//------------------------------// // New dawn // Story: Phoenix blood // by Mikoyose //------------------------------// I wake up feeling the same as everyday, hating sleep and not wanting to stay on the floor. With a sigh I rose from my prone state and stretched, remembering I was a Pegasus and not stretching my arms while on my hind legs. I could smell food coming from downstairs and my stomach grumbles. I look out the window and see the bright sunshine filled day, the pastel ponies minding their own business. I let a smile creep onto my face as I knew this was probably the calm before the storm. Things never worked out for me especially when things seemed great and safe; things would get worse. But I decided to just enjoy the peace while it lasted. I yawned loudly before my door opened and Lyra entered, "Good morning James, sleep well?" she asked, I never have. "More or less." I answered as I walked over to my saddlebags, I didn't have a job to do today since we had three days of clear weather before a light rain shower. Lyra smiled at the answer. "Great! I made breakfast. Eggs over easy, hush puppies and Bon bon made chocolate chip pancakes." I told her I'd be right down and she left, I looked into my saddlebags and lifted the paper for a free trip to the spa with my mouth. I dropped it back in and left to enter the bathroom. After a nice long hot shower I walked downstairs, it was still a bit of a mess down here, and entered the kitchen. Bon bon and Lyra were sitting at the table and they had set a place for me. I thanked them and ate my breakfast, the meal was not entirely quiet, "So James... What did you think of the party?" Bon bon asked me. I swallowed the bite I had taken before answering. "It was good I guess. I haven't been to many parties so I can't give you more than that." I said, finishing off the eggs and starting on the pancakes. Bon bon leaned in, "Well did you meet somepony special?" she asked, I looked at her as she nudged me. I finished the pancakes before answering. "No, no I didn't." And I'm not looking I thought as I grabbed the empty plate and put it in the dishes. "Oh that's too bad, I bet you would be a lot happier with a marefriend." Lyra said as she put another pancake on her plate. I shook my head, "I'm fine being alone." I walked back up to my room and put on my saddlebags before trotting down the steps and out the door, "I'll be back later." I told them before closing the door, hating that I had to bite it closed. Now where is the Doctor's home again? I thought as I walked into town. More ponies greeted me than usual, some just to ask if I was 'seeing' Dash. I answered all those the exact same way, "There is no way I would ever do that." I said this flatly, it stopped the idiotic question. The only one I actually enjoyed seeing was Caramel, he came to thank me since he had actually hit it off with Daisy and they were going to go out for dinner tomorrow. I asked him directions for Ditzy's home, he gave them to me and trotted off. I followed his directions and nearly reached the building but got stopped by Applejack. "Hey James can ya come over here fer a second?" she asked from her apple stand. I walked over, "What do you want?" I asked her. "Can't ya say anythin' nice?" "Habit. Can't help it." She sighed, "Fine, well Rainbow asked me ta tell ya that she wants the cider delivered to her home an I got the cider ready back at the farm. Ya'all gonna have ta take 'em up to her home. Ah'm guessin you know where that is?" "Yeah I know where Dash lives. The cloud mansion at the edge of the town. I'll take them there later. Bye." "Bye sugarcube." I made a mental note to get the cider after speaking with Ditzy and the Doctor. When I reached their home I knocked a few times. No answer, I knocked again, this time hearing hoofsteps approach the door. I stepped back as the door opened inwards, there was a filly standing there. She looked up at me, "Hello mister." I leaned down to see into the filly's eyes. "Are the Doctor and Ditzy in?" She smiled then shook her head. "Uh-uh, Doctor and mom aren't here, they left in the big box. I don't know when they'll be back. " "Oh well can you give them a message when they do?" I asked, she nodded. "Thank you, tell the Doctor that I'd like to talk to him please. My name is James, I'm a friend of the Doctor." I thanked her again and left, knowing the TARDIS was out there somewhere. I swear if her mother doesn't come back I'm going to kill him. I thought as I began walking to Applejack's farm, I stopped to get a few apples and to order a bed for the home, I still had about 50 bits left. The sun was lower in the sky, "I hope Dash doesn't mind her cider being late." I said as I began walking slower. As I walked past another fruit vendor Pinkie Pie popped out of the fruit, making me jump a little. She was squinting and staring at me, "You aren't going to break your promise are you?" She came closer as she spoke, her muzzle pressing against mine. I regarded her evenly. "I said I'd get her the cider but I didn't say when." I told her, she backed away and hopped out of the fruit. "Just remember, not keeping a promise is the fastest way to lose a friend. FOREVER!" She said the last word dramatically. "So? I was on my way to take them to her anyway." I said. She smiled and hugged me, I'd be lying if I didn't say it felt strange to get hugged randomly. "Thank you James for not breaking your promise." she let go and started bouncing away towards Sugarcube Corner. "I'll never understand how she does these things." I was going to continue walking but I remembered I had wings. I spread them and flew off towards Sweet apple acres. The flight there was relatively short and again I was wishing I had them back home. I landed outside the barn and looked around, I didn't see any barrels but I did see a large red stallion, "Hey, I'm here to pick up two barrels of cider. Where are they?" He turned to me with a bored expression on his face. He pointed to the home behind me. I thanked him and all he said was "Eeyup." I walked to the house and knocked a few times. It was answered by an elderly green mare, "Why hello young'un. How can Ah help you?" she asked. I looked into the house and didn't see any barrels. "Well I came to pick up two barrels of cider from Applejack." the mare looked me over and smiled, "Ain't you one handsome stallion? Ah knew mah little Applejack woulda found a nice stallion." She patted me on the back. "I'm not with Applejack. I just came to get the cider for a bet I lost." I told her. Her smile was still there. "That's a shame. The cider's in the back sonny. Dontcha be a stranger now ya'hear?" she said, slowly waving me off. I looked back and saw her slowly walk back inside, her limbs looked like they had rusty joints in them. I walked around the house and found the two barrels that had Dash's name on them. I grabbed one and tried to fly with it in my hooves, I knew that wouldn't work as it began slipping. I was wondering how to carry it when I saw the red stallion carrying two barrels of apples on his back. I thought it over for a second before wasting seven minutes just to get the barrel onto my back. I estimated that it weighed about 50 lbs. though it wasn't too heavy I knew I could only take them to her one at a time. I flapped my wings a few times to get off the floor and slowly flew to the cloud home in the distance. It took about two hours to get them both over there. I knocked on her door non-stop until she opened it, "Dear Celestia what do you want?! Oh it's you. Did Applejack tell you I want my cider now?" Dash asked. I moved aside and let her see the two barrels. Her jaw dropped and she began drooling, "Thanks James!" She flew over and grabbed a barrel and tried dragging it in before putting it on her back. I chuckled, "Want some help there Dash?" I asked her. She shook her head as she slowly carried a single barrel inside, I hoisted the other onto my back and followed her inside with less effort. She dropped it and I put the other one with it. "There you go Dash. I kept my promise." I told her and looked out. "Well it's getting late. Bye Dash, enjoy your cider." I said before leaving. "Thanks James." She called after me before smirking, "Now I can drink all this cider and you get to wait in line for Cider season." I laugh, "I don't care. I've had worse happen." I told her before closing the door on her. I flew off back to my temporary home, the bed should've been delivered by now. I saw the bed sitting outside the home. I opened the door, Bon bon and Lyra weren't inside so I walked up the stairs and opened the door to my room and walked back out to drag my bed inside. It took a while to get the bed into the room. ---------------------------Canterlot--------------------------- Shining armor was looking towards Ponyville, he wanted to see what I had done, if I had done anything. He had been getting letters from Twilight explaining everything that had happened so far, deciding not to stay with any of them had relieved some stress he had, she even included the party and our discussion. He was writing a reply: Dear Twilight, I'm glad you're doing great, and I'm happy for you but please don't drop your guard around him. He isn't a good pony, in fact we both know he wasn't a pony his whole life. I'm worried about you please be careful. Sincerely, Your brother, Shining armor P.S Cadence and I are going to visit you soon, she wants to meet him, and I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt anypony. He sent the letter and returned to his home with Cadence. He was greeted by his pink alicorn wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or as she prefers to be called, Cadence. "Welcome home Shiny." she nuzzled him, he returned the gesture. She could tell something was off, "What's wrong Shiny?" she asked him, he broke their embrace, feigning ignorance. "I don't know what your talking about Cadence." He gave a weak smile. She didn't believe him, and he knew it. "What is it Shining? You can tell me." "Uh... Well it's about that stallion, I don't trust him. I told you what happened the first day he was here." "I still think you're overreacting Shining. He can't be that bad, and from what Twilight told me, he's just had a bad past." "Did she tell you what happened in Ponyville?" he asked her. "When they got there? Well she said that he-" "He broke his legs." Shining cut his wife off. "What!? That's terrible! is he okay?" she wondered. "He's fine, he literally walked it off. His legs should've been broken beyond repair but he got up and walked off." He said. Cadence arched an eyebrow and Shining armor elaborated, "He said that he had his limbs cut off before and Twilight told me that he may be older than Celestia herself." Cadence giggled. "That's impossible Shiny, she's been alive for thousands of years and he looks no more than thirty." she smiled at him, he smiled back before looking out the window, Cadence walked up beside him and they looked towards Ponyville, "We'll be fine Shining. If he does do anything, you'll be there to stop it. He's probably just trying to get Twilight's attention." Shining was going to comment but kept it to himself. I know he's hiding something. Shining rubbed his horn, How does blood get corrosive? They both went to sleep immediately after a short dinner.