Writers Blockby RawgChaptersMoving DayA Day at the ParkSome (Un)Helpful AdviceDreams and LettersParty Time!Success... at a CostWhat Your Heart Knows is BestMoving Day“Now, Mom, Dad,” I began, trying to calm my bewildered parents, “I know it’s a big decision, and you might think I’m crazy, but I’m ready for this. Besides, if I don’t, I’ll be stuck in crowded Manehattan. Do you really think that’s going to help my work?” It seemed as if my efforts to convince them were working, but they still resisted. “Are you sure? You've never been away from us for very long… I just don’t think you’re ready to live on your own, Hasty Sketch.” My mother said slowly. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I knew they wouldn't understand. I had been planning to get my own place for a while now, but I could never find the opportunity to bring up the subject. Now that my parents had gotten job offers in Manehattan and wanted to move away from Cloudsdale, I figured it was now or never. I didn't want to live in a crowded city; I wanted to be able to see nature, and live in a small, quiet town where I might be able to work on my book. “Well, I don’t know about that, dear,” my father interrupted, “I think it could be good for him to get his own place. It might help him to grow a little, maybe make some friends. He never really got along with the pegusi up here in Cloudsdale. Maybe getting a house in Ponyville is just what he needs.” He said, winking at me. I could always count on him to back me up when it came to these kinds of things. He always seemed to have faith in me and my abilities. “Well… Okay. I suppose if it’s for the best, then I can’t really argue.” My mother said, finally giving in. “You’ll keep in touch with us, won’t you?” she asked sadly. “Of course,” I said gently, looking at both of them and smiling, “why wouldn't I?” She sniffed a little, trying not to cry. I knew this would be tough for them; they had spent the last 16 years raising me, and now I was finally leaving. Then, she shook her head and smiled. “You had better go straighten yourself up. You want to make a good impression when you arrive!” I nodded and ran off to the bathroom. After showering and drying myself off, I looked in the mirror to see a crimson pegasus; me. I messed with my red, black-streaked mane a little, trying to make it look good, but it just fell down wherever it felt like. I never could get it to stay straight. I stared into my reflection’s bright blue eyes for a moment, telling myself everything was going to work out. I glanced at my cutie mark, a pencil that represented my creativity and love of writing and drawing, and then I exited the bathroom. I ran to my old room, threw on a white shirt, and fastened a watch to my wrist. I turned to my bed, where I had the things I wanted to bring with packed away in a saddlebag. The walls of my room looked so strange without my numerous drawings covering the walls. I sighed, threw on the saddlebag, and walked to the front door, where my parents were waiting. “We’ll send word as soon as we've settled in. You take care of yourself, okay?” my father told me, his voice filled with pride at his son’s decision. I nodded quickly and smiled. “Of course I will, Dad. Good luck in Manehattan, and have fun at your new jobs!” I called as I ran out the door. When I reached the edge of the yard, I stopped, turned back for a final glance at my childhood home, and then took to the skies. After a few minutes, I saw a small town below me: Ponyville, my destination. I slowly descended, filled with excitement and fear. Who would I meet? What would everypony think of me and my work? I swallowed my fear and landed at the edge of town, then began to walk to where my new home was located. It was a pretty modest house, but I was happy with it. It was painted a dark green and had a second story with a balcony, perfectly placed for gazing off into the horizon when I wanted to think. I smiled, hardly able to believe that I was finally following my dream. I could hardly wait to get my things put away so I could work on my book. I had the idea for this story a few months ago, which was strange, because most of my stores are just short, one-page tales, but this could be something so much more. It was a story about Crimson Embers, a young alicorn who had to save the world from an ancient evil. It was coming along slowly, but surely. I pushed open the door to find the house in total darkness. I reached over to grab the light switch, just as somepony else beat me to it. “SURPRISE!” several voices shouted as the light turned on. I jumped back a few feet and screamed in surprise. I looked around and saw several smiling ponies all around me, and a table in the center of the room with a big cake and several other treats. I smiled slightly and said hi to everypony. A pink pony with a poofy pink mane ran up to me, a huge smile on her face. “HI! I’m Pinkie Pie. Sorry we scared you, it’s just I heard there was a new pony moving here and I just HAD to throw them a party!” she said quickly. I chuckled. “That’s alright, I just wasn’t expecting to get a welcoming party as soon as I got here.” She nodded and bounced away, probably to see how everpony else was enjoying the party. As I walked over to the table, A few ponies broke from the crowd to talk to me. There were four of them: an earth pony, a pegasus, a unicorn, and an ALICORN! I never thought I would meet a real alicorn, but hey, I never thought I’d be getting my own place anytime soon. “Hello. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. You must be Hasty Sketch!” the alicorn said cheerfully. I nodded shyly. “We just wanted to personally say, welcome to Ponyville!” she said, gesturing to her companions. Her pelt was a light shade of purple, like lavender, and her mane was a dark violet with a pink streak in the middle. She turned to her friends and introduced them one by one. First was the earth pony, who I learned was named Applejack. She was a sunny orange color, with a blonde mane tied in a ponytail. A large cowboy hat sat on her head, and she spoke in a country-style accent. “Nice to meet yah, sugarcube.” She said, sizing me up. I hoped my mane didn’t look too bad as she did. Next I was introduced to Fluttershy, the Pegasus. She seemed a little scared at once, but greeted me gently. “Um… h-hi.” She was a pastel yellow with a long pink mane that covered part of her face. She kept her eyes low to the ground, and I chuckled to myself, agreeing with her name. “Pleasure to meet you, darling.” Said the unicorn, who Twilight introduced as Rarity. She was white with a carefully groomed purple mane, and wore an over-the-top dress. Twilight asked her why she needed to wear something so fancy, to which Rarity responded, “What do you mean? This is one of my casual dresses.” Twilight rolled her eyes when she heard this. “Wait, there should be one more of us; where in Equestria is Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked her friends, who looked around and shrugged. Her question was answered when I heard the door slam open, and an out-of-breath voice called “I’m not too late, am I?!” I spun around and froze. Standing in the doorway was a light blue pegasus with a multi-colored mane, like a rainbow. She was beautiful. I could hardly breath as she came over by her friends. “Rainbow Dash, this is Hasty Sketch, the pony who just moved here. Hasty Sketch, this is my friend Rainbow Dash, who really needs to work on getting places on time!” Twilight Sparkle said, glaring at the new arrival. “Sorry, Twi; I got so caught up in my flying that I forgot when the party was. At least I didn't miss it completely!” Rainbow Dash told her friend. Then she turned to me. “Nice to meetcha!” she held out a hoof, probably expecting me to pound it, but I couldn't move. I just sat there, staring at her with wide eyes. After a few moments, she chuckled nervously, and then whispered to Twilight, “Did I break him or something?” I snapped back into reality. “No, I’m fine, sorry about that.” I said nervously. I returned the hoof, and quickly excused myself. I ran over to a corner and hit myself in the face. That was stupid! I shouted at myself in my head. You made a complete fool of yourself! I reached over to a nearby table and grabbed a cup of punch and looked around nervously. This was going to be a long party. Later that night, long after the party ended, I sat in my new chair, reflecting on the day. I had spent the rest of the evening avoiding the ponies I had met, out of fear of making a bigger fool of myself. I sighed happily as I pictured that beautiful pegasus, Rainbow Dash. I had never seen a pony, pegasus, or unicorn as beautiful as her. And it wasn't just her looks, either; I just got this… feeling when I looked at her. I shook my head, clearing my head of my silly dreams, grabbed a pen and piece of paper, and started to draw. I drew Crimson Embers, the main character from my story. I always liked to put myself in his place. He was calm, collected, and cool; I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck that froze when he saw a cute girl or a spider. I heard a knock at my door, and was shocked when I saw it was Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, hello there, Twilight.” I said as I opened the door. “Hello, Sketch. I was wondering if you wanted to joint me and my friends tomorrow for a picnic. Since you just moved here, I kind of figured you might want to make some new friends.” I smiled gratefully. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.” She nodded quickly. “I’ll be sure to let everyone know. We’ll meet in the center of town. Goodnight, Sketch!” she called as she ran off. I closed the door and looked at my watch, noticing it was pretty late. I sighed and went upstairs to my new room, hoping that I wouldn’t mess up tomorrow. A Day at the ParkThe sky was black as night, but Crimson Embers knew it was the middle of the day. This could only mean one thing: The Lord of Shadows had been awakened. He felt a chilled wind blow through his mane as he looked off into the distance and saw a massive, black castle rise from the ground, as if trying to split the sky. He stared in terror as a plume of smoke seeped out of the ground and swirled around him, preventing any escape. Suddenly, a shape stepped forward from the haze: a powerful, black colt with a massive, swept-back mane and a curved horn. It stretched out long, bat-like wings, and sighed deeply. Then, it opened its blood-red eyes, smiled wickedly, and spoke. “So, this is the last remaining member of the Heroes of Equestria. A mere child is all that stands between me and what is rightfully mine. What makes you think that you can defeat me?” Crimson Embers stared at him a moment, unsure of what to say. How did he have any chance of winning? “Nope.” I said sadly, crumpling up the paper and tossing it into an already overflowing garbage can. I had spent all morning trying to write a first chapter for my book, but I couldn’t think of anything that would sound right. That had always been one of my big issues: I was really good at coming up with the main plot of a story, but I could never figure out how to start it. Wait a minute, I thought, breaking from my thoughts, aren’t I forgetting something? I glanced at my watch and gasped in terror at the time. “Oh, no, I’m gonna be late!” I jumped off the couch and ran to the bathroom to shower. I really wanted to make a good impression today, especially to that beautiful pegasus, Rainbow Dash. I went through the same routine I had gone through the previous morning, right down to the final glance at my cutie mark as I ran out the door. I don’t know why, but doing that seemed to give me a little courage. I stepped out onto the front porch and looked around. It seemed to be a pretty quiet day; I saw a couple ponies walking down the street here and there, but not much else. I took a deep breath and started walking toward the fountain at the center of town. As I did, I tried to plan out what I would talk about when I got there. I had brought along some pencils and paper, so maybe I could talk about my work, or maybe draw something for them? But, on the other hand, I didn’t want to be a show off. As I approached the fountain, I saw no sign of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. I sighed heavily, realizing I was, as I had feared, late. I was just about to turn around and go back home, when I heard a panicked voice calling out. “WATCH OUT!” I had exactly one second to look up and see Rainbow Dash flying right at me at immeasurable speeds. The next thing I knew, I was knocked into the air, just about to fall into the fountain. I quickly threw off my bag, hoping it wouldn’t land right in the fountain and ruin the papers. I jumped up in the water, thrashing and spitting, and looked around wildly. As I swam over to the edge of the fountain I saw two things: one, my bag had, in fact, completely missed the fountain, and two, Rainbow Dash looked incredibly embarrassed. As I jumped down from the edge, she ran over apologizing quickly. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I kinda lost control back there and…” she shook her head suddenly, “Never mind that. Are you okay?” I nodded, trying not to freak out like I did at the party. “Yeah, I’m alright. At least my bag didn’t land in the fountain.” I walked over to the bag and put it back on as she eyed it curiously. “Whatcha got in there, Sketch?” she asked. I froze suddenly. “Oh, uh, just some paper and pencils. I’m, uh, I’m a bit of an artist-slash-writer.” I said nervously. She looked interested by this. “A writer, huh? What do you write?” I started to freeze up, but I caught hold of myself. “Oh, nothing much… So far I’ve only written short stories, but I’ve started working on an actual adventure book.” Then I remembered why I had gone there in the first place. “Hey, aren’t we late for that picnic?” She widened her eyes. “Oh, yeah, I forgot! So, Twilight invited you to that, huh?” I nodded. “Yeah, just last night. She said since I just moved here, it would be good to make some friends.” “Well,” she said slowly, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “you know what I always do with new Pegasus friends?” I swallowed hard. “W-what?” “RACE!” she shouted, suddenly jumping into the air and taking off. I sat there for a moment, unsure of what just happened, and then when the realization hit me, I followed in a similar fashion. I scanned the sky for her, and saw her flying directly above me. I took the opportunity to try and surprise her, but she saw me just in time and suddenly dove straight down. I watched as she descended, faster and faster, and was just about to call out when, just as she was no more than a few feet off the ground, she immediately turned upwards, the sudden change in direction creating a massive rainbow-colored shockwave that knocked me back and scattered clouds for miles. I flipped around in the air for a few seconds, but quickly regained my balance. I looked around for a while, and eventually saw her running through a field towards her friends. I landed not too far away from them and approached breathlessly. “What… was that?” I asked breathlessly. Rainbow Dash smiled proudly. “Impressed, huh? That’s my Sonic Rainboom; it’s my personal trick. Nopony else can do it!” she boasted. “Sorry I almost knocked you out of the sky back there, pal.” She added. I smiled. “That’s alright. You just kind of surprised me is all.” She smiled back, and then turned to her friends, motioning for me to get closer to the group. “Well, looks like you both made it! I can already see you have something in common with Dashie, Sketch.” Pinkie Pie teased. I tried to hide my embarrassment, but I don’t think I did that great of a job. “So, Sketch, what have you got in there?” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at my bag. I slid it off my shoulder and let the contents fall onto the grass: several sheets of paper, some of them with drawings, and some assorted pencils and pens. They all stared in awe. “Wow, these sure are something!” Applejack exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement, and I beamed with pride. “Hey, who’s this guy?” Twilight asked, looking at a drawing of Crimson Embers. “Ah! That’s Crimson Embers, a character from the book I’m writing.” I replied. They all widened their eyes. “You’re writing a book?” they all asked at once. Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, he mentioned that on the way here. Hey, why don’t you tell us about it, Sketch?” she asked, looking over at me. I squirmed a little. “I don’t know, it might sound a little ridiculous…” I said slowly, but they urged me to go on. After a little more begging, I finally gave in. “Alright, I guess I can give you a bit of a summary.” I said. I cleared my throat and began: “Long ago, there was a league of ponies known as ‘The Heroes of Equestria’. They were incredibly powerful, and swore to uphold peace and prosperity, and protect the ponies of the land. But, one of their comrades had other plans: he wanted all the power for himself, and complete command of Equestria and its inhabitants. He searched for an ancient crystal that was said to hold dark power, and when he found it, he became something… else. “The heroes shed few tears for their fallen brother, and acted with haste. They banded together to fight the dark pony, who had dubbed himself The Lord of Shadows, in an epic battle. Few of them survived the ordeal, and those that did came up with a plan: they imprisoned the Lord of Shadows in a magical prison, never to be released. “But, there was one problem: the bond the Heroes shared wasn’t strong enough, for the Lord’s betrayal had damaged the trust the heroes had for each other, and so he was only imprisoned temporarily.” I jumped onto a rock as I continued: “Ah, but not all hope was lost, for many years later, when the Lord of Shadows was awakened, there was one who could stand against him: Crimson Embers, last descendant of the Heroes of Equestria!” I shouted triumphantly. I looked down and saw the ponies were all staring at me strangely. I smiled, embarrassed, until Rainbow Dash spoke up. “That… was… AWESOME!” She exclaimed, jumping in the air. “When you finish it, you have to let us read it!” The others murmured in agreement. I smiled again, but it was back to the pride smile. “Yeah, that would be great, if I could finish it. I’ve been suffering from writers block lately, and haven’t been able to come up with anything that will fit in well with what I have planned. That’s why I moved here, so I could focus on my story, and maybe get a little inspiration.” Pinkie Pie jumped in the air excitedly. “You should make some characters based on us!” she shouted ecstatically. Again, the others murmured in agreement. “There should be a smart one,” Twilight said. “Don’t forget an awesome one!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Um… a kind one would be nice, if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy murmured quietly. “There absolutely must be a fabulous and sophisticated one,” Rarity said proudly. “And a strong one, I reckon,” Applejack added. “And a pink one!” Pinkie Pie shouted happily. I thought about it for a moment. “That isn’t that bad of an idea, actually. After all, Crimson Embers needs some friends to help him out and motivate him, doesn’t he?” I said, looking at each of them, ideas already starting to form in my head. They all smiled broadly, nodding vigorously. “But, before you do that, we have a picnic to start!” Twilight said, interrupting the flow of ideas. I looked over and saw a blanket set down with a basket placed neatly in the center. We all gathered around it as Twilight handed out sandwiches, and we all laughed and joked and played games all afternoon. Every once in a while, I would glance over at Rainbow Dash, and it looked like she was having the most fun out of everypony. I smiled to myself. I knew they probably did this at every picnic, but I couldn’t help but think that it was partly because of me. Later that evening, after I had settled down on the couch to resume my writing, I heard a knock at my door. I got up, upset that I had been disturbed just as I was getting started, but calmed down when I saw it was just Twilight, I calmed down a little. “Oh, hello again, Twilight.” She was smiling broadly, like she knew a secret. “Hello, Sketch. May I come in for a bit?” I glanced at my watch; it wasn’t too late, so I nodded. “Yeah, come on in.” I got some cups of cider and brought them into the living room, where Twilight had already sat down in one of the chairs. I took the couch and started the conversation. “So, what brings you by?” I asked casually. “Oh nothing,” she said innocently, “There was just something I wanted to ask you,” “Um, okay, shoot,” I said, not knowing what to expect as I took a sip of cider. “DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON RAINBOW DASH?!” she burst out, barely able to contain the question. I spat out my cider, spraying it all over the table. “What? No, what gave you that idea?” I said, chuckling nervously. She laughed loudly. “You DO!” she said confidently. I started to panic. “No, I don’t, I swear!” I shouted desperately. She started laughing, becoming a little more serious. “It’s alright, Sketch. It’s not like I’m going to tell anypony!” she said reassuringly. I sighed, and took another drink of cider. “Well, maybe not right away…” More cider sprayed onto the table. “How did you figure it out?” I asked Twilight as I wiped off the table. She grinned. “I saw the way you kept looking at Rainbow Dash at the picnic. You did make it a little obvious, but I don’t think any of the others figured it out.” She said. I nodded, and then suddenly realized what might happen. “Please don’t tell her!” I begged, “I’d die of embarrassment!” She laughed. “Don’t worry. Really, I won’t say a word to Rainbow Dash. Besides,” she said, leaning forward and dropping her voice as if someone could overhear, “I think she might like you, too.” I felt my heart explode in my chest. “Say what now?” Twilight nodded. “Yeah, don’t you remember when she did her Sonic Rainboom? She was showing off for you. I think she may have feelings similar to yours.” I digested this for a moment. It made sense the way Twilight put it. Why put on a show like that for no good reason? Then again, I couldn’t get too hopeful. After all, maybe she just wanted to make a good impression like I did. “Anyways, thank you for the cider, and thank you for having me over” she said, standing up and bowing. I nodded back, smiling. “Thanks for stopping by,” I said as she walked out the door. I closed it gently behind her, then turned back to the room and sighed. Well, I may not have gotten any writing done tonight, I thought, but now I know that Rainbow Dash might like me! I jumped into the air happily, and then quickly peeked out the window to make sure nopony saw me do that. Some (Un)Helpful AdviceI had lost track of how long I had been sitting behind my couch when I heard a knock at the door. “Yeah, come on in!” I called out, not moving from my hiding spot. I heard the sound of the front door opening, shortly followed by Twilight’s confused voice. “Um, Sketch? Where are you?” she called out. I slowly raised a hoof from my hiding place. “Why are you hiding behind your couch?” she asked, even more confused than before. “Look at the table!” I whispered urgently. There was a moment of silence, and suddenly she started laughing. “It’s just a spider! Come on out, Sketch. You don’t need to be scared.” “I’m not moving until it’s gone!” I shouted stubbornly. I heard her sigh, the sound of hooves clopping across the floor, the door opening and closing, and then her voice again. “Okay, it’s gone.” I slowly peeked my head out and looked at the table. Notebook, stack of papers, pencils… no spider. I smiled and completely emerged from my hiding spot. “Whew. I hate spiders!” I exclaimed, and saw that Twilight was glaring at me. “Heh heh… sorry.” She shook her head. “Never mind that. Today, I figured we should work on your approach for when you confess your feelings to Rainbow Dash,” she said cheerfully. I groaned. “Aw, come on, Twilight. Can’t I just let this sit inside me until it finally makes me snap and go insane? Besides, I have to work on my book,” I said, gesturing to the table. Twilight pushed me out the door. “Nope. We are going to work on this first; I’m not usually the one to say this, but books can wait!” she said as she ushered me off to Sugarcube Corner. “…So anyways, Pinkie, that’s the story,” I heard Twilight tell Pinkie Pie. I heard her squeal with delight. “Dashie has a secret admirer? Oooooh!” she said happily. “Can I come out now?” I called from inside the closet they had locked me in. I wasn't very on board with telling Pinkie about my feelings for Rainbow Dash, and my refusal to let Twilight speak led to me getting locked in a storage closet. I heard the latch turn and click, and I was released from the dark prison. “So, you want to know how to tell a girl you like her, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and suddenly getting serious. I nodded slowly, and her face lit up. “GREAT! It’s simple, really; first you’ll need to bake her a biiiiiig cake!” she said as she ran to the kitchen. “Pinkie, this is about what Rainbow Dash would want, not you! I don’t think a big cake is going to help,” Twilight called after her. Pinkie gasped and stuck her head through the doorway. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! Everypony loves cake!” she cried. Twilight shook her head. “Yes, but I don’t think that’s the way to Rainbow Dash’s heart. It sounds more like what you would want somepony to do,” she said gently. Pinkie suddenly looked dejected. I figured she was looking for an excuse to bake a cake, so I added, “Hey Pinkie, why don’t you make a cake for us all to have tomorrow instead?” I said, smiling. That got her spirits up; she bounced happily for a few seconds, and ran back into the kitchen, where I heard all sorts of strange noises. I turned to Twilight. “Well, I don’t think she’ll be much help for a while. Why don’t we stop by some other time?” I asked. She nodded, and then suddenly gasped. “We can go ask Rarity! She might know a thing or two.” I shook my head quickly, and stamped a hoof. “Oh, no! We told Pinkie already. Nopony else needs to know about this!” “…And that’s pretty much it, Rarity.” I heard Twilight conclude. I sighed, for once again, Twilight had locked me in a closet to keep me from interfering. This time, it was a fabric room at Rarity’s house. “Will you let me out?” I called from the darkness. There was a click, and the door swung open. “So, Sketch, you want to impress Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked teasingly when I walked out into the room. I nodded, just as I had when Pinkie asked. She suddenly started measuring me and mumbling things to herself. When she was satisfied, she ran over to a table and started scribbling on a large piece of paper. “Um, what are you doing?” I asked, peeking over her shoulder. She kept drawing, but replied, “Why, making you a suit, darling! You must have a decent outfit, and, no offense, but just that shirt isn't going to cut it.” “Hey, I like my white shirts!” I said defensively. They were one of my unique styles, other than my ever-messy mane. “I know, but this isn't about you, it’s about showing Rainbow Dash how handsome you are!” she said, turning back to me. Just then, Twilight cut in. “Rarity, I know you like making outfits, but I don’t think a fancy suit is going to help Sketch with Rainbow Dash. You might think a handsome pony in a nice suit would be a perfect match, but I think Rainbow needs something a little more… attitude-oriented.” “Fine, fine, say no more,” She said, then looked back at the design, “oh, but I do hate giving up on an outfit…” I smiled. “It’s okay, Rarity. I’ll tell you what: I could use some nice clothes, in case a special occasion comes along where I need to look nice. How about you keep working on that?” I asked her, causing her face to light up for a moment. “Of course I will!” she exclaimed, then trying to act bored, said “I mean, if you insist,” and then went back to work. Twilight shook her head, smiling as we exited the house. I was a little more submissive when it came to telling Fluttershy, mostly because I didn’t want to get stuck in a closet, listening to Twilight tell that story all over again. She seemed a little shy (duh), but I could tell she really wanted to help. “Oh, well, I think you should ask her to go on a walk in the forest one night,” she said quietly. I smiled a little, realizing that could be a great idea. Twilight seemed to have the same feelings about it. “That’s actually a really good idea, Fluttershy. How’d you come up with that?” she asked. Fluttershy shrugged, her pink bangs bobbing slightly. “It just came to me,” she said modestly. I smiled. “So it’s settled. I’ll just ask her if she’d like to go for a walk!” I said happily. “Hold your horses, loverboy,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes, “do you really think it’ll be that easy for you?” “NOOOOOOO!” I cried, suddenly curling up on my back and rocking back and forth. “I've never talked to a girl that I've liked before! What do I do?!” Twilight patted my shoulder gently. “Remember, we still have one stop left. We’re off to Sweet Apple Acres!” she shouted, pushing me to my feet. “Thanks, Fluttershy!” Twilight cried behind her as we ran out the door. “Oh, no problem,” she said quietly, blushing. “So, you wanna ask Rainbow to be your very special somepony?” Applejack asked, circling me out in the apple orchard. I nodded, a little more enthusiastically than when the others asked. “Well, then, let me and Twi show you how it’s done. Twilight, you be Rainbow Dash, and Ah’ll be Sketch.” She said, turning to Twilight. “Oh, uh, okay,” she said uncertainly. Applejack cleared her throat, trying to imitate my voice. “Hey there, sugarcube. How are you this evening?” “Well, I-“ Twilight started, but I cut in. “Wait, wait, wait, what? No offense, but I don’t think you’re playing me very well,” I said. “Alright, why don’t you play yerself, and I’ll play Rainbow?” she asked sweetly. “Uh…. okay?” I said, the cleared my throat. “Um, hey, Rainbow Dash, what are you up to?” “Oh, I've just been chilling out at my place. How about you?” Applejack asked in a perfectly executed Rainbow Dash voice that made me stare for a moment. She smiled sheepishly. “Anyways, I was just wondering if maybe you would like to do something together sometime, like go for a walk, or…” I trailed off, letting the question hang in the air. “Oh, that’d be awesome! When do you want to meet up?” Applejack added, keeping the convincing Rainbow Dash act up. “Uh, how about tomorrow night at sunset outside my house? We can walk from there,” I said nervously, actually starting to believe this was how it would go. “Okay, that sounds great! I’ll see you tomorrow!” Applejack cried, ran off, jumped into the air like she was trying to fly, and landed in a puddle. Twilight and I ran over to see if she was okay. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she said, laughing, “I guess I got a little too into character for a second there. Anyways, did that help you out at all?” I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, as crazy as that was, it did help a little. Thanks, Applejack,” I said. “It’s Rainbow Dash!” she said, pulling the fake voice again, and started laughing when she saw my face. “Ah’m jus teasin’. Hey, it’s getting pretty late; you two had better head home!” she said, turning toward home. “I’ll see you two later!” We said goodbye and headed back to my house, laughing about the day’s events. “Did you really have to lock me in a closet, though?” I asked Twilight. “Of course! You wouldn't stop freaking out if I hadn't!” she said, laughing. “I have to head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said, turning around. “See you tomorrow, Twilight.” I called as I went inside. I went into the living room and sat down, deciding it was time to work on Pinkie’s idea for characters. First, I drew a picture of each of them, making sure to get every detail right; I figured it might help with designing them if I had a good visual aide. Hmm, where to start? I thought, thinking of my friends one by one. Well, why not Rainbow Dash? I chuckled to myself as I started drawing. “Well, she wanted to be cool. What’s cooler than a knight?” I said, drawing a suit of armor over her body. I left the helmet off, deciding that her multicolored mane blowing in the wind would make for a good scene. I nodded, pleased with my work, and moved on to the others. After a few hours of scribbling, shading, erasing, and pondering, I finally finished my cast. Twilight, being an alicorn, would be the princess who tells Crimson Embers about the legend of the Lord of Shadows, and sends him on his quest, assisting him along the way. Fluttershy would be a gentle medicine mare, skilled in using plants and natural remedies to help her friends when they were sick and injured. Rarity became the heir to a great fortune who, although she didn’t like getting her hooves dirty, wanted to have some sort of adventure. Pinkie was an obvious choice for an acrobatic prankster, who would defeat her enemies through confusion and trickery. Applejack could fill no other role than the tough-as-nails farm girl who just wanted to make sure her family stayed safe. Last but not least, Rainbow Dash filled the spot of Crimson Ember’s closest childhood friend, who always had his back no matter what they went through. I smiled, staring at my work, and yawned. I was so tired from all the walking around and character development that I simply lied down on the couch and slept there for the night. It wasn't as comfortable as my bed, but I was too sleepy to care. Dreams and Letters“Oh man, oh man, oh man,” I said worriedly as I paced back and forth in front of the fountain in the center of Ponyville. It was nighttime, probably around seven- or eight-o’ clock. I glanced around nervously at the numerous shadows cast by the torch-lit street corners. Just then, I heard a voice behind me. “You seem a little nervous tonight,” I turned and, standing just a few feet away from me, was Rainbow Dash. Her rose-colored eyes had a humorous glint in them, and her mane seemed to shine in the surrounding light. I smiled nervously. “I was just, uh, thinking about my book,” I lied. Asking her to go for a walk with me at night may have made it a little obvious, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be open with my feelings just yet. “Well, what are we waiting for?” she said excitedly, and dashed off in the direction of the forest. I followed close behind, planning out how I would tell her how I felt about her. When we reached the forest, Rainbow smiled at me mischievously and dove into the bushes, disappearing instantly. I stared for a few moments, until she poked her head from the thicket. “Come on!” she said, laughing, and then dove back in. I shrugged, and then jumped in after her. I ran through the near-pitch-black forest, guided only by Rainbow’s laughter as she sprinted only a couple of yards ahead of me. I hope she decides to stop soon, I thought tiredly, because I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer! Just then, I entered a small clearing, perfectly illuminated by the moonlight. I looked around in wonder and confusion. What is this place? I thought awestruck. I heard a rustling off to the side, and when I turned, I saw Rainbow Dash entering the clearing, a proud smile on her face. “You like it? I found it earlier when I was flying around. Even during the day it looked like an awesome spot to hang out in,” she said as she approached. I nodded wordlessly as I continued to study the surroundings. The edge of the clearing was covered in all kinds of flowers, and slightly off-center was a small pond. I turned to Rainbow Dash once again, and saw she was right next to me, eyeing me strangely. I chuckled nervously, and she pushed me over, knocking me on my back, and pinned me to the ground. “R-Rainbow, what are you doing?” I yelled. She just smiled sweetly. “Shh, Sketch, calm down. I know how you feel about me,” she said in a seductive tone, “and I feel the same way about you.” I froze, and for a few moments my mind quickly went back and forth between She really likes me! And WHO TOLD HER?! I stopped breathing as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, bringing her muzzle close to mine, and- I bolted upright in bed when I heard a loud knock at the door. I looked around my room wildly, trying to figure out what had happened, when it hit me: It was just a dream. “AW, COME ON!” I shouted, and then jumped out of my bed, grumbling all the way to the front door. I lightened up a little when I saw it was just Pinkie Pie. The bouncy pink earth pony smiled. “I’m throwing another party over at my house! I went a little overboard on the cake, so I decided to invite you and the other girls over! And besides,” she said, leaning in close and lowing her voice in a secretive way, “you could take this as an opportunity to talk to Dashie.” I gulped. “Hey, why did you shout like that?” Pinkie asked suddenly. I sighed happily. “Oh, I was having this amazing dream,” I said happily, but stopped when I saw Pinkie eyeing me funnily. “What were you dreaming about, Sketch?” she asked teasingly. I quickly glanced behind her and said the first thing that came to my mind. “Uh… ducks. I was dreaming about ducks.” She stared at me suspiciously for a few seconds, and then started smiling again. “Okay! I’ll see you later, then!” she said happily, and then bounced away. I stared after her, and suddenly got an idea for my story. Well, maybe not an idea for my story, but something I could do related to it. I ran to the living room, grabbed a piece of paper and pencil, and started to write. Now that I finally had my story underway, I needed to send word to a publishing company for when it was finished. Dear Grey Wings Publishing, My name is Hasty Sketch. I am 16 years old, and was wondering if you would be willing to take a look at a story I am working on. I have attached the first two chapters of my story for you to read and perhaps see if you would be interested in publishing it when I am finished. I am looking forward to your feedback. Sincerely, Hasty Sketch I looked over my letter a few times, making sure I had gotten it right, put it in an envelope with a copy of my story, and then sprinted off to the mailbox to send off my letter. When I reached the box, I saw there was already a letter waiting there for me. I opened it quickly and began to read. It was from my parents! Dear Hasty Sketch, How are you, son? We’ve been settling in quite well here in Manehattan. Your mother is enjoying her job at the flower shop, and my job at the construction site is… well, it’s work. We wish you were here with us, but I know that you need space to get your writing done. But, enough of that; How are you? Is your writing coming along? Are you making friends? Make sure you let us know soon! Love you son, Dad and Mom I smiled as I read this; I could always count on my dad to check in on me. I went back into the house and wrote up another letter. Dear Mom and Dad, I’m doing pretty well out here in Ponyville. I’ve already made some friends, and I’ve gotten a good start on my story. I don’t think things could be going any better. I’m glad you guys are settling in alright, and hope to see you soon. Love, Hasty Sketch I walked back to the mailbox and deposited my two letters, now feeling better about having been awakened from my dream. “Now,” I said happily, “I have a party to attend!” Party Time!I found myself at Sugarcube Corner later that day, in a very similar situation as when I first arrived in Ponyville: sitting in the corner and glancing around nervously. I may have gotten used to the company of Twilight and her friends, but I still didn’t like huge gatherings of other ponies. Still, I came nonetheless; I didn’t want to be rude and reject Pinkie’s invitation. Besides, she had a point: as long as I didn’t wuss out, I could ask Rainbow Dash on that- I felt a bead of sweat drip down my face as I thought of the word- date. Pinkie had really gone all-out on that cake. It stood 7 layers high on a table in the center of the room. Each layer was covered in different designs, making them all unique. I was surprised Pinkie had gotten it all done in one day, and still had time to organize the party. That’s what she does best, I suppose, I thought, laughing to myself. “Hey, Sketch! How are you doing?” I turned my head and saw Twilight Sparkle, my purple alicorn buddy, walking up to me. I smiled nervously as she approached. “Oh, super duper,” I said, completely unconvincingly. Twilight frowned. “You don’t sound that great… you still worried about Rainbow?” I nodded, and she continued: “There’s no need to be nervous, Sketch. I am certain that this will work out for you. All you have to do is just walk up to her, casually strike up a conversation, and ask her if she’d like to join you on a walk” As she said this, she motioned over to my left. I glanced over and saw Rainbow Dash conversing with a few other pegasus ponies. I hadn’t even seen her before; she must have just shown up. I looked back at Twilight and smiled. “Thank you, Twilight, for all you’ve done to help me with this,” I said, holding up a hoof. She smiled back and gently bumped my hoof with hers. “Now go, you goof!” she said, smiling brightly. I nodded and walked over to Rainbow Dash, who had just finished talking to the other ponies. She grinned when she noticed my approach. “Hey, what’s up, Sketch? Great party, huh? Pinkie sure knows how to throw ‘em!” she cried. I nodded, smiling, and quickly glanced over to see white unicorn with a blue mane and huge sunglasses setting up a song. Suddenly, a heavy beat began blasting from the speakers, and a catchy dance tune began to play. Everypony started cheering, and several colored lights started sweeping the room. Over the din, I heard Rainbow laughing. “C’mon, let’s dance!” she cried, ushering me closer to the center. I followed reluctantly. When we reached the center of the room, we were joined by Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy. They all greeted me in their usual fashion, and Twilight took me aside for a moment. “We’ll keep you two somewhat separate from everypony else; that way you don’t have to be afraid of others listening in,” she said, winking. Then, she shoved me back by Rainbow Dash, who laughed when I bumped into her. “Looks like you’ve got four left hooves there, Sketch!” she shouted, and I blushed. I started stepping back and forth awkwardly in a terrible attempt to dance. I could practically hear Twilight rolling her eyes behind me, as she shouted “Oh for Pete’s sake!” I suddenly felt a strange sensation throughout my body. Just then, I started dancing! I spun around in circles, stomped to the beat, shook my head back and forth, and ran in circles with Rainbow Dash. During one of our rotations, I saw Twilight smiling, a purple glow surrounding her horn, and I realized what was happening. She’s controlling my movements! I thought excitedly. I smiled at her appreciatively, and continued to let the magic move me around. After the song was over, a quieter song took over, and Twilight let me go. “Now’s your chance!” she whispered as everypony cleared the dance floor, and nodded to the others to follow her. I turned to Rainbow Dash, who was staring at me with wide eyes. “Where did you learn to dance like that?” she asked, impressed. I smiled sheepishly. “Oh, you know… it just sort of came to me,” I lied. She gave me a suspicious look, which made me crack. “Alright, Twilight moved me around. I really have no idea how to dance.” Rainbow laughed. “Really? Twilight made you dance? I’ve seen her use her magic to do some hilarious things, but I think that tops the cake. Speaking of which,” she said, glancing at the delicious spectacle at the center of the room, “how about we grab a slice?” I nodded, and kept the conversation going as we walked over to get some cake. “So, do you have any plans next week?” I asked nonchalantly. She thought about this for a moment, and replied “Actually, not really. I was probably just going to fly around or something, but I’m not sure. Why?” This was it. I swallowed hard as I asked my question. “Well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out sometime. You know just me and you.” I started to feel my knees get shaky as I asked, but forced them to stay still. She looked somewhat surprised at my question. “You want… just the two of us to hang out?” she asked slowly. I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, if that’s alright with you.” She started blushing. “Yeah, that’d be cool,” she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. We just sat there for a few seconds, awkwardly hiding our awkwardness, when I suddenly piped up. “So, anyways, how about that cake?” I noticed then exactly how the cake was decorated: each layer was modeled after Pinkie and her friends. There was a purple layer with stars, a white layer with gemstones, an orange layer with apples, a yellow layer with butterflies, a blue layer with clouds and rainbows, and a pink layer with balloons. I smiled, realizing what each layer meant, but my mouth dropped open when I saw the very top layer of the cake. It was covered in red frosting, which was in turn covered with pencil- and paper-shaped designs. It was a layer of cake modeled after me. I turned and saw Pinkie bouncing up to us. “You like?” she asked proudly. I looked back up and nodded. “It’s… amazing, Pinkie,” I whispered. It was absolutely perfect. “I wanted to make sure I made each layer perfect for my bestest friends!” she said happily, and bounced off. I smiled and got myself and Rainbow Dash a slice of the cake. And boy was it GOOD. I walked home later that night with a spring in my step. I had never felt so happy, for tonight, I had asked a girl out on a date for the first time! Well, it wasn’t really a date, but it was close enough. And, on top of that, I found out that Rainbow Dash might actually like me! She seemed pleasantly surprised when I asked her, which really got my hopes up, but then again, she might have just been a little embarrassed due to there being so many other ponies around. Best of all, I was finally on my way to making a name for myself as a writer, and I had some of the most caring friends anypony could ever ask for. Things were finally going my way for a change. I guess it's right when it seems like that is when everything starts to go downhill. Success... at a Cost“YES!” I shouted as I retrieved the sealed envelope from my mailbox early the next morning. The sight of the return address, “Grey Wings Publishing”, instantly cured my drowsiness. I ran back inside, tore open the letter, and started to read. Dear Hasty Sketch, We have read the sample of your story, and are very interested in your writing style and story ideas. We would like to offer you a job here at Grey Wings Publishing. We will send a carriage to pick you up in a few days, and you will be staying in Manehattan for a few months until you can finish your book. We hope you will accept our invitation, and are glad you will be working for us. Sincerely, Best Seller, CEO I could hardly believe it. The head of Grey Wings publishing wanted me to write my story on-site! I leapt into the air happily, and then sprinted out of the house. I wasn’t sure who I would tell, but I figured it would be whoever I ran into first. And what would you know, that first pony was none other than the beautiful Rainbow Dash! I saw her soaring overhead gracefully, which seemed strange, as she would usually be racing around at breakneck speeds. Maybe she just wanted to enjoy her time in the sky. “RAINBOW DASH!” I called up to her. I saw her look down, and then slowly descend until she landed right in front of me. “Heya, Sketch. What’s up?” she said cheerfully. I smiled broadly, out of happiness from both Rainbow’s presence, and from the letter. “Grey Wings Publishing wants me to write for them!” I exclaimed, and her eyes widened. “What? That’s great!” she cried, and we danced around in a circle for a few moments, until we fell over laughing. “Yeah, I just got the letter today,” I said as I stood up, “They’re sending for me in the next few days, and then I’ll be staying in Manehattan for the next few months,” I said, looking off into the distance. “This is it! My dream is finally coming true!” I turned back to her, and saw a worried expression on her face that made me stop smiling. “What’s the matter?” I asked. She shook her head, and looked happy again. The tone in her voice, however, made me suspicious. “Huh? Nothing. This is great! You’ve been working on this for a while, and now it’s finally getting finished. I’m happy for you, Sketch. Really!” I nodded slowly, and suddenly got an idea. “I’d better tell Twilight! I’ll talk to you later!” I said, running off. “Ok… bye,” I heard her say quietly as I left. Why was she acting so weird? I wondered as I ran to the library. “TWILIGHT!” I shouted as I burst through the door of the library. I heard a loud crash and a groan from the other room, and went to investigate. I saw a large pile of books on the far side of the room, but no sign of Twilight Sparkle. Just then, I saw the pile shift, and her head popped out from underneath. “Come on, Sketch, I’ve been working on that stack all day!” she moaned as she climbed out from underneath the paper rubble that covered the floor. “Oh… sorry,” I said sheepishly as she started moving the books around with her magic. “But, anyways, I came to tell you that my book is finally taking off!” “What?” she asked, surprised. The books fell to the floor as she shifted her focus to me. I smiled and nodded. “I sent a letter to Grey Wings Publishing, and they said they want me to stay in Manehattan for a few months so they can keep an eye on my book’s progress!” I jumped into the air happily, but stopped my now third celebration when I saw Twilight eyeing me suspiciously. “Does Rainbow Dash know about this?” she asked slowly. “Yeah, why?” I asked, nodding. “And was she alright with this?” she continued. I nodded again. “Yeah, she said she was happy for me. Why are you asking all these questions?” Twilight looked away for a moment. “Remember when I said that Rainbow might like you? I wasn’t just teasing you or anything; I really, truly believe that Rainbow Dash may have a crush on you. But, if you are going away for a few months, she might not forgive you for that. Especially since you’ve already made plans with her. Am I right?” she asked, glaring at me. This got me angry. “Look, I’ve been working on this book for nearly a year now. This is practically my life. I am not throwing it all away now that it’s going so well!” I retorted, and stormed for the door. “I will see you later, Twilight Sparkle!” I shouted behind me, and started running home. I heard her calling my name behind me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be alone. How could she be so selfish? I thought angrily as a few raindrops fell onto my muzzle. I looked up and saw a thunderstorm forming overhead. I picked up my pace, not wanting to be angry and soaked. The next day, I heard a knock at the door. When I answered, there was a pony in a fancy suit standing at my doorstep, and a carriage parked in the street. “Hasty Sketch,” the colt began, “I am here to pick you up by request from Best Seller.” I nodded and grabbed my saddlebag, packed with my writing and drawing supplies. As the suited pony guided me to the carriage, I saw my friends not too far away, and noticed two things: Rainbow Dash was not among them, and they all looked unhappy. I frowned, and turned back to the carriage. Twilight must have told them about what happened, I thought angrily. I jumped in the carriage, and not much later we took off for Manehattan. It was a boring, quiet trip, but the whole time I was on the edge of my seat with excitement. Right after I went to Grey Wings Publishing, I had to visit my parents and give them the good news. We skidded to a halt outside the building, and I stared up in awe at the massive, 20-story building. I swallowed hard, and went inside. “Ah, Hasty Sketch, there you are!” a handsome grey colt greeted me in the lobby. He had a neatly trimmed, black mane, and I saw his cutie mark was a golden book. I smiled and nodded to him in greeting. “I’m Best Seller. It’s such a pleasure to meet you! Follow me up to my office, where we can discuss your story a little more,” he said, guiding me towards an elevator. “…and that’s pretty much what I have planned so far,” I concluded. Best Seller was staring at me with wide eyes from his desk chair. “This sounds like a great story! ‘Young colt with lonely origins sets out to save the world, and makes friends along the way’! I’ll admit, it has been done quite a few times, but something about this one seems… greater. Like it could really take off,” he said, mostly to himself. I smiled. “So, you like it?” I asked. He nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, I do. I just have a few questions. Firstly, how did you come up with this story?” he replied. I thought about this for a moment. “It just sort of came to me. I always wanted to be great, so I guess Crimson Embers is just who I want to be.” Best seller nodded thoughtfully. “That might be why it’s such a good story; you’ve put your heart and soul into it because it is your story. Tell me, how did you get the idea for Crimson’s friends?” I smiled. “I made a few friends during my stay in Ponyville. Their personalities were great inspiration.” I frowned slightly, remembering how I had reacted when Twilight disapproved my leaving. Maybe I was a little harsh, I thought sadly. Best Seller’s voice suddenly snapped me back to reality. “So, Hasty Sketch, we are going to have you stay in a hotel room not too far from here. The driver that brought you here will drop you off at the hotel, where you can get back to work. Does that sound alright?” I nodded, but then got an idea. “Actually, I was wondering if I could stop at my parents apartment first. They’ve been really supportive of me and my writing, and I can’t wait to see their faces when they hear that I’m on my way to being published.” Best Seller smiled. “But of course! Just give the driver the directions, and he’ll take you there in a flash. Ta ta, Hasty Sketch, and good luck on your writing!” he called as I rushed out the door. I knocked at the door to the apartment where my parents were staying. The door swung open, and I was suddenly embraced by my father. “Sketch!” he cried happily. “How are you, son? Your mother is at work right now, but she should be home shortly.” I smiled at him. Ponies always said we looked alike, except for our colors; wherever I was red, he was tan. His mane stayed in place a lot better than mine, too. “I’ve got great news!” I cried as we headed for the couch. My father sat in a chair and listened intently. “I’m getting published by Grey Wings Publishing!” I cried, and his eyes got huge. “What?” he asked, his voice filled with pride. “You did it?” I nodded. “Yep. All my work is paying off at last!” I said happily, but suddenly remembered what I had probably lost because of it. “What’s the matter, son?” he asked, noticing my change in mood. “Nothing, it’s just… I made some friends while I was in Ponyville, but right now they’re kind of mad at me. I took their response to my success the wrong way and flipped out. I don’t know if they’ll forgive me.” My father smiled at me comfortingly. “Son, I know what you are going through. You’re always going to expect your friends to always be happy for you and support you, but that isn't always the case. Sure, friends will cheer you on when you are striving for you goals, but true friends will always look out for what’s best for you.” I stared at him for a moment, his words really hitting home. “I don’t know, dad… I don’t want to give this up, you know? I’ve waited so long for this, and it would be a waste to throw it away now.” My father nodded. “I know how that feels, Sketch, to have to choose between what your head thinks is best and what your heart knows is best. When the time is right, you will know what you need to do,” he said as the door opened. My mother gasped and ran to hug me. “Sketch!” she cried as she squeezed me. “Kinda… need to… breath, Mom,” I gasped, and she let go quickly. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just so happy to see you! What brings you here?” she asked. I explained what had happened, without the extra discussion I had had with my father, and she was overjoyed. “My baby’s going to be famous!” she cried happily, and my father laughed. “Let’s celebrate!” he said, running to the kitchen to start up a meal. About a half an hour later, we were all sitting at the table, talking about how our new lives were going, what had happened over the past few days, and what we hoped the future held. When it got late, we said our goodbyes, and I went to the hotel where I was set to stay at. I dropped into the bed in my new room, exhausted, and looked around. It was spacious, with no walls separating the different areas, except the bathroom, of course. There were pictures of ponies and sceneries scattered about the walls, and one picture in particular caught my stare. It was a rainbow, stretching across the sky over a mountain range. On the bottom, I could see a lush, green field and a stream. I smiled at its beauty, but my heart ached, as it made me think of Rainbow Dash. I rolled over and slowly fell asleep, but not even sleep would push the guilt of what I had done out of my head. What Your Heart Knows is BestI lay in the bed of my hotel room, staring up at the ceiling. Several papers lie scattered across the floor and bedspread. It had been nearly a week since I left Ponyville, and I had never felt worse in my life. I felt like an apple core that somepony had tossed aside and left to rot. I’m so sorry, I thought sadly in the solace of my hotel room, I’m so, so sorry. I still hadn’t forgiven myself for what I had said to Twilight, and how I had been so careless about Rainbow Dash’s feelings. Just then, I heard a buzzer as the intercom went off. “Hasty Sketch, it’s Best Seller! I need you to come down to Grey Wings for a meeting with some of the other board members!” I sighed and cleared my throat, and tried to sound happy. “Be there in a sec!” I quickly threw on my shirt, gathered my things, and ran out the door. I sat at the head of the boardroom table, right next to Best Seller. “So, you all may be wondering why I’ve gathered you here. This,” he began, gesturing to me, “is Hasty Sketch, a brilliant young writer from Cloudsdale. He has an idea for a story that I think you are going to love! Take it away, Sketch!” he turned to face me, as did all the other ponies seated at the table. I stood up, feeling it would be better to stand. “Um… Hello. So, my story is about…” I began, but a slight breeze coming in through the open window distracted me, and suddenly, I was flying through the air with Rainbow Dash, on our way to that picnic… “Sketch!” Best Seller whispered loudly, snapping me back into the room. “Huh? Oh, sorry,” I said, unsure about what to think of the vision. It was so vivid, like it were actually happening right there. “Anyways, my story is about Crimson Embers, who…” I trailed off again as a pony walked past the door, music playing from a pair of speakers, and suddenly I was at the party, dancing with Rainbow Dash as Twilight looked on. I know how that feels, Sketch, to have to choose between what your head thinks is best and what your heart knows is best. When the time is right, you will know what you need to do, I heard my father’s voice echo in my head. I do know what I need to do, I thought hazily as Best Seller whispered my name, this time sounding annoyed. “Sketch! Focus!” I glanced over at him, and then to the ponies seated at the table. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but I’ve realized something: I don’t really care about getting published as much as I thought I did. Sure, I’ve spent the last year working on this book, and it has become everything to me, but in the short time I’ve stayed in Ponyville, I’ve realized that all I really want isn’t to write, it isn’t to get published, and it isn’t to have people know me for my talents,” I broke off, almost laughing at how stupid I had been to not realize this before, “All I want is for the girl I love to know how I feel about her! Now, if you excuse me,” I called as I ran for the door, with Best Seller sputtering behind me, “I have some apologies to make!” I didn’t take the elevator to the first floor. I ran down the stairs, barely tripping every other step and narrowly missing all the ponies I passed. The moment I left the building, I leapt into the air and took off into the clouds, half expecting my speed to cause something similar to the Sonic Rainboom. I landed on the balcony of my house and ran inside. I had a lot to do, but I had to prepare first. I set my bag down, took off my shirt, and jumped into the shower, singing way off-key, but I was too happy to care about how I sounded. I jumped out and brushed my teeth quickly, and was just about to run out the door when I stopped and started to turn back to the mirror. Mid-turn, my thoughts stopped me. You don’t need to do that, I told myself, interrupting my good-luck ritual. I smiled and ran for the door. “Twilight?” I said as I entered the library. She was sitting at a desk, writing on a piece of paper. A quill hovered beside her, surrounded in a veil of purple magic. I saw her horn glowed a similar color as she turned to face me. “What brings you here? I thought you were in Manehattan,” she said matter-of-factly. I looked down at my hooves. “I was,” I started, “but I guess I didn’t care about my book as much as I thought I did,” I looked up at her now, “especially if that means I lose the ones I care about the most.” She considered this for a moment. “So you admit you acted like a jerk before?” I nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah.” “And you admit that you care about us more than you do your success?” she continued. I nodded again. “No contest,” I said with certainty. Twilight smiled. “Well, I accept your apology,” she said as she quickly scribbled something onto a piece of paper, “but I’m not the only one you have to apologize to. And I think I know just the pony to start with.” The paper glided over to me and I saw what was written on it. “Is this Rainbow Dash’s address?” I asked. Twilight didn’t answer, instead continuing with her previous point. “She hasn’t been the same since you left. Whenever she goes flying, she just sort of hangs in the sky and floats, rather than her usual racing or gliding. She’s taking this whole thing pretty hard,” she said sadly. I nodded. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” I shouted as I charged for the door. “Sketch, wait!” Twilight called from behind. I turned and she wrapped me in a warm hug. “Welcome home,” she whispered, and let me go. I stared for a moment, and then started running again, leaping into the air and soaring for Cloudsdale. I reached the house Twilight had directed me to pretty easily. I stood out on the front step for a couple of minutes, unsure of what I would say. Finally, when I had planned out my speech, I knocked on the door. When it swung open, I saw Rainbow dash, just as beautiful as ever, and angry. “OW!” I said as a book she had thrown at me bounced off my head and landed next to me. “What do you think you are doing here?” she growled angrily. I gave her an apologetic look. “Rainbow Dash, please listen. I’m sorry about what happened last week. I was stupid and careless, and should have thought more about what I had.” But she wasn’t too keen on listening. She just sat there in the doorway and glared at me. “You think you can act the way you did and just be forgiven like that? That’s not the way it works with me, pal,” she said as she started to close the door. I quickly jammed my hoof into the doorway just before it slammed shut, and held back a pained scream. “Look, I know I acted like a jerk, but just give me one minute to explain myself,” I pleaded. She considered this for a moment, and finally opened the door again, giving in. “Sixty seconds. I’m waiting.” I took a deep breath as I began. “Okay, I know I was careless. I should have thought about your thoughts on the situation instead of just deciding to take off. I shouldn’t have snapped at Twilight like I did, and I already apologized to her for that. I let my dream of being a well-known writer get in the way of what’s really important to me,” I looked up at her and saw her expression had softened. Okay, time to say it while the goings good, I thought as I continued, “I know we’ve only know each other for about a week, and I know this sounds crazy, but ever since I first saw you at Pinkie’s party at my house when I first came here, you’ve been all I can think about.” I closed my eyes and swallowed hard as I went over the events of the past week. In the span of a few moments, I remembered: my surprise when I found there was a party at my house when I first arrived, Rainbow Dash crashing into me at the fountain, and then us flying to the picnic, all of my friends trying to calm me down with advice, even though some of it may not have been very helpful, and us dancing and laughing and having fun at the dance. I sighed confidently as all the panic that had built up over this inevitable moment suddenly disappeared. I opened my eyes and looked solemnly at Rainbow Dash, who looked confused and surprised. Finally, I let go. “Rainbow Dash,” I began, “I love you.”
Moving Day“Now, Mom, Dad,” I began, trying to calm my bewildered parents, “I know it’s a big decision, and you might think I’m crazy, but I’m ready for this. Besides, if I don’t, I’ll be stuck in crowded Manehattan. Do you really think that’s going to help my work?” It seemed as if my efforts to convince them were working, but they still resisted. “Are you sure? You've never been away from us for very long… I just don’t think you’re ready to live on your own, Hasty Sketch.” My mother said slowly. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I knew they wouldn't understand. I had been planning to get my own place for a while now, but I could never find the opportunity to bring up the subject. Now that my parents had gotten job offers in Manehattan and wanted to move away from Cloudsdale, I figured it was now or never. I didn't want to live in a crowded city; I wanted to be able to see nature, and live in a small, quiet town where I might be able to work on my book. “Well, I don’t know about that, dear,” my father interrupted, “I think it could be good for him to get his own place. It might help him to grow a little, maybe make some friends. He never really got along with the pegusi up here in Cloudsdale. Maybe getting a house in Ponyville is just what he needs.” He said, winking at me. I could always count on him to back me up when it came to these kinds of things. He always seemed to have faith in me and my abilities. “Well… Okay. I suppose if it’s for the best, then I can’t really argue.” My mother said, finally giving in. “You’ll keep in touch with us, won’t you?” she asked sadly. “Of course,” I said gently, looking at both of them and smiling, “why wouldn't I?” She sniffed a little, trying not to cry. I knew this would be tough for them; they had spent the last 16 years raising me, and now I was finally leaving. Then, she shook her head and smiled. “You had better go straighten yourself up. You want to make a good impression when you arrive!” I nodded and ran off to the bathroom. After showering and drying myself off, I looked in the mirror to see a crimson pegasus; me. I messed with my red, black-streaked mane a little, trying to make it look good, but it just fell down wherever it felt like. I never could get it to stay straight. I stared into my reflection’s bright blue eyes for a moment, telling myself everything was going to work out. I glanced at my cutie mark, a pencil that represented my creativity and love of writing and drawing, and then I exited the bathroom. I ran to my old room, threw on a white shirt, and fastened a watch to my wrist. I turned to my bed, where I had the things I wanted to bring with packed away in a saddlebag. The walls of my room looked so strange without my numerous drawings covering the walls. I sighed, threw on the saddlebag, and walked to the front door, where my parents were waiting. “We’ll send word as soon as we've settled in. You take care of yourself, okay?” my father told me, his voice filled with pride at his son’s decision. I nodded quickly and smiled. “Of course I will, Dad. Good luck in Manehattan, and have fun at your new jobs!” I called as I ran out the door. When I reached the edge of the yard, I stopped, turned back for a final glance at my childhood home, and then took to the skies. After a few minutes, I saw a small town below me: Ponyville, my destination. I slowly descended, filled with excitement and fear. Who would I meet? What would everypony think of me and my work? I swallowed my fear and landed at the edge of town, then began to walk to where my new home was located. It was a pretty modest house, but I was happy with it. It was painted a dark green and had a second story with a balcony, perfectly placed for gazing off into the horizon when I wanted to think. I smiled, hardly able to believe that I was finally following my dream. I could hardly wait to get my things put away so I could work on my book. I had the idea for this story a few months ago, which was strange, because most of my stores are just short, one-page tales, but this could be something so much more. It was a story about Crimson Embers, a young alicorn who had to save the world from an ancient evil. It was coming along slowly, but surely. I pushed open the door to find the house in total darkness. I reached over to grab the light switch, just as somepony else beat me to it. “SURPRISE!” several voices shouted as the light turned on. I jumped back a few feet and screamed in surprise. I looked around and saw several smiling ponies all around me, and a table in the center of the room with a big cake and several other treats. I smiled slightly and said hi to everypony. A pink pony with a poofy pink mane ran up to me, a huge smile on her face. “HI! I’m Pinkie Pie. Sorry we scared you, it’s just I heard there was a new pony moving here and I just HAD to throw them a party!” she said quickly. I chuckled. “That’s alright, I just wasn’t expecting to get a welcoming party as soon as I got here.” She nodded and bounced away, probably to see how everpony else was enjoying the party. As I walked over to the table, A few ponies broke from the crowd to talk to me. There were four of them: an earth pony, a pegasus, a unicorn, and an ALICORN! I never thought I would meet a real alicorn, but hey, I never thought I’d be getting my own place anytime soon. “Hello. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. You must be Hasty Sketch!” the alicorn said cheerfully. I nodded shyly. “We just wanted to personally say, welcome to Ponyville!” she said, gesturing to her companions. Her pelt was a light shade of purple, like lavender, and her mane was a dark violet with a pink streak in the middle. She turned to her friends and introduced them one by one. First was the earth pony, who I learned was named Applejack. She was a sunny orange color, with a blonde mane tied in a ponytail. A large cowboy hat sat on her head, and she spoke in a country-style accent. “Nice to meet yah, sugarcube.” She said, sizing me up. I hoped my mane didn’t look too bad as she did. Next I was introduced to Fluttershy, the Pegasus. She seemed a little scared at once, but greeted me gently. “Um… h-hi.” She was a pastel yellow with a long pink mane that covered part of her face. She kept her eyes low to the ground, and I chuckled to myself, agreeing with her name. “Pleasure to meet you, darling.” Said the unicorn, who Twilight introduced as Rarity. She was white with a carefully groomed purple mane, and wore an over-the-top dress. Twilight asked her why she needed to wear something so fancy, to which Rarity responded, “What do you mean? This is one of my casual dresses.” Twilight rolled her eyes when she heard this. “Wait, there should be one more of us; where in Equestria is Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked her friends, who looked around and shrugged. Her question was answered when I heard the door slam open, and an out-of-breath voice called “I’m not too late, am I?!” I spun around and froze. Standing in the doorway was a light blue pegasus with a multi-colored mane, like a rainbow. She was beautiful. I could hardly breath as she came over by her friends. “Rainbow Dash, this is Hasty Sketch, the pony who just moved here. Hasty Sketch, this is my friend Rainbow Dash, who really needs to work on getting places on time!” Twilight Sparkle said, glaring at the new arrival. “Sorry, Twi; I got so caught up in my flying that I forgot when the party was. At least I didn't miss it completely!” Rainbow Dash told her friend. Then she turned to me. “Nice to meetcha!” she held out a hoof, probably expecting me to pound it, but I couldn't move. I just sat there, staring at her with wide eyes. After a few moments, she chuckled nervously, and then whispered to Twilight, “Did I break him or something?” I snapped back into reality. “No, I’m fine, sorry about that.” I said nervously. I returned the hoof, and quickly excused myself. I ran over to a corner and hit myself in the face. That was stupid! I shouted at myself in my head. You made a complete fool of yourself! I reached over to a nearby table and grabbed a cup of punch and looked around nervously. This was going to be a long party. Later that night, long after the party ended, I sat in my new chair, reflecting on the day. I had spent the rest of the evening avoiding the ponies I had met, out of fear of making a bigger fool of myself. I sighed happily as I pictured that beautiful pegasus, Rainbow Dash. I had never seen a pony, pegasus, or unicorn as beautiful as her. And it wasn't just her looks, either; I just got this… feeling when I looked at her. I shook my head, clearing my head of my silly dreams, grabbed a pen and piece of paper, and started to draw. I drew Crimson Embers, the main character from my story. I always liked to put myself in his place. He was calm, collected, and cool; I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck that froze when he saw a cute girl or a spider. I heard a knock at my door, and was shocked when I saw it was Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, hello there, Twilight.” I said as I opened the door. “Hello, Sketch. I was wondering if you wanted to joint me and my friends tomorrow for a picnic. Since you just moved here, I kind of figured you might want to make some new friends.” I smiled gratefully. “I’d like that very much. Thank you.” She nodded quickly. “I’ll be sure to let everyone know. We’ll meet in the center of town. Goodnight, Sketch!” she called as she ran off. I closed the door and looked at my watch, noticing it was pretty late. I sighed and went upstairs to my new room, hoping that I wouldn’t mess up tomorrow.
A Day at the ParkThe sky was black as night, but Crimson Embers knew it was the middle of the day. This could only mean one thing: The Lord of Shadows had been awakened. He felt a chilled wind blow through his mane as he looked off into the distance and saw a massive, black castle rise from the ground, as if trying to split the sky. He stared in terror as a plume of smoke seeped out of the ground and swirled around him, preventing any escape. Suddenly, a shape stepped forward from the haze: a powerful, black colt with a massive, swept-back mane and a curved horn. It stretched out long, bat-like wings, and sighed deeply. Then, it opened its blood-red eyes, smiled wickedly, and spoke. “So, this is the last remaining member of the Heroes of Equestria. A mere child is all that stands between me and what is rightfully mine. What makes you think that you can defeat me?” Crimson Embers stared at him a moment, unsure of what to say. How did he have any chance of winning? “Nope.” I said sadly, crumpling up the paper and tossing it into an already overflowing garbage can. I had spent all morning trying to write a first chapter for my book, but I couldn’t think of anything that would sound right. That had always been one of my big issues: I was really good at coming up with the main plot of a story, but I could never figure out how to start it. Wait a minute, I thought, breaking from my thoughts, aren’t I forgetting something? I glanced at my watch and gasped in terror at the time. “Oh, no, I’m gonna be late!” I jumped off the couch and ran to the bathroom to shower. I really wanted to make a good impression today, especially to that beautiful pegasus, Rainbow Dash. I went through the same routine I had gone through the previous morning, right down to the final glance at my cutie mark as I ran out the door. I don’t know why, but doing that seemed to give me a little courage. I stepped out onto the front porch and looked around. It seemed to be a pretty quiet day; I saw a couple ponies walking down the street here and there, but not much else. I took a deep breath and started walking toward the fountain at the center of town. As I did, I tried to plan out what I would talk about when I got there. I had brought along some pencils and paper, so maybe I could talk about my work, or maybe draw something for them? But, on the other hand, I didn’t want to be a show off. As I approached the fountain, I saw no sign of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. I sighed heavily, realizing I was, as I had feared, late. I was just about to turn around and go back home, when I heard a panicked voice calling out. “WATCH OUT!” I had exactly one second to look up and see Rainbow Dash flying right at me at immeasurable speeds. The next thing I knew, I was knocked into the air, just about to fall into the fountain. I quickly threw off my bag, hoping it wouldn’t land right in the fountain and ruin the papers. I jumped up in the water, thrashing and spitting, and looked around wildly. As I swam over to the edge of the fountain I saw two things: one, my bag had, in fact, completely missed the fountain, and two, Rainbow Dash looked incredibly embarrassed. As I jumped down from the edge, she ran over apologizing quickly. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I kinda lost control back there and…” she shook her head suddenly, “Never mind that. Are you okay?” I nodded, trying not to freak out like I did at the party. “Yeah, I’m alright. At least my bag didn’t land in the fountain.” I walked over to the bag and put it back on as she eyed it curiously. “Whatcha got in there, Sketch?” she asked. I froze suddenly. “Oh, uh, just some paper and pencils. I’m, uh, I’m a bit of an artist-slash-writer.” I said nervously. She looked interested by this. “A writer, huh? What do you write?” I started to freeze up, but I caught hold of myself. “Oh, nothing much… So far I’ve only written short stories, but I’ve started working on an actual adventure book.” Then I remembered why I had gone there in the first place. “Hey, aren’t we late for that picnic?” She widened her eyes. “Oh, yeah, I forgot! So, Twilight invited you to that, huh?” I nodded. “Yeah, just last night. She said since I just moved here, it would be good to make some friends.” “Well,” she said slowly, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “you know what I always do with new Pegasus friends?” I swallowed hard. “W-what?” “RACE!” she shouted, suddenly jumping into the air and taking off. I sat there for a moment, unsure of what just happened, and then when the realization hit me, I followed in a similar fashion. I scanned the sky for her, and saw her flying directly above me. I took the opportunity to try and surprise her, but she saw me just in time and suddenly dove straight down. I watched as she descended, faster and faster, and was just about to call out when, just as she was no more than a few feet off the ground, she immediately turned upwards, the sudden change in direction creating a massive rainbow-colored shockwave that knocked me back and scattered clouds for miles. I flipped around in the air for a few seconds, but quickly regained my balance. I looked around for a while, and eventually saw her running through a field towards her friends. I landed not too far away from them and approached breathlessly. “What… was that?” I asked breathlessly. Rainbow Dash smiled proudly. “Impressed, huh? That’s my Sonic Rainboom; it’s my personal trick. Nopony else can do it!” she boasted. “Sorry I almost knocked you out of the sky back there, pal.” She added. I smiled. “That’s alright. You just kind of surprised me is all.” She smiled back, and then turned to her friends, motioning for me to get closer to the group. “Well, looks like you both made it! I can already see you have something in common with Dashie, Sketch.” Pinkie Pie teased. I tried to hide my embarrassment, but I don’t think I did that great of a job. “So, Sketch, what have you got in there?” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at my bag. I slid it off my shoulder and let the contents fall onto the grass: several sheets of paper, some of them with drawings, and some assorted pencils and pens. They all stared in awe. “Wow, these sure are something!” Applejack exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement, and I beamed with pride. “Hey, who’s this guy?” Twilight asked, looking at a drawing of Crimson Embers. “Ah! That’s Crimson Embers, a character from the book I’m writing.” I replied. They all widened their eyes. “You’re writing a book?” they all asked at once. Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, he mentioned that on the way here. Hey, why don’t you tell us about it, Sketch?” she asked, looking over at me. I squirmed a little. “I don’t know, it might sound a little ridiculous…” I said slowly, but they urged me to go on. After a little more begging, I finally gave in. “Alright, I guess I can give you a bit of a summary.” I said. I cleared my throat and began: “Long ago, there was a league of ponies known as ‘The Heroes of Equestria’. They were incredibly powerful, and swore to uphold peace and prosperity, and protect the ponies of the land. But, one of their comrades had other plans: he wanted all the power for himself, and complete command of Equestria and its inhabitants. He searched for an ancient crystal that was said to hold dark power, and when he found it, he became something… else. “The heroes shed few tears for their fallen brother, and acted with haste. They banded together to fight the dark pony, who had dubbed himself The Lord of Shadows, in an epic battle. Few of them survived the ordeal, and those that did came up with a plan: they imprisoned the Lord of Shadows in a magical prison, never to be released. “But, there was one problem: the bond the Heroes shared wasn’t strong enough, for the Lord’s betrayal had damaged the trust the heroes had for each other, and so he was only imprisoned temporarily.” I jumped onto a rock as I continued: “Ah, but not all hope was lost, for many years later, when the Lord of Shadows was awakened, there was one who could stand against him: Crimson Embers, last descendant of the Heroes of Equestria!” I shouted triumphantly. I looked down and saw the ponies were all staring at me strangely. I smiled, embarrassed, until Rainbow Dash spoke up. “That… was… AWESOME!” She exclaimed, jumping in the air. “When you finish it, you have to let us read it!” The others murmured in agreement. I smiled again, but it was back to the pride smile. “Yeah, that would be great, if I could finish it. I’ve been suffering from writers block lately, and haven’t been able to come up with anything that will fit in well with what I have planned. That’s why I moved here, so I could focus on my story, and maybe get a little inspiration.” Pinkie Pie jumped in the air excitedly. “You should make some characters based on us!” she shouted ecstatically. Again, the others murmured in agreement. “There should be a smart one,” Twilight said. “Don’t forget an awesome one!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Um… a kind one would be nice, if you don’t mind,” Fluttershy murmured quietly. “There absolutely must be a fabulous and sophisticated one,” Rarity said proudly. “And a strong one, I reckon,” Applejack added. “And a pink one!” Pinkie Pie shouted happily. I thought about it for a moment. “That isn’t that bad of an idea, actually. After all, Crimson Embers needs some friends to help him out and motivate him, doesn’t he?” I said, looking at each of them, ideas already starting to form in my head. They all smiled broadly, nodding vigorously. “But, before you do that, we have a picnic to start!” Twilight said, interrupting the flow of ideas. I looked over and saw a blanket set down with a basket placed neatly in the center. We all gathered around it as Twilight handed out sandwiches, and we all laughed and joked and played games all afternoon. Every once in a while, I would glance over at Rainbow Dash, and it looked like she was having the most fun out of everypony. I smiled to myself. I knew they probably did this at every picnic, but I couldn’t help but think that it was partly because of me. Later that evening, after I had settled down on the couch to resume my writing, I heard a knock at my door. I got up, upset that I had been disturbed just as I was getting started, but calmed down when I saw it was just Twilight, I calmed down a little. “Oh, hello again, Twilight.” She was smiling broadly, like she knew a secret. “Hello, Sketch. May I come in for a bit?” I glanced at my watch; it wasn’t too late, so I nodded. “Yeah, come on in.” I got some cups of cider and brought them into the living room, where Twilight had already sat down in one of the chairs. I took the couch and started the conversation. “So, what brings you by?” I asked casually. “Oh nothing,” she said innocently, “There was just something I wanted to ask you,” “Um, okay, shoot,” I said, not knowing what to expect as I took a sip of cider. “DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON RAINBOW DASH?!” she burst out, barely able to contain the question. I spat out my cider, spraying it all over the table. “What? No, what gave you that idea?” I said, chuckling nervously. She laughed loudly. “You DO!” she said confidently. I started to panic. “No, I don’t, I swear!” I shouted desperately. She started laughing, becoming a little more serious. “It’s alright, Sketch. It’s not like I’m going to tell anypony!” she said reassuringly. I sighed, and took another drink of cider. “Well, maybe not right away…” More cider sprayed onto the table. “How did you figure it out?” I asked Twilight as I wiped off the table. She grinned. “I saw the way you kept looking at Rainbow Dash at the picnic. You did make it a little obvious, but I don’t think any of the others figured it out.” She said. I nodded, and then suddenly realized what might happen. “Please don’t tell her!” I begged, “I’d die of embarrassment!” She laughed. “Don’t worry. Really, I won’t say a word to Rainbow Dash. Besides,” she said, leaning forward and dropping her voice as if someone could overhear, “I think she might like you, too.” I felt my heart explode in my chest. “Say what now?” Twilight nodded. “Yeah, don’t you remember when she did her Sonic Rainboom? She was showing off for you. I think she may have feelings similar to yours.” I digested this for a moment. It made sense the way Twilight put it. Why put on a show like that for no good reason? Then again, I couldn’t get too hopeful. After all, maybe she just wanted to make a good impression like I did. “Anyways, thank you for the cider, and thank you for having me over” she said, standing up and bowing. I nodded back, smiling. “Thanks for stopping by,” I said as she walked out the door. I closed it gently behind her, then turned back to the room and sighed. Well, I may not have gotten any writing done tonight, I thought, but now I know that Rainbow Dash might like me! I jumped into the air happily, and then quickly peeked out the window to make sure nopony saw me do that.
Some (Un)Helpful AdviceI had lost track of how long I had been sitting behind my couch when I heard a knock at the door. “Yeah, come on in!” I called out, not moving from my hiding spot. I heard the sound of the front door opening, shortly followed by Twilight’s confused voice. “Um, Sketch? Where are you?” she called out. I slowly raised a hoof from my hiding place. “Why are you hiding behind your couch?” she asked, even more confused than before. “Look at the table!” I whispered urgently. There was a moment of silence, and suddenly she started laughing. “It’s just a spider! Come on out, Sketch. You don’t need to be scared.” “I’m not moving until it’s gone!” I shouted stubbornly. I heard her sigh, the sound of hooves clopping across the floor, the door opening and closing, and then her voice again. “Okay, it’s gone.” I slowly peeked my head out and looked at the table. Notebook, stack of papers, pencils… no spider. I smiled and completely emerged from my hiding spot. “Whew. I hate spiders!” I exclaimed, and saw that Twilight was glaring at me. “Heh heh… sorry.” She shook her head. “Never mind that. Today, I figured we should work on your approach for when you confess your feelings to Rainbow Dash,” she said cheerfully. I groaned. “Aw, come on, Twilight. Can’t I just let this sit inside me until it finally makes me snap and go insane? Besides, I have to work on my book,” I said, gesturing to the table. Twilight pushed me out the door. “Nope. We are going to work on this first; I’m not usually the one to say this, but books can wait!” she said as she ushered me off to Sugarcube Corner. “…So anyways, Pinkie, that’s the story,” I heard Twilight tell Pinkie Pie. I heard her squeal with delight. “Dashie has a secret admirer? Oooooh!” she said happily. “Can I come out now?” I called from inside the closet they had locked me in. I wasn't very on board with telling Pinkie about my feelings for Rainbow Dash, and my refusal to let Twilight speak led to me getting locked in a storage closet. I heard the latch turn and click, and I was released from the dark prison. “So, you want to know how to tell a girl you like her, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and suddenly getting serious. I nodded slowly, and her face lit up. “GREAT! It’s simple, really; first you’ll need to bake her a biiiiiig cake!” she said as she ran to the kitchen. “Pinkie, this is about what Rainbow Dash would want, not you! I don’t think a big cake is going to help,” Twilight called after her. Pinkie gasped and stuck her head through the doorway. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! Everypony loves cake!” she cried. Twilight shook her head. “Yes, but I don’t think that’s the way to Rainbow Dash’s heart. It sounds more like what you would want somepony to do,” she said gently. Pinkie suddenly looked dejected. I figured she was looking for an excuse to bake a cake, so I added, “Hey Pinkie, why don’t you make a cake for us all to have tomorrow instead?” I said, smiling. That got her spirits up; she bounced happily for a few seconds, and ran back into the kitchen, where I heard all sorts of strange noises. I turned to Twilight. “Well, I don’t think she’ll be much help for a while. Why don’t we stop by some other time?” I asked. She nodded, and then suddenly gasped. “We can go ask Rarity! She might know a thing or two.” I shook my head quickly, and stamped a hoof. “Oh, no! We told Pinkie already. Nopony else needs to know about this!” “…And that’s pretty much it, Rarity.” I heard Twilight conclude. I sighed, for once again, Twilight had locked me in a closet to keep me from interfering. This time, it was a fabric room at Rarity’s house. “Will you let me out?” I called from the darkness. There was a click, and the door swung open. “So, Sketch, you want to impress Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked teasingly when I walked out into the room. I nodded, just as I had when Pinkie asked. She suddenly started measuring me and mumbling things to herself. When she was satisfied, she ran over to a table and started scribbling on a large piece of paper. “Um, what are you doing?” I asked, peeking over her shoulder. She kept drawing, but replied, “Why, making you a suit, darling! You must have a decent outfit, and, no offense, but just that shirt isn't going to cut it.” “Hey, I like my white shirts!” I said defensively. They were one of my unique styles, other than my ever-messy mane. “I know, but this isn't about you, it’s about showing Rainbow Dash how handsome you are!” she said, turning back to me. Just then, Twilight cut in. “Rarity, I know you like making outfits, but I don’t think a fancy suit is going to help Sketch with Rainbow Dash. You might think a handsome pony in a nice suit would be a perfect match, but I think Rainbow needs something a little more… attitude-oriented.” “Fine, fine, say no more,” She said, then looked back at the design, “oh, but I do hate giving up on an outfit…” I smiled. “It’s okay, Rarity. I’ll tell you what: I could use some nice clothes, in case a special occasion comes along where I need to look nice. How about you keep working on that?” I asked her, causing her face to light up for a moment. “Of course I will!” she exclaimed, then trying to act bored, said “I mean, if you insist,” and then went back to work. Twilight shook her head, smiling as we exited the house. I was a little more submissive when it came to telling Fluttershy, mostly because I didn’t want to get stuck in a closet, listening to Twilight tell that story all over again. She seemed a little shy (duh), but I could tell she really wanted to help. “Oh, well, I think you should ask her to go on a walk in the forest one night,” she said quietly. I smiled a little, realizing that could be a great idea. Twilight seemed to have the same feelings about it. “That’s actually a really good idea, Fluttershy. How’d you come up with that?” she asked. Fluttershy shrugged, her pink bangs bobbing slightly. “It just came to me,” she said modestly. I smiled. “So it’s settled. I’ll just ask her if she’d like to go for a walk!” I said happily. “Hold your horses, loverboy,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes, “do you really think it’ll be that easy for you?” “NOOOOOOO!” I cried, suddenly curling up on my back and rocking back and forth. “I've never talked to a girl that I've liked before! What do I do?!” Twilight patted my shoulder gently. “Remember, we still have one stop left. We’re off to Sweet Apple Acres!” she shouted, pushing me to my feet. “Thanks, Fluttershy!” Twilight cried behind her as we ran out the door. “Oh, no problem,” she said quietly, blushing. “So, you wanna ask Rainbow to be your very special somepony?” Applejack asked, circling me out in the apple orchard. I nodded, a little more enthusiastically than when the others asked. “Well, then, let me and Twi show you how it’s done. Twilight, you be Rainbow Dash, and Ah’ll be Sketch.” She said, turning to Twilight. “Oh, uh, okay,” she said uncertainly. Applejack cleared her throat, trying to imitate my voice. “Hey there, sugarcube. How are you this evening?” “Well, I-“ Twilight started, but I cut in. “Wait, wait, wait, what? No offense, but I don’t think you’re playing me very well,” I said. “Alright, why don’t you play yerself, and I’ll play Rainbow?” she asked sweetly. “Uh…. okay?” I said, the cleared my throat. “Um, hey, Rainbow Dash, what are you up to?” “Oh, I've just been chilling out at my place. How about you?” Applejack asked in a perfectly executed Rainbow Dash voice that made me stare for a moment. She smiled sheepishly. “Anyways, I was just wondering if maybe you would like to do something together sometime, like go for a walk, or…” I trailed off, letting the question hang in the air. “Oh, that’d be awesome! When do you want to meet up?” Applejack added, keeping the convincing Rainbow Dash act up. “Uh, how about tomorrow night at sunset outside my house? We can walk from there,” I said nervously, actually starting to believe this was how it would go. “Okay, that sounds great! I’ll see you tomorrow!” Applejack cried, ran off, jumped into the air like she was trying to fly, and landed in a puddle. Twilight and I ran over to see if she was okay. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she said, laughing, “I guess I got a little too into character for a second there. Anyways, did that help you out at all?” I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, as crazy as that was, it did help a little. Thanks, Applejack,” I said. “It’s Rainbow Dash!” she said, pulling the fake voice again, and started laughing when she saw my face. “Ah’m jus teasin’. Hey, it’s getting pretty late; you two had better head home!” she said, turning toward home. “I’ll see you two later!” We said goodbye and headed back to my house, laughing about the day’s events. “Did you really have to lock me in a closet, though?” I asked Twilight. “Of course! You wouldn't stop freaking out if I hadn't!” she said, laughing. “I have to head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said, turning around. “See you tomorrow, Twilight.” I called as I went inside. I went into the living room and sat down, deciding it was time to work on Pinkie’s idea for characters. First, I drew a picture of each of them, making sure to get every detail right; I figured it might help with designing them if I had a good visual aide. Hmm, where to start? I thought, thinking of my friends one by one. Well, why not Rainbow Dash? I chuckled to myself as I started drawing. “Well, she wanted to be cool. What’s cooler than a knight?” I said, drawing a suit of armor over her body. I left the helmet off, deciding that her multicolored mane blowing in the wind would make for a good scene. I nodded, pleased with my work, and moved on to the others. After a few hours of scribbling, shading, erasing, and pondering, I finally finished my cast. Twilight, being an alicorn, would be the princess who tells Crimson Embers about the legend of the Lord of Shadows, and sends him on his quest, assisting him along the way. Fluttershy would be a gentle medicine mare, skilled in using plants and natural remedies to help her friends when they were sick and injured. Rarity became the heir to a great fortune who, although she didn’t like getting her hooves dirty, wanted to have some sort of adventure. Pinkie was an obvious choice for an acrobatic prankster, who would defeat her enemies through confusion and trickery. Applejack could fill no other role than the tough-as-nails farm girl who just wanted to make sure her family stayed safe. Last but not least, Rainbow Dash filled the spot of Crimson Ember’s closest childhood friend, who always had his back no matter what they went through. I smiled, staring at my work, and yawned. I was so tired from all the walking around and character development that I simply lied down on the couch and slept there for the night. It wasn't as comfortable as my bed, but I was too sleepy to care.
Dreams and Letters“Oh man, oh man, oh man,” I said worriedly as I paced back and forth in front of the fountain in the center of Ponyville. It was nighttime, probably around seven- or eight-o’ clock. I glanced around nervously at the numerous shadows cast by the torch-lit street corners. Just then, I heard a voice behind me. “You seem a little nervous tonight,” I turned and, standing just a few feet away from me, was Rainbow Dash. Her rose-colored eyes had a humorous glint in them, and her mane seemed to shine in the surrounding light. I smiled nervously. “I was just, uh, thinking about my book,” I lied. Asking her to go for a walk with me at night may have made it a little obvious, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be open with my feelings just yet. “Well, what are we waiting for?” she said excitedly, and dashed off in the direction of the forest. I followed close behind, planning out how I would tell her how I felt about her. When we reached the forest, Rainbow smiled at me mischievously and dove into the bushes, disappearing instantly. I stared for a few moments, until she poked her head from the thicket. “Come on!” she said, laughing, and then dove back in. I shrugged, and then jumped in after her. I ran through the near-pitch-black forest, guided only by Rainbow’s laughter as she sprinted only a couple of yards ahead of me. I hope she decides to stop soon, I thought tiredly, because I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer! Just then, I entered a small clearing, perfectly illuminated by the moonlight. I looked around in wonder and confusion. What is this place? I thought awestruck. I heard a rustling off to the side, and when I turned, I saw Rainbow Dash entering the clearing, a proud smile on her face. “You like it? I found it earlier when I was flying around. Even during the day it looked like an awesome spot to hang out in,” she said as she approached. I nodded wordlessly as I continued to study the surroundings. The edge of the clearing was covered in all kinds of flowers, and slightly off-center was a small pond. I turned to Rainbow Dash once again, and saw she was right next to me, eyeing me strangely. I chuckled nervously, and she pushed me over, knocking me on my back, and pinned me to the ground. “R-Rainbow, what are you doing?” I yelled. She just smiled sweetly. “Shh, Sketch, calm down. I know how you feel about me,” she said in a seductive tone, “and I feel the same way about you.” I froze, and for a few moments my mind quickly went back and forth between She really likes me! And WHO TOLD HER?! I stopped breathing as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, bringing her muzzle close to mine, and- I bolted upright in bed when I heard a loud knock at the door. I looked around my room wildly, trying to figure out what had happened, when it hit me: It was just a dream. “AW, COME ON!” I shouted, and then jumped out of my bed, grumbling all the way to the front door. I lightened up a little when I saw it was just Pinkie Pie. The bouncy pink earth pony smiled. “I’m throwing another party over at my house! I went a little overboard on the cake, so I decided to invite you and the other girls over! And besides,” she said, leaning in close and lowing her voice in a secretive way, “you could take this as an opportunity to talk to Dashie.” I gulped. “Hey, why did you shout like that?” Pinkie asked suddenly. I sighed happily. “Oh, I was having this amazing dream,” I said happily, but stopped when I saw Pinkie eyeing me funnily. “What were you dreaming about, Sketch?” she asked teasingly. I quickly glanced behind her and said the first thing that came to my mind. “Uh… ducks. I was dreaming about ducks.” She stared at me suspiciously for a few seconds, and then started smiling again. “Okay! I’ll see you later, then!” she said happily, and then bounced away. I stared after her, and suddenly got an idea for my story. Well, maybe not an idea for my story, but something I could do related to it. I ran to the living room, grabbed a piece of paper and pencil, and started to write. Now that I finally had my story underway, I needed to send word to a publishing company for when it was finished. Dear Grey Wings Publishing, My name is Hasty Sketch. I am 16 years old, and was wondering if you would be willing to take a look at a story I am working on. I have attached the first two chapters of my story for you to read and perhaps see if you would be interested in publishing it when I am finished. I am looking forward to your feedback. Sincerely, Hasty Sketch I looked over my letter a few times, making sure I had gotten it right, put it in an envelope with a copy of my story, and then sprinted off to the mailbox to send off my letter. When I reached the box, I saw there was already a letter waiting there for me. I opened it quickly and began to read. It was from my parents! Dear Hasty Sketch, How are you, son? We’ve been settling in quite well here in Manehattan. Your mother is enjoying her job at the flower shop, and my job at the construction site is… well, it’s work. We wish you were here with us, but I know that you need space to get your writing done. But, enough of that; How are you? Is your writing coming along? Are you making friends? Make sure you let us know soon! Love you son, Dad and Mom I smiled as I read this; I could always count on my dad to check in on me. I went back into the house and wrote up another letter. Dear Mom and Dad, I’m doing pretty well out here in Ponyville. I’ve already made some friends, and I’ve gotten a good start on my story. I don’t think things could be going any better. I’m glad you guys are settling in alright, and hope to see you soon. Love, Hasty Sketch I walked back to the mailbox and deposited my two letters, now feeling better about having been awakened from my dream. “Now,” I said happily, “I have a party to attend!”
Party Time!I found myself at Sugarcube Corner later that day, in a very similar situation as when I first arrived in Ponyville: sitting in the corner and glancing around nervously. I may have gotten used to the company of Twilight and her friends, but I still didn’t like huge gatherings of other ponies. Still, I came nonetheless; I didn’t want to be rude and reject Pinkie’s invitation. Besides, she had a point: as long as I didn’t wuss out, I could ask Rainbow Dash on that- I felt a bead of sweat drip down my face as I thought of the word- date. Pinkie had really gone all-out on that cake. It stood 7 layers high on a table in the center of the room. Each layer was covered in different designs, making them all unique. I was surprised Pinkie had gotten it all done in one day, and still had time to organize the party. That’s what she does best, I suppose, I thought, laughing to myself. “Hey, Sketch! How are you doing?” I turned my head and saw Twilight Sparkle, my purple alicorn buddy, walking up to me. I smiled nervously as she approached. “Oh, super duper,” I said, completely unconvincingly. Twilight frowned. “You don’t sound that great… you still worried about Rainbow?” I nodded, and she continued: “There’s no need to be nervous, Sketch. I am certain that this will work out for you. All you have to do is just walk up to her, casually strike up a conversation, and ask her if she’d like to join you on a walk” As she said this, she motioned over to my left. I glanced over and saw Rainbow Dash conversing with a few other pegasus ponies. I hadn’t even seen her before; she must have just shown up. I looked back at Twilight and smiled. “Thank you, Twilight, for all you’ve done to help me with this,” I said, holding up a hoof. She smiled back and gently bumped my hoof with hers. “Now go, you goof!” she said, smiling brightly. I nodded and walked over to Rainbow Dash, who had just finished talking to the other ponies. She grinned when she noticed my approach. “Hey, what’s up, Sketch? Great party, huh? Pinkie sure knows how to throw ‘em!” she cried. I nodded, smiling, and quickly glanced over to see white unicorn with a blue mane and huge sunglasses setting up a song. Suddenly, a heavy beat began blasting from the speakers, and a catchy dance tune began to play. Everypony started cheering, and several colored lights started sweeping the room. Over the din, I heard Rainbow laughing. “C’mon, let’s dance!” she cried, ushering me closer to the center. I followed reluctantly. When we reached the center of the room, we were joined by Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy. They all greeted me in their usual fashion, and Twilight took me aside for a moment. “We’ll keep you two somewhat separate from everypony else; that way you don’t have to be afraid of others listening in,” she said, winking. Then, she shoved me back by Rainbow Dash, who laughed when I bumped into her. “Looks like you’ve got four left hooves there, Sketch!” she shouted, and I blushed. I started stepping back and forth awkwardly in a terrible attempt to dance. I could practically hear Twilight rolling her eyes behind me, as she shouted “Oh for Pete’s sake!” I suddenly felt a strange sensation throughout my body. Just then, I started dancing! I spun around in circles, stomped to the beat, shook my head back and forth, and ran in circles with Rainbow Dash. During one of our rotations, I saw Twilight smiling, a purple glow surrounding her horn, and I realized what was happening. She’s controlling my movements! I thought excitedly. I smiled at her appreciatively, and continued to let the magic move me around. After the song was over, a quieter song took over, and Twilight let me go. “Now’s your chance!” she whispered as everypony cleared the dance floor, and nodded to the others to follow her. I turned to Rainbow Dash, who was staring at me with wide eyes. “Where did you learn to dance like that?” she asked, impressed. I smiled sheepishly. “Oh, you know… it just sort of came to me,” I lied. She gave me a suspicious look, which made me crack. “Alright, Twilight moved me around. I really have no idea how to dance.” Rainbow laughed. “Really? Twilight made you dance? I’ve seen her use her magic to do some hilarious things, but I think that tops the cake. Speaking of which,” she said, glancing at the delicious spectacle at the center of the room, “how about we grab a slice?” I nodded, and kept the conversation going as we walked over to get some cake. “So, do you have any plans next week?” I asked nonchalantly. She thought about this for a moment, and replied “Actually, not really. I was probably just going to fly around or something, but I’m not sure. Why?” This was it. I swallowed hard as I asked my question. “Well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out sometime. You know just me and you.” I started to feel my knees get shaky as I asked, but forced them to stay still. She looked somewhat surprised at my question. “You want… just the two of us to hang out?” she asked slowly. I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, if that’s alright with you.” She started blushing. “Yeah, that’d be cool,” she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. We just sat there for a few seconds, awkwardly hiding our awkwardness, when I suddenly piped up. “So, anyways, how about that cake?” I noticed then exactly how the cake was decorated: each layer was modeled after Pinkie and her friends. There was a purple layer with stars, a white layer with gemstones, an orange layer with apples, a yellow layer with butterflies, a blue layer with clouds and rainbows, and a pink layer with balloons. I smiled, realizing what each layer meant, but my mouth dropped open when I saw the very top layer of the cake. It was covered in red frosting, which was in turn covered with pencil- and paper-shaped designs. It was a layer of cake modeled after me. I turned and saw Pinkie bouncing up to us. “You like?” she asked proudly. I looked back up and nodded. “It’s… amazing, Pinkie,” I whispered. It was absolutely perfect. “I wanted to make sure I made each layer perfect for my bestest friends!” she said happily, and bounced off. I smiled and got myself and Rainbow Dash a slice of the cake. And boy was it GOOD. I walked home later that night with a spring in my step. I had never felt so happy, for tonight, I had asked a girl out on a date for the first time! Well, it wasn’t really a date, but it was close enough. And, on top of that, I found out that Rainbow Dash might actually like me! She seemed pleasantly surprised when I asked her, which really got my hopes up, but then again, she might have just been a little embarrassed due to there being so many other ponies around. Best of all, I was finally on my way to making a name for myself as a writer, and I had some of the most caring friends anypony could ever ask for. Things were finally going my way for a change. I guess it's right when it seems like that is when everything starts to go downhill.
Success... at a Cost“YES!” I shouted as I retrieved the sealed envelope from my mailbox early the next morning. The sight of the return address, “Grey Wings Publishing”, instantly cured my drowsiness. I ran back inside, tore open the letter, and started to read. Dear Hasty Sketch, We have read the sample of your story, and are very interested in your writing style and story ideas. We would like to offer you a job here at Grey Wings Publishing. We will send a carriage to pick you up in a few days, and you will be staying in Manehattan for a few months until you can finish your book. We hope you will accept our invitation, and are glad you will be working for us. Sincerely, Best Seller, CEO I could hardly believe it. The head of Grey Wings publishing wanted me to write my story on-site! I leapt into the air happily, and then sprinted out of the house. I wasn’t sure who I would tell, but I figured it would be whoever I ran into first. And what would you know, that first pony was none other than the beautiful Rainbow Dash! I saw her soaring overhead gracefully, which seemed strange, as she would usually be racing around at breakneck speeds. Maybe she just wanted to enjoy her time in the sky. “RAINBOW DASH!” I called up to her. I saw her look down, and then slowly descend until she landed right in front of me. “Heya, Sketch. What’s up?” she said cheerfully. I smiled broadly, out of happiness from both Rainbow’s presence, and from the letter. “Grey Wings Publishing wants me to write for them!” I exclaimed, and her eyes widened. “What? That’s great!” she cried, and we danced around in a circle for a few moments, until we fell over laughing. “Yeah, I just got the letter today,” I said as I stood up, “They’re sending for me in the next few days, and then I’ll be staying in Manehattan for the next few months,” I said, looking off into the distance. “This is it! My dream is finally coming true!” I turned back to her, and saw a worried expression on her face that made me stop smiling. “What’s the matter?” I asked. She shook her head, and looked happy again. The tone in her voice, however, made me suspicious. “Huh? Nothing. This is great! You’ve been working on this for a while, and now it’s finally getting finished. I’m happy for you, Sketch. Really!” I nodded slowly, and suddenly got an idea. “I’d better tell Twilight! I’ll talk to you later!” I said, running off. “Ok… bye,” I heard her say quietly as I left. Why was she acting so weird? I wondered as I ran to the library. “TWILIGHT!” I shouted as I burst through the door of the library. I heard a loud crash and a groan from the other room, and went to investigate. I saw a large pile of books on the far side of the room, but no sign of Twilight Sparkle. Just then, I saw the pile shift, and her head popped out from underneath. “Come on, Sketch, I’ve been working on that stack all day!” she moaned as she climbed out from underneath the paper rubble that covered the floor. “Oh… sorry,” I said sheepishly as she started moving the books around with her magic. “But, anyways, I came to tell you that my book is finally taking off!” “What?” she asked, surprised. The books fell to the floor as she shifted her focus to me. I smiled and nodded. “I sent a letter to Grey Wings Publishing, and they said they want me to stay in Manehattan for a few months so they can keep an eye on my book’s progress!” I jumped into the air happily, but stopped my now third celebration when I saw Twilight eyeing me suspiciously. “Does Rainbow Dash know about this?” she asked slowly. “Yeah, why?” I asked, nodding. “And was she alright with this?” she continued. I nodded again. “Yeah, she said she was happy for me. Why are you asking all these questions?” Twilight looked away for a moment. “Remember when I said that Rainbow might like you? I wasn’t just teasing you or anything; I really, truly believe that Rainbow Dash may have a crush on you. But, if you are going away for a few months, she might not forgive you for that. Especially since you’ve already made plans with her. Am I right?” she asked, glaring at me. This got me angry. “Look, I’ve been working on this book for nearly a year now. This is practically my life. I am not throwing it all away now that it’s going so well!” I retorted, and stormed for the door. “I will see you later, Twilight Sparkle!” I shouted behind me, and started running home. I heard her calling my name behind me, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be alone. How could she be so selfish? I thought angrily as a few raindrops fell onto my muzzle. I looked up and saw a thunderstorm forming overhead. I picked up my pace, not wanting to be angry and soaked. The next day, I heard a knock at the door. When I answered, there was a pony in a fancy suit standing at my doorstep, and a carriage parked in the street. “Hasty Sketch,” the colt began, “I am here to pick you up by request from Best Seller.” I nodded and grabbed my saddlebag, packed with my writing and drawing supplies. As the suited pony guided me to the carriage, I saw my friends not too far away, and noticed two things: Rainbow Dash was not among them, and they all looked unhappy. I frowned, and turned back to the carriage. Twilight must have told them about what happened, I thought angrily. I jumped in the carriage, and not much later we took off for Manehattan. It was a boring, quiet trip, but the whole time I was on the edge of my seat with excitement. Right after I went to Grey Wings Publishing, I had to visit my parents and give them the good news. We skidded to a halt outside the building, and I stared up in awe at the massive, 20-story building. I swallowed hard, and went inside. “Ah, Hasty Sketch, there you are!” a handsome grey colt greeted me in the lobby. He had a neatly trimmed, black mane, and I saw his cutie mark was a golden book. I smiled and nodded to him in greeting. “I’m Best Seller. It’s such a pleasure to meet you! Follow me up to my office, where we can discuss your story a little more,” he said, guiding me towards an elevator. “…and that’s pretty much what I have planned so far,” I concluded. Best Seller was staring at me with wide eyes from his desk chair. “This sounds like a great story! ‘Young colt with lonely origins sets out to save the world, and makes friends along the way’! I’ll admit, it has been done quite a few times, but something about this one seems… greater. Like it could really take off,” he said, mostly to himself. I smiled. “So, you like it?” I asked. He nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, I do. I just have a few questions. Firstly, how did you come up with this story?” he replied. I thought about this for a moment. “It just sort of came to me. I always wanted to be great, so I guess Crimson Embers is just who I want to be.” Best seller nodded thoughtfully. “That might be why it’s such a good story; you’ve put your heart and soul into it because it is your story. Tell me, how did you get the idea for Crimson’s friends?” I smiled. “I made a few friends during my stay in Ponyville. Their personalities were great inspiration.” I frowned slightly, remembering how I had reacted when Twilight disapproved my leaving. Maybe I was a little harsh, I thought sadly. Best Seller’s voice suddenly snapped me back to reality. “So, Hasty Sketch, we are going to have you stay in a hotel room not too far from here. The driver that brought you here will drop you off at the hotel, where you can get back to work. Does that sound alright?” I nodded, but then got an idea. “Actually, I was wondering if I could stop at my parents apartment first. They’ve been really supportive of me and my writing, and I can’t wait to see their faces when they hear that I’m on my way to being published.” Best Seller smiled. “But of course! Just give the driver the directions, and he’ll take you there in a flash. Ta ta, Hasty Sketch, and good luck on your writing!” he called as I rushed out the door. I knocked at the door to the apartment where my parents were staying. The door swung open, and I was suddenly embraced by my father. “Sketch!” he cried happily. “How are you, son? Your mother is at work right now, but she should be home shortly.” I smiled at him. Ponies always said we looked alike, except for our colors; wherever I was red, he was tan. His mane stayed in place a lot better than mine, too. “I’ve got great news!” I cried as we headed for the couch. My father sat in a chair and listened intently. “I’m getting published by Grey Wings Publishing!” I cried, and his eyes got huge. “What?” he asked, his voice filled with pride. “You did it?” I nodded. “Yep. All my work is paying off at last!” I said happily, but suddenly remembered what I had probably lost because of it. “What’s the matter, son?” he asked, noticing my change in mood. “Nothing, it’s just… I made some friends while I was in Ponyville, but right now they’re kind of mad at me. I took their response to my success the wrong way and flipped out. I don’t know if they’ll forgive me.” My father smiled at me comfortingly. “Son, I know what you are going through. You’re always going to expect your friends to always be happy for you and support you, but that isn't always the case. Sure, friends will cheer you on when you are striving for you goals, but true friends will always look out for what’s best for you.” I stared at him for a moment, his words really hitting home. “I don’t know, dad… I don’t want to give this up, you know? I’ve waited so long for this, and it would be a waste to throw it away now.” My father nodded. “I know how that feels, Sketch, to have to choose between what your head thinks is best and what your heart knows is best. When the time is right, you will know what you need to do,” he said as the door opened. My mother gasped and ran to hug me. “Sketch!” she cried as she squeezed me. “Kinda… need to… breath, Mom,” I gasped, and she let go quickly. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just so happy to see you! What brings you here?” she asked. I explained what had happened, without the extra discussion I had had with my father, and she was overjoyed. “My baby’s going to be famous!” she cried happily, and my father laughed. “Let’s celebrate!” he said, running to the kitchen to start up a meal. About a half an hour later, we were all sitting at the table, talking about how our new lives were going, what had happened over the past few days, and what we hoped the future held. When it got late, we said our goodbyes, and I went to the hotel where I was set to stay at. I dropped into the bed in my new room, exhausted, and looked around. It was spacious, with no walls separating the different areas, except the bathroom, of course. There were pictures of ponies and sceneries scattered about the walls, and one picture in particular caught my stare. It was a rainbow, stretching across the sky over a mountain range. On the bottom, I could see a lush, green field and a stream. I smiled at its beauty, but my heart ached, as it made me think of Rainbow Dash. I rolled over and slowly fell asleep, but not even sleep would push the guilt of what I had done out of my head.
What Your Heart Knows is BestI lay in the bed of my hotel room, staring up at the ceiling. Several papers lie scattered across the floor and bedspread. It had been nearly a week since I left Ponyville, and I had never felt worse in my life. I felt like an apple core that somepony had tossed aside and left to rot. I’m so sorry, I thought sadly in the solace of my hotel room, I’m so, so sorry. I still hadn’t forgiven myself for what I had said to Twilight, and how I had been so careless about Rainbow Dash’s feelings. Just then, I heard a buzzer as the intercom went off. “Hasty Sketch, it’s Best Seller! I need you to come down to Grey Wings for a meeting with some of the other board members!” I sighed and cleared my throat, and tried to sound happy. “Be there in a sec!” I quickly threw on my shirt, gathered my things, and ran out the door. I sat at the head of the boardroom table, right next to Best Seller. “So, you all may be wondering why I’ve gathered you here. This,” he began, gesturing to me, “is Hasty Sketch, a brilliant young writer from Cloudsdale. He has an idea for a story that I think you are going to love! Take it away, Sketch!” he turned to face me, as did all the other ponies seated at the table. I stood up, feeling it would be better to stand. “Um… Hello. So, my story is about…” I began, but a slight breeze coming in through the open window distracted me, and suddenly, I was flying through the air with Rainbow Dash, on our way to that picnic… “Sketch!” Best Seller whispered loudly, snapping me back into the room. “Huh? Oh, sorry,” I said, unsure about what to think of the vision. It was so vivid, like it were actually happening right there. “Anyways, my story is about Crimson Embers, who…” I trailed off again as a pony walked past the door, music playing from a pair of speakers, and suddenly I was at the party, dancing with Rainbow Dash as Twilight looked on. I know how that feels, Sketch, to have to choose between what your head thinks is best and what your heart knows is best. When the time is right, you will know what you need to do, I heard my father’s voice echo in my head. I do know what I need to do, I thought hazily as Best Seller whispered my name, this time sounding annoyed. “Sketch! Focus!” I glanced over at him, and then to the ponies seated at the table. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but I’ve realized something: I don’t really care about getting published as much as I thought I did. Sure, I’ve spent the last year working on this book, and it has become everything to me, but in the short time I’ve stayed in Ponyville, I’ve realized that all I really want isn’t to write, it isn’t to get published, and it isn’t to have people know me for my talents,” I broke off, almost laughing at how stupid I had been to not realize this before, “All I want is for the girl I love to know how I feel about her! Now, if you excuse me,” I called as I ran for the door, with Best Seller sputtering behind me, “I have some apologies to make!” I didn’t take the elevator to the first floor. I ran down the stairs, barely tripping every other step and narrowly missing all the ponies I passed. The moment I left the building, I leapt into the air and took off into the clouds, half expecting my speed to cause something similar to the Sonic Rainboom. I landed on the balcony of my house and ran inside. I had a lot to do, but I had to prepare first. I set my bag down, took off my shirt, and jumped into the shower, singing way off-key, but I was too happy to care about how I sounded. I jumped out and brushed my teeth quickly, and was just about to run out the door when I stopped and started to turn back to the mirror. Mid-turn, my thoughts stopped me. You don’t need to do that, I told myself, interrupting my good-luck ritual. I smiled and ran for the door. “Twilight?” I said as I entered the library. She was sitting at a desk, writing on a piece of paper. A quill hovered beside her, surrounded in a veil of purple magic. I saw her horn glowed a similar color as she turned to face me. “What brings you here? I thought you were in Manehattan,” she said matter-of-factly. I looked down at my hooves. “I was,” I started, “but I guess I didn’t care about my book as much as I thought I did,” I looked up at her now, “especially if that means I lose the ones I care about the most.” She considered this for a moment. “So you admit you acted like a jerk before?” I nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah.” “And you admit that you care about us more than you do your success?” she continued. I nodded again. “No contest,” I said with certainty. Twilight smiled. “Well, I accept your apology,” she said as she quickly scribbled something onto a piece of paper, “but I’m not the only one you have to apologize to. And I think I know just the pony to start with.” The paper glided over to me and I saw what was written on it. “Is this Rainbow Dash’s address?” I asked. Twilight didn’t answer, instead continuing with her previous point. “She hasn’t been the same since you left. Whenever she goes flying, she just sort of hangs in the sky and floats, rather than her usual racing or gliding. She’s taking this whole thing pretty hard,” she said sadly. I nodded. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” I shouted as I charged for the door. “Sketch, wait!” Twilight called from behind. I turned and she wrapped me in a warm hug. “Welcome home,” she whispered, and let me go. I stared for a moment, and then started running again, leaping into the air and soaring for Cloudsdale. I reached the house Twilight had directed me to pretty easily. I stood out on the front step for a couple of minutes, unsure of what I would say. Finally, when I had planned out my speech, I knocked on the door. When it swung open, I saw Rainbow dash, just as beautiful as ever, and angry. “OW!” I said as a book she had thrown at me bounced off my head and landed next to me. “What do you think you are doing here?” she growled angrily. I gave her an apologetic look. “Rainbow Dash, please listen. I’m sorry about what happened last week. I was stupid and careless, and should have thought more about what I had.” But she wasn’t too keen on listening. She just sat there in the doorway and glared at me. “You think you can act the way you did and just be forgiven like that? That’s not the way it works with me, pal,” she said as she started to close the door. I quickly jammed my hoof into the doorway just before it slammed shut, and held back a pained scream. “Look, I know I acted like a jerk, but just give me one minute to explain myself,” I pleaded. She considered this for a moment, and finally opened the door again, giving in. “Sixty seconds. I’m waiting.” I took a deep breath as I began. “Okay, I know I was careless. I should have thought about your thoughts on the situation instead of just deciding to take off. I shouldn’t have snapped at Twilight like I did, and I already apologized to her for that. I let my dream of being a well-known writer get in the way of what’s really important to me,” I looked up at her and saw her expression had softened. Okay, time to say it while the goings good, I thought as I continued, “I know we’ve only know each other for about a week, and I know this sounds crazy, but ever since I first saw you at Pinkie’s party at my house when I first came here, you’ve been all I can think about.” I closed my eyes and swallowed hard as I went over the events of the past week. In the span of a few moments, I remembered: my surprise when I found there was a party at my house when I first arrived, Rainbow Dash crashing into me at the fountain, and then us flying to the picnic, all of my friends trying to calm me down with advice, even though some of it may not have been very helpful, and us dancing and laughing and having fun at the dance. I sighed confidently as all the panic that had built up over this inevitable moment suddenly disappeared. I opened my eyes and looked solemnly at Rainbow Dash, who looked confused and surprised. Finally, I let go. “Rainbow Dash,” I began, “I love you.”
