After the stress of, frankly speaking, nearly everything so far, Wild decided that it would be best to go somewhere he wouldn’t expect any trouble. Or, at the very least, any serious trouble. That meant no more art galleries or museums because, frankly, he did not want to see even further confirmation of ponies being at least somewhat aware of humanity in general and, possibly, of him specifically. He had already decided on not writing any sort of autobiography ever. He would, instead, be very glad if his life went on without the entire country finding out about his origins and life story. What was out there in public was already far more than enough, in his opinion, and no one needed to know any more. Let it all remain as mad scribbles or vague uncertainties, that would simply be for the best.

Wild headed towards the amusement park, and Artful followed him. It was very unlikely that Wild would be ambushed there by weird off-putting things, so that was perhaps the best choice. Of course, he also wanted to take his mind off things and at least try to have some fun. Otherwise, he may as well head back to the Royal Orphanage and then spend the rest of his time there. Then, in the future, he would buy or build a house in the middle of nowhere, where he would proceed to spend the rest of his life relaxing away from anyone and anything.

Wild shook those thoughts off. Whatever the future held, that was not important now. The amusement park would hopefully give him fun things to do. He had a vague idea of what an amusement park was supposed to be, and it was time he found out what it was in truth.

The Canterlot Amusement Park was situated on what was called the Air Edge of the city. Air Edge was popular with the pegasi, unpopular with earth ponies, and somewhat neutral with the unicorns, for rather obvious reasons. While the views from there were breathtaking, they also reminded everyone that falling off the edge of the city would take long enough for someone to rethink their every life choice and then some. Naturally, those who couldn’t fly and had their roots in the earth were not very willing to take flight. Not that the Air Edge was in any way unsafe - one couldn’t simply jump off it as there was a net installed that would catch anyone who attempted it. There was also a fence some way away from the very edge, meaning that no one could fall off on accident since getting there required quite a conscious decision of climbing the fence, which many ponies were entirely incapable of without magical assistance.

The Canterlot Amusement Park was placed in the first third of the Air Edge if counting from the Canterlot Central Train Station in what was colloquially known as the Fun District. Aside from the amusement park itself, there were a number of various entertainment establishments, including bowling alleys, shooting ranges, theaters, and more. The Fun District, coincidentally, was right next to the, once again colloquially known as, Adult Fun District, or Red Light District. Naturally, it did not let anyone in who couldn’t prove that they both knew what they would see and that they reached the appropriate age for it. As for Wild, he was somewhat curious about it, considering that prostitution was entirely legal in Equestria, but he had no plans to visit it. He might have had a sexual reawakening, but he wasn’t about to push his luck with something of that sort.

Once they entered the Fun District, Wild and Artful headed straight for the Canterlot Amusement Park, although neither of them ignored all the other establishments. One was rather eye-catching - a fantasy-themed slightly crooked building titled Ogres and Oubliettes Guild. From what Wild was able to understand, it was a sort of Dungeons and Dragons thing, although he had never gotten into anything like it himself. He reluctantly noted it as something he was not entirely unwilling to try someday. He knew he needed to get out of his shell - at least for the reason of getting to know the world he was now living in better - and so expanding his knowledge on various things could only be beneficial, and it would also be easier to do if it was entertaining as well as educational. Next to that club, there was a more general Tabletop Game Shop, which Wild would probably not mind visiting on his way back. As he had learned, playing some tabletop games was actually quite fun, at least as long as they were relatively simple. He wouldn’t mind playing some computer games, but as far as he knew, computers as he knew them were simply not a thing yet, and possibly wouldn’t be a thing for many decades to come. He couldn’t say he was missing them so much that nothing else would do, but he remembered various games fondly, for they were his escape from reality. Now, however, his new reality wasn’t something he particularly wished to escape from. He had far more than in his previous life, and he could see a vague idea for his future instead of nothing at all. That, at least, had to count for something.

The Canterlot Amusement Park was not at all difficult to spot, considering that it had that tall wheel Wild forgot the name of. He wondered what the point of it was since Canterlot was already this high up. Was it just for the sake of raising ponies enough so that they could see the city below them? He didn’t believe it would be particularly interesting, certainly not as much as the view outside the city, but it wasn’t really his business. Perhaps he would understand it once he was on that wheel himself.

Admittance to the amusement park cost money, but Wild had more than enough. However, before he could count out the amount, Artful was already there, swiftly picking the coins and then exchanging them for the admittance ticket before Wild could do more than look at a single coin.

“Gotta make it up to you,” Artful explained himself.

Wild shook his head, but before he could audibly deny it, Artful spoke again.

“It’s technically my fault you got stressed out,” he said, “And I know it’s actually no one’s fault, but, well, I still want to pay for you.”

Wild, with some reluctance, let the matter drop. A part of him was glad that he was able to save the money, but a different part of him was also... anxious, perhaps, because Artful had already spent some of his own for all the art supplies he picked.

Wild still remembered how difficult it was to get money while he was homeless. It wasn’t like anyone was willing to hire him, not even when he was clean enough to be presentable. Apparently he was simply not good enough for any sort of job because he was mute. Not even stocking shelves in a supermarket, not sweeping floors, absolutely nothing. Of course, no one outright said anything like that, but he didn’t need mind reading powers to know the truth.

The Amusement Park opened just a few minutes prior to the arrival of Wild and Artful, so there weren’t many people around just yet. All the various stalls and attractions had already been set up, however, and there was plenty of things to do. Wild approached one of the simpler stalls, which had bold orange letters above it proclaiming ‘Test your Strength and Flexibility!’.

“Welcome, welcome!” the stall attendant beamed the two a smile, “Want to test your mettle, eh? Alright, step right up! Who’s gonna be the first one?”

Artful shuffled a bit, so Wild volunteered by taking a step forward.

“You sure look strong,” the attendant nodded approvingly, “Go to the gym often?”

“Swordsmanship,” Wild replied simply.

“Ooh, a knight then? Excellent,” the attendant seemed to smile brighter, “Alright, then here’s your first test, sir knight,” they walked over to a setup with an oversized wooden hammer and a small platform with a tall scale with a bell on top of it. Wild was familiar with it - the base at the bottom was to be struck with a hammer, and then he would see how strong his hit was on the scale. If he hit it hard enough, the bell on top would ring, “use your magic or the strength of your neck to strike with that hammer, your choice!”

Wild nodded, and used his magical hands to grab the hammer and lift it. It didn’t take him much effort, surprisingly. Judging by how the attendant’s eyebrows climbed up, they didn’t expect this either. Wild then took position right in front of the base plate, lifted his hammer high, and swung it with all his might. It was a blur, not even a second passed between the start of the swing and when it connected with the plate. The plate cracked from impact, rattling in the aftershock, and the bell on top rung loudly enough for Wild to fold his ears and grimace.

“Holy shit,” the attendant muttered, barely audible, “Well, ah... without a doubt, you strike mighty and true, sir knight!” they glanced up, then down at the cracked plate, “One might say too mighty... I’ll have to get a stronger plate next time... But! Strength is strength, yes, but what about your flexibility! Come, come, let’s see what you’re capable of.”

There was a mat on the ground, clean from dust. A few blocks of wood were stacked to the side.

“Let’s see if you can do a split!” the attendant said, their cheer returning in full, “This is a feat most cannot accomp-”

Wild dropped into a split there and then, his stomach hitting the mat. It wasn’t even uncomfortable. While it was perhaps not the most useful feat, Wild did proud himself on his flexibility. It had saved him a couple of times in the past, though only under quite specific circumstances. He hadn’t pulled a muscle in forever, so he was glad for that.

“...very impressive,” the attended ended up saying, “The day has just begun, yet it appears you have already beaten all the possible competition in strength, and yet... I have seen such flexibility before. I wonder, can you go further? Can you prove yourself to be more flexible?”

The attendant expertly moved a pair of wooden blocks to the mat.

“Try the same, but now the floor... is lower! Your hind legs first, please - we don’t want any injuries, now do we?”

Wild nodded, and then placed his rear pair of hooves on the wooden blocks, which he then slid apart while supporting himself with his front legs. He reached the previous point of his splits easily, and pushing past it until he was more than one-eighty degrees between his rear legs wasn’t difficult either. He wondered how it was anatomically possible, but apparently it was. If the attendant's comment meant what Wild thought it meant, ponies were, in general, rather flexible, and his own flexibility wasn't all that much outside of the norm.

He noticed that Artful was eyeing his butt in that position. Having been caught, he looked away and blushed, then reluctantly returned his gaze. Wild let a small smile appear on his face.

“Impressive, impressive,” the attendant was nodding, “Now, your front legs!”

Wild nodded, then made the splits once again, lying fully on his stomach with his legs far apart. He didn’t notice any particular strain there. Perhaps he would incorporate it into his flexibility training. He had known about using blocks to make sure the legs stayed higher than the rest of the body, he had simply never trained that way.

Another pair of blocks was added, and then another. He felt the strain then, a slight one, but he still managed to lay on the mat. Once the third pair was added to his hind legs, he could no longer reach the mat without possibly stretching too much.

“Oh, a shame, but you have done very well indeed!” the attendant said, “This, of course, cannot be left unrewarded, I say,” they went behind their advertisement stall and dug around before pulling out a small golden hammer on a stand as well as a silver circle on a stand. On closer inspection, the circle was a pony. Wild wondered what it would take for a pony to contort themselves in such a way, “Now you can proudly display your accomplishments! Perhaps next time both will be gold, who am I to say?”

Wild nodded, then packed them away. When Artful stepped up to try both the strength and flexibility tests, he managed to score only around average. Still, the pony average was impressive in its own right, at least when it came to flexibility - with some effort, Artful almost managed to do a full split, and Wild didn't think he had ever trained for that. In the human body, it had taken Wild months to accomplish that, after all.

“Do not fret, for this can be trained!” the attendant told him once Artful came up, panting slightly from the effort, “With your partner, I bet you can accomplish the same given enough time and, shall we say, motivation,” they winked, and Artful blushed. Wild shuffled a bit, not sure of how to react to the insinuation. Ponies being so open about all things sexual was still not entirely comfortable for him to experience.

“Wild, I have no idea how you do that,” Artful told him as they walked away.

“Practice,” Wild shrugged, “A lot of practice,” then he stopped and flexed, making his muscles stand out more. He was satisfied when he saw Artful’s look of interest and, naturally, desire. Wild thought that flexing like he did was a bit awkward, but it was clear that Artful quite enjoyed looking at how fit Wild was, so Wild didn’t particularly mind. He did have to admit that he was, in fact, quite athletic, which also made him, at least in some way, handsome. Perhaps it was time that he embraced it, at least when it came to Artful and his obvious interest in Wild’s body.

“Maybe I should practice too,” Artful said, “And, um, you know, uh... there are some things that, um, are... like exercise... but better?” he looked away, blushing, “Uh, I messed up the delivery, didn’t I?”

Wild let out a small amused laugh, making Artful’s ears perk up. Wild understood perfectly what Artful was trying to say, and Wild didn’t exactly disagree.

“So, what I mean is, when we’re heading back, maybe I can... buy a certain thing... that will, um, allow you to...” Artful’s blush was particularly impressive then, “Do things to my butt.”

Wild let out a louder laugh then even as he felt his own blush strengthening. Then he offered a simple nod of confirmation. He would... actually like that. He wondered how it would feel like. He knew he wasn’t ready to be on the receiving end of anal, certainly not now, possibly not ever, and pushing some memories away when thinking about it was difficult, but... there was one important thing. Artful was safe to be around with, and Wild had the strength to make sure he remained safe as well, no matter what happened.

He shook the thoughts away before they could go somewhere he didn’t want them to go, focusing on the next thing he wanted to do in this amusement park. There was a simple shooting gallery with a pile of something like tennis balls alongside a few slingshots as well as a couple stacks of bottles placed at various distances from the front of the stall.

“Welcome!” the attendant greeted the two as they approached, “Want to try your aim at winning one of our premium stuffed toys?” they gestured at the aforementioned toys sitting in the corner. They featured dogs, bears, pigeons, bunnies, even rats and mice. As far as Wild knew, none of those species were on the level of intelligence of ponies. However, when Wild looked closer, he realized the pile also had stuffed toys of pony tribes, and one quite big alicorn stuffed toy hidden behind the rest. The alicorn, however, didn’t have the colors of any of the real alicorns, and no pony stuffed toy had a talent mark. All of them were made rather well as far as Wild was concerned, and they didn’t look like cheap crap he would’ve expected to see.

Artful decided to go first this time. Wild considered that perhaps it was unfair for Wild to participate since his magic was so strong. Though, this had more to do with precision.

“You have three shots. One point per bottle on the first row, two points second tow, and three points third row,” the attendant explained, “Double points for knocking a whole stack down at once, triple points for hitting multiple rows. We’ll sum up the points at the end and see if you can exchange them for one of our toys,” he then looked at Wild, “No moving the balls with magic in any way, just warning you,” they returned to Artful, “Let’s see what you’ve got, hm?”

The bottles were organized in stacks, with three at the bottom, two on top of them, and one on top of the last two, forming a triangle. A classic sort of setup.

Artful, with some help from the attendant, mounted the slingshot on his chest, and the attendant helpfully loaded the first ball. Artful used his mouth to pull on the sling, aimed with one eye closed, and then released. The ball brushed past one of the bottles on the side of the first row, making it rock just a tiny bit, but none fell. His second try, however, led to the top three bottles falling. His third try got one of the bottom bottles to fall and the others to slide a bit.

“Playing it safe, hm?” the attendant commented, “Four points total. For those points, you can get one of those,” the attendant used their horn to levitate a colorful worm stuffed toy, which was perhaps a third of the length of Wild’s foreleg and about twice as thick as one of his magical fingers. It was not particularly impressive, “Unless you want to sum up your points with your partner?”

“Sum up,” Artful nodded.

“Alright then,” the attendant nodded, and Wild stepped forward. Getting the slingshot mounted wasn’t difficult, “You may pull using your magic or your mouth. But, as I said before, magic does not touch the ball.”

Wild nodded, then used his magic to pull on the sling. He aimed for the last row first, intending to let Artful get something better than a worm. He aimed as best as he could, and then let go. He watched as the ball sailed through the air and hit the stack of bottles straight in the middle. To his satisfaction, the entire stack fell down. Then he loaded another ball, aimed at the second row, and let go. Unfortunately, this time, one bottle remained standing despite the fact that it almost did fall over, depriving of double points. He struck the first row on his third try, and watched as the bottles fell again.

“Ah, almost a triple, but not quite,” the attendant said, “But still, you have done excellently. Let’s see... first row, five points and double, ten points. Second row, eight points. Third tow, fifteen points and double, thirty points. In total, forty-eight points. Very impressive, I’d say. You’ve got a good eye, without a doubt. Now, summed up with your partner’s points, that’s fifty-two. And that entitles you to one of the pony plushies. They’re uncolored and unmarked, so you can easily make them into whomever you want, be it one of the princesses or one of your friends and family.”

Wild looked at Artful, letting him decide. Wild didn’t exactly want a plushie. Or, at least, he thought he had outgrown one. Besides, if he were to sleep while hugging something, it better be someone, specifically Artful. A plushie, in comparison, was lifeless.

Unsurprisingly, Artful had chosen a unicorn plushie.

“I’m going to color it like you,” he told Wild, “If... if you don’t mind?”

“You can do that,” Wild told him, “I... don’t mind.”

While Wild could, perhaps, not really understand this kind of thing, and maybe it would be a bit odd for Artful to have a plushie of Wild, but then Wild didn’t think quite like a pony, so he was willing to let it go.

With the plushie stuffed into Artful’s bag, the two headed for the next thing. Wild really wondered what the deal was with the wheel - with the Ferris Wheel, now he remembered what it was called. Artful seemed excited at the prospect of seeing Canterlot from up high as they neared it.

“I know I can just fly up and see, but it’s not the same,” Artful said, “Like, I need to focus on flying, and the winds near Canterlot can be pretty strong, you know? I just want to sit and look at the view, relax and all. And, well... I’d be alone up there, and I’d really rather see it with you.”

Wild was touched by his words and merely nodded. To hear Artful admit outright that he preferred Wild by his side was... well, Wild couldn’t describe what exactly he felt about it, but it was warm and pleasant.

The Ferris Wheel - which was apparently called an Observation Wheel, which made perfect sense - had small pods at regular intervals along the rim, big enough for perhaps four ponies to fit comfortably inside, two on each side. When the wheel stopped briefly, Wild and Artful walked into one, closing the door behind them. The pod was surrounded by glass on all sides and a roof on top, protecting the two from the elements, as well as making things quieter. However, despite the enclosed nature of the pod, the air was nice and fresh, and yet it also wasn’t drafty. The seats were nice and comfortable too, so Wild and Artful took the same one. It was wide enough that they could lie together. Artful draped a wing over Wild, and Wild relaxed. They were the only ones on the wheel now, so they steadily rose higher and higher. Wild watched as the amusement park grounds grew smaller, and watched as the lines of the roofs grew parallel with them before it was, almost suddenly, below them.

From above, Canterlot was as beautiful as on the ground level, with tiled sloped roofs alongside flat roofs with gardens on them or simple relaxation spots where one could gaze upon the city while having a nice meal. Wild wondered what it would feel like to have such a house, to have a rooftop garden or something of that sort. To listen to the city as it woke up, to watch as it fell asleep, and to see how the sun and the moon moved along the sky throughout the day and night.

Looking in a different direction, he could once again see how far Equestria stretched, and the horizon line seemed to be so far away, and Wild wasn’t sure whether it was some sort of a trick or perhaps the planet was much larger than Earth. It appeared as if one could see the entirety of Equestria - at least southwards - from Canterlot, and maybe indeed the whole country from the top of Alicorn Peak. The world was so big, so large, feeling larger than he ever thought Earth was. Humanity had gone to the moon, had brought photos of Earth from it back, and Earth looked so small. Wild could look at a map of it and see it too, and yet... now, in this different world, everything felt larger, more interesting even.

This was the kind of world Wild was now eager to experience, to get to know. Of course, he didn’t have to do it alone, and he was aware of it now. He didn’t know how the whole relationship business would go, for all that it had been going pretty well so far, but he would cherish it for as long as it existed. Artful had accepted him, had given him understanding, did not judge him. Perhaps that would change if Artful learned more of Wild, but Wild suspected that Artful would still stand by his side. Wild didn’t believe he was that good, didn’t think he was worth all that effort, but...

For all that Wild didn’t understand why ponies he had grown close to seemed to accept him, he was willing to let them do it, and he would perhaps, in time, would learn to, ironically, accept their acceptance. Maybe, in some distant future, he would learn to truly accept himself.

Wild nuzzled Artful affectionately, basking in the warmth of both of their bodies touching together, and let his worries and anxieties fade away, if only for a single moment of beauty and wonder he could see from the top of the Observation Wheel in Canterlot.

Author's Note

Woo, Chapter 100! This story had definitely come a long way in four years since it started. It's actually off by just 2 days from it being exactly four years. And I believe it will be finished next year, possibly. Wouldn't bet on it, but it's more likely than not.