//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Arrival 
// Story: Number One 
// by Whirring Gears 
//------------------------------//

	Look out for number one.

That was the rule for as long as you could remember. You grew up in Clopton, a tough place ponies always told stories of. Every mistake was painful, every insult was personal, and everypony took what they could get.

Between the gangs and the violence, you had managed to lay low in the background and survive, albeit not unscathed. You had a few scars here and there, the bigger ones you covered up with a jacket. There were some down your forelegs and one deep one around the base of your neck.

You made your bits as a repaircolt of sorts. As much as you could fix something good as new, most of the things ponies brought you were not broken. Instead, they would ask for you to put in hidden chambers within certain items to transport various substances.

And, of course, you were alone. That’s how it’s always been and that’s how you liked it. Sure, you used to have friends, but what did that friendship give you? Heartache and another scar. You only had to make that mistake once.

Somehow, you were able to get out. You were hesitant at first, giving up everything you knew. It was still your life and if there was one thing you learned, it was not to give anything of yours to anypony. However, you made a few too many enemies and decided it would be best to start again somewhere else.

Looking at a map, you found a town a good distance out of the way. Small enough to not be particularly noteworthy, but big enough to ensure some steady work. You’d have to give up a good chunk of savings considering there were not any apartments in this town, but money wasn’t as big a concern as what it could get you. For example, having a lot of money could get you some big trouble.

Packing up tools, spare jackets, and a few small things, you left. After an almost daylong carriage ride paid with bits of questionable origin, you found the small house on the outskirts of the town away from everypony (specifically requested) and found it to be quite nice. It came with more furniture than you were expecting and the sinks and shower had hot water. The bed had an actual honest-to-Celestia mattress with sheets and blankets. Not the inch think rectangle lump you were used to.

Setting your things down, you laid down in the bed to see how it felt. Getting a little comfier under the blanket, you decided to rest your eyes a bit. When they opened again, it was pre-dawn with Luna’s moon still visible in the sky and the fewest hints of Celestia’s sun coming on the horizon. After determining that you’ve been asleep for about ten hours, you decided a couple more wouldn’t hurt.


===


Fast forward to this moment, you are on your way to the store to buy a few supplies. Some food would be nice, but mostly you are after paper and ink with which to make fliers advertising your services. At first, you were against the idea of putting yourself on public display. However, with knowing absolutely nopony and funds being limited, you need work. Even if you did just do common things to start off before the right crowd (or more accurately, the wrong crowd) came around, you're sure you’d soon blend into the background and life will become nice and familiar again.

You have a saddlebag over a blue jacket in order to carry your things when you got them. Bits tucked deep in your pocket to keep them from accidentally “falling out” into another pony’s sticky hooves.

Before you reach town, you see a rainbow colored streak pass overhead. It whirls in the air through loops and spins before stopping at a point in the air. You notice that it’s a pegasus. It looks around and seems to notice you as well.

The colorful streak once again takes off, this time towards your direction before coming to a halt in front of you. It’s a cyan mare pegasus with a mane and tail the colors of the streak that follows her while she flies. “Hey,” she says. “You one of my fans watching me practice?”

You are a bit taken back by the question. “Wha- I’ve never heard of you,” you say.

She looks at you with an annoyed manner. “Well, I just happen to be THE Rainbow Dash. Best young flyer in Equestria, future Wonderbolt, and all around awesome!” she exclaims, extending her wings and puffing out her chest in an air of egotism.

You raise an eyebrow. This pegasus seems to be asking for respect, which is a road very delicately traveled. Be too easy about it and they’ll assume they can walk all over you. You try to think of something to say, but she beats you to it.

“I can see that you don't believe me,” she says. “Well, just watch this!”

She takes off into the air again, flipping and spinning, the prismatic trail behind her as she tears through the sky. Reaching speeds you never thought possible for a pony, she bursts through clouds, hurtling towards the ground before suddenly changing direction the moment before she hit. Now flying towards you at an alarming rate, you brace yourself for impact when she suddenly stops in front of you with a flap of her wings. You feel a strong breeze and look as she delicately lands her hooves on the path in front of you.

“How was that?” she asks with a smirk.

You don’t know how to respond. While the aerial acrobatics were impressive, it was just the fact that you have never encountered this sort of situation before.

“Speechless, huh?” she giggled. “I have to go. I’ll be seeing you later!” she says before racing off again.

You shake yourself out of your daze and continue on the road, but you couldn’t help but think about what you just saw. Usually when a pony demands respect, they threaten you with violence if you don’t comply. Weapons are brought out and ponies advance on you. It was simply show your adoration (often by giving money or something else) or possibly find a few bits of a different kind missing.

This pegasus asked for respect and then tried to earn it by actually impressing you. She has moxie. Something that definitely wouldn’t go over well where you're from, but here it was... almost admirable.

You have a feeling, though. It is an odd feeling, sort of like you had eaten something rotten, but it isn’t unpleasant. A sort of tickly sensation travels up your spine as well. The word for it eludes you right now. You walk into town trying to find how to express how you felt at that moment.

A growling in your stomach interrupts your thoughts, telling you that food would be more than nice right now.

“Well, howdy there!” you suddenly hear.

Although most ponies around are leaving you alone while they go about their business, your hunger distress call seems to be within earshot of an orange mare running an apple cart. With a blonde mane and brown stetson hat, they are gesturing you over with their hoof.

“I heard yer belly and I think I can help ya’ with that. Name’s Applejack,” she says extending their hoof. You feel uncomfortable about this pony suddenly putting her nose in your business, but you meet her hoof anyway. You regret it as soon your foreleg is shaken so much you feel it might pop out at any moment. “So what’s yer name?”

“Oh, it’s... not important,” you say dismissively. Like you would give your name to some crazy mare who almost took your leg off. “Selling apples?” you ask.

Apples were a favorite back in the city. You’d buy a bag at the store whenever you had a few extra bits to spare. Like everything in the city, they were mostly tasteless, but it had a little crunch along with the juice you found enjoyable.

“Yep! Since I haven’t seen you around before and yer stomach seems to be rumblin,’ here’s a little sample for free,” she says, picking out two apples and placing them in front of you.

They are the biggest and brightest apples you’ve ever seen. At that moment, you know something was wrong. Free sample? This was a game you know all too well. There is probably something in those apples and getting a taste would hook you before she jacked up the price.

“No thanks,” you say.

“Oh, I insist. Can’t have a new feller in town go hungry!”

You sigh inwardly at her persistence. “I’m saving my appetite,” you lie.

“Take ‘em with ya’, then.” She pushes them neatly into your saddlebag before you can refuse again. “If you want more, feel free to come on back. We’ve got plenty!”

“Right...” you say, making a mental note to avoid this pony. You walk off without another word and decide maybe it would be good to quickly pass off the apples to some addict for a couple fast bits.

Ignoring the hunger for now, you managed to find a store that sold what you're looking for. Paper, ink, quills, and tape. Thinking that it’d be a hassle to just go home and right a bunch of fliers before coming back, you decide just to jot down the basic information from wherever you are when you hang it.

First stop is a street lamp near the center of town. That apple pony is still there, but you try not to make eye contact as you work. You begin writing the bare essentials of your business.


Repaircolt

Can fix or modify anything

Drop off broken items at 221 N. Ap~                           


Suddenly, you feel a bump into your side and you quickly jump. “Hey!” you exclaim, putting a hoof over your pocket full of bits. This isn’t the first time somepony tried to pickpocket you and you're always ready for it.

You stare down the potential thief, a light yellow pegasus with a long pink mane being followed by what look to be baby ducks. She seems to have been walking backwards as she has to turn around to see you.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I, um... wasn’t looking where I was going...” She is barely audible.

You keep your eyes on her as you feel around your pocket. All your bits still seem to be undisturbed. She looks to be shrinking away at your cold gaze, but you turn back to your work with a snort. She leads the ducks around you, but you still ready yourself in case she tries to go for your money again. Quickly finishing the address, you hang the flier up and look for a new place to put another.

The search for a location takes you to another street lamp somewhere called Sugarcube Corner. Writing the information again, a scent catches your nose. A very sweet scent, coming from the building next to you. At this point your stomach decides to growl again. You look and discover that it is, in fact, a bakery. Considering how long you’ve put off eating, you decide to go in and look.

Cookies, cakes, and more are on display. Each enticing with their own flavors. The melty chocolate, the crunchy nuts, the tangy and sweet berries inside each delicatessen calling out to you. Sweet sugar tickles your nose as the smells of each warm ingredient blends together. You feel your mouth start to water.

A curly pink tail wiggling about is all you see behind the counter. As you approach, you clear your throat to try and get their attention.

“ahem... Hello?”

Spinning upright, you see a pony, pink as can be, with an equally curly mane to match her tail. Her blue eyes lock on to you before she gives a loud gasp.

“What? WHAT!?” you ask, wondering if she thought you did something wrong. She darts into the back room without an answer and you begin to panic.

A light blue earth pony with a pink mane and three cupcakes as her cutie mark comes out of the back. She sees you and walks up to the counter with a smile.

“I-... I didn’t do anything! Where’s that pink mare going, I-” you try to explain yourself.

“Oh, don’t worry about her, dearie. Pinkie Pie can be a little... eccentric at times,” she replies. You breathe a sigh of relief. “So how can I help you?”


===


“Later, Mffs Cake!” you say with mouthful of bagful of baked goods. She waves goodbye from the front door as you walk off. The cookies you had picked up smell amazing, and you waste no time reaching in and helping yourself to a couple while you go about your business. After three with some leftover, you feel content and hang up another flier.

The rest of the day was largely uneventful as you hang up what you feel is enough to advertise your services before heading home. The sun was just below the horizon and you reach the spot where you met that colorful pegasus. The feeling you couldn’t identify returns as you think about it. You still don’t know what it was.

You open your door and are greeted by near pitch black darkness. You fumble around for a light switch before they all pop on suddenly.

“SURPRISE!” is yelled out with the shooting off of streamers. Although your house was small, it seems that every single resident of Ponyville had somehow broken into your home. Your heart nearly leaps out of your chest as you feel a scratching in your throat, but you don’t notice yourself making noise.

Music began to play and everypony began chatting with each other while the curly pink pony from the bakery bounces up to you.

“Do you like it? Do you like it?” she asks with each bounce. “We were like, ‘SURPRISE!’ and you were like, ‘AAAH!’ and I was like-”

“OUT!” you yell.

The pink pony stops bouncing. The music halts with the sound of a record scratching. “Wha-”

“EVERYPONY OUT!” You yell again, pointing a hoof at the open door.

Slowly, everypony there starts to vacate the premises, taking out the food and party favors. Angry muttering can be heard among some of them, but you don’t care. Anypony that made eye contact receives a fierce glare. When the last pony left, you slam the door and try to find some sort of lock on it. Seeing that there isn’t one, you opt to wedge a chair under the knob.

You sigh as you look around. A few streamers are scattered around the room and somepony left a folding table. Deciding you would rather deal with it in the morning, you begin to make your way back to your bedroom.

“What the hay is wrong with you?” you hear somepony ask behind you. You turn around and see the colorful pegasus from this morning. Rainbow something- Rainbow Dash, that was it. She looks absolutely furious, but you don’t back down.

“Get out,” you state flatly before continuing to your room. She quickly cuts you off.

“Everypony here just tried to do something nice for you-”

“Breaking into my house is nice?” you interrupt. She isn’t phased.

“...and welcome you into town, and you thank them with THAT?” her voice rose at the end.

You look her in the eyes. Both your brows furrowed. You want to say something, anything along the lines of how she could feed herself to a manticore, but you can’t make your lips form the words. You say nothing, opting to walk past her and actually reach your bedroom.

“Well?” she asks.

“Well, what?”

“What do you have to say?”

You pause for a moment, dramatically putting your hoof on your chin to act like you're thinking intensely. After a while, you simply say, “Get out,” and close your bedroom door. This door actually had a lock on the knob with you clicked into place before the annoying pegasus could force herself in.

The clicking and banging of her trying to open it is oddly satisfying. You walk and flop yourself down on your bed, jacket and all. You don’t really care if she is still in your house; your money and everything that you had brought with you was in the room.

After a while, you hear the struggle outside stop.

“Fine, you big jerk!” you hear her yell.

Her hoofsteps lead away and trail off after that. The feelings from this morning return, but this time they feel different. Anxiety tightens in your chest as you try to sleep. As you eventually drift into unconsciousness, you can hear Rainbow Dash’s words echo in your ears.