Finding Destiny

Chapters

A New Opportunity
The Gifts
Given the Choice
Nightmare
Train Robbery
Making New Friends

A New Opportunity

A golden sliver of sun spilled in motes to the dusty hardwood floor. The single room apartment was plain and largely unadorned. I single table was pressed against the cracked cream plaster of one wall, a simple unframed mirror hanging above it. On the opposite side of the room was a small bed with a plaid quilt wrapped around a grey haired, grey maned pony. This plain faced colt was Stewtary Mess, and today was going to be the biggest day of his life. He just didn't know it yet.

Stewtary yawned as he climbed out of bed. It was still early, but there was much to do. He had an interview for a new job at the palace, and he was not nearly prepared for it. Stewtary looked through his closet. Long ago an enterprising moth had gotten a hold of his clothing, and very little was left that wasn’t filled with holes. There was a worn shirt, beige and unflattering, a dirty old something that could only really be seen as a rag at this point, and his burlap cloak. None of his ragged old clothes were fit for such an important meeting. He had saved up for months and finally had just enough to buy some fancy new duds. Eating a hasty breakfast biscuit and throwing his tattered cloak across his flank, Stewtary rushed out the door and bumped head first into his land lord. “Yeowch! Watch it Mess!” the land lord grumbled, “Rent is due.”

Stewtary looked sadly at the small sack of coin dangling from his cloak. “I-I-I’m s-sorry m-mr. Fist s-sir. I r-r-r-“ Tyght Fist held up a hoof cutting Stewtary short.

“Look, I haven’t got all day, this will do.” Tyght snatched the purse and rifled through, extracting several coins. “Alright, I’ll see you next month Mess.” Stewtary opened his mouth to reply, but Tyght Fist was already gone, leaving the purse on the floor. With a dejected sigh Stewtary took inventory of the coins he had left. Fist had taken more than half of what he saved up, it wouldn’t be enough for a suit. Stewtary swallowed the lump in his throat. Perhaps he could catch a sale… he would have to.

It was a beautiful day in Canterlot. The warm weather was refreshing after the past few days of rain. The city was a buzz with ponies everywhere getting ready for the Grand Galloping Gala. Stewtary smiled to himself, he certainly had no delusions that he would be going to the Gala, special ponies went to the Gala, and he was nopony special. Still, it made for a generally friendly atmosphere with everypony awash with excitement. With all the happy ponies around Stewtary quickly began feeling optimistic again. Surely with the up coming Gala somepony would be having a sale.

The first store Stewtary saw was called Stuart Hooves Stallion Fashion. Many fancy suits were displayed in the windows, one even had diamonds sown right into the jacket. This shop would surely have an outfit that would dazzle, even in the palace. Stewtary excitedly approached the door before being stopped by a large stallion in a gorgeous black jacket. “Sir, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to turn around.” The large stallion said in a gruff voice.

“B-b-but I-“ Stewtary began to stammer.

“Sir, I can tell by your, um, cloak, that this is not the store for you.”

“B-b-“

“Listen, sir, we have an image to keep up. I’m afraid you have to leave.”

Stewtary nodded slowly as he backed away. He had never bought new clothes before, everything he owned was previously worn. The fact that a store might have a bouncer had never crossed his mind. It was becoming abundantly clear that Stewtary was way out of his element.

The next shop appeared unguarded. Stewtary stepped in and was greeted warmly by a young mare with a welcoming smile. There were ponies everywhere bustling about trying to find the best deals. In some corners of the store some particularly zealous ponies were even coming to blows over some of the items. Stewtary tried to find a shirt in his price range, but every time he got close somepony would shove him aside and take everything. Clothes shopping was madness! But it was about to pay off, because there on one of the racks was the perfect shirt. It was plain white, but it was silk, and most importantly cheap enough that Stewtary could just afford it. He smiled proudly to himself as he took it from the rack. “Oh wait! Excuse me! You can’t have that shirt!” a blue furred unicorn mare shouted as she ran towards Stewtary.

“B-b-b-b-but w-why?” Stewtary was confused, but he was unfamiliar with all the rules of shopping, and this mare seemed really upset.

“I was going to buy it, but I needed to ask my husband first but he wasn’t in the store so I went to ask him, but he wasn’t where I left him, so then I thought…” the unicorn spoke fast and endlessly.

Stewtary was still confused. How was he supposed to know about all this stuff the unicorn mare was talking about? It seemed strange that she should get the shirt because of all the weird circumstances she was talking about. What was worse is every time he tried to tell the mare she simply bowled over his words with a torrent of her own. Staying true to his nature, Stewtary opted to just try and walk away while she was still talking. This was a surprisingly effective tactic. Most ponies were happy to be away from Stewtary, and he easily disappeared in a crowd. So it was more than a little surprising when the babbling mare gasped loudly as Stewtary began backing away.

“I can’t believe you would do that! SECURITY!!!” The unicorn was shouting frantically. The kind mare that had greeted Stewtary came over, a concerned look replacing her once warm smile.

“Is there a problem here ma’am?” asked the greeter.

“Yes. I caught this pony trying to steal that shirt from the store. I couldn’t believe my eyes!” The haughty unicorn said.

The greeter turned to Stewtary, “is this true?” she asked. Stewtary couldn’t believe what was going on. He had never stolen anything in his life. This unicorn was clearly trying to set him up so she could take the shirt for herself. The mare had been nothing but rude and pushy since arriving and was quite frankly making a scene that was sure to be disruptive to the other patrons. Had the greeter been there for the whole scene, she would likely have sided with Stewtary. And had Stewtary been able to say any of that, he probably could have gotten the shirt too. But instead what came out was:

“U-u-u-u-ummm, w-w-w-w-w-w-w-“

“You see?!” The unicorn cried, “He’s so nervous at being caught he can’t even speak!”

Stewtary again reverted to his base instincts and began backing away from the two mares, bumping into a mannequin. Then everything went terribly sideways. The mannequin fell onto a clothes rack, which tipped over onto a customer, who bolted into a display case, which shattered sending jewelry skipping across the floor, which caused a mass panic amongst all the customers. Once the stampede was over, and all the dust had cleared, only Stewtary and the greeter remained. The store was in disarray, displays were toppled, products were destroyed, and what wasn’t destroyed was stolen. The dishevelled greeter seemed like an entirely different pony as she gave Stewtary a flat stare. “I think you should leave.” Ice dripped from every word the greeter said. Stewtary cringed as a shelf collapsed, the greeter was right, he should just leave.

After visiting just about every store in Canterlot Stewtary was reaching the sad conclusion that he didn’t have enough money. He likely didn’t even have enough money before paying his rent. There wasn’t much left to buy at this point either. Worse was that each passing store brought him closer to his big interview. “excuse me” If he couldn’t find a suitable outfit in time he might as well not bother. “excuse me.” After all, if he wasn’t even allowed inside some of the more fancy clothing stores, how in Equestria could he expect to be let into the palace? “EXCUSE ME!” Stewtary jumped at the unexpected soft shout. Looking around for the owner of the sweet voice, Stewtary’s eyes fell upon a beautiful young mare with soft yellow fur, long flowing pink main, and sparkling green eyes. “Y-you-y-y-you’re F-F-Fluttershy!” Stewtary stammered in disbelief.

“Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy all but whispered back.

“S-s-so d-did y-y-y-y… s-s-“ Stewtary cleared his throat and looked away from the pretty mare before continuing “I-I, my n-name is St-Stewt-t-tary M-Mess.” He finally managed.

“Oh. Well, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Fluttershy. But, you already knew that…” Fluttershy trailed off as she took a couple steps back.

“D-did y-y-y-… C-can I-I h-help y-y-you with s-s-s-something?” With each word Stewtary’s normal grey colour turned an ever deepening shade of red.

“Um, no.” Fluttershy looked around before looking back to Stewtary apologetically “I mean yes.”

Both ponies stood awkwardly in silence for awhile, each hoping the other would break it. Stewtary glanced around uncomfortably, it seemed everypony around them had a good sense of just how awkward the pair was as they all gave a wide berth as they passed by. For a few moments that seemed like hours, Stewtary was at a complete loss as to what he should do. Now isn’t the time for this! He chided himself, the hero Fluttershy needs help and you’re just standing her like some sort of… tree! Stewtary was never very good at metaphors. Even in his own head calling himself a tree sounded foolish, but the desired effect was there.

“U-Um. Y-y-ou’re a h-h-hero, we all owe y-y-y-you a-and y-your f-f-friends s-so, if th-there’s anything I-I c-c-c-can d-do…” Stewtary’s words died as he saw how uncomfortable they made Fluttershy. “S-sorry..” he muttered.

“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable…” Fluttershy hooved at the ground distractedly.

Once again the two ponies stood shuffling their hooves. Suddenly a small mouse skittered past the pair into the street. “Oh Mr. Cheesers! There you are. Get over here right away, it dangerous in the street!” Fluttershy called out to the mouse. Mr. Cheesers stopped in the road and turned towards his pink maned friend.

In a city the size of Canterlot it’s commonly accepted that somepony somewhere will be singing a life changing song. Most ponies either joined in when the song resonates with their own hearts, or politely avoided the procession. It was Mr. Cheesers misfortune that somepony was having a break through at just that moment, on that street. Fluttershy began to panic as singing, dancing, ponies marched heedlessly towards the helpless mouse. There was no way the happy ponies would see such a small creature. Mr. Cheesers was in serious danger of injury or worse.

Stewtary sighed heavily, he couldn’t let a friend of his personal hero be trampled by a procession of happy ponies. Stewtary rushed into the street and covered the little mouse with his body. This wasn’t the first time Stewtary had been caught in a song he couldn’t join in on. There was no ill intent to the ponies, but if you weren’t a part of the song, you were a prop in the dance. Ponies leapt off him, ponies spun him around, ponies sang loudly into his ears, but Stewtary steadfastly shielded Mr. Cheesers from harm. When the procession finally moved on it left in its wake a bruised and dirtied Stewtary, and a surprisingly untouched Mr. Cheesers.

“Oh thank you so much! You saved Mr. Cheesers!” Fluttershy cried as she rushed into the street. Stewtary was swept off his hooves in a massive hug from the grateful young mare. As Fluttershy moved on to chide the hapless mouse Stewtary was left confused over the sudden show of kindness. No pony had ever been grateful for anything he had done before, nor had anypony ever given him a hug. At least, not in his memory. It seemed like his actions didn’t blow up in his face for once, so an apology wasn't appropriate. Stewtary was at a complete loss as to what he should do next. So, he decided to try and simply slink away.

“Wait Stewtary!” Fluttershy called out after the retreating stallion. “Mr. Cheesers and I want to thank you for being so brave and helping him out. Is there anything we can do for you?” Stewtary took one look and the bright shining eyes of the beautiful mare and once again began blushing from nose to tail.

“I-I-I d-don’t th-th-th-think s-so…” Stewtary said. He sighed, that was not the truth, but an explanation would take more than a sentence to explain, and nopony was willing to get through more than a few words of his stuttering. “I-i-it was n-nothing…” Stewtary mumbled.

“There must be something.” Fluttershy looked over the kind pony that saved her friend. His colouring made him look quite old, but after a closer look he wasn’t a whole lot older than Fluttershy herself, perhaps even a little bit younger. He wasn’t a large stallion, nor small, in fact there wasn’t anything about him that made him memorable. From Stewtary’s grey mane and plain face to his worn hooves and tattered cloak. She couldn’t see the colour of his eyes, as they were firmly shut from the embarrassment of Fluttershy’s scrutiny, but she thought she remembered them being brown. Fluttershy frowned, perhaps there was something she could do about his cloak. “I know! Mr. Cheesers and I were just on our way to see our dear friend Rarity. I’m sure she can help me patch up your cloak as a thank you.”

Stewtary perked up, getting his cloak patched could be exactly what he needed. It was surely cheaper than buying a whole new outfit, and he had heard that Rarity was a miracle worker when it came to clothing. “Th-that would b-be w-wonderful! Are y-y-you s-s-s-sure it w-will b-be okay?” Stewtary couldn’t keep the excitement from his voice.

“Of course! I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. And Rarity will be happy to help. Even if she’s busy I’m sure she’ll let me borrow some materials.” Fluttershy said as she half dragged Stewtary towards a beautiful building with a sign reading Canterlot Carousel.

“Fluttershy darling! Do come in! I’m so glad you could make it. Feel free to look around, I’ll be with you in a minute dear.” Rarity called to her friend as Fluttershy walked in the door. With the up coming gala Canterlot Carousel was bursting with ponies looking for the absolute best outfits bits can buy. Stewtary was impressed with the rows of gorgeous outfits. Each pony that entered seemed to leave with the perfect dress, and almost all of them found it with the help of Rarity.

“Come on Stewtary, we can wait for Rarity in the back room. It’ll be okay, she won’t mind.” Fluttershy said.

The two sat quietly in the back room for a bit. The silence was uncomfortable for Stewtary, but Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind at all. There was so much he wanted to ask her, but he had no idea where to start. Every minute that ticked by seemed like a waste of this precious opportunity. It’s not every day you get to meet a hero of Equestria. He couldn’t take it any longer, he had to say something.

“S-s-so, w-w-w-w-what d-d-d-“ Stewtary swallowed a lump in his throat. He was blowing it. “s-s-sorry…”

“It’s okay Stewtary, take your time. I understand; it’s hard to talk to new ponies. I don’t like doing it either.” Fluttershy said with a sympathetic smile. Stewtary couldn’t help but smile back gratefully.

“Th-thank y-you. I-I-I w-was just w-wondering how y-y-y-you got s-so c-c-c-c-confident. I-I’ve t-tried everything. I-I even w-w-w-went to an e-expert M-Minotaur…” Stewtary said.

“You can’t mean Iron Will!” Fluttershy gasped.

“Y-you kn-kn-know Iron W-W-Will t-too?!”

Fluttershy looked down and blushed, “Yes. I thought he could help me be more assertive. It didn’t work out very well.”

“I-it was th-the worst m-m-month’s s-salary I ever sp-spent.” Stewtary grumbled darkly.

“You payed him? I’m so sorry. I refused. I was not satisfied with the results of the training, so I didn’t pay. You should have seen the look on his face!”

Stewtary had no words, he just sat there, mouth gaping.

Fluttershy giggled as she held up a mirror to Stewtary “actually, you can see it now. He looked just like you do!”

Upon seeing the slack jawed look on his face, Stewtary broke into a smile. Both ponies began to laugh. For some reason, Stewtary didn’t feel like Fluttershy was making fun of him. In fact, she had never once mentioned his stutter, nor had she interrupted him. This was truly an amazing mare.

“I don’t think I’m all that confident. But I am starting to be more accepting of myself. And that is all thanks to my friends. They helped me because they love me just the way I am.” Fluttershy smiled, looking towards the door where Rarity could be heard helping a customer.

“Friends…” Stewtary mused, “I-I haven’t e-e-ever had a-any.” Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Stewtary looked away from Fluttershy. He felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder, and looked up to a see the smiling mare.

“You have one friend now.” Fluttershy said gently. Mr. Cheesers popped from Fluttershy’s mane and squeaked something in annoyance. Fluttershy giggled, “Yes, sorry. Two friends.”

A tear sprang unbidden to Stewtary’s eye. “D-do you r-really want to be f-friends?” Stewtary’s voice was laden with barely contained emotion. As his emotion went from barely contained to broken down weeping, Stewtary found himself in a gentle embrace from his very first friend, Mr. Cheesers, followed shortly by his second friend Fluttershy. “Th-thank you.”

“Ahem.”

The two ponies looked towards the door to see who had cleared their throat. Rarity stood with a sly smile on her face, “I do hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Stewtary stood in the corner of the room as Fluttershy finished explaining the story to Rarity. He had never seen such an elegant pony in all his life. From the expert curl of her mane, to the deft polish of her hooves, every inch of Rarity just screamed class. It was always strange to Stewtary that ponies suited their names so well. Did parents have a sense from the moment a child was born what it would become? Or was it self fulfilling prophesy where children grew to live up to their names? Either way, Rarity was truly a rare and special pony. Stewtary's musings were interrupted by the approach of Rarity.

“Mr. Mess, I would like to thank you for helping my dear friend Fluttershy. I would be happy to repair,” Rarity looked over the ratty cloak drapped across Stewtary’s flank, “Or perhaps just make you a new cloak, as a show of thanks. I’m more specialized in mare fashion than colt, but I’m sure I can make something simply marvelous. Were there any designs you had in mind?”

Stewtary couldn’t speak. To have such a beautiful mare even acknowledge him was unheard of. His knees began to shake, his face turned bright red, sweat beaded up on his brow, and when he opened his mouth all that came out was a frightened squeak. Rarity was looking at him, bewilderment stamped across her face. That was it, Stewtary began to back up towards the door, when he felt a reassuring paw on his ear. Stewtary looked up to see his new friend Mr. Cheesers perched on his head. The kind mouse made a waving gesture towards Rarity, and Stewtary nodded. Mr. Cheesers was right, he needed an outfit and this was his best chance. “U-um, I-I-I d-don’t need a-anything t-t-t-t-too f-fancy. I-I j-just need a sh-shirt for m-my interview at th-the c-c-castle th-this aftern-n-noon.”

“The castle?!” Rarity gasped, “No no nonono. You can’t go to the castle with just a shirt!” Rarity began gathering material, and supplies as she continued talking to no one in particular. “I’ll get started right away if it’s to be ready by this afternoon. Where is my lace? Ah, and I’ll need a few gems of course. Hmm, I may not have time for a decorative over stitch… Mr. Mess would you come here? I need your measurements.”

It took a moment for Stewtary to make his way over to the commotion that was Rarity. He wasn’t going to at all, but there seemed to be no way of refusing her; you just kind of got caught in the whirlwind. Even Fluttershy was busy holding bits of fabric on a mannequin. For a few very uncomfortable seconds Rarity was all over Stewtary with a measuring tape.

“I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do with your colouring Mr. Mess, but perhaps we could match up the outfit to your cutie mark. Why don’t you take off that cloak and let me see what I’m working with.” Rarity didn’t seem to be asking, despite the phrasing.

Stewtary sighed, “N-no.” was all he said.

“Nonsense dear. It’s the best opportunity for this outfit. Besides, you’ll want to show off that cutie mark of yours for the job interview. Everypony will want to know your special talent makes you uniquely qualified. Take off your cloak.”

“N-n-no.” Came Stewatry’s nervous reply.

Rarity shook her head and wrapped Stewtary’s cloak in a glowing field of blue magic and began tugging it off. “I really don’t have time for this Mr. Mess. There is no reason to be shy. I will make you look simply outstanding. You ju-“ Rarity stopped midsentence in shock as Stewtary’s cloak fell away. She was not prepared for what she saw upon the colt’s flank. Nopony could have been. Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide. The room was silent. There, plain as the sun in the sky, was nothing on Stewtary’s flank.

Stewtary looked down, ashamed, embarrassed. “I-I d-d-don’t h-have a special t-talent.” He explained, “I-I-I-I’m a t-true b-blank flank.”

Author's Note

Thank you for reading chapter 1! You're all the best.
I had wanted to write out the song the ponies were singing in the street, but I'm no good at writing songs :P
Please be sure to leave your comments. I'm pretty new to this whole writing thing so I would love your feed back! Plus, a friend of mine says this is a great community, so I would just love to get to know you all too ;)
I hope to post a new chapter soon, so stay tuned if you liked it so far, and if you didn't, thanks for checking it out anyway! Bye! :heart:

The Gifts

Rarity was at a loss for words, a state she was almost never in. So, when words did finally come, they came in a flood. “This, can’t be! I’ve never heard of a pony with no cutie mark. I mean, except for foals of course. And some young fillies and colts. Are you some kind of impossibly large child? No, that’s absurd. Maybe it was that dreadful spell that erases cutie marks, or some kind of disease. Have you ever eaten Hearts Desire? I can remember it doing awful things to poor Applebloom. And there was that time we all swapped cutie marks…” Fluttershy placed a hoof over Rarity’s mouth, shaking her head as she pointed towards an increasingly shrinking Stewtary. “Oh. Sorry dear.” Rarity said abashed.

“I-it’s o-okay. N-n-nopony really kn-knows what t-t-t-to say the f-first t-time they f-find out.” Stewtary said. He was used to these sorts of reactions. In fact, most ponies just chose to pretend he didn’t exist rather than acknowledge the truth he might represent. The idea that somepony wasn’t special flew in the face of what everypony is taught from the time they are born. Stewtary looked at Rarity, still aghast at what she was seeing, then at Fluttershy, who couldn’t seem to bring herself to look him in the eye, and he sighed. “I-I understand w-w-what this m-means to p-p-ponies. Th-thank y-you f-for everyth-th-thing. I’ll s-s-save y-you the t-trouble and k-keep l-l-l-looking f-for a sh-shirt s-somewhere e-e-else.” Stewtary draped his cloak back across his flank and began leaving the room. Despite everything that just happened, these were still the two kindest ponies he had ever met. Fluttershy and Rarity had shown a level of kindness Stewtary was not used to. He would carry these memories with fondness forever.

“Wait.” Fluttershy flittered over to Stewtary and placed a hoof on his chest to stop him from leaving. “It didn’t matter what your cutie mark was when you saved Mr. Cheesers, and it doesn’t matter now. It may not show on your flank, but you are special to Mr. Cheesers and I because you are our friend. Please stay, and let us help you get ready for your interview. That’s what friends do.”

Stewtary was floored. Nopony was this kind, not ever. It must be some sort of trap. It had to be. And yet there was no malice in Fluttershy’s eyes, no sting of insincerity to her words. For a long moment Stewtary just stared at his new friend in disbelief. “D-do y-y-you m-mean it?” he finally managed to ask.

“Of course she does dear.” Rarity chimed in, unshed tears welling up in her eyes. “Any friend of Fluttershy is a friend of mine. Besides, I simply cannot abide the thought of you going to the castle in that ratty old thing. Fashion will not stand for it!”

This was a truly touching moment in Stewtary’s life. His heart welled with emotion for these two mares, and he would have gladly basked in that feeling forever. But the newly refocused Rarity had other plans. “Th-thank y-y-you…” was all Stewtary managed to say before being swept up in a field of magic and cloth.

“Nonsense dear, it’s nothing. Now hold still, there is much to do if we are to get you ready in time. Perhaps something classic, with a couple bold new designs to catch the eye. We’ll use these lapis and; Fluttershy darling? Can you fetch me a rose?” Rarity was once again doing a million things at once, there would be no stopping her now.

Stewtary felt like a whole new stallion as he trotted out of Canterlot Carousel. The suit he was now wearing was dashing. It was a deep charcoal black scrawled with floral patterns in a slightly shinier black, with beautiful lapis lazuli sown on as buttons. White lacey frills spilled out at his neck, and a bright red rose had been affixed to his lapel. Despite Rarity’s complaints at not having enough time to really make Stewtary stand out, he suspected few ponies in all Equestria would own a suit quite so dashing. He waved farewell to the two mares and hurried towards Canterlot Castle. I can’t thank you enough, my new friends. Stewtary smiled to himself, he was still not over the fact that he had friends now. What seemed like just another terrible day had quickly turned into the best day of his life. He felt as though anything was possible now.

Canterlot Castle was massive. It always looked large, seemingly carved out of the mountain looming over Canterlot. But now that he was inside, Stewtary felt like the castle was somehow even larger than it ever was on the outside. The ceilings were vaulted to dizzying heights, and each room seemed to sprawl out into absurdity. Of course, the castle was a buzz with its own comings and goings as ponies prepared it for the Grand Galloping Gala. Maids and valets ran about hanging decorations and cleaning furiously. It seemed chaotic, but it was rather like watching startled birds take flight. Each pony working for the castle seemed to be doing jobs at random but if watched closely, nopony ever bumped into each other or repeated a job somepony else had already done. It was a beautiful chaos. Stewtary smiled at one of the valets, he was excited to potentially join their ranks.

Stewtary had spent the last year as a custodian for the school of magic in Canterlot. He found it difficult to keep a job, being both clumsy and anti-social. It was hard to do much of anything in Equestria with those particularly deadly set of traits. But custodial work was a decent fit. He rarely had to interact with other ponies outside of being told what to do, and any mess he made he was paid to clean up. Plus, he had liked being in the magic school. All the young unicorns regarded him with a sort of apprehensive tolerance, which was about as close to friendship as Stewtary had come before today. But when his boss told him about a few valet positions opening up in the palace, Stewtary felt he had to try. The pay was better, of course, but more than that; Stewtary felt like working in the palace would be the height of his social standing. To him, being a valet would be well beyond anything he had ever dreamed he could do.

An older mare sat at a desk in the centre of the large hall where Stewtary had been told the interviews would be. She was a severe looking pony, her mane was streaked with white from her age and tied into a bun. A pair of half-framed glasses were perched at the edge of her nose and were fastened about her neck with a fine gold chain. All of that coupled with the dowdy purple dress she wore lent to making her look very intimidating. Without looking up from the papers she was writing on she said, “Can I help you?” her tone flat and emotionless.

Stewtary swallowed the lump building in his throat. “M-my n-n-name is St-St-St-Stewtary M-Mess, and I’m here f-for the j-j-job i-int-terv-v-view.” With each word the confidence Rarity’s suit had given him faded. The mare set aside her papers to coolly regard Stewtary. Her stare seemed to bore deep into Stewtary, weighing him, searching the darkest recesses of his mind. Stewtary was beginning to feel strangely violated when the mare abruptly pointed towards one side of the room.

“Wait over there Mr. Mess. I’ll call your name when they are ready to see you.” The mare said before she went back to her paperwork. Stewtary got a vague impression like a door had just been slammed in his face. Clearly there was nothing more the mare wished to say, so Stewtary slunk off to the side of the room indicated to him.

There were a few other ponies on the opposite side of the room from Stewtary. More than one of them had a mop, or broom, or other cleaning related cutie marks. Competition would be fierce, and Stewtary had very little to offer. A year of experience could hardly compare with some of the other ponies, he was sure, and many of them had cleaning as their special talent. Not to mention the fact that Stewtary was awful at interviews. Talking at length about himself was always disastrous. He struggled to talk under the best of circumstances, with the most interesting of topics. But this was a platform where he was being judged, and the topic couldn’t be more boring. Stewtary was suddenly struck by the fact that he was the only pony on his side of the room. Why had he been singled out like that? Was it good? Was it bad?! What if they already knew he wasn’t a fit for this job? What if he was put on this side of the room to be shamed and ridiculed by the other ponies?

The massive room seemed to collapse in on Stewtary, and the lace around his neck felt stifling, as if it would at any moment stop his breathing completely. Stewtary’s eyes rolled frantically in their sockets, suddenly aware of each pony in the room. Every glance his way felt like a judgmental glower, like their eyes were crawling over his fur and finding him wanting. Each giggle was a mocking laugh, a deafening sound shattering Stewtary's ear drums. Every whisper a scathing indictment cut through him like he had been whipped. The room grew hotter, and sweat came off Stewtary like he was a sprinkler. There was no way he could do this. Stewtary tensed up and ready himself to bolt from the room at full speed. He was fully panicking, and other ponies were beginning to notice. Stewtary's breaths came as laboured gasps as his forelegs buckled under the weight of the collapsing room. This time he wouldn't be running away, this time Stewtary would just die on the floor.

Just as Stewtary felt he was gulping in his last breaths, a familiar paw touched his ear. Stewtary looked up at Mr. Cheesers, who smiled back down at Stewtary. It seemed the mouse had smuggled himself into the palace by ridding in Stewtary’s mane again. A wave of calm washed over the stallion, a strength he had never felt before. He wouldn’t have to face this alone, he had a friend by his side. On his head. Whatever. A friend was with him! “Th-thank you, M-Mr. Cheesers.” Stewtary whispered. The mouse patted Stewtary’s head in response. His legs were still a bit wobbly, but Stewtary managed to get back up onto his hooves. Parts of him still screamed to run, but the strength he got from his mouse friend was enough to keep him rooted in place.

“Mr. Mess, they are ready to see you now.” The severe mare called. Stewtary squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. He was ready to see them too.

Author's Note

Hello all! Thanks for reading through chapter 2! I've been having a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you all are having fun reading it.
All my cards on the table here, I really want some cover art for this story, but I'm about as talented at visual arts as duck is at budgeting. Which is to say, not at all. If any artists out there read my story and wouldn't mind helping me out, send me a message. I would love you forever :raritywink:
Please feel free to share your comments, like the story, dislike the story (though that one will make me a little bit sad), and if you really want to know when the next chapter comes out, give me a follow. Bye! :heart:

Given the Choice

Stewtary was wrong, he was not ready for what waited in the interview room. Or more accurately, he was not ready for who waited in the interview room. Princess Celestia sat behind a large desk, her rainbow mane constantly flowing as if blown by a non-existent wind. The princess was larger than life in almost every way. She stood more than twice as tall as Stewtary, and when she stood her outstretched wings brushed against the walls on either side of the room. “Come in and have a seat, my little pony.” Her words warm and soft, like the sunlight she was responsible for bringing into Equestria.

When the urge to bow met Stewtary’s haste to enter the room as bidden it turned into a rather massive tumble. Stewtary’s face hit the cool stone floor of Celestia’s office hard as he tripped on his own hooves. He attempted to recover by acting as if he was simply bowing deeply while walking, but all it ended up looking like was a pony falling on his face, then dragging his head along the ground. Stewtary could have sworn he heard the princess giggle when he fell, but when he looked up she was all regal calm. It must have been his imagination.

“Are you alright my little pony?” Celestia asked. Her voice was sweet and concerned, but still seemed to carry an edge of mirth.

“Y-yes. Th-thank y-you P-P-P-Princess.” Stewtary managed to reply, fully aware his little act hadn't fooled anypony.

Celestia took a seat, and indicated for Stewtary to do the same. “I’m glad you’re alright. Your name is Stewtary Mess correct? That is a rather, unique, name. Did your parents call you that?”

“N-no.” Stewtary said. “Th-that is, I-I d-d-don’t think th-they d-did. I-it was a c-c-cruel n-name given t-to me b-b-by the o-other f-foals a-a-at th-the o-orphanage. B-b-but i-it’s the only n-n-name a-anypony has ever c-called me P-Princess. S-s-so i-it i-is my n-name.”

A sympathetic look crossed over Celestia’s face. “That’s an awful way to get named. I will not call you by a name meant to mock and revile you. So, I would like to simply call you Stew. Is that alright with you?”

“Y-yes!” Stewtary, Stew, beamed with excitement. He had never been fond of the name, obviously, but it did suit him and he had never known different so that’s how he introduced himself. Ponies rarely called each other by shortened names beyond simply dropping their second name, so Stew had never thought to do so. The respect and kindness shown by Princess Celestia in giving him this new name was something Stew felt he could never repay.

“Good. Now Stew, why is it you think you’re qualified to be Equestria’s new liaison and diplomat in Yakyakistan?”

“W-well Princess I-I… w-w-wait,” Stew was confused. “lia-l-lia-, d-diplomat? I-I’m h-h-here f-for th-the v-valet position…”

Celestia nodded “I see. That does make a lot more sense. But, don’t you think you may have over dressed just a little for an interview as a valet?”

Stew looked down at his clothes. He hadn’t really thought about it, but perhaps the whole thing was a bit excessive. He had no idea what was palace appropriate, so he just left all of that to Rarity. It had never come up what job he was applying for. Maybe Rarity would have gone a different direction had she known. Somehow Stew doubted that, Rarity didn't seem the type to tone anything down. Stew was once again feeling quite foolish. His breathing began to speed up, and beads of sweat formed across his brow. Sensing his friends panic Mr. Cheesers popped out from his mane to place a reassuring paw on Stew’s ear. “Th-thank y-y-you M-Mr. Ch-Cheesers.” Stewtary whispered.

Princess Celestia took in the scene before her. A nervous pony likely living off a custodial salary wearing a far too fancy suit studded with beautiful gems and wearing a lace frilled shirt had a mouse named Mr. Cheesers in his mane. A knowing smile spread across her face. “I take it you’ve met Rarity,” Celestia turned her smile towards Mr. Cheesers, “and Fluttershy.”

“Y-y-yes. H-h-how did y-you know y-y-your H-Highness?” Stew asked.

Celestia chuckled to herself, "When you get to know Rarity and Fluttershy you will begin to see their very unique mark wherever they may leave it." A yellow glow enveloped the blue bound book on Celestia’s desk as she picked it up and replaced it with a different one with her magic. “Well, then I guess we should be having a very different kind of interview. What is your special talent Stew?”

Stew looked down at his hooves. He knew this question would come, but he didn’t really think he would be having this interview with Celestia. It was hard to see the looks of pity and disgust on ponies faces when they saw his blank flank, Stew didn’t think he could handle it from Celestia. After taking a deep breath, Stew stood to give a better view of his flank to Celestia. “I-I-I-I d-d-don’t h-have o-one.” He stammered shutting his eyes tight as he spoke.

When he opened his eyes again Stew was surprised to see no disgust or pity on Celestia’s face. In fact, she didn’t even appear sympathetic. Instead she just looked, thoughtful. “So, you’re the one. My sister has spoken to me of you on a few occasions.” Celestia said.

“P-Princess L-Luna?” Stew was surprised. Princess Luna had appeared in his dreams more than once, but that was part of being the princess of the night. He was very fond of Luna, she had always been kind and often helped him sort through his hard times. But that was once again, pert of her responsibilities. It had never occurred to Stew that Luna might talk about him with Celestia. A bout of nervousness struck Stew as he thought about what Luna might share. Dreams can be a very private and personal thing, Stew had gotten used to Luna knowing what his dreams were like, but he didn’t want anypony else to know. “W-w-what d-does sh-she s-s-s-say?”

Celestia waved a hoof distractedly, then as if reading Stew’s mind said “Luna has only ever talked to me about what we might do to help you, and anypony that needs it. She is aware that dreams can be very personal to ponies, so she doesn’t talk about anything that would compromise that.” Stew Breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Celestia continued. “We can talk about this more later. For now, I would like to get back to the interview.”

The interview went surprisingly well. Something about Celestia just radiated calm. Stew had never felt so loved as he did in the presence of Celestia. Her patience with him, her gentle aura, her infinite capacity for love and compassion. Celestia was everything ponies had said she was and more. It was easy to forget his nerves when Stew was in the presence of such peace and wisdom. Part of him never wanted the interview to end, just so he could talk with the princess for longer. But alas that could not be, and after what seemed not nearly long enough, Celestia was finished with her questions. “Thank you Stew for coming to this interview.” She said. “After speaking with you, I have no doubts that you would be a good valet here in the palace. You may not have the special talent of the other ponies, but you have a kind heart, and a strong work ethic. And after your bow when you first came in I’m sure having you around would make things in the palace a whole lot more fun.” A mischievous glint appeared in Celestia’s eye. Stew’s mouth fell open; She did giggle at me!

“But, there is something else I want to talk to you about.” Celestia continued “You said that you do not have a special talent or destiny, but I don’t believe that’s true. Everypony has one, even you. I know three fillies in Ponyville that I think can help you find yours.” Stew was taken aback. It had been a long time since he had thought about earning a cutie mark. After a certain age, he had just accepted that he wasn’t going to get one. That hope had left Stew’s life for what he thought was forever, but with a few simple words, Princess Celestia had rekindled it. He wasn't sure whether to thank or curse her for that.

“Now you have a choice to make, Stew. You can take a job here at the palace, it will pay well and you can interact with the other ponies as much or as little as you want. I would be happy to have you, but this is not where your destiny lies. Or, I could send you to Ponyville to work as a valet for Princess Twilight. It won’t be easy, and I don’t think you will be payed much beyond what you’ll need to live. You will have to work hard to build friendships, but I believe you will finally be able to discover who you are, and what you are meant to do through those friendships.” Celestia looked very serious now. "It's a big decision, and one you must make for yourself. Either path is open to you."

“C-could I h-have s-s-some time t-t-to th-think ab-b-bout it?” Stew asked.

“Of course you can. I’ll make sure you are scheduled for an appointment tomorrow morning. I look forward to hearing your answer then, Stew.”

Once Stew had exited the palace he noticed the sun begin to fall in the sky. One night didn’t seem like a lot of time to decide what he would do for the rest of his life. But, with the approaching gala and the many other duties Celestia had, Stew supposed giving him any time at all was pretty generous. Mr. Cheesers crawled down from Stew’s head and into the breast pocket of Stew’s jacket, poking his head out over the top. Stew smiled and his friend, “Wh-what should I-I d-d-do M-Mr. Cheesers?” The mouse pointed towards the setting sun. “Y-yes, I th-think you’re r-r-r-right. I w-will watch th-th-the s-s-s-suns-set.” Stew sat down on a rock, letting his worries slip away so he could watch the sunset with a friend, if only for a moment.

Very few ponies stayed out after dark, even here in Canterlot. It was part of the reason Stew preferred the night. The once noisy streets were now oppressively silent, which allowed Stew a chance to be alone with his thoughts. Even Mr. Cheesers lay nestled in Stew’s suit pocket, gently snoring. Stew took a deep breath, letting the crisp night air fill his lungs and clear his head. The walk back to his apartment was long, he lived about as far from the palace as a pony could get while still living in Canterlot. It was well into the night when Stew finally arrived at his front door, and yet he was no closer to knowing which choice he should make. The pull of destiny is strong, and Stew felt a stirring in him that he hadn’t felt since his early colt years. Him, with a destiny, a cutie mark. Stew only ever dreamed of such things now. And yet, it was only a chance that he would find it in Ponyville. Plus, working for Princess Twilight would mean having to make new friends and meet new ponies often. Stew did so hate meeting new ponies. But working in the palace of Canterlot would be safe, familiar, and better than anything Stew had ever hoped for. Celestia had even implied his clumsiness would be tolerated, if not celebrated. But then Ponyville had Fluttershy and Rarity, the two nicest ponies Stew had ever met, and the only two ponies that claimed to be his friends. Stew shook his head wearily; it was no use trying to figure it out now.

Stew plodded into his run-down apartment. After the grandeur of the castle, Stew felt a little underwhelmed by his own living situation. The cracking plaster walls, the ugly dresser with the dumb mirror, the tiny bed covered in a scratchy old quilt. This was the home of a nopony. If nothing else Stew took comfort from the thought that no matter which path he chose, it would lead him away from where he was now.

Stew wrapped Mr. Cheesers in one of his old shirts and gently placed the mouse on the floor next to the bed. He hoped Fluttershy wasn’t too worried about her mouse friend, but part of Stew suspected Fluttershy had arranged the whole thing. She was sweet like that. It wasn’t easy to get out of his fancy clothes. Besides the fact that Rarity had all but sewed him into it, it was sad to take off such a beautiful gift from such a lovely pony. Stew yawned heavily. It was late, and Princess Celestia was expecting an answer early in the morning. Stew wrapped himself in his quilt and soon sleep over took him and sent the young stallion off to the realm of dreams.

Author's Note

Hi again! I hope you're having a god day, or night, or whatever it is when you read this.
If you've made it here to chapter three, I have a little secret for you. You're the best. I mean it. The best. All those people that quit after chapter two, they are not as best as you are. You are, the best. :derpytongue2:
As always, thanks for reading. You should know by now that I REALLY love comments. Likes and follows are nice too, but comments help me to get to know you better, and maybe answer any questions you have. If public posting isn't your thing, feel free to send me a private message. I love getting feed back, or just talking about things. Have I mentioned you're the best?
Bye! :heart:

Nightmare

Stew found himself floundering through a vast and incomprehensible acropolis. The architecture, jutted and angled, twisting awkwardly towards some unknown horizon. A faint purply glow emitted from the stones casting an eerie light across the horrifying scene. Somewhere in the distance was a screeching whinny, persistent and unnatural, just on the edge of hearing. There was a vague, almost chant like rhythm to the unholy din that unsettled Stew tremendously. Tartarian flames licked at the preternatural stones of the sprawling city, but rather than emit light they seemed to consume it, sucking in the purple effulgence and leaving in its place only an inky blackness that strained the eye. In the centre of this nightmare city stood a monolithic statue of a grotesque and tortured blasphemy. Unnerving as the landscape was, the truest source of the lone stallion’s fear was not stemmed from it. For barreling down upon Stew with a fury known only by demons and other spawn found in the deepest grottos of Tartarus, was a rancid flabby thing, more abstract in form than material.

Such a monstrous nameless creature was never meant to be beheld by pony eyes. Despite being a solid it blobbed across the ground, moving like jelly wrapped in a pale-yellow sack. It ignored even the simplest laws of motion changing directions randomly without stopping, lifting its girth on one impossibly thin limb. Its long spindly appendages snaked in a jerky rapped manner, as if it’s bones broke each time it reached out. It had a gaping maw in it’s face, rowed with jagged rotting teeth, from which emitted a musk of thousands of putrid fish and musty clothes. It roared deep and base, reverberating off the walls of the jutting buildings. Each breath Stew took was weighed against that smell, it had to be worth the offending stench penetrating his nostrils and forcing its way into his muzzle, choking him with its nearly solidified stench. Thirteen orbs dotted the thing just above the cavernous mouth. The orbs swirled black and blue, speckled with tiny white spots, as if they were whirlpools of the cosmos. Such beautiful sparkling eyes contrasted uncomfortably with the monster that housed them.

This slushy horror pursued Stew across the nightmarescape unrelentingly. Stone shrapnel spewed before the monster as it rampaged unimpeded through the acropolis. Running seemed an exercise in futility as each step Stew took was laboured, as if moving through a viscous liquid. His legs bent in awkward directions every time he took a step, and flailed like a marionette when he tried to run. Hiding proved equally fruitless as flabby claws on barely formed hands scratched and stabbed through any crack or crevasse large enough to house the hapless stallion. Desperation ceased Stew by his throat as he stumbled through the twisting streets that folded back in on themselves. Then he saw something which gripped his heart in icy hooves.

Through some horrid joke a young filly was trapped in this wretched world with Stew. She was misty and ethereal, more sensed than seen. Something about her felt vaguely pink, and she screamed soundlessly at the daemon. Wading through the fear and danger, Stew knew he had to save this filly. Over rocks and around obtuse buildings Stew raced after the tiny pony. The gelatinous demon was nearly upon them. Stew leapt in desperation, hoping to shield the filly with his body. She had to live, he did not know why, but he knew she had to live. Then all was white-hot pain as the oozing horror squelched over Stew. Agony seeped into Stew, penetrating until it soaked into his bones. It was as if he were being dissolved in acid slowly. The torment seemed to last for years, but Stew stayed curled over the filly. She had to live.

Black smoky tendrils slowly worked their way towards Stew. They were whispy at first, but as more and more reached out and surrounded the stallion they grew thicker, more solid. They gathered around Stew, bunching up like springs then shooting outwards as spikes. The monster emitted a sound of agony that shook the whole of the world. The black spikes continued to stab all around Stew, assaulting monster and city alike. Then all shattered.

Stew found himself sitting in a comfortable red armchair in a cozy antechamber. A warm fireplace blazed across from him, and a small table to his left held two mugs of hot coco with marshmallows. To the left of the table was another armchair, and in it sat Princess Luna. For a moment Stew just sat and stared at the princess, trying to collect himself. This was not the first time Luna had saved him from a nightmare, he had many. Each time she interceded she brought him to this room, giving him the time he needed to speak again.

In many ways Luna was the opposite of her sister Celestia. Celestia’s fur was white as the pure driven snow, Luna’s was black charcoal. Celestia emitted an aura of peace and compassion, where as Luna radiated power and calculation. Celestia was a warm glow that filled all Equestria with love and happiness, Luna was a guiding light in a pony’s darkest moments. Sun versus moon, perfection versus redemption. But Stew felt it was not the differences between the sisters that caused the circumstances leading to Luna’s transformation to Nightmare Moon and subsequent banishment. Rather, it was that shared love and compassion each sister held for all the ponies of Equestria. A love so strong Luna was willing to turn against her sister in a misguided attempt to be more involved with everypony. Stew could sympathize with that.

“Y-y-you s-saved m-m-m-me, th-thank you.” Stew finally said. Luna remained silent for a moment as she sipped the hot coco.

“You know that this is a dream, Stewtary. We have been over this before. Concentrate, and your words will flow again.” Luna’s voice was soft and warm, yet firm like a steel rod wrapped in pillows.

Stew cleared his throat and focused in on his breathing. When he spoke, it was slow and deliberate. “You’re right Princess Luna, thank you.” Stew loved when Luna dream walked in his dreams. It was the only time he could speak freely with a real pony and not stutter. He wished he could indulge himself, and talk with Luna for hours. But Luna was never there just for small talk. It was pretty clear why she was there tonight. “I spoke with Princess Celestia today.” Stew said, taking a sip from his coco.

“Yes, I know. She told me that she has given you a choice to either remain here in Canterlot working in the palace, or to travel to Ponyville and seek your destiny.” Luna magiced over some milk to stir into her coco, she didn’t like it too bitter. Luna turned to Stew looking at him seriously. “My sister wishes for you to make this choice on your own, but I am not my sister. The choice is still yours to make, but I will tell you that staying in Canterlot is the wrong choice.” The antechamber flickered, then dissolved away into a forest. “Walk with me Stewtary.” Luna said as trees moved to make a path for her.

Stew debated just leaving his mug of coco on the forest floor, it was hard to walk and drink anything as an earth pony. But watching trees scurry out of the way of the princess of the night gave him an idea. A horn sprouted from Stew’s forehead, and he wrapped the mug in a magical aura before hurrying after Luna. Dreams are fun.

“Your sleep is plagued with nightmares of pursuing monsters Stewtary. But I have thought for some time now that it is not monsters you run from, but your destiny. You have grown so afraid of who you could be that you see it as a beast trying to do you harm. Do not run from this opportunity Stewtary.” Luna was setting a quick pace through the forest as she spoke. Stew was struggling to keep up on hoof, so he lifted his legs and began hovering along side the princess.

Luna always did have tremendous insight when it came to interpreting dreams. She could slice through a nightmare and find the truth within moments after seeing it. Perhaps it was because she had spent so long living in her own nightmare, or perhaps she was just always good at it. Stew didn’t know. What he did know was that her talent was undeniable, so there was no point in pretending he wasn’t scared of his own destiny. Instead he simply asked, “What if my destiny is not in Ponyville?”

Luna stopped walking and placed a hoof on Stew’s shoulder, gently pushing him down until his hooves were on the ground again. “My sister knows things, more than she lets on to anypony. She says you can earn your cutie mark in Ponyville, so you will earn your cutie mark in Ponyville.” A mist gathered and swirled, forming shapes around Stew. One turned into Fluttershy, another Rarity. Then more came, forming other ponies, some Stew recognized, some he did not. “You will not face this alone Stewtary. There will be other ponies to help you and give you strength.” Another misty figure solified into Mr. Cheesers on top of Stew’s head. “Take strength from your friends, you are not alone anymore.” Luna’s words entered Stew’s heart with such force that he needed to sit.

“I will princess, thank you.” Stew said, looking up into the gentle eyes of the dream walking princess.

Luna smiled down on Stew, “I have other ponies I must see tonight. I have woven this forest as a safe and pleasant dream for you. Stay in it as long as you would like. But when you wake, remember my words Stewtary. Make the right choice.” Luna soared off into the night sky, disappearing in a brilliant flash of light. Stew looked around him at the ponies as they began to frolic and play in the woods. Fluttershy turned and beckoned Stew to join in the fun, and soon he was lost to the pleasant dream.

Stew awoke to Mr. Cheesers sitting on his muzzle and beating him with tiny fists. The Stallion shook his head groggily, sending the little mouse tumbling off the bed. “W-what is i-it? It’s t-t-too early f-for th-th-this…” Stew mumbled as rubbed sleep from his eyes.

Mr. Cheesers was undeterred, he climbed back up the bed and began gesturing sharply out the window. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. Stew grumbled unintelligibly and rolled back over in his bed. Pulling a picture of Princess Celestia seemingly from nowhere, animals seemed to do that from time to time, Mr. Cheesers once again began assaulting Stew and pointing at the picture. “I kn-know, I-I know.” Stew was still tired, but the mouse was right, it was time to go see the princess.

Stew wished he could put Rarity’s suit on again, but pony etiquette was such that you didn’t wear clothing unless it was a specific event that called for it. Besides, he wasn’t entirely sure he would be able to figure out how to put the suit back on anyway, ease for the wearer didn’t seem high on Rarity’s priority list when it came to fashion. Unfortunately, Rarity had thrown out Stew’s cloak as an overly dramatic gesture, and Stew never went out in public without covering up his flank. Stew gathered his meager possessions and placed them in a couple saddle bags, then tied the bags around his flank. It wasn’t perfect, any pony looking closely would still see he had no cutie mark, but it would do. Thankfully nopony ever gave Stew a second glance. Eventually Stew would have to get a new cloak, but after the events of the day before, he was in no hurry.

The palace was of course very busy again. The Grand Galloping Gala was a matter of days away, so chefs and decorators scurried about preparing what they could. Much to Stew’s surprise Celestia was directing the servants herself today. Aside from raising the sun, Stew wasn’t really sure what Celestia did in her day to day life. It seemed that she would have more important things to do than oversee preparations for the gala though. When Celestia saw Stew, she smiled and waved for him to follow her to a quieter part of the room.

“have you made your decision my little pony?” Celestia’s voice was soft and melodic.

“I-I-I h-have.” Stew answered. He took a final look around the room at all the busy ponies. Over the years of his life Stew had many regrets; the time some of the other orphans tricked him into eating poison joke, the day he threw up on his crush, the infamous bell fire. But even as he looked into the happy faces of all the ponies working in the palace he felt sure this was a decision he would not regret. “I-I wish t-to go t-to P-P-Ponyville and f-f-find my d-d-d-dest-tiney.”

A bright smile split across Celestia’s muzzle as she spoke. “I’m so glad to hear that Stew. I have already informed Princess Twilight of your arrival. Of course, she and her friends will be staying here in Canterlot until after the Grand Galloping Galla, so that should give you time to get yourself situated.” Celestia paused for a moment to give instructions to a passing servant. “Once you’ve reached Ponyville, let anypony know I have sent you to seek the help of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Celestia took note of Stew’s confused expression, “They will understand what it means. I believe you have shown great wisdom and courage in making this decision Stew. May that same courage guide you as you continue down this new path.”

Celestia smiled as the young stallion bowed and thanked her. She even managed a quiet chuckle when Stew bashed into a pony carrying a large ice sculpture of her, causing it to shatter and sending Stew sliding rather ungracefully out the door. But slowly that smile faded away into a forlorn look as Stew faded away into the crowded streets outside the palace. Celestia knew things, more than she let on to anypony.

Author's Note

I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to write until I was tired, then I ended up writing all night. so please forgive me if this chapter seems strange or has a lot of mistakes. I don't do well with no sleep :pinkiecrazy:
As always thanks for reading! Give me a big ol' thumbs up if you're enjoying the story, and leave a comment if you have something to say. I am going to bed RIGHT NOW, but I hope to have talk to you all again soon.
Bye! :heart:

Train Robbery

Stew rubbed at his flank as he sat on the train to Ponyville. He was still sore from his fall down the stairs of Canterlot Castle. There were a lot of stairs. He hoped Celestia hadn’t seen that. Slipping out of the palace and down to the streets ridding on a chunk of Celestia’s face wasn’t exactly how he dreamed that meeting would end. In fact, in his dream it happened kind of the opposite.

“Tickets please.” A kindly looking old stallion in a conductor’s hat said, interrupting Stew’s thoughts.

“O-of c-c-course.” Stew fumbled around in his saddle bags trying hard to hide his blushing face. His ticket wasn’t in there. Feeling more flustered Stew began franticly riffling through his bag. He wished Mr. Cheesers were there to calm him down, or at least help him look for the ticket. But the little mouse had chosen to go back to Fluttershy. Stew had hoped to have seen Fluttershy before he left, but when he went to Canterlot Carousel Fluttershy wasn’t there. Rarity had of course been excited by the news and told him all the things he simply MUST do when he got to Ponyville. Not that Stew didn’t enjoy the talk, he just really wanted to tell Fluttershy too. Mr. Cheesers decided to stay at Canterlot Carousel and wait for Fluttershy. Rarity had assured Stew he would see both the mouse and Fluttershy very soon, but for now, he should hurry and catch the train. He wouldn’t want to be tardy and miss it after all. And when he got to Ponyville, he must must MUST go to Sugarcube Corner first. Pinkie Pie would be upset that she wasn’t there to throw him a party, but at the very least… Where was that blasted ticket?! He could have sworn…

The conductor cleared his throat impatiently and pointed to the space on the bench next to Stew. On the bench was Stew’s crumpled up ticket. Stew grinned sheepishly as the conductor stamped the ticket. The conductor just rolled his eyes and moved on to the next passengers.

This was Stew’s first time on a train. The orphanage where he grew up wasn’t far from Canterlot, and the idea of travel had never been very appealing. Equestria was just so big, and there were so many ponies. Stew didn’t think he would fit in no matter where he went. So, he stuck close to home. But watching as forests and plains, mountains and lakes, all kinds of different landscapes zipped by, it was easy to see why most ponies wanted to travel at some point in their lives. There was so much beauty Stew had never known existed. Maybe, if he ever earned his cutie mark, Stew would make up for lost time and go travel all across Equestria. He would be known through out the land as “the stallion with the absurdly cool cutie mark”. Stew smiled to himself, it didn’t exactly roll of the tongue, but a pony can dream. Shouts from further behind him on the train snapped Stew back to reality.

Ponies throughout the train were cowering away from an odd trio. At the head was a mare of about middle years. Her fur was a deep velvety purple and her main was pure white. She wore a large, wide brimmed pink hat with a black buckle and blue feather. It was a rather garish thing, but she preened and strutted proudly showing it off. She also carried a crossbow which she used to menace everypony. To her left and right, standing a couple paces back, were two very large Stallions. One was a unicorn with chocolate brown fur and a creamy yellow mane. He would have been very handsome if he wasn’t currently using his magic to stuff bits and jewelry and anything of any value into a sack. The other Stallion was a large pegasus, pure black from mane to tail. He was roughly pushing and bullying passengers with his powerful wings. A long puckering white scar split right down the middle of the stallion’s muzzle. Stew suspected that scar was a memento to remember a run in with the royal guards.

Crime in Equestria was all but not existent. Ponies were generally very nice, and Equestria was a bountiful land that provided more than enough for everypony. A pony could still live fairly well with very little bits to their name. Stew was proof of that. So, anypony willing to commit a crime became infamous very quickly. Stew recognized the trio, as did most ponies. It seemed this train had run afoul of Mare Barker and the Barker Colts.

The conductor attempted to sneak out of the train car when he felt nopony was looking, but was stopped by a crossbow bolt hitting the wall inches from his face. “Don’t anypony move! We’ll take yer bits, or yer lives! It’s yer choice.” Mare Barker’s voice was a raspy snarl. To show she was serious, anypony that did much of anything was dealt with by one of her heavy hoofed boys. Even a poor unicorn who tried to hand over his bits using magic received a sever beating. Mare Barker and her colts were vicious, and they didn’t take any chances.

The pegasus walked over to Stew. “Gimme yer bits an’ valuables. Now!” his voice was deep and rolling, like quiet thunder.

Stew couldn’t help but stare at the pegasus’ cutie mark. Two sacks filled to overflowing with bits. How would it feel to discover your destiny was all about stealing? How does a pony even come to discover something like that? Is everypony fated to one cutie mark no matter what they do with their life, or does a cutie mark only manifest after your character is established? If the later, can a pony have many potential cutie marks? And if the former, what of free will? Was this pegasus always destined to be a thief, or was this the path he chose and then received his cutie mark? Stew’s thoughts were interrupted by a hard slap across his face from the pegasus’ wing.

“Woud ya stahp starrin’ at muh plot an’ gimme yer bits?!” The Stallion rumbled.

“S-s-s-s-s-sor-“ Stew was silenced by another hefty slap.

“SHADDUP!!!”

Now with his head spinning and his nerves shot, Stew had no idea what to do. He gingerly held out his ticket.

“What’re ya stupid?!” Another heavy slap nearly unhinged Stew’s jaw.

“I said,”

Slap!

“gimme.”

Slap!

“yer.”

Slap!

“BITS!”

Slap!

Stew reeled back from the beating. His face was already beginning to swell. Digging through his bags Stew managed to find his bits purse. There wasn’t much in it; he hoped it was enough to not earn further ire from the large stallion. Unfortunately, Stews trembling hooves couldn’t hold the purse and he dropped it just before the Barker Colt could take it from him. “Oh, that’s it!” the black pegasus hissed. Stew was knocked to the floor with a hard hit from both wings. A crushing kick followed driving the air from his lungs. The commotion attracted the gaze of everypony, including Mare Barker. The split second of distraction created a small opportunity, and somepony took it.

A peach coloured stallion kicked the crossbow away from Mare Barker. The bow landed causing it to fire a bolt that struck a hanging lantern which fell on the head of the pegasus beating the daylights out of Stew. The peach stallion stood heroically before the gang. “My name is detective Pink Ton. You ragamuffins have terrorized ponykind for long enough. I’m placing all of you under arrest. A Pinkton always gets his pony!” His voice was strangely nasally, but somehow still very dashing. The two Barker colts turned on him, charging like wild animals. “You choose fisticuffs do you? Well have at you then rapscallions!” Pink Ton was amazing. He struck joints and pressure points with precision and confidence. Every swing the Barker Colts took struck nothing but air. It was like watching two hogs try to fight a dancer made of water. Everypony was mesmerized by the spectacle, everypony but Mare Barker.

Mare Barker let out a low, angry, growl as she backed away from the fight. She slowly sidled over to wear her crossbow lay. A young mare, barely out of her filly years, saw what the criminal was doing and ran to stop her. Too late. The crossbow was jammed up against the young mare’s head, the matriarch of the Barker gang laughed triumphantly.

“Everypony stay where you are, or this pretty li’ll thing gets new hole in ‘er head!’ Mare Barker looker at her unconscious sons, then glared at Pink Ton. “You Pinktons!” She spat, “You’ll never catch me. I’ll get muh boys out a jail and we’ll be back. We’ll be lookin’ fer you Pink Ton. You’ll see! We’ll get you good!” Pink Ton just stood silently, glaring daggers at his enemy.

Mare Barker didn’t realize she had stopped beside Stew. Or maybe she did, and just thought he was unconscious. Stew wasn’t entirely sure she would be wrong in that assumption. But if he was conscious, and all this was real, he couldn’t just let it happen. Come on, he thought, you can’t just lie here like some kind of... fallen… tree! Stew shook his head. Why were all his metaphors about trees? There was no time to work on better metaphors, if he didn’t do something quickly he would miss his chance and that innocent young mare would be taken hostage. Stew stood up quickly, realizing too late that it was a terrible idea. His head spun in an entire circle, then the whole world tilted left. Stew tripped on one of the benches, sending him cartwheeling into Mare Barker. Barker fired the crossbow, but not before stew clumsily managed to get a hoof in front of the bolt. The arrow pierced through Stew’s left fore hoof, and all three ponies tumbled to the ground. Pink Ton moved fast. He tied up Mare Barker as she was busy pummeling Stew for landing on her, dragged Stew to the side and got him a doctor, then helped the young mare up, all in seemingly one swoop. He was met with cheers from everypony as he stood proudly over the captured criminals. “A Pinkton always gets his pony!”

When the train pulled into Appleloosa station, Pink Ton lead the three crimanals off surrounded by a hero’s procession. Stew sat alone on a bench surrounded by bandages. He breathed a happy sigh of relief. The whole ordeal was more stimulation than Stew had received since he was just a little colt, and he was happy it was done. As everypony left the young mare that had been taken hostage hung back. She looked around to make sure everypony was out of ear shot, then sat down beside Stew. She was pretty, after the manner that young mares are pretty. She had honey yellow fur and creamy off-white mane that she kept in braids. She spoke with a thick country drawl, but her tone was melodic, like bells tinkling by a stream. “Everypony thinks ya’ll were just wakin’ up after bein' knocked out, then couldn’t hold yerself up and fell on top of us. They think I was lucky.” The mare studied Stew’s very uncomfortable face for a moment with her big blue eyes before continuing. “I saw yer eyes when you stood up, ya’ll meant to save me. I knew ya’ll wouldn’t want this, but thank you. Yer my hero.”

Stew shook his head, regretted it as the room began to spin again, then gestured out the window towards Pink Ton. “I-I’m n-n-no h-hero. H-he’s a r-r-real hero. H-h-h-he s-saved e-everypony. A-all I d-did w-w-w-was t-trip.”

The mare looked reflectively out the window before answering. “Mr. Pink Ton is a hero certainly. And rightly so. But he can be everypony else’s hero. Yer my hero. I’m Honey Sickle by the by.”

Stew gave Honey Sickle a lop-sided smile and offered the hoof not staining bandages with blood. “St-Stew.”

Honey Sickle barely even glanced at Stew’s hoof before brushing past it and giving Stew a quick peck on the cheek. She giggled when Stew winced. His face was still very tender. “Thank you Stew.” Honey’s words came out oozing with the sweetness of her namesake. “If ya’ll are ever in Appleloosa come by my place. I’ll be sure the family cooks you up a nice hero feast.”

Stew was bright red as he watched Honey sickle skip out of the train car. He still didn’t think he was any sort of hero, but between Honey Sickle and Fluttershy’s reactions he was beginning to see the appeal of becoming one. Waves of pain crashed through Stew’s whole body as he tried to adjust himself. Then again, hero stuff did come with down sides too.

The whistle blew and the conductor shouted, “ALL ABOARD!” and the train lurched back to life. It was still a while before he would arrive in Ponyville, but Stew was starting to get excited. He wondered what was so special about Mr. and Mrs. Cake that meant he must must MUST see them first. He wondered what sort of ponies the fillies Princess Celestia had talked about were. But more than anything else, he wondered if he really would be able to find his destiny and earn his cutie mark in Ponyville.

Author's Note

Whew! Southern accents are hard to write. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise. I still don't know if I've got them quite right, but it will have to do.
If you've made it this far into my story, congratulations! You and I are like this now. You can't see it, but I just crossed my fingers indicating how tight we are. You'll just have to trust me that it was very tight.
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Bye! :heart:

Making New Friends

The reception at Ponyville station was not what Stew was expecting, especially since he hadn’t been expecting a reception at all. Somepony must have managed to send a message ahead from Appleloosa as several doctors were waiting for Stew on the platform. His sputtering attempts to explain he was fine were studiously ignored. The doctors quickly spirited Stew away to the Ponyville hospital, where he stayed for the next two weeks.

Unicorn magic had done wonders for the world of medicine in Equestria. Magic couldn’t be used to heal a pony, per se, but it did surgeries and fine work that nopony could have dreamed of doing with their hooves. They had reset Stew’s broken bones and reattached his torn ligaments. Sadly, there were limits to what magic could do, and the crossbow bolt had done serious damage to Stew’s hoof. If not for the skilled doctors he would likely have never walked again, but as things were now he would walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

When Stew left the hospital, he started limping towards the castle. Princess Twilight was undoubtedly back by now, so it would be best to get to his new job. He wasn’t really sure what sort of a pony Princess Twilight was. Rarity of course had nothing but kind things to say, but Stew had never met an employer that would take kindly to being 336 hours late for work. Stew was a little sad he wouldn’t get to do any exploring, Rarity had made everything sound so spectacular, though she had a way of doing that with anything she said. Stew was especially sad he wouldn’t get to find out why the cakes were so special. And then there were these “Cutie Mark Crusaders” Princess Celestia had told him to find. Before all the train nonsense Stew had been hoping that he would have time to track them down and get started on earning his cutie mark before Twilight returned. Now he wasn’t sure when he would have the time…

“SURPRISE!!!” An explosion of confetti knocked Stew off his hooves. Seemingly from nowhere, a pink mare was singing and dancing a welcome song. Stew tried to get up, several times, but each time he did the pink pony’s dance would knock him over again. So he resigned himself to staying seated on the ground while the overly energetic pony finished her song. “…So now it’s time to eat your welcome cake!!!” The mare sang as a canon rolled up, firing a batch of uncooked batter in Stew’s face. “Oops!” the pony giggled “I put the confetti in the oven and the cake batter in the party canon, again!” The mare ran a hoof through the batter on Stew’s face and licked it, smiling. “It’s still good though!”

“Y-you m-m-must be P-P-Pinkie P-Pie.” Stew stammered as he picked himself off the ground. Rarity had warned him something like this would happen when Pinkie found out somepony new had moved to Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie gasped “You’ve heard of me?! That’s so neat! Did somepony tell you about me? Oh no, did somepony ruin the surprise?! It was Gummy wasn’t it?! Betrayer!!!” Pinkie was now yelling at a cross eyed, toothless alligator. Despite the pain, the cake batter clinging in his mane, the two weeks of absolute boredom, and the dread of having to meet somepony new, Stew felt a smile creep across his face. Watching Pinkie argue with the mute alligator, and she appeared to be losing, was somehow exactly what Stew needed to cheer up.

“...I would love to see you try and eat pumpkins half as fast!” Pinkie Pie turned away from the alligator smiling triumphantly. It would seem she won the argument after all. “What’s you’re name? Where did you come from? Why did you come to Ponyville? Where did you learn that stylish walk? Have you ever tried a cherrychonga? Applejack promised to help me invent the cherrychonga as soon as I figured out what to call it...” Pinkie continued to fire an endless barrage of questions and anecdotes, that she seemed to have no intention of letting Stew respond to, as she skipped circles around the stallion. Stew decided it was best to just continue on his way to Princess Twilight’s castle, occasionally flashing a smile to Pinkie Pie to show he was listening.

The castle wasn’t quite like the one in Canterlot. Twilight’s castle felt older, more worn out. Dust caked the floors and walls of many of the rooms, clearly indicating how little of the castle was actually being used. Stew would probably have found the atmosphere of the place quite oppressive if it weren’t for the squeaky bouncing and endless chatter of Pinkie Pie beside him. He was grateful for the company, much to his own surprise. Now that he was in the castle doubts were creeping back into his mind. He was already sure Princess Twilight wouldn’t like him, but what if she didn’t let him have the job? What if he messed everything up and Princess Twilight banished him from Ponyville before he got a chance to meet the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Stew looked over to Pinkie Pie, who was still happily bouncing beside him. Having such a carefree pony going with him to see Twilight Sparkle was oddly comforting. It suddenly dawned on Stew that he had no idea where he was going. Somehow without really thinking about it he had wound up just following Pinkie Pie. “S-sorry, wh-where are y-you t-t-taking m-me P-P-P-Pinkie P-Pie?” Stew asked as they reached a large dark room.

“SURPRISE!!!” Lanterns all around the room lit up revealing five mares and a baby dragon. The room was filled with streamers and ballons, cakes, pies, tarts, muffins, cupcakes, and punch bowls. There wasn’t a single corner of the grand chamber that wasn’t decorated. Somepony had gone to a lot of effort to prepare this surprise party, and now they all wasted their good surprise on Stew. As he looked back to the ponies to apologize for not being who they expected, Stew found himself staring down the barrel of a canon. Again. A fresh batch of cake batter blasted into Stew’s face. Through the goo now flowing into his ears Stew could hear the ponies giggling before a napkin wrapped in a magic glow wiped cake batter from his face.

“S-sorry. I-I’ll h-h-help you r-r-r-reset f-for y-your g-g-guest.” Stew’s voice was little more than a whisper as he bowed to Princess Twilight who was wiping his face.

“Reset? Don’t be silly, this party is for you.” The Princess warmly indicated for Stew to rise. “Pinkie insisted we make it a party. It was a struggle to keep her from inviting all of Ponyville. But we managed to convince her that we should all get to know you first.” Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper as she leaned close to Stew. “You have Fluttershy to thank for that. She told me you wouldn’t like a big party.”

Stew nodded his agreement. He would have to thank Fluttershy. Even this size of party was feeling a bit overwhelming. Thankfully he drew strength from the fact that both Fluttershy and Rarity were there amongst the party guests.

Twilight began speaking in a normal tone again. “Come in Stewtary, I want to introduce you to everypony.” The purple furred princess lead Stew further into the room. “First I should introduce myself. I’m Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship. But please just call me Twilight. Being called Princess all the time makes my skin itch all over.” Stew gave Twilight a weak smile. He wasn’t really prepared to be chatting so informally with a princess. Everypony knew alicorn princesses were to be revered. It was going to take some getting used to before Stew would be comfortable being as free with Princess Twilight as she seemed to want him to be. He eyed the exit a few times, then ultimately decided running from such a sweet gesture would assure him not getting the job. So he continued along side Twilight as they approached the little dragon.

“This is my number one assistant, Spike. You’ll be working mostly with him.” Twilight said, pointing to the dragon. Spike seemed to be eyeing Stew warily. It would seem not everypony was thrilled to be meeting him.

Stew made a slight bow to Spike, “I-I h-hope to m-m-meet your e-e-exp… y-your st-standards m-master S-Spike.”

A knowing smile hovered on Twilight’s lips as she spoke. “Well, what do you think of that ‘master’ Spike?”

The tiny dragon was now puffing out his chest importantly, sharply contrasting with the goofy grin on his face. He seemed to snap back to reality as he looked at Twilight. “Oh, alright. It’ll be nice to have some help with this big castle. It’s nice to meet you Stewtary.” Spike offered his claw and shook Stew’s hoof before wandering over to the food tables muttering “master spike” to himself.

Stew felt he was missing something as all the mares exchanged amused glances, but Twilight was moving on in her introductions before Stew could ask. Not that he was ever going to anyway. “I know you’ve already met Rarity” Twilight said as they stood in front of the beautiful mare.

“It’s so good to see you again Stewtary. Fluttershy and I had wanted to go see you when we heard you were in the hospital, but Pinkie needed full time monitoring to keep her from throwing a party for you right there in your hospital bed. I hope you understand dear.”

Stew smiled gratefully at Rarity “I-I underst-stand. Th-thank you.”

“And of course you know Fluttershy.” Twilight said moving on.

“It’s um, really nice to see you again Stewtary. Mr. Cheesers said he missed you… and um, I missed you too.” Fluttershy said as she looked down, hoofing distractedly at the ground.

Stew too found himself unable to make eye contact, and similarly began hoofing at the stones on the floor. “Th-thank you. I-I missed y-y-you too. B-b-both of y-you. Mr. Ch-Cheesers a-and you, I-I m-m-mean…”

“Oh come on! Get a room you two!” a blue furred pony with a striking rainbow coloured mane shouted from across the room. Both Stew and Fluttershy turned bright red, stepping a few paces back from each other.

“Rainbow!” Twilight chided, “Sorry about that Stewtary. That’s Rainbow Dash. She can be a bit, loud, but you’ll never meet a more loyal”

“Or awesome!” Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“Or awesome,” Twilight continued “Friend. She really is great once you get to know her.”

Stew was still horrendously embarrassed, but he felt he had to try and say something. Princess Celestia had warned him it would be difficult to choose this path. He would do his best. “I-I-I-I’ve h-heard of y-y-you… y-you’re the b-best flier in a-all Equ-qu-questria.” Rainbow Dash’s reaction to Stew’s praise was not much different from Spike’s reaction to being called master.

“Well, that’s true. I’m pretty amazing. You’re alright Stewtary. If you ever want to hang and talk about how awesome I am, I’m totally down for that.” Rainbow zipped over and gave Stew a hoof bump. He had never been hoof bumped before. A slight admiration swelled in Stew’s heart. His first hoof bump ever was with Rainbow Dash! He felt cool just by association.

Next up was an orange furred mare with a pale-yellow mane and cowboy hat on named Applejack. She spoke with a thick country drawl that seemed familiar to Stew. Then it dawned on him. “D-do you kn-kn-know H-Honey S-S-Sickle?”

“Honey Sickle? Why, she’s muh cousin’s step-mom’s niece’s best friend’s second cousin twice removed! Course I know her. She’s practically family! Wait, how do you know Honey?”

Stew hadn’t quite followed the relationship, but it seemed Applejack did know Honey Sickle somehow. “I uh… m-met her o-on th-th-the t-train h-h-here.” He said.

“Well I’ll be. I didn’t make the connection ‘till jus’ now. Yer that Hero pony Honey told us about! Yer Stew!”

“I-I d-d-don’t know ab-b-bout th-that…”

“Don’t be so modest! She told me ‘bout how you fought three big Barker Brothers at once when they tried to take her necklace!”

“Th-that isn’t qu-quite-“

Rainbow Dash came zipping over “No way! You’re a lot shorter than she described you. Did you really catch a crossbow bolt in midair with your bare hooves to save Honey?”

“W-well not ex-“

“Honey told me about how you wrestled her free of Ma Barker herself, boldly staring her down to save your damsel in distress.” Rarity chimed in. “I can hardly believe that was you Stewtary. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“N-no that’s-“

“What about when you kicked one of the Barker boys right off of the train when he tried to rob you? Or when seven others from the gang all attacked you at once? How did you manage to fight them all off? No wonder you had to spend some time in the hospital!”

“Th-that’s not e-e-even-“

“Yelling, yelling, dialogue, dialogue, punchline dialogue!” Pinkie Pie seemed to be in her own little world.

The three ponies continued to grill Stew about his exploits on the train, each tale more fantastic then the last. He couldn’t seem to get a word in to correct them, they didn’t seem to want him to. It was too much. Stew began backing away. He didn’t care if he lost his job, he didn’t care if he never got his cutie mark, he couldn’t handle this. Then a gentle hoof touched his shoulder, and Fluttershy whispered reassuringly to him. Stew took a deep breath, and looked back to the four ponies trying to all talk to him at once. He wouldn't run. Not in front of his friend.

“Girls!” Twilight finally interjected. “I think Stew is getting a bit overwhelmed by your questions, and whatever it is your doing Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie just smiled “I’m participating!”

“Right. Anyway, I think this is a good time for Spike to show,” Twilight looked over to Stew. “Do you prefer Stewtary, or Stew?”

Stew shot Fluttershy a thankful glance before taking another deep breath. “I-I like St-Stew… To be c-called St-Stew I-I m-mean.”

“Alright. Spike? I think it’s a good time for you to show Stew around the castle. Make sure you show him where he will be staying. Afterwards Applejack, you can take him to see your sister and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They should be done school by now and Princess Celestia wants Stew to meet them as soon as possible. You can start working tomorrow Stew.”

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow dash all looked slightly abashed. Pinkie just looked like she was having fun playing with a balloon. "Well, I'm glad ya saved Honey Sickle, however you did it." Applejack said somewhat apologetically.

"Yes. Sorry dear, I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable. It was just such an exciting tale that Honey Sickle told us. Perhaps I got a little over exuberant in my questions." Rarity added.

"You'll have to show me some of your moves!" Rainbow Dash said, more excited than sorry.

Spike led Stew out of the large meeting room. The ponies were silent for a little while, but it wasn’t long before the jovial sounds of a party started echoing through the halls. No doubt Pinkie Pie managed to get everypony back in a partying mood. Stew breathed a heavy sigh of relief. They were all wonderful ponies, and they seemed so close. It was just a lot to take in for his first meeting. He was glad Fluttershy and Twilight had been there to rescue him. Maybe working for Princess Twilight wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Author's Note

Well, that was my first time writing all of the main six. I hope I got their personalities right.
Thank you for reading my story so far. I love to hear you comments, questions, ideas, anything you want to share. If you like it so far, please give it a thumbs up. If you love it, maybe consider giving me a follow so you know when the next chapter comes out. And if it's your favorite, well, I think they have a button for that too :pinkiehappy:
Bye! :heart: