//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Gifts and Forgiveness 
// Story: Equestria Quest 
// by Iwano Imagination 
//------------------------------//

A few minutes later, we were on our way to Ponyville with a cart-train full of gems. 
“Hey, Rarity,” I called her behind me. She was being fanned by Spike with a fan, which I conjured along the way. 
“Yes, Iwano darling?” 
“I had some plans with the other gems when we reach Ponyville.”
“And what is that?”
“I wish to donate some gems to Mayor Mare for Ponyville; give some gems to everypony in Ponyville; some gems to Spike and of course, you get the rest, Rarity.”
“That is very generous of you, Iwano—generous! I think you already know some values of Generosity, am I correct?” 
“Yeah,” I felt a bit uneasy. “It’s just that, I want some gems too, Rarity.”
“You can have some. After all, you were the one who contributed big for all these gems. I wanted to say thank you for finding these gems. I never knew you would even collect ALL of these gems back there.” She was the Element of Generosity and she was really generous. I could feel my Greed diminishing, but not entirely. My Dissonance was very strong than I thought in this world. 
When we reached the dirt road entrance to Ponyville, I stopped to check my watch—it was 12:32 PM. We’d been mining, excavating and digging for four hours. At least it lifted my spirit from that “Apple Orchard Incident”. 
“Let’s stop by at the Town Hall for Mayor Mare,” I said to Rarity. She nodded.
We went to the Town Hall immediately and parked the train-cart in front of it. Mayor Mare was talking to Dr. Hooves—I wanted to also call him “Dr. Timeturner Hooves”—when I excused her for a word. 
Mayor Mare’s eyes were moderate phthalo blue, her mane light cornflower bluish gray with a lighter streak (her actual mane color’s brilliant fuchsia) and coat pale, light grayish amber. Her cutie mark was a tan scroll tied with a blue ribbon.
Dr. Hooves’ eyes were pale, light grayish cobalt blue, his mane dark amber and coat grayish amber. His cutie mark was an hourglass.
I then told her my donation. 
“You want to donate three carts of gems for Ponyville?” she asked to make sure she heard me right. Rarity and Spike were with me. “That was very generous of you, uh, what is your name again?”
“Iwano Imagination, but you can just call me Iwano,” I answered her. 
“Oh, you’re the mysterious performer from yesterday,” she exclaimed. “Your performance in Ponyville was very fun and we had to clean up the decorations you put up out of nowhere.” It sounds to me like she was a bit sarcastic on that sentence.
I blushed in embarrassment. Why had I forgotten about it! “I’m sorry. I can be very forgetful sometimes.”
“That’s alright. Thank you for your donation. These gems can be quite useful for Ponyville’s—”
“Ponyville’s repairs, food, construction, water supply, farming and money.” I finished her sentence.
“How do you—”
“How do I know what you’re going to say? It’s one of my ‘abilities’—it’s an honor to donate.”
“Thank you so much, Iwano!” she and I shook hooves. I was then being watched by other ponies around me. They were all murmuring of who I was. Some didn’t know me and some remembered me, but all mostly looked up to me as a good pony. 
Somewhere in the crowd, I saw Twilight Sparkle. I winked at her. She quickly averted her gaze, scowled and walked away. I wanted her to like me as a friend, but she was making it hard for me. I already lose Applejack. I didn’t want another Element of Harmony to hate me. 
It was time for the second operation.
Everypony walked away from us now. Mayor Mare asked Cherry Fizzy, Chocolate Haze, Coconut and Felix to pull the carts. I doubted four would be enough to pull those carts. So I secretly casted a temporary enhanced strength spell at the four. It would wear off after an hour. I’d got a topaz, ruby, emerald, diamond, amethyst, sapphire, peridot and onyx from Rarity. It was what all I needed, though I had two emeralds now. We now had eight carts left.
Rarity and Spike went back to their “carriage seats”—whatever I called it—and I went back to being the train-cart puller. 
“Can we now go back to the Carousel Boutique?” I asked Rarity. She nodded. Spike was eating some gems behind her, but he was trying to resist the urge to devour all of the gems.
When we arrived at the Carousel Boutique, the duo went down of their seats, though Rarity needed some assistance from a “gentle-dragon”.
“Okay, we have now eight gem carts, Rarity,” I told her. “How many carts will you have?”
“Hmm, I think I’ll take three,” she decided.
“What about me?” Spike asked excitedly. “Can I have a whole cart?” He was drooling again from staring at the carts.
“Spike, you’ll be asking for some gems from Rarity,” I told him. “You don’t want to turn into a giant and greedy dragon again, would you?” 
Spike’s expression fades into a frown and at the same time question. “How’d you know I turned into that before?” I thought I was beginning to be a bit creepy knowing too much.
“And how do you know Mayor Mare?” Rarity asked too. “You did frighten me out a bit, Iwano. It is no wonder why Rainbow Dash and Twilight doesn’t trust you. They were suspicious of how you knew so much about us, Spike, Canterlot and the other ponies and non-ponies we’ve met.”
I have only one answer to that. “Remember what I said back in Canterlot? I said I heard all about you ponies in Imaginundia.”
“It was just quite… creepy.” Her face seems a little worried of who I really was—a stalker? No.
“Look, it is okay that I know everypony in Ponyville. I’m just like Pinkie Pie, okay?”
“And how do you know Pinkie Pie can remember everypony in Ponyville?” she asked again. I’d got to control myself. 
“Just never mind that!” I was desperate to change the subject. “Now, three carts you say? Then we have five left.” 
“Are you going to really give everypony some gems in a day?”
“I am going to, Rarity,” I assured her. “Besides looking for gems, I have another trick on my sleeves.” Rarity and Spike exchanged looks. I glanced at the sky for some calmness. It was now 12:50 PM.
It was time to start!
I used my magic on the five carts. I blasted a small, gold yellow beam on all of the gems and they all disappeared in a poof.
“What did you do to the gems?!” Spike asked in shock of all of his “food” in their disappearance.
“If you want to find out, just follow me if you can.” I turned to Rarity. “I hope these gems are enough, ‘cause I’m on my way!” As I said it, I now flew up to the sky to begin my sharing operation—Operation: Generous Gem.
Spike was still staring at Rarity’s gems. He then realized that I already left, so he dashed to follow my trail. Looks like that little dragon really wanted to see my stuff, eh?
“Good-bye Spike, good-bye Iwano!” she waved to us. When she turned to her gems: “Wait a second. How can I fit these carts into my boutique?” she asked herself dramatically. 
Just use your magic, I wanted to answer, but I was now quite busy…
Awesomeness…
There it was again. What was that?
What was that on my head? Nah, that didn’t matter.
Vinyl Scratch was talking to Octavia Melody in Ponyville’s streets. 
Octavia’s eyes were the same as Rarity’s and colored grayish mulberry, her mane dark gray with a lighter tint and her coat goldish gray. But her appearance was sophisticated and elegant than Rarity, and she wore a pink bow and white collar as a musician. Her cutie mark was a treble clef.
Vinyl Scratch’s eyes were moderate cerise and full of “musical” life, and her mane short to its spike tips below and colored moderate cobalt blue with brilliant cyan stripes. She wore, as usual, her signature glasses—gradient from dark purple to moderate heliotrope with lighter steaks, like strobe lights in a party. Her cutie mark was a backward double quaver note.
In cobalt blue streak, I gave those gems each to them that match their mane color in front of their hooves in a flash without even seeing me. I also left a note to Vinyl:

Dear Vinyl,

Thanks for the awesome speakers from yesterday! If you still don’t know me with Octavia, the name’s Iwano Imagination. You’ll know more about me soon with your friends. We’ll meet to know each other someday!

Sincerely,
Iwano Imagination

P.S. That gem is a gift of thanks from those speakers…

Big McIntosh was given a gem from me from above while he was fixing a gazebo. 
Big Mac’s eyes were moderate sap green, his mane light gamboge and coat moderate crimson. His cutie mark was a green apple sliced in half. His body build was muscular, like he could pull a cart with two oxen. I believed that was the same gazebo that appeared in the MLP episode Hearts and Hooves Day. I saluted to him and left in a flash, though he reminded me of Applejack. I shuddered.
Derpy Hooves was walking with a chocolate muffin on her head. I took her muffin and replaced it with a gem unnoticed. I couldn’t believed she was that stupid than the rumors I’d heard about her.  
Somewhere in Ponyville’s streets, Twilight Sparkle was reading a book about alicorns when I swooped pass her with a gust of wind. She spun around with her book still levitating. She spun, and spun, and spun until finally, she bumped into Pinkie Pie, who was caught by the Twilight tornado. After spinning for a few seconds later, they stopped and fell down on the ground on their backs.
“Are you all right, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked her dazedly with her hoof on her forehead.
“My mini Pinkie Pie army is not all right.” Pinkie Pie replied with her eyes circling, which relieved Twilight. They both got on their hooves. “Oh, Twilight!” she said exuberantly on Twilight’s muzzle. “Iwano gave me this!” Pinkie Pie showed a pink gem on Twilight’s face.
“I believe that’s an amethyst,” Twilight determined. “But why did Iwano give you that?”
“Not just me, Twilight. Everypony in Ponyville got a gem from Iwano—including you!” She pointed at Twilight.
“Me? Iwano have not—” She looked down and saw a magenta gem between her hooves. She used her magic and levitated my gift and examined it. “Why would he do that?”
Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Maybe it’s one of his greetings to everypony in Ponyville—it’s very generous and kind of him to do that!” she cuddled her amethyst. Twilight looked around her. Pinkie Pie was right—everypony got a gem from Iwano (me). She saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders passing by—they had mud all over themselves—each with their own gems on their backs that matches their mane color. She also saw Mayor Mare with one, Lyra Heartstrings, Cranky Doodle Donkey, Diamond Tiara, Ms. Cheerilee, Big Macintosh and more. Questions began filling Twilight’s head. 
“He had a performance yesterday,” Twilight recounted.
“Which it was super-duper-colorfuller fun?” Pinkie Pie added with her head popping from above Twilight. “I love it!”
“And now he’s doing all of this,” Twilight continued while Pinkie Pie was shining her gem on her mane which caught on fire because of her rubbing too fast, but Twilight was too distracted from her thoughts to notice the burning pink pony. “Why is he doing all of this? He is seeking for our help to cure or contain his Dissonance by staying with each of in a day, but does he have another motive?” She looked above as if I were there. “I need to ask him questions now!”
“I need to put this out now!” Pinkie Pie shrieked as she was desperately looking for anything to put out her fire. She quickly then spot Applejack wistfully walking along with an apple cider on one hoof. 
Pinkie Pie snatched the cider and poured it all over her head and the flames extinguished, but it didn’t entirely burn her whole mane. She sighed in relief, and then noticed Applejack’s face was depressed. “Why are so sad, Applejack?”
Applejack was just steady and looking down on the ground as if watching a sad movie. She didn’t pay any attention.
Pinkie Pie thought for a second and got an idea (a light bulb appeared above her head). Nearby a tree, she pulled out a tuba. She wore the brass instrument, sneaked near Applejack from behind and—BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Because of that, Applejack jumped in a startle and fell, and shortly had her hoofing.
“What in hill-belly is goin’ on?!” she complained. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked, “Why didja’ do that, Pinkie?”
“You were all sad,” Pinkie Pie replied. “Is there something wrong?”
Twilight overheard the tuba sound and noticed Applejack.		
“Hello, Applejack,” Twilight said as she approached her friends.  Applejack seemed to be back to normal but her face was a bit stern, although she tries to hide it by managing a smile. Twilight was able to read her expression. “Was there something wrong, Applejack? Anything bad happened with you and Iwano?” she said my name with sourness. 
Applejack made a heavy sigh. “I guess I should tell you.” Twilight was ready to listen with Pinkie Pie. Applejack told everything about how I was “sleep-eating” the whole orchard’s apples and how she “banished” me to never return and see her face again. But she didn’t tell them of what I said that night when I’m in my “trance”.
“He ate the whole orchard’s apples in one night???” Twilight repeated Applejack’s last sentence in question. “That. Is. Impossible.” More questions filled Twilight’s head. She began to think that I was more than myself…
“I’d like to think of that too myself,” Applejack said. 
Pinkie Pie came out of nowhere between the talking ponies—I believe all her movements in my story are mostly exuberant and comical, like what she’s doing right now. “If there’re no apples, there would be no apple cider, apple pie, apple fritters, apple cake, apple ice cream, apple juice, apple everything!” she finished by falling down. She said all of those things frantically and with each apple food she mentioned she also brought them out of nowhere on a plate she’s holding—I wonder where are those apple food now…
“Iwano eating all of the apples in your orchard was the craziest thing I’d ever heard.”
“Tell me about it,” a voice spoke out of nowhere. Twilight and her friends looked around to find it. “And I thought the craziest thing to me ever was you ponies mistaking Ms. Peachbottom as the real games inspector, but it think that’s one of them.” The ponies looked above them—it was me, flying above them in secret.
“How long were you there above us?” Twilight asked in surprise.
“I was following Applejack which led me to you and Pinkie Pie,” I answered.
“How come we didn’t hear the flaps of your wings?”
“I’m a silent flier.” Because I was trained in a world where owls live, I wanted to add but I kept it in. It was true—I was trained in the world of Ga’Hoole as a Philippine Eagle-owl there. Twilight was skeptical about it.
“Why are ya followin’ me?” Applejack demanded. Yup, she hated me.
“I just wanted to give you a gem, that’s all,” I replied as I conjured a gem from my hoof—its color was the same as Applejack’s mane. I tossed it to her and she caught it with her hat. “Look, it’s a sorry-gift to you for, you know. Anyway, you can either sell it or something.” I then landed on the ground with them.
Applejack seemed to be unsatisfied of my apology. “Thanks, but it would take a long time for the orchard to produce more apples again.” Although I was thinking of another answer from her besides that, that would do.
“I think I can handle that.”
“What do you mean?”
Without answering, I zoom to the sky.
“Where do you think he’s going?” Applejack asked Twilight. She shrugged. Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Applejack followed.

Meanwhile in the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was able to put all the gems inside and stored them in a closet although it looked like it was about to burst anytime, but I doubted that would happen. Rarity was sort of busy with a sewing machine made some sort of clothing. But what was it for? Her tongue was out and sweats drip from her mane, but it didn’t distract her at all. Why was she so focused? She usually hated sweating much. She had a pencil stuck on her mane, tape measure around her neck and wearing red squinted glasses. Was she nearsighted whenever she was working on a dress? The draft of fabric she used was cobalt blue—the color of my mane. 
After a few minutes, she turned off the sewing machine, wiped her sweat with a piece of cut clothing and swoop down her finished product unto the floor flat. “Well, Rarity, you outdone yourself again,” she told herself, did tippy-toe steps and squeal. “I can’t wait to show this to Iwano!” She looked through her window on hopes that I would return soon. “I wonder where he is now.”

Whatever she made which may be for me, I would be there soon. Right now, I was heading to the apple orchard. Confidence filled me and calmness. I would not be afraid of Applejack anymore… if I did this.
I landed at the middle of the orchard which was all cleaned up from my wreckage and devouring, including the apples. I felt quite bad, but that didn’t stop me with my new trick.
The three of the Mane Six arrived of where I was.
“Iwano,” Applejack called to me. “If you’re going to do even worse than eating the apples, don’t do it!”
“Wait, Applejack,” Twilight said to Applejack before she even tries to tackle me. “Maybe he has a reason,” she turned to me. “What are you going to really do, Iwano?”
I gulped, believing that Applejack won’t still forgive me. And I sighed. “I will do this.” I closed my eyes, my horn glowed in gold yellow and opened my eyes glowing gold yellow, too. I ascended to the air and imagined that all the orchard’s apples were back before I even ate them all. A Lindsey Stirling song then kicked in my head—“Elements” was the song. The ponies just stare at me in wonder. 
“What in the name of Celestia is he going to do?” Twilight asked herself. Pinkie Pie brought out a camera and pictured me—where did she even get that? 
After a few seconds of imagining and listening to the song in my head, I spread my arms—or forelegs—wide and a wave of shimmering gold was conjured from me, making a shockwave. The ponies tried to stay steady. Applejack held on with her hoof and hat from being blown away, Pinkie Pie had the “pancake face” and holding on and Twilight was steadied on her hoofing with her eyes fixed on me, full of intent and focus. She was trying to see how I used my magic and was observing how. Suddenly, one by one, the apples in the orchard appeared in its trees. Soon, the whole orchard’s apples were back—every apple was back. 
I stopped my magic—eyes back to normal and glow gone—and land down slowly. I smiled as I looked around. What I was imagining besides the apples back in the orchard was Applejack being happy. It was what I thought of that calmed me down a while ago and helped me concentrate. 
Thinking positive and imagining good things helped me—a lot.
Pinkie Pie zoomed towards me with her eyes close to mine. I blushed and my heart was pounding as she gotten close, and asked, “Iwano, how’d you do that?!”
“I am an alicorn,” Twilight said, but she sound as if she isn’t really who she was. “How can you have that—?”
“How can I have that so much magic power?” I finished her sentence with my powers. “I’m just special.”
“How’d you do that?!” Pinkie Pie asked again but I was ignoring her. I was actually waiting for Applejack to say something. 
“I have found out why my magic can’t bring back all of the apples in the orchard,” I said to Applejack with a shaky voice. “It’s because you frightened me—the way you talk to me when you get mad, or probably because my Dissonance took over me that night and drained a lot out of my magic. Whatever the cause of my actions to eat all the apples, I’m just glad I was able to bring the apples back. I only wish for you to forgive me in return, Applejack. That is all I can ask.”
I expect Applejack to just simply applebuck my head until my eyes fall out. But instead, she simply smiled at me. What? 
“Shucks, fine, Iwano,” she said as she gave me her smile. “I forgive you.” 
“Pinkie Pie, how did I do all of this?” Pinkie Pie smiled at me as I asked her about her ignored question. “Well, it’s a secret.” 
She frowned. “Oh, bacon cookies!” 
“Oh, can you help me smile?” I asked.
“Sure thing!” she accepted with excitement and “over-stretched” my cheeks into a big grin, which was quite funny yet weird.
“I am very happy as a hyena!” I happily said with a “happy smile” thanks to Pinkie Pie.
I was really glad and happy Applejack forgave me. Twilight’s face was filled with little gladness but mostly skeptical about something as she stared at me. I bet she was still wondering of who I was.
I suddenly heard flapping sounds. It wasn’t wings. It was more like flapping fabric. I sniffed the air and used my Super Smell mode—it smelled like fabric alright, but also with lotus fragrance.
“What are you sniffing, Iwano?” Twilight asked.
“Is it your breath?” Pinkie Pie asked as she sniffed near my mouth. “It smells like apples and apples.”
“Um, you can let go now, Pinkie Pie,” I told her. She released my cheeks which hurt my jaws a bit. I then began to explain. “It’s just that I heard flapping fabric and lotus fragrance,”
“First, you can hide your wings magically,” Twilight started enumerating. “Second, you were able to dress everypony in Ponyville and create a big performance; third, you ate all of these trees of their apples; fourth, your speed easily matches that of Rainbow Dash; and now, you have an acute sense of smell and hearing? That is impossible,” she said all of those things as if I never really done them.
“No, I’m serious,” I assured her.
Applejack looked up and studied the sky. “You mean that?” She pointed a hoof above us.
It was a flying cape.