Parallel's Path

Parallel, Midnight, and Rusty Sprocket had all finally arrived in the Crystal Empire. Parallel was nothing short of awestruck. Everything she had heard about this place had turned out to be true. Beautiful crystal buildings, the expansive landscape, even the ponies were made of crystal. Her eyes gleamed as she observed her surroundings, unable to speak. Midnight and Rusty Sprocket decided to take their own path, and headed off to a nearby inn, while Parallel had decided she wanted to explore the town.

For Parallel, everything she saw was almost overwhelming. As she walked through the Empire, she saw a massive herd of crystal ponies gathered before a small theater, where she could hear a pony giving a lecture. Due to her small size, and the fact that she was in the back of the crowd, she couldn't see who was speaking, but she could hear their voice. It was a male voice. She spaced out again, feeling like she recognized the voice. Once she came to, she waited for the speaker to take a pause before asking a mare next to her,

"Excuse me, but who is that speaking?" The mare, who seemed surprised that she didn't know about him, responded,

"That's Corona. He's a pegasus from Baltimare who is famous around here for his massive knowledge. Apparently, he's so committed to education, his knowledge of Equestria could rival that of the Princesses. Nopony knows why he is so smart, or how, but he's never been asked a question that he couldn't answer." She spaced out again. She felt like she needed to get a good look at him. "If you want, you can climb on my back, and get a better view of him."

"Oh, yes, please." The mare crouched down, and Parallel climbed onto her back, and as she got back up, Parallel recognized him immediately. He was one of the stallions from the park, without a doubt, as well as the one she saw flying with Split Mentality over Canterlot. Now fully able to comprehend what he's saying, she recognized that he was giving a lecture about his hometown. Parallel had also been a dedicated scholar herself, back when she was younger, so it did her heart good to witness another pony sharing their knowledge with others. She observed the rest of Corona's lecture, and when everypony dispersed, she found her way to the Crystal Empire's library.

True to what she had been told, Parallel found that the library in the Crystal Empire was more massive than any other building she had been in. Walls full of books, expansive floors, and beautiful decor, she didn't know where to start. She decided that she wanted to learn more about the Crystal Empire, so she found the librarian at her desk, and asked where to find the books about the Crystal Empire. She was directed to a bookshelf on the second floor to her right. She proceeded to the direction she was given, and immediately found a collection of books regarding the history of the place. The books were high on the shelf, but a stallion showed up, saying,

"Do you require assistance with selecting these books?" The filly recognized the voice. She turned to look at him, and the silver & white mane, columbia blue coat, and navy eyes left nothing to the imagination. It was none other than Corona. She was tempted to shout in happiness, but remembered that she was in a library, and kept her composure, as she responded,

"Yes, that would be most appreciated." Corona then flew up to the top shelf, and asked,

"These books, correct?"

"Those would be the ones I need." He grabbed five of the books, and slowly descended, trying not to drop them. "Thank you, Corona."

"Oh, how did you know my name?"

"I observed your lecture earlier. You certainly come from a fascinating, historical town."

"Yes, I certainly do. Occasionally, I desire to return, but this place's massive library leaves me to believe that I belong here in the Crystal Empire." The two ponies continued their conversation quietly, as they walked to a nearby table, where Corona had already gathered some books for himself. "You don't have the appearance of a crystal pony. I take it that you're not a native to this place, either?"

"Oh, I apologize, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Parallel. I live in Ponyville, but I've been travelling all around Equestria, trying to find out what my purpose in life is, as well as try to recover my memories of my past, and find out who these stallions I saw back when I was young were. This may seem presumptuous, but I believe you were one of those stallions."

"Stallions? Hmm... tell me, Parallel, were you at Ponyville Park when you saw these supposed stallions?"

"Indeed, I was, Corona. Why do you ask?"

"Approximately six years ago, I was visiting that park, giving one of my lectures. After I finished, I was about to fly back home, when I met up with four others. There was an earth pony named Jack Bolt, as I recall. He was offering to sell me some of his wood, which I was impressed by, but had no use for. A second stallion, a unicorn named Island Breeze, wanted to tell me how much my words had spoken to him, which was flattering, but expected nonetheless. A third, another unicorn named Heraldry, told me how he was fascinated by my words about how the stars and Equestria correlate, and I must say, it was pleasing to hear another pony with such sophisticated vocabulary. A fourth pony, a pegasus named Split Mentality, said how he really learned a lot from what I had said. His serious face had plenty of honesty behind it." The filly knew this was the last stallion. She had finally completed one part of her quest: meeting the five stallions.

"Corona, that assures me that you were one of them."

"Were you there to see my lecture?"

"No, actually, I was with my father. It was my first time visiting the park, and I noticed you five out in an open field. I wanted to meet up with you then, but you all left before I could get to you."

"Oh, I apologize for that. I cannot speak for the others, but I had to leave in order to arrive in Appleoosa for another lecture."

"I see. Well, I'm glad to have met up with you now, and thanks again for helping me with these books."

"It is my pleasure, for I can sense that you're quite the scholar yourself, just as I am." The two smiled at each other, and each of them grabbed one of their books, and started reading.

Both Parallel and Corona had become enthralled by the books they were reading. Parallel was fascinated by the history of the Empire before King Sombra's reign, while Corona was reading about the history of Baltimare, in order to make sure what he had discussed in his lecture was correct. As they both finished their books, Parallel asked,

"You know, Corona, I do not exactly have any place to take shelter while I stay here--"

"If you want to visit my home for the night, please be my guest. I could use some company, especially if they value education, as I do."

"How did you know I would ask about that?"

"Well, it's simple. You're still a filly--even though you're one of the most intelligent ponies I have met, and you have no other adult ponies with you. I just put two and two together, and thought you might need a place to stay."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Corona. Is your home far from here?"

"Actually, I live right next to the library."

"Well, then, let's go." Corona agreed to let her stay with him, and he gathered up all their books, and flew them to their respective bookshelves. The two then met back up at the entrance, and walked to Corona's home together.

The two ponies had arrived at Corona's home, and Parallel was still eager to ask questions. She started,

"So, Corona, what made you decide to become a scholar in the first place, anyway?"

"That's an interesting story. You see, I was born into a poor, underprivileged family. My mother worked on a wheat farm, and my father worked at the local librarian in Baltimare. I was told at a young age that I had a lot of potential, so my parents really pushed me to do well in school. I was forced into the most rigorous classes, some of them almost overwhelming. There were three subjects, however, that I excelled in: natural science, history, and astronomy. When I realized my excellence in these fields, I began to study into them more, eventually graduating as class valedictorian, and I was told that I could wield my knowledge like a weapon. It was then that my cutie mark appeared, this black trident that you see here." This really spoke to Parallel, who had also become fascinated by her favorite subjects, astronomy, geology, and psychology. She then asked,

"Speaking of your parents, are they still around?" Corona then had a gloomy look on his face, as he responded,

"Unfortunately, no. One day, nearly a month after I had graduated from school, there was a severe thunderstorm that struck Baltimare. My parents had both been outside, as my father was visiting my mother on her farm. I wanted to be assured that they were going to be fine, so I flew to the farm, despite the pouring rain and heavy winds. When I finally arrived, I saw my parents, and that was when a lightning bolt came and struck the two of them. They both died immediately. To make matters worse, when I got back home that night, I saw that out home had been flooded from the rain, and most of our belongings had been ruined or destroyed. I've been afraid of rain ever since." The filly couldn't help but feel bad for the stallion. She wouldn't want to lose her father like that either.

"Is that why you decided to move to the Crystal Empire?"

"Yes, Parallel, that is why. I had heard that the weather here is beautiful every day, and their library had been the largest in all of Equestria. I didn't want to have to be constantly reminded of my tragic loss, so I spent the next few years of my life trying to work until I had saved enough money to afford a home of my own. Luckily, it didn't take me long to save up enough for this home here, as it had belonged to a relative of mine, who needed to sell it anyway. Because he really cared about me, and really sympathized with me for my situation, he sold it to me for a rather modest price. I've been living in this house ever since." This was a lot for the filly to take in. Her father had been through a similar situation in his life, and she felt for him as a result.

Parallel had been talking to Corona for a long time now, and she asked,

"When did you decide you wanted to become a lecturer? I imagine it's a bit of a hassle having to fly around Equestria each time you get a chance to speak in front of others."

"That's easy. You see, along with my studies, I was also pushed to be a good flyer. I remember I was never the best sprinter, in fact, I still struggle with short sprints, but I had a natural talent for long-distance flights. I had always been able to pace myself, and never fell short of breath, usually winning any races I had been in. This long-distance flight skill I developed eventually came in handy when I learned that a speaker in Manehattan had fallen ill, and they needed a replacement. Luckily, I had learned everything he was to speak about, so I took the position. They said that the lecture I gave was quite informative, and I was paid handsomely for it. I decided that if I can do this so well, perhaps making a career out of it would be a way for me to support myself."

"So, you used your long-distance flying skills, as well as your incredible knowledge, to form a career? It's interesting, you seem like the exact opposite of one of the stallions we've met, named Split Mentality."

"Yes, I know him. We were flying over Canterlot when we last spoke. He told me how he had been improving his flying speed since he had last seen me, and had even been able to get a crimson streak behind him. I responded with how I had been able to fly from one end of Equestria to another without losing energy, and he was impressed as well. It's interesting how we were such opposites, and yet so similar." Parellel spaced out again, as Corona looked at her. "Excuse me, Parallel? Are you there?" She shook her head.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I tend to do that a lot. I noticed that whenever I do that, it means either something significant was about to happen, or I had learned something valuable about myself." The stallion wasn't sure what she meant by this, as he didn't know her entire story. Suddenly, a letter came for Corona. It was from the Crystal Empire's weather patrol. It read,

"Dear fellow citizen,

Due to the Crystal Empire's recent shortage of water, the pegasi have issued a call for a massive rainstorm. We advise you to make sure your home is properly protected from this, and that you take care of any personal business outside your home immediately. Thank you for your understanding."

Corona started to panic, as the few times when it did rain in the Crystal Empire, it was nothing more than a quick shower. He remembered that he had to take care of his daily grocery shopping, and quickly flew out the door to take care of it. Parallel, who knew what this meant for him, ran out behind him, making sure the door was closed behind her. As she chased the stallion, she caught up to him at the market. He had already started collecting the food he needed, and in a hurry, paid the ponies, as he put the food in his bag. She finally got to speak to him, and said,

"Calm down, Corona! If you read the rest of the letter, you'll know that it says it won't start for another half hour." It was true, he had not finished reading it. He then calmed himself down, and remembered that he had to get extra food, since Parallel would be staying the night with him. He had enough bits left to cover for enough food for both of them. The two then calmly walked back to his house, and as they got inside, the rain had started.

"Well, we made it, Corona. You had me worried there. When you said you were afraid of rain, I didn't think you'd get so paranoid."

"Hey, shut it, you don't know what it's like to lose everything you've ever had." Parallel could sense that he was legitimately scared, as his enhanced vocabulary had gone simple.

"Calm down, Corona, the storm will pass. As long as we stay inside, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Yeah, y-you're right. It's just another storm after all. I'm sure the pegasi can handle it."

"Wait, you're a pegasus, too. How come you're not helping them?"

"They know about my issues. They said I don't have to do this if it brings me fear."

"I see. Well, that's nice of them. So, anyway, I'm getting kinda hungry. What should we have for dinner?" Finally calming down, Corona replied,

"Well, we shall see what I can cook for us. I bought some asparagus, some corn, some apples, now if I can find some--" The stallion suddenly started panicking again. "COOKING OIL! I FORGOT IT!"

"Whoa, take it easy. We can go out and gets some really quickly."

"IN THIS STORM, ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"Alright calm down, calm down. You have an umbrella?"

"Uh, no, I don't. Wait, your hat. Let me borrow it." She knew he was panicking, and didn't want to upset him further, so she game him her hat. Corona suddenly dashed into another room. He came back out with a metal rod and some nylon in his hoof. "If I can tape this rod to the top of your hat, and put a nylon ring around it, I can make a makeshift umbrella, complete with a lightning rod. Now I just need a handle." Parallel realized that she still had some pens in her vest from when she had written her letters to Equality, so she offered them. "Yes, I can tape these together and make a handle. Thanks, Parallel." He grabbed some tape from his kitchen counter, affixed the pens together, added the lightning rod to Parallel's hat, and taped the nylon around the hat's brim. Parallel was impressed by how ingenious Corona was. He then opened his front door, and literally flew outside. Parallel watched as he sprinted out the door, in the pouring rain, trying to not get too wet, and within minutes, he was back inside with the cooking oil he forgot to pick up.

"Wow, you were really not gone long. Didn't even hear any thunder before you got back, and hearing is one of my best senses."

"Did you really think I'd risk my life by staying out long?"

"Hey, hey, calm down. You got what you need, it's done, and you're here now. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah. You're right. Actually, now that I think about it, I guess the rain isn't too bad." The stallion finally calmed himself down, and was back to his normal self. "Anyway, I assume you will need something to eat, correct?" The filly was feeling hungry at this point, so she nodded. "Well, I can cook these apples, and steam this corn and asparagus, and make a casserole. Will that satisfy you?" Parallel hadn't tried asparagus before, but she loved corn, and had been used to apples, so she was willing to try it. Again, she nodded.

After waiting about an hour, and watching the rain fall, Parallel heard Corona saying that the casserole is ready. She came into the kitchen, used a wooden spoon to scoop some up for herself, and took her plate to the table she was sitting at. She took a bite into it, and, although she did find the asparagus to be somewhat bitter, she still really enjoyed what Corona had cooked. He had heard her eating the meal he had prepared, and was happy to see her enjoying it. He said to himself,

"I'm amazed. Parallel, despite everything she has been through, still has the ambition, and energy, of a typical filly her age. Where does her energy come from?" Parallel, who had heard him, said,

"What's going on, Corona? You talking to yourself?"

"Oh, no, I was thinking out loud."

"OK, sure. Anyway, it sure was brave of you to go out in the rain like that, even though you've been afraid of that kind of weather for years."

"Yes, I suppose it was."

"I'm also impressed that you were able to make a makeshift umbrella out of odds and ends from your house."

"Oh, please, do not flatter me."

"No, I'm serious. You really are a genius, Corona. Your knowledge of Equestria could rival Princess Celestia's, your resourcefulness is impeccable, and you can even face your own fears and come back without any problems. You're an incredible pony, Corona." The stallion blushed. Never had anypony complimented him so much. Just then, the rain stopped, and the sky started clearing up.

"Well, that's a relief. The clouds are starting to dissipate. I must thank you, Parallel. If you had not been here to keep my paranoia in check, I may not have summoned the courage to feed myself, or even you." The filly smiled, trying not to blush. She replied,

"You know, your home was built to be protected from weather like that, right?"

"Now that you mention it, it was indeed built to be protected from weather."

"Well, then, what do you have to worry about? As long as you're inside, the weather can't hurt you, right?"

"You know, I had never thought of that. I suppose my own fear clouded my common sense. Parallel, I'm ever so so grateful that you came to stay here for the night. I realize now that weather is nothing to be afraid of, especially if everypony around here has endure it, and they all survive without issues. It may be a while before I can bring myself to face my fear again, but I thank you for giving me this opportunity." All Parallel could do is smile, knowing that she has helped out another pony. The clouds were now clear, and the moon was up. Parallel and Corona were both feeling sleepy, so they decided to go to bed. Corona told Parallel that she could take the room across from his for the night, which she happily accepted. As Parallel wearily walked into her bedroom, took her vest off, and got herself into bed, she said to Corona, who had followed her up,

"Good night, Corona. I'm glad everything worked out for both of us." She fell asleep immediately. The stallion, who then walked into his own bedroom, said to himself,

"That filly is quite amazing, if I do say so myself." He then got himself into bed, and quickly fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Parallel woke up, and found her vest neatly folded and placed on the nightstand next to her, with her hat on top, and with all the pieces of Corona's umbrella off. There was a message next to it, written by Corona. It read,

"To Parallel. I removed everything from my umbrella, so it is now your hat once again. I apologize, but I had to leave early to fly to another lecture. This one came up suddenly, and I had no chance to say goodbye to you, since you were still asleep. I want to thank you again for helping me overcome my fear, and I'll be sure to mention it in my next lecture, which happens to be about psychology. Breakfast is ready in the kitchen. You may want to reheat it by the time you're reading this, but it should still be good to eat. Once you're done, and you're ready to leave, please be sure to lock up the house. The key is next to the food I left for you. Again, goodbye, and thank you.

--Corona

P.S. When I think about it, us helping each other out is like two different paths coming together, each with their own decisions to make.

P.P.S. Somepony named Equality wrote a letter, and addressed it to you. I haven't an idea who Equality is, or how he learned my address, but I left it by the front door, in case you need to read it.

Parallel froze up after reading his postscript, and her eyes gave off a rainbow glow, and her cutie mark shined a black light. When she returned to normal, she was happy to know that her father had written back. She opened the letter, and it read,

"Dear Parallel,

You're on your way to the Crystal Empire, huh? I'm actually kinda jealous. I've always wanted to go there, but with my busy schedule, I haven't had the chance. Anyway, it's awesome that you met up with another stallion from the park. The way you described him, he does seem like some sort of oddball, but I'm sure Equestria has plenty of those, and you were bound to meet one eventually. Anyway, I'm proud of you for helping his friend move in. They seem like nice ponies, as I'm sure everypony you've met so far has been. Also, you mentioned how you remembered that six stallions were destined to take care of you. If that is the case, then I guess meeting with these other five stallions must have been part of some prophecy, and if I'm correct, you're just now leaving  the last one's home. I imagine that, if you've already met the fifth one, you might not know where to go next. Why not try coming back home again? I feel like it would be in your best interest. Whatever you decide, I hope to hear from you soon, and I love you.

Your father,

Equality."

After reading this letter, Parallel quickly ate the food Corona had prepared, and grabbed the key, and locked up the house. She decided that, as her father suggested, she'd use her final train trip to come back home to Ponyville. After she placed the key next to one of Corona's plants, so it wouldn't be stolen, she asked around to find out how to get back to the train station. One mare was kind enough to direct her the right way, and she ran as fast as she could, hoping that Midnight and Rusty Sprocket would be there with her. She looked up at the sky, and saw a rainbow, pointing in the direction of Ponyville. She was now affixed on returning home.

After making it back to the train station, with her ticket still with her, good for one more ride, Parallel took a seat on the bench at the station, seeing on the schedule that the next train to Ponyville wouldn't arrive  for another hour. She occupied her time by taking a quick nap. She had a dream that she was coming home to see her father, and Princess Celestia was speaking to him, saying that the two of them were needed immediately. The filly was scared, either because she did something wrong and was about to be punished, or because her time in this world had run out, and she was to return to her home world. The princess had noticed her panicking, and said,

"Excuse me, little filly. Little filly?" Parallel then awoke from her dream, and felt somepony's hoof poking her face. A stallion said,

"Little filly? The train is about to arrive. You wouldn't want to sleep through it, right?" She jumped off the bench, making sure her hat didn't fall off, and said,

"How much longer?"

"You mean the train? Here it comes now." In fact, the train was pulling up as they were speaking. She thanked him for waking her up, and quickly boarded the train. She made sure she had her ticket, which still had one spot left for her to use. She walked into the luxury cabin, and sat at the desk, just trying to think about everything she had been through at this point. She had already met up with, and befriended, the five stallions from the park, she had recovered a good amount of memories from her past, and she had learned a lot from all the ponies she had met. Each one had taught her a valuable lesson.

Before the train left the station, she had patiently waited to see if Midnight or Rusty Sprocket would board the train, but they never came. In fact, nopony else came onto the train at all. It was just her and the conductor. She felt lonely, having nopony to talk to, but at least it gave her more time to think to herself. She tried to piece together what each of her memories meant. She had remembered that she's from another world, what her real parents look like, she was destined to unite some ponies together, she was to be taken care of by six ponies, and now, as she remembered thanks to Corona, she was told that she will be able to choose whether she wants to stay in this world, or go back to her home world. Never had she felt more conflicted about anything. If she stayed in this world, she could continue to live with her father, Equality, but she'd never be able to return to her home world. If she did choose her home world, she'd be back where she originally belonged, but she'd never see the family she grew up with again, or any of the friends she had made. She was so torn, she started crying. Even the conductor, who was in the front of the train, heard her. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he had to get the train to Ponyville. He announced the train's departure, and they headed off to Parallel's hometown. It took her a while to get out of her sadness, but she finally cheered up, knowing that she's see her loving father again. She was about to learn just what it means to truly love someone; to be devoted to someone.