//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: The Ponies and Their Human // Story: On Light Hooves I Tread // by AdamThePony //------------------------------// On Light Hooves I Tread a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon Chapter 10: The Ponies and Their Human Determination. Obsession. Hope. Those fiery emotions emotions illuminated the lights in my eyes, showing me the error I had made as I charged into Ponyville's town square, as if I were a warhorse. A true friend is more than just honest. They are loyal and unwavering, with a kind heart, a good humor, and a generous soul. But, the most important virtue to any good friendship is that spark which ignites the flame that binds any good friendship together. All those powers combined told me one thing: I had to save my friends, no matter what sins I had committed prior to this. As I stormed into the square of Ponyville, what I saw something that invoked such awe in me, only one thought ran through my head. Dear Mother of God, what was THIS? Before me stood a towering Blue Dragon! And not just any Blue Dragon, this one was a mature Blue Dragon! For those of you versed in the knowledge of Dungeons and Dragons, this means that it would be impossible to take on alone. “ADAM!” I heard shriek out for me. As I followed the scream, I met Twilight, who, with a hopeful smile rising to her face. “You came back!” she said, hurriedly hugging me before returning to a crouching battle stance. “I thought about what I did and – WHOA!” I shouted, narrowly avoiding a blast of this enraged reptile's literally ice-cold breath, only for a pony whose coloration reminded me strangely of toothpaste to be made into a living ice sculpture. “And I decided to come back when I heard the roar! Where the hay did this thing come from, anyway?!” “I couldn't tell you if I tried! I'm guessing maybe somewhere in the Everfree Forest?!” Twilight shouted back, dodging a claw swipe. “Figures.” I groaned. “This dragon looks really mad for some reason! I've tried using my magic, but given how big and quick this thing is, I can't focus my magic quick enough to subdue this thing, and even if I did, it's still too mad for it to matter!” “I see!” I reasoned, dodging another claw strike as Applejack was sent reeling back from a tail swipe. “AJ!” Rainbow Dash cried out, catching the hardy Earth Pony as quick as she could. “Ah'm all right, Rainbow. Gonna take more than that to keep this pony down!” Applejack roared, getting back onto her hooves as she tried to launch herself at the beast headfirst into the stomach. While Applejack alone wasn't going to fell a full size dragon, her attack gave me an interesting thought as she was returned back from whence she came. I gasped as the realization made my eyes had begun to make my eyes go wide as saucers, a spark of inspiration gleaming in my eyes. “Twilight, get the girls rounded up! I think I've got a plan!” I shouted, rolling out of the way of the dragon's snapping maw almost literally by the skin of his teeth. “Gotcha!” She said, nodding. “GIRLS! HUDDLE UP!” Within moments, the seven of us had taken shelter in the library as quick as we could, huddled together. “What's he doing back here?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “I thought he was leaving!” “Guess again, Rainbow. He came back as soon as he heard the roar.” Twilight snapped, a serious smirk on her. “Ah guess your loyalty is rubbin' off on him, Rainbow!” Applejack chuckled, surprised. “Well, isn't that what friends are for?! He's giving us a helping hoof!” Pinkie Pie giggled, with a gleaming smile. “Well, enough rambling! What's this plan you supposedly have?” Rarity asked, as everypony stared me down. I cleared my throat and began to think. “Alright...Rarity?” I began, looking to the white mare. “Yes?” She asked, a quizzical brow cocked. “You're famous for your charm, right?” “Why, of course! A lady of my looks is hard to come by, you know!” “Good. And Pinkie Pie?” “Yeah?” Pinkie Pie asked, a wide grin and starry eyes. “You know how to attract ponies with your parties, right?” “Yes, sirree! Nopony can resist my parties!” “Okay. You two will distract the Dragon.” “WHAT?!” Rarity screamed, aghast, while Pinkie Pie shouted, “WHOO-HOO!” “Okay. Applejack?” I continued, looking to the farm mare. “Yeah?” She asked, raising her hat. “Those legs of yours are strong, right?” “I reckon they're pretty strong? Where ya getting at?” “I need you to use those legs to launch me into the air.” Applejack's eyes widened for a second, but receded after a moment. “Ah don't think I've ever launched a full grown pony, but I can certainly try.” “Good.” I said, nodding. “Rainbow Dash?” “What's up?” She asked, flicking her mane back. “Think you can pull off a Sonic Rainboom?” Rainbow's eyes shot wide as dinner plates. “WHAT?!” “You heard right. I'm gonna need some good momentum for this plan, so I need you to get as high as you need to hit your Sonic Rainboom.” Rainbow's eyes stayed wide for a moment, but she took a deep breath and a long blink and saluted me. “You've got it!” I smirked and nodded. “Fluttershy.” I called, looking to the yellow Pegasus, who blushed at being addressed. “Um...yes?” She squeaked. “Think you can help me get up to the Dragon's eye-level?” Fluttershy blushed at that question. “Well, I'm not used to holding more than a bunny or two...” She whispered, before a flare of determination surged through her. “...but I'll do my best.” “Good to hear, Fluttershy.” I told the Pegasus as I turned my eyes to Twilight. “Last but not least, Twilight?” “Yes?” Twilight asked, leaning in to listen to me “Do you know a Stoneskin Spell? “Yes, I do. Why do you ask?” “Because I need you to cast as strong a version of that spell as you can.” I said, coldly serious. Twilight only gasped as her eyes went wide. “You're nuts!” Rainbow Dash added. “You want to turn yourself to stone?!” “No.” I snapped. “I want to encase myself in it. That way, when you collide with me, it turns me into a pony-shaped bullet Fluttershy then gasped. “Will that hurt it?!” I thought about it for a moment. “Considering this is a full-sized, full-grown adult dragon? It won't kill it or injure it too greatly. What it will do, however, is knock the dragon out so that we can calm it down. “But what about you?” Twilight asked. I thought about what I was going to be doing for a moment, then I smiled. “If I'm lucky, the force from being launched by a Pegasus going ten times the speed of sound will crack the shell upon impact after a moment, thus leaving me intact within.” “And if you don't make it out?” Rarity asked. I looked to the six ponies for a long pause, but then smiled. “Then it was nice to know the six of you. I know I messed up...I know I lied, and that lie started our friendship to begin with, I made six great friends nonetheless. The six of you blessed me with experiences I would never have gotten anyplace else, and showed me things that have made me look at the world through a whole new set of eyes. I've had great times here, and I don't think I could ever find any better time anywhere else. You made me feel like this was my real home, and I can never thank you enough for welcoming me into your lives with open arms. Today, I admitted my wrongdoings, and now I'm going to redeem myself, even if it kills me.” All six of them looked at me with wonder, Pinkie Pie brought to a geyser of tears. “Alright, girls.” I said, turning about-face and facing the door out from Twilight's library. “You all know your roles. We only have one shot at this, and we have to pray it all works. It's do-or-die time, everypony; LET'S GO STOP THAT DRAGON!” I roared, determination flaring in me as I charged out, the cheering ponies following me from behind. The beast was still lingering in the town, unsurprisingly enough, and left several pony-shaped icicles in its path, its icy wrath having not yet been been satisfied. This was it. A whole town was on the line with this plan, and if we failed, we'd not only have a pony down, but we'd have a whole town at stake. Rainbow Dash darted off for the sky as Fluttershy took to following the massive beast as it stormed through Ponyville. “Hey, big boy~!” Rarity moaned in her most seductive tone possible as she began to attempt to tantalize the towering blizzard on legs with her feminine wiles as best she could. “Hey, Mr. Dragon! You feel liking having a PARTY?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, beginning to dance to her own personal beat, making her rounds about the beast as they kept it to one spot as best they could. Meanwhile, Applejack had herself coiled as far as she could, my form on her legs on a precarious balance. “Ah sure hope this works, boy. It ain't easy holdin' yer weight, ya know!” As soon as the first glimpses of Rainbow Dash graced the azure skies, Applejack bucked me off her form as hard as she could, forcing a powerful roar through her lungs as I soared through the air, Fluttershy performing a toss-up into the empty skies. The stoneskin spell then began to be channeled onto me. Coldness spread through my form as it slowly wrapped me in its embrace. By the time Rainbow Dash collided with me, I didn't even feel the impact; I simply shut my eyes and started to pray as my destiny awaited. My stone form collided with the blue beast in a wondrous strike, sending the beast reeling back before collapsing from the trauma to its head. Like a chocolate shell, the stone around my form clacked away, leaving my unconscious form limp beneath. My gambit had succeeded. The dragon was down, out, and still alive. My job done, I succumbed to unconsciousness. Thump, Thump. My heartbeat. Either it was a sign I was going to make it, or my plan resulted in my personal sacrifice. Either way, I had done something great. Thump, Thump. That deep beating of my heart resonated once again, this time, higher in tone... Thump, Thump. Again, the beats were deep, but they sounded higher in tone... Beep....Beep....Beep....Deep.... An EKG? But that means... I survived. In spite of any chance of my plan ending me with a bang, that droning sound of my heart still beating confirmed I would live to tell the story... I began to hear voices. Now, everypony. He may be stable, but don't get your hopes up. He may not come to for some time... A ginger voice was talking to what I assumed was a crowd of bystanders, all eagerly awaiting the moment when I awoke from my slumber of near death... As my eyes finally pried themselves open, bright, artificial, fluorescent light filtered through, making me wince as I held a catheterized hoof up to block it's blinding sheen. "All right! He's back, everypony!" Blurted that familiar pink pony as she blew a noisemaker into my face. "Good Morning, Morning Haze! Or, would you rather me call you Adam? People seem to be pretty keen on calling you either one, for some reason." Said a ginger voice beside my bed. As I turned to my side, I saw a white Earth Pony bearing both a hat and a cutie mark of the red cross, bearing a rose-colored mane and tail, the main being done in a hairnet for the sake of cleanliness, beaming to me with the lightest of blue eyes. "I'm Nurse Redheart. Your friends here brought you down here after some story went around of a Pegasus being launched at a dragon like a living bullet. You didn't look hurt, but you weren't conscious. So, we brought you to the ICU and got you hooked up." The nurse explained, looking toward her left, where all six of the Mane Six were in tow, and much to my own surprise, Princess Celestia. Twilight smiled. "We never even left your side for a moment..." I smiled back, grateful that all of my best friends were at my side, waiting to greet me as I returned from the realm of unconsciousness. "So..." I asked, hopeful. "You're not mad at me for all I did?" Applejack snorted. "Mad? Why would we be mad, Sugar-cube?" I frowned a bit. "Because I lied to you. I started all this from a white lie, and I felt horrible because of it. I thought I would've become a pariah to you all..." "And you think we'd just put you down like that? No way! Do you know who you're talking to? The embodiment of Loyalty itself! I'd never abandon any of my friends, no matter who they are, what they are, or what they did, because that's how a friend is!" Rainbow Dash said, an energetic grin on her face. "Besides! I've never seen a crazy plan like that actually work! I didn't think I'd see the day when I turn a pony into a bullet!" Fluttershy giggled a moment. "Thanks to your quick thinking, the Dragon was unconscious for a good while. When it woke up, it barely even remembered what happened. Turns out, it had a nasty splinter in it's claw." I winced a moment. Rarity then smiled to me. "In all my years of fashion, I have made sacrifices and martyred myself for the sake of my craft. And in those years, I have never seen such selfless willingness to put one's own life on the line for the sake of his friends. Sure, a nice silk dress is a lovely gift, but risking your life to save a village full of ponies who happen to include your dearest of friends? Well, I can certainly say no better gift exists in the whole world!" She said, pushing up her mane with a wink. "Yeah! And since you're gonna be okay, I decided to put together a nice party! Besides, nothing says "Thanks for saving us from a giant, scary dragon" than a PARTY!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing. Princess Celestia cocked her head to meet my eyes with a smile. "I heard all about your little stunt, Adam. I have to say, rarely have I ever seen such a display of gallantry from just anypony. Through the power of your wit and your friends, you were able to save this town from total destruction! That is no small feat, my little pony." Suddenly, I felt tingly. A feeling of wonder and pride overtook me as I felt a warmness caress my body so tenderly. The ponies in the room gasped as their mouths had been opened agate, aside from Princess Celestia, who let a tender smile reach her lips. "What, is there something on my face?" I asked, curious. The Princess of the Sun chuckled, her eyes innocently drifting away. "Oh, not on your face. Turn around a bit..." It was then when I turned my attention to my flank, and I too gasped in wonder. It was...my Cutie Mark. I had finally earned a Cutie Mark. I gained that famous mark of passage on my flank, and what shone like silver was the sun peering though the clouds, as if it was shining its glorious rays through the clouds of doubt. "It's...my Cutie Mark! I've got one!" I squealed, before shouting in utter glee, "I HAVE MY CUTIE MARK!" Everyone began sharing their praises with me as if I were a hero of some fantasy tale...actually, in a rough sense of speaking, I was! And so, I took in the glory like a gleeful sponge. I felt like an absolute celebrity. After being admitted from the regional hospital, I made my way to the congratulatory party, where even more ponies showered me in adoration and praise as if I were a veteran of an epic battle. Some of them took time to note my new cutie mark as well, which made me even more gleeful. My body was still weary from the feat I had just accomplished, and the recovery from the hospital, but either way, I wasn't going to be actively enjoying myself. But, knowing I was in the company of ponies in adoration of my feat of bravery was enough for me. However, what happened next surprised me. The Mayor of Ponyville, known as Madame Mare, approached me. "Adam, is it? I'd personally like to thank you for saving this town from that harrowing dragon. I don't know what would have become of Ponyville, had you not done what you did! That is why I'd like to to come to Town Hall in a little while so that we may thank you in a more prestigious manner." I blushed at that statement. "Well, I'm flattered, really, but I don't think I need to be honored that much!" "I beg to differ, my little pony." Princess Celestia chimed. "A party is all well and good, but it doesn't do a hero justice. That is why I will also be at that ceremony. I have a very special honor to bestow upon you..." I blushed even further then before bowing in respect. "Of course, your highness. Thy will be done!" And so, I decided to partake in some of the party cuisine for a bit. Delicious cupcakes with chocolate frosting, among other delectable party fare. If it wasn't just the food, it was the lovely punch, which one such Berry Punch was enjoying so feverishly, she literally dunked her head into the bowl. Either she was a drunkard, or she really liked that punch. The music wasn't bad either, considering that DJ-Pon3 was doing the work today. Glorious, bass-y techno euphoria. A better bliss, I had not seen. After long, the party had been ended when the citizens of Ponyville left in two lines begun by the royal guard synced to horns and a triumphant chorus following me as I proceeded through a rank and file of every citizen and soldier in the area gathered in two lines about me. At the end, Madame Mare stood at a podium as she cleared her throat. "Fillies and Gentlecolts! Today, we celebrate the efforts of a pony named Adam, an outsider from another world who was brought to us by the grace of our dearest Princess Celestia. In the course of over a week, he has shared our world with us as if he was one of our own, and even when he was ready to leave, he gallantly stayed behind to save this town from another brush with destruction. Through the aid of his friends, he took the ultimate leap of faith to subdue the beast by letting himself become a living bullet, felling the beast at little cost to him but his consciousness. Had fate not been so kind, we could have lost this dear friend. So, today, we honor him with two things..." She began as I approached the podium. "First, we would like to show you our appreciation for your bravery with the Key to the City!" The mayor said, giving me a large golden suspended by a strong ribbon about my neck before giving the Princess a chance to approach me. To which I bowed. What I found happened next was something that filled me with a great sense of pride. The long, sharpened horn of Princess Celestia touched my shoulders from my right to my left as I dared raise my face for a smile. "Adam...your efforts in this world have certainly proven to me even a creature from another plane of existence can stake their claim here and succeed. I had fully anticipated that the magic of friendship would bless you with its wondrous boon, but I had never expected for you to refuse a chance to return from whence you came to stop your friends from being slain short-order. If not just for those friends, then you certainly did it for Ponyville itself. Either way, you made a sacrifice for no other purpose than goodwill, and that is an admirable effort. Such bravery and gallantry shan't go unrewarded. Therefore, it is through my royal decree that you shall henceforth be regarded as a Knight under the Royal Guard's name. Now and forever, you are Adam the Astute. May you carry this title with pride throughout your years in both our worlds." I nodded, as she withdrew from me, her horn aglow as my body became wrapped in gilded steel armor. Cheering spread throughout the crowd as pleas for me to give my own speech echoed through the voices in the audience. Of course, in the spirit of such a momentous occurrence, I had to wing my own speech. "Well...this is all very great. Thank you, Everypony. I've honestly never felt this honored as a hero in any time of my life before this point. In reality, I don't truly see myself as a complete Hero. I'm just a pony-liking kid who was given a chance to have the time of his life, which somehow happened to be crowed with a feat that cannot be summed up in any form besides heroism. Aside from that, I met all you lovely Equestrians, had a plethora of misadventures, made friends aplenty, and got to meet royalty. That's certainly an experience I will never dare forget. So, all I can really say is...Thank you...Thank all of you. You gave this coming-of-age teen the best week of his life." With this, the Princess smiled, her magic beginning to form a portal behind me. "Beautifully spoken, dear. Any last words before you leave for home?" "Yes, actually..." I said, my eyes scanning the area. "If Twilight and her Friends could join me up here?" Within moments, the Mane Six joined me on the stage, smiling as I looked to them all. "Girls," I began, clearing my throat, "there has been no greater honor or pleasure than being friends with the six of you. I can't think of anyone who has treated me with more virtuous friendship than you six have. Through you all, I had a lot of fun, and I got to try things far from my normal comfort zone. And even when I feared becoming a pariah, you all assured me that a strong friendship can weather any storm...and..." I stopped to embrace them in a group hug. "And I hope that we meet again sometime real soon..." A massive "Awww..." hummed through the crowd as I broke the hug, turning back to the Princess, approaching the azure portal before turning back one final time. "Until we meet again...bye, girls..." With this, I stepped into the portal's bright light, drawing a light gasp when I reached the event horizon... But don't go and think this story is over just yet...we've still got an epilogue!