Chapter 3: Enter, Blue Bass

In a flash of bright light, Dan appeared at the edge of Everfree Forest, landing face-first on the ground. Still remaining conscious, he groaned into the dirt, "I have a feeling I'm going to hate that..."

He stood up on all fours, still wobbling a little, and spit out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth. "Alright...the taste of dirt and grass in my mouth just proves this is real... Why does the grass taste so...good?" Dan chewed a little of the grass left in his mouth before swallowing. "Weird..."

Dan looked around for the city the princesses mentioned, Ponyville. Seeing no civilization besides an apple orchard off to the side within his line of sight, he looked back at his wings. "Time to learn to fly, Dan..."

He tried flexing the muscles in his back, but that caused his wings to spasm out. He lifted up in the air about four feet, did a double-flip turn, and fell down on the ground, face first again.

"Well, THAT was embarrassing..." He groaned into the dirt again.

"Hehe...It sure was..." Giggled a raspy female voice from above him.

"Great...someone saw me..." Dan looked up and rubbed his head.

A female, light blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane was floating above him, giggling.

"Hey, it's not funny! I...I..." Dan thought for a minute. "I hurt my left wing in the forest..." Dan gestured a hoof toward his left wing, which he made look slightly gimpy.

The mare landed and walked in a circle around him. "I figured you weren't from Ponyville. You got guts goin' through the forest though." She eyed him. "I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

"Da-" Dan paused, then remembered his name the Princess had given him. "Blue Bass."

The rainbow colored mare laughed out loud. "That's a weird name, dude!"

"Well, the mark back here speaks for itself..." Dan gestured to the mark.

"Oh, well whatdya know...a musical symbol thingie..."

Dan rolled his eyes. "A bass clef...hense...my name?"

"Right, right..." The mare said, flying down and hovering above the ground. "My name is Rainbow Dash, the fastest, most awesomest flier in all of Equestria!"

"Really?" Dan said, smirking. "I know exactly how to push this one's buttons." He thought. "I don't believe you..."

"What!?" Rainbow Dash barked. "I can prove it to you! I can show you some tricks..."

"No no, no need for tricks..." Dan interrupted, smiling warmly. "If you truly are the best flier in all of Equestria, could you teach this stallion a thing or two once his wing heals up?"

"You're on, Blue Bass!" Dash said. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be a step below me!"

"Looking forward to it." Dan said with a smile as he began walking along the path. "Great excuse, Dan! That gives you some time to learn to fly on your own so nobody will suspect anything..." "And call me Ace. That's my nickname."

"I like it. You can call me Dash for short!" She said, flipping upside down and flying above him and he walked. "So why are you coming to Ponyville anyway?"

"I'm uh...moving here soon and I just wanted to look around...get acquainted with everybody."

"Everybody?" Dash frowned.

"Shoot, need to learn horse-slang..." Dan coughed. "Uhm, everypony."

"Where do you come from anyway?"

"Crap..." Dan muttered. "Uhm...where all the other Pegasai come from."

"You're from Cloudsdale too?"

"Yes! Yes, I am also from Cloudsdale."

"Awesome!" Dash said, flying down to Dan's side and flying beside him. "So, why is your cutie mark a bass cleffy thing?"

"Cutie marks...that's what they're called..." Dan laughed, "It's a bass clef, Dash. I have this because I am a musician."

"Really? What do you play?" Dash said, doing a flip in the air as Dan continued to walk. "Piano, mainly. I dabble in the guitar and saxophone as well."

"Can you sing!?" Dash asked eagerly, getting up in his face, forcing him to stop.

"Haha..." Dan blushed. "Yes, yes I can... I don't like to brag about it though..."

"Sing me something!" Dash said, actually touching down and walking with him.

"Oh, I don't think-"

"Aw, come on!" Dash moaned, nudging him with her hoof.

Dan smiled and sighed, "Alright...here's a song I learned to sing awhile back..."

Dan coughed a few times, and then in his high tenor voice, began to sing. "Better ponify it..."

Dash stopped walking and took to the air, still hovering next to Dan. She continued to look at him as he sang, his eyes closed. Birds started to fly around in the air above him, attracted to the song. She sighed aloud and halfway closed her eyes as she looked and listened to Dan:

"Wow... He sounds really good..." Rainbow Dash muttered, still looking at Dan, a blush kissing her cheeks. "We have good singers in Ponyville, but none are...are..."

"Colts?" Dan asked with a smirk, opening his eyes.

"Yeah...yeah that's it." Dash said, blushing slightly. "All the stallions do is sing in the background..."

Dan smiled and chuckled, "I got that a lot when I was younger. Leave the singing to the mares, they said." Dan turned his head back in front of him. "I didn't let them get to me."

"Whose they?" Dash asked.

"My...my parents..." Dan said.

"Oh, sorry, Ace. Did hit a touchy subject?" Dash said, concerned.

"No, you're good." Dan turned and smiled at her.

She smiled back at Dan and blushed, but then quickly turned her head away when they both stopped. She pointed ahead and said, "Hey look! Ponyville, dead ahead!"

Song:

Don't Stop Believin', Journey