I felt the warm touch of the sunrise on my flanks before I saw its light. When the world woke up, it did so slowly, sleepily. Vast open fields unfolded westward in an emerald glow, and that's how I knew I had cleared the last ridge of mountains. The dew was crisp and tingly beneath my hooves. As the morning grew warmer, I adjusted the folds of my cloak—loosening the coarse material that had been dampened by countless hours, days, and weeks of sweat.
The air was bright. Invigorating. It scared me. And when I saw the first sign of civilization—it nearly sent my heart into shock.
It was a large blade—porous, fashioned out of wood. I saw it rotating clockwise over a tuft of green trees, eventually followed by four identical siblings. A windmill.
I was scared to see more, but I needed to move. I trotted forward in the wet grass until I crested the western slope of a hill. I finally saw the windmill in its entirety—but that wasn't all. A village stretched behind it. A small village. Tiny brown houses and tinier browner huts. They were capped off with gold-thatched rooftops that lit up one after another with the expanding rays of the morning sun.
Everything was so... small. The tallest structure that I could spot was a round building—about four stories at most—that stood in the center of the circularly-built community. The roof of the structure rose sharply to a narrow point, and there rested a flagpole bearing strange colors and insignia. If I squinted my eyes, I could spot the effigies of two mares frozen in opposite motion—one dark and the other light. There were stars...
I shuddered. This wasn't the place I was looking for. It just... wasn't epic enough. Nothing special could come out of a rustic splotch of nothingness in the center of a vast valley. I felt my blood run cold, so I looked up. Eventually, I saw more and more mountains looming to the north and west. The sight of them made me feel at ease. I calmed myself. Soon, I rationalized that the town was worth a visit anyways. After all, I was exhausted... and I was running low on supplies.
So, with only slight hesitation, I trotted down the remaining length of the hill and headed towards the heart of the village. The fresh scent of hay and wheat and harvested fruit tickled my nose. This was a farming community—no doubt. Hopefully they would accept gold coins here as currency. I could already feel my stomach growling.
At first, I thought the villagers here would still be asleep. I soon discovered that days and days of solitude had stripped me of common sense. The place was practically bristling with activity. Before I had pierced two blocks of the village's outer circumference, I had seen no less than five wagons full of wares and produce being drawn through the streets. Shops were opening. Marketplaces were being dressed up for a busy, busy day of trading.
The ponies here were... polite. Alarmingly so. Every stallion pulling a wagon paused to wave or bow at me. Mares paused in gardening to smile and curtsy. Even those in deep conversation put their gossip on hold to toss a sweet "Good morning" in my direction.
I fidgeted with the folds of my cloak, mulling over the choice to wave back. It was around this time that something breezed over my head... then came to a hovering stop—which only startled me further. "Hey there, stranger!" a voice chirped.
I gasped, staring up—bug-eyed—at the source of the voice.
A gray pony with a blond mane smiled down at me from the sky. There was something wrong about her eyes, my brain told me, but I could scarcely pay attention. My gaze was locked on the blurring wings attached to her body. With each passing second, my heart leapt against the walls of my chest. The moment passed only when she ended it. After an innocent shrug, the happy mare tugged a mailbag over her shoulder and flew in a gray blur for the furthest edges of town.
My legs were shaking. It sent a tremble through my body, and I imagined that it must have come across as alarming—for a group of mares wandered over from a flower shop, their colorful muzzles full of concern.
"Uhm... hello there!"
"Good morning. Are..."
"...are you alright, there?"
I turned briskly to face them. The hood of my cloak slipped slightly. Clenching my teeth, I grasped its edges and cleared my throat. "Yes. Thank you. I... uh... I'm fine."
"Did you need directions, sir?" asked a mare with a rose for a cutie mark.
"No. Er... I-I mean yes." I swallowed. "Do... does anypony know where I can find a town called 'Ponyville?'"
The three mares exchanged blinking glances. One even giggled.
"Why... this is Ponyville, sir!" a mare said.
"Look no further!" The rose one smiled. "You're right where you're supposed to be!"
"The fertile heart of Equestria!"
"That's right!"
"Heeheehee!"
I was staring past them at this point. My eyes devoured the gold-thatched rooftops and the emerald plains stretching beyond. "Equestria..." The name held remarkable weight now, and it sank its way through my center. "So this is Equestria..." My eyes danced around. I saw more colorful... pretty figures. Half of them were in the air. It was almost too poetic. "How... weird."
"Weird?" one of the florists chirped. Even when borderline offended, these villagers sounded mirthful.
"There..." I squinted into the rustic buildings nearby. "...there really aren't a lot of stallions, are there?"
The ponies exchanged glances.
"I guess... not?"
"Why?" One winked. "Have you come to fill in our quota?"
"Haha!"
A part of me wanted to laugh at that—but that part of me was currently too stunned to think of anything. My wandering eyes had found a hazy sight along the northern horizon. High above—epically high—was a series of castle spires and fortifications built into the summit of a mountain. I saw glittering gold steeples and crystal-clear waterfalls cascading into the rocky reaches of the countryside. "My stars... what is that?"
"Hmmm?" The rose pony trotted next to me, craning her neck so that her vision traced my line of sight. "What? You mean Canterlot?"
"Canterlot???" I wheezed, my ears twitching beneath my hood. "You mean that's where the Sun Goddess lives?"
"Heehee... 'Sun Goddess?'"
I clenched my teeth. I had said too much. "Sorry, I... uhm..." I adjusted the folds of my cloak, clearing my throat. "I'm quite exhausted. Is there... mmmm... is there a place where a pony could go to get a nice, warm meal?"
"Well, sure!" The rose mare pointed towards the heart of the town. "Just follow Burrow Street, then take a left at Miller. Sugarcube Corner should be open by now. It's a big pink building shaped like dessert treats. Can't miss it." A wink. "Tell them Roseluck sent you."
"'Roseluck'. Got it." I bowed awkwardly. "Thank you, ma'am." And then I shuffled limply on my way.
Behind, I could hear the mares giggling under their breaths.
"He's really cute!"
"'Adorable' is more like it."
"Shhhh! Daisy... Lily... honestly. You can't flirt with every young stallion that wanders into town."
"Oh, come off it, Roseluck. This isn't Manehattan Harbor."
"Heeheehee..."
I had forgotten their directions about a full minute into my trot. My eyes couldn't stop wandering. Curiosity had grown stronger than my hunger, and I peered over the rooftops to my left.
Something tall and pale was peeking out from above all of the other structures. The exact shape of it was difficult to make out; all I could see were rigid, geometric edges. Its cold, granite surface clashed immensely with the rest of this... "Ponyville."
I had to see more.
So I did. Taking sharp turns and trotting past various store fronts and inn-houses, I finally stumbled upon a grassy clearing in the heart of town. Here, I could see the centermost building in its full glory. Just beyond it stood a large, majestic oak tree. Or—at least—it was once majestic. A great deal of the bark had peeled off, and its entire western side was bereft of leaves. I could see doors and windows and balconies carved into the natural surfaces of the thing—which was a shame. No doubt this was once an architectural marvel, but now it stood in the deathly shallow of a tall gray monolith.
The material looked like granite—but somehow it seemed firmer... more polished. There was no way that earth ponies carved this structure into being. This had to have been the work of magic. Unicorn magic—or something even more powerful. The rectangular solid was imposing—like some spaceborne stone that had fallen from the heavens and landed in the center of town in all its alien glory.
And yet, the villagers went about their business all around me—completely oblivious to the monolith. Or—perhaps—completely accepting of it. I had expected strange things from this land, but nothing quite like this.
I had to approach it. I trotted on nervous hooves, circling the structure, looking for an entrance of sorts. At last, I found it, and the opening was just as rigid and geometrically perfect as the rest of the structure. I understood now that the monolith was hollow, and the shadows inside appeared... thicker than they should have been. The longer I peered at it, the more I felt the darkness emanating... as though it was alive. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. With more than a small amount of trepidation, I trotted towards the wavering darkness—
"Halt!"
Pale feathers. Metal breastplates.
I gasped, lurching backwards. As I trembled, the hood of my cloak fell back, revealing short, short bangs.
I was being glared down by thick-armored stallions with imposing wingspans. Their blue eyes pierced from beneath their helmets. Up above, I was startled to see more and more armored bodies circling down from where they orbited the monolith. Had they always been there...?
"Who goes there?!" one barked, standing rigid as a mountain.
"Uhm..." I cleared my throat. "Buckler. M-my name is Buckler."
"What business do you have with the Princess?"
My teeth clattered. "The Princess?"
Flaring nostrils. The blue eyes narrowed as more guards hovered closer. "Only those appointed by Princess Luna or the Royal Council of Canterlot are allowed to speak with Princess Celestia."
"I... I-I'm sorry. I didn't know... I-I mean, I didn't want to—"
"Please leave the entrance to the Sarcophagus at once or we will be forced to escort you out of city limits."
"Sir!" I nodded, backtrotting desperately. "Sir, y-yes, sir!" I had cleared several meters of distance...
...when I bumped into something cold and petite.
I spun around. My eyes lit up as I gasped.
She was staring at me... past me. Her wings were spread, her pose daring and adventurous. She faced due east, and the morning rays of sunlight glinted off her glossy bronze muzzle.
I felt a lump in my throat. Taking a step or two back, I tilted my neck up, digesting the edifice in its entirety.
The monument consisted of six statues—all bronze. They were mares, young ones at that. Two unicorns, two earth ponies, and two pegasi. She was in the center of them all... and yet she felt so apart. While the others formed a sacred halo with their graceful poses, she was a rigid and determined contrast. With the angle and direction of her wings, it almost appeared as though she was supporting the other five with her bronze feathers.
They were hardly naked. Intricate pendants hung from their necks. I saw butterflies, balloons, apples, and diamonds. A slight murmur escaped my lips as I reached forward and gently caressed a lightning bolt. It was the shiniest thing on the entire monument, and the eyes it reflected turned twice as blue with surmounting tears.
The world blurred as something colder than exhaustion overtook me. I stumbled around, reeling. I looked towards the rising sun—and it was blinding. I couldn't fathom how anypony would willfully throw herself into such burning oblivion... leaving all of this behind. The glory, the bronze, the warm smiles. I whimpered a few names, but it was no use. She wasn't the only pony who had blindly thrown herself somewhere.
I saw a hazy patch of pink, and some distant part of me remembered what the mares had said a few starving minutes ago. I lurched towards it, and only once its tacky spires had blotted out the dawn did I see the wooden shapes of cupcakes and frosting in all its fuchsia glory. I was limping by the time I wandered through the door.
"Good morning! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!" a warm voice purred, swiftly followed by a breathy tone. "Oh my! Are you quite alright, dearie?"
"I'm..." I cleared my throat, making for the closest table. I nearly tripped on the length of my cloak. The saddlebags underneath weighed a ton. "Just... looking for a place to sit."
"Well... s-sure! Do make yourself at home—!"
The sound of my slumping into a rattling chair blotted out the plump mare's pleasant voice. As I breathed and breathed—fighting off hyperventilation—blood rushed back to my ears, and I heard an even pleasanter voice from the table beside me.
"I love my little students, but even still... I am so... soooooo glad that it's Saturday."
"That's hardly something to be ashamed of, Cheerilee. Even Vinyl and I are happy to rest our muses once in a while."
"Is stress getting to you girls?" The rustle of a newspaper. I became aware of a green shape seated next to a gray and a fuchsia one at the table beside me. "Just dig your muzzle deep into the local gossip. Like I do."
"I can't see how you can get so easily distracted with the news, Miss Heartstrings. After all, Equestria will never have more on its plate than what's already been dealt it."
"Pffft! Bite your tongue!" A quirky smirk, then another rustle of the paper. "Check it out, Octavia. Says here the Wonderbolts' new wingpony—Lightning Dust—got kicked out of the team for faking the illness of Spitfire's mom! Some old retiree dude exposed her and everything."
"Awwwww... Now that's a shame! That Lightning Dust mare had a lot of talent—or so I heard."
"Please, Miss Cheerilee. I think we all know a mare who would have stolen her thunder—as t'were—if she were still around."
A lengthy, melancholic sigh. "True. Quite true." The fuchsia mare smiled tenderly. "You know... the students are planning to throw another 'Rainbow Dash' day."
I instantly looked over with a jolt.
"How delightfully boorish," the gray mare said, sipping tea. "It sounds wonderful. Do tell us more."
"Well, it'll be the second one in a row since... well..." The teacher cleared her throat. "Scootaloo's setting it up."
"How does the little scamp find the time?" the green one asked.
"Oh, she revels in it! Plus—Spike doesn't schedule her like a royal guard. Ponyville's prized apprentice still has plenty of openings in her schedule for hanging out with the likes of—"
Just then, the door to the restaurant opened with a jingling bell.
"Ah! Speak of the devil!"
The plump mare at the counter could be heard chanting melodically: "Scootaloo! Big Macintosh! Good morning to you both! What a delight!" Bright, blinking eyes. "Oooh! And Miss Zecora! It's a pleasure to see you as well! What's the occasion?"
"Big Mac here is helping Zecora and I gather enchanting materials from Everfree Forest," spoke a precocious filly with a glossy orange coat and an even glossier mane. She propped a small scooter up against the counter and slid up a pair of tiny flight goggles. "Spike and I are planning an experiment to see if we can store the energy of the Crystal Heart into a remote device."
"My my... to what end?"
"Tell 'em, Zecora."
"Our new northern neighbors of crystalline skin are bound to an artifact and the essence contained within. There may be a way to capture that force and allow their destinies to follow many a divergent course."
"I... see..." The mare behind the counter blinked. "...well, that seems quite fancy! Big Mac, are you understanding any of this?"
"Eeeenope!"
All four ponies laughed merrily.
"It's tough work digging up enchanted stones and carrying them to and from Golden Oaks," the filly said. "We were hoping to get some banana bread and water for the road."
"Well, you came to the right place! Why, I'll gladly throw on some extra treats! On the house!" The mare squinted over the counter at the black-and-white striped creature. "Miss Zecora, is it against zebra custom to indulge in sugar?"
"Hmmm-hmmm... I'll have you know that I've survived many a desert trek with the aid of cinnamon sticks at my beck..." The strange mare leaned in for an even stranger wink. "...and call."
"Heeheehee—you sound more and more like the rest of us every day, Miss Zecora!"
"Eeeyup!" A large red stallion laughed and laughed. His head turned and his eyes wondered—then he saw me. Immediately, his skull jerked to a stop. I saw a pair of deep green eyes blinking.
The conversation at the front of the store continued. All the while, the large pony kept staring at me—his face blank... save for a scant shadow of melancholy. I saw him leaning in and mumbling something to the shop owner, and soon her eyes were resting on me as well. Lips pursed as she nodded... her gaze growing softer and softer.
I squirmed in my seat, reaching a shaky hoof up to brush my golden bangs aside. Halfway through the gesture, I heard a voice hissing to my right. I turned to look at the mares seated at the nearest table.
All three of them were looking at me now. "I beg your pardon," the gray one said. "I only meant to ask if you were staying for a while or just passing through."
I blinked. "Huh?"
"Well..." She sipped her tea, then pointed a dainty hoof at the saddlebags poking out from beneath my cloak. "...you appear to be carrying an awful lot on your person. There are a lot of farmlands nearby. I'm certain plenty of the local townsponies would be more than helpful to give you a place to stay for tilling the land."
"I... uhm..." I cleared my throat. "I-I..."
"Oh, for Celestia's sake, Octavia. Must you always be so nosy?" The fuchsia mare rolled her eyes. She leaned towards me with a polite smile. "I do apologize, sir. We are a curious lot here in Ponyville. It's quite fine, though. Your business is your own."
"It's... it's fine." I gulped, fidgeting in my seat. Although I hadn't asked to be talked to, the tone in the mare's voice was strangely relaxing. Everything about this place was... was... "I'm not bothered at all."
"You sure about that?" The green one folded her newspaper and regarded me with an arched eyebrow. "No offense, dude, but you look beat! Have you been traveling far?" The fuchsia mare behind her face-hoofed.
"I... guess you c-could say that," I meekly responded.
"Well, you came to the right place to chillax!" She bore a suave smile. "The name's Heartstrings. Lyra Heartstrings." Slumping back in her seat, the unicorn gestured at her associates. "This here's Cheerilee and Octavia."
"Octavia Melody," the dainty one tersely corrected.
Lyra rolled her amber eyes. "Yes, well... last names are optional around here." She beamed. "What's your name?"
"Uhm... Buckler."
Lyra gestured at the other two. "See what I mean?"
Octavia's eyes narrowed. "That's a very masculine name."
I squinted back at her. "I would hope so."
She hummed silently to herself, sitting still. Thoughtful.
"Hmmm... 'Buckler.' 'Buckler.'" Cheerilee tapped her fuzzy nose in thought. Then she gasped. "Oh! Of course! You must have been foaled into the military!"
"I've had my fair share of guardpony experience," I said without hesitation.
"Well, if you are looking for work, Canterlot's the place to go! Granted... ehehe..." Cheerilee giggled adorably. "It's quite the hike. And aerial cab prices have gone up since Luna took the throne. Butttttt..." She gestured vaguely out the window. "If you're looking for a free ride, I'm sure there are lots of local pegasi who would be willing to give you a lift!"
"Oh!" Lyra Heartstrings nodded. "Totally! Thunderlane..."
"Cloud Kicker... Rain Drops..."
"...Cloud Chaser... Miss Hooves—" Lyra's muzzle instantly scrunched. "Oh. Wait a second. Scratch that."
"It's... it's okay." I waved a hoof, chuckling in a low voice. "Thanks. Really. But I didn't have any plans to be in Canterlot." An exhale. "In truth, I was trying to find Ponyville."
Octavia's eyebrow raised.
"Oh really?" Cheerilee sat up with a perky smile. "How wonderful! What can we do for you here?"
I felt my coat paling. Why did I just say that out loud? I was stronger than this. "Uhm..."
"Octavia's right. You are looking for farmwork!"
"No. I'm not. Not really." I gulped. "You see, I'm looking..." The morning sunlight found its way through the windows, burning the tips of my ears. My teeth clenched. "I'm... looking... looking for..."
Just then, a plate full of delicious pancakes dropped down onto my table.
I looked at the dish in surprise, then at the plump blue shop owner who had deposited it. "What? I... I didn't order—"
"It's quite alright, dearie." The mare gave me a motherly smile and wink. "Consider it our treat."
"It's... it's on the house?" I grimaced visibly. "Oh please. I didn't mean to intrude. You don't have to—"
"Oh, don't worry!" She held up a hoof. "It's paid for!" She turned and pointed at the red stallion in the corner of the establishment. "He decided graciously to place a few bits down for your breakfast."
I waved meekly at the large earth pony in the distance. "But... but why...?"
"Well, you look so famished, darling. Besides..." I could see the strain in the mare's face as she struggled with the truth. "...you... you're the spitting image of a pony he used to know... whom we all knew." A hard gulp, then a forced smile. "Granted, she was a mare... and d-decidedly bigger..."
"Huh?"
"Oh my goddess," Cheerilee suddenly squeaked, holding a hoof to her muzzle. "She's right!" She leaned in to Lyra. "Look at his mane! His coat!"
"Whoah..." Lyra blinked wide. "I didn't think of it until now. All he's missing is the frec—"
Cheerilee nudged Lyra into silence. Octavia said nothing.
I gulped. "Thanks, but..." I shook my head at the shop owner. "I really don't want to be an inconvenience, Miss..."
"Cake. Cup Cake. And it's no inconvenience whatsoever." She looked as though she was going to say something else. The moment's hesitation only afforded more time to drink me in, and I saw more than a little bit of moisture forming along the edges of her eyes.
Before I could say something myself—
"Hey there." The precocious filly trotted up, followed by the striped horse. "Dig the swell cloak."
"Uhm..." I squeezed out a smile. "...thanks?"
"The name's Scootaloo." She smirked devilishly. It was then that I noticed an adorable set of wingfeathers flittering on either side of her adolescent frame. "I'm the apprentice of the local town wizard." She leaned forward, whispering. "He's a draaaaaaaaagon."
My brow furrowed. "A what?"
"What's your name?"
Before I could open my muzzle—
"His name is Buckler and he's looking for farmwork," Lyra said. Cheerilee elbowed her again.
"Well, there's lots of farmland for that around here!" Scootaloo gestured with her little hoof. "After you're done eating, I could give you the tour! It's only fitting."
"I... I don't..." I fidgeted under the gaze of so many ponies crowding around. "Why... are you all being so nice to me?"
Cup Cake leaned back, surprised. "Why shouldn't we?"
Octavia spoke up: "Ponyville is known for its warm hospitality." She sipped from her tea. "Then again, so is any other town in Equestria."
"But Ponyville especially," Lyra emphasized, casting Octavia a slight glare. "Life around here has been extra special since... well... half-a-year ago when we all nearly lost it."
"What... happened?" I asked. "Half-a-year ago...?"
Everypony looked at me strangely then. Including the striped one.
"Y'know..." Lyra tilted her head forward. "...Discord? Total chaos? The Elements of Harmony being destroyed?"
I stared at her with my muzzle agape.
"Wow... he must not be from around here!" Scootaloo remarked. She leaned her front hooves on the edge of the table. "Where you from, anyways, Buckler?"
"I..." I glanced down at the waffles. The syrup was rich and it smelled sweet. There were slices of strawberry—bright and happy. It felt like ages since the fog cleared... since I first stepped hoof from rock to soil and beyond. "The east. I... guess you could say I'm from... east of here."
Scootaloo's eyes lit up. The breath had left her tiny lungs for some reason.
"East?" Lyra's muzzle scrunched. "Like... Dream Valley or something?"
"Trottingham?" Cup Cake ventured.
"He is not from Trottingham," Octavia muttered.
"It's... well..." I grasped a fork and poked at the pancakes. My orange ears flicked. "...I think it's probably off the map."
Just then, the striped horse spoke: "Your muscles are as well-toned as they are lean. I suspect you are no stranger to protein."
I nearly dropped the fork. My stomach rumbled, and I tucked the food pouch of my saddlebag discreetly beneath my cloak. "Right. That's... that's a big no-no around here, isn't it?" I murmured to myself.
The problem was, everypony else heard it.
"What's a big no-no?" Lyra asked.
"There's nothing at all to worry about," the striped pony said calmly. "This pony hails from Wintergate, no doubt."
"Wintergate?" Cup Cake remarked.
"Wintergate..." Cheerilee's muzzle scrunched. She then gasped. "Oh! I've heard of that name before! But..." She squinted. "I thought it was 'Weathergate.'"
I sighed through a tired smile before taking a bite of pancakes. "It's been misconstrued many times." I had to hum my way through the delicious assault on my taste buds. Equestria was sugary. "Mrmmfff... trust me."
"Wow..." Scootaloo blinked. "This 'Winter... Weathergate' place must be super far away!"
"It'd have to be for ponies to not know a thing about Discord!" Lyra remarked. "Or the Elements of Harmony."
"Mrmmfff..." I scarfed down a few more pancake bites. "Oh, we know about the Elements."
"You do?" Scootaloo piped up.
I paused, my fork lingering in front of my muzzle. An exhale, and I took a lonesome bite. "Well, no. Just one."
"Oh yeah?"
"Which one?"
I did not answer that. Quite suddenly—still munching on pancakes—I looked up with imploring eyes. "Please... tell me something."
They all looked back at me.
"By all means, dearie," Cup Cake said.
I swallowed. My gaze hardened. "Who is the mare in bronze?"
They exchanged confused glances.
"You... you refer to the monument?" Cheerilee asked. "The one besides Celestia's harmonic sarcophagus?"
"Because there are six mares there—"
"The one facing east," I said sharply.
The room fell into silence.
Then, at last—
"Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo murmured, ears twitching. "Well... I mean... eheh... where do you even start?"
"The last surviving Element of Harmony," Cheerilee said in a sad tone.
"The Element of Loyalty," Lyra hummed.
"Defeater of Discord," Octavia said.
"Best friend to m-my niece," Cup Cake said with a slight shudder.
"And the one pony who single-hoofedly saved all of Equestria from eternal chaos and death!" Scootaloo exclaimed. Her wings spread as she leaned back with a proud frown. If she had been painted in bronze just then, I'd not notice a difference. "She's the only reason any of us are alive and kicking as we speak!"
"And to have held her own after all she went through," Cheerilee added, sniffling slightly.
"Yeesh..." Lyra rubbed her forehead. "...it sends my stomach curling just thinking about it."
"All her dear friends," Octavia murmured. "Obliterated in the blink of an eye." She winced slightly, then cast a delicate look in Cup Cake's direction. "May their lovely souls rest in peace."
The red stallion had wandered over just in time to rest a hoof on Cup Cake's shoulder. She trembled slightly before leaning into his somber embrace.
"We... lost so many good friends that day," Scootaloo said. "But none of us were nearly as loyal to them as Rainbow. And when all was lost... she stepped up and kicked Evil in the teeth. And... and she... she..." She clenched her jaw tight.
"It's okay, Scootaloo." Cheerilee reached over and squeezed the filly's shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it. Not so soon—"
But Scootaloo batted Cheerilee's fetlock away with a strong wing. In a proud burst, she proclaimed: "She chose to face death head on! And wherever her body may be lying now... whatever grave she may have finally made for herself... you can just bet she made countless of pony lives cooler just by flying through their land... scapes..." Her worlds trailed off... but not for lack of strength.
I had hunched over at this point. There was no stopping the tears any more. I dropped the fork into the breakfast and covered my muzzle with two trembling hooves.
Scootaloo bit her lip. "Hey... it's..." She sniffled, but managed a strong smile. "It's okay! Honest! I mean... it took me a long t-time..." She gulped. "...to come to grips with it. But... Rainbow was totally strong enough to make peace with herself before she even set out on her trip around the world! So why couldn't I be just as strong too? She has her heroic legacy and we all have ours—"
"You're all so beautiful," I whimpered. I could no longer keep my voice as low as I had since arriving there in town. My sobs came out in squeaky pitches. "So kind... so incredibly warm and loving and... a-and..." I clenched my teeth.
"What's the matter, Buckler?" Cheerilee asked, lips pursed. "Please, you can tell us..."
The striped pony said, "Perhaps the emotion would have greater flow if she allowed the truth to show?"
"Huh?" Lyra remarked.
"Your friend is r-right," I stammered. I shook my head, allowing the cloak to give way, showing more of my slender neck and shoulders. "My name is not Buckler." A heaving breath. "It's Gold Petals. And I c-came all the way here for the same reason th-that you kind ponies continue to live in this town." I looked up, eyes welling with tears. "Rainbow Dash... she saved my life. She saved all our lives. My mountain town of Windthrow... every mare and stallion living there. We..." I shook in my seat. "...we were ravaged for months by these chaotic monsters. And then—out of the blue sky—Rainbow Dash showed up. And..." A gulp. "She cleared the monsters out. She drove away the minotaurs who were enslaving our friends and family. She... gave us all a future... no longer anchored to st-stupid tradition or superstition and... and we're free. We're all so free and alive and h-happy... just like she was." I gritted my teeth. "Except me..."
The group gaped at me in stunned silence.
Tearing, I painfully continued: "I caught a glimpse of something special... amazing... different. For so long, I thought my life was bound to something stale... plain... ordinary. She showed up, and she painted it with so much color... if even for a brief glimpse. And when it was all said and done... I-I just couldn't live there on the mountain anymore. I loved my Mom and Dad... but I couldn't even bear to love myself if I didn't... if I didn't know... ... ...just what brought her to Windthrow... ... ...and what she felt that she had to leave behind to get there. And now..."
I looked at everyone. Their colors blurred, like hers did. Everything once again resembled the dull cloud and stone I traversed so painfully to get there. The months of crying myself to sleep under darkness and stars and the slowly descending curtain of death.
"...and now that I know that she was able to leave all of this happiness and warmth behind in Ponyville, I can finally understand how easy it was... for..." A squeak. "...for her to leave me." I stumbled out of my chair altogether. "And I-I just d-don't know what is left t-to search for anymore...!"
"Gold Petals...!"
"Wait—!"
"Dearie, don't—!"
"I'm sorry!" I galloped for the exit before anypony could grab me. "You're all t-too kind! I'm just... I-I'm so sorry!"
I opened the door into the blinding dawn and I was gone.
Hours later, beneath a warm sunset, I had finally calmed down.
I sat on folded hooves on the precipice of a cliff. But not just any cliff—one that overlooked an inexplicably deep canyon that stretched north and south, jutting through the otherwise soft and pliable earth. A brisk wind blew through the crevice, and some of it gusted up out of the mouth and kicked at my short bangs and tail. I had lost my cloak somewhere behind me, which mattered little at this point. I always felt more naked when the sun was to the west—when I didn't have something directly behind me to outrun.
Evenings were always lonesome. This one promised to be the most lonesome of all.
But if there's anything I've learned in life—it's that promises are made to be broken. Sometimes, it can be even be a good thing.
The silence of the moment was broken by a series of tiny wheels crunching through the grass. I heard them coming to a stop behind me, followed by a small set of hooves padding over the soil.
"I see you found Ghastly Gorge," the filly's voice said with more than a small touch of nervousness. "It's... one of Equestria's Natural Wonders. Heh... pretty neat, huh?"
I took a deep breath without looking at her. "You'll get no argument from me, kid."
Scootaloo cleared her throat. "Look, Miss Petals... I know that you're far from home... but that doesn't mean you're without friends. Those ponies you met back in Sugarcube Corner? This might be hard to believe, but they really like you. We would all really like to get to know you more. And if you're having any nasty thoughts, just know that we've all got your—"
"I'm not contemplating jumping to my death, if that's what you're worried about," I droned.
"Oh? Really?" Her wings drooped at her side as she exhaled through a dumb smile. "Whew! Thank Celestia..."
I smiled ever so slightly to myself. "I was foaled and raised on the edge of a mountainous cliff. Being here... is comforting." I gulped. "In a way."
"I guess... I-I'll just have to take your word for it."
"Works for me."
"Me too."
Silence.
I sensed her tiny orange body plopping down beside my slightly less tiny orange body. "How'd you even run into Ghastly Gorge, anyways?"
"I don't know." I shrugged, staring into the windy space beneath us. "I just did."
"But if you came from Wintergate to the east..."
"Guess I must have gone southeast," I muttered. "I didn't think. Just... picked a straight line and galloped."
"Heh... that's an infectious thing to do, isn't it?"
I nodded. "Must be easy to deal with obstacles when you have wings."
I sensed her fidgeting a bit. "I've... had my fair share of obstacles, Miss Petals."
"Please..." I sighed. "...just call me 'Gold Petals.'"
"Finally settled for a name, huh?"
I swallowed. "No promises."
The filly nodded. "Fair enough."
The sun sank lower and lower behind us, casting the Gorge into deeper shadow. We pierced the divide, scouring the east for any traces of color left behind.
"So you really met Rainbow, huh?" Scootaloo eventually asked.
I felt a lump forming in my throat again. "Yes. I did." I exhaled.
"How... uh... how did you learn about Ponyville?"
I gulped. "She... mumbled it in her sleep."
"... ... ...in her sleep?"
"She fell unconscious while she was fighting the monsters in Windthrow," I explained. "Some sort of dizzy spell. It was frightening. Nopony else dared to get near her... so I took her in and gave her a place to recover. I heard her mumbling the name of 'Ponyville' over and over again in her sleep. Among other weird... random things." I scratched the back of my head. "Something about... 'apples?'"
Scootaloo coughed.
I looked at her.
She smiled politely at me, saying nothing.
I arched an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you knew her well?"
The filly giggled... then chuckled... then giggled again.
For once, I was inclined to squint at her.
She cleared her throat, slicked her mane back, and composed herself. "She was... kind of a mentor to me," she plainly said. "A source of inspiration."
I cocked my head to the side. "How old are you, Scootaloo?"
She stared into the gorge. "A heck of a lot older than I was when Rainbow first flew east."
I nodded. "So you're a wizard's apprentice?"
"A dragon wizard's apprentice."
"I don't entirely understand that, but it sounds pretty snazzy."
"Well... he's a kid dragon... but it's still pretty darn cool."
"I bet."
"Nopony else... can brag about that... neither here nor in Wintergate."
"Mmmm..." I looked east again. "...you're at least half-right."
"Well, that's a start, I guess."
More silence.
I bit my lip. "Do you know why?"
"Why what?"
I waved a hoof over the canyon's edge. "Why she started flying? Why east? Why so... alone?"
Scootaloo kneaded the thin layer of soil before her. "Her closest friends were gone. And with the death of Discord, a big freakin' chaos rift had formed in the heart of Ponyville."
"Is that why that big concrete building is there?"
"The Sarcophagus? Oh yeah. That's where Princess Celestia sits—contained with the breach—trying to keep the rift sealed for as long as she can. Her sister, Princess Luna, is now in charge of the Sun and Moon."
"Guh..." I shook my head in disbelief. "Your 'Equestria' is pretty incredible."
"Not half as incredible as the mare who saved it."
"She really stopped the Evil of this 'Discord?'"
"Oh, you bet. Soaked up the remaining essences of the Elements of Harmony and owned him super hard."
I shuddered. "And now... she's gone."
"She decided to fly to the Midnight Armory."
I flashed Scootaloo a look. "Huh?"
Scootaloo winced slightly. "It's... the location of an Alicorn relic on the Dark Side of the world."
"... ... ...Dark Side of the World."
"Yeah. Y'know... like on the opposite side of the flat plane that we all live on?"
"And just why is she flying there?"
"Just because." Scootaloo smirked. "She's Rainbow Dash."
I nodded at that. My eyes trailed about. "So... she just randomly decided to stop in Windthrow along the way to help me and my fellow villagers...?"
Scootaloo shrugged. "Rainbow Dash was always prone to distractions."
"Awesome distractions."
"Hahahahaha!" Scootaloo's wingtips fluttered. "Totally!"
"Heh..."
There was more silence as the world around us darkened.
"Scootaloo...?"
"Yeah?"
I exhaled. "When did you find out that Rainbow died?"
Scootaloo's ears drooped.
I murmured further: "Do you even know how it happened?"
Scootaloo somberly shook her head. "No clue," she said quietly.
"Then how do you even know...?" My words trailed off.
She picked them up for me. "Princess Luna had... placed an enchantment on the Loyalty Pendant. Y'know... that necklace that you saw her wearing?"
"Right..."
"It allowed Luna to speak to Rainbow Dash for three consecutive nights out of the month, whenever there was a full moon. And... well... one night Rainbow Dash had her last and final conversation. And ever since... over five months of complete magical silence and... well..." Scootaloo gestured with her hooves. "There's nopony more loyal than Rainbow Dash. It's pretty much a no-brainer why she hasn't contacted us since."
My heart sank. I looked into the dark ravine before us. "I see..."
"The last time she talked—oddly enough—it was with Princess Celestia. And... she didn't sound like her normal self. Rainbow was all sad and super emotional. According to Luna, just a day or two before, Rainbow had entered some depressing place called 'Silvadel' where a huge nasty Dragon Queen had bullied an entire civilization under her claw and..." Scootaloo clenched her teeth, tensing briefly. She exhaled, then said firmly: "I can't think of an awesomer challenge for Rainbow Dash to have thrown herself at... one last time."
"So that's what Rainbow Dash does when she meets obstacles," I said. "She throws herself forward."
"She wouldn't be the Rainbow Dash I knew if she didn't."
"It's... almost solacing, in a way," I said, ears drooped. "At least... to see it once in her eyes. That there was only one destination—an impossible one." I closed my eyes, sighing. "And the senselessness in sharing it with a pony like me."
I felt Scootaloo shifting slightly in the grass. The tone that came out of her muzzle was gentle. "You loved her too? Didn't you?"
My eyes flickered open. I looked at her.
She smiled calmly at me.
I arched an eyebrow. "I... don't think I loved her in quite the same way you did, kid."
Scootaloo shrugged. "Does it matter?"
I blinked.
"Your life just isn't the same now that you've known her," Scootaloo said. "And once you've witnessed awesomeness... there isn't any going back to 'ordinary.'"
I exhaled. I felt the tears coming again. I fought them back with the truth. "All my life, I was treated like a worthless servant... a spinster in the making. I fought for so long to achieve the worth that I always knew I deserved." A shudder. "Rainbow was the first pony to treat me like the awesome soul I was all along."
Scootaloo nodded. "It's a little scary knowing that everything is actually in reach, huh?"
I felt a tear falling down my cheek. "What was she ever afraid of?"
"Rainbow Dash? Pffft. As if." Scootaloo shook her head. "That pony figured it out long ago. She just... keeps moving before the fear can catch up."
I choked on a sob. "It's not as easy as it looks."
Scootaloo broke the shadows between us with a wink. "I'm sure she'll tell you the same thing if you ever caught up with her."
I sucked a breath in. My tears—for the moment—ceased as I cocked my head to the side. "...you don't really believe that she's dead."
Scootaloo looked away.
My blurry gaze narrowed. "You don't, do you?"
It was Scootaloo's turn to be misty-eyed. Her voice was too firm to register it. "Luna maintains that she must be 'deceased' by now. Celestia has mourned her passing. Everypony around town continues to pay their respects to the monument and Golden Oaks and..." She slowly shook her head. "I see right through it all. Oh, sure..." A slight pause as she rubbed her cheek dry. "I tell them that Rainbow's passed away. I maintain the 'truth' that everypony else chooses to believe just so I won't come across as a complete maniac... but—"
"Deep inside, you don't believe it," I said. "You can't."
"This world..." Scootaloo gazed east into the darkness. "...this magically huge world is so vast and epic and crazy..." A devilish smirk. "It was made for her, you see." She looked at me. "Rainbow's merely the spark that'll get it spinning once again. Then it'll be ten times as awesome."
I smiled back at her. "She's lucky to have a friend like you."
"I'm luckier," Scootaloo said. "Because whenever anyone—including myself—talks about Rainbow's death... I just tell myself that it's not a death. It's just... just..." She shrugged. "...a hiatus. And when we hear about Rainbow Dash once again... we'll be all the better."
I sighed, brushing a hoof through my bangs. "That's a lovely thing to believe in."
"I have to," she said.
Silence.
"So... you really came all this way from Wintergate, huh?" Scootaloo asked.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Over hills and mountains." The filly's amber eyes blinked. "On hoof."
I gulped. "Yeah..."
"Then..." Scootaloo leaned back. "...I guess I'm not the only pony who believes it."
I exhaled. "I feel crazy. That's what I believe."
Scootaloo merely nodded. "Rainbow Dash saved Ponyville... and because of that, Ponyville is still the heart of friendship in Equestria—and all the magic that it entails." She stood up and extended her tiny hoof towards me. "How about living with us here, Gold Petals? In Ponyville?"
I stared nervously at her hoof.
"You'll have friends," she said with a smile. "I promise you—we can be crazy together."
I looked the filly in the face. Sniffling, I smiled back. "Ah, what the Hell..." I took her hoof—although it was by my own strength that I stood up and turned west, away from Ghastly Gorge. "I'm too tired and smelly to trot all the way back to Windthrow anyway."
Scootaloo giggled. "When I get older, I could totally fly you there to visit."
"Heh... we'll see about that."
Months later...
I squatted behind a lab table deep inside the Golden Oaks library. An array of alchemical solutions bubbled and frothed before me as I dipped a crystalline compound into a liquid container.
"Is it working?" a unicorn mare asked, leaning over me.
"I... do believe so..." I said. I raised a pair of lab goggles up over my forehead and smiled at the chemical reaction taking place on the work station before me. "Once again, Amethyst Star, you're a life saver! This is just what Spike needs to make his predatory repellent spray!"
"Oh!" Amethyst Star trotted happily in place, giggling. "Oh, that's so wonderful! I've been working on those crystals for days! I was really hoping they were enchanted just right!"
"Why should we be surprised?" I smiled at her. "You always deliver the best reagents."
She bit her lip, smiling bashfully. "I try my best..."
Wheels suddenly scraped over the wooden floor of the laboratory.
"Scootaloo?!" I hollered over my shoulder. "What has Spike told you about riding that thing around the lab?"
"Whoops! Eheheh... my bad!" The adolescent pegasus parked her scooter to a stop and flew the rest of the way. "Force of habit." She landed beside me and Amethyst Star, observing our work. "I came back with the extra glass vials—whoah! Is that the reagent we were waiting for?"
"Yup!" I nodded. "Unless my ingrained metallurgical skills have gotten rusty."
"And they never do!" Scootaloo raised her goggles and smirked at Amethyst Star. "Thanks a ton, Amethyst. Thanks to you, Spike can clear the edge of Everfree Forest from carnivores—just in time for the Breezies to finish their migration safely!"
"It was my pleasure," Amethyst said. "But you should really be thanking Gold Petals here. It was her idea to work with me again."
"Yeah. Funny." Scootaloo scratched her chin in thought. "It's the third time this month that she's specifically referred Spike to you—"
"AHEM." I placed my instruments down and turned about. "Scootaloo and I have lots of work to do!" I smiled in Amethyst's direction. "At least... if we're to finish in time to join you and the rest of the girls at the card game tonight."
"Sugarcube Corner?" Amethyst Star asked. "Eight o'clock sharp?"
I winked. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." I folded my forelimbs. "Just tell Lyra that she better not be dealing a stacked deck again or else I'll talk Zecora into using her horn for a zebra aphrodisiac."
"Hahah... I'll relay the message." Amethyst Star fumbled a bit in place.
"Something wrong, Amethyst?"
"At the risk of sounding weird, Gold Petals, I was simply curious..." She peered at my head. "Do you ever plan on growing your mane long?"
"Hmmm?" I glanced into a nearby beaker. My distorted reflection sported a golden hairdo—boyishly short as ever. "Eh... I don't really think so. To be perfectly honest..." I turned to smile at her. "...I've always liked it this way."
"Ah. I see." Amethyst Star said. The dimples of her cheeks reddened slightly, and there was a slight smirk between us as she leaned forward and murmured into my ear: "And to be perfectly honest, that's the way I like it too."
I blinked. Hard.
She leaned back—that same smirk still trailing after her, even as she exited through the door. "I'll pass your wise words to Lyra. Don't be late, now..."
"Er... right..." I coughed. "Zebra... aphrodisiac..."
She left, and Scootaloo murmured into the empty space: "What was that about?"
"Mrmmff..." I returned to the labwork in front of us. "I'll tell you when you're older."
"Oh please." She leaned in, assisting me in monitoring the alchemical equipment. "I can fly now, can't I?"
"Just because you can stick your wings in new places doesn't mean you have to do the same with your nose," I muttered.
"Sure. Whatever you say." Scootaloo smirked up at me. "Soooooooo? When are you going to ask her out?"
I sighed in defeat. "Not right away."
"Why not?"
"Because..." I winked down at the adolescent. "...I want the flirtation to last longer. Just for a little bit."
"Uh huh." Scootaloo capped off a few vials and beakers before they could overflow. "Waste of time, if you ask me."
"That's why you're Spike's apprentice and not Princess Cadance's."
"Hardy har. Go clean the crud up from the corner of the lab, Third Broom."
"Ugh..." I groaned as I shuffled over to dust off the floor. "How I hate that nickname."
"Not my fault you agreed to volunteer here."
"Believe me. If Spike had a cave that needed mining, I would be there in a heartbeat." I grabbed a broom and began sweeping away. "By the way..." I looked across the lab. "...what's keeping him in Canterlot this long?"
"Beats the heck out of me," Scootaloo said, putting equipment away and making a few notes on a chalkboard. "He's been planning this solution to the Breezies' situation for weeks now. He was only supposed to be gone for a few hours."
"Maybe Princess Luna's bending his ear again over the local noise complaints."
"Heheh..." Scootaloo blushed ever so slightly. "Spike's a real champ for covering for me."
"I could never see how 'parasprite fireworks' would improve the future of Equestria."
"Look. I endeavor to be different. Okay? It's innovation!"
"It's a miracle the roof to the bowling alley didn't catch fire."
"One step at a time. Babysteps. It's just like Fluttershy used to always say—" Scootaloo winced. "Erm..." She looked briefly over her shoulder. "Sorry..."
"It's alright."
"Sometimes... y'know... I forget that you've only been here for—"
"Scootaloo, it's okay," I said breathily. I paused in sweeping to smile at her. "I cherish the wisdom she's allowed you to carry on. All of theirs." I nod. "It's almost as if they never left that way."
Scootaloo smiled at that. "Yeah. Yeah, true that."
We were both startled by a knock on the large window overlooking the work area.
Scootaloo looked up, ears pricking. "Whoah! Speak of the devil!" She flew up to the window and opened it with a creak. "We weren't conjuring parasprite fireworks! I promise!"
"Save your breath, Scoots," a deep voice rumbled. It took a few seconds for Spike to fit his massive frame through the window. At last, he landed, standing a good two feet above the two of us. "Besides..." He slid a pair of monogrammed flight goggles off his eyes while his purple wings tightened behind his back. "...that excuse only ever worked on me once."
"And once is enough to make me g-giggle at you," Scootaloo said, giggling.
As she closed the door, I swept my way in Spike's direction. "Welcome back, Spike. Amethyst Star brought by the reagents we needed for protecting the Breezies."
"Good to know, Goldie," Spike said, unpacking several alchemical tomes and spell books from his person. "Is that all she brought you?"
I rolled my eyes. "So spill it. Why are you back so late?"
"Yeah! The card game's in two hours!" Scootaloo hovered before the window with her forelimbs crossed. "Did Princess Luna have something to say to you?"
"As a matter of fact..." Spike calmly shuffled across the room on his scaly limbs. "She did." His voice cracked, so he cleared it momentarily. "A bunch of random royal business... which is to be expected..."
"Like...?"
"Oh. Nothing much." He shrugged. "Yakyakistanians being a nuisance to the north. Some ponies out in the desert reportedly getting their cutie marks stolen. A new economic crisis in Griffonstone..."
"Heh..." Scootaloo smiled. "Sounds like business as usual. Hardly worth the time of an up and coming dragon wizard."
"No, I suppose not." He scratched his chin—a little anxiously. "Oh... but there was something else."
"What's that?"
He turned towards us with sudden swiftness. His slitted eyes narrowed. "It's a full moon."
"Yeah?" Scootaloo asked. "So?"
"Luna's heard back from her."
The room fell dead silent.
Scootaloo trembled suddenly. Stupidly, she murmured, "Heard back from wh-who?"
Spike's smile was a practiced one. "Who else...?"
Scootaloo's jaw hung agape. She drifted and drifted until all four hooves landed on the ground. Soon, the filly was gazing numbly at me.
I looked back at Spike and his apprentice. Friends in a strange place, past the shadows of life's many obstacles. Like this one—or so I had thought.
A tear fell down my smiling face as I hugged the broomstick to my chest. "Oh..." Exhaling. Squeaking. "...is that all?"
