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// Chapter 20:  An Afternoon Off 
// Story: Rising Sun 
// by Jet Howitzer 
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	The trip into town isn’t very long, distance wise, but in your condition it takes quite a while.  You walk amongst the shop stalls in the market, and everyone gives you friendly waves and smiles.  Word spreads fast here, and you often hear people speaking about what you did.  You enjoy yourself as you take in the sights, and after a short while you walk into Sugarcube Corner.  It’s fairly busy, and so you and Applejack wait patiently for Pinkie to finish up with the customers.
“Right then, come back soon!”  She waves to the last customer as they exit, and then she looks back at you.  “Oh, hi Storm!  I’m surprised to see you, since you were hurt and all.  Are you sure it’s okay for you to be walking around?”
“I’m feeling better Pinkie.  I couldn’t bare to stay inside all day, so I’m going to do a bit of food shopping.”
“Well, sugarcube, I’ve actually got to head to the farm to take care of the applebuckin’.  Can’t take two days off in a row.  You’ll be okay, right?”  She has a concerned look on her face, but you nod.
“I think I’ll be fine AJ.  I don’t intend to do anything too strenuous today.  Or for the next few days.”  She gives you a quick kiss and then she leaves, heading for Sweet Apple Acres.  You turn around and see Pinkie has a big smile on her face.
“I can’t wait for my turn!  We’ll have so much fun together!”  She seems so excited that you can’t help but look forward to it as well.  You head over to the displays, covered with cakes and all manner of sweets.
“What do you recommend, Pinkie?  I’m looking for something to show somepony how I feel.”  She gives a quick gasp as you say that, and then she leaps over the counter, and comes back a moment later with a beautiful looking cupcake.  It’s really breathtaking, and you can’t help but want it.  “How much would that cost me?”  You inquire, hoping it’s not too much.
“Well, it is really hard to make, buuuuut I think I can sell it to you for thirty bits.”  You quickly pull out your coin pouch, and pay her the thirty bits.  She puts the cupcake in a small box, and then hands it to you.
“So, who’s the special somepony that you’re going to give it to?  AJ?  Dashie?  Twi?”
You hold the box towards her, and she looks at you with a puzzled look on her face.  “It’s for you Pinkie.  As a token of my appreciation for your friendship and compassion.”  She just looks at it, tears forming in her eyes.  You hope that you didn’t upset her, but before you can even think of feeling bad, she gives you a big hug.
“Nopony has ever given me a cake before!  In fact, you’re the first pony to give me a present when it wasn’t my birthday!”  She pulls back for a moment, and then gives you a quick kiss.
“Now, Pinkie.  This is just a small present until it’s your turn.  I’d like to spend a bit more time with AJ before I move on.”  Her head droops a bit, but you gently lift her chin and look her in the eyes.  “But I think I know who I’ll be dating next.”
Her eyes brighten and she gives you another kiss.  “I think I can wait, in that case.”  She leaps back over the counter, and places the box under the counter.  “I’ll just hold on to that for later.”
A few minutes later and you walk out of Sugarcube Corner, about fifty bits poorer, but laden with a few packages of cookies.  As you walk down the street many ponies approach and thank you for what you did saving the Crusaders.
After a short while you get to the park, and you take a seat on a bench, wanting to get off your feet for a while.  As you relax you suddenly hear some music being played.  You can almost make out some words, but they don’t sound like normal words.  Almost as if they are being made with magic and the music.  You get off the bench, and search for the source of the music.  Just a minute later and you find a mint green unicorn floating a lyre above her.
You take a seat and just listen.  As you listen you start to hear a voice.  It’s actually coming out of the music, and you find it strangely enchanting.  The song lasts for a few more minutes and when it finally ends you give a slow clap.  She jumps up when you start clapping, and you stop when she stares at you.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.  I was just listening to you play, and I thought it was exceptional.”  She blushes a bit as you finish, and she starts scribbling on a notepad.  She faces it towards you, and you read what it says.
Thank you for your praise.  I am always striving to improve my music.
“Think nothing of it.  You’ve got a real talent for music, I could almost make out some words in the song.”  As you say this her eyes brighten, and she scribble furiously on her notepad before showing it to you.
You could hear words?
“Some.  Nothing terribly clear, but what I did hear was beautiful.”  A memory leaps to the forefront of your mind, and you decide to ask the question.  “Are you mute?  Is that why you have the notepad?”
She writes on the notepad again, slower this time, and then she shows you what it says.
Yes, I am.  Someponies can hear words in my music, and I want everyone to be able to hear, so I practice all the time.
“Well, it was beautiful.  I’ve only just met you and I can hear the beauty in the music you play.”  Her eyes tear up a bit as you speak.  “I play the piano, so I do have an ear for music, and you are among the best I have ever heard.”  She blushes as you finish, and you slowly stand up, getting ready to take your leave.
She holds the notepad up to you again as you stand.
What’s your name?  I’m Lyra.
"I’m Storm.”
Her eyes widen as you say your name, and then she writes on the pad again.
You’re the pony who saved the Crusaders!  What you did is a great thing.  You shake your head, and smile.
“I did what was right.  I didn’t do it for recognition, or anything.  I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t done something.  Now, I’ll be heading off now, but if you ever want to play some music with somepony just come by my house.  I’m always willing to play.  Especially for a friend.”  She gets a wide smile on her face as you finish, and then you turn to go.
As you start walking away you hear, faintly, a few notes on the lyre.
"See you soon.”
(Check this story out.  It's really good, and where I got my inspiration for this particular section of the chapter.)


As you continue your walk you wind up outside the school.  It just so happens that as you pass by class is let out.  You watch as everypony runs out of the building, eager to spend the rest of the day goofing off, or perhaps, doing homework.  Mixed into the group you make out the Crusaders, and they spot you and run over.  Again they give you hugs, and thank you for what you did.
“Girls, we’ve been through this.  You don’t need to keep thanking me.  It was nothing.”  You appreciate the praise, and thanks, but you don’t want it to get to your head.  They start playing nearby, and you just enjoy the nice weather.
However, it is spoiled by a shrill voice cutting through the air.  “Hey blank flanks!”  You look to the source of the sound, and you see two fillies approaching the Crusaders with evil grins on their faces.  “I hear you all got lost climbing the mountain.  What’s the matter, can’t figure out the difference between up and down?”  Her friend starts laughing when she makes her joke, and you grind your teeth, but don’t do anything.
“We didn’t get lost, there was a big storm!”  Scootaloo jumps in, quick to defend herself.  “And I bet that neither of you would’ve gotten half as far as we did!”
You shift positions uncomfortably.  This could get bad.
“Pfft!  Why would we want to?  Unlike you, we both have our cutie marks!  We know what we’re good for, unlike you blank flanks.”  She has such a condescending tone to her voice it makes you want to do something, but this is their fight, and you shouldn’t get involved unless you have to.  Her tirade continued through your internal monologue, and the next thing you hear really gets to you.  “I bet that the pony that saved you did it by accident!  Nopony would ever go out of their way to help a couple of blank flanks like you!”
If this mocking behavior keeps up much longer you’re going to have to step in.
“He saved us ‘cause he cares for us!”  Sweetie Belle steps in this time.  “He’s brave and strong too!  He fought a Zephite to save us!”
“Probably a baby.  Anyway, where is this mysterious stallion I’ve been hearing about?  If he’s so great then where is he?  Or is everyone just trying to make you feel better about the mess you made?”  Well, now you’ve got to step in.  She’s acting like a total fool, and you’re going to have to set things straight.
“I’m the mysterious stallion that everyone is going on about.”  You take a few steps closer to them all.  “And I did fight a fully grown Zephite to save them.  I went out into the storm, just to save them.  And about being a blank flank,” you show them yours, “is there a problem with it?  Does it make me less of a pony because I don’t have one?  I can name at least a dozen ponies, right now, who would do what I did for the crusaders to save me.  Can either of you name half that many?”
They look visibly upset at what you’re saying, but you need to make your point.  “I may be a blank flank, but I’m more confident in who I am than you two will ever be.  Your cutie mark doesn’t make you who you are, nor does it really make you special.  The thing that makes you special is what you do, and how you do it.  These three,” you gesture at the Crusaders, “are far better than you two will ever hope to be.  They have heart and spirit.  Potentially too much of both, but they are good ponies.  Now go ahead and run home to your parents, crying about the big bully that picked on you.  I don’t fear any retribution, because I’m doing what’s right.”  You finish and look them both in the eye, one at a time.  There are tears forming, and after a moment they both run away, tears flowing freely.
You sit back down with a sigh, and the Crusaders stand in front of you, awe on their faces.  “No one’s ever stuck up for us like that,” Apple Bloom says.
You just sit for a moment longer, then you stand up.  “Let’s get you three home, now.  I’d like to avoid any more fighting.”  They all groan, but follow you.  About forty minutes later and it’s just you and Apple Bloom, walking to Sweet Apple Acres.
You only stay for a moment, not wanting to linger.  The trip back to your house is uneventful, but you don’t mind at all.  Just as you are about to enter your house you hear the sounds of a pegasus landing.  You turn around and see a gray pegasus with a blond mane standing there.  She pulls a letter out of her saddlebag and hands it to you.  You thank her, and she gives you a warm smile before she takes off again.
You enter your house and casually toss the letter onto the table in the living room.  You take a few minutes to put away the cookies that you got, and then you sit down in the living room.  You grab the letter, and slowly open it.
You pull it out, and your jaw drops as you read.

Dear Storm,
First off, I wanted to say that I’m glad you did what I asked in my first letter.  I know that, most likely, you can’t remember it, but trust me, I’ve written to you before.  This may sound crazy, but I know who you are, and I want to help you.  Once you have your cutie mark you should start getting your memories back more quickly.  As it is you will only have small dreams that you can’t remember.  Not very helpful, I know, but trust me, it’s for the best.
I will write you again when I hear that you have gotten your cutie mark.  For now, just try and enjoy yourself.
Signed,
Forgotten Family

You read it several times over, and eventually you fold it back up, and take it upstairs to your desk.  You place it with the letter you got from Celestia, and slowly close the drawer.
You only think about the letter for a moment, before you hear the clock chime six times.  You head back downstairs, and decide to head over to Twilight’s house, and see if she’d like to go get some dinner.  As you are about to leave your thoughts stray back to the letter once more.  If this mysterious person does know your past, perhaps it would be worth investigating.  You close the door as you head out, and that’s the last time you think of the letter for quite some time.

(First time I'm getting a chapter up at a reasonable hour in quite some time.  Right, well.  Enjoy, and be sure to rate and comment.)