//------------------------------// // Something Strange This Way Comes // Story: The Lost One // by dragonofshadows //------------------------------// “OhmyCelestiayou’renevereverEVERevergonnaguesswhatIsaw!” Pinkie Pie had burst into Twilight’s library right in the middle of one of the purple unicorn’s magic practices. The twelve colored balls she had been balancing in midair suddenly shot off to all different corners of the room, toppling statues and displacing books. Twilight glared at the hyper pink pony. “I was just in the middle of Magic practice Pinkie!” Pinkie blushed. “I’m sorry Twilight. I know you told me never ever to interrupt you after lunch and even made me Pinkie Promise. But I just saw the weeeeiiirdest thing!” Twilight huffed as she used her magic to straighten up the mess. “What did you see?” Pinkie inhaled deeply, and Twilight knew this might be the longest story ever told in Equestria. “I was walking down to Fluttershy’s house to invite her to my weekly party that I throw for everypony who might be needing a little pick-me-up in their week, and I saw a pony in the Everfree forest.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Wow Pinkie, that IS weird…” Pinkie snuffed. “I haven’t got to THAT yet! The weird part is that he was all alone and he looked like a Pegasus that was missing his wings! And no, he wasn’t an Earth pony. There were places where he used to have wings.” At this, Pinkie’s usual chipper attitude wilted somewhat. “And the worst part is, he looked really sad. I was gonna invite him to the party so we might have a new friend, but as soon as I started towards him, he ran off!” “Hmmm, that is odd Pinkie.” Twilight trotted over to her as she put the last of the displaced objects in place. “Do you know who he was?” Pinkie shook her head. “Uh-uh.” Twilight rested on her haunches and thought for a minute. A Pegasus without wings? I’ve never heard of such a thing. To Pinkie she said, “Why don’t we go ask Fluttershy if she’s ever seen this pony before? Maybe she might know since she lives close to the Everfree forest. Or, if not, maybe we can ask Zecora?” From out of nowhere, Pinkie produced a Sherlock-style hat and bubble pipe. “A mystery! I looooove Mysteries! I’ll go round up the other girls and we can solve it together!” And she was off like a pink bullet. Twilight Sparkle slapped her forehead. She called out to the little purple and green dragon that was her assistant, “Spike, I’m going out for a while, so look after the library!” Ten minutes later, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, resplendent in her “Mystery Solving Costume” were trotting down the road to Fluttershy’s house. “You mean ta tell me he had stumps er sumthin’ where his wings were supposed ta be?” Pinkie answered Applejack. “I couldn’t really tell, he was far away. But he just reminded me of what Dashie would look like if she didn’t have wings.” Above them, the cyan pegasus shuddered, if it were possible to do a thing like that while flying. “That gives me the creeps Pinkie, I wish you’d quit sayin’ it like that! The white unicorn, Rarity, shook her head. “The poor darling! If that’s the case he must feel dreadful! It would be like running around with last year’s fashions on. Ugh!” As they chatted, the approached a small cottage, and in the meadow surrounding it was a pink and yellow pegasus surrounded by a legion of forest animals. Pinkie cried out “Hey Fluttershy, we’re here!” The little pegasus jumped, startled at the loud outburst. “Oh, h-hi everypony. I was just taking care of some of my animal friends, and I guess I was too busy to notice you. I’m sorry.” Rainbow dash landed next to her. “Don’t sweat it Fluttershy! We know how you get when animals are involved.” Applejack slapped her on the back. “Yeah, sugarcube! In fact we might oughta apologize fer sneakin’ up on you.” “Th-thanks girls, but you really don’t have to worry about it. Unless you want to, of course…” Twilight spoke up, “Actually Fluttershy, we have a kind of unusual question for you. Pinkie said she was coming to your house and saw a strange pegasus with no wings near the Everfree. We were wondering if maybe you had seen him too?” Fluttershy perked up a little. “Oh, yes, on several occasions! But he always seemed to want to be by himself, so I never bothered him.” “So you never asked him for his name?” “Oh, no, I would never bother somepony who wants to be alone. But he looked so sad, I wanted to.” Pinkie Pie puffed on her bubble pipe. “Hmmm, so now we have two witnesses! But still no clues! So I guess we go to Zecora’s now, huh Twilight?” Twilight nodded. “If anypony would know about something strange, it would definitely be her!” And once again, now with Fluttershy in tow, the ponies headed down the road and into the Everfree forest. When they knocked at the house built into a tree, Zecora, the mystical Zebra who lived there greeted them, as always, in rhyme. “Welcome, ponies, to my humble shack! Perhaps you would like a little snack? Or is it maybe that Ponyville is under attack?” Applejack shook her head. “Actually Zecora, we kinda got a question we were hopin’ you could answer. Pinkie and Fluttershy both said they seen a strange pony hereabouts that nopony’s ever seen before, and we wanted to know if you’d seen him. Pegasus fella, lookin’ like he lost his wings?” Zecora smiled. “The lonesome pony that stays all alone? And where he had wings there is now only bone? I have seen him here in the Everfree, and he never talks or bothers me. If it is the lone one you seek, he lives in a cave by Laughing Stone Creek.” “Thanks, Zecora!” said Twilight. “We were hoping you could help us get to the bottom of this.” “Helping you girls is my great pleasure,” quipped the zebra, “And your friendship is always my greatest treasure!” As they left Zecora’s hut, Rarity noticed Rainbow Dash lagging behind a little bit, not her usual fast-as-lightning self. “What’s the matter Rainbow darling?” The cyan pony landed next to her and trotted. “I dunno Rarity. But I have a weird feeling about all this.” The white unicorn smiled. “Are you having a ‘Pinkie Pie Forecasting Feeling’?” Pinkie Pie’s head popped up. “Someone say my name?” Rainbow ignored her. “Nah, just something makes me feel like I’m having Déjà vu, ya know? I guess we’ll find out when we meet this guy.” Later, all six ponies were crouched underneath the bridge that spanned Laughing Stone Creek. Their eyes were trained on the cave that was about thirty yards away from them. “See anything yet?” Rainbow shushed Pinkie Pie. “No! But if you keep asking every ten seconds, you might scare him off!” Just then, they heard hooves clopping across the bridge. They held their breath as a black pony with white hair came around the corner and trotted toward the cave. He had saddlebags on, filled with firewood. And true to the witnesses, where he should have had wings, there were only two stumps with bone showing out of the top where the skin had healed around it. “My goodness!” Rarity gasped. His ears perked up. “Who or whatever you are, show yourself! I am not frightened by any creature, nor will you surprise me. So you might as well come out and face me!” The six friends slowly came out from under the bridge and Twilight spoke. “Hi there! My friends had seen you before, and we let our curiosity get the better of us. I’m Twilight Sparkle, what’s your name?” “My name is Razor Wing. I’m sorry if you own this forest, and I’ve been trespassing.” “We don’t own this forest sugarcube!” Applejack smiled. “We were just kinda wonderin’ who would live out here besides our friend Zacora.” The whole time, Rainbow Dash had been staring at the stranger with her mouth hanging open. Pinkie Pie noticed. “Hey, Dashie, Opal got your tongue? If you don’t close your mouth the horseflies will get in!” Razor Wing had noticed Rainbow Dash too. “Rainbow? Has it been so long?” Rainbow Dash just stared. “You should be dead.”