The Past

Snow.

The forecast didn't call for it but it's here.

** Spirit was used to the cold. In fact he was more built towards colder environments, having a thicker coat and powerful hooves. He was outside in the park, playing his guitar for the little kids that came out early to go play in the snow. He had been out earliest and wasn't surprised by the sudden change in weather. In fact he was the cause of it, Spirit had notice that weather patterns would change do the power of the curse. If a place was rainy a lot, when Spirit arrived the clouds would part and the sun would shine through. If he went to a place that was warm a lot, a sudden and unexpected drop in the temperature appeared. If you went to the snowy mountain up in the north, the sun would then blaze stronger on the town. It would never work if he was on the move though, it would only work of he had stayed there for longer than a day. He knew it was a bad thing but he always preferred the snow to a sunny day. If the weather was just right, you could go outside in the snow and the sun would light it just right so that you can see a multitude of colors on the snow.

At the moment he was leaving the park, seeing as the kids had almost tired themselves out, by throwing snowballs, making snowmen and sledding down hills. He figured that the he could go to town and pick up good rock salt (alcohol) to drink. It was one of his guilty pleasures and he was sure that the money he had obtained from the day before could help him out. He checked his shadow for and a proximate time, 10:30. I could find something before I have to meet up with Miss Rarity.

He went into the town which wasn't as crowded as the day before, but there were still some ponies walking around doing errands. Spirit and wolf headed down the road looking for a place that would sell some alchool. It took him a while to find one but he finally manage to find one, and he got a nice size bottle of imported vodka. As he was walking out the store, he pulled out his newly bought bottle and took a swing. He walked down the street with his pack brother in tail thinking about who Rarity's friends were when, as he turned the corner he bumped into some pony. The collision was felt more by the other pony then by Spirit who merely stepped back. The pother pony however was knocked onto his ass and whatever he was holding flew into the air.

"My pies" said the pony who felt like he ran into a wall. Spirit looked into the sky and saw the two pies, suspended in the air for some tenths of a second. He dived and manage to get one, but the other was still falling outside his reach. Wolf jumped off of Spirits back and sank his teeth into the pie catching it in his jaws. Spirit got up and took the pie from the wolf reluctant jaws and help the other pony up.

"Sorry about that" Spirit said, "I didn't see you there"

"No, no, it's fine, it's actually my fault for not looking were I was going" said the Pegasus. He took the pies and looked Spirit and said "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe you do sir" said Spirit wanting to get going to Rarity's get together, trying to past the Pegasus. The Pegasus however was intent on trying to remember who Spirit was and wasn't letting him get past. The Pegasus was staring intently into Spirits face and scratching his head, as he actually knew Spirit.

"Trust Spirit?" the Pegasus said. Spirit was shocked; this Pegasus knew him, but how come he couldn't remember him. The Pegasus in front of him smiled and took a bit from his pie, saying "it is, isn't it? You got to be him, there is no way in Discord's rule would I forget that face". Now it was Spirit turn to rack his head trying to remember who this Pegasus was.

"Come on its go to be you" the Pegasus said again, looking at Spirit hopefully. Spirit nodded, in bewilderment, not knowing to be impressed or frightened.

"My stars, where have you been man? I haven't seen you in ages. And by Celestia's mane you've gotten big" the Pegasus said cheerfully. Spirit couldn't remember who this Pegasus was; he hit his head in frustration. The Pegasus saw this and asked "You remember me right?" Spirit shook his head apologetically, "Well neither would I, I mean you're not the only that's changed since we were kids". The Pegasus took the hat off of Spirit head and said "This will jog your memory". He threw it like a Frisbee into the air in front of them. Instead of flying to get it however, he used his wings to create a small tornado that swept the hat back towards the Pegasus. As the hat was just above his head, he blew it and it continued onto the head of Spirit.

"Come on. There is only one person I know who you know, who could do that" the Pegasus said. Spirit smiled as all the memories of his childhood came back from the place in his mind he had forgotten about. He went in and hugged his best friend.

**Rarity was worried. Spirit was very late as was Rainbow Dash. She was looking around for either of them, which wasn't a very 'Rarity like' thing to do. It was usually Twilight who made a huge fuss about people not being there or being late. She heard a swooping noise and small engine, she noise turn to see Rainbow Dash swoop down with her pet turtle, Tank. As she swooped down, she blasted some snow on everyone.

"Sorry it took me so long guys" Rainbow said, "the weather team had to work overtime due to this weird snow storm"

"Who cares if it's weird or not, it's fun" said Pinky Pie who had just pooped her head out of a snow drift. She looked around a bit then pooped her head back down into it. Apple Jack asked Rainbow "You guys know it's the middle of summer. How can you schedule a snow storm now? My apples are gonna be all confused weather to grow or to just fall of the trees now."

"it's not our fault, we didn't even schedule this, the clouds apparently were tampered with"

"You can do that?" asked Twilight, bringing her head up from a book titled 'The Nights Terrors'.

"The chief says that to do that you would have to be a wiz and magical engineering, but he doesn't think and unicorn didn't because there would be signs of leftover magic or something" Rainbow explained.

"Well can you fix this and bring back the summer heat?" Apple Jack said in an annoyed tone.

"Yes can you, because the animals are confused whether to hibernate are to forage for food." FLuttershy said. Rarity was only half paying attention, she was busy looking for her big guitarist. She was worried that he had already left and almost stop looking and turn around to her friends when he heard his loud booming laugh. She quickly turned back around and went up the trail a bit and saw Spirit walking down with a Pegasus. She trotted towards the two and said "You are late, Mr Harenger, and I see you have brought a friend"

"I'm sorry for being late I just meet up with an old friend. Miss Rarity this is S-" Spirit started to say but then a girly squeal erupted from Rainbow as she saw who Spirit was traveling with. She sequeled another high pitched girly squeal which was unlike Rainbow Dash, "SOARIN, ITS SOARIN. IN PONYVILE"

"OH MY GOD, SOARIN" said other girls and they began to run from all direction towards Soarin.

"Luna blast it" said Soarin, "Well Spirit I guess I'll see you later?"

"Sure, man I'll meet you in Canterlot"

"Sweet, alright gotta fly"

"Wait, man let's see if we remember the handshake" Spirit said, they both smiled. Rarity watched in confusion, they bumped hooves then they did from side to side the then jumped back and turn both of their back hooves connecting in midair. They both laughed and Soarin blasted off in the sky, leaving a small whirlwind of powdered snow behind. Spirit looked somewhat annoyed but happy. Rarity was still confused.

"You are friends with Soarin of the Wonderbolts?" Rarity managed to blurt out.

"He's a Wonderbolt now? Haha he made his wish come true. When will mine come true?" Spirit said this last part more to himself then to Rarity. She however heard and felt sorry the big colt. Then girls were crowding around them asking question about Soarin and pestering them about Soarin. Rarity was pushed out of the crowd, as they crowded around Spirit. He towered over all of them and he was to polite move them away, so Rarity decided to help him out.

"Look, its Sorain he at the SugarCube Corner" Rarity screamed. The girls all turned and ran towards the cake shop. Spirit was left sprawled on the floor with his hat covered with snow, and his pack bother upside-down in a snow drift, which Pinkie Pie appeared in and helped the wolf out.

"Thanks" said Spirit, Rarity smiled and helped him up using magic and replied "Any time dear". They walked towards the group of girls that were somewhat confused by the whole situation. Rarity coughed a bit to gather the attention of her friends. They looked at Rairity who said "Everyone, I would like you to meet, Trust Spirit Harenger. Spirit, this is Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Apple Jack, and Pinkie Pie with their pets, Tank the turtle, Gummy the toothless crocodile, Winona, Owloysious the owl and Angel the rabbit."

"Good afternoon ladies" he said with a bow to all of them. Everyone was now starring at the size of Spirit which was a few inches taller than Big Mac. He looked kind of sad seeing as no one was responding to him. Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence by asking the question that Rarity had asked a couple minutes ago, "You know Soarin?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say I do" Spirit said embarrassed.

"From where?" asked Twilight was intrigued just a bit.

"We were the oldest of buddies, we went to school together, played a lot games together, got in soo much trouble. he is probably one of the only pegasi that can infuse his wings with magic" he said.

"But i thought he's a pegasi. Pegasi dont have magic in then" Rainbow said.

"Not true, everyone is magical, its just that unicorn have a better time controlling the magic in them. Soarin was actually the only pegasus in his entire family, which were all very powerful unicorns. he took on some of the magical control" Spirit all were surprised at this and were about to ask more but were interrupted when Spirit said in a booming voice "Hey, get out of there!" All the pets all shrank behind their master's and Fluttershy shrank behind Rainbow Dash. Spirit walked across the group and pulled the wolf out of the pick-nique basket. The wolf had a pie in its mouth and was snacking on it greedily. Everyone laughed while Spirit apologized for the behavior of his pack brother.

"That's a really big dog you have, what breed is it?" asked Pinkie Pie was looking at him upside down.

"That not a dog" said Spirit, "he is a wolf". Everyone froze except Rarity and Apple Jack who were the only ones who knew about it.

"An actual wolf?" asked Twilight who was both scared and fascinated. Spirit nodded finishing the pie that his pack brother had started, in three bites.

"And i-i-i-i-i-i-is h-h-h-h-he domesticated?" FLuttershy asked, still too scared to make eye contact.

"Excuse me?" Spirit said in the tone that makes you believe that he is stupid.

"You know, house trained" Twilight said, for the first time closing her book.

"I found him bout five days ago, so not really"

"well then how come he isn't attacking us? Aren't wolves supposed to be hostile?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We got a, mutual understanding"

"Meaning'" asked Apple Jack.

"I got away with talking with dogs and wolves?"

"Really?"

"Yup"

"Prove it" says Apple jack who had the skeptical face on. Rarity saw Spirit walk up to small dog, she was shaking from head to toe but she stood her ground. Spirit chuclked and said "eh don't worry, I aint gonna hurt ya'" At this the dog suddenly, to everyone surprise, the dog stop shaking and yipped in excitement.

"Ok, ok, don't get so wound up now, what are you hungry for right now?" The dog didn't bark or anything, it yipped once and stood what the other could say was still. Spirit laughed and said "You know I don't they got that right now, I'll tell her to get you some later but what about right?" the dog yipped twice, the second one is what Rarity thought was annoyance. The dog stood still again and Spirit smiled and said "Yeah I know, that stuff is good" he turned to Apple jack and said "Winona here would like some pie, the one you got in that basket"

"How do you know that?" Apple jack said

"She told me"

"Fluttershy is he right?"

"I don't kn-kn-kn-kn-kn-know" the Pegasus said, "I don't really talk to animals I just understand what they feel, ac-ac-ac-actually understanding what they say is something i-i-i-i-I can't do"

"How, all she did was stan' there and yip once r' twice"

"Dogs and wolves don't talk using their voice, they use their nose and ear movements" Spirit explained taking out a bottle of vodka and took a swig. He shook his head after the swing and said "So give him a piece of pie and see what happens". Apple Jack still with her skeptical face said to Winona "I want you to nod at what you want ok?" Winona yipped once and Apple jack pulled out a Frisbee. The dog shook its head. Apple Jack then pulled out a chew toy. The dog shook its head again. Finally Apple Jack pulled out a piece of pie and the dog yipped and nodded his little head excitedly. Apple Jack gave the dog the pie and watched it scarf it down hungrily. Everyone turned to the big stallion as he took another bit of pie.

"As you can see he is no ordinary dog whisperer" said Rarity "But he is excellent guitar player"

"I'm that that good, this woman gives me way too much credit" Spirit said modestly.

"Can you really play that well. I haven't actually heard you play, I only heard about how you played" Twilight said.

"He is the best player I've ever heard" Apple Jack said. Rarity looked over to Spirit who blushing, only visible if you looked hard into his face.

"Come on then, play us a tune?" Rainbow asked who propped her pillow behind her and laid her head to rest on it. Spirit sighed and pick up his guitar which he had place beside him to not get on the way and strum it three times to think of something. Then he thought of a fast pace and then made some chords for it. He then played the songs out on the guitar and song the lyrics that just came to his head.

A couple minutes later, once the song had finished, Spirit looked at the group who were stunned by the song's intensity and grace the song had. Spirit put his guitar down and took another swig of vodka and said "Well? How was it?"

"That was very-" Twilight started,

"amazingist stupendously bestest singing and guitaring ever" Pinkie Pie said. Everyone laughed at the silly, saying that it was exactly that. Spirit laughed as well which made Rarity happy inside, to which she couldn't give a reason why. Spirit then said "Why don't we walk around, I'm getting kinda of tired of sitting around and so are the pets"

"Great idea" sad Twilight as she pulled out her book. They all began walking around the park, Spirit being forced to ask question about Soarin from Rainbow and AppleJack. Rarity was happy about the turn of events, her friends accepting this newcomer without so much as a thought. Rarity saw Spirit hang back a bit too look over Twilght's shoulder, and then he 'harrumphed'.

"What's wrong?" Twilight said, without looking from her book.

"Oh its nothing, I just think that book is a pile of dog -" a loud bark from Winona interrupted. Spirit looked over and called "Sorry". Twilight stopped in her tracks, no one had ever said anything bad about the books in her library. She was infuriated and flabbergasted, and all of her friends, including the pets saw the fury emitting from the mare.

"Why do you say that?" Twilight asked in obvious attempt to repress her anger. Spirit stopped, picked up the book and flipped to a random page, and he read a small passage.

'Lycan's height can be up to 6'5 feet tall, though their height is impressive they tend to hunch over in a four point stance for maximum mobility, at this stance they are usually 4 feet tall. They can go up to 25 miles per hour and they can jump around 5 feet into the air, they tend not to jump however do to their horrible balance. Their fur will always be black but there will be a tint of the color that comes from the pony's mane. They can lift up to half a ton only using their upper body strength and other full ton using their entire body' Spirit read as if he was a dressing a class, yet he said it all in a very snotty voice which got everyone but Twilight laughing. He gave the book back to Twilight who looked as she could strangle him. He turned to her and said "Most of that information is bull shit"

"What info? Because all I heard was some detail description of what Lycan are by a scientist" Twilight said in a very angry tone.

"Who has probably never seen a Lycan in real life?"

"and how would you know that?"

"Because I have had my share of Lycan experience" Spirit said quieter then how he had been normally responding. He turned to her again and said "Lycan can lift one tone using just its upper body it can lift a bit more than two tone and half using all of it. They can run up to 40 miles an hour and they can jump more than 10 feet in the air. They don loose balance once they jump and they are usually 7 to 8 feet tall. The only true thing that that cracks pot said was that they get most of their mobility on four which is obviously true"

"Well, why should I believe a homeless guitarist who plays for his dinner" Twilight yelled very offended at the man's outburst. The group was shocked at Twilight violence and she seemed surprised herself, even the animal shied away from her. Everyone looked at the giant colt, he hung his head and it began shaking. Rarity went to the him and put her hoof and his shoulder and asked her friend "Twilight Was that really necessary?"

"I'm terribly sorry it just slipped out I really didn't mean to-" Twilight said but was interrupted by a loud booming laughter from the stallion. Rarity turned to the stallion who was laughing as if he had heard a great joke. In between his laughs he said "Well thats the way I like it, I wouldn't be the person I am without it" Rarity looked at him, she somehow knew that he was lying and she wondered why he did it. As he was laughing he continued walking down the road, but then stopped as they all heard the town bell ring.

"Wonder what this one is?" said AppleJack.