//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - Comet's New Friends 
// Story: A Comet's Tale 
// by Parakalo 
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	As Comet dreamed the night away, his future exploits flooded his dreams. He could be a meteorologist, an astronomy professor, a librarian, the list was endless. As he aimlessly wandered the galaxy with his dream-telescope, Comet found constellations he had never read about in his book. A trio of apples, a balloon, a brilliant star borealis, a nebula of stars that sparkled like gems, and a dainty butterfly... In a word, he could describe them as beautiful.
"What do you think he is doing here?"
The voice echoed through Comet's imaginary observatory, vibrating in the walls and windows and shaking the floors. It caught him off guard, reality now as faulty as his attention.
"Look at his cutie mark! Comets! That's so cool!"
Comet ran rings around his observatory, trying to keep the shivering walls standing. Tremors worsening, Comet began having difficulty staying on his hooves, rolling on the floor like a ball in a machine. He came to a final resting place laying on his back in the center of the observatory. He tried desperately to hold on to the beautiful night above him as the textures began to change around him. His awareness melting like a wet chalk drawing, his mind focused exclusively on a single fact that shattered his wonderful dream: Comet's back itched.
Comet stirred on his bed of hay, sending three small figures scattering in all directions. The sun was incredibly bright and burned his eyes. Comet gave a small moan when he tried to move, and his bones creaked in rejection.
"Zombie! Run!" The three fillies ran screaming for the door to be greeted by a figure shadowed by the sunlight.
"What in the hay are you girls doin' here?"
One of the fillies spoke, "Sorry, Applejack, we just wanted to see what the commotion was about."
"Well git," The pony apparently named Applejack spoke, "He could be dangerous. I don't want you three near 'im again until I decide its safe. Y'hear?"
"Yes Applejack," the three said in unison. They ran through Applejack's legs and out upon their business. The pony named Applejack stepped out of the light. From what Comet could tell, the mare was a strong, orange earth-pony. She had a yellow mane and freckles speckled on her cheeks.
"You've been asleep fer two days." Her voice was gruff, but her tone sincere, "We found you underneath one of my apple trees. I'm Applejack, by the way."
In an attempt to stand up, Comet's weight rolled him over on his side. Still groggy from his sleep, he did his best to say "Charmed. I'm Comet." Unfortunately, and much to the dismay of Applejack, the assorted syllables that came out were not something she could piece together.
"Ah... come again?"
"He said his name is Comet!" A louder shape came bounding in through the sunlight. When his eyes settled, Comet found it was a pink mare, with a mane that was not unlike an explosion in its design. "I'm Pinkie Pie! I found you while you were sleeping in Applejack's orchard because I was looking for something exciting because my nose got all itchy and my ears got all flappy and I found you and I was like," the following gasp was either for air or out of fake astonishment, Comet couldn't tell which, "Which has got to be the second or third most astonishing thing ever besides the one time---"
"Uh, thanks, Sugarcube, Ah think he's got it." Applejack interrupted her. Comet appreciated it as his head began to swim from all the talking.
"He's awake? What do we know so far?" A purple unicorn joined the other two. She seemed more organized than the first and much more composed than the second. "Where are you from? It's okay, we won't hurt you."
Comet mustered the strength to sit up to get a good look at them. Comet had to blink a few times when he saw six ponies. When his eyes adjusted, he found he wasn't seeing double; there were six different ponies there staring at him. The purple, the orange, the pink, a blue pegasus that remained aloft above the group, a white unicorn, and he caught a glimpse of a yellow blur hiding behind the group of them. All mares. What kind of dream was this? Where in the heck---
"Come now, don't be shy," The white one piped in.
Comet blinked a few times and composed himself. "I'm Comet. And you are?"
"Pinkie Pie!" The pink one had difficulty sitting still for longer than a few seconds.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle." The purple one was a unicorn. Interesting, he thought to himself.
"I'm Rarity, darling." The white unicorn had a regal air about her.
"I'm Rainbow Dash," The flying one said. She didn't seem particularly interested in what was going on.
"You know me already, Ah said my name's Applejack." The orange one gave a small smile.
The crowd parted briefly to reveal a yellow pegasus shivering behind them. She tucked her face under one of her wings and gave a small screech of a noise. Comet didn't pretend to understand.
"She's Fluttershy." Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. "Where are you from, Comet?"
Comet's neck gave a satisfying crack as he rolled his head. Hay. Not the best bed. Comet rolled off the pile and came to his feet with a small wobble. "Manehattan. I used to live in Manehattan. I left to find a new place to live."
An "Oooooooh" was shared amongst the five that weren't cowering. Apparently, they got a lot of folks from Manehattan.
"I left," Comet managed to get two shaky steps off before falling onto his knees, "To find a place where I could make a name for myself."
The six perked up a bit at that.
"Well, Ponyville has always got room for one more," Twilight Sparkle's smile was accompanied by cheers from her troupe, "We'd love to show you around." Still not entirely sure what happened, Comet had reason to believe he made an assortment of friends before he had even gotten into town.
"Ah! My things! Where are my things?" The saddlebag was not high on his list of priorities, but his prized telescope had to be somewhere. Applejack reproduced his telescope and saddlebag from an empty stall.
"Is this all your things?"
Comet quickly scooped up his telescope and checked to make sure nothing was damaged. It was clean as the day he packed it. After shutting the case and listening for the click of its latches, Comet looked up and gave a nod. It sounded almost as if it was a bad thing that he traveled light. Not that he had ever traveled before, that is.
Once Comet had his things and was able to move effectively, Comet and his friends moved about the barn and out onto Applejack's farm. Comet blinked. "The buildings... they're so far apart."
Applejack gave a knowing chuckle, "Ah figured you'd say that. Welcome to Apple Acres. This is mah apple farm, which provides apples for villages all over." Comet's awe was satisfying to Applejack. She felt that he seemed somehow familiar.
"What did you do in Manehattan?" Twilight was curious about this new pony. There was something odd about him.
"I worked in my mother's library. It was the Manehattan branch of the Equestrian Primary." Comet's answer was automatic. He was required to know key information about the library's relationship to its other branches when civil workers came around. Twilight nodded. She knew of the librarian in Manehattan. She had come to Canterlot numerous times on business.
"Maybe he could work in your library, Twilight," Rarity's idea was met with nods and agreement all around.
"Now that I have Owlowiscious, I don't think I'll be needing any extra help." Twilight wasn't comfortable letting an unknown colt live with her.
"Owlowiscious? You have an owl too?" Were owls standard issue for librarians or something?
"He flew in my window just a few nights ago." Twilight felt she knew where this was going.
"I left my window open and my owl flew away last night! Do you think your owl and my owl are the same owl?"
"Owl owl owl owl owl owl!" Pinkie Pie found that words are funny if you say them over and over.
"Wait..." Applejack thought about the implications of what Comet had said. "You came all the way here from Manehattan in one night?"
Comet didn't know that was a feat, "Yeah..." Everyone looked at Applejack.
"It took me three days following the road to get there."
"Well, I didn't follow a road, I just kind of... followed the stars. And I didn't know you were from Manehattan."
"Ah ain't from Manehattan. It's a long story. Well, no wonder you slept for two whole days. Ah was about to call a doctor for ya, Sugarcube."
Now, Comet was curious.  He had shaken hooves with almost everyone in Manehattan at least once (out of obligation, of course. Dinner parties were always dreadfully dull). Had he met Applejack before? The look on Applejack's face suggested that it was a topic for another time.  For now, it was time to take a grand tour of his new home in Ponyville with his new friends.