Parallel's Path

Riding on the train to Neighagra falls was quite the trip for Parallel and Rusty Sprocket. The stallion, who had been there before, told Parallel about just how huge the waterfalls there are. Parallel had never seen a waterfall before, so when he mentioned the loud crash of the water, she did begin to feel scared, given that Parallel's sensitive ears could track down anything. However, her time with Island Breeze did grant her a fond appreciation of water, and she came to the realization that everything seemed somewhat scary to her throughout her quest, until she actually made it to each destination, so she was able to put her fear aside.

The train finally came to its stop in Neighagra falls, so it could refuel for the trip to Manehattan, when Parallel stepped off the train. Rusty Sprocket decided to do the same, as he had no means of occupying hi time on the train. When the two stepped off, he realized that he forgot something.

"Wait, Parallel, I forgot to give this to you. I don't know why it ended up in my cabin, when it was addressed to you, but here you go." The stallion gave the item, which was another letter from Equality, to Parallel. She opened it up, and it read,

"Dear Parallel,

I can say, without a doubt, that the time we've been able to spend together has proven valuable for the both of us. I was wondering whether that star I found in the sky so many years ago was recorded, and thanks to you, it now is. Speaking of which, it was really generous of you to send me the money you received for discovering it, especially since there was some house problems back home, and I needed money for some renovations. Also, I have to admit, when I read that you come from another world, as you remembered, my heart sank. This must mean that you really did meet with me for a reason, but I suppose you still haven't found out what that reason is. It pains me to say this, but I fear that your time in this world may soon expire. Anyway, I'm proud that you learned a lesson in humility, as the stallion you mentioned, Heraldry, had to. I love you, with all my heart, Parallel. I hope you can come back home soon, as I'm not sure just how often we'll get to see each other again.

Your father,

Equality"

Parallel started to tear up as she read about how her time with her father may soon run out. Rusty Sprocket, who felt bad for the filly, tried to console her, and she did cheer up knowing that he cared for her. When she got over these emotions, she followed a line of other ponies through a tour of Neighagra falls. The tour guide discussed the history of the monument, some scientific details about it (which Parallel took notes about), and what some ponies have done at the Falls that may have put their lives at risk. Eventually, the tour led to the top of the Falls, where everypony was given the chance to observe them from a distance. Rusty Sprocket, conveniently enough, brought binoculars, and allowed Parallel to use them. When she looked through them, she saw a pegasus flying in the distance, as if they were trying to form a hole through the Falls. She thought they were crazy, but she thought it would be rude to the other tourists to yell at them, so she kept quiet.

It had been about 20 minutes since everypony arrived to watch the falls. Some had taken pictures with their travel partners, while others had already decided to leave on their own accord. The tour guide then reappeared, and announced,

"We will be heading back down now. If anypony wishes to stay and observe the Falls more, you're welcome to do so, but you will have to find your own way back to the train station later. Thank you for your understanding." Parallel wanted to stay and observe the Falls more, as she had taken a liking to the serenity of the natural wonder. Rusty Sprocket, however, decided to head back with the tour guide. The two said goodbye to each other, and Parallel continued to watch the Falls. After about five minutes of watching, she said to herself,

"You know, in all my travels, I haven't seen something so beautiful come from something so natural. I feel like I could watch this forever." Suddenly, a white-coated, scarlet-maned pegasus stallion, who had found his way next to her without being noticed, said in a quick voice,

"I know what you mean. You don't see beauties like this every day. Reminds me of the rainbow falls back in Cloudsdale." Startled by the stallion's sudden appearance, the filly jumped back. However, she didn't stay startled for long. She recognized him. He appeared to be one of the pegasi from the park, as well as one of the two that flew overhead when she was in Canterlot. She spaced out for a few seconds, until he said to her, "Hey, you, what brings you to the falls?"

"Um, excuse me, but can you tell me your name? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"Oh, right, where are my manners?" The stallion twitched his neck, and his vocal tone and facial expression totally changed as he continued. "My name is Split Mentality. I'm from Cloudsdale." The hyperactive, smiling pegasus had now shown a serious, straight-faced personality. "I'm visiting her because I'm trying to see if my flying performance is good enough to form a hole in the waterfall. You see, I'm a fan of the Wonderbolts, but some family connections that I'd rather not talk about prevent me from becoming one, so I'm training myself to become a vigilante." He twitched his head again, reverting to his hyperactive self. "But enough about me, let's talk about you. What's your name, and what are you doing here?"

"My name is Parallel, Split Mentality."

"Oh, you can call me S.M. my name is kind of a mouthful."

"Alright, S.M., anyway, I've been traveling all across Equestria, trying to find out three different things. One, who were the stallions I met in Ponyville Park when I was little? Two, what happened to me before I met my father? Three, What's my purpose here in Equestria?"

"Did you say Ponyville Park? I remember being there a long time ago. I had met up with four other stallions, and it felt like I was destined to meet them, or something." He twitched his head again. "I was there to try to practice my flight diving skills, when I saw four stallions below me. I didn't want to hurt them, so I slowed down, and landed safely. One thing that I'm blessed with is perfect vision. These sky-blue eyes of mine have never failed me before."

"Hey, S.M., when you twitch your head like that, your personality seems to totally change. Why is that?"

"Oh, well, I was born with multiple personality disorder. I've always had two sides to me. There's this one, a serious, level-headed, realistic side of me that you're speaking to now, and there's a hyperactive, optimistic, scatterbrained side that you must have seen when we met. My two sides get along just fine, but if I'm not wearing these two black bracelets you see on my hoof, I lose control over which side of me comes out, and when."

"That's, quite honestly, different from everypony else I've seen. I mean, I've met plenty of ponies with strange quirks, but never something like this. How do the bracelets let you control your personalities?"

"Well, each one represents one side of me. They were given to me by Zecora, a zebra from the Everfree Forest, when I visited Ponyville for the first time, as a colt. I remember exactly what she when she gave them to me."

"Keep these bands on you at all times, and your personality changes will be more sublime. You'll have to find a way to switch out, though, as these do not work on their own."

"The bracelets grew larger as I got older, so they could always fit, and I discovered that when I wore them, my personality would only swap when I twitched my neck. It took me a while to master this without forming a habit of randomly twitching, but when I finally did, my cutie mark appeared." Parallel had noticed his cutie mark appearing to be the two faces of drama, comedy and tragedy. She assumed each represented one side of him.

"So, when you take your bracelets off, your personality randomly switches, but when you have them on, you're stuck with one side unless you twitch your neck?" The stallion twitched, and said,

"That's exactly right." The stallion had seen how the sun was already going to set soon.

"Sure is getting late. I should probably get going. I have a friend expecting me in Hollow Shades. She needs me to help her take care of moving, since her wings are broken."

"Well, you see, I have nowhere to go after this, you think you could give me a ride to Hollow Shades?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess she could use another hoof with moving. Sure, why not? Hop on my back, and I'll fly you there."

"You sure you can carry me?"

"Hey, I've had to carry my friend around Equestria a few times, and she's a full-grown mare. You're not going to me much trouble, as long as you can hold on. Both sides of me are really fast flyers, after all."

"That sounds fine to me. I could use a little thrill after this calming scene anyway."

"Then get on my back and prepare for the ride of your life. Oh, and hold on to your hat." Parallel got on Split Mentality's back, and made sure her hat was on tight, and held on to his neck as he took off. His flying was so fast, it could rival Rainbow Dash's performance. At this speed, Parallel had a hard time holding on to anything, but her strength training she had done before she went on her quest allowed her to barely keep a grip on the stallion, as well as her hat. The two made it over Hollow Shades within a matter of minutes, when Split Mentality looked down and saw his friend. He yelled from in the sky,

"Hey, Melody, I found another helper for you!" The mare, who turned out to be the same elegant surfer from the Equestria Surf Classic, noticed him from above, and yelled back,

"That's great, S.M.! Make sure you land down here!"

"No problem!"

As the stallion touched down, still carrying Parallel on his back, the mare walked up to them and checked to make sure they were alright. Split Mentality, being the excellent flyer he was, had no issues. Parallel, however, was a bit shaken. She was dizzy, and somewhat nauseated from the extreme speed of the flight, but she could still stand, so it wasn't too much to worry about. After she got a grip on herself, the filly introduced herself to the mare.

"You must be S.M.'s friend that he told me about. Hi, I'm Parallel."

"My name is Melody. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was something about this mare that seemed very welcoming, and yet so independent. "Like S.M. told you, I moved here recently, and have been needing some help with getting my things together. The fact that I broke my wings shortly before the Equestria Surf Classic hasn't really helped either."

"Oh, so that was you I saw giving that elegant performance at the competition. I was dazzled by how beautiful you were out there, even with broken wings."

"You know, you really are quite the flatterer."

"That reminds me, Melody, how did you break your wings?"

"I was trying to put my furniture into boxes, when I lost my balance carrying some heavy stuff. I fell on my back, and the box I was carrying spilled, and my wings got crushed. The doctor told me I could only compete in the surf competition because my wings healed enough at a miraculous rate, but I still had to tie them to my back, to avoid irreversible damage."

"That sounds amazing. And about your performance. You made it seem like you were dancing on the waves. How did you do it?"

"Well, aside from surfing, I am a music lover. I like to do interpretive dance to music when I need to calm down. I guess I just tried to incorporate my dancing into my routine, and it worked." Parallel marveled at her explanation. It was so modest, and yet so honest. Split Mentality then commented,

"So, now that you two have had the chance to meet, how about we get your stuff moved in?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about my moving for a second. Hey, Parallel, you think you can handle those small boxes over there?" Parallel saw some boxes just to the left of the house. She agreed to help bring these in.

About half an hour has passed, and the sun had set. While bringing the boxes in, Split Mentality had been talking to Melody.

"So, how much longer until you'll be able to fly like before again?"

"Well, the doctor said it should be another week before I can fly long distances, but he advised against going into high elevations for another month."

"I see. At least you're recovering." The two adult ponies chuckled. Suddenly, both of them, as well as Parallel, started to feel hungry. Parallel commented,

"We've all done so much today, I think we could all use something to eat." The other two ponies agreed. Melody commented,

"A friend of mine gave me a bag full of muffins as a moving gift. It was really nice of her, since I know how much she loves muffins." Split Mentality twitched.

"Well, that's not really much of a dinner food, but if it's all we've got, I guess that will have to do." Parallel was just hoping that they weren't apple muffins. As long as it didn't involve apples, she didn't care what she had to eat. Melody walked into her kitchen, and found the bag of muffins. There was a variety of different kinds. Blueberry, chocolate chip, banana nut, and a few others.

"Ooh, can I have the chocolate chip one?" The adult ponies were fine with that, and Split Mentality threw it to her.

"I guess I'll take the blueberry muffin." the stallion said.

"That leaves me with the rest. I guess I'll take this plain one at the bottom." Parallel wasted no time devouring her muffin. She had become better at not making a mess when she ate, but there were still crumbs all around her. "Don't worry about that mess, Parallel, I can clean it up."

After the three all ate, Parallel wanted to ask Melody a question.

"Excuse me, Melody, but how did you meet S.M.? I know you're both pegasi, but I'd still like to know how you two know each other." Split Mentality responded,

"Actually, we met in the Crystal Empire."

"Thank you, S.M., but if you don't mind, she asked me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Anyway, like he said, we were both visiting the Crystal Empire. It had been a while since Sombra was defeated, and since it could finally prosper again, I wanted to check the place out. I took the train from Ponyville, where I was living at the time, and eventually arrived. When I got there, I was awestruck by the place. All the shiny buildings, the massive library they have there, and the castle at the heart of the place was just a divine sight. It was when I found a place to stay that night, when I met him. S.M. was still trying to figure out how to control his personalities," the stallion blushed, and she continued, "when I saw him outside. I didn't know whether he was putting on some sort of act, or if he really had been arguing with himself. I walked up to him and asked why he was arguing with himself, and I think he can tell you how he responded." The two looked at the stallion, as he twitched.

"Yeah. I told her that I was learning how to control my two personalities. You see, we were both still foals at the time, probably around your age, when we met. She thought I was crazy, as I could tell by her facial expression. Something seemed different about the way she reacted than other ponies. Most shunned me for being different, but she seemed to like me for my difference." Melody commented,

"I've always had a thing for oddballs, and with S.M., it doesn't get much more odd."

"Anyway, I told her everything, even about the bracelets and what they do. It took her a while to believe me, but it worked out in the end. We became friends pretty quickly." Parallel, happy for the way the two met up, asked the stallion,

"What were you doing in the Crystal Empire, S.M.?"

"Me? I was pretty much doing the same thing as Melody, checking out the newly prosperous kingdom. I was also working on my flying speed, trying to see if I could make a streak appear behind me, and since the buildings everywhere were so shiny, it was easy to see. I did end up forming a crimson streak behind me as I flew. I had gotten tired from my practice, when I showed up in front of where Melody was, and that was when my hyperactive side started yelling about how awesome it was to see me forming a streak in the sky." The stallion twitched. "It's true, I was amazed what what I had done." He twitched again. "I tried telling myself to calm down, but I wouldn't listen. It was then that Melody showed up, and although she was confused, she did seem to like me for being weird. I guess that's how we're friends today." Parallel liked how both sides of the story ended up the same way, so it seemed credible to her. She then asked,

"But wait, if you were flying fast enough to make a crimson streak back then, how come you didn't make one when I rode you here?"

"I wasn't flying at my full speed. Just about 5 miles per hour slower than necessary to do that. I didn't want you to get hurt, after all."

"Oh, I understand. Thanks for caring about me."

The moon was now fully up, and Parallel was getting sleepy. Melody said,

"You seem tired. I have three beds in my room. You can take one of those to sleep in. It's upstairs to your left."

"Thanks, Melody. S.M., you feeling tired?"

"No, not really. Besides, Melody and I still have some things to take care of, so you just get some sleep." The filly happily agreed. She walked up the stairs, found a small bed in the room next to her, and put her vest and hat on the rack next to the bed, then tucked herself in, and quickly fell asleep. Split Mentality and Melody were still trying to get some boxes into the house, when she asked him,

"How did you two meet up, I wonder?"

"I was flying in Neighagra falls, trying to see if I could fly fast enough to make a hole in the waterfall. I came close, but the water still looked uneven."

"Anything to try to improve your flying, huh?"

"I guess so. I mean I already have my crimson streak, I can almost break the sound barrier, and my perfect vision allows me to spot danger just about anywhere."

"I assume you went to stand by her, and observe the waterfall with her, right?"

"She was all alone, and I know it's creepy to just end up next to a stranger without introducing yourself, but I just couldn't help myself." Melody rolled her eyes, as if this was something she expected from him.

"Well, as soon as you help me move the rest of these boxes inside, we should probably get some sleep, too."

"Yeah, I guess so." They spent another 20 minutes getting everything else in, and since they were finished, they decided to bring out some of the furniture together. All the chairs and tables were out by this point, so they decided to call it a night then. Melody had been kind enough to allow Split Mentality to stay the night here, as well. When the two walked into the bedroom, they saw Parallel sleeping, and looking very happy. The stallion smiled, and said,

"I'll tell ya, that filly is something else."

"She sure is. You know, I wonder what she's dreaming about?"

"Probably about where to go next. She told me she's on a journey across Equestria." The mare smiled and said,

"I guess that explains how you met up at Neighagra falls. She just goes where the road takes her, and you just happened to be there." The stallion chuckled.

"Probably. Anyway, we should get into bed. Good night, Melody."

"Good night, S.M." They both said,

"Good night, Parallel."

The following morning, Parallel awoke with a smile on her face. She knew where she wanted to go next. She had decided that her next stop would be the Crystal Empire when Split Mentality and Melody discussed how they met. She walked downstairs, hoping to see the two again. Only one of them was still there. Melody said,

"Good morning, Parallel. How did you sleep?"

"Well, I had an amazing dream about how awesome the Crystal Empire would be. I've never been there, after all, but based on what you and S.M. had told me, it sounds incredible. Speaking of S.M., where is he?"

"Oh, he left early this morning. He heard that there was some trouble in Cloudsdale, so he wanted to be there to help out. I would have gone, as well, but I still can't fly very far. My wings haven't fully recovered from my injury yet."

"I see. Do you know when he'll be back?"

"He said it wouldn't take him long, but knowing that pony, he could be back in a few minutes, or even a few days."

"Aww, well I hope he comes back soon, because I wanted to talk to him about something."

"Oh? What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, you see--" Just then there was a knock on the door. Melody went to answer it, and surely enough, it was Split Mentality.

"Hey. Good morning, Parallel."

"Morning, S.M.. What was going on in Cloudsdale?"

"Oh, just some rookie trying to work the rainbows, and messing up the colors. We're supposed to be creating a rainstorm soon, so we need everything to be perfect."

"I see. Anyway, S.M., can I talk to you about something? Something that might sound crazy?"

"Hold on," he twitched his neck. "What is it?"

"Well, remember how I told you that one of the reasons for my quest is to meet the stallions I saw at Ponyville Park when I was little?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"You see, I think you were one of them. There was five total. One, named Jack Bolt, was an earth pony, and I think he was selling some wood. The second was Island Breeze, a champion surfer who likes to keep a calm mind. The third was Heraldry. He's a unicorn who taught himself what it means to be an equal to others, and was practicing his magic at the time. I suppose you were one of the other two, who were both pegasi."

"Now that you mention it, I do remember that. Their names, the way they looked, what they were all doing. I remember meeting up with one of them again, recently. He was flying through the sky over Canterlot with me, talking about how the Crystal Empire's library had just received a whole new collection of books." The mare spaced out again. "Hey, you OK? You seem to do that a lot."

"Oh, you mean space out? Yeah, I've noticed that too."

"I guess I should say, that stallion you were walking with, he looked an awful lot like you. Wouldn't that mean you saw six stallions that day?" Parallel froze up, and her eyes gave off a rainbow glow, while her cutie mark shined a white light.

"Split Mentality, thank you. What you just said really opened my eyes to a part of my past. I'm afraid I have to go now." She turned to Melody. "Melody, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had a place to sleep last night. I thank you for that." She turned back to the stallion. "Split Mentality, you were kind enough to bring me here so I could have shelter. Plus, I got to meet somepony that I'd been wanting to see for years. I thank you for that, as well. I need to catch the next train, but I appreciate what you both have done for me."

"Well, why have it stop there? I still have some flight energy left in me. Why don't I take you to the train station?"

"That would be well-appreciated." As the two walked outside the house, Parallel said goodbye to Melody, who smiled and said goodbye back. Parallel checked to make sure her vest and hat were on, and then climbed onto Split Mentality's back, and he zoomed through the sky, leaving a crimson streak behind him. Within no more than 10 minutes, the two were right at the train station. Parallel thanked Split Mentality for the ride, and he flew off, probably back to Melody to help her finish moving in. Parallel walked to the bench by the station, where she saw a pen, paper, and envelope. At this point, she had been used to finding these out of nowhere, so she tucked them into her vest, and pulled out her ticket. It had two trips remaining, so she decided she wanted to make the best of it.

After ten minutes of waiting, a train appeared. A familiar stallion, Rusty Sprocket, was inside the train. The conductor announced that the train was to head to the Crystal Empire next, so Parallel got on that train, and found her way to the luxury cabin. She sat at the desk, and wrote to her father,

"Dear Dad,

It's almost uncanny just how glorious the past two days have been for me. First, I got to see Neighagra Falls, and it was an excellent sight. The natural wonder felt so serene, I almost lost myself in the beauty. I saw a stallion flying through the falls, trying to make holes through the water, and he could really fly fast. When we met up, I learned that his name is Split Mentality, and, apparently, he was another one of the stallions from the park. Also, I learned that he had a special condition. Apparently, he has multiple personalities. One is energetic, optimistic, and a bit of a scatterbrain, and the other is serious, realistic, and quite intelligent. Yes, he can keep the two in check, don't worry. I wasn't with some random psycho. Anyway, he was kind enough to give me a ride to Hollow Shades, where a friend of his was moving into her new home. Her name is Melody. She's also a pegasus, but her wings were recovering from an injury, so she couldn't really fly. By watching Split Mentality fly through the air, and hearing about his story of how the two met, I realized just what it means to be dedicated. While trying to stay true to his goal of becoming Equestria's best flyer, he also helped out a friend in need, while keeping his responsibilities in Cloudsdale. It's ponies like him that can really get a job done, even if they are a little weird. Finally, I remembered something else from my past. When Split Mentality mentioned how there were really six stallions instead of five, adding you in, I remembered that, before I met you, I was told that six stallions would take care of me, I just had to find them for myself. Anyway, I'm still just fine, and I'm off to the Crystal Empire next. If my gut feeling is correct, I think the last stallion from the park will be found there. I hope to write to you again soon, and I love you.

--Parallel"

Rusty Sprocket came into her cabin, and offered to mail off the letter again. Parallel said yes, and he used his magic to send it off. The conductor then announced,

"Attention passengers, this train is departing to the Crystal Empire. This trip will be longer than most. It's expected to be three days before we arrive. We will be making a few stops along the way to refuel, but we won't be stopping in any towns, so you will be here a while. If you want to stay on, that's fine, but if you have business to attend to, I'd recommend choosing another train. Thank you for your understanding."

"Well, you going to stay? I am." the stallion said.

"I have nowhere else to go, and I have a lot of personal thinking to do, so I might as well stay."

"Alright, then. I guess we'll be riding together for the next 3 days or so." Parallel smiled, knowing that she'd at least have a friend accompanying her on this long train ride. She wanted to add a note to her letter, saying that she'd be on the train for a few days, but she remembered that her letter was already sent. However, she knew that her father was smart, so he could probably figure out that she might not be writing to him for a while.

Just before the train departed, a mare boarded the train, saying how she was looking for somepony. Parallel recognized her voice. It was Midnight. She walked out of her cabin, as did Rusty Sprocket, and said hello to the mare. She responded,

"Well, look at you, you're still in one piece. I take it your quest is still going well?"

"Yes it is, Midnight. In fact, I've already met four of the stallions I had been looking for, and I have a feeling the last one will be waiting for me in the Crystal Empire." The two unicorns could only smile as a response. The conductor then announced that the train was departing. As the train started moving, the three decided that they would all visit the Crystal Empire. The train trip was going to be long, but for Parallel, it would be an enlightening experience.