//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Journey to home // by giganticbuttmachine //------------------------------// AUTHOR'S NOTE: A chapter a day keeps the boredom at bay. Chapter 9 CLOUD "So where's this 'Ponyville'? I've never heard of it." That sounds like such a cool town. I wonder if it's anywhere close to here, I didn't see it on the map. "It's a really small town, I don't even think it would show up on maps." Well, that explains that. Wonder what it's like there. "And what do you do in 'Ponyville'?" "Well, anything, really. Sleep, fly around, have fun with your friends..." Friends? What does that mean? Why is she suddenly sad? "What are 'friends?'" She just stares at me like I asked if she would like fried brains with the soup. "...Seriously?" "Yeah, are they some kind of pet or something?" "You're kidding. You have to be kidding." Gosh, she's acting like I don't know what the sky is. "Should I know what friends are?" "Yes. Yes you should." Still staring at me. Is it really that bad that I don't know what a word means? "Well, I don't, so could you please tell me?" "'Friends' are ponies outside of your family that you know, like, and trust. Don't you have any of those?" "Well, no... It's really just me here." Again with the staring. I don't get it. "You don't get lonely?" How does she know all of these words? I have no idea what they mean! Alright, I'm getting the dictionary. "Just a second. Not freaking out." Don't want her to think I'm going spastic again. Okay, now I think it's on the top shelf. I haven't touched that thing for years. Alright, here we are, now let's see what 'Lonely' means. lone-ly Adjective: 1. Sad because one has no friends or company 2. Without companions, solitary Well, I guess that would describe me pretty well. I should bring the dictionary with me. "Alright, I'm back. Brought a dictionary in case you start using weird words again." "What weird words?" "Friends and lonely." "You... you don't know what lonely means either?" "Well, no. But I just found out." I tap the dictionary for emphasis. She's back to staring, only this time her jaw is hanging wide open. Seriously, what's wrong with not knowing a few words? "And I guess lonely would describe me pretty well. I don't really have any of these 'friends'. How do you get friends?" "Well, you meet another pony, and you say and do nice things, and then you're friends. That's basically it." Gosh, that's simple. Wait, but that would mean... "Does that make you my 'friend'?" "Yeah, I guess it does." Well, problem solved! Guess I can't be called 'lonely' anymore. Wonder what her other 'friends' are like... DASH "So where's this 'Ponyville'? I've never heard of it." Shoot, I almost completely forgot about ponyville. "It's a really small town, I don't even think it would show up on maps." "And what do you do in 'Ponyville'?" "Well, anything, really. Sleep, fly around, have fun with your friends..." Friends. Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about them! They're gonna be worried sick! They have no idea where I am! What i- "What are 'friends?'" Wait, did he mishear me? Maybe he thought I said... wait, what could you have fun with that rhymes with friends? He didn't mishear me. He doesn't know what friends mean? "Seriously?" "Yeah, are they some kind of pet or something?" He says this with a completely sincere face. Come on, he has to be kidding... "You're kidding. You have to be kidding." "Should I know what friends are?" Holy raincloud, he's not kidding. "Yes. Yes you should." "Well, I don't, so could you please tell me?" Well, I might as well tell him. "'Friends' are ponies outside of your family that you know, like, and trust. Don't you have any of those?" "Well, no... It's really just me here." Gosh, that's got to be awful... Just by yourself in the middle of nowhere! How can he stand that? "You don't get lonely?" He just looks confused at this point. I can't really put my hoof on why. "Just a second. Not freaking out." Aaaand he sprints into the other room. Again. I hope we don't need to go through the same thing again. Well, he said that he's not freaking out, so I shouldn't be worried. What is he doing back there? Wait, is he reading a book? Why the heck would you read a book at a time like this? Oh wait, it's a dictionary. Figures. "Alright, I'm back. Brought a dictionary in case you start using weird words again." "What weird words?" "Friends and lonely." SERIOUSLY?! "You... you don't know what lonely means either?" "Well, no. But I just found out." Then he taps on the dictionary to show me how he did it. I think this is the weirdest pony I've ever met. And I know Twilight Sparkle. "And I guess lonely would describe me pretty well. I don't really have any of these 'friends'. How do you get friends?" Gosh, how did he grow up? Maybe it was just him and his parents on a farm, they taught him everything he needs to know, and why would he need to know about making friends? I'm sure there isn't another pony for miles around here. Might as well explain friendship to him. "Well, you meet another pony, and you say and do nice things, and then you're friends. That's basically it." That's actually really simple. I don't know why some ponies make such a big deal out of it. "Does that make you my 'friend'?" Well, he's done nice things for me, not so much on my side. But I guess it still counts anyways. "Yeah, I guess it does." CLOUD Gosh, this friend thing is really fascinating! I wonder what her friends are like? Guess I should ask her. "What are your friends like?" She thinks for a while and then seems to get sad again. If friends are so great, why does she get sad every time I seem to want to talk about hers? It's not like she's never going to see them again... OH SHOOT, IT IS. Her friends must live in Ponyville, and she crashed here, which is nowhere near Ponyville! What if she doesn't get back? What if she never sees her hometown again? I can't let that happen, I've got to get her back! "Never mind, it seems to be getting dark, so, you know, goodnight!" Alright, to the map! Let's find this nonexistent Ponyville! Now, where would you put a small town? Hmm... aha! I'll find the most probable place to settle that doesn't already have an establishment on it, and see if anything in the area shows any clues! Alright... that won't work, there's no water source... that won't work, it's too mountainous. I don't think Rainbow seems to be a Mountain pony. Wait, this valley seems like a place to settle! Are there any markings on it? Shoot, no, there's just that "P yv le" thing. Wait a minute. P yv le. Ponyville. HA! I found it! Now where is it in relation to here? Shoot, compared to Appleloosa, this is nothing! It's only a two-week walk! YEAH! Rainbow's friends, here we come! Wait, she's injured. I'm sure she can't make a two-week hike with the condition she's in. Oh well, I guess I'll just wait until she's better. Ponyville, that sounds great! Wait, what's that sound? Is that... crying? Is Rainbow okay? I basically kick the doors down to see Rainbow now curled up on the bed, crying her eyes out. It looks like she's trying not to, but the tears just keep coming. I need to help her somehow. I'm basically repeating what dad did to me when I was little. Whenever I was scared or worn out or just couldn't get through what I was going through, he would rub my back and tell me a ton of encouraging things until I fell asleep. I memorized exactly what he used to say, and I say it to Rainbow now. "Shh, hey, it's gonna be okay. You'll be fine. Everything will be better in the morning. You just need to get through it. Try to forget about it. Just don't think. Don't even think about thinking. When you wake up, the world is going to be new. You're gonna run around in this new world, and you're gonna do everything that you've wanted to do. Everything that's ever held you down will be gone. All you need to do is fall asleep so you can wake up in the new world." At first she gets really tense because there is an almost complete stranger rubbing her back and saying things to her, but she soon relaxes. The words just keep on coming, and I talk for a long time, long after she's fallen asleep. Finally, the impromptu speech ends, and I tuck Rainbow in. She deserves to see her friends again. She deserves to see her home again. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure she does. RAINBOW "What are you're friends like?" As soon as he says that, I can remember all of the amazing things that me and my friends have done together. We've saved the world together. Twice. Our friendship might be the most powerful thing in the world, and now I'm separated from all of my friends. All because I got mad about a stupid competition. What if I don't see them again? Cloud didn't even know where Ponyville was, I have no idea how far away it might be! It could be so far away that I could never get over there again! "Never mind, it seems to be getting dark, so, you know, goodnight!" And what if they're searching for me? They could be putting themselves in danger, just for me, and it's all my fault! I miss them already! We did everything together, we laughed and cried and were friends together! And now I might never see them again! Rainbow, you're such a blockhead! I don't really know what I thought past that point. I think I was crying. I really don't want to, but I think I was actually crying. It really was getting dark, and soon it was just me and the bed and my tears. I don't really know how long this went on, but there was eventually a weird feeling on my back. It was Cloud, and he was trying to make me feel better. He was doing this thing where he rubs your back and tells you the most amazing things... He just kept talking, and I kept feeling better and better. I think I fell asleep at some point, not sure where though. I wake up the next morning to find him snoring in a chair. A map is in his hooves, and I can vaugley make out some scribbles around a central point. The only thing that I can see easily is the word "Home."