A New Lifeby DarklordtheslayerChaptersAn introderption to PonyvillePlaces to go, ponies to seeThe Spark IgnitesAn introderption to PonyvilleI had to leave. My time in Manehattan was soon to be over. The city life was not for me, too frantic and with no place for me to practice magic in peace. All of the arrangements were made. I was to leave for Ponyville after one more night under the stars, lying beside the lone tree that stood in the center of a remote field beyond the outskirts of the metropolis that would soon be behind me. The next day came almost too soon. It was as if only yesterday I originally thought of leaving, but the day was finally here. “I never thought this day would actually come, our little colt moving out.” My mother stated. Sounding fairly crestfallen as my father replied with a faint nod and look of dismay. As I had finished packing my last few belongings, I made my way down the stairs to find my parents standing on either side of the front door. Both seemed as if they were defiant of the fact that I was actually going. My father approached. “Well son, I've got to tell you I’m going to miss you around here.” “I’ll miss you too dad.” I replied sincerely. “Now you remember to stay safe and keep in touch okay?” My mother called “I will mum, I’ll be sure to be careful and write to you when I can. I’ll come back and visit from time to time.” I uttered with a quivering lip. “We’ll look forward to hearing from you, Night Spark.” I found it difficult to conceal my emotions as I turned and climbed into the carriage I had hired to carry my luggage to Ponyville. Mixed thoughts of my Manehattan home filled my head for the duration of the journey, some glad to escape the clutter of the city and some sad to be leaving my family. The past was behind me. My new life in Ponyville was soon to begin. It was only mid-afternoon when I reached Ponyville. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I had not noticed that the carriage had stopped outside my new home. The house was well worth the bits I had paid for it, very welcoming and with sound décor. The interior was fairly small but cosy and would feel completely homely once the movers had finished putting in the items I had brought with me. The movers went about their work. I decided to visit the local cake shop, Sugar Cube Corner to pick up some treats for later in the evening and to fill time while waiting for my house to be ready. A relaxing trot to the shop seemed to lift my mind completely off all anxieties. As I arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, the smell of fresh baking enticed me even further to want to walk away with a delicacy. Upon entering the shop a warm welcome was received. “Why hello! I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before!” said a voice which was upbeat and with an inquisitive tone. “I just got in from Manehattan.” I replied to the blue coated and pink maned pony standing before me. “Well I’m Mrs Cake, what can I do for you?” “Ooh I think I’ll have some blueberry muffins please.” I answered with audible joy. Mrs Cake nodded and pulled a box of muffins from under the counter. “That’ll be four bits.” I put the bits on the counter and headed towards the door with a smile. “Goodbye Mrs Cake!” I called. “Bye dear!” Sugar Cube Corner was to become very familiar to me as of that day. A pleasant breeze was felt flowing through my mane as I trotted home. The street was fairly empty, giving me plenty of personal space. It was a pleasure I had rarely felt in the city due to the usual congestion. All was calm until I tripped over a stone in the ground, causing the muffins on my back to launch out of the box as my face hit the floor. “*Gasp* muffins!” I looked up from the floor only to see a light grey blur pass my eyes and I had to blink twice to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. My eyes did not deceive me. In front of me was a mare straddled out in what looked like a backwards crabwalk. She had caught all of the muffins; they had landed on her knees except for one which laid on the underside of her chin. Two ponies sat at a café on the side of the road had the same look of astonishment that had captured me as the mystery mare stood up to hand me back my muffins. “Phew, lucky catch huh? Are you alright?” “Yeah I’m fine, thanks by the way.” I responded. “Don’t mention it.” She said cheerfully. There was something about this mare that was different from anypony else I had come across, her eyes were offset and her blonde mane was a little scruffy. I had no idea who this pony was but I was compelled to find out. “I’m Derpy.” She stated. Derpy had a delicate voice. I had finally noticed what she sounded like after I dusted myself off from the fall. “My name’s Night Spark. Nice to meet you.” I declared happily whilst offering to shake her hoof. After our hoof-shake Derpy giggled and asked if I wanted to hang out with her, an offer I could not refuse. I liked this pony. She seemed to have quite a joyful and carefree manner about her that I found hard to come by back in Manehattan. I had a good feeling about Derpy. Derpy and I decided to go to a small café near the roadside for a drink and a chat. Although I originally planned to save the muffins I had for later, we ended up sharing them as soon as we sat down with the box emptied surprisingly quickly. We stayed for a while and told stories of our lives, including a story of how Derpy managed to get herself into a snow globe. When I later mentioned that I was from Manehattan, Derpy’s ears pricked up with interest. “Manehattan? You mean the city of Manehattan?” “Yep, that’s the one.” I responded welcomingly to her query. “Ever since I was a filly I always wanted to know what it was like to live in a big city! I’ve only ever lived in Ponyville, so I have no idea. What’s it like?” Derpy was clearly intrigued by what I was about to say and looked intently at me as I thought about my answer. “Well there is a lot to do, I’ll give it that but it can be very overwhelming.” I said somewhat resentfully. “What do you mean?” Derpy leant on the table in order to get closer to hear my reply. “I just mean that it’s a nice place, but it can be a bit overcrowded and too noisy a lot of the time.” I answered thoughtfully. “Is that why you moved here, Night Spark?” Derpy had read me like a book. She seemed to be much smarter than her name suggested. “Yeah, that and the fact that there wasn’t really anywhere to practice magic in the city without being interrupted half the time. I thought that Ponyville would be much more laid back and peaceful and well, here I am.” I stated before we both shared a brief laugh at my last comment. “So where in Ponyville do you live?” Derpy asked cheerfully. “Just down the road from here, I can show you the house if you like. The movers should be done by now.” I said invitingly. “Sounds great!” Derpy was clearly excited, so without wasting a minute we began to make our way to my house while Derpy asked me about what the house was like. I had almost become lost in conversation before Derpy called out; “Is that your house?” I looked straight ahead and saw that my house was ready as the movers had begun to set off. We went inside and I showed her around. There wasn’t too much to show because the house was only small, but Derpy seemed to like it. “This is a really nice place!” Derpy announced admiringly. “Thanks Derpy!” I was pleased to see that I was not the only one satisfied with my new home. Derpy and I proceeded to sit in the main hall and talk for a while. She told me more about Ponyville and the surrounding area, even with a story about the Everfree forest and all of the dangers that lie within. We talked into the night, not realising how dark it was getting until I got up to get a drink. I looked at the clock tower across from my house and was completely shocked by the time shown on it. Derpy must have known what time it was because soon after she informed me that had to get home. “Oh my! I’ve got to get back! It was great meeting you today, but can I ask you a question?” Derpy had an almost concerned tone in her voice as she asked the question. “Yes Derpy?” I replied inquisitively. “Do my eyes bother you?” “Why would they bother me?” I questioned confusedly as I honestly quite liked her eyes and how they were often askew. I even thought it was cute. “That’s alright then, it’s just that some ponies don’t give me a chance because they think my eyes make me seem weird but you’re not that judgmental. I like that.”Derpy remarked with relief. “Well I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!” Derpy called as she walked down the road. My first day in Ponyville was much better than I expected it to be and I had even gained a friend in a very short space of time. A new chapter of my life had just begun and I had a good feeling about the future. Author's Note Just to clear up a few things ; this is my first story so i don't expect much in the way of praise. I've tried to make it as readable as possible by trying to be to the point with this story. Please tell me if you think I've missed any tags for the overall story and i will rectify my mistakes as soon as possible. Anyway, i hope you enjoy reading this and feel free to give your opinion if you want. Places to go, ponies to seeUpon waking up the next day, I was surprised at the atmosphere that had been presented to me. It was calm, serine, and almost completely silent. I couldn't help but notice the ease of rest I had experienced prior to my awakening, the scene set on the nights of Manehattan was nothing near as peaceful, with the typical city racket and the commotion of the occasional cart chase. The greeting of this Ponyville morning was much more to my liking. As I got out of bed I thought for a moment about the previous night with Derpy. Were ponies really bothered by her eyes? It’s almost as if somepony gave her a hard time in the past due to them or perhaps still does. I didn't ponder on it for too long. There were things to do, ponies to see and I planned to get to know some of the Ponyville landmarks. So without further ado I got up, ate breakfast, brushed my mane and tail, grabbed a few bits off the kitchen counter and stopped to think of whether there was anything else I needed to do before I left. “Oh, the curtains of course!” Even though I liked the darkness most of the time, I figured that I might need to let some light into the house in case I had anything to work on later. I went to the upstairs windows and opened the curtains. I had set up a small study area consisting of a desk, chair and bookcase on the upstairs floor that was overlooked by a small window in the roof of the house. The location of the window was extremely convenient because not only would it provide plenty of light when needed, but I could also look up to the stars for inspiration when it was called for. The house became flooded with light, which seemed to beam through each and every one of the windows with lustrous brilliance. With the house illuminated and everything I needed to hand, I ventured to the front of the house and opened not only the door, but also the opportunities of the new day. As soon as I turned around from locking the front door, the first event of the day struck me like a fluffy pink bullet. “Hi! Your new here right? I’m Pinkie Pie, how you doing?” I had to pause for a moment. The frantic forwardness of this mare had almost caused me to recoil, but I soon formulated a response. “Why yes, I am new here and I’d say I’m doing well, thanks.” I replied, flattered by her interest. “That’s great! I always greet new ponies because I love making new friends! There’s nothing better than making new friends, don’t you think? I always meet such wonderful ponies, well except for that one griffon I met; she was really mean to everyone. So what’s your name? Where are you from?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with glee. Pinkie Pie seemed to speak in fast-forward and appeared to be a pony all about function. “My name is Night Spark, and I’m from Manehattan. I’m here in Ponyville for a new life away from the troubles of the city. By the way which landmarks in the town would you recommend?” I asked inquisitively. “Well off the top of my head, there’s Rarity’s boutique on the other side of town, she’s the best tailor you’ll meet here in Ponyville. Ooh! I've got to go or I’ll miss super great fun with Applejack! I’ll see you later!” “Okay thank you very mu-.” I stopped halfway through my sentence because by the time I could utter a word in response, I noticed that she was gone just as suddenly as she appeared earlier. At least before she left Pinkie Pie had given me an idea of where I should visit first but I couldn't help but comment “What just happened?” I mean I thought Derpy was cheerful but Pinkie Pie was something different. Pinkie Pie’s happiness levels seemed to border on the insane. Nonetheless, I set off on my way to Rarity’s boutique with high hopes that her apparel would live up to expectations or even surpass them. Within the next ten minutes I had arrived at Rarity’s shop, which was presented like a work of art to the world with very intricate designs along the exterior of the building. This made me think that Rarity must be quite the perfectionist. I proceeded to enter the boutique. The interior of the establishment greeted me with a heavenly glow. Everything in the hall seemed perfect: the colours, the layout, the décor, it all helped to create a very regal atmosphere. It was as if anyone could feel like royalty just by entering the building. Just before I could become truly engrossed in the features of the shop, a very classy sounding came from across the hall. “May I help you sir?” I turned my head to face this pony, whose coat was as white as hearths warming snow and mane was of an alluring purple. I tried not to gawk at the overwhelming beauty of this mare, so I briskly responded. “Yes please, I was hoping to buy some new gear.” I replied. “Okay, any particular idea of occasions you want it for or what you’ll be using it for?” Rarity enquired. She seemed to be seeking specific uses until she asked “What do you plan to do in the future? That may give me a better idea.” Simply explaining some of my future plans seemed much easier than having to come up with a use on the spot. “Well I do plan to work on my magic in the near future.” I explained. “Say no more darling, if you’re going to perform magic you simply must have some robes!” Rarity said excitedly. “Ooh and it might be worth speaking to my friend Twilight; she lives in the library not far from here and is a fantastic wizard. Now then, I’ll get started on those robes. Come back in about three days and I’ll have them ready for you”. I was surprised that Rarity had not even hinted at any sort of cost. “Thanks very much Rarity, I’ll see you then.” I responded before leaving the shop. Since Rarity had given me the idea, I set out visit Twilight, who Rarity had claimed to be Ponyville’s greatest wizard. As I cantered over to the Ponyville library, I retained high hopes of this twilight character and was anxious to find out whether this seemingly renowned magician was all that Rarity said she was. I had become lost in thought over the idea of the capabilities of this particular unicorn as I had met with a fair few spell casters in the past; however none of them had a reputation that preceded them. In a matter of minutes I had arrived at the Ponyville library which to my surprise, was made up of a gargantuan tree. I walked over to the front door but as I did, I could hear a commotion from the inside. I knocked with caution. After a few knocks, a voice came from within; “Spike! Could you answer that for me?” and a few moments later, the door was opened. At first, I couldn't see anyone and thought that the door had perhaps blown open but there was no feeling of any breeze at that time. “Down here.” I looked down and there stood a baby dragon with purple scales and green eyes and spines. The dragon looked up at me with a scowl over its reptilian eyes. “Hello, you must be Spike. I was told to come and see somepony by the name of Twilight.” I stated. I got straight to the point because frankly, Spike did not seem to have much patience. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m afraid you’ve caught us at a bad time, you see-…” Spike was interrupted by the very same voice I heard from outside. “Who is it, Spike?” “A visitor for you!” Spike replied with a shout. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!” the unknown equine exclaimed. After a brief period of waiting, I could hear hoof steps coming down a set of stairs hurriedly and within the next few seconds, I was face-to-face with a mare who had a light purple coat, perhaps a shade darker then lilac and a mane that consisted of a dark blue (which was fairly similar to my own, only hers had a stripe of purple and stripe of pink running through it). “Hello, can I help you?” “Are you the one known as Twilight?” I inquired. “Yes, I’m Twilight Sparkle, what can I do for you?” She replied. Twilight seemed surprised by the fact that I knew her name. “Well, part of the reason I came to Ponyville was so that I could do more to study and practice magic, Rarity said it might be worth speaking to you.” I said cheerfully. Twilight gave a sigh of dismay before responding; “I wish I could help, but right now I’m up to the tip of my horn in work.” “Oh that’s okay, it’s no problem, some other time perhaps?” I asked with a tinge of disappointment. Twilight seemed to have some sort of brainwave as she clapped her hooves and went wide-eyed with excitement. “I have an idea, how about I let you borrow a few books for you to read up on magic, until I’m done with all my work?” Twilight questioned with glee. “Sure that works.” The offer had made me perk up and I now looked forward to flicking through some material on magic. This was just how I’d have wanted to get started. “Great, take these books and come to see me again in about… three days.” Twilight stated happily as she handed me a stack of several books. “Thank you very much; I’m sure I will learn a lot from these. See you in three days!” I called whilst leaving the library. I shut the door of the library behind me out of courtesy, in order to let Twilight get straight back to her work. I had left my saddlebags at home, so I had to balance the books on my back as started to make my way to my house. All was calm and I thought that nothing could go wrong for the rest of the day but as I began moving away from the library, I found myself being struck down to the ground by something. I had been hit with tremendous force and the books I had been carrying were scattered all around from the impact. Before I could even react, I felt myself being held down by somepony. When I looked up I found that I was being restrained by a light blue Pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane, glaring down on me menacingly. “And just what do you think you’re doing?” The Pegasus asked aggressively. “I’m not doing anything, what do you think you’re doing?” I replied “Listen wise guy, what are you doing with all those books?” By this point, I had realized that it was a mare I was talking to, but she was very tomboyish which at first, led to some confusion as to her gender with me thinking that she was male. However it mattered little, as I had to swiftly explain myself. “Look I just...” Before I could give my response I could hear Rarity screaming. Both I and my assailant turned our heads to face her. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing? Let that poor gentlecolt go this instant!” Rarity declared sternly. Now free from the pegasus’s grasp, I proceeded to clamber back up and explain myself. “Twilight said she was busy, so she let me borrow these books for a few days” I said. As I told Rainbow Dash my reason for taking the books away from the library, her expression grew even more foreboding. She looked as though she wanted to give some kind of sarcastic reply, but Rarity jumped in to save us the trouble. “Yes, it should be quite alright, I told him to go visit Twilight when he visited my shop earlier and we both know that she is always willing to help out when it comes to magic” Rarity assured. After a brief silence, Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of disapproval before saying; “Fine, but I've got my eye on you mister.” She then flew up into the sky and darted away within moments. After a brief silence, Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of disapproval before saying; “Fine, but I’ve got my eye on you mister.” She then flew up into the sky and darted away within moments. “Thanks Rarity, I appreciate it.” “It’s really not a problem, dear. I just hope you’re alright.” Rarity replied concernedly. “I’m fine, what brings you here by the way?” I asked “Oh, I almost forgot, I need to take a note of your name for the robes. Just to make sure I don’t get anything mixed up. Could you sign here please?” Rarity inquired whilst levitating a form and quill in front of me. I wrote down my name along the line given and filled out the formalities, but then came the part I was dreading; “Signature”. I had never really had a signature but had to put down something, so put a random squiggle on the dotted signature line and handed the form back to Rarity. “Thank you sir.” She said graciously. Rarity looked down the form and it was obvious when she reached my excuse for a signature because her face turned stony as if to say; “Seriously?” Nonetheless, she accepted it and bid me farewell with a cheerful “See you soon!” It then struck me that perhaps I should just write N.S. next time. After making sure I had picked up all of the books I had dropped, I headed home. Once there, I went straight upstairs and set the books down on the desk in my study area. I decided not to use the bookshelf for other people’s books because I feared that if did; I would forget that they weren't mine. I went down to kitchen to fetch a sandwich and returned ready to flick through the magic material laid before me. Starting from the top of the pile, I picked off a book named Levitation and its practical applications. I began reading and was able to get through the first few chapters by the late hours of the night but the day had been exhausting and felt a great need to lay my head to rest for another day. Author's Note Just a few words; I know that there is a lot of introduction as to characters in this chapter but because of that, in the next chapters I will be able to get into some more adventurous exploits and dramatic events. Oh, and i plan to make each chapter a roughly similar length( that being between perhaps 1500-3000 words long apiece). The Spark IgnitesI had started to properly settle into living in Ponyville. I met some new ponies, got to know about the local area and started to gain quite a liking for my new home. All this took place in only a matter of days, so I decided to perhaps take a day to just relax and maybe go out for a light trot around the town. That morning ended up with me having a lie-in and not getting out of bed until around noon, one of life’s little luxuries that I hadn’t had the chance to experience for a while. It was tempting to spend the whole day not doing anything but I decided against that as being cooped up in a house all day often made me feel very bored and under the weather. Eventually, I made a light breakfast and looked out at the landscape. Unlike the last few days, the sky was overcast and it looked as though it might rain. This however, would not stop me from leaving the house, in fact quite the opposite as I always welcomed the cool and somewhat refreshing feel of the rain on my coat. As I finished my late breakfast and walked towards the door, I couldn't help but feel as though I had forgotten something. “Was I supposed to do something today?” I thought to myself, desperately trying to remember whether I had anything planned. I walked out door with this thought still occurring in my mind, almost making I forget to lock the door behind me and wonder why it was bothering me so much. I knew I had a tendency to be forgetful at times but I normally didn’t have to dwell on it so much before the answer presented itself. By the time I reached the center of town, I had still not figured out what was bugging me. “Was it something important?” I asked myself under my breath so that only I could hear. It had to be something fairly significant otherwise I would have probably given up on it by that point. I looked up at the clock tower in the center of town, which showed the time as being half-past one and at that very moment, it struck me. I felt myself panic as I remembered that I was supposed to see Rarity to pick up my robes and meet Twilight so she could help me with my magic that day and even let out a heavy gasp my plans for the day dawned on me. Without another moment’s hesitation, I began galloping over to the Carousel Boutique with a great sense of urgency, the likes of which I had not previously felt. As I reached the boutique, I pretty much barged through the front door, causing it to swing back and hit the wall with a load bang. It took a moment for me to notice that Rarity was staring at me from across the room and she appeared to be quite startled by my disruptive entry. “Sweet Celestia, you almost scared the life out of me!” Rarity squealed before regaining her composure. “Now what can I do for you, dear?” I took a moment to catch my breath and noticed several differently coloured pieces of cloth and a large number of pins scattered about. This made me think that perhaps I was interrupting a new project of some sort, which made me surprised at the fact that Rarity’s reaction was so casual. Well, more casual than expected anyway. I had to gasp for air but managed to give her an answer. “I’m here… for the…robes...please.” I stammered hurriedly. “Ah yes, of course! I have them right here, ready to grace any wizard in all of Equestria.” Rarity replied with glee. “Feast your eyes on this!” She called out whist pulling back a set of curtains, revealing the eloquent, pristine robes that were displayed on one of the many mannequins found all around the shop. They were absolutely beautiful, dark blue along the top with a very subtle colour fade leading to light blue around the hooves and a purple grape coloured belt. There was a multitude of sapphires all along the bottom of the material, helping to reflect the change in hue. These robes had surpassed my every expectation and my only unaltered expectation was a steep price tag. “I love them! Thank you so much for this Rarity. How much do I owe you?” I couldn't help but allow my satisfaction to show and would be prepared to pay just about any amount for such high quality apparel. “Oh that won’t be necessary, first one’s on me.” Rarity answered with a wink. A part of me thought “really?” but as I was already late to meet Twilight, I simply thanked Rarity again and quickly made my way out of the shop and towards the library. I thought to myself “I hope I’m not too late.” all throughout the way there. When I finally reached the library, I saw Twilight walking out with a pair of saddlebags on. After a moment or two, she looked over at me with a face of both remembrance and surprise. “There you are! I almost thought you weren't coming.” The purple unicorn called. “I’m sorry about this; I almost forgot that I was meant to be here today. So, where do we start? I inquired eagerly. “Well, I was about to head on a little expedition to the Everfree Forest, perhaps it would be a good learning opportunity for you. Oh and uh, you won’t need those fancy robes for this. You can hang them up in the library if you want.” Twilight retorted. After leaving the robes at Twilight’s, we began to make our way to the Everfree Forest and discussed what exactly we were looking for and what we would be doing during our time there. As we made our way to the forest, it started to rain in a light drizzle and it looked as though it would only get worse. Once the pair of us arrived at the Everfree forest, Twilight told me to start looking for a variety of brightly coloured herb and flowers. She explained that these plants were for an alchemist living in the area who needed certain ingredients for some of her latest remedies and potions. While this did not initially seem to have much to do with actually learning magic, it soon became clear that potions can help to aid the development of magical abilities… after a lengthy lecture from Twilight. I got to work on collecting the plants Twilight had specified until I heard a strange, wooden creaking sound. Thinking that it was just a branch moving in the wind, I decided to ignore it. However, I could sense the sound getting closer so I looked up from the orangey-red flower I was picking and scanned the area around me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it made me very uncomfortable. As I turned back around to face the flowers, I was suddenly pinned to the ground by a great, looming monstrosity. I found the creature’s entirely wooden structure most curious and it’s leering green eyes very unsettling. Before I could raise a hoof, the beast slashed across my face with a set of hardwood claws. I felt a trickle of blood run down my face; I knew that this wolf-like creature would not hesitate to kill me if I didn't do something. I was able to place my back hooves under the abdomen of my wooden attacker and managed to stagger the beast by kicking at full force, allowing me quickly stand back up. At this point, the light rain had turned into a downpour as we faced off. As soon as I got back to my hooves, I saw three more identical beasts approach and thought that I had almost no hope of fending them off until I felt something being unleashed inside me. I suddenly acquired a feeling of great power as the pack of beasts prepared to attack. As the first one pounced, I shot a fireball from my horn that hit it directly in the center of the chest. This caused the beast to be forced backwards as the other three made their move. As they got closer and closer, I focused all of my magical energy at the ground in front of me, hoping for one decisive and powerful spell that would save me from this situation. I waited for the three creatures to pounce before releasing the energy I had focused into the ground. As they leaped, I felt all of the muscles tense up in one painful contraction and I could hear thunder in the distance as I unleashed the energy in one large wall of fire which caused them to fall into hundreds or perhaps even thousands of smouldering pieces upon impact. Before it was over however, I spotted the beast from earlier coming back for one more attempt at my life. This time, I imbued my right hoof with magical flames and charged into the wooden challenger. As we were about to collide, I forced my hoof straight into the face of the wooden beast. The problem with the hostile creatures was over, but my strength was spent. The outburst of destruction had taken all of my energy and stamina and I sank to my haunches, breathing heavily and trying desperately to recompose myself. I then felt a hoof on my shoulder and turned my head to see that it was Twilight. “Oh my gosh! Are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly. She seemed to be panicking slightly as there was a look of worry in her eyes. “You saw that, huh? Yeah, I guess I’m okay.” I knew that I was in rough shape but would try to hide it until we got back to Ponyville. “I think we should get back before any more of those things show up.” Twilight suggested in a concerned tone. “Y…yeah I agree.” It was getting hard to hide the fact that I was completely exhausted, but I walked along with Twilight for some time, feeling the cooling rain as some kind of blessing from Celestia herself until I could feel my legs weakening and fell, almost unable to move. “Night Spark!” That was the last thing I heard before falling unconscious… Author's Note Alright, now a start to more of the action! Don't worry, I will be writing chapters more often now (once I have completed some more of my proofreading tasks) and there will be more drama and generally more to the story.
An introderption to PonyvilleI had to leave. My time in Manehattan was soon to be over. The city life was not for me, too frantic and with no place for me to practice magic in peace. All of the arrangements were made. I was to leave for Ponyville after one more night under the stars, lying beside the lone tree that stood in the center of a remote field beyond the outskirts of the metropolis that would soon be behind me. The next day came almost too soon. It was as if only yesterday I originally thought of leaving, but the day was finally here. “I never thought this day would actually come, our little colt moving out.” My mother stated. Sounding fairly crestfallen as my father replied with a faint nod and look of dismay. As I had finished packing my last few belongings, I made my way down the stairs to find my parents standing on either side of the front door. Both seemed as if they were defiant of the fact that I was actually going. My father approached. “Well son, I've got to tell you I’m going to miss you around here.” “I’ll miss you too dad.” I replied sincerely. “Now you remember to stay safe and keep in touch okay?” My mother called “I will mum, I’ll be sure to be careful and write to you when I can. I’ll come back and visit from time to time.” I uttered with a quivering lip. “We’ll look forward to hearing from you, Night Spark.” I found it difficult to conceal my emotions as I turned and climbed into the carriage I had hired to carry my luggage to Ponyville. Mixed thoughts of my Manehattan home filled my head for the duration of the journey, some glad to escape the clutter of the city and some sad to be leaving my family. The past was behind me. My new life in Ponyville was soon to begin. It was only mid-afternoon when I reached Ponyville. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I had not noticed that the carriage had stopped outside my new home. The house was well worth the bits I had paid for it, very welcoming and with sound décor. The interior was fairly small but cosy and would feel completely homely once the movers had finished putting in the items I had brought with me. The movers went about their work. I decided to visit the local cake shop, Sugar Cube Corner to pick up some treats for later in the evening and to fill time while waiting for my house to be ready. A relaxing trot to the shop seemed to lift my mind completely off all anxieties. As I arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, the smell of fresh baking enticed me even further to want to walk away with a delicacy. Upon entering the shop a warm welcome was received. “Why hello! I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before!” said a voice which was upbeat and with an inquisitive tone. “I just got in from Manehattan.” I replied to the blue coated and pink maned pony standing before me. “Well I’m Mrs Cake, what can I do for you?” “Ooh I think I’ll have some blueberry muffins please.” I answered with audible joy. Mrs Cake nodded and pulled a box of muffins from under the counter. “That’ll be four bits.” I put the bits on the counter and headed towards the door with a smile. “Goodbye Mrs Cake!” I called. “Bye dear!” Sugar Cube Corner was to become very familiar to me as of that day. A pleasant breeze was felt flowing through my mane as I trotted home. The street was fairly empty, giving me plenty of personal space. It was a pleasure I had rarely felt in the city due to the usual congestion. All was calm until I tripped over a stone in the ground, causing the muffins on my back to launch out of the box as my face hit the floor. “*Gasp* muffins!” I looked up from the floor only to see a light grey blur pass my eyes and I had to blink twice to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. My eyes did not deceive me. In front of me was a mare straddled out in what looked like a backwards crabwalk. She had caught all of the muffins; they had landed on her knees except for one which laid on the underside of her chin. Two ponies sat at a café on the side of the road had the same look of astonishment that had captured me as the mystery mare stood up to hand me back my muffins. “Phew, lucky catch huh? Are you alright?” “Yeah I’m fine, thanks by the way.” I responded. “Don’t mention it.” She said cheerfully. There was something about this mare that was different from anypony else I had come across, her eyes were offset and her blonde mane was a little scruffy. I had no idea who this pony was but I was compelled to find out. “I’m Derpy.” She stated. Derpy had a delicate voice. I had finally noticed what she sounded like after I dusted myself off from the fall. “My name’s Night Spark. Nice to meet you.” I declared happily whilst offering to shake her hoof. After our hoof-shake Derpy giggled and asked if I wanted to hang out with her, an offer I could not refuse. I liked this pony. She seemed to have quite a joyful and carefree manner about her that I found hard to come by back in Manehattan. I had a good feeling about Derpy. Derpy and I decided to go to a small café near the roadside for a drink and a chat. Although I originally planned to save the muffins I had for later, we ended up sharing them as soon as we sat down with the box emptied surprisingly quickly. We stayed for a while and told stories of our lives, including a story of how Derpy managed to get herself into a snow globe. When I later mentioned that I was from Manehattan, Derpy’s ears pricked up with interest. “Manehattan? You mean the city of Manehattan?” “Yep, that’s the one.” I responded welcomingly to her query. “Ever since I was a filly I always wanted to know what it was like to live in a big city! I’ve only ever lived in Ponyville, so I have no idea. What’s it like?” Derpy was clearly intrigued by what I was about to say and looked intently at me as I thought about my answer. “Well there is a lot to do, I’ll give it that but it can be very overwhelming.” I said somewhat resentfully. “What do you mean?” Derpy leant on the table in order to get closer to hear my reply. “I just mean that it’s a nice place, but it can be a bit overcrowded and too noisy a lot of the time.” I answered thoughtfully. “Is that why you moved here, Night Spark?” Derpy had read me like a book. She seemed to be much smarter than her name suggested. “Yeah, that and the fact that there wasn’t really anywhere to practice magic in the city without being interrupted half the time. I thought that Ponyville would be much more laid back and peaceful and well, here I am.” I stated before we both shared a brief laugh at my last comment. “So where in Ponyville do you live?” Derpy asked cheerfully. “Just down the road from here, I can show you the house if you like. The movers should be done by now.” I said invitingly. “Sounds great!” Derpy was clearly excited, so without wasting a minute we began to make our way to my house while Derpy asked me about what the house was like. I had almost become lost in conversation before Derpy called out; “Is that your house?” I looked straight ahead and saw that my house was ready as the movers had begun to set off. We went inside and I showed her around. There wasn’t too much to show because the house was only small, but Derpy seemed to like it. “This is a really nice place!” Derpy announced admiringly. “Thanks Derpy!” I was pleased to see that I was not the only one satisfied with my new home. Derpy and I proceeded to sit in the main hall and talk for a while. She told me more about Ponyville and the surrounding area, even with a story about the Everfree forest and all of the dangers that lie within. We talked into the night, not realising how dark it was getting until I got up to get a drink. I looked at the clock tower across from my house and was completely shocked by the time shown on it. Derpy must have known what time it was because soon after she informed me that had to get home. “Oh my! I’ve got to get back! It was great meeting you today, but can I ask you a question?” Derpy had an almost concerned tone in her voice as she asked the question. “Yes Derpy?” I replied inquisitively. “Do my eyes bother you?” “Why would they bother me?” I questioned confusedly as I honestly quite liked her eyes and how they were often askew. I even thought it was cute. “That’s alright then, it’s just that some ponies don’t give me a chance because they think my eyes make me seem weird but you’re not that judgmental. I like that.”Derpy remarked with relief. “Well I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!” Derpy called as she walked down the road. My first day in Ponyville was much better than I expected it to be and I had even gained a friend in a very short space of time. A new chapter of my life had just begun and I had a good feeling about the future. Author's Note Just to clear up a few things ; this is my first story so i don't expect much in the way of praise. I've tried to make it as readable as possible by trying to be to the point with this story. Please tell me if you think I've missed any tags for the overall story and i will rectify my mistakes as soon as possible. Anyway, i hope you enjoy reading this and feel free to give your opinion if you want.
Places to go, ponies to seeUpon waking up the next day, I was surprised at the atmosphere that had been presented to me. It was calm, serine, and almost completely silent. I couldn't help but notice the ease of rest I had experienced prior to my awakening, the scene set on the nights of Manehattan was nothing near as peaceful, with the typical city racket and the commotion of the occasional cart chase. The greeting of this Ponyville morning was much more to my liking. As I got out of bed I thought for a moment about the previous night with Derpy. Were ponies really bothered by her eyes? It’s almost as if somepony gave her a hard time in the past due to them or perhaps still does. I didn't ponder on it for too long. There were things to do, ponies to see and I planned to get to know some of the Ponyville landmarks. So without further ado I got up, ate breakfast, brushed my mane and tail, grabbed a few bits off the kitchen counter and stopped to think of whether there was anything else I needed to do before I left. “Oh, the curtains of course!” Even though I liked the darkness most of the time, I figured that I might need to let some light into the house in case I had anything to work on later. I went to the upstairs windows and opened the curtains. I had set up a small study area consisting of a desk, chair and bookcase on the upstairs floor that was overlooked by a small window in the roof of the house. The location of the window was extremely convenient because not only would it provide plenty of light when needed, but I could also look up to the stars for inspiration when it was called for. The house became flooded with light, which seemed to beam through each and every one of the windows with lustrous brilliance. With the house illuminated and everything I needed to hand, I ventured to the front of the house and opened not only the door, but also the opportunities of the new day. As soon as I turned around from locking the front door, the first event of the day struck me like a fluffy pink bullet. “Hi! Your new here right? I’m Pinkie Pie, how you doing?” I had to pause for a moment. The frantic forwardness of this mare had almost caused me to recoil, but I soon formulated a response. “Why yes, I am new here and I’d say I’m doing well, thanks.” I replied, flattered by her interest. “That’s great! I always greet new ponies because I love making new friends! There’s nothing better than making new friends, don’t you think? I always meet such wonderful ponies, well except for that one griffon I met; she was really mean to everyone. So what’s your name? Where are you from?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with glee. Pinkie Pie seemed to speak in fast-forward and appeared to be a pony all about function. “My name is Night Spark, and I’m from Manehattan. I’m here in Ponyville for a new life away from the troubles of the city. By the way which landmarks in the town would you recommend?” I asked inquisitively. “Well off the top of my head, there’s Rarity’s boutique on the other side of town, she’s the best tailor you’ll meet here in Ponyville. Ooh! I've got to go or I’ll miss super great fun with Applejack! I’ll see you later!” “Okay thank you very mu-.” I stopped halfway through my sentence because by the time I could utter a word in response, I noticed that she was gone just as suddenly as she appeared earlier. At least before she left Pinkie Pie had given me an idea of where I should visit first but I couldn't help but comment “What just happened?” I mean I thought Derpy was cheerful but Pinkie Pie was something different. Pinkie Pie’s happiness levels seemed to border on the insane. Nonetheless, I set off on my way to Rarity’s boutique with high hopes that her apparel would live up to expectations or even surpass them. Within the next ten minutes I had arrived at Rarity’s shop, which was presented like a work of art to the world with very intricate designs along the exterior of the building. This made me think that Rarity must be quite the perfectionist. I proceeded to enter the boutique. The interior of the establishment greeted me with a heavenly glow. Everything in the hall seemed perfect: the colours, the layout, the décor, it all helped to create a very regal atmosphere. It was as if anyone could feel like royalty just by entering the building. Just before I could become truly engrossed in the features of the shop, a very classy sounding came from across the hall. “May I help you sir?” I turned my head to face this pony, whose coat was as white as hearths warming snow and mane was of an alluring purple. I tried not to gawk at the overwhelming beauty of this mare, so I briskly responded. “Yes please, I was hoping to buy some new gear.” I replied. “Okay, any particular idea of occasions you want it for or what you’ll be using it for?” Rarity enquired. She seemed to be seeking specific uses until she asked “What do you plan to do in the future? That may give me a better idea.” Simply explaining some of my future plans seemed much easier than having to come up with a use on the spot. “Well I do plan to work on my magic in the near future.” I explained. “Say no more darling, if you’re going to perform magic you simply must have some robes!” Rarity said excitedly. “Ooh and it might be worth speaking to my friend Twilight; she lives in the library not far from here and is a fantastic wizard. Now then, I’ll get started on those robes. Come back in about three days and I’ll have them ready for you”. I was surprised that Rarity had not even hinted at any sort of cost. “Thanks very much Rarity, I’ll see you then.” I responded before leaving the shop. Since Rarity had given me the idea, I set out visit Twilight, who Rarity had claimed to be Ponyville’s greatest wizard. As I cantered over to the Ponyville library, I retained high hopes of this twilight character and was anxious to find out whether this seemingly renowned magician was all that Rarity said she was. I had become lost in thought over the idea of the capabilities of this particular unicorn as I had met with a fair few spell casters in the past; however none of them had a reputation that preceded them. In a matter of minutes I had arrived at the Ponyville library which to my surprise, was made up of a gargantuan tree. I walked over to the front door but as I did, I could hear a commotion from the inside. I knocked with caution. After a few knocks, a voice came from within; “Spike! Could you answer that for me?” and a few moments later, the door was opened. At first, I couldn't see anyone and thought that the door had perhaps blown open but there was no feeling of any breeze at that time. “Down here.” I looked down and there stood a baby dragon with purple scales and green eyes and spines. The dragon looked up at me with a scowl over its reptilian eyes. “Hello, you must be Spike. I was told to come and see somepony by the name of Twilight.” I stated. I got straight to the point because frankly, Spike did not seem to have much patience. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m afraid you’ve caught us at a bad time, you see-…” Spike was interrupted by the very same voice I heard from outside. “Who is it, Spike?” “A visitor for you!” Spike replied with a shout. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!” the unknown equine exclaimed. After a brief period of waiting, I could hear hoof steps coming down a set of stairs hurriedly and within the next few seconds, I was face-to-face with a mare who had a light purple coat, perhaps a shade darker then lilac and a mane that consisted of a dark blue (which was fairly similar to my own, only hers had a stripe of purple and stripe of pink running through it). “Hello, can I help you?” “Are you the one known as Twilight?” I inquired. “Yes, I’m Twilight Sparkle, what can I do for you?” She replied. Twilight seemed surprised by the fact that I knew her name. “Well, part of the reason I came to Ponyville was so that I could do more to study and practice magic, Rarity said it might be worth speaking to you.” I said cheerfully. Twilight gave a sigh of dismay before responding; “I wish I could help, but right now I’m up to the tip of my horn in work.” “Oh that’s okay, it’s no problem, some other time perhaps?” I asked with a tinge of disappointment. Twilight seemed to have some sort of brainwave as she clapped her hooves and went wide-eyed with excitement. “I have an idea, how about I let you borrow a few books for you to read up on magic, until I’m done with all my work?” Twilight questioned with glee. “Sure that works.” The offer had made me perk up and I now looked forward to flicking through some material on magic. This was just how I’d have wanted to get started. “Great, take these books and come to see me again in about… three days.” Twilight stated happily as she handed me a stack of several books. “Thank you very much; I’m sure I will learn a lot from these. See you in three days!” I called whilst leaving the library. I shut the door of the library behind me out of courtesy, in order to let Twilight get straight back to her work. I had left my saddlebags at home, so I had to balance the books on my back as started to make my way to my house. All was calm and I thought that nothing could go wrong for the rest of the day but as I began moving away from the library, I found myself being struck down to the ground by something. I had been hit with tremendous force and the books I had been carrying were scattered all around from the impact. Before I could even react, I felt myself being held down by somepony. When I looked up I found that I was being restrained by a light blue Pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane, glaring down on me menacingly. “And just what do you think you’re doing?” The Pegasus asked aggressively. “I’m not doing anything, what do you think you’re doing?” I replied “Listen wise guy, what are you doing with all those books?” By this point, I had realized that it was a mare I was talking to, but she was very tomboyish which at first, led to some confusion as to her gender with me thinking that she was male. However it mattered little, as I had to swiftly explain myself. “Look I just...” Before I could give my response I could hear Rarity screaming. Both I and my assailant turned our heads to face her. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing? Let that poor gentlecolt go this instant!” Rarity declared sternly. Now free from the pegasus’s grasp, I proceeded to clamber back up and explain myself. “Twilight said she was busy, so she let me borrow these books for a few days” I said. As I told Rainbow Dash my reason for taking the books away from the library, her expression grew even more foreboding. She looked as though she wanted to give some kind of sarcastic reply, but Rarity jumped in to save us the trouble. “Yes, it should be quite alright, I told him to go visit Twilight when he visited my shop earlier and we both know that she is always willing to help out when it comes to magic” Rarity assured. After a brief silence, Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of disapproval before saying; “Fine, but I've got my eye on you mister.” She then flew up into the sky and darted away within moments. After a brief silence, Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of disapproval before saying; “Fine, but I’ve got my eye on you mister.” She then flew up into the sky and darted away within moments. “Thanks Rarity, I appreciate it.” “It’s really not a problem, dear. I just hope you’re alright.” Rarity replied concernedly. “I’m fine, what brings you here by the way?” I asked “Oh, I almost forgot, I need to take a note of your name for the robes. Just to make sure I don’t get anything mixed up. Could you sign here please?” Rarity inquired whilst levitating a form and quill in front of me. I wrote down my name along the line given and filled out the formalities, but then came the part I was dreading; “Signature”. I had never really had a signature but had to put down something, so put a random squiggle on the dotted signature line and handed the form back to Rarity. “Thank you sir.” She said graciously. Rarity looked down the form and it was obvious when she reached my excuse for a signature because her face turned stony as if to say; “Seriously?” Nonetheless, she accepted it and bid me farewell with a cheerful “See you soon!” It then struck me that perhaps I should just write N.S. next time. After making sure I had picked up all of the books I had dropped, I headed home. Once there, I went straight upstairs and set the books down on the desk in my study area. I decided not to use the bookshelf for other people’s books because I feared that if did; I would forget that they weren't mine. I went down to kitchen to fetch a sandwich and returned ready to flick through the magic material laid before me. Starting from the top of the pile, I picked off a book named Levitation and its practical applications. I began reading and was able to get through the first few chapters by the late hours of the night but the day had been exhausting and felt a great need to lay my head to rest for another day. Author's Note Just a few words; I know that there is a lot of introduction as to characters in this chapter but because of that, in the next chapters I will be able to get into some more adventurous exploits and dramatic events. Oh, and i plan to make each chapter a roughly similar length( that being between perhaps 1500-3000 words long apiece).
The Spark IgnitesI had started to properly settle into living in Ponyville. I met some new ponies, got to know about the local area and started to gain quite a liking for my new home. All this took place in only a matter of days, so I decided to perhaps take a day to just relax and maybe go out for a light trot around the town. That morning ended up with me having a lie-in and not getting out of bed until around noon, one of life’s little luxuries that I hadn’t had the chance to experience for a while. It was tempting to spend the whole day not doing anything but I decided against that as being cooped up in a house all day often made me feel very bored and under the weather. Eventually, I made a light breakfast and looked out at the landscape. Unlike the last few days, the sky was overcast and it looked as though it might rain. This however, would not stop me from leaving the house, in fact quite the opposite as I always welcomed the cool and somewhat refreshing feel of the rain on my coat. As I finished my late breakfast and walked towards the door, I couldn't help but feel as though I had forgotten something. “Was I supposed to do something today?” I thought to myself, desperately trying to remember whether I had anything planned. I walked out door with this thought still occurring in my mind, almost making I forget to lock the door behind me and wonder why it was bothering me so much. I knew I had a tendency to be forgetful at times but I normally didn’t have to dwell on it so much before the answer presented itself. By the time I reached the center of town, I had still not figured out what was bugging me. “Was it something important?” I asked myself under my breath so that only I could hear. It had to be something fairly significant otherwise I would have probably given up on it by that point. I looked up at the clock tower in the center of town, which showed the time as being half-past one and at that very moment, it struck me. I felt myself panic as I remembered that I was supposed to see Rarity to pick up my robes and meet Twilight so she could help me with my magic that day and even let out a heavy gasp my plans for the day dawned on me. Without another moment’s hesitation, I began galloping over to the Carousel Boutique with a great sense of urgency, the likes of which I had not previously felt. As I reached the boutique, I pretty much barged through the front door, causing it to swing back and hit the wall with a load bang. It took a moment for me to notice that Rarity was staring at me from across the room and she appeared to be quite startled by my disruptive entry. “Sweet Celestia, you almost scared the life out of me!” Rarity squealed before regaining her composure. “Now what can I do for you, dear?” I took a moment to catch my breath and noticed several differently coloured pieces of cloth and a large number of pins scattered about. This made me think that perhaps I was interrupting a new project of some sort, which made me surprised at the fact that Rarity’s reaction was so casual. Well, more casual than expected anyway. I had to gasp for air but managed to give her an answer. “I’m here… for the…robes...please.” I stammered hurriedly. “Ah yes, of course! I have them right here, ready to grace any wizard in all of Equestria.” Rarity replied with glee. “Feast your eyes on this!” She called out whist pulling back a set of curtains, revealing the eloquent, pristine robes that were displayed on one of the many mannequins found all around the shop. They were absolutely beautiful, dark blue along the top with a very subtle colour fade leading to light blue around the hooves and a purple grape coloured belt. There was a multitude of sapphires all along the bottom of the material, helping to reflect the change in hue. These robes had surpassed my every expectation and my only unaltered expectation was a steep price tag. “I love them! Thank you so much for this Rarity. How much do I owe you?” I couldn't help but allow my satisfaction to show and would be prepared to pay just about any amount for such high quality apparel. “Oh that won’t be necessary, first one’s on me.” Rarity answered with a wink. A part of me thought “really?” but as I was already late to meet Twilight, I simply thanked Rarity again and quickly made my way out of the shop and towards the library. I thought to myself “I hope I’m not too late.” all throughout the way there. When I finally reached the library, I saw Twilight walking out with a pair of saddlebags on. After a moment or two, she looked over at me with a face of both remembrance and surprise. “There you are! I almost thought you weren't coming.” The purple unicorn called. “I’m sorry about this; I almost forgot that I was meant to be here today. So, where do we start? I inquired eagerly. “Well, I was about to head on a little expedition to the Everfree Forest, perhaps it would be a good learning opportunity for you. Oh and uh, you won’t need those fancy robes for this. You can hang them up in the library if you want.” Twilight retorted. After leaving the robes at Twilight’s, we began to make our way to the Everfree Forest and discussed what exactly we were looking for and what we would be doing during our time there. As we made our way to the forest, it started to rain in a light drizzle and it looked as though it would only get worse. Once the pair of us arrived at the Everfree forest, Twilight told me to start looking for a variety of brightly coloured herb and flowers. She explained that these plants were for an alchemist living in the area who needed certain ingredients for some of her latest remedies and potions. While this did not initially seem to have much to do with actually learning magic, it soon became clear that potions can help to aid the development of magical abilities… after a lengthy lecture from Twilight. I got to work on collecting the plants Twilight had specified until I heard a strange, wooden creaking sound. Thinking that it was just a branch moving in the wind, I decided to ignore it. However, I could sense the sound getting closer so I looked up from the orangey-red flower I was picking and scanned the area around me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it made me very uncomfortable. As I turned back around to face the flowers, I was suddenly pinned to the ground by a great, looming monstrosity. I found the creature’s entirely wooden structure most curious and it’s leering green eyes very unsettling. Before I could raise a hoof, the beast slashed across my face with a set of hardwood claws. I felt a trickle of blood run down my face; I knew that this wolf-like creature would not hesitate to kill me if I didn't do something. I was able to place my back hooves under the abdomen of my wooden attacker and managed to stagger the beast by kicking at full force, allowing me quickly stand back up. At this point, the light rain had turned into a downpour as we faced off. As soon as I got back to my hooves, I saw three more identical beasts approach and thought that I had almost no hope of fending them off until I felt something being unleashed inside me. I suddenly acquired a feeling of great power as the pack of beasts prepared to attack. As the first one pounced, I shot a fireball from my horn that hit it directly in the center of the chest. This caused the beast to be forced backwards as the other three made their move. As they got closer and closer, I focused all of my magical energy at the ground in front of me, hoping for one decisive and powerful spell that would save me from this situation. I waited for the three creatures to pounce before releasing the energy I had focused into the ground. As they leaped, I felt all of the muscles tense up in one painful contraction and I could hear thunder in the distance as I unleashed the energy in one large wall of fire which caused them to fall into hundreds or perhaps even thousands of smouldering pieces upon impact. Before it was over however, I spotted the beast from earlier coming back for one more attempt at my life. This time, I imbued my right hoof with magical flames and charged into the wooden challenger. As we were about to collide, I forced my hoof straight into the face of the wooden beast. The problem with the hostile creatures was over, but my strength was spent. The outburst of destruction had taken all of my energy and stamina and I sank to my haunches, breathing heavily and trying desperately to recompose myself. I then felt a hoof on my shoulder and turned my head to see that it was Twilight. “Oh my gosh! Are you alright?” Twilight asked worriedly. She seemed to be panicking slightly as there was a look of worry in her eyes. “You saw that, huh? Yeah, I guess I’m okay.” I knew that I was in rough shape but would try to hide it until we got back to Ponyville. “I think we should get back before any more of those things show up.” Twilight suggested in a concerned tone. “Y…yeah I agree.” It was getting hard to hide the fact that I was completely exhausted, but I walked along with Twilight for some time, feeling the cooling rain as some kind of blessing from Celestia herself until I could feel my legs weakening and fell, almost unable to move. “Night Spark!” That was the last thing I heard before falling unconscious… Author's Note Alright, now a start to more of the action! Don't worry, I will be writing chapters more often now (once I have completed some more of my proofreading tasks) and there will be more drama and generally more to the story.
