//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 A Horse With no Name // Story: The Legend of Zepplin Tales in Equestria // by Zeta Dragon //------------------------------// Episode one A Horse With No Name It was another warm summer day in Ponyville and everypony was going about their daily business. Applejack was in the town square working the market stall with her little sister Applebloom. “One red apple that’ll be one bit, next, two green apples that’ll be six bits, next.” After working the stall all morning Applejack was feeling business slow down, her little sister Applebloom tugged at her leg. “Applejack I’m gonna be late for the crusaders meeting.” She said. “We’re gonna try and get our cutie marks in weightlifting.” “Well you don’t wanna be late for that now do ya?” Applejack said shooing her off. “Yeehaw” said Applebloom as the little filly galloped away. Applejack, watching her little sister run as fast as she could to meet her friends, didn't even notice a customer approach her stall. “Well how can I hel…” her words stopped as she saw standing before her a large, dark blue alicorn. “One red apple please.” The mysterious stallion said. “Uh ye-yeah one red apple uh that’ll be one bit partner.” The blue alicorn used his magic to reach into his saddlebag removing a small golden bit. “There you are.” He said. “Have a nice day.” “Yeah you too partner.” The mare responded. As the alicorn turned, flapped his wings and flew away, the silent and stunned Applejack, eyes wide as can be, thought to herself. “I better go tell Princess Twilight.” Princess Twilight Sparkle, who had just recently ascended to the throne and became an alicorn, still lived in the tree house library in Ponyville, as she wanted to be close to her friends. She still devoted most of her time to studying the magic of friendship but was now also occupied with many royal duties. Twilight was reading one of her many dusty old tomes when her friend Applejack burst through her front door panting. “Applejack what’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “Twilight I done saw me an alicorn, he was down at the market.” Applejack explained. “What?” Twilight responded “AJ are you alright?” “Of course I’m alright.” “It’s just” Twilight began “Applejack I’m the only alicorn in Ponyville. You probably saw a Pegasus standing behind a unicorn.” Twilight remarked. Applejack glared at the purple alicorn.“I AM THE ELEMENT OF HONESTY AND YOUR FRIEND!” she shouted “NOW I KNOW WHAT I SAW AND I NEED YOU TO BELIEVE ME!” Applejack was panting now, more anger than exhaustion. “Ok, ok calm down.” Said Twilight. “We should investigate this before jumping to any conclusions.” “Well you can sit here and investigate then!” yelled Applejack. “But I’m going to go find this alicorn.” Applejack stormed out of the tree house knowing that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Twilight. --- Rarity was hard at work in her boutique snipping and sewing fabric as she hummed. Ding ding ding the bell over her shop door rang alerting her to a customer. “Cooooooommmmmmeee iiiiiiiiinnnnnn.” She shouted. As she walked out to the show floor to investigate the customer she calmly said “now how may I help you… oh ….my….” a look of disbelief came over her. “Why you’re an alicorn.” She said. Sure enough it was the same large blue pony from earlier “I’m looking for a suit.” He said “I assume this is the local boutique?” he glanced at Rarity. “Why why yes it is, uh welcome to Rarity’s Boutique.” She stated proudly. “Now let’s see what we have.” The white unicorn stepped toward the stallion with a measuring tape wrapping it around him and taking all sorts of measurements. She almost choked the blue stallion when she wrapped the tape tightly around his neck. “Hmm, no no this won’t do at all. I’m so sorry but I’m afraid I don’t have anything in stock that would fit you. If you like you could check back later or I could whip something up for you.” “Well I would like it if you could make me a suit of your finest design.” Once again he reached into his saddlebag with his magic, this time pulling out a small brown pouch filled to the brim with golden bits. The pouch made a heavy ca-chink as he plopped it on the counter. “Ten Thousand bits.” He said. “I want the finest design you have.” Rarity’s eyes rolled over to hearts as she scanned the pouch. “T-t-t-ten th-thousand bits.” She exclaimed “why-why I’ll make you a whole wardrobe. I don’t know how to thank you.” The alicorn responded “hahaha. Well I look forward to doin business with you then. Oh shoot I gotta zip. Catch you later Rarity.” Rarity watched as the mysterious pony once again flew away. --- Rainbow dash was soaring through the skies over Ponyville clearing the clouds away while demonstrating her super speed to her fans both in the sky and below on the ground. The Pegasus grinned as she picked up speed doing loops and barrel rolls through the air. She confidently flying until a voice said “Not bad.” Rainbow dash stopped dead in her tracks and turned toward the voice. “Not bad?” she said looking at the blue pony resting on a cloud. “Ahahahahaha” she burst out laughing. “Not bad aha, it’s only like a million times better then you could do.” The blue alicorn smirked. “You think I’m joking?” Rainbow dash glared at the pony “Listen you. I don’t know who you are or what you think you’re doing but I’m the fastest flyer in Equestria. I’m Rainbow Dash and I’m 20% cooler than you could ever be!” She exclaimed proudly. “Well I’m 21 % cooler than that” the stallion responded. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed as she was furious. “NOBODY is COOLER or FASTER than ME!” she yelled. “You wanna prove it lets go blue boy” The alicorn yawned stretching his legs out from the cloud. “Well if you’re so eager to loose I guess I can challenge you to a race.” Rainbow dash, shocked, laughed “you- you want to challenge ME, to a race.” She then suddenly burst out laughing. “I don’t know if you’re the bravest pony I ever met or the stupidest.” She said. The blue alicorn now stood up on the cloud and faced Rainbow. “First one around the mountain and back here wins. If you win I’ll never bother you again. But if I win, you have to get a hooficure.” Rainbow dash glared at him.“You have to promise not to use magic.” “Deal” the stallion said. The alicorn spread out his wings which had a dark orange color in the middle almost depicting a sunset. His wings were huge almost bigger then he was. He flew over and landed on another nearby cloud which was to serve as the start line. Rainbow landed next to him and they both flexed their wings. The blue pony gave a little nod signifying he was ready to go. Rainbow Dash said“ya know you don’t have to do this. It’s already not that fair for you.” To which the alicorn responded“Ha. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.” The two started flapping their wings, generating huge gusts of wind behind them and kicking up cloud dust. (Note: this part comes with a soundtrack copy and paste the address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzQ3eBerHfM ) Their wings looked like blurs as they counted down 3…2….1….Go*, and both of them shot off the cloud, nearly knocking off the Pegasus ponies standing behind them. Rainbow dash instantly took the lead streaming toward the mountain. The alicorn was not far behind though. Dash blazing her rainbow trail across the sky while the stallion blazed a celestial trail of stars and lightning. Dash and the alicorn reached the mountain at about the same time. Dash realized that the blue pony wasn’t playing around. Straining as hard as she could she picked up speed and launched herself into a sonic rainboom. “Haha yes whoohooo!” she yelled excitedly. The blue stallion smirked. A bright flash of light suddenly burst from his body as he shot toward rainbow dash. The noise from his speed was deafening as he was now fully engulfed in light blazing a trail of light across the sky. “Yeah now were rocking” he exclaimed. The mystical stallion zoomed past the prismatic Pegasus. Dash screamed in astonishment.“Impossible! Nothing’s faster than a sonic rainboom!” The blue alicorn swooped past the finish line leaving a trail of fire to mark his landing, soon after Dash’s rainbow trail shot in and it was over. The blue pony being the victor stood up proud as Rainbow Jumped at him, pressing her head against his. “YOU CHEATED!” she yelled, her voice seething with anger. “Just admit you lost” said the stallion. All of a sudden the alicorn used his magic to teleport behind Rainbow Dash which sent her face first into the cloud. “I must say Crashie, I didn’t think it would be that easy. I barely broke a sweat. Ya know, I think you need to practice your basics, but good flight. Enjoy the hooficure". The blue alicorn zoomed away as every Pegasus looked in shock first at him then at the defeated Rainbow Dash who finally managed to pull her head out of the cloud and utter a low growl before breaking down and sobbing. As she watched the victor fly away at his super speed a thought came over her. “Why does he seem familiar?” --- Rarity decided to head over to Twilight’s house to share her newfound wealth with her friend. As she walked in the door Twilight was still sitting at her table, this time scribbling on a piece of paper. Twilight turned around. “Um, Rarity what is that on your head?” Atop the white unicorn’s head was a giant blue hat that Rarity looked like she was struggling to hold up. “This darling is a sapphire silk hat. Imported from Prance.” “Goodness Rarity how in Equestria did you manage to afford something like that?” Twilight asked. “Oh that’s thanks to my newest customer.” Rarity let out a giddy chuckle. “He paid me ten thousand bits to make him a suit.” Rarity smiled. “TEN THOUSAND BITS? TEN THOUSAND BITS!?” Twilight yelled “That’s more money than I have in my section of the royal treasury. Do you know how hard it is to balance this economy? Do you have any idea what I could do with that kind of money? Honestly who would pay that much for one suit?” “Oh he was so charming. He was a big blue alicorn. Why he looked like royalty himself.” Rarity said. “An alicorn?” Twilight inquired. “AN ALICORN!?” Her eyes widened. “What was his name?” Rarity responded sheepishly, “umm. Well you see uh, I didn’t really get his name. I mean it’s not like I wouldn’t recognize him if I saw him again…” Twilight huffed and puffed.“You … Didn’t … Get …. His ….. Name?” a psychotic grin came over Twilights face as Spike walked over and said “heh. Looks like somepony’s jealous.” “IM NOT JEALOUS!” Twilight yelled, sending Spike flying head over heels into a bookshelf. Just then Rainbow Dash burst through the door with chunks of cloud still in her mane from earlier. “My goodness darling what happened to you?” Rarity asked. “I lost. That’s what happened.” “Lost, lost at what?” Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash, trying to hide her tears by keeping a stiff upper lip, finally burst out sobbing “I lost the race!” (Crying) “A race? But you’re the fastest flyer in Equestria.” Twilight proclaimed. “She’s right darling who could beat you at a race?” Rarity asked. “I didn't get his name.” Rainbow said. “All I know is that he was a big… blue… stupid alicorn.” “Oh dear” Rarity remarked softly. Twilight, grinding her teeth and growling, burst out screaming “WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PONIES, DOESN’T ANYPONY ASK FOR A NAME ANYMORE. THAT’S LIKE THE FIRST RULE OF FRIENDSHIP PEOPLE!” Rainbow dash looked at rarity. “Wait, you know this joker?” “Why yes he bought me this hat. Well he didn’t buy it but his money-” “Shut up Rarity!” Twilight yelled. “Well it’s getting late.” Rarity said. “I suggest we head home and get a good night’s rest.” Rarity and Rainbow dash left for home, still thinking about their mysterious new friend. --- Meanwhile, Fluttershy was out late tending to her animal friends. “There you are little angle. Don’t worry, Fluttershy will take good care of you.” Just then Mr. Beaverly Beaverton limped over toward her with a cast on his leg. “Wha! Oh no what have you done? You’re hurt.” As the kind Pegasus pony looked around for help she spotted something walking past the road to her cottage. “Oh um… excuse me ….. Sir …… um …. Could you please…..help me...?” The passing pony could barely hear her soft voice but managed to make out the words help me. He came running over to the kind Pegasus.“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” “Um no sir…b...but my friend the beaver here has a broken leg.” The blue pony leaned over and inspected the beaver that was in pain from the broken bone. “I see. Hmm I don’t like the looks of this.” The blue pony said. “Scalpel” he remarked. From out of nowhere Fluttershy grabbed a small metal scalpel and handed it to the alicorn repeating “Scalpel.” The alicorn bent over again and made small movements with the scalpel. “Had to get that cast off. Only way is to cut it” he said. “Wipe” he remarked. Fluttershy grabbed out of nowhere again a cloth and dabbed the forehead of the blue alicorn again repeating “Wipe.” “Thanks” he said before pressing his horn to the broken leg of the beaver. His horn began to glow with a faint light. Like magic the beaver’s leg retained its shape before the accident. The beaver got up slowly and cautiously put weight on it before shaking the hoof of the alicorn who had fixed his leg and then running off into the woods. “Oh you were amazing sir. Thank you soooo much” “Please, it’s the least I can do for a mare in need. What’s you’re name?” he asked. “I’m fl…fl…flut…flutter” “Fluttershy” the alicorn finished for her. “But but how did you?” Fluttershy asked. “Your mailbox” he motioned with his head to a bright red mailbox marked Fluttershy. “See you around Fluttershy.” He said as he flew away once again. “Wait, what’s your name?” Fluttershy pleaded. It was too late, he was gone. --- The next morning, Twilight was re-organizing the library when she heard a knock at her door. She jerked her head toward the door and trotted over to answer it. When she opened the door she found all five of her friends in a group with Applejack leading them. “What are you doing here girls?” Twilight asked. “Well shoot” Applejack said “I thought you’d be out looking for the alicorn.” “Alicorn?” Pinkie spoke up from behind the other ponies. She quickly hip hopped her way up front. “Ooh ooh what does he look like?” Pinkie asked. Twilight responded “Well from what I’ve heard he’s dark blue.” “Ooh ooh I know him” said Pinkie pie “tee hee. He’s so nice.” Pinkie said. “What? You know him?” Rainbow dash flew up. “Pinkie all this time you knew him and didn’t say anything?” Pinkie smiled.“Well of course I know him silly. I threw a welcome party last week for him and his griffin friend.” Twilight spoke up.“Well… do you know his name?” “Well of course!” Pinkie said “Jeez Twilight that’s only like the first rule of Friendship, you of all ponies should know that!” Twilight’s eye began to twitch. “Well, what is it?” A look of deep thinking came over Pinkie.“Well I don’t remember, ooh but I know where he lives.” Rainbow dash flew over twilight “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”