The Chronicles of Endless Wire

Chapters

Chapter 1: Introductions
Chapter 2: Meeting Fluttershy
Chapter 3: Arrival in Ponyville
Chapter 4: Settling In
Chapter 5: A Burnt-Out Soul
Chapter 6: Inconvenient Truths and Scratched Surfaces
Chapter 7: Acceptability and Exceptionality
Chapter 8: New Beginnings

Chapter 1: Introductions

Who am I? Well, for one instance, I'm a young Earth stallion. For several other instances, I have brown eyes, a navy blue coat, an extremely curly dark brown mane and tail, and a patch of stubble around my muzzle. But like all ponies, I wouldn't be complete without a name: I happen to go by the name of Endless. Endless Wire.

You might be wondering: how in the wide, wide world of Equestria did I receive a name like that?! Well, if you're familiar with the singer/songwriter Gordon Lighthoof, you just might have heard his song "Endless Wire" - which leads back to my name...

I've always been prone to letting my mind wander: as one lyric from Lighthoof's song goes, "My mind is an endless wire". According to my parents, even when I was less than a year old, I was here, there, and everywhere - Mom and Dad appropriately christened me Endless Wire, and I've stuck with that name for life. How could I possibly change it, after all I've gone through?!

Although I was super spontaneous, even as a colt, I had a few very fixed interests, which made it hard for me to make friends or concentrate on my work in school. In fact, my mind was such an endless wire, that I earned a cutie mark of a tangled wire when I was only in first grade! My aides tried to help me overcome my scatterbrained approach to the academic world up until my middle school years, some much kinder than others. Kindness. That's the number 1 thing in life I could never get enough of. Even those I'm closest to - including some of my own relatives - have never come close to fitting that bill, let alone understanding me.

By now, you might be wondering: just what are these so-called "fixed interests"? Well, I've always been fascinated specifically by animals and storybooks. Writing my own fan fiction, and more recently majoring in English, have helped to flesh out my interest in all kinds of literature, and come up with ideas of how to put my talent for writing to good use.

My love for animals has also profoundly influenced my life, and helped my parents to decide that the family dog was primarily mine to be responsible for. In case you're wondering, he's a golden retriever (the best dog breed in the world, if you ask me), and his name is Naphtali - Tali for short, so he could learn his name better as a puppy, and come when we called him. He can be pretty skittish and overly cautious; but you could never meet a sweeter, loyaler, more affectionate dog. I'm proud to call him my bestest buddy!

Even though I've gradually come out of my shell and opened up socially, I've always been rather awkward, and never exactly sure what to make of my life. But settling in Ponyville, the friendliest town you could ever hope to come across, has helped me tremendously in terms of feeling more grounded and secure than I've ever felt in ages. It hasn't been without its rough patches and conflict, but it's undeniably turned my life around, and made me the happiest and most at ease I've ever been; and if you're an obsessive-compulsive, anxiety-prone pony like me, that's a good thing! As you read on, you'll be sure to discover why...

It was almost a year after I'd graduated from college. Naphtali and I were living in a shabby Manehattan apartment, with nothing to get by on but the income I'd earned from the various internships and minimum-wage jobs I'd bounced to and from over the months, as well as my parents' generous monthly contribution of 100 bits. Oddly enough, none of the internships I managed to land involved writing, even though I'd tried repeatedly to land jobs that did!

Although I was grateful for my parents' support, I still yearned for a solid, more secure way of making a living, as well as a more peaceful change of scenery: I've never been much of a city pony, and I don't know if I ever will be. More importantly, I wanted to do something I loved. You can therefore imagine my excitement one morning, when I came across a "help wanted" ad and application in Equestria Daily from the Ponyville Pet Center. "That's exactly what I need!" I cried enthusiastically.

Tali's sensitive ears picked up my outburst: he straightened up, turned toward the door, and bayed his iconic bay I'd gotten so used to hearing over the years. "Tali you goofball!" I laughed. "Nopony's out there - that was just me!" Tali only continued to bark alertly, so I trotted over and gently patted him on the head. "Calm down, Tali," I soothed. "Everything's fine. In fact, everything's great: I think I found something that could benefit us both! Just listen to this!" I began to read the ad aloud:

Ponyville Pet Center short-hooved and in need of extra caretaker. If interested, please send in the following application to our manager Miss Fluttershy within the next two weeks. We look forward to hearing from you!

"Ponyville," I murmured. "That's just what we need to get away from all this urban hustle and bustle, and get to do something we enjoy. I'll be more at ease, and you'll have more space to run. You know how much you love that!" I added, giving Tali a scratch behind the ear. "I think I just might contact this Miss Fluttershy."

After breakfast, I telephoned my parents and told them of my plan. Although they were initially skeptical, they finally approved once I promised them I'd keep in touch as often as possible. Next I set to work on the application, which required a brief essay explaining to Miss Fluttershy why I'd be the right pony for the job. Two weeks passed, and finally, I heard back from Ponyville. My heart pounded as I opened the letter...and the answer was...YES!!! I had gotten the job, and could move in as soon as possible! I knew that this transition would change my life, as well as Tali's; but little did I know the extent to which it would...

Author's Note

In the next chapter, Endless and Tali will start their journey to Ponyville!

Tali is actually my dog in real life: I saw it only fitting to adapt him into Equestria as my ponysona's pet. For that same matter, I'm trying to make Endless' personality reflect how much becoming a brony made me a much more positive person.

Chapter 2: Meeting Fluttershy

Another week passed, and before I knew it, it was time for Tali and me to make the journey to Ponyville. I'd packed our bags, resigned from my most recent internship, reserved a vacant apartment in our new home, and made the arrangements with my old apartment's landlady to move out. All we had to do now was make the short trek to the Manehattan train station.

Awkward as ever, I ambled down the street with my stuffed saddlebags draped across my back, my suitcase hooked to my tail and trundling along behind me, and Tali's leash grasped between my teeth. You can only imagine my relief when, at last, I had bought our tickets, and collapsed into a seat in one of the coaches of the Friendship Express. "I need to buy myself a cart one of these days," I groaned, exhausted. But Tali put an affectionate paw on my hoof, and I couldn't help but smile.

I smiled again when I heard a sprightly blast from the locomotive's whistle: steam trains are another big interest of mine. I patted the seat beside me invitingly, Tali jumped up next to me, and we gazed out the window as the train chuffed away. Before I knew it, Manehattan was far in the distance. Our new life was just beginning...

The train only had to stop in Canterlot before we reached Ponyville. Our coach was soon crowded as more passengers stepped aboard. Not long after we departed, I saw a young pegasus mare tiptoeing cautiously toward our seat, a small white rabbit hopping along behind her. This was, by far, the most beautiful mare I had ever laid eyes on: her coat was a soft yellow, perfectly adorned by placid teal eyes and a flowy pink mane and tail. As she came nearer, I could see that she had three pink butterflies for a cutie mark. She seemed rather anxious and overwhelmed, much like the way I could be myself, but very sweet nonetheless.

The pegasus stopped before me, and said in a soft, tremulous voice, "Um, excuse me, sir? I hope it's not too much to ask, but...may we sit across from you? We can't find any other open seats."

I smiled obligingly. "We don't mind at all; do we, Tali?"

Tali wagged his tail cheerfully in reply. The newcomer's gaze drifted to him, and all at once, her shyness faded. "A golden retriever!" she gasped, eagerly rushing past me. "Hello there!" she murmured dotingly, stroking Tali's fur and letting him sniff her curiously. "Aren't you a sweetheart? And so handsome too! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

I blushed and stifled a chuckle. I loved animals myself, and plenty of other young mares had fawned over my dog before; but never before had he charmed a mare out of her shell so quickly and so intensely!

The pegasus giggled sweetly as Tali licked her cheek. "What did you say his name was again?"

"Tali. Short for Naphtali," I replied.

"Hi, Tali!" she cooed. "Hi, baby!"

We suddenly heard a thumping noise. The mare looked down to see the little rabbit tapping his foot imperiously, with his arms crossed and an indignant frown across his face. "Oh, sorry, Angel!" she said hastily, bending down and taking him in her hooves. "I haven't forgotten you." She turned back to Tali. "Tali, this is Angel Bunny. He's my special friend."

Canine instincts kicking in, Tali put his nose right in Angel's face and sniffed him intensely. "Easy, boy," I said cautiously; but the next thing I knew, Angel gave Tali a sharp slap across the muzzle! The frightened retriever instantly backed off, and nuzzled against me for comfort.

"Angel!" his owner scolded, whisking him away before he could do anymore harm. "Bad boy! That's no way to make a new friend! Now you just say you're sorry, or you're not getting any dessert tonight!"

Angel only turned up his nose and shrugged indifferently. "I mean it, mister!" the pegasus grimaced. "Don't make me give you...the Stare!"

Angel's ears stood on end: obviously, this "Stare" was not something to look forward to. Pulling the best face of guilt he could, he bounded to our seat and cautiously took one of Tali's paws in his, as if begging for forgiveness. Tali pulled away, still uncomfortable, leaving Angel to pout sulkily.

The mare looked at me sheepishly. "I'm so sorry about that," she apologized. "He does have a bit of an attitude, but he's not usually that bad."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I replied reassuringly. "Tali has some boundary issues when it comes to smaller animals: he never learns from experiences like this!"

The pegasus giggled. "Oh, well. He's a dog; can you blame him really?"

"I guess not!" I chuckled. "By the way, I was wondering: what did you mean by 'the Stare'?"

She giggled again, blushing modestly. "Oh, it's just something I use to stop my little critter friends misbehaving," she explained. "I don't mean to brag, but I do have a way with animals. That's why Mayor Mare put me in charge of the pet center back in Ponyville."

Those last words made my heart skip a beat. "You mean...," I asked, my eyes widening, "you're Miss Fluttershy?!"

"Well, you don't have to call me 'Miss', but..." The mare froze mid-sentence and did a double take. "How did you know my name?!" she gasped incredulously.

"I'm the stallion from Manehattan you gave that caretaker position to!"

Fluttershy goggled in realization. "You're Endless Wire?!"

"Don't believe me? Ask my cutie mark!" I laughed, showing her the tangled wire on my flank.

Fluttershy beamed and shook my hoof graciously. "Oh, it's so nice to finally meet you!" she said. "I read your application myself: you sounded like just what we needed!"

"You're just what I needed!" I countered, grinning uncontrollably. "I never had the chance to do something I'm passionate about back in Manehattan!"

"Well," giggled Fluttershy, "looks like it's a win-win!"

"Guess so!" I chuckled. "But what were you doing in Canterlot if you live and work in Ponyville?"

Fluttershy gave another modest smile. "I just got out of a conference with the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures. I study the Breezies for them."

"Those little fairy creatures?"

"On the nose!" affirmed Fluttershy, giving her muzzle a tap.

"Lucky!" I smirked.

"Oh, yes! And sometimes, when I'm not too busy with the animals, I sing with the Ponytones."

"Ponytones?"

"They're our local a-cappella group. I joined them as a part-time member to help get over my stage fright."

"Think I could be a part-time member?" I asked, interested. "I love to sing: I was actually named after a song!"

"I don't see any reason why not," Fluttershy replied. "We're always looking to expand. If you like, I'll put in a good word for you with Rarity. She's our leader, and the town fashion designer..."

As Fluttershy and I chattered on, I found myself rapidly developing a strange sort of fondness for her. At first, I thought nothing of it; but then I stopped and reflected on it. Fluttershy was pretty, and sweet, and interested in many of the things I liked myself. Whatever the reason was, I had never felt this way about anypony else...

I've just seen a face
I can't forget the time or place
Where we just met
She's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see
We've met, mmm-mmm-mmm-m'mmm-mmm

Had it been another day
I might have looked the other way
And I'd have never been aware
But as it is I'll dream of her
Tonight, di-di-di-di'n'di

Falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling
Me back again

I have never known
The like of this, I've been alone
And I have missed things
And kept out of sight
But other girls were never quite
Like this, da-da-n'da-da'n'da

Falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling
Me back again

(Instrumental break)

Falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling
Me back again

I've just seen a face
I can't forget the time or place
Where we just met
She's just the girl for me
And I want all the world to see
We've met, mmm-mmm-mmm-da-da-da

Falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling
Me back again

Oh, falling, yes I am falling
And she keeps calling
Me back again

Author's Note

Looks like Fluttershy and Endless are becoming fast friends! Let's see what he thinks of the rest of the Mane 6 in the next chapter!

I do not own the music or lyrics to "I've Just Seen a Face".

Chapter 3: Arrival in Ponyville

A little under an hour later, the train approached a small rural town nestled into the countryside. "Is that it?" I asked Fluttershy. "Is that Ponyville?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "We'll be at the station before you know it."

My heart began to race, as it had done when I got my acceptance letter. I was filled to the brim partially with excitement and partially with apprehension. Ponyville seemed peaceful enough; but would I be able to blend in with the community? Would anypony like me? Would I be able to make any friends? I had never exactly been much of a social butterfly.

Before I could think of anything else, Fluttershy started waving out the window. "Look!" she cried cheerfully. "There are my friends!"

I looked, and saw a tight-knit group of five other young mares at the station platform, all waving back at Fluttershy. A sky blue pegasus with a rainbow-streaked mane and tail was hovering above the rest of her colleagues, while a pink Earth mare with a curly magenta mane and tail bounced eagerly up and down. Off to the side and looking more reserved stood a silver white unicorn with an elegantly coiffed purple mane and tail, joined by a second Earth mare with a light orange coat and a blonde mane and tail with their ends tied up in bunches - she also wore a light brown Stetson hat. There was also a purple and green juvenile dragon, and finally, a lavender alicorn with a midnight blue mane and tail streaked with orchid and raspberry.

Wait a second - an alicorn?! As in a princess?! My heart palpitating even harder, I turned to my traveling companion. "Say, Fluttershy? One of your friends wouldn't happen to be an alicorn; would she?"

"Oh, yes!" Fluttershy answered. "That's Twilight."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?!" I exclaimed, beginning to panic a little. "The Princess of Friendship?! The former student of Princess Celestia?!"

"Um, yes...," said Fluttershy slowly.

"Oh, this is just great!" I groaned. "My first day in Ponyville and I'm not even prepared for it! Does my mane look okay to you? Should I change into something more formal? Oh, I hope I can make a good first impression..."

"Calm down, Endless," soothed Fluttershy, taking me by the hoof. "There's no need to get so worked up. Twilight doesn't expect that much from anypony! She doesn't even expect us to call her 'Princess'!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, beginning to breathe a little easier.

"Positive! I've known her long enough, anyway."

I glanced back at the dragon and five mares. All seemed perfectly casual - minus the unicorn, maybe. If Princess Twilight didn't expect that much of an effort from her friends, why should I be any different? I heaved a sigh. "Okay. I'm ready for this."

It was just as well too, because at that moment, the train stopped in the station. Fluttershy and I gathered up our luggage, and led our respective pets to the door. As soon as Fluttershy and Angel had stepped onto the platform, the pink Earth mare zipped up to them with the biggest smile I had ever seen. "OH MY GOSH!!! FLUTTERSHY!!! YOU'RE BACK!!!" she squealed.

Fluttershy's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as the excited mare locked her in an airtight hug. "Nice to see you too, Pinkie," she said in a strained voice, "but could you loosen up a smidge? If you wouldn't mind?"

Pinkie relaxed her grip. "Oopsy-daisy!" she giggled ruefully. "Musta gotten carried away. Again!"

The orange Earth mare trotted up beside Pinkie. "Great ta have ya home, sugarcube," she said to Fluttershy in a mild Southern accent. "How did that conference o' yers go?"

"Yeah!" chirped Pinkie, starting to bounce on the spot again. "Was it fun? Huh? Huh? Was it?"

"Actually," Fluttershy replied, "before I answer any of your questions, I'd like you to meet my new employee for the pet center."

The other mares all stared in amazement. "You don't mean...?" asked the little dragon.

Fluttershy nodded, then turned back to the coach's doorway, where Tali and I were still standing. I wasn't quite sure what to make of all this. "Everypony, this is Endless Wire and his dog Naphtali. Endless, these are my best friends." Fluttershy started motioning to each of her six friends. "This is Pinkie Pie..."

Pinkie stared straight at me for a few moments, then leapt into the air, let out an enormous gasp, and hightailed it out of the station. I stepped out onto the platform, dumbfounded. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked anxiously.

"Nothing of the sort, darling," the unicorn replied, in a posh yet reassuring voice. "Pinkie nearly always does that when a newcomer arrives in town."

"Yeah!" chimed in the blue pegasus. "It probably means she's planning...something special," she finished cautiously, winking at the others.

"What sort of something special?" I asked, puzzled.

"You'll see soon enough, hun," replied the orange Earth mare with a knowing smile. "Pleased as punch ta meetcha, by the way," she went on, vigorously shaking my hoof. "Name's Applejack."

No sooner had I regained my composure than the blue pegasus swooped down to my level. "The one and only Rainbow Dash at your service!" she introduced herself proudly. "I'm the newest member of the Wonderbolts! Maybe you've heard of us?"

"Sure, once or twice," I replied, a bit taken aback by her brashness. "I don't exactly follow you; but I hear you're pretty good..."

"Pretty good?!" Rainbow Dash scoffed indignantly. "We're the awesomest flyers in all of Equestria! And we don't take kindly to having our awesomeness questioned!" She advanced on me threateningly, pressing her nose right up against mine. "You better just watch your mouth, or..."

"Rainbow Dash! Stop that at once!" admonished the unicorn, trotting forward and pulling her back. "The poor dear is overwhelmed enough as it is without you making such a boorish scene!"

Wow! I thought to myself. Is she a mindreader or something?

The unicorn turned to me. "I'm terribly sorry you had to endure that, Endless," she said comfortingly. "She can be a bit...abrasive at her worst."

Define a bit, I thought sarcastically.

"Anyway," the dignified mare continued, holding out her hoof, "my name is Rarity. A true pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Feeling a bit less tense, I took her hoof in mine. "Fluttershy told me about you," I grinned. "She said you're in charge of the town a-cappella group. Any chance I could sing with you sometime?"

"But of course!" Rarity replied happily. "You can audition for us any time between 1 pm and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. I eagerly await your arrival at Carousel Boutique!"

"Very well, then!" I chuckled. "I guess I'll have to get directions to Carousel Boutique!"

"Oh, it's not that hard to come by, darling," said Rarity grandly. "Simply look for the most divine building in town!"

"I'll...keep that in mind."

Fluttershy giggled, then motioned to the alicorn and the baby dragon. "And last but far from least, this is Twilight and her number 1 assistant Spike."

"Hello, Endless!" smiled Twilight.

"Hiya!" greeted Spike.

I smiled a little shyly. "So, you're fine with not being called 'Princess Twilight'?"

"Fine with it?" repeated Spike, smirking. "That's a bit of an understatement!"

Twilight chuckled. "Spike's right, Endless," she assured me. "You don't need to be so formal just for me."

Fluttershy winked at me. "What did I tell you?"

At that moment, Tali pawed at my leg. "Oops!" I exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Tali, you wanna go say hi?"

You didn't have to ask Tali twice: he eagerly trotted up to Spike and the five mares, who couldn't help but like him too. "Cool dog!" Rainbow Dash commented.

"He sure is a lively feller!" remarked Applejack. "I reckon he an' my dog Winona'll get along like a house on fire!"

"Provided he doesn't get too jealous of her," I warned. "He can be like that sometimes."

"Thanks fer the tip."

"Oh, he's so sweet!" Twilight gushed.

"Yeah!" giggled Spike, as Tali slurped his cheek. "I don't think I've ever met such a friendly dog!"

Only Rarity had her reservations. "He's certainly charming, I'll give him that," she admitted, wincing a little as Tali sniffed at her. "He's all right in my book, just so long as he doesn't mess up my mane or - ew!!! - lick me!" she shuddered delicately, as Tali gave her an especially wet kiss. Everypony else couldn't help but laugh.

By the middle of the afternoon, Fluttershy and her friends had escorted Tali and me to our new apartment: Rarity had insisted on letting her help me with my luggage, and even offered to take me furniture shopping the next day. They left us to get settled in, with a reminder for me to meet them again at Sugarcube Corner, the local sweetshop and bakery, at 6 that evening.

As I unpacked and set up my belongings, I happened to gaze down at the street below my window. Everywhere I looked, ponies were greeting each other, talking and laughing, or sharing the occasional hug. Never before had I seen such genuine, intimate acts of love and friendship, especially not in Manehattan, where most believed it was "everypony for him or herself". But here in Ponyville, they welcomed newcomers and strangers with open hooves - Fluttershy and her friends certainly had. "You know, Tali," I murmured happily, as I sat down on my bed, "I think I made the right choice."

Soon enough, evening rolled around, and after feeding Tali and grabbing a quick dinner at a nearby café, I was ready for my rendezvous at Sugarcube Corner. The sweetshop wasn't hard to find: it was the only building in town that looked like a gingerbread house out of a fairytale, only far more elaborate, with a cupcake turret, a rock candy chimney, and a weathervane of a pony's silhouette holding a candy cane! However, as I came nearer, the building seemed strangely deserted. All the lights inside were dimmed, and there was nopony around. And yet, the town clock was beginning to toll 6 pm. Maybe there had been some mistake.

Still, I trotted up the front steps and knocked on the door. No reply. I cautiously pushed it open. For a split-second, I could see nothing but darkness, but then..."SURPRISE!!!!" The lights came on in a burst of balloons and confetti! I was stunned speechless, as multiple ponies rushed out to greet me. At the head of the group was none other than Pinkie Pie, who yanked me right into the middle of it all. "What is all this?!" I finally managed to say.

"Your welcome party, silly!" Pinkie giggled. "I threw it just for you!"

"A welcome party?" I repeated. "I've only been here half a day: why would you go to all this trouble just for me?"

"Trouble?!" cried Pinkie incredulously. "There is no trouble in wanting to make somepony feel welcome! And you can't just move to Ponyville and miss out on one of my great big, ginormous, super-duper, spectacular welcome parties! What fun would that be?"

"Okay..."

At that moment, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike joined us. "Told ya Pinkie was planning something special!" grinned Rainbow Dash. "By the way, sorry about our little spat earlier. Just be sure to give me your unreserved acknowledgement and admiration for the totally awesome pony I am, and we'll get along just fine; 'kay? Bye!" With that, she zipped off, leaving me once more at a loss for words.

Applejack chuckled at my nonplussed expression. "You'll have ta get used ta that, Endless," she said. "It ain't nothin' personal; Rainbow's just a mite full o' herself."

"A mite?!" I burst out. "I don't see how you girls can live with such a narcissist!"

"You learn to put up with it after awhile, darling," replied Rarity.

"Well," I muttered grudgingly, "I still don't exactly fancy that kind of egotism. I'm not so sure I wanna be friends with her..."

"Oh, she's not so bad once you get to know her!" simpered Fluttershy.

"Dash may be a little insensitive and self-absorbed," added Twilight, "but she's one of the loyalest ponies you could ever meet."

I smiled, but deep down inside, I couldn't help but remain wary of Rainbow Dash.

"Enough o' that!" Pinkie cut in cheerfully. "Who's ready to partay?!"

We "partayed" long into the night. By the time the celebration was over and everypony had gone home, I was exhausted, stuffed full of Pinkie's delicious pastries and Applejack's homegrown apples, and sore in the throat from singing in a karaoke session. But I knew for sure that what I had said before was true: I made the right choice in moving to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Looks like Endless is off to a somewhat rocky but overall good start. Be on the lookout for the next chapter!

By the way, if anyone's getting the impression that I hate Rainbow Dash, I don't: she's my least favorite of the Mane 6, but not my least favorite pony in general. It only seems I dislike her because I'm exaggerating my feelings about her through my ponysona.

Chapter 4: Settling In

Over the days that followed, I found there was much more in Ponyville to get used to than merely Rainbow Dash's ego or Pinkie Pie's quirks. As promised, Rarity took me furniture shopping the morning after my arrival. Believe me, you have not experienced shopping till you've done it with somepony as nitpicky and detail-oriented as Rarity: she dragged me all over town looking for the perfect furniture. "Your apartment is simply groveling for a makeover, Endless," she insisted, "and I'm just the pony to help you answer its pleas!"

"It could do with a touch-up," I replied, "but a mahogany dinner table and chairs are a bit much for me to afford right now. Couldn't we find a cheaper one and get some nice linens to spruce it up with?"

"Very well," Rarity conceded. "I'd be more than happy to provide those linens - I am an accomplished seamstress, you know! Oh, and we simply must get you this splendid maroon couch: it complements your coat perfectly!"

"Well, I do like maroon..."

"And it never hurts to have an armchair or two! What about this lovely golden yellow one?"

"Sure, it's nice..."

"And you could always do with a bookshelf!"

Our shopping spree ended around noon. This was just as well for Rarity, who remembered that she and her friends had planned to have a picnic lunch in the fields near town. "Would you care to join us?" she asked me, as we finished putting my new bookshelf in place.

"Well, I didn't really have any other plans for today," I admitted, "and Tali could use some exercise. I'd be happy to."

"Wonderful!" replied Rarity, turning to leave. "I've just got to run to my place to grab a few necessities: back in a mo!"

She returned within fifteen minutes wearing some decorative sunglasses and a headscarf, with her mane tied into a ponytail, and levitating a basket containing a bottle of sunscreen and a picnic blanket. Then we headed toward the far reaches of town, where we soon met up with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, and Spike, as well as a lilac unicorn mare with a two-tone purple and aquamarine mane and tail. This was Starlight Glimmer, a mare who had made "many mistakes in life" as she put it, but was currently making an effort to change her ways as Twilight's pupil. "Oh, you mean like how you were once Princess Celestia's student," I said to Twilight.

"Precisely!" she chuckled.

As we settled down to lunch, the topic of our conversations shifted to the important duty Twilight and her friends had. As I had learned during last night's party, Rainbow helped with the town's weather patrol when she wasn't training with the other Wonderbolts, Applejack worked at Sweet Apple Acres, her family's apple farm, and Pinkie was the town's official party planner and apprentice to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who owned and operated Sugarcube Corner. But livelihoods aside, they were all incredibly valuable to the maintenance of harmony across Equestria. In fact, they represented the vital Elements of Harmony: Dash had loyalty, Fluttershy kindness, Applejack honesty, Rarity generosity, Pinkie laughter, and Twilight magic, which could only be activated by the previous five Elements. Now, with Twilight's role as the Princess of Friendship, she and the others were often summoned to specific cities and areas of Equestria by a magical map in Twilight's castle, to help resolve conflicts concerning relationships: if somepony's cutie mark glowed, that meant the map was specifically calling them. "The map is a bit unpredictable, though," pointed out Fluttershy. "It could call us from anywhere, at any time. You'll understand if I have to leave you on your own at the pet center for awhile, won't you? Or if any of us aren't at home?"

"Of course," I smiled. "You're only doing your duty to Equestria, and I respect that."

"We're usually gone for only a short while, though," Rainbow Dash put in. "I never deprive Ponyville of my awesomeness for too long, if I can help it!"

"Riiiiiiiiight," I muttered, getting mildly annoyed. But Fluttershy placed her hoof on mine and smiled sympathetically, which made me feel a bit better. And once again, there was that strange fondness I had felt on the train yesterday. I had heard several times that you couldn't rush feelings like this; but I couldn't help smiling back at my mellow, yellow new friend and soon-to-be manager.

The next Monday morning, I woke up feeling ready for anything. Today would be my first day of work at the pet center, and I had also arranged with Rarity to stop at her place following my shift to audition for the Ponytones.

After I had had my breakfast, attended to Tali's needs, and packed a lunch, I made my way to the west end of town, and soon arrived at a pet center unlike any other I had ever seen or worked at before: it had no main building, and was set up entirely outside in a small field, just off a little dirt path. There were booths for adoption and buying pets' supplies, and stalls full of animals as far as the eye could see. These animals were not merely limited to usual dogs, cats, and domesticated birds and rodents, but also songbirds, deer, tortoises, even the odd seal or bird of prey!

I walked along, drinking this all in, only to bump right into Fluttershy. "Oh, my!" she cried anxiously. "I'm so sorry, Endless!"

"No, no - it's my bad," I insisted. "I just got a bit preoccupied by this whole shebang. I never knew you could set up a pet center outdoors!"

Fluttershy smiled modestly. "Well, when you live in a town like Ponyville, anything's possible. So, are you ready to get started?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied, "if I even knew where to start."

Fluttershy giggled. "Well, for one thing, you can help me refill some bird feeders," she offered, "and then take our new puppies out for a play session."

"No problem, Fluttershy!" I grinned eagerly.

Before long, Fluttershy and I were replenishing the various bird feeders that hung from the nearby trees. As we worked, Fluttershy hummed serenely, and eventually began to sing:

"Everyday, the world begins again,
Sunny skies or rain.
Come and follow me!"

Recognizing the song, I smiled broadly and sang the next verse:

"Every sunrise shows me more and more,
So much to explore.
Come and follow me!"

We sang the chorus together, as the animals listened happily:

"Every mornin', everyday,
Every evenin', callin' me away!"

As the other employees arrived, they picked up the tune and joined in, and soon our singing resonated like a chiming bell across the field:

"While the sun goes 'round, I'll still be found
Followin' the sound.
Somethin' 's callin' me.

When the world goes driftin' back to bed,
Memories in my head,
Wonders follow me.

Every mornin', everyday,
Every evenin', callin' me away!

Every mornin', everyday,
Every evenin', callin' me away!"

The day passed quickly. I worked well, made a few more new friends, and by the time my shift was over, I was tired but happy. "I'm gonna get goin' now, Fluttershy," I called, as I locked the gate to the puppies' stall. "Rarity'll be expecting me."

"Oh, that's right: your audition!" chirped Fluttershy. "Would you mind if I came along to watch? I love your singing voice."

"Sure!" I replied. "And what a coincidence: I love your singing voice! No wonder you joined the Ponytones!"

"Well," chuckled Fluttershy, blushing coyly, "if I'm anything to go by, Rarity will accept you for sure!" And with that, we set off back to town together.

"You did really well for your first time on the job," Fluttershy commented, as we ambled through the streets. "I've never seen animals like and trust another pony as much as you."

"Well," I replied, "I have worked at a shelter before. And having Tali helps a great deal."

Fluttershy smiled kindly at me. "You really do love him; don't you?"

"More than anything in the world. I think I've been a lot happier since he came into my life."

"That's good," replied Fluttershy sweetly.

"Fluttershy?" I ventured after a brief pause.

"Yes, Endless?"

"Being with you makes me really happy too. I know we haven't known each other for too long; but I haven't often met somepony as genuinely kind as you. I'm glad to have you as a friend."

To my surprise, Fluttershy pulled me into a gentle hug, which I was only too happy to return. "Thank you, Endless," she smiled. "I'm glad you're my friend too."

As evening began to fall, we arrived at Carousel Boutique. I could now see what Rarity meant by calling it "the most divine building in town": it was a beautifully decorated shop, whose cylindrical shape easily gave its name away. I knocked on the door, and after a few moments, Rarity poked her head out. "Ah! Endless!" she said warmly. "I was beginning to worry. Oh, and Fluttershy too! Do come in, darlings!"

"Now then, Endless," Rarity said, once she had coached me through some breathing warmups, "time to see if you're Ponytone material. You may sing any song of your choice."

"I think I have just the thing," I replied cheerfully. I meant that too: the song I had in mind perfectly reflected how I felt about coming to Ponyville - at least that's how I felt.

"Off you go, then!" encouraged Rarity.

I took a deep breath and began to sing:

" 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right."

As I finished, I heard a small sniffle. I turned and saw that Fluttershy had tears in her eyes - but she was smiling broadly. "That was beautiful!" she whispered, stifling a sob of joy.

I blushed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Well!" I remarked. "I've never known my singing to move anypony to tears!"

"That was a splendid performance, darling!" complimented Rarity. "You're just the baritone we've been searching for! Endless Wire, I could not be happier to welcome you to the Ponytones!"

I beamed from ear to ear: this was the perfect ending to an already wonderful day. I was so happy I didn't know what to say; but that was more than enough to tell Rarity how pleased I was. "Oh, you're quite welcome, I'm sure," she smiled. "Come to think of it, that song you just sang might be perfect for our performance next Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"Actually," I grinned, "I know a few other songs we could perform. Would you mind if I taught them to you?"

"I think that can be arranged!" replied Rarity brightly.

Author's Note

Alright! Endless is officially a Ponytone! Be on the lookout to see just which songs he teaches the others!

Any Fraggle Rock fans out there notice the little "Easter egg" I added? Hope you liked it!

I do not own the music or lyrics to "Follow Me" or "Simple Gifts".

Chapter 5: A Burnt-Out Soul

Rarity was as good as her word: when I attended my first rehearsal with the Ponytones - which included Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack's older brother Big McIntosh (or Big Mac for short), the Earth stallion Toe-Tapper, the Earth mare Torch Song, and now myself - in the town park, she made sure to reserve some time at the end of the meeting to let me suggest a few songs. It wasn't long before the group started incorporating some of my suggestions into the rehearsals that followed.

I just couldn't believe the luck I was having since my move: I felt included despite the difficulties I often had being social, I was making friends everywhere I went, ponies genuinely wanted me around, and I genuinely wanted to step out of my comfort zone and be around them! And now, given my position as the newest Ponytone, I was positive nothing could burst my bubble. And it didn't - for awhile, at least...

It was a crisp Saturday afternoon in early May. My fellow Ponytones and I were having a small jam session in the park, and just so happened to be performing Gordon Lighthoof's "Endless Wire" - that's right, the song I was named after! I sang the lead while Fluttershy harmonized, and the others provided a beat and background vocals:

"I ain't got nothin' to hide.
My mind is an endless wire.
I got all hooves on the ground.
I don't have no-one for hire.

I ain't got a thing to show.
My lines have all expired.
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels afire.

Down in the dark of a burnt-out soul,
There's a few good second-hand dreams.
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you.

Down in the black of a bottomless hole,
There's a few good second-hand scenes.
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green."

Tree Hugger, a rather spaced-out Earth mare who also worked at the pet center, was sitting on a bench in front of us, Tali's leash grasped between her front hooves. From the relaxed look on Tali's face, and from the way Tree Hugger bobbed her head and tapped her hoof in time with the beat, I could tell we had done well so far. I smiled at my beloved dog, and he wagged his tail in happy response as we began the second verse:

"I ain't got nothin' to give.
My life is an endless climb.
My love's a paperback dream.
I don't have nothin' but time.

I ain't got a thing to show.
I don't know my own name.
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels aflame."

By now, a small crowd had gathered to listen. Ponies grinned enthusiastically up at us, as Fluttershy and I paused for an instrumental break. Fluttershy, still not completely past her stage fright, cast anxious glances at the onlookers, as beads of sweat began to bubble up on her forehead. But when I gave her a reassuring smile, her tension died down: she smiled back and inhaled calmly as we started again:

"Down in the dark of a burnt-out soul,
There's a few good second-hand dreams.
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you.

Down in the black of a bottomless hole,
There's a few good second-hand scenes.
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green.

I ain't got nothin' to hide.
My mind is an endless wire.
I got four hooves on the ground.
I don't have no-one for hire.

I ain't got a thing to show.
My life is an endless climb.
My love's a paperback dream.
I don't have nothin' but time."

Rarity, Big Mac, Toe-Tapper, and Torch Song continued their backup for another few measures, then slowly wound down and brought the song to a close. All six of us smiled appreciatively as our audience applauded. "That was amazing!" squealed Pinkie Pie.

"You sure know how ta belt it out, Endless," grinned Applejack. "I oughta introduce ya ta Rara one o' these days!"

"Rara?" I repeated.

"Countess Coloratura, dear," Rarity explained. "You know, the famous singer? She and Applejack just so happened to meet each other as fillies at summer camp!"

"Huh! Small world!" I remarked.

"Eeyup!" chimed in Big Mac, who didn't usually say much.

"But seriously, Applejack," I continued, "do you really think I'm that good?"

"No doubt about it, partner," Applejack replied. "Y'all got'cherself a humdinger of a voice there!"

"Not to mention a great taste in music!" smiled Fluttershy, giving me a small hug.

"What she said, dude," put in Tree Hugger in her laidback way. "You've got some real sweet vibes!"

I couldn't help but beam proudly; but my moment was suddenly shattered by a raspy, callous scoff. "Sweet vibes? Puh-lease!" The crowd parted a little as Rainbow Dash hovered forward. "You call that a song?" she said scornfully. "Gimme a break! That was the lamest batch of musical mumbo-jumbo I've ever heard!"

"It's not lame!" I cried indignantly.

"It kind of is," Rainbow persisted. "It's just a bunch of little sentences that don't even go hoof in hoof with each other, never mind make any sense! I mean, seriously: 'Don't set my wheels aflame'? 'My love's a paperback dream'? What the hay are those supposed to mean?!"

"Plenty of songs get metaphorical like that!" I retorted defensively. "And besides, if the singer's mind is an 'endless wire', doesn't it make sense that the lyrics should sound a bit scatterbrained or anxious, or even hurt?"

"Just goes to show what you know about music!" smirked Rainbow Dash. "It's no wonder you've got such a lousy name!"

"Hey!" I shouted, taking a few steps forward. "You take that back!"

"Make me, poodlehead!" Dash challenged.

"I mean it, blowhard!!!" I roared, ignoring everypony else's gasps and murmurs of shock.

"Alright, you two: simmer down!" snapped Applejack, coming between us before things could get any uglier. "Dash, if ya can't say nothin' nice, ya might as well can the attitude! Ya can't just talk down ta others any way you see fit!"

"And who are you to say Endless has no taste in music?!" added Fluttershy in an unusually sharp tone. "You're not even a Ponytone!"

This outburst was met with another collective gasp, including my own: I had never seen Fluttershy so cross in the short time I'd known her. In any case, it seemed to hit home with Rainbow Dash that she should back off...but not without one last dig. "Have it your way, lame name!" she hissed, and zoomed away. I watched her go, scowling hard and growling under my breath.

"Are you okay, Endless?" It was Fluttershy. She had come up beside me and put a consoling arm around my shoulder.

"Why does she have to act that way?!" I asked, sounding and feeling more hurt than angry now. "I mean, it's not as if I ever did anything to her...at least not intentionally."

Fluttershy nodded understandingly. "Rainbow Dash may be one of my closest friends; but she can be so condescending!"

"And who's she callin' 'poodlehead'?!" Pinkie added sullenly.

Applejack gave me a solemn smile. "Don't let 'er bring ya down, sugarcube. Her bark's worse than 'er bite...uh, no offense, Tali."

Tali gave her a friendly lick as if to say, "None taken!"

"More importantly," went on Rarity, "you've still been doing a smashing job for a newbie!"

"Eeyup!" said Big Mac, and there were murmurs of agreement from everypony else. I couldn't help feeling just a bit better.

Two days later, I was at the pet center as usual, once again playing with the puppies, who were rapidly growing and would soon be ready for adoption. "What did you say these guys' parents were again, Fluttershy?" I asked, chuckling as a particularly feisty female clambered all over me.

"Their mother was a Jack Russell, and their father was a beagle," Fluttershy replied, hovering up with a few clusters of birdseed in her hooves.

"That explains a lot," I quipped, as a male puppy slobbered my face. "You know, it's amazing how so many dogs have so many different personalities. Say I was a dog myself: which breed do you think I'd be?"

"Hmm," said Fluttershy thoughtfully, as she hung the birdseed on a nearby tree. "Well, you might make a good golden, like Tali. You're trustworthy and considerate, and you've always got such a wonderful aura of positivity about you."

I couldn't help feeling flattered. "Well!" I murmured, blushing slightly. "If you say so!"

Fluttershy giggled. "Oh, you're very welcome! And, if you don't mind me asking," she went on shyly, "what kind of dog do you think I'd be?"

"Oh, that's too easy," I grinned. "You're the living equine embodiment of a Cavalier King Charles spaniel! You're gentle and loving, and you're always so sweet to everypony, no matter what."

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to blush. "Oh, Endless, you're too kind!" she smiled bashfully.

"No, Fluttershy; you're too kind!" I rejoined jokingly, and we both burst out laughing.

"I'm gonna puke!" The sudden wisecrack made us both jump. We looked up to see Rainbow Dash slouching on a cloud. "Ooh, I wanna be a dog!" she mocked. "You'd fit the bill for this kind! Blah, blah, blah!" She laughed derisively. "Seriously, I'd get a bigger kick outta watching paint dry!"

"Is this gonna become a regular thing with you?!" I demanded. "Just dropping in whenever you like to squash my enthusiasm?!"

"Oh, don't tempt me, Brainless Wire!"

"Dashie!" scolded Fluttershy. "That was completely uncalled for!"

I rolled my eyes. "You know," I said huffily, "you'd think an 'awesome' pony could find something better to do than hurl rude remarks at others!"

"Whaddaya mean rude?!" scoffed Dash. "I just call it like I see it! You should be thanking me: if nopony told you how much your act stank, you wouldn't know it needed cleaning up! I tell ya, Equestria needs more plain-speaking ponies like me! Huh," she went on smugly, "tough, athletic, and plain-speaking - as if I wasn't awesome enough to begin with!"

"The way I see it," I retorted, "there's nothing awesome about making others feel bad. There are less hurtful ways of getting your point across, you know."

"Don't get all teachy-preachy with me!" Dash snapped. "I'll say whatever the hay I like, whenever the hay I like; and if you don't like it, you can lump it!"

"Newsflash: your own friends have been 'lumping it' since I don't know when," I frowned. "Applejack and Rarity told me themselves at my welcome party!"

"Yeah, well...well...," Dash sputtered, "...that makes you twice the oversensitive pansy I thought you were! If they can accept me for who I am, but you can't stand me speaking my mind right from the get-go, you're just pathetic! The world doesn't revolve around you, you know!"

I stared, speechless, trying to come up with an appropriate reply; but my throat felt dry, and my mouth couldn't form words no matter how hard I tried. Dash acknowledged me with a triumphant sneer. "I'll just let that sink in," she said briskly, and flew away without another word.

I blinked and swallowed a few times, as my eyes misted over a little and my throat tightened into a knot - I was starting to feel just like a "burnt-out soul". "Fluttershy, could you excuse me for a moment?" I asked wearily. "I just wanna take a little walk and clear my head."

"Of course," she sympathized. "Take as much time as you need."

Try as I might, I found I couldn't clear my head with just a simple walk. Even when I resumed my duties, I felt my mind wandering down countless mental paths, all of which dug me into deeper negativity. This, of course, had predictable results on my work ethic: I quickly started falling behind as the afternoon wore on. Fluttershy suggested I try a few minutes of "puppy therapy", in the hope that I could unwind a little; but a few minutes turned to a quarter of an hour, a quarter of an hour turned to a half, and so on - and I still couldn't shake the weight of hurt and defeat from my head. "Don't worry," soothed Fluttershy, as we locked up for the evening. "Everypony has their off days - maybe you just need a good night's sleep."

"And an early one, at that," I agreed glumly.

But that night, I was continually plagued by dreams of feeling helpless and incompetent, and especially being put down by Rainbow Dash. I slept so badly that I couldn't wake up at my usual time, even after my alarm clock went off. Even my morning cup of coffee, which usually helped to keep me alert and focused, couldn't do me any good: I continued to feel listless, drained, and gloomy all day, and barely got any work done at the pet center.

So it went for nearly a week. Then, that Thursday afternoon, I finally gave out and fell asleep in the middle of a play session with the puppies. Fluttershy nudged me awake as gently as she could, but I still let out a startled yelp. "I'm sorry, Endless," she said firmly, "but this has gone on long enough."

I instantly began to fear the worst. "You're not firing me; are you?"

"Of course not," she said reassuringly, "but I can't stand seeing you so unhappy and out of it. You can take the rest of the day off: I'll come to your place and pick you up this evening."

"Okay...," I said slowly. "But, what for?"

"You'll see," promised Fluttershy. "Just leave it to me. You go home and get some rest now: Celestia knows you deserve it."

I sighed and hung my head, as a tear trickled down my cheek. "I'm not sure what it is I deserve," I whispered sadly, as I walked slowly away.

Author's Note

For those of you wondering why Dash is acting so nastily, you'll find out in the next chapter: her rivalry with Endless is much deeper than just a clash of attitudes. In the meantime, just keep following. :)

For any Thomas the Tank Engine fans out there, did you notice the references I made to the show itself, as well as SiF's Extended Railway Series and Audio Productions? ;)

I do not own the music or lyrics to "Endless Wire".

Chapter 6: Inconvenient Truths and Scratched Surfaces

That evening, as promised, Fluttershy arrived at my apartment. I didn't hear her knock at first: I was too busy taking rapid, furious swings at my inflatable punching bag. It was only when she knocked again and called my name - and when Tali barked out a welcome - that I was snapped out of my brief rage. "Coming!" I cried anxiously, and rushed to the door, simultaneously trying to regain my composure.

"You...box?" quizzed Fluttershy, once she had caught sight of my punching bag.

"Not as a sport," I explained wearily. "I just use it to vent my bottled-up anger every now and then."

"I'm not surprised. Your landlady said you were screaming and shouting at the top of your lungs earlier - you even scared the neighbors!"

"Yeah. In all honesty, I'm surprised she didn't give me the boot."

"But, why?" Fluttershy persisted. "I mean, you're the last pony I'd expect to have fits of rage, even that one time last Saturday!"

"I know," I replied, shuddering painfully at the memory. "But you'd be surprised, Fluttershy - I'm not always as even-tempered as I seem."

Fluttershy winced, as if she too were recalling a painful memory. "Well, I know what that feels like," she said sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you at Twilight's."

"The castle?!" I exclaimed.

"Of course," replied Fluttershy. "I think it's about time we all had a heart-to-heart talk about the way Rainbow Dash has been treating you."

"She won't be there; will she? Seeing her is the last thing I need."

"No; it'll be just you, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and me. Oh! And maybe Spike and/or Starlight."

"You...arranged all that...for me?" I asked in disbelief. "I'm...I'm touched!"

Fluttershy hugged me gently. "It's nothing," she said modestly. "We're supposed to spread friendship across Equestria - we might as well help our friends back home!"

I went silent in deep thought; then, as we headed off into the gathering evening, I began to sing softly:

"No one could ever know me.
No one could ever see me.
Seems you're the only one who knows
What it's like to be me."

Fluttershy caught on and sang the next portion:

"Someone to face the day with,
Make it through all the rest with."

Here, I interjected:

"Someone I'll always laugh with."

"Even at my worst, I'm best with you...yeah."

We finished together, exchanged awkward glances, then laughed out loud. "This is the best I've felt all week!" I said, grinning uncontrollably; but my smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, as I wondered how I would get by in weeks to come...

Less than twenty minutes later, I was seated with the Elements of Harmony - minus one - in the throne room of the Castle of Friendship. Each of the young mares had her own throne with her cutie mark inscribed into it, while Spike had his own smaller chair parallel to Twilight's. Just for tonight, they had an extra chair set up specially for me - "Celestia knows what Rainbow'd say if she knew you'd used hers!" remarked Applejack.

"My sentiments exactly," I said grimly.

Now, as I settled in and glanced around the Round Table, my namesake mind was racing: where should I start? Rarity could see my apprehension, and was quick to reassure me. "Take all the time you need, dear - we're all ears!"

Pinkie giggled. "All ears! Wouldn't that be wacky?!"

"It's just an expression, Pinkie," Twilight explained dryly.

"It'd still be wacky!" said Pinkie in a singsong voice.

This brought a hearty chuckle out of me - Pinkie flashed Twilight an innocent smile, as if to say, "Toldja so!"

I took a deep breath. "Well," I began slowly, "as I'm sure you all know, Rainbow Dash and I haven't exactly gotten off on the right hoof. I wish we could be friends, believe me; but it's hard to make friends with somepony who's always bragging or talking down to you."

"She's always had a rather sharp tongue," admitted Rarity, "and a knack for bossiness and insensitivity; but she's usually not this bad."

"Great," I groaned. "Even on a good day, she's a carbon copy of my younger brother, only ten times worse!"

"Hang on a sec," Spike interjected. "How does your brother come into all this?"

"I just see a lot of him in Rainbow Dash," I explained. "Mandolin Wind has always seemed to exceed in things I struggle with: socializing, dating, and a way with words - something he all too often takes for granted. He put me through Tartarus when we were growing up, and he still has a bit of an edge to him even now; but more often than not, when I complain to my parents about how much he's pushing my buttons, they just tell me the usual: 'That's just Mandolin being Mandolin - he'll grow out of it!'

"Come to think of it," I went on, "my dad's always had a rather sarcastic, patronizing side too, not to mention a frightening temper."

Fluttershy let out a small whimper, and shrank back a little in her seat.

"I know," I replied with a twinge of shame. "It's safe to say I've inherited that temper - and it's something I've had to struggle with for years now. I find any anger very upsetting, even if it's my own, and especially if it's aggressive - that could be another reason why I feel so wary around Dash."

Fluttershy let out a sad sigh. "I've been there and beyond myself," she said, hesitating a bit. "You...you wouldn't believe it; but...I turned extremely nasty once."

Rarity cast her a solemn frown. "You mean that dreadful fiasco with Iron Will; don't you?"

"Mm-hmm!" squeaked Fluttershy, in a voice I could hardly hear.

"Who's Iron Will?"

With Rarity and Pinkie's encouragement, Fluttershy painstakingly told me of how she had grown tired of other ponies walking all over her, and attended a traveling minotaur's seminar on how to become more assertive. The only flaw in the solution was Iron Will's philosophy, which was basically tit for tat: if somepony gets in your way, literally push them aside. That being said, it didn't take long for things to go from bad to worse.

"...A-and then," Fluttershy faltered tearfully, as Rarity stood by her side and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, "I - I hurt my own friends! I told Rarity a-and Pinkie their lives were meaningless! I-I w-wish I hadn't, but I d-did! I DI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HIIIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!!!!!" Unable to say any more, she burst into uncontrollable sobs. I could feel my heart break just watching her - what she'd said just couldn't be true!

After a few moments, Fluttershy managed to compose herself, dry her tears, and take a few deep breaths. "I'm so sorry you had to see me like that, Endless," she sniffled, "but I still regret what I did to this day - even after I righted my wrong and started asserting myself more appropriately, the guilt's never really gone away."

"Don't beat yourself up, Fluttershy," I replied gently, trotting over and hugging her. "You realized you went off the rails and you made up for it, and that's all that matters - unlike some," I finished darkly.

"You've got a point, Endless," admitted Twilight. "I don't think Rainbow Dash often realizes how hurtful her words can be."

"Kinda funny, isn't it?" mused Spike. "How she dishes it out one moment, then showboats herself the next?"

"Kinda sorta," I agreed bitterly. "Lording over everypony else while continuously building herself up. The question is: why am I suddenly her new punching bag?" (Here I privately remembered my own, literal punching bag - I think Fluttershy did too, because she gazed curiously at me.)

"Well," said Twilight thoughtfully, "if I know anything about Rainbow, it's that she tends to lash out more when she's under a lot of stress, or if she feels challenged."

"Tell me about it!" piped up Pinkie. "She blew a fuse at me just for saying the word 'hibernate'!"

I blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Long story short: Dashie's pet tortoise was gonna hibernate during winter; she didn't want him to," Pinkie replied quickly.

"That ain't a patch on how she acted when we had to save the Crystal Empire," Applejack continued. "Barkin' at the locals fer a way ta protect the city, scarin' 'em away from the fake Crystal Heart while Twilight 'n' Spike tracked down the real one..."

"Trying to guilt me into jousting with her," put in Fluttershy, rubbing her arm and shivering slightly.

"She guilted you?!" I repeated, stunned.

"Yes," Fluttershy replied unhappily. "She said if the Empire's fate mattered to me, I would go on jousting - and then she turned right around and said she had her reputation to think of."

"Oh, the irony," I deadpanned.

"And let's not forget how Dash reacted to the Mysterious Mare Do Well," frowned Rarity. "She'd been getting so much praise for her heroics lately, she couldn't bare to have some masked stranger take the stage in her place - that masked stranger really being the five of us in disguise, in a bid to deflate her ego. Granted, our tactics, one could argue, were rather underhooved..."

No sooner had Rarity said this than a lightbulb went off in my head. "So, in other words," I said slowly, putting two and two together, "she feels jealous when a newcomer gains a lot of popularity in a short period of time - like she's got competition for her imaginary status as awesomest pony around. Do you think that's why she's being such a pain in the flank?"

"Now that you mention it," Twilight ventured after a few moments' pause, "I wouldn't put it past her. She does have something of a jealous streak."

"Well," I smirked ruefully, "that's one thing I can empathize with her about. Remember how I said I sometimes have trouble with my social skills? Well, seeing anyone far more neurologically impaired than me get ahead in areas I haven't tends to burn me up. It's not something I'm proud of, but it's true. Maybe Rainbow feels the same way: that I shouldn't have become friends with you guys here in Ponyville so quickly, because I'm just some awkward freak!"

"Don't say that, Endless!" cried Fluttershy imploringly. "You're anything but a freak!"

"It's true, you are prone to sensory overload," Rarity added delicately. "I could see that from the day you first arrived."

"But you're a kind, honest feller through and through," finished Applejack. "And ain't that all that really matters at the end o' the day?"

"I'm not really sure anymore," I murmured sadly. "If being nice won't stop Rainbow Dash hating my guts, what will?"

"One way or another, we need to get to the bottom of it," said Twilight stoically. "I suggest we hold another meeting and get Rainbow's side of the story - we'll report back to Endless afterwards."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked anxiously. "There's no telling how she'll react. For all we know, she might get angry with you for holding this meeting without her knowledge, and even angrier with me for whining about her..."

"Whining?!" Rarity burst out incredulously. "Voicing upset over somepony treating you badly is not whining! Thiiiiiiiiiis is whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiinnng!!!!!!" she added in a grating, high-pitched voice.

I snickered, then launched into a massive laughing fit: who knew Rarity had such a taste in theatrics?! As Spike and the mares all joined in, I felt like the luckiest stallion in Equestria. Even though I'd been beginning to doubt it in light of recent incidents, I now felt positive once again, that as long as I had supportive friends on my side, Ponyville was the right place for me...

For a time I thought my faith it must be hidin'
Searchin' through the sky
Hoping to find a way, a way
To get me through the day
Wonder where I belong
Is this where I should stay?

You lift me up when I am fallin'
You're my friend when I was callin'
Now I'm on top of the world
Top of the whole wide world
Yeah, you always been believin'
Give my life a whole new meanin'
Now I'm on top of the world
Top of the whole wide world

It's a strength in me it seems I had forgotten
Now I realize today
I'm starting to dream again, again
Was a matter of when
I guess we all lose our way now and then

Always been believin'
Give my life a whole new meanin'
Now I'm on top of the world
Top of the whole wide world

Yeah
Top of the whole wide wide world
Yeah, you always been believin'
Give my life a whole new meanin'
Now I'm on top of the world
Top of the whole wide world!

Author's Note

Hope this chapter wasn't too much of a downer: learning about anyone's darker side can be a bit much for anyone. Don't worry - things'll get better soon!

I decided to base Mandolin Wind off my own brother's personality. His name comes not only from Rod Stewart's song of the same name, but also from my brother's talent for bluegrass music. Haven't come up with a pony name for my dad, though; but he can be pretty unpleasant at his worst.

I do not own the music or lyrics to "I'll Be There for You" or "Top of the World".

Chapter 7: Acceptability and Exceptionality

The next day came, and I headed to work a half-hour ahead of schedule, full of pep and positivity. While my previous fretting wasn't exactly dormant, I was determined to try not to let it spoil my day. After all, on a clear Friday morning like this, how could anything bring me down?

I strolled into the pet center happy as a clam. "Hello, hello, hello!" I sang out as soon as I saw Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled warmly. "Now there's the Endless Wire I know and love!"

That last word hit me like a streamlined express engine: "love"?! I couldn't help staring blankly, as a slow blush came to my face. Fluttershy hovered down to my level. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

No sooner had she said that than a kitten in one of stalls gave a demanding meow, catching us off guard. "Does that answer your question?" I quipped, and we both laughed.

"But honestly, Endless," Fluttershy continued, her voice becoming more serious, "is there anything wrong?"

I could feel the sweat beginning to bubble up on my forehead, as my mind once again became a tangle of self-doubt: was this the right time and place? Did I really know Fluttershy well enough (and feel strongly enough) to truly love her? Would she turn me down? Finally, I took a deep breath and smiled. "Nothing whatsoever, Fluttershy," I answered, giving her a small hug. "Now, what's on the agenda today?"

"Well," Fluttershy answered, "seeing as you're early, you could help me get the breakfasts ready. Isn't that right, little guy?" she cooed to the kitten. "Are you hungry?"

As if in response, the kitten let out a second, even more demanding meow. "Guess that's a 'yes'!" I remarked. "Let's get crackin'."

The day went splendidly for me. No longer as badly weighed down by stress and hurt, I soon gained back my usual work ethic, and playing with the puppies put a huge smile on my face. By day's end, I felt like a million, and Fluttershy was very impressed. "You've certainly bounced back!" she giggled, as we closed up shop.

"I have you and everypony else to thank for that," I replied. "I haven't had so much genuine support and understanding for a long time. By the way, when are you planning to speak to Rainbow Dash?"

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! We're having the meeting tonight - finally, we might be able to get to the bottom of this predicament!"

"Well," I murmured, "even if it's not easy, I still appreciate you doing this for me. I wish there was some way I could make it up to you..."

"Oh, you don't need to do that!" said Fluttershy bashfully. "You know what they say: kindness is its own reward."

"But I want to," I persisted. "You've been such a good friend to me ever since I arrived - it's only fair I do something nice for you too." I paused for a moment, deep in thought; then an idea came to me. "Would you like to come swimming with me at the lake this weekend?" I suggested. "It'd be a great way to burn off some extra stress, what with all we've been through this week."

"Oh, I'd love to!" Fluttershy replied eagerly. "I'm free tomorrow around 1 - we could go then! I-if you're free then, that is."

"Sounds like a plan!" I beamed, starting to trot away. "See you then - good luck with you-know-who!"

"Night, Endless!"

I watched as Fluttershy flew gracefully off into the distance, and smiled to myself. "What a pony," I sighed.

Early the following afternoon, Tali and I set off for the lake in the further reaches of town. I had become accustomed to coming here whenever I needed a change of scenery, or if I wanted to burn off some stress - now seemed just as good a time as any. And Tali, being a water dog, would feel right in his element.

As we strolled along, however, the streets seemed strangely quiet. Naturally, on weekends, there's not that much activity out in the open to begin with; but even today, Tali and I passed relatively few ponies. "Oh, well," I observed. "Probably just one of those days. No biggie: there's bound to be at least a bit of a buzz at the lake, what with all this nice weather we've had lately. Come on, buddy," I said to Tali, enthusiastically quickening my pace. "We better hurry if we wanna beat the crowd." Tali responded with a will, and we cantered happily toward our destination.

But when we reached the lake, my expectations were quickly dashed: nopony was there. At least, it initially seemed that way, until I heard a quiet sniffling and whimpering coming from behind a nearby tree. I peeked around the corner, and what I saw made my heart drop to my stomach: Fluttershy, her usually elegant, flowy hair now a wild, frazzled mess, lay on the ground crying, her head in her arms.

Tali was the first to approach her: he timidly pawed at her shoulder and sniffed the narrow slit between her face and her arm. Fluttershy looked up, saw Tali, and embraced him, sobbing harder and harder, while he placed his paw on her hoof as if to say, "I'm here for you." After a brief hesitation, I slowly walked over and sat down beside them. "Fluttershy, what happened?" I asked.

Fluttershy took a few shaky breaths. "It's over, Endless," she choked. "You were right: she was angry with us!"

"Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy nodded, wiping her eyes. "When we told her about our meeting with you, she flew off the handle. She wouldn't listen to your side of the story at all. In fact, she acted as if she was the victim - she even called us a bunch of backstabbers!"

"What?!" I cried out incredulously. "But that's ridiculous!"

"Try telling that to Dashie," faltered Fluttershy, "because...unless we 'admit' that this is your fault, she...she...oh, Endless, she w-won't be our friend anymore!!!" She flung her arms around my neck, as she broke down all over again. I would have immediately hugged her back had it not been for the massive wave of shock I was now drowning in: I couldn't tell whether this was reality or just some crazy nightmare.

Finally, I mustered enough courage to return Fluttershy's hug; I could feel her squeeze just a bit harder as I did so. "She can't be serious," I murmured, still in disbelief. "Can she?"

"I don't know," Fluttershy sniffled. "Twilight and Applejack say we should just give her the time to come round; but I'm not so sure. She looked ready to strangle me the way she was ranting! I couldn't sleep a wink last night I was so shaken - and this morning, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to come to the lake at all. I mean," she went on in a hurried, anxious voice, "I didn't want to break my promise and disappoint you, or make you think I was ungrateful for your offer; but I've lost one of my closest friends, and it's taken the spirit out of me, and I don't feel like swimming, and I've ruined our day out, and I'm so sorry, Endless!"

By now, I had started to shed a few of my own tears: I understood this kind of self-deprecating mental entrapment all too well. "You don't need to be sorry, Fluttershy," I soothed, trying to choke back the massive lump in my throat as I stroked her silky mane.

"You got that right, freak! It's you who should be sorry!"

Three guesses who said that.

"It's because of you all this has happened!" Rainbow Dash snapped, hovering a few feet above us. "Your petty little tantrums over my honesty are one thing; but turning my own friends against me?! Huh! If you think you can get away with that, you've got another thing comin'!"

Fluttershy winced, while Tali shrank back, tail between his legs. "I turned your friends against you?!" I repeated, stepping forward indignantly. "I'm the one who thinks he can get away with anything?! Don't make me laugh! You did this yourself with your bad attitude! And now here you go behaving just like my father whenever I try to stand up to him!"

"Oh, boo-hoo! Your old man chews you out about things! Yeah, your little girlfriend told me all about that!" Rainbow thrust an accusing hoof down at Fluttershy. "For all I know, you probably have it comin' to ya!"

"Oh!" I said, giving a sarcastic laugh. "So that's how it is to you, huh? If somepony does anything you don't like, even without malicious intent, that's all the justification you need to lay into them?!"

"Pretty much, yeah," Rainbow replied smugly.

"Well, excuse me for only wanting some common decency!" I huffed. "Life wouldn't be worth living if everypony were as afraid of their own feelings as you!"

"What did you just say to me?!?!?!" Dash hollered lividly.

I felt frightened for a moment, but continued to stand my ground. "I said you're afraid of your own feelings! What, are you so full of hot air that it's clogged up your ears?!"

"That's it, pal: you're dead!!!!" Without warning, Rainbow Dash dove straight at me, fire in her eyes. Anger giving way to complete fear, I shut my eyes and braced myself for the impact, but instead felt a sudden breeze rush in front of me. Then I heard a sickening thud, followed by a shrill yelp.

I slowly opened my eyes, then gasped in horror: Fluttershy lay on her side, clutching a bruised shoulder. She had taken the blow for me! "Sweet Celestia!" I burst out, rushing to her side. "Fluttershy, are you all right?"

Fluttershy gave a painful moan, but managed to look up at me. "Don't do this to yourself, Endless," she whispered.

Rainbow Dash hovered in place for a few moments, mouth agape. Then, to my further shock, tears began spilling out of her eyes. "Look what you made me do!" she shouted at me. "If you hadn't gone and put ideas in her head, it never would've come to this!"

I was deeply stung by this accusation. "But I...," I faltered.

"But nothing!" Dash interrupted thickly. "You just stay away from her, because a braindead waste of space like you will never be good enough for her, for Ponyville, or for the whole stinkin' world of Equestria!" With those last biting words, she took off.

The aftershock of her departure never seemed to fade: instead, it grew stronger, louder, and fiercer, pounding ruthlessly in my brain. My head was spinning, I felt nauseous, the tightness in my throat was intolerable. Finally, I stood up, grimacing as tears of shame stung my eyes. "Come on, Tali," I said, struggling to hold back my sobs. "We're going home."

"Endless?" It was Fluttershy. "Endless, wait!" I didn't answer, and continued walking even as her calls became more and more tearful. "Endless, come back, please! Endless?! Endless!!!"

I did practically nothing for the rest of the day. I stayed shut in my apartment, with all the blinds down, lying facedown on my bed. Naturally, as evening fell, I got up to feed and walk Tali, as well as have some dinner myself; but even then, I felt listless and depressed, and only took a nibble or two before giving up and tossing my food in the garbage. "Why did this have to happen, Tali?" I asked. "Why is it that I'm still the scapegoat?"

Later that night, I morosely crawled into bed, and lay there with my arm dangling over the side. Even as I felt Tali paw anxiously at my hoof, I didn't smile as I usually would have. "Enough, Tali!" I snapped, finally growing irritated as he continued to tap me.

In the darkness, I saw my ever-faithful dog retreat, a look of absolute guilt in his soulful eyes. I winced remorsefully as he curled himself into a ball and lay on the floor a foot or two from my bed. "Sorry, buddy," I whispered. Way to go, moron, I berated myself inwardly. It's bad enough you've screwed up the life of the mare you love - don't go making things worse for yourself! Biting my lip in misery, I turned over, and slowly fell asleep...

In Dreamland, I found myself alone in a black void. "Hello?" I called tentatively. "Is anypony there?"

There was no reply - at least initially. Then, the scowling face of a colt I'd gone to preschool with appeared in front of me out of nowhere! "You're stupid!"

I leapt back with a yell of shock; but the face vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

I walked slowly through the void, my heart pitter-pattering uneasily. I had only gone a few feet when the screaming face of my father suddenly seemed to jump out at me: "HOLD STILL!!!!! And stay still!!!"

"That happened when I was only six," I mused aloud, as the vision evaporated. "He was helping me put on my winter gear that day. Why is this happening to me?"

"You had it comin' to ya!" Rainbow Dash's scornful voice suddenly echoed through the darkness.

"Well," I admitted, "it's true I kept forgetting to hold still, even after he told me to twice...no! That's still no excuse for a father to scream at his son!"

Picking up the pace a bit, I suddenly tripped over my own hooves and fell down hard - a group of laughing high-school fillies' heads popped up! "Well, I am awkward," I mumbled, as I got up again. I stood there a moment, wondering if walking on was even worth it.

"Don't just stand there mouth agape!" It was my father's face again.

"Quit patronizing me...," I began indignantly.

"Endless, shut up!"

I grimaced in frustration as the face disappeared. "I've gotta get out of here!"

"Endless?!"

I'd recognize that soft, sweet voice anywhere: "Fluttershy! Where are you?!"

I cast my eyes here and there, and at last made out her shape in the distance. I broke into a relieved gallop towards her; but strangely, with every step I took, she grew no larger.

Then, as if to add insult to injury, my father's face appeared a third time, flashing a sarcastic smile at me. As it circled my head, continuing to leer ruthlessly, a volley of putdowns boomed all around me, all in Rainbow Dash's voice: "Idiot!...Retard!...Freak!...Brainless Wire!...Dork!...Oversensitive pansy!...Weirdo!...Twerp!...It's no wonder you've got such a lousy name!"

I shook off the last insult with a furious growl, only to see Fluttershy vanish in the wink of an eye. "NO! WAIT!!" I cried, stopping so quickly that I plunged to the ground again. I could do nothing but cower and cover my ears, as an even louder barrage of cheap shots bore down on me like savage beasts, the loudest of all being, "A braindead waste of space like you will never be good enough for her, for Ponyville, or for the whole stinkin' world of Equestria!"

Just as sobs of defeat and despair were about to tear out of my throat, there came a blinding flash of white light, followed by a regal yet soothing voice: "You have suffered too much for too long, Endless Wire. Let me help you bear your burdens."

Squinting through the piercing light, I made out the approaching shape of a midnight blue alicorn with a translucent royal blue mane and tail. "...Princess...Luna?" I croaked. "But I...I don't understand..."

The Princess smiled reassuringly, as the light dimmed to a gentler radiance. "Surely, you've heard of my duty as Princess of the Night? How I enter my troubled subjects' dreams and help them face their demons?"

"Of course, but..." I paused, gulping back the tightness in my throat. "I never thought you'd bother with a nopony like me..."

"And therein lies perhaps your greatest demon," Luna cut in solemnly. "Your crippled self-worth."

"It's not entirely my fault," I retorted, getting defensive. "I've been mocked and patronized practically all my life, just because of who I am! I mean, can I help it if my brain's wired a little differently than everypony else's?! I never asked to be this way! What excuse does that give ponies to be so cruel and condescending?!" By now, what would have been tears of sadness had become tears of anger, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to keep my voice steady.

Luna frowned sympathetically. "It is clear you fear rejection, as I once did. It's true, many ponies can react unkindly to things they can't entirely comprehend. But that alone should not invalidate ponies who do appreciate you, nor should it so drastically alter the way you view yourself."

"All I want is to be seen as an okay guy," I said, wiping my eyes. "But, how can I get anywhere in life without making myself vulnerable? There are probably hundreds of ponies, all over Equestria, who would hate me just for being myself!"

"You cannot change the way other ponies think, I trust you know that," replied Luna firmly. "No more easily than you can change the way you think. But if you let your self-doubt hold you down, the best things in life may very well pass you by."

I was quiet for the longest time after that: I knew she was right, but one other problem continued to ail me. "Well, how am I supposed to patch things up with Rainbow Dash? She'll never hear me out!"

"Even the most rigid of ponies have their own vulnerabilities, Endless," said Luna. "And even the worst of feuds can be put to rest, if you only know where to find some common ground."

Instantly, I thought back to the devastated look on Rainbow's face after she had punched Fluttershy. "Well, nopony with a heart of stone could ever cry after striking down their own friend!" I remarked. Then I went silent for a third time, remembering my deepest fear. "But what about Fluttershy? I admire her so much, but I've practically ruined her life. There's no possible way she could love me now, even if I confessed to her!"

Luna chuckled warmly. "I've known relatively few ponies as kind and forgiving as Fluttershy," she said. "If you tell her how you really feel, she'll understand - trust me."

At that moment, the void around us started to warp and melt away. Luna herself was beginning to fade as well. "Remember, Endless!" she called. "You're just as competent as the next pony! Don't let your doubts rob you of a happy life!"

"Your Highness!" I cried after her. "What should I do?! Princess?! Princess Luna?!"

Author's Note

I haven't been called every last one of those terrible names in real life, but I have more or less gone through every incident Endless relived up to that point. Sorry once again if this brought anyone down - I promise things will get better in the next chapter. Stay tuned!

Chapter 8: New Beginnings

I awoke so suddenly that I nearly fell out of bed! With an anxious yelp, I quickly righted myself. Once I had gotten over my shock, I sat up, stretched, and yawned. "Well, that was somethin'," I remarked, thoroughly bemused.

Judging by the faint light beneath the window shades, it was some late time in the wee hours of the morning - indeed, when I checked my alarm clock, it read 4:45. I lay back down and tried to fall back to sleep; but a whole half hour passed, and still my eyes could not close. All the while, my mind spun, mulling over Luna's advice: don't let the best things in life pass you by.

I sat up once more, and squinted through the weak darkness, trying to make out Tali. To my surprise and joy, he lay nearer to my bed than he had before - he must have got up and moved during the night! I clicked my tongue softly - right away, his sensitive ears perked up, and he looked up at me. "Hey, buddy," I whispered. "I'm really, really sorry I snapped at you - you still love me?"

As if in reply, Tali gave his tail a few gentle thumps on the floor - I smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks, Tal."

Another half hour passed, but I remained restless. At long last, I decided to start the day early, and took Tali outside to do his business. Back in the apartment, I set out some kibble for him, then brewed a pot of coffee and popped some bread in the toaster. About six minutes later, I sat at the breakfast table, enjoying toast and marmalade, and planning my day. "First things first, Tali," I said determinedly. "I'll go right to Fluttershy's house and apologize for yesterday's incident." (Fluttershy had invited me to her rural cottage on the outskirts of town once or twice before, just to hang out, have some tea, or play with her animal friends.)

Tali gave me a soft nudge with his muzzle, as if he expected me to say more. "Oh, so you're wise to my real feelings," I smirked after a brief pause and realization. "I swear, you dogs have more empathy than most ponies!" Tali wagged his tail happily.

"But, how do I fess up to her?" I wondered aloud. "It'd be pretty awkward to just knock on her door and say, 'Fluttershy, I love you', wouldn't it?! And how do I know whether she'll return the feeling?"

At that point, Tali put his paw around my arm, almost as if he were hugging me. Once again, I was momentarily stunned, but put two and two together after a few seconds. "You're right: there's real warmth in her hugs," I said fondly, giving my furry friend a scratch behind the ear. "There may be proof in the pudding, as they say."

Tali reached up and licked my chin affectionately. "Thanks, old pal!" I chuckled.

My plan to set things right was set in motion sooner than I expected. A few hours later, Tali and I were just about to leave the apartment, when we heard a few rapid knocks at the door - you can only imagine my surprise when I answered, and found a very sad-looking Rainbow Dash hovering outside! "Uh...hey...," she said slowly, breaking the awkward silence that followed.

"Hey," I replied, a bit uneasy but mostly still stunned.

"So, about yesterday," went on Rainbow. "It just didn't feel right, you know, leaving things the way we left them..."

"Look," I sighed, starting to get defensive again, "if this is about me turning your friends against you, then..."

"Cool your jets, poodlehead!" Dash snapped - then, to my further astonishment, she winced, groaned, and slapped a hoof to her forehead. "No, no!" she muttered. "I shouldn't have said that. I just wanted to...well, what I mean is..." Her voice trailed away, as she let out an exhausted sigh.

"...Wanna go for a walk?"

Outside a few minutes later, Tali and I ambled along the street, while Rainbow Dash hovered a few inches above us so we could talk face to face. "Look, Endless," she began, "I know I've been...well, a real lout lately; but, the thing is, I just don't know how to..."

"Admit your mistake?”

"Yeah! I mean, don't expect me to make speeches to you or anything - it's hard enough I've got competition with some gawky, scatterbrained Manehattaner..."

"Well, technically, I come from Clyde Park..."

"Do I look like I care?!" Rainbow Dash barked irritably - she grimaced in self-reproach milliseconds later. "Sorry!" she groaned.

"It's fine," I replied. "See? That wasn't so hard!"

"What wasn't so hard?"

"...Apologizing?"

Rainbow exhaled quietly. "I guess not," she admitted.

"And I'm sorry I said you were afraid of your own feelings. I know I've harped a bit about not resorting to insults, but..."

"No," interrupted Rainbow. "It's fine - I needed to hear that."

"But what about that jab I made about hot air clogging your ears? That was a step too far!"

“Maybe," conceded Rainbow. "But up to that specific point, your words sort of opened my eyes a bit - after awhile, at least. I hate to admit it; but, as awesome as I usually am, I can be kind of a sourpuss to my own friends. And sometimes, I do take my issues out on them - like the time I was practicing for the Best Young Flyer Competition."

"How so?"

"Ya see, Fluttershy was the only one of my friends who could come to Cloudsdale and support me - at least until Twilight found this cool spell to prevent her and the others from falling through the clouds. Anyway, I drilled Fluttershy through what it took to be a good cheerleader, and she seemed to learn fast enough; but when she tried to cheer for real, it was super quiet! Just this whispery little 'Yaaaay!'"

"Well, that's Fluttershy for ya," I chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I yelled at her to crank up the volume, and I even gave her an earful in front of everypony else about how feeble her performance was; but, truth be told, I did it partly because I felt lousy for not living up to my own performance standards. No matter how hard I pushed myself, I couldn't pull off a single sonic rainboom! That's my signature move, for Pete's sake!"

"Whoa!" I remarked. "I've heard only a select few pegasi have been able to do that!"

"Yup! Pretty awesome, right?"

"Heck yeah! And you're so fast to begin with - no wonder you made it into the Wonderbolts!"

"Finally catchin' on, are ya?" Rainbow teased, and we both laughed. "But you get my point, right?" she continued. "I was frustrated that my efforts weren't paying off, so I got a bit snippier with Fluttershy than I should've. Guess I made that same mistake again, huh?" she added sadly, looking me right in the eye.

"...You mean...?"

"Yeah - I was a jerk to you out of insecurity. I just felt like you were taking away all the popularity I'd earned here in Ponyville, and it kinda made me snap."

"Well," I said modestly, "I wouldn't take it that far. I'm not really much of a social butterfly."

"But you're so nice and cheerful all the time, and you've gained a reputation for that!" Rainbow persisted. "You don't strut your stuff all that much - don’t get me wrong, your singing voice really is out of this world - but everypony loves you to death just for being you! And you don't even bust your flank for that popularity - it just comes to you like a fish to water!"

It was true I'd made several positive connections since my big move - I'd acknowledged this myself three nights earlier. But even these best-case scenarios had been a bit overwhelming. "Funny," I murmured, reflecting on what Rainbow had just said. "I'm usually so worried about whether ponies like me or not, that I usually don't notice how much they already do! I mean, I've always been kind of awkward, and first impressions can stress the Tartarus outta me - but, for all my dad's criticizing, he has repeatedly told me that most ponies like me the way I am."

"Well," Dash remarked, "Fluttershy sure speaks highly of you. She's a lot like you, y'know," she went on thoughtfully, "always pleasant like that. I mean, sure she can be shy and sensitive, and even a scaredy pony at times; but all in all, she generates a ton of positivity - and she never uses her insecurity to hurt anypony. I don't know how she does it, but she does!"

"She's got a way about her," I agreed, smiling fondly.

I must have started to space out, because Rainbow clapped her front hooves together to get my attention. "Hello?! Thinkin' hard or hardly thinkin'?"

"Sorry," I grinned self-consciously.

Rainbow chuckled reassuringly. "Don't sweat it. Jeez, your mind really is an endless wire!"

"Finally caught on, eh?" I quipped, repeating her previous joke.

"Hey, that's gonna cost ya!" Rainbow admonished playfully. "Then again," she continued ruefully, "I do owe you to begin with - I really am sorry."

"It's okay," I replied. "You know, Fluttershy was right: you really aren't so bad after all."

"And you're not so lame yourself. Maybe I should give this ol' common decency shtick a go more often. Don't count on me to change overnight; but hey, I gotta earn back my reputation somehow!"

"Rainbow...," I said, raising a wary eyebrow.

"Not like that!" she laughed. "I just meant I've gotta patch things up with Twi and the others - wasn't just you I was rotten to, remember?"

"I remember," I mumbled, frowning a little as my mind returned to my previous goal.

"You okay?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about Fluttershy," I explained. "I wanted to go over to her place and patch things up with her."

"And fess up to your everlasting and unreserved love for her?"

I stared, astonished. "How did you...?"

"Well, you kinda get this twinkle in your eye whenever you talk to her - I'd know it anywhere. Even now, you got it just talking about her!"

"Well, how do I know if she'll even love me back?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised!" Rainbow smirked. "Fluttershy could talk nonstop about you, if you let her! She doesn't exactly swoon for you; but the twinkle in her eyes is more or less as bright as yours."

"So..."

"Yeah. I meant that bit about your 'little girlfriend'," Rainbow verified with a blush. "Sorry about that..."

"No worries - all water under the bridge."

"So," Dash went on determinedly, "what are we waiting here for? Next stop: Fluttershy's cottage!" Before I could raise any objections, she had gotten behind both Tali and me, and was rocketing us through the sky!

In less than two minutes, we had arrived at the little path leading up to Fluttershy's house and the meadow adjacent to it. Once Rainbow Dash had set us back on the ground, Tali pranced about excitedly, as if begging her to do it again. I, on the other hand, staggered about dizzily. "Please...don't do that again...for the next millennium!" I panted.

"You're welcome," Dash replied nonchalantly. "Now go on and spill the beans - nopony's stoppin' ya!"

I stared nervously up the path, took a deep breath, and took a few steps forward. I wasn't even halfway there before we heard a familiar, soft voice drifting around from the backyard. Dash, Tali, and I quickly went to investigate - as we drew nearer, we heard the voice sing:

"Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a wedding has been.
Lives in a dream;
Waits at the window, wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door.
Who is it for?

All the lonely ponies;
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely ponies;
Where do they all belong?"

Sure enough, the voice belonged to Fluttershy. We saw her halfheartedly scattering birdseed on the ground, her mane and tail just as frazzled and lifeless as they had been the day before - her coat even seemed to have lost some of its usual sheen. Angel, her bear friend Harry, and a few birds were with her, each with the same sorrowful, sympathetic look in their eyes.

"Guess that's our cue," I murmured, clearing my throat a bit. "Hey, Fluttershy?"

As if cautiously biding her time, Fluttershy slowly turned around. "Endless? Rainbow?" she breathed, wide-eyed. "You're...you're not..."

"At each other's throats?" Rainbow Dash cut in.

Fluttershy shuddered. "Not the words I would've used; but, yes."

Following an awkward pause, I cleared my throat a second time. "I never thought that feud would nearly end your friendship - Fluttershy, I'm so sorry I put you through all this grief..."

"What are you talking about?" interrupted Rainbow. "I was the one acting like a big baby!"

"Still, Fluttershy went to the trouble of standing up for me - I at least owe her for that..."

"Endless, if anypony owes her, it's me. If I hadn't been so rude to you, this never would've happened!"

"Well, I did kinda make a scene in front of her..."

"Well, so did I..."

Our dispute was suddenly cut off by a quiet giggle. "At this rate, you two'll never learn!" Fluttershy teased.

Rainbow and I exchanged glances. One look was enough to tell each other that we'd both put two and two together - we were still at odds as to whose fault it was! Nevertheless, we couldn't help laughing too. "You're right, Fluttershy," Rainbow chuckled. "Sorry we left ya hangin'. And I'm even sorrier for everything I said and did," she continued, her voice growing remorseful. "I was petty and cynical and mean-spirited, and I hurt you as well as Endless. But if you give me another chance, I promise I'll never get that carried away with my pride again. And," she added, acknowledging me with a warm smile, "I promise I'll try to work on my attitude."

Shedding overjoyed tears, Fluttershy flung her arms around her friend - the color seemed to flood back to her coat as she did so. "Apology accepted, Dashie," she whispered happily.

Rainbow melted into the hug, catching me off guard as she gave a few sobs of relief. Watching the two mares reconcile, I just had to beam inside and out - everything had resolved itself for the best after all.

After another few moments, Rainbow stood up. "Well, guess I'd better go tell the others. I'll just leave you two to your...private affairs," she finished slyly, and swooshed out of sight.

Fluttershy giggled fondly, wiping away her residual tears. "Well, that's our Rainbow Dash - living it up on the fast lane."

"She really is fun once you get to know her," I smiled, although deep down, I felt more unsettled than ever. Fluttershy was quick to notice my wavering grin. "What's the matter, Endless?" she asked gently. "Everything's all right again - aren't you happy about that?"

"Well, sure," I faltered. "It's just that...well, I wanted to...ugh, I wish I could just get it out already!"

"Get what out?"

I resolved myself with a deep breath: there was no avoiding the confession now. "Fluttershy," I said slowly, "I...I love you..."

Fluttershy swayed on the spot. "What did you say?" she breathed, as if in a sort of trance.

"I love you!" I repeated more emphatically. "I really, truly love you. Ever since that day we met on the train, I've just found myself repeatedly and naturally drawn to you - and at first I thought it was just puppy love, but now I know the feeling is real. And I could yak on and on about all the reasons why it's real; but, I guess the key reason is because I feel myself around you, and I feel happy around you. You unreservedly accept me as I am, more than anypony else I've known in my young life. You're honestly the kindest, most empathic, most beautiful mare I've ever met, and I can't imagine how my new life here in Ponyville would've been enhanced without you!"

For one heart-wrenching moment, Fluttershy stared at me, looking deeply stunned - I was certain I'd said too much. But the very next moment, her face broke into another overjoyed smile. "Oh, Endless," she gasped, "I can't tell you how long I've wished I could tell you that!"

"You kinda did two days ago!" I chuckled, feeling happier than I'd been in ages. "Remember? 'There's the Endless Wire I know and love'?"

"Oh - that," murmured Fluttershy, looking a bit embarrassed. "I wondered why you looked so shocked. I was just using a figure of speech; but I'm sorry if I got your hopes up too high..."

"Fluttershy, Fluttershy!" I cried as I comfortingly took her by the shoulders, being mindful of her healing bruise. "It's perfectly okay! You don't need to be sorry. I'm just glad the feeling turned out to be mutual."

Blushing, Fluttershy returned the hug. "Well, one thing's for sure," she smiled coyly. "If we are gonna be a couple, at least we'll keep each other reassured 24-7!"

I burst out laughing, and Fluttershy quickly joined in. Tali bounded over, tail wagging vigorously; Angel jumped for joy, Harry thumped his paws together in applause, and the birds gave a collective, twittery cheer - something in the way they celebrated told me Fluttershy had confided her crush to them, same as I'd admitted to Tali.

Once everything had calmed down a bit, Fluttershy and I gazed affectionately into each other's eyes. "I love you, Fluttershy," I whispered.

"I love you too, Endless," replied Fluttershy softly.

Then, before we knew it, our lips had touched - Fluttershy drew me just a bit closer, and I ran a hoof through her beautiful, silky mane. As we broke our kiss, the birds began to whistle a gentle tune. I gave a quiet chuckle, recognizing the song, and began to sing along:

"Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside.
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you;
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you;
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you."

Fluttershy smiled sweetly and sang the next verse:

"Perish is the word that more than applies
To the hope in my heart each time I realize
That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams;
That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes;
That I am not gonna be the one to share what
Seems to be the life that you could
Cherish as much I do yours.

Oh, I'm beginning to think that ponykind has never found
The words that could make you want me.
That have the right amount of letters, just the right sound
That could make you hear, make you see
That you are driving me out of my mind."

"Oh, I could say I need you, but then you'd realize
That I want you, just like a thousand other guys,
Who'd say they loved you, with all the rest of their lies,
When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hooves,
And gaze into your eyes."

With tears of joy flowing from our eyes, we sang the final chorus together:

And I do cherish you.
And I do cherish you.

Cherish is the word."

It was a miraculous day, full of wonderful new beginnings: the beginning of a fire-forged friendship with Rainbow Dash; the beginning of a loving relationship with Fluttershy; and third and most importantly, the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life. As long as could I live it with the mare I loved, I felt ready to face whatever it might throw my way; but that's another story...

Author's Note

There you have it folks - Endless and Fluttershy are officially a couple! Stay posted for what their budding romance may bring.

P.S., any Billy Joel fans notice a subtle reference I worked in?

P.P.S., Clyde Park is an obvious reference to my hometown of Hyde Park, New York.

I do not own the music or lyrics to "Eleanor Rigby" or "Cherish".