//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: An Honest Visit // Story: Another Chance Beyond the Door // by Dat Merc //------------------------------// Chapter 5: An Honest Visit “Spike, would you make some hot cocoa for me?” “Already in the works, Twilight.” Morning had since taken over Equestria’s sky. Just outside the Golden Oak Library, Ponyville’s citizens were beginning to make their rounds through town. Stores were open, foals were on their way to school, and a certain grey-coated mailmare was out delivering mail to their respective destinations.  “One hot cocoa, coming up right now,” With the requested drink, Spike walked over to the table where Twilight was at and placed it beside her. “Thank you.” The lavender alicorn took a sip of her hot drink with enjoyment. She took a glimpse of Spike who returned to the stove range. A moment later, her mind wandered somewhere else… It was the brief conversation that she and her friends, besides Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, had with Edward last night. Applejack had a good question… How was the blonde human able to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle despite what he already told them? “Something you learn when you see the truth…” Did this ‘truth’ have something to do with that ritual that she saw him and his brother did when she drank the potion that time? There may be some things he may be keeping from her and her friends. If so, what could it be exactly? She was about to take another sip from her drink until a familiar figure was spotted in her peripherals entering the kitchen from her. “Oh, good morning, Ed.” “Good morning, Twilight. Good morning, Spike,” Edward, now in gray shorts and a light-blue sleeveless shirt while sporting a simple ponytail, walked over to a chair across from Twilight and sat down. “Am I too late to eat breakfast?” The baby dragon chuckled, “Not even close. I just started making pancakes just a few minutes ago. Want something to drink while you wait? I can get you hot cocoa, coffee, or even milk, if you want.” The blonde human made a bitter facial expression at the mention of the third choice of drink and shrugged it off immediately, “Yeah, I’ll take the coffee. Thank you.” “Coffee, coming right up.” Twilight noticed how Edward reacted to the mention of milk and quietly chuckled. The human noticed her for a moment and raised an eyebrow. “Something funny, Twilight?” “Oh no. It’s nothing really.” “I see…” A minute or two later, Spike walked over to the table with Edward’s mug of coffee.  “Thanks, Spike.”  Several more minutes passed, the baby dragon brought in a heaping plate of pancakes and set it on the center of the table before he sat himself down, “All right, let’s eat.” Breakfast was just what the three needed to start the day. The pancakes were delicious but it did surprise the blonde human that someone as young as Spike was the one who made breakfast.  “Thanks for the breakfast, Spike.” Edward complemented, “You worked on these pancakes like a real chef.” “You’re welcome. I've been Twilight's assistant since she was a filly while she attended Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns back in Canterlot.” “Wait, really? That long ago?” “That’s right, Ed.” Twilight answered in confirmation. “I even hatched him out of his egg as an entrance exam to attend that school. Yes, you guessed it… I passed and was successfully enrolled. Didn’t you do anything more or less similar to become an alchemist?” “Well, a proper education is one thing which I didn’t do… Instead, I had a teacher who taught me alchemy. Long before that, my brother and I learned alchemy on our own.” “Impressive.” “But hold on… Aren’t you an alicorn?” “Yeah… I was originally a unicorn though… Long story short, thanks to an old spell that once belonged to a famous unicorn, I managed to fix it. Immediately after that, I became an alicorn. It happened some time before you showed up.” “Who would have thought something like that would turn you from one pony race to another…? Speaking of… If you’re not too busy today, I would like you to help me out on something.” The lavender alicorn raised her eyebrow with curiosity, “Of course, Ed. What do you need me with?” “Remember that book I found at the Castle of the Two Sisters?” “Yes. What about it?” “The book was written in some language I’m not even familiar with. I was curious if you might be able to figure it out. You know, since you’re into research and all.” The studious mare smiled with anticipation and nodded her head in agreement, “Sure, I’ll take a look at it! Just see me in my study room when you’re ready.” After cleaning up after themselves from breakfast, Edward swung by his bedroom and picked up his book. As instructed, he went to Twilight’s study room where she was waiting. The room was more or less the same as the last time he was there. There were still piles of books everywhere from the mare’s attempt to look for answers about the mystery chest and the six keys. “Ready to let me see that book?” Twilight asked from her desk on the other side of the room.  He walked over to her and gave the book to her. Even though she was already aware that the front cover was missing, anticipation still gleamed in the alicorn’s face. The fact that this book withstood the test of time despite its current condition amazed her as she looked at several pages before she returned to the first. The human alchemist looked down at her as she relished the new reading material that was on her desk. He realised she was just as knowledgeable in Equestrian Magic as he was with Amestrian Alchemy. He just wished he learned more about Xingese Alkahestry when he had the chance. This world may more than likely benefit from it than Amestrian Alchemy…  “There’s a lot for me to cover in this book, but I’m pretty sure I can push myself through this if I just read it carefully, Ed.” “Thank you, Twilight. Still, I hope it doesn't take too much of your time.” “Are you kidding? I needed an excuse to study something else for a change. I say this is refreshing for me since I’ve been trying to find answers about that mystery chest through tons of books after the Summer Sun Celebration.” “That’s good to hear. Thank you again!!” She looked down at the book once more and skimmed through several pages, “This was written in the older Equestrian language. Don’t expect me to finish all of this before tonight. I can tell you right now that it will take some time to translate this to the current Equestrian language.” “I don’t mind at all. I knew you would say something like that. Anyway, there’s certain parts of town I haven’t gotten the opportunity to check out. I’m curious about Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack lives there, right?” “That’s right,” The lavender mare answered without looking away from the book. With that, he turned around and headed over to his room, “In that case, I’ll get ready to head over there. I already know how to get there so don’t worry.” “All right then. See you later, Ed.” A few minutes later, Edward stepped out of the Golden Oak Library and into the streets of Ponyville. He was now clad in a second pair of his black dress suit with a white dress shirt. He then started to walk toward the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. It happened to be on the same route as the Carousel Boutique, but it was much further out. The human alchemist looked around as he walked deeper into town. The same thing around Ponyville was happening like yesterday. Ponies going to their destinations. Stores had since been open everywhere, including street vendors settling down in their respective booths. Foals giggling and playing around. This town once again made him remember Resembool.  The next thing he knew, he caught several quiet voices as passed by a number of locals. “That’s the one who used some weird-looking magic to fix Roseluck’s carriage the other day, right?” “If that really was magic, who taught him that..?” “Could have sworn I saw him at Canterlot during the Summer Sun Celebration…” “An odd-looking fellow, don’t you think?” “I think he’s looking this way, sweetheart.” He heard some voices as he walked through the streets. If his physical appearance during the Summer Sun Celebration did not attract much attention to him, then his interaction with Roseluck may have done it for him. His use of alchemy mostly likely stirred the pot further that time.  With the route still somewhat fresh in his mind, he approached the intersection where one direction led to Fluttershy’s cottage while the other led to his intended destination. The young alchemist continued his walk towards the latter.  Back in the Golden Oak Library, Twilight settled down back in her studies, ready to look into the latest reading material given to her by Edward. She was just as curious about it as he was. Just when she was ready to open the book, something else crossed her mind. The human’s voice echoed inside, “I guess you can say it’s something you learn when you see the truth…” The studious mare grew silent as she thought about those words. What did he mean about that? She looked up at the shelf above her and looked at the potion Zecora gave her a couple of days ago when she had to use it to find answers to where the Princesses and the Tree of Harmony were. At the same, it somehow made her delve into Edward’s past. She was still confused about why a portion of his past was revealed to her. Using her magic, the lavender mare brought down the potion and looked at it for a moment. She was certain she was able to find her answers about Edward’s words from last night. She then took a sip of the potion and set it to the side. A moment later, her world faded into a white flash. The white flash faded, allowing Twilight to reorient herself into her new surroundings. She was inside what looked like a living room inside somepony’s house… Suddenly, an unfamiliar, male voice rang from behind. “This is a surprise, to say the least…” The lavender mare turned around and saw three humans sitting at a table. One was a male with short, black hair and wore a strange, blue outfit. It appeared to be militaristic in some way… On the other side of the table, there was a short, elderly woman with graying, brown hair tightened into a braid. In the middle, there was… A younger, wheelchair-bound Edward… She quietly gasped as realized his right arm and left leg were missing. There was also a blank, pitiful expression on his face. His gold-colored eyes looked empty and traumatized…. Directly behind him was a towering suit of armor… The same one from the previous vision. “I heard reports that there was a brilliant alchemist living in this town, so I came here to check.” The man in the blue outfit continued, “The last thing I expected to find is a boy who is skilled enough to attempt human transmutation…” “Human transmutation…?” Twilight blinked in confusion as looked at the crippled boy, “Could that be the ritual you lost your leg from, Ed…? The man looked up at the suit of armor for a moment, “Or advanced enough to bond a soul to a suit of armor.” The mare widened with shock and took another look at the armor behind Edward. “Is that really your brother in there?” “I’d say he’s more than qualified to become a State Alchemist. Should he choose to accept the position, he’ll be required to serve the military in times of national emergencies. In return, he’ll receive privileges and access to otherwise restricted research materials. Given time, he may be able to find a way to get their bodies back… Possibly more than that…” “So this was what you’ve been doing until your arrival in Equestria?” She knew the boy could not hear her at all since this was a glimpse of the past but there were so many questions and so few answers revealed to her so far. The elderly woman placed her pipe down on the table… Almost forcibly as if she was angry, “After he came stumbling to my door slowly dying and covered in blood, I went over to their house to see for myself what happened… What was there… Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t human!!” Twilight knew exactly what the woman was referring to. The simple thought of it made her feel as if there was a knot in her stomach… “Alchemy created that abomination! It nearly killed them!! And now you want to throw those boys into it!? Would you really have them go through Hell again!?” The man in blue paused and stayed silent. It was as if he was thinking further into the matter at hand. He turned his attention to Edward and spoke, “At this point, it is entirely up to you. I’m not forcing you, I’m merely offering you the possibility of whether to move forward or stay still. Will you sit in that chair wallowing in self-pity or will you stand back up and seize the chance the State Military can give you? If you believe the possibility exists in getting your bodies back, you should seek it out. Keep moving. Whatever it takes, even if the way ahead lies in a river of blood.” The room suddenly flashed into a white void. A second later, a new surrounding took shape. Twilight was standing on a hill overlooking a herd of sheep down below. Alphonse, still in the suit of armor, looked down at them while a wheelchair-bound Edward was facing the opposite direction reading a book on his lap. Curious, she hovered next to him and looked over his shoulder to see what he was reading. “The celestial stone that destroyed the city of Xerxes in one night. The grand elixir, sealed away by the Eastern Sage. It goes by different names but it’s always the same thing… Some kind of object that amplifies alchemy… It’s the Philosopher’s Stone…” The page the boy was reading confused the lavender alicorn. She can read the text, but the visuals on the page appeared to be ambiguously cryptic. In fact, the whole page was cryptic. “If we can just get our hands on it somehow, we can get your body back, Al…” He said before turning silent. After about a few seconds, he flailed around in frustration and ranted, “Damn books! They tell us everything but how to find it!!” His sudden outburst caused her to collapse to the ground in shock. Twilight quickly got back on her hooves and watched him rant. Before she could hear any more of it, there was another white flash.  The lavender mare blinked a few times and noticed that she returned to reality… Back in front of her study room in the Golden Oak Library… She thought about the visions of Edward’s past again… They were just as vague as the first vision she saw previously. But one particular piece found itself stuck in her mind…  “The Philosopher's Stone…?” What was it exactly…? What did the human’s past have to do with her or Equestria in general? She wrote down the term on a separate piece of paper and set it to the side for future reference. As far as she knew, neither she nor her friends ever asked him about his past. At least not yet… The only thing they asked him was his alchemy and how it worked. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow but sooner or later, she may have to sit down and talk to him about it. She hoped she was not going to be invasive about it when the time came. Twilight returned the potion bottle back on the shelf and opened the mystery book. She already told Edward that she looked into this particular reading material and she would. The studious mare quickly checked that a quill and paper were ready for her before she opened the first page of the book and started reading.  While walking down the road, Edward noticed more trees than usual. Each and every one of them had a decent bunch of apples hanging from the branches. No doubt about it. He was already entering Sweet Apple Acres. Not far ahead, there was another road that split from the current one. When he approached, the new trail led up to a red, two-story wooden house that looked strikingly similar to a barn. When he walked up the trail, the blonde human was able to take a closer look at the house as he approached. He then noticed a green-colored, elderly, earth pony mare sitting on a rocking chair next to the house’s doorway. She appeared to be napping… “Hm…” Edward walked quietly towards the elderly mare, “Um, excuse me, Miss?” The next thing he knew, he was greeted with a sudden sneeze from the mare in question, causing him to back up a few steps in surprise. After a few seconds of recovery, she looked up at Edward and squinted, “Oh my… Sorry for startling you there, partner.” She lightly chuckled, “You look new right around here. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. How may I help you? “Yeah, I am quite new here. But I’m also a friend of Applejack, along with her friends. I was curious about this place.” “You’re a friend of my granddaughter, you say? Well pleased to you, young’un. My name is Granny Smith. And you?" “I’m Edward, but call me ‘Ed’ for short. It’s easier.” “Very well then. Applejack is out and about collecting some apples with her brother, Big Macintosh. But break time for them should be coming up in just a few more minutes. Please, come inside and make yourself at home now.” “Huh? Oh no, thank you. I don’t want to feel like I’m interrupting their work schedule or something.” The green, elderly mare cackle with laughter, “Absolute nonsense right there, sonny! You just told me you’re my granddaughter’s friend!! I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you. Now come inside, why don’tcha?” “Uh… Sure thing, ma'am.”  Edward sat at the kitchen table as a glass of apple cider was placed in front of him. “Thank you,” He looked down at the content in question before he took a small sip of it. It was sweet, cold, and refreshing which made him smile in satisfaction.  “That smile says it all for me, young’un!” Granny Smith yelled in delight causing him the jump in surprise, “That’s a sure tell sign that you enjoy the Apple Family’s signature cider.” “You mean this cider I just drank?” “That’s right.” It was quite obvious this elderly pony took pride in this drink, considering the vast number of apple trees outside this house. He was curious what other apple-related products were available here. “You said you’re new around here, right? Where’s home for you?” Her question made him feel stumped at that moment. How could he answer her without divulging the fact that he was from a different plane of reality…? “I… I came from a very far away place. In fact, Ponyville reminded me of my hometown.” “Oh? And the name of your hometown is...?” Before the young alchemist even bothered to answer despite his hesitation, the front door opened up and revealed a familiar orange-coated mare and an unfamiliar, red-coated stallion with a short blond mane and tail.  “Granny, Big Mac and I are ready for our bre-” Applejack froze after she turned a corner to face not only her grandmother, but also the blonde human who was sitting at the kitchen table while the former just set a pitcher of cider on the table, “Ed, is that you!?” He sheepishly waved back at her, “Hiya, Applejack.” “What in tarnation are you doing here?” “I’ve been wanting to check this place out. There are still certain places around Ponyville I haven’t been to yet.” “I guess I can’t blame you for that then…” She scratched her cheek with her forehoof for a moment, “Anyway, welcome to my home: Sweet Apple Acres! You already know Granny Smith apparently. This big guy beside me is my older brother: Big Macintosh. ‘Big Mac’ for short.” “Pleased to meet you, Big Macintosh.” “Eeyup,” the red stallion simply responded.  Applejack peeped up, “Oh, and don’t expect much out of him. He doesn’t talk much.” “Sis!” A new but smaller voice came from outside and smaller hoofsteps were heard entering the doorway. A smaller pony entered the house. She had a red mane and tail. A matching bow can be seen on her mane, “I’m about to hang out with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but do you still ne-'' She stood still as she gazed at Edward with shock, “Ah!!”  Applejack and Big Macintosh calmed the small pony down right before she could jump in panic. “Take it easy, Apple Bloom!” said the orange-coated mare, “He’s actually a friend of mine and Twilight’s too. He ain’t gonna harm nopony.”  The filly took her sister’s words but still remained cautious when she looked at Edward again. She had never seen this one in particular around before. She wanted to think he was a diamond dog, but he had no fur at all.  The human nervously chuckled from the filly’s reaction to him before he introduced himself to her, “She's right, you know.” He then kneeled in front of her. “My name is Edward. Edward Elric, but just call me Ed,” He said as he extended his right hand to her. “Hi, Ed. I’m Apple Bloom,” She properly introduced herself. Their limbs made contact in the form of a hoof/handshake. She glanced down at his hand and gasped not in horror, but in awe, “What the… Is… Is this real?” He raised his eyebrow and smiled. The filly was curious about his automail hand. “Of course. In fact…” He rolled up his sleeve halfway and revealed the matching portion of his automail arm, “This is as much as I can show, but I guarantee you it is indeed real.  Apple Bloom tapped her forehoof on his forearm to hear the clanking of metal, “Neat! How did you get it?” She smiled in excitement. As soon as that question was heard, Applejack moved between them and looked at her younger sister, “Okay, I think that’s enough questions for him for now. Didn’t you mention you’ll be hanging out with your friends?” “Yeah, but I only asked him just two questions.” “There will be plenty of that for another day. You can go on ahead and visit your friends now.” “All right then.” The farm mare walked her younger sister out of the house and watched her leave beyond the fence. Several seconds later, she reentered and sighed, “Sorry about that, Ed. I had a weird feeling she might be asking you too many questions.” The blonde alchemist raised his eyebrow in confusion, “Honestly, I don’t mind. But I guess next time…”  “Well since you’re here and it’s break time for me and Big Mac, let’s all settle down then.” For the duration, Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Macintosh entertained Edward by telling several stories of what happened in and around Ponyville. One story covered how the elder Apple family member harvested a certain type of apple called Zap apple and made jam out of it. So far, the harvest in question has happened twice already. The first time was when she was younger and the second happened not too long ago with her grandfoals. Another story involved a pair of unicorn brothers, named Flim and Flam, riding into town during Cider Season and claiming that they had an invention that could make cider better and faster than what Ponyville’s finest can traditionally do. To settle the score, both parties agreed to a competition to see who would produce the most barrels of cider. The brothers had the upper hoof thanks to their invention and won. Their victory was short-lived, however. When they served their cider to their customers, they were suddenly met with disgust. The supposedly refreshing drink was negligently laced with, but not limited to, tree branches, rocks, and rotten apples. Due to the raging refusal to pay for the low-quality cider, Flim and Flam had no choice but to flee Ponyville and the Apple Family returned to making cider again in a blink of an eye. The third and final story took place on Hearts and Hooves Day; a day when one pony got together with their special somepony. Apple Bloom and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, found out that their school teacher, Miss Cheerilee, had no special somepony. They eventually found out that Big Macintosh had no special somepony too. Soon, the three fillies create a plan to get the two together in a form of a love potion. It worked, but with disastrous results. In short, shenanigans between the two ponies under the potion’s spell occurred. The effect wore off by the end of the day and they were both back to their normal selves. Edward turned his head towards the red, earth stallion only to see him look the other way as he blushed in embarrassment. The blonde human did nothing but chuckle from the story. “Alrighty then…” Granny Smith sat up from her chair and smiled, “Applejack, Big Mac, are you ready to return to work?” “I sure am. I still have to haul that carriage of apples into town and sell them.” “Then I’m sure Big Mac can handle the apple bucking from here, right?” “Eeyup,” The red stallion answered with confidence and agreement. “In that case, I’ll get out of your hair so you can focus on your jobs,” Edward stood up after he took his final sip from his glass of cider. He was about to take a step away until the orange farm mare motioned at him. “If you’re heading back to town, I wouldn’t mind the company.” “What? Are you sure about that, Applejack? I’d rather not distract you from your job or anything like that.” “Believe me, partner. For all I care, you can talk my ear off as long as you want, but I’ll still be focused on selling apples to my customers.” The human scratched his cheek as he thought about the decision made by her. After a moment of silence, he nodded his head in approval, “Okay… I guess I can accompany you into town.” “Okay then. Just wait for me at the front porch while I get the carriage.” As instructed, Edward sat on the steps of the front porch and waited while Applejack disappeared into the barn next door. As preparations were in the works, this gave the young alchemist a little more time to enjoy the scenery of Sweet Apple Acres. It reminded him of Resembool just as much as Ponyville itself already had. Of course, he traveled to certain places around Amestris that reminded him of his hometown and so far Ponyville had yet ceased to do that. It was indeed a friendly town despite the weird looks and mixed expressions from almost every local he came across. “Okay Ed, you ready to head into town now?” His enjoyment of nostalgia ceased as the orange farm mare returned with the aforementioned carriage. The blonde human examined the cargo and noticed five barrels’ worth of apples piled beyond the brim clearly ready for sale. A decent amount of the red-colored fruit was also seen lying on the bed of the carriage.  “Surprised to see this many apples in one carriage, huh?” “Yeah… And you and your brother have been harvesting these apples from all of those trees?” Edward asked as he motioned to the numerous apple trees that surrounded them and as far as the eye could see. Granny Smith already mentioned she’s been here since her family settled here when she was younger. “And Granny Smith too. Especially Apple Bloom only on occasion.” “My hometown had farms too but I never delved into how they work exactly. I only had the general idea of them.” “Really? Looks like you gotta hang ‘round Sweet Apple Acres more often from now on.” Applejack quietly chuckled, “Anyway, let’s head on over. These apples ain’t gonna sell themselves.” “Agreed. Let’s get going then.” Edward and Applejack headed down the trail leading them into Ponyville. The further they walked away from Sweet Apple Acres, the more scarce the presence of apple trees became. As they grew closer and closer into town, the human looked down at the orange farm mare a few times and noticed something. It appeared as if something was bothering her.  “Applejack?” “Huh, what is it?” “Are you feeling alright?” “Of course I am,” She answered rather quickly. Something about her response and her tone of voice felt odd and different… “Are you sure?” “Absolutely, partner. Nothing to worry about,” A slightly nervous laughter was heard from her.  Edward raised his eyebrow in curiosity, “That little laughter didn’t sound convincing somehow. Come on.” “Oh, who in tarnation am I kidding?” The orange mare heaved a sigh in defeat. She stopped in her tracks and adjusted her hat, “It’s already wrong for me to tell a lie to anypony. Including my friends… The reason why I wanted you to accompany me into town with my soon-to-be-sold apples is that I owe you an apology.”  The blonde human blinked in confusion… What apology was she talking about…? “It’s about that time when we came back from the old castle last night,” She said in verification. Now that she mentioned last night, he had a feeling he may know exactly what she was referring to, “It had something to do with that question you asked me that time, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” She responded in confirmation, “By the way you answered, it felt as though I accidentally brought up an old memory or two you’ve been wanting to forget… I seriously apologize for that, Ed.” Edward looked down at her in silence. It took a moment to grasp and think about her apology before he spoke, “It’s alright. I’m not offended or anything. You simply didn’t know.” The orange mare raised an eyebrow in surprise and smiled, “Really? Then I’m glad you accepted my apology, partner.” “To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable about explaining certain things from my past... I may need some time to-” “Take all the time in the world, Ed. Nopony is rushing you. You can explain all that to us whenever you feel ready.”  This caught the alchemic prodigy by surprise. Applejack was not only shrugging his explanation off temporarily, but she was also willing to let him explain himself when he was ready. This helped ease his mind a bit. Even so, he had to tell his story to the others in the foreseeable future.  “Thank you, Applejack. I appreciate it.” “You’re welcome, partner. Now that we've gotten that out of our faces, I doubt these apples will be selling themselves if we stand here on this trail talking to each other instead of going into town. Let’s get a move on.” “Agreed.” After entering Ponyville itself, Edward and Applejack traveled further until they approached the town’s market area. After a few more minutes of looking around the orange mare settled down at a decent spot to set up her shop with the help of the blonde human. “And the shop is open!” She said with excitement in her voice, “Thanks for coming along.  “Right, and I’m glad to help you out.” About a second or two later, two ponies were already in line to buy some apples from the farm mare. Edward smiled in satisfaction as he witnessed the transaction unfold right beside him. Then, a vaguely familiar voice rang out nearby. “Edward?” The young alchemist turned his attention away from the newly set booth to the source of the voice. A mare with a pale yellow coat with two-toned pink and red mane and tail stood in front of him. Her appearance immediately refreshed his memory. A somewhat familiar pony was present. “Roseluck, is that you?” The mare playfully chuckled and smiled, “Come on. We just met yesterday. Don’t tell me you forgot.” “No. It just took me a second to realize that it was really you.”  As soon as the two customers left with their purchased goods, Applejack turned her attention to Edward and Roseluck. The way they were interacting was as if they already knew each other, “Howdy there, Roseluck. Looks like the both of you are already enjoying whatever conversation y'all having.” “Great to see you, Applejack,” The pale yellow mare greeted back. “I actually met Ed yesterday. The wheel on my carriage suddenly fell apart but he just happened to be passing through and ended up helping me. He used his strange-looking magic to fix the wheel and it looks exactly like new!” “Rose, it’s not magic at all,” The human corrected her, “It’s called alchemy.” “Alchemy? Really…? It looks too good to be something other than magic.” “Alchemy is kinda a complex art. I can tell you that much.” “I see… But if it weren’t for you, I could have already spent tons of bits to get that wheel replaced with a new one. I’m thankful for what you did for me.” “Well, ain’t that mighty sweet of you to do that, partner?” The orange mare commented while she handled a new transaction with another customer, “Looks like your alchemy has made itself more useful than it already is.” The compliments from both mares caused Edward to blush lightly, only to shrug it off just as quickly as it came, “Yeah, you were really lucky I was nearby, Rose.” “Yes, I know…” The pale yellow earth pony chuckled, “Anyway, I have to leave you and Applejack alone now. I still have errands to take care of. See you two later.”  With that, the two waved farewell to Roseluck as she trotted away from the booth. “Looks like you made a new friend all by yourself.” Applejack said as she finished her latest transaction.  “Yeah… I guess you’re right. I didn’t even notice.” “Considering you’re new around these parts and you ended up helping somepony out recently, I’m sure everypony will eventually get used to seeing you around more often.” “I really hope so.” “I know so, partner,” She further assured him with a wink. Edward raised his brow for a moment. What the farm mare just said to him sounded similar to what Princess Luna already told him last night. He was likely the only human here in Equestria, but his alchemy may be turning more than a few heads towards him out of pure curiosity.  “Anyway, thanks for walking into town with me. Now if you want, you can go head on out.” “Are you sure?” “Yes, siree. I can take care of everything from here on out.” “You’re welcome then,” Edward nodded his head in agreement and began to walk away. “I’ll see you around.” “You too, Applejack.” A walk around town sounded like a good idea. In fact, it was the perfect excuse to explore the rest of Ponyville or at least one more portion of it. The blonde alchemist crossed a small bridge and entered what looked like some sort of park. Couples and small groups of friends were sitting on the grass together, foals running around as playful laughter was heard from them, and the overall beautiful scenery of the park. It reminded him of the park he and Alphonse passed by on occasion whenever they were in Central City.  He then spotted an empty bench nearby and approached it. As soon as he took his seat, he was able to relish his surroundings more. Ponies were passing by him as if he was not there, but he paid no attention to that concern anyway. He looked up at the clear sky and lightly smiled. A certain thought occurred to him again…. Equestria was surprisingly a peaceful place compared to Amestris. It was probably because there was no hint of a constant state of war with surrounding nations like the latter’s case. He closed his eyes as he adjusted himself on the bench…  Suddenly, a strange feeling occurred to him. Something did not feel right… When Edward opened his eyes again, a pair of red eyes were glaring right back at him which caused him to jump in surprise and fall over to the ground. As it turned out, it was none other than Discord standing in front of the alchemic prodigy.  “Why hello there, Edward. How are you doing?” The blonde human glared back at the draconequus in annoyance and stood back up before he answered, “You again? What are you doing here now?” “Come on now. Is that how you talk to your friends? By attempting to give them the cold shoulder or something similar? I’m surprised Twilight and the others accepted you as their friend. The least you can do is spend time with Fluttershy. I’m sure she’ll help you become a little more friendly. Maybe some tea with her will help at least?” “Yeah, thanks for the friendly tip. Also, that’s because they’re literally nowhere as annoying as you, Discord.” The God of Chaos feignedly grasped his chest and literally opened it to see his own heart with a crack mark on it and closed it, “You’re breaking heart, little one.” “Who are you calling little!?” “Now with all seriousness, I’m just here to personally check up on you and see how you are doing. After all, you are new to Equestria.” “I’m doing fine so far, thank you very much.” “Wonderful to hear that. I can tell. Also, there’s something about you that caught my eye recently. It’s about your particular set of skills…” “Skills… You mean… My alchemy?” Edward stood in silence and gasped in realization, “Wait, you’ve been spying on me this whole time!?” “Oh no, no, no. I just happened to be nearby when I saw you help a certain pony in need the other day.” “Roseluck?” “Yes, indeed. Despite magic being the norm of Equestria, your alchemy appears to come in handy in these parts.” “It’s not really much to be excited about actually.” “Maybe? Maybe not? Either way, at least it made life a little easier for somepony in need. I would definitely like to see more of it next time.” Discord took a few steps back, “Now that I finished checking up on you, I shall take my leave. Ta-ta.” With a snap of a finger, the draconequus vanished into thin air leaving the human alone. “Seriously, why does it feel like he rubs me the wrong way…?” “I’m back.” With the Sun slowly setting on the horizon, Edward opened the door to the Golden Oak Library.  “Welcome back, Ed,” Spike greeted the human while putting away some books on the higher shelves. “How was your day? I heard from Twilight that you went to Sweet Apple Acres.” “That’s right. I thought I would take a look around town on my own while I was at it.” “Anything interesting happened today?” The human paused for a moment and thought about the day he had. The conversation with Discord earlier was quite… Awkward to say the least. He then shrugged it off and answered, “Nah, nothing worth mentioning during the day.” The little dragon stepped down from his step stool and grabbed another book from a nearby table, “I figured you say that, Ed. Nothing really happens around here.” He brought the book to a lower shelf and turned his attention back to the alchemist, “Well, except for the occasional monsters that threaten it or some random adventure or outing that leads us somewhere else in Equestria. Good thing you’re hanging out with us. You may be experiencing more of that in the future.” “Looking forward to it,” Edward commented as he rolled his eyes. “Anyway, how’s Twilight doing with her research?” “She’s been up there you stepped out this morning. She’s still hard at work, I can tell you that.” “She did mention to me that she may not be done before the end of the day… It may take her longer than a few days. I guess she wasn’t kidding, Spike.” Upstairs in the study room, Twilight was still entranced by the mysterious book given to her earlier today. Edward was right when he said it was written in some different language. Luckily for her, the language in question was a much older Equestrian dialect she remembered studying long before she was sent to Ponyville from Canterlot.  As she delved deeper, a certain term kept appearing on a frequent basis in the book. The way the mare saw it, it looked like a vital keyword. It went by one particular name...  “The Crimson… Star? What kind of name is that? And what is it exactly…?” She scratched her cheek in confusion as she wrote more information in her notes.  The alicorn flipped to the next page and continued reading the written text. This was just as mysterious as the chest from the Tree of Harmony and the six keys for it. Who knew what other mysteries could possibly contain…?