Chaotic Love, Lovely Chaos

Chapters

My First Day In Town
Blank Flank
Apple Bucking And Magic
Birthday Surprise
For Love And Dragons
Twilight's Side Note
First You Walk...
The Cloudsdale Ball
Pinkie's Secret And My Problem
Perspectives
Our Friend, Our Enemy
Let The Chaos Out
Second Chance
The First Crusader
Lunchtime Love
An Unexpected Visit
Chaos And The Princess
The Letters
The Decent Begins
A Moonlit Walk
Speedy's Search
My Curse
Best Friends
Nightmare Night
Waking Up

My First Day In Town

I began the day by walking through town. Ponyville is such a lovely place. And then she popped out of nowhere. "HI!" I fell backwards onto the ground. Once I could focus again, I saw this pink mare standing over me. "You're new here aren't you? I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name? Do you like candy?"

I couldn't even begin to answer all her questions before another mare walked up. "Pinkie Pie, do stop pestering the poor dear with questions. We don't want to frighten him off." She was a pretty mare, I'll admit that. "It's okay. I don't mind." I turned to Pinkie Pie. "By the way I do like candy." That sure brought a smile to her face. I turned to the other mare. "My name's Speedy Quill." The mare smiled. "I'm Rarity and you've already met Pinkie."

Well an interesting introduction to Ponyville, huh? I had just met a very random pony and a very dignified pony. Nice contrast. But by lucky coincidence I had now met two of the mares I had been looking for. "It's nice to meet you both. Umm...do you know where I could find a Twilight Sparkle?" Pinkie started jumping around. "Of course we do! She's our best friend! Follow me!" She started hopping away. I looked at Rarity and she smiled and started walking after Pinkie. "Well we'd better get going. Twilight's probably at the library."

So we were off to the library. Pinkie hopped along just ahead of me and Rarity. Rarity looked at me. "So you're new to Ponyville aren't you?" I nodded. "Yeah. I just came from Fillydelphia. I wanted to get away from the busy city life." Pinkie stopped hopping and fell into step with Rarity and me. "Well you picked the right place. Ponyville is the greatest! Oh look!" And she was gone again. But not out of sight. She had only zoomed ahead to the library which we had now arrived at.

We entered the library and the first thing I spotted was a young dragon sorting books. My mouth dropped open slightly. I hadn't expected to find a dragon here. The dragon turned to us. "Hi guys! How's it goin'?" Pinkie Pie started hopping around the library. I guess hopping is her thing. Rarity rolled her eyes and turned to the dragon. "Spike dear, is Twilight around?" The dragon, Spike, smiled. "I'll go get her." He ran out of the room.

It wasn't long before Spike returned with Twilight. She eyed Pinkie, who was now making a tower out of some books, and then turned to me and Rarity. "Hi Rarity. Who's your friend." Before Rarity could answer though, Pinkie was right next to me, her hoof around my shoulder. "This is Speedy Quill. He's new in town. He wanted to meet you." Twilight looked at me and smiled. "Really?" I smiled nervously and nodded. "I've heard a lot about Ponyville, or more specifically I've heard a lot about you and your friends." Rarity's eyes sparkled at that comment. "Really. You've heard of us. That means ponies are talking about us! We're famous!" She started hopping around. And of course Pinkie joined in.

As the two happy hoppers went at it, Twilight looked back at me. "So are you just visiting or are you an official member of Ponyville?" Do you know how hard it is to focus when there are two ponies hopping around you? I did my best to ignore them. "I guess I'm a member. I live just past the clock tower." Twilight smiled. "That's where Fluttershy lives. You must be her neighbor." I thought for a moment. I had noticed a cottage on my way to town. I guess that must be where this Fluttershy lived, though I hadn't seen her. Twilight's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Why don't we go meet her. It's good to get to know your neighbors." She began walking towards the door. She stopped and looked at Rarity and Pinkie. "Come on you two." Rarity stopped hopping. She seemed to realize how silly she must have looked because she straightened up and walked out the door in a very dignified manner. Pinkie on the other hand hopped right out the door. I followed the three mares. We were off to meet Fluttershy.

I walked beside Twilight as she told me about Ponyville. It was interesting and all, but I was more interested in her and her friends. "So what can you tell me about yourselves?" Rarity fell into step with Twilight and me. "Well I run the boutique of course. I am a rising fashion designer." Hmm... distinguished, yes. Humble, maybe not so much. "That must be fun. I'm sure everypony in Equestria will be wearing your designs someday." She actually blushed. I wasn't trying to be charming. I don't think I can be charming.

I turned to Twilight. "What about you?" She smiled. "I study magic. I came here from Canterlot. I'm Princess Celestia's personal student." My mouth dropped slightly. "You're a personal student of the Princess?" Another smile and a nod. Impressive. At that moment Pinkie bounced in front of me. "And what about Pinkie?" Twilight stopped walking. She actually seemed puzzled. "Well Pinkie is..." She looked at Rarity. Rarity seemed just as confused by the question. She stammered to answer. "Our dear Pinkie is...well she's just Pinkie." Twilight nodded. "Exactly. And that's the way we like her." We began walking again.

It wasn't long before we were on the road towards my home. I could see a cottage growing closer. It was the same cottage I had passed on my way into town. "So that's where Fluttershy lives?" Pinkie bounced around me. "Yep! That's Fluttershy's house!" She raced ahead towards the cottage. We caught up to her and Twilight knocked on the door. I heard hoofsteps and a quiet voice. "Coming." The door opened and...

Wow. I mean...wow. She. Was. Beautiful.

I don't really remember the next minute or so. Somehow we wound up inside the cottage. I was brought back to earth when I heard Rarity introduce me. "Fluttershy, this is your new neighbor." I turned to Fluttershy. I really hope I don't look too stupid. She probably thought I was stupid. I opened my mouth. What was I supposed to say again? "H-hello. My name's Speedy Quill." Fluttershy smiled. "Hello. I'm Fluttershy." She talks soft. I don't mind that. She seems a little...shy. Makes sense I guess if she's named Fluttershy. I had become so focused on the beautiful pegasus before me I hadn't even noticed that there were two other ponies with her. All I remember is that their names were Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

I hope nopony noticed my stammering, or my staring at Fluttershy the whole time we were there. I was sad when the sun set. I had to get home to write down some notes, but I didn't want to leave. So when Twilight said she had to head off, I forced myself to say the same. We walked out together and down to the road. "Well...goodnight" I started to walk away. "You are so lucky she didn't catch on to you." I stopped in my tracks. I looked at Twilight. She winked. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." She walked away.

Well...my first day in Ponyville was a day to remember. I met the ponies I set out to meet. And Twilight was right. It is good to get to know your neighbors.

Blank Flank

I've been settling in nicely over the past few days. Ponyville is a great town. I haven't been out and about since my first day though. I've been sorting away my things and making my new home comfortable. It takes a while to sort away a library of books, several art portfolios, and all my writing supplies. And don't even get me started on my kitchen items. (Consider cooking my second love.)

Anyways, I finally got out of the house and and started towards town. I wanted to go ask Twilight what there was to do in Ponyville. I was just passing Fluttershy's cottage when the idea hit me. Why go all the way to town when I had a neighbor right here? I'm sure she'd love to tell me about Ponyville. I walked up to the front door and was ready to knock. The door opened before my hoof even touched the wood. Fluttershy looked surprised and shrunk back a little. I didn't know what to do. I guess I should say something. "Uh, hi Fluttershy." Fluttershy looked at me, her face half-hidden by her mane. "Oh. Hi Speedy. Sorry for running into you." She had such a quiet voice. It only added to her beauty.

I shook my head. "Nothing to be sorry for. I was just coming to talk to you actually." Fluttershy looked surprised by this. "Really?" I smiled. "I was going to go ask Twilight what there was to do in town, but then I figured I could just ask you." A slight smile was forming on her face. "Oh, I don't think I'm the best pony to ask. I'm sure Twilight would know more about what there is around Ponyville." Her eyes brightened. "Why don't you come with me? I was going to town to see Rarity. I'll take you by Twilight's along the way." I don't think I was doing a very good job of hiding my excitement. She had invited me to walk to town with her!

We headed for town. We didn't really talk much. I couldn't think of anything to say. And Fluttershy only spoke once or twice commenting on either the weather or a passing animal. It was nice. We didn't need to talk. I think we both enjoyed the walk a lot. We were getting close to Twilight's place. I wish I could spend more time with Fluttershy, but I don't have any excuse.

Just as we were getting to Twilight's Fluttershy started to turn to walk away. "Bye Speedy. I'll see you later." That's when she saw. She had turned around and could see my flank. Her eyes widened. "Your....your flank is..." I looked at my flank. "Uncutie-marked?" It's true. I Speedy Quill, do not have a cutie mark. I am a blank flank.

Fluttershy looked back at my face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it." I shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's fine, really." It was at that moment that Twilight opened the door. She smiled. "I thought I heard somepony out here. It's so nice to see you two." Fluttershy began to back away. "Well Twilight's here now, so you can um... talk. I have to go see Rarity." She turned and trotted away. Twilight's smile faded. "Is everything all right Speedy?" I shrugged again. "I think she just felt a little awkward about my blank flank." Twilight's jaw dropped. "Your blank what?!" I turned my flank towards her. Her eyes widened in shock.

I'm quite used to the whole thing. I get why others are surprised though. I'm a grown stallion with no cutie mark. How is it even possible?

Twilight invited me in. "This can't be possible. You're an adult with a...a..." I rolled my eyes. "You can say it you know. I have a blank flank." Without warning, books started flying off the shelves. I had to duck for cover under the table as Twilight began searching her library for something. She kept shaking her head as different books passed in front of her. Eventually she gave up with a groan. "I can't find anything! I've never heard of a grown pony without a cutie mark. It's impossible." I got out from under the table. "And yet here I am." Twilight turned to me, confusion swimming in her eyes. "Why don't you have one?"

I shrugged. " I don't have a talent for just one thing. Anything I put my mind to, I can do it amazingly well. I don't know why." I think this only confused her more. She began pacing back and forth. "It just doesn't make any sense. Everypony gets a cutie mark." She looked at me again. "So you're saying you don't have a special talent?" I shook my head. "I don't have a single talent. I'm good at a lot of things. Writing, cooking, drawing, and other stuff." Twilight was beginning to look annoyed. She stepped towards me. "But there isn't one talent you're better at than the rest?" I shook my head, slowly backing up a step or two. "No. I can't explain it." Now she was very annoyed. "THERE HAS TO BE AN EXPLANATION!" I flinched. Note to self: Never annoy Twilight again.

She calmed down after that. She even began slowly to accept the fact. I was a blank flank and there wasn't an explanation. "Who am I kidding. I don't know how or why, but you don't have a cutie mark. That's that." That surprised me. "That was a quick turnaround. I thought you'd want more proof to my... predicament." She smiled and looked at me. "You've met Pinkie haven't you." I chuckled. "Of course." Twilight laughed too. "Spend some time with her and you'll understand how I can accept odd things in the world." I didn't doubt it. Twilight glanced at my flank. "I'm just surprised none of us noticed your flank when you were here your first day." I shrugged.

We talked for another hour or so. Well, I mostly talked. Twilight was asking questions and listening. Of course she got a few comments in too. I was just beginning to talk about my parents when she interrupted. "Wait. Your mother is Feather Quill?" I nodded. Twilight's eyes lit up and so did her horn. Four books came flying off a nearby shelf. I knew what was coming. "Omygosh! She's one of my favorite authors! I have all of her books right here!" I smiled and shook my head. "Not a surprise to me. You've probably read every book in Equestria." She didn't catch the joke. "I can't believe you're the son of such a famous author!" I rolled my eyes. I think the talking was over. I stood up. "I bet you haven't read those books in a while. I'll just leave you alone to get reacquainted with them." I turned for the door and left. Nothing. Not even a peep from her. She had obviously started reading my mother's books. I laughed.

Apple Bucking And Magic

A few days went by. I decided to go and see Applejack. I hadn't seen or talked to her much since my first day. I had seen Rainbow Dash, but only because she was always flying around town. Every once in a while she spotted me and showed off some fancy flying move. A bit of a show-off if you ask me, but that's okay. I was just glad that she was being friendly with me. Anyways, I was going to see Applejack.

I was just walking into Sweet Apple Acres when I heard a loud thump. I looked over to see Applejack kicking an apple tree. I trotted over and said hello. Applejack turned her gaze from the falling apples to me. "Oh... Hi Blanky. I mean Speedy! Why would I say Blanky? That was silly of me. I meant Speedy. 'Cause that's ur name. Speedy. Not Blanky." I sighed. "Alright. Which pony was it?" Applejack was doing her best to look confused. "What're you talkin' about?" I began circling her. "Fluttershy or Twilight?" She was about to crack. I could tell. "Now why would one of my friends tell me about ur blank flank?" I stopped and shrugged. "Okay, I'll go with Twilight." Applejack sighed. "I'm sorry Speedy. It's just a might unusual to me." Her and every other pony.

I could see her eyes were wandering. And I knew where they were wandering to. I turned my flank away and locked eyes with her. "So what are you up to?" Applejack shook her head and seemed to focus again. "Oh. I was just buckin' some apples for dinner." I looked up at the tree. "Apple bucking huh? Sounds fun." She chuckled. "You think so? You ever buck apples before?" I shook my head. This made her laugh even harder. "Sure it sounds fun, but it takes practice. And no offense, but you ain't exactly got the build for apple buckin'." I looked around and spotted another nearby apple tree. Not hard to find in an apple orchard I guess. I walked over and looked up. There were several nice shiny apples hanging on the lowest branch. I turned my back to the tree, aiming my hind legs for the trunk. Applejack walked up to me. "Hold on there partner. You can't just go buckin' trees like that. You need to know how to buck first." For the next few minutes she showed me how to take the right stance. Eventually she looked me over and gave a nod of approval. "Now ur lookin' sharp. Now give them apples a good buck."

I kicked my legs back and bucked the tree. The whole trunk shivered from the impact and apples started dropping left and right. I smiled and turned to Applejack. Her mouth was hanging open. "You... you knocked every apple down. On the first try." I shrugged. "Beginners luck I guess." It was probably more half luck, half talent. It was true I had never tried apple bucking before, but my handy ability to pick up a talent quickly had probably helped knock those apples off the tree. Applejack's shock didn't last long. Soon she looked at me and smiled. "Well shoot. You got some talent to ya Speedy. But I bet you can't do it again." Did she just challenge me? I narrowed my eyes and grinned. "Sounds like a contest to me." She crouched down low to the ground. "First one to a whole barrel of apples wins." And we were off.

Applejack waved goodbye as I left the farm. She had won our little race by half a barrel. Yes I had gotten lucky on my first tree, but that luck disappeared during the contest. Applejack didn't gloat though. She thought it was amazing I had gotten so many apples for a beginner. Now I was on my way back towards town.

Just before I got into town though, my hooves left the ground as three fillies ran under me. I landed on the ground with a thud. I stood up and watched the fillies run off. One of them stopped and turned to me. "Sorry about that sir. We'll watch where we're going next time." The other two fillies had stopped now. One of them, a pegasus called to the filly. "C'mon Apple Bloom. We're going to be late!" The trio ran off. First Pinkie Pie and now a group of fillies. What was going to knock me down next?

I made it to the library without any further interruptions. I knocked and then opened the door. I stopped where I was. My eyes widened. Twilight was standing in the center of the room, her horn glowing. But that wasn't what caught my attention. My attention fell on the apple that she was enlarging with magic. I know it doesn't sound impressive, but when you see an apple that's standing 7 feet tall, you can't help but stare. Twilight's eyes were closed, so she didn't see me. I tip-toed closer. The apple was still growing in size. Soon I was within a couple feet of Twilight. I noticed a book on the floor in front of her. I leaned over and looked at the page it was open to.

I didn't notice Twilight open her eyes. My concentration on the page was broken when she cried out 'Speedy!' I sat up just as the apple shrunk back to it's normal size and fell to the floor, rolling right into my leg. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you." Twilight sighed. Her horn lit up again and the apple and book levitated over to the table. "It's okay. I was just surprised to see you here that's all." I didn't respond as my attention had once again fallen on the spellbook.

Twilight put the apple down and joined me. "I was trying a growth spell. I can make anything grow, but..." I looked at her. "You can't seal off the flow of magic making the spell permanent." Her eyes widened. "That's exactly right! How did you know that?" I stepped back and looked around at the shelves of books. "I've read a lot of books in my life. That includes a few on magic. I may not be a unicorn, but the subject still intrigues me." I saw what I was looking for. I walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a book. I brought it over to Twilight and set it on the table. "This is one of my favorites." Twilight looked down at the book. "Magic Throughout Equestria. I think I've read this before. But why is it your favorite?" I flipped the book open to a certain page and began reading. "While unicorns have the ability to perform magic, it is believed that every pony has a small degree of magic within them, even if they cannot harness it."

I turned to Twilight and smiled. "Every pony has a little magic in them. That's the best theory on magic I've ever heard." Twilight looked at the book, reading to herself. She eventually turned to me and smiled. "It is a good theory. But do you really think it's true?" I shrugged. "Possibly." Twilight closed the book and levitated it back to its shelf. "How are you liking Ponyville now that your settling?" I thought back over my day. Apple bucking, run over by fillies, magical theory, getting to know my new friends better. I looked at Twilight and grinned. "I think I'm going to like it here."

Birthday Surprise

Today's the day. I'm going to ask Fluttershy on a picnic. Or maybe I just won't get out of bed...

I walked out the front door and looked up at the sky. No clouds in sight and the sun shining over all Equestria. I had Celestia and Rainbow Dash to thank for that. It was a beautiful morning. I trotted along the road, heading for town. I paused as I passed Fluttershy's cottage. I wonder what she was up to? As if she had heard my question, Fluttershy emerged from her home with a box. And not just any box. It was a box wrapped in paper and a bow. Who was the present for? Fluttershy looked around the...sky? Why would she worry about the sky?

She spotted me and froze. I smiled and waved. One more look at the sky and she slowly began walking towards me. I waited for her at the edge of the path. "Good morning." Fluttershy set the package down and stared at the sky. "Hi Speedy." I looked at the sky with her. "You worried about rain?" She blushed and looked away. "Oh...no. I was keeping watch for Rainbow Dash." That explained the sky staring. "And what about the pres-" She pressed a hoof to my mouth. "Don't say it. She could hear you." I nodded in understanding. The present was for Rainbow. Fluttershy slowly took her hoof back. I leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "What's the occasion?" This time we both looked around the sky. When we were both satisfied, Fluttershy whispered back to me. I almost couldn't hear her she spoke so softly. "Birthday." I nodded again. "And your going to hide it somewhere." She nodded.

It was too easy. I knew just where she could put the gift. "Follow me." I began tip-toeing away. Mostly for dramatic effect, but Fluttershy tip-toed right along with me. She was really being careful. We eventually got to my place. Fluttershy looked at my home and stopped. "Are you sure about this?" I smiled. "Never surer. She won't suspect a thing. Why would I have her present?" The idea seemed to connect in her mind because she nodded and followed me inside.

We put the present in a closet. "When's her birthday?" Fluttershy looked around nervously. My smile grew wider. "Don't worry. I don't think Rainbow can hear us in here." She visibly relaxed. "It's tomorrow. Thank you for the hiding place. I always pick the worst ones. She winds up finding them early." She looked around the room. "Oh my. You have a very...large collection." I stepped forward and motioned around the room. "This is my library and art studio." Actually it was a mess. A hundred or so books, very few actually on the shelf, and a drawing table with piles of papers and a jar of quills. Fluttershy looked around some more. "It's very...nice."

Her attention was drawn to a picture on the wall. While she looked at it, an idea came to my mind. "Hey Fluttershy." She turned to me, her mane bouncing as her eyes locked with mine. My heart melted a little. "Yes Speedy?" I shook my head to clear it. "I think I have a great gift for Rainbow Dash." Now I was getting nervous. I looked around the room and stepped closer to Fluttershy. I whispered the idea to her. Her eyes widened. "You could do that? How?" I winked at her. "You leave it to me. All it will take is a letter." A smile was forming on her face. "I know just the dragon you need."

I ran into the library. Twilight was just coming down the stairs. "Hey Twilight!" She hopped down the last two steps and grinned. "Hi Speedy. How's it going?" I stopped to catch my breath. Twilight waited patiently until I was rested. "Could Spike send a letter for me?" Her head tilted to the side. "Spike? I don't know. He's only ever sent letters to the Princess." I sat down on the floor. "Isn't it at all possible?" Twilight thought for a moment. She walked over to the bookshelves and began looking through the books. Eventually she smiled and returned with a large spellbook. "I'm sure we'll find what we're looking for in here. Why don't you write your letter while I find the right spell." She motioned me towards a writing desk as she opened the spellbook.

My letter was ready in no time and Twilight called Spike. Spike ran into the room. "Yes Twilight? Oh. Hi Speedy! What do you guys need?" I held up my letter. "I need your help with this." Spike looked confused. "You have a letter for Celestia?" I shook my head. Twilight stepped towards Spike. "I'm going to help you send Speedy's letter somewhere else." Spike still looked confused. "Can I actually do that? I've never tried sending letters to any other pony." I passed the letter to Spike. He held it up and turned to Twilight. "Well who am I sending it to?" Now it was Twilight;s turn to be confused. She looked at me. "Who are you sending it to?" I smiled and stepped closer. "Can you two keep a secret?"

Today's the day. I just hope she got my letter in time. I hate to bother her when she's on vacation, but I knew that this would make Rainbow's day.

We all met up at Fluttershy's. Everypony brought a gift. Pinkie had the most to contribute though. I don't know how she got all the decorations there so quickly, but she did it. I felt a little out of place but Fluttershy assured me that I was welcome. "You're our friend after all."

I'm their friend... Had I heard that right? I'm their...friend? I don't think I've ever been happier in all my life.

Pinkie had been staring out the window for a while now. All of a sudden she drew the curtains and ran behind a couch. "She's coming!" We ran for our hiding places. I wound up behind the couch with Pinkie. She had her hooves over her mouth. I could hear the muffled laugh behind them. The room was silent. Everypony was in place. And then the sound of an opening door broke the silence. We all jumped out of our hiding spots. "SURPRISE!"

Rainbow Dash loved it. I personally think she wasn't that surprised, but she loved it all the same. The party took off as Pinkie set up games and Applejack cut the cake. Twilight put on some music and they all started dancing. I was about to join in when my keen ear picked up a knock at the door. None of the others had heard it. Perfect. I walked over to the door and opened it an inch. I looked out and saw her. I quickly opened the door more, stepped out, and closed it again. "You made it!" The mare smiled. "Nothing I wouldn't do for you cuz." I gave her a hug. "It's been a while. How've you been?" She shrugged. "Busy as usual. It's a good thing you caught me during my vacation." I smiled and gave her another hug. She laughed. "Are you just going to stand there hugging me or are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

I opened the door and slipped in. "Twilight!" Twilight stopped dancing and looked at me. I nodded and she smiled. She ran over and turned the music off. Everypony stopped dancing and looked around. Rainbow Dash spotted me first. "Speedy! Why'd you kill the music?" I smiled. "So I could give you your birthday present of course!" I opened the door all the way. "I'd like you all to meet my cousin, Spitfire." That's right! Spitfire, member of the Wonderbolts, is my cousin. Distant cousin yes, but we played together a lot growing up.

Rainbow Dash almost fainted. "Omygosh! Spitfire!" Spitfire walked into the room. "Hi Rainbow Dash. Good to see you again. Speed told me it's your birthday today." The mares all turned to me. Rarity was the first to speak. "Your cousin is a Wonderbolt?" I nodded. "She sure is. I asked her if she could come to the party and she was more than happy to." Spitfire shrugged. "To be honest, it's nice to come to a small party as myself for once. I go to so many of those big events in uniform. It gets dull after a while." She looked around. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's party!" Twilight hit the music and we all started dancing.

The party was a success. We danced and laughed until after sunset. I wasn't surprised halfway through to see Spitfire and Rainbow sitting off to the side talking. They were laughing every few seconds. A good indicator. But all good parties have to come to an end eventually. Rarity had to go finish a new design, Twilight needed to write a letter, and so on. One by one the mares left until it was Fluttershy, Rainbow, Spitfire, and me. Those two pegasi were still talking and laughing. When she settled down, Rainbow looked around the room. "Where'd everypony go?" Fluttershy walked over to her. "They all went home. It's late." Rainbow and Spitfire looked out the window at the night sky. "Woah. I didn't know it was dark already." Rainbow stretched her wings and stood up. "Thanks again for coming Spitfire." Spitfire stretched her wings as well. "No problem Dash. It was fun. Stop by my place in Cloudsdale tomorrow. We'll see if you're still the best young flyer."

Spitfire left and Rainbow watched her go. Then without warning, she hugged me. "Thanks Speedy."I chuckled. "Happy Birthday Rainbow." With that, she flew off. I walked back inside to find Fluttershy cleaning up. I started helping. She looked at me and smiled. "You don't have to do that." I looked back at her. "It's no trouble." And so we cleaned up together for an hour or so. We didn't speak once, just enjoyed one another's company. When all was spick and span I started for the door. "Speedy." I turned around to find Fluttershy right in front of me. "Thank you. You really made Rainbow's day." And then she hugged me. I didn't know what to do. But then my hooves took over and returned the hug. "It was nothing." She pulled away and smiled. "We're all lucky to have a good friend like you." I smiled and said goodnight.

I returned home to find Spitfire sitting inside. She got up when I entered. "There you are. I've been waiting for you." I walked over and we sat down. "Did you have fun today?" She smiled. "I did. It's nice to hang out with some regular ponies for once." I laughed. "What, I'm not normal enough for you?" We laughed for a few minutes. Spitfire stood up. "Rainbow Dash is a great pony. She'll make a great Wonderbolt in a year or so." She winked at me. "But don't tell her I said that. It'll spoil the surprise." I nodded. Spitfire walked to the door. Before she left though, she turned to me once more. "You're lucky Speed. You found some great friends." I smiled. Yes. Yes I had.

For Love And Dragons

"Angel, you have to eat everything in your bowl." I was on my way towards town when I heard that. The next thing that happened was a white bunny hopped past me. And then Fluttershy flew into me. We both rolled to a stop after a few seconds. I opened my eyes to find the bunny, who must be Angel, standing in front of me. Ignoring Angel's smile, (I'm sure he found the whole thing amusing) I untangled myself from Fluttershy and stood up. She did the same. "I am so sorry Speedy. I was trying to catch Angel. I'm sorry." I smiled. She was always apologizing. "It's okay Fluttershy. I should have seen you coming." She turned her head, hiding her face behind her mane. "No. It was my fault. I should have watched where I was going." I walked around until I could see her face again. "Hey. We were both having a clumsy moment. That's all." I smiled, trying to get her to feel better. And it worked. She smiled too.

Fluttershy turned to Angel and calmly scolded him. The bunny frowned and hopped away. Fluttershy shook her head and turned back to me. "Where are you off to today?" I tilted my head towards Ponyville. "I've been meaning to go and take a look at Rarity's boutique. I'm told she has the finest designs in all of Equestria." Fluttershy nodded. "She does. Rarity is a great fashion designer." We stood there for a moment in silence. Finally, I got up the courage to say something. "Would... would you like to join me? I think if I'm alone with Rarity she'll keep me prisoner until she's shown me every last piece of clothing. I might be able to break free if you're there." Fluttershy smiled. "I wish I could, but I have some chores to do around home. But I hope you enjoy the boutique." I chuckled. "Alright, but if you don't see me after a day or two, send a search party. You'll find me under a pile of dresses no doubt." She giggled! She giggled at my stupid joke! I had to stop myself from jumping into the air with delight.

I hadn't gone far before I fell to the ground. Nopony had crashed into me this time. Something had shaken the ground. And it was followed by a loud 'boom'. What in Equestria was that? I looked around for any sign of the sound's source, but everything seemed fine. Then I heard Fluttershy scream. I turned around and ran for the cottage. I found her standing outside, her entire body trembling. I ran up to her. "What's wrong? What happened?" Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. She was trying to form the words. I watched her lips, but it wasn't making any sense. She was saying the same thing over and over; 'Dra, dra, dra'. It was then when I noticed her eyes, wide in fear, as she stared in the direction of the Everfree Forest. I followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of a scaly wing disappearing below the treetops. I knew what she was saying now. Dragon.

As if the wing hadn't been enough, I realized that it hadn't disappeared below the treeline, but had folded against the dragon's dark green body. I couldn't believe it. This dragon was laying down and still had to be over a hundred feet tall! Where in all of Equestria could such a monster have been hiding?

In the distance I could hear ponies screaming. Everypony had to have seen the wing descending to the forest. Now there was panic. I turned to Fluttershy. "Come on, we should go to Twilight's. Maybe she'll know something that can help." Fluttershy didn't move, didn't blink, nothing. All she could do was stare at the dragon, or at least what was visible of it. I stood in front of her, blocking the view. "Fluttershy. Snap out of it!" She didn't. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave her here alone. I slowly turned her away from the forest. I held her head in my hooves and looked into her frightened eyes. "I know you're in there Shy. We need to go to Twilight's. And I'm going to help you get there. I will not leave you. Did you hear that? I will not leave you." I had gotten to her. Her eyes softened slightly and she put a hoof forward. I smiled. "That's it. Just walk. Just keep looking at me and walk."

It took us some time, but we made it. I kept encouraging Fluttershy all the way and she seemed to be calming down, even if it was taking her a long time to do so. We stepped into the library and were met by the others. They were all there. Twilight was whizzing through book after book and the others... The others looked depressed. Pinkie and Rainbow were sitting on the floor, very unlike their energetic selves, Rarity was pacing back and forth, and Applejack looked like she was about to snap. Every pony had fear in their eyes. Twilight looked up as we entered. She sighed in relief. "You made it." This got the others attention and they all came over to say how glad they were that we were safe. Fluttershy winced slightly as they crowded around. Everypony knew her so well and could see she was in a bad way and they all stepped back.

I pressed myself against her and we walked over to Twilight. "Have you found anything?" Twilight lowered her head. "No. There's nothing. I've never heard of dragons this big. The largest we've ever seen wasn't even half the size of this one." She began looking through books again. I moved Fluttershy over to a place she could sit. I had promised I wouldn't leave her, so I sat down too. She still hadn't spoken a word. I looked around the room. The others were preoccupied with their own fears. I leaned in close and whispered in Fluttershy's ear. "You know why I came to Ponyville Shy?" She blinked and slowly turned her head towards me. Her eyes still showed her terror, but I was beginning to see some calm in the storm of her fears. She shook her head. I smiled. "I came here because I had heard about a group of friends that had amazing adventures together. I don't know many of them though, but one of the few I heard about was when you faced down a dragon all by yourself." She looked away. I leaned in closer. "I know that brave pony is still in you." She sniffled. I could see a tear fall from her eye.

I don't know what happened, but the next thing I remember was that I was hugging her. "I'm not saying you have to face this dragon too. I'm just telling you that I know without a doubt that you are brave. And you can make it through this. I'm scared too. More scared than I would care to admit." She looked at me. "You... you're scared?" She was talking. A good sign. I smiled and nodded. "Yes. I only have this brave face on for you. We both needed it to get here." She smiled and hugged me back. I closed my eyes and we stayed like that for several minutes.

Twilight slammed the last of her books closed. "Nothing!" We all looked at her in shock. Rarity stopped pacing. "You couldn't find anything to do with that horrible creature outside?" Twilight shook her head. Rainbow jumped into the air and began hovering. "Then what are supposed to do?" Twilight shook her head again. "I don't know." Pinkie seemed to gain back some of her spontaneous nature because she got up and hopped over to Twilight. "Why don't we make him a cake and ask him if he'll go away? Anypony would do anything for cake!" I smiled. I guess it takes more than a giant dragon to damper Pinkie's spirit for long.

Ideas were given and dismissed and regiven. How do you get rid of a dragon? Of course I had no idea. I sat by and listened to the discussion. I only gave a few comments which basically went unnoticed. I sat next to Fluttershy the whole time. We were pressed together and neither one of us ever moved. I think that we were both anchoring each other so that we wouldn't go crazy.

It finally got to the point that everypony realized that we were no closer to solving the problem. And then Twilight put up the idea that I had hoped not to hear. I knew Fluttershy could feel it coming, because she pressed even closer to me. "Fluttershy?" Twilight turned to us. I didn't exactly like all the staring eyes, but what could I do? Twilight sat in front of Fluttershy. "You've done it before. I'm sure you could make this dragon leave like you did with the other one." Fluttershy lowered her head to my shoulder. I felt her tears against me. I looked at Twilight and shook my head. She and the others looked crestfallen, but they weren't about to force their friend.

Twilight motioned for the mares to gather on the other side of the library. She looked at me. "We'll keep trying to figure it out. If you come up with anything, let us know." She joined the others leaving Fluttershy and me alone. I still felt the falling teardrops. I put my chin against her head and whispered. "We're going to figure it out Shy." She pulled away and looked at me, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "You k..keep calling me that.." I smiled. "It's a nickname. I like to give nicknames to the ponies I really care about." I could see the faintest hint of a smile. She nuzzled my cheek and stood up. Before I could ask what she was doing, she spoke up. "I don't know if I can make this dragon leave, but I bet if we work together we can do it." Every pony in the library looked at her, mouths hanging open. Where had the bravery come from? I got my answer as she looked at me and smiled. It was me. Somehow I had given her the strength she needed. I stood up and stepped next to her. I looked at the others. "Time to make that dragon sorry he landed in Ponyville."

The Everfree Forest was dark. Did sunshine ever touch the ground here? Or maybe it was simply the fact of the giant dragon shadow. As we neared the dragon we came upon a new problem. Where was the head? The dragon was so huge we didn't know where to look. The head could be all the way at the other side of the forest for all we knew.

We finally came upon some part of the dragon. It was lucky we didn't run into it. Those dark green scales blend in with the trees. Oddly though, this part of the dragon wasn't too tall. Maybe ten or twelve feet. I tired to make heads or tails of it. Wait... Heads or tails. I turned to the others. "I think this might be the tail." Everypony stared for a moment. Rainbow was the first to break the silence. "Well that's just great! We come all this way only to wind up at the wrong end of the dragon!" Rarity stepped forward. "Do you mean we'll have to walk all the way to the head?" We were all beginning to look depressed at that thought.

That's when Applejack stepped forward. "Wait. I think I've got an idea. Speedy. Wanna help me buck some apples?" What? how could she be thinking of bucking... Oh! My eyes brightened in understanding. "Let's do it." Applejack and I walked up to the tail and turned around. She looked at me. "Ready?" I nodded. We kicked with all our might and bucked the tail. The scales rang like a bell from the impact. But it did the trick. The scaly behemoth shifted. And then the loudest roar you've ever heard pierced the sky.

We would have run and hidden had we not all been frozen in fear. The tail moved upward, leaving the ground, and slid away into the trees. As soon as it was gone, we discovered that the dragon's head had been right behind it the whole time. It appeared to be asleep, but after that roar we knew better. From our point of view, all we could see was one side of a head that towered at least twenty feet over our heads.

"You dare attack me?" The voice was a low rumble. I'm sure the dragon thought he was whispering, but it was pretty loud to us ponies. Twilight slowly stepped forward. "We;re sorry to disturb you, but we wanted to know why you've come here?" A huff of black smoke left the dragon's mouth and blew right into Twilight. She began coughing and backed away. "I live here you stupid creature. I have lived here for hundreds of years." Pinkie jumped forward, looking at the dragon quizzically. "Well that can't be right. We've lived in Ponyville all our lives and we never saw you once. Unless of course you were playing hide and seek with some of your other dragon buddies. I bet you're winning." The dragon was silent for a few moments. This seems to be a normal reaction when you first meet Pinkie. I'm sure the dragon didn't know what to think. "I am not playing any game little hatchling. I have been asleep in a cave for 200 years. And now I come to my home and what do I find? My nest has been overrun by a herd of ponies."

This was bad. Really bad. Ponyville had been built on an old dragon's nest. And it seems the former resident wishes to move back in. While most of us were absorbing this news, Rainbow Dash flew up to the dragon. I mean right up to where the dragon's eyelid is. "So if this is your home, why didn't you just crush Ponyville when you got here." The eyelid stirred and flew open to reveal a milky white eyeball. "Do you see now?" Rainbow had, but only just since the opened eye had spooked her into retreating. The dragon was blind. "I lost my sight long ago. Ever since then I have been trying to find my way home. Now I have arrived and I cannot live there...yet." I didn't like the sound of that. The massive, unseeing eye shifted down to us. "But just because I am blind, does not mean I am without my other senses. I have been lying in this forest listening to your town. Trivial nonsense. Every last bit of it."

The dragon turned his head towards us, revealing his other blind eye. "There is a positive side to my dilemma however. I get to have a welcome home feast." My eyes widened in horror. He was going to destroy Ponyville! I looked at Fluttershy. Her eyes were wider than mine. I put a hoof on her shoulder and she seemed to snap back to reality. She looked at me. "I...I don't know what to do Speedy. I don't think I can make him leave." We fell over as the ground shook. The dragon was laughing. "Leave? You thought you could persuade me to leave my home? You're more naive than I thought." His head lifted off the ground and began to rise, revealing the rest of his emerald body. Towering over the trees, the dragon's head was pointed in the direction of town. "You're precious Ponyville will crumble and your friends will quench my appetite." He looked down at us. "But what would a meal be without an appetizer?" His head shot for the ground and we scattered.

For a blind dragon, he sure had a good sense of where we were. Everypony ran for cover in the forest. But it didn't matter. Trees were ripped out of their roots as the dragon pursued us. I could see Fluttershy just ahead of me, running at full speed. That's when the tree flew over my head, continued flying, and crashed to the ground ahead of Fluttershy. That couldn't stop her though. She was so terrified that her wings opened and flew her over the tree without a second thought. I had to skid to a halt before I slammed face-first into the trunk. A shadow passed over me. The dragon was after her! I heaved myself over the fallen tree and ran after the dragon. I loud boom shook the ground. He must have landed. I broke into a small clearing to find Fluttershy cornered. The dragon chuckled. "You first my dear." Fluttershy didn't scream. She didn't move. All she could do was silently cry, the tears flowing freely to the forest floor.

That was the last straw. I pounded my hoof against the ground. "Leave her alone!" The dragon froze and turned in my direction. "The brave, young stallion. Come to rescue your lovely mare?" My teeth clenched. "If you touch her-" The dragon's laughter cut me off. "What? What will you do to me little pony?" I noticed a faint glow on the opposite side of the clearing. I smiled. "Not me. Her!" The dragon was lifted into the air. Twilight stepped out of the trees followed by the others. "Rairty, I could use another unicorn on this." Rarity's horn lit up and together the two unicorns held the dragon. How, I could never say, but they did it. I began to see sweat on Twilight's face. What was she doing? And then the roars began. The dragon was attempting to escape. I ran over to Fluttershy, who was still curled up against a tree. "Come on Fluttershy! Get up!" She opened her eyes, looking at me and then at the dragon. I turned my head to look back and saw something I never thought possible. Twilight and Rarity were slowly shrinking the dragon.

The roars continued, but with each passing second, the roars became quieter as the dragon was shrunk down.Everything was going to be fine.

I was wrong...

The dragon was just under half his original size when he broke free of the magic. Twilight and Rarity fell backwards from the break. The dragon blinked and looked at me. He...he looked at me! The milky white film was gone and had been replace by piercing yellow eyes. The dragon seemed just as surprised. He began to laugh and turned to Twilight. "I thank you young one. Your attempt at stopping me restored my eyesight. For that I'll spare your life until last. But you two-" He turned back to me and Fluttershy. "You will be first." With that he took a swipe at us with his claws. Before they could hit though, Rainbow flew in front of the dragon's face. The dragon became distracted, giving me enough time to shove Fluttershy out of the way. I dove after her, but was too late. I felt the claw in my back leg.

I rolled a few times landing just beyond Fluttershy. She was shaking her head to make sense of what had happened. Then she saw my leg "Speedy!" She crawled over to me and grabbed my head, locking her eyes with mine. "Hold on." My vision was blurring, but I saw the dragon coming closer. "Sh...Shy. Behind..." I couldn't finish it. But she turned around to look at the dragon. The dragon smiled. "Don't worry my dear. You'll be joining him soon enough." Fluttershy shrunk back and pulled me up into a hug. I hugged her back with what little strength I had left. And then...

I felt something. My vision cleared. Was i dead? No. I was still in the Everfree Forest. The dragon was still coming closer. So what had happened. That's when I noticed the slightest glow around Fluttershy. Magic? But she's a pegasus. And then I looked at myself. I was glowing too. I felt like I had energy again. I looked at my leg. It still had a gash torn in it, but I couldn't feel a thing. I looked up at the dragon. He laughed. "Your tricks won't work with me stallion." I stepped away from Fluttershy. "You will not hurt her." The dragon grinned. "And how do you plan to stop me?"

I charged him. I jumped. I heard a loud CRACK!. The dragon fell.

I landed on the ground next to the dragon. As quickly as my strength had come, it was gone. I fell over onto my side. The last thing I remember is Fluttershy and Twilight running up to me....

It's been a month since the dragon was killed. I'm laying on my couch at home.

All I remember was I woke up in the hospital with the mares surrounding my bed. They told me I had been asleep for two days. Fluttershy was going to help me get home and had volunteered to be my personal nurse. I asked what had happened, but nopony would say. I can't put any weight on my hind leg. It's too painful. But I do have a lovely scar as a souvenir. It goes from my hoof clear up to where a cutie mark belongs.

Fluttershy came into the room with a bowl of soup. "Here you go Speedy." I closed my journal and took the bowl. She sat next to me on the couch as i ate. We didn't speak. There was no need to.

Twilight's Side Note

Hi. Twilight Sparkle here.

I came to visit Speedy at home today, but he was asleep. I was about to leave when I noticed his notebook. I read over his latest notes about our dragon problem. I thought I could write in what happened after Speedy became unconscious.

Fluttershy tried to wake him up, but it didn't do any good. I knew what I had to do. "Stand back Fluttershy. I'm going to get him to the hospital. The rest of you meet us there." I got a good grip on Speedy and teleported us right to the main entrance of Ponyville Hospital. I left him at the entrance while I ran to get a doctor. Speedy was taken to an operating room and that's the last I saw of him until the doctor had finished.

The others arrived just before Speedy came out of surgery. Fluttershy ran up to me first. "Is he okay? Tell me he's okay!" I hugged her. "I don't know. He's still in with the doctor." That's when the doors opened and Speedy was pushed out on a hospital bed. He was still asleep and his leg was bandaged. A nurse pushed him down the hall towards his room. Fluttershy flew after her. The others and I looked at the doctor. The doctor nodded his head. "He'll be fine. I don't know about his leg though. It was a pretty bad wound." He walked away and we headed for Speedy's room.

I'm sorry to say I didn't spend too much time with Speedy while he was unconscious. I had a mystery to solve. What happened to the dragon was impossible. I had stood by with the others and watched as Speedy and Fluttershy had started to glow with magic. Then Speedy ran at the dragon as fast as Rainbow Dash flies. He jumped into the air and hit the dragon square in the chest. We all heard the crack. Upon later research I deduced that Speedy had hit the dragon's rib cage right over the heart. He had obviously broken the ribs inward and punctured the heart, killing the dragon instantly. But how?

I would wind up going through every last book in the library looking for an answer. It wasn't until the last book that I found it. Speedy's favorite; Magic Throughout Equestria. I flipped through page by page until I came to the passage:

While unicorns have the ability to perform magic, it is believed that every pony has a small degree of magic within them, even if they cannot harness it.

I read further...

That isn't to say the magic couldn't be harnessed, but it would take very extreme circumstances to do so.

I'd say that fighting a giant dragon is pretty extreme.

It wasn't until I went to visit Speedy at the hospital again that I truly realized what the book had meant. I walked into the room to find Fluttershy holding Speedy's hoof. He was still unconscious, but I'm sure he would have greatly appreciated the gesture. And then I saw the look in Fluttershy's eyes as she looked at Speedy. The book made sense now. Speedy loved Fluttershy enough to save her by fighting a dragon. And Fluttershy obviously cared for him in the same way. Their love and the threat of death had caused whatever small amount of magic was in them to be released and to help Speedy defeat the dragon.

I'm sure Speedy will wake up soon and reread his notes. He'll definitely see this. I hope he does. And I hope Fluttershy does too. Maybe this little side note will help them both.

Twilight Sparkle

First You Walk...

One step. Two ste- Oof! I pulled my back leg off the floor. Every time I set it down I thought I'd be okay. And then just as it touches the wood, it crumbles under the weight. Fluttershy was giving me encouragement from the couch. "Just move slowly towards me. You can do it." I smiled. If it had been any other pony, I would have lashed out at them by now for trying to give me false hope. But not Fluttershy. I knew she believed in me and I had to keep...oof! There it goes again.

I've been trying to walk for a week. It's been two months since our encounter with the dragon. It's taken me this long just to get the strength to stand on my own. Now I have a new obstacle.

After another few steps Fluttershy could see the beads of sweat falling from my face. She walked over to me and helped me over to the couch. I sat down and propped my leg up, a sigh of relief escaping my body. She sat next to me and smiled. "You're doing really well. You just need to keep practicing." I looked down at my scarred leg and began to laugh. Fluttershy looked at me curiously. "What?" I couldn't help but smile. "I feel like a colt. I never figured I'd have to learn to walk again." I continued to laugh. I could see the grin on Fluttershy's face and soon she was laughing too.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking over some of my old drawings. I was pretty embarrassed with some of them. Fluttershy would giggle every few pictures and I would roll my eyes. My early drawings were pretty cheesy. She also complimented some of my more current work. Soon she pulled out my most recent drawing. She looked puzzled for a moment. "Speedy...what is this?" I held the picture out and pointed to the different parts. "This is my leg. And this is my invention to help me walk." It consisted of wires and a brace on my hoof. It would help relieve some of the pressure off the leg. Fluttershy took the drawing and looked it over. "I didn't know you were an inventor." I shook my head. "I'm not. I just design the inventions. I've never made anything though." Her head tilted to the side. "Why not?" I shrugged. She rolled up the drawing and put it in her saddle bag. It was my turn to be puzzled. "What are you doing?" She heaved the saddle bag onto her back. "We're going to visit Rarity." Now I was downright confused. "Rarity?" She nodded and grabbed my wheelchair. "She's a designer. Maybe she can help you make your invention."

We were rolling through town towards the boutique. I had tried to argue, but Fluttershy wouldn't take no for an answer. She flew behind me pushing my wheelchair. Every pony we passed waved to us. The story of me defeating the dragon had spread quickly. I still didn't understand Fluttershy's thinking on this. "Why are we taking my drawing to a pony who designs dresses?" I looked up at Fluttershy, her face upside-down with my perspective. She smiled. "She's a designer silly." Oh. And that made complete sense to me. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in a mare's head. They don't think like stallions do.

We pulled up to the boutique and rolled/flew right in. Rarity was working on an outfit that I'm sure was 'fashionable'. I just thought it looked like a pile of fabric. She stopped when she noticed Fluttershy and me. "Hello you two! How are we doing today?" She walked over and gave me a hug. "How are you feeling today Speedy?" I hugged her back. "Better and better all the time." We pulled away and Rarity looked between me and Fluttershy. She smiled. "You two are so adorable together!" Fluttershy and I looked at each other, smiling and rolling our eyes. Rarity sat down. "Now what can I help you with?" Fluttershy pulled my drawing out of her saddle bag and unrolled it. "Speedy designed this." Rarity looked over the picture. "Ugh. This must be the worst shoe design I've ever seen." I sighed. "It's not a shoe. It's a leg brace to help me walk." Rarity sat up. "Oh. Well in that case it's a wonderful design!"

Fluttershy finally explained why we had come here. Apparently she thought that between our two heads, Rarity and I could bring my invention to life and get me walking. Why she didn't just tell me this in the first place is beyond me. Rarity seemed in love with the idea though. "Well Speedy, with your design and my fashion sense we could make you a whole new leg!" I looked between the excited mares. They were obviously waiting for an answer. I shook my head and chuckled. "Alright. Let's get to it then."

With that, the mannequins flew through the air. Rarity levitated them into a line. "Now we'll have to make it several different ways to find the best model that blends style with function. First thing's first though." She turned to me. "Do you prefer more summery colors or autumn?" I glanced at Fluttershy giving her my 'see what you started' look. She smiled and shrugged, taking a seat on a stool.

Rarity slowly moved the wire into place, hooking it to the rest of the brace. With a final nudge the wire slipped in and we stood back to admire our handy work. Rarity wore a tired smile. "I think we've got it this time." She carefully removed the brace from the mannequin's leg and brought it to me. "Care for another fitting?" I held up my bad leg and Rarity slipped it on. With her help I got out of my wheelchair and began to lower my hoof to the ground. Halfway there however, two wires snapped out of place and flew across the room. I flopped back into my chair and Rarity began pacing in frustration. "What are we missing? Every time it's perfect, something goes wrong!" I shrugged and said nothing. This was our fifteenth model so far. Nothing had worked as of yet.

The front door opened to reveal Pinkie and Twilight. Pinkie cartwheeled into the room "See? I told you they were here!" Twilight walked in and looked around the room. Fifteen busted leg braces and piles of supplies littered the tables and floor. "I see you two have been busy. Any luck yet?" Fluttershy hovered off her stool and joined the group. "How did you know we were here?" Twilight pointed at Pinkie. "I was on my way to see you and Speedy when Pinkie told me you two were at Rarity's." Pinkie appeared out of nowhere and landed in my lap. I winced from the sudden weight. "And here we are!" She hopped off my lap and I sighed. Twilight walked up to me. "How's the leg?" I smiled and patted it gently. "Same as ever." Fluttershy scolded me. "You know it's getting better." Twilight grinned. "And that's why I'm here. I think I can help Speedy walk while his leg gets stronger." My ears perked up.

Twilight had Rarity pull out some fabric and sew it into a leg shape. When it was finished, Twilight slipped it onto my leg. It was a black sleeve that covered my entire leg including my hoof. I looked at Twilight. "Okay. I have a black leg now. How does this help?" Twilight closed her eyes and her horn began to glow. The others stood back. Me, I couldn't move. What was she going to do to me? Her horn grew brighter until I almost had to look away. Twilight lowered her head and touched the sleeve. The light disappeared and everything looked normal again. With a sigh and a smile, she opened her eyes. "It's done." I was still confused. What was done? Twilight stepped back. "Stand up." I was about to question her, but common sense told me to just accept the order. I put my front legs on the ground. I put my good back leg down next and then looked at my sleeved leg. I slowly began lowering it to the floor. I hesitated, holding my hoof an inch above the ground. Finally I inhaled and set it down...

Nothing. I looked down to find my hoof was on the ground. And yet I wasn't feeling any pain. I felt the tears coming to my eyes and I turned away from the mares. I didn't like to cry in public. But Twilight had just performed a miracle. I turned back to Twilight and took two steps forward. Now Fluttershy was tearing up. If she started crying, I definitely would too. I hugged Twilight and held her tight. "Thank you." I pulled away and she motioned to my leg. "The spell will wear off day by day. You'll feel more and more of your own weight on that leg until the magic wears off completely. By the time that happens though, I'm sure you'll be good as new. I turned to Fluttershy, who indeed was crying now, and I walked up to her. "Hey." She smiled. "Hey." With that we threw our arms around each other. I could hear Rarity saying 'awww', but I didn't care.

Fluttershy and I walked back to her cottage. We stopped at the front door. I felt awkward about what I had to say, but it needed to be said. "I...I guess you won't have to be my nurse anymore. Now that I've got four hooves again." Fluttershy didn't make eye contact. "I know." She raised her head. "But I'd still like to come visit you. If...if that's okay." I nodded. And then I kissed her on the cheek. She blushed. I was surprised at myself for being so bold. But then I was surprised even more when Fluttershy returned the kiss, on my lips rather than my cheek. We stayed there for what felt like an eternity. And it's an eternity I will cherish forever.

The Cloudsdale Ball

Fluttershy and I walked through the farmers market. She looked around at the various stands. "What sounds good for our picnic?" I looked at the different foods. My eyes fell on a crate of strawberries. "Definitely some of those."

We began our walk towards the meadow. We had everything we needed to have a perfect summer picnic. But things never work out, do they? Rainbow Dash appeared from the sky, flying at top speed right for us. I don't know why we didn't try to move, but we stood right where we were and watched her shooting towards us. At the last second she pulled up and hovered over us. "Hey guys! Guess what I got?" She held out a blue paper and waved it in front of our faces. "Is this the greatest thing or what?" I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear my vision. I was seeing nothing but blue. I opened my eyes again. "It would be great if we could see what it is." Rainbow stopped waving the paper and dropped to the ground. "It's only an invite to the greatest of all parties. The Cloudsdale Ball!" Okay. That meant nothing to me.

Fluttershy on the other hand seemed to know exactly what Rainbow was talking about. "The Cloudsdale Ball? Wow! How did you get the invitation?" Rainbow's smile grew even wider. "All thanks to Speedy!" Now I'm worse off than before. How had I gotten an invitation for something I didn't even know about? Fluttershy looked just as confused. We spoke at the same time. "Speedy?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Well, Speedy in a roundabout way. He introduced me to Spitfire and Spitfire got me the invites." If Shy's eyes weren't wide enough already, they were even bigger now. "Invites? As in more than one?" Rainbow nodded. That's it. I stepped between the two mares. "Could somepony tell me what the Cloudsdale Ball is?" That sure wiped the smile off of Rainbow's face.

"WHAT?! You've never heard of the Cloudsdale Ball?" Shy looked equally shocked. "Speedy. The Cloudsdale Ball is-" She was cut off as Rainbow appeared in front of me, nose to nose. "It's only the greatest pegasus party in all of Equestria! It's said to be even better than the Grand Galloping Gala. Not hard to believe after our attendance last year of course." I stepped around Rainbow and over to Fluttershy. "Well it sounds like fun." Fluttershy shrugged. "I guess... We've never been." Rainbow smiled. "And that's why I said invites!" From what appeared to be nowhere, she pulled out five, no, six invitations! Could that mean what I think it means?

Rainbow passed a invite to Fluttershy and then to me. "Spitfire got them for all of us! She said she can't wait to see all my friends again. And of course her favorite cousin." She nudged me in the shoulder. I bumped into Fluttershy and we fell onto the grass in a pile. I blew Fluttershy's mane out of my face and looked up at Rainbow. "That's great and all, but aren't we forgetting something?" It was at that moment that Shy unfolded her wings and lifted herself off of me. I pointed at her. "You two have wings. What about myself and the others?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "They've been to Cloudsdale before. Twilight will probably use her cloud-walking spell again." Impressive.

We arrived at the library a short while later. Rainbow didn't want to waste anytime in giving the others the good news. She had flown off ahead to gather the rest of the gang. Fluttershy and I walked into the library to find Twilight tidying up. She looked over her shoulder as she dusted a shelf. "Hi! What are you guys up to?" I rolled my eyes. "Well we were off to have a picnic, but Rainbow mmpghf..." Shy had put a hoof over my mouth. "Don't spoil the surprise." Now we had Twilight's attention. "What's going on?" The hoof was lowered and I was able to speak again. "Rainbow will be along soon and she can tell you herself."

And in strolled Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity as if on cue. Rainbow followed right behind them. Rarity looked at Rainbow. "Really now Rainbow Dash. What is the meaning of all this?" Applejack chimed in. "I have a lotta work to do back at the farm. What's so dern important you needed to see us?" Rainbow jumped into the air and flashed the invitations. "This is what's so important. Invites to the Cloudsdale Ball!" She looked around for the reactions. Not much. At least Pinkie got excited. Hopefully she knew what we were talking about. Applejack and Twilight looked confused and Rarity had her jaw hanging open slightly.

After a brief explanation, the mares began to show their enthusiasm and joy for Rainbow's good fortune. Rarity still looked in awe. "How did you manage to gain invites for all of us? Is the Cloudsdale Ball not one of the most exclusive parties in all of Equestria?" Rainbow shrugged. "Yeah, so?" Rarity groaned. "So the Ball has always been pegasus only. Why would they let wingless ponies attend?" I stepped forward. "Spitfire got us the invitations. She wants us all there. She considers you all friends." I think I just made Rainbow's smile grow another inch.

The others became even more ecstatic. We were going to a party! Applejack looked up at Rainbow. "So when is this Ball?" Rainbow looked at the tickets. She was silent for a moment as her eyes scanned the paper. "It says that it's going to be tomorrow night." Rarity screamed. We all covered our ears until she stopped. I looked over at the unicorn to see her frozen in place, eyes wide. "The Cloudsdale Ball is tomorrow? I haven't a thing to wear!" And with that she was gone, racing out the front door for the boutique. The rest of us laughed. A shop full of dresses and nothing to wear? Only Rarity.

I walked with Fluttershy back to her cottage. "Well I guess we have a party to get ready for." She smiled. "There's not too much to do. I just have to pull out a dress and put it on. And I'm sure you must have something nice you want to wear too." Oh... I gave her the best grin I could. I don't think I have anything formal. I nuzzled Shy's cheek and said goodbye, heading for home.

I searched my home, looking for anything. It was no surprise that I couldn't find so much as a tie. I had never been to any formal events before, so why should I have any nice clothing? What was I going to do. The Ball was tomorrow night and I didn't have a thing to... Oh the irony.

I walked into the boutique to see dresses flying around the room. Rarity stood in front of a mirror muttering to herself. All of this trouble for a party? I walked towards her until I could see both of our reflections in the mirror. Rarity had a blue dress in front of her. I smiled and nodded. "That one's nice." Her reflection's eyes darted towards me. "Speedy! I didn't hear you come in." The dresses flew off in a neat line and settled onto their hangers. Rarity turned to me. "What can I do for you?" I looked around the room. "I was wondering if you could help me with my choice of Ball attire." She looked thrilled. "Of course I can! What are you going to wear?" I smiled bashfully. "I don't have anything." Thrill turned to shock. "What? Oh we simply must find you something."

The rest of the afternoon was spent deciding on outfits. Of course only an hour of this was spent on me as I found a tie and vest to wear. The rest of the time was spent with Rarity asking for my opinion on different dresses. The only thing that stopped the endless sea of fabric was when the others came walking in. Of course I didn't see them come in, I heard their voices. I was stuck under a pile of dresses that Rarity had continuously flung at me as each dress was rejected. I heard Twilight. "Hi Rarity. I was wondering if you could alter something on my dress for the party." And then Fluttershy chimed in. "Me too." I could hear Rarity walk across the room to them. "And what about the rest of you?" Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow had come to borrow dresses. I guess the dress code for the Ball was somewhere between casual and fancy. Something like look nice, but not too nice. That must mean simple dresses. Something I hadn't seen much of in this pile.

At that moment, the conversation took an interesting turn. "Fluttershy, this dress is wonderful and it's the same green as the outfit Speedy just chose!" I could picture Rarity eyeing a green dress. Then I heard Shy speak up. "Speedy was here?" Rarity giggled. "The poor dear. He didn't have anything to wear for the Ball. But now he does and you two will match! You'll make the perfect couple." I heard Rainbow Dash laugh. "Fluttershy and Speedy?" I knew it was time to reveal myself. "And what's so funny about that?" I could feel the six pairs of eyes staring in my direction. Applejack spoke up. "Uh...Did that pile of dresses just talk?" I began to burrow through the dresses until my head poked out into the open. I was looking at the mares and they stared right back. Pinkie bounced over to me. "Ooo! It's Speedy! He's the pile of dresses. I don't think any of these are your color though." I rolled my eyes. "Thanks Pinkie. Could you give me a hoof here?" With that, Pinkie pulled me out from under the pile.

I eyed Rarity. She looked surprised. "Speedy, darling! I had forgotten you were here." I walked towards her. "You my little unicorn, are nosey." I passed her and stood next to Fluttershy. I looked up at Rainbow. "And what's so funny about us being a couple?" Rainbow didn't respond, but Rarity sure did. "Then you really are together! I knew it!"Her attitude went from happy to furious instantly. "Why didn't you tell me you were a couple?" We both ignored the question as Applejack and Pinkie congratulated us. Twilight winked at me. Rainbow's mouth hung open. "Fluttershy and Speedy are...dating?" We both looked up at the pegasus and smiled. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. As if we need a bunch of mushy stuff around here." I could see that Shy was embarrassed of all the attention, especially with something so personal. I felt embarrassed too. I stepped a little closer to her and looked back at Rarity. "Anything else Nosey?" She didn't seem to catch the jab. She smiled and looked from me to Fluttershy and back to me. And then I noticed a mischievous glint to her eyes. That couldn't be good. "Have you two kissed yet?"

Uh-oh. Rarity had been mad at not knowing about us going out. How would she react if she knew that me and Shy had already kissed too?

Out of nowhere I heard a 'No'. I was shocked to see it was Fluttershy that had spoken. Had she just lied to one of her close friends? But surprisingly, this seemed to work really well. Rarity looked even more excited. "Ooo! And what better place is there to have your first kiss than at a ball?" Well I thought Shy's front porch was fine. My thoughts became interuppted as Rarity put her hooves around me and Shy. "I'm going to make sure that you two have the most romantic evening ever!"

I woke up the next morning with a question. The same question I had been asking myself since Shy said we hadn't kissed. Why lie about it? Was she embarrassed of it? Of me? I had to know. I trotted off towards the cottage. I had to know. I walked up the path and knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal the most beautiful pegasus ever in a slender green dress. I almost forgot why I had come. Fluttershy smiled at me. "Hi Speedy. Come on in." I walked inside and looked at her again. "You look beautiful." She blushed and kissed me on the cheek. Kissed...Kiss! That's right. My question.

I backed away and sighed. Fluttershy looked concerned. "Is everything alright?" I couldn't bring myself to smile and shrug it off. I had to know. "Why did you lie to Rarity yesterday?" She seemed shocked at the question. Before I could stop myself, I asked the next question. "Are you embarassed of me?" She stood in silence for a moment. What would she say? I couldn't take the silence. Answer already for Celestia's sake!

Nothing. Nothing but a smile. Fluttershy walked up to me and gave me a hug. And then she kissed me. What was happening? What was she-? Oh what the hay. I kissed her back and we stayed like that for a few seconds. When we broke apart she whispered in my ear. "I would never be embarrassed of you." I believed it. She backed up and stared at me with those wonderful blue eyes. "I only lied so Rarity wouldn't be upset. She really enjoys knowing about relationships. But if she found out we kissed without her knowing, she would be crushed. I couldn't do that to her." I smiled and approached her. I kissed her on the forehead and then looked into those blue eyes again. "You are a real friend. That's one of the many things I love about you."

There was a knock at the door. Fluttershy walked over and opened it. Rarity came waltzing in. "Fluttershy we simply-" She paused when she spotted me. "Oh. I didn't know you had company." I began to walk towards the door. "That's alright. I was just leaving." Rarity blocked my path. "No. This is a good thing. I can discuss the plans with both of you." The plans? Oh. Right. Our romantic evening. Rarity began to go over how we would have our own table with candlelight, the band would play a romantic tune, and so on. She went on for twenty minutes describing all the different steps that would lead up to our "first kiss". Rarity sighed. "I think that it would be so romantic if it happened during the final dance!" I looked at Fluttershy to find she appeared nervous.

I nudged her. "Is something wrong?" She looked between me and Rarity. "The...the final dance?" Rarity grinned and nodded. Fluttershy looked away. I walked around her until I could see her face. "What is it?" She glanced up at me. I thought I could see a single tear in the corner of her eye. "The last dance of the Cloudsdale Ball is called Hope On Wings. It's where every pegasus and their partner dance while...flying." The tear fell from her eye to the floor. I tilted her chin up and smiled at her. "Now don't be sad. We'll figure something out." I turned to Rarity. "If you don't mind I would like to make the plans for the last dance. We love the rest of the evening, but I think the big moment needs a...personal touch." Rarity smiled. "Oh you are such a gentlecolt! Of course you can! Now I'll leave you two to get ready. Twilight said we'll be leaving in a few hours." With that she left the cottage. I turned back to Fluttershy pulled her into a hug. "Don't feel bad about it. I'll come up with something." I had nothing.

What could I do? A flying dance?I don't have wings. And I wasn't about to grow any either. I guess I could think of something once we got to the Ball. I pulled out of the embrace and looked at Shy. "We'd better get ready. I'll meet you at Twilight's later." She nodded and I left. And that's when it hit me. Twilight!

Night had fallen. Fluttershy and I arrived outside the library where Twilight and Applejack were already waiting. Twilight waved to us. "Hi you two! Excited for tonight?" I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Thrilled. Rarity has the whole evening set up." And that's when Rarity appeared. "And it's going to be marvelous!" We didn't have to wait long for Pinkie and Rainbow to arrive and then we were off. We piled into the balloon and took off for Cloudsdale, Rainbow and Fluttershy flying next to us.

We landed a short while later. Rainbow and Shy landed on the clouds and waited. Twilight turned to the rest of us and closed her eyes. Her horn lit up and went out in a split second. Was that it? I looked out at the clouds, not too eager to take the first step. What if the spell hadn't taken to me? I watched as Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity climbed out of the balloon and onto the clouds. They didn't fall through. I looked at Twilight and she smiled. "Go on." I looked at the clouds for a second longer and then hopped out. Wow...clouds are soft.

We had landed just to the side of the hall where the Ball was being held. We walked to the entrance to find a large pegasus blocking the entrance. He looked down at us. "Invitations?" Rainbow stepped forward and handed the stallion the invites. He stepped aside and let us through.

The Cloudsdale Ball. How to describe it? If you could somehow combine an elegant garden party with a dance party, that would only begin to describe the sight before us. This looked like the coolest party in the clouds. We made our way over to a table. I was about to sit when Rarity pushed me over to the next table. "Come now Speedy, remember what I said. You and Fluttershy are sitting here." I didn't argue. I played along with it. Fluttershy sat across from me. When Rarity left, I shifted around the table to sit right next to Shy. She smiled at me and I smiled right back.

Before we could grab any food though, I spotted a certain pegasus walking across the dance floor towards us. I grinned and waved. "Spitfire!" She trotted over and sat down. "Speed, I'm glad you and the others could make it." I gave her a hug. "Thanks for sending the invites with Rainbow. But you cut it a little close on timing." Spitfire laughed. "Well Cloudsdale may be on time when it comes to weather, but when it comes to parties invites are always the last thing that get done." I turned and motioned to Fluttershy. "You've met Fluttershy before. She's my date...and my girlfriend." Fluttershy blushed a little. Spitfire nugded me with her elbow. "Why didn't you say so cuz? I'll leave you two alone. Have fun tonight." She got up and walked off to another table.

The evening went smoothly. There was food, dancing, laughter, and anxiety. Why was I so nervous about the last dance? As long as Twilight could do it, I had nothing to worry about. It didn't help though that Rarity seemed to separate Shy and me from the others every five minutes. She stopped however when Fluttershy spoke up. "Rarity, thank you for helping us tonight, but it's not as if we're trying to get together. We already are." Rarity smiled. "I know dear. I just want it to be a special night for the both of you." She trotted off to talk to some of the upper-crust crowd. Twilight joined us and giggled. "I think Rarity wants this kiss more than you two." Fluttershy and I looked at each other and laughed. Shy turned to Twilight. "More than you know."

The full moon was at it's peak when it was announced that the last dance was about to begin. Every pegasus in the hall took off and hovered several feet up in the air. Fluttershy looked at me. I saw sadness, nervousness, and embarrassment occupying her eyes. I smiled at her and led her onto the dance floor. She looked up at the ponies flying above. Her voice was soft. "Speedy, we can't. It's a flying dance." I glanced up and shrugged. "Don't worry about them. Just enjoy yourself." And so we began to dance. Shy's eyes glanced up every few seconds in the beginning, but soon she relaxed and put her chin on my shoulder.

I looked and Twilight and winked. I turned Fluttershy away from Twilight and locked eyes with her. "Thank you for this dance. I know it's an important one. I'm glad we could share it." Shy smiled. "I am too." She rested her head on my shoulder again. I looked around and smiled. I leaned in close to Shy;s ear and whispered. "But you do know that a pony doesn't need wings to fly." Fluttershy looked at me, obviously confused by my cryptic message. And then she looked around. We were level with the other dancers. She looked down to discover the floating floor that Twilight had conjured under us. She looked back at me and smiled. We embraced for a moment before continuing the dance. We were drawing attention from the others. I'm sure it was quite the shock to see an earth pony up in the air.

I looked at Fluttershy and whispered again. "Ready for our second first kiss?" Her eyes grew soft and she nodded. I leaned in, connecting my lips with hers. Down below I heard Rarity squeal in delight. But it didn't matter at that moment. All that mattered was the beautiful mare I was kissing. The dance ended and was replaced by...applause? We broke apart to see that everypony was applauding for us. We had danced our way to the center of the floor. I think we both blushed. Twilight lowered us back down to the clouds. I saw Spitfire standing next to Rainbow Dash. She winked at me. I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I turned to find Fluttershy an inch from my face. She leaned in and gave me a quick kiss. I nuzzled her cheek. In the background I heard Rarity. "That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen!" We smiled and walked towards the group. Fluttershy whispered in my ear before we reached them. "It really was. It was the best second first kiss ever."

Pinkie's Secret And My Problem

The pink mare appeared on my doorstep before I could even have my breakfast. She stood there smiling while I was frozen, mouth halfway to my food, unsure what to do. I closed my mouth and stammered. "Uh...Hi Pinkie. What...what can I do for you?" Pinkie ran up to me. "I need your help with something." She looked around the room and leaned in close. "And it's a secret." Okay. Should I help? Why not? I don't have any plans for the day. I smiled. "Okay." Pinkie jumped for joy and raced out the front door. I stood up to follow her. I took one step forward and cringed. I felt pain shoot up my bad leg. It wasn't agonizing pain, but it was still enough to hurt when I set my hoof on the ground. I took a few more steps to find that the pain subsided. Twilight's magic was working like a charm.

I walked outside to find Pinkie waiting for me. She began to walk towards town and I followed. "So what is it we're doing exactly?" Pinkie rolled her eyes and giggled. "I told you, it's a secret." Well that sure cleared things up. I barely noticed that we were walking right up to Fluttershy's. I paused for a moment and looked at Pinkie. "Why are we here?" Without a relply, Pinkie walked up and opened the door. "Hi Fluttershy!" I looked around Pinkie to see Shy running around the room tending to several dozen different creatures. She looked rather stressed as she glanced up towards us. "Oh, hi Pinkie." She hadn't noticed me yet. Pinkie walked into the room. "Are you busy?" Really? Was Pinkie that oblivious? Fluttershy looked confused as she motioned around the room. "Um...yeah. I have a lot to get done today." Pinkie smiled. "Okay." And with that, she exited the cottage. Shy glanced at me and I shrugged. "See you later Shy." I turned and began to follow Pinkie. Another shot of pain made me pause. I shook my leg and kept walking.

We arrived at the boutique and Pinkie walked right in. She isn't one for knocking is she? I followed her in and saw Rarity working on her dresses as usual. Although I don't think I'd ever seen her so grouchy while making clothes. Pinkie stuck her head between Rarity and her current work. "Hi Rarity! You look like you could use some fun!" Rarity, forced to stop with Pinkie blocking her view, backed up. "Pinkie dear, not right now. I'm far too busy for any silly games right now." Pinkie shrugged and trotted over to me. "Two down. Three to go." What was that supposed to mean?

I found out quick enough as we spent the next hour going to find Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. All of them were too busy for whatever Pinkie was talking about. Of course they didn't even know what she was talking about. And she gave no hints either.

As we left Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie sighed. "They're all so busy." I patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay Pinkie. Maybe I can help." She smiled. "You're already helping silly." She rubbed my mane and bounced of back towards town. I shook my head and followed. I felt the sharpest pain yet in my leg. My knees buckled and I fell to the dirt. I pushed myself up and set all four legs on the ground again. My bad leg supported me, but just barely. I took a few steps forward. The pain continued. I walked forward as fast as I could, trying to catch up to Pinkie. The pain didn't fade. I did my best to ignore it.

We returned to town. To Sugercube Corner to be exact. Pinkie went straight upstairs. When she reached the top she looked back down at me and motioned for me to come up. I winced with each step, but I made it to the top. Pinkie opened the door to her room and motioned me in, looking around as if expecting somepony. I walked in and she followed, slamming the door behind her. "We have so much to do! And it's not even lunchtime yet!" I think I've given up on trying to understand this mare. My head tilted to one side. "So what do we have to do?" Pinkie shook her head. "You really don't get this whole secret thing do you?" I rolled my eyes. "Alright. Tell me what I can do to help." She smiled. "Okay. You can-" She stopped and looked around the room. She raced over to the window and shut it and then locked the door. She slowly walked back to me and looked around once more before whispering. "I need you to make sure nopony goes near the picnic spot." I was tempted to question this, but my head said not to argue.

I made it, albeit in pain, but I made it. I sat down on the soft grass and looked around. Not a pony in sight. I wiped the sweat from my brow. It had been a hard and long walk. I looked down at the black sleeve that covered my leg. Twilight had said that the magic would wear off a little bit every day. So why was my leg hurting all of a sudden? "You look like you're in a lot of pain." I froze where I was. The first thing I thought was; who was there? The second thing; Pinkie's going to kill me. I slowly turned my head. Behind me stood the last pony in Equestria I ever expected to see. She walked around to stand in front of me. I lowered my head. "Princess." Celestia sat down and I stared at her. She smiled. "I've heard a lot about you Speedy. Twilight's told me so much in her letters. Including your adventure with the dragon." I managed a smile. The princess looked down at my leg. "How long has it been like this?" I cringed as another shot of pain came on. "Since this morning. I don't think Twilight's spell worked." Celestia stared hard at my leg. Her horn began to glow. I wanted to ask what she was doing, but I held my tongue.

We sat there for several minutes. Finally the princess closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened her eyes again, I saw the faintest hint of a tear. "I know why you are troubled by this. But what I tell you may only make it worse." I felt my heart begin to beat faster. What had she seen? She leaned in close, locking eyes with me. "The dragon claw that did this was poisoned. And now that poison is in your leg." My heart was racing. I began to shake. Celestia put a hoof on my shoulder and I did my best to calm down. "If I was poisoned, why am I still alive?" She shrugged. "It appears to be a slow-moving poison. I would guess this dragon would use it to watch his prey suffer before eating them." A brief smile crossed her lips. "My student's spell was performed perfectly. Twilight stopped the feeling of pain and, without knowing, slowed the poison even more." The smile faded. "But now it's beginning to overpower the magic. If something is not done soon, the poison will spread to the rest of your body. And rather quickly since it's been delayed for so long." I shuddered.

Celestia looked over her shoulder and then back at me. "I'm sorry to give you such news. Especially with the picnic I planned." I looked up at her in confusion. "Picnic?" She smiled. "I told Pinkie that I wanted to have a picnic with all of you. But I didn't want it to become a royal event. To tell you the truth, I hate the attention." I chuckled. So that was the secret. I glanced back at my leg. "How long do I have?" Celestia's eyes grew sad. "There is a way to stop the poison where it is, but you wouldn't like it." I stared back at her. What did she mean? If the poison could be stopped, why wouldn't I like the method?

In the distance I heard Pinkie. "Come on girls!" Celestia stood and walked behind some bushes and winked. "You never saw me." She lowered herself until she was completely hidden. I slowly stood up and waited for the mares. I heard a popping sound behind me and turned to see a full-blown picnic. I eyed the bush and smiled. Talk about waiting until the last second.

The group came into view. I waved to them. Pinkie trotted up to me and looked over my shoulder. "Anypony come around?" I smiled and shook my head. "Nothing to report. Nice picnic by the way. You really outdid yourself. She giggled. I knew she was dying to say it wasn't her. The rest of the mares eyed the setup. Pinkie stood in front of them. "You all have been working so hard recently, I figured you could use a break!" Twilight stepped forward. "Wow. Thanks Pinkie. Speedy did you have something to do with this?" I shook my head. "She refused to tell me anything about it. I only just got here myself." I winked at Pinkie and she giggled. She bounced towards the bushes. "That's not the only reason I brought you all here." The bushes rustled and the surprise guest appeared.

The picnic was great. We sat, ate, laughed, and talked the entire afternoon. Celestia would glance at me every now and then and I would nod to her. Most of my attention though stayed on the mare leaning against my flank. I smiled at Shy and she smiled back. We hadn't moved thankfully. I didn't want any of the others to see me in pain.

We watched as Celestia began to lower the sun towards the horizon. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen. Soon the sky began to darken. Celestia announced her exit and we all said goodbye. But instead of flying away, she began to walk off. She locked eyes with me and motioned for me to follow. I hesitated for a moment, but eventually forced myself to get up and follow her.

We didn't even go 20 feet, and yet I was sweating like I had just run ten miles. I tried to take in as much air as I could. The princess leaned over me as I sat down. "The poison's spreading, but there is still time." I looked up at her. "I know what your idea is. Magic obviously can't stop this. There's only one other way." She nodded. We both knew what had to be done. I either went with this plan or I would have to die. And I was not about to do that. I couldn't leave Fluttershy. Before I could respond though, another shot of pain hit me, worse than all the previous ones combined. I fell to the ground. I could hear the others running towards me. Shy called out my name. My vision grew dimmer. I looked up at Celestia. "Please..." The last image I saw was her nodding.

Perspectives

I woke up to see Fluttershy sitting in the corner and Twilight just entering the hospital room. They both looked at me with worried expressions. I blinked a few times to clear my vision. How long had I been out this time? Fluttershy flew over to me and grabbed my hoof. Why was she crying? I turned to Twilight. She gave me a half smile. "It's good to see you awake Speedy." I nodded. "Glad to be awake. I hope I didn't scare you all too bad." Twilight's smile faded. "The princess didn't tell us anything until we got you here. I...I'm so sorry." I shook my head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Celestia told you that your magic slowed the effects?" She nodded. I smiled. "You saved me Twilight. I will never be able to repay you for that." I looked back at Fluttershy. She was still crying.

I let go of her hoof and put my hoof against her cheek. "Hey. I'm fine. There's no need to cry." That only made it worse. The tears came faster. I noticed her eyes glance down towards my legs. My legs. I had forgotten about them for a moment. I stretched them out. They must be sore after laying still for so long. My good leg stretched fine, but... I didn't move. "Twilight, did the doctors numb my bad leg until it heals?" Fluttershy began to sob and ran for the door. My eyes followed her. "Shy!" She was gone. "SHY!" My eyes fell on Twilight. She was tearing up.

I looked down at my bed sheets. I didn't want to. I knew what was coming. Slowly, I grabbed the top sheet and removed it. I froze. I could hear Twilight sniffle, but it barely registered to me. "Get out." Twilight took one step towards me. "Speedy-" My eyes locked with hers. I don't know what she saw in mine, but I could tell it scared her. "GET OUT!" She backed away and left the room. I was alone. As it should be. I finally let the tears come.

I cried. I cried until I couldn't cry any longer. And then I screamed. The whole time, I could only stare at where my leg should be.

I had never seen Speedy so upset. When he had yelled at me to leave, I admit that I was scared. He seemed to be a different pony. One that was angry and perhaps even dangerous. I went to see him every few days after that, but he never spoke to me. Apparently he didn't speak to anyone. Two weeks had passed. We didn't know how long he would have to stay in the hospital.

I walked up to Fluttershy's cottage and knocked on the door. It really wasn't necessary. I knew she wouldn't answer, but I still wanted to be polite. I opened the door and found Fluttershy sitting on the couch. I could see that she had been crying. She looked up at me as I entered. "Hi Twilight." I smiled and joined her on the couch. "How are you?" She sniffled. "Okay...I guess." I put a hoof on her shoulder. "You know you can't stay here forever." She nodded. "I could here him scream. I had just gotten outside and I could here him. I...I don't know what to do Twilight! What can I do for him?" She began crying again and fell against my shoulder.

I let her cry for a minute. I gave her a hug. "You really care for him don't you?" She looked up at me. "I love him." I was surprised and touched. I never thought I would see the day that Fluttershy loved another pony. On the other hoof I was happy for her, and for Speedy. "You should tell him so." She instantly looked nervous. "I...I don't know. What if...what if he doesn't..." I locked eyes with her. " He loves you. I've never heard him say so, but something inside me knows that he does." Fluttershy smiled and gave me a hug.

It had taken me the better part of an hour to hoist myself into a wheelchair. Now I was mobile. It was a start.

Poor Speedy. How useless you've become.

I looked around the room. I was alone. I sat silently, listening for the voice to speak again. I was interrupted by the doctor entering the room. He paused when he saw me. "Well, well! Look at you! Did you get into that chair by yourself?" I nodded. He smiled as he began looking over a medical chart. "You must be a pretty strong stallion."

I've seen better.

I looked at the doctor. "Did you say something?" The doctor walked closer. "And talkative too. That's the first time I've heard you speak since you've been here." He put the charts down. "Your results are promising. You'll be out of here in no time." With that, he was gone. I turned my chair around, looking over the room. Nothing. "Great, I'm going crazy."

Oh, I wish it was that simple. I love to watch bouts of insanity as much as the next pony. But sadly that isn't the case.

I felt a shiver run down my spine."Who are you?"

A friend. A friend who can help you.

I scoffed. "If you're a friend, then show yourself."

Unfortunately, I am otherwise occupied. But I invite you to visit me. In the Everfree Forest.

What was going on? Was I seriously listening to some voice out of nowhere? I sat for several minutes in silence. The voice didn't interrupt my thoughts, as if it knew I was sorting things out. "What do you want from me?" Laughter. It echoed all around me.

You are a pony of misfortune. That is where you fall in the order of things. I have a talent for messing with order. With my help, you can have everything you ever dreamed of having. You'll know how to find me.

I sat still for another hour, waiting for anything. The voice was gone. Come on Speedy! Get a hold of yourself! It has to be medication or disorientation. I had imagined the voice. It couldn't be real. But...what if it was? What if there was something out there that could help me?

Finally! After two weeks, it's done. I looked over my brilliant work. Speedy would be so proud if he could see me now. Who knew I could have a talent for inventing? My self-praise was interrupted by a knock at the door. I checked myself in the nearby mirror to make sure I was presentable. I wasn't. But there wasn't any time to fix that. "Come in." The door opened to reveal Twilight. "Twilight darling! Just the pony I've wanted to see!" Twilight walked in. "Really? I would think the pony you would want to see is Speedy. You haven't visited him once Rarity." The guilt hit me again. My idea had kept me from seeing the poor dear. It was awful. But this would change things.

I couldn't bring myself to meet Twilight's accusing gaze. "I know. But there is a good reason." This made Twilight even angrier. "A good reason?! What could possibly be so important that you couldn't take one afternoon to go and see our friend?" Instead of answering her directly, I stepped away from my project. Twilight looked at the table, her eyes growing wider. "Is that Speedy's-" I cut her off. "Of course it isn't the actual one! I took Speedy's original design and I've been tweaking it for the past couple weeks. What do you think?" Twilight stepped closer. "It's amazing! It looks so real." I sighed. "Yes, it has the look, but not the function. That's why I was so excited to see you. I knew I would need your help figuring out the right spells to make it work." Twilight looked confused. "Make it work? You mean like the real thing?" I nodded. Twilight glanced back at the table.

It was a lot I was asking of her. But it was for a good cause. It was for a friend. She looked at me and smiled. "I guess it's time for a little studying. I'm going to need every book I've got to figure this one out."

I really hope I can help him understand. Twilight's letter had been quite descriptive about his anger and grief. I could understand why. I knew of no other pony in all the kingdom that had only three legs. Without all four, a pony really couldn't do anything. But I had to believe otherwise. There was always a solution to everything.

Ponyville passed below. It was great to finally have use for that invisibility spell I had discovered so many years before. Now I could travel to town without alerting every citizen of my arrival. The doctors had been gracious enough to swear secrecy on my presence at the hospital. And thinking on the hospital, there it is.

I started to descend when I noticed something moving along the road, away from the hospital. It was a wheelchair. And was that...Speedy?

I did my best to wheel around the tree roots. Sometimes it was unavoidable. I did my best to keep my balance in the chair. I looked around the forest. I half expected the dragon to reappear and take his revenge on me. But everything remained peaceful, or as peaceful as it can be in Everfree. The voice had said I would know where to go. Why can't strange voices be straightforward? How was I supposed to know where to meet this...whatever it was?

I rolled forward until the trees grew too close to pass between. I looked around and spotted a small path. It was just wide enough for me. As soon as I got through I found myself in a dark clearing. The tree branches grew together forming a leafy roof, blocking out most of the sunlight.

Welcome.

The voice! I looked around the clearing until my eyes fell on something in the center. I rolled closer. It was a statue. An ugly statue.

I'm glad you could make it Speedy. I've been alone here for a very long time. It's nice to have some company.

How was this possible. The statue's lips never moved, and yet it was talking to me. "What are you?"

My body was turned to stone. I've been quite isolated until recently. A spark of magic was set off in the forest a few months back. It freed my mind enough that I can communicate now. But nothing more. You set that spark off Speedy. When you killed the dragon.

Me? I shook my head to clear it. This was already confusing enough without bringing up the past confusion. "Why did you want to see me?"

To thank you. And to give you a gift.

"Don't listen to him Speedy." I looked behind me to find Princess Celestia entering the clearing. "You have no business with him Discord." I looked back at the statue. This was Discord? The spirit of chaos? My head began to pound from all the confusion it was in.

Oh, but I do Celestia. He's freed me. Well...somewhat freed me. I only wish to thank him.

I could almost feel those stone eyes looking right into me.

Allow me to show you what I'm capable of Speedy.

I felt something. Something cold. I could feel it press against me skull, my very mind. There was a flash of light below me. When I looked down to see what it was, I found two legs. "My...my leg!"

And that's only the first part of my gift. I can make you into the stallion you've always wanted to become.

Celestia took a step closer. "Speedy, no! We need to leave now!"

Of course. You should go with her.

Another flash of light and my leg was gone again. The cold feeling left as well.

Go back to the hospital and be a weak, useless three-legged pony with no special talent who relies on his contacts to get others to like him.

Memories flashed through my mind; me as a teenager with no cutie mark, being laughed at and called a freak, looking down at my one remaining leg for the first time, telling my friends about different, famous ponies that I knew because of my family. Discord was right. I had nothing. I was nothing. I heard Celestia behind me. "Speedy. He's telling you lies. Come back with me to Ponyville." Could I really go back? What if my friendships really were lies? No. They couldn't be. I knew at least my relationship with Fluttershy was real. And then I remembered her running out of the hospital room. She never came to see me. Could she really have feelings for me now? "Speedy!" Celestia's voice broke through my thoughts. I gathered my senses. This was Discord. He was deceptive There had to be a reason he was trying to be nice. I looked up at the statue. "What's the catch?"

Catch? Oh yes. I guess there is a catch. Though it's rather insignificant. It's really not worth mentioning.

My eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

The only way that I can make you what you want is by touching your mind. At the moment that can only happen in this clearing. In order for the effects to be permanent-

"You would have to be in constant contact with my mind. You would have to actually get inside my head."

Exactly! So we have a deal?

He's kidding right? He really thinks that I would... My eyes had fallen back down to my one leg. Discord had actually been able to give me four legs again. And he had promised more. The clearing echoed with a low chuckle. Celestia stepped up next to me. "Speedy we need to get away from here."

I had my hoof on Speedy's shoulder now. "Speedy?" The wheelchair turned. What I saw will haunt me for a long time. I was staring at Speedy except...his eyes. They were no longer his. They were Discord's. Speedy's mouth opened and a chilling laugh filled the clearing.

Our Friend, Our Enemy

We hadn't seen Speedy in days. The doctors had found his room empty and had called for us at once. We searched all over town. Where could he have gone?

I walked back into the library after another day of searching. Spike looked down from the ladder he was on. "Any luck?" I shook my head. "It's been almost a week. Why would he just disappear like this?" Spike climbed down the ladder and gave me a hug. "Don't worry Twilight. He's out there. You guys will find him." I hugged him back. I don't think I would keep going if Spike wasn't so optimistic about finding Speedy. He tapped me on the shoulder. "Let me...go." Typical. He just couldn't take affection, could he? I let go of him and he backed up. He looked like he was about to-

BELCH!

A letter materialized and dropped to the floor. I picked it up and opened it.

Twilight

I'm sorry I have not written sooner, but I had to know more about the situation. I need you and your friends to get to Canterlot as fast as possible. It's Speedy.

Speedy? The princess had found him!

Within an hour I had gathered the others together and we were on the train to Canterlot. I looked out the window as the scenery changed. "I can't believe he's in Canterlot." I turned to the others. "How did he get there?" Rainbow Dash, who was laying across one of the seats, sat up. "We were searching all over Ponyville and everywhere nearby. He couldn't have gotten out of town without us noticing him." Applejack was pacing up and down the aisle. "I can't stand the thought of him trying to go anywhere. What with only three legs." There was a sniffle from the back of the car. We all turned to see Fluttershy in a corner seat, doing her best not to cry. Applejack's ears lowered. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I didn't mean to-" I stepped forward and motioned her away. Every pony went about her own business as I approached Fluttershy.

I sat down next to her. "Hey. How are you?" She wiped away the few tears on her cheeks. "I...I'm not sure. I'm scared for Speedy, but...I'm happy that the princess found him too." I smiled. "I know. But we'll be in Canterlot before long and you can see him. You do want to see him, don't you?" Another sniffle and a nod. I gave her a hug and left her on the bench.

I joined the others. Rarity had brought her invention with her. She had it sitting on the bench next to her. She also had rarely taken an eye off of it since we left. Whenever one of us came close to it, she would cringe, waiting for something awful to happen. I joined her and looked over at the cloth-bundled item. "You know that no of us are going to touch it right?" Rarity glanced at me. "I know. It's just that this is a very special piece. I want to make sure it gets to Speedy in perfect condition." I leaned back and looked out the window as the mountains passed by. "What do you think Rarity?" She turned to me. "Hmm?" Before I asked again, I made sure none of the others, especially Fluttershy, were listening. I leaned in close. "How do you think he got to Canterlot? Applejack had a point. And even in a wheelchair, Speedy wouldn't have been able to get anywhere before we found him." Rarity looked puzzled by the whole idea. "It is indeed a mystery. But I'm sure we'll find out once we get there."

We jumped off the train before it fully stopped. And then we ran through the city until we reached the castle grounds. We found the princess waiting in the front garden. She was sitting next to a fountain. She stood as we approached. "Thank you all for coming." I moved to bow, but she shook her head. "There is no need for formalities right now. This is a very delicate situation we're in." What was she talking about. Fluttershy stepped forward. "Is something wrong with Speedy?" The princess lowered her gaze. "I'm afraid so. Follow me."

As we moved into the castle, the princess spoke. "I was on my way to visit Speedy when I noticed him rolling down the road in a wheelchair. I followed him all the way to the Everfree Forest." We all stopped in our tracks. I was the first one that got her voice back. "The Everfree Forest? Why would he go there?" The princess shook her head. "That's the question I asked myself. And so I followed him. I followed him right to an area of the forest that only Luna and I have ever seen." Applejack spoke up. "Then how did Speedy find it?" The princess began walking again and we followed. "He had help. This area is where Luna and I decided to hide Discord."

We all froze again. Fluttershy began to shake. "D-D-D-Discord?" Celestia nodded slowly. "We hid him away from the world, where he could never do any harm." Rainbow flew in front of the princess. "So how did Speedy know about it?" The princess lowered her head. "I'm not entirely sure. But I have my theories. Twilight, Fluttershy, if you could follow me. The rest of you can wait here." I followed the princess as she began to descend a staircase. I looked around. "Isn't this the way to the old dungeons?" She nodded. Fluttershy looked around nervously. "Why are we down here?" The princess stopped in front of a door. "Because I saw no other choice. He never ran away. I brought him here." Her horn lit up and the door unlocked.

Was the princess actually telling us she had put Speedy in the dungeon? We stepped through the door. The room we were in was small, but lit. There were only two things in the room; a lantern and another door. This door had a barred window. I glanced through the bars to see another lantern and...a mirror? The lantern only lit half the cell. I looked into the darkness. "Hello?" The laughter came instantly. It was a familiar laugh. But it couldn't be. And then those yellow eyes appeared in the dark. "Hello Twilight." I jumped back from the door. "It can't be!" More laughter. "Oh, but it can. I see you brought me some visitors Celestia. How thoughtful."

How? Discord was supposed to be imprisoned in stone. How could he be here in the dungeon? And what about Speedy? The princess' horn lit up again and the door began to open. I stared at her in horror. "What are you doing? You can't let him out!" Without a word she walked into the cell. A sigh came from the darkness. "She isn't. I don't have any powers. It's pointless for me to escape." Discord without powers? Celestia looked at us and nodded. I slowly walked into the cell. Fluttershy followed me, but stayed next to the exit.

I looked at the princess. "What about Speedy. You made it sound as if you had him in here. Not Discord." Discord's laughter echoed through the cell again. "How wonderful! You haven't told them! Do I have the honor of showing them the surprise?" The eyes closed and something that sounded like gagging emitted from the dark corner. It finally turned to the sound of gasping. "T-Twilight? Fluttershy?" Fluttershy took a step forward. "Speedy?" A sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to see you. I've been stuck in here for so long." A pony stepped forward into the lantern light.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Speedy. Except...different. He was slightly taller, more muscular. As he stepped fully into the light, my shock only grew. Four legs! And a blood red quill for a cutie mark! Fluttershy's hope turned to fear. "You're not Speedy." He turned to her. "It's me Shy. It's really me." I stepped in front of him. "What happened to you?" He turned in a circle and then posed. "What do you think?" Was he actually proud of this? I looked into the darkness. "What did you do to him?" The gagging noise came again, but it was from Speedy. He closed his eyes and seemed to be in pain. After a moment though, he stopped. His eyes opened to reveal the same yellow eyes of Discord. And then he opened his mouth. "I gave him a new life." Discord's voice.

I heard Fluttershy beginning to cry. "You monster." Discord looked at her. "You want to know the best part Fluttershy? He let me in willingly." She began to sob even harder. "No! NO!" Another convulsion and Speedy returned to us. "Shy. You don't understand. He's given me so much." Fluttershy's tears stopped instantly. Her eyes widened in terror. "You...you actually let him in?" Speedy seemed confused. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Fluttershy backed away and then ran out of the cell. Speedy stepped forward. "SHY!" He began to run for the door when his feet bound together. I looked at the princess to see her horn glowing. She closed the door and released the magic. Speedy stood up and turned on the princess. "Let me go." The anger in his eyes was obvious. And his voice seemed to have taken on an unfamiliar edge. "I need to talk to her. Let me go!" Celestia said nothing. Speedy turned to me. "Why would she run?" I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "Because you've been poisoned again." I exited the cell with Celestia right behind me.

The door closed with a solid 'thud'. I didn't look back as Speedy called after me. "You think he's taken me over don't you? That he's in control? He has no power over me!" I stopped at the second door. I looked back to see Speedy looking through the barred window. I shook my head. "If that's what you think, then Speedy doesn't exist anymore." The door began to close. When there were only inches left, I saw those yellow eyes once again. He didn't say anything. He only smiled.

Let The Chaos Out

The darkness surrounded me both physically and mentally. I sat in the corner of the cell staring at the lantern next to the mirror. After a week in the dark, the light was starting to become blinding.

Quit your bickering.

And there was the mental darkness. "What else can I do?"

I'm glad you asked. I've been meaning to tell you about the perks to having me as a part of you.

"Oh joy."

Your appearance was just the beginning.

"Really?"

I know you've heard of me. You know what I'm capable of.

"What use are your abilities with my body? I'm not magical."

It doesn't matter. Now get up.

Reluctantly I stood. Without asking, I walked towards the mirror. I looked at my reflection. It was hard to recognize the pony I saw at first, but I knew it was me. And I looked great. I smiled.

That's right. You know it's an improvement. And now I need you to do something.

I kept staring at my reflection. "What?"

Look in the corner. Turn that rock into something it isn't.

I turned to see the rock he was talking about. It was a decent size. But what was I supposed to do?

Turn it into something it isn't.

"How?"

Try.

I shook my head. Why could he never be straightforward? I stared at the rock. How could I do it? I might as well just wish for the moon. I had no magic.

Make it change!

My head began to ache. My stomach grumbled. How long had it been since I had eaten? Food. I needed food. There was a brilliant flash of light. I looked down at the rock. But the rock was gone. In its place was a sandwich. My eyes widened in awe.

Very good. And a perfect choice. If I had a stomach, I would be hungry myself.

I picked the sandwich up and bit into it. Delicious. "How is this possible?"

For me, anything is possible. And now the same goes for you.

I smiled. Anything possible? Maybe I could even get the others to see that I was right. With this power I could make Celestia see that I was still good.

That's the spirit! In fact...why not prove it to them now?

Perfect! But first, I needed to get out of this cell. I walked over to the door and looked out. The outer room was deserted. Of course no guards to use within earshot. There was no need. Celestia herself had put up the security for this dungeon. No keys or anything. So how to get out? I paced around the cell. I noticed the half-finished sandwich lying on the floor. I had made that out of a rock just by wanting it. So...

That's it! You've got it!

All it was was a matter of will. I want to be in that next room. I closed my eyes and repeated it in my mind. I felt something. I opened my eyes to see...lightning, dancing across my body. There was another flash of light and I found myself in the next room. I did it!

The lightning's new. But it does add a nice effect. Also, we need to be out in the hall.

I concentrated on the hall. Lightning, flash, done. I was there. I couldn't help smiling. Not even Celestia's wards were enough to stop me! I began to laugh. What's more, Discord began to laugh with me. And we didn't stop, we only got louder. Our laughter soon echoed through the hall. And that's when we heard the guards.

There were four of them. They came down the stairs and stopped in front of me. I didn't move. I just smiled. "Hello there!" One guard stepped forward. "Who are you? What are you doing down here?" Hmm...It seemed Celestia had kept my presence here a secret. I shrugged my shoulders. "Oh, you know. Just out for a stroll." The guards stepped forward in unison. Their leader was within hoofsreach of me. "You're coming with us." I smiled. An idea popped into my head. I opened my mouth. "Of course I am. You were just about to take me to see Celestia. I'm an old friend of hers." All four pairs of eyes that had been glaring at me now appeared to have glazed over. The leader saluted to me. "Of course sir. We can't keep the princess from meeting with her friends." He turned and walked away, the rest of his group following after.

Nicely done. You have a natural talent.

I smiled and followed after the guards. We were soon in the main hall. I admired the design of the place. Of course there were so improvements that could be made. I looked up towards the throne. It was empty. "Guard, where is the princess?" The guard turned back. "I believe she's upstairs sir." I nodded. "You can all go back to your posts now. I'm sure I can find my way from here." All four nodded and exited the hall. I looked around to make sure no other pony was nearby. The lightning crackled around me again and I was gone.

I literally popped into the library. The lightning over my body settled down just as I noticed the shocked Celestia looking at me. I grinned. "Good evening." She seemed at a loss for words. I walked over to a shelf and began examining the books. Quite the collection actually. The silence continued for a minute or so. I got bored with the books and turned to Celestia. "Either say something, or I'll go and find somepony that actually has a tongue." That snapped her out of it. Her eyes narrowed. "How did you get out?" I shrugged as the lightning crackled again. I appeared right in front of her. She took a step back. I sat down. "Just like that. I've learned a few tricks while you had me locked away." She shook her head. "Discord's hold on you is stronger than ever. Speedy, you have to stop this now. I'm doing everything I can to fix this." Now it was my turn to shake my head. "You think I want this fixed?" She looked taken aback.

I began to pace in front of her. "You keep me locked up down there like I'm some sort of monster." I locked eyes with her. "Do you really think that I'm that bad?" She sighed.

It was at this moment I felt a chill in my head. I began to gag. Great. Guess who wanted some talk time? I shuddered as I felt something take over. It was always so weird when Discord took over my body. I still heard and saw everything, but I had no control over my mouth or limbs. I watched as Celestia took a few steps back. "Your powers have returned." Discord turned us away from her. "Of course. You didn't really think that my powers were stuck in that stone prison, did you?" We turned around again. "And this is only after a week. Give me another one and my powers will be tenfold." Celestia's horn lit up. "You won't get the chance to know." Discord laughed. I felt the energy flow through our body. What was he about to do? I watched as Celestia's horn faded away. Her whole horn! She looked up at her head and then back at us. I heard gagging. And then I felt as if I was being thrown forward. I blinked and realized that I was once again in control.

Finish her.

I froze. Celestia looked around the room. Could she hear him too?

She will never be this weak again. Finish her!

His voice echoed. He was projecting his voice from my head. And I could see why. Celestia stood where she was, the fear growing in her eyes. Had she ever been this scared before?

What are you waiting for?

I'll tell you what. I've never harmed a pony before. What do I get out of it?

Speedy, Speedy, Speedy. Don't you understand? With Celestia gone, you can rule Equestria! You can have everything you've ever wanted.

Everything I ever wanted. I thought about that. I had the perfect body. What else though? The answer was instantaneous. The perfect mare. Fluttershy. I needed to see Fluttershy.

Focus on the mare in front of you.

I looked at Celestia. I narrowed my eyes. Her horn reappeared in a flash of light.

What are you doing?!

"I have to see her. Now."

NO!

It was too late for him to act. I had already pictured Fluttershy and I was gone.

The light faded and I was in a guest room. I looked around. There she was. She was lying on the bed, crying softly. She hadn't seen me appear. My mind was racing. What should I do? "Um...hi." Fluttershy sat up and looked at me. Nothing was said. We just stared at each other. I smiled. She slowly got up, but didn't come near me. "What are you doing here?" I took a step forward. "I wanted to see you." She turned away from me. "Why?" What? I needed a reason to see her? I shook my head in confusion. "I missed you Shy. I want to be with you again." She lowered her head, still facing away from me. "I...I can't." I felt my eye twitch. "What?" Her head slowly turned until I could see her face. "You're not the same stallion I fell in love with." Not the same? "What do you mean? I am the same. " She spun around, the anger flaring in her eyes.

I actually took a step back. I had never seen Shy angry before. And then she yelled. "The same?! Look in that mirror and tell me that you haven't changed!" I glanced over at the mirror in the corner. I saw my reflection. The same reflection that I had looked at in my own mirror. "I see the better me." Her reflection appeared next to mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that she was right next to me. A tear rolled down her cheek. "All I see is Discord." I felt a sharp pain in my head. I closed my eyes. "Shy, you don't understand. I was nothing before." She turned to me, the tears coming faster. "You were everything to me." My expression hardened. "If I was everything, then why didn't you come to the hospital after I woke up? Ashamed to be the mare of a three-legged pony?"

I never saw the hoof coming.

She was standing over me. "I never came because I didn't want to see you in pain! I couldn't bear to see you hurt! For weeks I couldn't stop crying because I was worried about you!" I shook my head to clear it. "You...you hit me." Her tears were flowing freely and dropping to the floor. "You had friends, a place to call home, a mare that loved you! What do you have now?" That pierced my heart. It echoed in my head. I slowly stood up and stared at the mare in front of me. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. The guest room disappeared in another flash of light and I was back in my cell. I collapsed to the ground and closed my eyes.

What are we doing back here?

I need time to think. I need time alone.

We could do that somewhere that doesn't have bars on the window.

I don't care. There's no point.

What? One punch to the head and you've changed your mind?

She's right about me. About you.

I'm here to help you Speedy.

Lies. Everything had been lies.

And where would you be without those lies?

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. My head began to ache. I could see a green trail of smoke come out of my mouth. It floated to the mirror and seemed to go right through it. And then the mirror began to glow. Discord appeared as if he was in the reflected room. I looked around, but saw nothing. He was only in the mirror. He locked eyes with me. "Well? What would you be if I hadn't picked you up?" He stepped back and I saw my own reflection. It was me! Three-legged, no cutie mark Speedy! Discord stepped back into view. "You are useless without me! Rejected by the princess, your friends, and now the one mare that loved you. But with me you can be respected, hold power, and do anything you want."

It was at this point that my mind began to clear somewhat. Having Discord out allowed me to think for once. He was speaking some truths, but they were distorted. "You're right. I was nothing." Discord smiled. "So shy waste away in his cell?" I smiled back. I knew what to do. "They've pushed me away. It's time to push back." Discord chuckled. "Revenge on your former friends?" I shook my head. "I was thinking on a larger scale. Perhaps...Ponyville?" His eyes glowed in excitement. "Brilliant!" He faded from view and the green smoke appeared again. It went right down my throat and I could feel Discord in my head again. I looked at my reflection to find I was whole again. I stood up. "Why don't we drop in on Celestia one last time?" I could sense approval, but that was all. Discord was too busy with his own thought of chaos to hear me.

I was back in the library. And there was Celestia. To my surprise, Twilight was with her too. The minute they saw me both their horns began to glow. Things wouldn't end well if they used their magic. How could I stop them though? Why couldn't they just sit still for a moment? And so they stopped. They actually froze in place as if they were statues. I felt even more joy from Discord. I looked between the two ponies. "I've come to say goodbye. And I won't have you two trying to stop me. I'm leaving whether you like it or not." All they could do was blink. I walked towards them. There were two tables that had books and scrolls littered on the tops. They had obviously been studying up on my predicament.

I picked up a book on the Elements of Harmony and laughed. I turned to them and tapped the cover. "You really think you'll find your answers in these dusty old things?" I dropped the book in front of Twilight and looked at the other table. I flipped through the scrolls and found a map of Equestria. I looked it over for a moment before turning it to Celestia. "Soon I will rule all of this." I traced my hoof from one end of the map to the other, ending at the Everfree Forest. I locked eyes with Celestia. She blinked. I laughed again. "I hope you enjoy your last day of freedom." I released the magic and let them fall to the ground. With that, I was gone.

Finally we get to have some fun!

You were pretty quiet back there. I would have thought you would help me out with those two.

I was busy planning the upcoming chaos! I was daydreaming about what we could accomplish together.

I flashed into existence in the center of town. I was standing on top of the town hall. I was in the perfect spot where nopony could see me. Perfect.

Aren't you going to reveal yourself? Claim your right as their new overlord?

That's not the way I do things. It's one thing to let the ponies know what to fear. But what happens when that object of fear is unseen? They can't run. It's pointless to hide. The chaos that will occur from an unknown terror will be brilliant!

I looked around. The sun was just going down. There were still plenty of ponies out and about. An audience. And now for the big opening! One by one I watched as ponies would head for a door. And one by one, every door in Ponyville disappeared. It was too funny! I watched as they ran around trying to make sense of what had happened. What next?

Might I suggest something?

I listened as he laid out the idea. I smiled. I looked down at the confused ponies. Flashes of light popped everywhere as every pony's mane turned became daises. Screaming followed. I collapsed in fits of laughter. It didn't help that Discord's laughter made me laugh harder.

The evening continued with flying cupcakes, clouds falling to the ground, earth ponies floating into the air, and house walls becoming dominoes. I was ready to push them over when I spotted something in the distance. There was enough moonlight to tell that something was coming from Canterlot. I could guess who. "We need to disappear."

I materialized in the clearing where Discord's body stood.

Why did you bring me back here?

The last place Celestia would expect us to be is at your old prison. So we wait here for a while. If she gets close, we go somewhere else. Until then we sit back, relax, and celebrate a wonderful start to chaos.

And what a wonderful beginning it was. And things will only get better.

I smiled. I looked up at what few stars were visible through the forest canopy. Discord was right. It could only get better from here. I heard the sound of hooves behind me.

What?!

I turned around. Celestia and Twilight had understood my code. They had arrived with the others. And the Elements. And now Discord knew what I had done.

You! How dare you rebel against me!

I ignored him. "Thank you for coming. We're in for a long night I fear. He won't go easily." I gagged. I didn't fight it. Soon I was only a spectator as Discord took over. "I won't go at all!" Celestia stepped forward. "The Elements bound you once, and they can do it again." Discord laughed. "Now, now. Don't be hasty. Imprison me and I take Speedy with me." Could he do that? Had this all been in vain? I saw the doubt in the others eyes. They weren't going to do it. They wouldn't risk it. Discord gagged and I was thrown back in command of my body.

I looked at each of the mares. "I know you think that you can save me, but you can't." Twilight stepped forward. "Speedy, we're going to save you." I shook my head. "He's too far into my mind. Lock him away and he'll drag me along." My eyes fell on Fluttershy. "But you need to do it."

How bold. How heroic. How sickening! Sacrificing yourself to save Equestria? Please.

I knew the consequences. Having to spend eternity with Discord wasn't exactly the best, but I had dealt with him this long. I'm sure I could stand a few more years before losing it. And at least I wouldn't have to worry about growing old. I would be a statue. Nothing preserves well like a sturdy hunk of rock.

Rock....

I couldn't. Could I? Was it possible?

What are you doing?

I turned to Discord's stony prison. I smiled. "Let's turn this rock into something it isn't." The statue began to shudder. And then it slowly began melting.

No! My beautiful body! Stop!

I could feel him try to force me. But it was too late. The magic was working. And then I felt something. The icy cold prick that Discord's presence. It was fading. Was I actually destroying him? No. He was leaving... He was getting out of my head! I saw the smoke trail out of my mouth. It sat in front of me and expanded. It formed a barrier between me and the statue.

I. Said. STOP!

The magic was redirected towards me and I was knocked across the clearing. I landed in front of the others. And awkwardly too. I had landed on the side where my leg was missing. I was back to normal.

I felt dizzy, I was seeing double, and the edges of my vision were going black. I looked up at Fluttershy. Her image was growing dimmer by the second. I lifted my head. "Now."

I saw a brilliant light. I knew what it was. And just as I blacked out I could hear an unearthly scream.

Second Chance

I woke up screaming. I was in the hospital. I looked around. I was alone.

I wiped some sweat from my brow. This was the fourth time. Would I ever sleep peacefully again?

I watched the sun come up. It was a beautiful sunrise. I let the warmth of its rays wash over me. I had not none such warmth for a while. It was peaceful. It wasn't too long after that I had some visitors. Twilight walked in followed by Rarity. Rarity had some sort of package with her. I smiled as they entered. "Hi." They both smiled back. Twilight walked up to me. "How did you sleep?" I sighed. "The same as before." She put a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm sure it'll get better, given some time." I looked out the window again. "I don't think it will. Every night I wake up screaming from the worst nightmares. And the worst part is that I don't think they are nightmares. They appear more like memories. And they're not mine." Twilight pulled me into an embrace. "You're awake now. You don't have to think about it."

I hugged her back and looked at Rarity. "What did you bring? Some new dress you wanted to show off?" Rarity giggled. "Darling, if I wanted to show off a dress, I would have worn it. No, this is for you." She levitated the package onto my lap. It was an interesting shape. And it was a good size too. Almost like...

I looked up at Rarity. She didn't say anything. She just nodded towards the package. I unwrapped it. I sat in silence, staring at it. Rarity stepped forward. "It took me forever to get it just right. And Twilight figured out the spells that need to be performed. Celestia even helped! I smiled and lifted the item up to examine it.

It had a simple cloth covering. I looked inside to find familiar wiring. I recognized it as my own design. There also appeared to be the appendage of one of Rarity's mannequins. Most likely for solidity and support. I held it out in front of me and nodded. A perfect copy of my old leg.

I motioned for Rarity to come closer. She did so. Once she was within reach, I pulled her into a hug and held her there for several moments. When we finally released, I kissed her on the cheek. "You are the most brilliant inventor ever." She blushed. Twilight grabbed the corner of my sheets. "You ready?" I nodded and she pulled back the sheets to reveal my bottom half. One leg and a third of one leg. Rarity place the double parallel to my good leg and lined them up perfectly. The double rested gently against my stump.She pulled out a small harness. It fit right onto the stump. "This is so I can attach the leg. That way you can take it off if it needs repairs." She looked at Twilight and nodded. Twilight stared down at the double and closed her eyes. Her horn glowed brighter and brighter until she finally released the magic.

I looked down. It was if the past few weeks had never happened. I was staring at two legs again. I smiled. "It looks great." Twilight laughed. "It works even better. Why don't you stand up?" Stand up? What did she mean? And then I noticed that as my good leg moved, the new leg did as well. Was this possible? I tried a few movements. It worked perfectly. It was as if it was my actual leg! Without thinking, I jumped out of bed. I landed steadily and began walking around the room. I began to laugh. I couldn't help myself.

I turned to thank the two unicorns only to find them exiting. "Wait! Where are you going?" Twilight glanced back at me. "We figured you two would want some privacy." And she was gone. But before the door could close, another pony walked in. Fluttershy. She stopped and looked at me. What should I do?

Before I could do anything though, Shy ran over to me and caught me in a hug. I hugged back and we stayed there for several minutes without speaking. I could here her crying. Before long I was crying too. I finally pulled away and looked at her. "Thank you." She wiped her tears away. "For what?" I smiled. "I don't think I'd be here without you. I couldn't see the truth until you forced me to see it." The tears were welling up again for both of us. She leaned in and kissed me.

I was checked out of the hospital the next day. It was nice to be out of that room finally. I took a deep breath of fresh air as I exited the hospital. The sun was shining and the future was bright. Fluttershy stood next to me as I stared out at the beautiful scene before me. I looked at her. "Shall we?" She smiled and we began walking. As I turned towards our homes, Shy stopped. "Wait! We need to go to town." I looked at her questioningly, but I could tell she wasn't going to budge on the matter. I shrugged and followed her.

We arrived at the library before long. I guess Shy needed a book. We walked inside.

"SURPRISE!"

I flinched a bit. But I relaxed as I saw that all my friends were here. They gathered around and hugged me. I smiled. "What's all this?" Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Well it's a surprise party, silly!" I looked around the room. Decorations, balloons, sweets...it was a party! "I...I don't know what to say." Rainbow Dash flew over to the record player. "Well I do! Let's party!" She flipped the music on and the party began.

I don't know how long we danced for. I don't even remember it getting dark. It was only when Applejack and Rarity were about to head out that I realized we had been here all day. "Wait a moment." Applejack and Rarity stopped. Everypony looked at me. I cleared my throat. "I...I just wanted to say...thanks." Twilight smiled. "We really didn't plan much. It was Pinkie's idea to throw the party." I shook my head. "That's not it. I mean...that's not all of it. What's happened over the last while...I wanted to apologize." Applejack stepped forward. "It wasn't ur fault Speedy." I lowered my head. "Yes it was. I just didn't realize what I was doing. But I finally saw the light. It was like...a punch to the face." I smiled and glanced at Fluttershy. She blushed and smiled back at me. "I was able to realize what I was doing, but I couldn't have escaped without all of you. My friends. Thank you." I could see some teary eyes. What was it about us and crying?

We had another group hug and then went our separate ways. I walked Fluttershy home under a full moon. She put her head on my shoulder as we walked. I smiled. Discord had been wrong. This is where I belonged. With my friends. With Fluttershy. And now I knew it.

The First Crusader

I had just walked onto Sweet Apple Acres when I got run over by three fillies. They seemed familiar. Ah! They ran me over on my first day in town. I hope I wasn't the only one this happened to. As if in answer, Applejack, who was heading towards me, was bowled over next. She got up and dusted herself off. She looked crossly at the fillies. "Watch where y'all are stampedin' girls!" She shook her head as the fillies kept running around. I walked over to her. "Hooves full there Applejack?" She smiled. "I do at that. Apple Bloom and her friends can't keep out of trouble for a minute." I smiled as we watched the fillies running around the barn. "They sure seem lively. They must keep you busy." Applejack sighed. "Busier than I have time fer. I need to get out to the orchard, but I also gotta keep an eye on these three." She did seem a little stressed. Applebucking and foalsitting would be a chore for anypony.

I thought for a moment. "I could come help you with the bucking. At least we'd get the job done faster." Applejack smiled. "Thank ya Speedy, but yer forgettin' one thing." She tapped my false leg. I looked back at it. I had one strong hoof to hit trees with, but this false one probably would buckle under the pressure. I sighed. "Right." She gave me a sympathetic smile and a pat on the shoulder. The fillies ran by and another idea sparked in my head. "Why don't I take the girls while you get to the orchard?" She laughed. "I wouldn't do that to ya Speedy. Them fillies are a hooffull." I gave her a questioning look. She shook her head. "You've never been around my sister and her friends have you?" I shrugged. "I've seen them in town before, but I've never talked to them." Applejack laughed chuckled. "They are the most spirited fillies you'll ever meet."

For some reason Applejack kept looking at me after her comment. Her eyes moved along my body and down to my flank. What was she doing? Her eyes lit up. "You know what? I think you should watch the girls." Now I was confused. "Huh?" She began to walk away. "Go introduce yerself. You'll figure it out before long." And off she went to the apple orchard. What the hay had just happened? One minute she says I'm not up to it and the next she says I am? I shook my head. Mares.

I walked over to join the fillies. "Hello!" They stopped where they were. One of them smiled. "Yer Speedy Quill right? Applejack's friend?" The accent gave it away. "You must be her sister Apple Bloom." She nodded. "Yep! And this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo." She motioned to each of the fillies in turn. I nodded to each of them. "I hope you three don't mind, but Applejack has a busy day ahead of her, so I volunteered to watch you." Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Great. Now how are we supposed to go crusading." Crusading? What did she mean? I looked at her. "Crusading? For what?" Big mistake. The girls looked at each other and smled. Sweetie Belle stepped forward. "We are-" She looked at the other two and they all took a deep breath.

"THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!"

It would take a few minutes for my ears to stop ringing. "The Cutie Mark..." Apple Bloom raced around me. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're on a mission to find our special talents and git our cutie marks." Ah. Out to find their special talents and get their... I glanced down at my flank. My eyes moved to the orchard. I grit my teeth. Applejack was going to get it. Apple Bloom joined her friends and they looked up at me. Sweetie Belle tilt her head to the side. "So what do you do Speedy? Rarity's talked about you before, but what's your special talent?" Oh boy. Change the subject! "Um...you talked to Rarity?" She rolled her eyes. "Well yeah, she's my sister. Didn't she tell you about me before?" She hadn't. But at least we were off the subject of- "So what's your cutie mark look like?" Huh?

Scootaloo was moving around to my side. I went to turn, but it was too late. She froze and stared at my blank flank. The others walked over and stared. Scootaloo looked up at me. "You...you don't have a cutie mark!" I swallowed. "Uh...yeah." The questions began flying without warning. Applejack must have known this would happen. She was going to pay for this. I was at the mercy of three fillies who wouldn't stop asking about my blank flank. And then I got lucky. Over the questions I heard a 'SNAP'. I felt myself falling over.

I landed on the grass and looked down at my false leg. Something had broken and bent it in the wrong direction. If it had been any other leg, this would have been extremely painful. The girls stood there with open mouths. Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom! What did you do?" Apple Bloom rushed over to me. "Speedy. Ah'm so sorry! Are ya hurt? I should go git Applejack!" She was ready to run and I grabbed her. "I'm fine girls. Really. I just need to fix it." Sweetie Belle looked scared. "Wh-what do you mean f-f-fix it?" I grabbed hold of the leg and pulled it off. The frightened screams that came after were piercing. "Girls! It's fine. It's not real." The screaming stopped.

I showed them the fake leg and pointed out what was left of my actual leg. "See? I told you." Apple Bloom stepped closer and eyed the leg. "You mean ya only have three legs?" I nodded. Scootaloo stepped up. "How does that work?" I smiled. "Why don't you three sit down and I'll tell you all about it. I'll even tell you about my blank flank too." I received three smiles and they sat in front of me, ready for a story.

For an hour or so I regaled them with the story of how I lost my leg, from the dragon to the leg coming off. I didn't bother to go into my time with Discord. No filly needed to here about that. I set the leg in front of me as I finished. "Rarity built me this leg so I could walk again." Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up. "My sister made this?" I nodded. I looked the leg over and tweaked it back into place. "Looks like a wire caught." I tested the gears and the leg bent perfectly. I hooked it back on and stood up, stretching it out. Apple Bloom looked confused. "How can you move it if it's fake?" I smiled. "A little help from Twilight and Princess Celestia. Their magic made it so I can move it like a real leg." Satisfied that the leg was fine, I sat back down.

The girls seemed to be at a lose for words. I wasn't surprised. It was quite the story to tell. In fact, it was the first time I had ever recounted the whole adventure. Scootaloo was the first to find her voice. "I can't believe you went up against a dragon!" I chuckled. "Neither can I." She smiled. "That's so awesome!" Sweetie Belle inched closer. "But weren't you scared?" I nodded. "Oh yeah. I was scared silly. But as you can see, I'm still in one piece. Well...mostly." That got them to laugh. I joined in.

Once we calmed down I could see they were ready for the next story. I glanced back at my blank flank and sighed. "I guess it's a strange sight to see a grown stallion with no cutie mark." I glanced at the Crusaders and saw the nervous looks they exchanged. I smiled. "It's okay girls. It's not embarrassing for me to talk about. You can ask me about it." They sat still for a moment. Apple Bloom raised her hoof. Good old school manners. "Yes Apple Bloom?" She lowered her hoof and hesitated. "Um... why don't you have a cutie mark?" General enough.

I thought for a moment. "Well...I don't rightfully know. My mother always says that when I was little I had a different talent every day. I was always trying new things. And I was good at all of them." Scootaloo's mouth fell open. "So you can do anything? Like...anything?" I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't tried everything yet. But what I have tried, I can do pretty well." Sweetie Belle grinned. "Wow! You must be the most talented pony in Equestria!" I chuckled. "Don't give me too much credit. There are some things even I can't do. I can't fly or perform magic." Scootaloo looked at her wings while Sweetie Belle looked up at her horn. "But there was a price that came with all that talent." Apple Bloom looked confused. "Whadaya mean Speedy?"

This was the part I hadn't really wanted to get into. I could see however that I wasn't going to get out of telling my sob story. I sighed and looked at each of the fillies. "When I was your age I looked just like any other young pony. I had a bright future and a blank flank to cover. Nopony thought any differently of me. I was normal. But as I got older, I became the joke of the town. Nopony had ever heard of a stallion with a blank flank. And my talents didn't help either. I could outperform a lot of other ponies at their own special talents. Eventually they started calling me a freak. That's when I decided to leave and find somewhere where I could live in peace. And that's when I came to Ponyville. I seem to remember three fillies running me over my first day in town."

The girls smiled. Sweetie Belle put her chin against the ground. "Oh. That was you?" I smiled. "You want to know the real secret though?" They all nodded and leaned in closer. I looked around and then whispered. "I still hope that someday I'll get that cutie mark." Apple Bloom beamed and stood up. "I know! You could come crusadin' with us!" Scootaloo jumped up. "Yeah! You could be a Cutie Mark Crusader!" Sweetie Belle stood and joined her friends. "You were crusading for your cutie mark way before us. You're like...the first crusader!" All three jumped up in the air.

"THE FIRST CRUSADER!!"

I saw that one coming. I had already covered my ears before they yelled. When they had finished, I stood back up. "Thanks Crusaders. I'd be honored to join you." Scootaloo ran over to a scooter with a wagon attached to it. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Scootaloo wheeled over and the others jumped in the wagon. Before I could say anything else, Scootaloo's wings started flapping at an incredible speed. And away the scooter and wagon flew down the road. Was I supposed to follow? Duh! I'm foalsitting them, aren't I? And so I ran after them.

I caught up with the Crusaders in the town square. As I walked up to them I could here them discussing what to do. Scootaloo was hopping in place. "We should totally try pogo-stick racing!" Sweetie Belle shook her head. "How about puppet shows?" Apple Bloom stepped up. "Ah say we should be a three pony marchin' band!" I laughed to myself. These fillies sure did think of some crazy ideas. I was surprised however that Scootaloo didn't want to do something athletic. The way she had taken off with her scooter had been impressive. She probably had a great talent for sports or something.... Idea!

I joined the group. "Have you figured out what you're going to try first?" They looked up at me and shook their heads. I put a hoof to my chin and hummed. "What about sports. Have you girls tried any sports yet?" They looked at each other. "Apple Bloom looked back at me. "Not many. Whadya have in mind?" I thought for a moment. "Well... what about rollerskating?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle perked up at the idea. Apple Bloom lowered her head. "Um... Ah tried a roller derby once...It wasn't very fun." I rolled my eyes. "Well that's a roller derby. They skate pretty fast. I'm talking about just rollerskating for fun." Apple Bloom looked up again. "Ah guess that would be okay. Let's do it!"

I don't exactly know where they found four pairs of skates, but I didn't want to. I figured the less I knew the better. I had just finished putting on my last skate when I heard a voice. "Hi Speedy!" I looked behind me to see Twilight walking by. I waved her over. "Hi Twilight." She sat down next to me. "What are you and the girls doing?" I rolled my eyes. "Applejack got me to watch them while she finishes working." Twilight looked at the fillies. "You all seem to be getting along." I tapped my flank. "Us blank flanks got to stick together." Her eyes questioned the comment. I simply smiled and stood up. "Besides, I think they enjoy having an older pony around that shares that trait. I'm great at moral support." Twilight stood up and smiled. "That sounds good. Those fillies definitely need somepony to cheer them on. They just need to realize what their actual talents are." I eyed Twilight. Did she have the same theory I did? "You mean..." I glanced at the girls and leaned in closer to Twilight. "You know their talents?" She nodded. "I have a fairly good idea. And you will too soon enough. It becomes easier to see every day. Those three just need to figure it out." I smiled. "Well I already have Scootaloo narrowed down. So that leaves the other two." She smiled back and began walking away. "I'll leave you to it then. See you later!" I waved as she left.

The skates were on and we were beginning to roll. It was something to watch. I caught on quickly enough. The girls took a little longer. Once she got a feel for the skates, Scootaloo took off. She began jumping and spinning through the air. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stopped to watch her for a moment. I skated in circles waiting for them and heard Apple Bloom. "Are you sure you haven't done this before Scoot?" Scootaloo shook her head. "Nope. But this sure is fun!" She began to skate away and the others followed. I fell in behind them. I had to admit, Scootaloo was almost...graceful. It was like watching a ballet performance on skates...Of course! I smiled to myself. Now all I had to do was when I went crusading with the girls, I would try to edge Scootaloo towards dancing. I would figure out the others soon enough and do the same with them.

We rolled into Sweet Apple Acres just as Applejack appeared from the orchard followed by a big red stallion pulling a cart of apples. Applejack waved to us and trotted over. "Looks like y'all had a good day." We all nodded. Applejack nodded towards the house. "Go on girls. Dinner'll be on the table soon." The girls began running towards the house.

"Bye Speedy!"

"See you later First Crusader!"

"Thanks for taking us skatin'!"

Applejack eyed me and smiled. "Sounds like they had fun." I smiled and narrowed my eyes. "They did." Applejack nudged me. "And did I hear them call you a Crusader?" I nudged back. "It's all your fault. You told me to watch them. Herding all the blank flanks together are ya?" Her sheepish grin gave it away. "Uh..."

She didn't have time to react. I tackled her to the ground and stood over her smiling. "Thanks AJ. You and Rarity can ask for me to watch them anytime." Applejack stood up and began to laugh. I joined in and we laughed as the sun set on Ponyville..

Lunchtime Love

The day was getting better and better. I had woken up, done a little writing, and then been surprised by a knock at my door. When I had opened the door, I found Shy standing there with an invitation to lunch.

And now here I was sitting at a cafe table across from my marefriend. She smiled at me. "How are you doing?" I thought for a moment on what to tell her. I pushed the more disturbing event to the back of my mind and smiled. "I'm doing better than before. Especially now with lunch. I needed to get out of that house. I've kept myself locked up for the past few days getting some work done." Fluttershy giggled. "You work too much." We laughed for a minute before the waiter brought our food.

As we sat enjoying our meal, I looked around the street. Ponies passed by, going about their business. My eyes froze as I spotted Twilight walking along with a book hovering in front of her. She was reading and walking? How did she see where she was-?

*BOOM*

I stood up as Twilight fell back from walking into Applejack's brother, Big Mac. Fluttershy followed my gaze to see what had happened. "Omygoodness!" She ran over to Twilight and I followed close behind. "You okay Twilight?" She shook her head vigorously and looked up at the red stallion. "Sorry Big Mac! I should have been watching where I was going." The stallion smiled. "It's okay Miss Twilight. I shoulda spotted ya before we hit." He held out a hoof to help her up and she took it. Fluttershy looked Twilight over. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" She nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry again Big Mac." Big Mac smiled and nodded his head. "Weren't nothin'." And off he walked, pulling his cart of apples. While Shy kept looking over Twilight, I watched Mac go. I noticed him glance back at us. When he saw me watching though, he snapped his head forward again.

It was two days later when I brought up a question to Fluttershy. We had decided to spend every lunch at the cafe together. She was about to sink her teeth into her sandwich when I asked my question. "Shy, do you ever wonder if the others are jealous of us?" She froze and looked at me. I could tell the question troubled her. She slowly set the sandwich down. "What...what do you mean?" I stammered for a moment trying to gather my thoughts. "I-I don't mean like that...that their jealous as much as-as-as....envious?" She continued to stare at me, clearly confused. I rolled my eyes. "What I'm trying to say is...do you think the others could use special someponies in their lives? So they can have what you and I have?" She sat quietly for the next few minutes. I didn't say anything else. I just waited.

Finally she spoke. "I...I don't know. They all seem...happy. Why do you ask?" I sighed and leaned in. "Well...do you remember the other day when Twilight and Big Mac bumped into each other?" She nodded and continued. "Well as he walked away, I noticed him glance back at her. I wonder if...if he might like her." Shy's eyes grew wide. "Are you sure Speedy?" I shrugged. "I don't know. But usually when a stallion looks back as he walks away, he's wanting to catch another glimpse of a pretty mare. I do that all the time with you." She blushed and kissed me on the cheek. "You're sweet. And I wouldn't be surprised if Twilight had a stallion eyeing her. She's a great mare. But do you really think it's Big Mac?" I shrugged again.

We spent the next hour talking about our friends. I asked Fluttershy all I could about their personal relationships. That is, I asked everything I could without crossing the line. There wasn't much to tell though. None of the mares had been in relationships. "You mean none of them? Not even Rarity, our local love guru?" She shook her head. "I guess none of them have found the right stallion." I thought about it. It was possible I guess. But what if... "What if the right stallions are here, but they're too shy to come out with it?" Fluttershy nodded. "That makes sense. But stallions liking them is only part of it. They would need to like the stallions too." Right.

How to figure out if two ponies like each other. It was intriguing. It was a doozy. I was in over my head. But my mind was made up. I leaned in closer to Shy. "I have an idea. Tomorrow, ask Twilight to join you for lunch." She cocked her head to the side. "Just me and her? Why?" I smiled and winked. "Leave the rest to me."

I set down the basket of apples and wiped the sweat off my forehead. I heard my stomach growl. "Whew! Nothing like some harvesting to work up an appetite." Big Mac stopped next to me, setting down his load. "Eeyup." I stretched my legs. "Ah! What do you say to grabbing a bite in town?" Big Mac stared at me. "We could just eat here like always." I rolled my eyes. "You and Applejack have fed me so many times, I feel like I'm made of apples. Come on. It'll be my treat." I turned towards town and then looked back at him. He shrugged. "I don't usually eat out...but I guess once wouldn't hurt." He began to follow. I smiled and led the way to town.

I spotted the cafe as we got closer. Perfect! All of the big tables had been taken. I chuckled. The sudden advertising of a family lunch special is bound to do that. We arrived just in time to see Fluttershy and Twilight approach. We all stopped in front of each other. I could just notice the twitch of a muscle in Mac's neck. I looked at Fluttershy. "I didn't know you were going to be here today. I would have asked you." Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh! Um...I'm sorry. It's just that I was with Twilight and...we both got hungry.." Twilight stepped up. "We could get lunch another time Fluttershy. I wouldn't want to intrude." I shook my head. "It's okay. I was helping Big Mac out in the orchard and brought him out for lunch. Why don't we see if there's a table to share?" We walked through the sea of tables, trying to find a spot.

I leaned in close to Shy. "Whatever I say next, I want you to interrupt me by whispering in my ear." She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. We left the bigger tables and were now around the smaller tables. Tables made for two. "Well, I guess all the large tables are taken. I guess we can-" Shy leaned in and whispered softly. "I hope this works. It'll be great if it does." I smiled and leaned away from her. "Um...what was I saying?" Twilight looked between the two of us. "Were you about to suggest we sit at two of the smaller tables instead of waiting for a large on to clear?" I nodded. "You read my mind." I leaned in and whispered into Shy's ear. "I'm hopeful as well. When I pull away, giggle." I leaned back smiling and she giggled.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Excuse me sir." I turned to see one of the waiters. "If you're in the same party, a larger table just opened up." No! No no no no no no! Twilight beamed. "Great! We can all sit together!" She and Big Mac walked towards the table. I looked at Fluttershy. She looked as surprised as me. "Was this part of the plan?" I shook my head and we trotted after the others. I dealt with the problem and made sure that Twilight sat across from Big Mac.

Fluttershy and Twilight sat talking while they looked over the menu. I noticed that Big Mac looked a little tense. I leaned over to him. "You okay Mac?" He nodded "Eeyup." I made sure the mares weren't watching and turned back to Mac. "You sure? You're starting to sweat." He wiped his forehead. "It's just from work today. I'm fine." I narrowed my eyes. He forced a smile. I sighed and turned to the girls. "If you'd excuse us for a moment, we're going to find a bathroom." I stood up and nudged Big Mac. He got up and followed me.

We walked off towards the bathroom only for me to lead us to a spot that was out of sight from the mares. I turned to Big Mac. "What's wrong?" He kicked at the ground. "Nothin'." I sat down and stared at him. He fidgeted for a moment. "Please Speedy. Don't make me do this." I sighed. "If something's wrong, I want to help you." He looked at me for a moment. Finally, he sat. "It's just...I didn't expect to see Miss Twilight here. I thought it just us stallions." I hadn't expected him to confess so easily. "Why would it matter that Twilight's here?" He gave me a stern look. "Come on now. You can guess why." I put on a show as if I was trying to figure out what he meant. I finally made my eyes go wide and looked back at him. "You mean you have a-!" I never finished. I looked down to find a large red hoof over my mouth.

The look he was giving me would have made a lot of ponies cringe. "If you say anything-" I pushed the hoof away. "I won't. Stallion's honor. It's not my place to tell her such a thing. It's yours." His anger turned to shock. "Me? I...I couldn't!" I rolled my eyes. "Why not?" He was at a lose for words. His mouth moved for a moment without actually saying anything. I put a hoof on his shoulder. "Look. Why don't we go back to our table and just enjoy lunch. You don't have to tell her, but you should at least talk to her. Just casual stuff." He stared at me and then gave a curt nod. I smiled and led him back to the table.

We sat down just as the waiter arrived to take our order. "I hope you aren't in a hurry. We have been so busy today, we're a little behind on the orders. But we will bring your food as fast as we can." We all expressed that it was no trouble and the waiter left. Perfect. Time for some conversation. I began talking about our day on the farm. It had actually been more fun than actual work. Big Mac and I had made a contest out of it. Of course with his larger build, he beat me with plenty of time to spare. The girls laughed at my expense. I sank a little in my chair. That made Big Mac chuckle. "You were still pretty good for a pony who didn't grow up on a farm." I shrugged.

At that moment a couple of mares walked past the cafe. I noticed them glancing at Mac and smiling. Were they trying to catch his attention? I looked at Big Mac. He apparently hadn't noticed them. But Twilight sure did. She glanced at the mares as they walked away and then turned to Big Mac. "I've noticed a lot of mares do that around you Big Mac." Mac was caught off guard by the comment. "Huh?" Twilight smiled. "Mares seem to really like you. I'm surprised you don't have a special somepony yet." Mac stammered. "Uh..I just haven't.....thought about it much. What with....work." Twilight nodded. "That's how I am. I'm always so busy at the library, when would I have time for a relationship?" I saw Mac's shoulders sag a little. We were losing him. I cleared my throat. "You're not in there all the time Twilight." She shrugged. "Well...maybe I exaggerated a little, but I do study a lot." And then the last thing I ever expected happened. A response. "That's what makes ya so smart." We all looked at Big Mac.

He didn't try to look away or anything. His face was neutral. Twilight beamed. "Thanks Big Mac! That's so nice." He smiled. "And it's the truth." I looked at Twilight out of the corner of my eye. Was she...blushing? It was faint, but it was definitely there. I looked at Fluttershy and winked.

The waiter arrived with our food shortly after. The table was silent except for me and Shy. We would address the others and get short responses. When we were finished with lunch, Big Mac stood up. "I'd best be gettin' back to the farm." I stood up. "Right. We have to get those apples stored away." He waved his hoof. "That's okay. I can handle it." With that he was gone. I looked at Shy. "You want me to walk you home?" She rubbed her hooves together. "Um...I actually have to get a few things in town...for the animals." I nodded in understanding. I turned to Twilight. "Now that I think about it, tere was a book I wanted to pick up." She smiled and stood. "You can come with me then." I kissed Fluttershy goodbye and followed Twilight.

We walked side by side along the street. "That was a good lunch wasn't it?" She nodded. "It certainly was. It's nice to have lunch with friends." She giggled. I looked at her. "What?" She smiled. "Just seeing you and Fluttershy. You two are so good together." I chuckled. "I know. But it's all her of course. I don't know how I got such a great mare." Twilight bumped my flank. "Because you're a great stallion." I smiled and glanced at her. "Well Miss 'I never get out of the library', you seemed to be working on finding a great stallion yourself." She stopped walking. "What do you mean?" I stood in front of her. "you mean youweren't flirting with Big Mac?" I could see her blushing again.

Twilight looked everywhere except at me. "Mac? Why would I flirt with Applejack's brother? Just because he's strong and muscular and...handsome and...such a gentlecolt..." Her eyes had gone dreamy on me. She notice my smile and shook her head. "I wasn't flirting!" I gave her a hug. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." I pulled away from her and she giggled. "That's what I said about your crush on Fluttershy." I nodded. "And now I'm saying it about your crush on Big Mac." She pushed me away. "It's not a crush! It's...just a liking. There's a difference!" I rolled my eyes. "If you say so. Now how about we go find my book." We continued on towards the library.

"You like him."

"Not in that way."

"Mm-hm."

"Speedy!"

"Just admit it."

"Fine! I...kinda sorta maybe-"

"That's good enough for me!"

"You didn't even let me finish!"

"Doesn't matter! You admitted it!"

"If you say anything, I'll make your mouth vanish!"

An Unexpected Visit

I had invited Fluttershy over for breakfast. We were enjoying some homemade waffles when there was a knock at the door. I sighed. "Do we ever have time to ourselves anymore?" Shy smiled. "You'd better answer it." I nodded and got up.

I opened the door and froze. It couldn't be. Why would they be here? "Speedy dear!" My mother pulled me into a hug. "M-Mom? Dad?" What were my parents doing in Ponyville? My mother let me go. Before I could move however, my father grabbed me. "How are you son?" I smiled. "Fine Dad. I'm fine. What are you guys doing here?" He let me go and looked at my mother. She looked concerned. "We got your letter the other day and were worried." Now I was confused. "What made you worry about me?" Dad rolled his eyes. "Your mother read that you had had some serious medical problems and so she insisted that we come visit you. Honestly dear, he looks fine to me." Oh boy. I did tell them that in my letter, but I didn't have the heart to tell them the whole story. I had done that out of fear they would race out here to see if I was okay. That had sure backfired.

"Speedy?" I turned around to see Shy standing right behind me. Uh-oh. My mother spotted her. "Who is this Speedy?" Of course I had seen fit to include a half-truth about my leg in the letter, but nothing about having a marefriend. I turned to my parents. "Um...his is Fluttershy. She's my neighbor...and my marefriend." My father's jaw dropped while my mother was either about to cheer or cry. I stepped back to stand next to Shy. I could see she was nervous. "Um...hi." And then my mother was hugging her and my father was patting me on the back.

"It's about time you found yourself a girl!"

"Oh she's adorable!"

"We're Speedy's parents. That's my wife Feather Quill and I'm Tailor"

"Um...hi."

We adjourned to the living room where my folks asked a thousand and one questions about me and Shy. I answered them all. Fluttershy just sat next to me. I hadn't seen her this quiet since I had first met her. When my mother finally paused to take a breath, I interrupted the questions. "So, you said you came because you were worried about me?" My mother looked at me. "Of course dear! You didn't say what had happened to you, so I was naturally worried." My father sighed. "He looks perfectly healthy to me honey." I forced a smile. "Yeah I am perfectly healthy. There is one thing you should know about. All I ask is that you don't speak until I'm finished." They looked at each other and then nodded to me. Shy scooted closer to me and whispered. "You haven't told them already?" I shook my head. "Do you want me to leave?" I shook my head again. I held her hoof. "I think I'd like the support." She smiled.

I turned to my folks. "It all started several months ago when a dragon landed in the forest..."

I was getting to the part about my leg having poison when my mother couldn't hold it in any longer. She began bawling. "My poor little colt!" Luckily Dad guessed she would try to jump me and pulled her into an embrace so she couldn't. I hadn't seen a single tear in his eye. In fact I don't think I've ever seen him cry. We waited until mother calmed down and then Dad nodded for me to continue. "Anyways the Princess was able to save my life. But it came at a cost." I reached down and slowly removed my false leg. My mother nearly fainted.

I showed off what was left of my leg. My Dad stepped forward and examined my replacement. "Good workmanship. Almost elegant. Who made this for you?" I smiled. "My friend Rarity. She's a fashion designer. With my blueprint and her keen eye, she was able to fix it up pretty quick." He nodded. "I've heard of Rarity. Impressive that she can make a convincing prosthetic and a beautiful fall lineup." Fluttershy glanced at me. I pointed at my father. "Dad here is the pony behind the fashion world. Half of the stuff you see in shops has his name on it." He chuckled. "Not something I brag about however. I prefer to be out of the spotlight. I'm glad to see you're safe though son. And I'm sure having a mare at your side was comforting." I smiled and Shy blushed.

After a few more minutes of chatting, I could see that Fluttershy was getting comfortable. She even asked a question. "How long do you plan on staying?" My parents looked at each other. My father shrugged. "Well...since Speedy isn't in trouble...we may have to leave pretty soon. I have to okay some designs and Feather has a deadline for her publisher." Fluttershy stood up. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe we could take you to lunch before you go?" Mother smiled. "That would be wonderful dear. It will give us plenty of time to talk about the future." I stood up with Shy. "The future?" She rolled her eyes. "Well you two have been together for a number of months now from what you've said. Haven't you begun to think about marriage?"

I don't know who had fainted first, but when my eyes opened I was on the floor next to Fluttershy and my folks were standing over us. My vision was still a bit blurry, but I could here my father. "I can't believe you honey. Why would you ask that?"

I raised my head off the floor. "That's what I'd like to know!" My parents jumped at my sudden consciousness. I slowly stood up. "Mother." I looked eyes with her. "What were you thinking?" She stepped back and gave a weak smile. "Speedy, can you blame me. You finally have a marefriend. I guess I just got excited." I shook my head. Before I could reply I heard a groan from Shy. I walked over to her and helped her up. "You okay Shy?" Her eyes were still trying to focus. "Wha?" I led her to the couch and sat her down. "Are you okay?" Her eyes focused on me and then at my folks. "Oh my. Did I faint?" I nodded. "Don't worry. I did too." She blinked a few times. "Did I hear your mother say-?" I put a hoof over her mouth and nodded. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh my." I turned to my parents. "Why don't we head out for that lunch. The next train to Filly should be taking off later today."

We went to our usual cafe and treated my parents to lunch. There wasn't much talk. We ate in silence. The excitement began as Twilight and Applejack walked past. I waved to them. "Hey!" They saw us and walked over. I looked at my folks and motioned to the mares. "I might as well introduce you to some of my friends. This is Twilight and Applejack. Girls, these are my parents." Twilight's eyes grew wide. "You're Feather Quill!" Oh boy. Forgot about that. Twilight was instantly sitting by my mother, talking her ear off. Good thing Mom was used to being recognized, but she had never met a mare like Twilight. Applejack shook hooves with my Dad. "Good ta meet ya!" He smiled. "And you as well. So you're friends of Speedy?" She nodded. "Sure are." She looked at me. "Why didn't ya say ur folks were in town?" I shrugged. "I didn't know until today."

I don't know where she came from, but all of a sudden Pinkie had her hooves around my parents. "Omygosh! You're Speedy's Mom and Dad! This is great! We need to have a party!" From nowhere she pulled out a small cannon and fired it. I was about to duck when I saw that it had fired streamers and balloons. This was just strange. And then Rainbow Dash landed at the edge of the cafe. "What's with the cannon-fire?" Pinkie jumped around her. "Speedy's parents are here!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Oh. I mean...Oh! Cool. I'm Rainbow Dash." Pinkie hopped up on the table. "And I'm Pinkie Pie!" She pulled out a kazoo and blew into it. The looks on my parents' faces were priceless. I started laughing.

We all sat around getting to know each other. I slipped away from the party and ran to the boutique. There was still one pony missing. I ran inside and found Rarity at her sewing machine. She looked up as I burst in. She scolded me. "I would think you would have the decency to knock first darling." I smiled. "No time for that. I have a name for you. Tailor." Her jaw dropped. "What?! What about him?" My smile grew even bigger. "Cafe!" She nearly ran me over.

We ran up to the party and I led Rarity up to my father. "Rarity, this is Tailor. Dad, this is Rarity." Rarity stared at me and then my father. "What? You? Him? Father?!" I began to laugh again. This lunch was going better than I could have ever hoped.

I waved to my folks as the train pulled away. They waved back from their window. Soon the train picked up speed and was out of sight. I walked over to the bench where Fluttershy was sitting. I sat down with a sigh. "Well that was interesting." She giggled. "It was fun." We sat for a few minutes, staring at the clouds. Fluttershy took my hoof. "How long do you think this will last?" I looked at her. "What do you mean?" She shrugged. "Us." I was at a loss. And then I connected the dots. This was because of my mother's comment this morning. I put a hoof around Shy and pulled her close. "I hope it lasts for the rest of my life." She put her head against my neck and we sat on that bench for the rest of the day.

Chaos And The Princess

It was a sunny day. The temperature however wasn't warm. Fall was coming into Ponyville. I was walking toward the farmers' market. The first of the fall gourds would be available.

As I neared the first cart I noticed that the front shelf was balancing on two legs. I don't know why I kept staring at them. I approached the cart and began looking over the vegetables. "Good crop this week." The farmer smiled. "It certainly is. Better than this time last year anyway." I barely registered that for some reason my hooves were busy sliding the shelf legs inward. Not all the way, but just enough. I bought a squash and went on my way.

I looked over several more stands before approaching the Apple's cart. "Morning Applejack!" She smiled at me. "Mornin' Speedy! And a chilly one too." I chuckled. "It is isn't it?" We chatted for a few minutes. I could sense my hooves moving for the cart, but I forced them to stay put. They weren't about to fool around with my friend.

The sound of falling squash hit our ears. I turned around to see the squash cart's shelf had collapsed and dumped every last squash onto the street. As if by design, another cart dumped its produce too. And another, and another, and another. I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. Applejack shook her head. "That's just a might strange. I feel sorry for those ponyfolk. They work hard to harvest for the market. And then what happens? Their food gets scattered." I nodded in agreement, choking back a chuckle.

All of a sudden every fruit and vegetable glowed with magic. The market was set back in order within seconds. Twilight stepped out onto the street. "I hope that's a little better for everypony. It seemed a bit messy." There were shouts of gratitude from all over the street as the farmers gave Twilight their thanks. She walked over to Applejack and me. "A little weird isn't it? Several carts collapsing like that?" She began walking towards the library. I said goodbye to Applejack and raced after her.

The second I caught up with Twilight I stopped in front of her. "Why'd you do that? Things were going just fine before you cleaned up! Everything was so chaotic!" Twilight stared wide-eyed at me. "Did you have something to do with what happened back there?" I groaned. "Of course. I was having some fun." She looked disgusted. "Speedy, sabotaging food carts isn't considered fun. It's just...wrong!" I sat down. She was right. "You're...you're right. I don't know why I did it." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Sure you don't." She walked around me.

I got up and raced after her. "Honest Twilight! I don't know what came over me. I was looking at food and my hooves decided to mess with the stand legs. I didn't stop myself until I got to Applejack's cart!" Twilight stopped. "Well at least you had the decency to not destroy your friend's weekly harvest." I shook my head to clear it. "I really don't know why I did it! I saw the legs and something in my mind thought it would be fun to see a bunch of food in the streets. And it was! It was funny. It was beautiful. It was chaotic. Hard to believe so many can't see how beautiful chaos can be." Twilight backed away form me. "Speedy...you're sounding like...like..." She didn't have to finish. My eyes narrowed and I grit my teeth. "Come on. We need to get to the library. There's something you need to know."

"WHAT?!" Spike ran into the room. "What's wrong Twi?" I shook my head. "Now's not good Spike. Please." He looked between Twilight and me and then nodded. He went back into the kitchen and I turned to Twilight. "There was no need to yell." She began pacing. "Of course there was need! After what you just told me, there was more than a need! How could you not say anything about this?" I shrugged. "I didn't know about it a week ago. And it hasn't been a problem until now." Twilight stopped pacing and sat down. Her horn glowed, pulling a quill and some parchment to her. "We need to tell the princess." She began scribbling away at the parchment.

I sat in silence until she had finished the letter. She turned to the kitchen. "Spike?" Spike entered the room. He was sticking a red jewel into his mouth. Twilight put the letter in front of him. "Would you send this to the princess?" Spike swallowed the gem and took the letter. He took a deep breath and let loose his fire. The letter disappeared into the wind, leaving us nothing to do but wait.

Something wasn't right. The sun was going down. No letter. Nothing. Was Celestia going to respond? Or maybe she was going to come here herself. Either way, I was getting nervous. The sun dipped below the horizon. I turned to Twilight. "It's been too long. She should have responded by now." Twilight looked just as bad for worry. She had been pacing around the library all day. She had even resorted the books. Twice. She paused her pacing to look at me. "It's not like the princess to not write back. And with something as big as this, she would have written back immediately." As if we had said the magic words, a belch came from upstairs.

Spike ran down the stairs holding a letter. Before he was halfway, Twilight grabbed the letter with her magic. I watched as her eyes darted back and forth over the scroll. She set the parchment down and looked up at me. "It...it says that you should go to your house." I straightened up. "She must be waiting for me." I walked to the door. Twilight began to follow me. I turned to her. "I need to do this alone Twilight." She stopped, her eyes reflecting concern. I opened the door and left.

I was just outside of town when I something in the bushes. I didn't bother to check. It was most likely just some animals. I was just past the bushes when I heard a voice. "So you're Speedy Quill." I froze, not wanting to turn around. Who would be looking for me? "There's no need to fear me. I'm not the one with the draconequus in my head." I slowly turned to see a midnight blue pony. My eyes locked on the crown she wore. I bowed my head. "Princess Luna. It is an honor to meet you." She nodded her head and walked up to me. "Let us walk."

We remained in silence for a few minutes. I kept glancing at the Princess of the Night, remembering the stories of Nightmare Moon I had heard as a colt. And yet Luna seemed to be the opposite of those legends. She looked at me. "I am surprised you did not cower in fear. Most ponies do when they first see me." I shrugged. "You're obviously not here to harm me. What surprised me more is that you are here and not your sister." She smiled. "Celestia thought it would be better for me to help you with your...situation." She trotted off the road towards a small group of trees. Not knowing what else to do, I followed her.

I found Luna sitting in the small grove, the moonlight shining down on her. She was as radiant with the moon as Celestia was with the sun. She nodded to the area in front of her and I sat down. "So how does Celestia think you can help?" Luna looked up at the sky. "Because my sister knows that we share smililar problems. Me with the Nightmare and you with Discord." She looked back to me. "You are fortunate that you will not have to live as long as I. When you are gone, I will still be living with the haunting memories of a thousand years as a monster." I shuddered. Having to live with what little of Discord I had for a thousand years? I couldn't do it. How could Luna sit before me and seem perfectly fine?

Luna stared at me for a long while. I stared back. What was she thinking about? I felt as if she was looking right through me. I finally broke eye contact. "So you know that some part of Discord is still in me?" Luna nodded. "We've known since you helped lock him back in his prison." My eyes snapped back to her. "What?!" Luna sighed. "Celestia helped with your recovery in the hospital. She could sense Discord, but only just. It seems that sharing a body caused your two minds to start becoming one. That was stopped however once Discord was no longer with you." I...I couldn't believe this! Celestia knew? And she didn't tell me?

I stood up and looked down on Luna. "Why wasn't I told?" I barely recognized my own voice. It had grown cold. It even had a certain familiar tone to it. Discord. I blinked as a shiver ran down my spine. A moment later, I collapsed to the ground. "Why?" Luna put a hoof on my shoulder. "Speedy, you need to understand that my sister has spent countless nights pouring over every spell she knows trying to find a way to help you. To get rid of this last piece of Discord. She did not want to alarm you. She would have told you if she had found a way to help." I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "But?" Luna lowered her gaze. "But she didn't. Even with our powers combined we could not destroy that fragment without destroying your mind as well." I nodded. I guess it made sense.

I felt a few more tears on my face as we sat in silence once again. When I had stopped, I turned my head to the moon above. "What happens now?" Luna stood up. "You will have to do as I do. You must learn to live with it. And you must learn to control it. Do not let yourself be taken by the darkness within you. It will be hard at first, but it will become easier in time." She spread her wings and took off, floating just over the trees. "I must attend to my duties. I hope I have been of some help to you." I nodded. "You have Luna. Thank you for coming." She smiled and flew off into the starry sky. I watched her disappear into the night before leaving the grove.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I could feel a slight tug in the back of my mind, giving me ideas for chaos. I shook my head and began the journey home. Luna was right. This was my burden to live with. And I could, no, I would control it. I would make sure that whatever part of Discord I had, it would stay buried in my mind, never to see the light of day again. That brought a smile to my face.

The Letters

I walked away from Fluttershy's cottage. Where could she be? She was usually home in the mornings. That's when I spotted her. She was coming up the road from Speedy's. They must have been having breakfast together. I began to walk towards her. I noticed the worried look in her eyes. I wonder what was wrong? "Fluttershy?" She didn't answer at first, but then she seemed to notice I was in front of her. "Oh...Hi Twilight." I gave her a comforting smile. "Is everything alright?" She shook her head. "I went to talk to Speedy, but he wasn't there. I don't think he ever got home last night." Speedy wasn't home?

I put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Why don't we go back? Maybe he was just asleep and didn't hear you knock." She looked thoughtful. "I...I hadn't thought of that." I led her back down the road until we reached Speedy's home. I knocked on the door and waited. Nothing. I jiggled the doorknob to find it unlocked. I opened the door and walked in. "Speedy?" Everything was quiet. We walked into the living room and looked around. I noticed a door off to the side, slightly open. I walked over and pushed it the rest of the way. It was Speedy's bedroom. There was a shattered mirror and a burn mark on the floor.

I couldn't say anything for a few seconds. What in Celestia's name had happened? "F-Fluttershy?" Fluttershy joined me and looked in. She gasped as the tears come to her eyes. "What happened?" I carefully stepped around the broken mirror and looked at the mark on the floor. I concentrated and let my magic get to work. There was the faintest trace of magic in the air, most of it around the burnt area. What had happened to Speedy? I could hear Fluttershy crying behind me. I turned to her. "I'm sure he's okay. As far as I can tell, this wasn't a dangerous spell. I think it was a teleportation spell actually." She wiped away her tears, but it didn't help. She had a steady flow coming from her eyes. "Where...where would he...go?" I shook my head. "I don't know. But we should probably search the town. Just in case. Maybe he's out running an errand or something." She slowly nodded her head and backed away into the living room.

Where was that stallion? He was absolutely nowhere! How could he just disappear like that? Fluttershy and I had looked everywhere in town and he wasn't there. We sat down to rest. Fluttershy had stopped crying, but I knew that I hadn't seen the last of her tears. I thought hard trying to figure out every possible place that Speedy could be. There was only one place left we hadn't checked. I looked at Fluttershy. "Why don't you head over to Sweet Apple Acres and see if he's working?" Fluttershy nodded slowly. "Okay. But...aren't you coming." I shook my head. "I'm going to go ask Rarity if she's seen Speedy. Then I'll ask the others." Fluttershy smiled a little. "Thank you." She took off and flew in the direction of the farm.

I wlked to Rarity's boutique and entered. Rarity was looking over a dress hanging from a model. Oh boy. The model was Spike. What wouldn't that dragon do for her? Modeling a dress just to get her attention? I rolled my eyes and walked over. "Hi Rarity. Hi Spike." Rarity turned and smiled. "Hello Twilight! What do you think?" She motioned to the dress. I could see Spike was embarrassed. I smiled. "I think Spike ought to wear it more often." Rarity giggled. "Oh Twilight, you tease! Spike dear, you can go ahead and get out of the dress. Thank you for helping me." The dragon jumped off his stool and shed the dress. "No problem Rarity!" Rarity looked back at me. "Was there something you needed Twilight?" Something I needed? Oh!

I told Rarity and Spike about Speedy being missing and asked if they had seen him. They both shook their heads. I groaned and sat down. "I sure hope Fluttershy finds him at the farm." Spike patted me on the back. "Don't worry Twi. Speedy wouldn't just run off. I bet he's-" Spike froze as his stomach growled.

'BELCH'

A scroll fell to the floor, the royal seal holding it together. I picked it up. "What would the princess be sending me?" I unrolled the parchment.

Twilight

I'm afraid there's been a dilemma involving Speedy. Do not worry for his safety. He's resting comfortably here at the castle. I need you to send something to me though. Go to Speedy's home and find his collection of the letters that Luna has written to him. When you have them, have Spike send them straight to me. I will explain in more detail soon.

Princess Celestia

Speedy was in Canterlot? And what was this about Luna's letters? What the hay was going on? I looked up at Spike and Rarity. They both looked anxious to know what had been written. I looked at the letter one more time and then back to Rarity. "I could use your help finding something. It's urgent." Rairty nodded. "Of course darling. Anything for the Princess." I turned to Spike. "Go back to the library. We should be there soon." Spike looked a little crestfallen that he didn't get to tag along, but he nodded and left the boutique.

I led Rarity into Speedy's place and we began looking around. Rarity flipped through some papers on a desk. "Are you sure we should be doing this? It feels like an awful invasion of one's private life." I nodded. "I know, but Celestia said to send these letters to her immediately. We have to find them." We continued in silence, combing through everything with our magic. As I moved towards the kitchen I heard Rarity behind me. "Here they are."

I turned to see Rarity looking at a short stack of papers. Her eyes were skimming the top paper. I inhaled sharply. "Rarity! You can't read them! Those are personal letters to Speedy!" I knew I was too late once Rarity's eyes widened. She gasped. "I don't believe it!" She backed away from the letter stack. I rushed over to her. "I told you not to read them. Now what are you so shocked about?" She grabbed the top letter and held it up. The date showed that this had to have been the most recent letter from Luna.

I looked it over several times and shook my head. "I don't understand why you were so surprised." Rarity rolled her eyes. "Honestly Twilight, it's as clear as a blue sky. Princess Luna was...." She trailed off. I looked at the letter again, still unable to connect the dots. "Luna was what?" Rarity hesitated another moment before opening her mouth. "She was flirting with Speedy." I think my eyes went just as wide as hers. "What?!" She put the letter down. "I can't explain it, but the way she wrote this letter just makes it obvious that she was flirting. I doubt Speedy picked up on it though. Stallion's rarely do." I looked at the remaining stack of letters. Luna flirting? Would the rest of the letters prove that?

Memories started to fall into a certain order in my mind; Luna leaving suddenly last night, Speedy going home after that, Speedy missing from home, and these letters. Could it be true? Did Princess Luna have a crush on Speedy? Did he feel the same way? Had they been meeting last night about it? What was going on here? I shook my head to clear it. There had to be an explanation for everything. But one question remained. Why did Celestia want these letters?

I grabbed every last letter and double-checked to make sure we weren't forgetting any. I led Rarity out of the house and we started for the library. I paused as we passed Fluttershy's cottage. What about Fluttershy? She loved Speedy. And Speedy loved her too. This whole thing would break her heart. I had to get these letters to Celestia before she saw me. I began to run and Rarity followed. "Why are we running?" I explained the situation to her and she nodded. "Of course. I couldn't bear to see Fluttershy heartbroken either, but you can't hide this from her forever." I nodded. She was right. If Speedy didn't get back here soon, I would have to tell her everything.

Spike's fire sent the last of the letters and I relaxed finally. Rarity had been pacing back and forth the whole time muttering to herself. I had never understood her fascination with love relationships. And now she was overloaded with a royal scandal. I swallowed hard. A royal scandal. The princesses didn't need that. And then it all made sense. If Celestia knew about this whole thing, she would be doing what she could to keep it quiet. That's why she would want the letters!

I walked over to my desk and picked up a quill.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I'm always glad to help you, but this does concern one of my friends. I would greatly like to know what's going on. From what I can gather, there seems to be something going on with Speedy and Luna. Again I believe that I need to know what's going on. And if not me, Fluttershy. Please respond.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

I rolled the parchment up and sealed it. "Spike. I have one more for you." He took the letter and sent it off. Please Celestia....what's happening?

The Decent Begins

Why did I listen to him? Why did I let him bring me here?

I paced around my room. Celestia had been kind enough to provide me with a room in the castle. It was a lot better than my old cell in the dungeon.

How could I be so stupid as to think that Discord was being helpful?

Celestia had yet to talk to me. She had brought me to the room and left me.

She knew. Somehow she knew. She couldn't have just barged in by coincidence.

Why did I feel resentful about it? How could I be upset about her interrupting Luna and me?

Because she caught you kissing her sister you dumb colt!

I shook my head. I hadn't kissed her. She had kissed me.

And you kissed back.

I stopped my pacing. I....I had. Why the hay had I done that?! I had actually kissed back. Was Discord right? Did I actually have feelings for Luna?

Would you be here if you didn't?

But....what about....

Fluttershy?

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. How could I kiss Luna? I was in love with Fluttershy.

And Luna's in love with you. And now she'll think you like her too after that kiss.

I sat down in front of a mirror and looked at my reflection. I looked awful. A sleepless night was bound to do that. I could imagine.....Fluttershy asking if I was okay and forcing me back to bed.

I was about to imagine....

No. Why would I think of Luna helping me before Fluttershy?

You heard her last night. She can't fall in love easily and now she has. For you. The fact that a princess loves you is pretty big. And you have feelings too. Why wouldn't you think about her?

Because I already have a marefriend. I can't have two.

And yet you have feelings for both.

It was at that moment that the door to the room opened. I watched from the mirror as Celestia walked in. She spotted my reflection looking at her and nodded. "Speedy." I turned away from the mirror and looked at the princess. "Celestia." She walked towards me. "It's time we talked." I sat down. "I guess so." She sat in front of me, never breaking eye contact. I felt my eye twitch slightly.

We sat in silence for only a moment. Celestia sighed. "I had hoped this wouldn't happen." My eyes narrowed. "You knew didn't you?" She nodded. "I've known for a while. Nothing happens in the castle that I don't know about. Especially when it comes to Luna." I lowered my gaze. "And you did nothing?" She shook her head. "I tried to keep her from going to Ponyville last night. She wouldn't have it though." My eyes locked with hers again. "You knew she was going to do something last night? That she was going to admit her feelings for me?" She nodded.

I stood up and began pacing. "You knew that your sister was going to make a pass at me, a normal pony, who already has a marefriend whom he loves, and you just let her go?!" Celestia stood up. I thought I could see the slightest hint of anger in her eyes. "Do you think it was easy for me? I knew what she was getting into. But I thought that you would have had more common sense than to actually return her premature feelings." I stopped and glared at her. "You think that I planned this? I had no idea until last night that she had feelings for me!" She glared back. "And yet I discovered you kissing her last night." I turned away, not wanting her to see the guilt in my eyes.

"What are your exact feelings towards Luna?"

I didn't look at her. I couldn't. I felt the tears welling in my eyes, though I didn't know why. "I...I'm not sure."

"Answer the question Speedy."

The last of my guilt and doubt dried away with my tears. I felt hardened against Celestia's accusations. In a single moment I went from fearing her question to not caring about my answer. I slowly turned to the princess. Something in her eyes changed. Was that surprise I saw? Or could it be fear?

"I do have feelings for Luna."

A small smile found it's way to my face. "So what happens now Celestia?" I felt something spark in the back of my head. My life had just become more complicated. More...chaotic. And I liked it.

A Moonlit Walk

Celestia was gone the rest of the day and the next. I didn't care. I liked the privacy. I wasn't allowed to wander either. Two guards had been posted outside my room to make sure I stayed put. I guess I could go out the window, but I was some eighty or ninety feet from the gardens below.

I should try to see Luna. Perhaps Celestia would allow it before she has to go out tonight.

Foolish thinking of course. Celestia wouldn't let me anywhere near Luna. And I'm sure she was keeping Luna away from me too. I stomped a hoof in frustration. What had gotten into me? I should be trying to get home. My friends were probably worried sick. What about Fluttershy? She would be out of her mind with worry by now. My mind turned to the fact that Twilight was Celestia's pupil. Would the princess tell her I was here? Would she say why?

What happens if Fluttershy finds out? What then?"

I shook my head. I couldn't bear the thought. My heart ached to think of Shy's reaction to learning that I had romantic feelings for another mare. But could I deny Luna either? The thought of rejecting her was nearly as painful. I thought over all the letters we had written each other. We had told each other so much. I doubt that anypony knew Luna as well as I did besides Celestia herself. She had written her soul into her letters. I had done likewise. But she had never outright told me that she had feelings for me. And yet when she had kissed me last night in Ponyville, I remembered that I hadn't been surprised. It had been a shock of course, but not a surprise. We had gotten to know each other over the past few months and now something else was forming. I should have seen it coming, but my feelings of friendship for her had gotten in the way. Now they weren't.

I walked out onto the balcony and looked down at the gardens. I smiled. Fluttershy would love it here. It was a beautiful sight. I wonder if the princesses took care of the garden themselves. That certainly would account for the beauty of every plant. My mind drifted to Fluttershy again and I found myself reliving memories of the past few months; laughing, cuddling, kissing, having fun with our friends, the dragon, the Cloudsdale Ball. I sighed. It had been great.

The sun was beginning to set. Luna would be raising the moon soon. I did enjoy the night. The stars were always so wonderful to look at. You couldn't do that with the sun. There was a knock at the door. "Come in." I didn't turn. It was probably Celestia coming to check up on me. I listened as the hoofsteps made their way across the room and then onto the balcony.

"Speedy."

I spun around. There she was. Luna. I smiled. "What are you doing here?" She pulled me into a hug. "I needed to see you. Celestia's busy with the sun, so I came." I returned the hug. "Thank you." She pulled away and looked me over. "Have you been treated well?" I chuckled. "Did you expect your sister to beat me?" She smiled. "No. I guess not. I was just worried for you." She hugged me again. I held her and we stayed on the balcony for what felt like hours, whispering to each other. But the sun dipped below the horizon and Luna had to get to work. She took off from the balcony and I watched her go.

It wasn't long after that Celestia came for a visit. I smiled and welcomed her in. "My sister has been here hasn't she?" I nodded. "She has. We sat out on the balcony together." She sighed. "What am I to do?" I tipped my head to the side. "What do you mean?" She sat down and looked at me. "Luna's love for you is strong. I've never seen her so...happy. Not since we were much younger." I sat down in front of her. "So what's the problem?" She eyed me and a single tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "She can't be with you. No matter how happy it makes her. And yet I can't bring myself to break her heart. She's my sister. I couldn't." I nodded slowly. Celestia really was having trouble. I had first thought it selfish that she didn't want me here, but now she sees how deep into it we all were.

I put a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your dilemma. You are the ruler of Equestria. You can do a great many things. But forcing the feelings of ponies is not one of them. Perhaps....perhaps if Luna and I were to spend time together...." She looked at me from the corner of her teary eye. "You think that this would solve the situation? Furthering those feelings?" I shrugged. "Perhaps this needs to happen. It may lead to something big." She wiped away her tears. "And what of your friends? What about Fluttershy?" I lowered my head. "I need time to sort through my thoughts. Please allow me to see Luna."

Celestia stood and walked to the door. "She will not be busy tonight. Go and see her." And she was gone. I smiled. I had to find out if what Luna and I had was truly love. And I had to do it tonight.

And what if it is?

Then perhaps I should remain at the castle.

And Ponyville? Fluttershy?

There would be some explanations in order. But one step at a time for now. I walked back to the balcony to see the stars blinking into existence and the moon rising over Equestria. A wonderful sight. And it got even better when I heard the sound of wings flapping nearby. I looked up in time to see Luna descending to the balcony. She landed in front of me. She smiled. "Hold on tight." Before I could ask what she meant I found myself being lifted into the air. Luna flew us down into the gardens below, landing softly on one of the many paths.

I looked around at the garden surrounding us. I had only admired it from a distance. Now I was here and it was far more amazing than it was from eighty feet up. Luna motioned to me. "Let's walk." I fell into step with her and we walked side by side through the garden.I looked up at the night sky again. "It's beautiful tonight. I don't know how you do it." She blushed a little. "I enjoy it. It's like painting a mural every night." I smiled. We continued to walk until we came to a small cove. I did not remember seeing this from the balcony.

We sat down next to a fountain. The moonlight hit Luna's face perfectly. I sighed. "You are amazing. How could somepony so perfect be in love with me?" She giggled. "Because you are not like other ponies. You're special." I stared into those gorgeous eyes of hers. Without thinking, I leaned in.

I'm going to kiss her, aren't I?

She closed her eyes as our lips met.

So I've decided. I would stay with Luna and break Fluttershy's heart. She will never be the same. Her friends will be affected by my leaving. They will all suffer. How glorious-

I broke the kiss and stood. I felt out of breath. Luna looked up at me, concern in her eyes. "Speedy?" I backed away. "I...I need... I need to..." I stopped stammering. I felt my face tighten as fury overtook me. "I should have known." Her eye's widened in shock. "What?" I backed away from her. "I refuse to live like this any longer. I need to find it." Luna stood and took a step towards me. "Speedy, what are you talking about? What do you need to find?"

"The answer."

Speedy's Search

I looked out the window. We were almost to Canterlot.

"Twilight, did Princess Celestia say why she wanted to see us?"

I looked at Fluttershy and shook my head. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. She didn't It's not like her to not say." She nodded and went back to her seat. I looked across at Rarity. She and I had agreed not to tell Fluttershy anything. I hated to do it, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her about Speedy. It would upset her so much.

I made sure that Fluttershy wasn't looking in my direction and pulled out the letter once more.

Dear Twilight,

It is urgent that you and Fluttershy come to Canterlot at once. There's been a disturbing development with Speedy that will require your knowledge. Please hurry.

Celestia

The last sentence and the signature disturbed me the most. The princess sounded....desperate. I knew that she hadn't asked for Rarity, but since she knew about the situation too, I let her come. That and I didn't think she would keep her mouth shut about Speedy with Fluttershy and me out of town. The train began to slow down. We were close. I looked from Rarity to Fluttershy and gave them a reassuring smile. "Let's see what Celestia wants."

The guards escorted us into the castle. We paused when the sound of something crashing echoed from upstairs. The guards shook their heads, most of them mumbling under their breath. What was going on up there? I looked to the opposite end of the hall to see Princess Celestia walking towards us. I was also surprised to see that Luna was with her as well. They seemed to be talking, but we were still too far from them to hear anything. Before we got any closer, Celestia noticed us and nodded to Luna. Luna walked away without another word, looking very sad.

Celestia met us halfway in the hall and nodded to the guards, letting them leave. "It is good to see you three. I wish it were under better circumstances." She began leading us towards the grand staircase. "Luna and I haven't been able to figure out what's happened yet, but if he gets any worse we may have to move him into the dungeon for his own protection." Rarity and I were shocked. Celestia was talking about Speedy? Fluttershy stepped forward timidly. "Um...who are you talking about your Highness?" Celestia seemed surprised. She glanced at me and I gave a quick shake of my head.

Before Celestia or I could respond, Luna reappeared. "Fluttershy, my dear friend. I have been meaning to speak with you for some time. You do not mind sister?" Celestia stared at Luna for several seconds before nodding slowly. Fluttershy followed Luna, looking back in confusion. I nodded encouragingly to her and then turned back to Celestia. She continued watching them go until the sound of a closing door announced their departure. She then turned to me. "Luna will be as gentle as she can breaking the news." She turned to Rarity. "I was surprised to see you here Rarity. Am I to assume you already know of the situation." Rarity nodded. "Is it really true then Princess?" Celestia slowly nodded. "It was." My ears perked up at that last word. "Was?" She nodded again. "Follow me." She started up the stairs as another noise echoed from the next floor.

We reached the doors to the castle's library. I had been here several times before. And now it was the source of all the noise. Was Speedy making all this noise? The doors slowly opened to reveal the largest mess I've ever seen. Books were littering the floor. There were several stacks that must have stood at least twenty feet tall. The only thing tat outnumbered the books was the amount of paper everywhere. Random pieces of parchment an the walls and the floor, all with scribbled writing on them. I looked back at Celestia. "What happened in here?" She didn't speak. She just walked further into the sea of books.

We followed her past a few of the towers and came to a desk in the middle of the library. There he was. Speedy was flipping frantically through books and scribbling notes on paper, all the time muttering something under his breath. Before anything else could happen, Rarity walked up to him. "You! You horrid, two-timing monster!"

SLAP

Speedy paused, feeling his cheek and looking at Rarity. "I deserved that. Thanks." Without another word he returned to his work. Rarity's mouth hung open. Celestia and I joined her. The princess put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "That's the first time he's directly responded to anypony in two days." I looked at her in shock. "Two days? But what is he even doing?" She shook her head. "He keeps going on about finding an answer, but we don't know what he means by it."

"Must find it. This equation is useless. Perhaps one of Starswirl's scrolls."

Speedy disappeared behind one of the book towers. The sound of rustling parchment told us he was looking through scrolls. Rarity came to her senses and turned to us. "I am so sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"Starswirl you idiot! How could you not have it?!"

Speedy reappeared and walked over to one of the towers. He pulled a book from near the bottom of the stack and the tower came crashing down. I stopped the avalanche with simple shield spell, saving us all from the collapse. Speedy hadn't seemed to notice what he had done. I shook my head. "I've never seen him like this before. He's completely oblivious." Celestia nodded. "I've tried to ask him what he's looking for, but he never responds. I can't even follow what he's doing. He goes from magic theory to art history to geometry. He could be looking for anything."

"There must be something. It has to be here."

The doors opened behind us and Luna and Fluttershy walked in. The rustling of pages stopped and Speedy appeared. He looked at the two mares. And then he flipped.

"GET OUT! IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT I'M HERE! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME YOU NIGHTMARE?!"

Luna stood frozen in place while Fluttershy began to cry. Speedy walked up to Luna.

"GET OUT!"

She slowly backed away and left the library. Speedy looked at Fluttershy. She was still crying. "Speedy...." Speedy's eyes widened in fear and he ran back into the books.

"Must find it."

Celestia motioned for all of us to follow her and we left Speedy alone to his work.

We all sat in Celestia's personal study. Luna sat in the corner away from the rest of us. Fluttershy continued to cry quietly, Rarity with a hoof around her. I sat with Celestia as we came to terms with what had just happened. Luna sighed from her corner. "I should not have come to the library." Fluttershy whimpered slightly. Rarity pulled her a little closer. Celestia lowered her head. "I fear that we won't be able to help him without knowing what he's after." I began to pace. "He got really mad when Luna and Fluttershy came, but he directed his last sentence right at Luna. What if he was speaking to her the whole time?" Rarity shook her head. "Why would that matter?"

"Because he called me a nightmare."

We all turned to look at Luna. She stood up and walked towards us. "He thought I was Nightmare Moon." I mulled it over in my head. She could be right. But why would Speedy think Luna was Nightmare Moon? "Did any of you notice how scared he looked when Fluttershy spoke to him?" Everypony nodded. I continued to pace. "He didn't want Luna there. He blames her for something. And then he sees Fluttershy and runs back to find...whatever it is he's looking for." I looked at Fluttershy, her tears starting to dry against her cheeks. "He's trying to find something for you Fluttershy. He was scared when he saw you looking at him and crying." I turned to Luna. "He blames Nightmare Moon for something. But what?" Luna shook her head.

Celestia looked to Rarity. "Rarity, would you take Fluttershy out? I think some fresh air would do her well." Rairty bowed her head and led Fluttershy out. When the door was closed, Celestia turned to Luna. "I believe it is time I knew the full extent of your feelings sister." Luna lowered her gaze and sat down. "I didn't expect to fall in love with him. After our first though, something began to stir in me. We have a connection between us." Celestia nodded. "Because of your pasts." Luna nodded in agreement. "We've both had our darker moments, but we were able to forget them together." Something clicked in my head at that point and my mind began to work over the facts:

Luna had once had a very evil side to her.
Speedy had acted as Discord's body for a time.
They both had had evil souls in them.
This common ground had attracted them together.

That was it. It wasn't Speedy and Luna, or at least not fully them. "I understand." The princesses looked at me in confusion. "What was that Twilight?" I looked at Luna. "You and Speedy both still have some remnants of your darker sides. Nightmare Moon and Discord are why you fell in love!" She recoiled slightly. "I refuse to think that those creatures made me love Speedy!" I shook my head. "They didn't actually do anything, but some part of them exists within you still. The two pieces met and fit together." Celestia began to nod. "It would make sense. But what about Speedy's behavior?" This took me a few seconds to consider.

Finally I had my next theory. "Speedy got mad when he saw Luna. He didn't want anything to do with her. What if he's realized that the piece of Discord in his head had something to do with the relationship? He hate's Discord! How would you feel if you found out your love life was his plaything?" Luna shuddered. We now had something to go on. But it left one question unanswered. What was Speedy looking for?

We walked into the library. Speedy was still rummaging through papers and books. He paused as he saw the princesses and me. "I thought I told you to leave." I hurried over to Speedy and turned him away from Luna. "Speedy. You're trying to find something. What is it?" His eyes seemed to stare right through me. "The answer. Must find the answer." He tried to move away, but I tightened my grip. "The answer to what?" His eyes slowly began to focus. "To my problem. My horrible problem." I wanted to cry, but I forced the tears down and smiled. "I'm your friend Speedy. Let me help you find the answer." He was actually looking at me now.

His head began to nod and I hugged him. As I pulled away, he visibly relaxed. "I've searched through the whole library. I've tried a thousand different spell combinations, but nothing works." I looked around the mess that was the library. I believe him that he had looked everywhere. "What are you looking for?" He pointed to his head. "I have to get it out." Did he mean his brain? No. That couldn't be it. Of course! The piece of Discord's mind! "You mean Discord?" He nodded. "Nothing in here is helping. But he knows. He must. He said he would take it back once he was free." I shook my head. "We can't go to Discord." He turned to Celestia and Luna. "Celestia. Where did you hide him?" Celestia seemed surprised by the question. "What do you mean?" Speedy stepped towards her. "Where is Discord?"

The light faded and we were in an all too familiar place. We were standing in the crystal caves that Queen Chrysalis had imprisoned me and Cadence in. And there he was. Discord frozen in stone at the far side of the cavern.

I wasn't expecting visitors.

The walls echoed with the voice. Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Be silent."

You can't keep me silent Celestia. Now why have you brought Twilight and Speedy here?

Speedy stomped his hoof against the ground. "You know why I'm here!"

Don't you like it Speedy? Chaos is in everything. Stick with it a little longer and you'll come to love it. Just like you love your two marefriends.

Speedy charged Discord, but stopped right in front of him. He turned and lifted his hind legs. I couldn't believe it. Speedy actually bucked Discord like he was back at Sweet Apple Acres bucking an apple tree. A wave of energy broke from Discord's body and shook the cavern.

You have my attention.

When he had caught his breath, Speedy looked up at Discord. "You're going to take back what's yours." The laughter echoed for several seconds, making it sound as if there were multiple Discords in the cavern.

The only way I can help you is if you free me. And besides, the process would most likely kill you.

Speedy took a step back. "Would I be here if I cared?"

How true. Then free me.

Celestia stepped forward. "Speedy, we can't. He'll escape the moment he's out."

Celestia, you have no idea how much I want that fragment of my mind back. And I have to give Speedy his fragment back as well. It's like poison! I'm beginning to have...emotions. I don't know how you ponies live with them.

Luna growled. "Enough talk!"

Very well. Speedy. Twilight. If you would do the honors.

Speedy's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean? I don't have magic."

When will you ever learn. You have a part of me don't you? Use that to help Twilight free me.

I looked at the princesses. Celestia slowly shook her head. Luna began to nod. I looked to Speedy. He smiled. "It'll be fine." I swallowed and stepped forward. "I hope you know what you're doing." I focused hard on Speedy. I could feel the smallest bit of magical energy within him. Discord. I focused on it. Nothing. And then it began to flow out of Speedy. He was channeling the magic to me. I let the energy flow into me and directed it at Discord.

The stone began to glow. And then it dissolved. Discord stretched his arms and yawned. "Ah! So good to be back!" He flew forward and grabbed Speedy. "Hold still. This is going to be extremely painful." His took his hand and reached into Speedy's head. The screaming was awful. I tried covering my ears, but the echoing was too much. Speedy's cries of pain were deafening. Discord didn't move. I could see that his hand was moving around like he was feeling for something in Speedy's skull. And then he paused.

"YES!"

He pulled out what looked like a thin trail of black smoke. Speedy collapsed to the ground. Discord placed the smoke in his mouth and swallowed. He stood perfectly still and smiled. "Ah, to be whole again." He reached into his own head and pulled out a green wisp of smoke. "Here you go Speedy. A promise is a promise." He pressed the smoke into Speedy's head. Speedy let out a groan and then was still.

Discord stood at his full height. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to go." He raised his hand to snap his fingers and....

Nothing.

Discord's hand had turned back into stone. We all stared at it. Discord looked it over in fear. "What is this?" And then his other hand changed back. And then his legs. Speedy gave a faint chuckle. "When will you ever learn?" As Speedy fell into unconsciousness, Discord's fear turned to anger. "How?! Only the Elements can imprison me!" Discord continued to solidify. Soon only his head could still move. "NO!" His head hardened.

It was over.

My Curse

I opened my eyes. It was night. I sat up in bed to find I was drenched in sweat. Another nightmare. At least I hadn't woken up screaming this time.

I got out of bed and went to the kitchen for some water. My hoof was shaking as I gripped the glass. I used my other hoof to steady it and took a sip. The cool liquid felt good against my throat. I sighed.

And then I felt the cold....

Did you think that I was gone?

The glass dropped and shattered.

Don't get excited. I'm not on the loose unfortunately.

"Then how are you here?"

Sharing a body has its effects. We've taken on a bit of each other. The misfortune on my part is that I'm beginning to... care. And so I've reached out to what little of me there is in you to warn you.

"Of what?"

You share some of me now. You may not see it yet, but don't be surprised if you feel a little more inclined towards chaos from now on.

"Why should I believe that? You've lied to me before."

Please stop asking questions. It's taking what little energy I have to talk to you. So shut up and listen. I won't always be locked away. Someday I will be free again. And you will be the first pony I come to.

"Why?"

I said shut up. I am incomplete now. You have a small part of my mind and I have a small part of yours. When I am free again, I will take back what is mine.

"You're never getting out. We'll make sure of it."

So you want to live the rest of your life with a piece of me inside of you? I'll just leave you to think on that.

The temperature returned to normal. I looked around the kitchen for a moment before turning on the light. I wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep tonight.

Best Friends

"I can't." I slowly backed away from the door. Fluttershy giggled. "Why not?" I shook my head. "It's just....odd." She put a hoof on my shoulder. "Please? All the others will be here. It will give us all a chance to be together. We don't get to do that enough." I looked up at the building in front of us. "But does it have to be at the spa?" She shrugged. "Today is usually when Rarity and I have our spa day. We just decided to invite the rest of our friends this time."

Why did she want me at the spa? I had never set hoof in such a place. Why should I start now? The worst part was I couldn't come up with an excuse. All the rest of my friends were in there. I couldn't say I was going to meet them. How was I going to slip out of this? Why did all of my friends have to be mares that liked going to the spa?

That's when the gears in my head began turning. Mares. I had six best friends that were mares. But I didn't have any stallions that were friends. I didn't really know any stallions except for.... Of course! How could I be so stupid. I looked at Shy. "Why don't you go have a mare's day with the others? I've been meaning to go and talk to Big Mac about something." She looked disappointed. Her head turned and her face became hidden behind her mane. "Oh....um...okay." I put a hoof under her chin and turned her face back to me. "Hey. I'll make you a deal. You can....you can bring me here another time. Just the two of us. I'm sure it must be pretty nice if you want to get me here so bad. We'll make a date of it. What do you say?" She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Do you Pinkie Promise?" I chuckled. I had only just become acquainted with the Pinkie Promise, but I knew it was an important thing if Shy was asking for it.

I went through the motions ending with my hoof on my eye. Fluttershy smiled and grabbed me in a hug. I hugged her back and then we broke apart. "I'll see you later, okay?" She kissed me on the cheek and went into the spa. I sat watching her until the last of her tail had disappeared through the doorway. I turned and started off for Sweet Apple Acres.

It was a beautiful day. Summer was coming to an end, but it was still warm. I could see red and yellow leaves beginning to appear among the green. Soon it would be autumn. My favorite time of the year. I walked onto the farm and found Big Mac hauling in a cart of apples. I took my time in reaching the barn. When I got to the door Big Mac was just unloading the last of his haul. "Look's like there's going to be a good harvest this year." Mac didn't even turn around before answering. "Eeyup." I walked around him until I could see his face. He smiled at me. "What can I do for ya Speedy?" I shrugged. "I just wanted to come see how you were. Maybe help out." I could tell he knew I was holding back, but he nodded. "Let's go." He walked out of the barn and I followed.

We spent the next hour or so apple bucking before we took a break for lunch. We sat under a tree and ate some delicious hay sandwiches. As he finished his sandwich, Mac looked at me. "Are you gonna tell me why you came over?" I looked at him from the corner of my eye and smiled. "I just needed to spend some time with a pony that wasn't a mare." He chuckled. "Don't tell me ya'll have grown tired of my sister and her friends?" I shook my head. "Of course not. It's just that sometimes they want to do things that I don't." He cocked his head to the side. "Like what?" I rolled my eyes. "They're at the spa today."

I could see Mac's mouth quiver. I glared at him. "You start laughing and I will kick you across this orchard." He smiled. "I wasn't going to laugh. I understand. You didn't want to join yer friends at...the spa." His smile was getting wider. My eyes narrowed. "Mac if you dare..." He forced his face into a frown. "So you thought you'd spend the day here. Why?" I shrugged. "In all honestly, I consider you to be a good friend. In fact, you're my only friend that's a stallion. To me that makes you a best friend." Mac's smile came back, but it was softer this time. "That's mighty kind of you to say. And I do mean that. I don't have a lot of friends. I'm always busy helpin' with business." I nodded. All the times I had seen Big Mac he was always hauling something or getting supplies for the farm.

For the rest of the afternoon we harvested and talked. We got to know each other and had some laughs. We even had some friendly competition. Of course Mac won. A seasoned farmer against a beginning applebucker with one fake leg? No contest. But we didn't care. It was good fun. By the time we had finished the work, the sun was just beginning to set. We were just walking out of the barn when Applejack appeared. "Howdy you two." I smiled. "Howdy." She looked between me and Mac. "Good day?" We both nodded. Mac nudged me. "Eeyup." I nuged him back and we started laughing. Applejack smiled and shook her head. "Wasn't surprised to not see you today Speedy. I've never seen a stallion in a spa." I nodded. "And I don't plan to." Applejack flashed a knowing smile. "By the way, Fluttershy wanted me to tell you she's looking forward to going to the spa with you next week." I froze.

The chuckle was unmistakable. I turned on Big Mac and he stopped. I narrowed my eyes. "Laugh all you want. Like you would say no to Twilight?" Big Mac's jaw dropped. I flinched and looked back at Applejack. She was laughing. "So you know about that huh?" Now I was confused. Applejack knew? So why was Mac so stunned? Mac looked at Applejack. "You know?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. I'm yer sister. Ain't nothin' gettin' past me. Especially when it involves one of mah friends." Mac and I looked at each other and then back at the mare.

I shuffled my hooves. "Well...I guess I'd better head home." I took a step forward only to be stopped by a hoof on my shoulder. I followed the red hoof up to Mac's face. He was smiling. "Come inside. Granny's got supper cookin'." I was surprised by the invitation. "Are...are you sure?" He pulled me into a quick hug and let go a second later. "Ya'll are mah best friend. Why shouldn't you come to dinner?" I smiled and followed him and Applejack towards the house. He glanced at me and chuckled. "A spa day with yer marefriend huh?" I shoved him with my shoulder. "Love makes you do crazy things Big Mac. I bet Twilight could get you to read her whole library." He began to laugh. And soon he had me laughing too.

Nightmare Night

I looked at myself in the mirror. The perfect costume. Other ponies might be a pirate, but I had an actual pegleg! I hobbled around my room getting used to the feel of the wood piece. This was going to be a great Nightmare Night.

I walked along towards Shy's cottage. Wait until she saw my costume! Before I went another step I lost my balance and fell over. My head ached. I tried to stand, but couldn't pull myself up. I felt a shiver run down the back of my neck. What was wrong with me? As quick as my headache had come, it was gone. I shook my head and stood up. What had happened? I looked around, my eyes stopping to stare at the lights in town. Everything was all decorated and lit up for the holiday. I found myself smiling. This was going to be a good night.

I knocked on the cottage door. "Please go away! Nopony's here!" What? "Shy?" There was silence for a moment before I heard a soft whisper. "Speedy?" The door opened slowly. She looked around outside and then dragged me inside. What the hay was up with her? "What's wrong?" She didn't answer immediately. She ran around the cottage making sure that the windows were covered and the door was locked. Fed up with the manic behavior, I grabbed her. "Shy! What's the matter?" She stared at me. "I...I...I don't want anypony to know I'm here." What was this all about?

We moved over to the couch and sat down. I put my hoof on hers and gave her a comforting smile. "Why don't you tell me about it?" She looked nervous. No...she seemed....scared? She took a deep breath. "Nightmare Night is my least favorite night of the year. All of the decorations and the costumes and everything that focuses on....Nightmare Moon. It scares me." I pulled her into a hug. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Nightmare Moon doesn't exist anymore and Nightmare Night is a night for fun. Not for fear. Do I look scary?" For the first time she noticed my costume. Her eyes widened for a moment before they closed. She had begun to laugh.

I was deeply confused. "Shy?" She lowered the laugh to a giggle. "I'm sorry. It's just....you look funny." I looked down at my costume. Vest, sword, pegleg, and a bandana on my head. What was so funny? Fluttershy's giggle returned to a laugh and I playfully pushed her. "Go ahead. Wait until I get you a costume for tonight." The laughter stopped instantly. "Me? No. I can't. I..." I gave her another hug. "I'll be with you all night. And so will our friends. It'll be fun. Now let's find you a costume."

It took me a good part of the hour, but I finally finished with her. I stepped back to look at my handywork. Not bad. Fluttershy stood there wearing an almost identical costume to mine, minus the pegleg and adding an eyepatch. And then I had gone the extra mile and given her a brief makeover. She now had a scar that went on either side of the patch, a little dirt to look piratey, and I had deliberately messed up her beautiful mane a bit. I saluted her. "Welcome aboard Captain Fluttershy." She slowly turned towards her mirror and flinched. "Is...is that me?" I put a hoof on her shoulder. "It is. You are now a pirate captain. And I'm your first mate. Are you ready to pillage the town and take on Nightmare Night?" She looked at me in horror. I laughed. "Sorry. Pirate talk. We're going to have fun. Let's set sail for Ponyville!"

We arrived in town to find Nightmare Night in full swing. Everypony in town was in costume and walking around enjoying the festivities. I nudged Fluttershy. "See? It's going to be fun."

"CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!!!"

A bolt of lightning struck the ground, shaking the whole square. When the lightning disappeared, Princess Luna was standing on the street. She smiled. "You started the party without me?" Twilight ran up to her. "Luna! Welcome back!" The rest of the town started to walk forward, welcoming our princess. I began to move forward when I realized that Shy was crouching behind me. She was shivering slightly. I pulled her up. "It's okay. It's only Luna. She was just having a little fun. She's not going to hurt us."

Fluttershy slowly stood and followed me over to Luna. Luna's eye's fell on us and she smiled. "Fluttershy. Speedy. How are you faring?" I bowed my head. "Well enough." Fluttershy smiled a little. "H-hi Luna." Luna stepped forward and hugged Fluttershy. "It is good to see you again my friend." Shy visibly relaxed. "It's good to see you too." As they pulled apart the rest of town was gathering in for their 'Hello's. Luna greeted each pony in turn as we backed away to the edge of the crowd. The rest of our friends joined us. Applejack tipped her hat back. "Sure is nice that everypony's comfortable around her this year." I looked at her. "What do you mean?" Twilight sighed. "Last year was Luna's first Nightmare Night since she had been freed. It was...a difficult transition for her. But now she's not seen as Nightmare Moon anymore. Everpony likes her." I nodded in understanding.

We waited for the crowd to thin. I watched Luna, noticing she was beginning to look a bit uncomfortable. I voiced my opinion to the others. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "That's because she came for a party, not to shake a bunch of hooves." We all laughed, but I still watched the princess. She seemed more than uncomfortable. At one point I thought I saw her wince slightly. And then a memory flashed through my mind. "It must be the holiday. It can't be easy when there's a whole night centered around your previously-evil self." The mares looked at me in shock. Rarity gasped. "Speedy! What an awful thing to say about the princess." I shook my head. "Don't you think she might be a little put off since we focus on Nightmare Moon instead of Princess Luna?" That got them thinking. Twilight was the first to speak. "I guess that makes sense, but how can you be sure that's what's bothering her?" I shuffled my hooves for a moment.

I guess I should tell them. It's not as if it was some terrible act. I cleared my throat and looked around at my friends. "Luna and I have been writing each other." The amount of open mouths I could see was unbelievable. The only unsurprised face was Pinkie. "Cool! You write letters to a princess too? That's what we do! Except we write to Princess Celestia and not Luna. I bet she writes cool letters. Not to say the princess doesn't write cool letter, but-" She was cut off as a hoof was put over her mouth. Twilight's shock turned to confusion. "Why do you write to Luna?" I felt a hoof fall on my shoulder before I could answer.

I turned around to find the hoof's owner was Luna. "We've been writing because I've been helping Speedy with the...challenges that he faces. We both have dark pasts that are best left untouched." This seemed to satisfy the group. I smiled up at Luna. "Exactly. Discord has messed with my head too often. Luna is the only one that understands having a dark force like that running through your head." The others nodded as they began to understand. Rainbow jumped into the air. "Enough of this serious stuff! Let's have some fun!" We all shouted our agreement and began Nightmare Night.

Pumpkin tosses, bobbing for apples, tasty treats, laughing, running, screaming. It was great. Even Fluttershy got into the spirit of things. She was laughing right along. Luna would scare some ponies every once in a while, sending them laughing and screaming. Every time though, she seemed to flinch in pain afterwards. After this happened for a fourth time, I let Shy go off with Twilight and Rarity while I walked up to Luna. "Some night huh?" She looked at me and smiled. "Yes. It's fun. I am enjoying myself greatly." I motioned over to the side of the square and she nodded. We walked over and sat down in a shadowed spot where none would see us easily and interrupt.

I took a closer look at Luna and could see the worry in her face. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "It's nothing. Nothing you need worry yourself about." I'm sure she could see I didn't believe her. She sighed, lowering her gaze. "This night is too much of a reminder to me of...." She couldn't bring herself to say it. I nodded. "I know. You told me that much in your last letter. Is that why you look like you're in pain." She rubbed her head. "It's just a headache. Nothing more. I'll be fine." I still didn't fully believe her, but I guess it was the best answer I was going to get tonight. My body shivered and my muscles tensed. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. Luna looked at me. "Speedy?" I opened my eyes and looked up.

Luna's eyes were filled with worry. I winced as another shudder ran through me. "Does Nightmare Night have anything to do with Discord?" She looked surprised. "I...I don't believe so, but this is a night centered on an evil spirit. Perhaps that means other spirits can cause trouble as well. Discord hasn't done anything to you, has he?" I shook my head. The pain stopped and I relaxed. Luna put a hoof on my shoulder. "Do not fear it. Discord can do you no harm. It is merely the night that's stirring you, like me." I nodded. "Evil attracts evil. It makes sense." We sat in the shadows silently for a moment, watching ponies go between the different activities.

I heard a sigh from Luna and looked at her. "Something wrong?" She continued watching the square. "This is one of the few times I get to enjoy myself. I'm always so busy with the night or preparing for the night." I nodded. "And yet you do amazingly well for only having been gone for a thousand years." I saw the faintest hint of a smile. "One never entirely loses a skill once it's been learned. Even though I'm in Equestria again, I still spend most of my time alone. I only see Celestia for a few minutes some days." I put my hoof on hers. "Sounds lonely. No offense, but I could never handle being royalty." She laughed. "I'm sure you couldn't. And you're right. It is a lonely existence." I nudged her. "You have your sister." Her head lowered. "Family is not the same as...." She trailed off. What was she getting at?

She kissed me.

Shocked silence was followed by a flurry of hooves and feathers as Luna flew off into the night. Everypony in the square looked up, seeing their princess disappearing into the sky. They were obviously confused why Luna was leaving. I hadn't moved an inch. What the hay had just happened? Had she just... Did we actually.... But.... WHAT THE HAY HAD JUST HAPPENED?!

I walked out into the square as ponies continued to question where Luna had gone. To my misfortune Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity appeared at that moment. They looked around at the confused ponies. Twilight spotted me. "Speedy! What's going on?" I walked up to the trio. "Luna left." They joined the already large collection of confused faces and looked up at the sky. Rarity sat down. "Why would she do that? It's very unlike a princess to leave without bidding farewell." I shrugged.

I turned to Shy. "I was thinking of heading home. You want me to walk you to your place?" She looked concerned. "Are you feeling okay?" I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired. If you want to stay that's fine with me." She stared at me for a second. "You're sure?" I nodded. She gave me a small smile and kissed me on the cheek. "Go get some rest." I rubbed my cheek to hers. "Thanks." I turned and left the square without another word.

I closed my door behind me and then fell against it. What was going on? Luna and I are talking and out of nowhere she kisses me? Why? Was I wearing a sign that said 'Free Kisses'? I began to pace through my house. What did I do now? What should I do? Should I tell anypony? Celestia? Fluttershy? I stopped pacing instantly. No. I...I couldn't tell anypony. Not yet at least.

You could tell me. Even though I already know about it.

I froze. A familiar chill ran down my spine. I looked around. I was in my bedroom. There was a mirror standing in the corner. It began to glow faintly. The light grew brighter and then moved to the center of the glass, forming the too familiar shape of Discord. His image formed fully and he smiled.

Hello Speedy.

"You...you can't be here."

I'm not. I just have a little extra energy tonight so I could actually appear to you.

"What do you want?"

I'm here to listen. Now talk.

Listen? Talk? Why was Discord so interested in hearing what I had to say?

TALK!

"She kissed me alright! And I don't know why!"

Discord chuckled. He snapped his fingers and a glass of chocolate milk appeared in his hand. He took a sip and then looked at me.

Isn't it obvious? She likes you.

"Why would she like me?"

Discord flashed a sinister smile and his head disappeared. In its place, Luna's head flashed into existence. She opened her mouth. "Speedy! You're the only one that understands me!" Her head flashed out and Discord's head returned. He was still smiling. I narrowed my eyes. "Stop." He didn't respond for a moment, taking another sip of his milk. He finished the glass and threw it behind him.

You've both been hosts for evil spirits. But there are still traces left. Like you said earlier this evening; 'Evil attracts evil'.

I sat down. Could he be right? Had we some how connected through our dark pasts? I shook my head. We couldn't have. I didn't have feelings for Luna....Did I? I looked up at Discord.

"You're not in control of me. And Nightmare Moon is nothing but a memory."

True. But Luna still feels her darker nature in her mind. She never lets it out of course. And you took on a bit of my personality, so you have a sliver of evil in you even if you rarely use it.

"This insane. I...I can't. I already love Fluttershy!"

I know. But I also know that the minute Luna kissed you, you began to have feelings for her beyond friendship.

"You're lying."

Don't believe me? Why don't you go and see her again? See if you can tell her directly that you don't care.

"I don't love her!"

Now who's lying?"

I screamed and kicked my back legs against the mirror. It shattered and fell out of its frame. A thousand pieces of glass lay scattered across the floor. I sat down as tears came to my eyes.

Tonight is the one night where I have enough energy that could teleport you to the castle.

"Why would I want to go there?"

To talk to her. You obviously don't want to talk to me.

I wiped away the tears and my gaze hardened. I looked down at the shards to see the broken face of Discord still staring at me. He held up his fingers, ready to snap.

Well?

I continued to stare at him. And then I gave him a curt nod. He snapped his fingers.

I materialized in an elegant room. The first thing I noticed was the huge bed with midnight blue sheets. As I gazed around, my eyes looked up. The entire ceiling pictured the night sky and all of its constellations. I was in Luna's room. It was at that moment of realization that the balcony doors opened and Luna landed. As her wings folded, she noticed me and froze. "How did you-?" She couldn't finish her own sentence. I stepped forward. "Why?" Her eyes widened. "Speedy-" I stomped my hoof, electricity sparking where I hit the floor. "WHY?" The doors opened behind me and two guards ran in. "Who are you? What are you doing in here?" I turned to the guards and smiled, feeling the power growing within me. "No trouble here boys. I'm a friend of the princess. She wants me here. You can go back to your duties." Their eyes glazed over and they nodded, backing out of the room and closing the doors.

Luna's eyes were still wide. I stepped closer to her. "Why did you kiss me?" She began to walk around me. "Discord did something, didn't he?" I shrugged. "He only got me to Canterlot. After that, I guess I still have some of my own power left. Now answer me!" Her eyes grew sad and she sat down. "I'm sorry. I...You...From the moment we first talked those short months ago, I began to have feelings for you. We Have so much in common and you're the only pony who truly understands the struggles I go through with my past. I...I love you." My anger faded and was replace by confusion and grief. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. "Luna....I don't know what to say." The tears were welling up in her eyes. "Tell me the truth."

I walked right up to her and stared into her eyes. "I...did feel something. I'm not sure what it was, but think about it. Why me? I already have a marefriend..." She nodded. "I know. I can't help having these feelings though. This is the first time I've really felt....love. I've never been in love before you." My jaw dropped slightly. "You...you've never been in love?" She half laughed-half cried. "It's not easy for my kind to have such feelings. We rarely have mates. And we never have these feelings unless they're true. So when I say I love you....I love you." I couldn't speak. What would I have said anyways?

Luna leaned closer. "Speedy. What did you feel when we kissed?" I blinked a few times, trying to understand what I had just heard. When it registered I thought about it. "I...I felt....I don't know." Without a response, she leaned in and kissed me again for the second time that night. I felt something stir in the back of my head. Without thinking, I returned the kiss.

The doors flew open to reveal Celestia. I jumped back from Luna and fell over as something snapped in my fake leg. Celestia looked between the two of us. I tried to read her expression, but it was impossible. I felt her magic surround me and levitate me to a standing position. "Can you walk?" I nodded, never meeting her gaze. "Than follow me." Luna stepped forward, but froze. My guess was that Celestia had stared her into being silent. She began to leave the room and I hobbled after her. I looked back as the doors closed to Luna's room. Luna was crying.

Waking Up

I opened my eyes to discover two things. One, I was in a really comfortable bed. Two, I had Luna and Fluttershy staring at me. Fluttershy smiled and held my hoof. "Hello sleepyhead." I glanced at Luna and she smiled. "Hello Speedy."

And then I connected the dots. Both of them were here. Both of them!

I tried to sit up, but Fluttershy held me down. "It's okay. Everything's fine." I stopped struggling and looked between the two mares. "But...you two....together....here..." Luna glance at Fluttershy. "She hasn't left your side once for the past week." I tired to sit up again. "A week?!" Fluttershy nodded as she held me down. "Yes. We've all been so worried. And Luna told me everything." My eyes widened. Oh no.

Luna stepped back. "The sun is beginning to set. I have duties to perform. Speedy, you saved both of us. You do understand that, don't you? You're free of Discord, and I'm free of an illusion." I stared at her. "You mean..." She nodded. "I understand now. Us being together wasn't going to happen. And it may not have even been real. I do love you Speedy. But only as a friend. And that's all it will ever be." She left the room and I turned my head to Fluttershy.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I just began to cry. Shy pulled me up into a hug. "It's okay." I shook my head. "No. No it's not. I'm so sorry. I...." I couldn't say anymore. All I could do was hug her tighter. And she returned it. She let me cry for a while. Finally I ran out of tears and pulled away from her. I put a hoof under her chin. "I love you. And I was an idiot for ever leaving." She smiled. "I know." We both started to laugh. And then she kissed me. And I kissed her. We stayed like that for who knows how long. But it was the greatest moment of my life.

Thank you to all my readers for following my story. I have enjoyed writing this so much. But don't fret! The story isn't over! Stay tuned for the sequel: The Town Of Lovely Adventure!