About a Stone

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 2: A Party
Chapter 1: Escape!

Prologue

"Ah, this tea is simply wonderful, Fluttershy." Discord complemented. He was, as usual, trying his best to stay on the good side of his host. It was three in the afternoon on Wednesday, which was the weekly schedule for his tea party with Fluttershy.

"Oh, it's just what I always use." Fluttershy humbly replied.

"But that doesn't change the fact that it is wonderful tea. Even better when its in the company of a good friend like you."

"You're too kind Discord." Fluttershy answered, bushing. "You even volunteered to take care of my animals when I leave tomorrow. You're such a good friend."

Tomorrow was an important day for Fluttershy and her friends. They were all ordered by Princess Celestia herself to solve some problem in Saddle Arabia. Discord stopped listening at that point of the explanation. The politics of ponies no longer concerned Discord. Discord had indeed, once wanted to rule the world, but those days were behind him. Now, he wondered why he even bothered. If somepony else wants to do the boring job of ruling Equestria, that was just fine with the Lord of Chaos.

"It's the least I could do. After all, you nursed me back to health when I was sick last winter. I'm just returning the favor."

"Oh, I could never abandon you when you're sick!" Fluttershy insisted. "But if that's what made you want to look after my animals, then I'm glad."

"It is no problem at all, my dear Fluttershy." Discord stated while taking another sip of tea.

The rest of their tea party was spent talking about all the responsibilities Discord would have while Fluttershy was gone. Fluttershy explained what every animal needed to eat and any tips she had for getting them to behave. Before long, it was nearing dinner time, and Discord had another commitment to meet that day.

"Well I believe I must be going now, dear Fluttershy. As usual this was quite a relaxing way to spend my afternoon. Now, I am fully recharged and ready to spread chaos once again!" Discord said, animating his speech by plugging his tail into the nearby outlet and then turning on a lamp by touching it. Fluttershy responded with her usual quiet laugh.

"Good night Discord, and thank you again for doing me such a huge favor."

"You're quite welcome. Have a safe trip Fluttershy."

With those words, the door was closed behind him. Discord snapped his fingers, an old habit he had when casting chaos magic, and he was standing before Ponyville's newly erected crystalline castle. I suppose I can knock this time, Discord mused as he tapped the door a few times. Moments later, Spike's voice could be heard echoing through the walls.

"Twilight, someone's at the door!"

Confident that he had been noticed despite the size of the castle, Discord patiently waited for the door to open. His patience was rewarded.

"Discord?" Twilight said, as she opened one of the giant crystal doors. "What brings you here? I assume you didn't come here just to chat. You know I'm in the middle of preparations for our trip tomorrow."

"Twilight, ever the practical mare." Discord retorted back. "I simply came to check out a book from your library as well and bid you farewell, but I can leave you to your preparations if my presence is unwelcome."

"Well, I am quite busy, but I think I could give Spike a bit of a break." Twilight said, a small grin forming on her face. "Spike!" She practically shouted, to get the purple dragon's attention from wherever he walked off to. Answering the summons, Spike walked up behind Twilight.

"What is it now Twilight? I'm not cleaning your room a third time. It's spotless and you know it." Spike declared in an annoyed tone.

"Oh no, it's not that. I need you to help Discord here find a book from the library. Can you manage that?" Twilight explained calmly. Spike only responded with a very tired sounding "Oh", before motioning for Discord to follow him.

"So what kind of book were you looking for?" Spike asked as the two of them walked down the long hallway to the library.

"I was hoping the library had a book on ancient Equestrian." Discord answered.

"Why would you need that?" Spike asked. "I thought Twilight said you were like, thousands of years old."

"Why, yes I am, Spike. However, while I can probably still speak ancient Equestrian, I never learned to read it. And since Celestia imprisoned me in stone for so long, I never really got the chance. "

"I guess that makes sense." was all Spike said until the two of them reached the library. "Well, we're here. Ancient Equestrian should be under history, so try over there." Spike explained, pointing to the row of bookshelves to his left. After that the small dragon simply watched in silence as Discord systematically searched for what he was after.

"Aha!" Discord exclaimed. " 'Ancient Equestrian: A Complete History'. This is perfect."

"Glad you found it." Spike said, shrugging. "I should go back to Twilight before she has a panic attack again. You know the way out right?"

"Of course." Discord answered confidently. "Let Twilight know I wish her and her friends good luck in Saddle Arabia. I should be ready to return her book when she gets back." Without waiting any longer, he snapped his fingers once again, activating his magic. This time he brought himself home.

Yes, home. The humble abode of none other than the great god of chaos himself, Discord. Truly, it was humble for Discord's taste, but he had to make sacrifices to live so close to Ponyville. Though he would admit it to nopony but himself, even his magic had limits. If he teleported too far, too frequently for example, he would end up with a headache or worse. That was why he had constructed his home out of the remains of a gigantic dead tree on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It certainly is a convenient spot. Close to Fluttershy's cottage and far enough away from town to keep most unwelcome guests away, Discord thought to himself as he approached the front door.

Discord opened the deceptively small door and squeezed himself inside. Entering was always a tight fit, but it was a small inconvenience that he hadn't bothered to fix just yet. Most ponies had no trouble making it through the entrance, but it was just a tad small for him. Making a note to himself to fix the door, he closed it behind him. The house was still fairly new, after all, so it was bound to have some small hiccups.

Twilight had enchanted the tree's remains to magically bend the space inside, making it larger. That way it had room for his own library, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. He had a spacious basement as well, but that was out of necessity for storing his rather dangerous collections. Discord's magical nature was chaos, after all, and any sort of strong enchantment he made was bound to be unstable. That was why he needed somepony else, specifically an alicorn, to place the spell on his home. He wasn't incapable himself, but the spell wouldn't have lasted a week before something catastrophic would have happened.

Placing the book down on a table, Discord went to fetch the a particular scroll: the object of his research. Research wasn't usually Discord's cup of tea, but even he was curious about this scroll. It came a few days ago via an anonymous letter sent to him. It was addressed to 'The Lord of Chaos' and had nothing inside the envelope besides the scroll. Had it not been so specifically given to Discord, and Discord alone, he might have considered letting Twilight investigate it instead. Something about this was personal, and he was going to find out what.

The scroll itself was rather odd. It had diagrams and symbols Discord had never seen or heard of. Not only that, but the paper was not hoofmade, rather it was printed. That suggested the scroll was made recently. The oldest paper mill in Equestria was not yet a century old. Despite this, the writing on the scroll was in ancient Equestrian, a language so different from modern Equestrian, it shared only a few words and basic grammatical structure.

Discord settled into his living room, having retrieved the scroll, and began the painstakingly long process of translating the scroll.

*********

The next morning, Discord tried his best to feed Fluttershy's animals, but one rabbit in particular was giving him quite the headache. He was a bit low on sleep too; Discord was not in the mood to be messed with right now.

"Look Angel, I got you the carrots, why are you giving me that look?" Discord practically pleaded. The stubborn rabbit only sniffed the carrots before turning his nose up at them. That was the last straw for Discord, who had been doing his best to imitate Fluttershy and treat the animals with kindness and compassion.

"Alright you damn rodent, I'll teach you what happens when you cross the Lord of Chaos!" Discord declared, an evil grin forming on his face. Snapping his fingers, he turned the rabbit into a potted flower, and placed it up against the nearby window. "There. Now you won't starve, even if you don't actually eat anything. I'll come turn you back tomorrow."

Discord took his leave. He had other places to be after all, but he couldn't help but giggle when he caught one last look at the potted flower. Angel, now a white lily, was staring right back at Discord, pure rage evident in his gaze Thankfully the rabbit is the only troublemaker, Discord mused. Now I just need to decide what to do about my research.

Discord had been less than successful last night. He had only been able to translate about half the scroll, and what he did find made no sense. The scroll seemed to be describing some kind of magic ritual, one for a kind of spell Discord had never heard of. The smart thing to do would be to tell Twilight about this, but she's away for a whole week. Maybe if I replicate the designs on the scroll I could find out what they-

Discord's thoughts were interrupted when he bumped straight into a certain gray colored pegasus.

"Ow!" Ditzy Doo exclaimed, as she was knocked back on her hind legs by the collision. She rubbed the back of her head with her forehoof before looking up at Discord and forcing an awkward smile.

"My apologies, Ditzy. I was so lost in thought, I didn't see you there."

"Oh, that's alright." She replied. "I was being careless too."

"What brings you outside of town this early in the morning?" Discord asked, out of curiosity. Usually by this time, the mailmare was at work delivering papers and such to all the homes in Ponyville.

"Work of course. I have a package for..." Ditzy Doo said before squinting hard at something inside her mailbag. "Oh, it's for you, Mr. Discord!"

"A package for me?" Discord repeated, just to make sure.

"Yes, it's addressed to 'Discord, Lord of Chaos'." She affirmed. "It says so right on the label." The mailmare then handed him the package before offering a simple 'goodbye' and taking off again.

The package was quite familiar to Discord, or at least the label was. Just like the envelope the scroll had come in, the label read 'To Discord, Lord of Chaos' in exactly the same, very bold hoofwriting. Once again, the return address was left blank. Finally, there was the same strange symbol on the back of the label that there was on the envelope: a snake eating its own tail.

Wasting no more time examining the simple piece of paper, Discord unwrapped the package. Discord was hoping for some sort of message from his mysterious contact, but to his disappointment the only thing inside the box was a large piece of white chalk. This chalk proved itself to not be ordinary, however. Within seconds of the box being opened, the chalk started to give off a thin trail of white smoke. Enchanted chalk?

Upon closer inspection, that's exactly what it was. A spell had been cast on the chalk, but Discord couldn't determine what it did besides produce smoke. He could guess its purpose though; why else would the same anonymous contact send him chalk so soon after the scroll? They're telling me to try it for myself. Whoever this is, they know how to send a clear message without using words.

Discord pondered what to do for a moment. Then he remembered how for once he wouldn't have to hear Twilight's incessant ranting about how dangerous of an idea this was, or any other unwelcome guests interrupting his preparations. A whole week without interruptions? I didn't even have that long when I stole Celestia's magic. I may be reformed, but how can the Lord of Chaos pass up this opportunity?

His decision made, Discord wasted no time teleporting home and beginning the preparations. Before sunset, he had managed to find a small clearing in the Everfree Forest to conduct his little 'experiment'. This spot should do, Discord thought, as he examined the clearing. There is even a magical ley line nearby.

In the golden glow of the afternoon sun, the Lord of Chaos drew symbol after symbol carefully crafting a web of elaborate circular drawings on the ground. He didn't understand exactly how each symbol worked, but he got the basic principles. Rather than using energy directly from the caster, like a unicorn's horn would, the symbols would channel energy from Equestria itself. It was a slower process, but one that could produce a different kind of power. That was why entirely new kinds of spells were possible with these symbols. Just like how his magic was different from most unicorns, this magic was quite unique as well. Theoretically, anypony- no anyone, even the other races, could perform it, given the right materials.

The last bit of sunlight was disappearing from above the treeline. As darkness approached, Discord was full of anticipation. He was nearly finished preparing the spell, all he needed was to activate it. Even Discord had no clue what would happen when he did. It was curiosity, and curiosity alone that kept him hard at work. Discord simply had to know what this spell did. Sure, it would siphon a significant amount of magical energy, but even Discord could tell that it was not enough to, for example, transform Ponyville, like he once had in the past. No, by comparison this spell needed a tenth, no less than that. Why then, is somepony trying so hard to make me do this? It bothers me so much I'll just have to humor them. But, Discord thought smiling, I suppose a surprise is fun too.

Chapter 2: A Party

Celestia's sun shone brightly upon Pyrite as he looked out of the glass windows of his hospital room. The birds were chirping, and in the distance he could see young colts and fillies playing in the playground behind Ponyville's school. Any minute now, Nurse Redheart would return to discharge him. Having gotten a clean bill of health from the doctor earlier, Pyrite was in the best mood ever. Doctor Horse had turned a bit pale the first time he examined Pyrite, but a few hours later it seemed whatever worried him was no longer a problem. For once everything was going Pyrite's way. He couldn't wait for Pinkie's welcome party, it sounded like so much fun! Fun was something Pyrite hadn't had in a long time.

Nurse Redheart cleared her throat. She had actually been standing in the doorway for a few moments now, and Pyrite was too busy staring out of the window to notice her.

"Pyrite. I'm back." She announced.

"Oh sorry I didn't notice you," he apologized, "I was just getting excited thinking about today."

"I understand, you have a big day planned," she agreed, "but we need to take care of a few last minute questions before I can discharge you."

"Sure. What kind of questions?" Pyrite asked.

"First, would you be willing to make an appointment for a memory scrying?"

"What's that?"

"A specialist unicorn uses a spell to help you, and the specialist, view any repressed memories you might have and don't know about."

Pyrite gulped. He knew there were many things he was forgetting about his past, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to remember them just yet. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

"I think I'll wait a bit on that."

"Well I suppose it doesn't have to be right away. You can come schedule it whenever you feel ready." Nurse Redheart assured. "Next, I need you to fill out some paperwork. Since you have amnesia, you have no identification, no birth certificate, no passport, or documentation of any sort. Without any of that, you'll never be able to board a train, or buy a house for example."

We can fix that, if you just fill all of this out."

Pyrite's eyes widened a bit as Nurse Redheart pulled a large stack of papers out of her saddlebag and put them on the nearby table along with a pencil.

"Alright," Pyrite said with an audible sigh, "I guess I can do that before I go meet Pinkie."

*******

The paperwork didn't actually take as long as Pyrite feared it might. He didn't remember ever learning to read or write, but apparently he had and still could. His writing was a bit sloppy, but he made sure it was legible, even if he had to erase and rewrite a few words. Even so, when he finished it was noon.

"I'm done." Pyrite said, carefully laying the stack of papers on Nurse Redheart's desk.

"Very good. I'll get these sorted," Nurse Redheart replied. "You can leave now."

Pyrite didn't even finish turning around before his vision suddenly went dark as he was embraced from behind.

"Hi there, Pyrite!" said a familiar voice.

Pyrite tried to respond, but his muffled voice was unintelligible due to a hoof covering his mouth. His assailant realized his distress and loosened their grip enough for Pyrite to speak.

"Pinkie, is that you?"

"Yupperuni!" Pinkie giggled back.

"I was about to go find you." Pyrite explained. "I just finished the paperwork Nurse Redheart asked me to do. So what do we do next?"

"I've got super duper awesome plans for us today!" Pinkie answered with complete confidence. "First I've gotta introduce you to all my friends! Come on, let's go!"

Pyrite responded with a nod, and the two of them were on their way. As they left, Pyrite looked back at Ponyville Hospital, and through its glass front doors at Nurse Redheart. He smiled as he watched her, already hard at work again. I guess I really can trust these ponies if there are nice ones like her, he thought. It makes me want to pretend all that time I spent imprisoned never happened. Pyrite looked back at Pinkie Pie as she bounced at a reasonable pace ahead of him. When she realized that Pyrite had stopped walking, she flipped around mid-bounce and looked back with a questioning look.

"Is something wrong, Pyrite?" She asked, finally ceasing her bouncing.

"No," Pyrite smiled. "Nothing at all."

If only everypony in Equestria were as nice as you, Pinkie Pie. Pyrite thought. You haven't even known me for a whole day, yet you worry for my sake. The very idea brought a comforting warmth to Pyrite. It was a nice feeling, having somepony who cared about him.

Confident he was in good hooves, he began walking again to follow Pinkie Pie. Not once did he ask their destination, or who they were going to meet. To Pyrite, it no longer mattered. If Pinkie was friends with them, they must be nice ponies too, right?

Right?

*******

Pyrite had followed Pinkie away from Ponyville, which at first he thought strange, but before long he realized they were headed to a nearby farm. The sheer size of said farm was quite impressive to Pyrite. Before him spread acres upon acres of apple trees. He stopped a moment just to appreciate the view. It was then he noticed an orange colored mare bucking trees in the distance. She wore a cowpony hat, and had her blonde mane and tail tied up so they wouldn't get in her way as she worked. Pyrite had never seen this mare before, but he felt as if he could watch this scene of her working forever. It was calming, like watching clouds float by.

When Pinkie realized Pyrite had stopped moving, she looked back and waved a hoof for him to follow.

"Come on, slow poke," she chided, "Applejack is just up ahead. Don't just stand there, come and meet her!"

"Oh but I wouldn't want to interrupt her work." Pyrite replied, suddenly getting nervous. "Can't we visit one of your other friends first?"

"No, we're already here, silly!" Pinkie retorted. "Why would we leave now without saying hi to Applejack? That would just be rude."

"Y-yeah," Pyrite agreed with a stutter, "that would be rude."

Pyrite sighed and continued walking behind Pinkie as they crossed the entrance to the farm and headed straight towards the farm mare.

"Hey Applejack! This is my new buddy, Pyrite!" Pinkie shouted as they approached.

"H-hi." Pyrite stammered. He managed to muster the courage to extend a hoof at Applejack. She responded with a smile and a firm hoofshake.

"Ah'm Applejack," she greeted, letting go of Pyrite's hoof. "If y'all looking for some work, we could always use an extra hoof on the farm."

"That might be a good idea." Pyrite acknowledged with a nod. "Thanks for the offer." The farm mare's genuine smile put Pyrite at ease.

"Anyway, great timing, Pinkie." Applejack continued. "Ah was just thinking about taking a break for lunch. Why don't y'all join me?"

"That sounds great!" Pinkie proclaimed.

"Yeah," Pyrite agreed, "that does sound nice."

"Alright then, help me carry the picnic supplies." Applejack instructed, as the three of them walked back to the nearby barn. Inside were several large picnic blankets, all tied up in bags. Unsurprisingly, Pyrite learned as he grew closer, they smelt of apples. "Just grab one 'n follow me." She added.

One long walk later, and Applejack, Pyrite, and Pinkie had finished setting up their picnic lunch in the middle of a field just outside Ponyville. Though he had become physically tired from carrying the food all that distance, Pyrite still smiled as he enjoyed yet another view of Ponyville. The buildings stretched out in the distance, and the townsponies could be seen walking through the streets. After all that time in a stone cell, even ordinary scenery can be beautiful, he mused.

"You alright there, Pyrite?" Applejack asked, seeing Pyrite's lack of focus.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I'm just fine." Pyrite assured. "Just enjoying the view."

"Ah know what ya mean." Applejack smiled back at him. "That's why Ah wanted to eat out here with you and-"

"Am I late? Oh please tell me I'm not late." a new voice interrupted. Pyrite turned his head as he sat down on one of the picnic blankets. The voice had come from a white mare with a purple, curly mane that had just run up to the three of them. She looked as if she wanted to continue speaking, but was too short of breath.

"Rarity!" Pinkie squealed, "I knew you'd make it!"

"I got here," she gasped, "as soon as I could."

"Ah believe ya," Applejack chuckled, seeing Rarity's condition. "Ah can count the number of times I've seen you that out of breath. Maybe you should exercise more instead of staying inside every day."

"Quite rude of you to say that Applejack." Rarity protested while fixing her mane with a hoof. "I don't complain about how much time you spend on the farm."

Applejack shook her head, "Ah know, but it ain't healthy, what you've been doing to yerself." She stomped her hoof on the ground and put on a more serious expression. "Ah said the same thing to Twilight when she spent that week cooped up in her library and refused to see anypony."

"I'm sorry, dear." Rarity apologized, "I know you're only worried about me, but I'm just fine. Besides, I did drop my other plans so I could come to this picnic and attend the party." The two stared a silent gaze for a few seconds before Applejack relented.

"Alright, but Ah'm gunna keep reminding you to get some fresh air." She maintained. "Now ain't the time to talk about this either." Applejack said, pointing a hoof at the picnic.

"Yes, you're quite right about that." Rarity agreed, before walking past Applejack. She approached Pyrite and sat down before him, head held high. "My name is Rarity, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Yeah, a pleasure to meet you, too." Pyrite replied. Now that she was closer, Pyrite could get a better look at Rarity. Her white mane was immaculate, her purple mane looked professionally styled, and Pyrite caught a hint of a perfume in the air.
I bet this is the type of mare that likes to be complimented on her appearance, he thought. "You must take great care of that white coat. Any dirt would show instantly." A wide smile erupted from Rarity's lips.

"Double shampoo, every morning and every night." Rarity confirmed. "My, you must be quite the gentlecolt to notice that after just meeting me."

"No, I'm sure you must get compliments all the time." Pyrite insisted. Right on the money.

"A lady can never receive too many compliments, dear." Rarity explained.

"Ok you two." Applejack interrupted, "I'm glad you're getting along and all, but I'm famished. Let's eat!"

"Yeah," Pyrite agreed, "I'm hungry too."

The group of ponies finally settled down and unpacked the food. It was a fairly simple spread. There were hay sandwiches, daisy salads, and of course a plentiful helping of apples. As they began eating, Pyrite wondered if he would grow tired of eating apples living here. Still, this food is much better in comparison to the gruel I was served while imprisoned, he mused.

"So," Rarity asked, after taking a few bites of her food. "Where are our other friends?"

"Rainbow Dash is working," Pinkie Pie explained, "but she should get off soon. Fluttershy is-"

"I'm right here." a meek voice declared. It came from a small yellow pegasus with a long, flowing pink mane and tail, who was standing behind Pinkie.

"There you are, Fluttershy!" Pinkie giggled.

"Sorry if I'm late," Fluttershy apologized, "Angel was refusing to take his medicine. He's been feeling a bit under the weather ever since I got back from Saddle Arabia." She walked up and offered a hoofshake to Pyrite. "I'm Fluttershy, nice to meet you."

Taking her hoof in his, he shook it gently. "Pyrite is my name now. I'm not quite sure who I was before a few days ago." He paused before asking, "Who is Angel?"

"Oh, he's my pet rabbit." Fluttershy explained. "I have all sorts of pets, if you'd like to see I wou-"

Crack!

Fluttershy was interrupted by a sudden lightning bolt that suddenly burst from a cloud far above the ponies and their picnic. Everypony was quite startled, and Pyrite couldn't help but scream a little. Well, not quite everypony; somepony was laughing!

"The looks on your faces were priceless!" the pony blurted out between laughs.

"Rainbow Dash, that was mean." Applejack scolded.

"Yeah, well that was a test, and he failed!" Rainbow Dash explained, pointing at Pyrite. "You say he came from the Everfree Forest? I think he's lying to us."

"But Rainbow Dash," Pinkie objected, "I picked him up from the hospital this morning. If he's lying, how did he get those injuries?"

"Oh yeah? Well, where are those injuries now?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "I don't see a scratch on him."

"But yesterday I-" Pinkie began to object.

"Yesterday? Big deal." Rainbow Dash snorted. "He probably faked them."

"Rainbow Dash, this is getting ridiculous. You're being paranoid." Applejack stressed. "Besides, Ah don't reckon he could have faked injuries well enough to fool both Zecora and Nurse Redheart."

Hearing this, the pegasus lowered her head and slowly floated down to ground level. She pondered what Applejack said for a moment.

"M-maybe you're right." Rainbow Dash stammered. "But that doesn't mean I trust him just yet!" She shouted before flying off again. Just as suddenly as she had revealed herself to the ponies, Rainbow Dash was gone, leaving only a brief after-image behind her.

"How rude!" Rarity huffed. "I wish that mare cared to think more before she spoke."

"Ah agree." Applejack nodded. "She always assumes the worst of everything."

"Yeah, she should stop being such a meanie!" Pinkie frowned.

"Isn't she right though?" Pyrite argued.

"What?" The three other ponies said in unison.

"You three have no reason to trust me." Pyrite explained. He could no longer look the other ponies in the face, so instead he cast his gaze downward. "No one in Ponyville does. I just came here yesterday, yet you're already treating me like a friend."

"We don't have any reason to doubt you." Pinkie answered. She then put a hoof on Pyrite's shoulder. "And we already are friends, so of course I would treat you like one, silly!"

Pyrite smiled. "Thanks, Pinkie."

The rest of the picnic went without a hitch, although Twilight never showed up and Rainbow Dash never returned. Pyrite was curious what the cause of Twilight's absence was, but he was actually thankful for Rainbow Dash's. Once the ponies finished eating and cleaning up, Pinkie led Pyrite back to Ponyville and the pair's next destination: Sugarcube Corner.

Pyrite realized something was strange the moment he opened the door to Sugarcube Corner. The lights were off, and everything was quiet until he set one hoof through the entrance. Suddenly, the lights flipped back on, and ponies jumped out from behind nearly every piece of furniture in the room.

"Suprise!" they all shouted in unison. Pyrite, who was nearly blinded by the sudden change in lighting, merely stood still, stunned.

"Pinkie, you've startled the poor thing." Rarity sighed, putting a hoof on Pyrite's shoulder.

"You turned the lights on too fast!" another voice proclaimed. "You blinded him!"

When Pyrite could see properly again, he noticed just how many ponies there were. The room was simply packed with ponies. There were plenty of decorations, too. Banners hung up on the walls reading "Welcome Pyrite!" in huge letters. Cakes and other snacks lined every table surface, and quite a few ponies were sporting a party hat. When did she get the time to make all of this? he wondered. After a moment, he realized everypony was watching him with concern.

"I'm fine, although that did hurt my eyes a bit." Pyrite admitted.

"Great, 'cuz it's TIME TO PARTY!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped high in the air, throwing confetti everywhere. She then pulled a party hat out of her mane and stuck it on Pyrite's head. He couldn't help but giggle at Pinkie's antics.

There was a cheer throughout the room and the party was in full swing. Pyrite was quickly surrounded and bombarded with questions, most of which he could not answer.

"So you really do have amnesia?" one purple colored pony asked.

"Yeah, I can't remember much at all." Pyrite somberly responded.

"That's okay, I think you'll make some great memories here." another pony added. Pyrite turned to look at them. It was a lime green unicorn with white highlights in her mane.

"I'm Lyra Heartstrings," the unicorn continued, "and I moved here from Canterlot years ago. At first, I thought it would be hard to start all over, but everypony here is very friendly, ask you can see." She pointed a hoof at the mass of socializing ponies in the room. "But I can relate to being the new pony in town." Lyra held out a hoof. "If you need somepony to talk to, I'm usually pretty easy to find."

"Thanks Miss Heartstrings, I might just do that." Pyrite said, shaking her hoof.

"Please," Lyra giggled, "just call me Lyra."

"Ok, Lyra." Pyrite smiled back.

Pyrite felt a tug at his tail from behind. He looked around for the source, only to find it was much lower than he expected. Three fillies had gathered right behind him. An orange pegasus, a white unicorn with a pink and white mane, and a yellow earth pony with a red mane.

"Hi Pyrite!" the earth pony exclaimed. "Ah'm Apple Bloom."

"I'm Scootaloo!" the pegasus declared.

"I'm Sweetie Bell." the unicorn added.

"And we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" the three said in unison. It sounded quite rehearsed.

"We noticed you don't have your cutie mark yet." Apple Bloom explained. This was true, and was one of the things both Nurse Redheart and Doctor Horse had been quite perplexed by. Most ponies get their mark during their youth, and a fully grown adult pony without a mark is nearly unheard of. Pyrite had no idea why he had no cutie mark. Maybe he had been imprisoned since he was a filly and never had the chance to get one. He tried not to think too hard about it.

"You should join us in finding our cutie marks together!" Scootaloo insisted.

"And how would we do that?" Pyrite asked. "Don't you get your cutie mark by finding what you're special talent is?"

"Yeah. We test all sorts of things, to see if doing any of them will get us a cutie mark!" Sweetie Bell explained.

"More like make fools of yourselves!" a new voice interrupted. It was a pink filly about the same age as the others. She had a white and purple mane and wore a fancy tiara on her head. "You blank flanks have done nothing but cause trouble with that little club of yours."

"That ain't true!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Yeah, we don't trouble other ponies!" Scootaloo added.

"What about that time you tried so hard to get Ms. Cherilee and Big Mac to date?"

"That... that was..." Apple Bloom tried to argue.

"We just wanted Ms. Cherilee to be happy!" Sweetie Bell argued.

Pyrite took a step back nervously. The argument was getting the attention of everypony at the party.

"What in tarnation is goin' on here?" Applejack asked, noticing the group of fillies and Diamond Tiara glaring at each other.

"Diamond Tiara is being mean again." Apple Bloom pouted.

"Oh, so you're a blank flank and a tattletale?" Diamond Tiara spat.

"Diamond Tiara, I think you'd better leave." Applejack said sternly, stomping a hoof.

"And who made you the boss of me?" She sassed back. "I don't take orders from farm mares." That got a few gasps from the surrounding ponies. The raised voices got other ponies to turn their heads, too.

"She is your elder, and you will listen to her." a new voice commanded. It was an adult unicorn mare, with blue fur and a pink mane. "Or do I need to fetch your parents, Miss Tiara?"

"Fine." Diamond Tiara grumbled, "It's not like I wanted to meet that freak. I just wanted some free cake." She let out a 'hmph' before turning around and waltzing out the front entrance.

"I'm sorry about that, Pyrite." The blue unicorn apologized. "My name is Cup Cake, but everyone calls me Mrs. Cake. My husband and I run this little bakery, with some help from Pinkie Pie."

"Oh, nice to meet you." Pyrite responded in a dead tone. It wasn't that he was unhappy to meet Mrs. Cake, but what Diamond Tiara said was still bothering him. He tried to smile back at the pastry maker, but found himself unable to do so convincingly. Pyrite nearly jumped when a hoof was placed on his back.

"Don't mind a rude pony like her." Pinkie Pie encouraged.

"Yeah, Diamond Tiara is just jealous of your cool party." Scootaloo added.

"You don't think I'm a freak, do you?" Pyrite asked solemnly. He was made fully aware that his appearance was not that of a normal pony. Diamond Tiara's snide little remark was enough to make Pyrite question why it was he looked so different. Nopony else had eyes like his, that shone brightly even in the dark.

"What?" the group of ponies recoiled in shock a bit at the sudden question. There was lots of murmuring, and the focus of the whole room was once again on Pyrite.

"To be honest, you are a strange pony." Applejack pointed out, "But Ah wouldn't call ya a freak. Pinkie Pie is much weirder than you are, Pyrite."

"You may look strange," Lyra conceded, "but you seem like a nice pony."

"Yeah, you look pretty weird," Scootaloo added, "but your eyes look awesome!"

"You may not look like a normal pony," Pinkie admitted, "but that doesn't mean we can't be friends!"

"Ah used to be afraid of Zecora 'cuz she looked different, but then Ah learned she was a nice pony." Appleboom explained. "Ah want to give you a chance too, Pyrite. Besides, ya could be our newest addition to the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"Thanks, everypony. That really makes me feel much be-" Pyrite started to say, but was interrupted by the front door bursting open with a loud thud. Standing in the doorway was none other than the Princess of Friendship herself, Twilight Sparkle. She was wearing a crown, and behind her stood two large stallions in armor.

"It pains me to do this in the middle of your party but," Twilight announced, "under the authority given to me by Princess Celestia, I hereby order the immediate arrest of the pony now known as 'Pyrite'." There was a brief silence before the ponies in the room all had the same reaction simultaneously.

"WHAT?!?"

Chapter 1: Escape!

It was a cold and dark night. A lone stallion stood in the corner of a dreary stone room. His red eyes shone like rubies in the moonlight, and his brown mane lay flat againt his jet black fur. The room was his home, and the stone walls were his prison. He could not remember ever setting a hoof outside the stone fortress where he was held. Iron bars prevented his escape, and the only point of interest in the whole room was a single barred window. Night after night, the stallion would stare up at the night sky and simply marvel at its beauty. Tonight was no different, but the stallion could not help but shiver as he quitely stared at the moon. The cold was bearable; he was used to far worse torment than a little cold. What was unbearable was the silence, the longing in his heart to have somepony to talk to.

The stallion no longer knew how long he had been trapped like this. He might have had a name once, but that name belonged to a life he could no longer remember. By now, it was all he knew, yet he also knew there were other ponies out there, outside his prison cell. He wanted nothing more but to be free, to live out his days among other ponies, but he was powerless to escape. He was an earth pony. He could not use any magic to unlock the gate, nor could he fly up and try to escape through the barred window. Once, he had tried to slowly dig his way through the cell floor, but he wore down his own hooves faster than the stone floor. When his front hooves were nothing more than raw nubs, he decided to accept his fate until he came up with a new plan.

He could no longer sleep. Every minute that passed brought a sense of dread. A dread for the approaching morning, and what it meant. Eventually, those minutes became hours, and in the early hours before the sun rose, the silence was broken by hoofsteps. These hoofsteps did not bring relief to the stallion, no, they were exactly the source of his fears. It was the sound of his captor approaching. I wonder what he will do to me this time? the stallion thought to himself. No! I don't want to go with him again. I have to escape!

It was futile. He knew it was futile, and yet like every morning, he tried anyway. Beating his sore front hooves against the wall in the hopes that it would give way. Something was different this time though. Instead of a feeling of defeat when the hoofsteps finally arrived and opened the door, the stallion felt something else. Something he didn't remember feeling before. It was like there was a fire burning in his chest, and the fire wanted out. He could no longer hear the approaching hoofsteps. Harder and harder, the stallion beat against the wall before simultaneously slamming both hooves into the rock, as hard as his tired muscles would allow. Nothing. A torrent of emotions flowed through the stallion, and the taste of iron filled his mouth as he bit chunks of flesh off his own cheeks.

Then it happened. In a flash, the black pony felt a surge flow through his body and he felt a hot, dry sensation against his hooves. It was a miracle! The wall was melting away in front of his very eyes! Rock gave way, as powdery white sand poured endlessly from beneath his front hooves. This was no ordinary sand; it glistened and sparkled in the early morning light, like a million gemstones. More and more kept pouring out from the now sizable hole in the wall. The stallion was nearly captivated by what he saw, but he was soon brought back to reality.
He heard yelling and the sound of rattling keys as his captor fumbled with the lock behind him, but payed little attention to what was said. The stallion jumped forth, headfirst through the now barely large enough hole in the wall. He then stood in a long hallway, with many doors. Most of them had large locks on them, but at the end was one door that was not locked. Quickly, he sprinted down the hallway and opened the door. He had gotten incredibly lucky, it led to a balcony, and not a high one. With a small running start, he jumped off the balcony, and ran straight into the nearby forest.

It was amazing, he had escaped! After so very long, he was finally free! Branches, thorns, an
d vines cut his skin all over as he ran into an unfamiliar forest, but he didn't care. He tripped in some mud, even ran straight into a tree once, but nothing would deter him. Through the thick forest he kept running, until the sun had risen high into the sky, and he was finally sure he wasn't being followed anymore. Thank Celestia for whatever miracle that was. I'm glad to be out of there, but where in Tardarus am I now?

Sitting in an open clearing, the stallion was pondering his options, when his ears heard movement up ahead. Is that a snake? He thought, No, it's far too large to be a snake. Just to be safe, he hid in a nearby bush, waiting for whatever it was to go away.

*******

It was a little past noon. Zecora was foraging the Everfree Forest for herbs, roots, and fruit. These were things she could use for her potions, as well as food supplies. She had to stop, however, when she noticed she was being watched. Zecora had seen her fair share of creatures in the Everfree Forest; it was where she lived, after all. She could tell that this was no beast.

Zecora saw a pair of ruby colored eyes peering at her from afar. Their owner was trying to hide behind some bushes. It would not fool Zecora, who had been here countless times. She knew this part of the forest better than anypony. At first, she was afraid of her stalker, but fear gave way to curiousity as she more closely inspected the pony. It was quite obvious that he was far more afraid of her.

"What have we here?" Zecora asked aloud, "Show yourself, for you have nothing to fear."

Tension was thick in the air, but after a few moments of silence, the mysterious pony walked out into the open. It was an earth pony stallion with black fur, and a mane that was a mess of mud and tangled twigs. As the stallion walked closer, Zecora had to stifle a gasp as she saw the extent of the pony's injuries. Cuts and bruises were scattered all over his body, and his hooves were worn down nearly to the bone. It was a miracle this pony was still able to stand, let alone walk. What was even more striking though, were his eyes. They truly shone in the light, like a gemstone. It was unlike anything Zecora had seen before.

"Oh my, will you let me treat your injuries, dear? I'm afraid they're quite severe." As she said this, Zecora reached into her saddlebags and pulled out some cloth to use as bandages.

"You're not going to send me back?" The stallion asked, his gaze never leaving Zecora.

"Send you back where? To me, you've appeared out of thin air." Zecora answered firmly. "I've never seen you before. At first I thought you a wild boar." When the stallion did not respond, Zecora decided to introduce herself. "Please do not stare in awe, my name is Zecora. I am not from these lands, I come from faraway sands."

"So you don't know him then?"

"Of whom you speak I have no recollection. So to my treatment please do not have objection." Zecora said, as she moved closer, reaching out her hoof with the cloth. The stallion continued to stare at her, but nodded and did not stop her as she carefully treated his injured hooves. There was a long silence as she worked to disinfect and bandage each hoof, and then moved onto the smaller injuries he had all over his body. Finally when she finished, she dared break the silence. "I warn you I am no doctor. To Ponyville you must go and find a proper proctor."

"Pony... ville?"

"You have not heard of Ponyville? They are sure to show you goodwill. I will lead you there, I must introduce you to a mare. "

Zecora packed her things back into her saddlebag, and motioned with a hoof for the stallion to follow.

*******

Nurse Redheart had been sitting at the front desk sorting papers for hours now, and it seemed like the day would never end. Working in the Ponyville hospital was, at times, a very important job where she held the lives of her fellow ponies in her hooves. However, it was fairly rare that a real emergency actually happened. Most of the time she dealt with the more menial tasks of running a hospital. Things like cleaning the rooms, sitting at the front desk when the receptionist was on break or on holiday, or sorting through the many medical documents that had to kept very organized. Currently she was doing the latter, and somehow several entire folders had gone missing. Until she found them and returned them to their proper place, she would be stuck looking.

After so many hours of looking, it would be nice to have an emergency for a change, Nurse Redheart thought. It was then, that Zecora came walking in through the front entrance, with a very injured looking stallion limping closely behind.

"By Celestia, I didn't mean it!" Nurse Redheart exclaimed as she jumped back on her hooves to go inspect the new pony. It was a stallion with fur as black as Luna's night, and a mane that was a brown mess of mud and dirt. An entire branch the size of a golf club had gotten itself tangled up inside the disaster of a mane. His hooves had makeshift bandages covering them, and his entire body was covered in small lacerations and cuts. "Zecora, who is this, and how did they get so injured?"

"Yes, it is quite a mystery. I too, am unsure of his history. I do not know how he got lost, but within the Everfree Forest our paths crossed." Zecora answered, trying her best to explain what little she knew about the stranger.

"You found him in the Everfree Forest?" Nurse Redheart repeated, in disbelief. Zecora only nodded in response. Nurse Redheart then turned her attention back to the pony in question. "What is your name?" She asked.

"I.. I don't remember." He answered solemnly.

Amnesia. Nurse Redheart thought, biting her lip. "Follow me, I need to look at your injuries, and then I'm sure we can find you a nice warm bed."

"Okay." was the only response she got as the two of them walked into one of the examination rooms. Zecora waved a hoof goodbye as they rounded the corner. This could be a delicate case. I should be careful not to frieghten the poor stallion.

"May I see your bandages, please?" Nurse Redheart asked, in the sweetest tone possible. She wanted to first calm the pony, before trying to get any information out of him. When he nodded, she began working on his hooves first. Nurse Redheart had to hide her shock when she undid the first bandage. The stallion's hooves were worn down to sore, red, bleeding nubs. It was as if the pony had walked for weeks on end. No, not even that would cause this much damage, she thought. Trying not to think about how he got the injuries, she quietly continued her work, applying disinfectant and fresh bandages to each of his hooves. By the time she had moved onto the smaller wounds, the pony had seemed to relax quite a bit, so Nurse Redheart decided to try asking for information.

"So you don't remember your name," Nurse Redheart said, gaging his reaction, "What do you remember, then?"

"I was held prisoner in some big stone building. I don't know how long I was there. I finally escaped and Zecora found me in the forest. That's it. That's all I can remember."

"You don't know where you were held prisoner, or why?" Nurse Redheart asked. She wasn't quite sure why she had asked. Perhaps she couldn't suppress her own curiousity at the strange situation the black stallion had been in.

"No, I don't."

Silence filled the room as the awkward conversation came to an abrupt halt, so Nurse Redheart decided to continue working quietly. She took notes about what the mysterious pony had said. She wrote a full medical report as well, detailing all of his injuries. When she had finished with the task at hoof, she broke the silence.

"I'm going to go fetch the doctor now. I'll be right back." Nurse Redheart explained before briefly leaving the room.

"Okay." was once again the only responce she got.

*******

Twilight and Spike were on their usual weekly grocery shopping run when suddenly a famliar voice called to them from behind. Twilight instantly recognized the voice as Zecora's.

"Twilight Sparkle for my intrusion you must excuse, but I have important news."

"Zecora?" Spike said in a confused tone.

"What kind of news?" Twilight asked. On cue, there was an abrupt flash of pink, and suddenly Pinkie Pie stood between Twilight and the zebra pony.

"Is it a surprise?" Pinkie asked, her eyes growing large as she stared straight at Zecora. "I love surprises! Oh what is it!" Before Zecora could answer, she put her hoof on Zecora's mouth. "Wait, I can guess it!"

Zecora, Twilight, and Spike all stared at Pinkie Pie and her sudden entrance for a few moments. Pinkie stayed completely still, except her back left leg, which would not stop twitching. There the two of them stood, eyes locked. Twilight put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. She was usually very supportive of her friend's strange behaviour, but this was getting a little silly, even for Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, I'm kind of in the middle of shopping, maybe you could let her talk?" Twilight said in a pleading tone. In response, Pinkie took her hoof off of Zecora's mouth.

"Please let me explain; I do not wish to spend your time in vain. I met a strange pony in the forest, and I believe he is no tourist." Zecora finally said. "If you wish to meet him, to Ponyville hospital you must go. He seemed quite lost, but more than that I do not know. That and his wounds were quite severe, but for his health I no longer fear."

"So you're saying we need to go meet this new pony?" Twilight said, unsure if she understood.

"A new pony?" Pinkie practically shouted. Then she made a gasping noise that Twilight was quite familiar with. It was Pinkie's 'Oh no I have to plan a party very quickly!' gasp.

"Wait Pinkie! If he's in the hospital I don't think we can throw him a party just yet." Twilight cautioned.

"I agree that it would be best to wait. He requires rest in his current state." Zecora said, nodding.

"So what's his name?" Pinkie said, changing the subject without missing a beat.

"The poor pony knows not his name, nor from whence he came." Zecora answered in a pitying tone.

"He has amnesia?" Twilight asked, not able to hide her disbelief.

"Twilight, what's amnesia?" Spike asked. Twilight blinked a few times, she almost forgot she had brought Spike with her.

"I'll explain later Spike. For now, take the groceries back to the castle and then you can have the rest of the day off." Twilight answered, trying to get the baby dragon away from the converation and its possible implications.

"Fine, but you owe me." Spike nonchalantly said while waving a claw and walking off.

"Come on, Twilight, let's go meet the new pony!" Pinkie said, starting to shake again.

"Yeah," Twilight sighed as she picked up her saddlebags again, "lets go."

*******

After a quick chat with Nurse Redheart, Twilight and Pinkie casually strolled through the door to the new pony's room. On the bed, was a stallion with a jet black coat of fur, bright ruby colored eyes, and a mane that was equally red. There were bandages scattered all over his body, and he wore a forced smile on his face. Twilight immidiately recognized the sign of nervousness, and tried to ease his fears by approaching with a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not a doctor." Twilight said, doing her best imitation of Fluttershy talking to an injured animal. "I'm just here to talk." She had been warned by Nurse Redheart to be cautious about what she said to the poor stallion, and Twilight didn't want to make a bad first impression.

"If you're not a doctor, then who are you?" The injured pony asked. Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but Pinkie beat her to it.

"I'm Pinkamenia Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie!" the pink pony said, introducing herself in a sing-song tone. "I just love meeting new ponies. If I knew you were coming to Ponyville, I would have planed you a welcome party, but since you're in the hospital I guess it would have gotten postponed or turned into a get-well party instead. That's okay though because I can just throw you a party tomorrow!"

Twilight stifled a giggle. At least I talked her out of doing it today.

"And I 'm Twilight Sparkle. Technically I'm the Princess of Friendship, but I perfer to think of myself as just a normal, well-read pony with some very dependable friends." Twilight explained as she slowly approached the bed.

"So what's your name?" Pinkie asked, without any forethought.

"I.. don't know." The stallion answered, practically choking on the words. Twilight nodded, since she had already heard from Zecora and the nurse. However, Pinkie responded with a particular gasping noise Twilight had only heard her use a few times before.

"You dont know your own name?" Pinkie practically shouted at the poor pony. "That is so sad! I know, I'll can give you a name! What about Licorish? You're black and red, just like licorish!"

"Pinkie I don't think thats an appropriate name for a stallion." Twilight argued. "I agree he needs a name though."

"A stallion's name, huh?" Pinkie said thoughtfully, scratching her chin with a hoof.

"You grew up on a rock farm right, Pinkie? What about naming him after a mineral, like sulfur or onyx?"

"Well, I don't know as much as my other sisters, but Maud taught me a whole bunch about minerals. I think he looks like a Spinel or a Hematite." Pinkie scratched her head with a hoof for a few moments. "Those all sound boring though, I think he should have a fun sounding name like Pyrite!"

"Why name him after pyrite? He doesn't have a brown coat." Twilight asked.

"No, he doesn't," Pinkie responded simply, "but pyrite was always my favorite mineral as a filly, and I love the name. Besides, his mane is a golden brown, right? Just like pyrite!"

"Okay Pinkie, but shouldn't we name him something that-"Twilight started to argue, but she was interrupted by the new pony.

"I think Pyrite is a good name." He said.

"You do?" Twilight said, unable to hide her surprise in her voice.

"You do!" Pinkie was much happier to hear that. "That settles it, your name will be Pyrite from now on!"

Pyrite smiled. It felt good to have a name again. He felt like a long time ago he might have had a name, but he was no longer able to remember anything from before his captivity with any clarity. Even his captivity itself was becoming a blurry mess in his mind. When he tried to remember anything from more than a few days ago, his head started to hurt.

"What's wrong, aren't you glad to have a name?" Pinkie asked.

"Yeah I am." Pyrite assured her. "I'm just tired I guess." he sighed. It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either. He had every reason to be tired. Not having many memories and getting constant headaches was very exhausting and Nurse Redheart was very insistent that he got plenty of rest today. Still, he felt bad turning away these nice ponies who came to meet him.

"Okay, well take this get-well card I whipped up for you." Pinkie said, while pulling a card out of her fluffy pink mane. She handed it to Pyrite, who read the 'Get well soon!' on the front in big, bold, multicolored letters. "And we'll be back tomorrow for your party!"

"Yeah, get plenty of rest, we can sort out the details of where you will stay in Ponyville tomorrow." Twilight added. She then turned the lights out on her way out of the door. Once in the hallway, she started drafting up a letter to Princess Celestia. This 'Pyrite' is probably harmless, but his appearance was definately unusual enough that it warranted informing the Princess, just in case. Who knows, the Princess might even know something about him, or be able to help him in some way.

Meanwhile, Pinkie had bounced her way entirely out of the building in a flash. Within minutes, she was working at a speed that would impress even Rainbow Dash to plan her party for tomorrow. It was up to her to help Pyrite make new friends in Ponyville, and she wasn't going to let him down!

"Comon Gummy!" She said, grabbing various supplies from Sugarcube Corner. "We've got work to do!"