{I must admit, I felt really bad for Braeburn Orchard. All he was trying to do was collect enough seeds to help save his dying farm. He succeeded in gathering the seeds but then encounters an apparently crazed foal who literally leaps off a cliff and almost got himself killed, then he dragged this injured foal to his home, nursed him back to health only to leave the next day and go way, way out of his way to return me to my closest relatives.
{Talk about twists and turns in life, eh daughter? That's something I learned for myself during this trip. I thought about all the problems I went through in my life, as short as it was during that time, then encountered other ponies who also had their problems but they faced it with such a brave face.
{I couldn't tell how much he struggled to keep a smile on his face. Clearly, there was an effort.
{I remember him singing most of the trip which took him several days. Three days, if my memory isn't mistaken, and that's traveling only one way. It should take him another three days to get back and, during that time, his family had to fend for themselves.
{I felt really, really bad, though I also have to admit his tunes were kind of catchy. If the intent of the songs were to cheer us up then it did a pretty good job.
{The point is, though, I noticed the effort to keep up our spirits. I figured his songs were his struggling attempt to keep himself from the brink of despair, and quite likely he figured I needed it too.
{He was right, of course. I may not have been truly suicidal but I did flee from home because of unpleasant circumstances. A catchy song getting stuck in my head was actually a pleasant distraction from all of life's many varied problems.
{Largely due to my guilt, I decided to be as good of a boy for him as possible. I cooperated with him in every possible way that I could. I even helped out with some chores, such as it was while traveling.
{Actually, come to think of it, there was something else we accomplished along the way multiple times, and I should factor that into the three day travel time. We actually stopped many times to look for useful seeds to supplement his farm. I once asked him why he needed it. He seemed to bring back plenty. He told me there were all kinds of reasons. Seeds can grow food, seeds can be food unto themselves, and some had medicinal applications. He also said it never hurt to have extra because they generally store really well. He was willing to give some to my uncle, or to some of Braeburn's neighbors. Failing all that, he'd simply keep it in storage.
{Since we were at it anyway, he decided to take it upon himself to give me educational tips about the wonderful science of seeds. I could tell that he considered it a delight to teach another young foal the secrets of the seeds and I decided that if I could do anything to make him happy then I would cooperate to my fullest.
{Besides, his knowledge was actually useful and in a very practical way. I wish I had known this stuff several days before I met him while I was traveling up the river by myself. I probably passed useful food sources many times because of that ignorance. The benefits of his wisdom helped to ensure that it wouldn't happen again as often.
{Heh. It figures he would have a lot to teach about anything that specifically pertains to his own cutie mark but, through his teachings, I learned just how valuable these skills really were.
{If you get down to it, this is the strongest essence of the earth ponies and their strongest contribution to Equestria, and he shared with me those secrets without hesitation. He didn't care that I was a unicorn. Braeburn figured that his knowledge was so important that every pony should know about it at least a little.
{Through these seeds, the miracle of life is born. This is one of the most crucial pillars of Equestrian life. I felt honored to benefit from his wisdom, even if it was only for a few days. It was sure enlightening.
{Even when we weren't stopping and scouring for seeds, he still liked to talk about them. He told me of all kinds of different types of seeds and what kind of environment those seeds best like to grow in.
{I actually found his lectures quite fascinating. Maybe it was because it didn't come from a book this time. I'm sure there are books on these sorts of subjects but hearing it from the horse's mouth somehow made it feel more real and relevant. By hearing it from Braeburn, I was privileged to hear it spoken with such passion and conviction. It only further served to emphasize why it was so important and why I should care about it. Also, it helped to pass the time. I was grateful for that.
{So, in a way, he taught me something else. Here we were, both stuck in a situation neither of us wanted to some degree, but he demonstrated how to make the best of it. Because of our chance meeting, which occurred in a crisis, he and I got to meet each other and become friends. I gained lots of new knowledge about seeds in Equestria, and he felt elated to know that one more pony out there might benefit from his knowledge and perhaps pass it on to others as well.
{And his songs were endless. He could just keep coming up with one after another, it seemed. Pretty much all of them had a country theme and colloquialism, but I did not mind much. To a point, I welcomed it because it was so new.
{After a while, I started learning some of the words to the song and sang along with him. He was very delighted at that and it's just . . . well, let's just say we had a good time and made the best out of a bad situation. A rather important lesson to learn, I think.
{Eventually we did reach my uncle's farm. Braeburn did not spend too much time there but did take a moment to say hi to his family. Braeburn was more familiar with them than I initially expected, and vice versa.
{Some pony elaborated further about this on a later date, specifying that this is actually kind of typical of country life. Most of the time they spend their time apart in isolated farms but come together in some central location between them once in a while to mingle and trade, even if that trade was only information. When they do meet each other, they tend to be very friendly. It's pretty typical for small towns like this to know each other by name. If there aren’t as many to remember, then it becomes easier to do so.
{Before we arrived at my uncle's farm, I requested Braeburn to promise me not to tell my uncle's family at my seeming attempt at suicide. He said he would agree to that promise if I promised never to do it again. At that point I was so eager to please him I gave him that promise right away. I think I even meant it at the time.
{After our arrival at my uncle's farm, I made sure to get a moment of privacy with Uncle Ramadon to share with him my suspicions about a curse in the red dust storms plaguing Braeburn's farm. I was relieved to hear that Ramadon promised to look into it and follow Braeburn back to his farm. Braeburn would be safe for sure on the return trip in that case, and Ramadon might even be able to truly and permanently dispel that curse.
{Add to that it would give Braeburn a willing singing partner along the way back.
{I also confessed what happened between me and my father. Ramadon sympathized with my plight but said it was not his place to stand in his brother's way regarding the way he chose to raise his son. He offered to speak to his brother on my behalf, but that was it. He said I could not stay at his farm, and that I needed to go back to Canterlot and apologize.
{By this point, I had quite a while to think about what happened and cooled off. Since I felt more accommodating, especially after the guilt I felt for being such a burden to Braeburn, I agreed with Ramadon's plan, albeit a little reluctantly.
{Since I agreed, Ramadon said for me to stay with his family until he got back after trying to take care of Braeburn's problem. I figured that would give me about another week to stay with this family and another week after that to travel back to Canterlot unless some faster transportation method could be secured. Considering my father's resources, that was honestly possible. I could even see the motive.
{After hearing of Braeburn's plight, Braeburn was actually given a large extra stock of food to share with his family upon his return. In return, Braeburn offered a bunch of seeds he collected on the way here. The two families exchanged this and gladly agreed that this was a fair trade.
{I recall how Braeburn nudged me once as he smiled smugly at me and bragged about how useful all that seed collecting was during the trip after all. He encouraged me to remember this lesson about preparation, and I have ever since.}
xoxo
{It was only after a couple of days at Uncle Ramadon's farm when it finally occurred to me I lost my cloak back at that first cliff I jumped off of. Braeburn never noticed it, and I was too dazed at the time to think of it.
{On the second day at Ramadon's farm, I saw Ramadon's wife sewing together something and it snapped into my head, “Huh. Maybe she can fix my cloak using the same method,” then my eyes suddenly widened as I realized, “Oh shoot! I don't have it anymore, do I?”
{It was no big deal, ultimately. My father could easily replace it and was likely inclined to do so. This was just one of those life lessons when you realize things could slip by you when all sorts of other things are happening. Oh well.
{I consider the timing of that realization interesting because something else interesting occurred later that night.
{I dreamt of flying, and it felt so vivid. I remember the experience so keenly, and I remember the rush and the feel and the sound of the wind during my dream. That was the one component of the dream that lingered even as I awoke because the wind actually was howling outside the bedroom window of the attic I was staying in.
{More so than ever before, I felt an especially intense calling.
{In a daze, I got out of bed and drifted to the window. I placed one hoof on the glass as I paused to listen. I closed my eyes. I breathed deep.
{This was the wind. This was the pure wind. This was the kind that always sang to me. I wouldn't say I ever took it for granted but, ever since I felt that evil wind back at Braeburn's farm, I grew to appreciate the spirit of pure and uncorrupted wind like the one that blew outside Uncle Ramadon's farm all the more and, perhaps because of that, I felt it in my soul stronger than ever before.
{There was an irresistible allure to it. The sheer intensity of that bond washed away all my doubts and concerns and . . . without really thinking about it much . . . I left the farm and followed the call of the wind.}
xoxo
{This . . .
{This was the night I finally got my cutie mark, and also the first night I finally learned who I truly was.
{Once in a while you hear legends of omens or unusual events that occur to each individual pony on the day they get their cutie mark. Most of the time the tales say the individual pony overcomes some trial or makes a striking revelation, but I heard of other more extreme cases where things happen that literally force a pony to be where they were meant to be to make an important discovery. Just one example I can think of off the top of my head was a unicorn's horn glowing with power and dragging them right out of bed to float across Equestria until they arrive at something or somepony that helps them to realize their true destiny. That was rare, but it did happen.
{I wouldn't call my case that extreme. Nothing really forced me out of bed or the farm in such a way that I couldn't resist. Instead of that, I was given irresistible bait.
{Call it what you will, but most would agree it was an omen, especially considering what happened afterward.
{I ended up trotting through a forest in a daze, following the call of the wind. I didn't realize, until much later, that it was the same forest I went into when I joined Uncle Ramadon's nature trot, but I probably didn't take the exact same path he did and, come to think of it . . . I did arrive at my destination much easier and faster.
{When you get down to it, my course was plotted perfectly. I never made one wrong turn, one unnecessary leap. There were some challenges here and there but I was convinced any other path would have been much harder for me. I didn't even need to ignite my horn with a light spell. I didn't have to. I just knew where I was going. I dodged every tree, rock, and branch that could have tripped me entirely on instinct.
{It's hard to describe fully what that felt like. To say, “I was in a daze,” or just daydreaming was not even half of it. Reality was skewed somehow. It didn't feel real, it felt better than real. It was like an enhanced version of reality.}
Star Breeze's father sighed.
{I hope this makes some sense to you. If it doesn't now, perhaps one day it will.
{In the end, before I fully realized it, I returned to the same cliff face I met on my first camping trip with my uncle. The same one right over there.}
Father gestured back to it with a wave of his hoof.
{Except, this time, it was somehow even more intense. The winds swirled around me. I couldn't have imagined that.
{In a way, it felt like a confirmation, a validation that all my crazy beliefs were not fruitless.
{I paused and just breathed for a long moment. Deep, slow breaths . . . and I noticed how the wind around me was mimicking me. It was as if the two of us breathed as one, and I remember thinking how certain I felt that I was the wind, like a direct incarnation of it. If wind itself could have a soul, and I was pretty sure that it did, then I must have been a part of that all along.
{I was a spirit of the wind that was born a unicorn instead of a pegasus. At first that seemed like a strange decision, like it was somehow a mistake.
{But standing there on the cliff face and breathing in the wind, I felt all my fears and concerns wash away. I felt, at that moment, an utter certainty that none of this was a mistake. There was a reason and purpose behind everything and every pony. I felt the force that promised me that none of us could possibly be a mistake, that we are all what, where, and when we needed to be.
{There was also something else that occurred to me that night, a question I finally gained an answer to. It had to do with the special talents of various ponies. I recall once thinking about the varied talents and how many of them could be similar to each other but others are so vastly different from the rest that it makes that pony truly unique in the world and for all time. I also recall wondering if that talent was really important to the world, something that could make it such a better place, what was the point of ever enjoying that talent if you knew it was going to leave the world when they die?
{A vast majority of us are not immortal. Unlike Celestia, we shall die and that meant our special talent, no matter how useful it may be, would one day leave the world as well. Why, then, was it important to ever have it? It only caused a dependency upon a temporary system. If it was something so special and unique, how would the world endure its eventual loss?
{On that night though, while I felt such intense unity with the spirit of the universe, the answer to that question finally came to me, and it was this; that special talent would appear when it was needed. When it was not needed any longer it would leave, only to be replaced by something else that was relevant to the new time.
{The world is always changing and the talents required for its harmony are always changing as well.
{The breath of the wind taught me that night to enjoy the special ponies and the talents that come with them while they last, and as for the future . . . don't worry about it. It would resolve itself. Other special ponies would come along when it became their time to shine, and the world goes on.
{This . . . this was just a taste of the wisdom and peace I felt on that night. This peace pounded into me, trying over and over again to prove why I didn't need to worry, even about the things that should be impossible to be safe trying to do.
{There was a brief moment when I wondered why all this was happening that night and not earlier. I had experienced such agony waiting for my destiny before, and the answer that came to me in the wind was, “Because, back then, you were not ready. It was not your time yet. Now it is. Jump! Be free! I will catch you. Be as a Feather in the Wind.”}
“A feather in the wind!” Quill said in an enchanted voice. “That's right.” He closed his eyes and breathed in deep.
I am a feather in the wind. A feather in the wind. I am light, I am near weightless. Tonight I will finally fly!
{As I chanted that, I actually felt myself getting lighter and lighter. Gravity, at long last, relaxed its pull. It almost felt as if it gave up trying to convince me to stay on the ground. Now that I finally realized I no longer had to be tethered to it, gravity finally gave up trying.
{Over and over again other ponies tried to pound in the message that this just couldn't be done, that this was impossible and I was a fool for trying but, deep in my heart, I didn't listen, and finally . . . after all this time . . . I was feeling the proof. I was feeling myself becoming as light as a feather.
{So, when I finally took that leap off the cliff, it was with no hesitation, no fear, no remorse. Only a certainty that it would work this time. I felt as if I already had the proof before I leapt so there was nothing I needed to worry about. All I really had to do was enjoy the flight.
{And so I did. I flew! I really-really flew! I was blown about like a feather in the wind. I felt the exhilaration of being able to stretch in any direction I wanted and knew for sure I would not reach a solid object. There really was no up or down anymore. Just empty 3D space stretching in every direction. I could go anywhere! I was free!
{I was also at the mercy of the winds. By simply being a feather, I was only being blown about but, at the time, I did not care. I became like Sky Dancer in my poem. I was literally like a fictional character brought to life. No longer did I have to write down such stories and wish painfully that it was true. Now I could experience it instead, and this was only the beginning.
{There was no regret that I couldn't control my course yet because this was the ultimate expression of freedom and unity with the wind. Since I knew I was the wind then really it was only blowing in the direction I wanted it to go anyway. It was doing what I wanted automatically without any conscious effort on my part. If a deep feeling sank into my heart, “Gee, I wish I could be blown in that direction,” then poof, it happened. The wind was setting me on that course before I even thought that thought.
{It was bliss to just relax and go with the flow.
{Honestly, I didn't really have a destination in mind or heart. All I wanted to do was flow free in the sky, and so I did.
{Until I crashed into a tree. That brought me out of my stupor somewhat. I woke up as if from a daze. I opened my eyes just in time to notice how my body was ignited in a brilliant flash of white light. It shimmered around me for several seconds but, more importantly, it was the explosion of feeling that came inside me. That was more overwhelming than anything else that happened at that moment. Compared to that, the shimmering light around me felt more like a side effect.
{Still, if you had actually been there during that time, I'm pretty sure you would have seen an unusual sight, a bright flash that briefly disturbed the night darkness. Light stands out in the darkness even from a great distance, after all.
{The feeling inside me settled at the same time the light did, suggesting a strong correlation. After that, I had a pretty good idea what had just happened. I had never seen it before personally but I had read about phenomena like this multiple times.
{Since it was dark, however, I ignited my horn with light then looked back at my flank just to double-check, and sure enough, I saw my cutie mark for the first time.}
“Well, you can see it now since I'm here talking to you,” Father mentioned offhoofedly. “How would you describe it to those who hadn't seen it before?”
Star Breeze regarded it, then said, “I would say it looks like a white feather blowing in the wind. There are bits of magical sparkles within that wind. The white feather is the most dominating feature of that mark. The one closest to the foreground.”
Father considered that then nodded in agreement. “That sounds like an accurate description. For a moment I pretended I was somepony else who had never seen it before and had to rely entirely on your description. Based on what you said and how it actually looks like, I would call that a fair assessment.”
{But I realized something else important that night. What I realized was . . . my true name.}
“Feather Wind,” Feather Wind whispered to himself for the first time in his life.
“Yay,” Star Breeze cheered halfheartedly because that was a fact she had already known all of her life.
Feather Wind shifted her an amused smirk as he said, “I know it does not have much relevance to you. This was a spoiler you had already known a long time ago, but try to imagine somepony else in your place who had never heard this story before and heard it revealed for the first time. It would be special for them.”
“Good for them,” Star Breeze said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, “but I'm not them, so forgive me if I don't act too excited about this.” Star Breeze's expression softened as she said next, “But it is nice to finally hear how and why you got your cutie mark, as well as learn how you finally realized your true name. I've known plenty of ponies who kept their birth name from birth to death, never seeing a need to change it. Perhaps, for them, it was already a perfect fit but, in your case, I guess your parents didn't realize your potential as fully as perhaps some others do for their foals. When you were born a unicorn, why would they give you a name in the expectation that you would fly someday?”
“Hmm.” Feather Wind regarded his daughter thoughtfully, then asked, “Since you put it that way, may I ask how well do you think you personify your name?”
“Um, not sure.” Star Breeze sat up and stretched, placing both of her forelegs behind her head and shifting it from side to side. “I'm still young and have yet to discover my true destiny. I might be getting closer to it. I can almost feel it as I listen to your story.
“Personally, I love the stars, and I love the breeze. The two go hoof and hoof together. Plus there is the way I look. I can easily imagine why you gave me the name 'Star', and as for 'Breeze' . . . pshhhh.” She gave a dismissive wave. “Every pegasus has got to have some sky-themed name in their name. Every pony knows that.” She then gave another roll of her eyes.
Feather Wind's gaze shifted to his left as he said, “It's actually uncanny how often a foal's birth given name seems to shape his or her destiny. I think the only reason we don't have some pony ruling over all of us in Equestria with an iron hoof right now is because no pony ever named their foal 'World Ruler' or some equivalent but, if any pony did, the pattern shows they often manifest that destiny suspiciously closely, no matter how extreme it may initially seem.”
“Ooo! Just for that, that's exactly what I'm going to do!” Star Breeze promised with an evil smirk. “I'm going to name my foal, 'World Ruler' and see what happens!”
“I suggest you take this seriously,” Feather Wind warned his daughter humorlessly. “Imagine if it actually happens. Would you still be laughing at it then? There are those in the past who actually tried to do exactly this. You wouldn't like the tactics that they tried to use.”
“Point taken,” Star Breeze acknowledged as she calmed down. “So, then, get on with the story. What happened next?”
“What happened next?” Feather Wind echoed, then he said, “Well . . . I went home.”