Chapter 2
Starting Over
Not wanting to be a burden, Flash packed up first thing the next morning. He left two bits on the writing table in Twilight's living room, which looked more like a library than a living space. But as he headed out the door, a tired voice called from upstairs.
"Hey, aren't you going to at least stay for breakfast?" Twilight asked. "My assistant, Spike, makes a fantastic haycake."
As if on cue, a baby dragon, of all things, came out of what Flash assumed to be a kitchen wearing a chef's coat and hat and wielding a frying pan, from which came the delicious smell of hot haycakes and syrup. "Did somepony say breakfast?" he called out proudly. He slid the two haycakes he'd made onto the dining table.
Famished, Flash gobbled up the meal in seconds, wiped his face, and sat back on his rear, his stomach full and happy.
Twilight finished her meal and struck up a conversation. "So where are you from, Flash?"
"West Fillydelphia, born and raised," Flash responded.
"And what made you decide to come to Ponyville?"
"I came across here by chance, but the rest is a long story and I'd rather not say." That was a painful memory, and Flash didn't want to reopen fresh wounds.
The purple pony continued, unphased by Flash's avoidance. "Well if you want," she said, "I could show you around the town, give you a feel for the place, introduce you to some of the locals."
There she was again with the warm hospitality, as if she'd known him all her life. "Sure," Flash replied, "a tour of the town sounds nice. It's not like I've got anything else planned." The last part he added with a chuckle, and Twilight gave a little laugh, too.
"Well then, follow me." The baby dragon hopped on her back as she trotted out the door. Flash followed, making sure to shut the door behind him.
The three came upon a little glen. Hills and trees were on all sides except for the path they had taken to the cottage. The house, small and quaint, was situated at the top of a hill. The place was teeming with life. Rabbits and chipmunks had burrows all around and were out collecting food. Squirrels poked their heads out of the tall, aging trees. Birds twittered their sweet songs in the branches high above. The cottage was elegantly surrounded with flowers and shrubs and was covered in ivy. A set of stepping stones led up to the house, but before they made it to the door, a pure, sweet humming broke out. It flowed on the wind, rippling through the woods around them, making everything go silent. The birds sat, listening with envy to the beautiful melody. The three walked to the side of the cottage, where the song seemed to be coming from. A pony, wearing a sunhat and carrying a watering can, was tilting over a patch of sunflowers when Twilight called out.
"Fluttershy!"
Flash then found himself standing before one of the most beautiful ponies he had ever met. Her coat was a light, banana-yellow in color. She had deep, aqua eyes that glimmered like the lake in the distance. But her most elegant feature was her long, flowing, pink mane and tail. Flash had always taken pride in his mane. The electric blue-and-yellow hair had always defined his bright and spunky personality so well. He brushed it often and cleaned it to make sure there were never any knots or tangles in it. But this pony, this stunning, marvelous Pegasus, had her hair so smooth and well-kept; it must have taken her years of brushing and the best shampoos and conditioners to get it to its present state.
"Oh, hello Twilight!" she said cheerily. But when she saw Flash, she was slightly taken aback. "Who's your friend?" she said, much quieter and more timid than before.
With a few butterflies in his stomach, Flash spoke up. "My name's Flash. I'm new here and Twilight was just showing me around town. You must be Fluttershy. It's nice to meet you." To go with the spirit of Twilight's warm welcome to him, Flash tried to be as bright and outgoing as possible. And besides, why make a bad impression on a pony that made his heart flutter the first time he saw her.
Fluttershy quickly warmed up to the new face and his kind nature. "Oh. Well then, hello. I'm a little shy around a new face, if you couldn't tell, but you seem really nice. Glad to have met you." She still seemed a little nervous, but Flash would take that over rejection any day.
There was a long, awkward pause during which Flash and Fluttershy gazed into each other's eyes, lost in some hypnotic trance, unable to break away. Twilight broke the silence, saying, "We'll let you get back to your work, Fluttershy. Flash still has a whole lot more of the town to see."
"Okay, then. Goodbye," Fluttershy called out as the two ponies and baby dragon walked back in the direction they came.
According to Twilight, the next stop was Sweet Apple Acres, a large apple orchard just north of Ponyville. There, they met Applejack, a kind, down-to-earth pony with a heavy southern drawl. She was orange, had freckles on her face, and had a long blonde mane that ended in a ponytail. She welcomed Flash just as kindly as Twilight and Fluttershy had. As a welcoming gift, she gave Flash a bushel of apples, a couple apple turnovers, and a big, fresh-out-of-the-oven apple pie. Flash was getting used to this neighborly attitude the ponies in Ponyville seemed to have. He really enjoyed it here and he was glad to have found it.
Later, they stopped at Carousel Boutique and met its owner, a unicorn named Rarity. Rarity was a very pretty, snow-white unicorn whose mane and tail were arranged in elegant, purple curls. Her crystal blue eyes showed off her "fabulous" personality, as she called it. She was a little materialistic and seemed a bit proud and vain, but she was generous and thoughtful, giving Flash one of her finest suits to use for "sophisticated parties and other formal affairs," as she put it.
The last stop, according to Twilight, was Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie Pie lived. Pinkie Pie was certainly true to her name. Her coat was a light, rosy pink, while her mane was a darker, hotter pink, settled in an unmanageable, tangled mass. Pinkie had to be the biggest bundle of energy Flash had ever met. She constantly bounced up and down and always talked extra fast and excitedly. It was also very hard to get her to stop talking. Pinkie Pie, however, seemed to be the least welcoming of all the Ponyville ponies. Flash noticed that Pinkie seemed to be almost interrogating him, trying to make him reveal everything about himself. By the end of the conversation, he'd revealed his personality, his likes and dislikes, and, vaguely, how he'd received his cutie mark, the big yellow lightning bolt that ran, diagonally, down his flank. Then, abruptly, Pinkie Pie shooed them out of the shop, insisting they go see another pony named Rainbow Dash.
Twilight began to protest. "But I haven't seen Rainbow Dash all-" but she cut off, and Flash could have sworn he saw Pinkie Pie give Twilight a smile and a wink. Twilight smiled back and nodded, then turned to Flash and said, "Let's see if we can find Rainbow Dash."