Parallel's Path

Six years had passed since Parallel had started school. She had grown up rather fast, being taller than a lot of the other students, despite being younger than most of them. She got herself into the habit of running laps around town, so she could build stamina and muscle mass. Her school performance was spectacular as well, getting the highest grades in her class every year (but when your own father is the teacher, that's to be expected). Nopony would have guessed she came in as a lost, homeless filly at this point. She had graduated from the school with the highest honors, as Equality and Cheerilee watched, shedding liquid pride.

As she was leaving to go home the evening she graduated, Equality wanted to give her some encouraging words.

"You've done very well for yourself. You've become very athletic, incredibly smart--perhaps even besting me, and you know your way around town as if you run it, and your personality seems completely different from the day you came into my life. You're not the same filly I met six years ago, and yet here I see you still standing before me. You've become, quite literally, a Parallel to your former self, same plane of existence, yet not overlapping at any point. I couldn't be more proud of you, Parallel."

"Well, I did it all for you, Dad. I wanted you to be proud of me. I wanted you to know that I'm ambitious and determined. It was my love for you that guided me through these last six years of my life.

"To be honest, I can say the same for you. I'm still in disbelief about everything. That vision you had when we first went to the park together really got you motivated, didn't it?"

"Oh yeah, that too. I do still want to go and see the world. Plus, as much as I value the time we've had together, I still want to learn more about my past." Any doubt in Equality's mind about his daughter's dream was gone at this point. The two finally reached their house while they kept this conversation going.

Equality was still reveling in Parallel's achievements thus far, and he wanted to push her forward even more.

"Well, we're home. How about you wait in the kitchen while I go and grab something for you?" She was feeling hungry after everything, but at this point she could cook her own food, so she made herself an early dinner, and waited for her father. He returned with something special for her. "I want you to have these." They were a gray hat and cargo vest. As she looked at them, her eyes gave off a rainbow glow once again.

"I've seen these before. These are the clothes I was wearing in my vision. Dad, where did these come from?"

"They belonged to an old friend of mine. She used to wear these when she needed a burst of good luck. I think you can make better use of them."

"Y-you mean--" the filly started as she tried to hold back her excitement.

"Yes. You're ready to go off on the big journey, no, the quest to find your place. You've got the survival skills, the wits, the muscle, and the ambition you need to guide you around Equestria ten times over. Starting tomorrow, I'm letting you find your own path, the path parallel to that of everypony else. I'm sure you'll have quite the story to tell, and I wish for you to discover what your purpose is. Who knows, maybe you'll even see those stallions we almost met at the park that one day." The filly's greatest decision of her life was made at that moment. After that night, she would set off on a quest to find herself, even if it means covering Equestria with her tracks.

The filly was in such anticipation of her upcoming voyage that she couldn't even sleep that night. And yet, she had that kind of can-do spirit in the morning that would have followed a perfect night's sleep. She grabbed the vest and hat, quickly put them on, ate a breakfast that she cooked and savored--since she wouldn't have much of a chance to do this again for a long time, and set off on her quest. Before she closed the door of her house, Equality said one last thing to her.

"I want to hear about how your travels have gone every so often, so if you could please do me a favor and write home whenever you get the chance, I'd be very grateful. After all, you're the only family I have, and I want to make sure you're safe every now and again."

"I will, Dad, and don't worry about me, I'll do whatever I can to stay safe on my quest. I owe it to you, after all, since you took me in during my darkest time, and created the brightest beacon I could have prayed for." Again shedding tears of pride, all Equality could do was give his daughter a nudge to start her journey. The two said goodbye, after sharing one last hug, and the filly ran off on the road. She started her new life by going west of Ponyville.

Parallel arrived at a train station at the edge of Ponyville. Her father had given her enough bits for a one-way trip to anywhere she wished to go. The first train was set to depart en route the White Tail Woods. There was no line, but the mare at the ticket booth was eager to see her, as if she could sense the filly's ambition.

"Wow, you seem kinda young to be alone at the train station."

"I know I seem young, since I did finish school two years early, but I need to get on the train to the White Tail Woods. I have my reasons, and it's a long story--"

"Well, let me help you out here. I can feel that you have a good reason for going, so take this ticket, no charge. It's the last one anyway, and the train should depart any minute." Parallel was quite pleased with this turn of events. She received the ticket, dashed onto the train, and took a seat right by an open window.

As the train left the station, she found a pen and some paper lying right below her hooves. She asked if they belonged to anypony, but no "yes" replies. She decided to write her first letter at that moment.

"Dear Dad,

I know I've only just left, but I found some paper and a pen, and thought I should write to you at least to notify you of my safety. I was lucky enough to receive my train ticket without having to pay for it. You know those times when you feel like you catch a lucky break, and have no logical explanation why? Well, since I left the house, I've been having a lot of those. I've still got all the bits you gave me, and I was able to find something to write to you with, so my quest is starting off quite swimmingly. I don't have much else to say, except that I don't want you to miss me too much. I'll be sure to be careful, because I know my safety is your main concern. Love you, and hope to write to you again soon.

--Parallel" She placed her letter in an envelope, also conveniently placed by the paper. Suddenly, a unicorn mare came to her and asked,

"Do you need this mailed immediately?" Parallel knew strangers aren't always to be trusted, but she saw something in this unicorn that made her feel obligated to agree.

"Yes please." The unicorn asked her for the address, which Parallel gave, and used her magic to make the letter vanish. "Did you just mail my letter with your magic?"

"Of course. How else? Anything for the daughter of an old classmate of mine." Parallel had no clue how the mare recognized her as Equality's daughter, but was happy to hear this. "By the way, you look great in that vest and hat. Reminds me of my old lucky clothes. I wonder if Equality still has them?" The filly now knew why she felt comfortable with talking to this strange mare. She must have been the one who gave her father the vest and hat she had on.

"Um, I think these might--" the filly started as she looked back to the mare, but she was already walking away, going back to her cabin. Parallel took this as a sign that she should keep these on, since now she has two ponies to honor by keeping them safe.

Night time had arrived faster than Parallel expected, and she was growing tired. She asked where her cabin was, to which a stallion eagerly replied with directions after seeing a ticket. She walked in to find a nice, soft bed, a well-crafted desk, a shower, and a latrine, in case she needed them. After examining her ticket, she saw that it had the words "very important pony" labeled on the top. She had received a luxury ticket for free, and didn't even realize it until now. She was feeling really sleepy, so she quickly went to bed, and saw a shining star out her window, which she assumed was her father watching from back home. The next morning, she woke up to find a letter on her cabin's desk. She wasn't expecting any mail, but she happily opened up the letter. It was from her father.

"Dear Parallel,

Thanks for letting me know that you're alright. But seriously, a free ticket on a train that was about to depart? You must be really lucky. I guess the clothes I gave you are working for you. I love you, too, Parallel, and I wish you the best on your way to wherever it is you're going.

Your father,

Equality

P.S. I recognize the scent of the letter you sent me. It was mailed by an old friend and classmate of mine. She's always had this tendency to add a soothing aroma to everything she uses her magic on, even when we were foals. If you ever see her again, I can assure you that she's trustworthy."

The train had started to slow down. The conductor had announced the train's arrival as it came to a stop.

"All departing for White Tail Woods may do so now. Again, all departing for White Tail Woods may do so now." Parallel knew this was her stop. She exited the train, and looked around at where she was. All the brown-leaved trees, the peaceful animals all living in harmony, and the clear blue sky. She felt, as Pinkie Pie would put it, nervoucited. She had never been outside of Ponyville before, and now she was in a whole new place, but she couldn't help but feeling she belonged here. She decided to go for a walk around the woods, feeling oddly nostalgic for a pony in a whole new place. It felt familiar to her, yet she had no memories regarding being here. Suddenly, she hears some hooves clopping in the distance. She follows the sound, and finds a log cabin in the middle of the woods. What she saw next marked the true start of her journey.

As she came closer to the cabin, she saw a green-coated, golden-blonde-maned stallion with black eyes. This stallion also seemed familiar to her. This stallion looked like one of the earth ponies she saw at the park that one day. She walked to him quietly, and noticed the ax in his hooves. It came swinging towards her, and she screamed in fear, thinking she was about to be split in half. However, the only thing that was split was the log right next to her. The stallion, not having seen her next to him, said in surprise,

"Oh my goodness, I apologize, little filly. I didn't see you behind me, or even hear you coming. You sure are light on your feet. Are you some kind of athlete?" As the stallion then noticed, Parallel had passed out from almost dying, so he poked at her head until she came to.

"Huh, wha... what just happened?"

"You passed out, little filly. I guess almost having your head chopped off must have given you the shock of your life. I'm sorry. I guess you came up to me when I was chopping some wood." The filly, now sure that she wasn't dead, felt relieved, and got dizzy. "You're not gonna pass out again, are you?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine." the filly said as she focused on the stallion.

"I should introduce myself, my name is Jack Bolt. I was born and raised in this here log cabin. I've been living here since. I help put food on the table by chopping this here wood. I am a lumberjack, after all. I know somepony like me seems like the kind to leave nature alone, but when you're raised in a forest, and your only education comes from your parents, you gotta work with the few skills you have. I got my cutie mark for doing just that." The filly hadn't heard of such a job before, but she could tell Jack Bolt was friendly, so she started to ask him,

"Well, Mr. Bolt--"

"Please, call me Jack. Mr. Bolt is my father."

"Alright then, Jack, my name is Parallel. You see, I just arrived in the White Tail Woods from Ponyville, and I have no place to stay. Would you happen to have an extra bed for me to sleep in inside your cabin?"

"Well, I do have an extra guest room inside. I figured it would be perfect in case a desperate traveler needed a place to sleep. Sure, go ahead. Just don't think you're going to be living here."

"Oh, that won't be a problem. You see, I'm traveling all across Equestria, trying to learn what my purpose in life is, since I have no memory of what happened before I met my father."

"Your... father?" Jack Bolt said, confused.

"It's a long story, and you clearly have a job to do, so I won't waste too much of your time. Anyway, I'm also out to see if I can find some stallions I saw at Ponyville Park one day when I was little."

"Ponyville Park? I remember that place. I was selling some of my finest logs there about six years ago when four other stallions came and asked about it. If I remember correctly, there were two unicorns and two pegasi." Parallel had no doubt in her mind that he was one of the stallions from the park at the time. "I had to leave suddenly because one of them mentioned how the Running of the Leaves was to take place two days after then. I have never missed that event once in my life, not since I was born.

"Oh. Did you make it in time?"

"Barely. As soon as I heard about it, I got a train ticket, got on, and rushed to my cabin and packed up for the event. I ended up making it to the event with seconds to spare, the closest I have ever cut it."

"That's quite a predicament. I'm glad you made it in time."

The two ponies continued to converse, until Parallel decided to walk into the cabin and see what it was like. When she got inside, she was dazzled by what she saw. There were a bunch of ancient relics all over the place. She couldn't recognize any of them, despite the fact that she was a fantastic student in school, with archaeology being her best subject. She wandered around the cabin, exploring every room, finding artifacts in every one of them. As amazed as she was by the collection, she was also confused as to why a simple lumberjack would have so many priceless treasures. Just then, she heard Jack Bolt coming in to check on her. She walked to him and asked,

"Where did you get all of these fascinating relics? I haven't seen anything like them."

"Oh, these things? About that, I guess I forgot to mention, as well as being a great lumberjack, I also have a hobby of traveling Equestria and collecting any treasures I find along my journey. Those pots you see behind you are from this ruined temple in Smokey Mountain that I explored. It's a great way to get out and explore the world when it's not logging season. Be careful, though, some of these relics are very fragile. I've already broken a few of them myself by accident." This would explain the pile of rubble she saw when she went into what she assumed to be Jack Bolt's room.

"Wow, the sun's already starting to set." the filly said as she looked out the window.

"What? Oh, snap! I'm still behind with my logging as it is. I'll be up all night."

"Well, if you need help, I'd be glad to lend you a hoof."

"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you. I mean, being a lumberjack is hard work, and I'm not sure if you're up for it."

"I have taken wood shop in school before, and hey, it's the least I can do to pay you back for allowing me to stay here. Can't you give me a chance?" The stallion recognized that tone of voice. He had acted similarly when he was first trying to be a lumberjack. The strong drive to work, the iron-willed mentality, and the honesty behind her words, they all reminded of him when he was a colt.

"Well... what the hay. Show me what you got by working with that pile of logs over there. If you can show me something good, I'll let you help me."

"Thank you, Jack."

The filly ran to the pile of logs, jumped to the top, and rolled one down. She then looked at the log carefully, then turned around and gave the log a quick buck. It was a perfect, even split. The stallion's jaw dropped like Twilight Sparkle's when she saw Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds for the first time.

"How in Equestria did you do that? I've never seen something so impressive."

"Well, to put it simply, I calculated the mass of the log, and as I was rolling it, I felt for a weak spot in the log, then precisely looked at the ridges to find where the most hollow part of the log was, then just turned around and kicked." The stallion, who was not accustomed to this vocabulary, could only respond with,

"Uh... what?"

"In other words, I just found the weakest point in the log, and just kicked right at it."

"Incredible. How did you learn to to that?"

"I didn't. I just applied what I learned in school about physics, environmental science, and that one martial arts class I took."

"Well, you could have fooled me. That's some of the finest wood-whacking I have ever seen."

"Aw, I'm flattered."

"Say, you think you could do the rest of those logs too? It's all I have left for tonight."

"No problem, Jack." The filly ran to the logs again, jumped on top, and rolled one down again, then repeated her kicking until all the logs were split. Perfectly even each time.

"I've never seen a pony as good as you doing this. Maybe you might want to take this up as a profession."

"Well, I'm flattered by your words, but that's another reason why I'm on this journey. You see, along with trying to remember my past, and meeting the stallions I saw at the park, I also want to find what my reason for existing is. I know my cutie mark is a guiding star, but I don't know what it's guiding me to." Suddenly, her stomach started rumbling.

"Maybe it's guiding you toward where to get something to eat."

"No, that's my stomach. I guess I haven't really eaten anything since this morning."

"Well, come inside. I got plenty of apples in the kitchen. You've been a big help with the logs, so go ahead and help yourself to all the apples you want." The filly was already rushing to the cabin by the time he finished his sentence.

The two ponies came into the cabin, and walked to the kitchen. Parallel had found the apples Jack Bolt was talking about. She dug into them like she hadn't eaten in weeks. She was still a filly, after all, and that kind of growing does amazing things to a pony's metabolism.

"I said I have plenty of apples, not all the apples in Equestria." Jack Bolt said as he saw her pilfering the fruit.

"Oh, ehehe, sorry. I guess I was hungry. But I think I'm full now anyway."

"Wow, not only can you work like a pro, you can certainly eat like one too." The filly blushed, partially from flattery, but also from embarrassment. "Well, looks like the sun's finally gone down. I guess it's time we hit the sack. You know that room where the pile of rubble is? The guest room is right across the hall. You can sleep there." The filly was already feeling sleepy, so she walked into the room, and put herself to bed. Before she dozed off, Parallel said,

"Thanks, Jack, for allowing me to stay the night here. It means a lot to me knowing that somepony like you would be willing to help a total stranger like me."

"Aw, shucks, we're not strangers anymore, we're friends. Just get a good night's sleep. You deserve it." The filly smiled as she dozed off, and started snoring quietly. As he walked out of the guest room, and into his own bedroom, Jack Bolt said quietly, "That filly is something special isn't she?" He then got himself into bed, and fell asleep.

The next morning, Parallel woke up to see some paper, a pen, and an envelope on the side table next to her bed. She thought she would take this opportunity to write another letter to her father. She put on her lucky vest and hat, came into the kitchen, and found Jack Bolt making breakfast for both of them.

"Good morning Jack. Wow, your cooking smells great."

"Oh, morning, Parallel. That's the smell of birch-smoked apple turnovers, with a pear slice for good measure. You want to try some?"

"Yes, please." She received a plate with the food Jack Bolt had cooked. She tried a quick taste, and it did, in fact, taste as good as it smelled. "Mmm, this is really good. How did you learn to make it?"

"Well, you see, my mother taught me how to make it. Aside from being one of the best lumberjacks in the field, she was also a fantastic cook. She could make anything you asked for, and it would always taste incredible. She could even take burnt down tree bark and make a tasty meal out of it." Parallel found this impressive, and wanted to know more about his parents.

"What did your father do?"

"My father? He was a wood sculptor. He could take any log in the field, and craft an amazing, almost lifelike, carving out of it. I swear, if he was still alive today, he'd probably be able to make a lifelike statue of Princess Celestia out of wood. It was with the money he made from his creations, plus my mother's lumberjack skills, that they could afford this log cabin, which I inherited." Suddenly, Parallel spaced out, as if she was trying to remember something.

"Tell me, Jack, how did your parents come to acquire this log cabin?"

"Oh, well, I don't know the full story, but from what I remember, the two were living in a pretty decrepit cabin at the time, and they had made enough money for a new one. They met an old couple, who were trying to sell theirs because they didn't need it anymore." Parallel spaced out again.

"Did they ever tell you what the couple looked like?"

"They told me a few things. The mare had a black coat and blue eyes, and the stallion had a white mane and green eyes. Other than that, I can't quite remember anything." Not only did Parallel space out for a third time, but this time she also froze, and her eyes gave off a rainbow glow, and her cutie mark shined a brown light for a few seconds. Jack Bolt, who was astonished by this, couldn't help but stare at her. The filly responded,

"Thank you, Jack Bolt. I have learned what I needed to from you. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but now I must leave. I have a quest to continue, after all, and there's still so much for me to learn."

"You're quite welcome. Hey, where did that paper, pen, and envelope come from?"

"I don't know, I just found it on the side table right next to the bed. Did you put it there?

"No, I didn't. If you're clueless as well, then who could have put it there?" Both were confused about this, but Parallel had to leave.

"Can I take these with me?"

"I don't see why not. Somepony clearly put it there for a reason. Maybe they wanted you to take it." Parallel assumed this was the case, and grabbed them and went out the door. Before she left, Jack Bolt said,

"Hey, catch!" She grabbed the object thrown at her. It was an apple. "Take an apple for the road."

"Thanks, Jack. And thank you so much for everything else." The stallion could only smile as she ran off.

Parallel ended up finding herself back at the train station, and pulled out the ticket she still had. Assuming it was only one-way, she tried to throw it into the trash. Luckily, a stallion came by and said to her,

"Whoa there, filly. You don't want to throw that away. That's a VIP ticket. It gives you six free rides in the train's luxury cabin." After what he said, Parallel did notice the 3x2 grid in the center of the ticket, and she saw a black marking through one of them.

"Gee, thanks, sir. I was about to ruin my chances of getting to the next town."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, here comes the train now." As the train came to a stop at the station, Parallel saw a few ponies exit the train, and found herself to be the only one boarding. She walked aboard, and found her way to the luxury cabin. It wasn't the same train as before, but it did have something familiar in it, or to be more accurate, somepony familiar. A unicorn mare had appeared, and Parallel recognized her as the one from the first train.

"Well, if it isn't the little filly from before. You off to the next town?"

"Oh, yeah. Where exactly is this train going, Miss..."

"Midnight." The name certainly fit the mare's appearance. Dark blue coat, indigo mane, snow white eyes, and a full moon for a cutie mark. "Say, I see you have some writing materials. You want to write another letter to your father? I can send it to him again."

"That would be great. I've been meaning to write to him again, anyway." Parallel got into the luxury cabin, and sat at the desk, as she wrote.

"Dear Dad,

Something incredible happened yesterday. I made a friend with who I believe to be one of the stallions from the park that day. His name is Jack Bolt. He's a lumberjack from the White Tail Woods. But here's the amazing part. He also collects treasures from around Equestria, and he keeps them in his house, or his log cabin to be more precise. You'd think that those two professions wouldn't go together, but with him they do. He's also a pretty decent cook, maybe even rivaling you. I also discovered something about myself. Apparently, I'm a natural at splitting logs into perfect cuts. I don't know where this talent came from, but it's strong in me. I also learned a valuable lesson. I could tell that Jack was the type of pony who wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he didn't finish his daily work. When I helped him out, I could sense his personal relief. He's the kind of hard-working, self-disciplinary pony that really shows a sense of integrity, which he taught me to feel in the process. The best part, for me anyway, was that I remembered something about my past. I now know what my biological parents looked like. My mother was a black-coated, blue-eyed earth pony, and my father was a white-maned, green-eyed unicorn. I remembered this when Jack told me about who his parents got their log cabin from. I'm going to keep going on my quest for now, but I'm glad I got to learn a lot so far. I hope you're still doing well, because I know I am. I love you, and I'll be sure to write to you soon.

--Parallel"

The filly then placed the letter in the envelope, and gave it to Midnight, who used her magic to send it to Equality. After this was done, the mare remembered something,

"You know, I never answered your question about where we're going. This train's next stop is Las Pegasus. It's really more of a city than a town, but I'm sure you're gonna love it."

"Thanks, Midnight. Hey, you want to come with me?"

"Oh, sorry, I can't. I have plans back in Ponyville. Besides, you're on a quest to find yourself, right? You should do this alone."

"You're right, my mistake. Anyway, thanks again."

"Any time, kid, any time." Parallel was now more excited than ever, knowing that she would be off to the next big part of her quest, and yet, she couldn't help but feel like this part would be rather calming.