” being displayed, according to her. She was no doubt a really cool pony, considering that I love anything colorful like her mane and tail, and that she has faith in her friends. But Rainbow Dash was my least favorite pony of the Mane Six—on my sixth place marker—because I really disliked her brashness, apparent laziness, her competitiveness, a lover of winning, her mischievousness and most of all her tomboyish personality (unlike Applejack to me), albeit she had a love for reading Daring Do novels and such. But since I need to be influenced with some Element of Loyalty against my Faithlessness and two of my opponents are her predicaments, I have to work with her as student and mentor.
While training, there were various pranks my coach played on me which I didn’t want to mention, because that made me wanna hate Rainbow Dash more—maybe I should hate her more.
We’d been training until twelve in the afternoon for me to rest. I felt my bones aching, my wings spraining, my eyes burning from my flying that I forgot to put on my goggles—I should be more remindful of myself. Training was no problem, but I’d gotten easily tired that I had to keep flying to cool myself. My breathing was difficult and I was closed to collapsing. I should have told Rainbow Dash that I had asthma, but I didn’t want to let her down! I liked to sometimes push myself to the limit, like Lightning Dust did.
"Okay, before we can begin," my new coach, Rainbow Dash, said, "I wanna take a look at your wings." She pulled my dragon wings hard like they were stubborn weeds. I gritted my teeth from pain. She then let go and slung me to the pavement, and laughed.
I scowled. "What's that for?!"
"You have dragon wings, which looked like you might be a strong flier, since winged-dragons can flap hard with force. Meaning, you can out fly the fliers of the competition, if you can. Now, let's get to it!"
My coach blew her whistle.
After training, Rainbow Dash called for a long timeout and I slumped down on the pavement until Pinkie Pie cushioned me with extra pompoms. Applejack gave me a cup of cold apple juice that it little helped me of my exhaustion, but I kept drinking anyways. I wasn’t still hungry since my apple massacre, but I just ate two pies. My face was dripping a whole lot of sweat that I reached for my saddlebag, which was still beside Twilight, and took out a towel—which I never knew I had. I then crossed my mind that my bag wasn’t ordinary of what it seemed to be. My saddlebag was magic, able to hold any amount of things and lets me pick out something that I needed. Cynthia must had switched my saddlebag before she reminded me of it and lets me teleport it. Despite all of this serious training, I’d gotten stronger, muscular and reflexive again of my flying, though my build and buff remained unchanged. I’d been suspicious of Twilight that maybe she looked into my saddlebag. I just hoped Cynthia didn’t put my info card in it, or my cover would have been blown. But it looked like Twilight was just looking at my wingpower record Spike had written down on a paper with a quilt. She was comparing the anemometer’s measurement with my other records of wingpower. I couldn’t help being so thirsty tired that I even sipped my face of my sweat—I was drenched in sweat!
“In each test we’ve done, Iwano’s wingpower gradually increases from its initial of 10.7 to 18.7,” Twilight said. “It looks like Iwano’s ready, RD.”
“No, no, no!” Rainbow Dash exasperated and shook her head vexingly. “I wish I have that anemo-thing-of-jig while—”
“Anemometer, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight corrected her.
“Whatever you say, Twi! But that’s really not enough. Whatever wingpower Iwano just raised from that cape chase, it must’ve been 19 or more—I wish it were 20 and more!”
“But do you think pushing Iwano to his limits would help him when the clock strikes twelve?” Twilight pointed a hoof on me for Rainbow Dash. I was staring at other Pegasi while still being drenched in sweat that my mane was literally like a waterfall already. I saw that overly-muscular pony from the episode Hurricane Fluttershy. What was his name?
That’s…that’s Bulk Biceps! I thought and remembered. Bulk Biceps’s eyes were intense vivid red, his mane dirty blonde in a buzz cut, and a white coat (or light gray). He was training…Derpy? He was the one who chose Derpy? Okay, his brain must had been broken from all that YEAH! and all. But I could see he was training Derpy with ease and she was more disciplined in her movements. I was actually happy about it, as long as she didn’t break my bones. Better yet, maybe she should break Lightning Dust and Gilda’s bones in the competition so Rainbow Dash would be at ease, too.
I remembered Bulk Bicep was named by fans as Snowflake.
There were other Pegasi that were background ponies in the show that I’d seen—Cloud Kicker, Dizzy Twister, Lightning Bolt, Merry May, Parasol, Rainbowshine (rainbow in the name, eh?), Raindrops (I almost thought of her as Snowdrop), Sassaflash, Sprinkle Medley, Blossomforth, Flitter, Cloudchaser and Wild Fire. Hmm…they seemed to be interesting Pegasi. Maybe I could socialize with them if Rainbow Dash let me in my timeout. Those background ponies all flocked together and were having a conversation. I wanna join in!
I lift myself up with my head slowly; balanced myself—I felt really dizzy—and walked towards Rainbow Dash.
She noticed me and said with a smile, “You wanna go back to training? I’d like to teach you how to—”
“Actually I want to socialize with other fliers, if you may allow,” I said.
She frowned. “Fine, you got until before one. Now, go socialize !” I thought she really meant me to do it.
As I walked towards the flock of the background ponies, I took a deep breath and relaxed myself. Okay, Iwano , I thought. You can do this .
Rainbow Dash was staring at me, but I pretended that I didn’t notice. Twilight then noticed Rainbow Dash and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow Dash hesitated. “I mean no—I’m fine!”
“No you’re not,” Twilight said.
“…Yeah, I’m not fine,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “It’s just, Iwano followed me as if I’d been his trainer, like, forever and he didn’t even complain! I actually expected him to do that, but I never knew he was this strong.”
“Physically or mentally?” Twilight asked again.
“Both,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Do you think we’re really helping him control his Dissonance?”
Hearing that stung Twilight’s ears, but she just smiled and answered, “Yes we are. Rarity must’ve influenced him with enough Generosity to last for a lifetime since he’s given everypony in Ponyville a gem, and I doubt Rarity told him to do that.” Twilight looked at her balloon; probably the gem I gave her was there. “Applejack sort of done her part, but I bet it was effective with her Honesty. Iwano does not complain. Maybe he is humble and naturally loyal to anypony who’s good to him, though you were trying to plot against him—”
“I know, I know,” Rainbow Dash snapped. “And I think it’s wrong.”
“Yes, you know that, Rainbow Dash. You can still be a great flier by showing your good sportsmanship and fairness to him when it comes to between your speed and his,”
“Thanks, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash thanked. Twilight nodded.
Meanwhile, I was having a great time chatting with the background Pegasi. They were all thrilled to talk to me because I also gave those dresses and suits from my magic back in my Enter with Colors back in Ponyville—was my performance that popular now? The background ponies were all chosen by other Wonderbolts to participate and they didn’t even protest, except Cloud Kicker.
“What’s your favorite weather?” Flitter asked. Our chat was just normal.
“Um, rain,” I replied.
“Why rain?”
“Well, because I get to get cold and it reminds me of my own sad emotions.” Okay, that was a bit creepy. She seemed to not get why.
“Anyways,” Dizzy Twister said. “How are you feeling when Rainbow Dash picked you for the Bolt Wing?”
That’s an easy question. “I bit ticked off, ‘cause she doesn’t like me that much ‘cause our speed’s both the same,”
“But you accept anyway?” Blossomforth asked. “You should just say—?”
“Say no? No, I’m fine with it. It’s my chance to get noticed to everypony in Equestria besides Ponyville.” Yeah, but being overexposed to Equestria as a threat was very bad.
“We’ll just spread to everypony and our friends about how cool you are!” Wild Fire said. “You don’t need this competition to get you noticed just by that.”
“And you’re sensitive,” Sprinkle Medley reminded, which I told her while Rainbow Dash was talking to Twilight. “You might even get scared before you step on the starting line!”
“Sprinkle Medley, he can do this,” Cloud Kicker told her. “As long as he believes in himself, he can race!” I was flattered by all their concerns and praise to me. I wasn’t used to this kind of thing since all my classmates in Reality did to me was deriding and downgrading me. In IW, I could be a bit flattered, too. But since these ponies encouraged me to go on, I was filled with confidence that I could race against Gilda, Lightning Dust and other fliers without any anxiety at all. I think I’m ready.
I thanked them for a wonderful chat (nailed it) and left to see Rainbow Dash now. I wondered what she was trying to teach me. When I left the background ponies, I’d kind of felt sorry that I would have to compete against them. If I win, would they still like me? Would they hate me when I win? All thirteen of them, including the remaining contestants, are all I would be competing against. Were they masking their jealousy towards me with their friendliness? My confidence slowly reduced just by the thought of it, so I shook my head, think about Fluttershy with her cute face, and head towards Rainbow Dash.
She was so happy to see me that she immediately hollered orders for me to do warm-ups—pushups using my wings (it hurts) and stretches (some of my bones made cracking sounds which made Fluttershy uneasy). I already knew she had something for me to do. She then slapped me a number sticker 10 on my flank, which it hurts that it gave me a jump. Why do I always have 10s in everything?
After my warm-up, Rainbow Dash said, “Iwano, I’ll be teaching you one of my moves so you can impress Spitfire and the judges in the first event—Talent Phase,”
“Talent Phase,” I repeated. “What’s that?”
“The name explained it all,” she replied. “Fine, you want an answer? The Talent Phase is the part of the Bolt Wing. Each contestant will be called and take turns impressing the judges by less than five minutes.” I understandingly nodded. “Okay, let me do them first—just watch and learn!” As she said that, she took off to the sky in a flash and showed me four moves.
As twelve strikes, Spitfire blared her blew her whistle and mustered all of ponies to the center again, only this time we’re scattered. Our coaches were in distance away from us. Rainbow Dash was with her friends—our Team Harmony, as we called ourselves when I was training with her—watching Spitfire with anticipation of me being chosen. I felt my teeth chattering. I’ve became nervous. To distract myself from all of this, I’d listed down in my mind the known ponies that will compete (I would also describe their mane, eye and coat color):
1) Rainbowshine (Her coat was lavender, her mane was gala pink and her eyes were scarlet pink)
2) Parasol (Her coat was cream, her mane was lilac, and her eyes were orange)
3) Derpy Hooves (Her coat was light sapphire bluish gray, her mane was pale, light grayish apple green, and her eyes were gradient from pale, light grayish apple green to moderate gamboge)
4) Cloud Kicker (Her coat was lavender, her mane was light and golden yellow, and her eyes were violet)
5) Gilda (Her was moderate orange amber with darker wings and white head, and her talons were brilliant gold)
6) Dizzy Twister (Her coat was sand colored, her mane was bubblegum pink, and her eyes were maroon)
7) Lightning Bolt (Her coat was white, her mane was blue, and her eyes were light blue)
8) Merry May (Her coat was grass green, her mane was magenta, and her eyes were purple)
9) Lightning Dust (Her coat was light opal, her mane was brilliant amber and vivid gamboge, and her eyes were brilliant gamboge)
10) Iwano Imagination (Me)
11) Raindrops (Her coat was pale gold, her mane was pale robin egg blue, and her eyes were hazel)
12) Sassaflash (Her coat was powder blue, her mane was blond, and her eyes were orange)
13) Sprinkle Medley (Her coat was gala teal, her mane was maya green, and her eyes were blue)
14) Blossomforth (Her coat was dim white, her mane was pink with green streaks, and her eyes were blue)
15) Flitter (Her coat was lilac, her mane was pale green, and her eyes were purple)
16) Cloudchaser (Her coat was lilac, her mane was blue/white, and her eyes were purple)
17) Wild Fire (Her coat was cream colored, her mane was dark brown, and her eyes were brown)
My enumeration was interrupted when Lightning Dust nudged me. I was startled but I recovered quickly. “Are you nervous?” she asked. Why was she asking? “Is this your first time?”
I know I shouldn’t trust her since she must have some kind scheme, but I don’t want her to dislike me even further. “Nope,” I admitted. “I got a lot of races like this back in my home.”
“Were you a champion there?”
“Uh, I won seven times.”
“That’s cool. If you’re an experienced flier, why did you let Dashie train? Out of practice?”
“Um, yeah, I think so,” I admitted. “Why are you asking me?”
“I just wanna be friendly, that’s all,” she replied. “Spitfire was very busy attending to others while I was the registrar, but I don’t need her to train me—I’m experienced.” True, she did become a trainee on the episode Wonderbolts Academy.
I gave her skeptical look. “Okay, then. Good luck.”
“Good luck too, Imagination.” Imagination? I thought. She called me by my surname? Was our second name as ponies our surname? Whatever, I thought it was.
Spitfire gathered all our attention and began to explain the mechanics of part one: Talent Phase. Beside both her sides were the Wonderbolts escorts Whiplash (his coat was grey, his mane was dark grey, and his eyes were blue—he also had a moustache) and Manerick (his eyes were light orange, his coat was white, and his mane was gamboge). “Everypony will be called randomly to perform. All of you must do this in less than five minutes. If you want to stop when you’re done, just say so. Oh, and I’ll be rating each of you from one to ten. Now, I want number 4 aloft now!” Spitfire blew her whistle, which indicates the called number to perform now.
Number 4 instantly went up and it was Cloud Kicker. “Yes ma’am!” she said with a salute. It sounded like her voice had a twinge of nervousness. Cloud Kicker began her performance by zooming into three clouds and spinning them, carefully turning each into a perfect cylinder. Next, she rounded them up by spinning them together in a circle, which causes the three clouds to form a big cloud tornado. I guess this will the finale, ‘cause Cloud Kicker went inside her creation—we all gasped, except Gilda—, spun around counter-clockwise fast and bursts the cloud tornado into chunks of fluff. “All done ma’am!” she gasped.
We all stomped our hooves in applause. Cloud Kicker sighed and wiped sweat from her face and mane—sweat of nervousness? Cloud Kicker landed towards Spitfire to see his result. The Wonderbolts captain showed him his score on a clipboard: 7—not bad.
All the other fliers were all nervous, except Lightning Dust and Gilda. I was a bit nervous myself—legs shaking, teeth chattering, hard panting and heart pounding rapidly. I tried to think some ways to relax me from my anxiety. This competition was nerving! I guess most of are. I then had an idea of enumerating the other fliers I hadn’t list down on my head yet:
18) Airheart (Her coat was pink, her mane was reddish brown, and her eyes were blue)
19) April Showers (Her coat was gala teal, her mane was maya green, and her eyes were orange)
20) Milky Way (His coat was off-white, his mane was gray, and her eyes were gold)
21) Opal Water (Her coat was light blue, her mane was periwinkle, and her eyes were orange)
22) Prism Glider (His coat was blue, his mane was white, and his eyes were green)
23) Silverwing (His coat was light gray, his mane was gray, and his eyes were light brown)
24) Thunderlane (His coat was dark grey, his mane was sky blue with light blue streaks, and his eyes were gold)
25) Blue Skies (His coat was blue, and both his mane and eyes were yellow)
26) Drizzle (Her coat was light mauve, her mane was dull saffron, and her eyes were purple)
27) Great Scott (His coat was white, his mane was gray, and his eyes were dull brown)
28) Serenity (His coat was pink, his mane was blue, and his eyes were green)
I guessed the Pegasi that would be joining this Bolt Wing comprised mostly with background ponies, but I believed one of them might have role in this event soon. I hoped.
After twenty-five fliers later, Gilda was up next as number 5. Lightning Dust and I were the only ones left. While waiting for our turns, Lightning Dust just told me her comments on every one of the flier’s performances, and all I do is just pretend that I acknowledge her opinions and simply nod. Gilda flew up and greeted the captain. “I hope you’re worth joining this competition, griffon,” Spitfire said annoyingly.
“Are you kidding me, cap? This would be a piece of cake!” Gilda told her.
As Spitfire blew her whistle, Gilda immediately flew to somewhere else in the clouds. There was long silence. Was she going to do a descent or a cloud sculpting? Gilda can do any kind of rash stuff like Rainbow Dash, but that’s different. Four minutes passed and Gilda was nowhere. “She better be back,” Spitfire said. “Otherwise, she’s out.” Out? What does she meant “out”? Obviously, Spitfire would disqualify her out of the competition when Gilda’s time runs out. The way Spitfire talked to Gilda when it was the griffon’s turn, it was like Gilda forced herself to join somehow. Spitfire may not be intended to let her join in the first place, but what does make her let that griffon join? Whatever the reason was, it doesn’t matter. What matter was that I would have to win this and make Rainbow Dash proud, and most importantly be influenced by Loyalty—if I could find a way how.
“Fifteen more seconds,” Spitfire said as she looked at her watch. “Just a few more seconds and Gilda’s out.” Spitfire must have really wanted her out, but she was not doing anything to slow Gilda down…or was she? After ten seconds on the clock, which Gilda only had five seconds left, the griffon finally appeared with a giant ball of clouds above her head carried with her talons. Though the ball’s made of clouds, I was impressed. We were all in awe, except me.
“I call this one my Atlas Puff! ” Gilda exclaimed. “And this one’s for the fliers!” I thought we were going to be covered by cloud puffs, but Gilda threw it into the sky with strong force that it was thrown in a distance and strikes it on its center with such fast speed that it dispersed into five shockwaves of whiteness. We all stomped in applause even louder than other performances, though our hooves were quite tired we can’t help but being impressed.
“So,” Gilda flew towards and nudged Spitfire hard that the captain almost lost her breath—was she that strong? Oh wait, that was just a cloud ball. “What’s the score?” Spitfire showed Gilda her score on a clipboard: a perfect 10! “Aw yeah!” she cheered to herself. “I’m the flier! Who’s the flier? Me!” the griffon landed and was congratulated by the others. Gilda was the first flier to get a perfect score. The other’s got nine and below. I didn’t want to congratulate her ‘cause I believed that she’s a bad influence. I also don’t want her to find out who I am. Was her trick that impressive to Spitfire? I really don’t know.
“Now, number 9, you’re up!” Spitfire called out and it was Lightning Dust’s turn to bolt in. I wasn’t sleepy at all when I continuously watched all of the fliers to their strut their stuff, which made me frown that they can do better than me—I might not be able to get a good score at all. Lightning Dust’s time then began as Spitfire blew her whistle. Spitfire searched carefully for something. Her eyes widened and she smiled as she found a black cloud—a storm cloud. Spitfire asked both her escorts, “Today’s supposed to be bright and clear with extra white clouds and cold breezes, right?” The escorts nodded. “Then, why’s there a storm cloud?” The escorts just shrugged. “I thought all the clouds—never mind.” Lighting Dust shoved the storm cloud with other clouds together. I started to think that this Talent Phase also needs us to show our creativity too, like Cloud Kicker’s and Gilda’s, but must also be with skill.
After two minutes later, Lightning Dust formed a giant black nimbus cloud. Spitfire lowered her glasses to see what Lightning dust was doing clearly. “What is she up to?” she asked herself. Lightning Dust then settled down on top of her creation. “You still need to get a score, not sleep!” Spitfire reminded her.
“I really don’t like where this is going,” Twilight worriedly said. Fluttershy somehow knew what Twilight was thinking because she quickly hid inside our food cart with a towel covering her.
“Oh, I’ll get a score alright,” Lightning Dust said as she raised her front hooves up. “As soon I’m done doing… this!” she stomped her cloud, and a giant lightning bolt struck the ground. I screamed—we contestants all screamed! I even jumped up and tumbled down in shock. The sound of the lightning was so striking it literally almost gave us all a heart attack, including Spitfire, her escorts, the Mane Six and Gilda. We were also blinded by its flash temporarily, though my vision was still blurry after that. After I regained my sight after a few seconds, Lightning Dust was now beside me.
“What was that for?!” I complained to her then everyone followed. “You almost gave us a heart attack, ya know?!”
Lightning Dust just kept smiling even with all the sea of complaints filling her ears. “But I still got a perfect score.”
“What?” we fliers said in unison and turned to Spitfire.
Spitfire sighed and said, “She got a 10, fliers.” We didn’t believe it. She also got a 10? We were all murmuring to each other in disbelief.
“She frightened all of us. She doesn’t deserve that score!” Prism Glider commented.
“That wasn’t impressive at all! You scared and nearly killed us, Lightning Dust!” Opal Water commented, too.
“And it’s terrible!” Thunderlane added, and yawned.
I blamed myself for starting this hostility, ‘cause they all now wanted an argument with the storm cloud maker. Before everypony broke into a riot on Lightning Dust, Spitfire blew her whistle even louder that pierced our ears and turned us into silence. “Everypony, I know all of you want to object—”
“But it was impressive, right?” I cut in; thought I could stop these fliers from making a fight on Lightning Dust—there shall be no fighting! “All of you’ve got to admit that making that storm cloud and lightning bolt was cool. Yeah, she scared all of us, but at least we didn’t die, right?” They all exchanged looks, maybe trying to register what I was saying. My heart was pounding hard again. I defending somepony took a lot out of my confidence, especially with a lot of Pegasi around me. Doing this just gave me some severe anxiety, but I don’t want Lightning Dust being hated or berated. “W-w-we can all forgive her, r-r-r-right?” I stammered as I asked—my teeth were chattering in fear.
Everypony sighed, which I took as something positive. Spitfire blew her whistle again to call our attention and announced, “I’ll have no bickering! Right now, we have number 10 left to perform—Iwano Imagination.” Everypony eyed on me—the pony defending the lightning maker. I didn’t look at Lightning Dust for her reaction and I just went aloft. There wasn’t any punishment and everypony stopped their objections of Lightning Dust’s score and performance somehow. “Begin!”
I immediately zoomed upward to prepare my first move which Rainbow Dash taught me. Once I’ve reached the clouds and nopony was able to see me (while going upward, I spotted Pinkie Pie crawling fast and climbing the nearest flag pole probably hoping to spot me with her binoculars—where did she even got those?!), I took a deep breath to relax me from my anxiety. The wind blew my mane and cooled my face, which little helped me with my confidence.
I yelled out, “Here I go!!!” I was swiftly nose-diving down from the sky. My heart was pounding fast, thinking that this was what I’ve dream…No! I thought. This is just my first move! I was no math wizard, but I could sense my distance from the pavement. Three feet…two feet…one foot…
Everypony were agape. One centimeter!!! I quickly recovered by flashing to my left while avoiding the fliers below me—I almost hit them! They all ducked and I believed I almost hit Spitfire and her escorts as well. I slowly went upward again, spun around, stopped and spread my wings wide in front of everypony. I wanted to stop right now…I can feel my lungs…draining of breath. I’m tired .
“Buccaneer Blaze!!!” I cried out.
And fell down to the pavement with a loud thud on my skull.
Chapter 11: Extriris Velochrome
Chapter 10: Bolt Tornado
So that was what Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie Sense was telling us.
I was running out of time, sort of. I really needed to wake up, but I was still unconscious and unaware of where I was. All I felt was softness on my back. Was I lying on bed? Was in a hospital or some sort of clinic in the academy? I really wanted to wake up and finish this competition and become influenced with Loyalty against my Faithlessness. What was happened? Oh, I fell to the pavement from my subtle exhaustion and difficulty of breathing. Eeyup, I should have told Rainbow Dash or Spitfire that I had asthma—I had asthma in Reality, too. Whatever, I needed to get up and maybe restart my turn for the Talent Phase.
I opened my eyes, sight blurry for a second and saw everything around me. I raise my head to my new surroundings. I was in a room alone lying on my bed. The room was just plain blue. I had a table on my left side of my bed, and on it was a letter. I levitated it with my magic and read it—
Dear Iwano,
Yeah, your crash was really, really bad. So the medical team bandaged your head and all, and it you've been sleeping for awhile now. If you’re reading this and you’re awake, you gotta get your hooves and wings ready ‘cause you’re missing a lot of action. Gilda and Spitfire became top fliers now that you’re out of the way… but not for long. Get well fast and get on it!!!
Your cool coach,
Rainbow Dash the Awesome Pegasus of Equestria
PS: Twilight said you like letters, so she nagged me to do this.
While I was reading the letter, I part chuckled, part scowled in one of the parts Rainbow Dash wrote. Did she write it herself? Her voice echoed and hollered in my mind when I read the words. She was right; I needed to get up right now. I didn't wanna disappoint my coach! I have bandages? I thought. I touched my head and I felt the bandage wrapped on my head firmly. Was I bleeding when I hit the pavement? I didn't wanna know. What mattered was right now, I needed to get up and get back. I stood out of my bed, feeling a bit wobbly but well, I thought, and walked towards the door. I was about to reach out for it when somepony else opened it and came in. She sighed in relief when she saw me—her smile melted my heart a bit, but I wasn't in love with her.
Wait, how does Twilight know I loved letters and messages? Had she looked into my personal stuff in my saddlebag? I decided that thought should be set aside far away from my mind.
“I’m glad you’re awake!” Lightning Dust said. She was still wearing her Wonderbolts uniform. Why was she here? “How’re you feeling now?”
Wait, she wasn't supposed to show little concern for others, but it looked like she was really concern for me. Nah, I'd never mind that.
“A bit dizzy,” I replied as I went back to bed and sat down, and then I thought of Lyra Heartstrings. “Am I out of the competition due to my injury?”
“Your injury was healed two hours ago and you slept for another two. You were just temporarily out until you’re awake, Iwano.” Four hours. I glanced at my watch and it was 4:47 PM. I bet the other competitors were done with other parts of the competition. “Anyways, you need to get up right now for part two: Tag Phase. I think that’s the name, but I think they changed it. Let me unwrap that bandage for you.”
She carefully untied my bandages. As she did that, I felt hot air breathing from her nose. Was she blushing or had a fever? I stared at her eyes, hoping she would have contact with me. While her eyes were focused on untying, my eyes were able to contact hers. She suddenly fumbled my bandages and fazed.
She blinked. “Do you mind?” Lightning Dust asked. “Why are you starin' at me like that?”
I smiled calmly. “It’s just that I was wondering what your reaction was when I stood up for you when the other competitors objected about your ‘fright show’, Lightning Dust.”
“Uh—uh, uh, uh, uh…” she replied with a stutter. “I—I was happy. Yeah! I was happy—that you stood up for me. Yeah, stood up for me.” She was now done untying my bandages and dropped them to the floor. “Why are you asking that?”
“Your breathing was hot ,” I replied. She tried to walk away a few inches, then she gotten her hind hooves tangled up by my bandages that she fell towards me. She was about to trip on her back. “Woah!” I caught her, pulled her and we fell down together on my bed—eye to eye, muzzle to muzzle. She was right on top of me!
We stared at each for a few minutes when Rainbow Dash came in and said, “Lightning Dust, I was supposed to monitor Iwano’s condition and not you! What’re you doing—Iwano?” She paused. Lightning Dust and I turned our heads on Rainbow Dash, flailed each other down to the floor and got our hoofing. Lightning Dust was fixing her mane and I was rubbing my head if it was still hurt. We gave an unnerving smile. “…Okay. I’ll pretend I didn’t see that. Anyways LD, get out!”
Lightning Dust scowled, and left Rainbow Dash and I alone. “So Iwano,” Rainbow Dash said. “Your skull really cracked like an egg, since you’re an egghead, dude.” She chuckled. That pony , I grimly thought. “But really, it was actually severe according to the x-ray and we all thought you were dead, but you sort of healed yourself all of a sudden. Your magic?”
I healed myself? I dead in a world meant that I would become a ghost or in rare cases never exist there. But how was I able to heal my cracked skull? I guessed being a very powerful Leader as an Alicorn in Equestria must have had many advantages, such as automatic repair of my head. I would like to just thanked myself—my magic or horn—in healing me.
“Well?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Uh, yeah,” I replied, a bit hesitant. “Being the ruler of Imaginundia and all, my magic’s way more powerful than Twilight’s—maybe even more than Celestia and Luna’s!”
“Uh-huh.” I bet she knew I was lying, which I wasn’t, maybe. “Since you’re back in shape, we gotta get back to the Bolt Wing.”
“Okay, I’m—what do you mean ‘we’, Rainbow Dash?” I asked.
“First of all, phase two is called the ‘Under Wing’ which we coaches will be partnering with our students in finding six flags—ugh, what’s up with the number six?—and we will be given a score depending on teamwork, speed and technique,” she answered. “And second, just please call me RD.” And after that, she gestured me to follow her, obviously back to the competition of course. We both exited my room and she told me I was in the medic building.
While walking through a hall leading to the exit, Rainbow Dash was mumbling under her breath. All I heard from her was “Lightning Dust”, “bed”, “mushy” and “me”. What was she talking about? Was she upset ‘cause Lightning Dust was with me, or that she was lying down on me? The three first words I heard from her I could define, but what was the last one? I had to admit, but Lightning Dust doing that was pretty great—a little great, I meant. And maybe because of that, Rainbow Dash was mad—at me. I really didn’t like being hated because that was going to affect my feelings. After Rainbow Dash mumbling, scowling and becoming upset, I was a silent. Angered or upset people/ponies frightened me.
Maybe I should do something about it.
“I don’t really like calling you by any nickname, Rainbow Dash,” I finally said.
“Why?” she asked irritatingly.
“I used to love calling my friends by nickname back home,” I answered. “But since I’m new here, I wish to call all of you ponies by full name.”
“What about Twilight? Why won’t you call her with Sparkle ?”
I hesitated to answer and replied, “Uh, ‘cause her name’s right for me.”
“…Right. Well, I wanna know: how do you know so much about us and the adventures we had? It’s totally creeping me and maybe my friends out.”
“Well, Pinkie Pie isn’t even creeping out of me and, well, maybe you ponies are so well-known for your salvation of many things that stories and rumors have stretched far and wide in Equestria that it even reached my kingdom.”
“Were there any rumors that I was said to be really awesome?” she asked.
“Yes. I have to admit, but you’re an awesome coach, Rainbow Dash.”
She froze with an unnerved smile. “R-really?”
“Yes, you are awesome. Shall we keep going?”
She shook her head, as if to shake something out of her mind. “Yeah, Iwano, do you like me even if I tried and planned to humiliate you in front of everypony in Equestria in the first place?”
To be honest, I was developing more contempt on her for that but I must always forgive thy enemies—also annoying and brash pegasi. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Let’s just do this together, alright?” Wait a minute, I thought. I gave out look of skepticism
“Anything wrong, green wing?” she asked. Great, I thought disdainfully. My very own nickname . It sounded like a cool name to me, though.
“What was my score? Was it a default?” I asked.
She bit her lips. “Uh, are you sure you wanna—”
“Yes I want to! Please tell me!” I begged as I zoomed near her.
“Are you sure?” she asked again.
“Yeah, come on!”
“Are you sure?” she repeated.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “Yes. Again, yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah!”
“Are you really sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you really, really, really sure?”
“Yes and yes!”
“Are you really, really, really, really, really, really sure, with no second thoughts or anything?”
“YES!” I answered in frustration, ruffling my mane.
“It was 4.”
My mouth dropped. 4…4?!
Twilight and her friends simultaneously asked me questions of my fall and “injury” once Rainbow Dash and I came to them. Twilight was intrigued of my regeneration that she almost doubted that it was magic. Rarity was sobbing tears of joy when she saw me and hugged me tightly, which made Rainbow Dash giggled and Spike jealous.
“I’m fine, Rarity,” I reassured and gasped for air as she let go of me. “I’m not de—” Applejack stuck an apple on my mouth. I knew what to do. I ate it quick and spat out the apple core. Applejack rubbed her head in question of my appetite. “Thanks for the apple, Applejack. Now,” I turned to Rainbow Dash. “I think I don’t need any training for the next part of the competition.”
She took a swig of apple juice from a cup she was holding. “That’s what I thought of too since you are a capable flier. We’ll just be waiting for a few more minutes before the Spitfire’s whistle blows—” As she said it, a whistle blared. “That’s our cue! My number’s the same as yours and come on!” She flew and pulled my tail as we were on our way to the assembly.
“Bye Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike and Applejack! Cheer me on!” I said.
“Just call them by nickname,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
When we arrived to the assembly, I tossed my head around. Where’re they? I thought. I was looking for Lightning Dust and Gilda with their coach partners. There were a lot of pegasi with their coaches that I couldn’t name them all. I was pretty ticked off when my score was 4. Spitfire probably didn’t accept retries. Being in abeyance was a total drab that I was missing things!
I then thought of sending a letter to Celestia, messaging her that everything was alright, so I asked Rainbow Dash and asked, “Can I get to the restroom? I’ll be quick!”
“Sure,” she replied. “Just take—” I took off and quickly found a restroom next to a building. “That’s why you’re a capable flier, Iwano.” She smiled.
Once I was in, I realized that I’d forgotten that my saddlebag was still with Twilight—I hoped she didn’t looked was within it. My second option was that I conjured a quill that inks its tip automatically and a paper. I then used my magic to held up the paper and quill, and wrote along fast—
Dear Celestia,
Everything was alright with me with Twilight and her friends…sort of.
On my first day, I slept with Applejack. To be honest, she barely influenced me with any of her Honesty, so I’m planning to take a retry if I get the chance. My Dissonance—Deceitfulness—slipped out of my grasp and ate the Sweet Apple Acres’ orchard’s apples, but I was able to fix everything.
On the second day was Rarity—Generosity. We were mining for gems and she reminded me of how to give, probably from the heart or mines. I also gave her a special diadem and a song. Was that sweet or romantic? Ugh, I don’t want any romance! But you can say she was able to influence me.
Today is the third day, and I’m with Rainbow Dash for Loyalty. She entered me in the Bolt Wing Competition. Initially, she was supposed to humiliate me in front of the Wonderbolts, fliers, audience and even the whole of Equestria, but when she saw one of my opponents, she was just all good as a coach.
I’ll be sending you more letters to you of my progress.
Sincerely the Imaginundian ruler,
Iwano Imagination
I used my magic to disappear my quill, rolled the paper, and breathed green fire unto it, turned it into ashes and they blew into the air as I opened the restroom’s door. I practiced that trick while I was preparing myself in IW for Equestria, just in case my communication with Cynthia would become limited.
“Time to get back,” I said to myself. “Wonder what kind of letter Celestia would reply back.”
I was in the nick of time as I arrived to Rainbow Dash when Spitfire showed herself to us as she was aloft with her two escorts. “I hoped all of you worked some chemistry with each other, ‘cause all of you are going to break your necks for this next phase—the Under Wing! All your coaches knew this next phase and probably told all of you about it. Now, you all got ten minutes to warm up!” Everypony then broke into strategizing, exercising, and had conversations for the Under Wing.
“We’re not gonna talk about anything of course,” Rainbow Dash told me. “You already knew what to do.” She was right, even if she didn’t told me the rules I really did know what to do. As a wimp and very obedient to my school teachers in Reality, I could easily follow instructions and knew what to do. I was an anticipating and participating type of pony, you know?
We weren’t doing anything at all. We were just looking at things. I saw Derpy with Snowflake exchanging YEAHS! to each other—she was wall-eyed and pretty annoying to me that I scowled. Airheart was doing pushups by Fire Streak’s command. Oh, maybe I should find the other competitors with their coaches, I thought. That way I could pass the time and get attacked by boredom . I glanced at Rainbow Dash and sure enough, she was bored as she yawned. Seven minutes later, I was able to identify every duo (Contestant - Coach) (I would also had to describe the coat, mane and eye colors of the coaches)
Rainbowshine - Wave Chill (His coat was steel blue, his mane was dark purplish blue, and so as his eyes were too)
Parasol - Midnight Strike (Her coat was very dark gray, her mane was very dark gray with light brilliant amber streaks, and her eyes were dark grayish vermilion)
Derpy Hooves - Snowflake (His coat was light gray, his mane was light amber, and his eyes were vivid red)
Cloud Kicker - Surprise (Her coat was white, her mane was yellow, and so as her eyes were too)
Gilda - ?
Dizzy Twister – Blaze (Her coat was golden yellow, her mane was orange, and so as her eyes were too)
Lightning Bolt - Misty Fly (Her coat was light yellow, her mane was blue with a light streak, and her eyes were too)
Merry May - Silver Lining (His coat was grey, his mane was light grey with white streaks, and his eyes were grey too)
Lightning Dust - Spitfire (Her coat was light brilliant gold, her mane was light brilliant orange with light brilliant amber streaks, and her eyes were brilliant orange)
Iwano Imagination - Rainbow Dash (I didn’t really need to)
Raindrops - Lime Jelly (Her coat was lime green, her mane was purple, and her eyes were light blue)
Sassaflash - Pizzelle (Her coat was cream colored, mane was yellow, and her eyes were green)
Sprinkle Medley - Honey Rays (Her coat was pink, her mane was yellow, and her eyes were orange)
Blossomforth - Sightseer (His coat was light grey, his mane was persian blue with light streaks, and his eyes were light green)
Flitter - Lightning Streak (His coat was light blue, his mane was light amber with pale amber streaks, and his eyes were amber)
Cloudchaser - Electric Blue (Her coat was light blue, her mane was pink, and her eyes were orange)
Wild Fire - Wild Flower (Her coat was pale, light grayish crimson, her mane was tan, and her eyes were blue)
Airheart - Lavender Skies (Her coat was cream colored, her mane was lilac, and her eyes were pink)
April Showers - Tropical Storm (Her coat was light green, her mane was pink, and her eyes were brilliant amber)
Milky Way - Rain Dance (Her coat was pale gold, her mane was pink, and her eyes were light blue)
Opal Water - Soarin (His coat was
Prism Glider - Rainbow Drop (Her coat was blue violet, her mane was light orchid, and her eyes were orchid)
Silverwing - Dust Devil (Her coat was greenish gray, her mane was brownish gray, and her eyes were purple)
Thunderlane - High Winds (Her coat was white, her mane was dark blue with lighter blue streaks, and her eyes were dark blue)
Blue Skies - Chocolate Blueberry (Her coat was sky blue, and her mane was brown, and her eyes were orange)
Drizzle - Grape Soda (Her coat was purple, her mane was ivory, and her eyes were yellow)
Great Scott - Q. T. Prism (Her coat was white, her mane was periwinkle, and her eyes were light periwinkle)
Serenity – Silverspeed (Her coat was gray, her mane was silver, and her eyes were purple)
I noticed that some of the coaches were the participants of the Winter Wrap Up and the fliers from the Hurricane Fluttershy episode. Cloud Kicker told me they volunteered mostly because they thought they’d be popular, while others were humble to fill in or experience the intense fun. Thunderlane admitted in our group conversation with the other background ponies that he didn’t want any part of this, and he’d rather stayed home and sleep. The reason why he was here was because High Winds carried him all the way from his home to here on a cloud while Thunderlane was asleep. I guessed he was lazy also in some fun activities.
My curious side suddenly nagged me about what Rainbow Dash was mumbling about when we were about to exit the medic building. What could make me anxious was people/ponies thinking about me, ‘cause I get insecure about it. I bitten my lips to keep me from asking, thought that if asking would make Rainbow Dash uncomfortable during the Under Wing. It didn’t worked, so I hesitantly looked frantically around me for anything distracting, without Rainbow Dash noticing me. I was sweating. I wished Pinkie Pie would wipe them, but I doubted she would while she was dancing and cheering with her pompoms. I’d got to look for something distracting. I saw Sassaflash whipping her mane back and forth—not distracting. I saw Thunderlane sleeping on the pavement while High Winds and Cloud Kicker were trying to budge his rump up with their heads—not enough. I saw Soarin rolling on the pavement—funny, but not enough either.
I’d finally gotten my lips shut when a pair of avian eyes stared at me and locked in a distance. How long was she staring at me? Why was she doing that? I was about to breath heavily through my nostrils when Rainbow Dash asked sweetly, “Do you want any refreshments?”
I thought she’d never asked, so I replied, “Sure! Thanks, Rain—” I’d gotten myself splashed with a cup a of ice cold apple juice, which made me yelp and startled that I also ducked down with my hooves on my head for another round. Realizing there was none, I stood up and asked quietly, “What w-was t-t-that f-for?!”
“Iwano, behind you!” she pointed behind me and I tossed my head to follow. Nothing and POP! More startled, I jumped high and hid myself in a cloud above Rainbow Dash. I then heard laughter. I peered from below and saw Rainbow Dash lying on the pavement, laughing and pounding her hooves on the concrete.
That pony…
“Okay, Iwano, get down from there,” she called out as she stood up. I flew down and landed shyly.
“What was that for?” I asked quietly.
“Uh, what was that?” she asked, apparently she barely heard me.
“What was that for?” I repeated softer and quieter.
She rubbed her ear. “Easily startled and soft-spoken? You and Fluttershy are the same, you know?”
“Why would you say that?” I asked while controlling my smile.
“You act all timid and shy like her. Remember when you were surrounded by your fans back in Ponyville that you hid yourself on the rooftop of the Town Hall?” she chuckled. “And I thought Pinkie Pie’s for you.”
I’d already know what she meant. A wimpy, powerful, clumsy green alicorn paired with a pink party, fourth wall breaking, random earth pony as a couple wasn’t going to be great. In my Top Mane Six list, Pinkie Pie was on sixth ‘cause she defies physics and was being too random in the episodes, though she was funny. But I would not be crushing on her, though—I’d got to stay focus. Rainbow Dash was on the sixth, by the way—you probably know why.
I snorted. “In your dreams, Rainbow Dash—that will never happen!” she was ignoring me. I waved a hoof in front of her face—none. “Uh, hello?” she was gazing on her left. When I followed her gaze, the pair of avian eyes was still staring at me. I gulped. Something told me that this competition would be a rough one.
A whistle blared.
Rainbow Dash wore the Wonderbolts uniform and our flanks are tagged with the number 10. Rainbow Dash would sometimes squeal wearing her temporary uniform. We competitors with our coaches were together as a crowd.
“The next phase is two—Under Wing,” Spitfire announced as she went aloft with Lightning Dust. She waved to me and I waved back shyly. “We’ll all be flying out of the academy immediately once I blow my whistle, which signals our start of the event. After that, all of you must collect six flags within thirty minutes as fast as you pairs can. And will be scored depending on each of all you timing by Manerick once you’ve all submitted your flags to him. The flags you all must sought are planted and hidden in the clouds around us and the academy, including outside—make sure nopony goes out of the academy’s boundary! This phase is all about teamwork, speed—”
“And to me, a test of both partner’s friendship.” A voice of regality spoke up from above. Landing in front of us all with her two pegasi Royal guards, Spitfire immediately landed and knelt down respect to the princess. Lightning Dust followed then Twilight, and then all of us—except me, my legs numbed. Twilight gasped when she glanced at me and flew straight toward me and demanded, “Princess Celestia is here, Iwano! You should kneel and—are you even listening?!” My legs were numb and my mouth dried. Was this bad? It must have been.
“It is okay, Twilight,” Celestia said. “You may go back and work on you cheer.”
“Cheer?” Twilight questioned. “Everypony stood up.
Spitfire cleared her throat. “Princess Celestia,” she kneeled and stood. “It’s an honor for you to be here. Are you here to watch our competition now, your highness?”
“Yes, captain,” Celestia replied. “I was supposed to be scheduled here for tonight to watch the third and final event, but somepony here gotten Luna and I excited to see this now.” Celestia winked at me, and Twilight noticed. I never knew Celestia would be here, especially Luna coming, too. My stomach cringed by the thought of Luna coming here. She would boo at me or maybe scowl, which was enough to turn me blue as her mane color. I’d wished my spirit would gradually grow brighter as Celestia raising the sun during phase two. Maybe Luna’s antipathy towards me was already enough to discourage me. Nopony would ever cheer for me. I’d hoped for this.
I will never succeed this time , I thought. This is Equestria. This world is different not only it’s because it’s full of ponies but my negative emotions are stronger here. Luna’s hate greatly supports it. Dissonance loves this…
“Do not glum,” Celestia said to me. I was surprised that she knew what I was thinking and she probably knew my sad expression. “I had told Luna not to scowl or anything related to that. Hold on to your coach, for she is formidable to reckon with during these kinds of events.”
“Yeah, you’re right, princess!” Rainbow Dash agreed. “You’re under my wings, Iwano.” What happened to the pony that was annoyed of my stalker info, presence and had dunked apple juice on me? It didn’t matter.
“I believe my sister will be here momentarily. She said she needs to check the weather and will be bringing the camera crew. So please start the competition, Spitfire.”
Spitfire was reluctant, probably ‘cause Celestia’s presence was honoring. “Y-yes, princess!” She gave a salute. “Fliers, take your positions!” We all did her order. I imagined myself as a military soldier, about to take off with my second flying coach wished Lorenzo would be here, but that was impossible.
My score from the first event didn’t bother me anymore the moment Spitfire blared her whistle, and we all too off.
Fast.
Everypony scattered with their partners in search for their six flags. I was cautious of where Gilda would be. When she eyed on me back in the runway, I was afraid that she would prey on me first, then Rainbow Dash. I’d never officially talked to her formally, but her talons might do it for her. I always thought that griffon needed some understanding or forgiving from her party fiasco in the Griffon the Brush Off episode. But right now, I thought there wouldn’t be any time for that soon.
“Listen to my commands, Iwano,” she instructed with a voice full of authority. “I need you to cover me while I’ll be getting our flags somewhere, just in case anypony wants to steal our win or strike at us.”
“They’re allowed to do that?!” I asked.
She smirked. “Yeah,” she replied followed by me gulping hard. “I know you have guts, so make use of them—I found one!” She descended flawlessly into a cloud and zoomed out towards me with an orange flag while I was waiting for her. Cover me!” She ordered as she flew passed me. I then followed her a foot away.
Slowly passing me suddenly was Midnight Strike (cool name). She was trying reach for Rainbow Dash. I was about to intercept her when somepony cling on my hind hooves. I looked back and saw Parasol, her face wearing a confident smile. She was flapping her wings back in an attempt to slow me down. Midnight Strike and she somehow figured it out by sight of what my coach was forming. Smart.
I was gradually getting farther away from Rainbow Dash. I fluttered, but it wasn’t working. Parasol’s grip must have been pretty tight from all that pushups Midnight Strike gave during the training in the first phase.
Rainbow Dash was alarmed she felt my absence a foot and a half already. Midnight Strike was beside her and tried to bump her, but Rainbow Dash simply dodged her and glanced at me with a wink. She had an idea. She held our flag above her and released it. Midnight Strike hesitantly stopped to grab the flag and block me, but what she only got was Parasol—I whipped a clinging Parasol unto Midnight Strike, causing them both to collide and crash each other safely on to a cloud.
“We’ll get you, Iwano!” Midnight Strike called out as she recovered with Parasol.
“Just you both wait!” Parasol added. “And good luck, Iwano!”
Rainbow Dash laughed as we flew together with me holding the flag. “That was awesome!” she said. I blushed. “Come on, let’s go get some more!”
I couldn’t help feeling a little prideful and at the same time sorry for our opponents. I guessed we were going to wipe this competition.
We stopped a few minutes later and scanned our aerial surroundings. I saw many pegasi chasing each other for their flags, beating each other up and some resting while hiding in clouds.
By the corner of my eye, I saw a pale, light grayish mulberry flag—it was pretty hidden in a cloud and it only showed little of its color. I nudged Rainbow Dash and pointed at the flag as she turned to my direction.
“Nice eye, Iwano!” she complimented. “I doubt I’d ever spot that.” I made my vision sharper literally like an owl’s. I was using half of my abilities from the Owl world to do this event. I was actually nearsighted, but with my owl vision I could see through the dark and enhance my sight. I thought this was considered cheating, but I actually didn’t mind. I really needed to win this!
As Rainbow Dash and I went toward our target, from a distance I spotted Airheart and Lavender Skies approaching. They didn’t spot us yet.
“Rainbow Dash, wait!” I whispered. She stopped and I pointed at our opponents. Rainbow Dash grinned. She tapped me and pointed at a cloud—we were supposed to hide. And we did.
“They’re too far to see us, Iwano,” Rainbow Dash said, “and you were able to spot them even in a distance? What are your eyes made of? Don’t tell me you’re using your magic.”
“Nah,” I replied. “I just could, that’s all. Anyways, I got a plan, which might be simple but it should work.”
After planning for a few seconds, Airheart and Lavender Skies were close to the mulberry flag when a nimbus cloud consumed them—it was Rainbow Dash who did that. She was to blow that thick cloud to block our opponents. And that was my cue to go into that cloud.
“What’s going on?” Lavender Skies asked Airheart.
“No idea, Lavender,” she replied. “I don’t know.”
“Hello, girls!” I appeared in front of them. They startled.
“Iwano? Were you the one who did this?” Airheart asked.
“The measure of the supplementary is two more than thrice the complimentary,” I said. “Find the missing number.”
“Uh…let me think,” Lavender Skies said.
“Me, too,” Airheart added. “This is hard.”
I was distracting them with geometry questions. I chuckled when they were rubbing their mane for the answer. I looked back and peeked behind me a small hole. I saw Rainbow Dash grabbing the mulberry cloud and nodded at my direction. That was the signal.
I tiptoed and quietly went out of the cloud while the two guessers were still thinking. I just kept chuckling.
Rainbow Dash and I regrouped. “For an egghead, you can be really, uh, cool!” she complimented which I thought was a part insult. “Anyways, we got our purple flag—four more!”
“Indeed, my coach. And that flag is pale, light grayish mulberry, Rainbow Dash,” I said as we flew.
“Egghead,” she teased. I fumed.
We now have two flags which Rainbow Dash was holding. I was starting to feel more focused and more confident, overwhelming my thought about Luna. I was not worried about her anymore. While I was thinking about it, I caught Rainbow Dash staring at me. I pretended not to notice.
This flag collecting event reminded me of my Safari Zone challenge in the Hoenn region, Pokémon world whereas I had caught ten Pokémon and won the competition. My prize there was that I could keep all of them. Speaking of prize, I was wondering if there would be other prizes besides becoming an official member of the Wonderbolts. Maybe the prize was money or a free trip to some resort. Nah, I would just ask Spitfire after this.
While wondering, Rainbow Dash was tackled by a pegasus pony and crashed into a cloud.
“Again with the crashing?!” Rainbow Dash complained as she was held down by Dizzy Twister.
I gasped. “Hang on, Rainbow Dash! I’m coming—!”
“Not a chance!” Blaze, a member of the Wonderbolts and the coach of Rainbow Dash’s tackler, blocked me when I was about to dive down for my coach’s aid. “Get the flag, Dizzy!”
Rainbow Dash had gotten our flags by her mouth, swerving her head away from Dizzy Twister’s attempt to get them. The rainbow-mane pony freed herself by kicking Dizzy Twister.
Tickle her…
I hesitantly charged towards Blaze and tickled her. She giggled uncontrollably and we fell down beside Rainbow Dash. My coach had done the same to Dizzy Twister. I then spotted a pink flag attached to Blaze’s suit. I took it and immediately said, “Fly!” Rainbow Dash and I quickly flew away before we were being pursuit by our opponents.
“Woohoo!” Rainbow Dash cheered “That was awesome—and unexpected. Anyways, how’d you come up with that?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The tickling, dude. We would had been goners and lose our flags—that was quick thinking.”
I’d liked to tell Rainbow Dash that something or somepony was whispering in my head. The voice was cold and dreadful yet persuasive. It was like it wanted to help me win this, but it was at the same time untrustworthy—it was evil. I began to thought that it was Dissonance—definitely Dissonance. But if I tell her about it, she would get uncomfortable or something. I would listen to Dissonance if he would be helpful. Was that also considered cheating? Whatever.
“Well, I was just hesitant to see you down,” I said, “I had to do something to save my coach and our flags.”
She glanced behind her. “Looks like Blaze and Dizzy Twister aren’t in our tails. Give me the flag, Iwano,” I followed.
“This is now actually quite fun, coach, though I felt sorry for our competitors.”
“Are you that soft?” she asked annoyingly.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I honestly can’t stand seeing them losing or getting hurt. They would hate us for it or—”
“Hey! Don’t worry about it. If they mess with you, I’m beside you—you’re under my wing!”
I felt soft-hearted when she said that, but that didn't mean I liked her as my fave pony. She was still Rainbow Dash—brash, tomboyish, boastful, apparently lazy, insulting and a jerk sometimes—and she would stay that way. But since this was a competition Rainbow Dash technically forced me to join without any objections from me, then I’d got to win this for her.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.”
We had been flying for awhile now. I looked at my watch and it was 5:14 PM—the second phase had started by five.
“Orange, purple and pink,” Rainbow Dash enumerated, “We have three!”
“And three unexpected encounters,” I added. “Could there be more for us?”
I should have not said that—because we spotted Blossomforth and Sightseer on our tails! Rainbow Dash at the same time spotted a yellow flag below us.
“You really had to say it, huh?” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Any bright ideas?”
I turned my head around for any options…and I’d found one. “I have another one—please don’t just rely on me, okay?”
Meanwhile, Luna had landed and arrived followed by a camera pegasi crew. She sighed and walked towards her sister who was talking to Twilight, Applejack and Rarity.
“Iwano was doing fine, princess,” Rarity said, “and he was a very sweet gentlecolt, if you ask me.”
“I was suspicious of Iwano—how he’s too nice and a-all. I don’t think there’re really and Dissonance in him after all,” Twilight said nervously and her eye twitched. “I-I think he should just leave Equestria after the Bolt Wing.”
“What’s wrong, Twi?” Applejack asked. “You look a lil’ nervous of something.”
“Is it because of Iwano?” Celestia asked.
“Yes,” Twilight admitted. “Ever since we found him looking at merchandises in Ponyville’s Joke Shop, my spine tingled and my head turned cold. I thought it was a bad sign but after Iwano somehow conjured the acre’s apples back and saved the town from mannequins, I started to trust him a little. But I have to make sure he doesn’t do any funny.”
“Like how he ate all the apples,” Applejack added.
“Oh, stop bringing that up again, AJ,” Rarity said. “You already forgiven him and it are as if you still held a grudge on the poor alicorn.”
“Am I interrupting a conversation here?” Luna asked as she joined in.
“Luna, you have arrived.” Celestia said. “How is the camera crew and Discord?”
“The camera crew is fine, sister,” Luna replied, “and Discord is—”
“What’s wrong with Discord?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, nothing my student,” Celestia said. “I just asked Luna to check on him. He was doing good, as usual now in Canterlot and the castle.”
“Sister,” Luna’s voice became urgent. “While I was on my way to this academy, I saw large number of storm clouds heading here. You should call off this event immediately and—”
Lightning crackled and thunders boomed.
Luna scowled. “It is too late…”
“You mean we won’t be able to cheer?!” Pinkie Pie asked as she presented the ponies a neon lighted sign saying, GO, IWANO! GO!!! “I wanna cheer!”
Blossomforth and Sightseer were struggling for their sight as they were consumed by a flock of birds. It was I who came up with that idea to blind them. I just the asked the flock if they could help out by blinding my opponents while Rainbow Dash swiftly took their flag—a yellow one.
“Where did these birds come from?!” Blossomforth asked as she exasperatingly struggled.
“I don’t—” Sightseer spat out a bird from his mouth, “know where!”
Rainbow Dash and I were now flying with four flags in our possession. My coach can’t help but bragged about our success. “I go, like, ‘Hey! Lookie here!’ and they were all like, ‘Give it!’ and I swerve and dodge and loopy-loop and you go BAM! We got ourselves a flag!”
“Yes, yes we got it,” I muttered.
“I never knew you can be a feather brain, too. Who knew you can talk to birds like Fluttershy could.”
I fumed when she called me feather brain. “Uh, do you think Fluttershy and I are great together?” I asked as I blurted it out. What was I thinking?
Her eyes widened. “You have crush on Fluttershy?!” she laughed. I then gave her my glare—the Glare. She silenced, and then she chuckled. “You have a glare and she got the stare? HA! You two are so meant for each other—animal lover, wimp, obedient and…” I gave her my hardest Glare. “Oh, uh, yeah, you two are great for each other.” I couldn’t tell what she was mumbling under her breath again. What was she talking about? At least she stopped teasing when I glared at her.
“Anyways,” I said, “we now have four—”
“Look down there, a white!” We stopped flying and Rainbow Dash pointed at a white flag hanging under a cloud. I thought anypony could spot that upside down. With my enhanced avian vision, I saw Cloud Kicker flying towards it. I hadn’t seen Surprise with her. My guess was that they split up to find their flags faster.
“Cloud Kicker’s coming towards our flag,” I told Rainbow Dash. “I’ll distract her again while you get the flag.” Our white flag was suddenly snatched away from our sight Silver Lining in a flash. I was agape.
Rainbow Dash rolled her sleeves back, as if she were wearing them, and told me, “You take these.” She handed me the flags. “I’m getting the white!” She zoomed out of my sight to chase Silver Lining.
I gulped. What if somepony ambushed me and took my flags? I was breathing nervously that I began to hyperventilate. I was worried. I was anxious. I was too weak. I…tasted milk?
I held my head up—it was raining milk?
“What was going on?” I asked myself. Okay, this was crazy. “I have a bad feeling about this…”
Raining milk’s good right? Something whispered in my head. I mean, you love milk, Iwano.
“It’s Discord’s doing,” I deduced, though I wasn’t sure if that voice in my head was his.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Twilight said. “Why is it raining milk?”
“The real question is: why isn’t it raining chocolate milk?” Pinkie Pie retorted. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Why isn’t it raining chocolate milk like the last time Discord came to Ponyville?!”
Twilight gasped. “Discord must be doing this!”
“Impossible, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, “Discord is now good , remember?”
“I do not believe this is Discord’s work, either Iwano’s,” Celestia said.
“How can you tell, princess?” Applejack asked.
“It is just a feeling,” Luna muttered. “My sister always said that the moment Iwano entered Equestria.” Her face was distasteful when she said my name.
“That doesn’t mean it’s his fault, my sister.” Celestia turned to Twilight. “Find Spitfire and tell her by my order is to temporarily stop this event until this milky rain stops. I’m afraid something stronger than this rain would come.”
Twilight nodded. “Fluttershy, I need your help in this too to find Spitfire.”
“Uh, okay,” Fluttershy replied shyly as she and Twilight flew to air in search of Spitfire.
“This could be only the work of Iwano,” Luna said. “It is his fault!”
“Luna, it is not Iwano’s fault, remember what I said? Please, reduce your contempt towards the green alicorn. His Dissonance would increase if it feels any hate for him.”
Luna scowled. “I still dislike this alicorn. Why must we help him while we could just banish him to the moon, like how you had done to me a thousand years ago? His Dissonance within him makes him a threat, so he deserves that for all of Equestria’s safety.”
This was now making Celestia’s head ache, as if she’d been listening to her sister’s complaints all day. So she turned to Rarity and asked, “Can you tell my sister with Applejack on how Iwano was doing great in Ponyville?”
“My pleasure, princess,” Rarity accepted. “Iwano is a sweetheart, after all.”
“Why’s it raining milk, Iwano?” Cloud Kicker asked. We were talking in midair.
“I don’t know,” I replied, and then I became alarmed. “Wait, why are you with me? Don’t take my flags!” I covered the flags with my arms—hooves?
“That’s what I’m supposed to do,” she admitted. “But when I saw your face of how defenseless you are, I felt sorry so I’m not doing it ! Anyways, have you seen my coach?”
“I don’t know either,” I answered. “We have to part ways before…” I faltered.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. I spotted a white flag strapped behind her. Should I steal it? If I do, she would hate me. I’d no choice for Rainbow Dash and me to win.
“Let’s land on a cloud for a break shall we?” I asked. She nodded.
When we landed on a cloud, she asked nervously, “Um, Iwano, how do I look in my Wonderbolts uniform?” she poised for me to get a better view of her. I began to breathe heavily and heart pounded.
Oh, come on, Iwano! I told myself, stop being mesmerized by these ponies! You love Fluttershy, so she’s for YOU!
I sighed. “You look pretty.”
She blushed, and giggled, then sighed dreamily, and then stared at me dreamily. I gulped. My head began to vibrate.
I have to faze her. “Uh, do you like Thunderlane?”
She knitted her eyebrows. “N-no—I don’t really like him! We’re a just friend, that’s all. What makes you ask that?”
I sighed heavily. Honestly, I’d wanted to ditch her, and find and help Rainbow Dash. But I wouldn’t ‘cause I thought it was wrong. I had to try and leave with her white flag.
“I understand you,” she said, “that you can be shy and timid like Fluttershy and all. Sorry, by the way.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Y-you look uncomfortable.” Was she able to tell my unnerving expression? Maybe my face was just a little too exposed. I also thought I was being stupid around females like Rarity and Cloud Kicker. “Should I leave?”
“N-No!” I insisted. “Sorry for acting like this, Cloud Kicker. Between you and me, I’m stupid with girls.”
“Just take it.” She handed out her white flag to me.
I blinked. “Why? That’s your only flag! Maybe you had a hard time—”
“Surprise still has four. I’ll just tell her somepony took it!” she was smiling happily at me. Why was she being nice to me? Was she being deceptive? I thought that was ridiculous.
Take it… you earned it . That voice again. Was it Discord or Dissonance? Two of them are the same, except Dissonance was purely evil that surpasses Discord’s greatly since his reformat to good in the episode Keep Calm and Flutter On.
I shook my head of that voice and said, “Thank you.” I took the flag.
“Good luck, Iwano. You should leave now.” I didn’t say anything else, and left her. Was that kindness she’d done? Why was she nice to me? Was it because she thought I was a good guy/stallion? Whatever the reason, I was just glad she’d done that. And it was actually quite generous of her to do that, so I secretly used my magic and conjured a sapphire on my hooves, and tossed it to her in return of her flag gift. She caught it and held it on her face tenderly rubbing it on her cheeks. I blushed.
It was still raining milk. My suit wasn’t wet but my mane was. The Wonderbolts uniform must had been water proof, maybe just in case Wonderbolts members would dive on water in some situations. I had forgotten to wear my goggles, but I thought was driven now to win this event. I had gotten 4 in the first phase—I had to do my best! Time by time, I raised my head and opened my mouth to drink the milk drops. I didn’t care if this milk rain was acidic or poisonous; I just needed some energy or some calcium during my flight. Besides, I felt like my wings were about to give in. I should have rested more with Cloud Kicker on that cloud, but I had to keep going before thirty minutes was up.
I stopped midair and saw Rainbow Dash passing by below me turning her head in search of somepony, probably for me. I was happy to see her, but I became saddened when I saw her expression sulky.
“What had happened to her?” I asked myself as I flew toward my coach. “Coach?”
“Oh, hey Iwano,” she said sadly. “I lost the flag—what?!” She spotted the white flag I held on my hoof with our other requirements. She looped around and cheered “Woohoo!” as she saw it with happiness. I just grinned. “How’d you get it?”
“I just found another one, Rainbow Dash,” I lied. “I was looking for you, too.”
“Hey, it’s raining milk. Have any idea?” she asked. I shrugged in reply.
As if on cue, thunder rumbled and lightning crackled. The milky rain became a downpour all a sudden so we both wore our goggles, though there were little residue of milk in them but it didn’t blinded us.
This weather had now become a typhoon.
I was surprised that we were still flying no matter what the condition was, like this one. I saw some other pegasi flying, but they were having difficulties in balancing that some settled on clouds and covered themselves with its fluff like water repelling blankets. Others were persistent to continue, which I found impressive yet risky in this kind of condition. I wondered if Spitfire would call off this event and postpone—no, she should not! This event must go on!
“How’re you doin’, Iwano?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Still got some guts to take this weather?”
“Yeah, I can still do this!” I replied confidently. “What about you? Why? Can’t handle it anymore?”
“Are you kidding me?! Milk ain’t gonna stop us from winning—how much time left?”
I glanced at my watch and it was 5:20 PM. “Ten minutes.”
“Aw man! We gotta hurry up! Well, just like what I said: milk ain’t gonna stop us!”
“But I will, Dashie!” I voice spoke up, and I was tackled farther away from my coach by somepony.
“Iwano!” Rainbow Dash cried out. She was about to come after me when a gale blew her off course, sending the pegasus pony lost in the storms. “IWANO!!!” Lightning drowned our cries for help.
“RAINBOW DASH!!!”
The apprehender and I crashed landed on a black cloud. I struggled and tried to kick out, but whoever was holding me down was strong. Flashes of lightning made it difficult for me to make out the face of my apprehender.
Stupid! I chided myself, you’re in danger! This is unlike what the other competitors would do! I had to break the rules, so I used my magic and blasted my apprehender high, and she was struck by lightning. I rolled away to avoid being crushed by my falling suspect.
“Who’re you?! Why did you do that?!” I demanded as I stood up while panting. Lighting flashed again and revealed her face.
Gilda.
“You’re tough, aren’t ya?” she asked. “Heh, it’s no wonder why Dashie picked you.”
“She initially picked me to humiliate me in front of everypony in Equestria!” I corrected her. “And yeah, she picked me for that reason, too.”
“Wonderin’ why you’re here with me?”
“Yes! What?” Rage and confusion was now boiling up in me.
“I ain’t wanna kill you or anything, just some…pay back.” Flashing lightning and thunder boomed on cue.
“Pay back?” I searched my memory on why would Gilda wanted one. And then I already thought of it. “Rainbow Dash is your ex-friend, so you want to pay her back by doing what?”
“I want you,” she pointed at me, “to partner up with me and torment her. Give her a big piece of her own prank medicine!”
I gasped. “Why would I do that? She’s my friend!”
“Oh, really?” she mused. “I knew how you dislike her and dunked you with apple juice. I mean, she even called you an egghead. Do those things even tick you off? If you partner up with me, we can torment her further!”
I gulped. “I was afraid to say this but, you’re right,” I admitted. “She is ticking me off. I hated her from the beginning!” I said these out loud ‘cause I meant it. I gritted my teeth angrily and thought of all the things mean and brash things Rainbow Dash had done to others and to me.
That’s it, that’s it! Keep doing it!
I ignored that cold voice in my head.
“I HATE YOU, RAINBOW DASH!!!”
My echo of anger woke up Rainbow Dash lying on a cloud unconscious. She turned her head around and licked her lips for the flavor of the milk. She heard my words.
“He… he hates me?” she dreadfully asked herself. “W-why?” she held her head up with her hooves on her ears. “Why is his voice so loud in my head?!” she shook to remove my words, but it didn’t worked. Her expression was even glummer than mine when I thought of Luna booing at me.
“No, Rainbow!” she told herself as she flew up high. “He does not hate me! Whatever that thug said to Iwano, I’m gonna clobber him!” as she punched her own hoof, she zoomed through the storms in search for her student.
Meanwhile, the fliers with their coaches were now rounded up back to the academy and into a large barrack for shelter against the typhoon. Celestia was inside along with the other Mane Six.
"I really wanna help," Spike grumbled, "and all I can do is just sit here with all the other pegasi here waiting for this stupid, Iwano-made typhoon to stop, and telling everypony to calm down." He became worried. "Oh my, I hope Twilight has some plan to fix this weather."
"Don't worry, little dragon," Wild Fire said to him. "Twilight already found a way."
"What way?"
"And not only her, Princess Luna's on it, too."
Spike scowled. "I feel unimportant."
"At least you're calming us down, little dragon."
"And the name's Spike, by the way."
Celestia was counting all the fliers when suddenly her face turned appalling. She asked everypony loudly, “Has anypony known the whereabouts of Twilight, Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, Gilda and Pinkie Pie?”
Everypony murmured, unknown of the ponies’ whereabouts Celestia had enumerated.
Celestia gasped. “Where is Luna?!”
“Okay, dude, calm down,” Gilda said calmly as she gestured me to do so. “I’ll take that as a yes—it’s official that now we’re…partners?”
My head was lowered and I was vibrating. The gales were blowing in my way and unbalancing Gilda. The typhoon was now getting worst…and I loved it. I went aloft and began to spin around like a top.
“Iwano, knock it off!” she begged. “You’re not okay with it?!” Crackling pink lightning replied to her instead—pink lightning? “What are ya?!”
I grinned, but it wasn’t mine. My eyes began to glow red as blood. I snorted out black smoke from my nostrils, I felt fangs growing out my teeth, and my Wonderbolts uniform turned dark hued and black and my goggles’ lenses turned yellow. What was this power I was feeling when I remembered everything Rainbow Dash had done? From the back of my mind, it was telling me to stop, but I couldn’t help it. It felt good.
“Volt Tackle!” I cried out with an unknown voice. I charged towards Gilda while being enveloped in black electricity. Gilda hesitated and tried to fly away, but I was too fast for her to avoid as I hit her directly on her back which my horn nearly pierced through her feathers—maybe even through her skin.
I then fling her up and she was paralyzed by the electrocution.
“What’s happening?!” I demanded myself. I suddenly began seeing scenes in my head of Rainbow Dash. The downpour of milk was now rather like a waterfall. Instead of the usual yellow or white lightning, they were pink. That was ridiculous! Why would—wait.
I ignored her even if she was peering above me on a cloud. Rainbow Dash was staring at me hopelessly thinking of what I am right now. “What’s happening to him? What did Gilda do?” She spotted Gilda twitching. The pegasus flew stealthily to Gilda and whispered, “What’s going on?”
Gilda’s beak was stiff but she was able to say only a few words. “He…said he hates…you…”
What have I done to make Iwano go nuts? Rainbow Dash asked herself. She tried to remember everything she had done to me. “Maybe the apple juice wasn’t a good idea after all. And maybe I should stop calling him an egghead. I can’t believe those little stuff would turn him into that .”
“I was glad I never became like that when you called him an egghead, Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash turned her head around to see Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity with each ropes tied each on their hind hooves for pulling the air balloon of Twilight, which contained Applejack and Spike. Pinkie Pie wasn’t with them. “I have to agree: those little things you’d done to him would turn him into that.”
“W-what should we do?” Spike asked his friends.
“By the looks of his state and that feeling I’m now sensing within him, I suspect that he’s in the state of Dissonance,” Twilight said. “Well, not completely, though.”
“There has to be a way to stop him from bringin’ tis’ typhoon even stronger,” Applejack said.
“Wait, so this was all his work?” Spike asked.
“I believe so.” Twilight said. “But we need to figure out fast in how—” A though crossed her mind like the lightning. “Rainbow Dash, tell me everything from this point.”
Rainbow Dash was reluctant from the thought of me being in my partial Dissonance state, but she sighed to relieve herself and said only one sentence, “He said he hates me.”
“That’s it!” Twilight exclaimed. “Rainbow Dash, you need to apologize to him!”
“WHAT?!” Twilight’s friends all asked in unison.
“I don’t wanna get zap-tackled by Iwano!”
“Rainbow…” Twilight growled.
“Twilight…” Rarity frighteningly said as she pointed at me.
I began spinning in high speed, turning myself into a colored green pony tornado. I was sucking in the black clouds and the milk drops where all falling directly into my vortex. Lightning zapped out of me as I spun around even faster than the tornadoes in Hurricane Fluttershy and Wonderbolts Academy episodes.
“It’s like the weather’s now in his full command,” Twilight said. “Rainbow, do it!”
Rainbow Dash was reluctant at first, but she gathered her confidence which I’d crushed with my contemptuous shout of her. She wore a determined expression and turned to Twilight and said, “I got a better idea!”
“Do you think you can, Loyalty? ” a voice boomed from my tornado. “His contempt is stronger by the thought of you, you insolent pegasus! ”
“Is tha’ Iwano’s voice?” Applejack asked as she held on to her hat. “It sounded evil.”
Rainbow Dash then dashed towards me.
“Rainbow Dash, NO!” the rainbow pony’s friends cried out to her, but Rainbow Dash ignored and done what she wanted. She flew up high until nopony would be able to see her with all the milky drops blinding them. When Rainbow Dash reached the limit of her distance, she took deep breaths.
“Okay, I think this is either me or Gilda’s fault. I have to stop him—here I GO!!!” she dive down, unfazed of the typhoon’s wrath of milky raindrops and scented gales. She picked up speed quickly. She had a pancake face and she was tearing—both by the speed she was picking up, and for me. “I’M. GONNA. SAVE. YOU. IWANO!!!” She felt the sound barrier breaking, her muscles tensing, saliva dripping from her pancake faced jaws.
A sound of a sonic boom occurred, louder than the thunders, accompanied by a colorful shockwave and a rainbow in trailed in its wake.
The Sonic Rainboom versus my Bolt Tornado…
The Sonic Rainboom clashed into the Bolt Tornado, causing tendrils of rainbow lighting to burst out everywhere. My friends panicked and began avoiding frantically from being zapped.
“Oh! Ah! Eek! Can this get any worse?!” Rarity complained as she dodged zaps while keeping her diadem firmed on her head. It had gotten worst when a rainbow lightning struck Twilight’s balloon into complete ashes. “Okay, I take it back!” she screamed in terror. A lightning was about to hit her when Applejack ducked Rarity down. “Why thank you, AJ!”
“Don’t mention it, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “Twi! Do somethin’? I can’t just protect everypony with just one body!” She was exasperatingly tired already. She had been dodging and saving her defenseless friends at the same time.
“Girls, stay close to me and hang on!” Twilight ordered. When her friends grouped with her, Twilight began conjuring a pale purple shield around them like a dome.
“Nice thinkin’, Twi.” Applejack complimented as she wiped the sweat and milk from her face.
“Oh, my mane is going to smell foul if this doesn’t get shampooed quickly,” Rarity said as she tapped her mane, now sticky and milk-scented.
“Uh, girls,” Fluttershy said, “I can’t help but wondering where’s Pinkie Pie.”
“I wish I could worry about her right now, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “But we’ve got to worry about Iwano and Rainbow Dash. Their clash is going to be catastrophic!” She shook her head. “Rainbow Dash, why would she think of that approach? She should’ve just apologized to Iwano—that would be better than increasing this typhoon!”
“How’d you know Rainbow Dash apologizing to Iwano would be the only way, Twi?” Spike asked.
“Iwano said he hates Rainbow Dash, probably because of her past doings and attitude—he must had disliked her from the beginning, apparently.”
Blast Rainbow Dash , something whispered in Twilight’s head, blast her. Help her…
“What?” Twilight asked herself.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“Something whispering in my head told me to blast Rainbow Dash. That would be ridiculous!”
“I’m not so sure, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, “but I think it’s the only way.”
“Or maybe that voice wants me to blast our friend and let Iwano spread out his winds,” Twilight gently countered. “Fluttershy, what makes you say that?”
“…a feeling.” Twilight’s eyes widened.
“A feeling ,” Twilight repeated. “That’s what I’ve felt about Iwano around me. I think you’re now feeling it, too. Anyways, blasting Rainbow Dash, just like what I said, is ridiculous—even beyond that. I think we have too—” Twilight’s magic dome began to fade and wavered, slowly giving way to the typhoon’s gales. Twilight sighed vexingly. “I think we had no choice. I doubt my magic would do anything to Iwano the tornado, though.”
Her friends exchanged looks of uncertainty, but they had no choice. Twilight thought of what would happen to Rainbow Dash if being blasted, but the thought of me was already settling in her head like super glue. “I’m going to dissipate the dome now. Girls, stand your ground and keep your hooves firm on the cloud.” Rarity frantically gathered up clouds and hugged tightly a tree-like cloud, while the others done what Twilight said. Twilight took a deep breath, and dissipated the dome.
And she blasted a streaming beam on Rainbow Dash.
“Woah! Twilight, what’re doing?!” Rainbow Dash asked. Her friends gasped—in astonishment.
Twilight was pushing herself to hold her beam on Rainbow Dash, sweat and milk dripping on her face. Her eyes were closed, but she squinted to see what her friends were gasping at. “What’s…wrong…girls?! What in the name of Celestia’s happening?!” She can’t stop beaming, but she was able to see Rainbow Dash glowing.
Rainbow Dash turned different. Her coat became pure white as snow. Her mane was flared up but still had her rainbow color. Her eyes became vivid red. Her enveloping rainbow aura consumed in strips of iridescent flames. Her cutie mark’s white cloud turned into storm gray.
My tornado began to weaken, the typhoon lessening its power, and the downpour became a drizzle. Rainbow Dash’s aura was heating up that she glowed bright as the sun that every one of her friends dried up from milky sogginess.
Our clash began to glow together in iridescence. Applejack quickly jumped unto where Twilight’s balloon disintegrated and grabbed a rope. “It’s a good thang my lasso’s in one piece. Yeehaw!” Applejack made a lariat and lassoed Twilight to her, using herself as her friend’s cushion. “I think that’s enough, Twi! Twi?”
Twilight was staring at the colorful clash. It became too bright for her friends to see, so they all looked away.
My tornado tumbled down and dissipated. The typhoon completely stopped along with the milky drizzle.
Loyalty, you won this round. But in the next one, your wings won’t help you.
Super Rainbow Dash defeated my Bolt Tornado.
Chapter 12: Poem of Dissonance
Chapter 11: Extriris Velochrome
I believe your clash with Rainbow Dash as an uncontrollable tornado and weather wielder must have been very intense that I had felt it from here. That was Faithlessness, the Dissonance opposite of Loyalty, who controlled you, thanks to the griffon who unknowingly triggered your anger. Somewhere where you live, you must have an antipathy towards Rainbow Dash. I knew the reason. The next time somepony tempted you in betraying your own friends, search your heart and think it through. I know you have a strong heart; it is just that you needed to do something right. And not let your emotions overwhelm you. You still have a mission to complete here in Equestria. Your friends are still with you, and Twilight is exhausted from boosting Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom that it gave her some sort of unknown power. I can feel in from your heart that you have Loyalty within—hold on to it. Albeit Rainbow Dash is herself, I know you can endure it and accept it. You are a good pony, Iwano. I believe in you. Now, awake!
Ugh, I really needed to control my emotions from triggering my Dissonance. So that was Faithlessness? I wanted to think that everything that had happened to me was senseless.
What was that voice again?
Gilda asking me to join her in taking down Rainbow Dash, I had to admit, was the best. I would have accepted it, but I really did know that it was wrong. And I wasn’t villainous to do that. Was that the reason Gilda joined this competition? Was she eyeing on me because I could be used against her, to hurt her feelings and destroying her at the same time? And does she even have a coach? Okay, that question was out of the subject.
What I must asked myself right now: where was I now?
I was hearing voices around me, and I was familiar of them.
“I can’t believe his mane’s still neat, unlike mine now.”
“He was just intense and awesome!”
“I was so glad he’s not hurt, but I’m surprised he’s just unconscious.”
“Iwano can be quite a threat there, but I’m so relieved!”
“Ooh! I wanna show him my surprise! Eee!”
“Wow, I wanna see that clash again!”
“He would definitely be surprised. I just can’t believe it, his magic is that powerful?”
My sight was blurry at first, but I got it back a few seconds later. I was lying down on bed. I was surrounded by my friends—Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle. They all backed probably to give me space—or maybe I might turn myself into a tornado again—when I lifted myself up. I stared at all my friends around me with their faces mixed together with gladness and worry.
My head stopped agape and gawking at Pinkie Pie. She was still Pinkie Pie, all cheery with her bright smile and happy eyes, but what made her eye catching to me…was her wings.
My friends all looked where I gazed at and Twilight stepped forward and explained, “Um, how can I say this? Your rainbow lightning that you and Rainbow Dash created while both of you clashed not only it can disintegrate objects, but it also turned Pinkie Pie into a Pegasus pony—” she noticed my shocked expression. “I see you’re surprised of it. We were all surprised.”
“Queen Chrysalis’ cackle,” I said, “that is just freaky—what I’d done?!” I began to hyperventilate, freaking out of the sight of the fourth wall breaker as a Pegasus pony. At least she wasn’t a Unicorn—that could have been worst!
I began to remember that Pinkie Pie was based on a Pegasus pony who looked just like her. Lauren Faust, the former executive producer of MLP (I was saddened of her quitting the show) if I remembered correctly, drew Pinkie Pie originally from that Pegasus. Was I correct?
“Look at me, Iwano!” she said as she flew around the room. “I’m a super pony! I can swoosh down villainy, fly and get clouds and color them cotton candy, and I can fly! I never dream of being Pegasus. Of course I didn’t dream it—it happened! I’m now like Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash—” she embraced both her Pegasi friends, “and we’ll both fly in search of fun! Oh, I didn’t make a check list of what to do with me and my new wings! Wait, will my parents be shocked if I ever tell them that I’ve turned into a pony with wings? I think they’ll be happy for me! I can now have fun, prepare parties and party in Cloudsdale—I wanna go back to Cloudsdale!—and I bet I can become an Alicorn someday—but no, that’s impossible, I have no horn! Oh, I can’t wait to…”
My ears were ringing harder than Applejack using a bell signaling for mealtime. I couldn’t stand the party pony talking and talking while my ear would bleed soon, so I screamed, “Will you shut up?!”
Pinkie stopped in midair motionless—how was she able stay in midair while her wings were paused?—and my friends froze. My eyes were twitching and Pinkie Pie’s voice randomly reeled in every word she said. The second I hated after Rainbow Dash was Pinkie Pie’s talkativeness. I referred being silent and reading a book. The last thing I wanted to read was a pink pony’s lips.
I realized that I was rude. I blushed in embarrassment and apologized, “Uh, sorry. I don’t like chatter mouths that much, it makes my head go wonky and spinning,”
“Aw, that’s okay, Iwano,” Pinkie Pie said as she continued flying around. “I never knew that, so I promise not to be annoying around you!”
She was still happy and not offended of my rudeness. “But, you’re not affected?”
“Nope-wope!” she replied. “You’re a friend and I always want to understand them.” In Reality, students in my school were often annoyed of my talkativeness, so I became silent ever since. I never knew Pinkie Pie would accept that. That was…good.
I then remembered. “Oh! Sorry for becoming a tornado and causing a typhoon, girls. Gilda just said something—but it’s not her fault! It was my fault for not controlling my emotions.”
“Not her fault?!” Rainbow Dash repeated. “That griffon’s just here to mess with me, ya know?”
“And how can you tell?”
“Uh—I just say so!” she flew midair and crossed her hooves.
“Iwano,” Twilight said. “While you and Rainbow Dash were clashing, a voice in my head told me to blast her which helped stop further calamity. Do you have any idea what it was?”
“I thought I was the only one hearing that,” I replied, “but no, I don’t have any idea. I was hearing voices in my head too, but it’s hard to make out who owned those voices—there were two. And yours was just one?”
“Can you describe it?” I became serious.
“It was a whispering tone and it sounded like trickery, but cold too to my ears.”
“Hmm…cold, you say? That’s what those voices in my head were, too.” Wait, does that voice when I was knocked out counted? If so, then I was hearing three…
“That beam Twilight blasted me turned me into some kind of white, rainbow-blazin’ Pegasus,” Rainbow Dash said happily. “I wished that happened again.”
“But I told you, it was actually temporary, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said reminded her. “And I think I don’t want to do that again. It exhausted me for an hour.”
“Oh, wait,” I said. “What’s our score, coach?” I leaned toward.
“Good news: it’s 9! That gives us a total of 13. But Gilda and Lightning Dust are both 14.”
I held my head tight. “Let me get things straight: Pinkie Pie turned into a Pegasus because of a rainbow lightning, the typhoon was caused by me, and…the Bolt Wing’s still on?”
Rainbow Dash nodded. I smiled. “I won’t let this competition end without me!”
Some were glaring and some were staring.
As we walked back to the pavement in preparation for third and final event, Spitfire flew and landed towards me. I anticipated her to disqualify me in for almost endangering the Pegasi and others in the competition. Instead she sighed and told me, “You’re still in this competition, Iwano. We understand your condition now thanks to Princess Luna. We’ll be cautious about it during the race and everypony got it.”
I felt uneasy of that. “Thank you for telling me that, Spitfire. I just hope nopony hated me for that.”
“Err, actually, I’d heard Pegasi commenting about you, mostly negative ones. Sorry about that, though.”
I felt down and Rainbow Dash comforted me with her hoof on my back and said, “Don’t worry, Green Wing. They just don’t understand. Come on! Let’s just warm up for the race.”
“But the race isn’t goin’ to start until five, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack told her. “Stop being too excited and let’s just unwind for awhile, okay sugar cube?”
“I’m okay with it,” I said. “I just wanted to roam around. We’ll warm up later, coach.”
She nodded and I just wandered off.
“I’m following him,” Twilight told her friends, “just to make sure it won’t happen again.”
“Come on, Twi,” Rarity said. “Give him some space for awhile. He just turned back to normal and we must not give any deviations.”
“I’m with Twilight!” Spike raised his hand and hopped on Twilight’s back. “Go, my trusty steed!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, girls. I can’t let him off that easily anymore.”
“Wait,” Fluttershy said. “Can you give him his saddlebag back, Twilight? I think he needed it back now.”
“Keep it with you, Fluttershy. I think he won’t like it, but I’m going to look through his saddlebag soon. He probably has a forgetful memory. And I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help being very curious of his identity. I’m going to follow him now.” Twilight departed from her friends with Spike and went walking off to follow me. Her friends showed uncertain expressions as they all had their reservations about Twilight’s choice, and Pinkie Pie was just swimming—flying—in midair.
While wondering, there were Pegasi who were veering away from me the moment we were about to pass each. I was hurt. I just couldn’t believe my actions would already cause most Pegasi to hate me. I hoped there were some who still liked me.
And pretty much, somepony still liked me as a friend. Cloud Kicker, along with Lightning Dust, Thunderlane, Flitter and Parasol, walked towards me with a friendly face, unlike the others. At least I knew they didn’t despise me for my tornado performance. Come to thought of it, I wondered how everypony learned that I caused the typhoon.
“Are you alright now, Iwano?” Cloud Kicker asked. “Were there any broken bones? A broken skull again?!”
“Was Rainbow Dash really rough on you back there?” Flitter asked. I would like to answer both of their questions, but the asking went on.
“How did it felt?” Thunderlane asked next.
“Is it true that you’re disqualified?” Parasol asked, too.
“Would it happen again?” Flitter asked again.
The interview went on and on while I was already anxious, which they totally unnoticed. Lightning Dust was the only one who didn’t ask, so she snapped, “Stop it! Look at him, he can’t take too much questions.”
“Oops, sorry about that Iwano,” Parasol apologized as she realized it.
“Yeah, we’re just curious and concern for you,” Flitter said.
“Wait,” I said as I raised my hoof. “How did everypony knew of what happened between Rainbow Dash and me?” I cut off about Gilda in my question.
“Princess Luna,” Lightning Dust answered slowly. “Somehow she left the barrack to find you, Twilight and her company. She arrived at your scene, and told everypony about it without her sister knowing. I was able to follow her secretly.”
“Luna,” I growled, which made Thunderlane gulp. “Anything else, my friends?”
“Uh, I don’t know if this helps,” Flitter said nervously, “but Gilda helped Princess Luna with the details, and they were quite accurate.”
The info really helped, but Gilda helped the most—to Luna, that was! I couldn’t believe that griffon! How dared she? Presently, Gilda were antagonistic to me—maybe Twilight wasn’t anymore, I hoped. Who else would hate me?
I banged my head on the pavement that it left a dent and a few cracks. Anger was setting in me again, but Dissonance somehow wasn’t triggered. My Pegasi friends were awed and appalled.
“If anypony contribute more info to make me hated,” I snarled, “I will disintegrate them into dust and blow them away in the wind!”
“Iwano, just calm down,” Cloud Kicker told me.
“How am I suppose to—” I stopped myself and breathe calmly. “Okay, I’ll calm down.” I turned to Lightning Dust. “Thank you, by the way.”
“But I was still mad. Luna obviously explained to make me look really bad. And it was also obvious that she still had an antipathy towards not only because I unknowingly disrupted her dream duty, but of my Dissonance. How could I tell? It was obvious! Now that my haters increased, I wouldn’t unwind myself easily. Gilda must had given her payback to me instead of Rainbow Dash, maybe for “not accepting” her offer of teaming up. I’d hated to say this, but I was relieved my coach didn’t receive that payback.
“Thanking me for what, Iwano?” Lightning Dust asked, smiling.
“For telling me about that info, that’s what. That goes to all of you, my friends.”
“We won’t let other Pegasi and us hate you, buddy,” Thunderlane promised, “even if it means doing it while sleepwalking.”
He stood half-upright and wobblingly held his hooves out like a sleepwalker. We all laughed.
“You guys are great!” I exclaimed as I shot my left hoof up, accidentally knocking a passing a camera pony with his camera. He fell and broke his camera. Oh, it was Big Shot.
“Pixel rods!” he cried out as he held his broken camera. “Who was that?”
I backed away quietly without my friends noticing while biting my lips, and accidentally knocking over a light stand, which shortly lead a domino of them. Broken glass and bent light stands scattered and trailed the pavement.
While everypony gasped at the damages and camera crew cleaning up my act, I galloped away from the scene and done even worst.
I bumped a stage wall, and splat a couple of Pegasi like flies—they weren’t dead, I swear. They were probably unscathed.
I was panting, afraid of being caught. So, I used my magic…and silently disappeared—invisible!
My short anger must have triggered my clumsiness back instead. Or are they just accidents? I hoped.
My accident caused a chain reaction which I could hardly describe with my eyes covered with my hooves. All I could hear was cries, screams, crashes, and finally uproar, while I was just sitting down. It became louder and louder. I uncovered my eyes.
I was surrounded by a flock—mob, maybe?—of Pegasi, complaining everything to me. That was ridiculous. I was invisible.
I was proven visible when the captain called my name, “Iwano Imagination!”
I turned my head around and she walked towards me with her signature intimidating look behind her tinted black glasses. I shrunk down, my eyes focused on hers. I then gulped as I stood up. Everypony was silent.
“Tell me what’s going on with you now?” she asked.
“Um, everything I’d done was adventitious, ma’am,” I nervously replied.
“Meaning?” She lowered her glasses, which burned my eyes a bit seeing hers. Her intimidating eyes reminded me of Flame Princess from the Land of Ooo and my arch nemesis Sophia Antonio from Reality.
“Accidental, captain.”
“Hmm…I’d heard you fixed the damages back in Ponyville when it was on a rampage by mannequins. Think you can do it the same here, Imagination?”
I’d no idea when she heard of it, but I nodded and went aloft. I’d done the same as what I did in Ponyville—eased, casting, fixed everything.
When I landed I was red, as Erza Scarlet’s hair, from embarrassment.
Cynthia always reminded me to use my presence of mind back in IW and in other worlds. But somepony probably took her position as my assistant, which she wasn’t, when she spoke, “Do you have any presence of mind, Iwano? Yeah, they were an accident, but please be careful next time.”
“I’m just clumsy, Twilight,” I sighed.
Everypony went back to their businesses. What a relief!
“He’s all yours, Princess Twilight,” Spitfire said as she departed.
“I wish he isn’t,” she murmured.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Nothing. Are you this destructive, Iwano?”
“Pardon me, but is that a little farfetched, Twilight?”
“Was you being accidental a while ago farfetched?”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, you’re right.”
She grinned at sompony behind me. “I think somepony have fallen for you, ruler.”
“Wuh?” I looked behind me. “Oh, Chrysalis’s cackle,” I muttered. Her wall eyes were both focusing at me dreamily from a distance. When my eyes caught her on contact, she reluctantly averted her gaze and walked away. She suddenly tripped herself by the dent I made. I thought I fixed everything, but not that?
“I think Derpy can be a suitable queen for you in Imaginundia,” Twilight giggled.
“Sorry, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” I muttered. “But I already have a co-ruler by my side.”
“And who?” She leaned closer.
“Her name’s Len—” I paused from giving my sister’s full name. “Wait, you’re trying to sip info out of me, are ya?”
“What? No! Why would I?”
“Hmm…okay.” I read her mind, and she was lying. She was trying to sip info from me. Stay arcane and a normal pony as possible, Iwano , I told myself. “Wait, why are you with me?”
Oh, well, uh, I had to intervene when those Pegasi—”
“Okay, I get it.”
“That’s rude.”
I grinned. “Sorry, Twilly.”
“What did you call me?” she asked as she knitted her brows.
“Twilly,” I replied. I realized that was the first time I called somepony of the Mane Six by nickname.
“My brother—”
“Shining Armor is the only one who can call you that childish nickname and nopony else, especially me.”
She scowled. “Really, is it okay that you can pretend not to know anything about us?”
I could tell she was irritated. I smiled and said, “Nnope.”
“Fine,” she sighed. “Iwano, how are you now here in Equestria? How’re you feeling?” she asked.
“It’s great, Twilight. I’m feeling great being with you and your company. You ponies are helping me control or diminish my Dissonance. Applejack and Rarity are good mares to me. So far, I would say Rarity was the best, scalding my Greed—the opposite of Generosity—into its deepest pits of my heart, and will soon diminish.”
“What about Applejack?”
“…Not so much,” I admitted. “Deceitfulness didn’t retreat unlike Greed—I’m often a liar back in Imaginundia, by the way.”
She looked sympathetic. Was she really doing it? “We’re with you, Iwano.” She held my hoof, and I blushed. “We promise to help you no matter how long it will take and at the same time having fun. Princess Celestia entrusted you to us, so it’s our responsibility. I mean, we dealt with a lot of problems in the past, Iwano, and I’m confident that we’ll deal with your Dissonance, too.”
She was right. Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis (why didn’t she ask me of how I knew Chrysalis?), King Sombra and Sunset Shimmer, and the list goes on. Like all the other heroes I’d met in many worlds, the Mane Six plus Spike had those heroic and virtuous qualities. And I believed they could help me. In order for Equestria to be acquired in IW, I must cure Dissonance with their help, and had an adventure of course. Besides, the other reason was that my Forbidden was the one who unlocked the gateway to this world which meant I wouldn’t be able to acquire Equestria with this Dissonance as my obstacle. I hadn’t forgotten about my objectives, though. MLP was also new to me, but I already loved it.
I nodded. “Thanks, Twilight.”
“I’ll…just let you wander around now, Iwano. And make sure you come back to us by seven. Bye!” And she departed.
I’d wanted to keep talking to her because she was an intellectual and share a little about me, but Cynthia’s words tugged my mind, Stay incognito, Iwano. Exposition means endangerment . She always said that before us or me gone to a new world. In the end, if the time was right, that was my chance of revelation. This time before I left for Equestria, she didn’t remind me. She must have thought she trusted me already. Hey, being mysterious was also cool, right?
I glanced at my watch—6:32 PM. The sky was still clear blue and the sun was still up. I thought it was already afternoon if the sky’s color was darker or dimmer. Celestia must be still holding up her sun to dry up any more milk residue.
“Wait,” I said, “where’s Lightning Dust and the others?”
I hadn’t seen them since my early clumsiness. I wondered if they had other businesses to attend to, like training perhaps. I was happy for their concern and faith for me, which mended a bit of my shame. Meh, my friends were fine. I wouldn’t worry about anything, except Luna, Gilda, and other inevitable misfortunes in my circumstances.
Albeit everypony now mostly hated me, I couldn’t help but feel relaxed. It was normal for me to go anxious, worried, or pessimistic, but why wasn’t I feeling any of them right now? I sighed.
“Just relax, Iwano,” I told myself. “You need to act cool before the race, and you have plenty of time to wander and relax wistfully in this academy.”
“Can you spare some time for a short conversation?”
I gasped, and gotten swooped away in a flash of brown (moderate orange amber).
I didn’t struggle or attempted to use my magic against her, though my heart was racing to fry her into roasted turkey.
We were hidden from everypony on a cloud with a puffy wall beside us. She was leaning and had her arms (uh, talons?) both crossed. I was just seating down on her right. I thought she would paralyze for a long time form my Volt Tackle that she wouldn’t participate anymore in the Bolt Wing.
“Rainbow Dash’s going to Sonic Rainboom through your mouth and out when she finds out, even if this is a small conversation,” I warned her. “And you’re lucky I hadn’t used my magic, otherwise you would be griffon barbecue.”
“I won’t taste good,” Gilda said. “Look, I just wanna talk.”
“If you want to take my coach down, I won’t help,” I told her as I averted my head from her and closed my eyes. “I won’t budge—and I won’t let you.”
“It’s not that, Green Wing.”
I looked at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“I swear,” she promised. “Now, let’s talk about you, Green Wing.”
“I shouldn’t let you budge that either, but maybe I’ll let you know about me a bit.”
I wasn’t really going to expose that fully. I told her the exact same story, the one I used on the Mane Six and the two princesses back in Canterlot. Since I was nervous, I stuttered a lot that maybe she knew I wasn’t telling the truth. Could griffons smell lies? I hoped not.
“Imaginundian ruler, huh? Sorry I enraged you, your highness ,” Gilda said.
“Was that sarcasm?” I asked. “Because I hate sarcasm.”
“Whatever Green Wing—”
“And stop calling me that, griffon!” I snapped. “I’m leaving—!”
“You had owl-like eyes, dude.”
I froze when I was about to take off. She knew? No, she didn’t.
“How’d you—?”
“I spied on you during the Under Wing. You grabbed that flag with your hind legs,” She count off with her talons, “you were flying silently like a Barn owl should be, you can see you opponents in a distance, you can talk to birds, and that’s all You aren’t really from here, are you?”
“I’m from Imaginundia, Gilda,” I told her.
“No,” she said as she shook her head, “I mean here in our world.”
It was a good thing I’d practiced my poker face, because I was doing it right now, masking my shock or surprise. Woah, she was good. How was she able to figure it out? That was impossible.
If I abruptly flew away, she would know.
I had to say something, so I said which was true, “I was mentored by giant owls near a forest in my kingdom. That’s how I can do all those things.”
Gilda snorted. “Are you kidding me?”
“A king, ruler, or prince has to be unique and strong to rule his kingdom and lead his subjects with many abilities, right?”
“Maybe you got a point there, I think.” She then lowered abd stood on four legs again. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind and partner up with me, Green Wing?”
I grinned. “Nnope…and you’re solo, are you? You have no coach.”
Gilda nodded. “You better be careful out there in the race. Things are about to get rough when you’re behind. Peace out, Green Wing!”
I nodded, she flew away and I was alone. And I hyperventilated deeply. I was relieved! I was already panicking within. I wiped my sweat from my mane. I stayed cool for that long?
“That was close,” I said. “She almost knew.”
“Knew what?”
I quickly ducked down and covered my eyes with my hooves in startle.
“Dude, it’s me, your coach.”
I peeked above and saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie flying above me.
“I think he wants to play hide-and-seek, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie playfully exclaimed.
“Well, he’s gonna play a different game soon,” Rainbow Dash said. “And it’s called the—”
“Ace Thunderbolt~!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully finished the sentence as she backstroked behind me, which startled me.
“Hey! Come on, that’s what I wanna say, Pinkie!”
I giggled.
The name reminded me of Pokémon. I missed the Pokémon world.
The Ace Thunderbolt was the final event. The rules of that event changed—instead of passing through red rings required to pass the finish line, it became a normal race, but would become intense. Spitfire changed it under Celestia’s orders.
I was rapidly descending from the sky and veered forward, almost crashing the pavement and zoomed pass my team in a streak of cobalt blue. I was so fast that they almost tumbled away and their manes were frozen straight from my direction.
“23.7 wingpower!” Twilight exclaimed in amazement as she looked at her anemometer.
“That’s his highest yet, “Fluttershy said. “I believe he’s now faster than all the participants of the Bolt Wing.”
“Maybe it was all ‘cause he ate almost all the apple pie I gave ‘im from my food cart,” Applejack said. “It’s givin’ him a boost!”
“Nah, maybe he’s just all pumped up,” Rainbow Dash said. “Iwano, repeat your descent!”
I followed as she instructed. “Yes ma’am!”
As I flew up high and descended again, I felt sparks on my mane then body but they weren’t electrifying. As I veered forward again, I’d felt my mane changing. What was going on?
When I flew passed my team the second time, they finally tumbled, and rolled. They screamed by my breeze. When they stopped and were piled up, Spike dug out of his friends and ran to the tilted anemometer and carried it above him and said, “27.3!”
Rainbow Dash popped out of the pile with her hooves and spun around.
“That’s awesome!” She zoomed and hugged me proudly. When she stopped and stared at me in midair, she went frantic for a second and pushed me away.
“What’s wrong, coach?” I asked. “Unsatisfied of my wingpower? Maybe I could do it again and—”
“N-no, and nothin’ wrong, Green Wing.” I could tell she was blushing, but I didn’t mind. “Uh, so 27.3, wow, but I don’t need to brag but I can go higher than that.”
“I won’t argue with that,” I said as we landed together, “since you’re Equestria’s best flier around. I, on the other hoof, am the best flier in Imaginundia.”
“Hey, I got an idea.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes brightened. “Let’s race—you and me—one lap around the academy. Whaddaya say?”
“Are you sure about that, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked worryingly as she had gotten herself still tangled with her friends while steadying her diadem. “I think he’s already exhausted.”
“He is already tired,” Applejack agreed. “Just look at ‘im, he’s sweatin’, RD.”
She was right, but I didn’t admit. I was breathing heavily through my nostrils and I was perspiring continuously. But I chose to resist resting.
I shook. “Meh, I can…go on. I’ll do as what my coach instructed, Rarity. Thanks for the concern anyway.”
“But, Iwano—”
“Let him, Rare,” Twilight said. “I believe he’s not that exhausted.”
“Okay, okay!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Let’s take our marks!”
My coach’s friends had their reservations about this, except Twilight, who wasn’t completely worried at all. Rainbow Dash and I took our positions. This was my first time racing Rainbow Dash, which made me both nervous and excited.
Are you sure you won’t change your mind and partner up with me instead, Green Wing , Gilda had asked. I suddenly recounted what the griffon asked me. She wanted me to betray my coach.
I betrayed my allies once back when I was in the Sonic world. I betrayed Sonic the Hedgehog, his friends, and my sister, and joined Team Babylon—Wave the Swallow, Storm the Albatross, and Jet the Hawk, the leader. I joined those avian rogues just to bring down Eggman’s grand prix scheme, but failed. I didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.
My training with Rainbow Dash and the support from my team and other friends gave me hope in controlling/diminishing Dissonance.
“On your marks…” Spike announced. “Get set…”
“Thanks for taking me under your wing, coach,” I whispered.
“What?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Spike then signaled, “GO!”
Rainbow Dash and I dashed off.
“Go, Iwano! GO!” Pinkie Pie cheered and shook her pompoms up.
As my coach and I raced around the borders of the academy, the competitors and their coaches stopped their training and watched us. They started cheering and roaring for us.
I felt my hooves and wings tingling. This meant I was excited for the real race.
“27.3, Iwano? Come on, catch up or eat my dust!” Rainbow Dash taunted.
My wings were sprinting in the air to me as I rapidly flapped harder. I was now panting hard, my sweat already drenched my face (good thing I had my goggles on). Were Wonderbolts uniform sweats proof?
Rainbow Dash was leading ahead of me farther. I’d got to imagine something to speed up.
“Imagine something, Iwano,” I whisperingly told myself. “Imagine anything happy, sweet, freaky, or weird.”
I imagined…walking in a forest happily and found Fluttershy facing away from me. When I walked towards her and called her name, her head turned…and her face was Big Macintosh.
I screamed loud! Fortunately, I caught up with my coach by her side.
“You battle cry?” she asked. “This is just a friendly race and not a battle, dude.”
I’d got to imagine again. My tongue was sour from screaming and Fluttershy’s extensive face transplant, but I’d got to win this to prove my coach I could be better—than her.
Take her down!
Whatever that was in my head, I ignored it, shook, and imagined again.
I imagined…I was in a wedding and everypony in Equestria were there to attend the marriage between Fluttershy and me. As the priest now allowed me to kiss my bride, I uncovered my new wife’s blurry veil…revealing Rainbow Dash.
And I screamed even louder!
“What have you done to her?!” I cried out and continued my “battle cry”.
“Her who—?” Rainbow Dash gasped as I flew passed her with my hooves stretched out. “I ain’t gonna lat ya!”
In Reality, according to my findings, many bronies favorite Rainbow Dash mostly for her attitude and element. I bet bronies would even marry her if they had the chance. But never, I mean never, I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever—
“Never ever marry that androgynous pony!” I screamed out loud. “Never in matrimony!”
Rainbow Dash drew circles on the side of her head and asked herself, “What in the hay is wrong with that guy?”
“Has he gone mental?” Twilight asked herself as she was aloft and using a pair of binoculars. “Or is that a side effect from his Dissonance earlier?”
“Or does he still Rainbow Dash?” Spike added as he was riding Twilight’s back. “There could be other reasons why he’s acting like that, Twi.”
“I’ll ponder on my Dissonance theory, Spike,” Twilight decided. “It makes more sense.”
“Look!” Spike pointed at the two racers. “They’re getting close! Go, Rainbow Dash!”
Mostly the Pegasi were cheering for my coach, but Lightning Dust, Thunderlane, Parasol and Cloud Kicker were on my side.
Rainbow Dash and I entered the academy’s zone, skillfully swerved and dodged our way through our competitors and their coaches—I felt vertigo right now—and we were a few feet away from the pink finish line. Pinkie Pie must have set it.
My head felt warm probably from sweating, but the breeze was so cool I doubted I would get tired right now. My perspiration left me, so why was I feeling warm and suddenly hot?
Thought of it gave Rainbow Dash an inch ahead from me, so I focused and forced my wings. Maybe I would get a sprain after this.
Two feet…one foot…!
My head went dizzy, and then some part of my body felt numb.
We both crossed the finish line, but I was still going on!
Rainbow Dash stopped and called out for me. “Iwano! Stop! You’re gonna crash or fall!”
It was like my mind was completely zoned out. It felt weird, but I wasn’t in control of myself and my wings. My eyes were drowsy but active.
I’ll give it back to you now. Thank you.
Suddenly, I was now in control and urged myself to stop by screeching down my hooves on the pavement. My hooves were instantly hot the moment I stomped down. I guessed I was a little too fast and sort of hard on my imagination, ‘cause I couldn’t stop!
“Holy mother of Celestia!” I cried out.
Luna appeared out of nowhere on my path and ordered—or rather demanded—to me, “Halt, Iwano!”
I gritted my teeth as I forced harder, but failed.
Luna sighed and scowled at me as she carelessly conjured a magic wall.
BUNG! I splat on her wall flat with my face and front.
“Clumsy,” Luna muttered as she rolled her eyes. “Thou must be careful and use thou presence of mind, Iwano. If it not were for I, thee would fall.” I rubbed my face to see what was behind her. And pretty much, I almost fell off the edge of this mountaintop—approximately half a foot away.
“It was unfortunate, though,” she continued—what did she said?! “Now, would you go—”
I glared at her.
She flinched.
I glared harder…she flew away. With fear in her eyes and the wall disappeared, which made me anxiously aloft.
“That pony,” I grumbled. “Her antipathy must be stronger than—her…”
I jerked my head and saw Twilight spying at me with a pair of binoculars. My aura tugged my head to her direction, by an idle cloud.
Twilight gasped and hid from my sight, with her dragon assistant on her back.
“How’d he know we’re here?” Spike asked as he recovered from his surprise. “That was really creepy. What if her really is psychic like Pinkie Pie said back in Canterlot?” Spike waited for Twilight to respond. “Uh, Twilight?”
Twilight was deep in thought and seriously thinking, ignoring Spike.
“Twilight!” Spike called her again. Spike held a quill wrapped with a paper.
Twilight help her head up and blinked. “Oh, sorry, Spike.”
“Remembering his message again?” Spike asked.
“Some part of it,” Twilight said. “But mostly about Iwano. I’m putting together all about him. In other words, I’m studying him.”
“I know Rainbow thought of Iwano as a stalker, maybe it’s because he knows so much about us and almost—or fully—everypony, every place and everything here in Equestria, but is spying and studying about him also considered stalking.
Twilight sighed and looked stern. “Spike, I’m just weary or worried about that stallion Alicorn. I’m also cautious of his actions and preparing for any unforeseen predicaments that he would unknowingly or numbly throw at us and to all of Equestria. Something about him isn’t right at all besides his Dissonance within. I just…feel it. I’d also pieced together that he was the cause of the mannequin mayhem back in Ponyville, and the milky rain and typhoon earlier during the Bolt Wing’s second event. In addition, to his characteristics and Dissonance, his glare unnerved Rainbow Dash, flinched and scared Princess Luna, and frightened us. I’ll be calling it the Glare , like Fluttershy’s Stare, and it rhymed. Albeit he shows good intentions and he’s technically a good guy, I’m unsure if we can trust him further in his days here with us.” She winced. “But we promised to Celestia and we’ll do our best to destroy his Dissonance.”
“Uh-huh.” Spike was writing on the paper with the quill. “Jotted everything you said, Twi.”
“Dissonance Research number 4 is incomplete, Spike,” she told him.
Spike hesitantly scratched “complete” on the bottom part of the paper. “Why?” he asked.
“I saw his mane sparked like static in different colors,” Twilight answered. “It does mean that he’s going to be triggered of Dissonance again, I think.”
“We won’t find out until that happens.”
“Let’s just meet up with our friends. They’re waiting for us.”
“You’re right, the race’s about to start.”
Twilight flew back to her friends with Spike, unaware that I was stealthily following her back.
7:13 PM—the sun was about to set.
Twenty-eight competitor fliers to their marks on the red line, with some Pegasi camera ponies flying above them and Pegasi crowd in each side on cloud bleachers. They were all cheering for their fave Pegasus pony, raising banners (I didn’t see myself in one of them), roaring, and picturing with cameras. I thought there weren’t any cameras in Equestria. Rainbow Dash told me this would broadcasted all over Equestria, and I almost spat out my guts when she said Luna would be the one broadcasting all of us live—by following the racers, watching and using her magic to project multiple magical giant screens in all of Equestria’s cities and towns. And it was all Luna’s idea.
I’d to admit that was impressive, convenient, and imaginative of her.
Why would I spat out my guts? Because she would mostly focus on me, obviously to show everypony the Dissonance monster she deeply hated of how bad he would be in the race. On the bright side, I would be fully noticed in Equestria as a good pony, maybe. Thankfully, my thought was wrong.
According to Twilight, Luna wouldn’t be the only one to broadcast. Thanks to the camera crew who would be following her while focusing carefully in multiple angles, Luna would be able to use her magic to not only broadcast of what she saw but what the crew saw as well. In other words, everypony would get multiple sightings on the fliers and I wasn’t going to embarrass myself, maybe.
Before the race would begin, the coaches—in my special case, my team—would prepare and give advices to their trained Pegasus. None of the coaches gave anything for cheating, unlike my previous grand prix in the Sonic world. From each of the coaches, they gave advices of both helpful and encouraging, which made me happy. I entrusted my saddlebag to Rarity instead of Twilight, but she might somehow get it from her.
“You never told me you have asthma,” Rainbow Dash said. “With that, you’ll get easily tired. But I never knew how you could go on when we’re doing the events and training. Why?”
I thought I would be staring at the eyes of a brash and athletic flier; instead I was locked eyes with a concerned and nice coach.
“I don’t wanna back out, coach,” I answered. “Rainbow Dash, you entered me without my objections, which is okay. I wanna make your proud. This whole flying experience has been really fun certainly, though there had been minor mishaps—”
“Major mishaps,” Twilight corrected.
“I still get to fly for fun,” I continued. “Maybe becoming a Wonderbolts member would be a plus to my affiliations.”
“You have other affiliations?” Rainbow Dash asked. Her friends all stared at me, with Twilight with intent eyes and ears.
I thought I made a bad move, but I managed and said, “In Imaginundia, a ruler can have multiple affiliations.”
“Okay, okay. Listen, Iwano: there’re twenty-seven fliers versus you. You’ve got to focus straight, sharpen your senses, and be always awesome! You’ve gotta be fast as me, strong as me, and awesome as me! Oh, and be careful out there. You don’t want somepony to get you mad again. Besides, after you’re typhoon I’d heard most of the fliers wanna take you down hard to the ground.” We glanced at the participants stretching and flexing their hooves, neck and wings, and finally at Gilda, acting cool and not warming up. “And remember Iwano: you’ll always be under my wing, no matter what air current you’re in, no matter how high and fast you’re in the sky and no matter who you are.”
“As your student?”
“…As my friend, you egghead.”
She gave me an affectionate noogie on my head and we both laughed with our friends, except Twilight. I didn’t know what happened to the real Rainbow Dash, but I was beginning to like her—as a friend, not crush.
“Fliers, take your positions! Coaches and Iwano’s team, away from your fliers,” Spitfire commanded in midair of us. Everypony obeyed.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna (Grr…) descended and landed from the sky to the middle of the racers’ runway. Everypony fell into silence and eyed on Celestia. We fliers proudly stood straight in the presence of the two princesses of Equestria, but I felt uneasy with Luna’s.
Celestia looked at all of us with bright eyes and gentle smile, while Luna was staring at me disdainfully. I shot her with my glare, and then she anxiously averted her gaze.
The camera crew all faced on the two princesses. Luna’s magic kicked in effect and the broadcast started in three…two…one…
“Mares and gentlecolts, welcome to witness the third and final event of the Bolt Wing competition: the Ace Thunderbolt!” Celestia announced. “This competition was held by Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts, not only to find exceptional and worthy fliers to join the Wonderbolts but to encourage Pegasi out there to soar high in the skies and maybe someday join as a member. Take this as an inspiration, too, my fellow subject. This was also served as a training program and an enjoyable experience to these racers whom their coaches whom their coaches chose for this exciting event.
I am proud for these fliers, who participated in the Bolt Wing, which I believe gave their all. I could sense their bond they developed with their coaches when I arrived at this academy. I know everypony experience a milk-flavored typhoon all over Equestria hours ago, but that has passed and we continued.” Celestia turned to Luna. “Would you say a few words before we begin?”
“Yes, my sister,” Luna replied. Something about her smug smile wasn’t right. “I will like to introduce to everypony in Equestria a very special visitor from a faraway land unknown to all of us called Imaginundia. If anypony was curious of how the typhoon started, it was he who caused it. But need not to worry for he will not repeat it again, hopefully. Just be certain not to anger him with tricks on the Alicorn—”
“Luna, what are you doing?” Celestia whisperingly asked in worry. Why wasn’t she intercepting?
“He is an Alicorn, like I and my sister, and is participating.” The crowd was confused and was searching the racers for me. “He is here in Equestria because of his special case, which was related to the typhoon. And his name is—”
Her face turned pale the moment she looked into my eyes—my glaring eyes. She flinched and backed away. That should shut her up.
Celestia wasn’t sure what caused her sister’s flinching, but when she followed Luna’s gaze, she saw me with a blank face. She was glad her sister stopped talking. The audience was murmuring about who this Alicorn was, but they later continued cheering.
“Thank you for your words, Luna,” Celestia said as she took over again for her stunned sister. “Spitfire will be explaining further details of the Ace Thunderbolt.”
Luna shook and recovered as she flew and followed Celestia to the cloud bleachers on my left and sat together on the center. The audience’s noise weren’t bothering them. Where were the Royal guards?
I was surprised Celestia didn’t say my name. I really wanted to be noticed in Equestria as their friendly Alicorn from a mysterious but good land, but since Luna told them of how the typhoon came I changed my mind about my “total exposure”, for it would only give the ponies in the land panic, maybe. I just knew Luna was about to expose me as a threat, so I made quick thinking and waited for her to look directly at me. I knew it because I read her mind form the beginning intro of me. But right now, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking right now because I was focused ahead.
Suddenly, I inhaled sharply. My Glare! If her magic was in effect, did that mean almost everypony in Equestria looked directly at my glare?
Stupid! I chided myself. Now almost probably everypony would be scared of me. I didn’t saw myself on the magic screens. Why was I forgetful? Biscuits!
“Attention!” Spitfire landed blindingly fast in front of all of us, startling us despite our cool and still postures. I wondered what her wing power was. “Welcome again to the third and final event: the Ace Thunderbolt! If any of you didn’t heard of the new rules of the race, then let me fill you all in: twenty-eight of you fliers will be racing through six locations in Equestria—Winsome Falls, Manehattan, Cloudsdale, and back here in the Wonderbolt Academy, doing three laps around the borders of this mountaintop. How will you know where you’re going even during nightfall, you may ask? Princess Celestia has set a trail of floating balls of light that serves as a guide to all of you. By the way, you’ll all still be scored during the race based on how your coaches trained you all and what you’ve learned. There’ll be five winners—the first to fourth placers, and the top scorer—who would become official member of the Wonderbolt, along with their coaches of they aren’t yet.”
“Win this for me!” Rainbow Dash cried out excitedly. We all stared at her, with the cameras pointing at my coach. She scratched her mane in embarrassment and blushed. “Sorry guys! Sorry, captain!”
“Okay,” Spitfire continued. “Before I can forget, there’s also a surprise competitor joining this race, but she won’t become a member even if she wins. Introducing—”
“Is that a Pegasus?!” Dizzy Twister asked as she pointed up the afternoon sky. It was a silhouette of a Pegasus pony circling the academy up high.
“Is that Cadance?” Twilight asked.
“Is it a dragon?” Spike asked, too.
“Is that…?” I squinted and enhanced my vision, but before I could make it out the silhouette quickly descended before I could identify it.
The silhouette landed in a moderate raspberry streak and bounded for a few seconds with bouncing sound effects, and went comically eye to eye on me. Dang, why did she have to be this ridiculous? She was wearing the Wonderbolts uniform and there was one thing to describe her: pink.
“Pinkie Pie, everypony!” Spitfire announced. “She’s the surprise competitor, fliers!”
Gilda, Derpy and Luna here in the Wonderbolt Academy were already bad enough. But Pinkie Pie? I would die of her aura of annoyingness.
She’s next…
“That voice…” I whispered.
It was the same voice…during my gem donating in Ponyville and the Under Wing. It was cold and cynical, yet firm and persuasive. Who was it referring to? Obviously it was referring to Pinkie Pie because she just came. But it could be referring to any mare—or griffon—here. Was it trying to warn me of something? Or…I didn’t know, but I would want to find out after this.
I thought it was my turn to agape, so I done it when Pinkie Pie hopped and took her position between Lightning Dust and I.
“I’m ready, eddy, I love spaghetti!” she exclaimed blithely. “Oh, and gravy and candy!”
I gave out a What face. Should I be humored? No, I was a serious type.
“Without further ado,” the captain continued, “fliers, ready your marks!”
We all fliers done it as we lowered our heads to the ground, down our chests, focused ahead (Derpy’s eyes, to me, were ridiculously focused even if they were wall eyed), front hooves, wings stretched and prepared, and expressions worn determine. Unlike them, I was stolid, Thunderlane was drowsy, Gilda was angered (why?), and Lightning Dust was nervous—what? Lightning Dust was nervous? I expected her to be confident and vigorous or cocky, but it was like she was anticipating something. I couldn’t read her mind, not because I was focused, it was because of the pink pony’s silly grin.
“Instead of counting down by numbers,” Spitfire said, “I will be mentioning all your names. Once all your names are called, you know what to do next.”
She went aloft. It was time.
“Serenity,” Spitfire began. “Great Scott, Drizzle…”
Everypony in Equestria were all eyeing on us.
“Blue Skies, Thunderlane…”
Rainbow Dash entered me initially to humiliate me probably in any way. But after seeing Lightning Dust and Gilda, she must have resented and felt guilty. Thus, she trained me.
“Silverwing, Prism Glider, Opal Water…”
I’d no objections, because I thought I was prepared for her tricks. But I’d to admit, I was a little unprepared for this race because of my nervousness.
“Milky Way, April Showers…”
Albeit I was obedient of her, I still hated her. But I realized that I began to like her. She saved me from myself—Dissonance—as “Super Rainbow Dash”.
“Airheart, Wild Fire, Cloudchaser…”
I’d met three of my probable obstacles here in Equestria so far, but I believe I could overcome them.
“Flitter, Blossomforth…”
I just knew hard enough that Rainbow Dash could help me from my dark power with her training and this race.
“Sprinkle Medley, Sassaflash, Raindrops…”
It crossed my mind that I had four days left to accomplish my missions, which I’d forgotten.
“Merry May, Lightning Bolt…”
Out of the twenty-seven competitors in this Bolt Wing besides me, four still befriended me. I wished the others would forgive me right now.
“Dizzy Twister, Cloud Kicker, Parasol…”
My heart pounded rapidly, my hooves were vibrating, my teeth were chattering, and Pinkie Pie was gawking funnily at the sky.
“Rainbowshine, Gilda, Lightning Dust, Derpy Hooves…”
Though I couldn’t see my team in the race, I might able to feel them. They would cheer for me.
“Pinkie Pie, Iwano Imagination…”
I hated Pinkie Pie.
“GO!!!”
It happened so fast. Streaks of colors and flashes of Pegasi zoomed and soared from my sight, out in flight from their markers.
“What’re you doin’?!” Rainbow Dash demanded.
I shook out of my daze from colors. I was marveled by the colors of Pegasi that I completely gotten distracted. This wasn’t the first time colorful things stopped me.
I reluctantly raced ahead for the other competitors. It looked like I was in last place. Well, time to get flappin’ and dashin’!
“So he’s fascinated at anything colorful,” Twilight said.
“Why does that matter, Twi?” Applejack asked.
“I was just wondering if his cutie mark and Rarity’s diadem has any connection to him.”
“Twilight, stop being so curious of Iwano’s identity and let us enjoy watching the race and cheer our dear friend Iwano on!” Rarity said happily.
“I can’t Rarity. I’m now beginning to sense that feeling again from Iwano, even from here.”
Spike was busy lifting Pinkie Pie’s cheering sign. It looked like he was about to fall, but Twilight levitated the sign for him instead. “How come you’re the only who felt Iwano, Twilight?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” answered. “Something is about to happen soon in the race—I just can feel it.”
Twilight and her friends were now watching me by the magic screens above the academy.
Through the clouds I soared, I followed the trails of light balls. I thought the guiding lights could be moved by touch, but after nearly bumping into one of them and felt intense heat, I doubted the racers would change the tracks. Besides, Spitfire already said the locations of this race.
I couldn’t see the other racers ahead albeit I enhanced my vision. I guess the racers were eager to win this.
The sky was now orange in the background, which meant Celestia was now setting her sun. I chuckled at the thought of it.
I was controlling my heartbeat. Being in any competition, especially a racing one like this, made my tongue a bit mixed of sour and bitter and gave me anxiety, but in Equestria it felt different.
In the Sonic world when I was in the first grand prix, I was confident there unlike the other races I’d been.
As the clouds cleared in my way, I saw Winsome Falls.
Winsome Falls had waterfalls crashing down into lakes from giant nimbus clouds with rainbow-colored water. The place was on a mountaintop plateau of grass, rocks and bushes.
I would like to dip on the rainbow lakes where the waterfalls crashed, but I was busy, of course.
“Hmm…interesting place,” I said. “Winsome Falls first appeared in the episode Sleepless in Ponyville when—is that Dizzy Twister? And was the audience listening to me?”
I enhanced my vision and saw her alone, exasperated to go faster. Was the audience listening to me? I just knew maybe our talks, conversations and chats were also broadcasted. I just hoped they didn’t know what I was talking about.
Winsome Fall’s track was a large curve around the mountaintop, through one of its waterfalls (Wee!), and a long path to Manehattan.
As I passed Dizzy Twister, she was flapping hard to catch up but no good.
“Sorry, Dizzy Twister,” I said. “But I need to do this, sweetie.”
“What did you call—?”
“Bye, sweetie!”
In a single strong flap with effort, I zoomed through the waterfall—the water tasted nothing—and out of Winsome Falls, on the way to my next destination.
Using my magic was effortless, but flying with force to zoom fast was full of it and back-aching. It was a good thing I wore my goggle, otherwise my eyes would be behind my head.
I passed Prism Glider, Milky Way, Blue Skies, Silverwing and Drizzle.
“Where’d he come from?” Milky Way asked.
“Who cares?” Prism Glider said. “Let’s take Green Wing down!”
Uh-oh.
“Let’s do it,” Silverwing agreed. “We don’t want another typhoon!”
“Are you sure Prism Glider?” Drizzle asked. “I don’t wanna hurt anypony, even though he did cause a typhoon.”
“Me either,” Milky Way said. “We might get in trouble.”
“The only trouble we’ll be having is an Alicorn whipping up another gale soon,” Blue Skies said.
“If you two,” Prism Glider said, “won’t help, then go away—let’s get him boys!”
Blue Skies, Silverwing, and Prism Glider—maybe he was the leader—split up and hid in the clouds beside us, maybe planning an ambush.
“So they teamed up?” I muttered. “What else?”
“We’ll team up with you, Iwano,” Drizzle said as she and Milky Way soared beside me.
“You two will, after I’d unintentionally endangered the competition and everypony?” I asked.
“We forgive you,” Milky Way said. “When Princess Luna and Gilda explained, I could tell from their undertone that they hated you. Why is that?”
“Long story,” I replied. “For Luna, it was unintentional. For Gilda, it was her fault.” I didn’t want to remember what Gilda asked me to do. “I really don’t wanna talk about—”
“Look out!” Drizzle warned as she pushed me down with Milky Way and was bumped and eventually taken by Blue Skies, and disappeared in the clouds with him.
“Drizzle!” I gasped.
“Don’t worry about Drizz,” Milky Way told me unworriedly. “She’s good fighting and dodging in clouds, especially rains and drizzles—not typhoons and downpours.”
I was now beginning to wonder if their names or cutie marks were connected to their special talents or skills—well, duh! It was connected.
“How can you be sure?” I asked worriedly.
“Because she’s right beside you,” he replied.
I looked on my left, and Drizzle was there.
I flailed a little in startle. “Woah! How’d you dealt with him?!”
“His sight wasn’t great in the clouds,” she replied.
“We’ll make sure they won’t get you,” Milky Way promised.
I sighed. I was unsure of that. “Once we reached Cloudsdale, you two leave me.”
They exchanged worried looks and nodded.
I never knew I was teaming up with two Pegasi. Was this legal, especially ambushing a competitor for a good reason? Spitfire didn’t tell us anything about this. I had a thought that maybe my companions would turn on me by chance, so I anticipated to fight. Combat would necessary if the coaches would’ve trained their students, but I was prepared even if Rainbow Dash didn’t. I expected this would be a friendly competition, but I guessed some of the participants wanted to pummel me for a good reason or beat each other up for the win and score. Prism Glider, Blue Skies and Silverwing were less of my worries, but Gilda was.
“Next stop: Manehattan!” I announced.
This would be a long race—if we were slow.
“Looks like most of the racers are teaming up!” Spike announced with a megaphone, which was magically connected to multiple speakers in the academy and magic screens for sound. I guessed he was the announcer, on a flying Spitfire.
“They certainly are,” Spitfire said. “Some are either scared being alone or would want to team up to take down the others, then their teammates. There can be other possibilities.”
“Currently on first place is Lighting Dust, showing very much of her vigor and determination soaring through the clouds and unfazed of any obstacles; currently on second is Gilda the griffon, beating and showing some dirty play in the race—I hate that; currently on third was Sprinkle Medley, who’s showing a worried face tossing and turning probably anticipating a flier to take her down; and on fourth place—to my surprise, really—is Pinkie Pie. I never knew my friend there would fly so well in the sky, even after receiving her wings accidentally from some unknown magic during the milk typhoon.”
“I’m surprised too, Spike. The party pony of Ponyville, as what I’ve heard from you, may have turned into a Pegasus pony recently during the typhoon, but it looks like she’s a natural pro in flight.”
The magic screen showed Pinkie Pie spiraling, making the other passerby fliers confused.
“Right you are, captain,” Spike said. “Though each screen showed each of the participants doing interesting flight, I noticed almost everypony in the audience in the academy are eyeing on Gilda the griffon and Iwano the Alicorn—oh, and Pinkie Pie, too.”
“The only reason,” Spitfire said, “is that we have a tough griffon, a former earth pony, and an Alicorn—all of them are very different, and Pinkie counts as one of them. Putting those three in the competition sure made an interesting mix of excitement here.”
“Winsome Falls was a breeze to them. Let’s see how they can fly through the bustling Manehattan!”
“Why bustling?”
“The crowded citizens there are excited to see the—”
“And a fight just broke!” Spitfire exclaimed.
“What?!” Spike held his head up.
The magic screen showed my teammates and I fending Prism Glider and his teammates. They were corralling me and my team. And they were striking us swiftly to both slow and put us down. I’d got to admit, they were skillful striking like, almost literally, bullets at us and their teamwork was well-coordinated just after shortly they joined forces. Whenever we luckily dodged, another striker would hit us unexpectedly and harder than the last one.
“That’s one bad situation they’re having,” Spike commented.
“Personally,” Spitfire said, “to me, it’s great and challenging.”
“But Iwano and his teammates are gonna get hurt!” Spike insisted. I thought he would be grumbling and unconcern for the Alicorn for “flirting” Rarity.
“Has anypony and you noticed the glint on his eyes?” Spitfire asked the audience and Spike. “He has a way.”
She was right.
“Drizzle, Milky Way bale—and trust me!” I ordered.
They were hesitant, probably ‘cause they thought I was crazy, but they followed.
“He’s open!” Prism Glider’s voice announced somewhere. “Together—go!!!”
They were blindingly fast to hit me, but thank to my racing heart, my anticipation was greater and made me hyper—to instantly spin and turn myself rapidly into a tornado, sucking them in and shoot them out of our sight completely!
Since my Dissonance wasn’t in control this time and thanks to him, I could use the Bolt Tornado—my first Equestrian skill in this world—at any level and speed at my will.
When my teammates regrouped with me, they were amazed. I was now used to these ponies being fascinated, awed and amazed of me.
“Was that the same tornado you made when you’re, uh, you know?” Milky Way asked.
“No, I can now control it,” I replied.
“Be sure of that, Iwano,” Drizzle said. “We don’t wanna increase your haters. By the way, that’s—”
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “He’s so cool!”
“He can now turn himself into a tornado at will, huh?” Twilight whispered.
“The way his mane danced fiercely in the breeze of predicaments and bounces after that tornado is enough to strike my eyes,” Rarity commented.
“Speaking of strike,” Applejack said. “It looks like those strikers just stopped popping out of nowhere. What a smart move he got there!”
Twilight had no comment. She was observing me with locked eyes on the magic screen. “I want to know more about Iwano Imagination’s capabilities and skills.”
The city was bustling. The populace was crowding on the sidewalks and some on building tops and roofs of houses.
Manehattan was a large city first depicted in the episode The Cutie Mark Chronicles. It was obvious to me that this city’s name was a play on Manhattan Island, a section of New York City. This city had a high society of ponies living here. I believed mostly earth ponies live here.
On the way there, I saw a giant statue by the sea that looked like the Statue of Liberty in Reality, but with a mare instead of a human woman—and personally, it was much better.
The populace was excited not only for their city was chosen as one of the race’s track locations but would be witnessing us fliers soaring through their streets in cheer. Fillies and colts held flags of assorted colors with the Wonderbolts logo and with their parents carrying them on their head. It gave me a smile to see these ponies watching us.
Milky Way and Drizzle were still both on my side protecting me—no, we protected each other! We overtook Great Scott, Serenity, Opal Water, Raindrops and Airheart. They were all desperate to slow me down by reluctantly teaming up, but us trio worked to lose them on our tails.
We trio lowered ourselves near the ground for the crowd to see us closer. The city would be large and its streets would be longer if we were in average speed.
“Is this your first time here, Iwano?” Drizzle asked. “I mean, you’re from Imaginundia, after all.”
“Yeah, it is,” I answered. “I would like to stop and go sightseeing this city, but we’re racing.”
“It would be nice if it were only the three of us, walking or flying together in this city,” Drizzle said dreamily.
“Personally, I wanted to walk with…” I stopped myself.
“With whom?” Milky Way asked.
“Nothing.” I’d forgotten that the cameras were still rolling until the end. “Secret. We’re broadcasted, remember?”
They both understandingly nodded.
“Princess Luna’s part of the camera crew,” Milky Way recalled. “Is she staying with her sister for the rest of the race?”
I grimaced. “I strongly hope for it.”
“Iwano, Drizzle, look.” Milky Way pointed up ahead another Pegasus. “Who’s that Iwano? While you’re at it, you’re leading.”
I enhanced my vision, and saw April Showers ahead. I had gotten an idea. “It’s time to whip, friends!”
“Yes sir!” they replied in unison.
We aligned horizontally—Milky Way at tail end, Drizzle at middle and I at first—then Milky Way cling on Drizzle’s hind hooves and her same to mine, which formed us into a Pegasus chain.
“Are you sure this would work?” Drizzle asked.
“It will!” I assured her. “Now…go!!!”
I made another forceful flap, now a meter away from April Showers, whipped my Pegasus chain at our opponent, Milky Way grabbed her hind hooves, we lashed her far behind us like a whip.
“What the hay?!” April Showers protested in startle.
I forced flap again, and saw Sprinkle Medley and Blossomforth together, which made them apparently partners. It was too bad I’d to split them up. My team did the same formation and did our surprise lash-back technique—we called it the “Pega-Whip”.
I came up with the trick while flying with my imagination, started gearing ideas. My teammates were uncertain of it, but they believed in me enough to make that formation.
I was wondering if Parasol, Thunderlane, Lightning Dust, Flitter, and Cloud Kicker teamed up. If they did, it would be unfortunate to split and overtook them. It was like only a few minutes I teamed up with Milky Way and Drizzle, and we cooperated quickly like we were long best friends. But we had to disassemble as a team in Cloudslade, to be certain that they might turn on me—and maybe they knew, I thought. Were they just taking advantage of me? After my typhoon event, I doubted anypony would trust me, especially my four flier friends. I didn’t even who to trust.
The thought of it made me wanna abandon my teammates and go solo—I was very good at that, honestly.
On a building top as we ascend from the streets, a group of colt teens held their hooves up, obviously for a high five—or was it called a high hoof? I would refer high hoof better. I stuck my hoof down and my teammates followed as we flew pass below them and gave the colt teens what they wanted.
“You’re the flier!”
“You guys are awesome!”
“Take my hat and my house!”
“Take me with you!”
The floating light balls lead us out of Manehattan and to Ponyville, our next course.
It is okay to abandon them, said that cold voice in my head. You’re so smart, imaginative and skillful that you don’t even need those worthless Pegasi with you. You don’t need their loyalty.
Loyalty, I pondered that word and shook. That was obviously Dissonance, even from the start. I wouldn’t follow him this time, but why was my heart aching? I held on my chest.
Drizzle noticed my pained expression and in concern asked, “Are you okay, Iwano?”
“Uh—I’m fine!” I hesitated. “I’m just—”
“Look, Rainbowshine and Wild Fire!” Milky Way said as he pointed at them. “Pega-Whip?”
I nodded. We assumed—my chest still hurt but I was bearing it—to formation and did the same, but Rainbowshine avoided our whip easily.
“It looks like you’re weak when you’re alone, Iwano!” he taunted.
“He’s not weak!” Drizzle snapped. “He’s strong on his won, but he’s even stronger when he’s with somepony else—and he’s with us!”
Rainbowshine scowled. “Whatever! See you three in the finish line!” He boosted his speed with sprinting flaps.
It was now 7:58 PM. The sun was barely seen in the horizon, the sky was a dim dark blue and stars began slowly appearing one by one. Thanks to the light balls, we racers could see, even in a fog. Even without them, I could see because I could go nocturnal and lead my friends.
“Why’s it getting foggy?” Milky Way asked. “I mean, I could hardly see Rainbowshine ahead.”
I could feel the coldness, even through my Wonderbolts uniform, as the fog began to seetle in our sight, but the light balls lightened the way. I didn’t mind the fog, but I was wondering if were already too late.
“Stay close to me, gang,” I instructed
“You can see through this fog even without these light balls?” Drizzle asked.
“Eeyup.”
“Then you lead the way, captain!” Milky Way said happily, which flattered me a bit. They both followed.
The light balls sloped below, so we descended. The track led us to Ponyville. Coming back here was great. I was looking forward to see who I was gonna sleep with next.
We flew through, with citizens in their cottages and siding by the road.
We went through Ponyville’s streets, through town square and immediately exited. In the process, we used our Pega-Whip on Lightning Bolt, Merry May and Dizzy Twister. I wished we’d go slower.
I hadn’t seen Flitter, Lightning Dust, Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, Cloud Kicker, Rainbowshine, Parasol, Derpy Hooves, and Gilda yet on the way—nine in total.
Each Pega-Whip we made, I began trusting my teammates. Maybe they weren’t so bad.
“Gang, maybe we should—” I glanced around. They weren’t with me. “Where’re they?”
I wasn’t sure if they ditched ne or were planning to attack me. I would anticipate—wait, I told them to leave me when we reached Cloudsdale, but we weren’t there yet. Hmm…I wasn’t sure at all.
Night fell—Luna’s time fell.
I arrived at Cloudsdale. It was a city floating in the sky made of clouds. This city was where the Best Young Flier competition took place and Equestria’s weather. Only Pegasi lived and worked here, since non-Pegasus ponies couldn’t stand on clouds. This was also the hometown of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The city’s name was a reference to the Clydesdale, a breed of draft horses. The Weather Factory was also located here.
Just like Manehattan and Ponyville, there were cheering crowds but this time purely Pegasi.
Up ahead was Rainbowshine. My teammates weren’t with me, so we couldn’t do the Pega-Whip. My Chain’s of Life powers couldn’t work here in Equestria for me to conjure my chains. Besides, magic wasn’t allowed for me. Thus, I sprint passed Rainbowshine. He tried to catch up, but I flittered rapidly that I caused a gale to blow him away. One down, eight to go.
As I made a turn by a corner, I saw Parasol, Derpy, Cloud Kicker, Lightning Dust, Flitter, Cloudchser and Thunderlane together. I smile in the sight of them (yeah, even at Derpy).
And as I was about to call them, my smile faded.
It was fast, Gilda came out of nowhere and started clobbering ruthlessly and scratching scornfully my fellow fliers. I was agape. They tried to dodge and defend themselves—they weren’t even given any drills for this—against the griffon, but were overwhelmed. Lightning Dust, Derpy, Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane survived, but Parasol, Flitter and Cloudchser were unfortunately badly injured, and crashed. Though they crashed on clouds which were soft, I thought to myself that it was painful.
“No!” I cried out. “Mother of Celestia!” I flew and landed to them. The crowd on the sidelines gasped and leaned to get a better view on the fallen Pegasi and I.
Cloudchaser groaned. Her left wing was scraped from Gilda’s talons and her left front hoof was bruised. “I-Iwano? What’re you—?”
“It’s okay,” I said while I held back a sob. How could that griffon be so mean! “I’m here for all your aid. I can—”
“Finish…” Parasol croaked. “Finish the race, Iwano.” Her hind hooves were scratched and was about to bleed, and her right wing was scraped, too.
“B-but all of you are wounded—not injured to me!” I protested. “I won’t let a flier go down—”
“We’ll be fine!” Flitter insisted as she wobblingly stood up. Her forehead was scratched, which may had caused her to balance by head pain, and her front hooves were badly bruised, too. “Just go!”
I made no further objections, so I went aloft and promised to them, “I’ll finish this race for all of you!” And I left. “So Gilda want to play rough, eh? I’m worst!” I gulped. “I hope I am.”
If Gilda would beat up Pinkie Pie, I doubted she would land a scratch or bruise on that “intangible pin pony”.
I sprint flapped out of Cloudsdale. I tried to relax myself from any intentions of killing Gilda—and semi-morphing into Dissonance again. I counted my apple orchard massacre and typhoon creating as I being in semi-Dissonance state. I would take my vengeance by finishing this race in first place.
No anger, Dissonance whispered. Why not let it out?
No, I replied in thought. It’s unwise to answer with anger in any situation.
You had a predicament during the Second Negative War, the Neutral War, and many more battles, and you often answer them with anger...Armatroyer.
I winced. But killing wasn’t part of my multiple choices! Shut up! Shut up! Shut—! I realized Dissonance was toying with my temper in order to take control of me again. I sighed. Nice try, Dissonance.
He grunted, and there were no more responses.
“I can’t believe Gilda did that!” Rainbow Dash angrily said. “That’s unfair!”
At least the paramedic Pegasi are on their way, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said. “Just stay calm, and maybe Iwano has some idea.”
My team was worried about me. They’d been watching me and prayed for my safety, unaware of how I could deal with the griffon.
My coach grunted. “I want Iwano to win this for the fallen fliers! And when Gilda gets here, she’ll have my hoof in her—”
Applejack stuck an apple from her food cart in Rainbow Dash’s mouth. “Iwano will win this,” she promised. “He ain’t gonna let anypony after you trained him, Dashie. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy? Uh…sugar cube?”
The quiet pony was expressionless while watching me on the magic screen, ignoring Applejack.
Rainbow Dash spat out the apple. “Maybe Fluttershy’s so concern for Iwano—” she giggled, “that she can’t answer.”
I’m not concern at all, Twilight thought. I’m worried about his Dissonance.
“That is just barbaric!” Rarity commented as she pointed at the magic screen. “That griffon has no sportsmanship!”
Gilda was on optimistic Pinkie Pie’s tail, and I was close to her tail feathers. I took back what I said about Pinkie Pie being intangible. I was worried! At first, I thought the griffon ripping off Pinkie Pie’s wings would be great, but that pink party pony was such a good vibes giver (true), she didn’t deserved getting hurt. I was maybe guilty.
I was a feet away from her, and she tried to reach out for Pinkie Pie’s tail.
My heart raced as I blurted out, “Milkshake rains are better!”
“What—?” Gilda looked behind her, “—you!”
“Milkshake rains are better!”
“After I’m done with Stinky Pie, you’re—” As she looked back to Pinkie Pie, the pink pony was gone. Phew! Wait, where was she?
“Heeell-oooooo, Iwano!” Pinkie Pie greeted me from below as I looked down, muzzle to muzzle.
I was so startled that I flailed while surprisingly still flying in balance. “Don’t startle me, Pinkie Pie!” I warned. “You’re gonna make me lose focus!”
“Okie, dokie, loki!” she said as she saluted. The thought of Loki the Norse God from the Marvel Universe and her together made me shudder.
Gilda grunted. “I’ll just deal with you now, Green Wing!”
The griffon forced her wings to instantly slow down and stop beside me, and swiftly clawed my side. I screamed. This was my second injury in this world. It was painful, but I’d to bear it. I was actually used to being hurt badly since I’d been to countless adventures or quests in many worlds and wars.
I cringed. “I don’t wanna fight anypony,” I said in a mix of tremble and warning. “But you forced me to do it!”
I swept her face with a punch with such force that the griffon backed away in retreat to recover.
“Iwano hit the mean-y bird~!” Pinkie Pie cheered with cloud pompoms and wasn’t in flying position but in a cheerleading stand—she wasn’t even flapping! “I hope everypony got that heard~! Go, Iwano!”
Later, the griffon and I started fighting. Gilda kept clawing, but I parried most of them with my hooves. It was hard to balance like this while fighting in midair. I was scratched many times on my side that I began to bleed. I’d a lot of experiences of being slashed or gashed, so I was used to it anyway. But this…pain was unlike the others in the past—I was in Equestria after all, maybe the pain here was different. I’d to endure it.
I thought this was My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a show with no violence. But I guess it was very different...
Twilight wasn’t watching.
She got her eyes on my saddlebag with Rarity wearing it. She was ignoring what was happening. She licked her lips in temptation to open my saddlebag.
I know Rarity told me to stop being so curious of Iwano, Twilight thought, but I just can’t help it! If I don’t know anything about him, we wouldn’t be able to be prepared for a crisis. There must be something that could give a hint if he has any weaknesses or anything informative—did he brought anything informative with him?
Twilight stealthily used her magic and gently removed my saddlebag from Rarity unnoticed, and skittered away from her team and everypony within sight. She obscured herself under a cloud bleacher.
“I’m sorry, Iwano,” she said to the saddlebag as she placed it down. “I really need to know more of your origin, info, and about your Dissonance. I wish there’s something useful.”
Twilight used her magic, and opened my bag and dug her hoof in. She rummaged and brought out a white notebook with a G-clef note on its cover. She levitated my notebook and began flipping and scanning through the pages. She also used her magic to conjure light to see.
She creased her brows. “It’s a lyric notebook,” she said as she continuously scanned and flipped the pages. “I’ve never heard of these songs, obviously because he’s from Imaginundia.” She began enumerating the songs. “Lego House, Hall of Fame, Beat It, Thriller…there’re even notes and chords of these songs. Apparently he’s a singer or composer.”
“Gilda and Iwano are still fighting each other to the finish line!” Spike announced. “But Iwano’s injuries are gradually slowing him down!”
Guilt washed over Twilight, but didn’t drown her. “What am I doing? I should be there supporting him. I may distrust him for he’s Dissonance, but if anything bad happens to Iwano, that evil thing might come out! Maybe I have more time—”
Her face was still on my notebook when she stopped on a page with a rainbow bookmark. “Huh?” You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid?” She shot her head up in ideal. “That’s it! Apparently this page was marked because it might help Iwano boost up, and the title is obviously for a race.”
She wore my saddlebag and ran back with my lyric book levitated with her.
“Where’s Twilight?” Rarity asked her friends as she glanced around. She gasped when she saw her back didn’t have my saddlebag. “And where’s Iwano’s saddlebag?”
“Girls!” Twilight called as she arrived.
“Where ya be’n, Twi?” Applejack asked.
“And what’s with the notebook?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“And why do you have Iwano’s saddlebag?!” Rarity demanded.
Twilight firmly said, “Rainbow Dash, you’re going to help your Green Wing.”
“I’m impressed that even if you’re all hurt, you’re still flying,” Gilda said. Her talons were soaked with my blood. I was all scorned from my front hooves, neck and sides of my body. I remembered my dream of having multiple scratch marks. This was what my dream was telling me.
“Get away from him!” Pinkie Pie snarled as she attempted to tackle the griffon, but ended up being smacked away haplessly.
“Pinkie Pie!” I cried out, watching the party pony falling unconsciously with three tiny griffons circling around her head.
Just as I was about to descend to save her, Gilda grasped tightly my hind hooves. She was stronger than I thought with her appearance. “Hey, we’re still dancin’, Green Wing!” she growled.
I thought I was strong enough to flail free, but thanks to my injuries my strength weakened. “NO!”
Why weren’t the camera Pegasi doing anything?! Why weren’t there any paramedics here yet?!
Miraculously, Drizzle caught Pinkie Pie.
“Drizzle!” I happily cried out.
“What the buck’s going on?!” Gilda demanded.
She was distracted when I was grabbed free by Milky Way with a very long Pega-Whip—composed of twenty-three (some were bandaged) Pegasi plus Thunderlane as the controller.
“Are you okay?” Milky Way asked as she held on to me.
“Mily Way,” I said. “What are you gonna—?”
“Whip her!” she cried out.
Thunderlane was panting. “We’re not in space with zero gravity, you know?! This is tough!” He was about to swing when Gilda tried to escape to thwart it, but she hoof-locked by Drizzle. I panicked and immediately calmed down when we passed by Pinkie Pie sleeping on a cloud while, thankfully, being bandaged up by paramedic Pegasus.
Thunderlane swung us to Gilda, who was still struggling to free herself by elbowing and scratching Drizzle. My hind hooves hit the griffon by her head, Drizzle bailed, and we all scattered. That I believe was really painful since equine hooves were hard.
“Finish the race, Iwano!” Lightning Dust called me from far above. “We’ll deal with the feather jerk here!”
“Yeah, we’ll take her!” Prism Glider flew right beside me. “I don’t wanna deal with ya anymore! Meat breath is what I wanna grill now!”
Lightning Dust was all vigorous again, but wasn’t ignorant at all. I believed she was gonna justify the griffon. I didn’t protest. I flew away in a zoom.
My mane was buzzing rainbow sparks again, but I ignored it.
The night’s fog was getting thicker the moment I left the probable fray. My wounds were cooled because of the cold air, but weren’t healing. I could use my magic to heal, but I wanted to finish this race fairly, even if it meant fighting a jerk. I doubted twenty-five Pegasi could slow down Gilda. After displaying her strength, I believed she could get out of a swarm. Were they willing to let me win? A part of me literally wanted to come out and helped the competitors—and it wasn’t Dissonance. As the IWM, I could do almost the impossible, but over the years my powers became limited. I couldn’t help them, but I must. And my win would be for the racers.
“Am I doing the right thing?” I asked myself (most heroes asked themselves that question, which was a bit corny to me). Were they willing to give up the race just to give Gilda a payback? I thought maybe they realized that Gilda was the cause of my violence, so they wanted to pummel her. Whatever the reason was, I was glad to finish this race for the racers, especially my flier friends, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.
“They’re really that annoying, huh?” Gilda asked.
She was flying below me upside down. I was startled. “What in the name of Celestia?!”
They were chasing me around first, she explained. “It was part of my plan to lose them. Oh, I got to thank that stupid-eyed Pegasus pony.”
I believed it wasn’t the stupid-eyed pony’s fault for Gilda’s getaway. Derpy could have been used by that griffon. Theoretically because of her clumsiness, she was used as a distraction. And I regretfully knew all along that the fliers couldn’t hold her after for a mere few minutes.
“I’ll give you one more chance,” the griffon grimly said. “After this race, we can both work together to make Rainbow Dash’s life bad. I know you still hate her—your eyes told me, Green Wing. Give your loyalty to me and RD’s done. And I promise I won’t hurt you and anypony anymore. Do we have a deal?”
Tempting , that was the first word that popped in my mind. Never , that was the second word that came into my mind.
Suddenly, my favorite song was being sung by my coach. We could hear it echo…
You're Gonna Go Far, Kid...
Meanwhile in the Wonderbolt Academy, Rainbow Dash was dashing above the sky with Spike’s megaphone—it was enhanced by Twilight for me to hear the music—singing the song, rocking out and feeling the lyrics with excitement. The music was provided by Twilight’s magic, translating the notes and chords from my lyric notebook into music (impressive!), and filling the air with an alienate music that roused the Pegasi audience.
Why was she singing my fave song? How did she know the lyrics? And she could sing very well (I meant that question as both insult and question)? I bet somepony finally opened my saddlebag. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid was a song by a band named Offspring, from Reality. There was a "Rainbow Dash version" of the song in YouTube, ans was also very popular. My coach's singing was the exact as the Rainbow Dash version. Impressive!
“Who’s singing?” Gilda demanded.
As she was distracted when she wasn’t looking, I silently obscured in the clouds.
The griffon tossed her head around. “Where’re you?! Are you chickening out?!”
I replied to her with a tackle from above, and then hid in the clouds again. Even with just a single hit like that, she’d gotten frustrated. So, she clawed the clouds around her while still racing. She didn’t even realize that I was a few feet, northeast away from her, which I was still leading.
“I’m over here, featherbrain!” I screamed as I tackled and punched her beak hard.
Rainbow Dash flew around the crowd in each bleacher, rousing them to cheer on and support for me. She was completely absentminded that her wings were glowing rainbow-colored.
Twilight was the first to notice. “Rainbow Dash, your wings!” she called out, but the roaring crowd deafened her voice.
Combat rose again. Gilda reluctantly fended me off, but I slapped her sideways with my right wing, and then threw her behind me with my left wing with effort.
I gave the griffon my determined glare
“Gilda, no matter how annoying, tomboyish and brash Rainbow Dash is, my loyalty to her will never waver,” I said firmly and menacingly that she shuddered not just from my glare, but my words. I could feel millions of eyes watching me all over Equestria, listening to every word I said. I wanted everypony to listen.
My whole body began to spark in rainbow colors. Gilda was in a weird mix of awe, anger, confusion, and loss.
“If you have more faith and trust on that certain pony,” I continued, “good things will happen in the future. Loyalty means and rhymes with unity! If I join you, I would’ve betrayed my coach!” My body was now enveloped in rainbow lightning and static. “You’re an even bigger jerk and bully than I’d seen you in your visit to Ponyville! I will win this for the fliers, you, and Rainbow Dash. I know she has faith in me, not just to win this for her to become a member of the Wonderbolts, but to also teach you a lesson, you dirty-playing griffon!”
“I like—” Gilda’s talons sharpened, zoom right beside me, then and she was about to slash, “—to see you try!”
My nerves tightened, my teeth gritted, and I glared sharply. As she landed the blow, I zoomed out of range in extreme speed!
She saw my glare before she hits, which made her hesitant. What a sucker.
I’d experienced racing, swimming, crawling, running and flying in extreme speed before, but this one was extremer than my past ones yet! I had a pancake face, saliva spewing from my jaws, and my heart was racing with me that I’d lost oxygen. Kick Buttowski once told me that adrenaline rush was awesome, but he never told me the limits to that! My body was fully covered in iridescence, sparkling and sparkling as Celestia’s ethereal mane, as I zoomed on the way to the academy I stuggled o look back and saw streaks of rainbow flames, trailing from my second new skill’s wake. I also saw no sign of Gilda on my tail anymore, especially the competitors.
In the academy, and possible all of Equestria, went berserk in exciting cheers. The other coaches couldn’t help but cheer me on. Rainbow Dash was agape in happiness and shortly continued singing. Her friends followed the cheering, but now Twilight.
“That move’s,” she said, “just like—”
“Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom,” Fluttershy finished her friend’s sentence softly.
“Keep singing!” Rarity hollered to my flying coach. “My darling Iwano needs to win! Go, Iwano, GO!”
“Here comes Iwano!” Spike and Spitfire announced in unison as I closed in to the academy by their sight. I made three instant laps around the borders swiftly.
I veered and headed to the finish line—the starting line. Rainbow Dash finished the last line the moment I crossed.
I cried out proudly, “EXTRIRIS VELOCHROME!!!”
Chapter 13: Triple Ripple
Chapter 12: Poem of Dissonance
I couldn’t stop again. I thought that since Extriris Velochrome was my new second skill, it was uncontrollable. Unless I could practice this, I might be able to master it.
I stomped my hooves hard unto the pavement like a braking car (were there any cars in Equestria?), but I was still going and I was a few feet away from falling to a cliff (I heard car brake sound effect from my hooves). At least I slowed down slightly.
Everypony stopped cheering and panicked on where they were. Before any escort, coach or friend could stop me; Celestia swiftly flew from the bleachers, stopped in front of me and conjured a yellow magic shield. When I clashed with the princess’s shield it wasn’t enough—I slowed down another slight, but I was now pushing her along.
I suddenly remembered I was an Alicorn (stupid me) and I could fly, but I couldn’t feel my wings. Even that time when Luna conjured a shield to stop me, my wings were numb. What was going on with my wings?
“Iwano, please!” Celestia said as she struggled to pushed harder. “Fly off! What is wrong?!”
“I can’t fly!” I exasperatingly replied. “I can’t really feel my wings!” I gritted my teeth hard in desperation.
“Iwano’s in trouble,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed from her team. “Guys, let’s go stop him!”
Instead following her friends, Twilight flew to the crowds to calm them down.
My coach and the rest of the Mane Six—except Pinkie Pie—rushed for my aid. Applejack grabbed a rope from her food cart and lassoed me, but failed when it burned on contact.
“What in apple cakes?” Applejack said at the ashes.
Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash backed up Celestia from behind, but it wasn’t enough. I felt we were near the edge—five feet away and closing!
Spitfire rushed off to help obviously, unaware of dropping Spike from her back. The poor dragon fell on his head, but was fine. Luna also had the same idea, which made me scowl.
“Princess Luna!” Spitfire called. “Let’s push with force together—a single shot!”
“Aye, captain Spitfire!” Luna responded.
Instead of pushing with the others, Luna and Spitfire forcefully shot themselves behind Celestia’s shield.
I fell on my back and my rainbow flames died.
9:20 PM—celebration of my victory as the first placer and winner, along with the three others and a party to go with, hosted by Pinkie Pie. Her head and left front hoof was bandaged by the griffon’s scratch, but I was happy to see her all nonsensically healthy and funny in the party.
Everypony celebrated out of the bleachers and surrounded me, turning me claustrophobic with these Pegasi. Though them congratulating and asking me questions were great, I teleported away, which was a bit rude without reply. Pinkie Pie comically popped out of nowhere and aroused everypony to party. Despite the injuries, she was totally fine from the griffon’s attack.
Speaking of griffon, after all the racers and the healed ones crossed the finish line; Gilda was nowhere to be found. After what she’d done in the race, she probably flew off—with the Wonderbolts uniform she still worn probably. I found out the truth about Gilda’s purpose in joining the Bolt Wing from Soarin. He told me that Gilda just wanted to join the competition just to get revenge on Rainbow Dash, probably because of that time when they broke their friendship in that party in the episode Griffon The Brush Off. So to pay my coach back, she found the opportunity when the Bolt Wing was announced last week, and she blackmailed Spitfire to get in. When I asked the captain what Gilda used against her, Spitfire winced and went mad but not on me, thankfully. I regretted asking that.
I was on first place which made Rainbow Dash crazy happy (as if seeing her favorite book character), Prism Glider was second, Milky Way was third and, to my horror, Derpy was fourth. The top scorer was Cloud Kicker with a total of fifty-seven points during the progress of the race.
On 9:40 PM, the winner and top scorer, with their coaches, would be awarded with medals of bronze (fourth placer), silver (third placer), gold (second placer), a bolt-shaped goggles (top scorer), and the Wonderbolt’s trophy (first placer)—a white trophy with a gold lightning with two silver wings attached to each sides and a bronze plating on it bearing my name and official Wonderbolts title/nickname: Iwano “Green Wing” Imagination.
Right now, I was lying on a cloud above the academy, hidden from everypony. And I was staring at the sparkling moon—of Luna. I was just resting from all the excitement and of course the race. My bones ached and my muscled were in pain a little. The wounds Gilda gave me were bandaged by Lightning Dust and Cloud Kicker, and the two were eager to get me healed and medicated. I would have just used my magic and healed myself, but for some reason it wasn’t working again this time, but it was fine by me. I was exhausted, anyway.
I would never forget Gilda—everything she’d done in the race and what she said to me. I never forget what my enemies done and said, and she was counted.
This was just my third day for me in Equestria and I’d been experiencing a lot, mostly in the Bolt Wing. It was also a very long day for me. I’d thank Rainbow Dash for today. I’d also made a lot of allies—Lightning Dust, Milky Way, Parasol, Drizzle, Thunderlane, Cloud Kicker and Flitter. I wasn’t sure if the competitors helping with the Pega-Whip would count to me as allies now, but since they saved me and dealt with the griffon maybe I would.
The night was colder and the fog cleared. I’d no idea how a fog that thick came during the race, but thanks to Celestia’s light balls we racers were safe and guided.
Staring at the moon, I’d forgotten that it was beautiful and serene with pristine whiteness and cooling radiance. But to me, the bright and hopeful sunshine was more beautiful that I couldn’t look directly (other than the fact that it could burn your eyes, obviously) at it.
“Iwano,” I said, “you can do this. You just need the Elements of Harmony help and influence you. Let there not be anymore conflict, especially from that dreaded Dissonance.”
Funny, I’d just remembered there was a fan-fiction story that was entitled “Dissonance” in a famous brony website called Fimfiction in Reality. I never read it, but I did know that my element was darker than that story.
I’d also remembered Twilight still had my saddlebag. I was fuming a little when I knew Rainbow Dash knew and sung the lyrics of my fave song. Twilight told me that she knew I was smart enough to found out. Keh, that was alright, though. Without a song of encouragement, I would had lost and not to fully develop my Extriris Velochrome. So maybe I owed Twilight and Rainbow Dash huge thanks, especially the rest of the Mane Six—and also the Pegasi competitors.
I sighed and began singing to soothe myself
I soared through the sky
Proud and quick as I fly
I have left you a rainbow
A symbol of me being faithful
Even if shooting stars come by for me
I’ll stay with you even if I’m free
I’ll conquer the weather
I’m lighter than a feather
Spread thy colorful wings!
Singing soothed me. I hoped Fluttershy would be impressed, because she could also sing. I wished to hear her sweet singing voice, before I left Equestria.
“Your singing is pretty good.” That wasn’t Fluttershy’s voice. I scowled.
I tossed my head around to find her. Rainbow Dash popped in front of my face and startled me. She laughed, I fumed.
“Rarity told me you’ve a great singing voice,” Rainbow Dash said. “But it isn’t good for me, a little.”
“Same goes to me for your singing voice, coach.”
She smirked. “I’m not your coach anymore, Green Wing. The competition’s over, the participants and their coaches get to keep their Wonderbolts uniform by Princess Celestia’s request—sweet, thanks princess!—and we’re partying thanks to Pinkie.”
“Why are you here anyway, Rainbow Dash?” I asked in a grumble.
“Two things,” she replied. “First: what are these?”
She showed me her wings. They were coated a pair of bladed, thin-sheathed, rainbow-colored, armor-like wings, and were the same size as hers. Each of those wings had a rainbow bolt. My eyes widened in surprise of seeing those very familiar weapons from Imaginundia.
“Those are called laminaes ,” I said. “Translation: bladed wings. They’re special flight weapons used in my land made exclusively for winged fighters. They can also be used for shielding, too. Though they are made from metal, they’re actually really light, depending on your strength and mass. Those bladed wings can also sharpen your speed, increase flapping strength, and could make you a silent flier. You can say those things are awesome when you know how to use them, which you don’t. But judging by its design and color and—” I walked towards her and tapped her laminaes, “—metallic property, this thing is very, very special.”
“I was unaware that my wings started glowing while I was singing, then when you crossed the finish line, they’re there,” Rainbow Dash said. “Was it your magic again?”
“Hmm...I guess so. My magic can sometimes make something special.”
“Does it count Rarity’s so called Tredaspo Diadem?”
“Yes, my friend. But her diadem is not common in my land. And your type of laminaes isn’t, either. Everything I created unknowingly always had a name. So, I’m calling your weapons Loyal Chromes .”
“Why Loyal Chromes?”
“You’re the Element of Loyalty, and chrome is anything colorful or a metal alloy—which that’s what your laminaes are made of, yes. And it’s colorful and the name’s cool and suited you, really.”
“You don’t want them? I can have them?”
“As long as you can handle your own laminaes like an expert, but you need practice. And yes, you can keep them.”
“Wow…” Rainbow Dash marveled at her very own weapons as she rubbed them, showing shininess and her reflection. She couldn’t stop smiling. And she…blushed. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “Wait, what’s the second thing?”
“I just wanna congratulate my winner and thank him.” Rainbow Dash blew a tiny cloud from her mane.
“Thank the winner for what, getting you in the Wonderbolts as an official member?”
In the fandom, Rainbow Dash in fan-fiction stories always—to my annoyance, honestly—ended up as a Wonderbolts member. Would there be a story whereas she would fail to become one or were to be expelled? I’d wanted that to happen.
“Thanking him for staying loyal to his coach, even she had those things he doesn’t like about her,” she answered as she gave me a noogie. She then sadly glanced at the stars. “I’m sorry.”
Rainbow Dash apologizing? That was weird, but my heart was feeling fuzzy. I stared at her, and then she stared at me. They were acute and as they were—determined in a cloaked way. She began blushing when our faces were close, but it was like she was craning her head closer. I could feel her nostrils exhaled out hot air.
She turned away from me, eyes closed. I thought she might did it, but I wasn’t gonna let her—so it turned away, too. Never in my life I would do that to her. Why won’t you just do it on Applejack, A.K. Yearling, Daring Do, Spitfire or Soarin, you tomboy, I thought.
“I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash repeated.
“What’re you apologizing for?”
She narrowed her eyes on me. “You’re really that forgetful, Green Wing?”
“Eeyup,” I admitted.
“I’m saying sorry for the pranks and name calling, Green—I mean, Iwano. But I think you like the nickname Green Wing now, right?” She sighed heavily. “J-just accept it!”
“Why are you like that, Rain—?”
She gave me a quick kiss on my cheek…and flew back down to the party.
I…was kissed by a lesbian? I was too stunned to move. I really wanted to faint now, but that kiss was like espresso to my nerves, and heart.
I really needed to forget about this, and just relax and rest from my race and of my injuries.
“Iwano Imagination,” Spitfire announced. I was onstage with my coach on my side in front of all the competitors, their coaches, friends, Pegasi audience and camera crew. Behind Spitfire were Celestia, Luna, and Twilight—my saddlebag was with Rarity. Beside me and my coach was my trophy on a pedestal. The top scorer and winners already received their award and were now in the audience. I saw Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Spike on front row. I smiled.
“We congratulate,” Spitfire continued, “your determination and strength in this year’s Bolt Wing competition. You’d shown courage, style, aerodynamics, speed and great loyalty. On behalf of the Wonderbolts, we forgive you for your unintentional wrongdoing and fighting Gilda for the fliers. We salute you, Green Wing!”
The Wonderbolts and the competitors, and Rainbow Dash, saluted honorably for me, and everypony stomped their hooves in applause.
“I am proud of you, Iwano,” Celestia said. “Though the griffon tempted, you have not strayed away from your loyalty to Rainbow Dash, which was the right thing to do. I guess the Element of Loyalty greatly influenced you.”
We glanced at my coach. She was howling happily and cheering blithely. I grinned.
“You fly like a winner! You soar like a great, bug, cool, bird! You’re a kicking-booty Alicorn!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully exclaimed.
“I am so proud of my darling Iwano! He showed even beauty in the race—I could see it!” Rarity said.
“Woo-hee! He sure is great Alicorn. Despite being that and able to use magic, he’s true to himself in that race!” Applejack said. “I wish Twilight would’ve joined the competition.”
“Yay!” Fluttershy softly said. I chuckled.
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Celestia,” I said. “I believe the Element of Loyalty is now—”
I turned numb, my face felt slacked, and my vision turned bloodshot red, made me barely see.
“Dissonance!” Twilight and Luna exclaimed as everypony panicked.
I chuckled—or rather Dissonance chuckled, but I wasn’t in control at all. “I’m no winner in this pathetic excuse of a competition,” I said, but it wasn’t my voice. “I am triumphant to what I do best, nitwits! You all have four days left until Equestria will be shrouded in real darkness and nightmare! In the meantime...”
Dark clouds swirled above the whole academy, and struck lightning everywhere...No!
Twilight blasted me with a beam. Was that necessary? “Dissonance!” she snarled. “Bring Iwano back!”
I laughed. “Don’t you see, Sparkle? I am Iwano!”
My mind was fuzzy. My mind began to give me a split-headache from Dissonance. I didn’t know now who was talking in my body—Dissonance or I? Actually, Dissonance was me, since he was the Equestrian counterpart of my Forbidden, but probably even eviler, in some way I couldn’t describe.
Twilight used her magic to toss me out of the stage, but I went afloat. Pegasi hesitated to find cover, avoiding lightning as much as possible. But few had been struck, singed, and passed out in paralysis. Barracks, cloud buildings and properties of the academy went up in flames.
The Mane Six were the only lucky ones.
Celestia used her magic to cast a giant barrier all over the academy, obviously for protection.
“Be CALM!” Luna commanded the weather with her magic and her royal we (her loud and voluminous voice of regality), but nothing happened. “The weather is not on my side, it is with Dissonance!”
Celestia glanced at my destruction with frightened eyes. “Iwano, I know you are still in there,” she firmly said. “Dissonance does not own your body and soul, Iwano! Control him!”
I’d been possessed many times in my adventures (sick of it) to know how to stay back in control, but Dissonance was more stubborn than my Forbiddens. This was Equestria after all, it was very different.
Part of my willpower luckily gotten little of my hooves, head and voice—temporarily gotten them—but I could only spoke little.
“Celestia,” I said with my normal voice, but I could feel Dissonance wanted to put me down again. “I’m going to…go away!”
“What do you mean?!” she asked, eager to help me.
“Don’t find—stop, you fool! I’m in control—that’s not me! Don’t find me—don’t you dare—don’t find me!”
My voice changed back and forth with Dissonance’s that Celestia, Twilight and Luna gotten confused.
I jerked out and flew away from the academy fast by using my magic to ajar an opening on Celestia’s barrier to exit.
Being possessed numerous of times and practice concentrating my willpower back in Imaginundia against Dissonance really paid off, but his power was much greater, so I needed to go away from the Wonderbolts Academy, hoped that my storm would disappear.
I glanced back at the academy with my red eyes. The storm was still there, striking at any unfortunate Pegasus and burning the place. The flames were bigger than awhile ago.
“What’s the matter?” I asked myself, which was Dissonance’s voice.
“You’re the matter!” I angrily replied with my own voice. Great, we were arguing in one body.
I—uh, Dissonance smirked. “…It’s all for the fun of it, myself. Your heart was so dark within its abyss; it greatly encouraged me to do a little fun. You’re starting to love evil, are you?”
I winced. Over the last few months, I’d been pulled to the dark side several times because of the hatred in my heart in Reality. For that, I slowly but blurrily I began to see the light in evil. Many times, Lentae and Cynthia done their best to pull me away from the light of dark, but occasionally failed. “No! Why would I?!”
“You will someday, me—”
“I’m not you!” I snapped.
“I am you, idiot. Why won’t you just let yourself go and let me—”
“Extriris Velochrome!” I cried out.
Albeit I had this skill recently, my imagination to fully control it gotten me the hang of it easily.
I wanted to shut him up—both of us up. I/he caused a typhoon in the Bolt Wing competition. Typhoons always left damage after. What if some parts of Equestria were? Ugh, I just didn’t want anything unfortunate to happen.
My Extriris Velochrome mode—or ExVel mode short—slightly changed. My coat waved in ethereal iridescence all over with colorful tiny sparks popping, my tail turned ethereal in colorful flames, my mane was also colorful and my eyes were back to normal, except it was vivid green. During the Ace Thunderbolt when I first used this, I left a trail and a sonic boom. But now, I was in flames like a meteor about to impact. I guessed my ExVel would dependently change under circumstances like this one.
What are you doing? , Dissonance demanded, but fortunately I ignored it.
I didn’t know where I was going, but I theorized that going farther away from the Wonderbolts Academy should stop the storm. I was now very sleepy, my sight blurry, and I lost balance.
I crashed.
The academy wasn’t entirely destroyed. Well, just a bit in ruins. On the bright side: no more swirling black storm striking lighting.
Cloud buildings that were there in their place were swept away almost completely, flying away papers. Barracks almost reduced to ruble. Electrified Pegasi were being medicated by medic Pegasi and rested on the pavement with just a pillow and blanket, because the medic building was burned down.
Luna was facing an enflamed barrack. She used her magic and summoned rain upon the burned barrack, extinguishing the flames. After she put out the fire, she stared at the destruction I/Dissonance made in disgust.
“Fie,” she interjected angrily. “Methink I should do something anent this Iwano. I should have the chance.”
“To do what, Luna?” Celestia asked as she walked towards her sister. “Is there anything terrible for you to do to him?”
“Nowise, my sister,” Luna replied. “Why would thee believe he could control hi Dissonance? We may have not yet witnessed Iwano as his dark form, but I could sense that his heart was darker than my darkest night ever. Why would you still have faith in that green Alicorn and unconditionally forgive him that easily after what he had done to this academy?”
Celestia glanced around her surroundings, sinking the words Luna said and reflecting on my actions as Dissonance. Her expression was full of sympathy for the academy and the injured Pegasi. Guilt and regret was about to wash over her, but she dried them up with the belief of me controlling my dark element.
She stomped the pavement. “I have forgiven you Luna for your bitterness as Nightmare Moon, “she firmly said, “and faith in Discord for his reforming. I believe it can do the same to Iwano Imagination. I had also shown mercy and kindness for you. And do you think I and Twilight and her friends do not have what it takes to trust Iwano? Yes, you had sense Iwano’s heart was darker than your darkest night, but I could sense that in the other side of his heart was brighter than my brightest day ever, likewise Twilight and her companions. I thought you are now wise enough to understand.”
Luna was lost. She hesitated to find an answer, but Celestia’s words sunk deeper than hers. “I-I—”
“I forgive you, Luna, for your misunderstanding,” Celestia said gently. Luna lowered her head ashamed, but Celestia lifted sister by the chin with her hoof. “You will understand Luna. I have faith in you.”
Luna smiled. “The fire had all been extinguished, sister. I will now guard the night.”
“Do what you must,” Celestia smilingly said.
Luna flew away.
Meanwhile, Twilight, Rarity (still wearing her diadem) and Fluttershy were taking care of a paralyzed Spike and Pinkie Pie (still a Pegasus). Their eyes were stiff open. Pinkie Pie’s mouth was open with her tongue out in a silly way and her paralyzed hooves were like that of a dead fly with twitching movements (no Pinkie Senses).
“My poor little Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity said to Spike sympathetically. “It’s unfortunate for you to get struck.”
She rubbed ash marks on Spike’s forehead with her hoof. “Ew,” she said. Rarity rubbed off her ashen hoof on a passing Silverwing by the flank. “I hope that paralysis is temporary like you said, Twilight—”
Rarity gasped when she turned and saw Twilight scanning my book from my saddlebag. “Twilight, stop snooping around his stuff!” she scolded. “You taking Iwano’s lyric notebook was fine, but that book might be—”
“Empty,” Twilight plainly said without her eyes leaving the pages. The book was colored moderate magenta and entitled “Stories” on its cover.
Rarity blinked as she looked for herself. Yes, it was empty. “The book has no words, though it’s already dark, Twi. And stop—” she took saddlebag and book away with her magic, and then stowed the book in, “—snooping around with Iwano’s stuff!”
Twilight heaved a sigh. “Fine,” she murmured.
Rarity wore my saddlebag and secured it.
Rainbow Dash arrived as she landed from the sky with Spitfire, Lightning Dust, Thunderlnae, Parasol, Drizzle, Cloud Kicker, Flitter and Milky Way. My coach had eye bags and she with the other Pegasi was exhausted.
“How’s the search, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.
My coach shook glumly. “Not a single clue, Twi.”
“It’s now getting late. In fact, it’s now midnight. We should all go home and get some rest, and tomorrow we can scour the nearest areas for Iwano—maybe we could even scour the whole Equestria for him if we can.”
“I don’t wanna rest!” Rainbow Dash protested as she restlessly stomped the pavement. “I’ve to keep finding Green Wing!”
“Look at you, Rainbow!” Twilight insisted. “You’re already full of fatigue. I promise that we’ll find Iwano.” She rolled her eyes. First, Rarity’s overprotecting the Alicorn’s saddlebag. Second, Rainbow Dash’s obsessed of finding him. Who else defends a disaster maker?
Thunderlane yawned. “Has anypony seen Cloudchaser? She’s supposed to be with us.”
“Yeah, I was supposed to be with you, Thunderlane,” Cloudchaser said as she landed with the rest with an irritable look. But you’re just so sleepy you hardly noticed I was on your tail, you snoozer”
Thunderlane blushed. “Uh, sorry?”
“Anyways, I did find a clue, Rainbow Dash.”
“And it’s on your back. What is it?” Parasol asked.
“It’s some sort of cape,” Cloudchaser said as she handed it out to show the group. She held a green collared cape with two holes and an embroidered red-white ball on the center.
“”That’s Iwano’s cape!” Rarity frantically said as she took it away and looked at it. And then she grabbed Cloudchaser by her neck and demanded, “Tell me where you found Iwano’s fabulous and unscathed cape!”
Twilight shot her head up in a smile. “I think I just found a way to find Iwano, but we’ll do it tomorrow—”
“Tell me how!” Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight’s cheeks and squished them and begged. “I must know!”
“We’ll make another search,” Parasol said. “I can still help—”
Thunder rumbled in a distance as it closed in to the Wonderbolt Academy. Twilight scowled. “Does anypony think that that storm’s owned by Dissonance again?”
“That dark element’s presence is still here in this academy—I can feel it,” Celestia said. “Dissonance sent another storm somehow to strike again. Parasol, there will be no search again in the meantime. The academy will be under attacked again. We need to shelter the paralyzed ones quick.”
Applejack heaved a sigh. “Dissonance ain’t tired yet? If we found Iwano and he finds out about this, he ain’t gonna like it.”
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie’s wings magically disappeared.
I was dreaming again, and it was a nightmare again.
I was a pony, but not an Alicorn—now wings, now horn. I wasn’t wearing me iWatch10 and I didn’t have my powers. I had a lot of dreams whereas I was vulnerable and powerless that I hadn’t gotten over with at all. I know I was in a deep sleep, but this nightmare was paining my heart and my head throb worst than my last ones. How come all my nightmares were always like that?
I was running away from a pack of pink wolves (really, pink wolves) in an ominous forest (getting sick of ominous places) of pine trees. It was really dark, and the moonlight provided little light.
The pink wolves chased and howled as they could sense my increasing exhaustion. I was panting and my lungs burned. I jumped over rocks and avoided trees. Being four-legged in Equestria, it was easy for me to run faster. The only disadvantage was my asthma. I c wondered how long I’d been running. It might approximately be between ten to thirty minutes, and I couldn’t believe I ran this long. I was supposed to have an asthma attack right now, but thank Celestia, I didn’t have.
I was startled but kept running when a pink wolf appeared beside me. It tried to paw my hooves obviously to trip me, but I quickly tilted aside and sprint hard ahead. Seriously, my hooves were dead but I kept going and my lungs were almost on fire.
The only two things that kept me running were the thoughts of seeing Fluttershy and the gentleness of Celestia.
I remembered my chase three months ago. I was chased by seven of my girlfriends, who were brainwashed by Lelouch as a trial, lead by Candice—Gym Leader of Snowpoint City, Sinnoh region, Pokémon world—in the dangerous Evergreen Forest of Imaginundia. It was wild with blasting slashing, bloodshed and tank-firing. My other seventeen chases were as crazy as that one, and this was my eighteenth, in my dream.
I finally gave up so I stopped. Hey, this was just a dream. I wouldn’t feel pain and my wounds would be unreal.
The moment I stopped and faced the wolves that were closing in, I suddenly remembered as I gasped that some of my past dreams mostly gave me great pain.
I urged to run again, but a pink wolf leaped from my left and held me down on the ground. Soon, its friends arrived. I was scratched, bitten and…yeah, it hurts. My heart pounded so fast, I nearly woke up—but I couldn’t!
I wouldn’t wake up, eh? This was a nightmare after all, and yeah, I was scared. Struggling and fighting back was uselss.
“AROINT, YOU SAVAGES!” a royal we demanded.
The wolves stopped their feasting, looked directly at the sky and I followed their gaze. The moonlight gotten brighter and in the sky was an Alicorn in a silhouette.
It began flapping a cold whirlwind, causing the wolves to be blown away. The wind was so strong the wolves flew away into the air, disappearing from sight. The silhouette was an Alicorn yes, able to generate a gale or strong whirlwind. Why wasn’t I blown away, too?
After the wolves were gone, I carefully stood up not to stretch any muscle sprains and open any wounds. The silhouette landed in front of me revealing to be her.
“Princess Luna,” I grumbled in a shaky breath. “Why are you here?”
“This is no ordinary nightmare, Iwano Imagination,” she said. “And this is not yours. You are in his sweet dream, whereas he would torture you as entertainment.”
“Dissonance,” I assumed.
Luna stared at my injuries. “I am impressed, Iwano. How come a badly injured pony like yourself would still be standing strong after undergoing a tiring pursuit and excruciating feasting?”
“To be honest, I was just enduring pain,” I admitted, and suddenly collapsed on the ground but still awake.
Luna tried to help me up, but I shook her off in refuse. “Why are you helping me? I thought you dislike me”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “My sister showed me partially about you trough he words,” she answered, and then her expression hardened. “But that does not mean I trust thee.”
I grunted. “I don’t expect you to.” And then I wondered. “Why are you here in my nightmare?”
“Thy friends were searching for you especially thy coach—she desperately cared for you that she even wanted to find thee during my time. I guess both of you are very mutual in loyalty and friendship.”
“What happened in the academy?”
“It is in ruins, but not entirely destroyed by your—I mean, by Dissonance’s magic. But the Wonderbolts Academy will be reconstructed soon. Many were angered and cussing of your unintentional act, Iwano.”
My heart sank. Great, now I was back to square one with the Pegasi. “So…you’re here because you’re looking for me, correct?”
“Yes, Iwano.” Luna gazed at her moon in the night, calm sky. “”Those pink wolves were quite odd, but they meant something that would happen in the future.”
“I’m smart enough to know who were those pink wolves—Pinkie Pie. But I don’ understand why wolves.”
“It meant that Pinkie Pie will cause danger soon.” Luna glanced around. “After this conversation, I will have to report to your friends and sister that you are still alive.”
I remembered my dream two nights ago. I was in an ominous and unhappy Sugarcube Corner, consumed by Dissonance after. Was this dream somewhat connected to the next peril? The chances to me were high because of this dream, and my dreams often showed me the future or major signs. This dream was a sign, and it involved Pinkie Pie as the threat this time, which I was personally thankful of. Why would a pink party pony like her turned into a threat? Hmm…I couldn’t remember.
“How do you know Pinkie Pie will cause danger soon?” I asked.
“Stupid, you are. Those savage wolves were already a hint, Iwano,” she replied. “You will awake soon and this will not be a nightmare shortly anymore, Imagination.”
I barely grinned. “Thanks for saving me, Luna.”
“To you only, address me as Princess,” told me. “She went to a takeoff position. “Oh, I do not know where you are, for this dream is not yours.”
“What?” I demanded.
She flew away.
The moment that inconsiderate pony left, the moonlight gotten brighter, the forest became cold but sane, and I felt okay albeit my injuries looked severe. I was still bleeding, but I wasn’t bothered or winced. Was it because this was no just a dream? I did felt my wounds stinging a bit.
I just realized I owned Luna thrice—twice from the Bolt Wing and this.
Maybe Luna wasn’t that bad, but still I despised her hidden antipathy towards me.
…I loved the cool and quiet dream now.
I yawned. I woke up in a forest with trees of moistened barks and rigged gnarled branches with leaves, with ferns growing out. The ground was soft the moment I stood up. My typhoon probably affected this area as well. The sky was light blue and young. I glanced at my watch and it was 6:20 AM. I immediately recognized this place—and it wasn’t probably far from Fluttershy’s cottage. Boggy-like plants, strange ferns, creepy-looking trees…yeah, I knew what this place was.
I then glanced around my surroundings. I stopped when I saw her just seating there, as if she was still waiting for me to awake. She was just staring and smiling at me. I held back a startle.
“Welcome to the forest called Everfree,” she said. “I can tell that you’re quite familiar of this place, I see.”
She wasn’t a pony, but a zebra, which she was in my Fave Equestrian List. I researched everything about her, too. Her eyes was strong cyan, her coat was in stripes of light heliotropeish gray and dark bluish gray, her mane was also stripe of light gray and dark persian bluish gray that looked like a mohawk, and her hooves was indigoish black. She had a more masculine appearance than other mares in Equestria: her muzzle was squared off and she had no eyelashes (Rarity would offer that zebra one of hers), which corresponds to the general stallions. She wore dzilla neck rings on her neck (would that elongate her?), left front hoof and one on her right ear, that were colored brilliant amber, traditionally worn by the Ndebele people of Southern Africa in Reality. When she spoke to me, she had a strong African-esque accent with approximation of Eastern African Swahili language, with rhyming couplets. She had a cutie mark, a gray stylized spiral sun, and she was notably the only non-pony in Equestria to feature one.
I bit my lips to resist the urge to leap on her for no reason.
“I’ve heard Iwano is your name, and uniqueness is your game,” the zebra said.
“And you must be Zecora,” I said. “Hello…Why is I here?”
“When I looked around, your reason here was what I found.”
I looked at the ground around me. Zecora and I were surrounded by colorful ashes forming a giant circle.
“What happened to me, Zecora?” I asked.
“I was collecting herbs for a potion,” she said, “and I suddenly heard and felt an explosion. I was searching for the impact, and saw you hurt like you had an attack. “You were burned, bitten and hurt, so I quickly made a remedy while you were there stern. I treated your injuries, and now look at you—clean, refreshed, and anew. I was curious of who you are, for you look alien from another star. And thus, I stayed here for the night, not leaving you from my sight.”
Listening to Zecora was like sweet remedy to my ears. She was my favorite character of the show, because of her knowledge on herbs and potions and of her wisdom, and her rhymes and accents. There were other reasons why she was my fave.
I looked at myself. My Wonderbolts uniform was scorched and my goggles were gone.
“I…I was flying away from the Wonderbolt Academy,” I recalled. “It was last night. I caused a big trouble there, so I flew away hoping it would go away.”
It wasn’t I who made trouble, it was Dissonance, but he and I…Were we really the same?
“What trouble have you caused there and why?” Zecora asked. “Perhaps it was an accident, harmless as a fly?”
What? Are you kidding me? It was BIG! I thought. “It, uh, was complicated. How can I explain? Um, okay I’ll tell you what I could remember, Zecora, and maybe why I’m here in Equestria in the first place.”
I told her the same thing—seeking the Elements of Harmony, my Dissonance, where I was from, blah, blah, blah. But of course, I didn’t tell where I was really from and my identity.
“A dark element opposite to Harmony,” Zecora mused. “It will only bring Equestria a tragedy.”
“Indeed, Zecora,” I agreed.
I suddenly had a sharp headache like a stick snapped in my mind. I was about to fall, but Zecora caught me with her hoof and head. I slowly held my head up and I was eye to eye with her—I also remembered I was tall, so I was looking down on her, literally. I pushed myself back in a blush.
“It looks like you have a headache,” Zecora said. “Come with me for there is a medicine in my home you must take.”
We were walking together back to her home. The ground was softer than we had left. We passed bushes with thorn vines and the trees weren’t this ominous than it appeared in the show, even in this early morning.
I remembered my first time near this forest after my entrancing from Imaginundia.
Since this was the Everfree Forest, there were lots of mysteries, strange places and creatures—cockatrice, timber wolves, manticores, the Mirror Pond, Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, the Tree of Harmony, et cetera.
Interesting fact: the Everfree Forest made several appearances in the show, and was a major setting in the episodes like Friendship is Magic part two, and Princess Twilight Sparkle part one and two. I was planning to roam around this forest with Zecora, but since my friends were searching for me, that plan had to be postponed, or never.
I could just simply use my magic fire to send a message to my friends of where I was, but I didn’t have the feeling to do it, and it was just too easy for them to locate me. I wanted to challenge them in searching me, by the way. Wrong? I didn’t think so.
I gotten strange, cold feeling within like this forest would become important to me for no reason. Hmm…
“How long have you been here in Equestria , and how bad was your hysteria?” Zecora asked.
“Counting today, I say four days,” I replied. “And my hysteria? Very bad, Zecora.”
“Hmm…You being here is coincidence or not? Because there are very special plants I have sought.”
I knitted my brows. “What do you mean?”
“New plants recently appeared in this forest, which were a lot more and no less. I may have a theory, to this mystery: if you are an Alicorn of great power, then you may have an influence faster within the hour.”
I now knew what she meant. Upon entering Equestria, I must had a very powerful effect in this forest in my entrancing which it began to grow new and unknown species of plants, and maybe fruits, too. Maybe that was a good thing.
Sometimes I could cause really weird effects on other worlds.
“Found any poisonous plants?” I asked.
“So far the plants and fruits I’ve found were safe and healthy,” Zecora said. “But for the unfound poisons, I’m cautious and weary.”
I nodded. While on the way to Zecora’s home, I’ve seen the stuff unknown to the zebra…which were berries, herbs and plants I was very familiar of back in IW and other worlds. There were berries on trees that were from the Pokémon world—Oran, Sitrus, Rabuta, Bluk, Pecha, Chesto and more. Those berries were meant for Pokémon to eat, and sometimes as Poké Blocks, Poffins, candies, medicines, food for humans (if cooked well) and more in IW.
“You know those berries?” Zecora asked as she noticed. “Can they be used to fill bellies?”
“I know these berries,” I said. “I’m very familiar of them, but I’m not sure if they’re safe to eat for you Equestrian creatures.”
She tilted her head. I guessed she was wondering why I called her and the inhabitants of this world “Equestrian creatures”. I wasn’t also sure if I could eat the berries in my pony form.
“I’ll try eating one.” I used my magic (thankfully, I could use it again) to pluck a Pecha berry from a nearby tree. It was plump, pink and shaped like a peach. I took a bite. It tasted like peaches, and it was delicate and very sweet. “It’s safe to eat it after all, Zecora.” I plucked another and held it to her.
She took a bite and immediately like the taste with a sweetened face. “It’s very sweet by any inch, and it tasted like a peach.”
On the way, we began to chat. I shared her knowledge on my “kingdom’s” plant life while she shared hers of herbs and medicines. Boring? Not to an amateur botanist like me.
Mystery…
…I ignored it. A few minutes later, we’ve arrived and entered Zecora’s homes.
It was a hut, a hollowed out tree containing a large circular room with shelves all around the walls. There was also an overhang where was Zecora’s bed. The shelves were filled with magic potions and ingredients for them. There was also traditional masks hanged from the walls—they were traditional featuring art and culture which seemed of the Subsaharan and Western Africa in Reality. When we entered, there was a dreamcatcher on top of the door. There was also a cauldron in the middle of the room. By the exterior, the hut’s branches hung potions and masks.
I’d been in witch-like houses and huts before, Zecora’s was friendlier than the others.
Eeyup, this place smelled of assorted potions and herbs. It was a bit pungent but I was used to it.
I felt another snap of headache. I collapsed and groaned. I held my head with my hooves, tucked myself around like a colt. My head just kept throbbing that I cried out in pain.
Zecora gasped and quickly took a flask filled with pink liquid. She placed it near my head; I noticed it and used my magic to levitate it for me to drink it. It tasted like a twinge of plastic and herbs. In a blink, my headache was gone.
I stood up and placed the flask on a nearby shelf. “Thank you, Zecora.”
She nodded. “Take a look around my home. Remember: you are not alone in your dome.”
I wasn’t alone in my dome? Zecora was with me right now. What does she meant about her last sentence? Zecora could be mysterious at time…Mystery? That was Dissonance who whispered a while ago. Ugh, that was nonsense. His word had no connection to Zecora at all.
Again, potions and herbs was what I only saw in her Zecora’s hut. I walked around while levitating potions then placing them back. Sometimes when I glanced back, the zebra was having a hard time arranging her potions—and I had a bad habit of misplacing things and immediately forgetting where they were. I was embarrassed, so I kept apologizing. She wasn’t showing any sign of frustration or anger, but only patience.
“I’m very sorry,” I apologized again.
“That is fine as I can take,” Zecora happily said. “Just be careful not to break.”
I bumped something behind me, and it smashed on the floor. I yelped as I looked behind and backed away from shards of glass. It had a gold tube and white liquid was spewed on the floor.
Zecora was shocked. “What have you done, you fool—?!”
“I can make it whole again!” I hesitantly said.
I reluctantly zapped my accident with my magic, and the pieces and liquid came back together fast. It then was placed back to where it was on the same spot in one piece, as if it never broke.
We both gave out a relieved sigh.
I began to wonder. “Say…unlike the other potions I’ve accidentally misplaced, how come it looked like this white-liquid filled one’s very important to you, Zecora?”
“This very special one is unlike the others here you see, for it took me several weeks with no time that is free,” she explained. “The ingredients I used were exceptionally rare. And this white potion once helped an important mare.”
White potion, important mare, special one…Eeyup, I remembered that two-part special.
“It was Twilight Sparkle who first took it,” I guessed, which I was correct.
Zecora’s eyes widened with surprise. “So you knew about that event, also about Twilight and her friends giving up their elements?”
“I can be quite…omniscient, my friend. But I’m no deity.”
She then wore a skeptic expression. I wanted to do something quick before I began to frighten her.
“Uh…Want to have a walk with me?”
It was now 7:05 AM. We’d been walking together sharing our own stories.
She told me how the citizen’s of Ponyville were scared of her (Bridle Gossip), how Ponyville was invaded by a swarm of parasprites (Swarm of The Century), how fun her Nightmare Night was (Luna Eclipsed), how Twilight saved the town by Trixie Lulamoon (Magic Duel), and how Twilight and her friends saved Equestria from Discord’s grown plunderseeds (Princess Twilight Sparkle part one and two).
Those stories (episodes) were a bit boring already, but thanks to her rhyming couplets, my ears rang in enthusiasm.
I told her about my stay so far in Equestria—without exposing myself, of course. She was amused of my antics. I then explained to her everything about the new plants, herbs, berries and flowers that newly appeared in this forest as I pointed them out and passed by them.
The more I gone botany, the more Zecora became very interested of me. I was happy for somepony to listen to me.
I never realized or felt when I noticed the zebra was leaning her head on my neck. Her eyes were closed but she was probably still awaked, and we were still walking.
“Zecora, are you sleepy?” I asked.
We stopped; she blinked, and pulled herself away from me. Zecora stared at the ground as if it were an unknown plant. She pawed the dirt while blushing in embarrassment.
“F-forgive me if I am sleepy,” she said. “I am like this because I was with you all night, really.”
I knew she was lying, maybe a bit, but I didn’t care.
“The Everfree Forest is where he is definitely right now, girls,” Twilight said. She and her friends—Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie (she was already healed)—were where I was located.
Rarity was wearing my saddlebag and her Tredaspo diadem. Rainbow Dash was still wearing her Loyal Chromes. Fluttershy’s legs were shaking by the sight of seeing the forest again. Applejack adjusted her hat as if she would lose it anytime in the forest. Pinkie Pie was eating a slice of chocolate cake with a scoop of strawberry ice cream on top.
“Can your magic just tell Iwano’s exact location in the forest, Twi?” Rainbow Dash asked, with exasperation in her undertone, while shaking her friend like a bobble head.
Applejack heaved a sigh. “Rainbow, knock it off,” she scolded. “Just let go of her.”
My coach followed. “Sorry, Twi. I’m just really worried about him.” Her expression was sour and sad.
“We’re all worried about Iwano, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight told her. She scanned the forest’s interior entrance. “I can’t believe this is where my magic located him. My magic located him here, but something’s blocking me from pinpointing his specific position.” She pawed the dirt road entrance of the forest.
“Maybe it’s because of the feeling , Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“No, Rarity. More like somepony else’s presence—the moment we arrived here. And it’s not Dissonance’s.”
The Mane Six were looking around for their spy.
“Come on! Let’s go find him!” Rainbow Dash impatiently said. “Who cares about that presence?”
Twilight scowled at her friend’s impatience. “Let’s not venture, girls.”
They entered the forest.
The Everfree Forest was silent—no animal sounds at all, which made Fluttershy uneasy, glancing around nervously.
“I can’t hear any critters at all,” she nervously said, “especially s-s-scary critters.”
“I think Iwano also has an effect in this forest,” Twilight said. “Besides that somepony’s presence which I still felt, Iwano’s might be too distasteful to the animals here, apparently because he has Dissonance.”
“But there’s nothing distasteful about this one!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully exclaimed as she held up a pink-peach-shaped berry with a bite mark out of it while chewing.
“What is that?” Applejack asked.
“Is it delicious? You bet it is!” Pinkie Pie hopped and plucked five more of the pink fruit for each of her friends.
“I never saw fruit like this in my life.” Applejack took a bite. “And it’s very sweet! Weehoo! I can feel its juices all over my mouth. Hey, Rainbow, ever see…Huh?” She spun her head around looking for her friend.
“RD’s just doing an aerial search for Iwano, which is very appreciative and helpful,” Twilight said as she took a bit of hers. And yes, she liked it, too.
“I hope Spike will get well as soon as possible in the hospital,” Rarity said. “Many Pegasi back in the academy were struck by Iwano’s accident—”
Twilight spat out her fruit out in disgust, probably from what Rarity said. “It wasn’t an accident!” she protested. “Well, Dissonance can only possess Iwano when his mind is weak or unguarded, or something ‘negative’ that would happen to him in any way. Besides, you heard what Dissonance said that he and Iwano are the same.”
Her friends paused and stared at her.
Twilight stopped and asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
“It’s like you know Iwano very well with just that info, Twilight,” Fluttershy answered in amazement.
“Have you been snooping around his identity again?” Rarity asked defensively.
“Iwano’s saddlebag is with you, Rarity,” Twilight reminded.
“Our goal is to influence Iwano with our chosen element by Princess Celestia’s orders, remember?” Rarity reminded back.
“Are you aware that without knowing him better we wouldn’t be able to be careful of triggering his evil state?” Twilight’s voice rose slowly to anger.
“Are you aware that snooping around ponies’ privacy is wrong that when the time they find out, you would hurt their feelings?” Even Rarity’s voice was rising to anger, and was leading her and Twilight to an argument.
“Is it wrong to know your enemy?”
“Why is Iwano your enemy then? He is our friend!”
“Is it also wrong to be prepared for a possible crisis?!” Twilight retorted. “Why do you care for him so much?”
Rarity’s cheeks turned pink as the unknown fruit. She bit her lips. “Because—!”
“Now cut it out, you two!” Applejack broke in. “Does arguin’ about Iwano as a potential threat and spilling our reasons to care for him is helping us in finding him?”
The two arguing mares flinched.
Applejack’s right , Twilight thought. I’m supposed to be a princess, deciding what’s wise. And I was doing was the opposite of it .
Throughout the argument, FLuttershy was frightened but remained calm and Pinkie Pie was just happily eating more pink berries wistfully as if there weren’t any dispute.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called from above. “Guys, you gotta see this!” And then she flew north.
Twilight nodded to her friends and followed their rainbow-mane friend. (Pinkie Pie swallowed five pink berries in one gulp).
They ran, and avoided trees splashed through mud and over rocks.
“Oh, why didn’t I bring boots for muddy run like this?” Rarity complained.
A few minutes later, the mares arrived in a wide barren area of—
“Colored ashes?” Fluttershy said.
“I never seen pink berries before, and I never seen colored ashes in my life,” Applejack said.
“Look at me! I’m making a colorful ash angel! Weee-eee!” Pinkie Pie was lying down on the ashes making one.
“Judging by the multicolored ashes…” Twilight pawed the ashes with her hoof. She held it up and examined it. “Iwano must had landed here—or rather crash landed.” She blew her hoof clean.
“And that’s not all I found,” Rainbow Dash said as she lowered and lead her friends to a trails of—
“Hoof prints.” Twilight examined the two pairs of trails. “Whoever Iwano walked with, they were heading northwest.”
“That where our Zebra friend Zecora’s hut is,” Fluttershy said.
“Then she must have taken him with her to her home, certainly to help and probably Iwano had injuries.”
“I’m coming for you, Green Wing!” said as she excitedly dashed off northwest, leaving her friends behind.
“Rainbow Dash, wait!” Twilight called as she and her friends ran to follow my giddy coach.
“Must we run?” Rarity complained. “It’s getting me all dirty, especially Iwano’s saddlebag and my precious diadem.”
“I hope there weren’t any poor creature that turned into—” Fluttershy gulped.
“I’m sure no poor critter turned into dust, sugar cube,” Applejack assured.
“And I hope no poor fruit goes to waste!” Pinkie Pie seriously said. “These things deserved to be devoured!”
The girls laughed shortly, now following a trail of ashen hoof prints.
When they arrived to the hut, Rainbow Dash was slumped on the ground scowling.
“Zecora and Iwano aren’t in there,” she muttered. “And there’re no more hoof prints of ashes anymore.”
The girls began to settled down and rest, while they also began to think of where to find me now.
“I wish I brought Winona here,” Applejack said. “I bet she could sniff Iwano out by his saddlebag—and I never thought of bringin’ her.”
“I’ll go get you dog!” Rainbow Dash urgently exclaimed, startling her friends (mostly Fluttershy), as she shot up to the sky and dashed off back to Ponyville.
“Wait!” Applejack called out. “Apple Bloom’s got Winona for her Pet Day in school!” She sighed and went back to sit. “I never really thought she would be that worried about Iwano—and we’re actually all worried about Iwano.”
“Rainbow Dash has been so desperate of finding Iwano that she was searching for him solo somewhere until four in the morning,” Twilight irritably said. “What kind of special relationship does those two have?”
“They are coach and student,” Applejack said. “It seems mutual to me.”
“They were coach and student, Applejack,” Rarity said, “during the Bolt Wing, I mean.”
While Rarity and Applejack exchanged explanations, and Fluttershy was glancing around nervously, Twilight was peering through the hut’s window, staring at the very same potion she took—a flask filled with white liquid.
“Maybe if I could ask Zecora for that potion later,” Twilight whispered to herself, “I might be able to get a glimpse on Iwano’s past to learn of his identity. But is that even possible? Maybe if I concentrate on him in my mind after taking it, I would get a glimpse.”
Twilight’s brightened face was interrupted by Pinkie Pie shoving a pink berry into her mouth. She chewed fast, aswallowed and chided, “Pinkie!”
“I just thought you’re hungry from thinking!” Pinkie Pie happily reasoned. “We didn’t take breakfast, right?”
“…Yeah, you’re right.” The princess drifted back to thought.
A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash came back panting.
“Let me guess,” Applejack said as she and her friends stood up. “Apple Bloom’s got Winona for—”
“Whatever!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “You guys got to see what I just found…and maybe it was Iwano’s doing. And all of you would be surprised.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Twilight said as she flew up with Fluttershy. “Let’s get to him! Lead the way, Rainbow. Zecora’s probably still with him.”
And then the Mane Six were on their way…
Zecora was sprinting away from Dissonance.
She hid inside a bush to rest from the dark pony’s pursuit for her. “I never knew his evil is that dangerous,” the zebra said, wiping her sweat. “I must remain obscured and cautious.”
Zecora peered through her hiding place, checking for any sight of me—as Dissonance. I appeared in the background with a tree stuck in my horn. A while ago, I was about to ram Zecora but she dodged and I pierced the tree instead. I wasn’t using my super strength, but Dissonance was very strong even without my enhancements.
I—Dissonance—tossed the tree aside. Dissonance tossed my head around searching for my zebra friend with his bloodshot glowing eyes.
I was confused of who I was supposed to be—Dissonance or I? I was in semi-Dissonance state right now, so technically my dark element was in control, while I could slip myself to talk little, I hoped.
Dissonance growled frustratingly. “Why can’t I use Foresight or x-ray vision, Iwano?” he demanded.
I chuckled. “You may have control over my body and have use of your own magic,” My body switched to my voice. “But I won’t let you use mine to hurt my friends! You’re still incomplete, remember? You can’t use any of my abilities…Well, some of them.”
“You also can’t fully control me!” My voice forcefully switched to his. “Anyways, it’s not my objective to be here and eliminate her, my friend.”
I squinted. “Then…what triggered you to possess me again?” I demanded.
Dissonance smirked. “Something ‘nightmarish’ compelled my senses for a trip.” He chuckled. “You may have not read his story yet, but you might be very familiar of that place. There’s also something ‘harmonious’ that was itching me for I need it soon—to be destroyed, I mean! Let’s go to that nightmarish place first, shall we? Your aura might tell you what that place is!”
My dark element trotted away. I wished a miracle would happen, like I wished Twilight and her friends would save me—or anypony. My willpower was fortunately and temporarily locked, but for how long? I believed it would return when Dissonance visited the “harmonious” and “nightmarish” places.
“I’m sorry, Zecora!” I yelled out for her. “Find Twilight!”
I hoped she was around listening to my plea for help…
The zebra came out of hiding. “I must find Princess Twilight,” she said. “I know she will do something right!”
“Zecora!” Twilight landed from the sky with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, followed by Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie (still eating), as they arrived into the scene. “What happened?!”
“With all these busted trees, I reckon Iwano turned into Dissonance again,” Applejack said as she tapped the tree I tossed.
“It happened so fast when we had a walk and talk,” Zecora explained. “Suddenly his voice changed, eyes glowed, and finally went amok.” She held back her exasperation. “I’m very worried for the Alicorn for he is distraught. He must be saved by putting his darkness into a stop!”
“Let’s go get Dissonance, girls!” Twilight said. “He’s heading east from here. Zecora, you’re coming with us.
I knew this place immediately before my aura can identify for me. I thought this place’s presence didn’t exist at all, because that story was purely fan-fiction. This was very weird to me.
Yes, this place was nightmarish, only its presence. Would Twilight recognize this place? And was that fan-fiction’s story part of anypony’s memory that existed there, especially the bearer of magic’s? Was it already possible that my IW aura was affecting Equestria as I stayed longer? I didn’t know if this place’s existence was harmless or threatening, but since Dissonance too us here, it might hadn’t be good at all.
In all my adventures, journeys, missions and quests in foreign worlds, the fandom could greatly affect the lives of the characters because IW was born a long time ago. It was weird, but the main lives of fictions couldn’t be tampered—except by IW, me or occasionally the fandom.
Jest a brief info: IW (Imaginundia/Imagination World) was a world created by me. It was a world connected with other worlds of fictional movies, shows, Anime, cartoons, comics and novels, which Lentae and I loved. Actually, Lentae and I tampered other worlds for definite reasons, commonly to recruit allies, expand my world, and had fun.
I’d like to explain more, but I’d to concentrate in mustering my willpower to control my body back, while listening to Dissonance.
“Past Sins,” he said coldly. “We’re very envious to its popularity, right?”
“You are envious, Dissonance, not me!” I snarled with my voice.
“Lying is not good, Iwano. I can feel it in your heart.”
I winced with my body, which Dissonance only allowed. “…I am,” I admitted weakly. “Wait, why are we here, exactly?”
Dissonance smirked. “Just showing us this place, for this will be my location of ritual soon. Hmm, I’ll call this place the ‘Ritual of Nightmare’.”
“Ritual? What do you mean?” I asked.
“We’ll find out soon—”
“We are not one!” I growled in reminder.
Why would this place be for ritual to Dissonance? This place was once for ritual, yeah. I hadn’t read the story, but this place was a where a cult of ponies took Twilight here and offered her blood for the resurrection of Nightmare Moon, giving her a separate body. Fortunately to me, Princess Celestia and her Royal guards foiled the beckoning into incompleteness. This was also the birthplace of Twilight’s biological daughter—
“Nyx,” Dissonance finished my thought. “She was born here, yeah.”
Since he possessed me partially, he could read my thoughts. And I couldn’t read his, thus I couldn’t learn what he was planning.
This place of former ritual was now a wide everglade with a pond nestled. The failed resurrection must’ve happened a long ago, before Twilight’s transformation into an Alicorn and coronation as princess. This place had changed, even if I wasn’t here before, but I could tell. The only clue of ritual that happened here was its presence.
I wanted to take back control and use my magic to conjure more trees at this place, concealing its history of Nightmare Moon’s rebirth as Nyx. Feeling its presence made me wanted to scream, but Dissonance wanted to listen to it within.
I began to realize something and said, “The feeling of this place bothered me with strong distaste. You also brought me here because I hate bothersome things, which shortens my temper.”
Dissonance snorted. “Fine, you’re right. “Let’s go the harmonious place next, which I you don’t need your aura to identify it.”
“There you are!” Hope rayed upon me as Rainbow Dash spoke up from above. I turned with a glad smile, but eyes still bloodshot. Because of that, Rainbow Dash was about to descend but stopped with horror. She shook defiantly.”Bring Iwano back, Dissonance!” she demanded.
“I am him, lesbian!” Dissonance scoffed. He used his magic—“Pure Dark”, which was his own signature kind of magic—and made a shockwave, causing the trees in our surroundings to turn dull gray, and then shot swarms of sharp gray leaves on my coach. I didn’t know if this was the right time to be happy, but I was beginning to gather info in my mind about his magic, which he was unaware of me observing.
Every direction the rainbow-mane Pegasus tried to escape, the leaves became sharper and plentiful. She was cut in every part of her body, but what remained unscathed were her eyes covered with her hooves and her Loyal Chromes.
I wanted to help her so bad, but I was immobile.
“Just watch the show before we go,” Dissonance happily told me. The scene was too appalling. I wanted to avert away, but Dissonance was still possessing, making me watch my coach drip blood and listening to her agony.
“S-s-stop!” I begged tremblingly as I began to sob. “Please, for the life of my dear coach, just leave her and let’s go!!!”
It happened so fast. My coach was tortured…I was tormented. Must muster all my willpower!
Dissonance jerked my body and ran away from the horrific scene, while I was crying away. Rainbow Dash’s brony/pegasister fans would go enraged. I was in a mix of horror, anger, sadness, and shame.
I hoped that when Dissonance left the area far away, the leaves would stop.
“I’m so delighted we’re going, me!” Dissonance said, mimicking Pinkie Pie’s cheery tone, which was to me a mockery. It was weird for him to talk while he was tearing up because of me—a happy, evil Alicorn crying on the way to the harmonious place, whatever that was. “This running’s getting boring. Let’s fly!” And then he went aloft.
The Mane Six and Zecora had arrived. They all gasped in horror as they saw Rainbow Dash screaming and hopelessly defending herself from Dissonance’s enchanted trees, shooting razor leaves.
“Twilight gritted her teeth. “Rainbow, hang on—!”
My coach’s Loyal Chromes suddenly glowed, and angled her wings to made her spun rapidly like a tornado. The razor leaves were deflected back to the trees, completely ripping them to shreds. A few seconds later, the enchanted trees were now nothing but shredded leaves and splinters.
Rainbow Dash?! What did you do?! Twilight was amazed, but she set it aside immediately to help her fallen friend.
My coach dropped from the sky. Applejack urged, ran for Rainbow Dash, and cushioned her fall with her body, though she was splat a bit.
Applejack’s friends ran to her. “Rainbow’s fine…I think,” she said as she laid down a bleeding Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was unconscious and her body was now mostly in cuts.
“There are plenty of herbs to treat wounds around me,” Zecora said. “Don’t worry about your friend, save Iwano and set him free!”
Applejack ran away from the herd.
“Applejack, hold on!” Rarity called but didn’t work. She pointed west. “She went to that direction.”
Twilight curtly nodded. “Thank you very much and we’ll leave Rainbow Dash in your capable hooves, Zecora.” She gestured her friends to follow and run, and they left their loyal friend to the herbalist.
“Dissonance’s eyes are purely bloodshot demonic,” Zecora said. “Dissonance’s aura is pitch-black as his magic. Voice so cold, it is enough to give me shudders. I pray to Celestia that he must be stopped by Twilight and the others.”
“It’s awfully unfortunate that we don’t have the Elements of Harmony with us,” Twilight said as she sped up with her friends. “The elements I strongly believe should put Dissonance to a rest.” She scowled. “But I’d doubts for that sort of plan.”
“How could Applejack be certain that Iwano have gone to this direction?” Rarity asked.
“Fluttershy, can you get an aerial view for Iwano?” Twilight asked.
“I—I’ll do it,” Fluttershy reluctantly replied. She flittered then went aloft above her friends.
“On ground, I’ll use my magic to see if I can sleuth him this time. Maybe that somepony’s presence’s gone already.” I hope I’m right .
Twilight concentrated and her horn glowed with magic. Unfortunately, that somepony’s presence was still around.
“Oh, for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight cursed. “Who owns that?!”
“I hope Fluttershy above can spot Iwano quick,” Rarity said, “and Applejack, too.”
Fortunately, Fluttershy called, “Twilight! I can see Applejack and she’s heading to the castle!”
The princess’s eyes widened. “I know where Dissonance’s going…And I don’t like it.”
“You mean the castle?” Rarity asked.”
“...No.”
The Tree of Harmony…How could I’d been stupid?
The mystical crystal white tree radiated a bright blue and white light in its surroundings of this cavern. On each of the tips of its branches were the Elements of Harmony—Generosity, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, and Honesty. And on the center with Twilight’s cutie mark: Magic. Its bark had the sun and moon. It had no leaves, but it was beautiful, shiny, and full of harmony.
This tree in this cavern was located under a bridge leading to the Castle of the Two Pony Princesses.
Dissonance sighed. “The Tree of Harmony, isn’t it beautiful?”
“Not unless if you do anything to it,” I said.
“Not yet, me.”
My red eyes widened. “What? You ain’t gonna steal the elements, or destroy them, or corrupt them, or even use them against Equestria?”
“Those are delicious idea, Iwano, but my plan’s much, much better.”
My mind started rattling theories. “Then what are you gonna do?”
Dissonance jabbed his horn in front of the tree. He used his magic and generated black particles into his horn, and sent black electrical tendrils on each of the Elements of Harmony.
I was horrified. Was he absorbing their powers or destroying them?!
“What are you doing, idiot?” I demanded.
“I can’t do everything on my own,” Dissonance said. “So I need something to guide you to peril and torment, and to my victory. Everything will be arranged, unfortunately not by me, but a little poem.”
The black electrical tendrils dissipated and Dissonance swooned to the ground. I thought this the time I took back control, but I couldn’t move my Alicorn body.
Dissonance fainted. I was stuck.
Applejack arrived at the staircase leading to the tree. “Don’t ‘y worry, Iwano,” she said. “I’m gonna getcha!”
“AJ, we’re here!” Twilight called.
“We’re gonna save the day—!” Pinkie Pie accidentally dropped a bundle of pink berries from her back and slipped all her friends, tumbling down the stairs with Applejack. They rolled and bounced down like a ball while screaming.
Once they fell and reached the bottom, Twilight was the first to untangle from her ball of friends. “Why didn’t you just wait for us, AJ?” Twilight demanded.
“I wanna stop Dissonance now!” Applejack answered a she popped out of a Rarity-Pinkie Pie knot. “He’s heading to the Tree of Harmony!”
The girls were untangled (Pinkie Pie was a in a sailor know, so Applejack untied her) and hastened for Dissonance and my rescue. When they reached to the cave, they saw regaining consciousness—and in control—and rubbing my head. Taking back my body was dizzy like my brain volunteered to use the Dizzitron.
“My Iwano darling!” Rarity shrieked as she tackled and hugged me in a cuddle. “You’re back in my hooves—I mean, in our hooves.”
Our friends stared at us. Awkward? Rarity and I blushed.
“Guys!” Rainbow Dash arrived all bandaged up with leaves—with Zecora. “Uh, what are you doing, Rarity?”
“Is it wrong to hug a dear friend who’d gotten possessed by his dark element?” she asked defensively. “Besides.” She squeezed my cheeks like they were jelly. “He’s back to normal!”
“I don’t know, Rare,” Applejack nervously said. She and her friends backed away slowly.
“Why are you all—?” Rarity gasped as she looked at me. She ran to her friends in fright as she tightly hugged them. “I-I-I-Iwano, is that you?”
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Don’t be frightened anymore. I’m now in control again. I’ve gathered enough willpower to block Dissonance for a very long period of time.”
“Then explain why your eyes are still red,” Twilight said.
“Huh?” I conjured a mirror. My eyes were still red! “It can’t be!” I shook. “Why?”
I stared at my friends for a reason, but their faces meant they hadn’t a clue. The moment I saw Zecora, I suddenly unintentionally blasted a black beam at her. She flew and bumped hard on the cavern’s walls.
“Zecora!” The Mane Six and I cried out as we ran for her aid.
Twilight blocked and faced me. “I know you’re still Dissonance! Bring Iwano back!”
“Twilight, it’s me!” I begged. I saw the rest of my friends aiding their zebra friend. “I didn’t even know what I was doing! And I swear to Celestia, Dissonance is under control!”
“Uh, guys…” Rainbow Dash said as she and her friends backed away. Twilight and I exchanged nervous looks and regrouped with our friends. Zecora was on her hooves, but her eyes were black. What did I, or rather Dissonance, do to Zecora?
Her face was slack and emotionless, but at the same time somehow unhurt after being blasted and hit on the wall.
We actually didn’t know what to do with black-eyes Zecora, but she began glancing around.
“Zecora, are you fine?” I asked slowly.
She jerked her head to me and I was startled, with my friends.
“A poem to awake and for all of you to hear,” Zecora said in a voluminous tone. “For the time of Dissonance will soon be near.” And then she continued:
“Returned weakened of heart from defeat
Protected by the monster and unaware of deceit
Heartstrings flared under the rising moon
Thus the rise of the mare of lust soon!
Fallen to the abyss of dark and frost,
The crystal heart will soon be lost
Gem’s shadow ripped in the blackness
Thus reborn the stallion of darkness!
Entered the world with one’s great fantasy
Driving innocent hearts into insanity
Weapons painfully voided from them
Thus the existence of the pony of mayhem!
The kind, chaos, and strange hangs no glooms
The brother of harmony darkens and blooms
Distortion bursts by a touch of two lips
Thus returns broken with all his friendships!
Six treasures searched and time is heat
To the land where four seasons meet
Compass burns in the fallen snow
Thus victory to the ancient foe!
Day banished and night with no power
In the crusader’s final hour
Six dreams, sun and moon will unite
Thus beginning of true eternal night!”
Chapter 14: Regal Rosetta
Chapter 13: Triple Ripple
Chapter 15: Goof Off to Madness
Chapter 14: Regal Rosetta
Chapter 16: Cupcakes and Smiles
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 17: Just Being a Pony
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 18: Just Doing My Jobs
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 19: The Wheel of Colors
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Thanks...
To Lorenzo You lead me to Equestria To Pen Stroke My aspiring writer To Lauren Faust I've longed for your return to Equestria To Twilight Sparkle Thanks for your trust and faith in me To Pinkie Pie Hugs and laughs to my friend To Rainbow Dash My brash and loyal coach To Rarity The shiniest gem in my eyes To Applejack Your forgiveness was soulful To Fluttershy I love you To Spike Your help was greater than my fire
