New Year

Eve

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*

Scootaloo was the happiest filly alive that day. All of her friends came to congratulate her.

It was her tenth birthday.

Her father, Zor, had arranged an appointment with the princess of the entire land of Equestria, Celestia, her name was. It was costly, and very, but he would do anything for her daughter.

He loved her more than anything, even life itself. Scootaloo meant more than the world to him; even with the act of just simply existing made his heart melt every time he saw her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scootaloo was never meant to be born, literally. Her parents were the poorest couple in Equestria, peasants as they were. The definite meaning of slums.

They owned nothing; no simple luxuries such as food, water, shelter, even dreams. Their dreams were all dead; with how the world denied them the privilege of simple living. They tried everything in the book, from drawing sympathy from the neighboring ponies of Trottingham, their home. Which, by the way; failed almost every time. All the residents there were struggling themselves, and certainly tended to their own needs.

They were unwanted in the world, and with nothing left for them, assuming there was anything in the first place, they gave up their search for any hope--or idea-- of salvation.

-----------

Many months passed, and the unfortunate ones survived solely on discarded garbage from other ponies. The two were on the instinct of just giving up their lives to death; they began to lose hope and considered themselves worthless anyway.

Their generic home was underneath a collection of garbage, made into a strong sheet that they could walk over if they wanted to, though, if they ever did try it out, the reason would most likely be caused by the couple's lack of body weight.

"Darling?" the mare spoke, weakly, and asking for her partner's attention. "I'm just about to stop this nonsense and...run away somewhere or something." She seemed to sound was definite with her statement.

"You mean just give up? Baby, we still have our entire lives to live..." The starved male could not speak with any trace of octave in his voice. But soon, after he spoke quite valiantly, and the two went silent for a few seconds, he caved and let his true colors show.

"Who the hell am I kidding? We both know there's no way we can grow old together the way things are now."

The poor couple...they were a newlywed couple living in a tarnished world, in a tarnished time; the worst possible financial crisis Equestria had ever experienced in centuries.

The mare tried to think, that is, if her sanity would allow her to do so.

"...Normin?" She only used his legal name in definite decisions, which would soon follow up from attaining his attention.

"Yes Maryin?" He returned the favor for her.

"We both know we're doomed to die, either together, or alone. But what if-

"What if what, babe?" Normin became concerned when his wife shut her eyes for about seven seconds straight. "What's wrong?"

"What if..." She repeated as her eyes shimmered in the dark bowels of the alleyway they found themselves in. They haven't come out of their only means of shelter for days on end, only feeding on the discarded food and items that a neighboring, healthy couple had thrown out.

A few days ago, Normin and Maryin were desperate enough to attempt to rob a local convenience store. Trottingham was the only province in Equestria that orchestrated these facilities. And with the aforementioned economic crisis present, security everywhere in the province was at maximum.

...they failed miserably. They couldn't even approach the keep without being profiled as 'suspicious characters'. However, neither one of the two could recall the event due to their weak memories eating away at themselves.

The heartburn of the event quickly died down, however, as the world thought so little of them anyway.

"They were not worthy of contributing to the future," A local newspaper read, quote directly from the higher individuals in Canterlot. It flew along a sudden gust of wind as Normin and Maryin exited the alleyway the called 'home'.

"What if...we had a child? A beautiful colt or filly, who could grow up to be wanted amongst the world, unlike us." Normin's face quickly nodded in accordance with his contemplation of the idea. "I mean, like I said, we're going to lose the game of life sooner or later, so why not give life to somepony who can have the odds working with it?"

"Maryin..." He paused. His wife gave him an attentive look. "You're just like a good story; you know how to tell it, and you know how to leave the reader smiling. That's a great idea; it's been in my mind ever since I could think of such a thing. Give life to the future prince or princess of Equestria!"

But soon after he agreed, he scowled at himself.

"But how will this work?" It takes at least nine weeks for a child to de-"

Maryin assessed the current status of the idea enough already; she couldn't control her urges any longer. She pushed Normin against the dank walls of the alley.

"I've already decided on a name. But if you want to know what it is, get back in that house and let's do it."

Normin was surprised at his wife's sudden energy, both physically, and mentally.

"Maryin. I said it was a good idea and all, but-"He stopped himself. Maryin had almost assertively guided him to their 'underground' house. "You know what? Never mind. If we die, we'll be able to-"

"To watch over our child," Maryin finished for her husband. "We'll watch it flourish and blossom into the most successful pony in all of Equestria!"

They tried to engage the process of reproduction, and they did succeed with their due purpose. But Normin, was beginning to feel the cold, dark hooves of death whisk his life away. His small heart was not acclimated to the requirements of reproduction.

And so, he...died, while trying to fulfill even the smallest dream of his life. Once Maryin figured out what had happened to him, she screamed out for help, even through the hindrance of the layers of hardened garbage above her and the sudden carcass. She knew nopony would come to her aid because, despite how she called out as loud as she possibly could, she just wasn't strong enough to relay the required volume.

Normin's corpse laid on top of her. She couldn't move it off and away from her own, and she was trapped there, until her inevitable death.

Fortunately, one stallion came to her aid.

"Maryin?" the colt called out. "What are you doing down there?"

"Daddy?"

The stallion lifted the disgusting barrier with his muzzle desperately, while extending a hoof out to her.

"Daddy? W-what are you doing here? Of all places?"

She climbed out of the caving with his help. He then let the barrier fall with a loud crash, drawing out the attention of a lone pony who was weakly walking along the road, right outside the alley's exit.

"That's not important; all I know is that you need to come with me." She put a hoof on his shoulder as he turned away quickly. He looked back at her with all possible seriousness.

"That sick fuck got you pregnant. How the hell could you let...that thing do that to you?!"

They ran off together, arguing about how Norman was--and wasn't--a weapon.

Eight weeks later, Maryin gave birth to Norman's child.

It was female, a filly.

However, the birth was not that of nature's choosing. Maryin died during the filly's birth, making survival of the child a high priority to a lone doctor. He was joined by other doctors.

But this doctor. He was unique.

He...was a human. And he wasn't a doctor, either. He was a surgeon; a higher up. This human was the best surgeon in all of Equestria (having height advantages and fingers really helped in earning this title).

He performed an operation.

He punctured her flesh with a syringe multiple times, creating a 'U' shaped opening for one of his hands to lift the small flap of meat. With the other hand, he carefully reached inside of her body to retrieve the premature. There, laid the filly.

The human retracted the far stretched arm and laid the slab of meat back down to its owner. He gazed at the beauty of life, and immediately, he produced a small smile across his face upon just looking at the newborn. He immediately took the filly to a huge decontamination sink to wash the blood-covered filly off.

The mineralized water sprinkled down on the filly, removing all traces of unnatural red coloring. The filly was crying, and loud. She was in possession of a thorough orange coat that was attached to her body. Her eyes were shut, taking the slits even lower as the child cried louder by the minute.

She tasted a foreign gas called oxygen, and she loved the taste. It made her cry ceaselessly.

The human's colleagues, the other mares and stallions that stood aside during the operation spoke amongst themselves very briefly. Soon after, two of them walked up to the child, with anger in their eyes.

"HEY!" the Human called out. He saw that one of the adults held the child's head backward, while the other picked up a syringe and held it at the child's throat. He quickly and carefully removed the syringe form the stallion's grasp and shoved them both back. "And just what do you think you were planning on doing!?" The filly's cries seemed to have resided just a bit.

"The child's mane and tail are purple, so she must be discarded." the mare spoke with no emotion.

"FIRST OF ALL, the right color to describe it is violet," he joked, in all seriousness. "And SECONDLY, there's no way in all Hell I'd let you do that!"

"Then I'm afraid we must dispose of you both." After the mare spoke those lifeless words, the other ponies that accompanied them started to approach the human with deathly looks on their faces.

The human scowled at the reality that was present, and immediately felt threatened.

"It was nice knowing you all, but I'm taking this child with me! She's obviously not safe with you guys."

And with that, he cradled the now silent child close to his chest as he rushed toward the exit, but the humans' high voice had attracted too many ponies to the doorway. They all blocked the path from him, pleading forcefully that he surrendered the filly to them.

He backed away quickly; they had all startled him. His wits came to him, and he covered the filly with his doctor's coat. Unlike the quadroped doctors who all wore white jackets, his was black. He held onto the child with both arms crossing his chest.

Then, he jumped out of a nearby window. The sound of shattering glass caused the filly to cry again.

The human managed to keep the filly safe during the fall, and upon contact with Earth, he rolled across the ground, arms still crossed to protect the child further. He rose from his descent, and the first thing he did was check on the child's condition.

He opened his coat.

The filly was asleep!

The orange filly felt as if she were comfortable with the human; she had probably developed her ability to feel safe and unsafe, and this was proven because the child woke up, but didn't cry. She quietly grasped the human's attention.

"D-dada..." The human looked in the direction of where the child was looking at, surprised at how she was already able to speak, even feebly.

From his view, he saw a collapsed dumpster, and right underneath it, there was a small crevice, small enough for somepony to crawl under and live, complete with a trail of garbage coming from the dumpster and into the crevice. The child started to cry quietly at the sight, whatever it was. The human didn't understand what could trigger the filly to cry out, but he thought little of it.

"Hush now, little pony." He started to walk into the fog ridden streets of Trottingham. "You're safe with me."

As he delved deeper into the distance from the sight he had scanned before, he stopped moving, as he felt...uneasy.

He swore it was his imagination, but he thought he heard growls and cries coming from the general direction. But, like before, he thought nothing of it, and continued further into the streets, checking on the filly at the same time-

She had calmed herself down, cuddled between the human's surprisingly comfortable jacket, and himself. He opened the jacket a little bit, so that the filly wouldn't suffocate.

"My name's Zor." He whispered indirectly to the filly. "I'll call you Scootaloo. It's the first thing that came to my mind, honestly." He gave her one last loving glance, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

"MmmmZory..." Scootaloo said, muffled and faded through the thick jacket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This evening, however, that very same human was sported in a similar jacket and cargo shorts that reached below his knees; a common getup for his extinct race.

Zor was tall, a little taller than six feet. His black leather jacket only fell down to his waist, even considering that it was meant for a human of taller stature. The jacket also came stitched with a long hood at the top, which Zor wore at all times. His hair was also extremely long for a male; another use for the hood to hold secret.

Zor was just that kind of guy who wanted to find peace in life. To just relax and go with the flow of life.

...Though, where he came from, and how he discovered Equestria, was dramatically different than his life now...

"Of course, Scootaloo! How could I ever forget the day I adopted you?"

Scootaloo developed a habit of asking Zor if he remembers things from the past that they shared, with 'the adoption' being the most frequently selected from her weak memory.

"It was the happiest day of my life!" Zor obscured the truth with ease through his innocent smile; the very sign that made Scootaloo tell her father that she loved him through a big grin, followed by a short laugh.

Scootaloo walked toward Zor, still keeping the smile on her face; it didn't shrink one bit until she quietly spoke to him. Zor leaned down on one knee to reach Scootaloo's eyes.

"Dad?"

"What is it, Scooty?"

"Earlier today, I heard you talking to the princess about how I was turning ten years old. That's two numbers now, right?"

"How'd ya' know, you little smartypants?" Zor knew Scootaloo needed this kind of reassurance. Scootaloo never went to school, and as much as Zor wanted to enroll her into one, he couldn't, the reason being because Zor was not a natural resident of Equestira, as well as Scootaloo's horrid past.

"Well, I kinda figured it out on my own. I remember the number on my birthday cake last year was-" She stopped and questioned herself. "Niiiiine?"

"Yeah?"

Zor was so proud of her daughter. She was learning, on her own.

"And I think that it's the same thing this year, only with a different number." She pointed a hoof at a nearby banner that read:

'Happy ten years, Scootaloo!'

It was complete with the number form, as well as the written form.

"Right?"

"Scootaloo. You're a real booksmart. I'm sure that the princess will give me the right to teach you!"

Zor had paid way out of his pocket to purchase two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. It was a total of two-thousand whole bits, with each priced at a single thousand. That was an extremely strict price for something so relatively simple. And since he was the one who purchased them, he was charged such a price because, again, he was not a natural resident of that world. But Zor would do anything for his child, blood related or not.

However, the steep charge also paid for other things as well, but mainly the mere presence of the princess, just before she would raise the sun in order to start a new year.

This, the longest day of the year, was also the last day of the year. Scootaloo's birthday.

Scootaloo extended her forehooves, requesting an embrace from Zor. He happily accepted the offer, and the two kept still for a while.

"I really hope so...Dad."

Just then, Scootaloo's friends, AppleBloom and SweetieBelle began to approach the two. Zor didn't notice them, and he certainly wouldn't want to let his daughter leave his side without telling her one thing. As simple as it was to say, he meant every word.

He released Scootaloo gently and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Scootaloo."

Scootaloo blushed as she noticed her friends were watching the scene from quite a distance. However, she felt as if she needed to send Zor the same general message.

"I know you do, Dad." She couldn't stop blushing. Scootaloo suddenly burst into a high-pitched squeal, along with a smile. "And I love you too!"

Before she headed off to find her friends again (they had wandered off) Scootaloo returned the favor and kissed Zor on his left cheek, then backed away, blushing still. She had never done that before.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOTALOO!!" And with that, she was suddenly dogpiled by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They were hidden behind a tall potted plant nearby, giggling to themselves as they planned. It almost gave them away. The trio laughed lively as Scootaloo recovered from the surprise. The other two continued to giggle lightly as they got back up on their hooves. Zor was greeted by the two as well; being Scootaloo's father, he was bound to be aware of her friends.

"Well hay there, mister Zor! What'ch'up to?" Apple Bloom questioned.

Sweetie Belle followed up with a similar question. "Hi, mister Zor! Ready for the new year?"

Zor was a friend amongst these two; almost like a father to them to! He met them when he first attempted to teach Scootaloo simple things such as math and reading. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle found out about the program by means of a late night experiment.

..............................

"Alright, Scootaloo, now all you have to do is put your tongue between your teeth and blow."

It was nighttime. Zor and Scootaloo were out in the backyard of his home, the home that he built himself; Scootaloo was only the age of three years old. He couldn't purchase, or even rent, an existing house in Ponyville if he tried, because of his strange, sudden appearance one day. He discovered the Everfree forest, and with it, trees. He consulted the mayor, questioning about an idea he had.

He was thinking that he could make his own home from some of the trees in the Forest. The mayor agreed, but only because that forest was a cursed and forbidden place.

Now, the mayor wasn't fond of Zor either, but the real reason she agreed to the concept was that, perhaps Zor would proceed into the forest, get lost, and die. Boom, Equestria's human problem would be solved!

Only days were required to create some form of shelter, while also being able to make it feel like a home. He didn't make too much of a gap in the forest border, which is where he took borrowed the materials from.

Scootaloo tried engaging with the instructions Zor gave her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the hang of understanding his verbal instruction.

"You've done this before, Scootaloo." He thought for a moment as Scootaloo continued to try. "Hey, Scootaloo, do you know what day it is today?"

Just the previous day, Zor had taught her about all the seven days in a week, so Scootaloo knew what he was talking about. That was quite a common phrase he repeated that day too!

"Let's see...yesterday was Tuesday, so. Wait, no. It was Wednesday yesterday." Zor watched Scootaloo as the magic of learning happened. "So that means...today is...Thursday?" She didn't sound too confident, but soon after the question, Zor quietly applauded her.

"Yes, it's Thursday, and it's about to be Friday in a few hours." Scootaloo found herself wearing a small smile. "You see? You have done it before!" He paused. "Sorry, but I forgot what you said already. What day is it again?"

"It's Thursday." Scootaloo's smile grew even bigger.

Zor's eyes and head fell to the floor, and he quickly picked them back up when he looked at Scootaloo with half-open eyes. "See? The first syllable in Thursday is said by putting your tongue between your teeth and blowing."

"That's two lessons in one!" Zor continued, extremely proud of his little girl. "You remembered the order of the days of the week, AND you learned the right way to pronounce words that start with the 'th' sound! I'm really, really proud of you, Scootaloo."

Suddenly, Zor found himself yawning like a lion. He looked outside, and he couldn't believe what he saw.

The night sky outside was nothing he had ever seen. It was the clearest night he had ever seen, even before Equestria. Something like this would have allowed him to reflect upon his life, but he let the idea pass as he yawned again. Scootaloo was starting to yawn as well, as Zor noticed as he pulled his gaze from the night.

"You're really one for studying. Even while you had the option to go to sleep, you chose to stay up and study." Scootaloo listened to her mentor with the ultimate intent to stay awake during his dismissal. "I actually find your devotion to learning kind of inspiring. If you want to go to bed, you can." And with that, Scootaloo kissed the palm of Zor's left hand; it was her way of wishing him a good night's sleep.

"Welp, good night Dad..." Scootaloo yawned again as she dragged herself to her fall asleep immediately upon curling up on the floor, laying her head on Zor's neck.

Zor was starting to feel himself drift off to sleep immediately, such as Scootaloo did. But before he would allow himself to, he thought to himself while looking at the night sky through the window. It aided him in reflecting on his life thus far, something he denied doing less than a minute ago.

"Scootaloo, you're not the only one learning something these days..." He began to write a spiritual message to his daughter. "You're teaching me how to be a parent, and a good one at that. You're giving me all the right signs that I'm doing the best job that a father possibly could in raising a child...as their own..."

Zor ended up crying himself to sleep just thinking about how fate pitted him with Scootaloo, possibly, and hopefully, for the rest of his life.

He was so in love with her, but he couldn't help to think of how, if he wasn't there at that hospital to rescue Scootaloo from that unexplainable death, she wouldn't have ever lived to bring him the infinite joy to pull through all of the struggles and hardships of being an outsider in Equestria.

No. She wouldn't have ever been in his life. Period.

The next morning, Zor awoke before Scootaloo, something that almost never happened. Scootaloo was always the first one up and running.

He looked through the same window that gave him the beautiful view the night before. The sky was bright and filled with clouds that obscured the sun's rays.

"You're awake, finally!" Zor felt very uneasy as he took in an unfamiliar voice through his ears. Scootaloo couldn't have been talking; she was sleeping on his neck.

"Top of the mornin' to ya'" kindly spoke another unfamiliar voice. Zor got curious, as the voices sounded like those of children. He slowly turned his neck until he was looking in the direction of the voices.

There, on a simple table, sat two fillies. Zor must have been too tired to make out their physical appearance, but he simply smiled at both of them, who stared intently into his eyes as they hoped off of the table and moved closer to him.

"Ah'm Apple Bloom."

"And I'm Sweetie Belle"

Together now. "And we wanna be your students too!" They chanted in unison. How could Zor not say no to such cute little faces?

..............................

The night was now aged with sparse clouds scattered through the sky.

"I am, Sweetie Belle; I really hope it'll be the one!" said Zor. He was referring to a promise that the princess made to the entire land as soon as he arrived. She promised that, with some time, will come the new future for Equestria, one where 'no pony would be left behind'. Upon that established promise, the land of Equestria was anticipating that new movement.

Apple Bloom was obviously filled with joy while with her practical sister, Scootaloo. "It'll sure help mah family out a whole lot!" The three were all so close to each other.

"Hey, Zor?" kindly spoke Sweetie Belle. "We were gonna see if Scootaloo could come and play with us for a bit, before the festival starts. Would that be okay?"

Zor was a really easygoing human, unlike the rest of his extinct race. He would have just as easily agreed since he knew that the three would never go off too far from him, giving him reassurance that Scootaloo was in good hooves.

But, this time he denied the request, simply because a lot of unknown ponies suddenly gathered in the very field that he stood in.

The festival was starting. The final night of the year was about end.

"It's starting!" exclaimed Scootaloo as she took in this sight as well as Zor did. "Sorry guys, but I've been looking forward to this my whole life. Maybe after?"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle did not scowl at her, of course not. Instead, they walked towards Zor and Scootaloo, giving obvious signs that they were here to witness the exact same thing as they were.

"Of course!" Sweetie Belle happily put her right hoof on Apple Bloom's back. "We came here for the exact same thing; Apple Bloom's parents brought us here, and they're hanging out in the castle right now". They said they'll see us Sunday." The last day of the year landed on a Saturday, leaving the two fillies to play in the midst of the night, following up with the morning of a new year's day.

"Citizens of Equestria!" A booming voice punctured the numerous discussions of the ever-growing audience. But as soon this mare spoke, the crowd stopped growing, and directed their attention to the speaker.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle cuddled with Zor as he and Scootaloo paid their due respect to the mare that finally showed herself.

It was the Princess of the land of Equestria, the most regal mare at that.

"It's her!" Scootaloo was overcome with awe. "It's princess Celestia!!" The group was very close to the amphitheater, so their voices traveled with the sudden silence that followed.

"You are all from Ponyville, no?" In her suspenseful pause, Celestia noticed Zor in the front of the crowd, accompanied by three fillies. She knew who he was; he was the one who, not even an hour ago, requested that he spoke with her about receiving a legal document that would give him the right to teach young fillies and colts fairly common academic work that they would not learn on their own.

"YEEEEEAH!!" the crowd proudly replied.

During the time at hand, funding for schooling classes ceased to flow, meaning that there were no teachers available. At first, when Zor found out about this, he took pity on the world that would not accept him. He thought about making a future for Equestria, and the children were the key to this proposition.

In fact, it was Celestia that adopted Zor's idea about 'No pony would be left behind' after their private meeting.

..............................

Two pegasi guards blocked off the path to Celestia's royal chamber. They had a daunting physical appearance, even to Zor. They were very muscular underneath the guise of their white coats. They were equipped with shining, golden plates on their bodies, complete with a helm and hoof plates, and even claws of their sheathed wings. They remained completely stationary.

"Excuse me." began Zor, expecting an immediate reply.

However, they did not do so until they secretly spoke amongst themselves. They didn't even move their lips. "Who's asking?" said the stallion to the left.

"This is a personal request. I've paid for this meeting in advance." Zor revealed certification of the truth he spoke from his coat pocket. He made sure the two stallions had enough time to get the general message of the document.

"Who are you? Spoke the other pegasi. "I've never seen anything like you before." The pegasi to the left nodded in agreement.

"We only ask because of security purposes."

"Very well. Have you ever heard of a human?" Sarcasitcally asked Zor. He was perfectly aware of the history of his race, and it didn't take long for the guards to realize their history.

"Leave." The left guard intimidated. "Now."

"You're seriously here to see the princess?"

"Yes, I am. I-"

"It's for your own good! Leave right this instant!" The right guard was getting furious, and fast.

But just then, after the angered guard unsheathed his wings to show off his razor sharp claws, the tall door behind them opened, and a figure broke between the two stallions in a hurry.

It was Celestia, and the first thing she noticed was the presence of a human, and she knew what the bustle was about.

"No need for fear, you two. This human has requested to speak with me in private." She turned back around and headed back into her chamber "Come, Zor."

The fact that Celestia knew his name was proof enough to the stallions that he was a guest of Celestias. He proceeded between them, and through the door. The guards withheld their anger by merely growling at him as he entered her chambers.

Inside the safety of her quarters, Zor immediately felt right at home.

"Take a seat if you wish." Softly reminded Zor.

He didn't hesitate at the offer. Behind him, just as soon as he entered, was a soft plush sofa. There was no way he could say no to that. He sat down on it; it was as comfortable as it looked!

Celestia soon came over to Zor after sealing all possible vision from intruding on the sight of a human in the princes's chamber. The room he was in was adjacent to another building; a meeting place for important subjects.

But this was a private meeting in Zor's case, not being accepted into the world by any except for the compassionate Celestia, who joined him on the soft sofa.

"Now, about your reason for being here..." She paused.

Zor didn't wait to tell her anything, but he needed to clarify something first. "A-are you sure you're okay with this? Me being a human? I mean, my proposition is worthy of your attention?"

"Zor. You're already here. If I didn't care for your idea, then you wouldn't be here with me." Reassured Celestia, who curled up on the two open seats next to him.

Common sense hit him. "Well, I guess you're right." he said. "But what do you think about it?"

Celestia took in his words, and then smiled at him, head looking slightly down at him. "I think it's a wonderful idea you have, such brainstorming could only come from a brilliant mind!"

Zor found himself almost on the verge of blushing, just a bit. "Well, I really feel that the young fillies and colts of this generation are the key to the change. I mean, no offense Celestia, but the government is horribly operated here."

"I can't tell you how right you are on that." The princess was agreeing with him! "I'm not in control of all of that, and I would help change its ways, but when I became the princess of this land years ago, the ponies, the government, and its ways were far beyond repair, and I could do nothing but go with the flow, you know?"

"That therefore proves that their generation was not properly educated, no offense again. Hence, what I'm asking for is authentic certification to-"

Celestia put his mouth to rest when she put a hoof on his lips. "You need say no more, Zor." He was beginning to think that he was ranting on about his own thoughts, making him feel conscious about if he was milking his proposition or not.

"Tell me." Celestia continued, taking her golden hoof off of Zor's lips. "In all the time you've adopted this land as a home, am I the only one that has shown you any kind of compassion to your thoughts, even your existence?"

Zor couldn't fend off the cold truth. "Yes you are, princess..."

Celestia, upon his response, nuzzled the side of Zor's body with her head slowly. He didn't know what he should have been feeling.

"I'll tell you what, Zor..." She was enjoying the warmth that Zor's body provided her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. He stayed still as she did so. "I grant you the national title of Equestrian Academic Scholar." She lifted her head from Zor's shoulder, and soon after, he looked at her.

She did the very same to him.

"Things like these don't usually happen so quickly, but you're clearly living in a world that doesn't invite you into its hooves. I pity you, really, but that's not why I'm giving this to you." Celestia used her magical ability to reach for something in the distance.

It was a small dagger, but Zor couldn't see it. Celestia pulled it close to the two of them, and Zor became slightly concerned.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I can't give you any written form of certification, but there is another, permanent way to receive the title. But you have to be certain of one thing." Celestia immediately hooked Zor's attention as he looked at the levitating blade.

"Are you certain to provide service to this land for the rest of your life? Are you devoted to Equestria and its people, despite the way they treat you?"

Zor thought of one thing and one thing only.

His daughter, Scootaloo.

"I am...Celestia..." And with agreeing to that oath, the princess used the scalpel to lightly cut the exposed flesh on Zor's left hand, on his palm. He didn't flinch or show any signs of suffering from pain. He just continued to look Celestia in her beautiful purple eyes, as she did the same with his emerald eyes.

Was the princess...in love?

The dagger slowly dragged itself across Zor's epidermis until Celestia opened her eyes. And with that, the cutting stopped, allowing Zor to see what she had done to him.

It was a rather simple design, despite its deep definition. It was a perfect circle, accompanied by two lines traveling across it. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he accepted a sudden hoof in his hands nonetheless.

"I'm so inspired by your faith and devotion; I'm going to help this program of yours flourish into something much, much more in your terms."

Zor raised his hand to his face and kissed Celestia's hoof. She then retracted it from his leaking hand. However, he had no idea how to carry on this conversation any further. He got what he wanted, but he didn't want to be a complete jerk, especially in front of the princess.

"I'm eternally grateful, Celestia" He rose from his seat while Celestia stayed in hers. "Is there anything else that you need in accordance to this? Anything else I need to do or say?"

Celestia nodded sideways and spoke. "Just say you're going to live your dream, in the land of your dreams." She hadn't taken her eyes off of him since he received his certification.

"Celestia, I'll do my best. I swear." Zor opened the door from which he entered. The two stallions immediately noticed his palm, and bowed in appreciation. The door shut behind him.

Celestia was alone again, in her larger-than-life 'bedroom'. She rolled over on her back while still on the sofa and licked her hoof, the one that she placed in Zor's bleeding hand.

"Mmmmhmhmhm!" Celestia chuckled as she licked her hoof again. "I'll definitely be seeing you later, Zorry."

..............................

"Are all of you ready to greet the New Year?" excitingly asked Celestia. The crowd was still silent, but suddenly it burst into screams requesting change.

"I love you, princess!" shouted out one mare off in the distance.

"This is gonna be the year!" another mare shouted to the right of the crowd.

"I'm certain it will, too. I've decided, decided that this year, shall be the year of change. And with the help of my friend Zor-"She addressed him, immediately giving his presence away to the entire crowd; not every pony knew there was a human present.

But instead of scowling at him, they cheered for him, all of them did, including the three fillies that accompanied him. Celestia personally instructed Zor to walk up to the amphitheater; he was close enough to the stage.

"Come, Zor" she pleaded.

Scootaloo, as a habit, jumped up on Zor's shoulder when he kneeled down for her to do so. He then stepped up to the stage, in view of the entire crowd. Celestia walked up to him and removed his hood from his head, showing his face to the public.

Then, unexpectedly, the entire audience started to tremble with cheer.

For the first time in his life, the residents of Equestria accepted him! Perhaps it was only because the princess herself addressed him, but even if it was, he loved the attention; all eyes on him, even for a moment.

"WOOHOO, ZOR!" Screamed a group of mares in the back of the crowd.

Scootaloo added to the approval. "He's the best dad ever!"

"Only with his help, can I make the change happen." Celestia spoke.

"What is the change, princess?" called out the same group of mares.

Celestia grinned happily. "You'll see." she paused. "All of you will see!" she kept on smiling until she glanced at Zor.

"Are you ready?" she asked Zor. He nodded in appreciation as Celestia suddenly flapped her wings, rising up into the air.

She flew upwards in a straight, vertical path, and she moved quite quickly. The crowd went dead silent as she increased her altitude.

Apple Bloom held Sweetie Belle close to her. They were waiting for this day their entire lives, just as Scootaloo was.

"We can finally learn how to talk all smarty pants like the princess!" silently exclaimed Apple Bloom.

Celestia raised her hooves into the sky as she reached the same height as the huge pillar behind her. The pillar resembled the point in the sky at which the sun would be reborn, casting a shadow over the cliff that the Canterlot castle was cradled into.

Zor gazed up at Celestia as she was about to conclude her performance. From the crowd's view, she cast a shadow over every particle of her audience. Her entire figure was shaded orange, a very light crimson. A bright sphere of light was the thing that cast Celestia's shadow over the crowd. Zor became blinded for only a moment, and afterward, he continued to gaze upon the beautiful princess. Scootaloo had her eyes shut at the time, so she was not affected by the flare.

Suddenly, the bright lights everywhere vanished out of nowhere, but this was all normal. When the sun would rise to that point later in the newborn day, something important would happen in every one of the witness's eyes, all for the better.

Zor was thinking about the near future and how he would contribute highly to it, but his thoughts were disrupted due to the immediate reaction of the audience.

They were ecstatic, especially Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "YYEEEEEEEAAAAHHH!!!" they both cheered.

"That was AWESOME!!" called Scootaloo.

Celestia quickly dropped to the ground on her hooves, smiling upon the crowd's deep appreciation. "All of these ponies will soon feel as if they're in a different world now, Zor. It's all the same with each new year." Zor completely understood what Celestia meant by that.

"Everypony!" yelled the princess. "I hope each and every one of you will find peace and happiness in the NEW YEAR!"

"The crowd once again cheered for Celestia and all her glory. Most of them knew the routine of dismissal; they would leave right after the princess wished them a happy New Year.

"Celestia." addressed Zor "How does this work? Is it the first moment of the first day of the year?"

"It is indeed, Zor. And once the new sun breathes on Equestira, a miracle will occur, one that affect every individual in this audience." She winked at Zor and Scootaloo. "Including Scootaloo and those two other fillies down there."

Zor looked at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who began to play a game of chase as a few members of the audience dispersed. Scootaloo watched them play, but she snuggled her face in Zor's hair, wanting to be with him rather than joining her friends in their games. She was extremely tired; she had stayed awake for such a long time without any rest.

"You mean... That?"

Celestia turned her back on Zor and began to walk away. "The day is what you make of it, Zor." You'd better get some sleep if you want to be ready for your own audience." And with that, she flew up to one of the castle towers, and Zor watched her enter the tower doors.

"Dad?" whimpered Scootaloo. "Can we go home now? I'm soooooo tired." She released a mighty yawn upon her request. Ponyville wasn't too far away from Canterlot, and the way they attended the event in the first place was by foot.

It was such a distance that calmed Zor, being out in the open, beautiful start of the New Year.

..............................

Later that morning, Zor laid in his home, on the floor, where he was most comfortable. He had been trying to go to sleep for about ten minutes now, but he found it difficult, considering he would hold his first teaching session in his home. He remembered what Celestia said.

"When the new sun reaches the point that it did when I gave birth to it, something special will befall each and every member of this audience."

Zor assumed that his teaching would start from that time, but that was all up to him, whether or not he was completely ready. And if he was ready, he already decided that he would go to the center plaza of Ponyville and look for any familiar face he saw at the Grand Galloping Gala the previous night. It didn't seem too methodical, but he didn't want to make himself seem too important; he would only end up making himself look bad by doing so.

Scootaloo was asleep, once again curled up with her head laid on Zor's neck, as per usual night. She would occasionally talk in her sleep, but nothing was said yet.

Zor pondered this thought for such a long time; it was it was an inevitable fact that he would exhaust his mind from thinking and planning too far ahead. His body was already exhausted from a heavy lack of sleep in order to give his daughter something he could never, never have.

The dream of looking forward to the next day, and the next day after that, and so on and so forth. Zor could never even think about escaping his past, the one that haunted him for far too long...

He fell asleep upon his denial of those reoccurring thoughts. He did not dream about them, nor did he wake up in the middle of his slumber to a figure looming over him.

Scootaloo was his own personal future.

"MmmmZory..." Scootaloo concluded Zor's night as he was lulled to sleep by her simple dreams.