On Light Hooves I Tread

Chapters

Chapter 1: The (High) Life Equestrian with Adam Nelon
Chapter 2: Iron Pegasus
Chapter 3: Magic is Science
Chapter 4: Little House on the Rock Farm
Chapter 5: Chariots, Trains, and Horse-Drawn Carriages
Chapter 6: What a Filly Wants
Chapter 7: Ponyheart
Chapter 8: A Song of Sun and Moon
Chapter 9: How to Say Goodbye in Equestrian
Epilogue: No Place Like Home
Prologue: Close Encounters of the Equine Kind
Chapter 10: The Ponies and Their Human

Chapter 1: The (High) Life Equestrian with Adam Nelon

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 1: The (High) Life Equestrian with Adam Nelon

As stated in the previous chapter, I was at first an unassuming teenager living an average human life. Well, I was, up until I fell asleep one night. I encountered the silhouette of a massive mare, who explained I was going to a world called Equestria, with the intent of it being a “learning experience” for me. The next thing I know, I'm a Pegasus sleeping on a cloud. I woke in a body completely alien to me.

As I started to piece together the mechanics of my new body, and went for a bit of exploring, I ended up making one of my first major mistakes; I forgot to look where I was trotting. Needless to say, I ended up falling to what was almost to be my death. Then, out of nowhere, I hear a loud bang, and everything goes black. The next thing I see are the Mane Six eying me down, noting a number of injuries on my body. Then, when I ask for a place to stay while I try to piece myself together, I'm immediately plucked up by Pinkie Pie for reasons I don't know.

At least, that's the best I can summarize it without reminding you to read the prologue. So, without further delay, let us continue from where we left off..

After sharing a brief snack with Pinkie Pie, true to form, she offers to throw a party to welcome me to Ponyville. This kind of offering was somewhat odd for me. In most cases, I rarely ever attended parties in general. Heck, I only ever went to a Promenade once. Most of my own birthday parties weren't too exciting, either. However, if her cheery demeanor was anything to go by, a party from Pinkie sounded like a good plan.

“So! What do you say? Do you wanna have a party? Do ya, do ya?!” She asked me, bouncing as if her hooves were made of rubber. I took an interested hoof to my cheek before nodding my head.

“Sure.” I said, smiling a bit. “I'd love to have a nice party to get myself familiar with everypony.”

Pinkie's smile grew to an absolutely astonishing size as she leaped about. “Yippie! I'll get everything ready as fast as I can! It'll be an extra-special 'get well soon' party just for you-” She stopped in her tracks a moment, tilting her head at me a moment. “Wait a minute...I never did get your name, guy...” She noted, her voice trailing off.

I blushed a moment, asking “Did I not already say I couldn't remember?”

Pinkie chuckled in response, asking back “Well, couldn't you think up one we can call you by for now? Y'know, just until you can remember once again?”

I let out a hum from my throat, pointing a hoof as I noted with a, “Good point.” I then resumed my thoughtful pose, then asking, “Could you give me a few minutes? I need to think of a good one.”

“Okay! I'll get busy baking while you get busy thinking!” she said, bouncing to the kitchen.

Right. Name time. Most ponies usually have a name at birth, but they sometimes adopt a new one when they earn their Cutie Mark. However, rather than being a simple symbol of identification, it serves more as an icon of vocation. I looked back to what had occurred to me the prior day. When I woke up, I was greeted by the dawn's sunlight, and my mind was in a fog...So perhaps Morning Haze?

I let that name roll around in my head, moving my lips to the syllables. This name, I thought, has a decent ring to it. I cleared my throat audibly to remind Pinkie Pie as I raised a hoof.

“I think I have a good one, Pinkie.” I said, politely.

“Great! Let's hear it! C'mon! Loud and proud!” Pinkie squealed, kicking her fore hooves like a bicycle.

I nodded, looking her in the eye with a smile. “From now on, just call me Morning Haze!”

Pinkie snickered at that. “So that's what you'll be called? Well, it's a bit silly...” She giggled, laughing a bit. “But I like it! It suits you!”

I smiled a bit. I was slightly embarrassed by her laughing at me, but not by much. Laughter was part of her nature, and I wasn't about to refuse her that right. I stretched a bit as I kicked my legs.

“So...” I asked, cantering to the kitchen. “Mind if I help bake? I might be the guest of honor, but I should still help.”

Pinkie smiled at me. “Well of course you can, you silly pony! I always love baking with a friend! Come on!”

And so, in as little as a few seconds, she had an apron on me, and had me singing a song called “Cupcakes” as we worked. Of course, the whole concept of whistling as I worked was a bit hard to get behind at first, having to deal with keeping with Pinkie's rhythm, but I caught up in time and worked at her pace. It was actually a pretty fun activity, looking back. The smell of that sweet sugar, the savory smell of baked bread, and that warm feeling decorating the sweets warmed my heart. In a sense, you could call it my little way of repaying Pinkie Pie's generosity.

That was task one on the party itinerary. Now for task two: Getting the invitations out. Without invitations, no one will know where the party is, or who's coming. Pinkie herself was a maestro when it came to elaborate invitations, and her excitement was, as usual, visibly huge. She had enough invitations to cram each mailbox in Ponyville stuffed in her saddlebags. She then made a trot for the door, motioning for me to follow.

“Since you're the guy this party's all out, Haze, you're gonna come with me to help everypony know who to talk to! Don't worry about talking much. I've got this all in the bag.” She explained, fastening a rather odd device to her back.

From what I gathered, it was a carnival-painted device that apparently had two cannons affixed to two separate angles on her back. Fireworks launchers? Seems she worked just as hard on inviting people as she did entertaining them. Nevertheless, I followed her to a marble-colored boutique. I could make out the vague images of mannequins just in the window. The sun was nearing the dusk stage, but the light was still at least a couple of hours before the sun had to fall.

“This is Rarity's boutique. She's a Fashionista! She designs outfits for all kinds of get-togethers, but she's best with formalwear!” Pinkie Pie explained as I nodded in acknowledgment.

I could make out a pink, Cindarella-esque dress hanging on a mannequin just by the door. The motor of a sewing machine could be faintly heard as Pinkie knocked upon the door of the boutique.

“Just a moment, please!” called Rarity. A yowling from a cat could be faintly heard. “Opal! Down, girl!”

Pinkie snickered at that commotion, while I was left a bit confused.

“Opal?” I asked.

“She's Rarity's pet cat. She's got a mean streak with anyone but Fluttershy. Just keep her as far away from you as you can, and you should be fine!”

I shuddered a moment, but as the door opened to reveal Rarity, I was polarized from my fear. I could make out a few notable scratches on her white coat, but besides that, her beauty was untarnished. Her cutie mark showed her existence purpose; a rare and perfected gem of a Pony, whose eyes sparkled like turquoise beads.

“Oh! Pinkie Pie! Having another one of your fabulous soirees, are we?” she asked, giving an eye to me. “And I see you brought your new friend! Tell me, does he have a name yet?”

Pinkie grinned. “Well, he says he doesn't know his actual name, but he's decided on Morning Haze for now.”

“You can call me Haze, if you like.”

Rarity eyed me closer as he pushed up her red eyeglasses. “Hm. Haze...not a terrible name, but I could think of better. But, oh! You look pitiable! Come! I simply must get you ready for the occasion!”

Now, I had found myself in a fitting room, having a measuring tape being draped across my nape, among other locations across my body. While not the most comfortable of predicaments, having my body in front of a mirror for the first time enabled me to get a look at my new body.

My coat was a cloud-like shade of gray, with slightly darker shades near the hooves. My wings were a lighter shade, near-white. My mane and tail were fairly long and slicked, at a shade of dark brown, nearing the color black. The same applied to my eyes, which had rather small irises, though this may have been from how hard it was to tell the color of the iris from the pupil itself. I had some bulk in this form, but not much. I was still meager in frame.

“Inhale, please.” Rarity instructed, wrapping a corset at my chest. After a moment of measuring, I was allowed to exhale.

As far as I knew, she was making a vest for me. I somewhat questioned her logic a bit. Formalwear? For a Pinkie Pie brand party? Then again, having at least something to wear would help me adjust. However, it was explained to me that clothing in Equestria was more of a convention for formal occasions, seasonal necessities, or for some ponies, vocational purposes.

After a while, Rarity smiled, her horn glowing as she levitated a nicely woven black and gold silk vest, wrapping it on me. “There we are! Ready or not, you my dear stallion, are ready to trot!”

I nodded to Rarity as I eyed my reflection in the mirror. On the outside, it was a ebony vest. All it was missing was a corsage or rose in the lapel. On in the inside, it was much the same, but golden. I gather she made it reversible. The fabric of the vest was something I could not ascertain. I didn't really have a lot of knowledge concerning the names of things like this.

Pinkie Pie couldn't help but smirk and chortle a moment, leading for me to scowl a moment.

“What's so funny?” I asked.

“You just look so silly! All gussied up like Gummy at his Birthday!” Pinkie joked, barely able to contain her laughter. “C'mon! We've got invitations to hand out!”

With that notion, we left Rarity's carousel boutique, heading near the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres.

Since daybreak, the Apple family farm was hard at work. With fall incoming, this could only mean one thing: Applebucking season. It was around this time that the apples were to be harvested from the orchard the farm was famous for. It was mainly a team effort between Applejack and Big Macintosh this year, wherein Applejack would buck the trees, which would fall and land in barrels inside a cart being lifted by Big Macintosh. Apple Bloom, being far too young and weak, wasn't much help, aside from moral support, thus she primarily worked with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in her ever-fruitless search for her Cutie Mark.

“C'mon, Big Mac! We've still got three more trees to buck! Hurry up, and let's get that cart unloaded!” shouted Applejack, grunting as she bucked another tree, letting gravity collect them into a neat bushel.

“I'm goin' as fast as this thing'll let me, sis. Hold up just a bit.” groaned Big Mac, as he brought the cart to a stop, himself unloading them before returning empty.

It was at this time that Pinkie Pie and myself had stepped foot upon the orchard soil. The sheer sight of apples galore honestly surprised me. They must have either had plans to feed the entire land of Equestria for a year, or they wanted to make several recipes with them...

“Hey, AJ! Got a second?” Pinkie bleated from afar.

“Yeah! Just hold on a few minutes and I'll get right to ya!” Applejack shouted back.

An idea came to me. Why not help her? So, I decided to trot to her.

“Hey! Reckon I can lend a hand?” I asked, lifting a bucket of apples onto the cart.

Applejack smiled. “That'd be right kind of you, sir.” She said, doing the same with another bucket. “Say, ain't you that Colt that we found yesterday?”

I blushed, rubbing my left leg with my right hoof. “Well...yeah...I guess I am.”

Applejack looked to me with curiosity, but resumed smiling and said, “Well, nice to meet'cha again. Did you manage to get yourself a name figured out? It's kinda confusing talking to somepony who doesn't have a name.”

I chuckled a minute, a hoof behind my head. “Well...you can call me Morning Haze. It's all I've come up with so far.”

Pinkie Pie kept bouncing as Applejack chuckled a bit.

“Well, I'll be. I guess it ain't the worst name I've heard. Pleasure to have your acquaintance, Mornin' Haze.” she said, shaking my hoof vigorously, at such a pace where even after she had let go, my leg was still shaking. That is, until Pinkie stopped it, chortling to herself.

“C'mon, Mornin'. You can help Big Mac finish the carting.” AJ said, making a motion to signal me to follow her. I, of course, nodded, and proceeded to take up a bucket and started hauling.

Now, as a Human, physical labor wasn't something I was used to. I just wasn't built for it. But somehow, in this form, I felt more capable....like I was actually more able to do something. As I started hauling Apples to Big Macintosh, he smiled at me, chuckling a bit.

“Well, lil' sis, seems you got yourself a partner, eh?” Bic Mac joked.

Applejack chuckled a bit, but quickly asserted, “He's the colt I told ya about. Calls himself Mornin' Haze.”

She then turned to me.

“Mornin', meet Big Macintosh. He's my big brother.”

I nodded my head, then lowering my neck. “Howdy.”

Bic Macintosh smiled at me, wrapping his hoof around me as he patted my back.

“Good to see you're makin' friends quick, Mornin'. Y'never know when ya might need 'em.”

I chuckled at Big Mac's phrase, cracking a slight grin.

“Tell me about it. I can't tell ya how many times my friends have had my back when I was in trouble.”

With that, the Brick-red Stallion released me, and I turned an inquisitive gaze to Applejack. From what I could tell, she was bucking at the trunks of apple trees, using the high amount of force to pry the apples loose, then letting gravity drop them into a bucket. Her eyes, like her body, were filled to the brim with the flames of youth and determination. I then returned my gaze to Big Macintosh.

“So what's Applejack doing, exactly?”

“Oh, that? It's a thing we do every year, come the harvest. We call it Applebuckin'. Sis and I've been doin this for years...thanks to all that hard work, t'aint nopony stronger than either of us combined.”

“Really? How long have you guys been doing it?”

“Well...shoot. Been so long, 'fraid I can't give ya a clear-cut answer.”

I nodded to him in understanding.

Soon, the shouting of Applejack pleading for assistance from Big Macintosh beckoned him to aid his younger sister, to where Pinkie Pie took me aside and cantered with me to the gates near the Orchard.

“So I'll see you at six 'o clock?” Pinkie asked Applejack.

“Sure thing, Sugarcube.” Applejack hummed, picking up a bucketful of apples in her teeth. “That oughta' give me enough time to finish today's harvest.

“Great! That's 2 down, and 3 to go!” Pinkie blurted, forcing me to cover my ears at her outburst.

With that, she and I made our way off the orchard and to our next intended stop.

The next stop was to a rather...how would I put this politely...peculiar type of house. Now, I understand that this is a fantasy world, and thus, some landscapes and real estate can be quite odd, but this house, which sat at the peak of a grassy knoll, seemed to have been set inside of a tree! It took me a moment of short thinking to realize that we were now near the doorstep of Fluttershy's house.

Adjacent to the literal tree-house was an assortment of pens, fencing, kennels, a hen-house, and even an aviary. It certainly looked like the kind of place an animal lover like Fluttershy would be accustomed to. As I examined the surroundings absentmindedly, Pinkie began to knock on the door, then, as I turned around, all I could see was Pinkie's body doing a series of erratic gestures. From what I saw, her ears were flopping, her eyes fluttering, and her knees twitching. I looked around a moment but-

WHAM! A door slammed smack-dab into my face, plastering me to the door itself. Everything went black in seconds...

“Oh, dear...do you think he's hurt again?”

“If he was able to handle his fall being broken by Dashie doing a Sonic Rainboom, something like that is nothing!

“Oh, wait! He's coming-to!”

I groaned into consciousness again, stretching my legs as I staggered to my feet once more. I could've sworn that I was tasting blood, but I didn't exactly know what my own blood tasted like. For a few moments, I just stood there, waiting for my eyes to refocus and my center of gravity to come into place again before finally uttering a word as I winced.

“Man..that's two-for-two now...first, I had a head injury don't know about, and now, I have one I should have known about.” I groaned.

“Well, you seem to be pretty okay...” Chimed a calm voice.

At that comment, I turned to witness Fluttershy, who had apparently set a bowl of soup on a table, which was set near the bed I was taken to. As I tried to get up, the pale yellow pegasus placed a hoof on my chest, urging me to stay in bed.

“You need to rest. Any more head injuries like that, and who knows what could happen?”

I tried to formulate a counter-response, but a cold stare met my eyes. It scared me that such a nice filly had such a frightening, vice-like gaze. It was like a Tigress, or a Viper, ready to strike... Her irises were even the pale shade of green needed to fit the motif of her deep connection to nature, and with the manner she stared, she was like a green-eyed demon. I was struck dumb.

Having no way of countering the (in)famous eyes of Fluttershy -The “Stare Master”- , I could only swallow the knot in my throat and nod, cold sweat dripping through my hide. As soon as I nodded, her serpentine stare returned to a calm smile as she offered me the soup.

“Good! Now, how about some nice carrot soup! I know you must be very hungry...”

As the soup was given to me, I furrowed my brow to the orange liquid inside the bowl. Then again, considering that the only thing that I had eaten was a batch of cupcakes at Sugar Cube Corner (and I was pretty sure I didn't have the same obscene sweet tooth as Pinkie Pie), this was a welcome improvement. So, halfheartedly, I began to sample the soup. First, I was taking small sips...then bigger ones...up until I was eventually gulping it down like it was the first thing I had eaten since I left from a dessert! Somehow, I began to grow an acquired taste for vegetables! In the human word, the only vegetable I could eat was a potato, and that usually was only baked or fried.

What could've possessed me to eagerly eat this?

The bowl now emptied, Fluttershy gave me a warm smile as she tried to feed Angel Bunny a carrot. With this, I got the opportunity to examine the house with what little my eyes could grant me. I saw that as with the inside, it was a hollowed tree. There were a few pens inside the house, as with the outside, but these were for much smaller creatures like rabbits. My eyes then turned to Fluttershy. Her appearance wasn't strictly jarring, but it was peculiar; A pale yellow hide, accented with a pink mane, emerald eyes, and the indicative cutie mark of 3 butterflies in flight. It was this oddity that amazed me into a smile, but having been laying in the bed for who-knows how long, I slowly began to sleep...

Where my previous dream had me sanding within a rainbow, speaking to a shadowy mare, I was now in utter pitch black. My own hoof in front of my face was invisible. I wandered around in the blinding darkness, tripping over my own four hooves at least thrice. On top of the blinding darkness, it was deafeningly silent, to the point where I could only hear a faint ringing in my ears...Then, a flash of white light! Something was appearing in the dark! At first, it was a simple white ball...but in moments, it took the form of a smaller mare...this time, it was just above my height, its features outlined by dark bold lines across her form.

The white mare smiled to me, sitting on her knees. Her luminescence kicked up a calm mist as she beckoned me over to her. I obliged a moment later, walking slowly to her as I joined her in a seat, gulping the knot in my throat. I then looked to the mare.

“We can see you are making steady progress in this world, especially in making friends...” The marble-colored mare finally said, in a calm tone.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking up to her.

“We are called Luna...the mare you met prior was my elder sister, Celestia...we opened our doors to you...to test you...”

“Test me? In what?”

“In your ability to adapt to a new world...the one you come from is rife with cynicism...but, interwoven into this darkened fabric...there exist small glimmers of hope...those that make it their goal to keep their heads head high, and their hooves on the ground...you were one such being that we thought might be worth helping shine...”

She then offered a hoof and let me stand.

Just then, a thought occurred to me. If I was here in Equestria, and a day has passed, then what is happening in the human world? How much time had gone by? Was anyone worried? I was about to open my mouth and question her, but-

“Don't worry about your home...when it is time, you'll return...for now, focus on the task ahead.”

Could she see into my mind?

“Oh, we can see many things, colt...or rather, as you have dubbed yourself, 'Morning Haze'...for instance, you are thinking of all the ways you could have happened upon this world...how we found you, et cetera...You are an over-thinker. As we said before, mind not of the predicament that brought thee here, and focus more on what you must do...you still have two more Ponies to visit, after all.”

I was going to argue, but I nodded, kicking the ground a bit.

“We will be seeing more of each other...we can feel it...”

At that moment, light engulfed me as I woke.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the whole house at this point. She had just heard that I was able to continue the party preparations, but Fluttershy advised to keep me from doing much dangerous activity. The head injury had mostly healed, but it would still need at least another day. Regardless, she was ready to drag me where she needed.

“Wow! You sure know you to take care of somepony, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie said, smiling.

“Oh, well it's nothing compared to Nurse Redheart...after all, you're throwing the party for him, aren't you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Of course! I do it for anypony! Especially anypony who's new?”

“Who else do you need to invite, anyway?”

“Just Twilight and Dashie! That's all!”

“Good...I didn't want Morning Haze to get any more hurt than he needs to.”

“Oh, he's fine!”

Just then, I walked in, and was glomped by Pinkie Pie!

“There you are, sleepyhead! Time to finish our little job for the day!”

I groaned, peeling myself off the wooden floor.

“Right...let's not waste time..my head's still killing me...” I noted, before leaving with Pinkie Pie.

Our semi-final stop was to another tree-house. One that, for some reason, had a large landing pad just off to its side. It was much more ornate than Fluttershy's, with a large, candle-lit window at the other side. The clatter of books meant that this was the Library...and by Proxy, it was Twilight Sparkle's home. Naturally, being the extroverted equine she was, Pinkie Pie began the greeting. She started with a rapping at the door.

“Coming!” A voice called, as trots could be heard getting closer to the door. In moments, Twilight Sparkle had opened the door, blowing a way a rogue strand of her multi-colored hair.

“Oh. Hi, Pinkie Pie. What brings you here?” She asked, heaving a yawn.

“I just wanted to invite you to another one of my super-duper 'Welcome to Ponyville' parties!”

“Really? Who's the lucky Pony?”

“This guy!” She said, doing a grandiose motion to address me.

I blushed, but smiled.

“Oh! You're that colt from yesterday, right? It's good to see you again. Tell me, are you feeling any better? Anything coming back to mind?” Twilight asked, off-hoofedly searching through her library with Telekinesis.

“Oh! Why yes...I've gotten an idea on my name. It's Morning Haze.”

Twilight snickered, leading me to grimace.

“What's so funny?”

“I'm sorry...it's just that it's a bit silly of a name. But, I guess it's as good as any...” The violet mare giggled, before regaining her composure and shaking hooves.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Twilight Sparkle.”

“Likewise.”

She then took another look at my wings, which ever since I originally woke, were kept folded and tucked.

“Didn't somepony imply you didn't know how to fly?”

“If I remember right, somepony did...why do you ask?”

“I have just the thing!” Twilight said, before galloping off in search of books, before returning with a book the size of a Telephone directory, before sticking it into a saddlebag and giving it to me.

I examined the contents. It was a large book titled: Walking on Air: The Novice's Guide to Pegasus Aerial Propulsion.

A strange name, but it made sense.

“You should read into this. It might tell you what you need to do.” Twilight said, adjusting a pair of glasses.

I nodded, saying “Thank you.”

“Oh, you're quite welcome. Return it whenever you can, though. And, if you ever need a book, you can always come by here. Owlowiscious or Spike will be glad to help you find one!”

“Right. I'll keep that in mind.”

After our short exchange, Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Hey, while I'm doing invites, mind if I borrow your hot air balloon?”

Twilight hummed to herself, but nodded. “I'm guessing you want to go to Cloudsdale to Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Yup! She's the last one on the list!”

“Sure thing. Spike?” Twilight asked, craning her head to a short, purple-scaled dragon...

“Yes, Twilight?” He asked.

“Watch the Library. I'm off to Cloudsdale.”

Spike saluted like a soldier, smiling. “Yes, Ma'am!”

She then made a motion for us to go around the back of the house, where a hot air balloon laid in wait, before taking us aboard and onward to the city in the clouds...

As the balloon began to rise just above the horizon of clouds, I was once again amazed at seeing Cloudsdale once again. The last time I was up here, I was so busy ogling the scenery, I fell from the sky. I couldn't even figure out my wings to save my life. It was a good thing Rainbow Dash rescued me...And so now, I had returned.

Pinkie Pie looked at me. “Beautiful, isn't it?”

“Yeah...I know...”

“Hold still, everypony! We're making our landing!”

With a hard THUNK, the hot air balloon landed on the clouds just before the city limits. Something seemed...off about this city. I looked about. From one end to the other, I saw nothing but Pegasuses galore. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were the only two exceptions at the moment. So I turned to Twilight.

“What's with all the Pegasuses here?” I asked the Unicorn.

“Oh, that's simple. Normally, only Pegasuses can walk the fluffy roads of Cloudsdale. It's something they're born with.” Twilight replied, in a matter-of-fact tone, as per her standards.

“But wouldn't that essentially mean you two would have to wait here?” I asked back, worried.

“No, silly!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Then how are you two going to be able to follow me?”

“That's simple. A while back, I enchanted me and my friends with a spell that allows us to walk on clouds. Thankfully, it never wore off, so ever since, we've been able to make the occasional visit to Rainbow whenever we wanted.”

With this explanation, I smiled. “That's good to know.”

“Right. Now, then. Let's see how Rainbow is-” Twilight asked, as we disembarked, before being blindsided by Rainbow Dash making a crash landing.

“Whoops! Sorry, Twilight. I was just practicing my Buccaneer Blaze, and I guess I didn't look ahead.” She then craned her head behind Twlight, noticing me. “Hey! You're that guy from yesterday, right?”

“He sure is!” Pinkie Pie said, smiling.

I gulped, and nodded, to which Rainbow Dash smirked.

“So, what can I call ya?”

“Well...you can call me Morning Haze.” I said, stammering a bit.

“Alright, then! Girls, could you excuse us for a moment?” She asked, taking me aside as Pinkie and Twilight nodded.

“Okay, this should be far enough.” Rainbow Dash said.

“So what's this all about?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“It's about yesterday...the girls thought you didn't know how to fly...is it true?” She asked, somewhat concerned.

I froze for a moment, but nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat. “Y-yeah...I don't know anything..”

Rainbow buried her face in her hoof. “Do you know how much of an embarrassment that is? I mean, I can understand you have amnesia, but I would've thought instinct would have covered you! Well...do you know somepony who could teach you?” She asked.

“Well, Twilight gave me this book, and-”

“Pffft. A book? What's a book going to do? Make your brain tougher for when you crash and burn? What you need is a teacher! And I'm just the pony to teach you! After all, I was the champion of the Best Young Flier's Competition!”

“But I-”

“No buts! We're going to be training hard, starting tomorrow! Got it?”

I gulped, nodding then.

“Good. As for Pinkie's Party, I'm there! I never miss one!”

I smiled then. “That's good to hear.”

Contented, I and Rainbow Dash returned to greet the others once again.

“So, how'd it go?” Pinkie Pie asked, obviously having trouble containing her excitement.

“Oh, it went okay. Me and Dash had a talk.” I said, winking to Rainbow Dash, as she winked back.

“O....kay then...” Twilight said, blushing. “Now then. Shall we head for the ground and get ready for the party?”

I nodded, smiling as I joined Pinkie Pie and Twilight for the return trip, waving goodbye to Rainbow Dash as we descended upon Ponyville once more.

“Over here, Haze! I need you to hold this up so I can pin it to the wall...” Pinkie Pie asked, as I began to pin a poster with the vague semblance of a pony drawn upon it. After keeping it held there, pins were put in place of hooves to secure it to the wall.

“There! That's Pin the Tail on the Pony, ready to please!” Pinkie Pie said, clopping her hooves in a sliding motion.

The two of us looked over the scene with pride. For the remainder of the afternoon, we had been hard at work preparing the party that would introduce me to the neighborhood. It was kind of ironic, working on my own party. But, as I looked at the ensemble of pink walls and floors, along with rainbows of streamers and balloons, and a veritable buffet of sweets, from Cakes to Candies to Cookies...even drinks were served!

Pinkie Pie took a snuff of the air, before saying, “Ah...I love the smell of Parties in the Evening!”

I smiled and nodded, hoofpounding with Pinkie.

“And now we play the waiting game...” I said, smiling.

“The Waiting Game? I've never heard of that game! How's it played?!”

I sighed for a moment, facehoofing.

“I was speaking metaphorically...”

“Oooooh. Makes sense.” Pinkie chimed, shrugging.

Within a few minutes, the guests began arriving. First was Fluttershy, oddly enough. I suppose she preferred to arrive early for the sake of preparing herself for the crowd to pour in.

“H-hi, Pinkie Pie...Oh! And Hi, Morning Haze...”

Second was Applejack, who had Applebloom in tow.

“So who's Pinkie Pie welcoming this time 'round?”

“Some colt named Mornin' Haze. I saw him on the farm a few hours ago, and he helped me bring in the harvest while you were busy Crusadin' and what-not.”

“Really? What's he look like?”

“He's a skinny fella. Last time I saw 'im, he was wearing a Tux that only somepony like Rarity coulda' made.”

“Ya mean that grey guy next to Pinkie Pie?”

“Yep! That's the one!”

Applejack then came to me and shook hooves with me again. “Pleasure to be here to welcome ya to 'ol Ponyville, Mornin'.”

“Pleasure to be here, Applejack.”

Rarity arrived soon after, dressed in an elegant dress, Sweetie Belle not far behind, short of breath from a corset.

“Sis, why do I have to wear this tight thing?”

“Because, you've not kept up a presentable appearance as of late, so I had to take drastic measures to ensure you looked marvelous. After all, if I could make a colt with a glaring head injury look presentable, I can surely do the same for a gluttonous filly!”

“But I can barely breathe!”

“Just breathe through your nose, and you'll be fine. Now hush! We're near the guest of honor.”

“Okay...”

Next came Twilight, who was one of the first guests to bring some fairly filled saddlebags with her. My guess is, they were full of books.

“Hey, Morning Haze! Pinkie, I hope you don't mind, but I brought some books. I thought I would catch up on some studies I've been neglecting.”

“I don't mind a bit! Just don't work too hard! There's plenty of party to go around!”

Last of the mane six to arrive was Rainbow Dash, who was decked out in Aviator's gear.

“Sorry I'm a little late. Thought I'd get in some last minute practice before I came down.”

“Oh, Dashie! Always pushing yourself to the Limit...” Pinkie Pie said, giggling.

With this, further guests arrived, including the mailmare, Ditzy Doo, known by some as Derpy Hooves, Roseluck, Lyra, Bon-Bon, and several others. It was a pretty large crowd, all of which seemed to be eager to greet me, which, while it made me happy, it made me embarrassed as well. While I wasn't against all these new ponies Pinkie was dead-set on helping me befriend, the sheer number of this herd somewhat frightened me.

“Now, everypony, before we kick this party off, I'd like to introduce the pony we're here to give a big hello too. This is Morning Haze, and he's from Cloudsdale! Careful around him, though. He's a real kidder!” She said, giving me a playful jab, forcing a blush from me. After a moment, I said hello to the massive herd that had encircled me.

“Hiii, Morning Haze!” They greeted back, almost in total unison. Well, minus Ditzy, who was already getting a muffin to eat.

With that, Techno music began to play, and the party started.

Now, I'd like to point out that when it came to Parties, I wasn't exactly a party animal (pun not intended). I was usually the type that would only dance for a minute or two, then take the next eight minutes sampling the food. But, when given an opportunity to share a dance with a group or just a single person, I never pass it up. While I wasn't a professional dancer, I was especially known for my unpredictable patterns of dance, and my enthusiasm when it came to dancing for an event like a pep rally. The only true “party” I went to was one celebrating Mardi Gras in the 6th Grade. However, I didn't quite have the constitution required for a party. I danced wildly for a few minutes, then sat the rest of it out with a headache. Even my birthday parties weren't all that wild. Though, in hindsight, that aided the sentimental value of it all.

Here, though, I felt more inclined to cut loose, sharing a dance with the nervous Fluttershy, who was simply waving about, nodding her head to the music.

“Um...Fluttershy?”

“Yes, Morning Haze?”

“May I dance with you?”

Fluttershy blushed, but nodded.

“It's nothing, I suppose...”

And so we did a simple dance of circling about the floor, swaying about, but being mindful of the crowd. Rarity was using her magic to eat from the snack table in a formal manner, being careful not to sully her dress with crumbs. Rainbow Dash was regaling the fillies who had arrived with tales of her bravery, and Twilight was studying from a book. Pinkie Pie, being the party pony she was, was doing everything in her power to further enhance the fun factor of the festivities.

After a while, I somehow got dragged into playing Pin the Tail on the Pony. A fairly simple game, if its human equivalent was anything to go by. I had a blindfold twisted and tied to my eyes, I was whirled around a few turns, and a pin was stuck in my mouth. I felt almost as if I were drunk as I staggered across the floor, slowly advancing to the poster before sticking the pin into it. I bit my lip then, unfurling the blindfold...only to find the pin had gone dead in the fake pony's chest. I frowned only slightly, but blushed and laughed it off.

“Guess I'm just a klutz!”

Everypony laughed with me, as I partook in something to eat. Most of the table had nothing but sweets. Cupcakes, Pastries, Pies...aside from that, there were a few salads and sandwiches, along with punch, which I took pleasure in drinking. The tangy taste of berries washed over my taste buds, the sourness making me pucker my lips. This, I thought, would be well complimented by something sweet. So, I eyed a cupcake and began to dig in. Seems it was a vanilla cupcake, with chocolate filling. Such tender bittersweet tastes danced a waltz in my mouth!

“Enjoying yourself?” Asked somepony from behind.

That voice made me jump in my hide. One of my worst foibles came to light. One of my worst weaknesses was sudden noise. Whenever a sound or voice came from anywhere, but especially from behind me, I would freak out and freeze in my tracks. But, within turning about face, I would calm down and engage in conversation.

Such would occur here as well. I turned 180, and found Twilight Sparkle. The bookish, but friendly violet pony gave me a warm stare, smiling as she snapped shut a book with her magic, the glow from her horn dissipating within moments.

“Sorry that I scared you. I know how jumpy some ponies can be. Reminds me of the time Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash fainted during that incident where this Dragon almost covered Ponyville in smoke...” She said, smiling.

“Oh, don't worry about it. I've always been somewhat like this. At least I'm not a complete scaredy cat...”

“Good to hear; Say, did that book I gave you help any?”

“Oh, I haven't had the chance to read it quite yet. Although, now that you mentioned it, I have something I'd like to ask.”

“What's that?”

“You know that hot air balloon we used to get to Cloudsdale?”

“Yes? What about it?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash is wanting me to become her...what would be a good word...protege? Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Twilight held a hoof to her muzzle the way one would hold their chin.

“Are you sure you want to train under Rainbow Dash? After all, I hear she can be pretty tough. When Applebloom went to her to try and earn her Cutie Mark, she practically put her through boot camp!”

“Well, I don't think Fluttershy would be able to teach me. Her specialty is in Naturalism, not in Aeronautics.”

“I guess that is true. Just...be careful, okay?” Twilight asked, lifting a hoof.

I smiled, meeting mine with hers. “I will be. I promise.”

With that, the rest of the party went by like a blur. I got to meet new ponies, enjoy myself a little, eat and drink some nice concessions that Pinkie Pie had painstakingly put together, and play a few games. All this time practically drained me of all my energy, to the point where, from what I can understand, I passed out. Considering that this is a Pinkie Pie brand of party, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

The next morning, I met an...interesting beginning to the day. You know how normally when you have a wild night, you usually have an alcohol-induced hangover the next day? Well, because there exists no such drink (to my knowledge) in Equestria, I must have gotten drunk from the malts and sugars that Pinkie's provisions were packed with. As my eyes began to focus, I saw something weird on top of me. Actually, it was more latched onto me.

It seems that now, I've met Gummy. Pinkie Pie's toothless pet alligator. It's purple, knife-like eyes stared at me in a somewhat wall-eyed fashion as he blinked. Repressing my first instinct to scream, therefore alerting Pinkie Pie and the Cakes, I started vigorously shaking the alligator off of my muzzle as quickly as possible, before attempting with as much accuracy of my early-morning daze would allow me to tip-toe out of the bakery. If it weren't enough that I had to maneuver carefully with such large hooves, there was trash everywhere!

As I began to leave, I then thought to myself. It would be rude to just leave without a calling card, so I looked for a sheet of paper and a pen, and began to, in the best of my capacity, write a note:

“Dear Pinkie Pie and The Clan Cake,

Thank you for offering me your home the other day. Your kindness and willingness to help me come out of my shell really helped me yesterday. If you are wondering where I have gone, I am off to Cloudsdale to undergo a crash course in flight. I should be back within a week. Perhaps 2, If I am lucky.

By the way, I'd suggest getting a proper cote for Gummy. Seems little gator had me in its jaws this morning. I was going to tell you about it, but I didn't want to worry you.

Anyhow, I'll be in Cloudsdale, should anything arise. Come see me if you'd like.

Best Wishes,
Morning Haze.”

The penmanship on the note was, frankly, atrocious. Then again, I'd like to see someone who's written by hand most of his life suddenly have to use his mouth to write. Thankfully, it was just barely legible. If anything, Pinkie Pie would be able to read it. Contented, I left the note on the counter, where it would be easily found before they began to go to work.
With this, I continued to sneak out the door, before being stopped by a hoof at my shoulder. That sudden sensation of being grabbed made me freeze. I didn't even turn to face the pony grabbing me.

“I saw the whole thing, Morning Haze.” Said a rather calm, mellow voice. “Don't worry about it. We're friends! And no matter what, friends are always together at heart, even if they're long gone...So go on. You've got things to do with Dashie, and I wouldn't want to keep one of my bestest of friends from doing them!”

It was indeed Pinkie Pie, and she wished me a fond farewell before my hoof was even a foot by the door. But, being wished goodbye by the friendliest pony in Ponyville was something that gave me a great feeling in my weary body. I smiled, and waved to her as I left, before making a a trip to Twilight Sparkle...

Chapter 2: Iron Pegasus

On Light Hooves I Tread

a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 2: Iron Pegasus

It was roughly....six in the morning when I left from Sugar Cube Corner this morning. I would consider this the time of day when Princess Luna goes to bed, leaving Princess Celestia to awaken and begin the day. Although, while I certainly knew a lot about many ponies here, and much of the geography, I wasn't sure how religion or time worked. I was almost unsure on what time it was, until I noticed that orange-yellow glow in the sky. With this, I also gained a mild sense of direction.

Let this be a word of advice to anypony who ends up in my horseshoes: The best way to tell your direction if you do not have a compass on hoof is to look at the sun's brightness. Typically, when it's less intense, it's usually morning, then when it glows brighter, it is afternoon. Take a good luck at it when you get a chance. Also, if you remember basic astronomy, its direction never changes much. But, this isn't quite relevant.

Not many ponies were out on the street this morning. Well, aside from the Royal Guard, nopony. I would have possibly engaged in small talk, but given the stern expression marking all of their faces, my conscience told me otherwise. Regardless, I was a colt on a mission; getting to Cloudsdale for my first lesson from Rainbow Dash on the wonders of flight. I have no idea why she saw that it be mandatory, other than the fact that I was most likely marring the good name of the Pegasus race. Then again, she was a pony obsessed with coolness, and not every Pegasus is a natural-born flier, myself notwithstanding.

As I approached the doorstep of Twilight Sparkle, knocking upon the door, I heard a very audible yawn cut from upstairs.

“Coming!" Called the violet pony from the balcony.

After some hurried galloping, she came to the door, her mane raggedy, her face barely any more worse for wear.

“Oh, did I wake you?I asked, tilting my head.

“No...I just haven't had time to straighten myself up, much less have breakfast.Twilight hummed, yawning between words.

“I understand...should I wait, or...”

“No! You can come in, if you'd like! Spike's making breakfast.”

I nodded, smiling, before walking in, thanking her.

Now, I had the opportunity to look into the library for the first time since I had come here. Rather than being organized from the Dewey Decimal System, things were organized alphabetically. Owlowiscious was fast asleep as I heard a sizzling sound. After a few moments, Spike, clad in an apron and chef's hat, emerged from the kitchen. He wiped the sweat from his scaly brow as he clapped his hands together in a sliding motion.

“Breakfast will be ready in just a few min-...Twilight, who is that?" He asked, pointing to me.

“That's Morning Haze. You know, that Boy Pinkie Pie Introduced to everypony yesterday?” Twilight pointed out.

“Ah, yeah! What's he doing here, anyway?”

“Well, I was supposed to take him to Cloudsdale, and it seems he showed early. In any case, you wouldn't mind fixing him something to eat, too?”

Spike thought it over for a moment, but nodded.

“Yeah. I guess I can. We've got plenty! But...I'm gonna need to know I can trust him. When you get back, I want you to tell me what all you know so far!” He demanded, pointing a finger at me like he was a defense attorney.

I nodded, and went to take my seat at the table.

As Spike had promised, breakfast was made. Toast with Jam, with a side of eggs. An interesting mix of food, but not the worst of them. It was appropriate enough for me, I suppose. As I began to eat it, I was amazed at the way the toast tasted with the grape jam as I drank the tea that was served along with it. Normally, I would drink soda pop almost constantly, but this drink was a marvelous blend in and of itself, which I pleased myself in drinking.

Twilight couldn't help but crack a smile and chuckle.

“So, I'm guessing you like the breakfast?” She asked.

“Yes! It's great!I exclaimed, smiling.

“Well, it's nice to see somepony likes my cooking.” Spike groaned.

“Oh, come on, Spike. It's just that it's just been the same for a while.”

“Right, Right.”

After a quarter hour of breakfast, which included some small talk about ourselves, the two of us made for the hot air balloon, ready to begin the intended task I had assigned from Rainbow Dash yesterday...

As air began to fill the balloon, Twilight turned to me.

“So why is it Rainbow Dash wanted to train you, anyway?" She asked.

“My guess is, she thinks I'm a stain on the good name of the Pegasus race.”

Twilight scoffed. “Typical Rainbow Dash. Proud and Arrogant.”

I rolled my eyes. “I just hope I can endure it.”

“From what I heard, you managed to take a fall from maybe 2000 feet, landing onto a Pegasus who broke the sound barrier to save you. If you can take that, I'm pretty sure flight training should be an easy feat.” Twilight noted, a smug look on her face.

I gulped down the knot in my throat and nodded.

“Don't worry, Haze. I'm sure you'll be fine.”

With that, we boarded the balloon and began our ascension to Cloudsdale, our ascent coinciding with the rising sun at the horizon of Ponyville.

Much like Ponyville, Cloudsdale was essentially a ghost town at this point, with only the mail ponies awake at the hour. Nighttime was still here in Cloudsdale, mainly due to the elevation the aerial city was resting, but in time, the sun would catch up. The balloon soon made its way to the pillow ground, landing daintily. The door flung open, and I was soon escorted out.

“If you need me to come back and get you, just have somepony send the message down. But, for now, enjoy your stay up here. I've got clerical work to do, and I don't want to be behind on it. So, I'll see you later! Is that okay?” Twilight asked.

I nodded, shutting the door. “It's fine, Twilight. But, I think I'll be in this for the long haul.”

Twilight Sparkle then nodded, gassing the balloon and making her descent to the ground.

At the moment, there was silence, leading me to walk uninterrupted, until I ran into Ditzy Doo, who was making her rounds delivering mail. She didn't talk much, but having bumped into her, I had inadvertently caused her to drop some packages, which I was kind to help her get sorted again. Surprised and grateful, Ditzy smiled, and while not saying many words, she muttered vague semblances of words to show her gratitude for my kindness, and implored me to wait a moment. I nodded, and Ditzy laid her saddlebags down, scrabbling through them until she pulled out a small box.

“Hewe. Fow helping me with my bawkeses.” She said, in a tone of voice akin to that of a Kindergarten student.

I stood confused a moment, but opened the box moments later, which revealed itself to be a muffin! I smiled, saying thank you as I began to eat it.

“You'we welcome.” She murmured back, before flying away.

Her speech impediment was odd, but keeping in mind that she had a daughter, I didn't want to judge the wall-eyed pony any.

The muffin finished, I decided to occupy my morning with sightseeing. Now, I didn't have much knowledge of many of the famous buildings of Cloudsdale, but I could entertain myself well enough with the marvelous architecture of this city in the sky. Where Ponyville was like a German hamlet, Cloudsdale was more Greek in appearance. Tons of marble constructions, gold and silver statues, and quite a few dozen monuments. Then I came upon a stadium with a gaping hole in the center. This was, as far as I could recall, the famous Colosseum where the Best Young Fliers Competition took place every year. My mind slowly began to drift into a fantasy...

“And next up in this year's Best Young Fliers Competition is Number Eleven! Everypony, give a big round of applause to our latest newcomer, Morning Haze! Pupil of last year's champion, Rainbow Dash, Morning Haze is ready to defend the title of his teacher on his behalf! Let's all cheer him on for this performance!”

There I stood, facing down the large hole where my routine was to start. I was standing in for Rainbow Dash, with the intent on defending her honor as the champion of the Young Flier's Competition. As I stared down the starting drop, I gulped nervously, but, after shutting my eyes and banishing the fear from my mind, I slid my flight goggles on, cracking an ever cocky grin as I took a few hoofsteps back. I heaved a deep breath.

“This is it...Glory or Disgrace...First Round...LET'S DO THIS!”

“There you are!”

My daydreaming was cut short by the call of Rainbow Dash, which made me jolt and collapse like a fainting goat.

“I was wondering where you were. I heard ya showed up, so I started looking around.”

The rainbow-maned Pegasus then took a look at where my gaze was originally fixed, and chuckled.

“Got your heart set on the competition, eh? I don't blame ya. But before you can even think about that, we need to make sure you can act first. C'mon. I'll show ya where I go to practice, and we can get to work!”

I was still pretty frozen from Rainbow Dash having inadvertently triggered my foible again. I wasn't able to move until moments later.

“Ugh. Come on! I don't have all day! Get up!” Dash demanded, delivering a swift buck to the flank, which made me leap to my hooves and dart off like my flank had been set aflame!

“Hey! Wait up!” Dash shouted, dashing off to pursue me. “Well, at least he's going the right way...”

And so began a chase throughout Cloudsdale, with myself being the instigator. I have to admit, I was going fairly fast, despite Rainbow Dash being dangerously close behind. Where I just left dust, Dash left a rainbow-colored trail in her wake. Whatever was going on, we were putting on a show for the locals. Well, up until I slammed right into a column, face-first.

“Hehe...looks like you win, Haze. I couldn't quite keep up with you!“ Dash said, helping me off the column and onto my hooves.

“Just remember. It's not just those legs that count. It's your wings, too.” She said, flapping her wings.

“Which brings us to your first lesson in 'Rainbow Dash's School of Flight': Wing Control. ”She explained. “See, ever since I saved ya the other day, I haven't seen those wings of yours come open once. So, we're gonna take it step by step. First, close your eyes.”

I nodded, closing them lightly.

“Tighter.”

I shut them tighter.

“Little more...”

I shut even tighter.

“Good...now focus on what I'm saying, and concentrate: Picture, for a minute, a Rosebud. Picture its petals slowly opening up as it blooms...think of that rose as your wings...and let those wings unfurl...”

And so that picture did come to my head, and as it unfolded before me...so did my wings!

“There! See? We're making progress already!” Rainbow Dash cheered, digging her hoof into the clouds.

I grinned, As I turned to my opened wings, ecstatic.

“Now, close those eyes again...now picture a tree...picture it swaying in the wind....imagine the boughs of that tree as your wings...and let them move to the rhythm of the wind...”

That serene image entered my head as I began to feel the wind against my fur...the imaginary willow in my mind's meadow, swaying to the gentle breeze, each branch acting as a different feather in my two wings, and with this thought, I began to move my wings in a fanning sweep, focusing on the motion itself to better get an idea on what I was doing...

“Alright! Looks like you're learning quick! Seems you're getting the right idea on what to do, too. Get used to the motions of your wings. Once you figure out how to control it on your own, we'll be able to get onto the real juicy stuff!Rainbow Dash cheered, hovering on a cloud above me.

I nodded, keeping the image of the willow of my wings in my head, as I began to progressively fade it out of mind, calmly opening my eyes as I began flapping my wings in a quick enough pace to where I felt satisfied enough. With this, the cyan Pegasus hopped down, staring me down with her fuchsia eyes, then nodding in approval. She then guided me to another part of Cloudsdale...

“First," Dash said, pacing like a drill instructor, “We'll start off with something simple. It's not exactly flying, but it's a decent starting point.”

“And what would this be?” I asked, stretching.

Suddenly, the Pegasus let out an unsettling smirk as she whispered in my ear:

“The Leap...of Faith...”

I gulped that moment, repeating her phrase in an inquisitive tone, almost like a parrot.

“Yeah...you heard right. It's an old custom dating back to not just ancient Pegasus culture, but Griffon culture as well. Fillies would leap from their clouds with their parents, hoping each time to be able to open their wings so that they could soar through the sky. A lot of birds use this technique, so it should work for you, too!” She explained, as an attempt to instill confidence in me to actually attempt this crazy idea.

I stared at the edge of the cloud, seeing the town square of Ponyville lying just below my hooves. It left an uneasy feeling in my stomach, and a knot which I had to force down my throat. Was I really about to do this? Was I really so completely insane, I would risk my life jumping from a height of a few thousand feet just for the sake of learning to fly on a wing and a prayer? I was almost tempted to turn tail and run, but as I began to back away from second thoughts, a hoof around my neck made me think otherwise.

“Don't worry, Haze; If you can't open your wings in time, I promise, I'll catch ya. After all, I never leave my friends hangin'! Or, in this case, fallin'.” She said, chuckling as she began to push me off nonchalantly.

“After you, my friend!”

With this, I began to hear rushing air only, but Rainbow's voice cut through the air.

“Alright! Now try to work your wings against the wind and see if you can pull up! If anything, it'll slow ya down!”

I kept my eyes shut as I tried frantically to will my wings to open, hoping to open them flat so that I would slow down to where Rainbow would shoot past me, but my wings felt like they were glued together. Every time I tried to unfurl my wings, it felt like a strong rubber belt was keeping them held shut. I tried to focus my resolve to open them, but before I knew if, I felt myself atop Rainbow's back, and as I looked to her, I pouted and furrowed my brow. And yet, as I did so, Dash smiled at me.

“Don't worry, Kid. This is just the first try. It's not like getting a Cutie Mark. You can't always get it done in one shot. Well, unless you're me, anyway.” She joked, lifting me back to the starting point.

“Now, let's see if we can try again!”

I looked to the large drop once more. Was it just me, or was the height twice as great as it was originally?! I looked to what I saw, but then blinked thrice, banishing the illusion from my eyes. This restoration of the reality of my situation lessened the gravity of what I was to now as I cleared my head a bit.

I took a few paces back, inhaling the air with a shallow breath. There wasn't much a scent to the air, what with Cloudsdale being near the Ozone Layer, but while tasteless, it was cold and dry. With this, I shut my eyes, ready to make the second descent as I inhaled a deep breath and charged off the cloud, hopping off the edge like a mule possessed. This time, I began to fan my legs out as a way of slowing my velocity as I dropped down. Learning my mistake from last time in panicking, I calmed my mind, slowly opening my wings...

But, as I did so, the air only rushed harder. I had not noticed originally, but I was actually increasing my velocity, as my wings were pointed straight down.

Rainbow Dash, taking quick notice, gasped.

“Oh, no...he's gonna crash!” She murmured, before shooting off to catch me, just barely having saved us both from injury by roughly 5 feet near the ground. When it came to her realization she had saved me, she let a huff of relief.

“Phew...you were about to go splat for a moment, there. Thank Celestia I managed to catch ya. You're getting better, though. You got your wings opened at a good time. But, the goal was to slow down, not speed up.”

With this, we returned to the starting point once more, where Dash smiled to me.

“I'm sure you'll get it right this time. I have my faith in you...” She hummed, saluting me, to where I saluted back, preparing my third--and hopefully final—descent.

I gazed at the glaring difference between heights once more. If the last jump was anything to go by, I had a clear idea in my head the stakes. If I got this right, I'd get a free bird's-eye view of Ponyville. But, if I botched this up, my face could say hello to some pavement, or at least, a ton of grass. While I'm pretty sure this wouldn't kill me, it would certainly hurt. A lot. Anyhow, I cleared my head one last time, taking three good breaths of that cold, crisp air before inching myself into what I considered a favorable position.

Then, with one last part of resolve, I took a deep inhale and darted off the cloud, taking a genuine leap of faith. Much like before, I fanned my legs to help slow myself in my drop, while not by much, but to a degree where I could understand what I was doing. I then brought to my mind a cherry blossom. One of the most beautiful of trees from my world. I saw it beginning to bloom before me, and as it did, I saw the serene breeze blow away the petals of the blossom...

This imagery soon came into play as I felt the winds begin to quell as I opened my eyes...and my, if you could see the very image on my face...

I had done it. Through digging deep and utilizing my sheer force of will, I had successfully not only stopped myself in the air, but I had gained a basic dexterity of flying. For a few moments, I simply marveled at the much-improved vista of Ponyville my height now provided for me...then smiled wide.

“Oh...my...gosh! Yes...yes...YES! Oh, man! Did you see that, Rainbow?!” I asked, hoof-pumping for a moment, then trying to search for the Technicolor Pegasus, only to find her in the oddest of places.

She was still at the starting point, lounging on a cloud, whistling absentmindedly. Realizing I was calling her, she turned. “Oh? Looks like the third time really is the charm. Good work!”

She then floated to me and put a hoof on my shoulder.

“You're ready for Phase Two of the Rainbow Dash school of flight: The Take Off. Sure, you know how to get flying from a jump, but what if you're terra-firma? What if you don't have a jump to fly from? That's what we're going to learn here.”

I nodded to her as we went back to the clouds, then cantering with her to a location that was a bit far-off in terms of location....

The locale of Rainbow's so-called Phase Two was what appeared to be an abandoned aerial bases, and the dilapidated clouds were a sure sign of its disuse over what must have been many years. There was what appeared to be asphalt in a pair of strips, much like any airport you or I may have seen, but many hoof prints marred the surface where Pegasus Ponies made their landings, deployments, and basic flight training. It was a mildly chilling scene, to be frank. However, it was better than anything else I could consider (which was a resounding nothing at all). With this, I stood with Rainbow Dash, taking a deep breath as I took in the scenery.

“Yeah, I know...doesn't look like much, does it?” Murmured Dash derisively.

“Yeah...it's not much for appeal.” I concurred, taking a walk about.

“Well, the good news is that since this place is abandoned, we can use it as much as we like! So, when you're done with sightseeing, we've got work to do, Kid.”

I nodded, walking back into line with my pale-blue proctor.

“Alright, now...remember that bit of advice I gave you when we first started? Try to take that to mind when you're doing this. A running take-off requires a decent amount of momentum, and just a bit of careful movement...see, to get into flying from on the ground, you have to slowly take the weight off of your hooves and let your wings start carrying you...The thing is, though, that you have to do it carefully. Otherwise, you're just gonna fall right on your face. You keepin' track so far?” She explained, demonstrating a few motions on her own.

This in mind, I nodded and walked to where Rainbow was to have me start. Rainbow took what appeared to be a pail of rainbow-colored liquid and with it, made markings to indicate what I was to do at each stage to perfect my running take-off. It was, essentially, a series of boxes cut along the strip with different instructions: Run, Wings Out, Wings Flapping, Run More, Lift Hooves, and finally, in capital letters, in as bold and as large a print as possible, LIFT OFF.

It was a very crude set of instructions, but it made sense enough for me to get started. Before starting on my long, narrow training course, I did a few stretches to get my legs into proper condition, doing a few hops to assure they were ready for this task. Afterward, I gave the road a glare, then smirked with determination.

I was ready. So with this, I started for the long path I was drawn, first with a walk...then a trot...then a canter...then, with as much energy as my youthful body could possibly muster, I burst into a full gallop like a pony possessed. As the “Run” strip began to end, I extended my wings. I kept my gallop, using the wings to hasten myself by cutting down on the drag of the air. Then, upon seeing the next instruction, began to flap my wings and shift gears to a faster gallop than before. Then, near the final few feet, I lifted my hooves slowly from the ground, almost tripping, and thus losing momentum, but I managed to soar like a bird with what little remained. I gasped a bit at my trip, but realizing I was back in the air mitigated that anxiety.

Dash flied up to me, and nodded to me.

“A bit of a rough finish, but you managed to recover quick enough to get a good take off. You pass this portion of the Rainbow Dash School of Flight but, I seriously recommend that you work on it a bit more.”

She then led me down to the ground once more.

“Last, but not least, we're going to do a standing take off. This isn't exactly hard, but it takes practice to accomplish.” The pale blue pegasus told me, as I nodded, jotting mental notes in my head.

“It's similar to the running take off, but we omit just a few of the main steps. It goes like this: First, we get our wings into flapping. Then, we slowly lift our front hooves, until we can keep ourselves up on them. Then, we put just a bit more oomph into the wings as we lift the rear ones very carefully...like this, see?” Dash asked, as she demonstrated each step.

“Yeah, that makes sense. Care to give me some air, then?” I asked, to which she chuckled and paced away from me.

With this, I began to crane my neck down, keeping a firm look on my hooves and the ground just beneath them. I got my wings into slow beats as I began to lift myself off the ground, haphazardly balancing my hooves as I began to use my wings as if I were upon a trapeze, and they were my balancing pole. Once I had a good enough balance, I started to beat my wings harder, slowly plucking my rear hooves from the clouds under them, then managing to slowly hover above the ground. I was risking falling flat on my face in moments, but that subsided once I gained balance over my hovering.

“Hah! Nice! You're doing great! That's basic training finished!” Dash said, marking off the end of a checklist.

My eyes shot wide. This was only beginner's stuff?! Did that mean that she had more for me than this?!

“Don't worry: The Advanced Stuff is mainly just covering weather control. We've got plenty of time before you go to the Weather Control Center for a job.”

“A-A job?”

“Yeah! What, you think you can just live your whole life doin' nothin'? Nah. Everypony gets a job 'round here. Besides, controlling weather is loads of fun!” She noted.

“But...She yawned, covering her mouth with her hoof, “We'll get to that later. C'mon! I'll take you to my house and get a bed set up.”

What only seemed minutes was only a couple of hours, but it seemed both I and the competitive Pegasus were still feeling the pangs of sleep deprivation. Okay, maybe not that, but it was certainly a tired feeling. The hovel that Rainbow Dash called home, while nice, was almost completely littered with papers of flight plans, possible tricks, and all throughout the house was paraphernalia of something called The Wonderbolts. I was curious as to who or what they were, so I did the obvious:

“Hey, Dash. What are the Wonderbolts?”

Dash stopped dead in her tracks, then turned directly to me, looked at me with a cocked brow, and groaned.

“You're kidding, right?” She asked, as I shook my head. “Have you been completely living under a rock?! The Wonderbolts are, like, the coolest aerial team to serve for Princess Celestia! They're the best fliers in all of Equestria, and it's been my dream to become one of them! I last saw them at the Grand Galloping Gala, but I didn't get much out of it. So, now that I've got a protege, Getting into the Wonderbolts should be easy-peasy for me!”

I nodded, turning to examine the numerous posters. They reminded me of those circa 1940's World War II posters that featured propaganda for the US Air Force. Maybe that's part of what they were? After all, judging from their design, they were based on the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. If I ever got to meet them, I'd probably be bothered enough to ask. However, as I saw the straw bedding on the floor, I followed my natural instinct to lay on the mat and sleep...

This time, I was in a void of white, flying through an unending expanse of blank terrain. As far as dreams went, there wasn't much to it. So, I naturally saw what happened next coming. This time, her Majesty, Princess Celestia, was flying beside me, this time, neither a shadow or a shape, but rather the glorious ivory-coated mare everypony was vividly familiar with. She chuckled at the sight of my gliding through the air and smiled.

“Flight...'tis a wonderful gift, is it not? What you lost in your ability to alter the world, you gained in the ability to see it in all its glory without ever stepping hoof on the ground but to rest...Seeing you finally learn to harness that gift of yours brings me happiness...” She said, coming closer in on me, allowing me a visage of the mark which denoted her first and foremost status as the deity of the sun.

I smiled, but I was a bit weary. “Do you think we could change the scenery a bit? All this white is starting to hurt my eyes...”

The Princess of Daylight chuckled, telling me “That can be arranged.” as she set her horn aglow with holy energy, the blank slate transmogrifying into the topography of the castle which sat as the cornerstone of a grand kingdom...

“Where are we now?” I asked lowering altitude to better inspect the castle, being mindful not to come in contact with it.

“Oh, this? This is Canterlot. You could call it the mecca of sorts of politicians. It is also where the School of Magic is located. However, that would only be for if you were a Unicorn...perhaps some other time.”

I chuckled away her last comment, saying “Oh, you!”

A stroke of curiosity came upon me moments later...I knew I was to seek employment later, but what did controlling the weather even entail? Fancy Magic? Acrobatics? Lots of machines?The question bounced about in my head, and the ideas came about as well. Then, much like her younger sister, Celestia had somehow peered in my mind...wait, how can one peer into the mind of somepony while already in their mind? Oh, never mind that. I'll just hurt my mind wondering.

“You wonder what Pegasus ponies do for a living? Well, one of the most common is working in Weather Control. Unlike Canterlot, Ponyville has to manually alter the weather. Thanks to the advent of special machines, we can produce clouds, and with gestures and maneuvers, they control the different weather patterns. For example, kicking them generally summons lightning. Circling causes whirlwinds to build. Stomping a dark cloud starts rain, and so on...It's mainly a matter of intent. So long as you know what you want and how to produce it, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.” The Silver Steed of the Sun explained smoothly.

I nodded, committing it as best I could to my weak memory, and the Monarch took landing just outside the gates of an ornate castle, its details much like something only J. R. Tolkien could have produced himself.

“Well, now is the time we take our leave...I expect to see you here soon. We have good plans for you...” Celestia noted, stoking my mane. “Now, wake up.”

With that, in almost a split second, my dream ended, and my eyes shot wide like as saucers. I wasn't sure if that was the doing of the Princess, my body, or my force of will, but whatever the cause, I was awakened. I lay in a stupor for about 5 minutes before rustling out of my bed, staggering to my hooves again. Rainbow Dash was stretching out, a bit more perky than she was a few hours ago.

“Ah, great! You're awake! C'mon! I'm gonna take ya to the Weather Factory and show you around! That's where most of my work starts.” The Cyan Cavalier explained, flying off, myself in pursuit as I clumsily took flight myself. I was still a bit of a weak flier, but I could keep up just well enough to where I wouldn't be patronized for being too slow.

The factory itself was an odd sight. Sure, it was a large building, but it didn't have things like smokestacks, like a factory back home did. I could, however, note a dam-like structure at the base of the building, through which pure, liquified rainbow oozed out like the waterfall of chocolate from the Wonka factory. At the door, I was given a full-body white outfit and hard-hat. Standard-uniform, I guessed.

“This is where everything about weather here is made! It's not always easy, though.” Rainbow explained, taking me to stop numero uno, which, as soon as we entered, felt like I had just crossed into an Artic camp in winter. I saw several mute-colored Pegasi inspecting snowflakes through partway-frosted magnifying lenses. At least, that's what I was able to make out whilst shivering profusely.

“H-How can y-y-you s-s-s-stand this c-c-c-old?” I shuddered, shaking like a leaf in Autumn.

“You get used to it. We aren't gonna be here long. This is the Snowflake creation branch of the Winter R&D Department. See, snowflakes are handcrafted by artisans. It's not a job for the lighthearted or clumsy types...so, only the most serious of ponies take this job..let's get a move on!” She called, as we walked carefully across the cold floor.

The next room was, thankfully, a lot warmer than the snowflake room. Here, fountain after fountain of rainbow-colored liquids drained into a small pond.

“This is where we make the rainbows that appear after a rainstorm. Usually, we just scoop buckets full and throw out the liquid when it's time. The after-rain mist usually keeps it held in place afterward. You're free to give it a taste, but I warn ya. It's some spicy stuff!”

I looked to the pond of rainbow juice, dipping my hoof into it before licking it like a lollipop. In hindsight, that was a stupid idea. Within a few seconds, I glowed a multitude of colors, having a very psychedelic experience as my mouth burned like a dozen matches before calming down. On the bright side, while my taste buds were fried, my sinuses were cleared. I tell you, I can't even remember when I last was able to get a smell or taste of good air. As I turned, I saw Rainbow Dash laughing her flank off profusely, rolling about on the cloud floor.

“Oh, man! You actually did it!” The Pale Blue Pegasus shouted, in-between several fits of laughter. “That was so awesome! You should've seen the look on your face! Ha!”

When she was done, she picked herself up and wiped away the tears of joy before taking me into the third main portion of the Cloudsdale Weather Center; The Cloud Room.

What I saw in here was more like an actual factory than roughly 66 percent of the rest of the factory itself. Pegasi were fluttering above large furnaces, tossing bucketfuls of water into it, which flash-evaporated into steam, forming the myriad-shaped clouds everyone was so fond of.

“This right here is one of my favorite parts of the job, because I get to make them as big or as small as I want! This is the Cloud Room, where we make all the clouds to put up in the sky! When we've made them, we top them off with a little water and bada-bing, bada-boom! We got ourselves some rain just ready to fall! If we hurry, we might just be able to get that water Applejack was wanting over her fields today!” Rainbow Dash explained, dragging me along through a narrow hallway. Before me stood a large set of doors, which read:

“EVENING MONSOON: CEO, CLOUDSDALE CLIMATE CO.”

I gulped another knot down my throat, shaking as cold sweat dripped down my coat. This was the first time I'd ever even attempted apply for a job. I wasn't even allowed to hold one in my own world, on account of my studies taking priority to the matter. Usually, from what I learned growing up, when the boss of a company has an office that has two doors, that's usually a sign that either A): They're lavishly rich, B): They mean serious business, and/or C): They were very cutthroat. I didn't bother asking any questions as my blue brute knocked on the door.

Next to the door was a tiny microphone, not unlike the kind you would find standing at the door of an apartment complex in a big city. From it blared a tinny, gruff voice:

“Yeah?! Who is this?!”

“It's Dash! I got somepony who wants a job 'ere!”

“Yeah? Tell 'im to get lost! I don't need any more of your Fan Club fillies interrupting durin' work hours! And besides, ain't you supposed to be workin', too?!”

“Yeah, yeah. I was trainin' this guy so he could actually do something.”

The bickering paused for a full 5 seconds before the gruff voice I had assumed was Evening Monsoon responded.

“You'd better be goin' somewhere with this guy. If he don't deliver, it's comin' outta your payroll, missy.”

Within moments, the double doors opened, revealing the office of my soon-to-be employer, a black-coated colt who was showing considerable balding (presumably from stress), bearing the cutie mark of a tsunami. He was chewing on what seemed to be a cigar as he reclined in his chair, clad in a pinstripe vest and hat.

Well, isn't this just gonna be the most wonderful meeting ever?

To my own surprise, the meeting went by a lot smoother than I had imagined. He seemed a bit more patient of me as he explained my job's basic tasks. I would work for a minimum wage of 5 bits a day, with an extra 2 bits for doing a job that he was particularly pleased by, and, on top of basic insurance, an extra 3 bits when dealing with extreme climate control. So, on the worst of days, the best case scenario would be, I'd make 10 bits a day. The worst case would be I'd be as beaten as a rented mule.

“So, when do I get started?” I asked, signing the contract as best I could with my teeth.

“Ya get started the minute the door hits ya in the flank on the way out. Don't slip up anything, or you're gonna get your pay docked! You're lucky I didn't Pink-Slip Rainbow, and that's only 'cuz while she's a lazy punk, she does a good job, and she's got tenure for it! Now get outta here!”

With that, we nodded, trotting out, the door indeed hitting me in the arse on the way out.

Right, so before I stop writing in this log for the night, I'll recount my first day on payroll. As Rainbow Dash had explained to me, we were going to be moving storm clouds to Sweet Apple Acres to provide rainwater for the crops. Since it was nearing harvest season, this would need to be a pretty big collection of clouds to give enough rain for the orchard.

“Alright, so I showed ya all you have to do to work with the clouds, now let's see if we can't trim this thing down to size!” She instructed, blowing a whistle as we both took to opposite sides of the cloud. The process of clearing clouds was actually quite simple. While at first, charging headfirst into clouds to break them didn't seem like a good idea, but, in realizing that clouds were often quite soft, and could also be broken with a good bucking, this proved to be an easy task. I even had a lot of fun with it! It was like I was playing Arkanoid, and I was the ball, bouncing off an invisible paddle. Either that, or it was like Pilotwings.

Once it was a considerable size smaller, the two of us heaved the mass of cumulonimbus to the designated point on the orchard, before standing atop the clouds together.

“And now, we go to the Piece de Resistance! To make it rain, we just gotta give the clouds a good stompin'! Ready?”

I nodded, taking to my personal half.

“One...Two...Three...GO!”

The two of us romped about on the clouds with glee, myself attempting to (mind the pun), Riverdance upon the stage of clouds. I have to admit, Rainbow Dash was right; While our boss was a bit of a Nag, the job was actually pretty fun! Sure, it'll be tedious at some points, but I think this is the only job I've ever seen where having fun with your work is part of the fun of actually doing it. Plus, it was worth it to provide useful water to the crops.

Working for the Climate Company was, to my understanding, a job that worked on a “when called upon” basis. Meaning, like emergency services, we'd often have slow days, with only meager pay to show for it. But, that also meaned we could have fun with the clouds, too! I remember Rainbow showed me a classic prank she pulls, where she'll strategically place a cloud over somepony, then buck it, shocking them. While it isn't exactly the nicest thing, it's really funny to see ponies' reactions to getting zapped and running off.

Dusk fell on Ponyville. As I neared the rendezvous point where Twilight dropped me off, she looked quite happy to see me.

“Hey, Haze! How'd your day with Rainbow go? Did you....*snicker* get your wings?”

I snickered myself a bit, but smiled and nodded.

“Yeah...she also got me hooked up with a job in working with the weather, too!”

“Really? That's great! Hey, since you have your wings working now, you can go on ahead and fly down. I can see that-”

“Actually...” I interjected, stopping her long-winded explanation, “I'm gonna need the Blimp. My wings are beat from all this work.”

Twilight chuckled, but allowed me in.

“Say...do you need more help at the Library? I know it must be tiring at night.”

“You...really want to work in a Library?”

“Well...yeah, actually. I have a lot of experience with books!”

“Well...okay! Sure! I could always use a helping hoof!”

With this, the two of us descended to Twilight's library, where I hoped to rest for the night...

Chapter 3: Magic is Science

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 3: Magic is Science

The trip back from Cloudsdale was a thankfully smooth descent. To be frank, it was actually a bit too calm, to the point where it almost lulled me to sleep, but a light tap on the flank from Twilight Sparkle's hoof helped me jolt awake again.

“We're here, Haze. Sorry it took a little bit longer; I thought you'd need it to be a bit calmer, based on how tired you look.” She said, smiling with concern as she helped me to the door. “I'll have Spike get a cup of coffee ready.” I nodded, rubbing away of the mucus of sleep from my eyes as I let out an audible yawn.

As Coffee was being brewed (and I had asked for Mocha; my drink of choice), Spike yawned as well, smacking his reptilian maw.

“There. The coffee's done. I'm off to bed, Twi. You and Owlowiscious can hold down the fort while I'm asleep, right?” The violet Dragon asked, ascending the stairs, to where Twilight nodded, telling Spike good night as his image faded from view.

The coffee now for my drinking, Twilight and I engaged in small talk.

“So,” Twilight started, feeling a bit more keen to learn how I did today than I cared to ask about, “how was your crash course with Rainbow? She didn't push you too hard, did she?”

“No, she didn't...” I snapped back, shrinking a bit. “But she did push me off a cliff, so there's that.”

“She pushed you off a cliff?! Is she crazy?!”

“I don't think she is...just a bit...unorthodox.”

“Still, I don't think it was in her right to push you off a cliff...”

I chuckled.

“Well, given the result, I'd say it was worth it.” I snickered.

“...What do you mean?”

“I flew after the third try.” I said, smirking.

“Wait. third try? What happened the first two tries?!”

“I almost flew, and Rainbow caught me.”

“O...kay...weird. So what happened next?”

The conversation kept on a similar format for at least 10 minutes, where I essentially recounted all the misadventures I had during the day, Twilight gave varying degrees of interest and concern, but ultimately laughed it off.

“Well, looks like you got a lot out of today, didn't you?” She asked, giggling.

“Indeed, I did.” I quipped, smiling.

After that, a silence fell in the treehouse. Aside from the hoots of Owlowiscious, the lack of sound was deafening. That ringing from silence alone bounced about in my head for few minutes before I worked up the nerve to satisfy my curiosity.

“Hey, Twilight...?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you...teach me how Magic works in Equestria?”

Twilight's reaction was priceless. She beamed a smile, and kept muttering the word “Yes!” rapid-fire like a chain gun. It wasn't until I interrupted her that she stopped.

In a few moments, Twilight had walked me into a darkened room where a projector was shining onto a blank screen. From what little I gathered in the near-pitch black room, She was loading a reel into a slot, then clearing her throat as she laid a red button on the floor, levitating a pointer stick in front of the screen as she stamped on the button, advancing to the first slide, which depicted the three major pony races in a triangular fashion.

"Magic is a fundamental element in Equestria. It is present in all matter, both living and nonliving, and every Stallion, Mare, and Filly has, to some degree, a link to Magic. What this link is depends upon the Individual." Twilight began, her tone a firm, but calm voice. "Magic has a light side, a dark side, and it binds our world together."

Where had I heard that line before?

The next slide came into view, depicting an Earth Pony making lines in a soon-to-be crop.

"Magic affects us Ponies in different ways, but Race is among the most common deciders." Twilight explained, pointing to the soil on the image.

"Earth Ponies, hence their name, have a natural connection to nature, and all that nature contains. Magic for them comes in the form of cultivating crops, managing livestock and animals, and many terrestrial acts."

She then advanced to a slide of an Armored Pony pushing a boulder, with an image next to it of an Earth Pony having a bit of trouble figuring an arithmetic problem.

"Because of this, Earth Ponies tend to have great strength and stamina, but in terms of wit, they are nothing special."

The next slide had an a circle of Earth Ponies bearing garbs made of leaves, some holding staffs, dancing about a fire.

"In ancient Equestria, it was said that some Earth Ponies aspired to becoming Druids, using their oneness with nature to protect them from harm."

The next slide depicted a Pegasus in Flight. Twilight pointed to the Pegasus, and continued her lecture.

"Pegasi use their wings to take command of the air, and their magical link enables them to manipulate clouds, moisture, and climate. In short, Pegasi, like you, have the ability to control weather itself." She began, pointing the stick as she clicked to an image of a Pegasus manipulating clouds to become thunderstorms, then proceeding to switch to an image of a Pegasus with a mach cone (that is, the cone that forms around something nearing supersonic speed) enveloping it, the image flanked by an injured pegasus with bandages about her wings.

"Pegasi are amoung the most dextrous of ponies, being able to reach speeds impossible by other ponies, but their slimmer frames are more likely to suffer injury due to the lighter bone structure."

The next slide came, showing a group of Ponies with smoke streaks behind them, bearing armor.

"In earlier wars of Equestria, before a true time of peace came, Pegasi typically performed reconnaissance and aerial combat missions during skirmishes. Fliers today, however, typically are stunt ponies or athletes."

The next picture came, this time of a Unicorn bearing a flowing robe, decorated with stars galore.

"Unicorns are among the most Magically-endowed ponies in Equestria. They are the only race that can directly manipulate the fields of magic around us." She noted, pulling up a picture of a Unicorn's horn illuminated.

"Manipulation of such fields are shown as the horn starts to glow." She explained, pointing the stick.

"Unicorns have a myriad of Magical Abilities, Haze. Although, some have more than others. It is mainly based on the talent(s) represented by their cutie mark."

Twilight then pointed the pointer at her flank, which bore a star surrounded by twinkling sparkles.

"For example; My Cutie mark has a sparkling star, which I earned through much studying. Then we have Rarity, who has a mark of three diamonds, which signifies her capabilities of seamstress work, as well as working with rare gems."

I held a hoof up in the air. A question had formed in my head: What all was there into Cutie Mark? But, I stowed the question to give a more relevant on in my head:

"How do Zebras factor into this?"

Twilight smiled, and went to the next slide, which showed a Zebra in the middle of Alchemy.

"Zebras, while not essentially pony-folk, have a unique way of harnessing magic, through the advents of Alchemy, and if stories that Zecora has told me, Shamanism."

"Shamanism?"

"Yes. In Zecora's culture, Celestia and Luna are among several spirits which they revere and call upon...these spirits are said to be called through rituals and spells that they cast."

"Interesting...Maybe we could visit her?"

Twilight held a hoof to her chin in thought.

"Perhaps tomorrow." She said, shutting off the projector. "Meanwhile, do you have any questions?"

That was my cue. I decided to ask the question that was previously in my head:

"What can you tell me about Cutie Marks?" I asked, confident she'd help me understand.

She stood dumbfounded for a few moments, mouthing the words I asked, then snapped back to reality.

"Why would you want to know about- OH! That's right; I forgot you have amnesia...and you're a...he he....blank flank."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, it's just a term some ponies use to refer to somepony who doesn't have their cutie mark yet...it's usually used by children as an insult."

I nodded as she searched through a shelf-full of reels, then proceeding to load a new reel into the projector. As she turned it back on, there was now a silhouette of a foal curled in a basket.

"Upon birth, Everypony has a blank flank. One's Cutie Mark can be earned as an infant, but it's so rare, no recorded cases exist to this day." She began pointing out he foal's mark-less flank. "Everypony owns their mark at some point, usually when they either find the talent they were born to accomplish, accomplish a major life's dream, or train themselves to become adept at a task. Some ponies change their name to fit their cutie mark, but only if the mark itself is not indicative to their original name."

I nodded, committing this to memory.

"For many Ponies, the theme, style, or motif of the mark is based upon their family. The premiere example of this is the Apple Family. All of them are named after, and in most of the family (not counting Apple Bloom), they have Cutie Marks of the different types of Apples and Apple-based dishes."

As she explained further, the Zebras came back to my mind. "Do Zebras have Cutie Marks?"

Twilight smiled and advanced to a Slide of a Zebra against a cavern wall embedded in strange glyphs. "Technically, they do, but they aren't pictures or symbols like normal ponies. Rather, they are Glyphs translatable by only Zebrakind. If we Visit Zecora tomorrow, I may ask on translations."

The purple unicorn magi then cut a thunderous yawn, shutting the projector off. "Now, then...I'm getting sleepy. Shall we head to bed?"

I nodded, yawning a few moments later as we stole away for the bedroom, and we fell asleep in separate beds.

Tonight's dream was, as usual, relevant to the subject of the evening. However, the beginning of the dream placed me at the center of a dark and looming forest. I could make out several shadows, and glaring red eyeballs were shifting about the shrubbery of the forest as I walked blindly. As I looked about, I saw a dim, flickering light, and smelled an eldritch brew being made, and following it, I was greeted by a deep, feminine voice.

"Ah, of all things in this forest to meet. A kind stranger, that I may be pleasured to greet?" It asked.

"Huh? Who are you? Show yourself!" I called back.

Coming out from the brush, a Zebra clad in gold bangles and earrings emerged. "Ah, calm yourself, friend; I mean no Harm. My name is Zecora, and I am quite charmed. I speak no lies; only what is true. Now, may I ask for a name from you?"

Taking Zecora's advice, I calmed myself and smiled. "My name is Morning Haze. I'm a Pegasus from Cloudsdale."

"Ah, Cloudsdale. That is the city of the sky? From what I hear, that place is quite high."

I smiled further, chuckling at the Zebra's inherent gift in speaking in iambic pentameter (that is, speaking entirely in rhyme). Zecora then turned away, her head craned to me.

"Come, Haze; Let us take a walk. As we make for my hut, we shall talk."

I nodded, walking with her.

"So, could you tell me more about yourself?" I asked, as we made the start of our journey.

"Ah, a tale is what you seek! Very well, then; allow me to speak. I am a soothsayer, a shaman by trade. With this, much a fortune, I have made. I come from lands quite distant, and when I wanted to make my own pilgrimage, I was quite hesitant. When I reached Ponyville, much was amiss, and somepony saw fit to call me an 'Evil Enchantress'. So, hoping I would not be missed, I stole away in this; the Everfree Forest. But, one day, a Pony came upon my room. I remember her well; her name was Apple Bloom. The little pony found good in my heart, and considering my lack of friends, it was a good start. Then, soon, her friends had come for her, and I had warned them of their impending danger. A strange fate befell the pony-folk, as they had waded through a field of Poison Joke. 'Tis a blue herb, with a smell not rank. But, those who touch it fall victim to a prank.

Twilight's horn became rubber, Rarity's mane had become flustered. Pinkie Pie's Tongue had swollen, and Apple Jack had shrunken. Rainbow Dash's ability to fly had hailed, and Fluttershy...gained the voice of a male.

Then, just when I thought it wouldn't get worse, they all blamed me for what they thought was a curse! None of this sounded quite right, so I decided to bring the truth to light.. When to them the truth I had assured, I made sure to have them cured."

I nodded, smiling, to which Zecora smiled back.

"Since then, we have been the best of friends, and I hope to the grave that it never ends."

After the trek had reached its end, Zecora turned to me, then to the sky, noting the rising sun. "The time to awake has come, it seems. I hope that we may meet again, outside of this dream."

The morning that came did not come with any form of subtlety...I heard explosions and smelt gunpowder!

BANG!

Vhrooooom!

Phew!

TATATATATTATATATATATATATATATATATATA

What was all that noise?!

I and Twilight were awake, Twilight noticeably much more angry about the rude awakening than I was.

"Oh, dear Celestia, don't tell me she's back..." Twilight groaned, washing her face.

"She?"

"Trixie. Or, as she prefers to call herself, The Great and Powerful Trixie. She was a unicorn that showed up a long time ago, showing off her magic tricks to Ponyville. She had a huge ego, and kept boasting that she defeated an Ursa Major with her magic. But, when Snips and Snails, two of her fanboys, brought an Ursa Minor into town, her true colors showed, and she told the truth, then turned tail and ran. I hadn't seen her in months, but it looks like she's back...Come on; we'll have Breakfast later. I just need to see what Trixie has up her sleeve THIS time."

I nodded, and we went outside.

"Rejoice, my little Ponies! For now, The Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrixie has returned! And now, Trixie has learned all sorts of amazing feats of magic, which she shall show to you in ALL OF THEIR GLORY!" Shouted a loud blue unicorn bearing a star-studded cap and cape, posing as several fireworks exploded. A small crowd had been amassed in the area by the time Twilight and I made the scene. Many were still awed, but some were offended, even booing her and throwing rubbish.

"Get off the stage, ya show off!" A stallion unicorn bearing a red coat and white mane, firing a tomato at the Boastful Unicorn. But, as her horn glowed, showering her cap in a blue aura, the tomato was sent in the reverse of its path, impaling it upon the horn of the protestor.

"Ha! You dare to sully the beauty of Trixie! And now, you have been sullied!"

"Jeez...what is her problem?!" I whispered to Twilight under my breath.

"She's a real braggart...just let her finish her show, then we'll confront her."

And so we allowed Trixie to boast to her heart's content, much to the annoyance of several bystanders who were going about their morning business. The large stage that had once proudly displayed the braggart had been collapsed into a small wagon, indicating that she was done for the time being. A perfect opportunity to contact her.

After a few knocks from Twilight, and the door opened to the blue Unicorn.

"Who dares disturb The Great and Powerful-Oh...it's you..." Trixie shouted, her voice sinking in disgust as she noticed Twilight.

"Yes...it's me, Trixie."

"And what do you want with Trixie?"

"I came to make amends." Twilight noted.

"I see...come to try to lick Trixie's wounds after you so unceremoniously cut into her? Trixie does not believe you!"

Twilight hung her head, and huddled with me.

"She's still stubborn as ever. I can't get through to her!"

"I think I have an idea..." I said, walking to Trixie in a collected manner.

"And who are you?" Trixie questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"A friend of Twilight's...one who wishes to help you redeem yourself."

Trixie was momentarily taken aback by my sudden suggestion.

"A pony such as you would want to redeem Trixie?! But how?"

Jackpot. It was time to get honest.

"Well, first, let me start by saying that your magic isn't the same as Twilight's magic..."

"How so?"

"Well, your magic is more about slight of hoof and prestidigitation. Twilight's, however, is functional. Magic that can affect the world around us."

"So...Trixie's magic is more to entertain?"

I nodded. "So, rather than exaggerating your capabilities to saying you can defeat monsters...I have an idea that will surely net you a quite a more positive audience..."

"Trixie is all ears. Where shall we begin?"

"Are you sure Trixie will be safe? This contraption looks quite dangerous..." Trixie quivered, levitating two chains around her neck in a certain fashion.

"For once, I agree with Trixie; This can't possibly be safe!" Twilight pleaded.

I chuckled to the both of them and smiled. "Trust me; as long as she does it correctly, she'll be okay."

The trick I had Trixie prepare was something I had been shown on TV before. It was a simple chain trick, where through slight of hoof, it appeared the two chains would decapitate whoever was between them. However, through a simple jerking of the neck, it would look like Trixie had phased through the chain, leaving her with not even a scratch on her. Trixie gave me a look, began sweating coldly, swallowed a knot in her throat, and nodded as the curtain drew up from the raised platform.

"Remember. Like we rehearsed!" I shouted, before my calls were drowned by the clopping of applause.

Trixie put on her best brave face and began to look proud as ever as she eyed up the much more eager masses this time around. Prior to the rehearsal, I planted a seed of gossip about Trixie doing a brand new show with a series of illusions rather than tall tales. Some ponies were skeptic, but they came to the show to see if I was going to make good on my promises I had made.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts!" Trixie began, in that familiar boisterous tone everypony was so keen on knowing, "Today, The Great and Powerful Trixie comes to you with illustrious illusions and perilous prestidigitation, the likes of which have never been seen before PONY EYES!"

With this, rather than the multitude of fireworks shooting in the air, instead, fire flew from the edge of stage, prompting cheers from the crowd.

"For her first trick, Trixie has sought the help of two assistants: Fellow Unicorn and Ponyville's Prodigy, Twilight Sparkle, and her friend, Morning Haze! Give my friends the applause they deserve!"

With this prompt, applause was directed squarely at us, and naturally, as the quiet and intellectual types as we were, we blushed madly. It is with this I must note something. For the reason of safety, I had made sure Trixie had stripped herself of all but her iconic hat for safety reasons. If there was one thing I always remembered about capes, it was that more than one superhero(ine) or magician died in their use, and the last thing I'd want to happen were for Trixie to get caught in the chains and risk serious injury.

"For this trick, Trrrrrrrixie will escape from this pair of chains with only but a swift movement! Her two assistants shall tug upon these chains, and she will either escape to glory, or lose her head. Literally!"

A prolonged gasp hit the crowd as a dramatic operatic built the suspense... Trixie gave the both of us a nod as we bit deeper into the chains, and in a motion that symbolized a countdown began. Within three steps forward and back, we both simultaneously yanked upon the chains, Trixie banging her head, her neck almost seeming to melt through the chain. Of course, to anypony who actually knew the trick, they'd know the chains were not really around Trixie's neck. They were in a simple knot that looked like they were around Trixie, and capable of undoing itself from the tug. The motion Trixie did was mainly for effect. Nonetheless, it made a gasp go through the crowd, followed by a cheer from most of the crowd. Some unicorn pony was in the crowd. I couldn't make it out well enough, but it was a big one, with long strands of brunette hair. Something about his look definitely screamed "Upper Crust". I could make out a grimace. Two words came to mind: Stuck. Up.

Throughout the rest of the show, the three of us enjoyed pandering to the audience with carefully orchestrated illusions and tricks. Thanks to her loud-mouthed nature being placed in a more appropriate situation, Trixie was garnering quite the more positive reaction this time around, and by the end, rather than being pelted with rotten tomatoes, she was being pelted with flowers and confetti. Once the show was over, the large stage once again collapsed into the small shelter Trixie used to rest.

"Once again, Trix-, I mean...once again, I'd like to thank you, Morning Haze. And you, too, Twilight. I thought it was all over for me. Ever since what happened so long ago, I thought that nopony would watch my shows anymore. Then you came along, asking forgiveness, and gave me my second chance, and it worked! But it leaves me to ask..why did you?" Trixie asked, looking to me.

I smiled and said in a calm voice, "It's just in my nature."

Twilight smiled at me. "Well, your nature is a noble one, Haze. I'm sure if the Princess saw this, she'd be more than pleased."

WIth this, the both of us escorted ourselves out and retired to the library for lunch. A simple sandwich and tea was what we consumed, sharing praises of our compilation with Trixie. Then, I remembered that we were to visit Zecora soon, as well. So, I began to wonder.

"So, what do you know about Zecora?" I asked Twilight.

"Well...I know for one, she's a Zebra. She comes from outside Equestria and is a renowned alchemist. She's known to have remedies and cures for just about anything, be it a chipped tooth or Poison Joke!"

"Poison Joke?"

"Oh, it's a flower that, if you come into contact with it, it plays some kind of physical joke on you. In my case, my horn got all floppy."

I stifled a chuckle.

"She may seem a bit strange, but she's a got a good nature. When you need somepony to talk to, she's there. When you're hurt and need a fix up, she's there. She's a kind Zebra, and despite her being a bit odd."

When I saw her, she was in some forest...can you tell me about that?

"That's the Everfree Forest. It's outside of Equestria, but few ponies ever go into it. Mainly due to there being tons of monsters in there. Plus, aside from Zecora, it's generally pretty full of dark energy...though, so long as you stick to the path, you're usually fine."

I nodded, taking note.

"Usually, I rarely go there, only to see Zecora. But, even then, I always try to find somepony to go with[i/]. And, now that I have somepony, we can go there. I just need to pack a few supplies, and we're off."

I smiled, getting up as we gathered a few things and stuffed them into saddlebags. When Twilight saw I didn't have one, she frowned.

"Don't tell me you don't have a pair of saddlebags?"

I blushed, chuckling as I shook my head.

"That's a shame. Next time you see Rarity, try and get one made. Or, at the very least, bum one off the girls until you can get one."

I nodded as we made for our journey into the Everfree.

Our journey was fairly uneventful, aside from a few jump scares. Thankfully, none of the nastier beasts were out in the Everfree this afternoon, which helped us make it to Zecora's hut. As Twilight rapped at the door, the Mohawk wearing Zebra opened the door with a smile.

"Ah, of all the things that my luck could send! It is Twilight Sparkle and her Friend! Come inside now where I dwell; I'm sure you have quite the story to tell."

With this, Zecora invited us in, and we enjoyed tea. Zecora was mixing potions, speaking in a tongue which resembled Swahili, but I couldn't translate. She looked at me for a moment, noting my curiosity.

"Perhaps you have the notion to help me make potions? You should help me in my motions!" She said, dragging me to her.

"First we take these herbs and pound them to dust. For them to mix into this brew, it is a must."

I nodded, putting a series of colored herbs into a series of pots, using my hooves the grind them into a fine powder.

"Next, we take the powders and and together stir, then into warm water, they must simmer."

Zecora aided me in putting the three powders into a single bowl, mixing them until their colors blended together. After that, she took the bowl from me, playing it into a cauldron full of hot water.

"At simmers, we begin to wait. We want it not to finish early or late."

And so we waited for the process of the brew to finish, and eventually, Zecora took a ladle and poured the drink into a flask, corking it.

"Here, Haze, take this. In case your body feels amiss. For when many injuries occur, drink this brew, and you shall recover. Your wounds shall all be mended, and with the special herb, your life shall be extended."

I smiled, thanking her kindly as I kept it nearby.

We kept on a conversation for a little while, and as we began to leave, Zecora stopped me.

"If in the art of Potions, you need further practice, please come back, and I shall make you my apprentice. In this trades, I can teach many tricks, and soon you may master this unique magic."

I smiled. "Thank you, Zecora; I'll keep that in mind."

As we began to head home, We ended up bumping into nopony else but Pinkie Pie! She seemed rather ecstatic as she started bouncing around us.

"Oh! Hey, Pinkie! What's up?"

"Oh, nothing! Just that I'm going to a family get-together, and I get to bring one friend with me! You wanna come? Do ya, Twilight? Do ya, do ya?!"

Twilight as taken aback, but answered pertinently.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie; I can't. I have to do inventory tomorrow."

Pinkie frowned a moment.

"Aw, but I really wanted somepony to-wait! How about you, Haze?!"

I was the one now taken aback, but I smiled and nodded.

"Sure! I'd love to! After all, I've always wanted to meet your family!"

"Great! We can sleep over and everything! Come on!

Before I could negotiate, I was dragged back to Sugar Cube Corner, my hooves scraping against the dirt.

Deja-vu...this happened before, didn't it?

Chapter 4: Little House on the Rock Farm

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 4: Little House on the Rock Farm

As I was being dragged back to Sugar Cube Corner, I saw Mister and Missus Cake leaving the shop, hanging a sign that read, in bold red letters, and in a slight italicized font, "Sorry, but we are CLOSED".

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Closing up shop for the day?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yes'm, Pinkie Pie. Think you can hold down the fort while we're on Vacation?" Mrs. Cake asked, placing a straw hat on her head.

"Of course, Ms. Cake! Remember, I've got family to visit tomorrow, but I'm sure Gummy can watch for us. Him and the other girls, at least."

"That's good to hear, Dear." Mr. Cake said. "Take care, now."

The both of them left, saddlebags crammed with things as I and Pinkie Pie went inside. As soon as she had finished looking out the window, supposedly to confirm that her guardians were gone, she pulled the blinds shut and began bouncing like crazy!

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! This is so EXCITING! I'm so excited, are you excited?! I've never been so excited! Well, except for the time you asked if I had a place to say and I went-" She stopped a moment to gasp for breath in a dramatic fashion. "...But I mean, really? Who can top that?!"

I chuckled a bit, remembering where I had heard that miniature rant before. Then, an idea struck. Something I had not done since my childhood.

"How about we have a-"

"Wait a minute! I think I know exactly what you're talking about!"

"Wanna shout it out at the same time!"

"Let's do it!"

"He-he...alright! One...two...three...!"

"SLUMBER PARTY!"

Pinkie Pie than squealed like a giddy kitten as she pedaled her hooves in the air.

"Oh my gosh, that's a great idea! We can stay up late, play games, eat junk food all night! I've got a bunch of good movies we can watch! Comedies, Sci-Fi, even a few Spooky Stories! Don't worry about ghosties! We just need to laugh and make them disappear!"

She then was quick to drag me upstairs to what was her bedroom, where I saw, to my surprise, a television? For a nation that seemed very ancient, the technology was more and more advanced the deeper I looked into it. But, it seems there wasn't much to the TV but a row of buttons that were enlarged to better conform to the size of Pony Hooves, and, just above the row of buttons, a small slot for a VHS Tape. I heard the faint sound of popcorn popping about as I looked at the arrangement of films.

One of the films was labeled with a blue logo, which read "12 Angry Mares". Another read, "Progress", which seemed to be in a large box set. Next, there was a silver-labeled tape reading "Antipodes". The final one I read made me freeze. It was a red-labeled VHS Tape, the font a rather chilling type, which looked as if it were bleeding. It read, in bold, capital letters, as if trying to scare me beyond capacity for rational thought, "CUPCAKES". I shuddered to wonder why Pinkie Pie would have such a grisly film in her library, especially one that involved a darker version of herself. My eyes then caught, of all things, a copy of "GhostBusters". Pinkie Pie had a cornucopia of good films, I'll give her that.

My eyes then caught something I wouldn't have expected to see in a world of Ponies; A Nintendo Entertainment System! Clearly, I had underestimated this world a lot more than I should have. I flipped open the flap that held the cartridge, and it was, funny enough, a ponified version of Super Mario Brothers. Part of my inner geek was telling me to boot it up and play, and I just could not resist. I slid the controller to my hooves, turned on the console, and began playing. The Graphics were almost unchanged from the version I knew, aside from the character design. The titular plumber was now an Earth Pony mare, and Bowser was now a dragon, rather than a large...turtle...thing. Nevertheless, it was still fun.

After a good fifteen minutes, I saw Pinkie Pie with bowl of popcorn in her mouth.

"Weady for Mpphie Ngght?" She said, before setting the bowl down.

I turned around, and smiled, nodding, shutting off the NES. She decided to heave the box of "Progress", and slid in the tape into the TV.

"You're gonna love this, Haze! This is a really funny!"

And so, we began to watch Progress, and it seemed a lot like a sitcom done well, with the Laugh Tracks very sparse. The episodes were incredibly humorous, and seeing Princess Luna (or perhaps a very good actress of her) freaking out over just about everything led me to lose my composure more than once. Pinkie Pie was also laughing, only in her case, she was doing so whilst rolling upon the floor.

"Man, that still gets me when I watch that! How about we watch GhostBusters, next?!" She asked.

Then, I smiled and nodded, Pinkie then retrieving that tape, and we began to watch that film afterwards. As we watched that, near the end of the film, we had run fresh out of popcorn, and when the film ended, Pinkie had, without my permission, inserted the tape of Cupcakes, then retreating down into the lower floor of Sugar Cube Corner. Needless to say, the dramatization of one of the most scary fictions I had read began to scare me even more now...by the time Pinkie Pie returned, I was huddled in the corner, using a pillow as a shield.

"Are you okay? You look...shook up." Pinkie Pie asked, tilting her head.

I pointed at the TV, as if the video were cursed.

"Oh, don't be such a silly filly!" She said, stopping the tape and coming to comfort me. "I'd never hurt anypony! It's only a movie! Besides, you're my bestest best friend ever! Come on, let's watch 12 Angry Mares! After that, we'll get ready for tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, we're going to see my sisters, Blinky and Inky! They live on a Rock Farm that I grew up on! You're gonna love it! They're a pair of grumps sometimes, but I love them!"

I smiled. I was going to meet the Pie Family in depth. Which means, I got to see some of Equestria outside of Ponyville! I had a chance to explore the world, and I had to take it.

"Sure! I'd love to come with you! Besides, it's always fun to travel together with other ponies!"

Pinkie Pie, to her nature, squealed and squeezed me. I felt my breath being cut short.

"Okay...you can let go now! There's just one thing..."

"What's that?"

"Do you have a spare pair of saddlebags?"

"DO I?!"

She must have set a new record for how fast she could leave one room to get something in another, then come back. She came so unbelievably quickly, I was flustered, to the point where I ever lost count of how much time it even took her.
Thankfully, the saddlebags were of a tan color, and were thankfully blank. While I could stand wearing ridiculous things, I wasn't 100% on wearing a Pink saddlebag with balloons on it. I smiled at her gesture.

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie. Can we start packing?"

"Already taken care of!" Pinkie said, opening up one of the flaps. She managed to cram a week's worth of sweets and sodas into two small bags, among other provisions. I was at a complete loss for words now; Forget all doubt, this pony was either a master of packing and storing, or she was a demigoddess! I stared at the bag, mouth agate, for five minutes before a hoof waved in my face.

"Hello? I know my work is good, but you've been like that for five minutes!"

I shook my head, the small flaps of skin around my mouth producing a blubbering sound which made Pinkie, well, tickled pink!

"Oooh, I can tell tomorrow's gonna be great!"

With this, Pinkie Pie dug into her closet to retrieve for me a sleeping bag. Much of her closet was full to the brim with games and miscellanea that would make any other hoarder blush. Eventually, after having freed a dozen board games, an inflatable training dummy, and several dozen plush toys, she found a sleeping bag and pillow for me, which she managed to spread on the floor with ease.

...Okay, now I know she's not like a normal pony. Anypony who can make a clutter like what I just saw and manage to find space enough for somepony of my size to lay down is certainly far from average.

My sleeping arrangements...arranged, I slithered into my sleeping bag, laying my head upon the pillow. I heard that distinct clicking of a desk lamp as Pinkie wished me a good night's sleep. Oh, the irony of that very statement. For such a loudmouthed earth pony like Pinkie Pie, she had a snore capable of waking the dead. I found it a miracle that I was able to sleep at all from it. But, after missing two straight hours, I finally went out like a light, with no resistance from my body left...

The next morning was quite eventful. Since this was going to be a short work day, primarily due to our agreement to go to the Rock Farm once the Breakfast Rush was over (turns out, this bakery did sell breakfast pastries!), we had to work fast. Thankfully, if there was one thing I was good at, it was being a great pitchman. Take this to heart, people: If you want to effectively sell a product without lying about everything, put as much energy and creativity into it as possible. What I did was, I gave it to my customers straight, and with a lot of momentum! Turns out, Pinkie Pie is a great mood lifter. She's the opposite of a Buzzkill. I didn't even notice the aching of my muscles or the ludicrous time that had passed, but before we knew it, Breakfast time was over, and Lunch was around the corner!

"That was GREAT!, Haze! I've never seen a pony with that much showmanship before! Maybe you could do part-time here!""

I blushed. I technically already held a job as Rainbow Dash's assistant in weather managing, and having two jobs may conflict with another. Then again, working with Rainbow was more of a "when needed" basis, rather than a standard shift...

"I'll consider it, but right now, we've got family to meet!"

"Oh, you're right! There's no time to lose! C'mon, Haze! We've got some Pies to get to!"

I nodded with a smirk, dashing off...only to realize that Pinkie Pie had not followed suit. Therefore, I had to double check. Pinkie Pie was eating a blueberry pie! I looked at her, a blank stare of lacking amusement, stifling a chuckle.

Pinkie looked back, her mouth full, but then swallowed, chuckling.

"Oh, you mean those Pies!" She said, giggling. "Sorry, I just had food on the mind! Now we can go!"

The train that would carry us safely into the countryside rolled in with a cloud of steam following it. It's thunderous booming of the wheels chugging along slowly ground to a halt as the train reached the platform. The steam shot out one last blast before the doors to the large train opened. From it emerged several varieties of ponies, ranging from the cosmopolitans of Manehattan to the home-grown Appleoosans. A few of Ponyville's Regulars were in the crowd as well, but they were unidentifiable. With the patrons cleared, the conductor punched our tickets and waved us into the train. Pinkie had lead me directly into the dining car.

"Hey, what are we doing here, Pinkie?" I asked as we sat in a booth.

"Oh, I thought we'd have lunch on the train while we got to my folks'! I hear this train has some really good food!"

Made sense; we get to eat and travel! Soon, a waitress mare came to our booth.

"What'll it be for you two?" She asked, a distinct southern accent to her.

"Southern Comfort! It's you!" Pinkie Pie said, beaming a smile.

"Well, if it ain't good 'ol Pinkie Pie! Good to see ya again! The usual?"

"Yup! Hay fries with a chocolate malt!"

"Alrighty, an' for yer fella friend there?"

"I'll have what she's having. And a Peony Paganini, if you can arrange it."

"Ah certainly can! It'll be ready in a few minutes, then! Good to see ya gain, Pinkie!"

I had to ask the obvious question.

"Friend of yours?"

"Well, of course! I'm a regular on this train! Southern Comfort and I are really close, so whenever I come on, she knows what to get and does it in a jiffy! Hey, look! We're passing through Canterlot!"

I looked out the window, and marveled at the sight I beheld. a Glorious mountaintop utopia. One large castle built as the template for an entire city. Only those born with the finest silver tongues could afford to live here, and it showed. As the train sped through, I saw only the fanciest of ponies dot the streets, and I swore I could see the Princesses flying. But alas, the speed of the train made it impossible to tell.

Eventually, Southern Comfort returned, lowering a platter of our goods to us, smiling.

"Ah'll come back when ya'll are done to give ya the check! That okay?"

"Oh, that's fine!" She said, smiling.

After that, our Earth Pony waitress left, and we thus began to eat. It was strange. Thanks to my having become a pony, I was now more readily able to eat plants. The unique taste of peonies in a sandwich like this was delicious, and the fries..they were so crispy! I couldn't imagine how much better they could've been if they were potatoes! Then there was the Chocolate Malt. My goodness, was it a rich chocolate flavor! My only regret was that I drank it way too fast, and it gave me brain freeze!

After a bit, Southern Comfort returned, giving us the check. "That'll be Twenty Bits! Holler if ya want more!" She said, as Pinkie Pie laid some gold coins on the table. On one side, I saw the elegant face of Princess Celestia. On the other, I saw the Princess' Cutie Mark. I saw on the back, in bold letters: "TREASURY OF PRINCESS CELESTIA. ONE BIT."

So that's what they looked like.

The train began to near what I could only ascertain as a rural part of Equestria. Past the train platform that was pretty much empty plains that stretched for miles, only dotted by a dirt path that was only barely making a stain on the grassy plains.

"Where's Pinkie...she said she'd be here, and she's 10 minutes late..." Whispered the meek voice of a grey mare with purple eyes.

"GIve her time...you know she'll be here..." Replied a faded purple mare with her.

"Oh muh goodness. Clyde! Yah better come see this!" Called a pale blue pony behind a pair of gold glasses.

From inside a house came a brown earth pony clad in a black hat and greyed hair, who dropped the straw dangling from his mouth.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie! Is that you?!" Sue asked, flabbergasted.

"Mama Sue! Papa Clyde! Blinkie and Inkie!" Pinkie said, glomping her sisters.

"Sister! We were waiting so long!" The purple-colored mare said, amazed.

"What took you?" The greyer mare asked.

"Sorry! We took a train and it got a bit sidetracked!"

"Well, th' important thing is that yuh made it back, dear." Clyde said, hugging his daughter. "Who's that buck yuh got with yah?"

"Oh! This is my good friend, Morning Haze! Morning Haze, this is my dad, Clyde!"

I chuckled, extending a hoof, letting out a calm "Hello."

Clyde tipped his hat to me with a smile.

"Behind Clyde is Sue, my dear old Mom!"

Sue chuckled, her glasses jiggling a bit.

"And these are my sisters! The faded purple one's Blinkie, and the grey one is Inkie!"

Blinkie smiled and waved, while Inky kept a bit distant.

"Don't be shy, Inkie! Come and say hi!" Pinkie goaded, coaxing Inkie closer by will of her charisma alone. Strange that such a strange and extroverted pony was kin to one so introverted. Regardless, the grey pony with part of her face hidden by a long bang of hair shook hooves with me.

"H-Hi, Mr. Haze..." Inkie said with a quiver.

I smiled and took her shaking hooves as a calm greeting.

"Hi, Inkie!" I said, trying to match Pinkie's enthusiasm.

Inkie simply blushed and shied away.

Pinkie than took me by the shoulder nonchalantly, assuring me that her family just didn't naturally get many visitors. Considering this was a farm focused on unearthing rocks (presumably to examine them for if they had traces of gemstones in them to sell for profit), that wasn't such a shocker to me. She also noted it was mainly due to their being leery around unknown people. Fair enough.

My next major mistake was querying about their business, which immediately snapped them from their stupor and got them to run at a mile a minute. For Earth Ponies, they seemed to have the absolute closest connection to the Earth as possible. They told me that a common unicorn spell was a specialized Locator spell, which allowed them to detect ores and minerals deep in the earth to enable quicker excavations of gold, silver, and tin. This, of course, meant that the monetary value of the Bit was very low. Bad news for me, I guess. Pinkie's siblings were incredibly eager to scan my personality. I guess they were trying to see what rock would fit a gentlecolt like myself. Strange, but still thoughtful. While I wasn't much the Scientist type, I did like their attitude when it came to short-hoofing the basics of their lust for Geology.

We had a spot of tea with saltine crackers as a snack (Not to mention the treasure trove of sweets that Pinkie Pie had managed to cram into our saddlebags). We shared stories of how it was like in Ponyville, and I could see the sisters were quite envious.

"We wish we got to party as much as you did..." groaned the two sisters in harmonious melancholy.

"Who said you couldn't?!" Shouted Pinkie Pie from a farther distance than I recalled. As we all spun to see where it came from, I saw the pink mare stood on her hind legs, manning a huge canon with wheels!

Okay, can somepony tell me how she managed to keep that on standby, then quick-draw it at a moment's notice? Because I am seriously at a loss for words. It's official: This pony can warp reality itself! I was starting to seriously consider the possibility that my being in Equestria is the doing of Pinkie Pie, rather than the Royal Pony Sisters. At the sight of the cannon, I immediately ducked for cover.

THOOMP!

A vague projectile shot from the cannon, smashing through the window of the small house and hitting the empty space on the table, causing balloons, party decorum, and a huge chocolate cake and snacks to tastefully place itself around the dining room. Aside from the shattered window, no other broken glass sounded. I, like the frazzled Pies, crawled out, looking at Pinkie Pie with my eyes wide as tea saucers.

"What the hay was that?!" I and the sisters asked in a chorus of calamity.

"Isn't it obvious?!" Pinkie Pie said, her sudden gesture setting off confetti around her.

We all shook our heads, not moving an inch.

"It's my Patented Pinkie Pie Party Cannon®! Guaranteed to spruce up any room you aim at so that it can be Party Central, or your Bits back!"

At first, the expression marked on the Pies' faces was one of shock, but within moments, it changed to to a resounding happiness, which infected me as well!

"So, what're we waiting for, everypony?! Let's par-tay!"

With this, in a fluid and (surprisingly) accurate motion, the pony flung a record in a direct toss-up to the record player, whose needle immediately knocked onto the record, kick-starting an upbeat track.

Needless to say, in spite of its impromptu nature, it was the best party I'd ever seen thrown on such short notice.

"Whoo! That was great, guys! I'm glad to have been able to come see you again! Can't wait to come back again sometime!"

"Welp, our door's always open for yuh, Pinkamena." Clyde said, smiling, his straw curling in his mouth.

As we left, Inkie stopped me, tugging my tail.

"Wait! Mr. Haze! I have something for you!"

I turned, and saw that Inkie had in her hands, a rather lustrous, cube-like rock.

She handed it into my hooves. "I think this rock is you, sir. It looks dull, but give it the proper light, and it'll shine as bright as a star!"

I smiled, pocketing the rock into my saddlebags with glee as I made it back to Pinkie.

"My folks were great, aren't they?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing about.

"Yeah..." I said with a smile. "They sure are!"

The train ride home was much like the train ride there; calm and fun. The minute we got out of the train, we were stopped by Applejack!

"Oh! Hey, AJ! What's up?"

"Pinkie! Glad I caught ya! Where ya been?"

I interjected, answering for Pinkie.

"We were at Pinkie's folks' rock farm!"

"Rock farm, huh..." Applejack hummed, hoof to her chin. "Speakin' of a form, Ah need somepony to help mah brother, Big Macintosh do some deliveries to Manehattan. Think yer friend would be up to it, Pinkie?"

I froze for a moment...just when I think I'm out of stuff to do, somepony pulls me into a new job. And this was all keeping in mind of my being a weather pony.

But, in being the Good Samaritan I was, who was I to say no?

"Alright. I'll do it, Applejack!"

The orange coated, blonde-maned pony smiled, tipping her hat.

"Great! Come meet me at Sweet Apple Acres at the crack a' dawn! We'll get ya set up and on yer way to Manehattan! "

I halfway smiled, and nodded, retreating to Sugar Cube Corner.

Hooves, please do not fail me tomorrow.

Chapter 5: Chariots, Trains, and Horse-Drawn Carriages

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 5: Chariots, Trains, and Horse-Drawn Carriages

Getting to bed last night was a feat of will. But, I had managed to get into a peaceful sleep...at least, at first.

Last night, my subconscious mind developed a dark image. I dreamed that I was in a basement of some form. I tried to move my body in some fashion, but my hooves stayed in one spot. I could barely move my head. The only illumination in the room was a dim lantern, which glowed a hellish red hue. Something was definitely not right. A familiar giggle-nay, a cackle!- sounded from above.

Then it hit me. I knew this exact scenario from the prior night. I gulped a knot down my throat and stared at Pinkie Pie descending the stairs in a nonchalant and merry fashion. She looked at me and giggled.

"Ehehehe. Look who's awake!~" She said, grinning.

"W-what's going on?!" I asked, panicking.

"Oh, that's right! You didn't know! Your number's come up, I'm afraid."

She then took a knife to her hoof.

"But don't feel sad...I want you to to be happy!"

I felt something being stuck in my mouth...something forcing me into a grin, yet keeping my teeth clamped shut. Even if I attempted to, I wouldn't be able to scream.

I saw the knife drawing near me at a rapid pace, and my vision cut out...

I woke with an audible gasp. It was all a dream. I searched my body to assess if I were actually awake, and moreover, if I was injured. There was not a scratch or mark on me. Thank the goddesses.

That reminds me. I still was what was known as a "Blank Flank". I was without a cutie mark on my flank, and thus, I had no idea what my talent or skill was. As the thought occurred, I contemplated perhaps doing random jobs to help me receive one. Then I realized that some ponies younger than me were already doing so. I banished that thought away, then making an attempt to retrieve what else was on my agenda. I noted the time on the clock: 6 AM.

I was under the thought that I would need to wake early to fulfill my obligation for today. I was to accompany Big Macintosh today to deliver a shipment of apples to Manehattan. The task didn't sound daunting, but considering that Applejack needed someone to accompany him made me wonder. Perhaps she thought I'd be able to use my (basic) knowledge of cloud control to repel thieves and varmints that might try to steal the shipment? I supposed in context, it was understandable.

With that, I began to stretch and rise from my mat on the floor, letting out a yawn in as quiet a voice as I could. I then slipped the saddlebags onto my back and began to start for the bottom floor. I recalled Pinkie Pie had packed rations for the road trip, so that I would have a kick of energy if I started getting tired. While these were mostly sugary treats, they would do me for now. It was the thought that counted.

As I left the front door, I winced at the glare of the morning sun. I always hated that about going out in the morning; a ton of light just frying your eyes. If I could, I would have used my hooves to shield my eyes. Then I remembered Ponies were naturally quadrupeds. Once my eyes recovered from the burn, I saw an Orange Mare bearing a ten-gallon hat and a golden mane and tail coming to my direction.

"That's what ah like ta' see! Up bright n' early! Howdy, Mornin' Haze! Ready to get on the road with Big Mac?"

"I sure am!" I grinned, walking alongside her.

I felt the need to confirm my suspicion.

"Hey, AJ? Why exactly did you need somepony like me to go with Big Macintosh? I mean, that buck's twice my size, and at least three times my strength!"

Applejack chuckled a bit.

"Well, that's because while he is strong, he's gotta pull the wagon. He can't be pullin' it and drivin' the thieves and varmints off at the same time. So, I figured I'd get a spitfire like you to watch the cart and keep anything from makin' off with the apples in that cart."

I knew it. But that raised a follow-up question.

"Well, who in Manehattan are we shipping these apples to?"

"Some big-shot grocer. They wanted us to deliver only the ripest apples from our harvest so that they could be used in all kinds of cosmopolitan stuff. Can't remember the name of the grocer for the life of me, but you should be able to find it by a sign that looks like a Cornucopia."

"Right. Sounds like it'll be a piece of cake once we get there, eh?"

"Yeah. But there's the hard part right there; gettin' there."

I smiled. This was going to be an eventful day.

"Well, we're here. Once Big Mac's hitched up, ya'll are on yer way. I wish ya good luck!" The orange farm-mare shouted, darting into the barn.

I went to where the crimson stallion was being hitched up.

"Howdy, Big Macintosh! Looks like we'll be on the road together, huh?"

"Eyup."

"Is Manehattan far from here?"

"Nope."

My. Wasn't this Stallion a chatty type?

After a few minutes of fastening, the Goliath to my David was ready to get on the road, and began to walk down the roads, myself behind him as we headed the direction opposite the sun.

The morning as we began the journey to Manehattan was quiet at first. The majority of the sounds that emanated from the first few minutes were songbirds chiming their medleys gayly as we trotted. Apart from that, the silence was deafening me. So, knowing no other course of action, I attempted small talk. I had to ask something that made me curious.

"I wonder....why don't you talk much?"

Silence was my only reply, at least momentarily. As he walked, I heard him snort a moment.

"Guess ah...never had much reason tuh."

"Why's that?"

Big Macintosh stopped in his tracks for a moment, then turned to me with a straight face.

"Persistent one, ain't ya? Just like Lil' Applebloom."

I swore I could hear I chuckle as we began to walk again.

"It's simple, really; Back when I was just a colt, I was about as chatty as Pinkie Pie was. But, I was too chatty for mah own good. Eventually, I just shut up, and let mah actions speak for themselves."

Exactly what I was expecting from a token stoic. He then chuckled to me and turned a bit.

"Well, I guess now I ask you somethin'"

"Wait, what?"

"Ya know. Prid Pro Quo, or whatever the hay it's called. So ah gotta ask this; You say you're from Cloudsdale?"

"Yeah...?"

"And you say you have no memory?"

"Yeah..."

"So, what exactly happened that got yah crossed with mah sis and all?"

I froze. While I had half-expected this, I had also almost neglected that information.

"Well..I remember waking up one morning and...well, have you ever woken up one morning, and nothin' about ya seemed right? The way you walked? The way you talked? Everything just felt queer?"

"...Yeah, I've felt that way sometimes. So what happened next?"

"Well, I thought I'd get my faculties straight first, then I'd try to blend in to the crowd till I got an idea of who i was. So, I ended up doing some sight-seeing in Cloudsdale. Problem was, I wasn't watching my walk, so I ended up falling off a cloud. If it weren't for that Rainbow Dash, I probably would've met some rough pavement or grass."

The brick-red stallion in plow barding chuckled a bit. "Ah guess ya got some luck more rotten then the bad apples at Sweet Apple Acres, huh?"

"Yeah! I guess you're right!" I laughed back.

With this, the two of us exchanged backstories as we made our way further down the road to Manehattan.

What came next was probably the worst of the obstacles; a Steep Incline. To anypony who knows basic physics, a steep incline, plus tons of weight, plus a wheeled cart, makes for quite a difficult endeavor. Mix that with the chance of being assaulted by varmints, and you've got a recipe for disaster. I was to watch the cart, when both I and my crimson companion noticed a pack of raccoons making a move on the shipment.

"Ah, Shoot! Listen, kid! Ah can't get outta this barding. It'd just let the cart loose. Do us both a favor and get these varmints off our backs, will ya?"

I nodded, thinking a moment. What would be a deterrent for small mammals? I could try throwing stones, but that would be difficult considering I had hooves. Then I recalled something that Rainbow Dash taught me.

Controlled Lightning Strikes!

As the idea dawned upon me, I hopped into the nearest patch of cloud and began to mount it as my steed, slowly lowering it down. I kept myself silent, and waited for them to get close enough to the cart before bearing my hooves down upon the cloud, sending a bolt of aerial justice down upon the raccoons, freezing them for a few moments before they turned tail and ran. I then decided to duck inside the cloud and float near Big Macintosh.

"Thankin ya kindly." He said with a grin.

I grinned inside the cloud, floating carefree. I can see why Pegasi liked this; it was like being wrapped in a memory foam mattress. I felt almost weightless as I bobbed about. However, I soon left the cloud to continue on the way to Manehattan...

The road into Manehattan was fairly calm, but the streets, as I would expect, were packed to the brim with throngs upon throngs of Upper-crust Ponies admidst common knaves.

"Whelp, looks like we're in Manehattan, finally." Big Macintosh grunted, a smile creeping on his face.

"Certainly looks like it." I concurred, terra firma as I leapt out of the cloud I was relaxed in.

As I overlooked the city, I was awestruck by the beauty of this forest of metal and concrete. While I had at one point been in a large city, I'd never been in ones like New York.(Or rather, in this case, Manehattan.)

"Ah take it yuh never been in this big a city, eh?" My Brick-red companion asked.

"Took the words right outta my mouth." I chuckled back as we walked into the city.

As I followed my hulking friend through the streets, I had a moment to marvel at the almost mirror-like accuracy Manehattan was to Manhattan. Most of the landmarks I had learned from films, such as Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and its various sections, were almost completely spot-on...

"'Ey! Watch where you're walking, ya mook!"

...As was the audacity of many of its citizens. I sighed a moment.

"Don't worry none." Big Macintosh assured me. "Yuh get used to it after a few trips."

"Right, right." I murmured. "Say, who are we delivering this to, anyway?"

Big Macintosh stopped for a moment.

"Iff'n I remember right, some big-name grocery store here called "Natural Harvest"."

I chuckled a bit. I was probably the only one that knew that such a phrase had another connotation.

"I just hope these apples are nice and ripe. If they ain't, we're gonna get yelled at plenty."

"Why's that?"

A pause fell over us.

"Cuz the head pony at Natural Harvest is real picky. If anything ain't right, he'll get real cross." Big Macintosh noted.

"You sound familiar with him." I added.

"Ah've...had a few bad shipments. Personally, I think he's just a spoiled brat."

I chuckled.

"We'll be there in about Five or so minutes, so ah'd brace yerself."

I nodded, steeling my nerves as we kept on our path. If there was one skill I knew better than anything, it was having a silver tongue. I could probably try to reason with this proprietor if push came to shove, but that was tempting fate. As we approached a large building featuring a bushel of many different fruits and vegetables, I gulped down a knot in my throat.

"C'mon, Haze. We're goin' 'round the back to deliver."

"Okay, Big Mac!" I said, sweating a bit as we went to the rear of the buidling. It looked a lot like a normal delivery area; Several carts of produce were unloaded by possibly some of the hardiest Earth Ponies I'd seen since I first arrived in Equestria. Their ability to load and unload with such synchronicity was awe-inspiring.

"YER LATE."

And then somepony kills the mood.

It was a rather lanky Earth Pony with a pale green coat, baggy eyes, a dour look on his face, and a spoiled tomato Cutie Mark. He looked mad. Or maybe that was just how he always looked? Kinda hard to tell, due to his aged look.

"Aw, pony feathers. Sorry, Rotten Tomato. we ran into some delays." Big Mac groaned, scratching his head with his hoof.

"Well, at least ya got here on time. That's all that matters...Ya don't mind if I try one?" the proprietor asked, taking hold of an apple.

"I don't mind a bit. Just save the rest for everypony who shops here."

"Yeah, yeah."

The next few moments were spent staring at this dowdy pony crunch into this apple. That was, until he decided to spit it into, of all ponies, my face.

"Ah, fer pete's sake, Rotten! Can't ya just turn the other way before you do that?" Bic Mac groaned, disgusted.

The green pony held up the apple he had just eaten into.

"Do ya see this?!" He asked.

"See....what?" I asked back.

He then turned the apple, revealing...a caterpillar?!

"Ya gone and let some vermin loose in the cart! That means the whole darn thing could be infested! Sorry, but I can't take this shipment! Yer gonna have to go back and get a new one ON THE DOUBLE!"

The stallion, as ever, kept himself stoic. How anypony could possibly maintain such zen in front of another with such venom was beyond me. But, his stoicism was betraying him. Beyond that calm stare, I saw discomfort, and as empathetic as I was, I wouldn't stand to see my friend in such disarray. My face turned bright red as I overtook my friend and gave the old colt a venomous stare.

What erupted from my jaw even scares me.

"Now you look here, you ungrateful glutton! Big Macintosh and the rest of the Apple Family worked their flanks off to get these apples at the peak of harvest season! Then, they entrusted the toughest colt and a trusted friend to cart these suckers to your doorstep! Just because one little pest is in one apple doesn't mean the whole darn thing's done for! Sorry you had to bite into a bug, but that's just how the apple rots, old man! These things don't go a mile a minute, and with the sun going down, I only see two options. Either you can take these apples, we can just take a hike!"

What was left of me stormed off, cutting loose multiple plumes of steam.

The elderly pony stood there in awe, then frowned and hung his head.

"Oh...ah'm sorry for all the fuss, Big Macintosh...Ah didn't think yer friend would do...well...that. It's just that...well, business has just been real slow ever since that new grocer moved in, and ah've been hard-pressed to find a way of gettin' mah customers back. Muh wife don't let me hear the end of it, neither...if it's any trouble, I'll add ten percent of what I payed for these to your tip."

Big Macintosh blushed. "Well, that's mighty sincere of ya, Rotten, but we don' mean to impose..."

"Nah, I insist...Just keep it under your collar, ya hear?"

"Eeyup."

With that, the two of them began to laugh! Even in my brief fit of rage, I felt myself chuckling a bit, too. Heck, chuckling was putting it way too lightly! I was laughing my flank off!

Following that mishap, the three of us went to patch things up with Rotten's wife, Diced Tomato, and they eventually compromised into selling their wares at the Grand Galloping Gala in the months to come. That seemed awfully familiar to me, but I couldn't figure out how...

The trip home was the easiest part of the whole ordeal. And good thing, too; all that shouting pretty much wore me out into exhaustion, to where I had to be carted in the wagon. I could barely keep my eyes open, but the sight of that technicolor night sky, throughout prolonged blinks and heavy eyelids kept me with wonder. The sky was not unlike my homeland. Too bad I was never a good eye at constellations.

"You all right back there, Haze?" Big Mac asked, as I weakly rose a hoof, smiling.

"That's good. You just get some rest. We'll be in Ponyville in ten more minutes." the red stallion chuckled.

The rising moon, glittering stars, and the rocking and rumbling of the cart certainly aided me in nodding off into sleep...

This dream was more docile than my prior one by a long shot. However, the images that were conjured were...interesting. I was in a mostly-black abyss. Beneath my hooves was but tempered and stained glass. The image, as I turned a 360 around, was based on one of the eldest icons in Equestrian mythology; An almost Taoist imagery of the two matriarchs of Equestria: The Princesses Celestia and Luna. Stood on each half was the Alicorn of its imagery. Natural instinct caused me to bow.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visitation?" I asked, my head low.

The ivory mare smiled, chuckling in such a manner that it filled me with zen.

"We come simply to congratulate you on your progress. You are steadily learning of our ways and culture, and for that, you should be commended." Celestia chimed, her smile still etched to her face.

"My elder is correct," The ebony mare known as Luna concurred. "Thou act as if thou were a natural equestrian. Of that, we are sure."

I blushed. Hearing this from royalty was something that made me giddy.

"Your next adventure will involve something that requires much cooperation and insight...and a positive-self-image." The Alabaster Alicorn explained, smiling. "Do you think you can handle that?"

A grin crept to my face as I nodded. "I can, your Majesties. As always, I shall not fail you."

With this, I took a bow, my eyes meeting the kind gaze of Celestia's violet eyes...Then a tickling feeling arced across my body. As I turned, I saw the marble wing of Celestia gently draped about me as a curtain.

"I have high hopes for you, Adam. Don't disappoint anyone...okay?"

I blushed a bit. I know that she was the reason I was here in the first place, but it seemed quite odd that this deity of the sun referred to me by my true name. It was a bit embarrassing, even. Regardless, I smiled as Celestia's wing withdrew.

"The sun will be rising soon. With that, we take our leave...do take care, now..."

I nodded, shutting my eyes as brightness flared into them...

"Oh my goodness! Thank Celestia that I've found you, Big Macintosh! I was hoping to find a stallion like you!" The familiar voice of Rarity chimed.

"Well, what'cha need him fer?" Applejack quipped back, blushing a bit at their impromptu meeting.

"Well, it's quite simple, really; There's a fashion show in Canterlot for upcoming designers, and this year, it's for Colts and Stallions only! So, my first instinct was to ask Big Macintosh for his cooperation in this matter! I was hoping perhaps he could be of assistance?" The violet-maned fashionista proposed, her eyes gleaming a moment.

"Nope," grunted Big Macintosh, as he was slowly being relieved of his tow-cart bardings.

With this, Rarity backpedaled a bit, shouting an astonished, "What?! But why?" as her jaw hung open.

"Truth be told, Ah'm plum-tuckered out. Been carting a shipment of apples from here to Manehattan. Wasn't exactly an easy trip. But, if yuh can wake 'em, I'm sure my friend here would be glad to lend a helpin' hoof."

Rarity peered into the cart which housed me. Her wonderous blue eyes meeting my barely open brown orbs.

"Ah! This might actually be better in my favor! His smaller frame will make this much easier," She noted, smiling curtly. "However, it seems he is in a much less rested state. Worry not, Rarity is on the job! I'll have him ready to grace Canterlot by week's end!"

With this, I felt lighter. A tickling feeling pased through my body as I heard but a faint hum grace my ears. I was barely awake, but I could make out the Carousel Botique nearing, and a faint blue shimmer around me...

Whatever this show Rarity intended me to polish me for was going to be like, it would prove to be quite an interesting endeavor....

Chapter 6: What a Filly Wants

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 6: What a Filly Wants

Following the courier business with Big Macintosh, Rarity had recruited me to be her living mannequin for the purposes of being dolled up for a fashion affair in Canterlot. Seeing as the journey had weakened me both physically and emotionally, I had no real capacity to turn down the Unicorn's offer. Besides, with such endearing young charms, how could I say no? In case it wasn't evident enough, Rarity is one heck of a pony-shaped bombshell.

The Carousel Boutique was as lavish as a place in a large-town community as one could get in Ponyville. The colors and decorum just screamed of aristocracy! Mannequins of ponies lay near the window display, boasting many of the Unicorn's most prized of designs, and in the room near the bedchambers (which, by the way, we had passed.) there was a special sewing room.

"Sweetie Belle! Be a dear and make the beds? We've a guest!" Rang the Fashionista's voice through the hall, as if it were the chiming of bells...

"Alright, Sis! Just give me a moment!" The higher-pitched voice of Sweetie Belle chimed back.

"You'd best not be messing with my fabrics! I have very important business to do."

"Okay...."

After some time had passed, the tickling sensation about my body had faded, as it was besieged by bedding. The hum was still present, as I felt the familiar groping of cloth across my body.

"Now, worry not, dear. Momma's gonna take good care of you..."

Momma? Was that some kind of joke? I blushed a bit at the strange terms of endearment, but at the same time, I felt fairly honored. A smile grew to my face, causing Rarity to copy it.

"Oh, I can tell we're going to get along just fine..." Whispered the Lavender-maned unicorn in a sultry tone. What was once a blush was now a full-on flush of red upon my face. In the distance, I could hear the whistle of a tea kettle.

"Oh! The tea is ready! I'll be back in a pinch, dear! I'll return with tea and cookies!" She squealed with a wink, leaving me.

Part of me wanted simply to rise up from the bed and have a look at the ornate guest room, but my body didn't want to comply to the demands of my mind. I was far too exhausted from the taxing labor that I had done, and my body's refusal to move was the only assurance I needed to stop resisting the urges to lay inert. The ever-dampening sound of hoofsteps assured me my near-vegetative state wouldn't be alone for the moment.

"I'm back! Be careful with the tea, though. It's quite hot."

I laid there, still inert.

"Oh, how silly of me! Here, let me prop you up just a bit. Can't have you drinking something lying down now, can we?"

With this, the fields of equine mana(?) enveloped me as I was slightly slid up from the bed.

"Oh, this is just so absurd for me to do, but you're a guest, and you seem to be just too tired to move! But I understand, dearest. There's no need to feel like a burden. A spot of tea and some cookies should get you right to bed! You should be ready to go by morning!"

Such were the duties, I supposed, of the Element of Generosity, to offer anypony acts of selflessness and charity. What the mare was doing was of no exception. Normally, I wouldn't allow someone I barely knew to pamper me like a prince, mainly for the fact that I was never someone too keen on being a burden to others. But, in the current state of things, I had no real choice. She was floating sip after sip of tea to my lips, pausing to allow me to nibble at a lovely sugar cookie. Judging by the sheer sweetness, there was only one place it could have come from. Being a modest Gentlecolt, I attempted to keep myself from sullying the fine linens with even so much as one missed sip of tea, as I thought that even the slightest sullying of these beautiful fabrics would set Rarity into a tantrum. Or, at the very least, a hissy-fit.

But, as she often was, the Mare of Good Fortune was out to lunch. A splash of the hot tea had left my lips, causing Rarity to lose her focus, as well as the tray of treats, sending it flying upward, creating such a symphony of chaos only a being such as Discord could have appreciated. The familiar "Wha-ha-ha!" erupted from the room as the White-Lavender Unicorn backpedaled and flailed about the room. Thankfully, she wasn't much of a bull in a China shop, so nothing of real value was lost other than some well-made beauty.

After about a full minute, Sweetie Belle darted in. "Big Sis! Are you okay?!"

Once she caught her breathe, Rarity slung her mane back, smiling. "It's fine, dear. We just had a little accident. Although, could you be a dear and get the broom? I fear I broke some China in here."

"Okay! I'll be back in a minute!" The younger, pink-violet maned unicorn said, cantering away.

Following a brief once-over with her hoof to get her mane back into the proper position, Rarity chuckled a bit.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with getting a little dirty...With that little Fiasco sorted, I think it's time for bed. After all, you must be exhausted, and far be it for me to keep you from resting up..." The noble mare chimed, smiling as she helped me back into a sleeping state, curling the sheets and placing the pillow just beneath my head as the light was turned out. "I'll clean up in the morning. For now, good night!"

The door clicked shut, shrouding me in darkness, enabling me to truly rest.

Tonight's dream was a stark contrast to the ones I had been having the past few days. This time, I was human again. I gathered I was behind the curtain of a stage. Music was blaring in the background, and I saw someone guiding me to the curtain. The curtain unfurled behind me, and I shivered at the winds blowing across my body as cheers erupted around the area. As I walked into the spotlight, the music caused me to become entranced in its siren song, dancing within the rhythm. However, the cheering only kept for a few instants, replaced by an uproar of laughter. I froze in my tracks in that instant. Upon looking at myself, I realized why they were laughing: I was as the first man to whom I owe my existence; clad in only skin and air. part of me wanted to cover myself up, but my fear would forbid me. Amidst the crowd, I noticed Princess Celestia in the Skybox, viewing me through a pair of Opera Glasses, unchanged, chuckling a bit.

I looked up to her, and as our gazes met, the world around us faded away, as we were brought within arms-length of each other. The laughing continued.

"Ah, seeing you blush from being in your natural state is rather amusing." Celestia giggled, lowering the opera glasses, her violet eyes meeting my brown ones. "But, this has good reason to it, my little human..."

My ears perked, as I looked closer to her.

"While modesty is a good virtue, you mustn't let that keep you from enjoying yourself. Lighten up some. Broaden your horizons and live a little! Pamper yourself a little. A little indulgence is always good for you." She joked, prodding my forehead with her hoof. "After all, Rarity bears the Element of Generosity. She gives as much to herself as she does to others, yet asks for little more than recognition for her deeds. The world of fashion is an odd one. For the designers, it can be a tough task, but for the people who walk the platform, bearing the fruits of their designer's labor, there can be no better pleasure in the world. The key is not to overdo it. Take those words to heart, because they may save you tomorrow."

With this, the hoof came to my forehead again, this time reverting me to my Equine state as the golden rays of sunlight ushered me to awaken.

This morning began on a much better foot than the prior two. The bed that Rarity had laid out in the guest room was a marvel of comfort. From what I felt, it seems that ponies had magically augmented memory-foam mattresses to provide double the comfort of the normal product. And it felt amazing. I don't think I've ever felt more well-rested in my life! I needed to remember to thank Rarity for blessing me with such a boon.

"Morning Haze! Are you up yet? Breakfast is almost ready, dear!"

"I'll be out in a few moments! Just need to stretch out!"

As I calmly slid out of bed, I stretched my tired joints, exerting a loud groan as I felt my body slowly regaining its vigor. My body had much more energy than what I normally was used to, but I suppose that must have been from the insanely good sleep I had the prior night. The beaming morning sun made it hard to keep my eyes open, but not entirely. As the birds began their melodies, it was a sign today was going to be in some form good.

The sweet smell of breakfast wafted to my nose...Ah, delicious pancakes...syrup...juice! All the quintessential ingredients for a good breakfast. It seemed Rarity was at the helm for cooking it, rather than her younger sibling, Sweetie Belle. It was probably for the best, due to that ever-lingering smell of ashes. Smoke is one of the few smells that's hard to get out of fabrics. The sight of me caused a smile to inch across Rarity's face tenderly.

"Ah, Haze! I trust that you slept well?" She asked as I took my seat.

"Very well, Rarity. That bed you offered me was marvelous! I've rarely felt so well-rested. I've just so much energy, thanks to it!" I chuckled, running a hoof through my frazzled mane.

"Well, that's fantastic! Once we're finished here, I'd like you to follow me. We've much to do today, you and I!"

I nodded, beginning to eat the breakfast that was made. The pancakes' texture was amazing. The taste was delicately crafted and airy, each chew feeling fluid and natural. Not one spot of them was burnt or undercooked. I guess that when Rarity cooks breakfast, she aims to please, and accept no substitutes, she does. The grape juice was of no more pristine a quality. It as made fresh, and its taste reflected it. They say a glass of grape juice was good for the mind, so if this glass's quality was any indication, my mind would be much more pristine! Upon completion of said breakfast, Rarity led me first into the washroom.

"Right! The first step to any good ensemble is one's basic appearance! As you may know, everything has to have a proper foundation, and my dear, your mane and tail are simply not fit for a true outfit. True, long manes are always good, the style needs just a tad bit of refinement..." Rarity explained, floating some scissors to me.

I frowned. I typically liked long hair on myself. Sure, it was a pain to deal with in the mornings, but my complexion needed something to hide behind, and my long hair did that task. Having it be cut was felt a bit like parting with a familiar face. However, as the scissors began to snip, I simply shut my eyes and let the artist do her work. I'm sure that she wouldn't do too much to the basic look.

"First, we must do away with these bangs! They hide your eyes far too much, and frankly, your eyes should be the first thing they look upon."

Snip, Snip, SNIP.

"Now, we take a bit off the back. As a pegasus, you need to keep your mane in check for the sake of your aerodynamics..."

Snip-Snip-Snip.

"A little thinning at the sides...around the ears...a little sharpess to the front..."

Clip-Clip.

"And now just a little touch up in the back! Marvelous!"

I opened my eyes to take a look in the mirror. My mane's bangs were now shortened and trimmed to a style that would cut through the air like an arrow. As a matter of fact, were it not as straight, I daresay it looked a lot like Rainbow Dash's mane.

Next came the cutting of my tail. This was not as difficult of an endeavor as my mane, but it would be a bit challenging... When I was allowed to look, the tail cut was just the same as my mane...but, as I was being scrutinized, Rarity let out an inquisitive hum.

"Something's missing...the style is complete, but there's something else that this could use..." She then took to eye a palette of colors, comparing (I guessed) the color in my mane to the other possible complimentary colors, before I saw the stars in her eyes gleamed brightly, as I saw a grin that only a mare inspired would have.

"Ah! I-DEE-YA!" She said, darting off.

Within moments, she returned with a bottle labeled "Extra Quality Hair Dye: Vanilla Ice Cream".

"This is just the color for you, my dear! It goes great with that dark hue in your mane! Of that, I'm quite sure! Let me just get your hair wet, and we'll apply it."

I nodded, walking to a small stool and squatting down as a overhead faucet activated, letting loose a rain of warm water. My new mane and tail drooped down in the water's approach, inciting a giggle from Rarity. I heard the flatulent sound of the dye leaving the bottle as it built up into a pile on my head, before the filly of fine fashion fondled my follicles with her forehooves. She was trying her best not to, but part of the rubbing into my mane felt a bit too sensual for a normal makeover. I blushed, but in the spirit of being a Gentlecolt, I kept myself as chaste as I could. However, as the tail became the subject of work, I found repressing romances to be a risky business.

"Oh...am I being too tender? My apologies. I've never quite used hair dyes before..."

Following a few minutes of drying, my new look was ready. To be honest, the new look was a tad bit silly. It kind of reminded me of ice cream, particularly a chocolate-vanilla swirl. (Oh dear, I'm hungry for some now just thinking about it!) But, as an afterthought, it complimented my colors. I needed a touch of vibrancy to my dull gray colors, and this vanilla-colored stripage was an ideal fit. A smile crept across my face.

"Oh, this is just DARLING! Now we simply need to get an outfit together! Come! There is work to be done!"

With that, Phase Two of today's primary objective was complete.

Phase Two began much the same as when I was originally acquainted with Rarity; Measurements galore. At least this time, I wasn't corseted. However, the white mare with an eye for beauty seemed hard-pressed out possible outfits for me.

"Not an awful lot of colors seem to compliment grey, brown, and pale-yellow...and with that style I made, that rules out several possible outfits..."

Once again, the palette came out.

"Hm...what would compliment these colors...Ah-HA! Snow white! It's so simple!"

With this, the caster of cloths began to work with a fine white cloth, getting designs into her head as gems began to float, eventually settling on yellow diamond, otherwise known as Topaz. I guess I consider it a birthday present, given I was a November-born babe. She then began to formulate a possible idea, scribing the vague shape of a zoot suit and fedora onto an easel.

"Yes! YES! MY ideas are flowing like a summer's rain!" the Alabaster Arbiter of Amazing Artwork squealed, a haughty laugh escaping her mouth. Strips of cloth began to dance across the room in a symphony of colours as tools began to work across each one, beginning to cut, sew, and form themselves into the shape of the suit she intended for me as gems began to be arranged, their positions traced into the fabrics. Truly, I saw just what marvels that a Unicorn was truly capable of.

"Simply Magnificent! Now, to wash these and apply the gemstones! We'll be ready in no time!"

With this, I nodded, squatting into a cushion as I drifted off into sleep. As they were in the Human world, my knees were weak. Thanks a lot, cerebral palsy.

What came next was a forgone conclusion, I suppose. As my eyes fluttered back awake, I saw a Persian cat napping right at my side. Personally, I've always been a cat person. While I did have the company of a Pit Bull named Nala time and again, I always preferred felines to canines. They were far more docile from my perspective. However, something about this cat didn't feel right.

An aura flowed from it. You know that feeling that you get when you meet someone that everyone else generally likes, but to you, something is up? That's exactly how I felt at that moment.

I began to slowly rise myself, trying not to disturb this ivory demon from her rest. While rising myself from the plush cushion was easy, the next feat was much tougher. Backpedaling was going to be a daunting task, but I was sure that being a Pegasus would make it a lot easier. How foolish I was. In but a moment, my hoof made contact with a soft, white mass.

MRRRRRRRRRRRRREOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

That marked the second time that the Mare of Good Luck had royally done me in.

Now, rather than walking away from the weaving room unscathed and quietly, I was now trapped in a game of "run the heck away from a mad cat". Joy. Eventually, I saw reason and perched myself atop a dresser, where the white ball of evil couldn't get me. I wouldn't let this thing clawing at my face, ruining my complexion and modeling career.

A moment later, the cat's crazed yowling stopped.

"No! Bad Opal! Down! Down!" Called the voice of a mare for whom I was honestly glad responded promptly. "Honestly! I can't believe you would reprimand our guest for one widdle mistake! Now where is that darling stallion..." She continued, searching the room. "Haze! Haze? Where are you dear? Opal has been dealt with. You may come out now!"

I honestly didn't want to come down, but knowing no better course of action, I came down.

"Ah, there you are!" Rarity squealed, examining me. "Are you hurt? Did Opal scratch you?"

"No! Of course not! Thank you for asking, though."

"Think nothing of it. Now, come to the dressing room. I've added the gemstones to your outfit, and I need to see if it fits you..."

"Right away, Miss!"

With that incident over with, I made for the dressing room, where my new outfit laid on the mannequin. The white beauty glistened with a tad bit of lamè glow, accentuated by topaz at the knees and shoulders, with a few diamonds at the brim of a fedora, resting crooked upon the hat of the fake pony.

"Magnific, no?" Rarity asked, swooning over those fruits of her labor. "There is one bit missing, though.."

"Which would be?"

"A nice feather...it would make for an ideal finishing touch!"

I wondered where we could find a feather.

"You wouldn't mind if I bothered one of yours, would you?"

I froze, but nodded.

"Sure! By all means!"

Boink! One feather was plucked from my left wing, and placed tastefully into the brim. It felt a bit odd to have to give up something of mine, but then I realized that my mistress had done something akin to this. A sacrifice I had to make for the sake of progress, I supposed.

With this done, the ivory mare aided me into this suit, smiling all the way through. Although, I was mildly choked by the belt. However, when all was said and done, my hat now calmly on my head, I looked through the brims of my glasses in wonder.

"Now that is somepony worthy of Canterlot, if I don't say so myself. Wouldn't you agree?"

I grinned, shutting my eyes and nodding my head.

"Oh! Wonderful! We'll have lunch in a few moments, then arrange for train tickets to Canterlot!"

I smiled. For my rotten luck, things were going much better in comparison to the two turns of bad luck that had preceded the changing tides of fate. Lunch was something simple, yet tasteful; a rose sandwich. Thanks to the fact that flowers had very few juices, it would be a matter of chance that I would get something on this alabaster outfit. Delectable and simple Bliss.

"Ah, that was simply divine for a short-notice meeting...Now then, I'll arrange for the tickets. I've enough bits for the two of us, along with the other five...After all, we can't attend a fashion show without our dearest of friends, can we?"

I chuckled. "Of course not! So, should I just wait at the station, or should I accompany you?"

"Oh, you should come with me! After all, we have to let them know what we're getting the tickets for, and I personally want to see the reactions of everypony's faces!"

A chuckle weaved its way out. Personally, I wanted to see how my friends would react to the fact that I looked, in Rarity's vernacular, Smashing. So, with that idea now in my head, I nodded.

"Why don't we start with Sugar Cube Corner, Rarity? I personally want to see Pinkie Pie's reaction myself." I asked, a coy grin upon my face.

"Oh, that's splendid! Let's show her utter perfection!"

So, with this, we made a short trek to the famous Sugar Cube Corner to bring my luster to the sweet-toothed pony.

Initial reactions were mainly a collective of gasps. The Cakes, more entranced in filling orders, only spoke in hushed whispers, while Pinkie Pie, bless her soul, was apparently so amazed by my new look, she not only gasped, but for ten seconds, she maintained said gasp while being miraculously suspended in midair!

...Okay, I realize this is a fantasy world, and mainly a cartoon, but how is it possible to stay suspended like that for any length of time?!

Ignoring that briefly defied law of physics, I got straight to the point.

"Pinkie, Rarity is going to be my sponsor for a fashion show in Canterlot, and we'd like you to come with us to watch."

"Sure, I'd love to! Seeing you all colorful and gussied up gives me a big old smile! I'll tell the Cakes I'm taking today off and meet you at the Train Station!"

"That sounds good to me. Any objections, Madame?"

"None at all. Next up, Twilight!"

Quitting the door of Sugar Cube Corner, we went to the Treehouse/Library of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity being the one to rap at the door with her hoof.

"Twilight! It's Rarity! I've brought Morning Haze along with me! There is something you must see!"

"Coming!"

Within moments, Twilight was at the door, and cracked a smile at the sight of the new and improved me, courtesy of Rarity.

"Wow! Another one of your Satisfied Customers, Rarity?"

Rarity's eyes gleamed as she took a brief hold of me.

"Oh, but he is so much more than that! He's my entry for a fashion show in Canterlot! I was wondering if you'd like to-"

"OF COURSE WE'LL COME!"

All three of us cringed at the sudden outburst. Sure enough, Spike's near-stalker attraction to Rarity came through as he approached the door with hearts in his eyes. And then he noticed my jewel-encrusted suit, beginning to drool.

"Are those...Yellow Diamond!"

"Spike. That's for his outfit. Not for you."

Spike then sunk a bit, dejected, but kept a smile at the sight of Rarity.

"Right. Well, meet us at the Train Station soon, okay?"

"You can count on us to be there!"

Twilight Sparkle (And Spike), check.

"Next, Applejack!"

Sweet Apple Acres was having one of its off days, considering the audacious size of the family's historic orchard. By the looks, Cider Season was forthcoming, and the entire family of four was hard at work in brewing the delicious apple wine.

"Well, howdy there, Rarity! What can I do ya for today?" Applejack asked with a smile.

"Well, we just wanted to invite you to a fashion show I'm having Morning Haze enter in Canterlot, and I was wondering if you'd like to come and see?"

"Fashion show, huh? Well, ah reckon I ain't doin' much. What the hay, count me in."

"Splendid! Meet us at the train station at Three, okay?"

"Alrighty then. You take care now!"

That marked 3 down, with 2 more to go.

"Next, how about we give a visit to our dearest Rainbow Dash?"

"That sounds good to me. We'll need the balloon from Twilight Sparkle, which I'm sure she'll be glad to lend us."

I smiled with a nod, taking a walk back to the Library and knocking on the door, to which Twilight answered promptly.

"Back already? Was there a change of plans?"

"No, of course not! We just needed to borrow your balloon to get to Cloudsdale, is all."

"Ah, right. It's on the balcony. Help yourself!"

With that business attended to, we took to the room upstairs, mounting the hot-air balloon and taking command of it, flying towards the Pegasi utopia of Cloudsdale...

Rainbow Dash was, as I anticipated from our prior meetings, in flight training. Guess it was time to flaunt my abilities. With a graceful leap, I took to the air, intercepting the sky-blue Pegasus of prismatic mane.

"Oh! Hey, Haze! What's up?!" She said, barreling through a few clouds, myself not far behind.

"Rarity's got a Fashion show in Canterlot she signed me up for. She's getting the gang together, and she wants to know if you'd like to get in it!" I replied, barrel rolling through a cumulus cloud like an equine drill.

"Sure thing! Anything to see somepony like you prance around like a baby's toy! Ha!"

I grimaced at the tasteless joke Rainbow Dash just fired off at me, but kept myself in good humor.

"See ya at Three at the Train Station?"

"You know it!"

With this, I nodded, making a U-Turn. What I almost didn't realize is, had I not done that, I would have ruined the outfit having flew through a storm cloud. Thank Celestia for intuition, eh? My stroke of luck done, I darted back to Rarity, removing my Fedora, brushing my mane back a bit.

"I take it she said yes?" Rarity asked, chuckling.

"Well, she called me a "baby's toy", but beyond that, yes."

"Splendid! That makes one last pony to invite! Dearest Fluttershy!"

I smiled. The most soft spoken pony was our last invitation. Considering that Rarity and Fluttershy were quite close, this would make for an easy undertaking...

The cot was alive in more ways than one today. The rabbits were moving between their hutches, harvesting carrots from the local garden.

Rarity, being the courteous type, was the one to knock this time.

Fluttershy, began to open the door, and upon confirming it was Rarity, opened it full-tilt.

"Oh...hi, Rarity! What brings you here!"

"Well, I've had Morning Haze be my entry for the Canterlot Colts Open, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me and the others in watching?"

A smile and blush accompanied the cream-yellow Pegasus' face.

"Of course! I love seeing your clients glorify your work!"

"Excellent! See you at the Train Station at Three!"

"See you then!"

Ah, the wonders of trains! To be honest, I'd never been on a true train in all my life. Not as a Human, nor as a Pony. At least, not the steam-blowing, coal burning, magic-fueled type. Rarity was dressed in formal wear, as one would come to expect in a Canterlot evening. If I recall correctly, the outfits being worn were their dresses from the Grand Galloping Gala. I guess when going to Canterlot, dress as they dress. Personally, I was more concerned that I was sharing coach space with 6 girls. True, they were my friends, but it just seemed a tad off. Regardless, as the silver ticket hovered about my head, inexplicably held in a magic stasis that nopony (including the two resident unicorns of our group) was controlling, the train rolled into view, its powerful motor chugging away merrily as it neared the platform dearly, a hiss billowing from the undercarriage.

"Ooh! Ooh! It's here! The train! The Train!" Pinkie Pie giggled, bouncing about.

"Indeed! Shall we, fillies and gentlecolt?"

We all nodded, trotting calmly into the train.

A conductor began to call out from the train. "All Aboard for Canterlot!"

In said conductor's wake, there existed many beds and seats for extended rides, which we all took comfort in resting in. I was fortunate enough to gain access to a window seat, and thank goodness I did. The view of the rolling green hills of Equestria was a glorious sight. Such lush, idealistic beauty was a rare thing in my world. But here, it was as abundant as the soil beneath it. Such virgin beauty was a mystifying sight. And then, among all of it, I saw a titan of a castle. Canterlot. An entire large, aristocratic society, housed in a large castle. A few of my dreams showed me its splendor, but up-close, it was such a beauty, my eyes could not tear themselves away...

"Enjoying the view?" chimed Rarity from a nearby corner, removing me from my immersion, freezing me in place. I'd almost forgotten my weakness. Rarity took notice immediately.

"Oh, terribly sorry. Did I frighten you?

It took me a few moments to get out of my stupor and reply, but I eventually was able to smile and respond.

"No. Not much. The scenery near Canterlot is a stunning marvel, indeed. I can't wait until we're inside."

Rarity smirked curtly and nodded. "It's just as much a marvel inside as it is outside. But, we've not much time to sight-see. The Competition will be starting about a half hour after we leave the platform, so there's no time to waste."

I was going to say that I was a tad nervous, but I wanted not to dishearten the unicorn who had made me into a living work of art, so I simply nodded as I returned to marveling at Canterlot's scenic views...

Within a few more minutes, the train from Ponyville to Canterlot screeched into the station. What laid before us was a mass of cobblestone, marble, diamonds, and so much more! It could only have been the work of an absolute artisan! Moreover, this was the same city which housed the two patron deities and rulers of Equestria! Part of me squealed with fan-like glee at the prospect of meeting those two ponies who shined their lights upon Equestria, but my rational side warned me against it. There was a competition to attend.

Mane street of Canterlot was a bustling aristocratic sprawl. Most of the Ponies were either lavishly rich, or at least on the upper crust of Equestrian Society. Fillies and Gentlecolts of wealth and taste, all of them. And here I was, a simple commoner.

"Follow me, everypony! I know the way to the concert hall as if it were the back of my hoof!" Rarity advised, taking point and leading our expedition. As we walked together, I could feel a distinct air of magic around me. It wasn't affecting me directly, but it was there. Unicorns were the majority here, and the constant static in the air accentuated this. Truly, calling this a magical place would be like calling the sky blue. It was an obvious fact here.

The concert hall was no worse a sight, either. It looked like much like any Broadway theater, complete with a large marquee, which displayed, in bold font, "CANTERLOT COLT'S COMPETITION". This was going to be a daunting task, and I was sure.

Rarity took to the admission's booth quickly, clearing her throat.

"Hello! I'm Rarity, here to enter Morning Haze as my representative. I've also arranged for my friends to have box seats?"

The pony behind the booth checked a list.

"Rarity...Rarity...Ah, here we are. Reservations for 6, and one contestant entry! I'll inform security to give you your VIP passes at the door." Replied the pony, who had the Cutie Mark of a ticket stub. With this noted, Rarity turned 180, nodding as we went in, small identification badges sliding onto each of their necks, with a number being slapped onto my blank flank. Number Eight. Oh, joy.

Where I was now as a place called the Green Room. From what I recalled, this was the room where performers not yet required on stage would rest. It seems that both the colts that were entered into this competition and their (mostly female) attendants adding last minute touch-ups to said entries, myself included, were anxious of how well they performed, alongside working on stage. The dye that was in my hair was touched up upon, adding a minor gradient to further accentuate the difference in the colors. Loose flaps on my coat were addressed, and my posture was being put through its paces, making sure it was prim and proper.

"And there we are! You'll be ready to perform soon! I do hope you leave the crowd in nothing more than total awe, darling!" Rarity said, dusting off my coat a final time.

Many of the colts had already performed, and the building crowd of cheers, alongside the slowly thinning numbers, indicated that I was soon to come next.

"Just remember what I told you. Just keep yourself collected and relaxed."

I nodded, smiling as I approached the large, red curtain.

"I will not fail you..."

"Next up to the Stage is the canvas of one of the most famous tailors in all of Ponyville! Her work has wowed ponies from Canterlot to Manehattan, and far beyond. Her skill enables her to turn even the poorest of ponies into an utter marvel of fashion! Representing Rarity, we welcome to the stage Contestant Number Eight: Morning Haze!"

Upon the announcement of my name, I smirked, the red curtain drawing back as my head was bowed. I could see to my left a pale white Unicorn wearing distinctive violet shades, standing behind a record turntable. The song that boomed through the speakers was a a simple techno beat. It wasn't simple dancing music, but it was the type that you could bob your head to in rhythm.

As the spotlight shined upon me, the gems that adorned my frame glowed iridescent shadows across the floor as I walked, my head held high, staring into the eyes of an entire crowd. Most of them were politely quiet and orderly, taking in the glory of my ensemble. My eyes then caught a familiar sight then; The Princesses, with the other 5 Elements of Harmony in tow, were in one of the balconies, watching my every motion. A bit of nervousness washed over me, but it was followed by a surge of confidence in knowing they were with me in spirit...

That courage gave me the gall to keep my stance steady, taking my turn on the catwalk, taking different stances to more accurately show all the detail in the hemming and jewel-setting that had been painstakingly put into this outfit, before tipping my hat to a slant and making my leave down the opposite end of the catwalk. I could almost swear that I could hear the boisterous (and possibly muffled) cheers of Pinkie Pie. With friends like these, I felt an odd sense of pride in getting to know them.

As I entered through the red velvet curtain, Rarity immediately gave me a tight hug.

"You did marvelous out there, Morning Haze! A good model always does his best to make his designer look good, as well. If this didn't win it, then we've certainly got quite a score to look forward to!"

I smiled, but began to choke.

"Hug...too tight! Losing air....can't...breathe...!"

Within a half-second, Rarity took note, her face flushed with red and she released me.

"Terribly sorry, dear." She said, bobbing her mane slightly. "It's just that I'm just so ecstatic at our success!"

Then, the loudspeaker turned on again, announcing an event so impromptu and unexpected. I knew not what to make of it at first:

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! We have tallied up the scores, and it seems there has been a tie in the ratings! So, we are going to have a surprise tie-breaker between Contestants 3 and 8! For those playing at home, that means we've got a surprise showdown between Tempest of Manehattan and Morning Haze of Cloudsdale!"

I froze at the mention of it. I was going to be pitted against a local from the town I just kissed goodbye not too long ago. And, it was going to decide whether I got whatever the grand prize was, or just a consolation gift. Ice flowed through my blood. I guess it was time to put up or shut up. Then the actual event came up.

"The event that will decide the winner is...a dance-off! Both contestants will chose a song and perform a dance routine with said song!"

I was a bit shaken by the impromptu dance competition, but upon seeing my outfit, I knew just the right song to pick...So, this idea in my head, I met eyes with Rarity and smiled.

"I've got a good idea. I promise that this will be a real show-stopper!"

With that, I made my run to the DJ's booth. The white unicorn bore a cutie mark of a double-clef on her white flank. Her eyes were completely masked by a pair of violet tinted shades. Whether it was to protect her identity or to look just plain cool, I doubt I'll ever find out. As she noticed me, she smiled, an air of coolness radiating from her.

"Well, well! So quick to get this over with, eh? My kinda guy. Name's Scratch; Vinyl Scratch. Most people just know me as DJ-Pon3. Name an artist and a song, and I'll get these records spinning like pinwheels, kid! What can I do for ya?"

I smiled, and inside, I was calculating. If such a person (or, if anyone who fit the basic description of the person) existed in this world, I prayed the song I hoped would be in this Princess of Punk's collection.

"Do you have anything by a colt named Moon Walker?"

I couldn't honestly gauge it correctly, but I assumed she was in shock.

"No way. You want me to play one of Moon Walker's records? That guy's been dead since 3 years ago!"

"So you're saying you have them?"

"Well, yeah...but can you honestly handle that? I mean, sure you got the outfit and the nice hair and all, but he had probably the sickest moves both in and out of his time! But, if you're honestly wanting me to play his tracks, then by all means..." She said, blushing a bit. "What song?"

"Filly Jean. Do you have that one?"

She looked at me and chuckled, "Hah! Do I have it? Kid, you obviously don't know why I'm called Vinyl Scratch! I've got all kinds of records!"

I chuckled and went to leave, but I got stopped midway.

"Hey. You forgot to tell me your name. What's wrong with you!"

"Shoot, did I?" I asked, chuckling. "I'm Morning Haze. Didn't you already hear it during the first show?"

"Nah." She snapped, tapping a headphone set. "Noise-cancelling headphones. That way, I hear nothing else but my sweet music."

I chuckled and took my leave as I began to stretch at the curtains.

Tempest looked to me with a grin.

"Hope you can come up with enough grove to beat me...you're gonna need it."

The song that this colt danced to was something awfully modern. A techno dance involving some shuffling. While I wasn't a hater of modern music, I felt that as he shot me a glance in his return trip, it was high-time to add some class to this performance. It was time to give them something that was a golden oldie. As the applause began to build, the curtains drew, and the song I chose began to play, as I began to take the stage step by step. Areas of light began to light at each step I took. Then, the lyrics came.

"She Was More Like A Beauty Queen From A Movie Scene
I Said Don't Mind, But What Do You Mean I Am The One
Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round
She Said I Am The One Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round

She Told Me Her Name Was Filly Jean, As She Caused A Scene
Then Every Head Turned With Eyes That Dreamed Of Being The One
Who Will Dance On The Floor In The Round

People Always Told Me Be Careful Of What You Do
And Don't Go Around Breaking Young Girls' Hearts
And Mother Always Told Me Be Careful Of Who You Love
And Be Careful Of What You Do 'Cause The Lie Becomes The Truth

Filly Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Foal Who says That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son!"

This song was a classic to everyone, and while I couldn't emulate the legend behind the song clearly enough, it was a close enough approximation. When the song ended, I smiled and turned away, flicking my tail on the way out. Class act.

Thanks to that performance, the judges were at a standstill. Unfortunately, this made me anxious to hear their final verdict...

Rarity was chewing on her hoof in equal anxiety, but she was hiding it beneath her face with intent on keeping it from affecting me.

Then, the loudspeakers came on again.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, the wait is finally over! The judges have tallied the votes, and it looks like we've got a close win! For his tribute to the late artist, Moon Walker, it's Morning Haze!"

The look on Rarity's face was priceless. Were her face any more agape, it might have just fallen right off. But, within moments, I was left once again in the embrace of the alabaster fashionista, her vice grip tightening on me like an anaconda's coils, but she was wise enough this time to not hold it as long as she had done prior, allowing me to greet the crowd as I ran on stage, waving and trotting. I looked back to the balcony where my friends were all cheering, screaming, and hollering. I could couldn't make out their voices in the drowning of the ambient crowd, but I saw a very clear smile on the marble alicorn who had been with them, watching in the wings in more fashions than one. As I made it to the end, I saw a rather tacky earth pony with a large check near him, manning a standing microphone. He was wearing one of those hound's tooth checkered suits. Ironic that he was the master of ceremonies.

"Congratulations, Haze! You've won! You must feel so honored!"

I chuckled. "I guess I could call it an honor. It took a lot of work!"

"I bet it did! And all that hard work paid off. Literally! For first prize, we give you a whopping Ten Thousand Bits! All yours to spend as you please!"

I looked at the check. Truth be told, I wasn't exactly a rich man. But, with most of my money, I either planned my spending, or I only used it for what I felt I needed. I was only a modest spender. But then I recalled the lesson that Celestia had attempted to bash into my head. Thus, I decided to do what I thought was the lesser of two evils.

"If I may be so bold...I'd like to divvy up this check. Half of it will go to Tempest. I feel he deserves some credit for his good work. Then, Of the half I have, I divide it even further, with one half going directly to charity!"

Many of them gasped at my brash decision, but some were rather pleased.

"Well, aren't you a gentlecolt? So giving! It's that kind of generosity this world needs!"

I chuckled a moment, smiling as I told him, "In all honesty, I was never in it for the money. I was in it for two things: To have fun, and to make my sponsor, Rarity, make sure her work shines like the stars. And, I think I've done both of those, huh, audience?!"

The roars of approval swallowed the stage like a tidal wave, and with that, I left, relaxing in the green room once more.

"You could have easily taken all the money for your own..." Rarity told me, a bit disappointed, but happy.

"Yes, but the way I see it, the more money you have on you, the more trouble it leads to. Besides, more people than me need that money. I decided on the lesser of two evils. Which just so happens to be to give to those who need, and keep a little bit to myself."

"Oh, you! Such a kidder! Although, there's nothing wrong with Generosity. In fact...to be honest, I found your gesture to be quite mature of you. I'm proud of it, even. You brought your wealth not to yourself, but to others who needed it most. And that...is worth more than the money in your pocket..."

With that, I smiled back as I looked to my money. "Say...why don't we celebrate with a nice dinner and a spa treatment?"

Rarity chuckled. "That would be most delightful! Not a bad way to reward everypony for their efforts!"

With that, I chuckled, as my dear friends entered the room, singing their praises, and, in the case of seeing the princess, I was compelled in her almighty aura to bow in front of her. Being the curt deity she was, she chuckled.

"There is no need to bow to me, Haze. Please, rise."

With that, I rose up and smiled to the Princess. "You must quite proud of me."

Celestia's smile graced me then. "You know me so well...you let yourself cut loose and enjoy the natural flow of things, then, in spite of all the possibilities it held, you let charity be your division of wealth. Such self-sacrifice is something to be admired, in my eyes..."

I nodded. "Thank you for your words of wisdom, Princess. And now, I have an announcement to make..."

"Oh? And what would that be?" The sun's reagent asked, craning her head down.

"Simple; to celebrate my performance, and Rarity's hard work, I'm going to treat all nine of us to a nice dinner!"

Everyone but Rarity gasped.

"But, why would you want to spend your money like that? You shouldn't spend it on us!" Twilight said, blushing.

"Oh, but I should. Besides, what good is money when you can't share it?"

With that, the astonishment faded, and smiles took the group, as we all began to leave the concert hall.

Dinner was a fabulous outlet. I had enough not only for everyon-I mean, everypony-To have a nice meal, but I was able to buy from one of the classier venues in town. The name escapes me to this day, but if I ever do remember it, I must come back. The meals were hearty, and while it was mostly vegan meals, it was certainly pleasuring my newly-refined equestrian appetite.

I was going to pay for the tickets, but it seems that the Princess was charitable enough to pay for the expenses. I was going to say it wasn't necessary, but then I remembered that this was a personal gift, and I shouldn't be so ungrateful. With this, I bowed and retired in first class as the sun began to set on another great day for me.

One the ride home, the scenery outside the window of the train was much more beautiful, as the moonlight accentuated the beauty between Canterlot and Ponyville, that white sheen coating everything like a blanket. Most of the others had already been well enough asleep, but the natural beauty of this night, with all it's grey clouds and shining stars were keeping me mystified and awake...All the flowers of the sky were in bloom, their images stretched across that canvas... I saw every single constellation in as beautiful a quality as the natural light of the moon would enable me. It was a great beauty that only the work of several centuries of magic and research could have done...

A squeak broke out in the room, which interrupted the churning of the train's steam engine across the tracks.

"Morning Haze...are...you still...awake?" Squeaked the meek Fluttershy.

For once, I wasn't scared out of my wits as I turned 180.

"Yes...What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes as I yawned.

"Oh...nothing's wrong...it's just that...the veterinarian in Ponyville told me that her cat had kittens, so I have to go tend to them tomorrow. Do you...think you...could look after the others while I'm away?"

I smiled. "Sure. I'm an animal person."

Fluttershy smiled back. "Thank you...Well...I think I'll try and get to bed now..." She hummed, turning as she covered herself in a blanket.

I yawned once more.

"Sure...I think I will too..."

With that, I retired for the night once more. Tomorrow was going to be one interesting adventure.

Chapter 7: Ponyheart

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 7: Ponyheart

The train to Ponyville screeched slowly to a stop as the dawn's early light filtered in through the curtained window. The evening train had taken the whole night to reach its destination, and rightfully so; I was too exhausted then. However, the soft motions of the evening train and the calmness of the night had aided me in my rest. As it often was, Ponyville was thankfully quiet this morning. Then again, I wasn't expecting a Hero's Welcome for winning a fashion show. As I peered out the window, most of the ponies I could see at all were mostly either the station's regular attendees, or those early birds who needed to catch the earliest train to wherever the heck they needed to go. I guess most of the mane six's families were asleep, and by the time they left the train, they'd either be at home sleeping again, or working to their normal devices.

As for me? I had a job to do for my dear friend, Fluttershy.

As the train hissed to sleep, signalling the journey's end, the pure beams of sunshine sprayed across my face, awakening me from my slumber. If not the sunshine woke others, then the conductor slowly coaxing them to wake would certainly do the trick. Alongside me, Pinkie Pie woke, stretching her legs, bellowing a loud roar of a yawn as she hopped out from her bed. Rarity awoke not long after, her awakening being a mite more graceful than her pink-maned friend. Then, Twilight woke somberly, and crawled out, shrugging away her morning sleepiness. Applejack, being the only one either than me to be eager to wake early, fanned out as wide as she could, cut a large yawn, and hopped out. And last but not least, Fluttershy woke in the least visible manner, her morning tremors only barely showing beneath the sheets as she poked her head through the sheets, carefully removing them and leaving the train, myself then following suit.

As I had anticipated, everypony had went to their places of residence, leaving we two pegasi to make for Fluttershy's Grove.

The small grove outside of Fluttershy's house was probably the only place truly bustling with any life. Birds chimed their symphony of tweets, ducks glided softly across the stream beneath the pond, and rabbits hopped out of their hutches, ready to great the autumn sun. Fluttershy kept herself to a self-executed oath of silence to not disturb the wildlife. To be honest, I couldn't blame her in the least. These creatures seemed to in total harmony, which I envied. A rabbit hopped down, staring me down with a pair of black beads. Fluttershy told me he was Angel. Something about this rabbit's stare implied the word "Angel" was the exact opposite of what it really was...

"Um...I don't have much time to waste, you see, but you can refer to this list I put together for the details..." The meek Pegasus noted, smiling while she unfurled probably the longest scroll of information I've ever seen. I'm not joking; this thing was so long, it sprawled across the whole of not only the living room, but the kitchen. I didn't even have time to ask questions, because she darted straight out the door as I was focused.

This scroll that was about as long as a common novel seemed to have every single hour planned. I'm aware animals take a lot of care and attention, but this was rather...excessive. Regardless, I read the first of the instructions:

1): Angel eats three times a day, but he can be very demanding. Don't try too hard to feed him. He's very independent.

I looked to "Angel", then beginning to get to the kitchen. He hopped up as I began to take a stock of what I could make. I decided to make diced carrots. A simple dish, but it would make nice finger food (or in this case, paw food) for the bunny. As I attempted to work the knife with my teeth, Angel bore a look hinting he was not amused. The more I attempted to keep at it, the more he was frustrated at me. Eventually, he forced me out of the way and worked to his own agenda. I could see what Fluttershy meant by "independent". I could see the first third of the first task was out of the way, so I made my way to the second part of the agenda.

2): The birds' birdseed holders should be filled after Angel has been fed. Food should be in the Pantry, next to the basement door. But, unless you can't help your curiosity, I highly advise you not to enter the basement.

I looked about the kitchen's perimeter, taking a few rounds to locate the pantry, before coming across two doors, connected end on end. The pantry led to a small corridor with shelves of bags, jars, boxes, and other containers for food, all organized by species. It seemed Fluttershy was taking stocking lessons from Twilight. Everything was even labeled.

Thanks to that bit of foresight, I was able to get a bag of birdseed in my mouth and began to locate the aviary. It would've been nice to have a map, in hindsight. However, I began to see some guidance in the sound of songbirds cheering away gayly. When I found my way to the aviary, my jaw practically hit the floor. Cages upon cages, within an even larger cage, where one could get a nice view of the birds before they fed them. With gawking now behind me, I took to the task of climbing on a rolling ladder so that I could pour seed into the more famished pits. The birds chirped their thanks as they began to nibble away at their food tenderly. As was frankly every other task possibly executable as a pony, working about the aviary was a work that needed careful action. I would have the taste in burlap inside my mouth for days, but such was the fate that I had assigned myself to.

"There! That's one more task done!" I mused to myself with a smile. As I began to consider the completion of my task, curiosity came to my head...What was it that Fluttershy hadn't wanted me to see?

With that thought lingering in my head, I slowly stepped into the basement, beginning to hear the tinkling sound of a music box. It was playing a lullaby that I very easily recognized. Although, the tinkling of said music box conjured a strange spell to me, and within moments, I lost all consciousness, lulled by that tune.

Within (I guess) and hour of being put literally to sleep by the song emanating from the basement, I found myself being slapped about repeatedly. My eyes met the beady view of Angel, who I supposed was generally worried for me. I guess maybe his name wasn't as against his nature as I thought...

As I rose, Angel draped the overly-long list about my head, and I was lead to total shock: He had done a good bit of the work I was to do on his own, while i was asleep. I wasn't sure whether to be glad, grateful, or afraid. Among the many crossed out tasks, there was left a remaining ten.

90): Inspect the cages and hutches for droppings and collect them.

I furrowed my brow. Why did I expect this to be on there somehow? Regardless, I went to work, wearing rubber slips on my hooves to collect the the droppings. I certainly wasn't going to pick up these things in my mouth. But, of course, Angel was quite a stinker. I don't think anything else needs to be said.

91): Inspect the bandages of any and all injured critters around and replace as needed.

This task wasn't nearly as grotesque as the last one, but it would be something that needed examination. I wasn't a medical type, but I knew when something looked bad. I checked every bandaged creature's bandages as carefully as my little pony body allowed. Most were still fresh as when they were first applied, but some had large splotches of red. My teeth made cutting and setting bandages an equal part easier, and an equal part harder, as well. one more reason why Unicorns seemed to have an easier lot. Thankfully, only five of the animals in total that I examined needed any serious replacements. I suppose that much was a good thing indeed.

92): Tend to the flowers.

Finally, something a bit easy. I went to where I was in reach of a watering can, filling it near the brim with water. Angel was busy doing goodness-knows-what, which left me to gingerly water the garden that was sure to be in store for me...

And what a magnificent sight it was. If a rainbow existed on land, this was certainly one such example. I couldn't even identify all the fauna in this fluorescent field! It was made of such vibrant and bright colors! As water trickled form the can to each petal, a rainbow in miniature glistened in the sunlight's bright glow. A simple sight, yet one of regal stature as anything in the world natural.

Another task crossed off the list, another part of my duty to Fluttershy done.

Next was a task that didn't involve just the rounds about the moss-laden shrine known as the cottage of Fluttershy.

93): Go to Leo's Pet Emporium in Ponyville and Purchase Provisions. (Payment placed on the Patio)

Alliterative much? I nodded that into my mind as I walked to the Patio, where Angel had a small bag of what I guessed was money in his hands. However, as I craned to grab it, he shyed away the tiny sack. I felt compelled to ask why he kept me from the money. I was no master at interpreting charades, but from what I gathered, he wanted something more premium than the standard pet food that he was often given, but upon mentioning that we may not have enough money, he assured me otherwise. Of course, why I'm trusting the not-words of a bunny rabbit I'll never know.

The trek to town was a simple endeavor, but a task that was done quickly. The Pet Emporium was an aptly-designed place, with a stylized sign of a Border Colly enthusiastically holding a rubber ball. Easy enough to spot. Upon entering the store, I saw the most uncanny mane I'd ever seen on a male pony. An Earth Pony stood behind the counter with a mane more like a lion's than a ponies. I didn't even have to ask what his name was. His tan-yellow color scheme told me everything, if not that bizarre name.

"You're Leo, right?" I asked, to which the Earth Pony beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

"Why, yes! Welcome to my Pet Emporium! What can I do you for?"

I smiled with a nod. "I'm here to pick up pet food on Fluttershy's behalf. Angel in particular wanted some real premium rabbit food, and I was afraid it'd be too pricy."

"Say no more, my friend! I've got ya covered! You wait right there while I ring everything up."

I nodded, crossing my legs a bit as I leaned back. I was tapping out a song I recalled from my deeper conscience, humming out the gist of it in my head.

We are livin' our lives...abound a sea of information...

My melodic thoughts were slowly drowned out by a cacophony of pots, pans, bags, and boxes clattered clumsily about.

Part of me wanted to to go back there and investigate, but my conscience told me otherwise.

Thankfully, it didn't last long, but as Leo reemerged, he was covered in what was most likely dust.

"Sorry for the wait. It's chaotic in the storeroom. I really ought to get it organized."

I chuckled a slight bit as the Lion-maned pony wiped off the dust about his form as he placed the large assortment of foods into a heavy-duty cart. This wasn't going to be easy to carry, given how massive this pile was getting. But, regardless, I payed the shopkeeper the hefty sum of coin money and began tugging off my haul back home. I hope I got the right food for Angel, otherwise, that thing really will be an Angel.

"Ya'll come back now, you hear?"

The weight of this massive haul of pet foodstuffs made it impossible for me to take to the skies and fly it home. Then again, considering the fact that a lot of the tat in this cart was swaying a bit as I walked, maybe flying would not be the best course of action. Every step was fairly difficult to manage, but it wasn't impossible. However, as with what happened with when I worked with Big Macintosh, vermin of the most ravenous degree were attempting to make way with this swagger I had attempted to collect. In my state, I couldn't try to fight them off. I thought I'd lose all that food I had been entrusted in procuring.

But, as I thought on this, a clap of thunder shook the air, as the cries of shrews of many types filled the area about me. Something from above came to be my saving grace. As I dared look up, the source had become clear as the light of day above my head. Rainbow Dash had just protected me from theft.

"Hey, Haze! You look busy! What's up?" She asked, landing beside me.

I smiled as my friend in wings touched down and joined me in the completion of my task.

"Thanks for your help. See, Fluttershy is nursing kittens, so she trusted me to watch her house for her and attend to the chores that she would be leaving behind...right now I'm on number...Ninety-Three." I said, smiling curtly.

"Oh, so you're doing her dailies?" She asked, smiling with me as she brought up my list. "Then you might like what you'll be doing for Ninety-Four!"

I raised a brow. "And what would that be?"

I read the 94th item on the list.

94): Meet with Rainbow Dash for Lunch Break and aid in her work if needed.

A grin came to my face as I looked to Dash with a smile.

"Nice! We get to have a little time to ourselves, huh?"

Dash grinned and hooked her foreleg around me. "That's the plan!"

As we crested a hill, the house was soon in sight.

"Well, as soon as I'm done delivering this cart, I'll join you!"

"Alright! I'll be waiting!"

I nodded, as I carefully descended the hill. If I botched this up, I'd be run over by my own cart. Thus, I had to gently and slowly moved down the slope with a steady backpedaling. But, as it often was, the invisible mare governing my luck made me draw the shorter end of the stick, as I stepped on a stone, completely losing my balance, falling backward, and being put into motion by my own cart. When the cyan Pegasus caught sight of me, at first she burst into laughter, but as the severity of the situation dawned on her, she quickly rushed to my aid. By the time she got there, though, the being drug about by a literal example of putting the cart before the horse had made me black out.

Yay, sweet unconsciousness.

As I woke up, I woke to a warm sensation, my ears filling with steam. I heard the giggling of two mares in close proximity.

"Oh. I think he's coming to, Rainbow! Shall we?"

"Sure!"

My eyes greeted me to...Rainbow Dash and Rarity in towels?

"Where....where am I?" I asked, holding my head, noticing the terrycloth about my hair.

Rarity giggled to me as she held my shoulder.

"You're at the spa, darling! Dash told me everything that happened. I didn't believe what became of you until I saw you for myself! Then, it hit me: Usually, Fluttershy and I go to this Spa at least weekly. But, since she wasn't able to make it, I supposed you could take her place! And besides, you've been through much work as of late! You simply must take some time to relax! A lit of self-nurturing will help your bruises!"

I chuckled heartily then. "I suppose you've got a point,"

With that, I propped myself, soaking in the warm, moistened air as I smiled. Bliss filled my pores, at least until realization dawned on me:

"I still have work to do!" I started, getting up from pure worry before Rainbow Dash stopped me.

"No, you didn't. I took care of the rest while Rarity got you here. No need to thank me; That's just how a loyal friend should be..."

I smiled, putting a hoof at my friend's shoulders, humming, "Thanks, Dashie. You're a pal."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

We all laughed at that comment before Rarity let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Ah, well I'm getting rather hot. What do you say we leave the sauna and have a nice full-body massage? Given what you two have been doing, I'd recommend it!"

Given that, I stretched out, getting onto my hooves again before shuddering away my exhaustion to join my companions in enjoying the massaging tables.

What happened at the tables was something amazing. Several days (and possibly by proxy, several years) melted away like chocolate in the summer sun...My overworked body was given the finest form of release available. My joints and bones felt more fluid and proper in their positions, like they were moving as they were supposed to. My skin didn't feel as fixed to my skin as it was. All in all, I felt renewed...Rarity noticed my blissfulness and giggled.

"My dear! You seemed long overdue for a good massage! Don't tell me you've never had one!"

In between my moaning, I was surprisingly coherent.

"Well...ah....I never thought...oh....that I would need-whoa-one!"

"Well, a good massage is good for anypony who's been overworked. Given your reactions, I say you sorely needed it," Rarity chuckled back, as if used to being worked over by the work of someone else's hooves.

Probably the only one who was enjoying it more than I was was Rainbow Dash. Fitting, really, that the athlete of the ensemble would be the one who needed to be worked over most. Her sighs of bliss as her tension seemed to melt made her seem like it was almost putting her to total rest. I stifled a chuckle at the sight of my feathered friend's blissful exhaustion.

"You really must come here more often, dear. You work yourself like a martyr, and I dare say it can't be good for you!" Rarity advised me, chuckling.

I nodded. "Should I have a good reason, I'll come back here to recuperate with you. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Reasonable? It's downright smashing!"

I smiled. "It's settled then. Now, let's just enjoy our session."

Utter bliss. 'Tis all I can describe it as.

When I got back to the cot, the most logical result I could have expected from my absence had ensued. Without their regular master, nor my companionship, some of the animals inexplicably were loosed in the house, turning it into a disaster area. Rarity cut one of her trademark shouts when she saw the mess. I stood there in awe. I'm gone for maybe, what, an hour, and when I make it back, I'm greeted with this horror?! I could barely even process so much as a single thought, I was so shocked.

"This...this is..."

"A NIGHTMARE!" Rarity blurted out, spooking the animals.

I nodded, but then as I looked to Rarity, I saw a flare of courage in her eyes.

"By Celestia's grace, this travesty upon natural beauty shall not besmirch this home for long! As a friend to Fluttershy, it is but my sacred duty to right what has gone wrong here!"

What I saw was something I never would have anticipated in a mare like her. I mean, this is Rarity we're talking about, here. The single cleanest mare of the gang, who would bemoan anything remotely related to anything dirty, was now taking on a role as a cleanliness crusader. The very same mare who chastised me for working myself too hard was now using her magics to make the house as pristine as it once was! She was like an eraser; everything dirty before her was gone as she passed. The delicious irony of it all both amused me, and shocked me, to the point where my surprise and exhaustion made me fall flat onto my flank.

"H-How did you..." Rainbow Dash asked, flabbergasted.

"Think nothing of it, dear! I simply couldn't let a mess such as that go uncleaned! Now, I think I'll be going now. Coming, Dash?"

It took a moment for Rainbow Dash to respond, still in shock, but she soon shook it off.

"O-oh yeah! Be right with you!" She shouted, starting for the door. "Catch you later, Haze!"

"Um..Haze! I'm home, now!"

Fluttershy had finally returned home after a hard day's work, and I was glad she was.

"I hope it wasn't too troublesome for you. Was it?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all!"

"Good...wait a minute...what's this on the table?"

Wait, what?

"Leo's Pet Emporium..."

Fluttershy gasped when she saw the total.

"What could you have bought that cost this much?!"

I shrunk where I stood. Had I really messed up? Or was she just genuinely wanting to know what I bought? Regardless, I simply took the path of honesty, as it was the best of policies.

"Well, uh...you see, Angel wanted a more premium rabbit feed than what you normally fed him. He wouldn't let me leave with the bits unless I complied to his demand, so..."

For a moment, I was locked in a staring bout with she who was normally the meekest of the six fillies I had gotten acquainted with. I already went into strenuous detail describing how Fluttershy's signature stare once. To sum it up, think the intensity of being stared down by a tigress (or heaven forbid, the world's deadliest of vipers) to the 10th power. Such ocular intensity was enough to force even those largest of legendary and sacred beasts to bow in fear, and given I was just an average Pegasus with a natural capacity for the intelligent, I was unable to endure.

Eventually, however, I was able to break the stare, and the cold stare turned back into a warm glance.

"Oh, how could I have been so insensitive? I should have left a little more for you!"

Wait a minute. was she just now apologizing?!

I practically fainted on the spot then. Scratch that, I did faint.

As I came to, Fluttershy was at my side, yawning, until she snapped into an alert state upon seeing my awakening.

"Oh! You're awake! Sorry if I frightened you. I just didn't know what to expect! I was just about ready to get to bed. You're welcome to sleep here for the night. I feel I must reward you in some way, so a good night's sleep should be just the thing..."

I nodded then, turning about-face beneath the covers. I was beginning to lull myself back to sleep, but then, I heard a familiar tune. That music box from before. That chiming collection of lullaby notes. When I last heard that, it was in the mysterious basement, and now, I heard it even clearer. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Fluttershy wearing an innocent grin. Or, at the least, it appeared innocent. But it was one of those types of "innocent" grins that secretly meant, "I saw what you did."

While this image did disturb me, the disturbance was counteracted heavily by the lullaby. Such odd irony was at work, but I couldn't be bothered to question it. I just allowed myself to sleep.

The morning brought me a natural awakening through what was exclusively the many myriad sounds of birds chirping. Such a great feeling comes from when you are gently awoken without the aid of such things as an alarm clock. Which leads me to an interesting note. You know how on Earth, clocks we have generally have 12 hours, and an Earth day takes 24? In Equestria, it seems that the clocks are 8 hours, with the days being 16 hours long. That means that, in appearing here, I've lost eight hours of sleep. How in the world do I even have this energy?!

Before I could ponder the physical (im)possibilities of the situation, a knock came to the door. Fluttershy was fast asleep, from what I could tell, so that left me to answer the door. At the door, I saw two ponies dressed in golden Centurion armor. One of them had the cutie mark of a curved sword, the other of a hardened shield.

"Hello, sir. We are looking for somepony. Are you the one known as "Morning Haze"?" The larger of the two colts asked.

"I am. And who, may I ask, are you?"

"We are Steel Sabre and Iron Sides. Princess Celestia has ordered us to locate you on account of a personal visitation."

"Personal visitation? What for?"

"She has preferred to not release the details. It is a surprise, she says."

"Very well. I suppose I can trust your word."

"Good. Come along."

With this, I boarded a golden chariot, and from there, I took flight into the morning sky...

Chapter 8: A Song of Sun and Moon

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 8: A Song of Sun and Moon

The early morning sun gently smothered the hills throughout the roving fields between Ponyville and Canterlot. I rested my somewhat weary body in the padded seat of the chariot as the Steel Sabre and Iron Sides (Whom I learned were female and male, respectively) galloped across the sky, their wings batting at the skies in their gallant motions, their golden (or possibly gilded? Hard to tell) Centurion armor glowing in the warmth of their queen's ever warm sunlight. As the warmth of the sun caressed my near-white coat, I felt my energy slowly coming back to me. Normally, I wasn't that much of a morning person, but given this moment, I decided I would make an exception. After all, it was a glorious sight, seeing just how poignant the light of Princess Celestia’s golden graces, which could illuminate the whole of Equestria, could be. A sight of greater beauty, my virgin eyes have never laid upon.

My energy now slowly coming to me, I rose from my prone position, near the eye level of the two guards.

“If I may ask, what exactly does the job of a Royal Guard Pony entail?” I quipped, stretching out a bit.

“Well, it's actually pretty simple. We are trained and specialized in keeping watch over not only Princess Celestia, but the whole of Canterlot and Equestria. We often keep by the Princess's side to keep her from being harmed, but aside from that, we do patrol duty. It looks like simple work, but it's far from it. We go through a lot of training to make sure that we're at our peak for when somepony does decide to attack. That is our duty: To Protect and Serve.” Iron Sides grunted, a solemn, yet cocky tone in his voice.

“So what about Princess Luna?”

“That's easy. She has her own faction in the Guard. They comprise the Night Watch. It's a lot harder to see them, as they're usually based around black ops work. They still keep by Luna's side, but the Lunar Guard isn't typically at Luna's side. So, we typically work double duty for the both of them.” Steel Sabre answered curtly, her eyes focused on the sky and ground.

I felt stupid for even asking what I was going to ask next.

“What does it take to become one of the Guard?”

The two guards burst out into laughter, somehow still keeping the chariot aloft through some form of skill.

“Ha! Good one! You want to be a guard? You don't exactly look the type to be a guard Pegasus.” Silver Sabre giggled.

Iron Sides was joining in, but quieted down for a moment. “I think what she meant to say was, it's not an easy feat. It takes a lot of training and discipline, and a lot of Pegasi wash out than Earth Ponies and Unicorns typically. Pride has always been a common foible of our kind. It's been that way since during the Tribal days. Though, we had a heck of an army.”

I frowned a moment at my hopes being dashed like that, but Silver Sabre quickly brought me back from my sadness.

“Yeah, but oftentimes, when it comes to newbies, the Princesses have the final say. When they learn of anypony who shows real promise, they'll get either knighted, or drafted. It's all in what they think of them. Don't get your hopes up, though. It's not easy to impress them. It's easy to please them, yeah, but impressing them takes a lot of gusto.”

I nodded, leaning past the railing of the chariot, being completely perplexed by the astonishing fields nearing Canterlot. I had already gone there once, but it was by train, not by air via a chariot in the sky. Seeing the green fields of the Capital with my naked eyes was an awe-inspiring.

“Heads up, kid. We're going to be in Canterlot in a few minutes. I'd lie down so you don't conk your head on the buildings,” Silver Sabre advised.

I nodded at the Pegasus mare's advisory, lying in the chariot prone, my eyes on the cobblestone roads of Canterlot's main square. There wasn't much going on so early in the morning, but that was to be expected. The only other ponies on the streets were Royal Guard, and most of them were switching shifts. The only real sound around was the sound of rushing air as we began to touch down onto the street.

“Well, we're here. We should be at the castle within about five minutes or so. I'd stretch my legs, if I were you.” Iron Sides grunted, our pace now slowing substantially.

This in mind, I stretched out in a manner more of a feline than an equine, cutting loose a loud groan before shaking myself to my hooves again. The castle was soon in sight, and seeing this massive alabaster monolith stretch past my small eyes, I was put into a heavy stupor. A magnificent manor for one magnificent pair of mares...

“Welcome to the Royal Castle, Morning Haze. Your hooves are about to tread on the single most sacred piece of ground to ever exist in Equestria. I don't think I need to say it, but be on your best behavior. It's not too often that the Princess ever has the company of an such an average pony as you. But, don't let it get to you, either. You've got a rare opportunity in your hooves. Enjoy it. We don't know why the Princess is so keen on having you here, but whatever the reason, it must be good. Just follow us, and you'll be in the throne room with time to spare.” Silver Sabre instructed, flanking me, Iron Sides being at my other side as we entered.

I naturally trusted these two, not because it was a complete necessity, but given they were the personal protectors of both the Royal Pony Sisters and Equestria as a whole, they naturally had to know the sacred grounds of the Royal Palace as they would the backs of their hooves. Plus, knowing I was being escorted by the military was as much as an honor as it was to be able to share the personal company of royalty. The whole expanse of the castle was an amazing and elaborate spectacle. Marble walls, stained glass images of times far before many generations of ponies lay immortalized in images and murals upon large arched windows. Many of the scenes I saw in the windows were vaguely familiar to me. The original sealing of Nightmare Moon, the chaotic reign of the Mad Deity Discord, among many other things. A pipe organ hummed its song from a room that neither of the three of us seemed to be going. While my instinct would have suggested that the music would lead to me to the Princesses, it seemed that my instincts weren't exactly the keenest.

However, I had another feeling that was ever so slowly cluing me in on where I was headed. While magic was a talent I was not in the least capable, there was one thing I understood fully of magic; When it was used, there was a clear example of the power of the user in each spell. While it would be impossible to detect the power of a Unicorn using telekinetic magic, when a Unicorn was utilizing a strong enough magical spell, a passerby with a keen enough amount of senses in their body could very clearly note how such extreme magic exerted itself upon the environment about the caster's circumference. While it may seem odd to describe it as such, incredibly potent magic can often be felt as an intense energy, whether it was heat, cold, or simply an intense feeling of static, like one would get from shuffling about a carpet in socks. With Alicorns, there was a a simple fact in mind. While the amount of energy in a Unicorn is so usually reserved, it is only often truly recognized when one is casting magic, Alicorns exerted a natural arcane aura. Their power was that great and intense. I could feel its radiation arcing through every last fiber of my coat, and as we neared two large doors, I knew where I was exactly. Just beyond that gate, the two Alicorns, to whom I would serve the role of esteemed guest, sat in wait in the throne room. While I tried in my best of capacities to maintain what was known as a poker face, the guards didn't need much of a clue for them to know I felt a strong sense of foreboding at these doors.

“Star-struck, perhaps? Don't worry. After a while, you'll get used to that magic aura of theirs. We'll introduce you, but once we've got you in there, you're on your own.” Silver Sabre said, chuckling as her larger companion pried the door open.

“Your Majesties, the Pegasus known as Morning Haze has arrived. We safely brought him to Canterlot, and have led him safely to your chambers. Shall we bring him in?” Iron Sides asked, his stance prone as a classic gesture of respect.

The large alabaster Alicorn smiled, lowering her head, her eyes shut for a moment as she chuckled. “Make it so. I have been anticipating this day for long...”

“As you wish, Princess.”

With this, the metal-colored Pegasus Stallion propped the door further open for me, and I came in, my head low, but my eyes somewhat focused on the two mares of the power cosmic before me. As I neared their proximity, I lowered myself prone to greet them.

“Good Morrow, Princesses. I am honored to be in your prescience today.”

The elder of the two mares chuckled.

“The is no need for the formalities, dear. While my sister may enjoy it, it's unnecessary. “

I chuckled at that sentiment, raising myself again.

“You may leave now, Guards. We would like our privacy, you see.” The solar mare chirped.

“Yes, ma'am!” Both of them shouted, saluting their sire with their wings as they left, the door shutting behind them.

Upon seeing her armored attendants were away, her expression became all the more casual.

“How are you, dear Adam? I've been waiting for the day where we could truly meet face to face in this waking world.”

I blushed a bit at that sentiment, primarily from being referred to by my true name. Curisoity had me ask the most reasonable question at hoof.

“How do you know my name? Moreover, why are you so aloof about it?”

The Goddess of the Power Solar chuckled at me then. “It's rather simple, Adam. I was the one that brought you here in the first place, so I wanted to learn what all I needed to before we met personally.”

I smiled a bit, then that smile evolved into a smirk. So she knew more about me than she let on? I had to confirm.

“Really? So you know more about me than you lead me on to believe?”

“Indeed. Ask me anything.”

“When is my birth-”

“November Seventh”

“What are my si-”

“Western, Scorpio; Eastern, Rooster.”

“What is my ag-”

“Seventeen, going upon the age of Eighteen. And your blood type is A-Positive.”

I kept frozen in a stupor for a long time, blinking. She did know a good deal about me! But how was it possible? I knew the two of them were deities, but I never knew just how omniscient they truly were!

“That is the majority of what I know, at least. Which brings us to the reason why I brought you here. I simply would like for us to get to know one another, and I feel being in this manner of privacy and comfort would aid the proceedings. This is the first time we have truly brought an outsider into our world, so my intention is for us both to share the wonders between our two worlds.”

I smiled. Sharing information between the three of us? Fair enough.

“Right, so I'll start with technology. From what glimpses have shown us, your world isn't too far off from ours in technological advancements. However, there are a few bits and pieces we have not quite gotten our hooves on. What interesting bits of technology could you talk about?”

I thought about that for a moment There was certainly plenty of devices that existed in this world and the other, but only a few actually came to mind.

“Well, at the moment, only one real advancement in information technology comes to mind. It's a device called a personal computer. It's a series of devices connected to one another that form a system comprised of a keyboard, a mouse, some speakers, a tower, a monitor, and a few other peripherals. One of the most common uses for them is to communicate with people throughout the world through a series of connected computers that form a massive web known as the Internet. Through this infrastructure, we are able to entertain ourselves in a variety of ways, including viewing video clips, browsing through images of many different types, gaming, and many other things, including keeping in touch with friends and family.”

Princess Celestia nodded attentively. “I see...it sounds like a wondrous invention. It seems that Televisions and Video Gaming are commonplace in your world as well.”

I smiled at that, nodding a bit. “Indeed. They're practically the two most common entertainment devices out there. Although, yes, you are correct. They are indeed more advanced. At this moment, the resolutions on single televisions are massive, sprawling things, and the most common medium for gaming is the compact disk format.”

“Indeed. Currently, the only disks we've had access to are vinyl records. However, it seems these are not fully out of phase in either of our worlds.”

“Indeed. But, I do have to wonder. How does Equestria get its power? Is it based off the natural flow of magic in this world?”

The Lunar Mare spoke this time, smiling. “That is correct. Because of the natural flow of arcane energy in these lands, we have found a way to use this energy to power roughly any device to our understanding. Which leads us to wonder: How does electricity normally come in your dimension?”

“Oh, all sorts of ways! We have used Hydroelectric, Geothermal, Wind, Solar, and even Nuclear Power, but the most common modes are fossil fuels?”

The mare's smile straightened.

“Fossil...Fuels? Pray tell, what are those, should I dare ask that?”

“Well...put simply, they are things like coal and oil, which form from the remains of long-dead creatures...”

The two mares looked mortified at the sentiment.

“I apologize. However, that is sadly the most common form of energy in our world. Shall we move on?”

“Please.” They both asked.

Following further discussion over technological advancement, we moved on to a new topic.

“So, what can you tell me about your race?” Princess Celestia asked, her smile having returned.

I smiled, eager to answer her question.

"Well, my original race is often known simply as Humanity," I began, clearing my throat. "We are essentially derived from apes, but not everyone is sure to agree to that sentiment. We have a natural capacity to use tools via a pair of hands each of us has. We're fairly intelligent, and to this day, we have mastered the art of manned flight."

"And what of Magic? Are you humans capable of magic?" Celestia inquired.

I considered that question a brief moment, as that had a whole variety of possible answers to it.

"Personally, it depends on whom you ask. Magic isn't as clear cut in the human world. Some suggest Magic is only stage tricks, for some, it's ritual power, and for others, it's a spiritually diverse thing. We don't know the exact details of magic down to a basic skill like Unicorns do."

With this, the Princess frowned a moment, but resumed a smile shortly after.

"A shame. You would think that with so many of your kind, somepony would have cracked the secrets of spellcasting." She chuckled. "Which reminds me...how many Humans live in your world, to begin with?"

A smirk curled to my lips as I told her matter-of-factly, "There are about Eight Billion Humans in my world. To say that Ponies are a minority would be a crushing understatement."

"If thou are not lying, than it certainly is an understatement of the highest caliber! Even Equestria alone hasn't that many Ponies! How can thy people even survive?" Princess Luna shouted, her eyes wide as saucers.

"That's a tough question you're asking. It largely depends on which part of the world they are from, and how much they can afford. Unlike Equestria, where most everypony is often united by a single banner, the Human World has so many different nations and factions of this one single, varying race, it's almost enigmatic to a newcomer!"

"Interesting..." The Princess of the Sun noted, jotting down notes...Wait, she was treating this as a LECTURE?

"Are there Princes and Princesses in your world?"

"Oh yes," I said, nodding. "Mainly in places like Europe such as Britain, France, and Italy. Where I come from, however, it is a democracy with a president."

Silence took the room for a moment.

"Thou seemest to be pensive. Is something the matter?" Luna asked, eying me.

"Well, to be honest, I'm having a little trouble adjusting to that intense energy radiating off you two."

Luna grinned, her eyes now eerily aglow.

"Ah, yes, but SUCH BE A STATEMENT OF OUR VAST AND GLORIOUS POWER!" She shouted in a voice of such magnitude that perhaps even the heavens could echo it. Of course, from where I stood, I had to cover my ears.

"Watch your volume, Luna. He's right in front of us!" Celestia noted, a hoof pointed to me.

Luna blushed, her voice lowering to a lighter tone.

"Of course, sister. I apologize. I lost control over my voice." She squeaked.

"You are forgiven. Now then, as to your concern, our radiation is a natural side effect of how much magic we Alicorns have as a race. We are born with a natural capacity to commit ourselves to the most powerful of feats. As such, it is foals' play for us to move the sun and moon, but for smaller, more delicate tasks, such as controlling our aura, it is not so simple." The solar mare explained in her stately way.

I nodded my head, but then another question came to mind:

"Isn't Luna supposed to be asleep?"

Princess Celestia chuckled, "Well, that's a common misconception. We may be the governing bodies between the sun and moon, we tend to be active any time of day that we need to. Although, our power is significantly bolstered by the time of day."

Understandable. They were deities of heavenly bodies, and therefore, being in the light of their respective orbs of power would make them much more powerful.

I was then locked eye-to-eye with the two princesses as I looked up.

"Well, I suppose we've told you enough about us. Please, tell us about you."

I froze for a moment, swallowing a rather large knot in my throat. "Me? But why?"

Celestia chuckled at me, humming, "We've told you just about all we need to about us. As Princess of Equestria, it is more my duty to learn as much as I need to about my beloved subjects so that I may better cater to the needs of everypony great and small."

"Well, what would you care to know?" I asked, blushing from the flattering question I was being posed.

Princess Celestia smiled, her wings outstretched as she nicked at them for a moment.

"Anything that you care to share with me is acceptable," She told me in that velvet voice she was famous for.

"Well..." I began, my eyes searching the room to make sure no one else was particularly watching us speak, "I'm an average person with a few quirks in the physical department, and quite a few perks in the mental department. I'm a fast learner, but when it comes to my legs and lungs, I'm the runt of my family. I grew up...well...a bit rough, but I didn't particularly have a bad childhood. Though, it could have been much better."

My legs were beginning to buckle under me. My naturally-weak legs were showing, their wobbling forcing me to the carpet beneath me. The Princesses chuckled at my weakness, but Princess Celestia did so with a smile of encouragement.

"Ah, most interesting, dear Adam. Please, do tell us more!" Chuckled Luna, clearly a bit amused.

I blushed, lowering my face a tad, squeaking out, "Well, it's nothing I feel entirely comfortable talking about..."

The Lunar Mare cocked a quizzical brow in my direction. "Oh? Is there something we should not know of you?"

My blush grew even redder. "Why, no! It's just that it pains me to talk of...some things..."

Celestia approached me then, an alabaster wing encircling me in a light, tender embrace.

"It's okay. If you don't wish to talk, you are all but welcome to keep silent," She assured me, her head craned around mine. "But, perhaps you'd prefer for us to see for ourselves? I can take a look inside your memories instead, if that would be more private."

I blushed a moment, beginning to draw sweat the size of bullets.

"Don't worry. You have our word as Princesses that whatever information we come across shall remain secret in these chambers at your discretion."

I was still fairly uneasy at the Solar Mare's proposition. They were essentially asking permission to probe my mind for information. They'd have access to every secret I had...they'd see every moment I had ever experienced, feel every pain that I had...Then again, Princess Celestia gave her solemn pledge that neither she nor Luna would breathe even a single world of what they saw outside the privacy in the three of us, and given what they could do, I felt they could keep to their word. Thus, I nodded, the Princess of the Sun offering me a thankful smile.

"Wonderful. Sister, if you could join me please?" She asked, craning her head to her younger.

"As thou wish." She yawned, trotting down and sitting at my opposite flank.

"Now then, Adam. I want you to relax and lie down. We shall induce a spell to put you to sleep. This will keep us from hurting you as we travel through your mind. We promise to leave everything as we found it."

I nodded, lying prone on the floor as their two horns crossed together, casting their spell upon my form, laying me to rest.

My eyes drooped ever more with each blink, and within moments, they had put me fast asleep.

My dreams were flashbacks of the most clear caliber to the most clear moments I had had in my life. Many of them were crowning achievements which I look fondly on even today, while others were moments I only wish would leave my cursed memory, yet they persist even today...Every single trauma (and every single pleasure) was shown to the two princesses in full clarity.

When I awoke, both Princesses bore a face mixing the feelings of shock and concern. As I slowly snapped into consciousness, Luna was the first to confront me.

"We...are astonished." She said, a tone of surprise deep in her. "Thou art well within thy right to keep yourself quiet."

Celestia nodded, looking to me. "We never realized how it was for you...but that makes us wonder...if all of what we saw is true, then just how do stand before me, your demeanor so chipper and your mind so lucid?"

I looked to the two princesses dead in the eye for a moment and cut a chuckle.

"To be honest, I don't have any Earthly idea. I guess it comes from my ties to my friends. How I have someone I can trust to hear me out on my pain and help me." I admitted, a smile on my face.

The Princess Smiled, a wing curling about me again as she rested her neck across mine.

"Truly, you are somepony who knows how to appreciate the power of friendship. To be honest, you remind me of an orchid; Though you have suffered greatly, you bloomed into a beautiful creature."

I smiled at Celestia's kind words as her wing retracted from my form as the rest of her did.

"I believe I have seen enough for one day. Perhaps I can show you some of the finer details of this castle?"

I smiled for a moment, taking up her side, chirping "That would be lovely."

"Splendid. Follow me, please."

"Whoa...so this was Twilight's favorite room?" I asked, staring into the paperback, hardbound abyss that was the library in Princess Celestia's Castle. There were literally so many books that one needed a ladder to even attempt to reach them all.

"indeed it was. When she was studying magic at my school for gifted unicorns, most of her free time was spent feverishly reading away at any book she felt she needed to. In fact, if she weren't tied by the mortal coil, I think she would have time to go through every single book here, cover-to-cover." The Princess told me with a giggle.

My eyes shot wide for a fraction of a second as I looked to the Princess in shock.

"You're...not serious, are you?" I asked, wanting to verify the ludicrous statement that had just been uttered.

"Oh, I'm very serious. She was that much of an intellectual. She was more focused on this castle than anything in or around it...But, in her studies of pony magic, she had become so powerful, I knew that she would be the ideal catalyst for the Elements of Harmony. So, for both the sake of ensuring peace and for helping Twilight's own well-being, I set her out to meet the organizers for the annual Summer Sun Celebration, and in that quest, she gained those five friends you've already become acquainted with." She then explained as I began browsing the massive stores of books.

"Which reminds me...how are you liking your time here? I forgot to ask."

I stopped for a moment, mulling over what I had accomplished after being brought into the world through a psychedelic dream of the Princess' induction: I managed to relearn how to walk and talk in the shape of a pony, survive falling off a probably-fatal height by way of an untimely rescue, shared a home with a plucky pink pony with a penchant for parties, was thrown a party by said pink pony, taught the mechanics of flight by a pony whose speed was closely on par with that of another certain blue blur, learned how to accomplish and gain an employment in controlling weather via my own four hooves, educated in the racial fallacies and magical capacities of the primary races of this strangely Earth-like world, helped redeem a braggart show pony by making her true talents shine like gilded steel, met the geologically inclined kin of everyone's favorite party pony, accompanied a colt of few words to deliver a shipment of apples to a cantankerous old sod who had seen a run of bad luck, pampered myself for the sake of showing off for my fashionista female friend, performed a number of slightly demeaning errands and chores for my nature-loving Pegasus friend, and spent roughly two hours (give or take) exchanging banter with two celestial deities over the similarities and differences between my cynical human world and their idealistic equine one.

All in all? It's been a roller coaster of unadulterated joy.

"Personally?" I quipped, turning to face the solar goddess with a smile, "It's been the best week of my life."

The sun's embodiment smiled back, more than happy that her efforts to take a proverbial fish out of water turned out favorably.

"Although, I have to say. As rocky as my life can be in the Human World, I'm starting to worry of it. Though you and Luna both have assured me I'll be back before a soul notices I'm missing, I've got a bit of Homesickness. While being here has been fun and all, I have to go back home at some point, don't I?"

The smile on the princess had not reduced a single nanometer.

"I was expecting something like this. Everypony gets homesick, and there isn't a thing wrong with that. I'll make some arrangements to get a portal ready as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I'd find it in your best interest to tie up any loose ends before you leave. Wouldn't want to leave on a bad note now, would you?"

I nodded my head, musing, "But of course, your Highness."

"Good," Celestia told me, smiling. "I shall arrange a chariot to take you to Ponyville to say your goodbyes. When you're done there, just talk to the guards, and you'll be back here in no time."

I bowed in respect before following the Princess back to the throne room, and subsequently, back into the hooves of Steel Sabre and Iron Sides to be escorted back to my original point of origin to put my chapter in this world's book to it's closure.

In the trip by sky back to Ponyville, however, something felt cross in the pit of my stomach. Disheartened feelings took me for a moment at the thought that I would soon be leaving this world, in which it had been my wildest of dreams to visit and see in my own two eyes. Then, that feeling of sadness was subsided by that harsh reality that if I never said goodbye, then whatever charms which had bounded me to this world would keep me here indefinitely, and for the sake of keeping the sacred status quo in proper check, I had to get this over with.

...So why does part of me still regret having to do this to begin with?

Chapter 9: How to Say Goodbye in Equestrian

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 9: How to Say Goodbye in Equestrian

As the chariot nestled itself to a hill just on the outskirts of Ponyville. and as my eyes again beheld the majestic skyline of the work of so many Earth Ponies from so long ago, those feelings of dread reared their ugly heads to me.

I had been dreading having to do this, but for the sake of leaving, I had to get my dearest friends together to say my goodbyes.

Within a few moments, I disembarked the golden chariot which the two Pegasi had manned to carry me here, turning to them for a moment.

"Wait here for now. I pray that this won't be long." I sighed, my head hanging slow as I walked into the morning quiet of the town...

While it was not as quiet as when I rode to Canterlot, the streets were only sparsely populated with ponies. Thankfully, the first to appear was none other than Twilight Sparkle, who was eager to offer me a smile and greet me with good cheer.

"Hey, Morning Haze! I heard you got to see Princess Celestia! How was it?" She asked, waving.

I smiled a bit and raised my head. "It was great, Twilight. Although both she and Luna were letting off some strong magical energy..." I chuckled, blushing.

"You tend to get used to it after a little while. I certainly did." Twilight giggled back.

"But you've been around the Princess since you were just a filly." I joked, which both caused us to burst into laughter, which soon faded into quiet before my face grew solemn.

"Listen, I was hoping to find you, because I need to get the girls together for something important, and knowing you're the organized sort, you'd probably be able to help me."

Twilight's face grew solemn as well after those words.

"Well, of course I can help, Haze..but what is this about?" She asked, her cheerful expression now turned to a face of concern.

"I'd rather not talk about it until we're all together. It's kind of big news." I moaned back before I stretched my wings.

"Alright. I'll go see Rarity. I guess you're off to see Rainbow?"

I nodded, before taking off into the skies to Cloudsdale, Twilight cantering along to the Carousel Boutique in search of Rarity.

As I passed through the cloud lining into Cloudsdale, I saw Rainbow Dash hard at work in training her body for what I could only assume was the Best Young Fliers' Competition. This is going to be a bit tougher than I had expected, I thought to myself, pressing onward into the fray to rendezvous with the living rainbow face to face for a confrontation. Her business was making it so I would have to engage in an aerial dance to get within speaking distance. Of course, all things considered, it was worth it to compete with Dash until she was at arm's length.

"HEY, RAINBOW!" I shouted, hooves cupped about my mouth to help amplify the sound of my voice.

"WHAT?!" Dash asked as we began to nosedive through the clouds.

"CAN WE TALK?"

"WHAT?!"

"CAN WE TALK?!"

"LATER! I'M PRACTICING RIGHT NOW!"

"OKAY! MEET ME AT TWILIGHT'S, THEN?!"

"YEAH, SURE!"

With that, I barely escaped the nosedive to make headway for Fluttershy's cot.

Twilight trotted into the Carousel Boutique to find Rarity and her younger sibling, Sweetie Belle enjoying breakfast.

"Ah, Twilight! It is a pleasure to see you! Come to join us for breakfast, have you?" Rarity chirped, starry-eyed as she often was.

"Actually..." Twilight drew, before punctuating her drawl with a heavy, "...no."

"Oh?" Rarity quipped, a look of concern on her face. "Well, what does bring you here, then?"

This was when Twilight's solemn expression returned more. "Morning Haze wants us to gather to the library. He wouldn't tell me much, other than the fact that he had something important to say, and it was best for us all to be there for him to say it."

Rarity mulled over the situation being placed before her, but after a moment, she nodded. "I'll be there. If it is of the utmost concern, then I must be in attendance." She hummed, using her magic to properly adjust her bed-worn mane.

"Thank you, Rarity. I just hope whatever he has to say isn't too bad. I'll go see Applejack. Enjoy your breakfast." Twilight said, bowing her head before rushing into full gallop to Sweet Apple Acres.

Within a few short moments, I had managed to successfully land onto the hills near Fluttershy's cottage without spraining, slipping, pulling, or breaking anything. Thank goodness for that.

The animals were out and about with their patron pony busy at work feeding the animals on the outside, before spotting me from the corner of her eye and bringing a smile to her meek face.

"Oh! Morning Haze! Hello! I didn't notice you! What brings you here?" She hummed in a ginger tone before approaching me.

"Well...I have something important that I need to say. Come to Twilight's house and I'll explain everything." I sighed in a slight tone of melancholy.

"Oh...well...okay. I guess I can be there." She squeaked, blushing before she revealed her face from behind her pink bangs again.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Fluttershy...I've just got a lot I need to get off my chest..." I murmured, hanging my head a bit.

"It's okay. I'm sure when we're all together, you'll be able to let it all out. Keeping secrets isn't easy."

Oh, the irony of that statement. With this, I nodded, before flapping my wings once again to prepare for my next flight.

"See you later, Fluttershy." I moaned before taking off, Fluttershy waving me goodbye.

Twilight, in her short sprint, had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres where, lo and behold, the clan Apple was at work tilling the farmland as usual, with Big Macintosh at the plow, and Applejack at work bucking apples.

"Hey, AJ! Got a minute?"

Applejack turned to Twilight after delivering a swift buck to a nearby tree.

"Howdy, Twi! Oh...you look tense...somethin' up?" She asked, cocking her head.

"Yes. Morning Haze came to me this morning, saying that he had something important to say. He wanted to make sure everypony was together for him to say it. Think you can meet me at the Library?"

"Ah guess ah can. Just gimme a few to finish bucking these trees before ah join ya."

"Good to hear that, AJ. I hope this is important..."

"Ah hope so, too."

With this exchange, Twilight made a dash back to the library.

My final stop on my assembly journey was to the candy-coated confectionery creation station known as Sugar Cube Corner. As soon as I opened the door, Pinkie Pie was right in my face.

"Hi, Morning Haze! What's up? You look tense!"

I looked to the Pink Pony with a straight face.

"We need to talk."

"Talking?!" Pinkie Pie squealed, her ears perked in excitement. "I love talking? What are we talking about? Parties? Are you planning to throw a party, and you want my hel-"

"Pinkie Pie. This is something serious. Meet me at Twilight's library in a little bit. I've got something I have to get off my chest."

"Something on your chest? Is it a flea?"

I dug my face into my hoof before snapping back to the perplexing perky pink pony in a peeved position.

"Just...be there, okay?!" I pleaded, storming away as I heard Pinkie Pie's signature phrase come from her lips:

"Okie-Doki-Loki!"

As the band of fillies had been gathered, I stood in the den of the library, pensively stroking my left foreleg with my right one as one-by-one, the mane six began to join me.

"Why, Morning Haze! You look absolutely dreadful! What could possibly be wrong?" Rarity asked, that same face of concern as when we first met on his face.

"Yeah, sugar-cube. you look a mite down. Somethin' buggin' ya?" Applejack joined in, an honest face full of worry in her face.

"I know," Fluttershy chirped, a bit more profound in her tone than she was before. "It's not like you to be this serious."

"Yeah. What 's got you in a bad mood, kid?" Rainbow Dash added, sharing the similar expression marked on the rest of the procession of ponies.

"Nopony should have to be this sad!" Pinkie Pie giggled, making her the only pony in the group to not bear a face of despair or sadness.

"Girls," Twilight interrupted, helping to part the herd to allow me some breathing room, "I think we should let Morning Haze explain now. That's why he called us all here."

The rest of the group fell silent then. She then turned back to me.

"Go ahead, Haze. We're all listening now." Twilight told me before she took the last position in a ring around me.

With this, I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves.

"Okay...so..You all remember how I said I couldn't remember anything from that crash, and that my name was Morning Haze?"

"Yeah?" Twilight asked.

"Well...both of those were actually lies I told you. But I had a few good reasons to lie. First, My name isn't actually Morning Haze. It's Adam. Second, I actually know plenty about Equestria, aside from how my body works. And third, I'm not truly a pony?"

"Whaddaya mean, "you're not a pony"? You look a lot like a Pegasus to me!" Rainbow Dash shouted, threatening to get up to my face, before Applejack restrained her with her teeth by the tail. "Are you a spy?!"

"Hold on a minute, sugar-cube! Let the fella speak, now!" She shouted through gritted teeth before the Cyan pony dropped to the floor in a cross-legged expression and a humph.

"Thank you, Applejack," I noted, before clearing my throat. "Actually, I'm a Human. Princess Celestia brought me here to see if such a member of my kind could exist in and adapt to life in Equestria. So, she chose me, and by Fisher's Law of dimensional travel, the natural laws of this dimension turned me into a pony. I took up the "I have no memory" excuse and the name Morning Haze partly out of the fact that a pony named Adam would seem kind of weird, and if I just went out into a town in which no one knew me and shouted "Hey, everypony! I'm a human!", there would be a lot of ponies either thinking I was crazy, or they would chase me out of town with torches and pitchforks, claiming I was some kind of evil fiend."

"That's crazy!" Twilight said, wide-eyed. "Why in the wide world of Equestria would you think people would try to chase you out of town!? We're so much nicer than that!"

"And just what the hay made ya think ya had to lie to get us to be yer friends?!" Added Applejack, the living embodiment of honesty.

I shrunk for a moment. "Well, I thought that you wouldn't believe me if I told you outright..."

"Don't be silly, Adam! My middle name is Diane! Nopony here thinks that's weird at all!" Pinkie Pie chimed, bouncing.

"Pinkie," Rarity groaned, leaned over to her Pink companion, "I think he's referring to the fact that he is a...Human...in Pony shape?"

"Ooooh." Pinkie Pie said, nodding in understanding.

"I'm sorry, everyone...That I had to lie to get this far. That this whole business of friendship had to be built off a slowly-maddening lie. I really shouldn't have done that...it just wasn't right of me...which is why..." I began, on the verge of tears as I gulped a sorrowful knot into my throat. "...I'm going back where I belong today..."

"WHAT?!"

A tear drooped from my eye as I said those words.

"But why? I thought this was your home!" Twilight asked, stopping me as I neared the door.

I hung my head a moment.

"You're right," I sobbed, another tear falling. "It was my home. But my real home isn't here. It's back where all the other humans live. I don't belong here...especially now that I've put my deceit into the open..."

"Adam..."

Fluttershy ended a hoof, placing it on the Violet unicorn's shoulder.

"Let him leave, Twilight. He's obviously pretty homesick...not to mention ashamed. For his sake, we have to let him get home..." She said, a somber tone to her voice, especially considering that these were the first words the Pegasus had even said since this conversation began.

"I..." Twilight started, before stepping back and hanging her head in defeat.

"I guess it can't be helped..."

With that, I left from the library before breaking off into a sorrowful gallop, tears trailing me as I bolted. I hadn't even bothered to wave or even say goodbye, I was so ashamed. Why could I have been so deceitful? Was this how friendship was meant to be forged? Lies and trickery? How could I have been so foolish?!

I neared the hill at which I had instructed the two Royal Guard Pegasi to wait for me until I returned. My tears had begun to dry as the sounds of other ponies faded from my mournful ears.

"Hey, kid..." Steel Sabre said, turning up her head. "Ready to...Oh...you don't look too good. Something up?"

"N-No..." I sniffled, obviously lying. I already admitted one lie, so why the heck not replace it with another?!

"Ready to get back to the Castle and go home?" She asked, to which I simply nodded, taking up the rear.

"Well, if you're really rea-"

Silver's concerned agreement was cut off by a loud, deafening, and most certainly bestial roar.

"Oh, dear sweet Mother of Sol, what in Equestria is that?!" Iron Sides shouted.

I was snapped completely out of my puddle of pity at the very sound of roaring. I began to look back and forth between the royal chariot and the town of Ponyville. Part of me wanted to just take the chariot and bolt out of there before whatever that roar came from decided to try and eat me for lunch.

No.

No. I couldn't just do that! It was bad enough that I betrayed my dearest friends, but leaving them for dead?! That was a crime I simply couldn't bear to commit. My head snapped back to the overlook of Ponyville, the tears in my eyes dried as fiery determination flared into them.

"You two! Get to the Princess and warn her about this! I've got to go down and help them!"

"Are you insane?!" Steel Sabre screeched. "You're going to get yourself killed! Plus, you don't even know what that thing could be!"

"I DON'T CARE!" I shouted back. "JUST GO!"

"Yes, sir!"

With that, the two guards took flight, darting for Canterlot to warn the Princess of the impending doom that was approaching as I darted into the hamlet of Ponyville with absolute disregard for my own safety. If I was going to atone for the sins I had committed, then this, I thought, was the best course of action.

"Hold on, girls!" I panted. the town square slowly in view. "I'm coming!"

Epilogue: No Place Like Home

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Epilogue: No Place Like Home

My eyes shot to life with a gasp. As I began to look about and feel about, I noticed almost immediately my returned humanity. As my eyes dared a glance at the nearest timepiece (in this case, the red-lit alarm clock perched atop my television), the time had only barely changed from when I assumed I was asleep. It was Midnight. Roughly only two hours had even passed. Either I was very lucky, or Princess Celestia's magic was simply that potent. Nevertheless, a sigh of relief passed through me as I turned myself to sleep again, only to find I couldn't get into a comfortable posture.

Something was up with my bed. And not simply the fact I slept on the infamous box-spring mattress. Something big was underneath my bed, and it was causing a portion of the bed to poke out jarring to the rest of the bed. Unless I examined the problem, I'd never get to bed either way. Thus, I forced myself out from my bed, my bare as a winter tree form moving toward the light switch. I shut my eyes for a moment as I flicked the light on.

Immediately, I noticed, hanging from a stand was a full suit of armor, chain mail and all, in glorious gilded steel, bearing a star near the top of the chest plate. Was this that same armor I had been wearing just before I left Equestria? Then I checked my flank, which, as if by some sorcery, retained my cutie mark, style and all. Something strange was going on here...I decided to turn my attention to what lurked deep beneath my bed. I began to lie prone, crawling across the floor to peer at what was beneath.

A Large Chest sat beneath my bed. Upon further examination, this chest bore a coat of arms with a golden unicorn with a small bit of emerald for the eye as it's opening latch. Part of me could see where this was going. I slowly popped the latch and carefully lifted open the wood and metal chest. I was awestruck at the contents of the chest.

Inside was a scroll of paper, a rather large leather-bound tome, a quill and ink pot, and, oddly enough, a skeleton key. Curiosity getting the better of me, partly because perhaps it would explain the reason behind these odd items in more detail. As I unfurled it, I read it quietly to myself:

"Dear Adam,

If you are reading this scroll, then you have doubtless become aware that many of your belongings that you have collected in Equestria have been carried over to your world. Consider it a token of my friendship. I know you'd want to have some form of memento from your times here, so what better gift than keeping the treasures you acquired? As an added bonus, try getting your hands on a mirror. If you have already done so, then you will note that all of the items that I have allowed you to keep have been enchanted by an illusion spell. The magic I placed on them will make objects like your armor look like a standard uniform, and will hide any major aesthetic changes that have occurred to your body (namely, your cutie mark) from view. Only those who are willing to believe in the tales you tell and suspend their disbelief will see them for themselves.

As for the tome and the writing set, consider that a gift from me. I saw that look in your eyes just as you left. You bore a look of longing. You were going to miss them. Being so far from your friends can be a horrid thing. My Dear Sister, Luna, can certainly attest to that. Thus, in keeping with the spirit of friendship, I have left you this tome and writing set. This way, you can contact your friends, no matter where you are. The way it works is as follows:

First, write your message on any given page of this boom. Then, either close the book, or rip and fold the page when you are done, and hide the book or note someplace secret. If done correctly, than through my enchantments, the letter should go to whosoever you designated it to. I hope to see this tome be put to good use. Friendship is something that should never have to go away due to distances. Besides, you were quite an interesting human to meet. I'd like to keep in touch, myself!

Now, as for that key you found? Another gift from me. This key should work in any door you put it inside. When used, it should activate some powerful magic I have placed upon it to open a portal to Equestria, where you may return to see us all again at your leisure. However, be forewarned, however, that due to the complexity that comes with spellcraft, it may not be entirely stable. In fact, I am fairly certain the magic has made the key quite fragile. So, I'd advise that you only use this key if you are fairly certain you're ready to return. Also, be ready for anything when you emerge from the other side. I cannot guarantee where, when, or as what you will return here as...although, considering how you did as a Pegasus, being a Unicorn would fit you much more snugly.

I hope that you make the most of what I have given you. After all, isn't friendship a wonderful, magical thing?

Best Wishes,

Princess Celestia~"

I smiled as I read the note, surveying the items in question. The book had a similar motif to the chest it had been placed in. It was a hardback leather book, with support by gilded steel binds and a large latch to keep it shut. On the front was the same icon that was on the chest: A golden unicorn with the same emerald eye in stunning relief on the cover. As I opened the book, pages of sepia color unfurled between my eyes as I carefully unscrewed the cap on the inkwell, dipping the new quill into it. Though I was tired, I simply had to reply...

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you. These gifts are some of the best I could have gotten. I'm surprised that of all things I could have kept, you allowed my armor to be a part of that! I've yet to see what it looks like in the mirror, but I hope that whatever form it takes here fits the style. I've been looking for some good protective gear for a while.

As for this journal, I give thanks for that, as well. I was afraid all I'd have after this were memories of my time. At least now, I have some form of communication for a good bit.

And as for the Key...While it was certainly not a necessity, it is still a gracious gesture which I admire greatly. If I ever am able to return, I will put this key to good use...

I think I already told you this before but...thank you. Thank you for giving me such wonderful experiences in your world. For long, I had dreamed of coming there, to meet all the nice ponies, and see all those amazing sights which had been crafted before their eyes. I made friends which will forever stay close to me. I had adventures that my lame body would never enable me to do here...But most importantly, I gained treasures not just of material worth, but of spiritual worth. I gained fond memories of my times in Equestria. Plus, who else in the world could say they turned themselves to stone to knock out a dragon?!

Should ever again our paths cross, I will make it so that I will be there for a much more...extended visit. When I have accomplished all I feel I need to in my world, I will return to yours.

Until then, may this notebook keep the ties between myself and the ponies of Equestria as strong as diamond.

Best Regards,

Adam the Astute~"

With this, I shut my new journal, placing it back where it was in the chest, the key laying atop it daintily as I moved it to a more discreet location. Content beyond belief, it took a lot for me to get to bed.

And so, since that day, I wrote religiously once a day, if not once a week or once a month. I continually received feedback letters from everypony whom I knew. With that, I was told about the wonders of the many holidays in Equestria. Nightmare Night, Hearth's Warming Eve, Hearts and Hooves Day, and much more.

As for the armor, I wore it with pride. In the mirror, it resembled a school outfit ripped out of an Anime: A golden overcoat with tastefully semi-detached sleeves, a cropped jacket with black fastening bands, a nice cloak, a cream colored waistcoat, a white colored shirt, a black neck tie, a pair of dress pants, a good pair of black dress socks, a pair of black closed-toe dress shoes, and a black leather belt. On the overcoat's right side was a the Equestrian coat of arms, shining gracefully. "Classy" was more than a fitting word for it.

Life had pretty much returned to its normal grind for me: Wake up, Get dressed, Get groomed, Mess about on my computer, Put the dog out, Prepare a snack, Go to school, Come home, Mess about further on my computer, Have dinner, Get a bath/shower, and Go to sleep. However, since that night which I returned, I made it a habit to write at some point during the day to stay in touch as the chatty friend I tend to fancy myself as.

However, as time drug on, the rate at which I was getting feedback trickled. First gradually, then exponentially, and then, eventually, I stopped getting any at all.

As any person would be from a sudden loss of contact from their beloveds, I was worried. Had something happened to separate them? Was tension so great that a schism occurred between those six friends to make them go their separate ways? Had they just been traumatized and disillusioned to their friendship? Worse off, had they died? I let these thoughts roll about in my head whilst I kept vainly sending letters.

But, alas; no matter how many (or in some cases, how few) letters I sent, no response came. When the year had passed, I was ready to just shut the book and let it sit in that chest indefinitely...

However, just as I was ready to stop, when I went to place that infinite tome and ink in that which would become its final resting place, something caught my eye beneath the bed. Perpendicular to that chest was a large pink present wrapped in ribbons. Upon checking the tag on the present said it was addressed to me, so like some madman with a chainsaw, I ripped, teared, and wrought asunder the present.

I gasped when I saw what lurked inside. Actually, at first, I couldn't see a thing due to a large note, which I took the time to read.

"Dear Adam,

We are terribly sorry for not responding to the letters you've been writing. It's just that in being so busy as we are, we've not always had time. We were actually preparing to send you this as a token of our friendship. Sure, a letter every now and again is nice, but getting something special from somepony should be considered, as well. Which is why, though my work, I have compiled some of our keepsakes to you.

From me, I've given you a book of stories I read in my filly-hood, including Star Swirl the Bearded and Nyx, and The Explorer's Encyclopedia to Everything Explored in Equestria. If you need a reference point on Equestrian wildlife, locations, or anything, have a peek through that. Who knows? You may need it!

Spike was glad to help with Rarity's contribution: A Cloak made of pure Dragon Scales. She claims it is fashionable and flame retardant, but I wouldn't test it. You did enough dragon-slaying to know you don't have to do it again.

AJ decided that, since she was growing out of it, to give you her old hat. She said it might look good on you, considering you and her practically come from the same background.

Pinkie Pie made this very special cupcake for you. She said you ought to eat it when you get really hungry.

The necklace is a gift from Fluttershy. She said that in keeping it close to your heart, we'll be by your side, no matter what. I hear it's made from a fire ruby!

Rainbow Dash wanted to get you something extra special since you were practically a friendly rival to her. So, she got you some goggles vintage from the Wonderbolts, and a nice t-shirt.

Consider these gifts from all of us. With them, we hope that we carry on in your memory until you come back.

Until then, we'll always be here.

Your Friends,

Twilight Sparkle and Co."

I almost teared up as I began to wear this equipment on my person. These were phenomenal gifts to have recieved, and now, I had a splendid reminder that my friends would stay by my side, if only just in spirit.

But then again, in reality, is that not what marks a good friendship? Even when the ties that bind are strewn across such infinite distances, you still feel them with you every day you live? That was the feeling I got then, and this is the feeling I retain even now.

My name has been Adam, and this has been my tale. I hope you enjoyed it.

~Fin

Prologue: Close Encounters of the Equine Kind

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon
Prologue : Close Encounters of the Equine Kind

Let's face it. Many of us have some truly messed up dreams. A lot of them have no continuity
whatsoever, and by extension, no overarching meaning behind them. Others are symbolic, often
showing a more clear-cut message, either as a warning, or as some sort of clue. Others still are
prophetic. A rare form of dream that shows an outlook on what shall happen next in life. However, by
far, the rarest of them were lucid dreams. Dreams where you are consciously aware that you are
dreaming, but sometimes are unable to consciously wake yourself from it, often because the
circumstance requires your subconscious attention.

In my case, it was the last one.

This night was pretty par for the course for me. I was a late to bed, early to rise, slacking teen. I'm
probably the only one in existence who can physically endure waking up at 4 o' Clock in the Morning,
when the sun was still pretty much snoozing, like any person who was not me would have. What
occupied my time when I got home, you may ask. Simple; Almost a year ago(and I say almost,
because I cannot approximate how many months I've had it so far), I finally was able to retire my
stained tan dinosaur of my former computer, and I was able to replace it with a faster, sleeker, sexier,
and more spacious HP Model.

This particular one bore a semblance in its casing to the computers around the school. It was capable
of far more than my old machine, and could do it at a much faster pace. And, thanks to a terrabye disk
space standard, I have plenty of stuff I can cram into this thing before I hit the capacity.

In any case,I apologize for giving you this non sequitur; I just like to boast about my PC a lot. Right. Anyway. I had
just finished a long-winded session of Dungeon Fighter Online, finally hitting level 18 and getting a job
advancement. My mother walks into the kitchen, where I am perched in my seat like a bird on a limb,
as she asks “Do you have school tomorrow?” I looked at the LED Display on the Microwave. I had
almost failed to notice how quickly time had scurried past, as it was now 9:58 PM.
“My God.”, I muttered, flabbergasted. “I was at it that long? “

I was never one to manage my time very wisely. But, through some miracle, I was able to prepare my
opportunity to sleep in as little as 5 minutes, which included such chores as gathering my pillows,
turning on the Alarm Clock, powering on the TV, setting it to low, but still audible volume, setting the
sleep function to a half-hour, and letting the laughter of a sitcom lull me to sleep. My show of choice?
Family Guy. It never seems to get old for me.

Now, you might be asking, “What in Celestia's name does this have to do with Ponies”? Well, nothing
yet. This is just a prelude to what got me started on this odd path. Now, time to get to the actual
purpose of this chapter.

As I drifted into dreamland, I “woke” to a miasma of bright colors and psychedelic waves. Were this to
happen to me in reality, I'd have either succumbed to a seizure, or blinded. Before me stood a large
shadow, which looked to be a large equine figure. Its wings spread as I saw a gleam from its chest
and a protrusion from its head. Then, the shadow spoke in a booming, echoing, yet graceful and
elegant voice.

“The world you are about to enter,” It said, giving me a decent hint as to the gender of the speaker,
“...is both like your own in some regards, and vastly different in others...but before I can let you enter
my lovely domain...I need to analyze your mind...to see where you'll fit...then, I'll give you an able
partner to help you gain your bearings...”

Knowing no other possible reaction, I simply obliged with a nod of my head.

The shadowy mare nodded her head, and thus a rather long consultation began. Since to write each
individual question asked of me would be a painful endeavor that his since slipped my mind, I will
briefly summarize the gist of the questions. Most of them were typical questions on how I would
respond to certain circumstances, ranging from trivial endeavors of carrying luggage and playing with
balls, to emotional situations, like showing someone how I like them. It must have been almost Thirty
to possibly even Fourty straight questions before I was told to stop.

Finally, the questionnaire was over. The mare looked me over and smiled. “You're a jolly type. You
enjoy the company of others, but you are also a free spirit...you enjoy a boundless space to gallop
about in...you are a Pegasus...born to control the skies and handle things from a Bird's Eye View...”
She explained. I guess it made sense.

“Before I let you loose into the world of Equestria...you must go hoof in hoof with a friend...who will help you on your journey. May this be a learning experience for you, young one. I feel it will be...”

Soon, the large mare disappeared, and in her place stood 6 chromatic pony shadows...for some
reason, the bright pink one was the most trustworthy one I could see...and thus, my tale began..The
colors faded to black...the waves calmed...I could see again...I could think again...

As I woke once more, I woke to a glaring sunbeam right in my face. I felt strange where I was lying.
There was always an old phrase thrown around with beds that a good one would feel like sleeping on
a cloud...but after looking to my flanks, I realized I was evoking the literal connotations of that phrase.

Where was I? I heaved a lawn as I began to stagger to my...hooves? I took a look at my body.
Something was definitely different with me.

At first, I thought my eyes were playing a trick on me. I mean, wouldn't you think you were going
somewhat nuts if you suddenly saw hooves instead of hands? I scraped away the mucus from my
eyes, yawning as I took in the scenery. By Celestia, it was absolutely mesmerizing. The sky was so
clear where I was (then again, I think I may have been standing atop it.), to the point where the sun's
heat polarized the strong headwinds of the area. But, I still had a nagging question.

Where was I? My eyes scanned the perimeter for any kind of sign, but I was too far to read anything.
So, I simply decided to ramble and see where it took me. However, as one might expect, waking up as
a pony pretty much erased all possible memory of my walking experience, so I started off fit little filly
trots. I paced around a few times, mixed with a few falls from a beginner's loss of balance, until I got
the rhythm of my hoofsteps down. As I smiled, I decided to have a look around. So, with pride in mine
own accomplishment, I trotted gayly along the path.

There was one other reason I was having balance issues. The clouds' softness was rather difficult to
get a bearing on when your feet no longer have any toes. Now that I had a hoofhold, though, I was
truly able to marvel. The city I had apparently made my way into was absolutely stunning. The bright
colors, the calming chirping of birds, the soft, moist ground...it felt nice for me. But, the more I walked
along the path, the less ground that seemed to be beneath, up to the point I was kicking in the
air...was I swimming?

I didn't hear a splash, or feel wet. I then looked down...and soon quickly realized I was literally walking
on air. Once I was consciously aware, I said to myself. “Well...this isn't going to end well, is i-”

Before I could finish my self-deprecation, I ended up beginning to plummet to the ground. Though I
consciously was aware it would be in vain, I heaved a cry for aid. All I could hear was rushing air, and
with the wind blowing furiously as I reached terminal velocity, I could only keep my eyes shut to await
the inevitable collision to the ground, ready to pass on...

I steeled whatever nerves I had, but just as I thought I was dead for sure, I heard a deafening bang cry
out in the air. Now, even the comfort of rushing air was gone from me. Then, a hard THUD hit my
back. Was it me hitting the ground? Was I dead? I didn't feel dead. If this is what it's like to be dead, I
thought, than being dead stinks. An assortment of voices then began to speak amongst themselves...
Whatever was going on, I could hear every moment of their prattling…

“So he’s from Cloudsdale? Isn’t it kinda strange that a Pegasus ends up falling from the sky?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know how to fly at all...”

“Hey, I didn't know how to fly much either. Maybe he can't remember?”

“Well, whatever happened to 'im, he's got a pretty big knot on his noggin.”

“Yeah...I don't think he's responding, either...anyone have an idea?”

“I have one!”

“Preferably one not involving a party?”

“Wait! I think I got it! Wait right here!”

A moment later, I was hailed on by a torrent of cold water! I slowly began to come too, coughing up
water. Ugh. Not exactly my ideal way of regaining consciousness, but, given the circumstances I was
just in, I guess it couldn't be helped. My eyes opened as I shivered profusely.

“Mmm...huh? Wha....what's going on?” I asked.

The visage in front of me made me inaudibly gasp.

Was I rescued by the Mane Six? I was speechless for a bit, giving the six ponies an opportunity to talk
to me.

“Yay! He's awake!” Pinkie Pie shouted boisterously as she hopped about.

“'Bout time you came to, partner. Ya had us worried sick.” Applejack said with a smile.

I heaved a “Thank You” as I staggered to get to my feet, only to fall from fatigue.

“Careful, Sugar-cube! You got yourself a nasty bump on yer head. Take it nice and easy, now...” She
warned, helping me up.

I was still surprised, to the point where a lot of people (or ponies, in my case) would ask, “Pinch me, I
must be dreaming...”

“Okay!” Pinkie said, taking a bite of my tail, producing a nagging pang of pain. Usually, in a dream,
while you can feel pain, but it's usually much lighter in the dream than in the waking world...To know
the full pain of somepony biting my tail was a clear, sobering sign that I wasn't home anymore.
Whoever that silhouette of a mare was, she just brought me into a strange new world.

My name is Adam, and I am now a Pony. Please, if anyone on the outside can read this...please send
help...At least, that’s what I would’ve pleaded, if things like paper mail were able to pass beween
dimensions.

So, there I stood. A Pony with no knowledge as to the new world I had been thrust into. I looked to the
six ponies who were soundly worried of my injuries. If my hearing was correct, more than one of them
were worried of a head injury I sustained. I guess I couldn’t complain. But, since I needed to learn
something from this, as the shadowy mare said, I assumed the best place to start was names. I
cleared my throat a moment, digging a hoof into the ground before I spoke in as best a voice as I
could.

“Um…Hello? Sorry, but I’m a bit confused. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could I at least get your
names?” I asked, blushing beet red.

“Well, I reckon it won’t hurt nopony. Name’s Applejack. And yer name is…?”

I froze for a moment. Froze like a deer in headlights. I’m such a fool, I thought, to not have found a
name for myself. I had to think of a convincing lie. If I just said outright my true name, and that I came
from another world, all I’d get was six pairs of beady eyes staring at me in bewilderment. Then, noting
the throbbing knot of pain on my forehead, I had a lie concieved easily.

“Well…” I said, still embarrassed, but this time, using it to some advantage, “I can’t remember…”

Twilight tilted her head. “So you have Amnesia. Is that right?”

Applejack was a bit more confused than Twilight was, asking “And what in the hay is that?”

“It’s when you don’t remember anything…” Twilight groaned back in response.

Fluttershy, having not spoken at all during the whole event, approached me, examining my forehead
closer in detail before shaking her head.

“Poor dear…” she said, a tone most melancholy in her voice, as per her norm, “…it must have been
that blow to the head…it doesn’t look good.”

Rarity let out a slight grimace before wafting her bangs away from her face, examining me as well.
“I agree.” She concurred, before returning to her position in the herd. “It is most appalling...”

With that, I heaved a sigh of relief. They bought my lie like a 99-cent store pack of gum. With that, I
maintained a genuine pretext of anxiety, as I blushed. I was honestly lost in both embarrassment and
in location. I had to get myself familiar with the lay of the land, sure. But, before I could do that, I
needed to secure a roof over my head. So long as I have that, I thought, I have some ease of mind. I
looked at the group of ponies before me, nervously rubbing my knee with my left forehoof, before
swallowing my embarrassment and asking then a question that would more than likely damn me in
their eyes.

“Hey..if it’s at all possible...” I quipped, shying my eyes away. “...could one of you possibly give me a
decent home? I can’t remember where I live...”

This question prompted the herd to deliberate amongst themselves, only to be interrupted by Pinkie
Pie immediately wearing the largest smile I’ve ever seen before dragging me along into her glaring
abode. I don’t know what she was thinking, but she seemed dead-set on having me. No one at all was
even trying to stop her, either. So, I guess I was done for. So, how can I say no?

As just about everyone in Equestria (or, at least, in Ponyville) was aware, Pinkie was assistant
proprietor of Sugar Cube Corner, a bakery owned and operated by the Cakes. As part of her job,
her specialty in baking was confectioneries, cakes, cookies, and pies, which she did not hesitate to
show me. The sweet smell of sugar wafted into my nose as saliva built in my mouth. If anything, Pinkie
knew how to treat somepony to a warm welcome. But, I needed to ask the obvious question.

“What exactly convinced you to snatch me up like that?”

I expected her to think of me as if I were dumb, but she simply smiled and said in her ever cheerful
tone, “Well, I know how hard it can be for somepony not to have a home, so I just decided to take the
call first! Plus, I think you’ll like it here!”

With this, I smiled. The response was a simple, concise one for me. While I felt I would regret this
later, I decided to accept her kind gesture and continue on. After all, while she wasn’t exactly the most
level-headed, she was kind enough to offer me the use of her home and and a decent meal, in spite of
it being mainly sweets. I nodded and crammed a cupcake in my mouth, smiling with a few crumbs
falling off.

To be honest, I have a good idea on what to expect for tomorrow morning. However, my current
concern now is to rest and hope that what happened was really a dream...

Good Night, Everypony. Thank you for hearing my tale so far. I hope you might enjoy the rest of my
story.

Chapter 10: The Ponies and Their Human

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 10: The Ponies and Their Human

Determination. Obsession. Hope. Those fiery emotions emotions illuminated the lights in my eyes, showing me the error I had made as I charged into Ponyville's town square, as if I were a warhorse. A true friend is more than just honest. They are loyal and unwavering, with a kind heart, a good humor, and a generous soul. But, the most important virtue to any good friendship is that spark which ignites the flame that binds any good friendship together. All those powers combined told me one thing:

I had to save my friends, no matter what sins I had committed prior to this.

As I stormed into the square of Ponyville, what I saw something that invoked such awe in me, only one thought ran through my head.

Dear Mother of God, what was THIS?

Before me stood a towering Blue Dragon!

And not just any Blue Dragon, this one was a mature Blue Dragon! For those of you versed in the knowledge of Dungeons and Dragons, this means that it would be impossible to take on alone.

“ADAM!” I heard shriek out for me. As I followed the scream, I met Twilight, who, with a hopeful smile rising to her face.

“You came back!” she said, hurriedly hugging me before returning to a crouching battle stance.

“I thought about what I did and – WHOA!” I shouted, narrowly avoiding a blast of this enraged reptile's literally ice-cold breath, only for a pony whose coloration reminded me strangely of toothpaste to be made into a living ice sculpture. “And I decided to come back when I heard the roar! Where the hay did this thing come from, anyway?!”

“I couldn't tell you if I tried! I'm guessing maybe somewhere in the Everfree Forest?!” Twilight shouted back, dodging a claw swipe.

“Figures.” I groaned.

“This dragon looks really mad for some reason! I've tried using my magic, but given how big and quick this thing is, I can't focus my magic quick enough to subdue this thing, and even if I did, it's still too mad for it to matter!”

“I see!” I reasoned, dodging another claw strike as Applejack was sent reeling back from a tail swipe.

“AJ!” Rainbow Dash cried out, catching the hardy Earth Pony as quick as she could.

“Ah'm all right, Rainbow. Gonna take more than that to keep this pony down!” Applejack roared, getting back onto her hooves as she tried to launch herself at the beast headfirst into the stomach. While Applejack alone wasn't going to fell a full size dragon, her attack gave me an interesting thought as she was returned back from whence she came.

I gasped as the realization made my eyes had begun to make my eyes go wide as saucers, a spark of inspiration gleaming in my eyes.

“Twilight, get the girls rounded up! I think I've got a plan!” I shouted, rolling out of the way of the dragon's snapping maw almost literally by the skin of his teeth.

“Gotcha!” She said, nodding. “GIRLS! HUDDLE UP!”

Within moments, the seven of us had taken shelter in the library as quick as we could, huddled together.

“What's he doing back here?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I thought he was leaving!”

“Guess again, Rainbow. He came back as soon as he heard the roar.” Twilight snapped, a serious smirk on her.

“Ah guess your loyalty is rubbin' off on him, Rainbow!” Applejack chuckled, surprised.

“Well, isn't that what friends are for?! He's giving us a helping hoof!” Pinkie Pie giggled, with a gleaming smile.

“Well, enough rambling! What's this plan you supposedly have?” Rarity asked, as everypony stared me down.

I cleared my throat and began to think.

“Alright...Rarity?” I began, looking to the white mare.

“Yes?” She asked, a quizzical brow cocked.

“You're famous for your charm, right?”

“Why, of course! A lady of my looks is hard to come by, you know!”

“Good. And Pinkie Pie?”

“Yeah?” Pinkie Pie asked, a wide grin and starry eyes.

“You know how to attract ponies with your parties, right?”

“Yes, sirree! Nopony can resist my parties!”

“Okay. You two will distract the Dragon.”

“WHAT?!” Rarity screamed, aghast, while Pinkie Pie shouted, “WHOO-HOO!”

“Okay. Applejack?” I continued, looking to the farm mare.

“Yeah?” She asked, raising her hat.

“Those legs of yours are strong, right?”

“I reckon they're pretty strong? Where ya getting at?”

“I need you to use those legs to launch me into the air.”

Applejack's eyes widened for a second, but receded after a moment.

“Ah don't think I've ever launched a full grown pony, but I can certainly try.”

“Good.” I said, nodding. “Rainbow Dash?”

“What's up?” She asked, flicking her mane back.

“Think you can pull off a Sonic Rainboom?”

Rainbow's eyes shot wide as dinner plates. “WHAT?!”

“You heard right. I'm gonna need some good momentum for this plan, so I need you to get as high as you need to hit your Sonic Rainboom.”

Rainbow's eyes stayed wide for a moment, but she took a deep breath and a long blink and saluted me.

“You've got it!”

I smirked and nodded.

“Fluttershy.” I called, looking to the yellow Pegasus, who blushed at being addressed.

“Um...yes?” She squeaked.

“Think you can help me get up to the Dragon's eye-level?”

Fluttershy blushed at that question.

“Well, I'm not used to holding more than a bunny or two...” She whispered, before a flare of determination surged through her. “...but I'll do my best.”

“Good to hear, Fluttershy.” I told the Pegasus as I turned my eyes to Twilight.

“Last but not least, Twilight?”

“Yes?” Twilight asked, leaning in to listen to me

“Do you know a Stoneskin Spell?

“Yes, I do. Why do you ask?”

“Because I need you to cast as strong a version of that spell as you can.” I said, coldly serious.

Twilight only gasped as her eyes went wide.

“You're nuts!” Rainbow Dash added. “You want to turn yourself to stone?!”

“No.” I snapped. “I want to encase myself in it. That way, when you collide with me, it turns me into a pony-shaped bullet

Fluttershy then gasped. “Will that hurt it?!”

I thought about it for a moment.

“Considering this is a full-sized, full-grown adult dragon? It won't kill it or injure it too greatly. What it will do, however, is knock the dragon out so that we can calm it down.

“But what about you?” Twilight asked.

I thought about what I was going to be doing for a moment, then I smiled.

“If I'm lucky, the force from being launched by a Pegasus going ten times the speed of sound will crack the shell upon impact after a moment, thus leaving me intact within.”

“And if you don't make it out?” Rarity asked.

I looked to the six ponies for a long pause, but then smiled.

“Then it was nice to know the six of you. I know I messed up...I know I lied, and that lie started our friendship to begin with, I made six great friends nonetheless. The six of you blessed me with experiences I would never have gotten anyplace else, and showed me things that have made me look at the world through a whole new set of eyes. I've had great times here, and I don't think I could ever find any better time anywhere else. You made me feel like this was my real home, and I can never thank you enough for welcoming me into your lives with open arms. Today, I admitted my wrongdoings, and now I'm going to redeem myself, even if it kills me.”

All six of them looked at me with wonder, Pinkie Pie brought to a geyser of tears.

“Alright, girls.” I said, turning about-face and facing the door out from Twilight's library. “You all know your roles. We only have one shot at this, and we have to pray it all works. It's do-or-die time, everypony; LET'S GO STOP THAT DRAGON!” I roared, determination flaring in me as I charged out, the cheering ponies following me from behind.

The beast was still lingering in the town, unsurprisingly enough, and left several pony-shaped icicles in its path, its icy wrath having not yet been been satisfied.

This was it. A whole town was on the line with this plan, and if we failed, we'd not only have a pony down, but we'd have a whole town at stake. Rainbow Dash darted off for the sky as Fluttershy took to following the massive beast as it stormed through Ponyville.

“Hey, big boy~!” Rarity moaned in her most seductive tone possible as she began to attempt to tantalize the towering blizzard on legs with her feminine wiles as best she could.

“Hey, Mr. Dragon! You feel liking having a PARTY?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, beginning to dance to her own personal beat, making her rounds about the beast as they kept it to one spot as best they could.

Meanwhile, Applejack had herself coiled as far as she could, my form on her legs on a precarious balance.

“Ah sure hope this works, boy. It ain't easy holdin' yer weight, ya know!”

As soon as the first glimpses of Rainbow Dash graced the azure skies, Applejack bucked me off her form as hard as she could, forcing a powerful roar through her lungs as I soared through the air, Fluttershy performing a toss-up into the empty skies. The stoneskin spell then began to be channeled onto me. Coldness spread through my form as it slowly wrapped me in its embrace. By the time Rainbow Dash collided with me, I didn't even feel the impact; I simply shut my eyes and started to pray as my destiny awaited.

My stone form collided with the blue beast in a wondrous strike, sending the beast reeling back before collapsing from the trauma to its head.

Like a chocolate shell, the stone around my form clacked away, leaving my unconscious form limp beneath.

My gambit had succeeded. The dragon was down, out, and still alive.

My job done, I succumbed to unconsciousness.

Thump, Thump.

My heartbeat. Either it was a sign I was going to make it, or my plan resulted in my personal sacrifice. Either way, I had done something great.

Thump, Thump.

That deep beating of my heart resonated once again, this time, higher in tone...

Thump, Thump.

Again, the beats were deep, but they sounded higher in tone...

Beep....Beep....Beep....Deep....

An EKG? But that means...

I survived. In spite of any chance of my plan ending me with a bang, that droning sound of my heart still beating confirmed I would live to tell the story...

I began to hear voices.

Now, everypony. He may be stable, but don't get your hopes up. He may not come to for some time...

A ginger voice was talking to what I assumed was a crowd of bystanders, all eagerly awaiting the moment when I awoke from my slumber of near death...

As my eyes finally pried themselves open, bright, artificial, fluorescent light filtered through, making me wince as I held a catheterized hoof up to block it's blinding sheen.

"All right! He's back, everypony!" Blurted that familiar pink pony as she blew a noisemaker into my face.

"Good Morning, Morning Haze! Or, would you rather me call you Adam? People seem to be pretty keen on calling you either one, for some reason." Said a ginger voice beside my bed. As I turned to my side, I saw a white Earth Pony bearing both a hat and a cutie mark of the red cross, bearing a rose-colored mane and tail, the main being done in a hairnet for the sake of cleanliness, beaming to me with the lightest of blue eyes.

"I'm Nurse Redheart. Your friends here brought you down here after some story went around of a Pegasus being launched at a dragon like a living bullet. You didn't look hurt, but you weren't conscious. So, we brought you to the ICU and got you hooked up." The nurse explained, looking toward her left, where all six of the Mane Six were in tow, and much to my own surprise, Princess Celestia.

Twilight smiled. "We never even left your side for a moment..."

I smiled back, grateful that all of my best friends were at my side, waiting to greet me as I returned from the realm of unconsciousness.

"So..." I asked, hopeful. "You're not mad at me for all I did?"

Applejack snorted. "Mad? Why would we be mad, Sugar-cube?"

I frowned a bit. "Because I lied to you. I started all this from a white lie, and I felt horrible because of it. I thought I would've become a pariah to you all..."

"And you think we'd just put you down like that? No way! Do you know who you're talking to? The embodiment of Loyalty itself! I'd never abandon any of my friends, no matter who they are, what they are, or what they did, because that's how a friend is!" Rainbow Dash said, an energetic grin on her face. "Besides! I've never seen a crazy plan like that actually work! I didn't think I'd see the day when I turn a pony into a bullet!"

Fluttershy giggled a moment. "Thanks to your quick thinking, the Dragon was unconscious for a good while. When it woke up, it barely even remembered what happened. Turns out, it had a nasty splinter in it's claw."

I winced a moment. Rarity then smiled to me.

"In all my years of fashion, I have made sacrifices and martyred myself for the sake of my craft. And in those years, I have never seen such selfless willingness to put one's own life on the line for the sake of his friends. Sure, a nice silk dress is a lovely gift, but risking your life to save a village full of ponies who happen to include your dearest of friends? Well, I can certainly say no better gift exists in the whole world!" She said, pushing up her mane with a wink.

"Yeah! And since you're gonna be okay, I decided to put together a nice party! Besides, nothing says "Thanks for saving us from a giant, scary dragon" than a PARTY!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing.

Princess Celestia cocked her head to meet my eyes with a smile.

"I heard all about your little stunt, Adam. I have to say, rarely have I ever seen such a display of gallantry from just anypony. Through the power of your wit and your friends, you were able to save this town from total destruction! That is no small feat, my little pony."

Suddenly, I felt tingly. A feeling of wonder and pride overtook me as I felt a warmness caress my body so tenderly. The ponies in the room gasped as their mouths had been opened agate, aside from Princess Celestia, who let a tender smile reach her lips.

"What, is there something on my face?" I asked, curious.

The Princess of the Sun chuckled, her eyes innocently drifting away. "Oh, not on your face. Turn around a bit..."

It was then when I turned my attention to my flank, and I too gasped in wonder.

It was...my Cutie Mark. I had finally earned a Cutie Mark. I gained that famous mark of passage on my flank, and what shone like silver was the sun peering though the clouds, as if it was shining its glorious rays through the clouds of doubt.

"It's...my Cutie Mark! I've got one!" I squealed, before shouting in utter glee, "I HAVE MY CUTIE MARK!"

Everyone began sharing their praises with me as if I were a hero of some fantasy tale...actually, in a rough sense of speaking, I was! And so, I took in the glory like a gleeful sponge.

I felt like an absolute celebrity.

After being admitted from the regional hospital, I made my way to the congratulatory party, where even more ponies showered me in adoration and praise as if I were a veteran of an epic battle. Some of them took time to note my new cutie mark as well, which made me even more gleeful. My body was still weary from the feat I had just accomplished, and the recovery from the hospital, but either way, I wasn't going to be actively enjoying myself. But, knowing I was in the company of ponies in adoration of my feat of bravery was enough for me.

However, what happened next surprised me. The Mayor of Ponyville, known as Madame Mare, approached me.

"Adam, is it? I'd personally like to thank you for saving this town from that harrowing dragon. I don't know what would have become of Ponyville, had you not done what you did! That is why I'd like to to come to Town Hall in a little while so that we may thank you in a more prestigious manner."

I blushed at that statement. "Well, I'm flattered, really, but I don't think I need to be honored that much!"

"I beg to differ, my little pony." Princess Celestia chimed. "A party is all well and good, but it doesn't do a hero justice. That is why I will also be at that ceremony. I have a very special honor to bestow upon you..."

I blushed even further then before bowing in respect. "Of course, your highness. Thy will be done!"

And so, I decided to partake in some of the party cuisine for a bit. Delicious cupcakes with chocolate frosting, among other delectable party fare. If it wasn't just the food, it was the lovely punch, which one such Berry Punch was enjoying so feverishly, she literally dunked her head into the bowl. Either she was a drunkard, or she really liked that punch.

The music wasn't bad either, considering that DJ-Pon3 was doing the work today. Glorious, bass-y techno euphoria. A better bliss, I had not seen.

After long, the party had been ended when the citizens of Ponyville left in two lines begun by the royal guard synced to horns and a triumphant chorus following me as I proceeded through a rank and file of every citizen and soldier in the area gathered in two lines about me. At the end, Madame Mare stood at a podium as she cleared her throat.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! Today, we celebrate the efforts of a pony named Adam, an outsider from another world who was brought to us by the grace of our dearest Princess Celestia. In the course of over a week, he has shared our world with us as if he was one of our own, and even when he was ready to leave, he gallantly stayed behind to save this town from another brush with destruction. Through the aid of his friends, he took the ultimate leap of faith to subdue the beast by letting himself become a living bullet, felling the beast at little cost to him but his consciousness. Had fate not been so kind, we could have lost this dear friend. So, today, we honor him with two things..." She began as I approached the podium.

"First, we would like to show you our appreciation for your bravery with the Key to the City!" The mayor said, giving me a large golden suspended by a strong ribbon about my neck before giving the Princess a chance to approach me. To which I bowed.

What I found happened next was something that filled me with a great sense of pride. The long, sharpened horn of Princess Celestia touched my shoulders from my right to my left as I dared raise my face for a smile.

"Adam...your efforts in this world have certainly proven to me even a creature from another plane of existence can stake their claim here and succeed. I had fully anticipated that the magic of friendship would bless you with its wondrous boon, but I had never expected for you to refuse a chance to return from whence you came to stop your friends from being slain short-order. If not just for those friends, then you certainly did it for Ponyville itself. Either way, you made a sacrifice for no other purpose than goodwill, and that is an admirable effort. Such bravery and gallantry shan't go unrewarded. Therefore, it is through my royal decree that you shall henceforth be regarded as a Knight under the Royal Guard's name. Now and forever, you are Adam the Astute. May you carry this title with pride throughout your years in both our worlds."

I nodded, as she withdrew from me, her horn aglow as my body became wrapped in gilded steel armor. Cheering spread throughout the crowd as pleas for me to give my own speech echoed through the voices in the audience.

Of course, in the spirit of such a momentous occurrence, I had to wing my own speech.

"Well...this is all very great. Thank you, Everypony. I've honestly never felt this honored as a hero in any time of my life before this point. In reality, I don't truly see myself as a complete Hero. I'm just a pony-liking kid who was given a chance to have the time of his life, which somehow happened to be crowed with a feat that cannot be summed up in any form besides heroism. Aside from that, I met all you lovely Equestrians, had a plethora of misadventures, made friends aplenty, and got to meet royalty. That's certainly an experience I will never dare forget. So, all I can really say is...Thank you...Thank all of you. You gave this coming-of-age teen the best week of his life."

With this, the Princess smiled, her magic beginning to form a portal behind me. "Beautifully spoken, dear. Any last words before you leave for home?"

"Yes, actually..." I said, my eyes scanning the area. "If Twilight and her Friends could join me up here?"

Within moments, the Mane Six joined me on the stage, smiling as I looked to them all.

"Girls," I began, clearing my throat, "there has been no greater honor or pleasure than being friends with the six of you. I can't think of anyone who has treated me with more virtuous friendship than you six have. Through you all, I had a lot of fun, and I got to try things far from my normal comfort zone. And even when I feared becoming a pariah, you all assured me that a strong friendship can weather any storm...and..."

I stopped to embrace them in a group hug.

"And I hope that we meet again sometime real soon..."

A massive "Awww..." hummed through the crowd as I broke the hug, turning back to the Princess, approaching the azure portal before turning back one final time.

"Until we meet again...bye, girls..."

With this, I stepped into the portal's bright light, drawing a light gasp when I reached the event horizon...

But don't go and think this story is over just yet...we've still got an epilogue!