//------------------------------//
// New Face, New Place 
// Story: Fickle Winds 
// by Toric 
//------------------------------//

New Face, New Place
Zephyr wiped the sweat from his eyes as he labored under the hot sun.  He lifted his back legs off the ground and bucked yet another apple tree in Sweet Apple Acres.  Apples tumbled down from the branches.  In seconds, the tree was empty, and his buckets were full.  He grabbed each of the buckets in turn and dumped them into his cart.  When he emptied the last one, he grabbed the wagon and moved to the next tree.
For three days, he’d been bucking apples with the Apple family, a task he had insisted upon doing.  After sleeping the first night in a spare bedroom in the Apple home, he’d demanded a way to earn his keep, even if his stay was only temporary.  Applejack had refused at first, but when her big brother (he’d found out his name was Big Macintosh) sprained one of his legs, she’d reluctantly accepted the help she now needed.  Even so, she insisted on paying him a wage for his work.  Zephyr guessed it was probably money they couldn’t afford to give away, but he also had the feeling it would be pointless to try and refuse it.
He bucked several more trees in quick succession, methodically loading bucket after bucket into his cart.  When it finally grew full, he trotted it back to the farm at a brisk pace.  A little more, he told himself.  Just get this load back to the farm, and I’ll grab a quick lunch.  He broke free of the lines of apple trees and trotted the last few yards to the granary.  He unhitched his load with a small sigh of relief.
“You ain’t half bad as an apple bucker,” a voice drawled from off to the side.  He looked over to see Applejack toting her own wagon behind her.  “Sure are a sight better than most ponies.  Always nice to see a fella who don’t shy away from hard work.”
“Hard work, I’m used to,” he replied.  “Granted, this is a bit harder than most, but nothing I can’t handle.  I was just about to grab a quick lunch before heading back out.”
Applejack smiled.  She unhitched herself from her wagon, and walked over.  “Zephyr, y’all been workin’ hard, and Ah appreciate the help.  But ya been here four days, and you ain’t seen hardly any of Ponyville,” she admonished.  “Ya done more than yer share ‘a work ‘round here, and you’ve barely spent any time fer yerself!  Besides,” she added, “Big Macintosh is feelin’ better, and after three days of R and R, he’s gettin’ antsy ta get back to work.”
“This may sound strange, but I’m actually enjoying this,” Zephyr told her.  “It’s kind of a novel sensation, always having something to do.  Even work.  I’m trying to let it sink in.”
Applejack blinked twice, and sighed heavily.  “Look, the truth is, I can’t afford ta give ya a fair wage fer another day,” she admitted unhappily.
“Then don’t,” he countered.  “I told you I didn’t want your money.”
“And Ah told you ta shut yer trap!” Applejack growled.  She took a deep breath and let it go.  “Ain’t nopony who ain’t an Apple gonna work this here farm for free.  Not so long as these trees grow apples and this hat is on mah head,” she declared, adjusting her hat affectionately.  “Ya can still stay in the spare room, but y’all better forget any ideas you got about earning yer keep.  T’ain’t gonna happen.”  Her expression softened.  “In the meantime, though, why don’t you go take a look around town?  Our friends have all been askin’ about ya!”
He could see he wasn’t going to win.  “Alright.  Well, thanks.  I mean it,” he told her seriously.  “I guess I’ll head into town then.  I’ll be back later.”  He opened his wings and took off.
“Now hold it right there!” Applejack yelled after him.  “Where do ya think you’re goin’?  Ah ain’t given you yer earnings yet!”
Shoot, she caught me, Zephyr swore silently.  He turned around.  “Oh.  Right.  My mistake,” he bluffed, smiling.  He came back down next to her, and waited patiently as she dug through a bag.
“Ah!  There it is!”  She pulled out a small pouch.  “Here ya go.  Twenty bits.  Four days wages,” she said, passing it to him.
“Thanks.  But I only worked for three—”
“One more word, and Ah’ll make it five days,” she threatened.
Zephyr thought it was a hollow threat, but kept his mouth shut.  “Alright.  I’m off,” he announced, before launching himself into the air.  He took off towards the town fast enough to shake a few of the smaller trees in the orchard.
Applejack looked at the wagons Zephyr had managed to fill.  She counted once, blinked, and then counted again.  “Dagnabbit!” she yelled in frustration.  “Ah don’t believe it.  That varmint filled one more wagon than me!”  She gritted her teeth in frustration.  She sat there and fumed a moment before hitching herself to the next empty wagon.  Rather than eat lunch, she headed back into the orchard.  She wasn’t hungry.
*	*	*	*
Zephyr almost made it to town.  Almost, because he let his mind wander as he got close, and so didn’t see the grey, blonde mail-mare until he collided with her.  Letters flew up into the sky, and drifted down towards the ground.  Zephyr shook his head clear, and looked at the very dizzy pegasus he’d just knocked down.  Her eyes were still rolling and her head rocked back and forth in a daze.  He flew over to her.
“Sorry.  I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he apologized.  He offered her a hoof to help her up.  Her eyes finally came to a rest in an unsettling cross-eyed position.  For a moment, Zephyr worried about how hard he actually hit her.
“Oh, don’t worry,” she answered in a light, cheerful voice.  “It actually happens a lot.”  She accepted his hoof and managed to stand up.  “Hey, aren’t you that new pony who almost hit me four days ago?” she asked, not even a hint of anger in her voice.
Zephyr thought back.  “That was you?!” he cried, remembering.  She nodded.  “Um...I’m sorry about that,” he stammered.  “Uh, we haven’t really met yet have we?  I’m Zephyr,” he said, offering a hoof.  “What’s your name?”
“I’m Derpy Hooves!” she answered happily.  “Zephyr, huh?  That’s a funny name!”
Derpy Hooves?  And she thinks my name is funny? he thought dryly.  “Uh, thanks.  I really like your…mane,” he replied somewhat lamely.  It seemed to work however.
“Really?” she asked.  He nodded.  “You know, it’s the funniest thing.  Everypony always says that about me!”  She looked around at the scattered letters.  “Uh oh!  I have to deliver these A.S.A.P!”  She began frantically scooping them up.  Zephyr helped gather them up and deposit them in her mail-carrier’s bag.  “Thanks a lot!  See ya ‘round Zephyr!” she said before taking off.
Zephyr waved as she left, then trotted up the street into town.  Unlike Longsaddle, a lot of the buildings were clumped fairly close together, with a few wide lanes cutting through them.  Ponies of every color and variety walked the streets, going about their business.  His stomach grumbled, and he looked around for a place to get lunch.
“Hey Zephyr!” squealed a voice right behind him.  Zephyr jumped, and turned to see Pinkie Pie grinning ear to ear.  “Where ya been?  I haven’t seen you for days!  Dashie was getting angry that you were spending all your time working at Sweet Apple Acres and not having fun with us!”
Zephyr flinched slightly.  Ouch.  I’m gonna regret that.  I just know it, he berated himself.  “Well, don’t worry about that.  I promise I won’t be too busy to spend time with friends anymore,” he assured her.
“Pinkie Pie promise?” she asked him.
He sighed.  No backing out of it now, he told himself.  “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” he promised.  “Hey, do you know where I can get some food?” he asked before she could start a new conversation.
“Oh!  Why didn’t you say so?  You can come to Sugarcube Corner!” she said.  “I work there, and help out Mr. and Mrs. Cake!  There’s all kinds of baked goodies there!”  She began bouncing off down the street.  “Over here!  It’s this way!” she called back to him.
He fell in behind her, keeping pace.  “Thanks.  I’m starving after helping Applejack all morning.”
“Of course!  So, what do you like?  Muffins?  Cookies?  Cupcakes?  I love cupcakes!” she chattered.  She kept up a constant stream of questions, comments, and random interjections the entire way there.  Zephyr occasionally tried to get a word in edgewise, but eventually decided it was better to let her talk herself out.  He wondered how long it would take.  He was pulled from his thoughts, however, when he bumped into Pinkie Pie, who had come to a halt.  “Uh oh!  My tail’s twitching!” she cried, turning to face him.
It was, in fact, twitching, though Zephyr wasn’t sure why this seemed so important.  Before he could ask, Pinkie looked straight up and scanned the sky briefly.  Then she grabbed him by the neck and yanked him over to her other side.  “What was that—” he managed to say before something crashed into the ground where he’d been standing.  “Oh.”
The dust cleared, and three fillies lay in a bruised and battered heap amidst the wreckage of what appeared to be a hanglider.  He recognized one as Applebloom, Applejack’s little sister.  The other two, a white unicorn with a curled lavender mane and a rust-colored pegasus with a wild maroon mane, were strangers to him.  They let out a groan.  “Ah told you two hangliding wouldn’t work!” Applebloom complained.  “But y’all wouldn’t listen!”
“It’s not my fault it didn’t work,” grumped the pegasus as she got to her feet.  “Sweetie Belle dragged her hooves on the take-off!”
Sweetie Belle, the unicorn, brushed herself off.  “Oh yeah?” she responded angrily.  “What about you?  This was all your idea, Scootaloo!”
“If y’all had both listened ta me, we wouldn’t never’ve crashed in the first place!”  Applebloom yelled at them both.
It quickly devolved into a fight from there.  Zephyr watched in fascination for a moment before stirring.  He strolled casually over to the tussling trio and reached in with his head and forelegs.  He came out with Sweetie Belle dangling from his left hoof, trying to kick at Scootaloo in his right.  Applebloom hung by her bow from his teeth, trying to shake off Scootaloo’s attempts to throttle her.  Zephyr gave them all a quick shake, stopping what they were doing.  He put them down gently on the ground.
“Who the heck are you?” demanded Scootaloo angrily.
“Yeah!  Can’t you see were conducting official Crusader business?” added Sweetie Belle.
“Heya Zephyr!  What’s up?” Applebloom greeted cheerfully.
“We’re going to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie spoke up before he could say anything.  “Then my tail started twitching, and I pulled Zephyr out of the way, and that’s when you three showed up!”
“How did you know they were about to crash into me anyway?” Zephyr asked.
“Twitchy-tail,” the three fillies told him all at once.  He just stared at them blankly.
“They mean my Pinkie sense!” Pinkie Pie explained
“Pinkie sense?” he asked.
“Uh-huh!  Sometimes I get these twitches that tell me different things that are going to happen,” Pinkie bubbled.  “Sometimes, my legs get shaky, or my back shivers, or nose itches!  Every twitch means something different.  Sometimes, there are even combos!  When my tail twitches, it means something is about to fall.  So I looked up, and I saw the hanglider coming this way!"
Zephyr blinked once, then twice.  He looked at the three fillies to check that he’d heard her right.  They nodded, shrugged, or otherwise indicated he was hearing Pinkie correctly.  “Well,” he said, “I can’t really deny that you saw that crash coming.  So…thanks, Pinkie.  That probably would of hurt if you hadn’t of moved me.”
“Any time!” she replied with a satisfied grin.  “Wow!  You took it much better than Twilight did when I told her about it!”
Zephyr decided not to ask.  Instead, he turned back to the Crusaders.  “So, why were you hangliding?  And what’s a…”  He concentrated a moment.  “Cutie Mark Crusader?”
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders are on a mission to find their special talents and earn their cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle rattled off, like it was some kind of mantra.
“No obstacle is too great; no calling is too far-fetched while they pursue their goal!” added Scootaloo in the same way.
“We go wherever there’s adventure ta be had, or somethin’ new ta be tried!” Applebloom finished.
“Uh-huh,” Zephyr grunted.  I guess that explains the hangliding, he noted.  “So, why were you three fighting just now?”
“That’s easy,” Applebloom said.  “We were fightin’ cuz…uh…tell ‘em Sweetie Belle.”
“I don’t know.  I can’t really remember.”
“Fighting’s just kinda something we do,” Scootaloo explained.  “It happens.  Usually doesn’t last very long.”  
Zephyr blinked again, and then slammed his hoof against his face.  “Well, I guess I won’t get involved then,” he surrendered.  “Just…be more careful next time.  Okay?”
They gave quick nods and promises he didn’t believe for a second, and ran off.  He heard Scootaloo say “Next, let’s try being Cutie Mark Crusader Lumberjacks!” before passing out of earshot.  He rolled his eyes and sighed.  “Are they always that….active?” he asked Pinkie Pie, trying to be diplomatic.
“Yup!  They’re always trying crazy stuff to get their cutie marks!” she answered.  “But hey!  Let’s get to Sugarcube Corner!  I think I can smell a fresh batch of cupcakes!” she said, her mouth watering slightly.
Zephyr stomach grumbled loudly.  “Sounds good to me.  Lead on,” he told her.

*	*	*	*
A bell rang as they walked through the door to Sugarcube corner.  Pinkie bounced on in, and Zephyr followed casually.  A cascade of pastry scents washed over him, ranging from cinnamon to vanilla.  He inhaled deeply, and eyed the assorted goods on display behind the glass counter.
“Hi there!” called a voice from behind the counter.  He looked up to see a thin, yellowish pony walk in from the kitchen.  “Are you the new guy Pinkie told us about?” he asked politely.
“He sure is, Mr. Cake!” Pinkie confirmed, bouncing around the room.  “This is Zephyr!  And he’s really, really hungry too!  You got anything good for him?  Fresh cupcakes maybe?” she asked leadingly, throwing in a wink and a nudge.
“How’d you know?” he said, smiling.
“Hah!” she cried.  “This nose is never wrong!”
“How about it Zephyr?  Cupcakes sound good to you?” offered Mr. Cake.
Zephyr smiled and nodded.  “How much for two—”  He caught a pleading look from Pinkie.  “I mean, four?” he asked, doubling his order with a sigh.  Pinkie’s face stretched in an elated smile.
“Oh don’t worry about it dear,” came another voice.  A plump blue mare with a dark pink mane walked in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of steaming cupcakes covered in blue icing.  “First time customers eat for free.  Store policy,” she told him.  “Isn’t that right, honey?” she asked Mr. Cake.
“That’s correct!  It’s our way to encourage return customers!” Mr. Cake told him.  Mrs. Cake placed the tray of cupcakes on the counter.  Mr. Cake took the four largest ones and placed them in a small paper bag.  “Here you go sir!  We hope to see you again!”
“Thank you both!” Zephyr said gratefully, picking up the bag with his teeth.  “I’ll be sure to stop by more often.”  He walked out, Pinkie bouncing along behind him.
“Bye Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” she called back inside.  They waved.  The door closed.
Zephyr walked over to a nearby table.  He dropped the bag and pulled out the four still-steaming cupcakes.  “Which two do you want, Pinkie?” he asked.
Rather than answer, Pinkie appeared on the other side of the table, grabbed the two closest cupcakes, and made them disappear in seconds.  Icing covered part of her face, but she took care of that with a quick rotation of her tongue around her mouth.  “Mmm!” she said, rubbing her stomach in contentment.  “Wow!  That was a good batch!”
Zephyr just sat staring for a moment at the place where he was sure there’d been cupcakes a few seconds ago.  Then he picked up one the remaining pastries and took a bite.  His eyes went a little wide.  “Wow is right!” he exclaimed.  He finished his cupcake in a few quick bites.  Afterwards, he licked his lips and tried to remember the last time he’d eaten a cupcake.  After some quick mental math, he realized it had been over a year.  Shaking his head, he put his second cupcake back in the bag.
“What’s wrong?  Aren’t you gonna eat that one too?” Pinkie asked him, concerned.
“Of course!” he quickly answered.  “Just…not right now.  I’m not sure I could take it so soon after that first one.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had a cupcake—or any kind of desert really.”
“Wow!  I don’t think I could go two days without something sugary sweet!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
I’ll bet, he thought wryly.  Out loud, he said “Well, thanks for lunch Pinkie.”  He grabbed his bag and walked off.
“What are you going to do now?” she pressed him.  He paused, realizing that once again, he hadn’t really thought things through.  He shrugged.  “Why not go to Rarity’s?  She’s been asking about you, you know,” Pinkie suggested.  “I think she also may have needed help with something.  Or maybe it was that she wanted to help with something.  I’m not really sure,” Pinkie informed him with a grin.  Zephyr thought about it, and nodded.  “Great!  She’s at Carousel Boutique!  Trust me, you can’t miss it!”

*	*	*	*
Pinkie was right:  Zephyr could only have missed Carousel Boutique if he’d been blind.  The large, toweresque building was right along the road, and clearly visible from any place in Ponyville.  Especially if you happened to be flying.  He drifted his way over, in no real hurry, and landed in front of the building.  He went up to the door and gave a polite knock.
“Come in!” a voice called from inside.  He opened the door and walked in.  Inside, the first floor appeared to be a small studio, lined with mirrors and a few matching pieces of furniture.  A compact stage-like structure occupied the center of the room, right next to the stairs.  A couple doors that looked to be closets or storage rooms were also present.  The whole place was tastefully colored, neatly arranged, and spotlessly clean.  “I’m up here in the studio.  I’ll be down in a moment,” the same voice yelled, sounding like its owner had their mouth full.
Zephyr waited patiently in the downstairs area.  Curious, he looked around a little.  He saw a rack with a few unusual hats hanging from it.  Upon closer inspection, he could tell somepony had put a lot of detail into each one.  Feathers, sequins, studs, and even gemstones all had their places on at least one of the hats.  Before he could investigate the room further, he heard hoof steps coming down the stairs.
“Sorry about the wait,” Rarity apologized.  “I had an order to finish, and I was almost done.  Can I help you with something?” she asked, strolling gracefully down the stairs with her eyes closed.
Zephyr dropped the paper bag still holding his second cupcake onto his back.  “Actually, Pinkie said you might need my help with something?” Zephyr asked as much as said.
Rarity opened her eyes and looked over at him.  “Oh!  I didn’t realize it was you at the door, Zephyr,” she stated, fluttering her eyelashes slightly.  “Yes, I suppose I could use a hoof.  I don’t suppose you’d be willing to model for me, would you?”  She stared at him intently with her deep violet eyes.
“Umm…sure, I guess,” Zephyr answered.  “One question.  What do you mean by ‘model for you’?”
“Oh don’t worry dear, it isn’t very difficult,” she assured him.  “This way please.”  She led him up the stairs, her purple, curled mane bouncing slightly.  At the top, she walked through an open door.  When he followed her inside, his jaw dropped slightly.  If her downstairs foyer was spotlessly clean, this room was the aftermath of a natural disaster.  Dress forms dotted the room, some wearing outfits and some bare.  Piles of fabric, new, scrap, or somewhere in the middle, covered the floor.  Occasionally, bits and pieces of outfits lay strewn about the mess.  Entire sections of wall were covered with designs and sketches of more outfits than he could ever imagine wearing.  Shelves full of bolts of cloth lined the rest of the room.  Off to one corner sat a small desk with a sewing machine and drawers full of threads, needles, and buttons.  Zephyr remembered Rainbow Dash complaining that Rarity had enough clothing to bury Ponyville.  Looking around in this room, he could almost believe it.
“Welcome to my studio, Zephyr!” Rarity exclaimed grandly.  “I do apologize for the mess, but everything is exactly where it needs to be for me to do my best work.  Just put that anywhere,” she told him, gesturing at his bag with a pedicured hoof.  He deposited it on a nearby shelf.
“So, what exactly am I going to be doing?” Zephyr asked uncertainly.
“Oh, it’s really quite easy!  I’ve been working on a collection of outfits for stallions, at a buyer’s request,” she explained.  “The trouble is I mostly design ladies’ outfits, so I’m having a little trouble with the proportions.  What’s worse,” she added, “is that there are so terribly few young stallions about in Ponyville, and most of them aren’t interested in trying on outfits.  And the ones that are aren’t as, shall we say, symmetrical or well-formed as you.”
“Well-formed?”
“Darling, have you ever stopped and looked at yourself?” Rarity asked him.  At his questioning look, she pulled him over to a mirror.  “Now take a good look.  You’re tall, but not imposing.”  He noticed for the first time that he stood half a head taller than her.  “Your black mane compliments your grey coat nicely.”  He supposed he could see that.  “You have an athlete’s build: broad-shouldered with a decent amount of tone.”  He knew he was fit, but she seemed to be getting carried away.  “All in all, you’re pretty easy on the eyes.”
Wait.  What? he thought to himself.  He stared at his reflection another few seconds, blinking.  “And…what does this have to do with me helping you?” he asked uncertainly.
“What?  Oh right!” Rarity said a little too quickly.  She gave a little cough.  “The pony who placed the order is one of Canterlot’s more eligible bachelors.  If I’m to have any hope of getting the measurements right on his outfits, I’ll need a pony that resembles him in size and shape.  He also happens to be a pegasus, which makes you an ideal candidate.”
“So what you’re saying is you need me to try on outfits so you can size his order correctly?” Zephyr questioned, catching on.
“Exactly.  And of course I’ll pay you for your assistance,” she told him.
“Sounds simple enough.  I’d be happy to help.”
“Excellent!” Rarity cried.  “First, I’ll need to take measurements.  Hold still please.”  Her horn began glowing a soft blue, and a roll of measuring tape floated over.  She measured his height, leg length, girth, and various other dimensions.  Occasionally, she would ask him to assume specific stances for detailed measurements, recording each one on a small clipboard.  “Good,” she said when she finished.  “Now, try this on.”  She levitated a simple blue suit over to him, and helped him slip it on.  “How does it feel?”
He moved around a little.  “A little tight.  I think it’s chafing my wings a little too.”
She nodded, and floated another outfit over, this one including a jacket.  He tried it on as well, and again told her it was also a little tight.  “Drat.  This simply won’t do.  I’ll have to resize half the collection,” she grumbled.  “Sit tight for a moment.”  She levitated the outfit off of him and over to the work desk.  About half a dozen other pieces from across the room followed it over.  Rarity levitated a petit pair of spectacles onto her nose, and began a flurry of re-stitching.
Zephyr watched as she worked, impressed by how fast she was sewing.  He also admired her concentration, for she was working on at least five outfits simultaneously without any errors or pauses.  After a few minutes, she came back over and slipped the first suit he’d tried onto him.  “Does it fit better?” she asked.  “Is there anything else that doesn’t feel quite right?”
“It’s not nearly as tight,” he affirmed.  “My wings aren’t being bound to my sides like they were before.  I think the collar might be a little wide, though,” he added apologetically.
Rather than upset, she seemed happy to hear it.  “Oh yes, I thought so too,” she agreed, removing it again.  At his confused look, she smiled.  “Don’t be afraid to mention anything you think might be wrong.  I need to iron out every little imperfection before I send anything to a customer, so be brutal when you judge,” Rarity ordered.  Zephyr nodded his understanding.
After that, Rarity had him try on outfit after outfit, and pressed him to discover some sort of flaw or discomfort with each one.  It wasn’t so bad at first, but then two outfits became ten, and ten became twenty.  An hour passed, and Zephyr began to feel hungry again.  He headed over to where his cupcake waited in its paper sack, but Rarity yanked him back over to the mirror.  “Oh no no no no!” She cried.  “We can’t have the fabric covered with crumbs or icing!”
He stayed put, but his gaze kept drifting over to the bag.  After ten minutes, he slowly inched towards it when Rarity wasn’t looking.  He’d stop the instant she turned around and smile, trying not to look suspicious.  After what seemed like an eternity, he was almost within reach of the sack.  When Rarity looked the other way, he slowly extended his hooves towards it.  Right before he reached it, a fuzzy white blur jumped up onto the shelf and grabbed the paper sack.  He saw it was a white cat with a grey-tipped tail.  It turned to look at him balefully with its green eyes, before bounding away with a muffled “Mrowr!”
Rarity looked over at Zephyr, who just stood there, stunned.  “Oh, that’s just Opalescence,” she said.  “She isn’t very friendly to visitors.  Or me.  You don’t mind if she eats what’s in the bag do you?”  Zephyr stood there, eye twitching, without saying anything for a moment.  Then he sighed and shook his head sadly, walking back over to the mirror.  
The dressing and re-dressing continued.  Rarity alternated between demanding criticism and muttering to herself over her designs.  Zephyr just stood there, growing more and more restless with each outfit.  I feel like one of those dress-up dolls that little fillies play with, he thought bitterly.  He began trying to think of some sort of polite way to take his leave before he snapped.  Just when it came to the point where he was considering leaping out the window, a knock sounded at the door.
“Now who could that be?” Rarity wondered aloud.  “Come in!  I’m up in the studio!” she called down.  Zephyr heard the door open and close, and somepony began ascending the staircase.  The studio door shimmered faintly with purplish light before opening.  A nonplussed Sweetie Belle floated in, covered by the same purple glow.
“I think this is yours, Rarity,” said Twilight, following Sweetie Belle in.
“Hiya sis!” Sweetie Belle greeted cheerfully.
“Oh dear, what trouble has she gotten herself into now?” Rarity asked wearily.
“They were over by the Everfree Forest, trying to cut down a tree,” Twilight informed her.  “Fluttershy took Applebloom back to Sweet Apple Acres, and Scootaloo got away.”  She noticed Zephyr for the first time.  “Oh!” she started.  “What are you doing here?  And what’s the big occasion?” she asked, pointing a hoof at the tuxedo outfit he was currently wearing.
“He’s helping me by modeling these outfits for size and construction,” Rarity explained.
“Ah!  I completely forgot!” Zephyr blurted out suddenly.  “Twilight!  You needed me to swing by the library, right?” he asked.
“Huh?” she said in confusion.  “I don’t know what you’re—”
“Yeah, you said something about…umm…some kind of spell,” he supplied.  Twilight continued to look confused.  Rarity looked at her, and Zephyr used the opportunity to shoot her a pitiful, desperate, pleading look.  Silently, he mouthed the words “Save me!”
“Oh!  Right, right, the uh…spell!” Twilight exclaimed, catching on.  “I almost forgot about it.  Yes, I need his help to make it work.”  She put Sweetie Belle down next to Rarity.
“Oh dear, I had no idea I’d been keeping you from another engagement!” Rarity gasped.  “I suppose I did lose track of time.  Oh well, I think you’ve given me enough to finish these outfits.”  She removed the tuxedo from Zephyr.  “And of course we can’t forget your payment.”  A small bag floated over.  “Here you go Zephyr.  I hope you get enough money for your own place soon,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you.  Sorry to have to leave like this,” he apologized.  He accepted the bag and walked over to the door with Twilight.  “Quick, let’s go before she changes her mind!” he whispered.

*	*	*	*
“Thanks for saving me back there Twilight,” Zephyr said when they made it outside.  “I’m not sure how much more I could’ve taken.”  They started walking down the street.
“Don’t mention it.  Believe me, I’ve been there,” Twilight muttered.  “Actually Zephyr, would you mind coming to the library for real to help me with a spell?”
“Wait, really?” he asked.  “I mean, sure, I guess, but I thought you were just playing along.”
“I was,” she answered.  “But actually, I was working on a spell that I need a pegasus for.  Fluttershy was going to help me, but then the incident with the Crusaders happened.”
“What kind of spell is it?” he asked curiously.
“Well, a while back, I tried a spell to create a pair of wings,” Twilight began.
“On Rarity, right?” he guessed.  “The Young Flier’s Competition?”  Twilight nodded.  “Rainbow Dash told me about that.  So what do you need a pegasus for?”
“Well, the wings the spell gave Rarity were butterfly wings, and really fragile.  I’m trying to see if I can make a pair of wings more like what pegasi have,” she explained.  “At the least, I need detailed sketches of a working wing, otherwise I might miss something and the magic wings won’t work.  I was also going to use Fluttershy’s medical knowledge to give me an idea of how wings are formed.”
“I could help you with that,” he offered.  She raised an eyebrow.  “Well, I can’t draw you a perfect medical chart or something, but I can give you the basic parts you need.”
“No offense, Zephyr, but you don’t look like the type to have much scientific knowledge about anything,” Twilight said.  “Where would you have learned something like that?”
“I did a lot of reading in Longsaddle,” he countered.  “Wasn’t much else to do a lot of days.  I’d get bored, so I’d pick a random book and start reading.  It’s amazing what you can pick up that way,” he mused.  “It also probably helps that I lived with a doctor most of my life.”
“Sorry,” she apologized.  “Rainbow Dash said you were an athlete, and since she and Applejack are the only other athletes I know, I guess I jumped to conclusions.”
“No worries,” Zephyr told her.  “Most of it isn’t real in-depth knowledge, just enough for me to be well-rounded.  Weather and flight mechanics happen to be the two subjects I actually major in, though.”  They came to a halt outside a huge, hollowed out tree, adorned with windows and balconies.  “Is this the library?” he asked.
“Yep.  It’s also my house.  I live in the upstairs bedroom,” she replied.  She opened the door with her magic and walked in.  “Spike!” she called.  “I’m back!  Did you find the book I asked for?”
“I’ll be right there!” a voice called back.  Zephyr walked in after Twilight.  Bookcases lined the walls, and reached at least two stories high.  The place was messy, but not nearly as bad as Rarity’s studio.  A few books lay scattered over the floor, and piles of loose paper occupied tables and corners.  A spiral staircase led to the next floor, from which a small thump came.  A small, purple dragon with green spikes on his back came trotting down the stairs, carrying a book as big as he was.  “Advanced Guide to Spellweaving, just like you asked!” the dragon reported smartly.
“Thanks Spike,” Twilight said, magically taking the book from him.  “Wait!  You two haven’t met yet!” she exclaimed, looking back and forth from Spike to Zephyr.  “Spike, this is Zephyr.  Zephyr, I’d like you to meet my number one assistant, Spike.”  Spike puffed his chest a little at the use of his title.
“Nice to meet you Spike,” greeted Zephyr.
“Likewise,” he said, offering a claw.  Zephyr shook, and turned his attention to Twilight.
“So, what do you need first?” he asked helpfully.
“I need you to extend your wings so I can take some rough sketches,” she told him.  “Then, I’ll need your help to identify important features and their function.”
Zephyr did as she said, stretching out his wings.  She scribbled on a piece of parchment for a few minutes.  When she was done, he folded his wings and she repeated the process.  Spike went to work picking up the mess around the room and reorganizing the scattered books.  She placed the finished drawings on an empty table.  Before she could ask him any questions, the door to the library opened again.
“Twilight, I’m back from Sweet Apple Acres,” a timid voice announced.  Fluttershy walked in slowly.  “I can help you with that spell now if you—”  She cut off when she saw Zephyr.  “Oh, um.  I can come back later if you’re busy.”  She began to turn around and leave.
“Nonsense!  You’re just in time!” Twilight exclaimed.  “I brought Zephyr over here from Carousel Boutique.  I thought he could help with the wings.”
“O-okay then,” she responded shyly.  She gave Zephyr a nervous look.
“Is something wrong?” asked Twilight.
“Oh no!  Of course not!  I’m fine,” Fluttershy asserted, shaking slightly.
The violet unicorn eyed her skeptically, but said nothing.  “Alright then.  Let’s get to work.”  She began asking them questions about the wings of pegasi.  Fluttershy quietly explained that their wings were very similar to bird’s wings.  She supplied most of the information about bones, joints, and structure, while Zephyr chipped in with explanations about function, muscle movement, and the various minute portions of the wing that influenced steering and control.  Fluttershy gradually loosened up, easing out of her nervous tension as Zephyr and Twilight smiled and talked.  At some points, she even began debating with Zephyr about the finer points of flight.  
After about half an hour of note-taking, Twilight stopped them short.  “Okay, I think I’ve got enough data to make a pair of wings,” she said.  She flipped through the book Spike brought her until she found the page she wanted.  She read a few quick lines, and then closed it.  “Stand back!” she ordered.  Zephyr backed up a step, and Fluttershy backed up several.
Twilight’s horn glowed with violet magic.  She closed her eyes in concentration, and the glow brightened.  As her horn began to emit sparks, magic began to visibly gather near her shoulders.  It piled on top of itself, gradually forming a lump on each side that continued to grow.  Her horn flared brighter, and Zephyr covered his eyes.  A final blinding flash erupted in the room.
When his sight returned, Zephyr saw Twilight standing in front of him.  A pair of translucent, purple wings erupted from the purple unicorn’s back, nearly perfectly imitating a pegasus’s wings.  “How do they look?” she panted.
“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped.  “Twilight, they look so real!”  She trotted over and reached out to touch one.  Rather than make contact, her hoof went right through.
“They’re incorporeal,” she explained.  At Fluttershy’s blank look, she sighed.  “They aren’t solid,” she amended.  “They’re purely magical.”  She flapped them a couple times experimentally, and tried folding them against her sides.
“It looks like they move correctly,” Zephyr observed.  “Can they actually lift you?”
“I’m not sure; guess I should test them,” she said.  She braced herself, and gave a little jump, flapping her magical wings furiously.  For a few seconds, she gained altitude and hovered steadily.  Then she lost her balance, and with a cry, began plummeting downward.  Zephyr moved quickly and managed to get underneath her before she hit the ground.  He caught her with a soft grunt, and set her down on the floor.  “Thanks,” she said gratefully.  “That would’ve hurt.”
“Well, the good news is that the wings work,” he told her.  “The bad news…you’re kind of a lousy flier.  At least at the moment,” he added kindly.  “Don’t worry though.  We’ll help you get airborne.”  He nodded at Fluttershy, and began walking to the door.  He reached for the knob.  “But if you really want to practice, we should go outsi—”
The door crashed open, and like a bolt from the blue something tackled him at top speed, knocking him over and sending him into a backward roll with whatever it was that struck him.  The roll ended with a crash as his back struck a bookshelf, knocking several volumes to the floor.  Spike groaned at the new mess.
Zephyr felt weight on his chest.  He opened his eyes to see three very surprised Rainbow Dashes spinning around his field of vision.  He managed to comprehend that she was standing on him, and that it did in fact somewhat hurt.  “Ow,” he mumbled.  “Hey Rainbow Dash.  What’s up?”
Her look of confusion transformed into an angry snarl.  “What’s up?” she repeated angrily.  “I’ll tell you what’s up!” she shouted.  As she did so, she stepped heavily on his chest, eliciting a pained wheeze.  “I wanna know why you’ve been avoiding me!  What the heck have you been doing for the past three days?”
“Uh, maybe we better go on out,” Twilight suggested.  Fluttershy nodded her agreement, and they darted out the door.  Spike made himself scarce and followed them.
“Do you know what I’ve been through today?” she demanded.  “I thought I’d swing by Sweet Apple Acres to see if you wanted to actually have fun today.  But when I got there, Applejack said you’d already gone into town for lunch.  So I flew back, and began checking every store, bakery, and restaurant to try and find you,” she ranted.  “Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Cake tell me you stopped by with Pinkie Pie, so I started looking for her.  Have you ever tried tracking down Pinkie Pie?  It’s like, impossible!  When I do find her, she tells me you went over to Rarity’s a couple hours ago.  I flew over there, and she said you’d come here to help Twilight with a spell.  And now, finally, I’ve caught up with you, and the day is almost over!”  Rainbow Dash was breathing hard now from the force of her rant.
“Rainbow Dash, I can explain—” Zephyr began, but she cut him off with another painful jab to the chest.
“Save it, jerk!” she growled.  “I don’t want to hear a word from you right now!  I thought you coming here was going to be fun!  I guess you’re just boring after all!” she yelled.  With an angry snort, she lifted herself into the air and shot out the open door.
“Rainbow Dash!  Wait!” Zephyr called after her.  He got to his hooves and launched himself after her.  As he hurtled outside, he caught a glimpse of rainbow-colored streaks off to his right and charged after them.  He was rewarded a moment later when Rainbow Dash came into view, flying away from him as fast as she could.  “Get back here!” he yelled at her, pouring on as much speed as he could.
“Leave me alone!” she yelled back, increasing her own velocity.  She dived down and began zooming along just above the street, trying to lose him in the buildings.
Zephyr didn’t take the bait.  He kept his higher altitude and followed her progress closely, which was difficult to do at the speed he was flying.  Every time she turned a corner or pulled a tight curve, he was able to gain some ground by flying a straighter line.  He suspected that Rainbow Dash was also a little tired, and couldn’t get to top speed.
Rainbow Dash seemed to realize her trick wasn’t working, because she suddenly shot straight up, putting her on a course almost directly into the sun.  Zephyr followed, but quickly lost sight of her in the blinding glare.  Shoot, I can’t see anything! he cursed himself.  Well, if I can’t see, she probably can’t either.  He looked around until he found a small, fluffy cloud just big enough to cover a pony.  He dived into it, his eyes blinking in relief from the shade, and ascended slightly.  Rather than look up, he focused on listening, and looking around in a circle.
Zephyr waited patiently.  Eventually, he heard the unmistakable sound of a pegasus flying quickly off to his left.  He looked to see Rainbow Dash moving at half-speed, looking around to check that she’d lost him.  She came to a halt, and from what he could see, it looked like she was gloating.  He grinned.  
Zephyr crept closer, keeping the cloud around him as cover.  As silently as possible, he left the cloud and zoomed towards Rainbow Dash.  He pulled up right behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.  “How about letting me get a word in?” he asked cheerfully.
“Agh!” Rainbow Dash cried in surprise.  “I thought I told you to get lost!” she said over her shoulder.  She tensed her muscles and shot forward.
Zephyr wasn’t going to chase her around town again.  He clamped his teeth down on her tail and pulled, straining to keep her in place.  As it was, she managed to drag him forward several feet before he could halt her progress.  “Hey, get off me!” Rainbow Dash yelled.  With a lightning quick motion, she stopped pulling forward and bucked her back legs into his gut.  He let out a pained gasp, but maintained his grip.
Rainbow Dash proceeded to rain blows down on Zephyr, lashing out with front and back legs.  He fended some of them off, but the rest connected painfully.  Alright, this is getting annoying! he thought angrily.  He took a few more hits and lost his cool.  He gave Rainbow Dash’s tail a sharp tug, catching her by surprise and whipping her around.  He released his grip and took advantage of her being off-balance, getting behind her and wrapping her in a full Nelson.
Rainbow Dash kicked and struggled every way she could, but couldn’t break the hold.  Instead, she slammed her head back into Zephyr’s face.  That’s it! he fumed.  “Will you hold still and listen for one rotten moment!?” he yelled sharply.
It came out a little louder and angrier than he’d expected.  Rainbow Dash’s struggling abruptly ceased, and she looked back at him in surprise.  Zephyr immediately felt guilty for the outburst.  He released his hold on Rainbow Dash, and she turned to face him.
“Sorry,” he mumbled in shame.  “I didn’t mean to get that angry.”  He took a deep breath.  “Look, I know you spent all day looking for me, and I know that I haven’t done anything but work since I got here.  But I haven’t been doing it to avoid you,” he protested.  “It’s just what I’m used to.  Besides, I owed it to Applejack for giving me a place to stay!”
Rainbow Dash looked at him like he was stupid.  “You don’t owe her anything,” she told him, again like he was stupid.  “You don’t owe anypony around here anything!  And nopony thinks otherwise!” she continued.  “When I saw Applejack, she was angry that you weren’t accepting her hospitality!”
“I know.  She bullied me out of working for free,” he said.  “Besides, want it or not, she needed somepony’s help.  And so did most everypony else, today.”
“That doesn’t mean it always has to be you helping!” she yelled at him.  “Seriously!  You spend so much time helping others that you never have any fun!  I thought you figured that out when you came here!  There’s more to do around here than just work!”
Zephyr didn’t have an answer for that.  He sighed.  “Old habits die hard,” he replied lamely.  “I’ve never been good at telling anypony no when they asked for anything.  Especially my help.  Big or small, anything a friend needs, I help with.”  He spread his hooves out helplessly.  “I can’t change that.”
“You don’t have to stop helping everypony,” Rainbow Dash said, more gently.  “Just don’t make it the only thing you do.  All you gotta do is ask yourself something.”
“What’s that?”
“What is it that you want to do?” she told him.  “Friends aren’t friends because they do stuff for each other.  It’s the stuff they do with each other that makes them friends.  Sure, we’ll help each other out if we can, but what’s important is that we stick together, through good or bad.”  She put her hooves behind her back, and hovered sheepishly.  “I’m sorry I was kind of a jerk to you back at the library.  But you just weren’t getting the message.  You gotta have fun and do what you want sometimes.  We’re your friends:  we’ll do it with you.”
Zephyr was quiet for a few moments.  The silence stretched painfully, until he at last spoke.  “Applejack thought I didn’t appreciate her hospitality?”
Rainbow Dash nodded, and followed with a laugh.  “Boy, she was steamed at you when I saw her,” she chuckled.  “You, my friend,” she said, poking his chest lightly, “made the mistake of filling one more apple cart than she did this morning.  I think she’s waiting to give you a piece of her mind.”  Rainbow Dash gave him a mischievous grin.
“Uh,” he sighed.  “Like I need another problem.”  He looked her in the eye.  “I get what you’re saying.  I know I need to loosen up a little, and that I don’t have any kind of debt to pay.  I just…need a little time to adjust.  So…are we cool?  No more kicking me in the gut or stepping on my lungs?” he asked, giving her an accusing look.
Rainbow Dash gave a sheepish smile.  “Yeah,” she answered.  “We’re cool.  Now, let’s get back to the library before Twilight panics and sends out a search party.”  Zephyr couldn’t tell if she was kidding or not.

*	*	*	*
Five minutes later, they were back on the ground outside the library.  They brushed off Twilight’s and Fluttershy’s questions about what happened, and asked about Twilight’s flight progress.  She hadn’t managed to get more than twenty feet high, and had crashed four times, but at least the wings were stable.  Unfortunately, she also didn’t know when they would wear off, so she’d decided to stop practicing until she knew for sure.
“Oh!  Zephyr, I’ve been meaning to ask you something!” Twilight said suddenly.  “I’ve been writing regular reports to Princess Celestia about lessons I’ve learned in friendship.  I told her about you in my last report, and she’s been curious to hear from you.  Do you think you could write her a letter?  About something you’ve learned since you arrived in Ponyville?”
Rainbow Dash and Zephyr exchanged looks.  “Yeah, I think I could manage that,” he agreed, grinning.

*	*	*	*
Dear Princess Celestia,
This is Zephyr, the new pony Twilight told you about.  I’ve only been in Ponyville for a few days, but I’ve already made some good friends.  However, instead of having fun and spending time with them, I became too concerned with helping out around town, and fulfilling obligations I didn’t have.  It took a while for me to see it, but I realized that if I wanted friends, it meant doing things with them, not just for them.  With time, I think I’ll be able to just relax and have fun like everypony else.  Until then, I’ll just keep trying to get it right.
Your loyal subject,
Zephyr