A silver light in the dark

"Get back here ya luggage stealing varmint!" Applejack shouts, bowling over half a dozen exiting train passengers.

"This is all a big misunderstanding! I wasn't stealing it, I was helping her with it!" The hooded pony pleads over his shoulder... but doesn't slow down.

"Likely story! You be sure to tell it to the guards!" Applejack fumes, her powerful legs drive her closer and closer to her mark.

"Ahhh, Kii re wux zyak temep!?" (Why are you so fast?!) He huffs, still not daring to slow his pace. "I thought you ponies were nice!"

After clearing the platform, Applejack and the criminal barrel down mane street. In the open space, she gains ground. Inches from making her move, her vision is obscured by a heavy fabric.

"That little... He took of his cloak. That's still not gonna be enough tah save em'. "Wait.. where'd he go?"

She managed to shake the garment from her vision, but when she opens her eyes, he was gone. "Left, nope. Right, nope... Up? Gotcha."

"You git down here and fight me like a stallion!"

"Fight?... I don't wanna fight you, you repaiup (crazy) mare! I just wanna OOFF."  His attempt at diplomacy is cut off by a blue blur that not only knocks the wind out of his lungs, but brings them both crashing to the ground.

"Nice shootin' Rainbow Dash!"

"No problem A.J." The rainbow pegasus grins, standing over her prize. "I saw you running and shouting at this guy here and figured I'd lend you a hoof. Although... I did hit him pretty hard, he's probably gonna be uncon ..."

"Oww, Sia fothisev (my head)" He groans, shaking the stars from his vision.

"..scious?" She finishes, looking down in bewilderment.

Applejack cracks a wild smile "Good, now he'll feel it when I beat the stuffin' out of 'em."

"Si mi ti vi virlym!" (I'm not a thief!) The prone pegasus winces for a beating that never comes.

"Applejack, Aapplejaack! Tarnation you silly filly, git off em'." Granny Smith hobbles out of breath up to the group.  "This young stallion was nice enough to help me with my bags and you just went on jumpin' to conclusions.  Just look at the poor thing, ya'll get off em'. Go on now."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked down once more just in time to see the pegasus give them a sheepish smile.

Allowing him to stand up, the girls get their first good look at him. The cloak had obscured his true age, for he's far younger than they realized. His grey coat was caked in dust from the impromptu flying spear tackle but was no worse for wear. His short, messy mane is shade of cobalt, the tips of his wings were the same, which among pegasi, was unique. His eyes are a bright copper color and he stands as tall as Big Mac but not nearly as husky.  He's certainly far more muscular than other pegasi besides Bulk-Biceps for sure. An intricate steel bangle is seen clasped around his left forearm and his cutie mark is winged-sword superimposed over a darkened background. They only have a moment to take in his from before their eyes bulge at a very real broadsword strapped between his wings. "Coi kiri kiarf ekess tor ihk huena ekess ti qe lowda svadrav si show svern creol svaklar? Wux xoal vur tir wer harkt youwe, shar thric. pothoc weloh jivi, neri ve ekik di wer svant." He says, under his breath trying to dust himself off. (Is it too much to ask for once to not be attacked when I show up some where? You try and do the right thing, but no. Stupid pony, spears me out of the sky.)

"Uhh sorry about that hon. We Apples are very protective of our own ya know." Applejack apologizes trying to help him dust off with her stetson.

"Yeah, uhh, sorry about that Mr?..." Rainbow looks into his eyes, asking for a name.

"Oh, umm.  Orn,... but you can call me Silver." He says bowing his head a little.

"Well, shucks. There ain't no need to bow fella. I ain't no princess or nothin'" Applejack laughs, holding out a traditional hoof bump.

He studies her gesture for a moment before cautiously bringing his own hoof to hers.

Not missing a chance for a awesome story, Rainbow cuts in with a slurry of questions. "Weird name, Cool sword, you know how to use it?  Where'd you get it? You ever fight a gryphon? If you have wings...... why were you on the train?"

He blinks, and pauses before answering. "Uhh, I guess, Thank you, Yes? In a cave. I don't make a habit of it and... I like trains?" He finishes with a bashful smile.

She studies him a moment before answering, sounding a little disappointed. "Cool, kinda boring.. but cool."

"Forgive me for pryin' sugar cube but that's a little unusual for a pony name. Where are you from exactly?"

"Uhh, Well, I wasn't born in Equestria." He replies, thinking that would be good enough of an answer. These mares however, weren't having it.

"Oh, that's cool. You never see that!  Where were you born then?" Rainbow Dash asks with renewed enthusiasm.

Silver shuffles nervously but tries to reply. Thankfully he's saved by Granny Smith. "Girls please. This fine young stallion has no time to be chewin' the curd with you two in the middle of the road. He needs to be gettin' settled in for work tomorrow."

"What do you mean granny?" Applejack asks, eyeing her grandmare.

"Oh didn't I tell you before I left for Appaloosa that we'd be gettin' a new farm hoof?"

"Yeah, but I figured it be somepony from the Apple family not, no offense, a pegasus."

"Hey! Just what in the hay is THAT supposed to mean?" Rainbow snorts.

"I'm just sayin' Rainbow. It ain't every day you see a pegasus workin' the fields. That's almost always an earth pony's job."

Rainbow ponders this for a second before narrowing her eyes at the new guy. "Yeah, I guess it is kinda weird."

"Wait, why? Me and Big Mac have handled Sweet Apple Acres for years, why do we even need him?" No pony, not even Granny Smith could question her work ethic.

"Don't get your tail in a twist Applejack, it's only temporary. It's.."

"Cause little sis." A smooth bass voice from behind the two friends forced them to turn around in surprise. "I got your letter Granny, I'll be headed out on the next train."

"Be sure you do Big Macintosh. Braeburn has made a mess of things and needs your help some kinda' bad." Granny says, shaking her head. "Come now Shiny, we need to get you set up in the bunk house before tomorrow. Celestia's sun and apple buckin' season waits for nopony."

"Actually my name is.... Sigh Yes ma'am, lead the way." He says, trotting over to grab his trampled cloak. However, Rainbow notices something a bit peculiar. Instead of using his hoof to pick it up, he used his wing tips like a set of grabbers; pinching the fabric between them and stuffing it into his saddle bags. Now Rainbow wasn't a picky pony by any means, but she was damn near obsessive with her wing care. She would never do something so... pedestrian with her own.

"Huh, Must be a "not from Equestria thing." She shrugs it off, waves by to the Apple family and the new pegasus in town before jetting off into the clouds.

"I'll be home a little later Granny, I need to go to the hardware store again and grab another pick. Breakin' new ground on the north field has already ate up two this week."

"Oh, can you swing by the market and pick me up a bottle of that cherry bourbon they have Applejack? I sure would like a taste after my long trip."  Granny pleads, smacking her lips.

"Ugh, Sure thing Granny, just take it easy this time. We don't need another sexual harassment lawsuit."

"Uhhh... Sexual what now?" Silver asks, unsure if he heard right.

"Hush now Applejack. Just hurry along and get your granny her bourbon"

She eyed her grandmother who was ogling a very uncomfortable stallion before gradually walking toward the market.

It didn't take long for Granny Smith to get Silver settled. Thankfully after her long trip, she passed out even before her grand daughter came back with the booze. He thanked the sisters for that.  Applejack knocked at the small bunk house door before pushing it open.

"Alright Mr. luggage thief, you best be settlin' in... Hey, where'd he go?" She sees his saddlebags laying on an open bunk, but didn't see the new pegasus anywhere. She walks around the outside of the building and hears the faint whoosh of wings and the light shuffling of hooves in the dirt. She rounds the corner and is taken back at what she sees. Silver, poised with his sword held low. The grip clutched with the lightest touch in his wing. With grace and power, he moves. She watches his muscles and follows the edge of his blade as it arced and cut slow pieces out of the air, his hooves work in perfect unison around an invisible opponent. He slices, thrusts, parries, pivots, wing-strikes, switches the sword to the other wing and repeats. He quickens his pace until the sword can no longer be seen. After a blinding flurry of blows he leapt into the air and delivered a finishing blow to the dirt, causing a small dust ring to puff out in all directions. "Si mi wer mitne persvek wer whedabra" He chants under his breath. Applejack, finally broken from her hypnotism, clears her throat. This made him stiffen up and slowly turn to meet his observer.

"Uhh, sorry. I didn't see you there... I was just, uhh. Whats up?." He said looking like he just got caught with his hoof in the cookie jar.

No, I'm sorry, I shoulda' called out or somethin'.... I was just makin' sure you had everything ya needed... You and me gotta get up a bit earlier tomorrow. I gotta make sure you know what you're doin' before I cut you loose on this here farm." She said, pointing to her orchards, calling attention away from her blush.

He sheathed his sword and gave her a small smiled. "Sure thing boss."

"Night... Criminal." She grinned back and headed off to the house.

The next morning comes early for the pegasus. Too early. He is woken up by a pair of unforgiving hooves, violently shaking him awake.

"Ugh, you win. I'm up, I'm up."

"Didn't I tell you I'd be here early?" Applejack asks, way to cheery for the hour.

"Yeah... early. Not... Whatever the hay this is. "

"Oh, quit your belly aching. You should of went to bed instead of sword fighting the air last night. Besides, I brought breakfast."

His enthusiasm at a hearty meal is quickly cut off as she jammed an apple in his mouth.

"You know...." He starts, holding the apple in a hoof. "In a certain light, this would be kind of romantic. A mare bringing a stallion breakfast in bed, pretty roma... Offf." For the second time in less than twelve hours he had his breath knocked out of him by a mare... This time by a earth pony hoof.

"Fine...You win...again. Not romantic" He manages to wheeze before she turns and huffs out the door.

Even though Silver hated the waking up part of the early hours, the morning itself wasn't so bad. The slight dew on the grass, the chill of the night holding on against the warmth of the rising sun. It was a magical time of the day... A time of the day in which Applejack seemed to have no interest in. She stands by a nearby apple tree, taping her hoof impatiently.

"Okay sugar cube, show me what you got." She raised a hoof and pointed at the bright red apples hanging in the tree. "The goal is to get at least 90% of apples to fall in these here baskets with one kick. Think you can do that?"

"I'll try..." He answered, gulping hard at Applejack's scrutiny .

"I would love to say don't worry about doin' a good job but... Honestly hon, I can't afford to come do your portion of the work too. I tired buckin' the whole orchard by myself once... It didn't go well."

Silver raises an eyebrow to this. That WAS a daunting task, he saw how big the orchard was on the way here. Not to be too undeterred by her judging, he walks up and faces the tree.

Applejack groaned inwardly. "Sweet merciful Celestia, he don't even know which way to face the dang tree. Granny, just what kinda pony..."

Applejack didn't know what happened until it was over. Silver lowers his gaze at the tree and, with unseen speed, his wings snap forward, impacting at different heights on each side. She didn't even notice that all but a few of the apples had fallen safely into the baskets. She only looks on in amazement, trying to process what she just witnessed. She finally came to her senses, holding her hat down like it was going to blow away at any second.

"Well laaand sakes Shug. I've never seen anythin' like that before. I didn't even know pegasi could do that! Rainbow always said her wings were too sensitive to do anything rough with 'em." She blushed as the memory of how she actually knew that, surfaced in her mind... Memory for another time she supposed.

"Ehh, around I guess." He shrugs trying to be as nonchalant as possible. He was also relieved. He was always worried not being useful to the family that basically kept him from living on the street.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it then." She pats him on the shoulder

"Woo, good work today Mr. Thief. I think you may give Big Mac a run for his bits." She gave him a cheesy grin. Silver noticed the way the sweat and dirt lingered on her strong neck and legs. He tried not to think about how she would look in the shower, her hooves running slowly all over her body.... His impromptu fantasy was cut off as she stretched and moaned, he was forced to look away before his own wings betrayed his proud and stoic expression of a hard days work.

"Soo I was wonderin', me and the girls have a small picnic planned at Twilight's to watch the sunset this evening. If you ain't got nothin' else goin' on, would you wanna come? The'll be plenty of food. Plus it will give you a chance to meet my friends."  Ah apples, why am I blushing?

Caught off guard by Applejack's enthusiasm, Silver fumbled for words, hoping his demeanor wouldn't betray his inner thoughts. "Uhh, that sounds nice Applejack... I wouldn't want to intrude on your...Dryicir" (Gathering)

"My what now?" She giggles in confusion.

He groans, trying to sound out the word. "Pic-a-nick."

She suppresses a second giggle. "It's no bother at 'tall, besides. You earned it, seein' is how you did such a good job today." She finishes by patting him on the head jokingly.

"Fine, fine. let me take a shower first and I'll meet you there, iacoen?" (Deal)

"Don't be too long. If Pinkie Pie finds out you've been hiding here at the farm... I can't be held responsible for what happens to ya."

He lowers his eyes and frowns a bit. He didn't know what a Pinkie Pie was but it sounded terrifying... and poofy.

Silver stood in front of the giant crystal tree-castle... thing and knocks on the front door. After a moment, he hears the shuffling of claws. It opens, to reveal a small purple and green dragon. The two stand there for a minute looking strangely at each other. Spike's face scrunches up in confusion before his eyes go wide. "Uhh, w..w..who a..are you?" Spike stutters. Silver is taken back for a moment as well, not expecting to see a dragon, then gives Spike a grin.

"Hello sart ir" (small one) Silver glowered. "I was invited by Applejack for a.. pic-a-nik."

"No picnic." Spike gulps. "They are up on the balcony around back." Spike finished, getting his voice back. Silver nods and flies away. Spike on the other hoof, shut the door and slumps against the wall, visibly shaking. "That stallion gives me the willies."

Silver took to the air, laughing to himself. "Svabol vin jirank moxt nuwa'jimos" (What an scared little hatchling)

"Oh no, lookout everypony!" Rainbow shouts in mock terror, pointing to their new visitor. "Here comes stranger danger!" Silver swoops in to the balcony where he sees a small wooden table. There were two new ponies he didn't recognize.

"Oh, quit it Rainbow." Applejack chides. Trying to suppress a laugh of her own. "Don't be insultin' my... our guest."

Rainbow sulks for a moment before popping up out of her seat, remembering the important task she needed to accomplish. Even before Silver could fully land, she was on him, pulling and poking his wings. She was checking for any broken bones or deformities that he would have sustained from the tale Applejack had told them about his preferred method of apple bucking. She didn't suspect A.J. of lying so it HAD to be a trick by the newcomer. She would have picked and prodded for another ten minutes if Rarity hadn't cleared her throat in a very unladylike like manner.   "Rainbow Dash, If you are quite done... molesting our guest. I'm sure he would like to sit down and have a bite to eat?"

Rainbow cocks an eyebrow, not quite sure what she meant... before she turns five shades of red. The multi-multi-colored mare turns slowly toward her subject and finds him breathing heavy with his wings almost fully extended.

"Nnnnn..." Was all Rainbow could muster before slowly backing up toward her spot at the table... She wouldn't be saying anything else for the rest of the evening.

Thoroughly embarrassed, and trying to suppress a huge grin. He only said, "What a welcome!"

"Sorry about that darling, Rainbow can get a little... over zealous about the topic of wings. But where my manners. I. am. Rarity."

She boasts, pawing a bit at her curly mane.

"You've already met Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Applejack pulls her stetson over her face to hide her embarrassment for her friend. While Rainbow slouches further in her chair, groaning, covering her own face with her mane and wings. Rarity continues. "And this is Fluttershy, don't worry about her speaking much she's very shy."

Shy wouldn't be the word Silver would have used. Terrified, scared, traumatized. Yeah, those were better words. Fluttershy cowers behind her wings and tea cup, putting as much mass as she could between her and the new pegasus.

"She's a bit shy? Fluttershy dear! Are you okay?" Rarity fretted, putting a hoof over her friends neck to see if she could still find a heart beat. Fluttershy, realizing what she was doing, squeaked and slowly backed up away from Silver.

"Oh no, is Fluttershy okay?" A new voice spoke up from behind them.  A purple alicorn stepped onto the balcony, followed by a pink earth mare who had a stack of cupcakes perched dangerously on her back. Upon seeing him, the poofy mare's eyes went unnaturally wide.  Silver, looked around for help, but sadly, no help came. He bore the brunt of a Pinkie Pie, new pony, hurricane.

"Oh my gosh! It's been so long since we've had a new pony in Ponyville! What's your name? Where are you from? Do you have any secrets that you can't tell any pony because if you did you would..."  A transparent lavender bubble formed around the overly chatty mare, effectively cutting off her psychic rant.  Strangely enough, not a single pastry was lost.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself before Pinkie Pie ruins it for us... again." Twilight says chuckling and placing the bubbly pink mare into her seat.

Now the center of attention of six cute mares, nervous, extremely turned on by the wing play and trying his best to bite into his sandwich without looking at anypony. Silver begins to recount his travels to his captive audience.

"Umm... Hello everypony. I'm sure Applejack told you already but, my name is Silver Light. Lets see... I was born on the tiny island chain of Darastrixi othi. I am an only child. I like trains. I am.."

" Hmm, I'm not familiar with that location." Twilight interrupted, almost accusingly. Her extensive knowledge didn't just venture into magic and science but geography and history as well. She didn't recall any place with a name as unique as that.

"Oh... It's probably called... Dragon's Mouth...Thric, batobot ui ti harkt. Oh, Dragon's Teeth in Equestrian." Silver answers, after searching for the words.

"You keep doin' that sugar cube. I heard you do that a bunch yesterday, what is it?" Applejack asks.

"Oh, sorry. That's my native tongue. I know Equestrian pretty much perfectly, but every now and then I slip back into it when I'm nervous or excited. Old habits and all that." He smiles apologetically.

"No worries dude, It sounds kinda cool." Rainbow Dash spoke up, but quickly realized she wasn't over her embarrassment quite yet and slumps back down in her chair.

"Ohh?" Twilight ponders for a moment before it dawns on her. "OHH!  That's fascinating." She claps her hooves together in a giddy fashion. "No wonder I didn't recognize the language. That's Draconic! There has to be like... three ponies that even speak it in Equestria. All of which are professors in Canterlot! And of course the princesses. Where did you learn it at?"

"Oh...umm. My parents were really obsessed with dragons. My father was an independent researcher under contract for the Saddle Arabian government. He was trying to find evidence of elder dragons deep in the surrounding deserts. That's where he met my mother. That's why they gave me a pony name in draconic.  My name translates as Silver Light in Equestrian, but Orn Mitne is my birth name. "

"So your dad, met you mother... in the deserts of Saddle Arabia?" Twilight asks disbelievingly.

"Yeah... They're uhh, two of a kind." Silver gave a half chuckle, trying not to venture further into that line of questions.

"That's soo romantic." Rarity, thankfully, cuts in batting her eyes. "You never know when the pony of your dreams will just plop into your life... You simply must tell us, where have you been? Certainly, this isn't your first time in Equestria?"

"Actually it is." He smiles excitedly.  He had practiced this speech for months just in case he ever got the opportunity to tell a fellow pony.

"I've traveled a lot with my parents when I was younger. I've been to every continent except this one." He smiled, motioning his arm at the setting horizon. "Dragons, gryphons, minotaurs, zebras... Saber cats. Just about every culture and race except pony. My parents avoided them, whether it was on accident or on purpose I still don't know. I finally got a chance for a vacation so I figured I'd take the chance to see the world and well, here I am." He finished with a smile.

"There you are indeed." Rarity whispered, hiding her seductive smile behind her tea cup.

"So let me get this straight? You just showed up in Equestria with no money, not knowing any pony and just hoped for the best? And why would your parents avoid ponies in the first place?" Pinkie asked with another raised eyebrow. "I mean, that's just nutty... and that's coming from me!"

He nodded to the first question. "Axun (yes), and It was mainly my mother who wanted me to be around other cultures when I grew up, something about an outside perspective? My mother is... very strange." He laughs again at some unspoken joke. "I've had more dragon friends in my life than pony."  All the girls now raise an eyebrow. They've had run-ins with dragons before, none of which seemed like friend material. Noticing their disbelieving stares, he quickly retorted.

"It's true! My parents lived among them. That's partly why my wings are so tough. A young colt is no match for a young dragon." He finished by flexing his wings out.

"Does that have anythin' to do with why you carry that sword around?" Applejack asks. "Ain't swords usually meant for the guard ponies and the like?"

"Oh, that. Well yes and no. I got it the same time I got my Cutie Mark. Traveling around to dragon roosts puts one in danger quite a lot. They often build their lairs in cliff faces, active volcanoes, deep in swamp lands... under water caves... That's where I found my sword." The table gawked at him like he just grew a horn and announced himself the king of Equestria.

With this, Rainbow finally finds the courage to speak up. "You mean the one strapped to your back yesterday, you stole it from a dragon's cave when you were a colt!?"

He nods. "Well... Stole isn't quite right. A dragon wasn't living in it at the time."  The girls exhaled their held breath.

"Oh my, don't give me a heart attack dear, you should have told us it was empty from the beginning." Rarity said in relief, fanning herself.

"Oh, I said there wasn't a dragon in it, I didn't say it was empty." He grinned mischievously at their reaction, recalling the events in his mind.

"Ahhh, I'm sooo bored!" A young Silver shouts into the icy wind of the south pole.

"Stupid cave, stupid parents. Can't hold your breath they said, it's dangerous they said, stay up here they said. Well forget that! "Si mi vi bensvelk pab austratar"  (I am a good swimmer.) He bragged, pounding his chest.

Silver flew up and pitched himself into a dive. He crashes beneath the icy surf, he immediately regrets the decision.

  "So, I dove down into the freezing water and immediately got swept away in an undercurrent and was forced to the sea floor."  The girls gasped.

"Well what'd you do?" Rainbow had leaned forward, both hooves under her chin like a filly at bed time. She almost took up the entire table to get closer to the story teller.

"The water was clear enough that I could see; I saw a dark spot which seemed like a cave so I drug myself across the bottom and climbed into it. I was hoping there was a giant air pocket inside. I figured it might be the abandoned cave my parents were looking for all along."

Silver coughed and gasped, throwing up the sea water in his lungs. His hacking echoed in the frigid cave. It looked like the underwater passage had lead to a nearby glacier. He stood, shook the standing water off his coat and peered into the dimly lit cave, letting his eyes adjust. That was the second worst decision of the day so far. Corpses and bones of unidentifiable creatures lay strewn about the area. The blue ice had soaked up so much blood, the floor was nearly black with it.  Silver panicked, backpedaling to the edge of the water. "Nomeno goawy ui marfedelom" He whispered.

Silver peered into the still water. He knew it was a big risk to jump back in since the current nearly drowned him the first time. Exiting this way was a last resort. He shook off the ice that had formed on his wings and took to the air. Even with his natural pegasus resistances, his body shivered and convulsed trying to warm up. He glides over a mass cluster of sharp ice stalagmites and stalactites, shifting his wings to avoid them. The cave is enormous. Thankfully there weren't any side passages, just one expansive chamber that seemed to go on for miles. Despite the crippling cold, he was still amazed at how beautiful it was down here. The ice  formed a sharp contrast between the water smoothed cave surface and the jagged points of the spikes. The spires of ice cause the faint light to fracture and form dozens scattered auroras that wavered as he passed through the sunlight. Silver comes to the end of the cave and nearly falls out of the sky. There it was, in all it's glory. An elder dragon's hoard.

"Ohhh darling." Rarity practically drooled into her tea cup. "What was it like? You didn't manage to keep it, did you?

"The central pile was the size of a two story home and about twice as round. Diamonds, gold, rubies, sculptures, ornate crowns, and even ceremonial weapons and armor. The treasure of an elder dragon. It was stacked so high, the top part had frozen into the ceiling of the cave." Silver said, motioning with his hooves and wings. Even though there were years between then and now, there was still sense of awe still in his voice. "That's when I knew that the cave had long been abandoned. A dragon is obsessive about his hoard." The girls smiled a silent agreement, recalling their own experiences with Spike.

"You said you didn't take any treasure sugar cube, what about that?"  Applejack points to his silver bangle.

Silver visibly recoils and hides his forearm, as if he didn't like the fact that the girl's eyes had caught his jewelry. "This... this was a gift. From a very old friend." Since Applejack had spent the most time with him, she notices a sad, far away look in his eyes. "I got this a few years after I got my cutie mark, it kind of has to do with my special talent I guess."

"Oooo!" Pinkie perks up. "Mine is making ponies smile and throwing AWESOME PARTIES!" Balloons and streamers explode from around her and she does her best to stand on her back hooves, placing the front two on her hips like a comic book superhero. "What's your special talent?!"

Silver smiles. "Let me continue my story, maybe you'll figure it out."

The young Silver's hooves crunch and clink over the frozen treasure. He wanders aimlessly through the piles and piles of riches, most of which towered over the adolescent pegasus. He was never really one for riches. His family never stayed in on place for more than a month or two before moving on. He didn't really know why any one needed money. He always got what he needed from the world itself. That was until he felt a invisible force tug him to a seemingly identical pile of treasure, completely indistinguishable from the others. He frantically dug into the pile, he didn't know what he was searching for but he knew that he would know when he found it. He unceremoniously tossed aside millions of bits worth of gold and jewels. Silver let out a gasp when he saw it. A simple broadsword, completely untouched by the ravages of time. The rest of the world drops away, all the riches in the world paled in comparison to this perfect thing. He reaches down and grasps the scabbard in his hooves, wrenching it away from the pile of gold. For a moment it doesn't budge. It was like the gold knew what was being taken and didn't want to part with it. With a final heave, Silver stumbles to his back, holding the sword in front of him. He smiles, knowing that no matter what, this thing was coming with him and would be his forever. His musings were cut off by the soft sound of breathing behind him. Still on his back, clutching the sword, he looks up and fear grips his body. It was an Aboleth.

The small shriek that escaped Fluttershy's lips causes everypony, including Silver, to jump out of their coats. "A...a..a..An Aboleth?" Fluttershy asks, shaking more like a leaf than usual. "What did you do?" She whispers.

"Woah, woah. Time out." Rainbow cuts her off, making a 'T' out of her forelegs. "Just what in Equestria is this Abo-whats-it?" She looks around the table questioningly.

Fluttershy refused to answer. She was worried that just talking about it would cause one to show up in the lake behind the tree house.

Twilight cleared her throat and spoke in a hushed tone. "An Aboleth is an ancient, ancient creature. History says that they were around before the makers gave form to the land and sky. They have... terrifying physic powers and their only goal is to bend ponies minds to their will and make them slaves. It is said that when the makers decided to form Equis, they either killed or drove out the Aboleths."

"Well that's good right? I mean, so this one was like a new one, not one of the old ones." Rainbow asked, looking for relief. This thing was nightmare fuel.

"That's the thing Rainbow." Twilight Continues.  "Aboleths have generational memory, meaning they never forget anything they learn and pass it down to their offspring, forever... They never forget."

The group slowly turns to Silver. "Well don't stop there dude!" Rainbow ushers him to continue.

Silver is frozen. For what seems like a solid thirty minutes, the two just stare at one another. Its black lifeless eyes secretly search through his inner most fears and fantasies. He thinks his life is about to be cut extremely short, but hears a voice in his head.

"Curious." He hears.

"Uhh, hello?" He answers, unsure of himself. The creature doesn't respond. Its gaping maw sat unmoving and the eyes continue to stare at him, unblinking. "Si mi zyak loex" (I am so dead) Silver thinks to himself. He hears the soft sadistic laughter of the creature echo in his mind.

"Yes, yes you are"

With a mighty roar, the Aboleth torques a massive tentacle around and brings it straight down on top of the prone Silver. Not knowing what to do and fearing for his life, he flaps his wings hard. The feathers bite into the icy floor and he slides out of way, just in time for the appendage to crack the ice where he was just laying. The old cave shutters in protest at the sudden impact. Loose chunks of ice fall from the ceiling, impacting all around the tiny pony. Silver uses the old strap on the sword to sling it to his back. He thought for a moment how comical he must look, the sword is longer than his body. He is shaken out of his thoughts when the creature flexes again, sending another one of its tentacles toward him, this time horizontal with the floor. Silver jumps over the attack and takes to the air. He flies up and over the Aboleth back the way he entered the cave. Thankfully it's a water dwelling creature. An Aboleth is an apex predator under the waves but for how terrifying it is in the water, it's just as clumsy on the land. Silver looks over his shoulder and sees the it squirming to turn around on the ice. Silver makes it back to the lagoon where he had first entered the cave. He frantically searches for another way out but it soon dawns on him... He's trapped. There is no way he's going to outrun the Aboleth underwater under prefect conditions, certainly not now where the water was frigid and the current strong. Knowing what must be done, Silver lowers his head and turns to face the approaching creature.

Silver once again hears the cruel voice of the Aboleth in his head. You, you are the first mortal since the beginning to resist our compulsions. Do you not have any desires, or fears pony? Do you now wish for true peace? Silver hears the questions echo in his mind. He just shakes his head.

"You mean besides not being killed and turned into that?" Silver points a hoof at one of the carcasses, he decides to ignore the second question. The Aboleth studies him carefully before slowly reaching out with its appendage. Silver reaches over his shoulder and takes the sword grip in his mouth and with one twist of his head, brings the blade down on top of the slimy tentacle. Silver recoils and falls to the ground as he hears a shrill cry echo in his mind. He instinctively mashes his hooves into his hears and drops the sword to the ice with a hollow clang. Despite his obvious disadvantage, Silver recovers first. He picks up the sword and takes to the air once again. This time however, the Aboleth is prepared and slaps at him with its uninjured limb. Silver is almost out of reach but feels the blunt trauma of a tentacle impact his flank, sending him tumbling uncontrollably through the air. He smashes into one of the hanging ice stalagmites, causing it to shatter on the ice below.

At this point, Fluttershy is in full panic mode. The rest of the girls are in shock except Rainbow who may have just found a replacement for Daring Do. "So what happened next?" Rainbow almost shouts.

"Well, the stalagmites gave me and idea. I made the Aboleth chase me. I used the sword to loosen a few of the larger spikes and when it attacked me over and over again, they finally came down on top of it, crushing him. I guess I got hit with a small chunk of ice because when I woke up, I was on our boat. My sword was laying next to me and I had this."  He turned his flank to the girls, showing his Cutie Mark.

"You're just like Daring Do?! That is so awesome!" Rainbow beames. It makes her face squish up and her lips poke out.  He laughs out loud at the adorable display, drawing confused looks from the girls.  "No, no. Daring... Sigh Her talent is more of the treasure hunting, temple diving type.  Mine focuses more on exploring, discovery, than treasure. I've done all sorts of jobs really: Map making, shipbuilding, bartending and even a barber. Wherever keeps me fed.  Although, I have hunted my fair share of treasure too." He finished.

"Well sugar cube, that sounds like a mighty exciting life so I gotta ask... why the hay are you here? I mean, not that you ain't welcome. We sure do love makin' new friends just as much as the next pony but, pretty boring most of the time."

"That's exactly why I'm here Miss Applejack. I'm on a... jikmada. Umm... Vac-ati-on? I have seen many things about the world around Equestria, but nothing about where my roots are. So I came here."

"But why Ponyville?" The recovered Fluttershy asks, genuinely intrigued.

"Well, I figure what better place to start learning about ponies, than a place with pony in the name..." He finished with an accomplished look on his face.

He watched in amusement as all the girls, simultaneously, tilted their heads to the side.

"What?"

He flinched at the laughter that erupted around the table. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash hung off of one another while the rest of the girls did their best to hold in their delight with a hoof or two. That's when Rarity let out a snort and the laughter began up again.

"Oh my darling, that is such a stallion answer, very straight forward. And to answer you question, yes. Ponyville is a wonderful way to start your holiday. We have all types of ponies here, you could learn a lot."  Rarity says, fixing her frizzy mane after the laughter session. "I am a bit confused however. If you are on vacation, why are you working at Applejack's farm?"

He rubs the back of his head  "Oh, I have to stay busy. I have been active my entire life. Always moving, always occupying my hooves or my mind with something. If I don't, I'm afraid I will go crazy." He marks his point by twirling his hooves next to his head.

"You are a good worker partner, but like I said after I mistook you for a luggage thief, why not do a job more suited for a pegasus... like weather duty, ya know, moving clouds and the like. Rainbow Dash here could probably get your hoof in the door if you asked nicely. Probably pays a bit more than I could too..." Applejack asks, kind of wishing she didn't mention it.

"Oh... uhhh. It's kind of embarrassing. If I told you do you think you girls could keep in a secret?"

They all gained a very stern look on their faces. Apparently secrets were a very important thing to them... Plus every mare loved gossip.

"You see... I can't."

"Huh?" Twilight grunted.

"I can't move clouds... or make weather. Heck, I can't even touch clouds. I just pass right through them. I've tried everything. Other than a spell or cloud walking potion, I am just like any other non-Pegasus.

Rainbow couldn't believe it. Being able to walk on clouds and make weather was almost important as being able to fly! I mean... What would she do if she couldn't take her cloud naps?! This is an evil thing and it must be corrected. With a "We'll see about that." She jets up into a nearby cloud bank, grabs a chunk of cloud and makes her way back down to Silver.

"See, just stick out your hooves and touch the clouds. Too easy."

Silver stood, rolled his eyes with a... "Not gonna help." look and stuck out his hooves. She positioned the cloud between them and with a small flap of her wings, found herself muzzle to muzzle with the pegasus. The puffy white cloud now floating harmlessly behind him. They pause for a moment, their eyes locked together but both quickly realize how dangerously close their lips were to each other, so with a blush and an awkward shove, they both separate.

"I guess you're right..." Rainbow's embarrassed brain couldn't comprehend. She was almost tempted of accusing him of dark magic... Cloud naps were a sacred thing after all.

"It's not." The usually friendly teacher voice of Twilight was replaced by the ice cold voice of "Dr. Science McCrazy Pants." (according to Pinkie Pie)  "I'm sorry girls but I have some research to do. Silver it was nice to meet you." She turned and trotted inside mumbling something to herself.

Silver expected all the girls to be offended or at least freaked out about their friend's abrupt departure, but as he scanned the table, they were just stretching and finishing off their drinks. "Well my lovelies, There goes our host, we simply must do this more often!" Rarity offered, smiling ear to ear.

"This happen often? Uhh, Princess Twilight I mean." Silver asks, still not knowing how to react to the situation.

"Oh yes dear, all the time. You get used to it. I could imagine what it must look like to you. Trust me when I say it is normal... for her.  She simply MUST know everything. It's one of her..." Rarity twists her head looking for a pleasant word. "...Charms." She finishes with a radiant smile.

"Besides, me and you gotta move all those barrels of corn oil into the old silo tomorrow. It won't take as long as apple buckin' but, it's back breaking work." Applejack says, grabbing a sandwich for the road.

"Apple bucking ISN'T backbreaking?!" He moans. "If you says so boss... It was nice to meet you all. This was my first time doing something like this with other ponies... It was fun." Silver smiled and gave his signature bow, told Applejack he was going to run to the store for a wing brush before hopping onto the balcony railing.   "Oh and Boss... no breakfast in bed this time please."

"Breakfast in bed huh?" Rainbow teases after he flew off.

"Well at least I didn't give him a wing job THEN almost kiss him." Applejack retorted.  Rainbow blushes hard again and groans.

"I don't blame either of you girls for liking him. He's no prince but, he is quite charming in an innocent kind of way, not to mention handsome." Rarity gibed, acting like what she was saying was painfully obvious.

"I don't like him!" The two blushing mares say in unison.

"Of course you don't, that would be just silly. You hardly know him and if that's the case. I may just see if he has plans for tomorrow evening." Rarity smiled devilishly at the two now dumbstruck mares, kissed them both on the cheek and bid them adieu.

Later that evening, Twilight sat at her desk. Piles upon piles of reference materials lay strewn about the area. She was half way done with her fifth book that evening and was no closer to having an answer as to why the new pegasus couldn't manipulate clouds. All the books she had read told her one thing, it was impossible. Either that or he wasn't a pony at all. She ran a hoof down her face and sighed...!!

"Oh no. He isn't a pony at all." She told the darkness. "Then what is he?" Her brain flashes through the encyclopedia of possible creatures he could be, but only one suck out in her mind. Silver was a changling and she was going to prove it.