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// Chapter 5 - Comet's Talent 
// Story: A Comet's Tale 
// by Parakalo 
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	Despite the fact that Comet slept on an old pew (the only furniture currently in his new home) with a pair of old blankets, Comet awoke the next morning feeling more rested than he ever had in his entire life. The sun came in his brand new windows, and Comet knew it would be a good day. He gave a stretch and let out a moan, hearing that satisfying crack he had become accustomed to. He shoved his front door open, and took in all that he saw. The still sleeping village of Ponyville below, where he would try to find a job to make some extra money today, lay below. The view was astounding. Comet nodded in approval. He looked down the hill to find the gate he had broke the day before. Not that he particularly wanted a gate, it did need to be fixed though. He nodded in approval. Comet looked to his right and found the remains of a shutter that broke off of his bell tower the night before. Although it was his fault, Comet couldn't help but feel it was somehow was meant to be there, and knew he would clean that up today as well. He nodded in approval. His sights sought, Comet lightly trotted down his cobblestone path, worked around his broken gate, and out onto the trail down to the village. It was going to be a great day, he could feel it.
When he arrived in town, he found the shops were just starting to open to another regular day. Groggy eyes and sleepy steps could be seen and heard across the streets. Why was he up so early. again? Comet didn't know, but didn't mind. Better early than any other time of day. Comet's stomach gave a growl of hunger. He had been working all the day before, and only on breakfast for that matter. Unfortunately, he had no money, and would need to sing for his supper, so to speak. He decided it might be a good idea to check the restaurant he stopped at a few days earlier and see if they could use his help. The food was good and he knew one person there already. Comet felt he knew his way around town pretty well, and found the restaurant without much trouble. The smells of breakfast wafted through the kitchen. He caught the waitress in the middle of a small yawn and she let out a squeak.
"Can I get you a table, Comet?" She seemed happy to see him.
"Actually, I don't have any money," Comet grinned sheepishly. He hoped his cheery mood might rub off on her. "I spent it all on my new house."
"You bought a house? Like all to yourself, house? On your second day in town? Where is it?"
"You know the old church on the hill?"
"Oh..." The waitress kept her comments to herself. She should've guessed it couldn't have been that good of a place.
"I just put new windows in last night. It helped a ton. I was hoping you might have some work for me to do so I can keep up the good pace and maybe get some breakfast. Maybe I could wash dishes or something."
"Uh..." The waitress had difficulty placing her words, "Y'see, I would love to help you, really, I would, Comet. But we just opened. There are no dishes to wash." Comet figured he should have thought about that before hand. He gave her a nod and a smile.
"Well, I'm going to keep looking, then. Thanks for the help, and keep something hot for me, okay?"
She nodded, "Of course, Comet. Good luck!"
"You bet!" He continued on around the town. That made sense. Why would they have work when they just opened? Comet didn't let that slow him down. There were all kinds of things he could do, still. Another smell caught his nose. Of course, Comet thought, The bakery always needs fresh goods every day. There was something he could do.
Comet found Pikie Pie humming away as she worked in the kitchen. He gave a light knock on the bottom partition of the door and was greeted with a smile.
"Hiya, Comet," Pinkie Pie was always beams and smiles. "What can I do you for do for you do?"
"I was wondering if you needed any help. I need money to finish working on my new house."
"Oh boy! Help! That would be the bestest best thing ever, Comet! Let me get Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" She bounced back into the kitchen. Pinkie Pie produced the couple, who appeared much sprightlier this time of morning than most of the ponies in Ponyville.
"Something we can help you with, dearie?" Mrs. Cup Cake was a nice mare, and Comet liked her before she said anything.
"Well, Mrs. Cup Cake, I moved into Ponyville yesterday, and was wondering if you had some work I could do around here to make a little extra money."
"Can you bake?" Mr. Carrot Cake was eager to get Pinkie Pie out of the kitchen. "We have a lot of deliveries that need to be done, and Pinkie Pie can take care of them if you are willing to give us a hand."
"I love deliveries!" Pinkie Pie bounced over to a pile of tied packages. Apparently, this place was buzzing before even Comet got up. "It's one of my favorite favorite games!"
"Do your best not to eat any of them, Dearie," Comet thought Mrs. Cup Cake was kidding, but the tone in her voice sounded very serious. Maybe Comet would be more trustworthy with the packages (if he knew anyone in Ponyville, that is).
"Yes ma'am!" Pinkie Pie scooped up a couple of boxes and bounced out the door, out into the new sunshine.
"So, have you ever baked anything before?" Mr. Carrot Cake's question still held.
"My mother did teach me how to bake one thing," Comet knew he wasn't the best cook. "I can follow directions, though."
"Great," Mrs. Cup Cake gave him a small smile, "We could always use an extra pair of hands. Put on this spare apron and come into the kitchen." 
Comet worked with the Cakes well into lunch time. Although he was unnaturally slow on his own, he could follow directions to a "t", and did his very best. Unfortunately, his mother's recipe for Fruit-Jam Swirl Upside-Down Cake took much too long to be able to sell in the bakery. At least when Comet reproduced the recipe, he was only able to make one  of these cakes in the time it took Pinkie Pie to finish the deliveries. When she was done, Mr. and Mrs. Cake thanked him for his hard work, and payed him for his service and the recipe. It was more money than Comet had hoped for, but not enough to pick up the things he wanted today, or get by for that matter. Comet thanked them again for their help and he stepped out into the bustle of the village to find something new to do. At least he wouldn't go hungry today and could pick up some new shutters and some nails. 
Full of bread and energy, Comet found Rainbow Dash tackling a particularly uncooperative cloud in an attempt to get it to produce water. Finally, something he knew he was good at it.
"Rainbow Dash!" He called to her and caught her attention.
"What's up, Comet?" Rainbow Dash plopped down on the cloud and watched him from above.
"What can you tell me about the weather committee here in Ponyville?"
"They make sure the weather is balanced and organized. Why?" Rainbow Dash was unsure she understood the question.
"I was wondering if I could help. I happen to be an experienced meteorologist." Comet puffed out his chest in pride. He was a bit put out to find Rainbow Dash laughing at him from her cloud.
"Meteo-what?" Rainbow Dash was not impressed.
"I study the weather," Comet found it hard to believe she didn't know what meteorology was.
"Why do you need to study it? Just do it."
"Don't you need to know what the weather will be like tomorrow or the day after?"
"Well duh," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "I make the weather whatever I want." Comet had nothing to say to this. Meteorology was not very useful in a town where the weather was tamed and controlled. In Manehattan, the Weather Committee responded to existing weather and kept the air clean and the sort. Apparently that wasn't need here.
"Never mind, Rainbow Dash."
"You're funny, Comet. Come see me again sometime."
"Uh-huh." Comet was starting to find his spirits dampen, and it wasn't from the increasing water pressure from the cloud Rainbow Dash was beating on. Rainbow Dash watched him walk away. He seemed irritated. Was it something she said?
Comet hadn't considered what he would do if his talents weren't necessary. What if Ponyville didn't need an astronomer, or worse, already had one? As Comet wandered Ponyville, he saw a telescope on a balcony of the library. He shook his head in what was building frustration. Of course it would be Twilight Sparkle that was the astronomer. The one person he thought it would be easiest to befriend, who turned out to be the hardest. She was so... difficult. Comet walked straight by the library, uninterested in whatever could be happening inside. Twilight had Spike and Owlaroo to help her; he didn't want to help her anyways. Maybe he should try looking in different places. Experimenting. Although he wasn't very strong, maybe there was something he could help with at Apple Acres. He didn't want to intrude on Big McIntosh's hospitality too much, though. He already had some tools and windows, and he was going to take money too? Comet decided that wasn't a very good idea.
As he wandered out of town, Comet found he was on his way back home in the mid-afternoon. As he moved down the road, he found a turn he didn't notice on the way down. Curious, he turned and went the other way. As the town grew smaller behind him, Comet noticed the forest that grew larger in front of him. Curious at the opportunity to explore something new, Comet wandered into the dark and damp, following the road. The brush got thicker, and so did the air. Comet looked around for some shelter. The damp that clung in the air suggested it would rain soon. Comet found this odd when he thought about it. Rainbow Dash had the skies above Ponyville practically clear, so why was there a chance on showers just outside the village?
A curious smell halted his thought process. In a small clearing, Comet found a lonely little hut, a trail of smoke curling out one window something like singing could be heard inside. Comet moved to the door and peeked inside. What he saw caught him off-guard. A decorated striped horse moved about a cauldron sprinkling assorted herbs and an spices into a pot. Suddenly, she spoke.
"Come in, child, there's no need to fear. A new face is always welcome here." Comet came inside. The hut was decorated with tribal regalia and ornaments. Comet decided it was not unlike a mosaic in and of itself.
"Oh, I'm Comet. I just moved here."
"I'm Zecora, little tourist. What brings you to the Everfree Forest?"
"I'm just exploring. I like your soup, it smells wonderful."
"The smell went far, I had a hunch. I would you like to stay for lunch?"
"That sounds wonderful. I think it's going to rain soon, anyways."
"But the skies are clear and very plain. Why do you say it could rain?"
"I read a lot of books. Meteorology and Astronomy are kind of a hobbies of mine." Comet looked outside to find it started to drizzle. Zecora seemed astonished. She came closer to him.
"I can see you spend much time staring at the skies. The stars, they glint within your eyes." Comet backed up a bit.
"Oh, well, thank you, I guess. I mean, I donno, that's very kind of you." Comet was embarrassed at the compliment. Zecora went through her things and produced a leather bound book. It appeared to have no title.
"Perhaps you can decipher this book. It too, is about the stars. Take a look." Comet browsed the book and read small bits and pieces. It was astrology, an old pseudoscience that claimed one could predict how days would turn out and luck and the like based on the constellations in the sky that night and the night before.
"It's called Astrology. It's just an old hokey theory."
"Sometimes, when a feather appears to be duller, it just needs to be dyed a different color." Comet didn't understand. First verse, now riddles?
"I'm sorry, I don't follow."
"Your eyes say you feel your talents are in waste. Perhaps a different approach should be faced." Comet considered this. He knew the stars well. Maybe it was time he put that to a new use. Comet stuck a hoof out in the rain, and felt the air. It appeared to be thinning.
"Thank you for your time, Zecora. The rain will be stopping soon, so I think I should go to. I'll come visit you again."
"Your talent is greater than you can show. We shall meet again, I know."
When Comet stepped out into the rain, he found it already slowing down. As he strolled, he thought about the mysterious book Zecora gave him. What secrets could it hold at closer examination? Maybe he should go to the library and see what information Spike could give him. Maybe if he was luckier, Twilight Sparkle wouldn't be there.
It was mid-afternoon when Comet made it back to Ponyville. He pushed open the door to the library and heard the satisfying tinkle of the bell on the door. Spike was there to greet him.
"Hey Comet, how are you?"
"Great, Spike. I've been fixing up the church."
"You mean last night? You slept there last night?"
"Sure. I put on some new windows so it wouldn't be drafty, and I slept like a foal." Spike nodded, impressed.
"Listen, I got this book from Zecora, and I was wondering if you could give me any information on it."
"I could try, but Twilight Sparkle would be a better person to ask."
"Is she here right now?"
"No, she's running errands about town. She'll be back in a few hours." Comet heaved a sigh of relief. It was probably better that way. He did not want to start an argument today.
"What do you think?" Comet changed the subject off of Twilight Sparkle back to his book.
"The binding suggests it was handwritten, like a journal or script. It very well might be one of a kind." Comet nodded in consideration. Perhaps he should read it to get more information out it. In retrospect, that probably would have been a simpler idea.
"Do you have any books on the Everfree Forest?" Comet was curious about something?
"Sure. What about it? Flora, fauna, creepies, crawlies, we have all kinds of things."
"How about the Forest in general? Like an ambiguation or a research novel?"
"Yeah, let me get it for you. Were you thinking about taking it home?"
"Yeah, there's something I wanna look into."
"It's dangerous, Comet, be careful." Comet knew what Spike meant, but gave a sneer.
"I doubt the book's bite is as bad as the bookkeeper's."
"What was that?" Comet's hair stood on end to hear a familiar voice behind him. The door shut with a small tinkle of the bell.
"Um... hello, Twilight Sparkle." Comet immediately regretted his entire conversation.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave. The library's closed."
"Twilight..." Spike came back with a pair of books for Comet, "Relax, it was all in good----"
"Spike, show Comet to the door. We are locking up for the night." Spike heaved a sigh.
"Yes, Twilight." Spike let Comet out. "Listen, if you need anything, Comet, just ask. I got your back." He shared a hoof-bump with Comet before getting called back inside by Twilight Sparkle. A click was heard behind the door when it closed. Comet rolled his eyes as he headed for home. Before he left town, he picked up some hinges and nails. He didn't have enough money to replace the shutter he broke, but with what he had he could fix the door and the gate. That was a good start, Comet decided. Once past the gate, Comet put his things down on his pew and got a hammer and some hinges. He had difficulty finding the hammer. It didn't seem to be where he left it. Once the gate was working well, Comet found the door would be more difficult than he thought, as the wood was warped (which was probably what ruined the hinges). After a couple of well placed bangs, Comet splintered the door off of the ratty old hinges, Big McIntosh style. His hinds hurt afterward, but it left Comet feeling satisfied with his own physical strength. Gathering what wood he had left, he fashioned a new door to the new hinges, recycling the doorknob. Odd, Comet thought to himself, I remember having more wood.
The new door fit well. Comet spent some time opening and closing it, in his own satisfaction. The lock couldn't be forced open anymore, either. Comet took the old door and threw it in the pot-belly stove in the closet. Since he had enough wood tonight, he might as well make it cozy. The dry old wood lit up well. Soon, the whole house was nice and warm. Comet got one of his books he got from Spike and propped it open. He pored into his book like he did in his mother's library. The Everfree forest was fascinating. The wildlife that grew on its own, the fauna that lived without care, but the most intriguing thing was the weather. According to both volumes of his book, the Everfree Forest is most notably known for its unpredictable weather, which has, on numerous occasions, moved away from the forest and damaged the nearby towns and villages, causing much trouble for the weather committees of Cloudsdale. To this very day they have tried their best to contain the weather and struggle to do so. Comet thought about that. It was just weather. If they had someone that was there, keeping an eye on the forest, they could be better prepared for the weather there.
It struck Comet like a ton of bales of hay. That could be Comet's job. If he could predict the weather in the forest, he could report to Cloudsdale to help them stay on top of it. It was so simple. So grand. It was perfect. He couldn't wait to run it by his friends tomorrow in Ponyville.
A noise distracted Comet from his celebration. Comet turned to face the stairs and found a drowsy Applebloom come into the room. She gave a small smile and dragged one of his blankets to the corner the stove was in and curled up in it. 
Before Comet could get a word in edgewise, she was fast asleep.