"What do you mean, leave?"
"I mean....just go, find a new home or...something.
The spotted dog tilted his head at the giant horse, both of them sitting in the field under the great apple tree, watching the sunset. Winter was on its way, the leaves were already piling up, their crisp golden brown colors and dirty crimsons always kept Jake in a good mood, winter was the time where they couldn't train, so he could play all day in the wonderful snow...
It was the one time of year where the humans left them alone most of the time, sure they would get into trouble, it was almost natural for the two to cause havoc. Captain was always there to put them back in line, or Janice would scold them..funny...she liked acting like their mother...but she did put on one hell of an act; Jake once spent an entire week trying to get back in her good graces after running into a shiny looking car by the farmhouse. The side windows were broken and the door jammed beyond repair, Jake only suffered a sore leg and chest to his relief; but an old man came out and swung a cane at him, shouting obscenities. Janice yelled at the man for a bit before he stormed back inside, letting the caretaker then yell at him at in privacy.
Strange...she yelled for so long...but Dennis slipped Jake a few sugercubes when he was locked in the stables and told him he did a good job...
That was his life...the life he gave up, the life he so wanted to escape...
What's the right answer...? Jake asked himself.
Running through the thick brush of the Everfree, Jake focused only on getting back to Twilight; she needed to know that he made his choice. The choice to see his friends, his family...to go home.
Ducking, jumping and shoving aside stray branches and roots, Jake was shocked how agile two legs can be, he even felt himself enjoying the mobility it gave him; matched with the strength of a full grown Clydesdale, he felt unstoppable. Heart beating with life and sureness, legs pounding into the ground and solid muscles pulling him along the trees..frankly, he had the stray thought of the humans back home, that if he wasn't such a freak..maybe this would be considered attractive back home. Within no time, he finally found a break, a small path that he could follow until he was looking at the sunlight, cutting through the entrance of the forest.
"Finally.." He said quickly, starting to breath a little heavier.
The stallion took off for the town, step sure and wind in his face, he didn't realize just how dense the forest was until he broke out into the clear again; sunlight beaming down on him and the cool air feeling much lighter compared to the thick humidity of the Everfree. Ponies he passed screamed in terror of the giant stomping his way to Ponyville, a few were just stunned at the sight and one stallion bolting the moment he spotted Jake and leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
Jake would laugh were it not also hurtful to be create such a commotion, he sped up to cut his time out in the open down; the colorful town blurring and ponies dashing to get out of his way.
The treehouse finally came into view, Jake got a big smile...he was going home...more so, he was going home a better stallion. Jake tore through the last block and ducked low to get into the door he threw open with valiant force.
"Now!"
_ _
Twilight gave the signal, Pinkie a little too happy to throw the bucket of cured, and freezing, water at the first pony to storm into her library; Jake was soaked head to hoof, the water causing a bright flash of light to blind them as the cure Zecoria gave them fixed the stallion. Jake was standing on four hooves and mane looking to be quite the mess to Rarity's displeasure. All of them were gathered...waiting on Jake to come back; now soaked to the bone, shivering and returned to normal...Jake just couldn't hide the big grin on his face. Twilight approached him slowly, worried now that he had lingered in the puddle of water, just smiling, like he had something to say but couldn't find the words to express himself.
"Chance...? Are you-?" She started.
"Great! W-why was the w-w-water so c-cold?!" He said, the big, dopey grin on his face turning into a boisterous laugh.
Pinkie laughed with a loud snort,falling on her back and giggling uncontrollably, the tin bucket dropping with a clank with the fit spreading fast; Applejack, Rarity, Dash and even Fluttershy got into the fit...it seems all he needed was some time alone to clear his mind. Twilight smiled softly and Spike rushed down the stairs when he heard all the laughing, a sort of signal to let him know that the plan worked.
Twilight had to calm the room before she could even hope to find out what Chance did that caused such a drastic change in the first place..
"Girls, girls!" She had to shout to be heard over the laughing; they all stopped, or at least settled down to a slow laugh while trying to get their breath back, giving Twilight the moment she needed. "Chance...what happened out there?"
Jake let out another small burst of laughter at the name, wondering just why he picked something so silly...
"I figured out what I wanted...even though we didn't find that room the Princess talked about, I know what I want; can we send a letter to her?" He asked with an ear to ear smile, giddy like a foal on his way to the fair...
The group felt his infectious mood, it reminded them of their hyper active pink friend in a lot of ways.
"Of course we can." Twilight answered with a bright smile.
Spike, always handy, grabbed a piece of paper from a stack by the desk and Starswril book with a feather, ready to take the letter.
"Go for it!" He said with a cheer.
"Princess Celestia, I've been to the Everfree forest and faced it's dangers, I understand what my decision is now. I'm humbly request you to come back and send me back home...I was wrong in my wish to leave my own friends behind. I wish to personally thank you for showing me what I was missing out on..."
The stallion sounded genuine with his words,if not a little formal for the group who regularly writes letters to the Princess of the sun. Jake was happy to hear his decision, even if he knew it, hearing it come from his mouth made it feel solid. The mares around him had mixed reactions, Pinkie was a little sad to hear her new friend was leaving, Rarity and Applejack seemed proud of him for making such a wise decision..Dash ever the firebrand, she looked a tad insulted; though he did not blame any of them for his decision.
A few scribbles, a roll and seal with a band and with a blast of dragon fire, the letter was gone. Whisked away on the magic wind that carried the ashes of the letter so quickly to Canterlot; soon Celesita would return and send him back home...to Captain, to his best friend, Moe. The humans would welcome him back...everything would go back to normal. Though a part of him felt that he would still miss these new friends of his, still, nothing could dampen his spirits at just the thought of returning to the farm.
_ _
The god princess of the sun gazes out into the sunset, the day has grown old, and the letter she received lies open on her large desk adjacent the royal bed, it's contents put a heavy weight on the day that she genuinely did not expect to receive. Closing her eyes, she took a deep and calming breath and let it out silently while taking in the last warmth of the evening sun.
Celestia could only wonder why this stallion would go against her advise and make his decision so soon without heading her, something about it made her uneasy. The door to her room opened with a gentle nudge of magic, and the dark form of her lunar sister entered the room. Luna did not know of the letter, nor did she need to look at the parchment to know that it's words troubled her kin; the princess of the night walked to sit next to Celestia, using her magic to slowly raise the moon once the sun had slipped under the horizon.
"He is still locked in indecision...?" She asked, hoping to gain some insight on her sister.
Celestia turned her head and looked down with that soft smile and stress filled eyes.
"No. He speaks of sureness...he wants to go home."
"You mean he wishes to quit." Luna said flatly, the truth in her voice almost cutting.
Celestia lowered her head a little and let out a long sigh, a little angry at herself for not being able to help him, even though it would do more harm than good to intervene. So the only thing she could do is uselessly wait..sit back and watch this stallion and hope e makes the wise decisions...hoping even more that he does not come to any harm while in her domain.
For now...a decision was to be made, Jake wished to leave; to quit and give up on learning the true lesson she wished to impart. Would she go..? Send him back..leave history to possibly repeat itself because nothing was gained..?
"Yes..he wished to quit..." There was a silence as the pearl moon rose into the sky. "...But I will not answer his plea."