//------------------------------// // 2. Surprise!!! // Story: The Lie of Living // by The Grimm Reaper //------------------------------// So it appears Rainbow Dash's intelligence was limited to basic aerodynamics and occupational health and safety. It didn't take much to glean more information out of her regarding the Wonderbolts. At first, I thought they might be some kind of local or national sports team, but it turns out that they're more like a stunt team that doubles as a military air force. Equestria's own knights of the round, without the knighthoods. Of course, this was only speculation. The term 'Ignorance is bliss' was obviously coined by a fool who had no idea what he was talking about. Ironic if you think about it. I hated not knowing how things worked in this world. Knowledge was power in any world, and I was severely powerless. Geass could only get me so far, this I knew from personal experience. It was a safety net. We only spoke for a few minutes as the scent of apples filled the air. Turns out, Rainbow had a weakness for apple cider as that was all she began to talk about while picking up the pace. Given I had yet to learn to fly, I had difficulty keeping up the pace. If my running was anything to go by, I may just wind up being a weak flyer even after learning how to do so. This scenario reminded me of better times when I would chase after Suzaku. Much like Rainbow Dash, he was always a fitness freak. Although, Suzaku was smarter than her. I couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison as I gasped for air running slowly after her. One would think having the body of a horse would improve one's stamina. "Boy are you slow?!" Rainbow Dash teased as she leaned against the entrance to the farm. It was a simple wooden archway with basic wood fencing on either side. The sign for 'Sweet Apple Acres' hung from the top of the archway. The pegasus I had been following looked at me with gloating pride all over her face. I was wrong to compare her to Suzaku. Like him, Rainbow was clearly passionate about what she loved, but Suzaku was never one to gloat, at least not in a derisive manner. "I...told you...I'm not...a strong...flyer!" I said between gasps. "I don't...exercise...very...often. No...STAMINA!!!" I collapsed to the ground. I hadn't been this exhausted since Arthur found my mask at the academy. I was starting to wish for death all over again. All I could hear besides my own heavy breathing was Rainbow's laughter. "I think Fluttershy's an even stronger flyer than you." she commented after calming down from her laughter. One thing I noticed about the ponies so far was that their names seemed to tie in closely with their occupations and/or their personality types. If that trend continued, I should endeavour to avoid upsetting this one like I did Nina. "I'll refrain from taking offense until I've met the girl." I replied. Rainbow Dash just chuckled before waving over to another pony. I looked ahead to see an orange Earth Pony mare in a stetson hat trotting towards us. As if to complete the ensemble, she spoke with a distinctly Southern accent. "Howdy, Y'all!" the mare addressed us. At first she looked to Rainbow Dash with a friendly smile before looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, Rainbow, why is there a pegasus sprawled out the front of my farm?" she asked, looking back to her friend. "Hey AJ. Sorry about him, dude has no stamina." she replied. Although it was true, I was really starting to miss fingers. I'd have liked very much to show her one in particular. The orange mare, AJ just chuckled before offering a hoof towards me. I took it graciously, taking one final deep breath before returning to normal. Thanking AJ, she then introduced herself using her full name; Applejack. As expected, the apple farmer's name was synonymous with her occupation. Such a connection could prove useful should the need for subversion arise. When introductions were out of the way, Applejack gave me a tour of the farm. It seemed AJ's family was in charge of food preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration. Looking at the farm, it was pretty standard; with its big red barn, wooden household and various fenced off areas for various farm animals. A few corn fields near the entrance to the farm promised at least a modicum of variety. Speaking of variety, AJ's family was just as diverse, not to mention numerous. Knowing very little about this world, I couldn't help but wonder if in-breeding would account for the sheer number of 'Apples' I'd had the awkward pleasure of being introduced to. Hoping for my new rainbow maned friend to save me, I discovered she had a penchant for the Apple family's cider. I didn't know how often she'd drink the stuff, but it would certainly explain her crashing into me in the first place. As it turns out, children can be very curious, annoyingly so. I'd explained my situation as best I could without giving my true origins away. I explained how I was from beyond Equestria and how I'd been caught in the tornado and wound up in Ponyville. I even went on to explain my encounter with Rainbow Dash. All the while, I was assaulted with questions from a particularly inquisitive young 'Applebloom'. "Where'd you come from?" "How'd you survive the tornado?" "Why aren't you still in the hospital?" The urge to silence her with my Geass was ever growing, but I'd decided to reserve Geass for emergencies. While magic was commonplace in this world, I didn't know enough about the subject to reveal my own little gift. Thankfully, the filly's tirade of questions were finally silenced by AJ as she offered to feed me. I graciously accepted and was treated to a selection of various apple-based foods. Strangely enough, not a corn cob in sight. Not even a kernel. A few apple pastries and a thoroughly drunk Rainbow Dash later, and I was on my way to the library. I said my goodbyes to the Apples and Rainbow Dash, then departed towards the large tree near the centre of town. I decided to make a mental checklist as I walked. 'Step one: Reach the library. Step two: research various historical events to get a better sense of the world I'm living in. In addition, look for topics they're particularly familiar with and more importantly, topics and places they're not familiar with; this will make it easier for me to formulate a backstory without arousing suspicion. Step three: look for lodging and a job. Nothing is free. These ponies may be feeling generous now, but the Summer Sun Celebration won't last forever.' As with everything in life, knowledge was a great source of power. Back home, I had that power. I had knowledge, I had a philosophy and I had a cause. What knowledge I didn't have, I gained as time went on. As I'd learned; the most vital element in battle is the human one. My train of thought was cut off as I made it to the library. Reaching for the door handle, I was instead met with a lavender hoof. I traced the hoof to its owner and gazed upon a unicorn mare around my age with a deep blue mane and tail. Purple and pink highlights caused an optical illusion that would cause one to believe her mane was purple instead of blue. Her indigo eyes met mine and we both paused, unsure how to proceed. Upon inspection, I noticed the starburst symbol on her flank. 'An astronomer?' I thought. The mare was the first to break the awkward silence. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you the librarian?" she asked. 'Whatever gave her that impression? It doesn't matter. I can't afford to break character just yet.' I thought as I smiled sweetly at the mare. Time to play the role of Lelouch Lamperouge. "Oh, no. I'm not the librarian. I just arrived in town yesterday, so to speak. I get the sense you're not a local either?" I asked. The lavender mare let out an exhausted sigh. She explained that she'd been sent over from Canterlot by Princess Celestia to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. "And make some friends!" a small dragon added whom I'd failed to notice previously. "Hey, I'm Spike. This is Twilight Sparkle; she's Princess Celestia's top student and personal protégé." the young dragon went on. "She's also the youngest pony ever to Graduate from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." As Spike listed Twilight's achievements, the lavender mare began to blush, growing redder with every achievement. 'Bashful, good to know.' I thought. "Lovely titles. My name is Lelouch. I thought I'd kill some time with a book or two until the celebration. Would you care to join me?" It made little difference to me whether or not this mare was present or not. My real concern was whether or not I could read the language. If not, I could request her assistance, using my vague foreign status as an excuse. This would allow for a dialogue between us and if what the young dragon said was true, it would allow me to make a connection with someone of importance. Should I need to cement myself anywhere, making friends with royalty, or in this case, those close to royalty would ease the process. Politics 101: Connections lead to convenience. On her end, Twilight seemed excited about the prospect, though the reason why escaped me. "This is perfect! Perhaps you could help me with something? I've been researching this prophecy, and I believe it will come true during the Summer Sun Celebration. This cannot be allowed to happen!" she replied. I see, so she had similar ideas about using me for her own benefit. And she beat me to it. Perhaps the friendship I plan to create between us will be a genuine one. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself. "A prophecy? You've piqued my interest, Twilight Sparkle. Do tell me more." I offered, finally opening the library door and motioning for her to go first. She smiled and nodded her thanks before entering, dragon in tow. It was then that I noticed another pony watching from behind where Twilight had been. A butter yellow pegasus with a long flowing light pink mane. Her posture and the fact that she seemed to try and hide behind her mane revealed that she was incredibly timid. I held in a gasp as yet another comparison entered my mind. While not quite as shy as the pegasus before me, she bore a striking resemblance to Nunnally. I sucked in a deep involuntary breath and just stared at the ever increasing mare. It was obvious I'd lost my composure around her as she began to silently whimper. It took me a good five seconds before I could compose myself. By then, I knew whatever damage my initial reaction had caused would be difficult to come back from, but I felt obligated to try. It wasn't her fault that she reminded me of my sister. It might be best to let her know that was why I reacted to her the way I had, but I didn't have the heart to even mention Nunnally even in passing. Perhaps she would ask about it later when I was more emotionally prepared. So instead, I just cleared my throat and put on my proverbial mask, smiling sweetly at the mare. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you with Twilight?" I asked. The timid pegasus didn't respond, but merely hesitated before she gave a slight nod. "Then please, join us." I offered. Once again, hesitation set in. "I-I wouldn't want to intrude..." she stuttered. I raised a brow at this comment. "It's a public library; by definition, you can't intrude. Unless you wanted entry outside working hours of course." I said, trying to calm her. It didn't seem to work all that well, yet she made to move for the entrance. She slowly tiptoed past me, only hurrying once she had passed my person. I felt like a prison warden leading an innocent prisoner into their cell. "SURPRISE!!!" a cacophony of voices sounded all at once. The darkness of the Library had escaped my notice until I'd closed the door behind us. At the sudden sound, lights flashed on to reveal a party setup. The next thing I saw was Twilight standing beside me and the yellow Pegasus reaching to hold onto me for safety. Once she did, she clung tightly; too tightly. She may have been shy, but she was really strong. The surprised extension of my wings compounded my pain as the mare's hooves were wrapped around them too, constricting them. It seemed as though the entire town of Ponyville was present, Applejack and Rainbow Dash included. 'How did they get here before me without me noticing?' I thought to myself. Before I could think further, what I could only describe as cotton candy brought to life appeared before Twilight and myself, introducing herself as Pinkie Pie before going off on a flurry of unintelligible ramblings. Twilight cantered over to the table with the drinks on it and poured herself a glass of something. Pinkie Pie kept spouting gibberish that was too fast for me to comprehend. She concluded her verbal diarrhea of the mouth with the claim that Twilight and I had lots of new friends, to which Rainbow Dash, Applejack and the Nunnally lookalike, as well as one more unicorn mare I'd yet to meet gathered around the pink mare as if to prove that point. Suddenly, Twilight seemed to tear up in response. AJ asked if she was alright, as Twilight's face began to glow bright red. Next thing I knew, Twilight's mane and tail were on fire and she darted off upstairs. "Aww! she's so happy, she's crying." Pinkie said. "I get the feeling that's not why she was crying." I replied, looking at the table. Taking a closer look at the bottle Twilight had poured into her cup, I saw a flame logo with a few scribblings I couldn't read. But I could guess what it was. "She drank hotsauce." I concluded. All but Pinkie Pie winced at that. Instead, Pinkie took the bottle and poured some of the sauce on a cupcake before wrapping her tongue around it and retracting the hot baked good into her mouth. Everything she had just done defied the laws of physics. "I see you met Lelouch, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, changing the subject. My attention went to Rainbow Dash who seemed to be addressing the yellow pegasus who came in with me. "Can you believe he might be an even worse flier than you are?" she asked, laughing at the memory. Fluttershy looked as though she wanted to say something, but one glance at me silenced her. I decided I would have to speak instead. "And exactly which one of us is supposed to be more insulted by that, Rainbow Dash?" I asked. Rainbow stopped laughing. I could tell she realised her mistake. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I was just saying-." I decided to interrupt her and go on the offensive. "Rainbow Dash! Tell me, what is a Pegasus?" I asked. She tilted her head slightly, showing confusion. I pressed on. "Is it the wings that make us what we are? Is it the fact that we alone can fly unaided? What's your definition of Flight, is it just speed and precision?" Whilst the party went on, the surrounding mares were deathly silent as I railed into this multichromatic pegasus. Finally, she responded; "Of course not, there's so much more to a Pegasus than just flight. And Speed and Precision play a big part in a Pegasus' life, but they're not the be-all-end-all." she replied, trying to escape from my trap. "So you would agree with me then that it doesn't matter how good or bad a flyer Fluttershy or myself may be, so long as we can fly. Even then, if we couldn't fly, we still wouldn't be the lesser for it, yes? " I asked. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground, ears drooped and head hung low. She mumbled an agreement and just stood there, defeated. "Good. Now then; I think you owe Fluttershy and myself an apology." I said. I made sure to keep my tone serious and my eyes baring down on her to get across the severity of her blunder. This didn't go unnoticed. "I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with you both being weak flyers or that stronger flyers like me were better in any way. I just thought that it might boost Fluttershy's confidence if she knew she wasn't the weakest flyer in town." she said. She was trying to save face with the excuse about Fluttershy's confidence, but I wasn't about to let her have it. "Boost her confidence at the expense of my own? How would that be fair?" I asked. Rainbow Dash hung her head again. "It wouldn't, I'm sorry." she said. It then occurred to me that an opportunity might be present at this junction in time. A smile spread across my face. "Then I'll consider the matter closed. If I feel like improving my flying skills, I'll come to you for pointers. Sound good?" I asked. Rainbow looked up at me, clearly thankful that I was throwing her a lifeline. She smiled in return. "Absolutely!" she said, returning to her chipper self. I nodded my head to her, signaling that the matter was closed. I then turned around, sneaking a glance at Fluttershy and winking mischievously at her. She caught on to what I had done and giggled in response. Ice broken. This was a piece of cake. With Rainbow Dash promising to teach me to fly better, should I desire to learn, all I would have to do is learn the basics of flying on my own before going to her for further training. I decided to go and see Twilight and help however I could with the prophecy she mentioned earlier. She hadn't been given the opportunity to give me the details surrounding it, but it seemed urgent. Not to mention intriguing. As I left the small group, I heard a few of them chuckle at the situation. "Looks like you got yer wings handed to you, sugarcube." AJ said. "Remind me not to tick that guy off." Rainbow said with a sigh of defeat. I just smiled at the result and looked up the stairs to the next floor. 'Now then...'