//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15 - Helpful 
// Story: Quest For Harmony 
// by destinedjagold 
//------------------------------//

	The cyan-coated pegasus mare simply glared at me as she raised a hoof to remove her helmet, revealing her rainbow-colored mane falling down to her shoulders. "What's an earth pony like you doing all the way out here?"

"Er, I uh..." Come on, brain! Think! Think of a very believable lie! I've been able to lie on the spot before, and I still managed to make it sound believable by mixing it with a little bit of truth. "...I'm, here, to uh..." Don't look around, don't look around... It'll make me look suspicious. Look at her in the eye... "...get, some...stuff(?)," I need a distraction... "...for, uh..." And as if on cue, a loud thunder boomed from the town. The mare and I turned to see what it was, and I saw the gloomy black clouds of the Everfree Forest hovering above the town, and lightning bolts were reaching down to the sea of green trees. And then, rainbow rays of light flashed from tree to tree, leaving it's color behind the fruits of the trees. It happened so quick, and after it was done, the stormy clouds retreated back to the Everfree, but it did manage to strike me enough bolts of electricity to light up that little lightbulb of ideas in my head. "Zap Apples!" I said, turning to the mare, who arched me an eyebrow. "I was trying to look for something that could help me gather up those Zap Apples."

And wow, did it work! The cyan pegasus mare nodded, and even managing to crack a small smile. "So you're an Apple then?"

And that's when I stop lying. I don't want to push it. I shook my head with a smile. "Not really, no. I'm more like, uh, friends, with them."

Her smile vanished, and replaced by doubt. "You are, huh? Do you know any of them?"

I saw that coming. I nodded. "Yeah, there's Applejack, Gran---"

She raised a hoof to stop me. "Okay, I believe you, but I want you to go back to town, now." She ordered with flare in her eyes. I don't want to get to her bad side, so I nodded nervously and began walking towards the town. I was walking for almost a minute until the very same pegasus landed beside me and started walking with me. "What's with the dragon doll, anyway?" She asked with curiosity.

Wait, dragon doll? I turned my head, and saw Spike. Huh, honestly, I forgot he was even there, sitting still on my back. I wonder what's his problem? He's like...not moving at all! He doesn't even look like he's even breathing! I need to ask what's up with him later. "Yeah," I said as I started forming some light lies in my head, "I kinda wanna...have hi---it around me."

She arched me an eyebrow, but nodded anyway. "It's like a charm, huh?" She turned her head towards the town a few small hills away. "I understand that."

I am starting to wonder if the pegasi are really this talkative to strangers, or if it's only just her. I am not much of a talker. I never talk unless spoken to. I also find it difficult to keep up with a group conversation. We eventually reached the edge of town for almost half an hour of walking. During that time frame, Rainbow's been talking a bit, maybe trying to bring up a conversation with me? Anyway, I mostly replied with simple answers like yes and no and giving my opinion in a rather small amount of words.

"What's with you?" She asked as we reached a destroyed wagon beside one of the wooden houses of the small town. "Do you ever talk?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'm not much of a talker," I shrugged. "I've been quiet ever since I was young."

"Must have been a boring life..." she said as she shook her head in disbelief. Meh, I couldn't blame her. My life does seem boring when I look back, but I was satisfied with just me and my family, and having a simple, boring life. "Anyway, we lost the recent battle," she said, suddenly looking quite serious, "and we better work hard to try and win the next one."

'Try', huh? Never knew Rainbow Dash knew such a word. I nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"None of that ma'am stuff!" she glared at me, and I quickly and rapidly nodded my head. "Anyway, just get back to...whatever." She quickly extended her wings and flew off somewhere in amazing speed. Heh, and I thought Pinkie was random.

I shook my head to rid myself of the thought and turned to see Spike, who was now regaining his ability to move and breathe. "M-man..." he quietly said in trembling lips, "...I've...I've never been so close to a pegasi before..." he lied down on his stomach on my back.

I see. Spike did said that he was not allowed to go outside the Unicornian...Empire? Kinda makes sense if he's scared of them, since he was living with the unicorns for so long in his life.

"Glad that you're back, li'l bud," I smiled at him, though he couldn't see it because he buried his face on the fur of my back. He needs a few moments to recover. I started walking through the busy earthy path heading to the Everfree Forest. Earth ponies and pegasi ponies are almost working together. Some earth ponies are pulling a wooden wagon, which was full of fruits and vegetables, and a pegasi was also helping out. A few pegasi were fixing the rooftops of the houses, assisting the earth ponies who were also fixing the roof by climbing up a ladder. There are even a few earth and pegasi ponies resting and sharing a few jokes under the shade of a tree.

"Wow..." I heard Spike's silent amazement. Even though the place is not as great as in Unicornia, the ponies here are...united? "I didn't know that pegasus ponies are..." he trailed off.

"...friendly?" I finished for him, looking around, and I failed to notice my slowed pace.

He nodded. "Y-yeah... Kinda makes me think of how wrong Twilight had told me about them..."

"Hey you!" Shouted a dark yet loud voice from my right. I turned and saw a white pegasus stallion with a slightly messy yellow mane. He was smiling though it was clear that he's quite tired. "Help us out, would ya?" He gestured with his head, pointing at the wooden wagon which was full of stone and metal, and leaning on the wagon were two earth ponies and two pegasi ponies, who were all tired-looking.

I wanted to say no, "sure," and I have no idea why I said yes. Spike arched me an eyebrow, but I ignored him as I positioned myself behind the wagon. On my sides were the other two earth ponies. I saw how the earth ponies push the wagons earlier...with their heads... Yeah, not sure if I'm going to like that, but whatever...

It was quite heavy...uh, maybe too heavy to push, but we did managed to push the wagon to the edge of town where I was planning on heading. We parked the wagon near a large flat metal-thing. As the earth and pegasi ponies started unloading the items and placing them on the flat metal-thingy, I started to figure out what they're doing: they're going to transport the materials up to their cloud kingdom, with the pegasi as the ones to lift the metal platform. Not sure how many pegasi ponies are needed, but meh, not my problem.

"Thanks," smiled the pegasus who persuaded me earlier, and under his wing, he took out a brown pouch bag of Bits. "Here ya go."

I was about to decline when my stomach didn't cooperate with me. It let out a noisy growl, and it make me flash the pegasus an awkward smile as I accepted the bag. "Uh, thanks?"

I was about to turn and find a place where I could eat, until he popped a question I wasn't sure how to answer. "Is that a real dragon on you?"

"Er..." I turned to look at Spike. He's frozen still once again.

"I've seen a dragon twice before," he spoke as I returned my attention to him, and I felt Spike was loosening a bit. "Nearly killed me once," he shrugged, "and the other saved my life. Kinda funny, now that I think about it." He smiled, and laughed a bit.

"So..." I heard Spike was speaking lowly, "is it okay...for me to move?"

The pegasus simply shrugged. "I don't see why not." He gestured with his hoof that we should walk as we talk. I followed his lead, walking beside him. "Dragons left the land when the war began. At least, that's what I heard from my seniors." We stopped on a small food stand, and he ordered a few. I was about to make an order when he cut me off. "Foods on me, dude."

I arched him an eyebrow, but nodded anyway. Besides, free food! Who'd want to say no to that? And Spike was chuckling a bit, probably happy we'd get to eat something cooked. He slid down from my back and I helped him up on a wooden stool.

We ignored a few eyes which were staring at Spike though. Nothing can break our eating concentration.