Family of Misfits

                    Flash Quake led Jay Sky through Ponyville, stoping every so often when Jay wanted to know about something or get a snack. Sometimes they had to stop for a bathroom break. Somehow Jay had managed to annoy nearly every pony that he stopped to talk with to ask them about Ponyville. One time Flash had to actually drag Jay Sky away from a young gentlecolt to keep the colt's eyes spinning with confusion from all the questions that Jay was asking.

                    After a few more minutes of walking around Jay got bored and sighed with a roll of his eyes.

                    "I thought this was supposed to be and adventure" Jay Sky said with a bit of irritation. "We've been walking for hours and it's just getting more and more boring..."

                    "Don't worry, we're almost to someone who might be able to help..." Flash brushed his wings with Jay's and smiled down at him.

                    "Does that mean we'll be able to go on the adventure we came for?" Jay looked up at Flash Quake with a spark of interest in his eyes.

                    "Yes, yes it does." Flash chuckled as Jay squealed with excitement.

                    "Well then, let's go visit the library" Flash smiled and rested a wing over Jay's wing, leading him through Ponyville.

                    -----------------------------

                   Jay was turning around with wide eyes, taking in all the things around him.

                  "Woah...... There are a lot of books here!!" Jay's wings fluttered.

                  "Well yeah, it's a library for a reason." Flash Quake chuckled and then looked at a staircase. "Hello? Anyone here?"

                  "I'll be down in a few moments! Just tidying up a bit!" A mare's voice shouted from atop the stairs.

                  Flash Quake and Jay Sky waited while the mare was 'tidying up a bit'. After a few seconds Jay got bored and began to look at more books, pulling some picture books off low shelves. Jay had looked at all the pictures in three books before a mare came trotting down the staircase.

                  "Sorry for making you wait, it was quite a mess up there." The mare chuckled a bit and stood at the bottom of the steps.

                 "No worries, we don't mind waiting" Flash Quake said with a smile.

                "Flash is that you?!" She gasped and looked at him closely "Sweet Celestia, it is you!" The mare ran forward and tackle hugged him "I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been?"

               Flash hugged her back "I've been great, you?"

              "I've been good." She looked at Jay Sky and whispered in Flash's ear with a bit of sadness "Is that a lost colt?"

              "No no, he's not lost. That's Jay Sky, my son." Flash said with a smile of pride.

              Jay looked up a bit at the mention of his name, it was then that he finally noticed the mare and dropped the book he was reading.

              "Wait what?!" The mare looked at Flash with surprise "Thats your son?" She looked at him closely and giggled "I can see the  resemblance."

              Jay sat there with confusion and began to shyly back up a bit. He's not really used to meeting ponies, so he gets shy easily.

             "Don't be so shy Jay, she wont bite.... I think" Flash Quake said and laughed.

             The mare glared at Flash Quake "No, I will not be biting anypony." She looked at Jay with a gentle smile. "You're name was Jay Sky right?"

             "T-thats me...." He studied the mare curiously, wondering who she was.

             The mare walked over to Jay and sat in front of him, holding out her hoof to him "My name is Twilight Sparkle"

             Jay Sky cautiously put his hoof in hers and gently shook it.

             Twilight Sparkle smiled and looked at Flash Quake "So what do you need?"

            "I'm looking for somepony, maybe you know where she is?" He look at Twilight with hope in his eyes.

            "I might know where this 'somepony' is, what's her name?" She tilted her head a bit, her eyes and ears full of attention.

            "Her name is Zecora... Do you know her?" Flash's front hooves shuffled nervously.

            "Yes, I know who Zecora is" She smiled "I know where she is too, she's not far away"

            "Great!" Flash Quake smiled and looked at Jay Sky "We can find out about the time capsule now!"

             Jay Sky smiled back and jumped up with joy. "The adventure continues!"

             Twilight watched with confusion. She decided to go get a map from upstairs and left Flash and Jay to their giggling of excitement. After a few moments they each had a small saddle back of apples, first aid, and a map in case any of them got lost. Before they headed out Twilight showed them a book of dangerous plants, telling them what to avoid and what to be cautious of.

              "So where exactly are we going?" Jay asked.

              "We're going into the Everfree Forest, that's where Zecora lives." She put the book onto a shelf with her magic and smiled "Ready to go?"

              Jay nodded with excitement and was about to run outside before Flash Quake stopped him with a hoof.

              "Stay close to me" He warned Jay "there are lots of dangerous things in that horrid place..."

              Jay sighed with impatience and waited for Twilight to take the lead, as they all headed out of the library Flash Saw the same hooded mare from before but with a different colt this time.

              "Poor colt, doesn't even realize he's being played" Flash muttered under his breath and followed Twilight with Jay at his side.

               On the way to the Forest, Jay asked a zillion questions. He would ask about every little thing about the Everfree Forest and what something was when they passed it. Flash Quake was surprised when she didn't get annoyed after his first ten questions, she actually seemed rather happy to share her knowledge. All the way to the forest Flash couldn't help but remeber about the last time he went to the Forest, it wasn't a pleasant experience either. The closer they got, the more he worried.

              When they reached the forest Flash froze with horror. There it was, the same place that nearly killed him a few years ago. Here he is, standing in front of the same path that he took that day. The day his friend challenged him to a race, and the day he disappeared...