To New Horizons

It only took five minutes to see the blatantly obvious tree near Ponyvilles residential district. It didn't surprise you that your mind only took it as just another tree. At a glance from a couple hundred meters up, it would be nearly impossible to make out the windows sticking out of the hollowed tree. You begin to slowly glide toward the library, being extra careful to land with your forehooves first, allowing you to transfer your momentum into a brisk jog towards what was hopefully the library's front entrance. Although out of habit, you unconsciously put weight on your bandaged right hind leg.

The painful sting coupled with a sudden impact from your left side drew a gasp from your muzzle as it sends you tumbling down to the ground. After a few seconds on the ground, you let out a small groan as you attempt to lift yourself to your hooves, only to find an extra weight on your back. "Oh, I'm sorry mister! I didn't see you there." A familiar mare's voice said as the weight on your back quickly disappeared.

"No miss. It's my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going." You explain as a pain of guilt seeps into your heart. "You really gotta watch where your landing Sky." You think to yourself as you slowly lift yourself onto your three hooves."Miss Doo! Are you alright?" A stallions voice asks as hoofsteps rapidly approach you. "Doo?" You ask yourself as you turn towards the pony who you bumped into.

The pony you ran into is a pegasus mare, sitting back on her haunches, staring at you in shock with her golden eyes. She had a grey coat and a slightly ruffled yellow mane, and her cutie mark was a series of bubbles. "Miss Doo are you ok?" You hear a stallion ask as you stand there in shock. The Earth pony stallion rushed to the pegasus's side, briefly examining her before turning his attention toward you. He had a slide back messy dark brown mane and a light brown coat, with ocean blue eyes and a sand hourglass on his flank that was seemingly running out of time.

You notice he also wore a green bowtie around his neck as your eyes meet his once more before your gaze returned back to the mare you knew. "Now whats your rush mister..." The stallion starts, but you cut him off. "Ditzy?..." You say in nearly a whisper, causing the stallion to look at you in confusion and the mare to remove her forehoof from her muzzle. "Sky?" Ditzy asks as tears start to form at the corner of her eyes, only to be soon followed by a small smile across her muzzle.

"Wait, you two know..." The stallion starts to ask, but is instantly cut off. "Skywhy!" She yelled as she quickly wraps her forehoofs around your neck and pulls you into a warm embrace, which you return the affection without hesitation. "Ditzy, it's been ages! I've been meaning to write you more and... It's great to see you again Muffin." You say with a smile as you give the mare an affectionate nuzzle. "You should have told me you'd be in town. I would have made you muffins!" She replies as the two of you pull away from the embrace with smiles across both your muzzles.

"What, I can't surprise my sis every now and again?" You say as you put the mare in a loose headlock and ruffle up her mane a little. "Hey! No fair!" She laughs as you let her go. Earning a light punch on your shoulder for your mischief. "So what are you doing here.... any...way." Ditzy starts, but her smile quickly shifts to shock as her eyes catch your bandaged leg. "Sweet Celestia! Sky! What happened to you!?!" Ditzy asks as she looks at your leg in horror.

"Really Ditzy, I'm fine. A Timberwolf just caught me off guard. Really, I'm fine." You try to reassure the poor mare, only to watch as her eyes dilate in horror and the stallion's eyebrow raises curiously. "Sky your not fine! There's blood all over the wrapping!" Ditzy hissed as she made her way to your side and started inspecting your wound. The poor mare was always the worrying type, especially back in the Cloudsdale educational system. She was always like an older sister to you, and you tried to be there for her as much as she has for you. But it's hard to compete against a mare with a heart of gold.

"Ditzy, I'm fine. Really, Twilight patched me up nice and good. Even asked me for a follow-up visit. Now... who's your colt friend?" You say with a chuckle in an attempt to change the subject, only to earn a dirty look from Ditzy. "Oh! Right, where are my manners? My names Time Turner. But my friends call me The doctor." The stallion said as he held a hoof out toward you. "I'm Skyward Sword, Co-owner of the Timberwolf tavern, resident swords colt, and the co-founder of the Timberwolves adventures guild. At your service sir." You say as you balance yourself on you right forehoof and left hind hoof before using your left forehoof to briefly shake his hoof.

"Well I must say, I've never met a... swords colt before." Doctor Turner started to say, only to chuckle briefly to himself before continuing. "I have so many questions for a stallion of your profession." Doctor Turner finished with a smile, and you returned one in kind. "As do I Doctor Turner. Might I ask what you're a doctor of? Your cutie mark's an hourglass, So I presume you're a physicist?" You ask with a smile as Ditzy carefully pokes at your bandaged leg, causing you to wince.

"A physicist of a sort. I must say, I was unaware Ditzy had siblings." Doctor Turner stated with a smile causing you to chuckle. "Oh no. We aren't blood relatives or anything like that. Her and her family helped me out in my youth and we grew close because of it. We considered each other as good as family." You say with a smile as Ditzy stood to your right and gently draped her left wing around your barrel. "And you cause me no shortage of worry because of that." She says with a small frown as you gently drape your right wing around her back, causing her expression to shift into a small smile.

The mare's eyes slowly returned to their original cross eyed nature. From your time spent with the mare, you knew that if she concentrates hard enough, she can briefly keep them from going cross-eyed. Although from how she put it in her letters, it was mentally draining for her to do so. You give her a soft smile before gently nuzzling her cheek. "And for that I'm sorry." You say apologetically as Ditzy returns the affection.

"You can make it up to me by telling me where your little tavern is." She teases, earning a small chuckle from you. "Right! That's what I was going to tell you. Me and my guild mate's have set up shop on the southern end of town, you two have to stop by tonight, I'd love to introduce you to them." You say joyously, earning a smile from the grey mare. "You're a Ponyville resident now? For how long!?" She asks as she gives your shoulder a gentle punch. "About three months. I wanted it to be a surprise, I was sorta hoping you'd enter the bar on your off time, but you never came. So now I gotta tell ya." You say with a chuckle, earning a small happy squee from Ditzy.

"I would love to meet your friends! Especially that Starfire mare you've told me about! How about you Doctor? Do you wanna tag along? It could be a learning opportunity." Ditzy says playfully as she hugs you, giving doctor Turner an almost knowing look. "I think that sounds lovely. Count me in." Doctor Turner says with a smile as you carefully break away from Ditzy's embrace. "Excellent now, I'm sorry to cut this short Ditzy. But I really don't wanna be late for whatever Twilight has planned. I heard she can be a little... Unstable when confronted with tardiness." You say nervously, as you try to say mentally insane in the nicest way possible.

"Oh. Of course, we'd hate to keep you from your duties." Doctor Turner says as you slowly start backing away towards the library. "What time should we arrive at the tavern?" Ditzy asks, causing you to stop for a moment. "Try to stop by around seven or eight. The guild hall's on the third floor, can't miss it. Just knock and say who you are. My guildmates should know you by name." You say cheerfully, earning a smile from the grey coated mare. "Seven or eight. Gotcha." She says with a wink before doctor Turner takes his place on her left side.

"See you then Ditzy, Doctor Turner." You say cheerfully, giving the two ponies a nod before turning around and making your way up to the wooden door of the oak tree building. Carefully you give balance yourself back on two hooves and knock firmly on the wooden door with your left forehoof. After a few moments, the sound of soft thumps slowly makes their way toward the door.