Mark Atlas: Future Explorer!

by The Real Mark Atlas

Rating: teen
Tags: Random, Violence, Applejack, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy
Length: 55607

Mark has dreams of being an explorer one day, but his whole life turns upside down when he makes some new friends.

Mark Atlas is a pony explorer renowned all across Equestria for his exploits, but everypony has to start somewhere, right? When he was too young to join Ponyville's branch of the Equestrian Exploration Committee, he was a socially awkward, eccentric colt that preferred to do things alone. That is, until he met an unexpected pony while exploring the woods one day.

Part of a planned series that follows the life of my main OC. Rated Teen for some drama and violence in later chapters that might be too traumatic for younger readers.

Published 2022-09-28 22:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-06-08 02:16:31 UTC

Chapter 1: Casting her spell

It was a calm summer morning in the small, serene town of Ponyville. Ponies went about the town, enjoying the peaceful mundanity of their typical everyday tasks among the tranquil atmosphere. The sound of birds, cicadas, and the laughter of foals could be heard in the background like a harmonious ballad, from city hall to Sweet Apple Acres. Being summer vacation, fillies and colts were free to frolic and prance about, as well as play all the games they pleased with their friends, to which they graciously took advantage of.

That's how most students used this time, anyway. There were exceptions. At the park, on a tree atop a small hill apart from the playing foals, a lone earth pony colt could be seen. He had a light brown coat, a neatly combed, chocolate brown colored mane, round, black glasses, and a cutie mark of a worn-out map.

Sitting alone under the tree's shade, the colt was tinkering with a bunch of little pieces of plastic, glass, wicker, and wood, carefully gluing some of the pieces together. "Okay, I think I've figured it out now," The colt said aloud to himself. "The wicker frame seems to be properly reinforced, the horizon and index mirrors are in optimum position, I measured out the arc three times, just to be safe, and now I just twiiiiiist the makeshift micrometer drum right... on... here!" The colt turned it around clockwise like a screw, moving it right into place with a pop and a click. "Got it! I'm finally finished, and it looks just the way it's supposed to! This sextant should make navigation and map scaling a breeze! Mark Atlas, you're a genius!" He nodded happily, congratulating himself for his creation.

That moment of self-celebration, however, didn't last very long, as just seconds after he was done, the device was swiped right out of his hooves by another earth pony colt, one with a black coat and a blonde, spiky mane, a pony that Mark didn't see while he was distracted. It was all one swift motion; one moment, it was in his hooves, and the next, it wasn't. The instant he was able to process what just happened, he gasped and looked upward, seeing the colt who took it.

"Hey, Scorch! That's mine!" Mark whined as he got up, trying to recover his newly crafted device.

"This is whatcha do in ya spare time, twoip? Just playin' with gahbage like a junkyahd rat?" Scorch taunted, examining the object in his hooves, not even sure what he was looking at.

"It's not garbage! I spent weeks making that!" Mark yelled out as he reached for it, only for Scorch to lift it up out of his reach, leaving Mark to flail his forehooves up into the air in an attempt to retrieve it. "Come on! Just give me back my sextant!"

Scorch snickered and smirked, tilting his ear toward Mark. "Sorry, twoip, whatcha say?"

"I said give it back!" Mark yelled, still reaching for it to no avail.

"No, no, no, what'd ya call this little doohickey a yours?"

"It's a sextant, a navigational tool that allows..." Mark explained, only to stop mid-sentence when Scorch started snickering again.

"Come again, twoip? I didn't hear ya!" Scorch said in a taunting tone.

"It's a sextant. It lets you..." Mark said, looking more agitated, something that was more true when Scorch started snickering again.

"Ah, I think I had carrots in my eahs or somethin'! Can ya tell me what it is again?" Scorch looked at Mark with condescension, holding back his laughter.

"It's a sextant! A sextant! I said it five times now! That good enough for you?!" Mark shouted at the top of his lungs, the noise attracting attention from some other colts and fillies playing closer to the tree. Scorch, meanwhile, just let go of all his restraint and burst into laughter, leaving Mark quite perplexed. Looking back at the exchange they just had, he suddenly put two and two together in his mind and blushed furiously, his face turning a vivid red. "Oh my.."

Mark's realization made Scorch laugh even harder. "Hahaha! That was just poifect! Took ya long enough!" Scorch bellowed out loudly.

Mark simply let out an annoyed groan. "Alright. You had your laugh. Now, if you are done with your display of juvenile depravity, I would appreciate it if you relinquished my device."

"And what if I don't wanna, twoip? Whatcha gonna do about it? Beat me up and take it from me?" Scorch said as he puffed up his chest, towering over Mark. Mark, meanwhile, briefly stuttered and a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. Lacking the confidence to stand up to him, nothing he said came out as coherent.

"That's what I thought. How's about this, then?" Scorch said before throwing the sextant on the ground at full force and stomping on it with his hoof, all the while with a smug expression of satisfaction.

"Noooooo!" Mark cried out, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

Scorch kicked its remains aside. "Ya not supposed ta play with gahbage, ya peabrain! What, ya gonna cry like a little baby?" He teased, practically rubbing Mark's muzzle in it.

Mark sniffled and looked at all that remained of his contraption. It appeared to be damaged completely beyond repair. All his hard work, now gone, just like that. Too much for the young colt to bear, he burst into tears and ran away back home screaming and crying, leaving Scorch to revel in his deeds, several fillies and colts all staring at him with disapproval.

"And whatta youse lookin' at?" Scorch yelled to all of them. "Didn't ya parents ever teach ya it's rude ta stare?" He then turned to a nearby tetherball pole, drawing a crude depiction of Mark's face on the ball with a permanent marker and bashing it repeatedly, constantly chuckling to himself, the other ponies eyeing him and whispering to each other about what they all just saw.

Finally, one pony in particular, a white unicorn filly with a long, purple mane and no cutie mark, came up from the crowd, stepping up towards Scorch. "Well, I think that was unnecessary, don't you?" She said, telling him off.

"And whadda you care, ya dainty little pansy?" Scorch replied aggressively, not making eye contact and still beating the ball.

"That was an uncivilized and barbaric act," the unicorn said, stomping her hoof and turning her head. "And while I wish I had the time to give you a stern talking to, I have other things I have to prepare for at the moment. I know you likely won't, but think about how you made that colt feel."

"Whateva, pansy goil! I'll letcha know when I care! Haha! Hit 'im good!" Scorch said as he laughed, beating the ball just shy of enough force to pop it.

"And just so you know, my name is Rarity. How rude," she said to him, not getting a response.

Rarity, taking a look back at the tree and seeing the broken pieces of Mark's sextant sticking out of the grass. She then proceeded to pick up the pieces with her magic and stuff them into her saddlebag. "I'm not the best with magic yet, and I don't know how this is meant to be put together, but I'll see if I can get Mother's help to fix this," she said to herself, taking care to check the ground so as to not miss any pieces. "I can't get to it right away, but after I make the costumes for the play, I think I can get it to work again." As she stuffed the last of the pieces into the saddlebag, she clipped the button on and trotted ahead to her destination.

Now lying on his bed, Mark sobbed and sniffled into his pillow, his tears dripping down onto it. The poor colt just couldn't understand why a pony would do such a thing. He hadn't ever done anything to Scorch. So why? Just because it was fun? It's not fair! Why is he always so mean to me?

Hearing his distress, his mother stepped into his room, placing her hoof on his back. She was an earth pony mare with a peach orange coat, a caramel brown mane, cyan eyes, and a pink book and quill cutie mark . "Oh, goodness, honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She said softly, rubbing her hoof on him gently to comfort him. "Did you get hurt?"

Mark noticed his mother touching him but didn't look back up, his head deep in his pillow. "N-no..." He said with the pillow muffling his voice.

"Then what's wrong, sweetie?" She asked as she continued to rub his back, but getting no response from him besides more crying, she had a good idea of what was going on. "Was that Scorch picking on you again?" She asked with a tone of protective anger.

Mark finally took his head off of the pillow and looked up at his mother. He sniffled strongly, tears in his eyes, and nodded. "Uh-huh..."

"I knew it," His mother said, now holding her hoof on his shoulder. "What did he do this time?"

Mark sat up all the way, looking down onto the bed. "Well, I... I spent so much time making this sextant all by myself, and then when I was done making it, he... he... he took it from me and broke it! Waaaaaahhhhh!" He reached out and grabbed his mother for a hug as he cried.

Mark's mother was taken aback, holding him closely and returning the hug. "That's horrible!" She now started stroking his mane affectionately. "My poor baby boy."

"I... I worked so hard on it, too. He's always mean to me for no reason!" Mark said slowly in between breaths.

"I'm definitely going to have another word with his mother about this first thing tomorrow morning. Something is going to be done, I promise you," his mother assured him, and after about another minute of comforting him, Mark had started to calm down, his breathing gradually returning to normal, and he broke the hug and looked up at her. "Now, how about we order pizza tonight? Will that cheer you up?" She said with a smile, holding him at both the shoulders now.

Mark smiled lightly and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"That's a good colt. See? Mommy's going to take care of everything, okay?" She said while wiping the last of his tears away with her hoof.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetie," Mark's mother nuzzled him softly. "Now, why don't you go back outside and play with your friends, and we should be just about ready by the time you get back, huh?"

"But... But I... I don't have any friends," Mark said, looking down and frowning again.

"You don't? Not even one?" His mother asked with surprise and concern. "What about that filly from school? Rarity, was it? She seems nice."

Mark looked aside. "She... she is nice, but we... We don't talk much. I'm too scared to talk to anypony. I don't fit in with any of them. They won't like me."

"Nonsense," Mark's mother replied, bringing his attention back to her and looking him in the eye. "I'm sure plenty of ponies would like you if you try and talk to them. You just need to give it a chance."

"I don't know. I guess I can try," Mark said as he broke eye contact, his eyes drifting back downward. "But I'm scared."

"Don't worry about it, honey. You can try it when you're ready. There will always be plenty of friends for you to make, and all the time in the world to make them. And when you get the courage to make them, you'll see just how worthwhile it truly is," She said as she pat his mane and got up off of the bed. "Oh, and we're going to get stuffed crust, too. Your favorite."

Mark smiled again. "Thank you, mom."

"No, thank you, sweetheart."

"For what?"

"For being such a sweet colt to love and care for every single day," she said as she kissed him on the forehead, making him smile and giggle a little.

After spending about half an hour or so resting in his room and looking through his collection of maps, some of which he made himself, Mark left and returned outside with his saddlebag in tow. He thought about what his mother had said to him, and considered going back to the park and trying to make a new friend, but he just couldn't bring himself to try.

What if I blow it and look silly? They'll all laugh at me. Mark thought to himself. I bet Scorch is still there, too. He'll embarrass me in front of everypony again.

The young colt, lonely as he was, simply didn't have the courage within him to approach any of the other foals. This made him grumpy, and he kicked the dirt, coughing a bit when it made a dust cloud in front of him.

Why does this have to be so difficult? Why am I such an incompetent, pathetic wimp? These thoughts welled up inside of him.

"You know what? I don't need any friends! I can have fun playing on my own! I'll just do what I got my cutie mark doing!"

Mark's self-directed anger changed to excitement as he opened his saddlebag and took out some of his self-made maps. Little over a month ago, he had finally gotten his cutie mark, his special talent being exploring and map making. Since he was only eight years old, he was too young to join the Equestrian Exploration Comittee, but he longed to join when he came of age. He loved to go out and explore Ponyville and the areas just outside the town, mapping out the areas as he went along. He had assembled numerous maps within the past month, all of which were surprisingly detailed and accurate for a colt his age.

"Mark Atlas, master explorer, ready for another adventure!" He cheered to himself, adjusting his glasses and examining one of the maps.

Venturing away from his house, Mark frequently switched between looking ahead and at his map. He did this for a while as he plotted out his course. Today, he decided he was going to explore territory in the outskirts of Ponyville that he's never been to before, someplace far away from where Scorch has ever been, and add it to his map collection.

Minutes later, Mark arrived at a patch of grass and looked downward. Pulling out his trusty magnifying glass for a closer look, he brought his attention to one particular blade of grass. "Aha!" He shouted. "I knew it! Out of all the blades of grass I've recorded in Ponyville, blade #28,576, the one I dubbed "Sadiq", grows the fastest!"

Mark proceeded to take a piece of charcoal out of his saddlebag, and drew a teeeeeeny little speck on his map right where this particularly long blade of grass was. He looked around to make sure nopony was watching him, and then leaned over to the blade of grass, whispering to it. "Just a minor geographical update, Sadiq. You're putting on height," He winked and giggled, waving goodbye to his photosynthetic companion before continuing on his way.

Heading further down his course, Mark approached what was marked as a skull and crossbones on his map. Looking at the ground ahead, he saw just what it was pointing to. "Gotcha!" He shouted again, looking down at a little pebble on the ground and pointing at it with his forehoof, "Your nefarious deeds aren't going to prevail this time, you granitic fiend! You won't trip me up again, pebble #143!" Mark shivered, getting chills from recalling the first time he tripped over this pebble. He remembered twisting his hind leg and falling on the ground, holding his leg and inhaling through closed teeth, then moaning in agony, repeating this action multiple times before getting up. But then he smiled, remembering how his mother fixed him up and got him ice cream afterwards. Upon finishing that memory, he trotted around the pebble and pressed onward.

Finally, he approached the outskirts of Ponyville, just at the edge of territory he has officially charted. Getting out his charcoal again, he looked around at the area, drawing accordingly on the map, slowly adding to it. Before going further to expand the map even more, he took out his notebook from his bag, and began to write.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇A

After bidding farewell to a particularly flourishing plant, and a close call with death from a notorious supervillain's snare, I have stumbled upon new uncharted territory. I now venture deep into the unknown, where nopony has ever gone before. Well, not without adult supervision, anyway. What awaits me on this journey? Will I live? Will I perish? Will I ever return home in time for pizza tonight? So many questions, and no answers. There's no telling what sinister surprises lay just around the bend. And yet, despite this fact, I will forge on, for what kind of explorer would I be if I backed down in the face of the unknown?

Bravely stepping forward, Mark looked every which way, adding to the map as he went. It didn't take long for him, however, to realize that there wasn't as much out here as the young explorer was expecting. There was little but trees as far as the eye could see.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇B

Deep within this vast forest away from my cozy hometown, I have been witness to many a sight, including trees, more trees, more trees still, and... What was that last thing again? It was something that rhymes with trees, I think. Oh, right. Extra trees. Sadly, most of them don't say much. Even the ones that did had little to offer in the way of conversation. Compared to the more talkative trees at Sweet Apple Acres, well, let's just say these guys didn't really open with any zingers, that's for sure. And don't get me started on the ones that told me they've been trying to reach me about my wheelbarrow's extended warranty. No thank you. Heard it from 10 other trees this week, ladies. Well, if this is all there is, I suppose this exploration concludes here. Sadly, this one will be chalked up to a waste of

Mark was about to finish writing and head back when he heard a mysterious sound that made his ears perk up. Curious, he followed where it seemed to be coming from. Maybe today's exploration would yield something worthwhile, after all.

"What... What is that?" Mark asked himself as he followed the sound through the woods, the noise becoming louder and clearer with each step he took. Hearing it more closely, it seemed to be something he certainly didn't expect to hear out here. It was a voice! And not just any voice, either. It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard, and it sounded like it was singing a song. The delightful melody soothed his soul and drew him further, all the while, taking a mental note of his next journal entry. He didn't have the time to stop and write now, lest he lose the source of the voice.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇C

Just when I thought my journey was over, I was led deeper into the woods by an alluring voice. The voice, silky soft and beautiful like a chorus of cherubim, draws me ever further to it, as if I am hypnotized, captivated by forces I can't possibly comprehend. Was it the climate finally getting to me, wearing away at my senses and making me hear things that aren't really there? Was it a hungry monster attempting to lure me to it for a quick snack? A siren perhaps, drawing me in with her requiem of demise? I don't know, but I do know one thing. I can't stop. I just keep moving, each step feeling like I'm on auto-pilot. Whatever forces are controlling me, I am now helplessly at their mercy. Hey, this isn't bad! I am SO writing this down!

Mark thought this in his head, his mind moving a million miles a minute as he hurried forward. Getting closer still to the voice, he trotted past the trees, bushes and rocks coming into view along with, well, more trees. And that was when he could hear the voice clear as day, and fully make out what it was singing.

"Birds flying free and bees with their honey... Hoooooonnnneeeeeeyyyy!" The voice produced its angelic symphony as Mark made it to a large bush, hearing the voice emanating from the other side of it. Acting on instinct rather than reason, Mark jumped into the bush headfirst, making a little rustle as he dove in. Once he was inside, he looked through the bush from within, careful not to attract the source's attention. It was then that he could at last see what he was hearing.

In a clearing of trees, there were multiple bushes around, as well as hilltops in the distance. In the middle of all of this, there were a large number of woodland creatures, birds, squirrels, bunnies, and butterflies, all gathered around a yellow pegasus filly with a pink mane and tail. Quickly, Mark made a mental note of everything he saw.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇D

Finally getting to the source of the mysterious, beautiful voice, I have determined it to be what looks like a young pegasus. Did she sing this song to lure me here? Is this a mere hallucination caused by my starvation and desperation for pizza right about now? Is she an evil creature after all, merely in disguise as a pony? From what I can see, she certainly LOOKS like a real pony. Let's see, yellow and pink, wings check out, no cutie mark. If it's a disguise, it's a very convincing one. Oh, shoot, she's starting to sing again! Gotta focus!

"Oooooohhh, what a magical place! And I owe it all to the pegasus race! If I knew the ground had so much up its sleeve, I'd have come here sooner, and never leave!" The pegasus sang aloud as she flew around, looking at all the animals.

Mark watched and listened in awe the whole time. With the melodious beauty in every passionate note she sang, a wide smile came across his face, and his heart was warmed and his mind became at peace. The animals were all bobbing their heads to her song, and before Mark even realized it, he was, too.

"Yes, I... love... ev-ery-thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!" The pegasus sang with a perfectly executed high note.

"My gosh..." Mark thought to himself, now in a state of total bliss. "She seems so happy."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!

That was all that was heard when this peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted. A huge spectrum of all the colors of the rainbow lit up the sky as the sound of a sonic boom filled the area and invaded his eardrums.

Hit the deck! Mark shouted in his head, not knowing what was going on, but immediately ducking inside the bush for cover. Frantically searching for his journal, he quickly began writing down everything he had been thinking until this point, then proceeding to a new entry.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇E

Shortly after obtaining visual with the subject, I was captivated by her enchanting melody, and yet, as fate would have it, this moment came to an end by, of all things, a colorful explosion in the sky! I can hardly believe it, and I just witnessed it myself! So many more questions have arisen! Where did this explosion come from? Was she responsible for it? Was this loud explosion a hunting tactic used to defean anypony in the vicinity so that no one can hear me scream when she removes her disguise and devours me whole?! And above all, do we have any garlic powder left at home???!!! Any at all???!!! Because, you know, that would be great on pizza tonight. Don't judge me! You have your priorities, and I have mine!

After readjusting his glasses, Mark looked back out of the bush to see the singing yellow pegasus was gone. "Lost her!" He whispered to himself. He looked around very frantically in an effort to locate her again, to the left, to the right, off to the side, far back, everywhere, and as it would turn out, he saw her, now further away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he looked as well as he could, and he could tell she seemed to be preoccupied with something, though it was too hard to see what was going on from this distance. Making haste, Mark opened his saddlebag and took out his binoculars, setting his sights in the direction of the filly once more.

"The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇F", Mark began to whisper his journal entry to himself. "I have re-obtained visual on the subject. I calculate her to be approximately 40 miles away. It will take a lot of time to cover that kind of ground on hoof, so I'd best start my journey now, so I can... wait a minute," Mark took a moment to examine his binoculars, blushing and smiling sheepishly when he realized he was looking through the wrong end. "Oops," He turned them around, and looked through them again. "Uh, make that 40 feet," Mark said, while remembering to omit that part from the official records.

Focus brought back to his winged specimen, Mark saw that she was lying in the grass, and all the other animals had gathered back around her, seeming to find comfort from her presence. Zooming in his binoculars for a closer look, he caught a look at her flank, where he saw that she now had a cutie mark.

"What?!" Mark asked quietly, perplexed by this turn of events. "Okay, a major development has just occurred. When I first discovered the subject, I recall that she did not, in fact, have a cutie mark. Upon re-obtaining visual, I can now verify that she does, indeed, have one cutie mark. Three pink butterflies can now be plainly seen on her flank that definitely weren't there before. She must have gotten it just now! Either that, or I'm even more starving than I thought!"

Mark let his thoughts run through his mind as he just watched her. The pink and yellow filly just seemed so relaxed and happy around all these animals. She was playfully nuzzling one of the bunnies and several of the other animals were hugging and nuzzling her as well. It was a heartwarming sight indeed, so much so that Mark forgot about his journal entry for a while to just take in the wholesome sight, his smile returning to him.

Mark became lost in that moment for some time until thoughts finally re-entered his mind. "Her mane looks smooth like silk, and just as delicate. Her coat is like a velvet pillow. Her teal colored eyes sparkle like gemstones. And the way she shows such gentle affection to those animals... She looks so nice. So innocent. So... adorable." Then, an even crazier thought entered his mind after that, his smile becoming a nervous frown. "Should I... talk to her?"

Suddenly, memories of the conversation he had with his mother earlier today started coming back to him.

"I'm sure plenty of ponies would like you if you try and talk to them. You just need to give it a chance."

Mark thought to himself once more. What if she doesn't like me? What if she hates me, or thinks I'm weird, and doesn't want to be my friend? And for all I know, she's still really a monster that can gobble me up at any moment. But... I'd really like to meet her. Maybe I can just say hi?

Well, Mark was still deeply afraid, but this seemed like a nice pony to him. It would make him so happy to finally have a friend. He decided then that even if he was scared, he had to give it a try. "Alright. I'm going to try and initiate contact. Wish me luck, me."

He gulped nervously, and took his first step out of the bush and gently place it on the grass below. Then next hoof, and the third, and the fourth, nice and steady. Already relieved that he hasn't already blown it, he prepares to talk, struggling to open his mouth from how scared he was, but just barely able to get something out. "H-h-hello?" He said meekly, immediately catching her attention.

Unfortunately for Mark, it wasn't the kind of attention he had in mind. The pegasus let out an astonished shriek, the sound of Mark's voice catching her by surprise, and she flew away as fast as she could. The animals that surrounded her followed suit and scattered.

Mark noticed that she was leaving and called out to her. "Wait, don't go away!" He ran over to where she was, hoping he could get her to come back. "I... I just wanted to..." He said in a saddened, defeated tone, as he realized it was too late. She was out of sight. Both she and the animals were gone, leaving the colt all alone. This realization made him hang his head down in disappointment.

"But... B-But I... I..." Mark stammered, being at a loss for words. Feeling heartbroken and rejected, his eyes started watering, and he sat down on the grass. Lifting his glasses to his forehead and holding his hooves to his face, he began to cry.

She doesn't like me. I barely said a word to her, and she was already desperate to get away from me the first chance she got. If she was a monster that wanted to eat me, at least then I would have been valued for something! But not even that. She just left. I wasn't even worth her time or attention at all. I knew it. Nopony will ever like me. I'll never have any friends. I'll always be alone. Always...

At this point, the startled pegasus had retreated to hide in another bush. Scared half to death, she was hyperventilating, her heart pounding right out of her chest. Taking a second to calm herself, she was just about ready to make a break for it and escape. That was what she was about to do, anyway, but once she settled down, she heard something.

"Is that... crying?" The pegasus asked aloud. She peeked through the bush and saw the pony from before, sitting by himself out in the open and crying. She gave a concerned frown, and flew up from out of the bush, over towards him.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/9Bcy9cZ9Ygs

Now just overhead, the pegasus placed one of her hooves on his mane, petting him like he was a bunny in an attempt to comfort him. "There, there. Please, don't cry. It's okay," she said sweetly.

Mark, still having his hooves over his face, and his glasses lifted up, couldn't see a thing, but he still recognized her voice. "No... No, it's not okay!" Mark said in between sobs.

"Why not?" She asked in confusion.

"Because... Because you hate me," Mark said, rubbing his tear filled eyes.

"Me? Hate you?" Fluttershy questioned in surprise, but continued to pet him. "I would never hate you."

"But you... you flew away. A-and a-all I wanted was to... to say hi," Mark said before sniffling.

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry," The pegasus told him as she rubbed her hoof gently in circles over his mane. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just flew away because I was scared, that's all."

Mark put his glasses back on. "You... You mean you don't hate me?"

The pegasus flew downward and sat beside him. "Of course not."

Mark's tears died down, and he sniffled lightly now. "Why were you scared?"

"You... You scared me," She admitted, looking down nervously.

"Me? Scare you? How?" Mark asked her.

"I... I thought you could have been a monster," The young filly answered. "And I thought if I got close, you would take off your disguise and eat me."

"I... I thought you could have been a monster, too." Mark said while rubbing the last of the tears out of his eyes.

"I guess we were both worried for nothing," she said, smiling at him and hiding part of her face behind her mane. "I... I'm Fluttershy."

Mark blushed and smiled back. "Hi, Fluttershy. I'm Mark. Mark Atlas. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Fluttershy said, with a shy but warm and genuine smile.

"So, um, do you... you know... want to be... friends?" Mark asked her, nervously tapping his hooves together.

"Of course, Mark. I'd love a friend," Fluttershy accepted with a nod.

Mark's sadness was all gone, replaced with the joy of meeting his very first friend. He and Fluttershy giggled, simply happy to be in each other's company.

[END OF MUSIC]

Soon enough, all the tensions had settled down and the various woodland animals had all come back to where they were. Mark and Fluttershy spent the next hour playing with all of them.

They played hide-and-seek, Mark being it, but not minding in the slightest. He didn't find many animals, but he found Fluttershy easily. Her long, pink mane and tail made her stick out like a sore hoof. Still, Mark decided to pretend not to see her and kept looking, giving her the satisfaction of thinking she chose a clever hiding place.

Mark tried to climb a tree to play with the squirrels. In the end, he was unsuccessful, and he ended up falling right on his haunches. Normally, he would have been embarrassed, thinking he looked ridiculous, but Fluttershy was just concerned that he was hurt, which put to rest quickly when he got up and had a good laugh at himself.

Mark heard a bird whistling, and whistled back. While Mark was not a good singer by any means, he could still whistle incredibly well. The birds seemed to think so, anyway, as many joined in with him. Before he knew it, Mark and Fluttershy had an entire orchestra to themselves.

Some time later, Mark was laughing hysterically while lying on his back as he was tackled by a large dogpile of bunnies, their fluffy fur tickling him all over. "Haha! Fluttershy! You win! I surrender! Call off your attack bunnies!" He shouted playfully in between laughs.

"Okay. He says he surrenders. You can stop now," Fluttershy told the bunnies, them all bouncing off of him one by one, allowing him to sit up.

Mark still laughed, now out of excitement rather than being tickled. "Alright, alright, I'll admit it, that was fun!"

"They had fun, too," Fluttershy laughed along with him.

"Have you always been able to talk to animals like this?" Mark asked after having gotten most of the laughter out of his system. "I've never heard of a pony with this kind of ability, you know."

"I don't know," Fluttershy said, wondering herself. "I could have, but I just found out that I could today."

A light bulb lit up above Mark's head. "Ooooohhh! So that's why you just got your cutie mark before!"

Fluttershy's expression instantly became one of shock and disbelief. "Wait... I... What?" She looked over onto her flank, and realized that Mark was right. She was so busy playing with Mark and the animals, she hadn't even noticed.

She gasped and a smile slowly formed on her face until she was beaming. "I... I did it... I got my cutie mark."

All of a sudden, she grabbed Mark's forehooves and spun around in circles from pure joy. "I DID IT! MY CUTIE MARK! MY CUTIE MARK! MY CUTIE MARK!" She shouted to the heavens, startling the animals nearby, but rather than flee, they backed up to give her some space, and some just watching confused.

Mark, meanwhile, was getting dizzy from being spun around so much. "That's... great... Flu... tter... shy... but... can... you... stop... now?" He said in one syllable per spin, the centrifugal force sending the glasses flying right off of his face.

Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat and she stopped spinning, now realizing she got carried away and blushing. "Oops. Sorry. I was just so excited that I got my cutie mark, and, well..."

Mark spun around a little more on his own before falling on his flanks and recovering from his dizziness, when he noticed that he still couldn't see when he was supposed to. Moving his forehooves up to his face to check, he found that his glasses weren't there. "Agh! My glasses! I can't see!" He scrambled around hoping to find them.

"Oh! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!" Fluttershy repeated as she flew around helping him look. Being able to get a bird's eye (candy) view, it wasn't hard for her to find them, lying in the grass, several feet away from him. She picked the glasses right up and placed them right over his muzzle, then taking a seat in the grass sitting right across from him.

"Ah... It's okay, Fluttershy. That was worth it to see you so happy," Mark said, rubbing the back of his head with his forehoof and laughing it off.

"Thank you so much, Mark. This has been the most fun I've ever had," Fluttershy said, playing with her mane a bit.

"Me too," Mark agreed. "I... never had a friend before." The two ponies barely made eye contact with each other, more looking at the ground out of shyness, but smiling all the while.

"And I've made so many friends today," Fluttershy said as she gazed upon the many woodland creatures, several waving hello to her. She then looked back at her flank. "And my cutie mark, too. I don't know how today could get any better."

"Me neither," Mark agreed once more. "And to think, I was almost too scared to talk to you. I don't talk with a lot of ponies. I'm always afraid of..."

"What ponies will think of you?" Fluttershy finished.

"Yeah," Mark confirmed and nodded.

"And these bullies always pick on me, and, well, I know it shouldn't get to me, but, well..." Fluttershy said, being cut off by Mark this time.

"Some part of you deep down thinks that the mean things they say about you are true?"

"Yes, exactly!" Fluttershy said and nodded now. "And, you know, I figure since..."

"Ponies aren't going to like me anyway, so why humiliate myself? Yes! Finally, somepony who understands!" Both Mark and Fluttershy said at the exact same time. The two foals both laughed and smiled, then exchanging awkward stares.

Mark rubbed one of his forelegs with the other, blushing heavily. "I... I like you."

"I like you, too." Fluttershy hid her own blush behind her mane and squeed.

"I'm so glad I came here today, and that we're friends," Mark said, feeling an unfamiliar joyful sensation that he couldn't describe.

"And I'm glad I... Wait a minute!" Fluttershy interrupted herself, flapping her wings and getting herself into the air. "I just realized! I have to go! Everypony is probably wondering where I am!"

Mark's ears drooped down. "Aw, already? But... we can play again sometime, right?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Uh huh. I'm at a summer flight camp at Cloudsdale. I'm busy a lot of the day, but, um, if you'd like to meet here, say, tomorrow at about noon? I have a break then."

Mark got up and bounced in place excitedly. "Yes! I'd love to!"

Fluttershy flew gently over to Mark and gave him a hug, still hovering in the air. "Thank you so much for spending time with me. It was wonderful, Mark. See you tomorrow," she said before ascending upward into the air and waving goodbye.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy! See you tomorrow!" Mark shouted as he waved back at her.

Mark's eyes then widened when he realized what just happened. I... I just got a hug from another pony... and it wasn't my mom! It feels... weird, but a good weird.

It was getting late, and Mark knew that if he took much longer getting home, then his parents would likely be worried about him as well, so he thought it best to head back home now. Sure, he was distracted and didn't map out as much of the area as he initially planned, but he would get a chance to do that later. Wasting no time, he thought up his final journal entry for the day while he backtracked through the woods.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇G

I seldom consider an adventure complete unless I come back home with a treasure to remember it by. Today, however, I set a course for home not with gold, nor gems, or even a shiny bottle cap. No, I got a treasure better than all of those put together. For today, I finally met my first friend. A pegasus filly by the name of Fluttershy. The sense of belonging and happiness I have felt today is unprecedented. Every second we played together, I never once had to fear judgement or ridicule. I could be myself, and I never had a single worry or trouble weigh me down. I look forward to experiencing this again tomorrow. Every day that I can, in fact. Is this what having a friend is like? Why didn't anypony tell me? Oh wait. My mom did. Oops. Thanks, mom.

That evening, Mark was sitting at the dinner table with his mother and father, the latter being an earth pony with a light blue coat, ink blue mane, hazel green eyes, and having a cutie Mark with two quills in an X formation as well as having a slight mustache on his face.

Mark happily scarfed down a slice of pizza without a care in the world. "Mmmm! Yummy!"

"Well you seem to be in a pretty good mood, champ! What's the occasion?" Mark's father said with curious enthusiasm.

"I'm wondering that, too," His mother chimed in. "After what happened earlier today, I'm happy to see things turn around for you. Did something happen?"

Mark gulped down the last bite of the slice he was eating, washing it down with a good sip of lemonade. "You'll never believe it! It's amazing! Mom, Dad, I made my first friend today! I really did it!"

"Say what now?!" Mark's father felt his body instinctively jump up.

Mark's mother smirked, looking at her husband. "Well, Pen, if it's not an inanimate object this time, you owe me a day at the spa!" She singsongs.

Mark tilted his head, looking puzzled. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" He took another slice of pizza from the box.

Pen laughed. "Ah, we're just kiddin' ya, bud! We didn't make any bets!" He turns over to smirk back at his wife. "But I bet you wish we did now, huh, Saga?"

"You have no idea," Saga said while shaking her head.

"And no. It's not an inanimate object this time. She's a pony. Quite animate," Mark said with a little sass as he took a bite out of his next slice.

"SHE?!" Pen shouted in astonishment. He started to grin and got up from his seat, moving over to Mark and ruffling his mane. "Aren't you a little too young to have a girlfriend, sport? Hahahaha!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Mark replied with a blushy smile, putting down the pizza while his father turned his mane askew.

"Sure. For now," Pen said and chuckled, turning to his wife. "How many times did I say that about you, dear?

"Seven hundred twenty two and a half," Pen and Saga both said at the same time, laughing and then dreamily smiling and sighing at each other.

"I'm just happy to finally have a pony friend. Not that there's anything wrong with Sadiq, of course," Mark said, waving his hooves dismissively.

Saga giggled, bringing her attention back to Mark. "The blade of grass? Oh, yes. I imagine that making friends with a pony is quite... different. Let me guess, Rarity?"

Mark shook his head. "Uh-uh. Her name is Fluttershy. We had so much fun, and she never laughed at me, made fun of me, or thought I was weird."

"Fluttershy? I've never heard of a filly in town by that name," Saga pondered, her hoof to her chin. "Still, I'm very glad that you've taken this first step. See? I told you ponies would like you."

"Thank you, Mom. You were right all along. I just needed to give it a chance," Mark said, before having a go at even more pizza.

"Well, let me or your mother know if you'd like to invite her over sometime. We've just got to meet her," Pen said, before leaning over and whispering to Saga, "I want to know what my future daughter in law looks like." To which the two laughed.

Mark, meanwhile, was too busy eating to have noticed, and gulped down another slice before letting out a loud burp. He then blushed and smiled meekly. "Oops. 'Scuse me."

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡◇H

We DID have garlic powder. Plenty, in fact.

Author's Note

Well, this is my first chapter, folks. More to come. This story has a total of 12 other chapters planned. I have the general idea of the plots for them. I just need to get to writing them. I really like the way Mark's character came out, and I think I nailed his active imagination. He is loosely inspired by me and the way I was as a child. Let me know what you think, and feel free to suggest storyline ideas or plot points. I might be able to squeeze them into later chapters, and I'll rewrite if there's a particular plot hole that needs fixing.

Chapter 2: Costume conundrum

Author's Note

This chapter contains harsh but long overdue parental discipline but is pretty lighthearted slice of life otherwise. Hope you enjoy and feel like sticking around for more after.

Chapter 2: Costume conundrum

The following morning, Mark and his parents, Pen and Saga, went off together to Scorch's house. Saga had promised that something would be done about Scorch's actions yesterday, and she had meant it. Mark hadn't been hurt, at least this time, but somepony picking on her son was one of the few things that could get her fuming mad, like a mother bear protecting her cubs. Even Pen was surprised to see her as upset as she was on her way there, which could be felt in the stomp in every step she took.

"Now honey, you need to calm down," Pen said with concern, stopping her with a hoof and gently patting her on the side. "We're going to be professional about this, and deal with it in a mature and responsible manner."

Saga rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. I'll be very mature as I give Mrs. Blackburn a piece of my mind about her out of control son, and demand an explanation for why his behavior has been allowed to continue like this!"

Mark watched, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Sure, his mother wasn't angry at him. Being a normally well behaved colt, that hardly ever happened, save for days where he strayed too far from home or stayed out too late. Still, it was always scary to see her like this, no matter who was the target of her wrath.

Pen held his wife's chin, calmly looking her in the eye. "Look, honey. I know you're upset. I am, too. It isn't right the way her son has been treating Mark. But you need to keep your anger under control so we can handle this properly. Okay?"

Saga sighed. "Okay, fine," She admitted, holding his face by the chin now, and smiling. "You're lucky you're so handsome, you know."

"Years of practice," Pen proudly said with his head held high.

Saga giggled. "How do you practice looks?"

"Oh, you overthink everything! Just get over here!" He said, playfully sounding annoyed, pulling his wife in to nuzzle her and their lips meeting for a kiss.

"Eeeeewww! Gross!" Mark reacted with his tongue stuck out, pretending to gag and just walking forward on his own. He knew they'd catch up after they had their moment.

A few minutes later, the three had reached the house they were going to, Saga finally having been calmed down, for the most part at least. She had a serious look on her face, containing her anger and taking a deep breath when Pen knocked on the door, Mark in between the two of them.

The door was answered, and a gray earth pony mare with a purple mane and a blue flame cutie mark was revealed on the other side as it opened. "Oh, Mistah and Missus Atlas! This is a surprise!" The mare said in her city accent.

"Mrs. Blackburn, we need to talk," Pen said, holding his forehoof up.

Mrs. Blackburn's eyes immediately widened, and her ears went down. "It's about my son, ain't it?"

Pen nodded, telling her all she needed to know.

"Oh, fah pony's sake. Not again." Mrs. Blackburn looked down shamefully, eyes to the floor. "I am so sorry about my son. Nothing I do evah seems to woik with him. It's always one thing aftah anothah!"

"Well, punish his sorry flank and get him to behave for once, why don't--" Saga snapped, before being interrupted by her husband putting a foreleg over her chest, causing her to stop and take another deep breath, internally berating herself for allowing herself to get carried away for a moment. "Sorry. You're right, dear. Go on."

"Mrs. Blackburn, I realize that raising a child can be... challenging at times, but regardless, you need to nip this behavior of his in the bud right now," Pen stated calmly.

"I undahstand, Mistah Atlas. No more Mrs. nice mom fah me." She said, her expression turning much more aggressive, before turning her head back inside. "Scoich Oleandah Blackboin! You get yah flank down here this instant, young stallion!"

Mark shivered at her words. Oh dear. The dreaded middle name. Mark hadn't had many of these moments, but his own mother's use of that deadly power word on him always let him know he really messed up.

Scorch had come down soon after, grumbling to himself and stomping down the stairs. "What?! I ain't done nothin'!" Scorch yelled on his way down.

"Don't use that tone with me, mistah! What did ya do ta Mahk this time?" She said sternly, pointing a hoof at him.

"Nothin'! I told ya, nothin'! I nevah was even at the pahk yestahday!" Scorch denied as he looked away.

"I nevah said anything about the pahk, or yestahday, until ya just denied it! I'll take that as a confession! Now tell me, and Mistah and Missus Atlas, exactly whatcha did!" Mrs. Blackburn ordered as she grabbed a hold of his face and turned him to face the three at the door.

Scorch groaned and stayed silent, looking frustrated.

"Well?" His mother pressed him.

He only responded by mumbling under his breath, barely able to be heard.

"Young stallion, ya'd bettah tell us all whatcha did in the next ten seconds, or ya gettin' a big, fat spankin', right heah!" His mother threatened and stomped her hoof, Mark even getting the chills listening to her.

"Alright, alright! I took his little doohickey he made with the funny name, and I broke it! On poipose! Happy now?!"

"Well that wasn't a very nice thing ta do," She scolded him and then turned to Mark. "And Mahk, how long did it take ya to make this little... doohickey?"

"Three weeks." Mark said with a nervous nod, leaning by his father for comfort.

"Well, mistah," Mrs. Blackburn said, turning her attention back to her son. "Ya have two choices heah. Ya can be grounded fah three weeks, or ya can help Mahk rebuild it. What's it gonna be?"

"Ugh! Ya gotta be kiddin' me!" Scorch protested.

"Oh, I've nevah been more serious! And while ya at it, ya can say ya sorry to Mahk fah bein' mean ta him!" Mrs. Blackburn demanded.

Scorch groaned and looked down and to the side, mumbling something.

"I said, say ya sorry!" She ordered again.

He mumbled quickly and a little louder, but still barely able to be heard as he refused to look at anypony.

"Loud enough fa all of us ta hear it! Apologize! I ain't tellin' ya again!" His mother shouted at him, looking even more furious than Mark's mother did before.

Scorch gritted his teeth before finally snapping. "Fuhget it! I ain't apologizin' ta that slimy little twoip!"

This made all three of the adults gasp, while Mark simply frowned. He knew this was probably coming.

"Alright! That does it!" Mrs. Blackburn declared, before turning over to the Atlas family. "Once again, I am so terribly sorry for what happened. I'll see what I can do tomorrow about, um, whatevah it was that he broke again," She then turned back to her son, grabbing him by the ear. "And as fah you, ya grounded fa one whole month! Now come back in heah! Ya gonna give the whole house a cleanin' from top ta bottom while ya think about whatcha did!"

"Very well. I think we're done here, then," Pen says politely with a nod.

Scorch, meanwhile, was panicking as he was being dragged away. "No! No! C'mon, Mom, Gimme a break! Stooooop!" He was seen kicking and struggling in his mother's grip before the door was shut behind them.

"Well, I think that should teach him a thing or two," Saga chirped with satisfaction, stepping over to Mark and ruffling his mane. "I told you I'd take care of things. Nopony messes with my precious little colty," She said in an affectionate tone while grabbing him in for a hug and nuzzling him.

Mark giggled while trying to get out of the hug. "Moooom! Not in public!" He said as his efforts to escape the hug were fruitless, before finally just giving up and accepting his fate. He was getting hugs and nuzzles right now whether he liked it or not. "Okay, you win, mom! I love you, too!" Mark said with a laugh as he just let his mother have her way.

"Well, I'd better hurry to clock in for work. Can't be late, now," Pen declared.

"Good idea," Saga agreed, before finally letting go of Mark. "I'd better go home and get back to my writing. Mark, are you going to stay outside and play?"

Mark nodded. "Uh-huh. In a few hours, I'm gonna see my new friend Fluttershy, and we're going to play together!"

"Oh, look at you go. Already dedicating more time to your new friend, huh?" Saga nuzzles Mark lightly one more time. "Have fun with your new friend, sweetie. Just be back in time for dinner, okay?"

Mark nodded again, and Pen chuckled as he headed off to work. "That's my boy."

At noon that day, Mark had gone to the woods where he had met Fluttershy to see her again, just as she offered the day before.

"F-Fluttershy? Are you there?" Mark called out softly, looking around for her.

"I'm up here," Fluttershy responded while slowly descending from the sky and landing with her hooves on the grass, with a warm smile on her face. "You really did come."

"Of course I did!" Mark exclaimed while bouncing happily. "Why wouldn't I? We're friends, after all!"

"I... I guess I was worried that seeing you again seemed... too good to be true," Fluttershy said, blushing while hiding behind her mane.

"Yet here I am," Mark proudly declared. "So what do you wanna do today?"

Fluttershy dug at the ground nervously. "Well, um, I don't have a lot of time before I'll be missed at camp, so I was hoping, we could just, maybe, you know, relax and talk for a little bit?"

"Sure. That sounds fun. There's so much I want to ask you," Mark said before taking a deeeeeeep inhale. "What's Cloudsdale like? What does it feel like to fly? What do clouds feel like? Do they taste like cotton candy? Do rainbows really taste like skittles? Can you fly upside down? Do you know the Wonderbolts?" Mark asked all in one breath with a giant smile.

Fluttershy just stopped and went silent for a second, completely expressionless as she processed all of that, before she started to smile again, giggling at his nerdy yet adorable barrage of questions. "Um, in order, it's okay, depends on how I'm feeling, soft like pillows, they don't taste very good, they're actually spicy, I can't but others can, and no, but another friend of mine wants to join them someday."

"So cool!" Mark's eyes sparkled and his face was beaming.

A while later, while lying on the grass and gazing up at the clouds, the two of them spent their time telling each other about their personal lives, their interests, their favorite foods, favorite games, and their families.

"And so, besides Rainbow Dash, I don't really have a lot of friends in Cloudsdale. Well, besides my little brother." Fluttershy said to Mark, eyes to the sky.

Mark's ears perked up immediately and he sat up. "Oh my gosh! You have a little brother?!" Mark asked excitedly.

"Mmm hmm." Fluttershy confirmed, nodding and still lying down. "Just a year younger, but he's a teeny bit more... active than I am. I'll put it that way."

"I bet you're a great big sister," Mark said, going back to lying down next to Fluttershy. "I wish I had a brother. It's... lonely being an only child."

"It's not always easy having a brother, either. He can be a bit much at times, but he's worth it," Fluttershy replied, smiling fondly.

"I'm still a little jealous," Mark admitted, his eyes rolling as he went into thought. "And also a little jealous that I don't have wings like you. I always have wanted to be able to fly. It's a kind of feeling that an earth pony like me can only dream of. It seems like it would be so fun to just soar around the sky without a care in the world."

"Well, it's not as fun when you have dozens of ponies watching your every move and--"

"Silently judging you?" Mark finished for Fluttershy.

Fluttershy giggled. "So funny that we keep doing that."

"I suppose we just understand each other so well," Mark said with a little shrug.

"To be honest, I'm a little jealous of you," Fluttershy returned Mark's confession with her own. "Before I fell down here yesterday, I had never been on the ground before. I never knew that there were so many adorable animals here, and how beautiful it was up close. And you get to live down here."

"Well, if you like it so much down here, maybe you could live here too someday?" Mark suggested.

"You know... that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Fluttershy contemplated before getting up and stretching her wings a bit. "Well, it was nice talking with you, Mark, but I have to go back before anypony notices that I'm gone."

"Awww, already?" Mark whined with disappointment. "It's okay. I understand. I wouldn't want everypony to get worried about you like yesterday."

"Thanks, Mark. Believe me, I'd love to play another game of bunny attack if I had the time," Fluttershy said with a chuckle, covering her mouth with her hoof remembering last time.

Mark smirked. "Only because you know you'll win."

"Oh no, you found me out!" She replied sounding jokingly surprised, and the two laugh together. "I'll spend more time with you when I can. I'd love to see more of the animals around here with you, too. Same time tomorrow?"

"You bet!" Mark accepted.

She then gave him a hug over the neck, standing on the ground this time. "Goodbye, Mark. See you tomorrow."

Eep! Still not used to that yet, Mark thought.

After she broke the hug, she flew up towards the sky, slowly going out of view as Mark waved goodbye. At that point, Mark was alone once more, left with his thoughts once more.

That was nice, but a little short. Maybe... I should try to make other friends? That way, I can have even more ponies to have fun with if one is too busy. I can make more... can't I?

After making his way back home, Mark went to his bed to think and write about the time he had with Fluttershy. He also figured it would be best to rest his hooves a little bit before heading back out, while giving him some more time to mull over other thoughts as well.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡♧A

Going back into the woods again where I first encountered Fluttershy, I saw her again. And guess what? She actually wants to spend time with me again, too! And even though our time together was brief, this experience truly was an eye-opener for me. I could very well be able to spend time with her every day we can from now on, all because I was bold enough to talk to her just one time. I really have to think about the implications, here. Just one simple action can change everything. I was so worried about ponies not liking me, but Fluttershy did. Maybe I had it all wrong. But this is far from over. I need to experiment further with this. Was this merely an isolated incident, or was it the rule rather than the exception? If I could make one friend, who's to say I can't make another?

This moment of reflection came to a halt, however, when his mother Saga got his attention, snapping him out of his train of thought. "Oh, you're back! I'm so sorry to bother you, Mark, but I just wanted to tell you that somepony dropped by asking to see you while you were gone."

That got Mark's attention and he sat up on his bed. "Really? Who wants to see me?"

"You know that filly from school, Rarity? Her father came here, asking if you could come over. He said he had a present for you."

"Huh? But why would he want to see me and give me something?" Mark wondered aloud, certainly perplexed by such a thing coming out of the blue.

"I don't know. I offered to give it to you when you got back, but he said he wanted to see the look on your face when he gave it to you. You know where they live, right?"

Mark nodded. "I do. I've never been inside, but I have seen her go there on our way back after school," He said before getting up out of bed and standing on all four hooves. "I'd better go and see what he wants. I'll be back, Mom."

Saga smiled and pat him on the back. "Have fun, sweetie."

Mark traveled through the streets of Ponyville, setting a course for Rarity's house. Upon reaching the door, he gave it a knock with his hoof, and saw it open soon after.

Inside at the doorstep was, sure enough, Rarity's father, a fairly tall white unicorn with a brown mane and mustache, sporting a cutie mark with three hoofballs, and wearing a vest with a lightly colored floral pattern.

"Oh, there you are. You must be Mark, right?" He said while crouching down to be at eye level with Mark.

"Y-Yes, sir. I'm Mark. Y-You, w-wanted to see me?" Mark said, stammering nervously. He was still uneasy around new ponies, though the stallion's crouching helped make it a little less intimidating.

"Well, don't be shy. Come on in! I've got a surprise for you. You're gonna love it," He said, motioning a hoof inside for Mark to follow.

"O-Okay," Mark complied, slowly stepped inside, still nervous but also very curious. What could he possibly want with me? I don't even know him, and I barely know his daughter.

Rarity's dad took him inside to the living room, where there was a mare sitting down in a recliner. She was a pink unicorn with a tall purple mane, wearing a red dress with white frills, as well as yellow bead earrings.

"Oh, you made it! Been waiting to meet you. Mark Atlas, if I'm not mistaken?" The mare said full of cheer.

"Uh-huh. H-Hi." He said, shyly waving a hoof.

Rarity's dad sat on a loveseat sofa in front of a small coffee table. The table in question had a plate of cookies and a small object covered by a cloth on it. The stallion tapped his hoof on the adjacent cushion. "Go ahead, bud. Take a seat."

"Yes, sir," Mark said, now smiling as he got up onto the loveseat.

"Good. So nice to finally have you over. I'm Hondo Flanks, and this is my wife, Cookie Crumbles," He said, pointing to his wife as he introduced her.

"Oh. Well, it's very nice to meet you, Mr. Flanks. Mrs. Crumbles," Mark said while giving a polite little bow to each of them.

"Aww, now aren't you just the most polite little gentlecolt?" Cookie Crumbles said with her hoof to her chest, and pointing her other hoof to the plate of cookies on the table. "Would you like a cookie? I made them myself."

"Yes, please. Thank you, Ma'am." Mark said while blushing a bit, reaching for a cookie and munching on it. It was such a deliciously sweet chocolate chip with just the right amount of crunch, and he savored the taste. "Mmmmm!"

"Oh, goodness, me. Somepony likes his cookies, doesn't he?" Cookie Crumbles singsongs.

"Mmm hmm!" Mark hummed with his mouth full, before finishing with a gulp. "They're very delectable, Mrs. Crumbles. But, um, if I may ask, why did you two want to see me? My mom said that you had something you wanted to give me, but it seems odd to do that for a pony you've never met."

Hondo Flanks pointed to the object on the table covered in cloth. "It's under there. Take a look for yourself."

"Yes, sir," Mark curiously grabbed the cloth and took it off, a great, big smile coming across his face as he saw what it was.

"My sextant! My sextant! It's fixed!" He exclaimed, bouncing in place excitedly on the cushion. There it was. The sextant that he spent weeks making, the very one that Scorch destroyed. It looked just like it did when he was finished, as if it was never broken at all. The mirrors didn't even have so much as a crack on them.

Hondo laughed happily. "Yes! That's exactly what I was waitin' for! Wouldn't wanna miss that reaction!"

"How'd you do it? It was broken in pieces!"

"Magic," Cookie Crumbles answered. "I took a class on repair magic in community college. Thought it would come in handy to fix broken toys. I wasn't sure how it was supposed to be put together, but my husband sure did. It was a team effort."

"Well, I tried a few other things before my hoofball career hit its peak," Hondo said, shrugging and turning back to Mark. "Ya really make this sextant all on your own? Pretty nice piece of work."

"Yes, Mr. Flanks. I made it all by myself," Mark said with a flattered smile. "But... why'd you do all of this for me?"

"Oh, it was our daughter's idea. She saw this colt at the park break it, and, generous little filly she was, brought all the pieces back and asked us to help 'er fix it for ya," Hondo answered with pride in his daughter's generosity.

"Really? She did that for me?" Mark smiled warmly, touched that a pony he barely knew would go out of her way to do something so nice for him. "I've got to thank her properly for this. Where is she?"

"Oh, she's upstairs, busy workin' on a little project of hers. She'll be down when she's done," Hondo answered Mark. "Would you believe she got her cutie mark just last night?"

"No way! Really?" Mark asked excitedly.

"I know, such a pleasant surprise. She found some sparkly gemstones yesterday and used them to made some costumes for a play that were just the cat's pajamas, and wouldn't you know it, there it was!" Cookie chirped with delight.

"That's so neat! And thank you both so much, too, for doing this for me!" Mark said, politely bowing his head once more.

"No problem, sweetums." Cookie Crumlbes assured. "We've been so busy around here, what with us getting ready for our new bundle of joy on the way, but we found time to finish it up, just for you."

Mark tilted his head curiously, and saw Cookie Crumbles was rubbing her belly, which, upon another look, seemed to be in a round bulge under her dress. Realizing what she meant, Mark's heart melted and smiled widely. "Awwww! You're having a foal?"

"Sure am, puddin'. Come a few more months, and she'll be keeping us even busier," Cookie Crumbles said giggling, before pointing over to the plate again. "Would you care for more cookies? Take them home, even. We have so many."

"Really? All of them? Thanks! You're the best!" Mark cheered with joy as she watched her put all the cookies on the plate in a plastic bag for him.

"We wouldn't have so many if you didn't bake so many," Hondo pointed out.

"What? I just wanted to make sure I made enough! I am eating for two now, you know!" Cookie argued, she and her husband sharing a laugh.

At that moment, the sound of a knock on the door was heard, getting the attention of Mark as well as Rarity's parents.

"I'll get it!" Hondo said, getting up to answer it. Shortly after opening the door, he looked back inside over to face his wife. "Good news, it's the remodelers I hired!"

"Perfect, let them in!" Cookie said, clapping her hooves together.

He invited the ones at the door to come inside, revealing three stallions dressed in jumpsuits which were wheeling in a cart full of various boxes, crates and cans.

"Alright, we've got all the necessary supplies. Please, Sir, show us the room, and we'll get right on the job," One of the stallions said to Hondo.

"What's all this about?" Mark asked the two parents.

"Oh, see, we hired some ponies to turn our old storage room into a nursery. Got to make space for the new foal and all," Cookie explained.

Hondo got up from the loveseat and stood up on all fours. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mark, but we're probably gonna be pretty busy for a while. Was hoping to see you here sooner, but we've got to instruct the remodelers where we want everything to go."

"Oh, it's okay. It was nice of you to fix my sextant for me, and invite me over. Tell Rarity I said thank you, okay?" Mark said, getting up off the loveseat as well, and putting the cookies in his saddlebag. "And Mrs. Crumbles, I'll be sure to share these cook--"

"Aaaaaggggghhhh! It just isn't working!" A loud voice erupted from upstairs, interrupting Mark, with the sound of hoofsteps coming soon after.

Then, Rarity herself could be seen coming down the stairs, now with her cutie mark of three diamonds, and she brought down a clear bag of broken and torn costumes with her.

"Mother, Father, please tell me you can fix these broken costumes!" Rarity pleaded in distress. "The play last night was so perfect that they want an encore performance tonight, and the costumes were all damaged in an accident! I thought I could fix them by myself, but I simply don't have the time! Mother, you can use your magic on these, right?"

Cookie Crumbles looked at the broken costumes. They were all in pretty bad shape, needing some serious work before they could see the light of day again. "Oh dear, Rarity. I wish you told me sooner. We have so much work to do for the new foal. I could have a couple of these ready by tonight, but all of them? We just don't have that kind of time right now," She regretfully informed Rarity, much to her disappointment.

Left to see all these events unfold, Mark examined the situation.

It looks like Rarity is in a bit of a bind here. If she can't get these costumes fixed, then her encore performance will have to be postponed or canceled. She looks like she could use some help.

"I... I can help you, Rarity," Mark offered, waving a hoof to her.

"Oh, Mark! You made it!" Rarity exclaimed, too distraught by her costume predicament that she didn't notice he was here earlier. "You... You really want to help me?"

"Uh, yeah," Mark said, shyly rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. "I don't know what I'll be doing exactly, but I'm good at following directions. You just tell me what you need, and I'll get it done. It's the least I could do, after you helped me fix my sextant."

"That sure is a nice thing to offer, Mark. Good on you for bein' so polite," Hondo praised.

"What did I tell you? Such a well mannered little gentlecolt." Cookie agreed. "Mark, how about you come over tomorra afternoon, and we can bake some brownies together?"

Mark blushed and smiled. "You're gonna make me pudgy if you keep giving me all these sweets. But okay. Brownies sound good. Thank you, Mrs. Crumbles."

"Uh... Sir? Ma'am?" One of the remodelers got Rarity's parent's attention.

"Oh, right. Job to do," Hondo flank said, snapping out of his distraction, his wife getting up to follow him, directing the remodelers to the spare room. "See ya, you two. Have fun," He said as he parted from Mark and Rarity.

Rarity, meanwhile, took this opportunity to suddenly wrap him in a big hug. "Oh, thank you, Mark! Thank you!"

More hugs? Is this a thing? I guess I'll HAVE to get used to it now! Hehehe... "N-No problem, Rarity.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/2uSOjLOT94g

Wasting no time, the two ponies got to work on the first costume, one made out of a bunch of fake fruit. Rarity gave Mark a tube of glue, and as a team, they re-attached the pieces of fruit that were separated from each other, as well as gluing the gems that had fallen off back on, Mark applying the pressure needed to hold them in place while the glue dried. With both their efforts combined, it was looking just fine again in no time.

The second costume was made of several strands of yellow fabric, many of which torn off here and there. As instructed, Mark used some measuring tape to get the length for each one, organizing them into piles by size, allowing Rarity to easily tell which one was supposed to go where. Using the sewing machine, she stitched them all back on one by one, it looking good as new when they were done.

The third was a costume that looked like a big chocolate cake, several holes where gems used to be were covering it. Mark got out the measuring tape again and got a measurement for how long every empty gem socket was, and compared them to the length of every gem that he organized into piles by size and shape. Rarity and Mark both proceeded to glue each of the detached gems into the appropriate sockets on the costume, and one more was done.

Then came to the fourth. It was a two piece costume, one being a bale of hay made of piñata paper, and the other a yellow hat with several holes in it. The two got to cutting up new strands of paper right away, fastening more to places where the originals were torn off. Then Rarity and Mark applied patches to the hat to fill in all the holes. Mark was unsure how to at first, but Rarity was able show him the process in a timely manner, and the two began going at an assemly line pace. When they were done, the costume was in tip-top shape.

And then they came to the final one. It was a flower costume with six petals, gems on each one, and a bumblebee that goes on the top. The petals were broken off from each other, and the bee had a bunch of paint splattered on it. While Rarity stitched the petals back together, Mark took out a little brush to give the bee a new coat of paint, taking great care not to merge the yellow and black paint. Those two colors really were tricky to use together without them mixing. And with that, the final costume was completely restored! Mark and Rarity bumped each other's hooves, congratulating one another on a job well done.

[END OF MUSIC]

"We did it! We really did it!" Mark shouted with excitement.

"I simply cannot thank you enough for all your help, Mark. But really, really, thank you," Rarity praised, bowing her head respectfully. "If it weren't for you, I would have never finished these in time. You truly are my hero today."

Mark blushed, flattered by her praise. "Heh. It's no real trouble, Rarity. Honest. I mean, you helped me, and you barely even knew me. It's only fair I help you back, right? 'Hero' might be a bit excessive." I mean, I also just happened to be here at the time. And she did have nopony else to turn to. But... it feels oddly satisfying to see a pony be this happy because of something I did. Is that a friendship thing?

"Well, it was a big deal to me. I just got my cutie mark last night from the first performance. Everypony loved my costumes. If I hadn't been able to fix them for the encore performance, I'd be letting them all down, and then the memory of my cutie mark would have been tainted forever. You fixed everything," Rarity explained, holding back joyful tears, bringing Mark in for yet another hug. "What I've done for you is far from enough. I don't know how I could ever make this up to you."

You know, I think it's finally starting to grow on me, Mark thought.

"Uh, well, you know, there is one thing you could do."

Rarity broke the hug, facing Mark again. "Yes? What would that be? Anything, you name it.

Mark's eyes drifted around the room nervously, an embarrassed smile on his face. "We could... be friends?"

Rarity gently placed her hoof onto Mark's chest. "You have yourself a deal, Mark Atlas. I'd be honored to have you as a friend."

"Yay!" Mark cheered, so happy to have made a new friend today.

That night, Mark and his parents all attended the encore performance of the play, the dancing ponies on stage wearing all the costumes that he and Rarity fixed.

"I'm so very proud of you, Mark," Saga said while holding him by the side while in the audience. "You made a new friend, and so soon after the first. Not only that, you also helped her when she really needed you. That was a very kind and generous thing to do."

"Well, you know, it... kind of felt good to help," Mark admitted.

"Yes. Doing something nice for another pony does have a way of making you feel good inside," Saga said.

"I see what you mean. Oh, I almost forgot," Mark said, and getting some cookies out of his saddlebag. "Rarity's mom gave me these. Mom? Dad? Would you like some?"

"Awww, Mark! You're sharing? How sweet! Thank you!" Saga practically sang, promptly eating the cookie that Mark gave her.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Don't mind if I do." Pen said, scarfing one right down himself.

Mark, content in the moment over this wonderful day, thought of his next journal entry.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♤♡♧B

My progress in this venture of friendship has defied all my expectations. A mere two days ago, I had thought that nopony would like me if they got to know me. And now look at how things have changed. Two new friends, back to back, over a period of just two days. Having fixed those costumes with Rarity was the most accomplished I've felt since I got my cutie mark. Helping ponies in need is actually really fun. Now I think maybe risking rejection to make a new friend once in a while may not he so bad after all. Sure, maybe not everypony will like me, but you know what? If this is what I'm missing out on by never trying, then I've got to try!

Oh, and one more thing. Hugs are nice.

Chapter 3: The explorer's new partner

Ten days had gone by since Mark and Fluttershy first met. Over the course of this time, the two of them took every opportunity they could to meet up with each other. Fortunately for the two of them, the summer flight camp that Fluttershy was attending provided its schedule a week in advance, so she knew exactly what time she could get a break to pull away and see Mark, and what time to let him know to come.

When Fluttershy didn't have the time to play, he would sometimes go to Rarity's house, helping her mother prepare for the new foal, joining her in shopping for supplies. She also quite often liked having him as her kitchen assistant, the two of them often baking desserts together, which she let him take with him to share with his parents as well as Fluttershy.

Rarity's father had interest in teaching Mark about hoofball, yet that was something Mark wasn't into at all. They did, however, find common ground somewhere else. Hondo was also eager to hear how a colt Mark's age had created such a complex device like a sextant on his own, and Mark shared his design blueprints, which, while crude depictions at best, were fascinating to the stallion nonetheless, and the two channeled their passion for building into modeling, building a model ship over the course of the next week, which Mark promptly hung up in his room.

Rarity herself, meanwhile, he would often help with knitting and sewing projects. After getting her cutie mark, she was constantly being struck with inspiration, new ideas coming to her each and every day. He wasn't sure what exactly he was doing a lot of the time, but she would instruct him every step of the way. The thing he loved most about the experience, however, was a chance to have friendly chats with her while they worked. Through all their talks, they spoke openly with one another, Rarity never laughing at him or turning away from him in disapproval like he once feared she would.

Sometimes, both Fluttershy and Rarity's family were busy, so Mark did spend some of his time exploring like he had done since he had gotten his cutie mark. It was something he still enjoyed doing, even if he did it a little less now to make time for other things. If he found anything interesting, he would take it to show Fluttershy. On a couple occasions, he would even find a sparkling rock or cryatal that he would give to Rarity, much to her pleasure. He knew how much she loved shiny things, and while he usually liked to keep his treasures for himself for memories, seeing her happy was worth it.

He also, of course, spent time with his own parents after coming home, who were all too eager to hear about his day and all the fun he had with his new friends. Him being such a shy young colt, they were delighted to see him coming out of his shell like this.

But all of that paled in comparison to the best part of it all. With Scorch being grounded for an entire month, he never had to worry about that bully raining on his parade. He was free to explore, wander, and do whatever he wished without fear. The feeling of empowerment was almost overwhelming for the colt, like nothing could get him down.

Oh, and Mark made sure to let Scorch's mom know that the sextant was repaired. She was relieved, because she hadn't the foggiest idea of how to go about fixing it herself.

Fluttershy had noticed that Mark had started feeling more confident as the days went by. Each day they spent doing some activity together during one of her breaks, he was less and less nervous and had a better, more optimistic outlook on things. It was a change she enjoyed seeing in him.

The two spent whatever time they had together in the outskirts of Ponyville, looking for and assisting animals. On one day, Mark and Fluttershy found a raccoon that had just recently given birth to a liter of kits, an incredibly rare occurrence in the summer. The two went around collecting berries for her, so she wouldn't have to leave her young unattended.

On another day, they found a turtle whose shell was covered in tree sap, various woodland debris like twigs and leaves stuck to it. The filly and colt worked together to give his shell a good cleaning, picking off everything that was attached, and then polishing it until it shined.

They spent each meet-up like this, and became quite popular among the woodland creatures for all of their help. Fluttershy was a natural with her unusual ability to communicate with them, Mark being thoroughly impressed and astounded by her gift.

Today, Mark was once again helping Rarity sew and bejewel some fabric, having a casual chat with her as usual.

"And so that's why I named the fastest growing blade of grass in Ponyville 'Sadiq'." Mark finished his story while gluing on a green jewel.

"You... You keep track of how fast the grass in Ponyville grows?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow, seeming curious.

"Yeah, I do. It's... kinda fun. Hehe..." Mark confirmed, smiling with a hint of embarrassment, but enjoying her company.

Then, Rarity bit her lower lip, a smirk on her face as she snickered, and before Mark knew it, she started pointing and laughing at him. "You look at grass all day because you don't even have anypomy to talk to! You even gave one of them a name! That's so pathetic! Hahaha!"

Mark frowned, his eyes filled with a look of betrayal. "Rarity, why are you laughing at me? I thought we were friends."

"Us? Friends? You're just a weird freak who talks to inanimate objects! You think a pony like me would ever be friends with you? How comical!" She shouted and continued to laugh.

"What..." Mark had tears forming in his eyes now. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He always worried that Rarity would treat him this way if she ever got to know him, but after they became friends, that fear was put to rest. Then, just when he had hope, she acted like this? Why?

"I wouldn't be caught dead being friends with a freak like you! Now go, before your weirdness rubs off on me!" Rarity ordered, giving a smug, condescending grin.

"But... But I..." Mark stammered and took a step back, bumping into something, after which, he turned and saw that they were Rarity's parents. Both were looking down at him with an angry expression.

"Our daughter doesn't want to be your friend, so you're not welcome here anymore," Cookie Crumbles said, her expression unyieldingly cold.

"Get lost, kid!" Hondo Flanks ordered, him grabbing Mark and throwing him out by the front door, slamming it in front of his face.

Mark then got back up on all fours, so sad that he had lost his new friend. Just at that moment, though, he saw another familiar filly flying not too far from him out of the corner of his eye, seeming to be approaching him.

"Fluttershy! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Mark called out to her, his smile returning to him.

Fluttershy, however, wasn't smiling. She looked unusually angry, and stared at Mark like he had just done something awful. He had never seen her this way before.

"Are... Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Mark asked with worry.

"Don't even talk to me," Fluttershy said, turning her head away. "I just came to tell you that I realized just how much of a freak you are!"

"Wh-What?! Not you, too!" Mark was just barely able to stop himself from crying.

"I mean, just look at you. You walk all over the place, talk to rocks and plants, draw and write about all the pointless stuff you see, and you build dumb little contraptions. It's all really... weird," Fluttershy ranted.

"So... You don't like me?" Mark asked, on tje verge of hyperventilating.

Fluttershy then turned around to face him. "No. I don't like you. In fact, I hate you! And I never want to play with you ever again!" Fluttershy snapped aggressively, Mark being at a loss for words as he felt his heart shattering into a million pieces.

"But... why?" Was all Mark could think to say.

"I said don't talk to me! As far as I'm concerned, we were never friends! Get away from me, loser!" Fluttershy whipped him in the face with her tail, turned around, and flew away, quickly going out of view.

"Fluttershy, wait! I'm sorry! I promise I'll stop being weird! I can change! Please, come back!" He called out to her, but she was long gone. Now he was alone like he always was, and now, probably always will be. Defeated, he sobbed on the ground, tears flowing down his face.

I... I don't want to be all alone. Not again.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/ZgnrkC39Epo

"Well, well, well, whadda we have heah?" A familiar voice echoed, the space around Mark suddenly becoming dark and empty, and a giant version of Scorch rising up in front of him. "A friendless little twoip all alone, huh?"

S-S-Scorch?! I... I thought you were grounded!" Mark exclaimed with shock as he looked up at the hundred foot tall colt with terror.

"And ya thought ya had friends, too! Like anypony'd evah wanna be ya friend! What a moron!" Scorch said and laughed loudly, his booming voice hurting Mark's ears.

"I... I have friends," Mark said in response, wiping tears out of his eyes.

Scorch then grabbed Mark out of nowhere, trapping Mark in his hoof, bringing hip right up to his face. "Then where ah they, huh?" the giant pony asked him smugly, his teeth now sharp and jagged.

Mark sniffled again, unable to thing of anything to say as he desperately tried to escape Scorch's grip, to no avail.

"Well, if ya have friends, let's see 'em save ya now!" Scorch yelled, opening his mouth and dropping Mark right in, Mark struggling desperately to get out. In one swift motion, Scorch closed his mouth and swallowed Mark.

"Fluttershy! Rarity! Come back! Pleeeeease!" Mark screamed as loud as he could, begging that somepony would rescue him, but nopony ever did. He just kept falling down into a seemingly endless dark void of nothing.

[END OF MUSIC]

Mark awoke with a loud gasp, his breathing heavily and his heart pounding. Examining himself and his surroundings, he found that he was safely in his bed, and a look at his calendar showed it was indeed ten days since the day he met Fluttershy, just as he had thought.

Just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. The young colt repeated to himself in his head, wrapping himself in his blanket and burying his face in it for comfort, taking a minute to recover from the shock his night terror inflicted on him.

I should have known that my friends wouldn't say such awful things to me. But... what if I mess up somehow for real, and they don't want to be my friends anymore? I'll go back to being lonely, no-friend Mark. No! Stop thinking that! They wouldn't do that! They're always good to you! Now go out there and have fun with them today!

Mark took the time to assure himself, trying to get these doubts out of his head. Once he had breakfast and told his parents that he was heading out to see Fluttershy, Mark left his home to their usual spot. After such a rude awakening this morning, he was looking forward to some time with her.

Today, however, that things were going to go a little differently than usual. Fluttershy, who definitely still wanted to be friends with him (he once again was glad it was just a nightmare), informed him that because of an incident at summer flight camp with a few stray thunderclouds, the camp and all its flight courses and equipment were damaged and scattered. Thankfully, nopony was hurt, but because it would take a full two days to repair, all campers had two days of nothing flight related to do. Some foals went back to their families to wait out this period, while others kept themselves busy with other camp activities they were hosting in the meantime.

For Fluttershy, this meant that she could spend a lot of time on the ground with Mark, far more time than she had been afforded before. They had the whole day and tomorrow to do whatever they wanted with no interruption.

So Mark was greatly surprised to see what she proposed they do.

"You... You really wanna go exploring with me?" Mark asked Fluttershy to confirm what she said, with wide, sparkling eyes, and just about the biggest smile on his face imaginable.

"Yes," Fluttershy confirmed, nodding and smiling lightly. "You see, we always do what I want to do whenever we meet up. I know you like helping me with the animals, but still, I'd like to do your favorite thing for a change." Her cheeks became a rosy pink.

"Aww, Fluttershy!" Mark exclaimed with more ecstasy than he ever thought possible. This morning, he was so scared that he would make some awful mistake and lose Fluttershy as a friend, only to find out that she cared so much about him and what he likes doing, that she wanted to join him in it. That touched his very soul.

"So... is that a yes?" Fluttershy asked him.

At this point, tears were forming in Mark's eyes from both joy and relief, and he dove right towards Fluttershy, wrapping his hooves around her for a massive hug. "Thank you, Fluttershy! Thank you so so so so so so SO much! You're the best friend a pony could ever ask for!" He said as he just let himself cry while hugging her.

"Ugh... Mark?" Fluttershy said while wheezing, making Mark realize that his earth pony strength was causing him to hug her too tightly.

"Sorry!" He said as he quickly broke the hug, letting her breathe again. "I didn't mean to hurt you! It's just, I, well, it means so much that you, you know, want to, and I got carried away, and..."

Fluttershy stopped him mid-sentence by giving him a playful little boop on his snoot. This immediately made him stop and he stared at her briefly.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," He said, calming down and chuckling a bit. See? I'm worrying too much. Look how happy she is to be with me!

"You're welcome, Mark," Fluttershy assured him. "So, will you lead, then?"

"You bet! Let's do this!" Mark shouted cheerfully, raising his hoof to the air. "Mark Atlas, Master Explorer, and his new partner, Fluttershy, bound for their first team adventure!"

"Yay," Fluttershy cheered quietly.

The two young foals wandered off beyond the wooded area where they had normally met, and delved into territory that Mark had yet to map out, many trees, bushes, stumps, rocks, and fallen logs spread across the landscape. Mark led the way, and Fluttershy followed steadily behind.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤A

When I say that I'm exploring unknown territory, I typically mean that in the literal sense, but in this case, now exploring with a partner for the first time, I can simultaneously say that in the metaphorical sense. That's, like, psychologically profound or something. Granted, Fluttershy still has much to learn when it comes to exploring, but I will do my part to show her the ropes. With my help, she'll be a pro in no time! Okay, maybe I got a bit too ambitious there. Let's not get carried away, buddy. Don't thrust this on her all at once. Best to introduce her to the basics first, nice and steady.

"Here, Fluttershy, take these," Mark said, giving her his binoculars.

"Oh? What for?" Fluttershy asked, holding them in her hooves.

"Rule one of exploring: Always make sure you know where you are, and where you're going," Mark explained, taking out a map with a lot of blank, empty space still left on it. "You can use these to spot objects that stick out, ones that are easy to recognize. We call these 'landmarks'. If you're at a landmark and know where it is, then by extention, you can know where you are."

She's asking questions already! She must really be interested!

"Oh. Okay. That makes sense," Fluttershy said, sounding unsure or concerned, as she looked through the binoculars.

Oh no. Now he knows that I don't even know the first rule of exploring! So much for a good first impression!

"Um... I think I see a few things, but they're really, really far away. I don't know if we'll be able to make it that far."

"I... think you're looking through the wrong end," Mark guessed, looking back at her to confirm his theory.

This seems all too familiar, doesn't it?

Fluttershy immediately flipped the binoculars over. "Oh. Um... I knew that," She said while blushing and smiling bashfully.

Great. Now you look ridiculous in front of him! Way to go, Klutzershy!

"It's a common mistake. I... I made it the day we met," Mark admitted, sharing Fluttershy's expression and rubbing his leg. I can't believe I just told her that! I was too embarrassed to even keep that in my journal! Maybe it was because I wanted to make her feel better? "Well, Fluttershy? See anything now?"

Fluttershy looked through them again. Seeing a lot more clearly through the proper end, she saw numerous trees and bushes, but none of them stood out, each looking more or less like any other, until her gaze came to a peculiar rock. "Oh. What about that rock shaped like a gourd? Is that a landmark?" Fluttershy asked, pointing over to it.

"I bet it is," Mark said, heading in the direction of the rock. "Let's go over and inspect it."

Mark came face-to-face with the rock that Fluttershy spotted, and found that it did, in fact, look completely different than any other rock in the area. "Well, I believe we have ourselves a proper landmark! Good job, Fluttershy! You must be a natural!" Mark congratulated his friend, making her smile.

"You're... You're right! I'm a naturally gifted explorer!" Fluttershy declared excitedly with a look of pride, her head held high and her chest even puffed out.

At least I have to make him think I am. If I don't, he won't want to play with me anymore.

Wow! I thought she would be modest and say something like, "I don't know about that, but thank you for the compliment." I like it. It's great seeing her this way. Maybe my praise made her feel confident in herself? Oh, I think I just found the perfect way to build her up!

"So, Fluttershy, my gifted and talented new partner, since you've found a landmark, let's keep track of where it is." Mark set his map down on a nearby tree stump, writing down with the charcoal stick in his mouth. "This is a great way to show you about my specialty in exploring: Cartography!"

Oh, here it comes! I can't wait to teach her!

"Car... Carta what?" Fluttershy asked, sounding puzzled, as she seemed to cringe slightly upon asking.

Stop asking questions! He's going to see right through you!

Mark noticed, but didn't think much of it. "Cartography," He stated once more. "It's the art of making maps.

"Oooohh," Fluttershy uttered in understanding.

"You see, Fluttershy, making maps is my field of expertise. It allows me to navigate with ease, but I also just love doing it for its own sake. Being able to map out an area allows you to... understand it better. The more I explore, and the more I record, the more I grasp the meaning, the purpose, and the design of the world around me. The more it feels like... like home." Mark continued to explain his passions of exploring, looking a little embarrassed, but watching Fluttershy's expression the whole time to gauge her reaction, and seeing that she's paying very close attention.

She likes it! She really does!

"Hm... I never thought of that." Fluttershy rubbed her chin curiously with her hoof, though Mark could almost swear that she was trembling.

There's so much more depth to this than I ever could have thought! What have I gotten myself into?!

"And when I felt that for the first time, that's when I got this." Mark said, while turning and showing his cutie mark. "I know. It's kind of corny, right? Feeling some sort of intimacy with my surroundings because I draw them on some paper?" Mark blushed and chuckled nervously, only looking at Fluttershy lightly now, being shy about sharing something so personal.

"I think it's wonderful," Fluttershy affirmed him. "You have just as much passion for exploring and making maps as I have for taking care of animals. I like that about you."

Mark's blush grew deeper red and his smile grew wider from flattery. "Oh, gosh. Fluttershy, you're too kind, really. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Fluttershy replied with a warm smile.

I just told her the my most personal feelings and passions, and she doesn't think it's weird or lame at all! I should have known better than to doubt her! She would never be mean to me like in that nightmare!

Now look at what I've done. I made him so happy, but he's only happy because he thinks I understand his passions for exploring the way he does. There's no way I'll be able to understand them as much as he thinks I do.

"Okay, next order of business, we draw our landmark and fill it into the map. While I'm at it, I'll draw a few key features of the surrounding area for good measure. Anytime we see this rock, we can never be lost," Mark explained his process as he drew out his map. Fluttershy watched, seeming enthused, though her wings gave a nervous twitch.

"So... what exactly is the goal when you explore?" Fluttershy asked, cringing again.

Why can't you stop asking questions?! He's going to find out you don't know anything!

There it is again. Is she nervous? Mark thought to himself. "Fluttershy, are you okay?"

"Uh huh! I'm fine! Perfectly fine!" Fluttershy blurted out with a quick nod, her response instantaneous.

See? He's onto you!

Mark didn't fully believe her, but decided to let it go, and proceeded to answer her question. "Well, uh anyway, I always like to find treasure when I go out exploring. It could be anything, really. Just something to remember the exploration by."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense," Fluttershy replied and nodded politely.

"One more thing," Mark added, folding up his now expanded map and approaching the gourd shaped rock. "Now, I don't know if this is something that all explorers do, or if it's just me, but I like to name my landmarks. So, Fluttershy, since you found this one, how about I give you the honor of naming it?"

Fluttershy wiped her forehead, a drop of sweat flying off.

Why does she look so relieved?

Finally, something easy!

"Oh, you want me to name it?" Fluttershy asked, putting her hoof to her chin. "I think I'll call this rock... Jimmy."

"That's a great name, Fluttershy!" Mark exclaimed, his face beaming, and Fluttershy meekly smiled in return.

It doesn't have a lot of pizzazz, but why miss out in the chance to build up her-self confidence?

Whew. I did something right for once.

Mark proceeded to write down Jimmy's location on the map, drawing a smiley face on it and Fluttershy's cutie mark next to it. "And there we have it! Anytime we see Jimmy, we'll know where we are! So, shall we proceed Fluttershy? We have plenty more to do," Mark said, beckoning her with a hoof to move forward and follow him."

"Okay. I'll go wherever you go, Mark," Fluttershy replied, sounding fairly cheerful, though her smile looked a tad nervous.

It's working! I just need to flatter her, and she'll want to explore all the time! See? That nightmare you had last night couldn'tbe further from the truth!

Okay, Fluttershy. Just keep smiling. He has some very high expectations of you. Don't disappoint him. You don't want that nightmare from last night coming true.

Bidding Jimmy farewell for now, Mark and Fluttershy continued down through the woods. They passed by several trees, bushes, and other plants, as well as a few rocks. Mark filled in the map as he went, and Fluttershy looked out for landmarks with his binoculars.

"Hmm... All these trees look the same," Mark said, him pointing at the trees, each one being literal copies of the same flash asset. "It's going to be hard to tell one from another on a map."

"I'm sure we'll find something if we keep looking," Fluttershy said, sounding hopeful.

Oh, wow. She's so optimistic now!

"That's the spirit, Fluttershy!" Mark congratulated her for her good attitude.

I really have no idea what we'll find, but he seems convinced that we will. I guess he'll know it when we see it.

Mark looked around at the trees once more, and leaned in towards Fluttershy as they walked. "Between you and me, I talk to the trees sometimes. I'm tempted to ask one of them for directions, but wild trees aren't good for that." He said to her.

"You... can talk to trees?" Fluttershy pondered aloud in confusion. "What do they say?"

"It all depends on their personality," Mark explained, getting closer to whisper quietly. "But talk to wild trees at your own risk. If you talk to them too long, they'll start giving you targeted ads."

"What... What are those?" Fluttershy asked, now even more confused.

"Uh, that's... well, it's hard to explain. Just hope it doesn't happen, because it's really annoying," Mark said while marching on ahead.

"Oh... Okay," Fluttershy replied, not exactly satisfied with the answer, but deciding to proceed in the search for landmarks. As fate would have it, something came into view through the binoculars at that very moment. It appeared to be an opening in the trees with something green behind it.

"I found something! I found something!" Fluttershy shouted, pointing a hoof over to it and now picking up speed to lead the way.

"W-Wait for me!" Mark shouted back as he followed her.

Gosh, I might have a hard time keeping up with her if this continues!

Finally, another chance to prove myself to him! I have to make sure I don't mess this one up!

When the two got past a pair of tree branches, it revealed a large expanse of tall grass, grass so tall that it could hide either of them. It seemed to stretch out a long way out from the trees behind them.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤B

With my new partner by my side, this expedition has gone swimmingly thus far. Not wind, nor rain, nor domestic spyware can stop us now! Surely, we will find our treasure! No treasure worth getting ever comes without effort, however, and I find that a new obstacle awaits us. A dense cluster of vegetation sprawls out into the distance ahead. It's a practical jungle of foliage. We would easily become lost, and if I'm not home in time for dinner, well, Celestia have mercy on my malnourished body and tortured soul. We must devise a strategy as to avert this outcome.

"Alright, Fluttershy. The terrain ahead is unforgiving," Mark said to her, playing up the situation from his excitement. "It would be inexpedient to traverse without prudence."

"Um... What?" Fluttershy asked, completely lost.

Mark blushed, realizing that he got carried away so much that Fluttershy couldn't possibly understand him, and he looked off to the side. "Oh, well, the grass. We should probably be careful, you know? So we don't get lost? Hehehe..."

"Ooooohh! I get it!" Fluttershy exclaimed, the both of them smiling awkwardly.

Alright, that was embarrassing.

Alright, that was confusing.

"An explorer should always be prepared with the right gear for this situation. Unfortunately, I don't get that much on allowance, and box tops take forever to collect, so we'll have to improvise. Luckily, I know just the thing that can help us here. You!" Mark proclaimed, pointing his hoof at her.

"M-Me? What about me?" Fluttershy asked with a slight stammer.

"You can fly," Mark pointed out. "You can stay above the grass to make sure I don't lose my way. Think you can manage?"

"Okay. I think I can do it," Fluttershy said, bearing a serious expression as she nodded.

I'm amazed! She accepted the responsibility on the spot! She's just oozing confidence now!

I just know I'm going to ruin this somehow, but Mark is really counting on me. If I let him down, he'll probbaly be so disappointed in me, and he won't want to play with me anymore!

"Good. I'll wade through the grass, and I'll keep talking so you can hear my voice. You can let me know if I'm accidentally veering off course. Let's see if we can get to the other side," Said Mark, sharing his plan.

"Okay, Mark." Fluttershy agreed and tried to flap her wings, but they just wouldn't budge. The pressure of not wanting to disappoint Mark was starting to get to her.

Come on, wings! Not now!

"Fluttershy... Are you okay?" Mark asked, tiltong his head and noticing her struggle to open up her wings.

"Well... I... I..." Fluttershy stammered as she felt trapped.

I can't fly, but I can't tell him that! I have to think of something!

"Ow! My wing! I think I'm getting a... Ow... wing cramp! I can't fly! I... I'm sorry, Mark," Fluttershy put on the best act she could, hoping Mark would believe her.

"Oh no! Are you gonna be okay?" Mark expressed concern, fully buying into it and looking at her wings himself.

They seem fine to me, but I don't know a lot of pegasi, so it's not like I would know what a cramped wing looks like. And she sure sounds like she's in pain.

"I... I'll be fine," Fluttershy replied, making one last fake painful wail to sell the act. "But... I can't fly. I guess... I guess we have to head back, then. I'm sorry, Mark."

Whew! That was close!

"Don't lose heart yet, Fluttershy! The big rule of explorers is to never give up! I'll think of something," Mark declared, taking a step towards the tall grass to examine it.

Great. Now I still have to keep going, AND I sound like a quitter.

Mark plucked a single piece of grass from that patch up ahead, and then brought out a ruler, measuring it and himself. "Okay, Fluttershy, I have a plan. According to my measurements, the grass is almost twice my height. We can go into the grass together. If I need to check if we're veering off course, can you stand on my back and tell me which way the sun is? I can figure out which way we're going if I know where the sun is."

Fluttershy gulped nervously. "O-Okay. I-I'll try."

Mark ventured into the tall grass, the reluctant Fluttershy sticking to him like glue. Sure enough, she was able to stand on his back, seeing the sun over the tall grass and guiding him through.

All the while, Mark kept talking, even saying his next journal entry out loud.

"The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤C"

"Through my trusted partner's assistance, we have managed to concoct a sufficient tactical approach to crossing these forbidden lands, despite her unexpected injury. As I go forward, completley blind to what lies ahead, my new ally protects me from the magical forces conspiring against me. Surely, without a guide, my mind would be lost to the jungle, forever forced to wander it as a monster, but now, I tread with certainty that I'm safe."

Fluttershy gulped nervously. "Um... Wh-What's this about losing your mind and t-turning into a m-monster?" She asked with growing concern.

"Oh, no, no, no, Fluttershy, I was just saying that to be more dramatic," Mark said, shaking his hoof dismissively, realizing he may have gone overboard again. "When I became a famous explorer one day, I want to make sure that these entries are fun for ponies to read."

"Oh, I get it. That makes sense." Fluttershy said, breathing a sigh of relief.

She really does think you're weird, doesn't she? Wait, no! Get that idea out of your head! You know that isn't true!

It turns out he was just being himself. I hope I didn't insult his creativity.

After the two had their exchange, Mark had emerged at the other side of the grass, and sneezing at a few bits of stray pollen that got on his mane.

"Bless you," said Fluttershy.

"Thanks. And also thanks for helping me," replied Mark, who came in to give her a hug, though showing restraint and trying to be gentle with her this time.

"Y-You're welcome, M-Mark," Fluttershy replied, smiling lightly and making a cute squee sound.

She's amazing at this! She really is!

I've impressed him! I really have!

After a little while, he broke the hug. "Keep up the good work, Fluttershy!"

All at once, Fluttershy's smile disappeared.

"Are... Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Mark asked her.

Was it something I said? I was just praising her.

Now he has expectations for me! I don't know which is worse!

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm fine! I'm fine!"

"Oh... Okay, then." Mark replied, still not believing her, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

The two ponies turned to face the plains beyond the tall grass. There was a ton of open space in front of them, many trees off in the distance ahead of them in several directions. Mark and Fluttershy resumed their travels, Fluttershy looking through the binoculars once more.

"Well, it looks like there isn't much out here, but I'm not giving up. There's got to be something out here," Mark commented.

"Wait! I think I see something!" Fluttershy exclaimed, rising up on her hind legs to get a closer look. "It looks like a really big tree. It looks different from the others."

"A different kind of tree?" Mark wondered, having seen a lot of trees in his day, rarely finding one that seemed to stand out. Pulling out the sextant from his bag, he used the attached telescope and pointed in the direction prompted by Fluttershy, measuring out the distance based on his knowledge of Ponyville's height above sea level. "Hey! I see it! And from my calculations, we can make it in no time at all if we hurry. I'll bet you anything that we'll locate our treasure at that tree! What do you say, Fluttershy? Wanna go for it?"

Fluttershy nodded and went back on all fours, returning to walking beside him and following the course to their newfound destination.

A tree. That sounds nice and safe.

A tree different from all the others! That sounds exciting!

The two marched on ahead. Mark moved some tree branches aside that blocked their path, holding Fluttershy's hoof as they moved through some bushes.

The two were on course just fine for a while, but then an obstacle reared its head before them. Ahead stood a small ledge, just a little bit too high for them to climb up, even if they stacked on top of each other.

"Hmmm... This may be a problem," Mark said aloud with a hoof to his chin. He looked in the surrounding area for a potential way to work around this. The ledge had too steep an incline to go up on hoof, and it didn't look like there was any way to climb up. However, with a thorough examination, he found that there was a small cavern entrance at both the top and the bottom of the ledge.

"Bingo!" Mark exclaimed. "Look, Fluttershy! The cave there! I bet it comes out on the other side. We can get up that way."

"Th-Through the... c-c-cave?" Fluttershy suddenly felt like she was sweating bullets, trembling at the sight of the cave's entrance consuming the light into the narrow, dark passage within, and a feeling of dread loomed over her.

Not a cave! Anything but that! Who knows what kind of monsters could be in there? I've got to think of something else!

"I... I... Um... Maybe I can fly up and help you up the ledge? A-And then we won't need to go into the cave," Fluttershy proposed.

"But isn't your wing cramped up?" Mark asked, taking another look at it.

"It... It got better," Fluttershy lied.

I don't know if I even can fly! I'm too nervous! But anything is worth not having to go in there! Anything!

"If you just got it cramped before, shouldn't you give it a rest?" Mark asked, though still not seeing anything wrong with her wing. "You need to be able to make it back to flight camp later. You shouldn't work your wings too hard."

"But... But... I'm fine! I promise!" Fluttershy insisted.

"Your wing was cramping so hard that you couldn't fly at all before, but now you're fine?" Mark asked, something about this not adding up to him.

Oh no. He's got me now! If I say I'm not fine, he's going to take us into the cave, but if I say I am fine, then he'll know I was lying! What do I do?

Fluttershy's heart was pounding trying to think of something to say. Mark, meanwhile, noticed her growing anxiety.

"Fluttershy... What's wrong?"

Fluttershy stood silent for a bit, Mark looking at her with his full attention, but before he could even react, Fluttershy turned around, running away as fast as she could and crying.

"Fluttershy, wait!" Mark shouted, only being able to lift a hoof before she had left him.

Oh no... My nightmare...

Suddenly, visions of Mark's nightmare came rushing back to him. He still remembers the feeling of his heart breaking like shattered glass as Fluttershy said she didn't want anything to do with him.

It's happening... It's actually happening... She doesn't want to be my friend anymore... I'm going to be all alone again.

Mark felt tears welling up in his eyes, his worst fear coming to life right before his very eyes. His head was hung low, wondering what he was ever going to do now. He had been alone and friendless before, but now he knows what he had been missing all this time. Now that he learned what it feels like to have friends, it just seemed impossible for the young colt to forget.

When suddenly, his ears perked up, noticing a sound coming from the direction that Fluttershy ran. It was definitely her, and it sounded like she was still crying.

Why is she crying? Didn't she want to get away from me? I thought she would be happy.

Curious, Mark trotted over, following the where the sound was coming from. Sure enough, he found Fluttershy there sitting under a tree and sobbing.

This is... just like me when we first met. I know what I have to do.

Mark went right up to Fluttershy and gently pet her mane, just like she did to him to comfort him when he was crying the day they met.

"There, there. Please don't cry. It's okay," He said, remembering her exact words.

Fluttershy gasped when she felt his touch, but continued to cry. It looked like she was trying to say something, but she was crying too much to be able to speak.

Thinking of something, Mark opened his bag and took out something from inside. It was a snickerdoodle cookie, made by Rarity's mom. He was saving it for the end to celebrate a successful exploration with her, but he figured it might help her calm down just enough for her to explain what's going on.

Mark offered her the cookie right up to her. "Would you like a cookie? Rarity's mom made it."

Unfortunately, while Fluttershy was surprised by the sudden offer, she just was too distressed to accept it. Mark sighed, figuring at least it was worth a try.

But then out of nowhere, Fluttershy's stomach started to growl, and both of them immediately took notice. Fluttershy's crying softened up and she smiled lightly. Though tears were still in her eyes, she let out a soft, embarrassed giggle as she blushed.

"I... I guess I could use a cookie," Fluttershy confessed, and she finally accepted it from Mark.

"Hehe. I know you do, silly. Your tummy said so!" Mark teased, making her blush and giggle even more.

That first bite into the cookie made her wings flap right open in delight, and she was immediately scarfing down bite after bite.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤C
Observation noted. If a pegasus flaps their wings open, that means your cookies are delicious.

Fluttershy finished the last gulp of the cookie with a satisfied sigh, feeling a lot better now and no longer crying.

Now she finally had calmed down, Mark took his chance to ask her what he needed to. "Now, Fluttershy. I've noticed you've been acting strange all day. Is something the matter? You can tell me. I won't be upset with you. Not even a little tiny bit," He assured her, placing a hood on her shoulder for comfort and giving her a soft, genuine smile.

Fluttershy wiped the tears out of her eyes and sniffled one last time. Her muzzle was still a little runny, so Mark gave her a tissue from his bag.

"Well... I'll tell you. You promise you won't be mad?" She asked him, still sounding worried.

"I promise," He said with a nod.

"Okay. Mark, I... I lied to you. My wing was never cramped up." Fluttershy admitted, looking to the side and hiding behind her mane out of guilt.

"It wasn't? Well, why did you say it was?" Mark asked, puzzled trying to piece the situation together.

Fluttershy played with her own mane a little from how nervous she was admitting everything to him. "The truth is... I was too nervous to fly."

"Nervous? Why?"

"Because I was worried about disappointing you."

"Disappointing me? Why would you be worried about that?"

"Because... I really don't know anything about exploring. I wanted you to think I was a good explorer, because if you didn't, I thought you wouldn't want to explore with me anymore," She explained, letting out another sniffle as she was holding back from crying again. "We always do what I want to do every day. We never get to do what you want to do. So I wanted to be fair and explore with you for a change. But if you didn't want to do that with me, we'd just go back to doing what I want to do every day. And I was worried that would make you not want to be friends with me anymore."

Mark stood and remained silent for a bit, Fluttershy watching and waiting for a reaction. And then, in just a split second, he spread out his hooves and wrapped her in a soft, comforting hug, making her yelp in surprise. That wasn't sure what kind of reaction she would get, but that was nowhere near her first guess.

"Oh, Fluttershy. I don't care if you're a good or a bad explorer. I just like spending time with you. You're my friend, and you always will be," Mark said during the hug.

"You... You mean it?"

Mark still held her in his hooves and looked her in the eye. "I do. And besides, ponies aren't always good at something right away. That's why I was teaching you what I knew. And it's why I was praising you for your good work while we were exploring, to make you more confident in yourself. But now I kind of see all of that praise just made it worse. It made you think that I had expectations of you that you had to meet, and that made you worried about disappointing me even more, didn't it?" His head and ears went down a little as he asked.

Fluttershy reacted the same way, head and ears down. "A little. And I was worried because I didn't want to go in the cave. It looked really scary. But I didn't want you to think I was afraid, because explorers aren't supposed to give up. I wanted to force myself to be able to fly so I wouldn't have to, but if I did, you'd know I was lying to you about my wing. I didn't know what to say, so..."

"So that's why you ran off," Mark said, putting her story together.

Fluttershy stopped looking and strengthened her hug. "I still want to go exploring with you. Just please, don't make me go in the cave! I'm scared of the dark!" She pleaded.

"Don't worry. We don't have to. I'm sure there's a way we can get there without going through the cave," Mark said while hugging her back.

"Thank you, Mark. I think I might be able to fly, now that I'm not so ner--" Fluttershy said while breaking the hug, before being interrupted by Mark's stomach growling.

"Oops. Uh... I guess we should probably eat first." Mark said while blushing as he gave an embarrassed laugh, and Fluttershy giggled with her hooves over her mouth.

Thankfully, Mark had saved more cookies in his bag, so the two stopped to eat.

After a satisfying picnic lunch, and with plenty of snickerdoodles in their bellies, the two young ponies felt energized enough to take on this exploration once more.

When both of them were ready to begin, Mark stood up and looked back at Fluttershy. "Alright, new recruit! Front and center!" He yelled out, pointing a hoof in front of him.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/fp03bJ_afdY

"Yes, sir!" Fluttershy said aloud with a smile as she played along, getting in front of him and saluting.

"Listen up! This is the deal," Mark said, turning his head and walking from side to side. "This exploration isn't over yet! We still have a treasure to to find, and we're not gonna stop until we locate it! You're still new to this scene, but I can't do it without you. Can I count on you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. I will have you take point, and I will fill in the map behind us. Let's go and find us a treasure, and we'll make this adventure one to remember!" Mark shouted and raised his hoof to the sky.

"Yay."

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤D

With our mission back on track, my new partner and I boldly venture back once more into the unknown. The Tree of Great Secrets is still out there, and it falls on us to discover what mysteries it holds, and we shall do anything short of battle cave monsters to find it. What sorts of surprises await us? We will soon find out.

Mark and Fluttershy made their way back to the ledge, and Fluttershy, no longer too nervous to use her wings, flew up to the top. From there, she rolled a log over and down the ledge, making a staircase for him to climb up. Having his view expanded from being higher up, Mark filled in his map and went on ahead.

Marching on, the two later found that there was a slope downward, smooth enough to slide down. They went to the pluck leaves from nearby trees, and dropped them right down into a pile, then sliding down for a soft landing.

After that, the two were almost there, the tree they saw before just on the other side of a small creek. Looking for a way to cross, they found a few stones above the water that they could use, but the closest one wasn't close enough to jump to. Finding another big rock next to the creek, the two worked together to push it into the creek, making the last stepping stone needed. Mark hopped from stone to stone over the bridge, and looked like so much fun that Fluttershy did the same instead of flying over.

[END OF MUSIC]

"Look! It's here! We made it! We really made it! And it's all thanks to you!" Mark cheered as he hopped in the air excitedly.

"I see why you like doing this so much. This was actually really fun. Thanks for letting me go with you," said Fluttershy.

"No, thank you for coming! It really means a lot that you care about what I like doing and wanted to join me," said Mark, giving Fluttershy a hoof bump. "But we're not done yet. Let's check out this tree."

"Mhm." Fluttershy nodded and went along with him. Going to examine the tree, it seemed larger and shaped differently than the others. What's more, there seemed to be a path inside, almost like a doorway.

"Take a look, Fluttershy! The inside of the tree is hollow! It's like a house in here!" Declared Mark, looking about the interior. "There isn't much in here, but it looks like it was carved out a long time ago."

"You think maybe some ponies used to live here?" Asked Fluttershy.

"I bet that's it. But it looks like nopony is here anymore," Mark took a look around, seeing that besides the dirt and discarded bark spread about on the floor, there was a window carved out on the wall, as well as a staircase to a second floor.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off above Mark's head. "I know! Fluttershy, why don't we make this tree into a clubhouse for the two of us?"

Fluttershy beamed. "A clubhouse? Just for us to play together? I love this idea! We could meet here every day."

"Now that I have a map that leads here, and know where I'm meant to be going, I can get here a lot faster," said Mark, looking over his map. The directions to get here were clear and simple.

"It's still a bit messy inside this tree, though," Fluttershy noted, seeing that the place would need quite a bit of work before it was a proper clubhouse. "Would you like to try tidying it up tomorrow? I have another day off at flight camp."

"Of course! Fluttershy, thank you! We'll make this place the best clubhouse ever!" Mark declared with thrill in his voice, until he observed the lighting outside, the sun being close to the west.

"Oh, gosh! Is it already getting late? I'd better get home. My mom and dad are going to be worried about me if I stay here much longer."

"I should go, too. The ponies at flight camp are going to wonder where I am." Fluttershy said in mutual agreement. The two stepped out of the tree interior and back into the light.

"This has been a good day, Mark. I had so much fun," said Fluttershy, tapping the ground with her hooves. "I was worried so much that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore if I wasn't a good explorer, all because of this nightmare I had last night, but I should have known better than to think you'd do that."

Mark's eyes widened. "You had a nightmare like that last night, too?! That's what made me worry that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore! But... it was really silly of me to think that. You wouldn't be mean to me like you did in that nightmare. We should have just spoken up and told each other from the start."

"I will next time if you will," Fluttershy offered, shaking hooves with Mark.

"You got a deal!" Mark agreed. "See you here tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," replied Fluttershy. "Well, I'd better get going. But... just one thing first."

"Huh? Something wrong, Fluttershy?" Asked Mark.

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just... you've been such a good friend. Before I go, I just... I want to tell you how much you mean to me." Said Fluttershy, blushing and hiding her face behind her mane.

"Oh? Well... sure, I suppose." Said Mark, puzzled and not sure where this was going.

Then, Fluttershy stepped forward towards Mark and began to sing a song: https://youtu.be/dmrEtPnicYE

The song brought a joyful tear to Mark's eye, touched by her soothing voice. Mark always loved hearing her sing.

And with that, the two exchanged one last hug, waved their goodbyes, and Fluttershy hovered up to the clouds above, while Mark set out for home, satisfied with another successful exploration and a day of spending time doing what he loved most with his dear friend. Walking back over the horizon on a course for Ponyville, he thought of his final journal entry for the day.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♤E

Being a solo explorer ever since I got my cutie mark, I never imagined that exploring with a partner would be so fulfilling. Is this what it's like in the Equestrian Exploration Comittee? I think I could get used to that. Of course, out of all the ponies I could have an adventure with, I'm glad that I could say that my friend Fluttershy was my first. We didn't find a treasure we could take home with us, but I think this is even better. We've found a place we can meet every day to spend time with each other. Making my first friend really was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Things are happening that I couldn't even have imagined. And I get to experience it every day from here on out. See you tomorrow, Fluttershy.

Chapter 5: Fellow feeling for a forlorn flying filly

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Chapter 6: A new class of explorer

Having met a good number of new friends, Mark happily spent the rest of his summer with them. He built models with Gemini and listened to his guitar playing, helped Rarity with her sewing projects, competing in all manner of games with Rainbow Dash, heard Halo recite the poetry she was always writing, and of course, went around tending to the animals around the woods with Fluttershy.

Had anypony told him on his last day of the school year that he he would have spent his summer like this, he would have thought them crazy, and yet he couldn't think of anything else that he would have wanted to do more. Sure, there's always exploring and making maps, but there will always be time for that. He knew that friendship was something worth making time for.

Shortly after the day Mark made Fluttershy her parachute cloth (or paracloth as he called it for short), Scorch was no longer grounded, so Mark was understandably on edge, but with how often he was at the clubhouse on the outskirts of Ponyville, Scorch hardly ever saw him.

When Scorch did see him, however, he gave Mark a stare, signaling his desire for revenge. He was just standing there... menacingly. But Mark knew that he was relatively safe. After getting punished so heavily last time, if Scorch acted up again, he would be in massive trouble. Still, to be on the safe side, he kept being anywhere around where Scorch normally was to a minimum.

But although his summer time adventures were fun, all summers must end to make way for the fall, and that meant that it was time to start a new school year.

Not that Mark minded one bit. Given the fact that Gemini and Rarity will be in class with him, and their friendship formed over the summer, it won't be nearly as lonely as last year. Who knows? Maybe he could make even more new friends this time.

"Pencils, notebooks, highlighter pen, erasers, flash cards, check!" Mark listed off the items one by one, zipping up his saddlebag with all his freshly stocked school supplies lined neatly inside.

"You know, Mark, it's really amazed me how much you've grown in just one summer," Saga said, ruffling her son's mane a little. "I think you're going to do great at school this year."

"I think so too, Mom. And you know what year this is, don't you?" Mark said with a wide-eyed smile.

"I sure do. And I'm going to make sure it happens, just like I promised you when you got your cutie mark," She said in a matter-of-fact way, now patting him on the head.

"Woohoo! I'll see you and Dad after school. Love you, Mom!"

"Love you too, sweetie," Saga said before kissing him on the forehead.

With a delighted swagger in his step, Mark left out the door and into the streets of Ponyville, his destination set for school. He didn't need to bring any of his trusty maps for this trip. He knew it all by heart.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇A

With summer brought to a close, my explorations will need to be put on hold. I have an even greater mission ahead of me. I am now faced with another gauntlet of academic challenges, designed to prepare me for the much more difficult adventures that await when I become the famous explorer I know I'll be. I'm more excited for what awaits me than ever before, especially because this is my last--

"Mark! Mark! Up here!" The voice of Fluttershy could be heard as Mark looked up, and saw her slowly descending down to the ground on her paracloth.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇B

Hold that thought.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/sLSShtQ42cg

"Hey, Fluttershy! What are you doing here?" Mark shouted back as he waved hello to her.

Fluttershy landed on her hooves and folded up her paracloth onto her back. "My school in cloudsdale is opening a little late today. Can I come with you, please?" She asked while giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"Of course, Fluttershy!" Mark accepted without hesitation and hopped forward on his way to school with his best friend beside him. "How's the paracloth working for you, by the way?"

"It's worked out well," Fluttershy said while putting it away in her saddlebag and walked in tandem. "I haven't needed it that much, but I like using it anyway, because it reminds me of you and my other friends. It feels like you're with me when I fly." She blushed and hid her face behind her name when she noticed how that sounded.

Mark thought it was a sweet sentiment, though, so he smiled as he trotted along. "Well, I can't really join you when you fly, so it's good to know I'm with you in spirit at least. I still really wish I could fly, though."

"It's not all it's made out to be, but Rainbow Dash would probably disagree with me on that," Said Fluttershy, not being able to reset giving a little chuckle.

"Yeah. She probably would have some choice words if she heard you say that," Mark agreed, the two foals having a good laugh.

Meanwhile, in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash feels a dark shiver run down her spine.

Back in Ponyville, Mark continued to gallop to school through the streets alongside Fluttershy. Many ponies that saw the two had their hearts race with how the two looked together, side by side, traveling in sync and having so much fun talking with one another, getting several reactions from random passersby.

"Is that Mark? Looks like the little guy's got a cute little filly friend now! Isn't that sweet?"

"Oh my gosh! Those two are sooooo cute!"

"Awwww! Just look at how happy they are!"

"They're too precious! My heart can't take it!"

Mark and Fluttershy didn't even notice the reactions, though, as they were having too much fun talking to each other.

Continuing on their way, Mark went on to talk about the special reason he was so excited for school.

"This isn't just any first day of school. This is the last school year I'll attend at this school before I'm old enough to join the Equestrian Exploration Committee. I'm so excited!"

"Equestrian... Exploration Committee? What's that?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Equestrian Exploration Committee is essentially a guild for explorers, and a training institution for new explorers! Once I have my 9th birthday later this fall, I'll be able to join them as a junior explorer! My mom promised me I could go! She and Dad are going to fill out the paperwork to transfer me and everything! I can't believe it! I'm so excited! I'm going to be a famous explorer one day, and the first part of my journey is going to start soon!"

Mark didn't even realize he was prancing from the sheer joy, and Fluttershy didn't notice she was copying Mark's movments and prancing as well.

"You're really going to start being an explorer? And this year? That's amazing! You're going to live your dream! Yay," Fluttershy cheered, rejoicing with her friend. "And I have more good news, too."

"Oh?" Mark's ears quickly perked up. "What would that be?"

"My parents are coming over to your house to meet yours while we're at school today. They're going to see about me coming over to your house after school," Said Fluttershy, still prancing along.

"You mean..." Mark replied with his eyes wide open and his mouth wide open, soon turning into a massive smile.

"We're having our very first playdate!" Mark and Fluttershy each said at the exact same time.

"Wow! We did that thing again! And again! Flying capybaras! Double-layer midnight pudding! Ooh eee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!" The two foals just kept shouting the most random things they could think of, then laughing so hard at how they managed to say the same thing simultaneously every time.

[END OF MUSIC]

Meanwhile, at Mark's house, Pen and Saga were taking care of some house work, Pen sorting out his work ties and Saga dusting the living room, when they heard a knock on their door.

"Oh, I'll get it, honey!" Saga declared to her husband as he put down her duster and sprang up into action to answer the knock, revealing two ponies on the other side.

One was a yellowish cream color mare with a red mane and tail, wearing a pair of green, square glasses, and having a cutie mark with three flowers, one yellow, one red, and one pink.

The other was a minty green stallion with a white mane, tail, and mustache, wearing a white sleeveless vest, and having three clouds as a cutie mark.

"Hello. Are you Mrs. Atlas?" The stallion said in a very calm, quiet voice.

"Why, yes I am. Did you need me?" Saga asked, tilting her head and pondering what these two ponies she's never met could possibly want with her.

"I was hoping to speak to you and your husband, if that's okay. I'm Nimbus, and this is my wife, Posey," The stallion said just as calmly, Posey giving a shy little wave. "We're... Fluttershy's parents."

Saga's mouth instantly went agape as she stared blankly in disbelief.

"Would you... excuse me for a second? I will be right back with my husband to let you in," Saga told the two, closing the door, and sprinting into their bedroom.

There Pen was, holding a tecktie up and folding it, when his wife grabbed a hold of him and turned him around, making his tie drop to the floor as his wife held him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"Whoa! Hey, babe, what are you doing?!" Pen asked in shock while he was sent rocking back and forth.

"Honey! Come quick! Fluttershy's parents are at the door!"

"No kidding?!" Pen shouted with equal excitement, finally pulling his wife off of him. "Well, let's bring 'em in!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Saga cheered, bouncing up and down like a filly that was just asked out by the most popular colt in school.

Soon, Mark and Fluttershy's parents were each sitting in the living room together with freshly brewed cups of coffee, Mark's parents on the couch, and Saga's on the adjacent loveseat.

"We have been dying to meet your daughter all summer. Our son just won't stop talking about her," Saga said before blowing on her coffee a little.

"It's like a tape recorder, Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy, night and day!" Pen chimed in with his wife. "He's not exactly a social colt, so seeing him like this was a real eye-opener, that's for sure."

"Oh, I know, I know. As soon as our Fluttershy got back from camp, she was just absolutely gushing about your son," Posey said, then taking a sip, as her coffee was still hot. "If I didn't know any better, which I do, I'd say she's smitten with him."

"Oh? You hear that, sugar?" Saga nudged Pen on the side. "Our baby's got a filly that likes him!"

"Knew it," Pen said with a smirk. "Mark is still innocent as ever, though. He gets all grossed out when he sees Saga and I kiss. He still probably believes in cooties! Darn, puberty is gonna hit our boy like a train, ain't it?"

The four of them all laugh in unison, having to wipe their eyes which watered from their own laughter.

"Honestly, with how much Fluttershy has said about your son, our own son Zephyr was a little jealous," Posey commented.

"Oh wow, you have two children?! Mark should have a playdate with your foals!" Saga proposed excitedly.

"That's... sort of what we had in mind," Nimbus replied, drinking a gulp of his now cooled coffee and placing it down. "We were hoping that Fluttershy could come here after school today. If it goes well, we can arrange another playdate for later and let Zephyr come along. If that's okay with you two, of course."

"Are you kidding me? Of course it's okay, right, sugar?" Saga motioned Pen while holding him, begging internally for a yes.

"Well duh!" Pen simply replied. "I wouldn't miss kind of chance for anything! Bring her right on over after school."

"Well, I suppose it's settled then," Nimbus said with a nod.

"Oooohhh! I've got to get to cooking sweets for the two of them now," Saga said while clopping her hooves together in excitement.

Back in the streets of Ponyville, Mark and Fluttershy traversed the town through the roadways and finally arrived at the school, several ponies all gathered there already and making quite a bit of noise.

"Well, here we are, Fluttershy. The school," Mark said pointing his hoof.

"Oh... Oh my. It looks lovely, but... so many ponies," Fluttershy noted before giving a little "eep" and hiding behind Mark. "So many ponies... watching us... judging us... smelling us..."

"Ah, don't worry, Shy," He said, giving her a pat on the head and letting her hide behind him. "I know you don't normally like large groups of ponies, and normally, neither do I. But for once, I'm actually excited about it. I wanted to set a goal for myself, and with so many here, I figure this is an optimal chance to do that."

"A goal? Wh-What kind of goal?" Fluttershy asked, taking a little peek out from behind him at the bustling crowd of students.

"You see, I didn't really have any friends last year, but after I met you this summer, I made a whole bunch of them. Now, I want to see if I can make one new friend on my first day." Mark explained his issued challenge to himself.

"Wow... You're so brave..." Fluttershy said while starry-eyed, wishing she could have as much courage as Mark has gathered.

"Well, I don't know about that. But thank you. That's a compliment I've never gotten. I was such a nervous wreck before I met you. But knowing you and the others like me so much, I feel like I can put myself out there. I guess if I am brave now, I owe it all to you," Mark offered her a return compliment, giving a flattered and modest smile.

Fluttershy's heart started feeling tingly and she blushed. He's so humble. So modest. He could have taken that compliment all for himself, but he gave me all the credit! He never passes any chance given to him to make me feel special! I could hug him right now if so many ponies weren't here to see it!

"Well, I guess it's now or never, right? Let's examine my options," Mark said, looking around in all directions, observing the various ponies that have gotten to here already. He recognized many in class already, like Cheerliee and Derpy Hooves. Both could be good potential picks.

Who else? Mark thought, looking around the area, until his gaze stumbled upon something that made his blood run cold. Suddenly, the confidence he had displayed before seemed to be gone.

"Fluttershy, look out!" He ordered to her before grabbing her by the hoof and jumping with her into a nearby bush.

"Ah! Wh-what's going on?! Wh-Why are we hiding?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Over there," Mark whispered back, putting his hoof out of the bush and pointing at a nearby pony.

Standing there, right in front, leaning on the wall of the building, was the bane of Mark's existence, Scorch Blackburn. He had a vengeful look in his eye, with fiery pupils burning with hatred, malice, evil, wickedness, nefariousness, and... other bad stuff, to use the technical terminology. Point is, he was there. And that was bad.

"He's just waiting to mess with me the second I show up," Mark assessed.

"Who... Who is that?" Fluttershy asked, keeping her voice down, which was easy for her.

"That's Scorch. He's that bully that's always giving me trouble," Mark explained quietly, watching him from within the bush like a hawk (because watching him like a pony was an insufficient form of watching). "He's still mad at me for telling on him last summer, and now he wants revenge. I'm sure of it."

"Why is he always so mean to you?" Asked Fluttershy, taking another peek and then retreating back into hiding.

"I don't know. Nopony knows," Whispered Mark, his eyes never leaving Scorch. "Some say he was once a regular foal that was corrupted by dark magic and molded into a life form that knows only vengeance. Others say he's a robot from the future, wanting to wipe out all of Equestria by going back and preventing the heroes that could stop him from ever being born!"

"He... He couldn't be a robot, could he? He looks so real." Fluttershy remarked, although she wasn't exactly getting the best look at him to be perfectly certain of that.

"I can't say one way or the other. Honestly, I don't know what to believe about him," Mark continued to explain his intricate lore of Scorch. "But whatever his backstory may be, one thing is certain. His wickedness knows no bounds. He's so evil, he broke my sextant last summer for no reason!"

Fluttershy gasped.

"He's so evil, he threw my favorite ball into into the woods, just to laugh at me for being too chicken to go get it!"

Fluttershy gasped again.

"He's so evil, he made Easter Sunday come out on a Tuesday!"

Fluttershy gasped once more, but then a record scratch sound effect played somewhere. "Wait... What does that mean?"

Mark put his hoof up to his chin. "You know, I'm... not exactly sure. But bottom line, he's no good! We're going to have to stake out here while we watch him."

"Uh... O-Okay," Fluttershy whispered and nodded, not exactly wanting to be stuck in this bush, but it's worse than being exposed to such an awful bully, and Mark made him out to be something truly terrifying.

Mark, meanwhile, quickly took his journal out of his saddlebag and started writing in it.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇C

I had almost reached my destination, fully primed and ready for action, when all of a sudden, the most horrible beast in all the land had appeared right in front of it! I couldn't stand a chance against his raging fire breath, and I still don't know if he has retractable claws yet, so hiding is my only option. I can only hope that this monstrous creature doesn't have heat-seeking vision, or I would stick out like a sore hoof. But if it doesn't, I'm safe. Hidden with the confines of this conveniently placed shrubbery, I am completely out of view.

"Hey. What's up, Mark? Why are you in that bush?" Mark and Fluttershy's heart both skipped a beat from the surprise, but they were quickly alleviated when they recognized whose voice it was.

"Gemini! Rarity!" Fluttershy exclaimed, stepping out of the bush to greet them, Mark stepping out himself to join her, the two both forgetting about their prior predicament.

"Fluttershy, you aren't going to school here, are you?" Asked Rarity, remembering that she still lives in Cloudsdale.

"Oh, no. I was just, um... walking to... well..." Fluttershy said as she bashfully dug at the ground, too embarrassed to say.

Mark, however, quickly chimed in, not detecting her shyness about the situation from his obliviousness to her crush on him. "She wanted to walk to school with me before going to her own school. Would be pretty neat if she did go to school here, though."

"Y-Yes... What... What he said," Said Fluttershy as her blush deepened, and Rarity giggled to herself seeing it.

"Oh, Fluttershy, that is rather nice of you," Praised Rarity. "I was just on my way here with Gemini myself. I had a feeling we would bump into you, Mark."

Gemini nodded in agreement. "The new school year starts now. And now that I can play guitar, I'm going to enter the talent show this year for sure!"

"Whoa there, buddy. Let's not do anything irrational. You've still got so much to live for!" Mark joked to the laughter of all four foals, knowing Mark was taking a jab at his own fear of public performance.

"Wait... I almost forgot to ask. What are you doing here in this bush?" Asked Gemini, getting back on track.

Mark and Fluttershy's eyes both snapped open in realization, their gaze turning back over to the schoolhouse, revealing Scorch still lurking by the entrance.

"Oh... Well, Scorch is over there, and he's looking pretty angry," Mark explained, his hooves shivering a bit. "That guy still really scares me."

"Understandable, darling. He can be... unpleasant," Said Rarity, looking back over at Scorch, who still seemed even more furious than usual.

"Hey. How about you go in with me and Rarity?" Gemini offered.

"A splendid idea," Rarity agreed and nodded. "That Scorch is quite the brute, but he's a coward. He wouldn't try anything when we're together."

Mark smiled widely at the offer. "Really? You mean it? Thanks, Gem. Thanks, Rares. You're the best!"

Mark simultaneously wrapped the two in a hug, each with a foreleg.

"Well, Mark. It's been really fun walking with you, but I have to go now. I'll see you after school, okay?" Said Fluttershy, who promptly joined in on the hug. "Hopefully our parents will let me come over."

Breaking the hug, Fluttershy tied her paracloth around her and ascended into the air with a wave goodbye.

"Bye, Fluttershy! See you after school!" Mark shouted back with a wave as Fluttershy became more of a little speck in the sky.

"Did I hear this correctly? Is Fluttershy coming over to visit you today?" Asked Rarity with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah! She's never been over before! Can you believe it?!" Mark cheered, earning a giggle from Rarity, though he was too excited to notice.

The three of them then walked to the schoolhouse together, Mark being in the middle, and Gemini and Rarity to his left and right.

With the two on either side of him, Scorch almost didn't notice when they showed up. Shocked to see Mark not all alone and easy to mess with, Scorch was about to say something when he was interrupted.

"Hi, Scorch. Bye, Scorch," Gemini said waving a wing at him as they walked, Mark and Rarity laughing at just how shamelessly Gemini passed him by.

As soon as they went inside, Scorch gritted his teeth, striking the wall hith a forehoof. "So, the little twoip's got some lackeys now, does he? Well, we'll see what they can do once I get my hooves on ya sorry little..."

Scorch just noticed that his outburst attracted the attention of many other foals, as well as their parents, who were now staring at him.

"What?! I'm monologin', heah!"

Later, in the classroom, Mark had taken his seat early, getting used to the new space. He was lucky enough to have gotten a seat next to Gemini and in front of Rarity. The three of them were casually chatting before class began, and telling each other their plans for the school year, when Mark's goal for his first day came up into conversation.

"You want to make a friend on your first day? Darn. That's a pretty bold move. Don't do anything reckless! You've got so much to live for!" Gemini teasingly nudged Mark as he returned his joke from before right back at him.

Mark just laughed. "Okay, okay, that's totally fair. But I still want to give it a try. I think I'm ready. The real question is... who should it be?" Mark asked aloud as he looked around the room.

Rarity and Gemini turned to see who he might pick. Mark examined his options, just like outside before. He saw Cheerliee and Derpy sitting next to each other, Derpy accidentally breaking Cheerliee's pencil.

"Oops. Sorry," Said Derpy with a shameful expression, Cheerliee just looking disappointed in response.

Hmm... maybe one of those two. Cheerliee is friendly enough, and Derpy is... well-meaning, despite her frequent mishaps. Mark continued, looking at the various ponies either up in their hooves or sitting at their desks.

Turning aside, his classmate, a purple earth pony filly named Berry Punch came into view sipping from a juice box. She's always drinking juice, I've noticed. She likes cran grape, so she's clearly enlightened.

Looking further, he saw Vinyl Scratch, a white unicorn filly with a blue mane, bobbing her head with headphones plugged into a small cassette player. She seems cool, but I don't know if I could get her attention away from that music.

Then, in the far corner of the room, he saw an orange earth pony filly with a blonde mane tied up in a ponytail, head on her desk with her eyes wide open. Her hind legs down to the floor, her cutie mark was revealed on her flank; three red apples.

"Hey, what about her?" Mark asked Rarity and Gemini, leaning in to whisper. "I've seen her in class before, but I don't know her name."

"Oh, I would stay clear of that one. That's Applejack," Rarity whispered back.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Mark inquired further, eyes darting back to Applejack with concern.

"Well first of all, she lives at Sweet Apple Acres. She's a farm pony. She's always dirty and sweaty. And she stinks," Rarity argued, holding her muzzle for emphasis.

"But I smell like dirt and sweat, and you put up with me," Mark replied jokingly.

"Heh. He's got you there, Rare," Gemini joined in.

Rarity chuckled. She knew they were right. "Okay, point duly taken. But still, I think it might be a better idea to try somepony else. Besides that, she also has a certain... reputation."

"Reputation? What kind of a reputation?" Asked Mark, glancing back curiously, though being quick about it so Applejack wouldn't see.

Gemini leaned in and whispered as well. "She has a track record of being a liar. You can never trust her to tell the truth. Last year, I let her borrow my Edward the Express Train book, and she never gave it back, always making excuses. She said that aliens beamed it to their home planet. Turns out she dropped it in the mud at the farm. I feel bad about saying it, but she's really not fun to be around for me."

"Oh, don't feel bad, darling. I agree. Nopony likes a dirty, smelly, liar." Said Rarity, giving him a pat on the back, then turning to face Mark again.

"You're much more pleasant to be around, Mark. You're a dirty, smelly truth-teller," Rarity said, giving a teasing grin.

Mark had to cover his mouth with a hoof to prevent himself from erupting into laughter.

"Ah know yer talkin' about me!" Applejack suddenly yelled from across the room, making the entire room go silent as they all stared at her for several seconds.

"Forget it," Said Applejack, making a shooing motion with her hooves, before pouting and looking at the wall.

"What's with her?" Gemini asked with a shrug.

"My mom says ponies don't like it when you talk about them behind their backs. It's supposed to be rude," Answered Mark.

"Well, it's true," Argued Gemini. "And since she lies all the time, it's only fair that I owe you a warning."

"I guess that makes sense," Mark conceded, bringing his attention away from her.

"Good day, class," The voice of the teacher unexpectedly brought their conversation to a halt, everypony's attention being brought to her. The teacher was a lavender earth pony mare, wearing pink glasses and her light blue mane up in a bun. Her cutie mark was a bottle of spray perfume next to a purple flower.

"I'm excited to have you again. I hope you all had a wonderful summer, and I intend to make this year even more fun than the last," She said with a warm smile before writing her name on the board. "For those of you who are new, I'm Mrs. Iris."

"Hello, Mrs. Iris!" The entire class said simultaneously, except for Scorch in the other back corner away from Applejack, who was simply mouthing the words in a mocking manner.

"I can see that you haven't changed at all over the summer, Scorch. Please mind your manners," She called him out in front of the whole class.

Scorch just grunted, and the students all snickered at him.

"Alright, so for our first lesson of the day, I think we will start with a simple one to get you all readjusted. Today, we will be going over sentence structure, and how to avoid improper use of prepositions and conjunctions. This will be useful to make well written essays later this year. Now, you will see here that..."

Class had went relatively well for Mark. He always was known for getting high grades, but his newfound confidence after making friends made it all the more enjoyable. He even did something he never would have dreamed of doing last year; raising his hoof and stepping up to the board to answer questions.

Mrs. Iris knew how shy Mark was, so last year, she always made it a point not to single him out unless it was necessary. This, however, made it absolutely shocking for her when he, of all her students, wanted to come up and work out several of the word problems that she had arranged.

While Mrs. Iris was always sure that he could solve them, the pressure of doing it in front of everypony was a completely different beast for the Mark she knew last year. But this Mark, he was different. He solved the problems without any issue, being front and center not seeming to faze him.

When Mark was finished with them, the class was left in awe and applauded him, all except for Scorch which gave a bitter, unamused look, and Applejack, which was doing more or less the same.

"Very good, Mark. I'm surprised that you decided to come up here, and impressed you managed to answer all of these problems so articulately." Mrs. Iris congratulated him, giving him a pat on the back.

"Thank you, Mrs. Iris. It was a pleasure," He said before giving a polite bow and taking his seat again.

Mark's classmates all stared at him in amazement, making him a little embarrassed, but he still tolerated the attention. It did feel kind of nice for his study efforts to be acknowledged.

"Hpmh. Yer all actin' a fool," Applejack said out of nowhere, attracting the attention of the class. "Ah coulda solved that problem without even thinkin'! Anypony coulda figured it out! Mark ain't that special, alright?!"

Soon, the other foals were all whispering to themselves, but they were quickly brought to silence when Mrs. Iris walked down the class, stopping when she reached Applejack, looking at her with a stern expression. "Is that so? Well, Miss Applejack, if you're so certain it's that easy, then surely you wouldn't have a problem with coming up here and trying one yourself?"

Applejack gulped nervously. "Uh... ah would, but... uh..." She stammered, the pressure of everyone watching getting to her, before she spoke up again. "Ah had a head injury on mah way to school! Mah big brother accidentally slammed a two-by-four into me, and ah can't think straight fer a spell. Otherwise, ah'd do it."

Applejack tried to maintain a look of confidence, to no avail, some of the students groaning at her bold-faced lie.

Mrs. Iris wasn't having any of that. "To the board. Now, young lady."

Applejack grumbled to herself and went up to the board, taking a piece of chalk into her mouth. Though she talked a big game, she couldn't for the life of her solve the next problem that Mrs. Iris had written down. If she wrote down an answer, she knew it was only an incredibly small chance she would be lucky and get it right by chance.

"Well, Miss Applejack? We're all waiting." Mrs. Iris said as she watched.

Frustrated, and not having the confidence to try and make that lucky guess, Applejack spat out the chalk onto the floor. "Alright! Ah can't do it!" She admitted, giving Mark an angry look. "But Mark can't even do it, either! Mark cheated! He said before class started he was gonna cheat! Ah heard 'im mahself!"

Mark's mouth was left wife open and he was left speechless. I never said anything like that! Gemini and Rarity were right about her! But why is she accusing me of something I didn't do?

Mrs. Iris glared daggers at Applejack now. "Miss Applejack, that's enough! You go back to your desk, and I don't want to hear another word from you. I'll see you after class!" She ordered, pointing a hoof back to Applejack's desk.

Applejack pouted and went back to her seat, looking displeased, but not saying anything else.

"There she goes. The liar strikes again," One foal remarked.

When lunch came around, Mark was sitting next to Gemini and Rarity outside, several other foals in class approaching him and wanting to sit by him.

"Whoa, Mark! I knew you were supppsed to be some kind of brainiac, but sheesh! You make it look so easy! You sure showed Applejack a thing or two, didn't you?" A colt said to him.

"Hehe... Thanks I think," Mark replied, still a little embarrassed from being praised in public.

"I'm having, like, the hardest time ever with long division. Mark, would you, like, tutor me, or something? I'll be, like, literally your best friend!" A filly offered to him.

Mark's ears perked up at those words.

"Oh, you hear that? It looks like you've got that friend you were trying for," commented Rarity, poking him on the side.

"She's not the only one," Mark noted, looking around the lunch table and seeing other fillies and colts were now sitting by him. "I think it's fair to assume I have many."

Mark had to hide the blush on his face with his hooves from all the attention he was getting. He never thought that ponies would like him if he put himself out there, yet here they were.

Frankly, Mark didn't understand what the big deal was. He was just a little smart from reading and studying. Is that really worthy of so much attention? He figured it would have gotten him a reputation as a geek if anything. On the ither hoof, showing up Applejack, one of the most hated foals in the class, appeared to play some part in that.

That led him to think. He couldn't help but feel bad for Applejack. She had lied and falsely accused him of cheating. He would have been humiliated and punished if she even had a shred of credibility left, but it just didn't feel right to be angry at her.

Mark's attention drifted across the yard where they were having lunch, seeing that Applejack was by the fence all by herself holding her lunchbox, and Scorch was sitting by himself on the far side of the schoolyard, watching Mark with an aggravated look.

"Don't mind him, buddy. He's just jealous," Said Gemini, taking note of Scorch's bitter attitude. Well, more bitter than usual, anyway. "Just like Applejack is jealous that you're smart, Scorch is jealous because you have friends."

Mark's gaze left him, and Scorch got up, clenching his hooves. "Agh, that slimy little twoip's got a whole ahmy ta hide behind now! What's next, a royal chariot?! What I'd give fah five minutes alone with him. Then I'd show him!"

Scorch aggressively kicked at the ground, desperate for some way to vent out all his frustrations. His eyes starting to wander, he noticed Applejack by the fence. An evil grin forming on his face, he steps over to her, Applejack not realizing he was there until he was right in front of her.

All at once, Scorch swung his hooves forward and swiped Applejack's lunchbox away from her. "Thanks fah the grub, losah!" Scorch bellowed.

"Hey! That's mine! Get yer own!" Applejack quickly reacted, grabbing the lunchbox with her mouth and trying to pull it back.

"Sorry, but lookin' at yah ugly mug is makin' me need ta stress-eat," He jerked right back, the two both fighting over it.

Mark very quickly noticed the arising skirmish. "Hey! He's trying to take Applejack's lunch from her! We need to do something!"

However, the other foals looked away, not paying it any heed.

"I'm not helping her. She's a jerk," One filly commented.

"She's always lying through her teeth. It serves her right," A colt remarked.

"Rarity... Gemini... Even you?" Mark looked at the two, which showing equal indifference. It saddened him to see that even his own friends weren't interested in helping Applejack.

"With all due respect, Mark, you saw the way she treated you," Argued Rarity.

"Yeah. If it were any other pony, I'd probably help, but not her," Gemini agreed.

Mark was annoyed that his friends wouldn't even do anything and just let Scorch push Applejack around. But seeing as how Applejack has wronged them both in the past, he could understand why. He couldn't have known what Applejack had put them through.

Watching the fight over the lunchbox between Scorch and Applejack continue, Mark was done waiting around, and got up on his hooves. I'm not going to let Scorch treat somepony else the way he treated me. I'm going in.

Without warning, Mark charged up towards Scorch and Applejack, the other foals in class watching closely, surprised that Mark would get involved like this.

"What's he doing? He's crazy!"

"That liar Applejack isn't worth it! What is he thinking?!"

"Some smart guy he turned out to be!"

The foals all had such exchanges amongst each other, but Gemini and Rarity stayed silent, hoping that their friend would be okay.

Mark ran up to Scorch and intervened, aiding Applejack and pulling the lunchbox away from him with his teeth. Unable to handle the combined force of the two ponies working together, Scorch stumbled back and the lunchbox was secured back to its rightful owner.

Applejack took it out of her mouth and placed it in her hooves, looking over at Mark with a guilty expression. The pony she was mean to, insulted, and faslely accused was helping her. She couldn't help but be ashamed of the way she acted.

"Wha... Why'd ya help me?" Asked Applejack.

"I don't care if you were mean to me. You needed my help," Answered Mark.

Applejack blushed. "Ah didn't need your help! Ah coulda taken 'im mahself!" She insisted.

Mark was about to respond when Scorch got back on his hooves, now boiling mad. "Big mistake, twoip! Yah done messed up!"

As Scorch stepped forward, Mark stood up in front of him. "You're completely pathetic, you know that? You went after Applejack because she was all alone, just like I used to be! As soon as I surrounded myself with friends and became a harder target, you sought a new victim! Your actions are so reprehensible, I can't even fathom how you aren't disgraced by the sight of yourself in the mirror!"

Scorch didn't even realize that he was backing up nervously as Mark was stepping toward him. Mark's sudden outburst had threw him for a loop, never having seen Mark this way and standing up to him.

At this point, the class was no longer watching Mark with confusion, but with awe. Scorch was a pretty big colt, and Mark was actually intimidating him!

"Whoa... Mark's actually kinda cool," One colt said aloud.

"If you want an outlet for all of your unchecked aggression, a rational pony would learn to play sports or something, but no, deliberately targeting the pony that's easiest for you to mess with is just such brilliant move in your eyes, huh? Just leave Applejack and everypony else alone!" Mark continued his angry rant, walking forward while Scorch kept backing up.

This continued until Scorch suddenly stopped, snapping out of it. "Hey, wait a dahn minute! What am I doin'? You're just a wimp! I ain't afraid of yah!"

Scorch retaliated by shoving Mark, almost knocking off his glasses before falling on his flanks.

"Mark!" Rarity called out. "That's it. I'm doing something about this."

"Me, too. This has gone on long enough!" Gemini backed up his friend, both charging in to assist their friend, and getting right in between the two colts.

"Stop this madness right now, you... you ruffian!" Rarity snapped at him.

"Uh... Yeah... What she said," Gemini backed her up, quivering a little noticing Scorch's height up close.

Scorch grabbed a hold of the two of them by the neck with his hooves, making Rarity yelp, and Gemini put a hoof over her for protection and support. "Oh, yeah, little pansy goil and her runty noid friend? Whatta yahs gonna do about it?"

"Uh... we might have a few things to say about it," A voice came from behind Scorch.

Turning around, Scorch and the others saw that the voice was coming from Cheerliee, who was joined by the entire class.

"You leave our friends alone!" Cheerliee demanded.

"YEAH!" Everypony shouted at once.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me! All of yahs?!" Scorch bellowed in astonishment.

Suddenly, the tough pony Scorch presented himself as wasn't so sure of himself anymore. He looked around for some way to escape, but the other foals had him cornered and surrounded at all sides. There was nowhere to run.

"What in Equestria is going on here?!" The voice of Mrs. Iris was heard across the schoolyard, the foals all looking off to see her approach them and clearing the way, revealing Mark, Scorch, Gemini, Rarity, and Applejack.

Scorch was the first to speak up. "It was awful, Mrs. Iris! All of 'em were being mean ta me fah nothin'!" He even pretended to cry to sell the act.

"That ain't what happened! You were tryin' ta steal mah lunch, and then Mark came, and--" Applejack started going off before being interrupted.

"Stop, stop, stop! I do not want to hear it from either of you!" Mrs. Iris demanded, stomping her hoof. "Mark, you're an honest colt I can rely on. Can you tell me what happened here?"

With that, Mark took the time in detail to explain everything. Scorch tried to interrupted him to cover his own flank a couple of times, but he ultimately shut up when pressed my Mrs. Iris.

After a few minutes, their teacher had been brought up to speed, and the other foals, barring Scorch, backed up his story.

"Hmm..." Mrs. Iris pondered the situation, piecing everything together, and turning Mark. "Mr. Atlas, I have to say that I am pleased with you. You selflessly came to the aid of a pony that needed it, even one that treated you unfairly."

Applejack frowned when she said that, reminded of what she did in class.

"And not only that, your courage also inspired your fellow classmates to do the same. I think everypony here learned something today because of you," Mrs. Iris congratulated him, patting him on the head, and several ponies all nodding or giving a quick uh-huh in agreement with their teacher.

"And what about you, Miss Applejack? What do you have to say to Mr. Atlas here for the way you treated him?" Mrs. Iris asked her.

"Ah... Ah'm mighty sorry. It's just... ah wanted everypony not ta think ah was dumb, and everypony always talked about how ya were some progidee or somethin', and when ya came up to the board this mornin'... ah was jealous of ya," Applejack confessed, still hanging her head down shamefully.

"But ah know that ain't no excuse fer lyin' like that. It's somethin' ah've gotten used to, and ah know that ah shouldn't. It's... been hard ever since mah parents passed. Granny sent me to Camp Friendship last summer, hopin' ah could get in good spirits again. Ah made a new friend when ah was there, but ah don't know if ah'll ever see her again, and ah don't have any other friends ah can talk to, because I can't stop lyin', 'cept mah big brother. When the truth hurts, ah just can't help it sometimes. Ah know it ain't right. Mah baby sister might even start lyin' if she sees me do it," Applejack started tearing up, the shame of how she acted setting in.

Suddenly, Mark locked her in a warm and friendly hug. "I'll be your friend, Applejack. Try not to lie, though, but if you do in a moment of weakness, I'll forgive you. No hard feelings," Mark assured her during the hug.

"Wh-wha... ya mean it?" Applejack asked in complete bewilderment, a similar reaction shared by the other students who were whispering to each other again.

Rarity went "awww" from Mark's offer, him showing kindness towards others, even ones who weren't nice to him, always being a wholesome sight to her.

Mark, however, realizing that he was hugging a filly in front of the entire student body, ended the hug, blushing intensely, a few giggles and snickers coming from the crowd.

"Ah, c'mon, gimme a break! You expect us to believe ya little sob story? Ah bet ya parents aren't even dead!" Scorch accused, pointing a hoof at Applejack, the crowd of student's whispers getting louder.

Applejack's tears started to build up at Scorch's accusation, the memories of what happened already hard to take as it was.

"Actually, I can say for certain that this much is true. Applejack's family had an... incident early last summer, shortly after their third child was born," Mrs. Iris explained, but not pressing any further, as she knew the death of family members was almost always a sensitive subject. She placed a hoof on Applejack's back to offer a little emotional support.

"Well, Miss Applejack, it seems that you understand your mistake. I doubt there's anything a day in detention will teach you beyond this, so I will forego your punishment just this once."

"Really, teach? Just like that?" Applejack asked as she beamed, sniffling and wiping away her tears.

"Yes. But only this time. Any more lies, and I will not be so lenient," Warned Mrs. Iris sternly.

"Alright, teach! Ah promise ah'll never... uh, ah mean, I'll try mah best not to," Applejack corrected herself, not wanting to make a promise she couldn't keep.

"Good. Now, as for you, Mr. Blackburn," Mrs. Iris continued, turning to face Scorch. "What do you have to say to Applejack after what you have done?"

Scorch mumbled quietly to himself while pouting, not saying anything comprehensible.

"Well?" Mrs. Iris pressed him.

The other students listened closely, hoping to hear what Scorch was saying, to no avail.

"Whatta I have to say?!" Scorch yelled out breaking the silence, sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry at Applejack, which grossed her out as she wiped her face clean of his saliva.

Mrs. Iris simply shook her head. "Well, I believe I know somepony else who's getting detention today. Also, your mother will be hearing of this, Mr. Blackburn."

"What?! C'mon! Do ya need to tell my mothah about this?!"

"Yes, and you're going to spend recess in class, writing a 200 word essay on what you learned!" Mrs. Iris demanded.

"Mahk, ya little twoip! Ya dead as soon as I get my hooves on ya doity face!" Threatened Scorch, his face burning red from anger.

"For that little remark, make that 300 words," Mrs. Iris asserted.

Scorch griped and complained some more, but after a minute or so (and pushing his essay up to 400 and his detention up to a week), he had given up and begrudgingly followed her.

When they were gone, everypony all gathered around Mark again, Gemini, Rarity, and Applejack each being in the middle as well.

"I have to apologize. To both of you," Rarity spoke up. "Applejack, I held a grudge against you for all the times you lied to me, that I refused to help you when you needed me. And Mark, I am sorry I let you go off and face Scorch alone. While I did step in later, I should have been with you from the beginning."

"I'm sorry. I should have, too. I was being petty. That book of mine you lost last year wasn't worth seeing both of you be bullied," Said Gemini. "Can you forgive us?"

Mark and Applejack both nodded simultaneously.

"Three cheers for Mark!" Cheerilee yelled out, the crowd of students all picking up Mark in a celebratory fashion.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇D

This day, after narrowly escaping the jaws of the fearsome beast that halted my progression before, I had another encounter with it when I saw it terrorize one of the villagers. Striking at the victim's source of sustenance, this monster was unusually intelligent to employ a scorched earth battle strategy. Uh... pun not intended. Happy accident. Anyways, not wanting to sit by and watch another pony suffer, I charged in to slay the bloodthirsty behemoth. While I had little success at first, my bravery brought up the morale of the entire village, rallying them to my cause. With our increased numbers, we surrounded the beast, and at the moment of truth, the village leader arrived to deliver the finishing blow! Having securely captured the savage beast, the village celebrates my heroic act. Truly, I do not deserve this praise. The courage belongs to us all. I just had to be the first domino in line. Seeing that they marched in out of loyalty to me, I have learned today that friendship and can be a great inspiration for others, and there is power in numbers. Your enemies will always try to convince you you're weak and insignificant, but as a group, you're anything but. The power of friendship is astounding! I mean, it's not like it can allow you to fire magical rainbow lasers at your foes to one-shot them or anything, but friendship's power speaks for itself. And this... this is only the beginning for me. At this rate, who knows what I'll see throughout the rest of the year?

"HIP HIP, HOORAY!"

"HIP HIP, HOORAY!"

"HIP HIP..."

"Hooraaaaaay..." Scorch said sarcastically while starting to write his essay in the classroom.

"No sass, Mr. Blackburn!" Snapped Mrs. Iris.

After school, Mark had exited the schoolhouse, and the other students had left, several saying goodbye to Mark as they went off. Scattering about, they could be heard screaming and hollering as they went home or to go play games with their friends.

When the mass of foals had cleared up, Mark saw a sight that brightened his day even more. Right by the school was his best friend, Fluttershy, who had come back to school to see him just as she said, and next to her were a mare and stallion. Mark had never seem them before, but seeing how they were pegasi like her, he figured they must be her parents.

"Fluttershy!" Mark cheered excitedly as he ran up to the three ponies.

"H-Hi, Mark," Fluttershy said quietly while waving her hoof. "I... I want you to meet my mom and dad."

"So you're Mark, are you? Well, it's very nice to meet the colt our Fluttershy has been spending so much time with," Her mother said with a heartful smile.

"Th-Thank you, Mrs. Shy. It's very nice to meet you, too. And you, too, Mr. Shy," Replied Mark, bowing politely to each of them.

"Goodness, you're so polite. Such good manners," Praised Posey, making Mark blush a little.

"Fluttershy may have told you already, but I want to tell you the good news," Said Fluttershy's dad, Nimbus, Mark's eyes sparkling with joy as he said that, confirming to him that Mark knew where this was going. "Our daughter wants to have a playdate with you at your house today. We can go there together right now, and you two can play until sundown. If that's okay with you, that is."

"Is it okay? Of course it is! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Shy!" Mark was so happy that he was prancing, just like earlier that morning. "Fluttershy is my best friend, and we have so so so so SO much fun together!

"Well, it's really sweet that our Fluttershy has found a friend that like spending time with her so much," Said Posey, petting her daughter's mane.

Mark came right along with them, the four walking to Mark's house together. Fluttershy's parents took this time to get more acquainted with Mark, talking as they went and asking him questions. His hobbies, his favorite foods, his favorite games, all of that. Mark earned a laugh from the two of them when Mark mentioned "bunny attack", a "game", as they call it, that Fluttershy always wins.

Mr. and Mrs. Shy took note of all that he said, happily hearing him out and getting to know the colt her daughter had grown so fond of.

Upon arriving at Mark's house, Nimbus knocked on the door, and Pen and Saga both answered it.

"Awwww! You must be Fluttershy! Hi, sweetie! We've heard so much about you" Saga chirped with delight, crouching down to Fluttershy's height.

Fluttershy shivered in place a bit, hiding her face being her mane. She always was nervous around meeting new ponies, especially adults, but especially so about meeting Mark's parents. "H-H-H-Hi... M-M-Muh-Muh-Mrs. A-A-Atlas..." She was blushing and gave a little "eep" as she closed her eyes and looked away, her dad placing a hoof on her back to make her feel less afraid.

"Oh, it's okay, baby. I know you're shy. It's in your name, after all," Saga said with a little giggle. "How about you just come inside and play with Mark?" She stepped aside, pointing a hoof invitingly into the house.

"Yeah, come on in. We grownups are just gonna talk for a while so you two have fun," Pen declared, clearing the way for the four to enter.

"O-O-Okay..." Fluttershy replied, smiling lightly that it went well, and also relieved that they weren't immediately demanding a lot of attention.

"C'mon, Fluttershy! Let's play!" Mark hopped joyfully beside her as the two went in, Fluttershy soon eagerly joining him.

Mark had brought down his toys, games, and action figures from his room to the living room, and the two were playing in no time. Mark and Fluttershy's parents were watching, but she was having so much fun that she barely noticed or cared.

Later, Mark and Fluttershy were playing with Mark's castle made of Peg-A building blocks.

"Oh, dear me! I'm just a poor, defenseless princess! Who's going to saaaave meeee?" Fluttershy dramatically pretend-cried, holding a princess figure up at the castle tower.

"Hold on, your highness! I'm Mark Atlas, the greatest explorer in the entire universe! And I'm here to slay that nefarious dragon and restore your freedom!" Mark pretend-yelled back, having his figure holding a sword up to a dragon plushie placed by the castle tower.

"Yay," Fluttershy cheered.

"You'll never save her, Mark Atlas! I'm too big and scary, and you're too puny!" Mark spoke in the voice of the dragon.

"And that's why I brought... the entire village to help me!" Mark got out his other figures, all ganging up on the beast and toppling it over.

"Nooooo!!!!!" Mark pretended to be the dragon in its dying breath.

"Oh my gosh, they're adorable!" Saga squealed from the other side of the room, watching them from the couch.

"And your son shares his toys? That's so sweet," Said Posey, seeing the foals have the time of their lives playing with one another.

"I was hoping this would go well, and it looks like it is. We should arrange our son to come next time, don't you think?" Suggested Nimbus.

"I'm up for it. Mark proably wouldn't complain about another colt to play with," Pen added, leaning in to wrap a foreleg around his wife. "Heh. But don't you think those two look just like we did, sweetheart?"

"Oh, I doubt we were this cute," Saga said leaning into him. "But I do think we should get the camera out. We need to get this on film."

"Right behind ya, babe," Pen snapped into action, pulling out his instant no-flash camera, ready to capture this moment forever.

On the other side of the room, Mark and Fluttershy were still playing, Mark having slayed the dragon plushie and rescuing the princess. Thankfully, she wasn't in another castle.

"Oh, thank you, brave Mark! You're my hero!" Said Fluttershy in the princess's voice, Mark completely unaware that Fluttershy was pondering over the idea of being swept off her hooves by Mark like this is real life. She blushed heavily, still having fun but embarrassed to be acting out a scenario where her crush rescues her.

Being none the wiser, Mark plays along, too. "All in a day's work for Mark Atlas, Master Explorer!"

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇E

Had the day ended upon my last entry, I would have categorized it upon my greatest of days and the most fruitful of ventures, but through means beyond even my understanding, the day somehow managed to surpass even that! After my great adventure today, I had gotten the opportunity to reenact the epic battle against the beast with my dearest of friends. Let it be known that when I become a famous explorer, this reenactment will be coming to a theater near you!

Note: Creative liberties may or may or may not have been taken.

Author's Note

Mrs. Iris is an OC created by me. Also, I'm surprised that this chapter turned out to be so long, but I thought of so much material to put into it. Hope you have enjoyed it. This chapter was an absolute blast to write at nearly every point.

Chapter 7: The mark of an earth pony

Author's Note

The following chapter contains Adorable scenes of a child playing with a baby, and an existential/identity crisis. What a contrast, right?

Chapter 7: The mark of an earth pony

Mark's first week of school went better than he could ever have imagined. The incident on his first day had made him quite popular, and Scorch couldn't have been more annoyed. He began helping a couple of his classmates with subjects that were giving them trouble.

Speaking of Scorch, getting a week's worth of detention meant less time having to watch out for him, which meant more time for Mark and Fluttershy to spend together after class. Fluttershy met him in front of the schoolhouse soon after they both were dismissed.

On Tuesday, Fluttershy and Mark went to the clubhouse they had made last summer, cleaning up the place a but to make sure it was in good shape, and going out to play with the animals. Of course, Fluttershy felt the need to challenge Mark to another round of "bunny attack". She had a title to uphold, after all. He lost, and he liked it.

On Wednesday, Gemini and Rarity joined them, the four spending time at Rarity's house and all baking a cake together, Rarity's mom finally getting some downtime from preparing for the new foal on the way. Mark would have invited Applejack, but she got detention for lying anout her assignments to Mrs. Iris (who made good on her word to not be lenient woth her next time), so Mark made sure to save some cake for her.

On Thursday, Rainbow Dash and Halo grace came by with Fluttershy, Rarity, Gemini, and Applejack joining with them as well, the seven ponies going to the park. Enjoying himself noisily with such a big friend group was exhausting for the introverted colt, so as soon as he got back home, he tired out and fell asleep without even having dinner. Still, he was glad he spent the day that way.

Over the week, Applejack had been getting along fairly well with Mark over the past week, even though Rarity and Gemini still wanted little to do with her. She still lied once in a while, but she started to confess more and also apologize afterwards. Even when she lied to Mark, he would simply give her a hug and forgive her, just like that.

When Friday rolled around, Mark was filled with excitement, knowing his playdate with Fluttershy was tomorrow. But it just wasn't her. This time, Fluttershy's little brother was coming, too. Mark had never met him before, and wondered what he could be like, taking everything she's said about him and trying to put it all into one mental picture.

Lost in thought after class was dismissed, Mark was surprised when a felt a hoof tapping on his shoulder. He snapped back into his senses and turned his head, revealing it to be Applejack.

"Uh, beg yer pardon, Mark? Ah hope ah ain't botherin' ya," Said Applejack, realizing that she might have interrupted him. He was supposed to be a really heavy thinker. For all she knew, he could have been doing an 8-digit multiplication in his head, and she just made him lose track.

"Oh, no worries, Applejack. I was just thinking about... uh... stuff. It's not important," Mark answered, being too shy to say what he was actually thinking about. "So, what's up?"

"Well, Ah just wanted to thank ya fer bein' so nice to me, even after the way I treated ya back on Monday, and for puttin' up with me all the time," Answered Applejack, her face down to the floor. "Ah don't deserve ya forgivin' me."

"Forgiveness isn't supposed to be given because a pony deserves it. It's supposed to be given because it's the right thing to do. I'll always forgive you, even if you make mistakes from time to time," Mark assured her.

"Aw, shucks, Mark. Yer too kind, really. Ah really gotta thank ya properly. Mah granny's makin' apple fritters today. Ya wanna come on over and have some with me?" Applejack offered.

The very mention of apple fritters made Mark's stomach growl. His mom enjoyed making sweets for Mark to cheer him up, having a love for apple treats in particular, all made from apples from the farm Applejack lived at. He had gotten quite a taste for them, so some fritters straight from the source sounded pretty good right about now.

"Really? Sure, Applejack! I'd love to come!" Mark accepted, springing up out of his seat. "Can Fluttershy come too, please? I bet she'd like some apple fritters, too. If your Granny has enough, of course."

"Uh... sure. Granny said she's fine with it," Applejack said, giving a nervous smile.

"Really? You've told your granny about Applejack?" Mark asked, his curiosity piqued about what her family thinks about her new friends.

"Um.... Well... Uh... Alright. Ya got me. Ah didn't really ask if it was alright with her. Ah'm sorry," Applejack responded, shaking her head. "Ah just wanted ya ta come with me."

Mark smiled and gave Applejack a hug. "It's okay. I forgive you. Thanks for telling me the truth. I know you're trying."

Applejack hugged him back in return. "And thanks fer not bein' hard on me. Ah may not have asked Granny, but ah'm sure she would wanna mah new friends. Most she could do is say no. Whatta ya say?"

"I say, why not?" Mark answered confidently.

With that, Mark and Applejack went outside of the schoolhouse, looking for Gemini and Rarity to see if they would be interested in tagging along, and found them just outside by the front door.

"Hey, Gemini. Hey, Rarity. I'm going with Applejack to Sweet Apple Acres. You guys wanna come? Her Granny's got apple fritters," He singsongs that last part, trying to sell them on the idea.

In response, Rarity expressed a look of disappointment. "Sorry, darling, but I planned to go with Gemini to his guitar practice."

"Yeah. We've been having a lot of fun this week, but I've got to get that song ready for the talent show. I'm going to be working on it all this weekend," Gemini answered, also seeming a little bummed to leave Mark hanging for a weekend, even if they had spent time together all week. "You'll be fine without me, won't you?"

"Ah, it's okay. I'll be fine," Mark replied, dismissing his friend's reservations. "Don't worry about it. You need to get your music ready for the big show. I'm sure Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Halo would all love to go with me, anyway. I'll see you on Monday, buddy."

"Thanks. Glad you understand," Said Gemini with a polite nod. "We're still on for adding the stripes and varnish to that Horsifera replica, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Answred Mark, nodding back in agreement. "See you, Gem. See you, Rare."

Mark waited outside the schoolhouse for just a while longer with Applejack, hoping that Fluttershy and her friends from Cloudsdale would show up, and a short time later, the two saw a couple of pegasus illies flying down.

Making the landing, he saw that it was just Rainbow Dash and Halo Grace, Fluttershy not with them.

"Hi, Rainbow. Hi, Halo. Where's Fluttershy?" Mark greeted and asked.

"Sorry, Mark, but Fluttershy won't be able to come with you, today, and sorry to say, but neither can we," Rainbow said regrettably.

"What?! But... But why?" Asked Mark, saddened by this sudden change of plans.

"Fluttershy has a last-minute doctor appointment. Some mean bully in her class pushed an eraser into her ear, and now it's... stuck," Halo explained, cringing at the thought of how that must feel.

Mark sadness changed from being caused by disappointment and more of concern. "That's horrible! How could anypony do that to her?!"

"I know! I can't believe it! It's just evil the way some ponies treat her. Have they no heart? How can you look at Fluttershy and not see something precious to be protected, much less harm her yourself? It's just..." Halo went off, having tears forming in her eyes as she spoke, before taking a deep breath. "She's... in a lot of pain."

"Land sakes! She gonna be alright?" Applejack asked with worried shock.

"She should be, but she needs us to support her," Rainbow answered.

"But she sent us here first to tell you she can't come play with you today, Mark. She didn't want you to wonder where she was and worry about her," Halo added.

Well, Mark was worried about her, but still touched that even with all the pain she was going through, she cared so about how her absence would affect him.

"I understand. You two go help her. She needs you."

Having said their farewells, the two pegasus foals went to make the flight back, leaving Mark and Applejack alone.

"I... I guess... it's just us, then," Mark lamented. He had just come to realize that he had never gone a day without seeing Fluttershy since they met. This would be the first time.

"Ah'm sorry, Mark. Ah know it ain't gonna be the same for ya without her, but maybe we can have some fun together today," Said Applejack, consoling her new friend.

"I'd like that, Applejack. Thank you," Answered Mark, figuring that since the situation wasn't going to change, he might as well try and make the best out of it.

Who knows? Maybe some time with just Applejack would be a nice change of pace for me.

"Yer welcome. Now let's get goin'," Said Applejack, leading the way to Sweet Apple Acres and Mark Following steadily behind her.

After traveling through Ponyville, Mark and Applejack had reached the farm, its massive expanse of apple trees coming into view, stretching as far as the eye could see. It being early fall at the time, some of the leaves were starting to change color already, green mixing with orange.

Mark had been to the orchard on occasion for some peace and quiet before he met Fluttershy, but it had been a long time since he had done that. Seeing this sight again for the first time in a while, Mark took in a breath of the fresh, clean air, and talked quietly his next journal entry to himself.

"The Atlas Files: Entry ♧◇◇A."

"After what seemed as if countless moons, I return once more to this place I have relied on for solace and seclusion. A sanctuary where I had once experienced the tranquility of nature, it was like a second home to me, yet I had never gotten the pleasure of being acquainted with the guardian spirits of this land. This changed today, when one of them beckoned me from the mist, promising me a feast of legendary delicacies. I must be a fool to trust her, some might say, given her notorious record of deception, and yet, I would like to believe that we have since developed a deep attachment that transcends such things. Confident in her word, and my hunger reaching desperate levels, I proceed to her abode."

Applejack, meanwhile, listened to him with both curiosity and confusion, not following up with any of what she could hear. "Uh... Beg pardon, Mark, but... what are ya talkin' about?"

Mark's was was flushed, only now realizing he was talking out loud. "Oh, uh, nothing. Never mind. Just some, random... explorer thing I do. Just don't think too much about it," He laughed nervously, hoping she would just forget what she heard.

"Um... Alright then?" Applejack didn't know what to make of it, but decided not to comment on it.

Following the path, Applejack led Mark through the farm and to her house. Mark had never been this far deep into the area, but occasionally saw parts of the house and the adjacent barn from a distance.

Sure, now that he's seeing it all at once, it seems like just an ordinary farmhouse, but Mark still reacted with amazement and wonder, as if he was looking at a lost treasure trove. It didn't matter to Mark whether something was a rusty piece of aluminum, or a solid gold magical artifact. To him, something new was just that, something new.

"Wow! So cool!" Mark exclaimed as stars flashed and bounced in his eyes. At this rate, a day away from Fluttershy didn't seem so bad.

"Impressed already? Why don't ya come on inside, then? I'll introduce ya to mah family," Applejack offered. She was a little confused by Mark's reaction. She loved living here, especially ever since she got her cutie mark, but she saw it all as normal by now. Maybe... he just really likes the place as much as she does?

Stepping up to the farmhouse, Applejack opened up the door, the two foals stepping inside. It seemed ordinary on the inside as well, the living room furnished, carpeted, and surpringly well kempt.

"Granny, Big Mac, ah'm home! And ah brought a friend!" Applejack called out, nopony seeming to be in the room.

"You? Bringin' a friend home? Now ah know that's a lie. What kinda fool do ya think I--" A colt said while walking into the room, pausing as he saw Mark next to Applejack. He was an older colt, about middle-school age, red with a short orange mane and tail, and a cutie mark being half an apple.

When he recovered from the initial shock, he stared at Mark with bewilderment, making Mark a little embarrassed.

"Well, ah'll be. Guess there's a first time fer everything," The colt remarked.

"Mark, this is mah brother, Big Macintosh. He's alright... When he ain't bein' a pain," Applejack joked (sort of) while poking a hoof onto her brother's chest, him reacting with an agitated look.

"Big Mac, this is Mark. He's that colt ah was tellin' ya about. The one that stood up fer me. See? I wasn't fibbin'," Applejack said, that last part being quite smug.

"Alright, alright, I'll admit it, ya got me. Ah was wrong," Big Mac said while shaking his head, then turning to address Mark. "Well, ah wanna give ya a big thanks fer standin' up fer mah li'l sister when nopony else would. That was mighty nice and brave of ya."

"Aw, it was nothing, really," Mark said with a blush, flattered from the praise. "I just didn't want to see her be bullied the way I was, you know?"

"Well, ah still appreciate it. Yer a good kid," Said Big Mac, raising a hoof to offer a hoofshake.

"You're welcome," Mark replied, shaking hooves with him. Up close, Mark took notice of just how well, big, Big Macintosh really was. He was unusually tall, even for a colt his age. His body was extraordinarily fit, too. With his muscle mass, he could easily crush Mark's hoof right now if he wanted to. Good thing he seemed like a nice enough guy, but Mark would definitely never want to get on his bad side.

"Now how about we get Granny out here ta introduce ya?" Big Mac offered and ending the hookshake.

"Oh, sure. Of course," Mark agreed without hesitation. "I've never met her before."

"Hey, Granny! Get on in here! We got company!" Big Mac called out to the other room.

"Ya don't have ta holler, Big Mac! Ah ain't that hard a' hearin' yet!" An raspy voice shouted back from another room.

After hearing the ruslting sound of pots, pans, and other objects, slowly stepping inside the living room was an elderly mare with a green coat, a white mane, and an apple pie cutie mark.

Also, in this mare's hoof was a small baby earth pony, probably a few months old from the looks of her. Her coat was yellow and her mane was a berry red. She was also wearing a white cloth diaper, as well as a large, pink bow in her mane. The infant foal was also babbling and cooing while squirming around in the mare's hooves.

Mark's eyes snapped open at the sight, and he dashed right up to the mare holding the little foal, giving a full, wide-toothed smile.

"Awwwwww! She's so cute! Applejack, is this your baby sister?!" Mark basically squealed with excitement, after which the baby filly grabbed a hold of his head with her forehooves.

Not letting go, she held on tightly to Mark, leaning closer towards his face until he was sent falling backwards.

Applejack and the others were all startled at first, but their concerns were quickly alleviated when they saw Mark on his back, the filly squirming around on top of him as he laughed uncontrollably underneath.

"I like you, too! Aaagh! You got me! Hey, easy! Watch the glasses!" Mark said amidst his laughter.

"Eh... Either of ya mind tellin' me who thhis little feller here is? Can't recall seein' 'im," The elderly mare noted, her mind drawing a blank as she wondered whether or not her memory was starting to slip.

"Oh, well Granny, this is Mark Atlas. He's that new friend ah told ya about. Mark, this is Granny Smith. And that's my baby sister, Applebloom. They--" Applejack was cut off by Mark bursting into laughter again.

"Hahahaha! Granny Smith, Applebloom, got it!" Mark could barely get his words out with Applebloom muffling them as she wiggled about on his face.

"Maybe... let's just let 'em play fer a bit? Applebloom sure seems to like 'im," Suggested Granny Smith.

"Yeah, let him get it outta 'is system," Big Mac agreed, Applejack nodding along.

Several minutes having passed, Applejack and Big Mac came back to check on Mark. Granny Smith had been in her rocking chair, watching him and Applebloom playing together.

When the two came in, what they saw was Mark and their sister sitting on the floor, Mark making silly faces and raspberry noises at her while she laughed and pounded her hooves.

"Now ah've just about seen it all. Didn't know Mark was such a softie," Applejack remarked.

"Never seen Applebloom so happy before, either. He's good at keepin' her entertained, that's fer sure," Big Mac said, weighing in himself.

Mark was having so much fun playing with Applebloom, he had forgotten what Applejack had said about having apple fritters, when a sudden rumbling in his tummy reminded him.

"My my, all that playin' made ya build up an appetite, youngin?" Granny Smith asked, getting Mark's attention.

"Hehe. Yeah. Applejack said you make some pretty good apple fritters. Hope she's right," Mark said while Applebloom tugged on his foreleg.

"Ah make the best apple fritters ye'll ever have, sonny! Ya bet yer sweet caboose Applejack's right!" Granny Smith proclaimed. "Gosh, now there's a sentence ah never thought I'd say! Heheheeee..."

Applejack just groaned at that statement.

"And sorry if I got too carried away with Applebloom. I guess the part of me that wished I had a little brother or sister of my own... kinda slipped out," Mark said, laughing bashfully.

"Aw, nonsense, sugar. You can come an' play with little Applebloom anytime ya want! Look how much she likes ya," Granny Smith answered, pointing a hoof at Applebloom, who was nuzzling Mark affectionately.

"Really? I can just come over anytime? Thanks, Granny Smith," Mark said before nuzzling Applebloom back.

"Well, those apple fritters are gonna take some time to make. How 'bout ya help Big Mac and Applejack with their chores in the meantime?" Granny Smith proposed.

"Oh, sure. Why not? We can get them done faster that way," Mark agreed, getting up on all fours and patting Applebloom on the head. "I guess I'll be seeing you in a bit, huh, Bloomy?"

Applebloom whimpered a little, not wanting him to leave just yet.

"Aw, don't worry. We shouldn't be gone long," Said Mark while ruffling her mane. "We'll play some more soon."

After leaving the farmhouse, Mark, Applejack, and Big Mac all found themselves in the orchard, several of the trees around them having that light autumn tint, and a few stray leaves were on the ground.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧◇◇B

After entering the dwelling place of the guardian spirits, the youngest one of them had formed a deep attachment to me, affecting me with some sort of ethereal link. Now that our souls are seemingly connected, it causes her displeasure for me to leave her presence. Alas, despite this, I had to depart, for the others had called upon me for an important task. I must not fail them.

Mark had popped out his journal and written such inside after his previous entry, which he had forgotten to do before.

"Alright, Mark. Let's see if we can get this all done by the time Granny's done bakin'," Big Mac said while stretching his hind legs.

"Sure yer up for it?" Asked Applejack, who was doing more or less the same.

"I think so. What exactly are we doing?" Asked Mark, observing the two and noticing their leg stretches.

"We're buckin' the trees, harvestin' whatever apples are left from the summer," Answered Big Mac, kicking a tree and getting whatever few apples were left on it to fall.

"You're... what?!" Mark asked in astonishment and tapped his hooves nervously.

"It's fall now. They're gonna go bad if we don't pick 'em off soon," Applejack noted, proceeding to kick a tree and knock off its apples as well. "There shouldn't be too many left."

Mark was starting to sweat as his eyes darted back and forth, the Apple siblings noticing his tension.

"Somethin' the matter, Mark? Ya look like ya've seen a ghost or somethin'," Applejack pointed out.

"I... uh... uh... I gotta get ready. I'll... see you momentarily," Mark said before running off in the opposite direction.

Before he could get away, Big Mac grabbed a hold of Mark's tail with his mouth, yanking him back, and he yelped as he was reeled back.

"Now hold up just a second, Mark. As soon as we mentioned buckin' the trees, ya just lost it and want to run off? What is goin' on here?" Big Mac asked with a growing suspicion.

"Really. Really, nothings going on," Mark insisted as he shook his head.

"Ah've been around Applejack long enough to know when somepony's hidin', somethin'. Mark, if somethin's botherin' ya, go ahead and tell me and mah sis. We ain't judgin'," Big Mac assured him, Applejack nodding in agreement

Mark then looked up at Big Mac, grumbling and whining softly. "W-Well... I'm not really good with physical work. I probably couldn't even hit the trees hard enough, and you'll just laugh at me."

"Aw, shucks. Is that all? Ya got nothin' to worry about. We ain't gonna laugh at ya. 'Sides, the apples fall off real easy this time a' year," Said Applejack, kicking another tree lightly this time to show him, to which a few apples fell off.

"You sure you won't laugh?" Mark asked, still feeling doubtful, but more so in his abilities.

"We ain't gonna laugh. We promise," Pledged Big Mac, holding his hoof to his chest. "Now go ahead and show us what ya got. How bad could ya be?"

"Well, okay... Here goes," Said Mark as he went up to a tree. This one looked pretty easy to get. Almost all the apples in it were gone, only a few remaining, hanging by a thread. These apples managed to be the rare ones that didn't fall off in upon being harvested or ripened to juicy perfection.

Before he prepared for the deed he was tasked with, Mark held the tree in his forehooves in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry, my wooden companion. I know that you and your kin have offered me many a good conversation in the past with your witty remarks and interesting comebacks, so forgive me for what I'm going to do," Mark whispered to the tree.

"Uh... sis? Is yer friend... right in the head?" Big Mac asked.

"Ah... Ah thought Granny was the only one that talked to the trees. Maybe... there's a point to it after all? Ah really don't know the reasons for half the stuff Mark does," Applejack answred with a shrug.

Mark then winded up his hind legs, and with slight trepidation at first, kicked the tree with all the strength he could muster.

Looking back at the tree to see if his efforts were (quite literally) fruitful, he was met with the unfortunate reality when he saw that not a single apple fell off.

"I knew it. See? I'm just not good enough," Said Mark, giving a sigh and hanging his head down with folded ears.

"Sure ya are, Mark. Ya just need ta keep tryin'. Ah wasn't able ta get it on mah first try, either," Big Mac admitted.

"But you're huge. You're big and strong, and I'm, well... puny," Said Mark, still looking at the ground shamefully.

"Ya don't gotta be big like me. Yer an earth pony, just like us. Strength is in all of us. It's all a matter a' bringin' it out," Imparted Big Mac.

"Honestly... I wish I had been born a unicorn or a pegasus. I can't grow things. I can't tap into my strength, or find my affinity for the earth. I'm an embarrassment to our kind. I'm... ashamed to be an earth pony sometimes," Mark expressed sorrowfully as he lightly kicked the dirt.

"Mark, don't talk like that!" Demanded Applejack, stepping up towards him and bringing him eye to eye. "Yer an earth pony. It's the way you were born. That ain't nothin' ta be ashamed of. Ah was hidin' from who ah was meant before ah got my cutie mark, but ah know what ah'm meant to be now. Yer bein' an earth pony ain't no different."

"Our nature as earth ponies is somethin' we all oughta bear with honor. There ain't nothin' to be gained from havin' shame in that," Asserted Big Mac, lifting up Mark's chin and meeting him eye-to-eye. "Give 'er another try. You can do it."

Mark sniffled some more as he looked up at Applejack's brother, more conflicted than he could remember. He wasn't sure which was worse, his shame of being an earth pony, or the shame of being ashamed. But he couldn't deny the fact that Big Mac was right. He shouldn't think like that. This is the way he is and always will be. He could spend the rest of his life shying away from it, or hold it with dignity.

"O-Okay. I-I'll give it another try," Said Mark, inhaling deeply through his muzzle and puffing up his chest, approaching the tree once more.

Mark took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. His earth pony strength was in there somewhere, and determined to bring it out, he wound up his hind legs, thrusting them backward with all his might.

The tree didn't even shake in the slightest, but Mark kicked again, slamming repeatedly into the tree. Unfortunately, each kick was just as ineffective, if not more so, than the last, and with each one, Mark got more tired and more discouraged.

After about twenty or so failed kicks, Mark eventually gave up when he was too tired to do any more, and he lied down on the ground. "But I... I tried so hard! I... I'm still not good enough!" Feeling utterly defeated and hopeless, Mark couldn't help but cry loudly as he lied there.

Big Mac came over and tried to help him up, but Mark wasn't cooperating. "Ah, c'mon Mark. Ya need ta get a hold a' yerself."

"For what? I'm obviously a pathetic excuse for an earth pony if I can't even do this!" Mark whined, raising his glasses to his forehead and planting his face in the ground as he sobbed.

"Mark, it ain't the end of the world if ya can't get it right away. Please, get up," Applejack pleaded.

"I don't want to get up. I just want to be a decent earth pony, but I'm not! I'm just not! Waaaaahhh!" Mark sobbed and screamed, his voice a little muffled from being face-down on the ground.

"Ah, fer pony's sake, Mark! Just get up. Yer actin' like a baby," Ordered Big Mac.

Mark still just kept sobbing with tears flowing down his face like two gushing waterfalls. "I might as well. I bet even Applebloom could do better than me!"

"Please, Mark. Can ya wait fer a bit to catch yer breath and try again. Please?" Applejack continued her pleading.

"No. I'm never gonna try it again! You're better off asking Applebloom for help! I'm useless!" Mark shouted out as he bawled.

Both Applejack and Big Macintosh looked at each other. Not sure what to do about Mark's predicament, they both give each other an understanding nod and turn back to the house.

"Granny oughta know what to do," Said Big Mac.

"Ah sure hope so," Applejack added, sounding uncertain, but still optimistic.

The two Apple siblings made their way back inside the farmhouse, where they saw Granny preparing the apple fritters.

"Well, y'all sure didn't take long. Ah'll still be needin' more time b'fore them apple fritters are done. Ah got little Bloom down fer a nap," Said Granny Smith, moving her pan partially in the wood burning oven back and forth.

"Well, we ain't exactly done, Granny. We're bumpin' into a bit a' trouble an' figured ya could help us," Said Applejack.

"Really? What's the matter? And where's that other feller that Applebloom's taken a likin' to so much?" Their granny asked them.

"About that, Granny. That's why we're here. He couldn't make any of the apples fall, no matter how hard he tried. He just got tuckered out and gave up tryin', and now he's just out there cryin' and feelin' sorry fer 'imself," Big Mac explained to her.

Granny Smith watched the oven, not looking at the two, but still listening to them. "Ah see. We got ourselves another tough case, ain't that right?"

Big Mac turned his gaze away, adrift in thought. "Yeah. Ah remember when ah was around his age. Couldn't handle it, either. Always wantin' to call it quits. Ah know what it's like to try yer best and fail."

"Ah never could get why ya'd have any trouble with that. You were twice Mark's size when you were his age," Applejack recounted.

Granny Smith laughed. "You kidding? When it came to buckin', Mackie here had a block that seemed gosh darn unshakable. The buckin' block, a real pest fer sure. More clingy than a honey coated thistle."

"Ah had no idea. Course, ah was pretty young when Big Mac started buckin," Said Applejack.

Big Mac gave a sigh. "It ain't somethin' ah'm proud of, but ah thought ah'd never be cut out to be a farm pony."

"So... What made ya get past the, uh... block?" Asked Applejack.

"It ain't the size of the pony that matters. It's all about the heart the pony puts in the work. Even a colt as big as ah was couldn't get a tree to buck when ah was givin' it all ah got. That's 'cause mah legs were in it, but mah heart just wasn't," Big Mac reminisced, his memory from several years ago all coming back to him as if they just happened.

"That little feller Mark might not be as big as ya, but he's got a big heart. I saw it when 'e was playin' with Applebloom. He's just gotta find a way ta put that heart into what he's doin'. Then 'is earth pony strength'll come springin' out like snakes in a can. Just needs the right motivation," Said Granny Smith, her eyes on the oven as she adjusted the apple fritters baking inside.

Applejack's ears raised, and she gasped. "Wait a minute! Ah think Mark's already found it!"

"What ya mean, sis?" Asked Big Mac, curious as to what her sister meant.

"Well, ah was talkin' with Mark's other friend yesterday, Fluttershy's her name, and she told me somethin'," Said Applejack, proceeding with her story with Big Mac listening closely.

"One day last summer, Mark accidentally almost choked 'er. He was so happy that she offered to go explorin' with 'im, that he hugged 'er so hard she couldn't even breathe. Fella didn't mean it. He was just excited. She said 'e's real strong. He just ain't aware of it. And that's not all. Ah've seen the way 'e talks to 'imself. Ah can't understand a lotta what 'e was sayin, but ah know 'e's got a big imagination. Ah think ah just figured out how Mark can work 'is earth pony strength like us!"

Having established a plan, Applejack and Big Mac headed back into the orchard where they were last with Mark. Sure enough, he was there, still on the ground, but making a lot less noise than before, as he had since tired himself out from crying so hard. Still, thoughts raced through his mind, never giving him a chance to truly rest.

Earth ponies are supposed to have a natural affinity for the earth, but all I can do is observe and chart it. If I can't have a true connection with the earth beyond a mere observer, how can I even call myself an earth pony? And if I'm not an earth pony, what even am I? Was I born wrong? Was my very existence a mistake?

"Alright, Mac. Ah think ah can handle this," Applejack assured her brother, stepping forward to approach Mark.

Mark heard the two nearby without needing to get up, knowing their voices and the sound of their hoofsteps.

"It... It's okay, Applejack. I'm just going to go home," Mark said lifting his face up slightly, trying to pick himself up off of the ground to stand up on his legs, but falling back down. He just didn't have the strength to get back on his hooves.

Instead of helping him up, Applejack crouched down and talked to him from his side.

"Mark... Ah want ya to listen ta me. Ah'm gonna tell ya somethin', and ah want ya to imagine it, y'hear? Just go with it."

"Mmm hmm..." Was all Mark could say.

Applejack moved down closer to whisper in his ear.

"Imagine this. Fluttershy's been missin' fer weeks. Ya've been worried outta yer mind for 'er. Then, she shows up, and she's crawlin' on the ground. She can't walk anymore. She hasn't eaten in a long time. She's gonna starve ta death if she doesn't eat somethin' real soon. She needs ya ta get those apples off the tree for 'er. She needs ya, Mark!"

MUSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHEXVRpuUqk

Instantly, Mark's ears raised. He lifted his head, and stood up on all four of his hooves, wiping the tears off of his face and bore a determined expression.

"Let's get those apples... for Fluttershy," Mark said aloud.

Big Mac was left in shock seeing Mark's attitude change so quickly, and watched intently to see what would happen next.

Mark looked up at the tree that gave him trouble before, swung around a full 180 degrees in one swift motion, and then kicked back with full force.

A loud WHAM could be heard as contact was made, but still, not a single apple fell.

Not giving up, Mark came at it from a different angle and kicked again, and again, and again. Nothing happened, and he fell to the ground just like before.

Getting up and catching his breath, he dusted the dirt off of himself, shook his head, and prepared for another try.

Applejack and Big Mac had a job to do themselves, so they got to work, looking back at him between harvesting from each tree and watching his progress.

Different angles not working, Mark got back from the tree, charging at it with a running start.

"For Fluttershyyyyyyy!!!" Mark yelled as he turned around swiftly and kicked, the momentum of his sprint carrying him.

The impact made his hooves tremble, but the only thing that fell was himself.

Applejack had to look away during the crash, but was relieved to see Mark still fine, and even getting up again.

The running start plan a bust, Mark continued backing one spot in rapid fire succession, his hooves striking it like a jackhammer. "Relinquish your fruits, or face my furyyyyyy!!!" Mark yelled at the tree again, his efforts still not paying off, and he simply fell once more once he became exhausted.

Applejack and Big Mac were starting to worry that we was going to push himself too hard. They saw Mark struggle to get up this time, but despite it all, he still got up to try again. Even though he was gasping for breath, Applejack had never seen him look so serious.

"I'm... not... giving... uuuupppp!!!" Mark shouted at the sky, making a variety of martial art poses and doing a spinning kick into the tree, getting stunned and plummeting to the ground.

After getting up again, he struck it repeatedly with his forehooves like it was a punching bag, several crashing and slamming sounds were heard, but his strikes slowed down when he ran out of energy.

Mark's panting now, turned around, and unleashed another onslaught of kicks, alternating between his front hooves and back ones when they got tired, Applejack and Big Mac in awe that he was still going at it.

Mark still not getting a single apple to fall, he took a familiar stance, putting his forehooves into position.

"Ka... me... ha... me... HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Mark screamed to the top of his lungs as he fired a wave of energy at the tree, demolishing it and leaving nothing left in its wake.

Unfortunately for him, this isn't that kind of fanfic, so it only happened in his head.

Mark was growing discouraged again. It seemed like nothing he did worked, no matter how hard he tried. He had just knelt to the ground when the image of Fluttershy came to mind. Starving, weak, and helpless, all she had the strength to do was raise a hoof up.

"Mark... Please keep trying... I need you..."

Mark's teeth were clenching from the thoughts welling up inside of him. He couldn't let Fluttershy down.

In a burst of adrenaline, Mark sprang right back up, running back over to the tree and gazing upon the apple above, his eye on the prize.

"Enough of this! You're mine!" Mark proclaimed. Holding still for a moment, he closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths. He felt the energy build up in his forelegs, rise up through his body, and into his hind legs and flanks.

Applejack and Big Mac were just about to move to another tree when they saw Mark, noticing his concentration.

"Come on, Mark," Applejack whispered to herself.

Big Mac gave a confident nod.

And in a flash, Mark's hooves were slamming into the tree, as if it all happened in but a single frame. The tree shook and the impact made an echo throughout the entire orchard that scared away the nearby birds.

Then, every single apple left in the tree fell at the same time, Mark's face beaming as he saw a couple of them roll in front of him, and checked back at the tree to make sure this was for real.

"Mark! Ya did it! Ya really did it!" Applejack cheered as she ran up to Mark, grabbing him and spinning him around for a hug.

Mark almost lost his glasses as he was spun, his head reeling for a moment.

"I... I did! I did it all by myself!" Mark shouted as he shook Applejack back and forth excitedly in his hooves.

Now bursting with motivation, Mark snapped back into action.

If I did it once...

He went to another tree, bucking it and knocking its fruit down just like his first. Eventually, he was getting tree after tree in succession, the three ponies all clearing out the orchard at a breakneck pace.

When the baskets were all full of apples, the three lay down face-first on the grass, lying up at the sky and taking a sigh of relief, pleased with their hard work.

[END OF MUSIC]

Later, Mark, Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom are all in the living room, each with a plate full of apple fritters, except for Applebloom, who wss in a high chair with a bowl of applesauce. Granny Smith sat down and watched, with a platter full of even more fritters.

Mark, being absolutely famished from his prior bucking, wolfed them down rapidly, moaning contently from their sweet flavor as he did, and Applebloom clopped her hooves in her high chair as she watched.

"Woo! Mark's chowin' down even more n' Big Mac," Noted Applejack, eating up the fritters on her own plate.

"Little fella's got a big appetite. And comin' from me, that's really sayin' somethin'," Big Mac agreed, watching the fritters on his plate disappear.

Granny Smith took a scoop of fritters and dumped them onto Mark's plate for a refill. "There. Eat as much as ya like, little 'un. Ya earned it fair and square. Ain't easy getting past the buckin' block."

"Oh! Thanks, Granny Smith! These are really good!" Mark ate them just as quickly as the first plate, finishing them off with swift gulps and ending with another empty plate. "Buuurrrrppp! Hehe. Excuse me. May I have more, please?"

"More?! Already?! Ya gotta be kiddin' me!" Applejack exclaimed in astonishment. "Sure ya ain't gonna explode?"

"Ah, ponyfeathers. He's a growin' colt. Have yer fill, Mark," Said Granny Smith, refilling his plate once again.

"Thanks again, Granny Smith. You're amazing," Said Mark, digging into them right away and getting another fritter down in one bite.

"She sure is. She's the founder of Ponyville, believe it or not," Said Big Mac, who had now finished a plate of his own.

"Ah, yes. I remember. Ponyville was founded from the migration caused by demand for zap apples, a rare fruit that could only be found here, and only within its season, which was a highly limited time frame, adding to their sought after status," Mark replied, repeating his memorized knowledge of history class as he watched Granny refill Applejack and Big Mac's plates. "So that was you, Granny Smith?"

"Sure as sugar was. And ah still can bake like ah used ta back then," Boasted Granny Smith, her hip cracking a little as she walked, before she shook and it snapped back into place. "Well... ah may not run as fast. Hehe..."

With yet another plate down, Mark was finally done. He lied down contently, patting his full belly. "Aaahhh... That really hit the spot."

"Finally. Thought ya'd never get full," Said Applejack, surprised that he could eat so much at his size. She could swear that he must have eaten twice his body weight in fritters by now.

At this point, Applebloom was squirming in her high chair, and she started whining and moving her hooves, motioning to her out.

"Awww, ah think little Bloom wants ya again," Granny Smith guessed, wiping Applebloom's face clean. She then lifted the young foal out high chair and placing her on the floor beside him.

Applebloom crawled over and snuggled with him sweetly as he lied down, babbling nothing discernable.

"Hehe. C'mere, Bloomy," Mark said, wrapping a hoof around her. "You know, even if you're not my little sister, I'll still come over to play with you. I know Fluttershy's going to like you, too."

Applebloom giggled and drooled as she hugged Mark while he ruffled her mane playfully.

The Atlas Files: Chapter ♧◇◇C

The guardian spirits had entrusted me with a task so daunting, that even an explorer as great as I had a difficulty with it. I had almost given into despair when the one that invited me had concocted a plan to improve my resolve. Reversing the temporal singularity between the auxiliary points of the tangible and imaginatory dominion, she created a conjunction of the two planes, resulting in a metaphysical visual aide. And she was worried that ponies at school won't think she's smart! Ha, I say!

This adventure had proven to be a worthwhile one, not because of this hardship, but explicitly because of it, as in completion of this task, I had finally come to unlock my connection to the earth itself. No longer will I shy away from my true nature as an earth pony. At times, I worried I wasn't capable of honoring my heritage, but those days are now paseed. So it is now with pride and honor that I call myself an earth pony.

PS: Applejack has a baby sister, and she's adorable. The apple fritters were great, but if she wanted me to come, she really should have just led with that.

PPS: Oops. I forgot. I almost shattered the illusion. Just ignore this until I get the eraser.

Chapter 8: Breeze a crowd

The Atlas Files: Entry ☆☆☆A

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY EVER!!!

It was the first Saturday morning since Mark started the new school year, and he was pacing circles around his living room. This wasn't because he was nervous, though. Far from it. It was because he was excited. Mark's had his next playdate with Fluttershy today, and the two would be spending the whole day having fun.

Not only that, but Fluttershy's little brother was coming along with her this time, and he had been dying to meet him since he found out that Fluttershy had a brother. Mark, being the massive nerd he was, made a chart of all the things Fluttershy had said about him, trying to connect the dots and figure out what kind of colt he was. He could just wait until he met her brother today, but the suspense was too much for him to handle.

But that wasn't even the end of it. Rainbow Dash and Halo Grace's parents also asked to come along at the last minute, since they had all become such good friends with Mark and Fluttershy. Mark would be spending the day with three of his best friends, and hopefully be making a brand new one.

"Okay, Fluttershy said he has a bunch of action figures. Does he like video games? He might? I never asked. He also collects those beauty magazines and likes styling the manes on Fluttershy's dolls. Oh! Maybe we could play salon together! Does he like playing pretend games like me? Oooohhh! This is so exciting! My ecstasy is reaching levels unprecedented!" Mark thought aloud as he went around and around the room, his hooves never staying still for a second.

Mark's mom was just on the couch, giggling from watching his excited anticipation. "Oh, goodness. Don't tire yourself too quickly, Mark.

"Yeah. Don't want to be worn out by the time Fluttershy and Zephyr get here, do you?" Mark's dad added, right by the door and waiting for company.

"I can't help it! I'm gonna meet Fluttershy's brother! I'm gonna meet Fluttershy's brother! I'm gonna--" Mark was bouncing up and down as he shouted, when he was cut off by a knocking at the door.

"They're here! They're here!" Mark yelled, storming over to the door and swinging it wide open before his dad even could.

On the other side of the door, however, wasn't Fluttershy or her family, but rather Halo Grace and her parents.

Her mother was a pink pegasus mare with a white mane and tail and a cutie mark consisting of several pearls in a circle. She was also wearing a short red dress with a sunflower in her mane.

Her father was a white pegasus stallion with a minty blue and green striped mane and tail, much like her daughter, bearing a cutie mark of a golden chalice. He was also wearing a black and gray vest on the front of his chest.

While it wasn't the pony Mark was anticipating the most today, Mark still reacted with joy to see his friend here. "Oh! Hi, Halo!"

"Hi, Mark! I wanted to show you a few things, but I want to wait for Fluttershy, so she can see, too. Is she here yet?" Halo greeted and asked, peeking inside the house looking around for her.

Mark shook his head. "Not yet. It's just us so far."

"Aww. Oh well. She'll get here," Halo said, her disappointment going away almost immediately.

"Sweetie, I want you to be on your best behavior for your little friends today, okay?" Halo's mom said while petting her mane.

"Okay, Mommy. I promise I'll be extra special super duper good for you today," Answered Halo, giggling and hugging her mother by the foreleg.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Grace. It's a pleasure to have you over here with us. Our son has been having so much fun with your daughter, we had to let her come over today," Mark's mom told Halo's parents.

"Ah, no, quite the opposite. The pleasure is all ours. We appreciate that you were able to allow us over on such short notice," Halo's dad said, giving a polite, sophisticated bow. "We have actually never been to Ponyville before, so perhaps we could go sightseeing some other time. Once we are better acquainted, of course."

"Mhm," Mark's mom nodded, then crouched down to Halo's height. "And you must be Halo. So, your parents told me you've been learning how to--"

"Shh!" Halo shushed and interruptedMark's mom, who was shocked, but then Halo looking a little guilty and tapping her hooves.

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry if I was rude, Mrs. Atlas. I just don't want the surprise to be ruined. Can you keep it a secret for just the teensiest little while? Pretty pleeeeeeaaase?" Halo gave a huge smile with bright, shining eyes.

"Aww, of course, little angel. I'm sorry. I'll keep my lips sealed until you're ready to show everypony, okay?" Mark's mom promised Halo.

At that moment, a few more pegasi came flying down by the front door. There, next to Rainbow Dash were her own parents.

Her mother was a light blue mare with a peach-like pinkish orange mane and tail, her cutie mark being a cloud with a breeze of whistling wind coming out of it. She also wore a yellow sweater with cream colored sleeve tips.

Her father was a darker blue stallion with a rainbow colored mane, much like her daughter's but done up in a mohawk. His cutie mark was a rainbow coming out of a cloud with a horseshoe over it, and he wore a loose, light green shirt.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was just barely able to be seen, being behind her dad, as if she was trying to not be noticed.

"Oh hey. Looks like we got here just in time!" Rainbow's dad pointed out as he noticed the others by the door, Rainbow herself groaning behind him.

"Yup. Just in time. You must be Rainbow Dash's parents, right? Come on in, all of you!" Mark's dad offered, motioning his hoof.

With that, Halo, Rainbow, and their parents all went inside, Halo rushing in, while Rainbow very slowly came in with an annoyed look, and the parents went to all sit in the living room on the couch and loveseat.

"We're sorry for not letting you know sooner, but we just had to have little Dashie over here for a playdate! With how close she's gotten with her friends, this is perfect!" Rainbow's mom squealed excitedly.

"Well, you and your daughter are more than welcome here," Approved Mark's dad.

"Well, it's no surprise that Rainbow Dash has so many friends! She's the most fun filly ever to be around!" Rainbow's dad praised while her daughter had her head to the wall in frustration.

"She's talented, skillfull, and determined! Would you believe she's almost conquered her bedwetting problem? She'll be out of pull-ups in no time!" Rainbow's mom uttered like it was the least embarrassing thing ever said by a pony.

Mark and Halo both looked at Rainbow as they were left speechless, and Rainbow's face was completely red when she screamed.

"Aaaaaahhh! That's it! That's it! I'm outta here!" Rainbow made a dash to the door, but just when she got it open, she saw that the Atlas residence had a new guest by the door, or rather four of them.

Standing just by the doorstep was Fluttershy and her parents, and just beside Fluttershy was a colt a little but smaller than her. He was a light green with a creamy shade of yellow for a mane, and not having his cutie mark yet.

The little colt held Fluttershy with his hoof and pointed his hoof at Rainbow Dash. "Ooh! Ooh! Big sis! Is that Mark?!" He asked innocently.

Rainbow Dash was just about to say no, when Mark heard the sound of the colts voice from inside the living room.

Could it be?

Mark's excitement grew, his face beaming more than abyoony ever could have thought possible. At a speed that could give even Rainbow Dash a run for her money, he stormed over to the front door.

"They're here! They're here!" Mark shouted again, reaching the door and seeing the young colt next to Fluttershy.

Surprised by Mark's enthusiasm, Fluttershy still held her brother by the hoof. "No, Zephyr. That's Mark, and that's my other friend, Rainbow Dash," She said, pointing a hoof at each of them respectively.

"Ooooohhh! I get it! My name's Zephyr Breeze! I'm the coolest pony that ever lived!" Fluttershy's brother confidently declared.

Rainbow Dash groaned, her body visibly shaking at this point, while Mark was bouncing up and down like crazy.

"It's him! It's really him! It's really, really him!" Mark was screaming, almost losing his glasses with how much he was jumping around.

"Is this... a bad time?" Fluttershy's dad asked nervously while taking a peek through the open door.

"Nonsense! You're right on time! Everypony's here, so make yourself at home!" Mark's dad said invitingly from the living room.

Fluttershy's parents stepped in to join the other parents, and Fluttershy and Zephyr went up to join the other foals, all five of them together.

"Awww! Fluttershy! I'm so happy you made it! How's by bestie doing, huh?" Halo got Fluttershy around in a firm hug.

"I'm... good, thanks," Fluttershy answered with a slight blush and a nervous chuckle.

"I have a whole lot of fun games planned, Fluttershy, but we'll see what Zephyr thinks. I want him to have fun, too," Said Mark, hugging Fluttershy, but less tightly than Halo.

Zephyr, meanwhile, was looking at Rainbow Dash, staring at her with a goofy grin.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Asked Rainbow, sounding annoyed.

"You're a girl!" Zephyr said loudly, pointing a hoof at Rainbow.

Rainbow groaned yet again, wishing to herself she was anywhere else right about now. "Yes. I am. Thank you for noticing," She said rolling her eyes.

"Why don't you kids go and play in Mark's room? We're just going to talk and get to know each other," Mark's mom proposed.

"Thanks, Mom. Come on, guys. I need us all to decide what we're gonna play," Mark said, leading the way to his room and the others following him.

"Make sure to show them how to have a good time, Dashie. Just don't have too much fun like in ballet class!" Rainbow's dad yelled down the hall with a wave as they all left.

"Daaaad! Stop it!" Rainbow shouted back before shoving the other four ponies forward, her eager to get away from her parents as quickly as possible.

As soon as the foals had all left to Mark's room, Mark's dad turned to address his six guests.

"Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves, right?" Mark's dad suggested. "Pen Atlas."

"Saga Atlas," His wife joining in.

"Numbus Shy."

"Posey Shy," Fluttershy's parents said.

"Windy Whistles."

"Bow Hothoof,"

Rainbow's mother and father continued, respectively.

"Ivory Grace."

"Paragon Grace," Halo's mother and father finished, also respectively.

"Well, introductions are out of the way. I've got plenty of stuff to tell you about Mark, and I'm betting you have the same for your own foals, so let's have ourselves a nice chat," Pen offered.

"I think that's most agreeable," Paragon affirmed with a polite nod.

"Oh, goodie! I'll get some coffee brewing and grab the baby pictures!" Saga elated, clopping her hooves together.

Mark had brought the other four into his bedroom, which had been cleared out and prepared for the guests, leaving the door open.

As soon as they were inside, Halo looked at Rainbow with a bright smile.

"Awwwww! Rainbow Dash! I had no idea you did ballet!" Halo squealed adoringly.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's not like that! I'm just taking it to learn to be more agile and flexible. I'm not in it for the girly fairy cake junk. Got it?!" Rainbow asserted, raising and pointing her hoof at Halo for emphasis.

"It's okay, Rainbow. We're not going to judge you, right?" Fluttershy prompted the group, everypony all agreeing with her, except Zephyr Breeze, who was too absent-minded to be paying attention at all.

"Thanks, guys. And please don't tell anypony. I would be ruined if anypony at school found out," Rainbow pleaded, the thougut of her having a reputation as a girly ballet dancer sending chills down her spine.

"My lips are sealed, Dash. Don't worry," Mark assured, putting his hoof to his chest. "But... I have to ask. You seem to have been in a bad mood ever since you got here. Something wrong?"

"Ugh. I just hate going places with my parents. They're always embarrassing me like they did here. It's annoying. It's like they don't even--" Rainbow was explaining until she noticed Zephyr Breeze staring at her with his mouth wide open and drooling.

"Seriously, stop looking at me like that, kid. It's weirding me out," Demanded Rainbow Dash.

"I like you!" Zephyr Breeze announced out of nowhere.

"Aww! How sweet! Looks like Dashie's got a boyfriend!" Halo chirped sweetly, playfully poking Rainbow's side.

All Rainbow did in response was make a gagging face.

"So, Zephyr. Your sister's told me a lot about you. You want to tell us a little about you, too?" Mark asked, looking closely at him with anticipation.

"Oh! I like making manes pretty, and I have all the coolest toys! I can also touch my muzzle with my tongue! See?" Zephyr stuck put his tongue trying to demonstrate, but just getting a little shy of reaching the tip of his muzzle.

"Wow. You just have it all, don't you? The coolest pony that ever lived," Rainbow replied sarcastically.

Fluttershy was just about to tell her friend to be polite, but was cut off by her brother looking back at Rainbow, his face blushing.

"Wow! You really think so, Rainbows?" Zephyr asked while beaming.

"Sure, buddy. You're a total dreamboat," Rainbow said rolling her eyes.

Zephyr had two hearts sparkling in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Merry me!" He suddenly shouted.

The others all smiled at how cute his little "proposal" was, but Rainbow Dash's eyes just shrank when she realized that he thought she was serious when she was complimenting him.

"Riiiiiight. Tell you what, Zephyr. I'll marry you when you become as awesome as I am," Offered Rainbow Dash.

"You got a deal!" Zephyr accepted, seeing this as an easy undertaking.

Like that'll ever happen. He's a pain in the neck, but hey, he's Fluttershy's brother. Least I could do is let the kid dream. She thought in her head.

"And this is when Mark first learned to walk," Saga said, pointing at a photo in her album. "Little guy was trying to grab a piece of my chocolate that Pen got me for our anniversary. I guess that's a motivation if I ever saw one!"

"I suppose so. Zephyr took his first steps because he wanted to be with Fluttershy," Posey recounted.

"Awwww! That's so sweet! He loves his big sister so much!" Said Windy with her wings open.

"Is Zephyr still jealous that Fluttershy goes on and on about Mark all the time?" Saga asked before blowing on her coffee.

"Oh, he threw a big tantrum over it the other day, but I think he's over it by now. He was excited to come here and meet Mark," Nimbus answered, stirring his own coffee with a spoon held in his wing.

"He's... a bit socially challenged. I hope Mark will be patient with him," Said Posey.

"You kiddin' me? Mark's been jumping up and down all morning waiting to finally meet him!" Pen remarked.

"Halo was rather excited about this playdate as well. She's been begging Ivory and I to come over to Fluttershy's, but we figured that coming here to be with Mark as well would be better," Said Paragon, taking the light sip.

"Kind of awkward for us all to be going here from Cloudsdale, but I don't mind. Trying to keep up with Rainbow Dash on the way here is a great way to stay in shape!" Bow laughed, honestly wishing he could say he was kidding.

"Well, we would be more than happy to come to Cloudsdale if earth ponies were able to stand on clouds," Saga offered.

"Oh, you can't tell us you're afraid of heights," Ivory joked with a little giggle.

"No, no, we're not afraid of heights. We're just afraid of falling from 'em!" Pen joked back, the eight parents all having a good laugh.

Back in Mark's room, Mark was giving his friends a tour of the place. He showed where he kept his toys, the models that he made with Rarity's dad and Gemini hanging up on the shelf, and the maps that he hung up all over the walls.

"You've really been around, haven't you, Mark?" Said Rainbow Dash while looking at another set of maps on his desk. They all seemed pretty detailed for an 8 1/2 year old colt to make, but the landmarks he wrote down were... confusing, to say the least. She couldn't quite make out what was what.

Is that a... skull and crossbones... in the middle of Ponyville? Rainbow pondered in her head.

"It's just something I like to do for fun now, but once I become a full-fledged explorer, I'm going to go all over the place."

"You're gonna be an explorer? What are you gonna do when you're an explorer, huh?" Zephyr asked energetically.

"I'm gonna do everything!" Mark exclaimed with his hoof to the air. "I'm gonna go everywhere, charting land after land, exploring temples, finding magical artifacts, beating up supervillains, and rescuing princesses! I'm going to down in history forever as the greatest explorer Equestria has ever known!"

"Oh, wow. Mark... you've got really big dreams. That's amazing," Fluttershy said aloud, smiling at him and sighing, then snapping out of it when realizing what she was doing.

"Oh! Oh! I wanna do that! I wanna play explorers! Can we play explorers? Can we can we can we?" Zephyr repeated while bouncing in place.

"Really? Out of all the games we could play, you want to play my favorite game?" Mark asked excitedly, having to make sure that this wasn't just a prank.

"Uh huh. Just as long as I can be an explorer with you," Added Zephyr.

"You got a deal! What about you guys? You want to play explorers?" Mark addresses the others.

"Heh. Sounds neat. Can I be the bad guy?" Rainbow asked nonchalantly.

Fluttershy knew who she was going to be. "And, can I... Can I be the princess that's kidnapped by the bad guy?"

"Sure, sure. What about you, Halo? Who will you be?" Mark had still yet to figure that out.

"I'll be the bad guy's henchpony that quits and joins the good guys, and then I... well, you'll see. This will be a good chance to surprise you with that... new thing I wanted to show you," Halo answered, giving them a wink and patting her bag, anticipating showing them what was inside.

"Well, I guess we all have it figured out then. Now, let's play explorers!" Mark chanted excitedly, ready to begin their game.

Within the territory of southern Equestria, in the land that was once long ago the Serpion Empire, there was a fair and pure-hearted princess, who ruled over the land with kindness. Her name was... Princess... uh, Shudderfly!

Mark had begun to narrate the story. Then Fluttershy squeed, and let him continue.

Every day, she gave cute little animal companions to everypony she encountered that wanted one, and everypony in her kingdom was happy.

"La la la la la! Here's a fluffy bunny for you, and a fluffy kitty for you, and a fluffy doggy for you!" ~~Fluttershy~~ Shudderfly, pranced around the room, passing ~~Mark's stuffed~~ animals to everypony.

One day... She was pranicng around, minding her own business, when she found an animal in some kind of trap.

"Oh, you poor thing! You're stuck, aren't you? Don't worry, little friend. I'll help get you out," Said Shudderfly as she went over to the ~~stuffed animal with a sock tied around one if its legs, and the other end tied to the leg of Mark's bed~~ poor, defenseless animal stuck in a trap.

Her kindness knowing no bounds, and her nurturing spirit guiding her, she couldn't ignore the plight of an animal in distress. But little did she know that there was more to this situation than met the eye.

"Huh? What's... AHHH!!!!" Shudderfly screamed, caught off-guard by something that got her too quickly for her to notice.

The evil Dark Lord, uh... Painblade, had used a decoy animal, its lifelike appearance luring the princess into the foul clutches of this mastermind!

~~Rainbow Dash~~ Dark Lord Painblade ensnared Shudderfly in an ~~empty clothes hamper placed upside-down over her~~ inescapable, magical binding spell.

"Ha! I've got you now! I knew you couldn't resist saving a trapped animal! Now I've got YOU trapped! And soon, I will use you to enact the next phase of my evil plan, and once I figure out what that next phase is, oh, yoyr precious kingdom is DOOOOOMED! Mwahahahahahaha!" Painblade monologed, giving the best evil laughter she could.

"No! Help! I've been taken! Somepony, please save me!" Shudderfly pleaded.

"It's useless to call for help! Nopony will be able to rescue you once I take you to my impenetrable, evil lair! Now lackey, take her away!" Painblade ordered, her henchpony coming into view.

Her henchpony, let's call her... Roseblade the Graceful, had worked under Painblade the Dark Lord for a long time, but grew to resent her position more and more, until now, she had reached the breaking point.

"No! I'm not taking her to your lair!" ~~Halo~~ Roseblade the Graceful uttered defiantly.

"What?! But you have to do what I say! I'm the Dark Lord!" Insisted Painblade.

"Well, you're a big, stinky meanie head! You're always bossing me around, and you don't give me proper vacation and holiday leave! You're always making me do really awful things, too! Sure, it was harmless enough when I was stepping on the grass when the sign told me not to, but then you got me into doing really evil stuff, like ripping the tags off mattresses! And now this?! Kidnapping the most wonderful, lovely pony to have ever lived?! That's way too mean! You're... You're despicable! I quit!" Yelled Roseblade, venting out years of pent up frustrations towards her boss.

"Grrr! You'll pay for this! As soon as I figure out what phase two of my plan is, there will be nowhere for you to hide when I punish you!" Threatened Painblade.

"Not this time! I may not be able to beat you, but I'll find somepony who can, and then we'll rescue the princess!" Declared Roseblade as she flew off. "But where can I find such brave heroes?!"

"So, how is Zephyr doing in school?" Saga asked Posey.

"Oh, he's... well, fine. His grades aren't the best, but it's not that he's not smart. He just needs to... apply himself more," Answered Posey.

"We're sure he has potential, but he gets in trouble a lot with teachers. Some have grown... a little concerned about his behavior lately as of late," Said Nimbus.

"Oh, goodness. What's wrong? He didn't do anything bad, did he?" Ivory asked with concern.

Nimbus raised a hoof. "No, no. Of course not. Nothing like that. But his principal said he was... highly impulsive. He said that if Zephyr didn't learn to think things through before he acts, he'd grow up to be a drunk or something."

"Ah, that's ridiculous! You can't tell anything like that this early on! These suits think just because a colt likes stuffing bananas up his muzzle, means that he's gonna have a drinking problem when he's grown up? Give me a break!" Pen laughed off that ludicrous notion.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The ~~bedroom~~ tavern was filled with the ~~silence~~ chanting of ~~Mark's action figures~~ several revelers, watching ~~Zephyr Breeze~~ the famous explorer, Coolpone McCoolpants, chugging down half a dozen ~~cran grape juice boxes~~ mugs of rum.

Don't look at me. Zephyr picked the name, alright?

"Uh... I think you've had enough, buddy," ~~Mark~~ Trace Tracker, the master explorer, warned his now ~~sugar rushed~~ intoxicated friend.

"Nonshenshe! Keep 'em... comin'!" After downing the last mug, Coolpone collapsed, falling to the floor on his back, his head spinning and his eyes swirling.

Trace shook his head and sighed, and picked coolpone up by the shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you home."

Trace was about to pull Coolpone away when Roseblade the Graceful came barging right in through the door.

"Help! Help! Princess Shudderfly has been kidnapped by Dark Lord Painblade! I need some talented, capable, able-bodied explorers to help me save her!" She yelled, catching the attention of everypony inside.

"Hey, wait a minute! You're Painblade's minion! Why should we trust you? For all we know, this could all be a trap!" Trace accused, still holding Coolpone in his hooves.

"I don't want to be Painblade's minion anymore! She's too mean! Please, I need your help! I'll never be able to stop her all by myself!" Roseblade pleaded on her knees.

(Even though equines having knees is... debatable, but you know what I mean.)

"Well... If Princess Shudderfly has been kidnapped, I guess we could use some help, but my friend Ze-- I mean, Coolpone McCoolpants, is kind of... out of it at the moment," Said Trace, showing his passed out friend to her.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Mark! This is the chance to show you that surprise I had!" Halo exclaimed, breaking character for a bit as she reached for her bag. Opening it, she took out a lyre, appearing to be made of solid gold.

The other four also couldn't resist breaking character to marvel at it.

"Whoa! Is that... real gold?!" Mark asked in shock and disbelief, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Uh huh. My mommy got it for me," Halo answered, strapping it around her.

"It's so pretty!" Fluttershy remarked, still under the clothes hamper.

"Uh... What is it?" Zephyr asked, completely clueless.

"It's a lyre. A musical instrument. My mommy signed me up for lessons, and I've already learned to play a few songs this month," Halo explained.

"Your mom got you a solid gold instrument?! When you said your parents were rich, you weren't kidding around!" Rainbow uttered in surprise from across the room, still in her pretend evil lair.

"I wanted to surprise you with this. And now's the perfect time to use it," Said Halo, making sure the strap was secure and wiping the lyre clean. "Uhh... Zephyr, I mean, Coolpone? Can you go back to pretending to be unconscious?"

"Oh, right!" Zephyr immediately made a gagging sound stand stick his tongue out with his eyes closed, his body going completely limp in Mark's hooves, as everypony got back into character.

"Uh... let's see, where was I? Oh, yes! It's okay! I will restore your dear friend Coolpone with my enchanted healing ballad, if you'll help me beat that meanie Painblade," Roseblade offered.

"Uh, sure. Please. We explorers never back down from a mission! But no tricks! I'm not sure we can trust you just yet!" Trace warned the ex-villain.

"No tricks. I promise," Pledged Roseblade. "Now, let's help your friend recover from his stupor."

Then, Roseblade strummed her golden lyre, playing a soothing, healing Aria while doing a little song and dance around Coolpone. Many of the patrons in the tavern clopped their hooves to the rhythm.

Suddenly, Coolpone felt his senses returning to him as he awoke. "Whew. Hey Mark, uh sorry, I mean, Trace! How long was I out?"

"A couple minutes. Now hurry up! We have a job to do! Princess Shudderfly has been captured, and we need to rescue her," Said Trace, shaking his fellow explorer to snap him back into it.

"The princess, captured?! Don't worry! Coolpone McCoolpants, the greatest, most insanely cool explorer ever, is on the job!" He proudly declared, striking a heroic, daring pose with his chest puffed out.

Halo couldn't help but break character for a second to snicker at the name, and went back to being Roseblade. "Are you sure you're up for this? It's going to be really dangerous."

"I'm tougher than I look, and me and Ma-- Trace, have been on, like, a bazillion adventures before!" Boasted Coolpone.

"Yeah! We're not afraid of anything!" Trace declared, backing him up.

"Well, it's not going to be easy, either. Painblade's armor is made of nobreakium, the toughest substance known to ponies! The only thing that can destroy it is a magical artifact, far away in some temple said to be in the west Mamban region," Said, Roseblade pulled out a map drawn in crayon and pointing to an uncharted territory on the far left side.

"Ha! And you said this was going to be a challenge! Let's hurry on, Coolpone McCoolpants!"

Halo snickered once again, and everpony looked at her.

"What? I can't help it!" Halo insisted.

Back in the living room, the parents were all still talking with each other. Saga bad brewed a fresh new batch of coffee, and also brought out some powdered doughnuts for her guests.

"So, your son, Mark. Halo had told me that he's a gifted child prodigy. That's quite remarkable," Said Paragon, taking a small, dignified bite out of his doughnut.

"Oh, he's a genius. Top of his class with nothing but A's since he started school. And more than that, since this summer, he's made many friends and become so well-rounded. I'm happy for him," Saga praised.

"And when he isn't out exploring and getting fresh air, he's tinkering around with junk and making contraptions. He's a smart kid. Obviously, he gets it from me!" Pen declared smugly, his wife playfully hitting him on the shoulder.

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Our Fluttershy is so smart, too," Said Posey, dipping her doughnut into her coffee and taking a bite.

"Ever since she got her cutie mark, she's especially been excelling in biology class. Anything involving animals gets her excited," Nimbus continued.

"Oh, I bet. That's got to be her favorite thing she comes down here for. You know, besides you-know-who," Teased Pen, pointing his hoof back to Mark's room.

Posey giggled, knowing he was probably right. "But even more surprising than how smart she is, she's great at taking initiative. She's so independent. So resourceful.

Numbus held his wife's hoof affectionately. "Oh, I know. I don't see how she does it, but she handles herself so well. She's brave, strong-hearted, and good at getting herself out of tough situations. That's our daughter."

"Help! I've been captured by a big, mean, scary pony! I'm too weak and helpless to get out of here by myself! If only there was a big, strong, handsome hero to save me!" Shudderfly cried out, trapped in ~~the closet~~ Dark Lord Painblade's super secret and super secure holding cell.

"I'd suggest you get used to it here, Princess. Nopony can ever get past the defesnes of my evil lair, let alone defeat me! You're not getting out anytime soon!" Painblade asserted, sounding so cure of herself.

"Noooo! Please, Miss bad guy! Please let me go! I don't want to be trapped here forever!" Begged Shudderfly.

"Quiet you! Uh, on second thought, can you help me brainstorm ideas for phase two of my plan? I'm... still drawing a blank here," Said Painblade, having a notebook with several scribbled out doodles on it. "I thought of holding you for ransom, but that's boring, and using your magic to take over the kingdom sounds like too much work. I'm all out of ideas."

Painblade passed her notebook and crayon through the bars of her cell, and Shudderfly picked them right up.

"I... I guess I could help you come up with ideas for now, since I'm never getting out of this cell without somepony to help me," Said Shudderfly, sniffling and crying. "Oh, where is my hero? Where could he be?"

Meanwhile, the parents were deep in conversation again. Their coffee and doughnuts had dwindled, and they had become a lot more engaged, going on about their children's accomplishments.

"Our Rainbow Dash is something else, you know! She's the best at everything!" Boasted Bow.

"Wait... I thought you said Rainbow Dash not won any race awards yet," Saga recalled.

"Yes, but she was the best at getting a participation prize! Woo! Go Dashie, go!" Windy cheered, sounding just as proud as a parent whose child was crowned ruler of Equestria.

"Riiiiiight..." Saga rolled her eyes, but still smiled. It was wholesome to see parents so supportive of their child.

"Not that you don't know what it's like to have a child that's so gifted, of course. It's great to hear that Mark is successful, and that he's on track to become an official junior explorer by the end of the year at that," Said Windy.

"Oh, I can assure you, it will be a pleasure to see our son living his dream, but honestly, Mark can a bit... difficult to understand sometimes," Replied Saga.

"I'll say! Sometimes it's like that kid's speaking an entirely different language!" Pen remarked.

"Ikur, woun! Nusha faa'dir qisava dai!" Trace spoke eloquently to his allies as he led them through the uncharted western Mamban wasteland.

"What... What does that mean?" Coolpone asked as he followed.

"I told you, Roseblade said that the labyrinth containing Painblade's weakness is protected by a sorcerer that sees and hears everything that happens in his lair. That means he'll know our plans if we tell them to each other! To ensure that we have the element of surprise, we need to use a made up language to fool him with what we're going to do," Explained Trace, as he drew more of the surrounding area and adding it to his map.

"Oh. I get it! If we use a language he doesn't know, he won't know what we're planning! Genius!" Exclaimed Coolpone, putting all the pieces together.

"Precisely," Trace affirmed. "You don't need to memorize the whole language. Just a few keywords in that sheet I gave you and Roseblade."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Wait a second!" Halo again put the adventure on hold. "Sorry to break character again, but Mark! You really made an entire language by yourself?!"

Mark blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "Hehe. Yeah, well, I didn't have any friends when I was six, so I did some stuff here and there to pass the time. I never got to share it with anypony. You like it?"

Halo took a look at the sheet she was given, examining once again the detail in how the language works. "Like it?! Mark, this is so cool! You gotta teach me how to speak this sometime!"

"Heh. Sure. I can teach you, but can we get back to playing explorers for now?" Mark asked, eager to resume.

"Oh, oh, right. Sorry," Said, Halo snapping back into her role as Roseblade the Graceful.

"So, Coolpone, Roseblade, I need you to memorize the keywords so we can fool the evil Optic Sorcerer. Think you have it covered?" Trace addressed his merry band of explorers.

"I think so, Trace. Um, quick question. Are the g's in 'Backwards' silent?" Roseblade inquired, intending to be thorough.

"The first is a hard G, but the second is silent. I think you're on the right track. Remember, nopony knows where this ancient temple is supposed to be, or if it even exists at all, so it will likely take quite a few days before we MMMMFFFFF!!!---" Trace was interrupted when, while focused on sketching out his map, he wasn't looking at all where he was stepping, walking face-first into what appeared to be ~~the bedroom wall~~ a large, imposing temple.

"Huh. I guess it wasn't so well hidden after all," Roseblade remarked.

"Heh. Or maybe we're just such amazing explorers, it was easy for us!" Coolpone theorized.

"That's probably it. No lost temple can elude us for long! Maybe when they send us after it, they shouldn't call it a 'lost temple', but a 'here it is temple, come inside and have a milkshake'!" Trace joked, giving a hearty laugh.

"Mmmm... milkshakes..." Said Coolpone as he licked his lips.

"Well, team, your knowledge of those keywords will have to do. We have a temple to raid, and an artifact to get!" Instructed Trace, the trio looking at the ~~piece of paper with a temple door drawn on it taped to the wall~~ massive opening looming above them.

"I have to say, Mr. and Mrs. Grace, your daughter seems like such a sweetheart!" Priased Saga, looking at a few photos taken of Halo when she was younger.

"Well, we did put forth a lot of effort into raising her to be polite and compassionate. As the future heir to all of our corporate assets, we want to assure she will use them responsibly," Explained Paragon.

"Well, we have faced one problem with her," Ivory added, turning over to one particular photo of Halo. In it, her belly was bulging outward and cookie crumbs were all over her face. "This one was after she asked us for cookies. We tried to say no, but she asked super politely, and gave us the puppy dog eyes. She's adorable, and she knows how to use it."

Paragon faceoofed. "Yes, that was a great moment of weakness for us, and we unfortunately caved into her requests. We're not proud of it."

"Hey, you get so attached to your kids that it's hard not to spoil them once in a while," Said Bow.

"Like the time we got Rainbow Dash that super expensive custom made wonderbolt themed birthday cake she begged us for. Oh, but the look on her face was soooo worth it!" Windy reminisced, leaning onto her husband's side.

"Well, I know what it's like, too. We... may have gotten her a few too many stuffed animals and now her room is filled with them," Posey Confessed.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, Posey. Halo is cute enough to basically get anything she wants from anypony once she puts the pressure on them," Claimed Ivory.

"Dang. Her cuteness should be registered as a lethal weapon," Pen said jokingly.

"Oh, I wish that I could say that as a joke," Said Ivory, putting her hoof to her forehead. "I swear, sometimes I think our daughter could get away with murder if she wanted to."

"Murderer! You're a murderer! How could you do something so diabolical?!" Yelled ~~Mark doing the voice of a stuffed bunny with a monocle and cape~~ the Optic Sorcerer, guardian of the temple, as he watched Roseblade's brutal display.

Roseblade was breaking in half ~~two connected orange Peg-A building blocks~~ the Optic Sorcerer's super carrots, the source of his vision powers.

"First you confused me with all that gibberish you were speaking, and now you're murdering all my carrots! And me! Now I'm going to die of hunger! You murderer! Noooooo!" The sorcerer screamed out, pounding his paws to the ground in defiance as he watched his morsels perish one by one.

"Whew! With this, he should be weak and hungry enough for us to take his artifact! Trace, Coolpone, hurry up!" Roseblade directed the two to the area just up ahead.

"Got it!" Trace and Coolpone said simultaneously, going up and picking up the artifact, ~~a magic 8 ball~~ the Eye of Exposure.

"With this, can we finally beat Painblade?" Coolpone asked, staring at the artifact and then peering into its looking glass, revealing a message that said, "You may rely on it".

"Rainbow Dash may not win at everything, but she's tough as nails. She never gives up. She'll try something as many times as she needs, and never stops until she's the best! That's my daughter!" Bow praised.

"Oh, goodness! The tenacity! I love it!" Saga clopped her hooves gleefully.

"She wants to be a wonderbolt, you said? I think she could make it. That attitude will carry her quite a way, I think," Said Nimbus.

"I just know our daughter's going to be a Wonderbolt one day. With how resilient and tough she is, she can't possibly lose! We can rest assured that our Dashie will be a success and a winner for all time!" Windy decreed with unshakeable confidence.

"Aaagh! I failed! All my plans failed! Before I even came up with a phase two for my plan, these dumb explorers used the Eye of Exposure to pierce my nobreakium armor! My plan is ruined, and I lose! I'm a failure and a loser for all time!" Dark Lord Painblade screamed to the sky, her ~~cardboard~~ nobreakium armor laying on the floor in pieces.

"I told you I'd find some heroes to stop you, Painblade! Serves you right for being so mean!" Roseblade snapped at her former boss.

"Wh-What are you gonna do with me?" Painblade asked, worried that her demise was at hoof.

With that, Coolpone came over to her, and hugged her tightly. The others couldn't help but smile, but Painblade's eyes widened with shock, and a little bit of disgust.

"I know you're really a good pony deep down. You were only being grumpy to get attention. You just wanted somepony to like you. Well, I like you," Coolpone said sweetly as he hugged, Painblade struggling in his grasp, trying to give herself a little space, but he was awfully persistent.

"Awwww!" The other three ponies reacted with adoration, while the Dark Lord herself was gagging.

"Tell you what. We'll let you go if you promise to be a good pony from now on," Offered Coolpone.

"Ugh. Alright. I guess I have no choice," Conceded Painblade.

"And you gotta merry me!" Coolpone siddenly added to the deal.

"What?!" Painblade bellowed in annoyance. "That's crazy! I'm not gonna..."

"Well, it's the only way we'll let you go, so you gotta!" Coolpone insisted.

Painblade desperately searched for a way out of this situation, but alas, there was none. She had no choice but to surrender to the demands. "Fine. Whatever. I'll marry you. Just please let go of me!"

"Oh, goodie goodie gumdrops! A wedding! I'll start the ceremony!" Volunteered Roseblade as she got out her golden lyre. "This is an ode to a our brave explorer heroes, and to romance!"

"Wait! We're getting married right now?!?!" Painblade was in a state of hysteria and even terror as she was immediately pulled to the altar without so much as a warning.

Meanwhile, Trace still had a job to finish. Going up to Princess Shudderfly's cage, he opened it up to release her. "You're free to go now, Princess. Dark Lord Painblade won't cause you any more trouble."

The now rescued princess leapt over to Trace, twirling around him in a strong hug. "My hero! Thank you, brave explorer! You're so brave and talented and handsome!" Shudderfly blushed, the filly loving her role so much at this point and wishing that this could be for real.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without my friends," Insisted Trace, looking over to his friends, one of which was at the altar, and the other playing her Lyre and getting ready to wed him.

"So... those two are getting married, huh, Trace? Maybe... we..." Shudderfly's blush deepened to a brighter red, all the while the pony playing her was really hoping he would pick up on what she was suggesting, as pretending to get married to her crush sounded really fun to her.

"Maybe we what? ...Oh!" Trace Blushed as well, realizing what she meant. To Mark, marrying his best friend would feel really weird, even if it was just pretend, but he knew that when a brave hero rescues a princess, they're supposed to get married and live happily ever after. It's the rule! He had to play the part, right?

"Hehe. Yeah. I suppose we should, huh? Sure, Princess. I'll marry you," Said Trace, accepting her suggested proposal with a nervous smile.

"Yay," Shudderfly quiet-cheered, her heart pounding with excitement.

"Um... Roseblade? I think you have two marriages to host," Trace addressed his companion, stepping up to the altar as well with his bride.

"Y-You two?!" Roseblade pointed a hoof at them, seeming to be surprised, and the two could swear a bit of disappointment was on her face.

"Uh... is there a problem? Heroes have to marry princesses they rescue and live happily ever after," Explained Trace. "Haven't you read the books?"

"W-Well, I was hoping I... umm... never mind. Never mind. It's nothing," Roseblade said dismissively, shaking her head. "Let's get the ceremony started, then."

Trace and Shudderfly both noticed something was on her mind, but they had a happily ever after to get to. And so with that, Roseblade the Graceful played her lyre, singing a song in honor of these two couples and their love. Trace was smiling awkwardly, Princess Shudderfly was also smiling, but a more gleeful but still embarrassed smile, Coolpone McCoolpants was smiling very confidently holding his bride's hoof, and the former villain Painblade had an annoyed look, seeming eager to get this overwith.

And so their horney had ended. Princess Shudderfly took her place on the throne, continuing to give adorable animals to her subjects every single day.

Of course, she now had her husband and prince, Trace Tracker, to rule by her side. And he gave everypony free treasure maps as well, exciting other ponies with the idea of being as great an explorer as he was.

Coolpone McCoolpants gave up drinking for good and started farming carrots instead, the Optic Sorcerer being his best customer, turning over a new leaf and joining society after being in his temple for so long.

The former Dark Lord, Painblade, never got up to any trouble again. Now being married, she had like a million foals to look after, so she never had any time to be evil even if she wanted to.

As for Roseblade the Graceful? You may think it was lonely for her, all her new friends getting married, but not so. She became a traveling bard, playing music and touching the souls of many a kingdom. Who knows? Maybe she'll meet her prince charming one day.

And they all lived happily until the sequel.

The End.

Their game of explorers completed, the five young ponies spent the rest of the day playing more games with one another, and even stayed to have dinner. Saga had her hooves full cooking for so many guests, so the other moms gave her a little bit of assistance.

Having a full day's worth of fun and excitement, the parents said their farewells to Pen and Saga as they were prepared to leave.

"Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Atlas. It was a pleasure," Said Posey as she went out the door.

"Yes. We should do this again soon," Nimbus agreed as he went out after her.

"Heh. We'd better," Pen teased.

"Well, I suppose it's time to go, then. Thanks for being no nice to my little brother, Mark. And um, everypony else," Said Fluttershy, adding that last part.

"Oh no. Thank you and Zephyr for coming! I've been waiting forever to finally meet him," Insisted Mark. "And I think you're really cool, Zephyr.

"Yeah. I am really cool, aren't I?" Zephyr said proudly.

"I'll say! Maybe you can come over to my place sometime! I have so many dolls at my place that could use a little brush, and I heard how much you like that," Offered Halo.

"Really?! Yay!" Zephyr did a little happy prance in place.

"And what about you, bestie? What'd you think of my little surprise? I learned how to play especially for you! You like it? Huh?" Halo asked Fluttershy, nuzzling up to her cheek-to-cheek.

Fluttershy blushed, so touched by the lengths her friend went to. "All that practice? For me? Oh, Halo. I thought it was lovely. It's so nice that you..."

"Fluttershy, Zephyr, we need to go soon. Are you almost done?" Nimbus asked gently, still just outside.

"Oh! Well, we have to go. Bye, everypony," Said Fluttershy as she went out the door to join her parents.

"Bye, Mark! Rainbows! Bye, Halo! ... Bye Rainboooows!" Zephyr said as he left, Rainbow Dash groaning at that.

"You... already said goodbye to Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy pointed out, almost missing that.

"I like Rainbows..." Zephyr said with that familiar goofy grin on his face as they left.

"Ugh. Well, I guess today wasn't the worst," Said Rainbow Dash with a shrug. "At least my parents were too busy talking to embarrass me in front of you guys."

"Hey, Dashie! Hurry up! We have to get home and wash your tutu for tomorrow! Best ballerina ever! Woo!" Windy cheered excitedly.

Rainbow's teeth briefly clenched in frustration. "Aaaaaaaannnd I'm outta here! Later, guys!" She then flew away as fast as she could.

"No shame in it, Dashie! See ya!" Halo called out with a wave goodbye.

"Well, I guess that leaves just the two of us, then," Said Mark, offering a hoof to Halo to shake. "And I liked your surprise, too."

"Aww! Thanks!" Halo shook his hoof enthusiastically.

"Hehe... You're welcome..." Said Mark, his voice having a reverb sound to it from the vibrations of his hoof.

"I'm going practice my lyre some more this week, and write a new poem. Do you think that you can be a test audience for me sometime, and tell me what Fluttershy will think? Pretty pretty please with sugar and gumdrops on top?" Halo asked as sweetly as she could manage.

"Sure, Halo, but I think Fluttershy will just be happy with it, no matter what, as long as it comes from in here," Said Mark, his hoof to his heart.

Halo squeed and blushed at the sentiment. "I know, I know, but I just want it to be perfect for my bestie."

"Halo, we are departing now. Say your last farewells and let us be on our way, dear," Instructed Paragon, just by the front door with his wife.

"Yes, Daddy!" She fluttered off the ground with her wings and joined them. "Bye, Mark!"

"Bye, Halo!" Mark said goodbye to his last friend for the day.

Mark wobbled back and forth. He may have had more fun than he ever has before, but by now, he was feeling exhausted from it all and collapsed onto the floor just after Halo left.

The Altas Files: Entry ☆☆☆B

I rest my case. Today was the greatest day ever.

Thinking his last entry in his head, his tiredness quickly claimed him, and he drifted off into slumber right on the floor.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/UlB5akn2G6I

"Heh. Looks like the little guy's all tuckered out," Said Pen, smiling at the look of his son blissfully snoozing away.

"I'll carry him to his bed," Volunteered Saga, picking up her son in her hooves. "What nice ponies. We should do this again sometime."

"Oh, definitely," Agreed Pen. "Just give Mark time to recover. Don't want him getting overloaded, do we?"

Saga giggled, cradling her son gently in a way she hadn't done since he was a toddler. "Definitely not, but it's really sweet seeing him enjoy himself with friends that like him and care about him so much. I remember this summer, he was so shy and so afraid to talk to anypony. And look at him now."

"Yup. Our little colt's really come out of his shell, huh?" Pen ruffled his son's mane as he slept.

"It makes me so proud, seeing him build all of these friendships, and he's doing it all on his own," Said Saga, a joyful tear coming down her face. "Mark... I love you."

Some time later, Fluttershy and Zephyr Breeze arrived home, and went to bed that night, and as they lie awake in their shared bedroom...

"Zephyr. Are you still awake?" Fluttershy asked with a whisper.

"Uh huh," Answered Zephyr, rubbing his eyes.

"I... I just want to say it was so nice of you to offer to play explorers with Mark," Fluttershy praised, looking over to him from her bed.

"Th-Thanks, sis..." Zephyr looked away, but didn't go back to lying down.

"Is... something else on your mind, Zephyr?"

"W-Well... I have to, um what's the word? Confess?" Zephyr tapped his forehooves together nervously.

"Confess? Confess what? Did you do something wrong?"

"I said I wanted to play explorers with Mark because... I was jealous," Zephyr turned his head fully away, too ashamed to face his sister.

"Jealous? What do you mean?"

"Well you know, you're always talking about Mark and how great he is. Everypony likes Mark. I thought if I were more like him, and played his favorite game, then Rainbows would think I was cool, and that maybe... that you'd love me again," Zephyr confessed, sniffling and crying faintly.

Fluttershy got out of her bed, getting onto her brother's bed and wrapping him around her wing.

"Oh, Zephyr. I never stopped loving you. I'll always love you."

"R-Really?"

"Really."

The two siblings snuggled each other muzzle-to-muzzle.

"I'm really sorry, sis. I was mean before when I got mad about Mark."

Fluttershy held her hooves around him, now coupled with her wings.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have thought about how I was making you feel."

Zephyr hugged her back with both wings and hooves. "It's okay, Sis. I forgive you,"

"And I forgive you."

The two embraced each other for a good while, letting the emotions sink in for them, before finally breaking the hug and looking at each other.

"Who's the best little brother in the whole world?" Asked Fluttershy.

"Me!" Answered Zephyr.

"And who's the best big sister in the whole world?" She also asked.

"You!" Zephyr answered again, pointing a hoof at her.

That night, Fluttershy didn't go back to her own bed. She stayed right where she was in Zephyr's, going to sleep holding her little brother in her hooves. Zephyr quickly found himself getting too tired to stay awake, and with a yawn, he snuggled up even more closely with his sister, and went off into dreamland.

"I love you, Fluttershy..."

[END OF MUSIC]

Chapter 9: One Belle of a day

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 4: Green (and six other colors) with envy

Sleeping well last night, Mark awoke the next morning in his bed. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, he immediately remembered what he was doing today, which made him quickly grab his glasses, and spring right out of bed the second they were on. Today was the day he would meet with Fluttershy at their new clubhouse to fix it up. Mark quickly filled his bag with everything he needed and prepared to head out.

"Well, you're excited. What's got you in such a hurry, kiddo?" His father said as he noticed and came into the room.

"I'm going to see Fluttershy again today, and we're gonna make a clubhouse!" Mark cheered with glee.

His dad just smirked. "Again with Fluttershy? You've been going out to see her every day now. Not wanting to go even one day without your girlfriend, lover boy?" He teased, grabbing his son for a hug and ruffling his mane.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Mark insisted while laughing and squirming to get free.

His dad finally let him go. "I know, I know. I'm just teasin ya, bud. Go out there and have a good time with her," He said giving his son a pat on the back.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you," Said Mark, giving his dad one last hug goodbye.

"Love ya too, champ. See you tonight for dinner," Said his father before sending him off and seeing his son sprint out the door.

Mark's mom had just woken up, stepping into the room and yawning. "Mark went to see Fluttershy again?" She asked while adjusting herself awake.

"What do you think?" Pen asked with a grin.

"Ah, our little colt's growing so fast," Saga said with a smile and shaking her head. "How many times do you think we're going to hear 'she's not my girlfriend'? More than you, or less?"

"Oh, definitely more," Pen wagered. "That fella's gonna be so deep in denial, he'll be able to see Somnambula."

"Just like you were, huh?" Saga said teasingly, leaning on her husband and rubbing her hoof on his chest. "Any chance you'll bet a spa day on that?"

"Not a chance," Pen said flatly.

"Ah, darn it. I guess you'll have to pamper me instead, won't you, hun?" Saga said playfully while batting her eyelashes.

"Mmmm... I thought you'd never ask," Said Pen before pulling his wife in for a deep kiss on the lips.

Mark had his map set out and headed for the tree which he and Fluttershy were to make into their clubhouse, following his map and going the same path that they went last time, but this time, much master, partly because he knew which way he was going, and also because he was excited.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♡A
It's rare that my travels lead me to the same place twice in a row, yet here I find myself returning to the land I had just ventured. Deep within these isolated woods, far beyond the eyes of ponies, lies what will soon be a dwelling place for my newest companion and I. This location, once seized from the untamed wild, shall be my very first base of operations. You know, besides my bedroom.

He made it past Jimmy the rock, marched through the tall grass, climbed the log, slid down into the leaf pile, and hopped across the stepping stones in the creek, making it to the tree in no time.

And just as he was expecting, Fluttershy was already there waiting for him, her face lighting up when he first came into view, and wrapping him in a hug with her hooves and wings the second he was close enough. "Mark! Mark! You're here!"

Mark happily welcomed the hug as usual. "It's... nice to see you too, Fluttershy. You ready to turn this place into a proper clubhouse?"

"Oh, absolutely," Answered Fluttershy, breaking the hug. "I thought of some ideas on what to do with it, but I want to hear what you think."

"I had some ideas, too," Replied Mark, pulling out a list of things he wrote down last night from his bag. We'll work out together what we'll do, and make this clubhouse perfect for both of us."

"Hold it right there, buddy!"

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/1EjfyI3AQ-I

A loud, clear voice called out from above, Mark and Fluttershy both looked up to see a pegasus filly flying in the sky.

Seeing as the filly was diving down at great speed, and on a collision course with him, Mark quickly jumped out of the way, Fluttershy yelping and jumping back in shock.

The filly landed right where Mark was, leaving a smoking crater in the ground as she made a superhero pose upon landing.

When the smoke had settled, the filly could be seen shaking the dust off of her and flipping her mane. Getting a look at her now, Mark saw that she was a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. She also has a cutie mark of a cloud with a multicolored lightning bolt coming out of it.

"H-H-Hi... R-Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said timidly.

Rainbow Dash is her name? How does Fluttershy know her? Flight camp maybe? Well, what was that?! That filly almost turned me to rubble! Mark thought in his mind, still panting from the sudden evasive action he had taken.

Rainbow Dash turned over to face Fluttershy, looking all worked up. "So this is where you're going every day?" She asked Fluttershy.

"S-Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I..."

Before Fluttershy could finish, Rainbow turned right around and looked at Mark, bearing an angry expression. "And as for you," She snapped aggressively, "Fluttershy's been leaving flight camp every day, never telling anypony where she is, not even me! I needed to know what was so important that she wanted to come down here every chance she gets! What are you doing to Fluttershy, huh? You messing with my friend?" She places her hoof on Mark's chest threateningly.

Mark gulped, a bead of sweat dripping down his face as he was intimidated by the filly. "I... No, I'm not! We're just friends!

"Likely story!" Rainbow snaps back, taking her hoof and pushing Mark back, making him fall right on his flanks.

"Don't, Rainbow Dash! He's telling the truth! He is my friend! Please don't hurt him!" Fluttershy pleaded.

Fluttershy was about to see if Mark was alright, but he got back up on his hooves and readjusted his glasses, Fluttershy relieved to see him just fine.

"You're friends with Fluttershy?!" Rainbow Dash asked, still looking angry and hovering slightly above the air, leaning down to be eye-to-eye with Mark. "Fluttershy is my friend, you know! But instead of hanging out with me, she's been sneaking down here every day to see you! Why's that, huh? What do you have that I don't?!"

"Rainbow, wait. Let me ex--" Fluttershy was saying before being cut off.

"In a minute, Fluttershy! I'm getting some answers out of this kid!" Rainbow interrupted, focusing on Mark.

"I... Uh... Are you asking because I actually have something you don't? Or is that a rhetorical question?" Mark asked as he took a few steps back, Rainbow slowly flying forward towards him.

"Rhetora what? Ahh, I don't even know what that means!" Rainbow shouted, shaking her head in frustration.

"Rheotical question. It means a question asked to make a point rather than to get--"

"I don't care!" Rainbow interrupted Mark's explanation. "Fluttershy's my friend, and I'm not letting some random jerk steal her from me! I challenge you to a race! If I win, I take her back and you leave us alone!"

"But... But Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy shouted.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. I know what I'm doing. I'm not gonna lose on ya," Rainbow interrupted once more, Fluttershy getting frustrated.

Rainbow landed right next to Mark. "Alright, now get ready to lose!" Rainbow boasted.

"R-Right now?" Asked Mark, all of this happening fast for him.

"Yes, right now! What's the matter, scared?" Rainbow taunted.

"No, I'm not scared," Declared Mark.

"First one to run five laps around this giant tree wins. Now you're gonna eat my dust, earth pony!" Rainbow boasted again.

Both ponies proceeded to take their starting positions, and the race was primed to begin.

[END OF MUSIC]

Rainbow kicked the dirt with her hind legs, getting ready to take off on the word go. Mark's stance was less coordinated. He wasn't much of an athlete, but he wasn't going to let Rainbow boss him around and tell him he can't be around Fluttershy. Meanwhile, Fluttershy herself was looking at the scene with her head down, sad to see that her friends are fighting, and that Rainbow just wouldn't listen to reason.

"Ready..." Said Rainbow Dash, crouched and in position.

"Get set..." She continued, Mark squinting his eyes and looking forward, fully determined.

"Go!" Yelled Rainbow Dash. As soon as she did, she darted ahead of Mark.

Mark was knocked back a little from the force of her acceleration, but regained his balance and ran to try and catch up with her.

It wasn't easy. She was fast, and wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. Mark moved his hooves as fast as he could, circling around the tree.

"That all ya got, slowpoke?" Rainbow taunted him while running ahead, finishing the first lap well before he did.

Mark wasn't giving up yet. He kept on running, not taking a chance to rest, but despite his best efforts, Rainbow kept gaining on him, finishing her second lap when Mark was barely half way done with his.

Still refusing to surrender, Mark didn't slow down in the slightest, his efforts seeming to pay off when he saw Rainbow Dash up ahead. He was catching up with her!

Am I getting faster? Mark thought to himself as he ran. No, she's slowing down! She must have been using all her energy to blow past me at the start. She wanted to show off and beat me by a mile, but she's tiring herself out because of it. She doesn't have the stamina of an earth pony, though. That might just be my ticket to victory!

After the third lap, Rainbow Dash looked back and saw that Mark was catching up with her. "What?! No way!" Rainbow uttered in denial, picking up even more speed. "No way am I losing this race!"

Fluttershy had to step sway from the tree, almost being hit by Rainbow Dash on the third lap around. She didn't cheer for either of them as they ran, though. Both were her friends, and she didn't know who to cheer for. She just wished that her friends could get along.

Rainbow's attempts to utterly decimate Mark in the race appeared to be backfiring, as Mark had caught up with her and Rainbow Dash was losing her breath.

"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow yelled out when Mark was just about to pass her. With that, she flapped her wings and began to fly, picking up speed once more and passing ahead of Mark again.

"Hey! No fair!" Mark shouted back, still running ahead but losing ground against her. "I can't fly!"

"Not my fault you're stuck on the ground. And nopony never said I couldn't fly," Said Rainbow Dash while in flight.

Despite getting this advantage from being able to fly, Rainbow Dash began to slow down soon after. While she was able to fly faster than she could run, she had already used up a lot of her stamina from running, so she wasn't able to keep it up for long, Mark catching up and being right behind her by the end of the fourth lap.

I can do this! I can beat her! Mark thought as he was more determined than ever.

Rainbow Dash was stuck. She couldn't run any faster, and Mark just kept getting closer. If he kept gaining at the same rate that he was, then he would win.

I can't let him win! There's got to be something I can do! Rainbow thought, looking at Mark as they were neck and neck.

Suddenly, Rainbow grinned mischievously as a thought came to her mind.

Just as Mark was about to pass her, Rainbow snatched his glasses right off of his face, rendering him all but blinded, Fluttershy gasping seeing just what Rainbow would do in order to get her way.

"Aaagh! Hey! I need my glasses! Give those back!" Mark yelled while running ahead.

"You want 'em? Come and get 'em at the finish line!" Rainbow smugly replied.

Unable to see straight ahead and growing dizzy, Mark started to go off course, wobbling and losing his balance. Before he knew it, he fell to the ground, not able to know where he was meant to be going.

"Mark!" Fluttershy cried out as she flew right up to him to help him up. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so, but it's hard to see anything," Mark said with squinted eyes.

While this happened, Rainbow Dash had already been making ground in the race, and with Mark out of the commission, she had crossed the finish line first, winning the race, albeit with her less than honest means.

"I won! I won!" Rainbow Dash did a little victory loop in the air, then threw Mark's glasses onto the grass like a hoofball, the grass thankfully being soft enough to not break them.

"Here, Mark," Fluttershy said as she picked up the glasses and put them on his face, returning his eyesight.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Mark said, giving Fluttershy a hug as she came into view.

Rainbow then flew up to Mark. "In your face! You lost, and now you've gotta get lost!" Rainbow mocked, pointing a hoof at him and sticking her tongue out.

"Rainbow Dash, I saw what you did! That wasn't very nice," Fluttershy told her off, now looking angrier than Mark had ever seen here before.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Rainbow said with a shrug, ignoring Fluttershy's disapproval.

"But... But you cheated! I can't fly like you, and I can't see without my glasses," Mark argued.

Rainbow went eye to eye with Mark, staring him down. "Look, pal. Fluttershy was my friend first! Then you show up and get her to keep coming back here and ignore me for over a week, and then you act like I'm the bad guy for getting a little clever with the way I race? What a jerk!"

"Rainbow Dash, please listen," Fluttershy pleaded with her.

"In a minute, Fluttershy. I'll deal with this guy," Rainbow said dismissively, turning her attention back to Mark. "I've barely even seen Fluttershy in over a week. You think you can just waltz right into other ponies lives and take their friends away? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mark frowned with his ears down, tears starting to form in his eyes. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't know I was stealing her from you. I just like spending time with her."

Looking fruious, Rainbow grabbed a hold of Mark, holding him with her hooves and terrifying him.

"Rainbow, don't!" Fluttershy cried out.

"I don't need any of your stupid apologies! A bet's a bet, so get lost!" Rainbow shoved Mark backward and he fell into the creek, barely able to avoid losing his glasses again.

Mark didn't even know what to say. At that point, he couldn't take it anymore, and he broke into tears, bawling loudly and running away, dripping wet from the creek.

Fluttershy was saddened to see Mark so upset, and she turned away from Rainbow Dash and sitting down. "I can't believe you just did that. Some friend you are," said Fluttershy, starting to tear up as well.

"What? He had it coming," Rainbow argued, sounding justified in her actions. "Look, we don't have to worry about him anymore, okay? We can just hang out again like before."

Fluttershy crossed her hooves. "I wanted to play with Mark today. We were going to make the tree into a clubhouse together."

"A clubhouse? Why didn't you say so?" Rainbow asked, still not seeming to pay Fluttershy's disapproval for her actions any heed. "We can make a clubhouse for the two of us instead. And with my help, we can make it in no time."

"But... But..." Fluttershy huffed angrily, them gave a disappointed sigh, knowing Rainbow just wasn't going to listen to her. Knowing also that she probably wasn't going to see Mark anytime soon, spending time with Rainbow Dash is better than losing both of her friends. "O-Okay. I guess we can make a clubhouse."

"Sweet! Knew you'd come around, Fluttershy," said Rainbow Dash, giving her a pat on the back and heading into the tree.

Fluttershy sat up and slowly followed her, still upset at the thought of losing Mark as a friend.

I might as well just try to forget about Mark. There's no chance we'll ever be able to play again after this. But I don't think I can ever forget a friend like him.

Mark cried and ran off to Ponyville. Until he couldn't run anymore. Then he just walked. So grieved at the potential loss of his first friend, he found it hard to think of anything else, but he had a feeling his chances to ever play with Fluttershy again were slim to none.

Remembering he had made another friend by this point in Rarity, he made his way to her house, hoping she would be around to offer him some much needed comfort and emotional support.

Making his way to Rarity's house, he knocked on the door. Seconds later, after hearing some commotion inside, Cookie Crumbles answered the door.

"Oh, well hello, little Markie. How's my..." She said looking down at him, until realizing that he was sniffling with tears in his eyes at the door. "Aww, what's the matter, puddin' cake?" She pet his mane a little.

Mark took a deep inhale through his muzzle and tried to compose himself. "Is... Is Rarity here? I... I wanna play with her," Said Mark, taking a deep breath out afterward and hiccuping.

"She sure is here, sugar snap. Of course you can play with her. You're always welcome here," She said sweetly, inviting him inside.

Mark took a step in the house, seeing that things were scattered here and there on the floor in unusual locations, seemingly with no rhyme or reason.

"Oh, uh, sorry about the mess," Said Cookie Crumbles with a little embarrassment. "I haven't had the time to clean. I wish I could spend some time with you, too. We could all bake a cake together. But I have soooo much planning with my husband for the new foal. I hope you don't mind, sweetheart, but if you could just run along upstairs, I need to get back to that."

"O-Okay. I don't want to bother you when you're busy," Mark said, getting more of a grip on himself and his crying easing up. "Thank you, Mrs. Crumbles."

"Aw, aren't you just a precious peach?" Cookie Crumbles said while giving him a pat on the head. "Rarity is just up there with another friend of hers. I don't think you've met. This will be your chance to make a new friend today. Have fun!"

This made Mark's frown turn to a slight smile as he lifted up his glasses and wiped his tears away. Sure, he just lost his first friend, and nopony could ever hope to replace her, but the thought of making a new friend wasn't bad. And since they already know Rarity, Mark could bond with them over their mutual friend.

Cookie Crumbles had hurried off back to her husband, while Mark headed up the stairs to Rarity's bedroom.

Knocking on the door, he awaits another answer, which is soon answered when the door opens, and he is met with a blue pegasus colt, his mane being a darker blue, and his cutie mark being a Gemini symbol.

Mark just recalled seeing this colt in class before, often being around Rarity. He seemed like he was a fun colt to be around, but Mark was always too shy to talk to him.

"Hey! You're Mark from school right? Rarity's been telling me all about you! Come on in!" The pegasus shouted in a hyperactive manner, pulling Mark by the hoof and brining him right inside the room, to which Mark was caught off guard and surprised.

Rarity was just in the room, and her face lit up when she saw Mark. "Oh! Mark! You're here, too?" Rarity squealed with girlish delight.

The visible joy on Rarity's face made Mark smile, a much appreciated blessing considering what he had just been through. "H-H-Hi, Rarity," He said with a blush and a wave of his hoof.

"It's so good to see you. I wasn't expecting to see you both today," Rarity said cheerfully. "Mark, this is Gemini Dream. He's another friend of mine from school. I've been meaning to introduce you to him for a while."

"I just came back from vacation with my mom in Canterlot, and me and Rarity were here all day yesterday," Gemini said with a little chuckle as he stood beside Rarity. "She told me about this new friend of hers, and you sounded really cool."

"R-Really c-cool?" This made Mark blush even harder and his smile widened. Out of all the impressions ponies would get about him, be never thought 'really cool' with make the list.

Mark spent the next half hour or so, all talking with Gemini and Rarity while helping her with sewing a curtain. The three of them all got along well right away. Turns out Gemini is also into modeling, so he and Mark immediately had something to nerd out about. That, and it gave Gemini the perfect chance to talk about the model train he had been working on all summer.

"It's called the Harmonic. My cousin Skylar helped me with it. It's brass. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get the gearing right. It's my favourite of Signal Spiral's designs. The outside frames are definitely a cool look, and the livery is nothing like anything else in Equestria! What do you think? Wanna help me paint it?" Gemini went on, passing Rarity a spool of thread as he spoke.

Rarity giggled hearing Gemini go off while she worked on the curtain. She didn't quite understood much of what he was saying, but she liked seeing how excited he got.

"You bet!" Exclaimed Mark, as he picked up a red jewel and passed it to Rarity.

"Wow, I wish we talked like this sooner," Said Gemini, passing Rarity the glue. "You were in class with me all last year, and we never really met."

Mark smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah. Sorry. I'm just kinda shy is all. I was worried you'd think I was weird."

"You kidding me? You and Rarity are the coolest ponies I've ever met," Gemini declared.

Mark chuckled and rub his own foreleg, flattered by Gemini's compliments. He felt silly for ever distancing himself from his classmates in the first place, all because he was afraid of being ostracized. It seemed his concerns were just nothing more than self-sabotage.

"Speaking of shyness, how is that other friend of yours, Mark? Fluttershy, was it?" Asked Rarity, turning from her work to face him. "I hope to get a chance to meet her sometime after summer."

Mark's expression immediately changed, frowning and looking away to the side.

Rarity certainly didn't like the look of that. She gave a worried look. "Oh dear. What happened?"

"I... I don't think me and Fluttershy are going to play anytime soon. We were going to today, but..." Mark explained what had happened to the two of them. About how he and Fluttershy were going to build a clubhouse together, and then what happened after Rainbow Dash showed up.

"Goodness, this Rainbow Dash doesn't sound very pleasant," Rarity commented.

"I say what she did is messed up!" Gemini blurted out, stomping his hoof. "She can't just say you can't be around Fluttershy anymore! And she cheated you out of that race, too? You should go over there and demand a rematch!"

"I don't think she'd give me another chance, but it doesn't matter," Mark said, sighing again and looking down at the floor. "She and Fluttershy are friends, but I've been spending so much time with her, that Rainbow barely got any time with her. I don't want to come between them."

"Darling, you have nothing be sorry about. Fluttershy wanted to be with you. That's why she came every day to see you in the first place," Rarity assured him, placing a hoof on his back.

"I know, but I can't help but feel guilty that I'm hogging up all the time with Fluttershy. With how much fun she is to be around, I was hoping we could share her, so neither of us has to miss out on time with her," Said Mark, looking back at Rarity.

"Rainbow Dash doesn't sound like that fun a pony to be around if you ask me. After how she treated you, why would you want make any kind of compromise with her?" Gemini argued.

"I remember her talking about Rainbow Dash before last week. She stood up to some bullies that were picking on her and defended her honor. Besides, if Fluttershy is friends with her, she can't be all that bad. If you think about it, she must see Fluttershy just as special as I see her," Mark suggested in response.

"I mean... fair enough," Gemini admitted. "But what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I need to figure that out," Said Mark, as he put his hoof up to his chin and contemplated the situation. "Let's see. I want to find some way to get through to Rainbow Dash, to convince her we both can be friends with Fluttershy. But how do I get her to listen to me? She probably felt really sad that Fluttershy wanted to be with somepony else every day instead of her. Like she was left out."

Rarity sighed. "I know how that feels."

That got Mark and Gemini's attention both. "You mean with your parents, don't you?" Mark guessed.

"Mother and father are so busy getting ready for the new foal now, that I've barely gotten a second with either of them all day yesterday, or today," Rarity said, now pacing around as she spilled out her thoughts. "It's just been new foal this, new foal that! We don't have time for little old Rarity anymore! My baby sister isn't even born yet, and my parents already barely remember I exist! When she is born, will they even remember my name anymore?" Rarity felt herself tearing up.

"I'll always remember you, no matter what," Said Gemini as he gave Rarity a hug to comfort her.

"I... I just want a little time to play with them. Is that so wrong?" Rarity said, hugging Gemini back. "I'm sorry, Mark. I shouldn't be venting all my complaints. This was about you."

"No, no, it's fine, Rarity. I understand," Mark assured her, shaking his head and raising his hoof. "You must feel left out, not getting a lot of time with them... just like Rainbow Dash..." Mark thought aloud, when an idea came to him, and has face lifted up.

"I know what to do! I know how to make things right with Rainbow Dash!" Mark exclaimed, bouncing up in the air with excitement.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Yeah. What's your plan?" Gemini asked as well.

Mark huddled up with Rarity and Gemini, telling his plan to them.

Mark made his way back to the tree that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were at, hoping they would still be there. As fate would have it, they were.

Just outside the tree, Fluttershy was under the tree moping, while Rainbow Dash zoomed in and out of the tree in flight, removing all the rubble and junk from the interior and dumping it out to clear the space inside.

Upon seeing Mark, Fluttershy's frown instantly vanished, her eyes sparkled, and her smile grew wider and wider by the second.

He came back! He came back for me!

Joining Mark were Rarity and Gemini, who wanted to come and support Mark as he enacted his plan. Rarity had also wanted a chance to meet Fluttershy for a while, so this was a good moment for both.

When Rainbow saw Mark and the other two ponies accompanying him, she groaned, and flew right up to him. "You again? I told you to get lost! What, you got a couple of your buddies to gang up on me now?" Rainbow accused with her face right up to Mark's again.

Rarity was angry at that comment, and lifted up a hoof, about to say something, but Gemini had stopped her, and she gave it up.

"No, no. I'm not here for anything like that," said Mark, growing anxious now with Rainbow's immediate aggression.

"Well, what is it this time? Spit it out!" Rainbow demanded impatiently.

"Would you... Would you like to have another race?" Mark asked while showing nervous body language.

"Oh, no! You're not getting a second chance! I beat you in that last race fair and square... uh, sort of!" Rainbow said, not even able to convince herself that her methods were honest.

Both Rarity and Gemini looked like they were dying to say something to call her out on that, but they held it back.

"No, Rainbow. I didn't want a second chance." Mark said, now smiling meekly looking up at Dash. "I just want to race for fun."

Rainbow flew back a little, looking at Mark confused. Fluttershy also seemed confused, wondering where he was going with this. Rarity and Gemini, meanwhile, knowing the plan, looked at the situation with suspense.

"You... want to race me... just for fun?" Rainbow asked, trying to figure out if Mark had an angle here.

"You like racing, don't you, Rainbow? Can we have another race, please?" Mark asked politely.

Rainbow Dash landed, staring deeply into his eyes, trying to see some hidden motive. "What's this about?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Rainbow Dash... I want to be your friend," Said Mark.

"You... What?!" Rainbow blurted out in disbelief. Where is all of this coming from? She thought.

"I realize how you feel about Fluttershy coming to see me all this time. You felt left out, didn't you? I was hoping we could both be friends with her, but I want to be your friend, too. We both think Fluttershy is special, right? We both have that in common. And... And knowing just how much she means to you, and how you stand up to ponies that are mean to her, I... I think you're really cool. So can we be friends and race together Rainbow Dash? Please?" Mark gave a respectful smile as he explained himself and asked her.

Rainbow stood silent, her jaw wide open as she tried to work out what she was hearing. This colt sounded like he was serious. She looked for a sign, any indication that this was a joke, but none came.

Fluttershy beamed with her hoof to her own chest hearing his every word. She knew Mark had a big heart, and this was one of the sweetest things she had ever heard.

Gemini and Rarity watched Rainbow Dash with full attention, their eyes never leaving her once, ready to see what Rainbow Dash's reaction would be.

Suddenly, Rainbow's expression changed from a look of shock, to one of guilt. She frowned and her ears went down, revealing herself in a much more emotionally vulnerable position than Mark had seen thus far.

"I... I may have been too hard on you. You were just having fun with a pony you think is special. I never should have acted like Fluttershy could only be friends with me. I was a real jerk. I'm sorry, Mark," Rainbow confessed, kicking at the ground a bit.

Rainbow then turned to face Fluttershy. "And I'm sorry to you too, Fluttershy. You coming to see Mark every day was your choice. I should have let you speak for yourself. I just thought that because you were choosing to see him every day instead of me, I thought there had to be something wrong with me, and I guess I was a little... jealous. Can you two forgive me?"

Fluttershy's eyes began to tear up lightly, and she quickly wrapped Rainbow Dash in a big hug, surprising her prismatic friend.

"I forgive you, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry, too. I should have told you where I was going. I should have known you would have taken it that way," Fluttershy said as the hug went on.

Mark then joined in the hug, embracing Rainbow Dash with equal affection. "I forgive you too, Rainbow. I don't blame you for being jealous. After being friends with Fluttershy, I learned what I've been missing all this time without her. So of course I'll forgive you. No hard feelings."

Rarity had to go "Aww" at the heartearming display, and she jumped right in, hugging Rainbow Dash as well. Gemini, not wanting to be left out, dove in as well, all five ponies embraced in a full scale group hug.

"Th-thanks, guys," Rainbow said while receiving hugs from all directions, before turning her attention to Mark. "Mark, I know you said you wanted a race, but I think I have a better idea. Would you like my help in making that clubhouse? We could all do it together."

The other four all gasped in amazement, all seeming to be on board with the idea.

"I'd love to! With your speed, we could get it done in a flash," Said Mark.

"All I wanted was for my two best friends to get along. I think it's a wonderful idea," Fluttershy agreed.

"Well, Fluttershy, I've been looking for a chance to meet you ever since Mark first told me about you. A friend of his is a friend of mine. I would be delighted to help," Rarity chimed in.

"If Rarity wants to help, than I'm going to help, too," Declared Gemini. "I can come here and visit you guys, right?"

"Of course!" Mark affirmed. "We're going to build the best clubhouse ever! Let's do this!"

The five ponies all got to work, removing all the junk from the tree interior and cleaning up wherever they could, all having a great time talking to each other in the process.

Rainbow was with Mark and Gemini, gushing all about the Wonderbolts and how she wants to join them one day.

"I'm not just going to be a Wonderbolt. I'm going to be a legend! Now that I've performed the Sonic Rainboom, all I need to do is learn to do it on demand, and land in the Wonderbolts hall of fame!" Rainbow insisted confidently.

"You performed a sonic Rainboom?! So that's what happened the day I met Fluttershy!" Mark exclaimed in revelation. "That was you?!

"You're darn right it was! And before you know it, I'll be able to pull it off anytime I want," Rainbow boasted.

"Make sure you don't do it near my house, okay?" Gemini joked, the three sharing a laugh.

Mark also started to introduce himself properly, talking all about how he likes to explore.

"That's pretty neat, Mark. I like your sense of adventure. I had you figured all wrong. You're a thrill seeker, just like me. I thought you were just a nerd... Uh, no offense," Said Rainbow Dash, adding that last part when she realized what she had said.

Mark just chuckled. "None taken. I am kind of a nerd, anyway."

The three laughed away again as they worked.

Gemini ended up talking about his favorite trains, but Rainbow couldn't for the life of her understand any of it. But then the subject came up of his cutie mark and special talent.

"You play the guitar? Awesome," Rainbow said while bumping Gemini with her hoof on his shoulder.

"I just got this brand new acoustic last year. I'm learning so fast," Gemini bragged, smiling and looking over, seeing Rarity and Fluttershy at work, giggling with one another. "I give private concerts to Rarity sometimes. She likes listening to me. You guys want to listen to me play too, right?"

"You kidding me?" Answered Rainbow Dash.

"I'll listen. Just remember me when you're a famous musician, alright?" Mark asked teasingly, nudging Gemini on his side.

Gemini laughed, excited and nervous at the prospect of new friends and audience members. "Thanks, guys. I need to get used to playing for others. It's a lot of pressure."

Together, these three got the work done within the tree, their upbeat attitudes carrying their pace.

The Atlas Files: Entry ◇◇♡B

Today, I have established a group with which I can claim this area as my base. Much work needs to be done, but with our combined efforts, it will be done. This day was quite surprising, to say the least. One of my new allies seemed like she would have been my enemy at first, a territorial dispute brewing between us. Fortunately, the two of us reached common ground, and are now on good terms with one another. And what adventures could we expect are in store for us? In my mind, the sky's the limit.

PS: That goes literally for my new friend.

At the same time, Rarity and Fluttershy were working as well and talking amongst each other, just barely out of earshot.

"So, Fluttershy. I'm curious. Why did you spend so much time with Mark every day?"

Fluttershy grew wide-eyed with a nervous expression. "I... What do you mean? Because... we're friends?"

"I just meant that you spent almost all your time with him and almost none with Rainbow Dash. She's your friend, too, isn't she?" Rarity asked further.

Fluttershy looked away, growing even more nervous. "I... I just... eep!"

"I'm not judging you. I was only asking. Was there a reason for wanting to be with Mark so much over Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy looked over at Mark, who was with Gemini and Rainbow. "Well, I wanted to because I... I... um," Fluttershy began to answer before getting tongue-tied, and she started to blush.

"Don't keep me in suspense, darling," Said Rarity, before leaning in and whispering in her ear. "You can tell me. It'll be our little secret."

"It's because I... I... I... l-l-l-luh... luh... like..." Fluttershy stammered, barely able to speak, her blush growing deeper.

"Oh!" Rarity's ears perked up as she realized just what Fluttershy was trying to say. "Oh my, does somepony have a little crush?" She asked, giving Fluttershy a playful smirk.

That made Fluttershy's wings pop right open, a look of deep fear on her face that was as now as bright red as a tomato. "Please don't tell!" She quiet-shouted, her voice a barely audible squeak.

Rarity wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy and whispered. "My lips are sealed, darling. You have my word."

Fluttershy took a sigh of relief, her heart still pounding but on the way back to normal as she calmed down. "Thank you, Rarity. It's just a little teeny tiny crush, but it's so embarrassing."

"I think it's beautiful," Rarity said rubbing her back soothingly. "And I also think you have good taste. Mark is quite the gentlecolt, isn't he?"

Fluttershy smiled, Rarity's words reassuring her. "He's just so sweet. I can't help it."

"Who knows? Maybe one day, I'll be sewing your wedding dress," Rarity teased.

The blush on Fluttershy's face had come right back.