The Power of a Little Kindness

I re-released this chapter because I threw a little something in during the scene when Dash and Chris are talking to each other after the race. Who knows? Maybe it'll be a 3rd plotline I need to follow!

“Come on you three, Sweet Apple Acres isn’t too far from here.” Dash said, flying ahead about 50 feet from us. Sweet Apple Acres was about half a mile away. She was calmed down a lot after the woods.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming, Dash, hold your hor-… Fuck, uh… Keep your saddle on.” I said, flying ahead to catch up.

“Still haven’t caught on to the Equestrian vocabulary, have you?” She asked, smirking

“No, I haven’t. Deal with it. But I bet I can beat you to Sweet Apple Acres from here.”

“A bet, huh? What do you wager?”

“One, no, TWO favors, of anything. Can you meet that?”

“Hay yeah I can.” She said, Dash wasn’t one to give up on a bet.

“Twilight! Can you count from three to one, please? We have a race to Sweet Apple.”

“You two…” She said, sighing. “Okay. Three” We flared our wings, “Two,” We leaned forward, ready to go, “One,” We leaned back for that extra momentum, “Go!” We both shot forward, Dash a rainbow trail, me just the usual speed lines behind me. I could tell she easily was holding back. Dash got there about a full three seconds before me, but I could tell my speed was increasing.

“Nice… Job… Chris…” Dash said in between pants. Even though she slowed herself down, she still went pretty fast. “You… Owe me two…”

“Yeah… I know…” I said, “Don’t… Rub it in…”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Let’s wait for them, huh?”

“Yeah. I could use a breather.” As we waited, we talked about what happened in the woods.

“So… You mentioned something called My Little Dashie?” she asked, curiosity piqued.

“Yeah I did, didn’t I.” I said. This would be more awkward than the cupcakes. Especially since it’s one of the few things that made me cry.

“So, are ya gonna tell me?” She asked, leaning in,

“Yeah… My Little Dashie is a story written by someone in my world, obviously. This is nothing like Cupcakes, mind you. I’ll give you the most basic rundown I can,” I started, “A guy finds you, in a box, in his city. You’re a little filly, not even with a cutie mark, and he adopts you. He can’t tell anyone. He raises you, teaches you to fly, and helps you accomplish a Sonic Rainboom. Eventually, Celestia and the others come to his house, say you’ve been gone fifteen days, but in our earth it’s been…”

“What?”

"You got a look on your face. Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Just uh... Looking at the trees is all." She said, she still had a look of sadness in her eyes.

'How does he know about this?' She thought

"What?" I asked; I could have misheard, but...

"I didn't say anything." She looked like she was hiding something. Again. I didn't press the matter.

"Right. Like I was saying, it was fifteen days here, but on my earth it was fifteen... Ye- Fuck. I need to see Twilight."

"Why?"

“The temporal difference. I need to talk to Twilight, now.” I bolted off, as fast as I could. I caught up with Twilight around half way. Her and Celestia were talking about something.

“Hahaha! I know! Then Shining Armor says to  Cadence…”

“Twilight, what’s the time difference here? If it’s what I think it is, I’ve been gone for almost a year in my world.”

“I looked it up, it’s one day here for every second at your world.” She said,  I could feel a wave of relief wash over me.

“Oh thank God for that…” I said, "I almost had a damn heart attack."

"Why?" Twilight asked,

"I was explaining something to Dash, and I mentioned a time difference. The time difference in what I was explaining was One day here is one year in my world. Also, Sunny, I need to talk to you for a bit after I help Fluttershy... Can you free up some time?"

"Of course. Can you tell me the topic now, or is it private information?

"I could, but it would be easier when we all can sit and talk interruption fr-"

We arrived. “What took you three so long? I was starting to get bored.” Dash said, looking, well, bored.

“We were talking about temporal distortion between-“ Twilight started

“Bo-ring!” She yelled,  “Let’s go.”

As we walked up the path to the farmhouse, we saw the literally thousands of apple trees that littered the farmland for miles. How the Apples managed to maintain all this with only two active workers was beyond me.

“Well howdy there, you four! What’re ya doin’ down here at Sweet Apple Acres?” Applejack said, coming out from behind a line of trees.

“We were in the neighborhood, thought we’d stop by.” I said. I could hear a faint buzzing in the background, but I ignored it. “So what’s up, need any help?”

“Actually Ah was jus’ finishin’ up for the day. Gettin’ ready for Pinkie’s party down at the corner.” She said.

“Oh okay.” I said, The buzzing was louder… "What the f-" I started

“Look ouuuuuuuutttt!”

As soon as I turned around, I was met with a scooter, propelled by an orange Pegasus filly with a purple mane, not unlike Dash’s.

“Ow... Jesus hell that hurts…” I said, getting up. I checked my limbs and wings, they were all okay. Just a minor headache.

“Oh man, I am really sorry, mister. Are you okay?” The filly asked,

“Yeah I’m fine, just a light headache. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, my scooter took most of the impact. Oh, hi Applejack! Is Applebloom home?” She asked.

“Yes she is, Scootaloo, Ah reckon she’s inside the house. Go on in.”

“Thanks AJ! Again, I’m really sorry mister.” She took off, her wings buzzing to give her speed,

“Who was that?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“That’s Applebloom’s friend Scootaloo. They met in school and they have this group dedicated to get their cutie marks, as well as Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle.”

“That’s cool. I had something like that in my old school.” I said. “I take it we’ll be seeing them on their way back?”

“It’s quite likely. So I had a few unanswered questions from the library.”

“Shoot.” I said.

“What’s life like back on Earth? Well, I mean, your earth…”

“Well, like I told these two,” I gestured to Celestia and Twilight, “it pretty much sucks, unless you’re rich. We have war, famine, poverty, corrupt governments, and the threat of global thermonuclear warfare.”

“Global theemonewclee what now?” Applejack asked.

“Global thermonuclear warfare. It’s essentially the world’s most violent countries are developing weapons powerful enough to wipe out the population of the world, is all.”

Her jaw dropped. I could see the shock in her eyes.

“Yer kiddin’…”

“Wish I was, AJ, I wish I was. Well on that note, how’s Big Mac?”

“Ah, he’s fine, he just says he feels horrible. He looks fine, but he doesn't say anything*. Granny Smith’s been giving him soup and all that fancy illness stuff.”  She said, not wanting to press the ‘Earth’ topic anymore.

“That’s good, I think.”

“Well, this was a blast, AJ, but we gotta go. We have about 15 minutes before the party, and Sugarcube Corner is kinda far.” Dash said, she was anxious to fly again, I could tell.

“Well, I reckon I need to get ready too, Ah’ll see y’all down there, then?”

“Yep. See ya! Tell Scootaloo I’ll be fine?”

“Will do!”

As we walked back through Ponyville, the sun was beginning to set.

“Well, my little ponies, I need to go; Luna will need me back soon enough. Twilight, I will hear from you in the friendship reports?”

“Of course, Princess.”

“Farewell, all of you. And Chris, it was a pleasure to meet you. Twilight, send me a letter when you and Chris can visit to talk.”

"Of course."

“I should say the same, Princess. It was an honor. I look forward to talking to you.” There was the nanoscopic hint of an edge in my voice.

“Goodbye, you three.” She teleported away, no doubt to the library to get her effects.

“Well we should go in, Sugarcube Corner is only next door.” Twilight said.

“Yep. Looks dark. I so wonder why that is happening…” I said wryly, rolling my eyes.

“Heh. Just get in you doofus.” Dash said, nudging me towards the door.

“I’m going, I’m going, don’t rush me.”

I opened the door.

”SURPRISE!”

*- Foreshadowing, perhaps?

A/N: I wrote this on vacation in Kentucky, so I could get a feel for the accents. I owe a lot of motivational help to a friend of mine, who was bitching at me to do it by midnight, because the fics I’m following keep updating. YOU HAPPY, DIEGO?? Also, I threw in a little bit more to the MLD reference because I read an unofficial sequel. Next chapter: My super fantastic MS paint skills!