Equinoxby Past AdventuresChaptersVernalAutumnalYears PastVernal"Thank you, sir!" Livingwood was a light green colt with a positive outlook on life. His father having just purchased a toy train, he thanked the clerk as the two left the store. Using magic, he levitated the train in front of him, waving to everypony he passed. It felt heavy to him, but he endured. "Can I play with it now, dad?" he asked. His father chuckled. "Not now, son. When we get home, alright?" he offered. Livingwood nodded happily, running into a mare due to lack of attention. He fell on his flank and looked up in shock. The mare shook her head, dazed. "I'm sorry, miss!" he said. The mare simply smiled, picking up the train he had dropped. "Oh, it's alright. Is this yours?" He took the train. "Yep! My dad just bought it today! Right, dad?" His father walked over to them. "Yeah, not even ten minutes ago..." "Well, it looks very nice. You're in luck, too; it doesn't seem to have a scratch on it! Still counts as new, huh?" The mare and Livingwood's father laughed. Livingwood looked down to see a small patch of flowers growing where his train had landed. He looked at them strangely, catching his father's attention. "Livingwood? Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Following his son's eyes, he noticed the flowers as well. "Well, looks like those flowers are what saved your little train, son. Real heroes, eh?" He and the mare laughed again; Livingwood kept looking at the flowers. "Were they there before, dad?" he asked. His father kept laughing. "Oh, I don't know, son... Hey, miss, do you have the time?" The mare took out a watch. "It's about quarter to 3, sir." His father started to walk away. "We need to get going, then. Nice meeting you! Come along, Livingwood." Livingwood followed, looking back to the mare. "Bye!" he shouted before bringing his attention to the spot where he had seen the flowers once more, only to find that they were gone. "Dad! The flowers are gone!" His father turned around and looked down. "No, son, they're right there. See?" He pointed down; the flowers were under Livingwood's hooves. The colt lifted his leg up; even though he had apparently stepped on them, the flowers seemed to remain intact. He was puzzled by this, and went to ask his father, but decided against it. "We need to get home, son. If the flowers are here tomorrow, we can come pick them, and set them in your room. That way, you can always see them." "A-Alright..." Livingwood followed his father back to their house, all the while thinking of the flowers. Hours passed. Everything had seemed normal; the flowers hadn't appeared again. Livingwood ran to his room and jumped into bed, excited for tomorrow. "Now remember, son. If you go to sleep now, you'll be fully rested and ready for school." He smiled. "Tomorrow's show-and-tell! Can I take my new train, dad?" he asked. "Sure, Livingwood! Just don't forget to bring it home, okay? Goodnight, son." His father stepped out and closed the door to his son's room. The colt fell back, quickly pulling the covers over him. He was eager to get to sleep. What seemed like moments later, Livingwood sat up. "I'm thirsty..." he said to himself, climbing out of bed and opening the door. He walked down to the kitchen and levitated a cup to the sink. Filling it, he drank the contents, setting the cup back down on the table and heading for the door to his room. However, his room was no longer there. Where it once was, a grassy field stretched out for seemingly forever. Confused, he stepped through the doorway. Hearing the sound of a door close, he turned back; the door was missing, as well. Flowers began to spring up in a circle around him as an unseen force gradually lifted him. "Hello, little one. What brings you here?" a voice echoed. Livingwood shuddered. "I...I don't know... I want to go home!" he shouted. He looked down to see more flowers growing off of the initial circle. "I wonder..." the voice said. "What is your name, colt?" it questioned. "Livingwood," he answered. The force released him, and he landed softly on the ground. Everything was silent. "Hello?" "Did anything special happen to you yesterday, Livingwood?" the voice continued. He thought back to the flowers. "I got a new toy train!" he responded, excitement building within. "I was gonna go home and play with it, but I bumped into a mare and dropped it. My dad and I saw flowers where it landed, but I don't think they were there before!" He heard the voice let out a sigh. "So, you are the one. Listen, young one, you have been chosen." Livingwood looked mystified. "As you may have heard, Ponyville is tasked with cleaning up Winter to make way for Spring. Not all ponies are as capable, however. They struggle to clear away the snow and ice, resulting in a short Spring. The universe believes that you are the pony who will aid them in this task." He gave a small smile. "But, wait, why can't you help out?" His eyes widened. "Wait! Who are you?" The voice laughed. "Why, I'm Spring, of course!" Livingwood looked around in amazement. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, really. Now, I need you to go prepare," the voice requested. Livingwood nodded, but stopped. "If I'm helping other ponies help you arrive on time, will I get to see my dad again?" A light shone down upon him. "Of course, little one. I can't separate you from your family. Go on, now." The light shone brighter and brighter until Livingwood could no longer see. He awoke moments later in his bed. The sun was shining on his face. As he sat up, his father burst through the door. "Son! We're running late; we've gotta get you to school!" His father left, leaving the door open. Livingwood went to stand, but stopped. The flowers were resting below him. AutumnalSwift Leaf raced through the sky, dodging clouds. The adventurous brown colt had just finished school, and was headed home to hang out with his older brother, Silver Hoof. He landed just outside of his Cloudsdale home, his dreads rushing forward, having not yet stopped with the rest of him. He opened the door and ran into his brother. "Slow down, Swift Leaf! What's got you in a hurry?" he asked. He jumped up and down, excited. "I just wanted to get home as fast as I could so I could talk to you before you headed out to work!" he explained. Silver Hoof patted his little brother on the head. "Well, I'm afraid you weren't fast enough, little bro. I've gotta go." Swift Leaf frowned. "I'll be home tonight. You can talk to me then, can't you?" He stomped his hoof. "But I have to go to school tomorrow! Can't you take off early? Please!" he pleaded. Silver Hoof shook his head. "You know I can't do that... Tell you what, I'll let you stay up an extra twenty minutes if you finish all your homework, okay?" he bargained. Swift Leaf grinned and hugged him. "Only if you finish all your homework, though!" he repeated. "I will! Honest!" Silver Hoof nodded once, giving his little brother a warm smile, and spread his wings to fly off. Before he could, another pegasus landed next to him. "Hello, Silver Hoof!" the mare said. He closed his wings. "Oh, hello, Storm Cloud! You're just on time! Swift Leaf, this is Storm Cloud. Storm Cloud, this is my little brother, Swift Leaf." Swift Leaf looked at his brother, angry. "I don't need a babysitter! I'm fine here on my own!" he shouted. Silver Hoof shook his head, smiling. "No, you aren't. You nearly broke all of the dishes last time I left you alone, and all I asked was that you put the dirty ones in the sink! Now, I know Storm Cloud sounds like a pretty scary name, but she's real sweet once you get to know her!" Swift Leaf's expression remained unchanged. "Also, she really likes to watch the Running of the Leaves! You love when I take you there, don't you?" "Yeah, I do..." Silver Hoof spread his wings again. "That's great. You two have something in common! Well, I have to get going. I'll be back later tonight. He's supposed to be in bed by nine, but if he finished all his homework, I'm letting him stay up a little later. Just let him stay up in that case." Storm Cloud gave a salute. "You got it! I'll take good care of him!" she assured. He smiled. "Bye, Swift Leaf!" Diving off the cloud that their home sat upon, he flapped his wings and took off. Storm Cloud closed the door and looked at Swift Leaf. "So, your brother tells me that you like the Running of the Leaves?" He hesitated, then nodded slowly, glaring at her. "So do I! Can you see the trail that the ponies run on from your window?" she asked. "Only a little bit." Storm Cloud flew up to him. "Well, you're lucky. I have to go all the way to Ponyville if I want to watch." She suddenly tensed up. "Oh! Silly me! I left my saddlebags outside! Hold on just a second..." She ran to the door and opened it. When she did, a single leaf flew in, coming to a stop on top of Swift Leaf's head. He looked up at it. "How did this leaf get up here?" he asked. Storm Cloud turned around. "What leaf are you talking about?" she asked. Swift Leaf started to point at it, but noticed that it wasn't there anymore. "There was a leaf on my head!" he exclaimed. She giggled, walking back to him. "Oh, Swift Leaf, you're probably just excited for the event. Now, Silver Hoof says that you get to stay up later if you finish your homework before he gets home; why don't you start now? That way, you don't have to worry about it later." Silver Hoof returned home later that night. He opened the door and called into the house, "Storm Cloud! Swift Leaf! I'm home!" Storm Cloud appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh, I was just reading a story to Swift Leaf. Did everything go well at work today?" she asked. He smiled, stepping inside. "Everything went perfectly. There were no accidents today, meaning we've been accident-free for about a week now! The boss says that my team gets to take a few days off as a reward!" he said excitedly. "Did Swift Leaf get all his homework done?" "Yep! He's right upstairs!" Storm Cloud directed before flying past him. "I'll see you later!" she shouted, flying away. Silver Hoof walked up the stairs and to Swift Leaf's room. "Hi, Silver Hoof!" he nearly yelled. "I got all my homework done!" Silver Hoof nodded. "Storm Cloud told me. Now, you wanted to talk with me, right?" After minutes of talking, Swift Leaf climbed into bed. "Get to sleep, alright? You don't want to be tired at school tomorrow." "I will!" Silver Hoof closed his door, and he laid his head down on his pillow, closing his eyes. He opened his eyes three hours later, awoken by the wind blowing through his mane. He sat up, confused. A few leaves had made their way into his room. "The Running of the Leaves doesn't start until next month..." he told himself, looking out the window. There were leaves all throughout the sky. He gasped, the wind now pulling him outside. Leaves spiraled around him. "Now, how did you get here?" a voice asked. Swift Leaf looked around at all the leaves. "I don't know! How did I get here?" he retorted. The voice chuckled as he flew over to a small platform that the leaves had formed. "It's a mystery!" The remaining leaves shot up, as if surprised by something. "Oh, wait, wait a minute! I know now!" Swift Leaf took a step. "Yeah, yeah... The universe picked you to help with the Running of the Leaves... I think. Something to do with leaves. What's your name?" He rose to the air. "Swift Leaf... Isn't the Running of the Leaves next month, though?" he questioned. "Well, I guess the universe thinks you need a month to prepare. To be honest, you probably do. You're being sent to some distant lands to help out with their Autumn problems. You see, a lot of towns don't have an organized event like the Running of the Leaves, so the leaves just sit up there all Fall. When Winter comes, the leaves aren't gone yet, and that causes some kind of conflict." Swift Leaf nodded. "You sure do know a lot about Autumn...' he observed. The voice laughed. "Know a lot about Autumn? Young one, I am Autumn!" Swift Leaf's mouth dropped. "You... You're Autumn? Like the season?" he asked, stunned. "No, like the kind of dog... Yes, like the season!" The leaves circled him once more. "Hold on, can Silver Hoof come with me?" Swift Leaf questioned. "I'm afraid not, bro. However, you'll have time to come back to him! Don't worry!" The leaves spun faster, covering his vision. When they disappeared, he was standing in his room again. The sun was just starting to rise. "Swift Leaf! Get-" The door opened to reveal Silver Hoof. "Oh! You're already awake! Come downstairs and eat breakfast." Silver Hoof left, closing the door behind him. Swift Leaf reached down to pick up his schoolbag, then looked back up and out the window. Three leaves were circling each other. Years PastLivingwood awoke in his bed. It had been years since he last saw the field. The flowers continued to follow him, seemingly bound to his spirit. He stood, looking in the mirror. His coat had gotten slightly darker. He observed his flank; the flowers appeared once more, but this time, as his cutie mark. He smiled at them, turning and opening the door. Stepping outside, he took in the warm Summer air and walked down the street. He looked up to the sky, bumping into a unicorn stallion carrying a large sapphire, who fell to the ground. "My apologies, sir." He reached his hoof out to help him up. The stallion simply brushed it away. "It's quite alright. You have no need to help me; I'll be fine on my own. Might you have seen a sapphire lying on the ground? I seemed to have misplaced one..." The stallion looked around to see his jewel, lying in a patch of flowers. He levitated the sapphire back over to him, smiling. "Oh, nevermind, I've found it. Good day!" Livingwood smiled and began to walk away when the stallion stopped him. "Sir, may I ask you a question?" "Sure; I'd be glad to help. What do you need to know?" he responded. The stallion cleared his throat. "That little patch of flowers, right over there..." He pointed to the flowers. "I must say, I've taken this route to my shop for the better part of three years now, and I've never seen those flowers before. Have they always been there, and I just haven't noticed?" Livingwood smirked. "No, no they haven't. Recently, they've began to pop up all throughout the year. Well, save for Spring, that is." He walked away, leaving the stallion puzzled. The stallion looked back to the flowers; they were gone. Livingwood continued along the path until he reached a toy store. He stepped inside, eyeing the pony behind the counter. "Hello, sir." The pony looked shocked. "My, my... You're that colt who left here with the toy train," the pony said, chuckling. "So you remember me..." "Of course I do! How could I forget a pony so kind, and so thoughtful... How's your dad been?" he asked. "He's been doing alright. I haven't gone to see him all Summer, though. I'll stop over by the old house later today," he answered. "Good, good... You're a good son. He always comes in here, telling me about your job. How's it treating you? I heard you gotta help wrap up Winter all across Equestria. Rough, huh?" Livingwood smiled slightly. "Yeah... A lot of towns don't have a good system. Even with magic, it's a hassle," he explained. "You know, I've always wondered how you get Spring to all those towns on time..." Livingwood turned to leave. "I dunno, I guess I'm just good at it." That night, he arrived home to an empty house, as usual. Stepping inside, he closed the door and sat down, picking up a book. Right as he closed the door, it flew open again, the moonlight flooding in. He set the book down and sighed. A silhouette entered the house, wings spread and Autumn leaves trailing behind it. "Yo," it called. "What are you doing, just sitting in the darkness?" "Hey, I hadn't expected you to return home, alright?" he explained, turning on a lamp. The pegasus closed his wings as the light illuminated him. He walked forward and fell onto the couch, brown feathers flying off him. "Why is it so hot in here, bro?" he complained, brushing his dreads out of the way. He turned over to reveal his cutie mark; three leaves in a circle. "Would you rather it be freezing, Swift Leaf?" Livingwood replied. "Why were you gone so long, anyway? Autumn has been over with for nearly a year now. It's almost time for you to start your travels again!" "I was chilling with my brother, Livingwood. I guess time got away from me; I haven't seen him ever since Autumn called for me, you know," he stated. Livingwood stood up and walked into the kitchen. "I visit my dad every season; they said we were allowed to keep in touch with our families, remember?" He opened a cabinet. "Would you like anything, by the way?" "I get so caught up in work, that's all. I keep forgetting to go visit him and Storm Cloud up there. And no, I'm set." He returned with a cup of tea. "Yo, you got it easy. Just cleaning up snow and such. I not only have to do the Running of the Leaves for all these other towns on my own, but I gotta make sure their weather teams don't mess up and accidentally bring Winter early, remind the citizens to not try and reverse said Running of the Leaves, and keep the leaves from literally rising up and taking over." Livingwood chuckled. "I'm not sure I believe you about that last part... And Spring is just as hard to maintain as Autumn, I'll have you know." Swift Leaf laid back. "Why, wrapping up Winter is only the start. I have to regulate the temperature to prevent Winter from returning, but also keep Summer from arriving too soon. Furthermore, I am responsible for these barren towns receiving healthy grass and flowers. Lastly, I have to attempt to nurse the leaves back to health. Hold back on them just a little, Swift Leaf? They've nearly blackened by the time I can find all of them!" "Hey, I treat each town the same. If I changed it up even in the slightest, I ain't gonna be able to remember. But, to make it easier for you, I'll just go a little slower next Fall, a'ight?" Livingwood smiled, taking a sip of his tea. "I do appreciate it, Swift Leaf... I have a question, however..." Swift Leaf sat up. "Shoot," he told him. Livingwood sighed. "When are the others coming back?" he asked, the sorrow in his voice rising. Swift Leaf looked out the window at the moon. "I don't know, Livingwood. I don't know."
Vernal"Thank you, sir!" Livingwood was a light green colt with a positive outlook on life. His father having just purchased a toy train, he thanked the clerk as the two left the store. Using magic, he levitated the train in front of him, waving to everypony he passed. It felt heavy to him, but he endured. "Can I play with it now, dad?" he asked. His father chuckled. "Not now, son. When we get home, alright?" he offered. Livingwood nodded happily, running into a mare due to lack of attention. He fell on his flank and looked up in shock. The mare shook her head, dazed. "I'm sorry, miss!" he said. The mare simply smiled, picking up the train he had dropped. "Oh, it's alright. Is this yours?" He took the train. "Yep! My dad just bought it today! Right, dad?" His father walked over to them. "Yeah, not even ten minutes ago..." "Well, it looks very nice. You're in luck, too; it doesn't seem to have a scratch on it! Still counts as new, huh?" The mare and Livingwood's father laughed. Livingwood looked down to see a small patch of flowers growing where his train had landed. He looked at them strangely, catching his father's attention. "Livingwood? Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Following his son's eyes, he noticed the flowers as well. "Well, looks like those flowers are what saved your little train, son. Real heroes, eh?" He and the mare laughed again; Livingwood kept looking at the flowers. "Were they there before, dad?" he asked. His father kept laughing. "Oh, I don't know, son... Hey, miss, do you have the time?" The mare took out a watch. "It's about quarter to 3, sir." His father started to walk away. "We need to get going, then. Nice meeting you! Come along, Livingwood." Livingwood followed, looking back to the mare. "Bye!" he shouted before bringing his attention to the spot where he had seen the flowers once more, only to find that they were gone. "Dad! The flowers are gone!" His father turned around and looked down. "No, son, they're right there. See?" He pointed down; the flowers were under Livingwood's hooves. The colt lifted his leg up; even though he had apparently stepped on them, the flowers seemed to remain intact. He was puzzled by this, and went to ask his father, but decided against it. "We need to get home, son. If the flowers are here tomorrow, we can come pick them, and set them in your room. That way, you can always see them." "A-Alright..." Livingwood followed his father back to their house, all the while thinking of the flowers. Hours passed. Everything had seemed normal; the flowers hadn't appeared again. Livingwood ran to his room and jumped into bed, excited for tomorrow. "Now remember, son. If you go to sleep now, you'll be fully rested and ready for school." He smiled. "Tomorrow's show-and-tell! Can I take my new train, dad?" he asked. "Sure, Livingwood! Just don't forget to bring it home, okay? Goodnight, son." His father stepped out and closed the door to his son's room. The colt fell back, quickly pulling the covers over him. He was eager to get to sleep. What seemed like moments later, Livingwood sat up. "I'm thirsty..." he said to himself, climbing out of bed and opening the door. He walked down to the kitchen and levitated a cup to the sink. Filling it, he drank the contents, setting the cup back down on the table and heading for the door to his room. However, his room was no longer there. Where it once was, a grassy field stretched out for seemingly forever. Confused, he stepped through the doorway. Hearing the sound of a door close, he turned back; the door was missing, as well. Flowers began to spring up in a circle around him as an unseen force gradually lifted him. "Hello, little one. What brings you here?" a voice echoed. Livingwood shuddered. "I...I don't know... I want to go home!" he shouted. He looked down to see more flowers growing off of the initial circle. "I wonder..." the voice said. "What is your name, colt?" it questioned. "Livingwood," he answered. The force released him, and he landed softly on the ground. Everything was silent. "Hello?" "Did anything special happen to you yesterday, Livingwood?" the voice continued. He thought back to the flowers. "I got a new toy train!" he responded, excitement building within. "I was gonna go home and play with it, but I bumped into a mare and dropped it. My dad and I saw flowers where it landed, but I don't think they were there before!" He heard the voice let out a sigh. "So, you are the one. Listen, young one, you have been chosen." Livingwood looked mystified. "As you may have heard, Ponyville is tasked with cleaning up Winter to make way for Spring. Not all ponies are as capable, however. They struggle to clear away the snow and ice, resulting in a short Spring. The universe believes that you are the pony who will aid them in this task." He gave a small smile. "But, wait, why can't you help out?" His eyes widened. "Wait! Who are you?" The voice laughed. "Why, I'm Spring, of course!" Livingwood looked around in amazement. "Really?" he asked. "Yes, really. Now, I need you to go prepare," the voice requested. Livingwood nodded, but stopped. "If I'm helping other ponies help you arrive on time, will I get to see my dad again?" A light shone down upon him. "Of course, little one. I can't separate you from your family. Go on, now." The light shone brighter and brighter until Livingwood could no longer see. He awoke moments later in his bed. The sun was shining on his face. As he sat up, his father burst through the door. "Son! We're running late; we've gotta get you to school!" His father left, leaving the door open. Livingwood went to stand, but stopped. The flowers were resting below him.
AutumnalSwift Leaf raced through the sky, dodging clouds. The adventurous brown colt had just finished school, and was headed home to hang out with his older brother, Silver Hoof. He landed just outside of his Cloudsdale home, his dreads rushing forward, having not yet stopped with the rest of him. He opened the door and ran into his brother. "Slow down, Swift Leaf! What's got you in a hurry?" he asked. He jumped up and down, excited. "I just wanted to get home as fast as I could so I could talk to you before you headed out to work!" he explained. Silver Hoof patted his little brother on the head. "Well, I'm afraid you weren't fast enough, little bro. I've gotta go." Swift Leaf frowned. "I'll be home tonight. You can talk to me then, can't you?" He stomped his hoof. "But I have to go to school tomorrow! Can't you take off early? Please!" he pleaded. Silver Hoof shook his head. "You know I can't do that... Tell you what, I'll let you stay up an extra twenty minutes if you finish all your homework, okay?" he bargained. Swift Leaf grinned and hugged him. "Only if you finish all your homework, though!" he repeated. "I will! Honest!" Silver Hoof nodded once, giving his little brother a warm smile, and spread his wings to fly off. Before he could, another pegasus landed next to him. "Hello, Silver Hoof!" the mare said. He closed his wings. "Oh, hello, Storm Cloud! You're just on time! Swift Leaf, this is Storm Cloud. Storm Cloud, this is my little brother, Swift Leaf." Swift Leaf looked at his brother, angry. "I don't need a babysitter! I'm fine here on my own!" he shouted. Silver Hoof shook his head, smiling. "No, you aren't. You nearly broke all of the dishes last time I left you alone, and all I asked was that you put the dirty ones in the sink! Now, I know Storm Cloud sounds like a pretty scary name, but she's real sweet once you get to know her!" Swift Leaf's expression remained unchanged. "Also, she really likes to watch the Running of the Leaves! You love when I take you there, don't you?" "Yeah, I do..." Silver Hoof spread his wings again. "That's great. You two have something in common! Well, I have to get going. I'll be back later tonight. He's supposed to be in bed by nine, but if he finished all his homework, I'm letting him stay up a little later. Just let him stay up in that case." Storm Cloud gave a salute. "You got it! I'll take good care of him!" she assured. He smiled. "Bye, Swift Leaf!" Diving off the cloud that their home sat upon, he flapped his wings and took off. Storm Cloud closed the door and looked at Swift Leaf. "So, your brother tells me that you like the Running of the Leaves?" He hesitated, then nodded slowly, glaring at her. "So do I! Can you see the trail that the ponies run on from your window?" she asked. "Only a little bit." Storm Cloud flew up to him. "Well, you're lucky. I have to go all the way to Ponyville if I want to watch." She suddenly tensed up. "Oh! Silly me! I left my saddlebags outside! Hold on just a second..." She ran to the door and opened it. When she did, a single leaf flew in, coming to a stop on top of Swift Leaf's head. He looked up at it. "How did this leaf get up here?" he asked. Storm Cloud turned around. "What leaf are you talking about?" she asked. Swift Leaf started to point at it, but noticed that it wasn't there anymore. "There was a leaf on my head!" he exclaimed. She giggled, walking back to him. "Oh, Swift Leaf, you're probably just excited for the event. Now, Silver Hoof says that you get to stay up later if you finish your homework before he gets home; why don't you start now? That way, you don't have to worry about it later." Silver Hoof returned home later that night. He opened the door and called into the house, "Storm Cloud! Swift Leaf! I'm home!" Storm Cloud appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh, I was just reading a story to Swift Leaf. Did everything go well at work today?" she asked. He smiled, stepping inside. "Everything went perfectly. There were no accidents today, meaning we've been accident-free for about a week now! The boss says that my team gets to take a few days off as a reward!" he said excitedly. "Did Swift Leaf get all his homework done?" "Yep! He's right upstairs!" Storm Cloud directed before flying past him. "I'll see you later!" she shouted, flying away. Silver Hoof walked up the stairs and to Swift Leaf's room. "Hi, Silver Hoof!" he nearly yelled. "I got all my homework done!" Silver Hoof nodded. "Storm Cloud told me. Now, you wanted to talk with me, right?" After minutes of talking, Swift Leaf climbed into bed. "Get to sleep, alright? You don't want to be tired at school tomorrow." "I will!" Silver Hoof closed his door, and he laid his head down on his pillow, closing his eyes. He opened his eyes three hours later, awoken by the wind blowing through his mane. He sat up, confused. A few leaves had made their way into his room. "The Running of the Leaves doesn't start until next month..." he told himself, looking out the window. There were leaves all throughout the sky. He gasped, the wind now pulling him outside. Leaves spiraled around him. "Now, how did you get here?" a voice asked. Swift Leaf looked around at all the leaves. "I don't know! How did I get here?" he retorted. The voice chuckled as he flew over to a small platform that the leaves had formed. "It's a mystery!" The remaining leaves shot up, as if surprised by something. "Oh, wait, wait a minute! I know now!" Swift Leaf took a step. "Yeah, yeah... The universe picked you to help with the Running of the Leaves... I think. Something to do with leaves. What's your name?" He rose to the air. "Swift Leaf... Isn't the Running of the Leaves next month, though?" he questioned. "Well, I guess the universe thinks you need a month to prepare. To be honest, you probably do. You're being sent to some distant lands to help out with their Autumn problems. You see, a lot of towns don't have an organized event like the Running of the Leaves, so the leaves just sit up there all Fall. When Winter comes, the leaves aren't gone yet, and that causes some kind of conflict." Swift Leaf nodded. "You sure do know a lot about Autumn...' he observed. The voice laughed. "Know a lot about Autumn? Young one, I am Autumn!" Swift Leaf's mouth dropped. "You... You're Autumn? Like the season?" he asked, stunned. "No, like the kind of dog... Yes, like the season!" The leaves circled him once more. "Hold on, can Silver Hoof come with me?" Swift Leaf questioned. "I'm afraid not, bro. However, you'll have time to come back to him! Don't worry!" The leaves spun faster, covering his vision. When they disappeared, he was standing in his room again. The sun was just starting to rise. "Swift Leaf! Get-" The door opened to reveal Silver Hoof. "Oh! You're already awake! Come downstairs and eat breakfast." Silver Hoof left, closing the door behind him. Swift Leaf reached down to pick up his schoolbag, then looked back up and out the window. Three leaves were circling each other.
Years PastLivingwood awoke in his bed. It had been years since he last saw the field. The flowers continued to follow him, seemingly bound to his spirit. He stood, looking in the mirror. His coat had gotten slightly darker. He observed his flank; the flowers appeared once more, but this time, as his cutie mark. He smiled at them, turning and opening the door. Stepping outside, he took in the warm Summer air and walked down the street. He looked up to the sky, bumping into a unicorn stallion carrying a large sapphire, who fell to the ground. "My apologies, sir." He reached his hoof out to help him up. The stallion simply brushed it away. "It's quite alright. You have no need to help me; I'll be fine on my own. Might you have seen a sapphire lying on the ground? I seemed to have misplaced one..." The stallion looked around to see his jewel, lying in a patch of flowers. He levitated the sapphire back over to him, smiling. "Oh, nevermind, I've found it. Good day!" Livingwood smiled and began to walk away when the stallion stopped him. "Sir, may I ask you a question?" "Sure; I'd be glad to help. What do you need to know?" he responded. The stallion cleared his throat. "That little patch of flowers, right over there..." He pointed to the flowers. "I must say, I've taken this route to my shop for the better part of three years now, and I've never seen those flowers before. Have they always been there, and I just haven't noticed?" Livingwood smirked. "No, no they haven't. Recently, they've began to pop up all throughout the year. Well, save for Spring, that is." He walked away, leaving the stallion puzzled. The stallion looked back to the flowers; they were gone. Livingwood continued along the path until he reached a toy store. He stepped inside, eyeing the pony behind the counter. "Hello, sir." The pony looked shocked. "My, my... You're that colt who left here with the toy train," the pony said, chuckling. "So you remember me..." "Of course I do! How could I forget a pony so kind, and so thoughtful... How's your dad been?" he asked. "He's been doing alright. I haven't gone to see him all Summer, though. I'll stop over by the old house later today," he answered. "Good, good... You're a good son. He always comes in here, telling me about your job. How's it treating you? I heard you gotta help wrap up Winter all across Equestria. Rough, huh?" Livingwood smiled slightly. "Yeah... A lot of towns don't have a good system. Even with magic, it's a hassle," he explained. "You know, I've always wondered how you get Spring to all those towns on time..." Livingwood turned to leave. "I dunno, I guess I'm just good at it." That night, he arrived home to an empty house, as usual. Stepping inside, he closed the door and sat down, picking up a book. Right as he closed the door, it flew open again, the moonlight flooding in. He set the book down and sighed. A silhouette entered the house, wings spread and Autumn leaves trailing behind it. "Yo," it called. "What are you doing, just sitting in the darkness?" "Hey, I hadn't expected you to return home, alright?" he explained, turning on a lamp. The pegasus closed his wings as the light illuminated him. He walked forward and fell onto the couch, brown feathers flying off him. "Why is it so hot in here, bro?" he complained, brushing his dreads out of the way. He turned over to reveal his cutie mark; three leaves in a circle. "Would you rather it be freezing, Swift Leaf?" Livingwood replied. "Why were you gone so long, anyway? Autumn has been over with for nearly a year now. It's almost time for you to start your travels again!" "I was chilling with my brother, Livingwood. I guess time got away from me; I haven't seen him ever since Autumn called for me, you know," he stated. Livingwood stood up and walked into the kitchen. "I visit my dad every season; they said we were allowed to keep in touch with our families, remember?" He opened a cabinet. "Would you like anything, by the way?" "I get so caught up in work, that's all. I keep forgetting to go visit him and Storm Cloud up there. And no, I'm set." He returned with a cup of tea. "Yo, you got it easy. Just cleaning up snow and such. I not only have to do the Running of the Leaves for all these other towns on my own, but I gotta make sure their weather teams don't mess up and accidentally bring Winter early, remind the citizens to not try and reverse said Running of the Leaves, and keep the leaves from literally rising up and taking over." Livingwood chuckled. "I'm not sure I believe you about that last part... And Spring is just as hard to maintain as Autumn, I'll have you know." Swift Leaf laid back. "Why, wrapping up Winter is only the start. I have to regulate the temperature to prevent Winter from returning, but also keep Summer from arriving too soon. Furthermore, I am responsible for these barren towns receiving healthy grass and flowers. Lastly, I have to attempt to nurse the leaves back to health. Hold back on them just a little, Swift Leaf? They've nearly blackened by the time I can find all of them!" "Hey, I treat each town the same. If I changed it up even in the slightest, I ain't gonna be able to remember. But, to make it easier for you, I'll just go a little slower next Fall, a'ight?" Livingwood smiled, taking a sip of his tea. "I do appreciate it, Swift Leaf... I have a question, however..." Swift Leaf sat up. "Shoot," he told him. Livingwood sighed. "When are the others coming back?" he asked, the sorrow in his voice rising. Swift Leaf looked out the window at the moon. "I don't know, Livingwood. I don't know."
