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".