On Light Hooves I Tread

by AdamThePony


Chapter 1: The (High) Life Equestrian with Adam Nelon

On Light Hooves I Tread
a Fanfic by Adam J Nelon

Chapter 1: The (High) Life Equestrian with Adam Nelon

As stated in the previous chapter, I was at first an unassuming teenager living an average human life. Well, I was, up until I fell asleep one night. I encountered the silhouette of a massive mare, who explained I was going to a world called Equestria, with the intent of it being a “learning experience” for me. The next thing I know, I'm a Pegasus sleeping on a cloud. I woke in a body completely alien to me.

As I started to piece together the mechanics of my new body, and went for a bit of exploring, I ended up making one of my first major mistakes; I forgot to look where I was trotting. Needless to say, I ended up falling to what was almost to be my death. Then, out of nowhere, I hear a loud bang, and everything goes black. The next thing I see are the Mane Six eying me down, noting a number of injuries on my body. Then, when I ask for a place to stay while I try to piece myself together, I'm immediately plucked up by Pinkie Pie for reasons I don't know.

At least, that's the best I can summarize it without reminding you to read the prologue. So, without further delay, let us continue from where we left off..
====================

After sharing a brief snack with Pinkie Pie, true to form, she offers to throw a party to welcome me to Ponyville. This kind of offering was somewhat odd for me. In most cases, I rarely ever attended parties in general. Heck, I only ever went to a Promenade once. Most of my own birthday parties weren't too exciting, either. However, if her cheery demeanor was anything to go by, a party from Pinkie sounded like a good plan.

“So! What do you say? Do you wanna have a party? Do ya, do ya?!” She asked me, bouncing as if her hooves were made of rubber. I took an interested hoof to my cheek before nodding my head.

“Sure.” I said, smiling a bit. “I'd love to have a nice party to get myself familiar with everypony.”

Pinkie's smile grew to an absolutely astonishing size as she leaped about. “Yippie! I'll get everything ready as fast as I can! It'll be an extra-special 'get well soon' party just for you-” She stopped in her tracks a moment, tilting her head at me a moment. “Wait a minute...I never did get your name, guy...” She noted, her voice trailing off.

I blushed a moment, asking “Did I not already say I couldn't remember?”

Pinkie chuckled in response, asking back “Well, couldn't you think up one we can call you by for now? Y'know, just until you can remember once again?”

I let out a hum from my throat, pointing a hoof as I noted with a, “Good point.” I then resumed my thoughtful pose, then asking, “Could you give me a few minutes? I need to think of a good one.”

“Okay! I'll get busy baking while you get busy thinking!” she said, bouncing to the kitchen.

Right. Name time. Most ponies usually have a name at birth, but they sometimes adopt a new one when they earn their Cutie Mark. However, rather than being a simple symbol of identification, it serves more as an icon of vocation. I looked back to what had occurred to me the prior day. When I woke up, I was greeted by the dawn's sunlight, and my mind was in a fog...So perhaps Morning Haze?

I let that name roll around in my head, moving my lips to the syllables. This name, I thought, has a decent ring to it. I cleared my throat audibly to remind Pinkie Pie as I raised a hoof.

“I think I have a good one, Pinkie.” I said, politely.

“Great! Let's hear it! C'mon! Loud and proud!” Pinkie squealed, kicking her fore hooves like a bicycle.

I nodded, looking her in the eye with a smile. “From now on, just call me Morning Haze!”

Pinkie snickered at that. “So that's what you'll be called? Well, it's a bit silly...” She giggled, laughing a bit. “But I like it! It suits you!”

I smiled a bit. I was slightly embarrassed by her laughing at me, but not by much. Laughter was part of her nature, and I wasn't about to refuse her that right. I stretched a bit as I kicked my legs.

“So...” I asked, cantering to the kitchen. “Mind if I help bake? I might be the guest of honor, but I should still help.”

Pinkie smiled at me. “Well of course you can, you silly pony! I always love baking with a friend! Come on!”

And so, in as little as a few seconds, she had an apron on me, and had me singing a song called “Cupcakes” as we worked. Of course, the whole concept of whistling as I worked was a bit hard to get behind at first, having to deal with keeping with Pinkie's rhythm, but I caught up in time and worked at her pace. It was actually a pretty fun activity, looking back. The smell of that sweet sugar, the savory smell of baked bread, and that warm feeling decorating the sweets warmed my heart. In a sense, you could call it my little way of repaying Pinkie Pie's generosity.
==========

That was task one on the party itinerary. Now for task two: Getting the invitations out. Without invitations, no one will know where the party is, or who's coming. Pinkie herself was a maestro when it came to elaborate invitations, and her excitement was, as usual, visibly huge. She had enough invitations to cram each mailbox in Ponyville stuffed in her saddlebags. She then made a trot for the door, motioning for me to follow.

“Since you're the guy this party's all out, Haze, you're gonna come with me to help everypony know who to talk to! Don't worry about talking much. I've got this all in the bag.” She explained, fastening a rather odd device to her back.

From what I gathered, it was a carnival-painted device that apparently had two cannons affixed to two separate angles on her back. Fireworks launchers? Seems she worked just as hard on inviting people as she did entertaining them. Nevertheless, I followed her to a marble-colored boutique. I could make out the vague images of mannequins just in the window. The sun was nearing the dusk stage, but the light was still at least a couple of hours before the sun had to fall.

“This is Rarity's boutique. She's a Fashionista! She designs outfits for all kinds of get-togethers, but she's best with formalwear!” Pinkie Pie explained as I nodded in acknowledgment.

I could make out a pink, Cindarella-esque dress hanging on a mannequin just by the door. The motor of a sewing machine could be faintly heard as Pinkie knocked upon the door of the boutique.

“Just a moment, please!” called Rarity. A yowling from a cat could be faintly heard. “Opal! Down, girl!”

Pinkie snickered at that commotion, while I was left a bit confused.

“Opal?” I asked.

“She's Rarity's pet cat. She's got a mean streak with anyone but Fluttershy. Just keep her as far away from you as you can, and you should be fine!”

I shuddered a moment, but as the door opened to reveal Rarity, I was polarized from my fear. I could make out a few notable scratches on her white coat, but besides that, her beauty was untarnished. Her cutie mark showed her existence purpose; a rare and perfected gem of a Pony, whose eyes sparkled like turquoise beads.

“Oh! Pinkie Pie! Having another one of your fabulous soirees, are we?” she asked, giving an eye to me. “And I see you brought your new friend! Tell me, does he have a name yet?”

Pinkie grinned. “Well, he says he doesn't know his actual name, but he's decided on Morning Haze for now.”

“You can call me Haze, if you like.”

Rarity eyed me closer as he pushed up her red eyeglasses. “Hm. Haze...not a terrible name, but I could think of better. But, oh! You look pitiable! Come! I simply must get you ready for the occasion!”


Now, I had found myself in a fitting room, having a measuring tape being draped across my nape, among other locations across my body. While not the most comfortable of predicaments, having my body in front of a mirror for the first time enabled me to get a look at my new body.

My coat was a cloud-like shade of gray, with slightly darker shades near the hooves. My wings were a lighter shade, near-white. My mane and tail were fairly long and slicked, at a shade of dark brown, nearing the color black. The same applied to my eyes, which had rather small irises, though this may have been from how hard it was to tell the color of the iris from the pupil itself. I had some bulk in this form, but not much. I was still meager in frame.

“Inhale, please.” Rarity instructed, wrapping a corset at my chest. After a moment of measuring, I was allowed to exhale.

As far as I knew, she was making a vest for me. I somewhat questioned her logic a bit. Formalwear? For a Pinkie Pie brand party? Then again, having at least something to wear would help me adjust. However, it was explained to me that clothing in Equestria was more of a convention for formal occasions, seasonal necessities, or for some ponies, vocational purposes.

After a while, Rarity smiled, her horn glowing as she levitated a nicely woven black and gold silk vest, wrapping it on me. “There we are! Ready or not, you my dear stallion, are ready to trot!”

I nodded to Rarity as I eyed my reflection in the mirror. On the outside, it was a ebony vest. All it was missing was a corsage or rose in the lapel. On in the inside, it was much the same, but golden. I gather she made it reversible. The fabric of the vest was something I could not ascertain. I didn't really have a lot of knowledge concerning the names of things like this.

Pinkie Pie couldn't help but smirk and chortle a moment, leading for me to scowl a moment.

“What's so funny?” I asked.

“You just look so silly! All gussied up like Gummy at his Birthday!” Pinkie joked, barely able to contain her laughter. “C'mon! We've got invitations to hand out!”

With that notion, we left Rarity's carousel boutique, heading near the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres.


Since daybreak, the Apple family farm was hard at work. With fall incoming, this could only mean one thing: Applebucking season. It was around this time that the apples were to be harvested from the orchard the farm was famous for. It was mainly a team effort between Applejack and Big Macintosh this year, wherein Applejack would buck the trees, which would fall and land in barrels inside a cart being lifted by Big Macintosh. Apple Bloom, being far too young and weak, wasn't much help, aside from moral support, thus she primarily worked with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in her ever-fruitless search for her Cutie Mark.

“C'mon, Big Mac! We've still got three more trees to buck! Hurry up, and let's get that cart unloaded!” shouted Applejack, grunting as she bucked another tree, letting gravity collect them into a neat bushel.

“I'm goin' as fast as this thing'll let me, sis. Hold up just a bit.” groaned Big Mac, as he brought the cart to a stop, himself unloading them before returning empty.

It was at this time that Pinkie Pie and myself had stepped foot upon the orchard soil. The sheer sight of apples galore honestly surprised me. They must have either had plans to feed the entire land of Equestria for a year, or they wanted to make several recipes with them...

“Hey, AJ! Got a second?” Pinkie bleated from afar.

“Yeah! Just hold on a few minutes and I'll get right to ya!” Applejack shouted back.

An idea came to me. Why not help her? So, I decided to trot to her.

“Hey! Reckon I can lend a hand?” I asked, lifting a bucket of apples onto the cart.

Applejack smiled. “That'd be right kind of you, sir.” She said, doing the same with another bucket. “Say, ain't you that Colt that we found yesterday?”

I blushed, rubbing my left leg with my right hoof. “Well...yeah...I guess I am.”

Applejack looked to me with curiosity, but resumed smiling and said, “Well, nice to meet'cha again. Did you manage to get yourself a name figured out? It's kinda confusing talking to somepony who doesn't have a name.”

I chuckled a minute, a hoof behind my head. “Well...you can call me Morning Haze. It's all I've come up with so far.”

Pinkie Pie kept bouncing as Applejack chuckled a bit.

“Well, I'll be. I guess it ain't the worst name I've heard. Pleasure to have your acquaintance, Mornin' Haze.” she said, shaking my hoof vigorously, at such a pace where even after she had let go, my leg was still shaking. That is, until Pinkie stopped it, chortling to herself.

“C'mon, Mornin'. You can help Big Mac finish the carting.” AJ said, making a motion to signal me to follow her. I, of course, nodded, and proceeded to take up a bucket and started hauling.

Now, as a Human, physical labor wasn't something I was used to. I just wasn't built for it. But somehow, in this form, I felt more capable....like I was actually more able to do something. As I started hauling Apples to Big Macintosh, he smiled at me, chuckling a bit.

“Well, lil' sis, seems you got yourself a partner, eh?” Bic Mac joked.

Applejack chuckled a bit, but quickly asserted, “He's the colt I told ya about. Calls himself Mornin' Haze.”

She then turned to me.

“Mornin', meet Big Macintosh. He's my big brother.”

I nodded my head, then lowering my neck. “Howdy.”

Bic Macintosh smiled at me, wrapping his hoof around me as he patted my back.

“Good to see you're makin' friends quick, Mornin'. Y'never know when ya might need 'em.”

I chuckled at Big Mac's phrase, cracking a slight grin.

“Tell me about it. I can't tell ya how many times my friends have had my back when I was in trouble.”

With that, the Brick-red Stallion released me, and I turned an inquisitive gaze to Applejack. From what I could tell, she was bucking at the trunks of apple trees, using the high amount of force to pry the apples loose, then letting gravity drop them into a bucket. Her eyes, like her body, were filled to the brim with the flames of youth and determination. I then returned my gaze to Big Macintosh.

“So what's Applejack doing, exactly?”

“Oh, that? It's a thing we do every year, come the harvest. We call it Applebuckin'. Sis and I've been doin this for years...thanks to all that hard work, t'aint nopony stronger than either of us combined.”

“Really? How long have you guys been doing it?”

“Well...shoot. Been so long, 'fraid I can't give ya a clear-cut answer.”

I nodded to him in understanding.

Soon, the shouting of Applejack pleading for assistance from Big Macintosh beckoned him to aid his younger sister, to where Pinkie Pie took me aside and cantered with me to the gates near the Orchard.

“So I'll see you at six 'o clock?” Pinkie asked Applejack.

“Sure thing, Sugarcube.” Applejack hummed, picking up a bucketful of apples in her teeth. “That oughta' give me enough time to finish today's harvest.

“Great! That's 2 down, and 3 to go!” Pinkie blurted, forcing me to cover my ears at her outburst.

With that, she and I made our way off the orchard and to our next intended stop.


The next stop was to a rather...how would I put this politely...peculiar type of house. Now, I understand that this is a fantasy world, and thus, some landscapes and real estate can be quite odd, but this house, which sat at the peak of a grassy knoll, seemed to have been set inside of a tree! It took me a moment of short thinking to realize that we were now near the doorstep of Fluttershy's house.

Adjacent to the literal tree-house was an assortment of pens, fencing, kennels, a hen-house, and even an aviary. It certainly looked like the kind of place an animal lover like Fluttershy would be accustomed to. As I examined the surroundings absentmindedly, Pinkie began to knock on the door, then, as I turned around, all I could see was Pinkie's body doing a series of erratic gestures. From what I saw, her ears were flopping, her eyes fluttering, and her knees twitching. I looked around a moment but-

WHAM! A door slammed smack-dab into my face, plastering me to the door itself. Everything went black in seconds...

“Oh, dear...do you think he's hurt again?”

“If he was able to handle his fall being broken by Dashie doing a Sonic Rainboom, something like that is nothing!

“Oh, wait! He's coming-to!”

I groaned into consciousness again, stretching my legs as I staggered to my feet once more. I could've sworn that I was tasting blood, but I didn't exactly know what my own blood tasted like. For a few moments, I just stood there, waiting for my eyes to refocus and my center of gravity to come into place again before finally uttering a word as I winced.

“Man..that's two-for-two now...first, I had a head injury don't know about, and now, I have one I should have known about.” I groaned.

“Well, you seem to be pretty okay...” Chimed a calm voice.

At that comment, I turned to witness Fluttershy, who had apparently set a bowl of soup on a table, which was set near the bed I was taken to. As I tried to get up, the pale yellow pegasus placed a hoof on my chest, urging me to stay in bed.

“You need to rest. Any more head injuries like that, and who knows what could happen?”

I tried to formulate a counter-response, but a cold stare met my eyes. It scared me that such a nice filly had such a frightening, vice-like gaze. It was like a Tigress, or a Viper, ready to strike... Her irises were even the pale shade of green needed to fit the motif of her deep connection to nature, and with the manner she stared, she was like a green-eyed demon. I was struck dumb.

Having no way of countering the (in)famous eyes of Fluttershy -The “Stare Master”- , I could only swallow the knot in my throat and nod, cold sweat dripping through my hide. As soon as I nodded, her serpentine stare returned to a calm smile as she offered me the soup.

“Good! Now, how about some nice carrot soup! I know you must be very hungry...”

As the soup was given to me, I furrowed my brow to the orange liquid inside the bowl. Then again, considering that the only thing that I had eaten was a batch of cupcakes at Sugar Cube Corner (and I was pretty sure I didn't have the same obscene sweet tooth as Pinkie Pie), this was a welcome improvement. So, halfheartedly, I began to sample the soup. First, I was taking small sips...then bigger ones...up until I was eventually gulping it down like it was the first thing I had eaten since I left from a dessert! Somehow, I began to grow an acquired taste for vegetables! In the human word, the only vegetable I could eat was a potato, and that usually was only baked or fried.

What could've possessed me to eagerly eat this?

The bowl now emptied, Fluttershy gave me a warm smile as she tried to feed Angel Bunny a carrot. With this, I got the opportunity to examine the house with what little my eyes could grant me. I saw that as with the inside, it was a hollowed tree. There were a few pens inside the house, as with the outside, but these were for much smaller creatures like rabbits. My eyes then turned to Fluttershy. Her appearance wasn't strictly jarring, but it was peculiar; A pale yellow hide, accented with a pink mane, emerald eyes, and the indicative cutie mark of 3 butterflies in flight. It was this oddity that amazed me into a smile, but having been laying in the bed for who-knows how long, I slowly began to sleep...


Where my previous dream had me sanding within a rainbow, speaking to a shadowy mare, I was now in utter pitch black. My own hoof in front of my face was invisible. I wandered around in the blinding darkness, tripping over my own four hooves at least thrice. On top of the blinding darkness, it was deafeningly silent, to the point where I could only hear a faint ringing in my ears...Then, a flash of white light! Something was appearing in the dark! At first, it was a simple white ball...but in moments, it took the form of a smaller mare...this time, it was just above my height, its features outlined by dark bold lines across her form.

The white mare smiled to me, sitting on her knees. Her luminescence kicked up a calm mist as she beckoned me over to her. I obliged a moment later, walking slowly to her as I joined her in a seat, gulping the knot in my throat. I then looked to the mare.

“We can see you are making steady progress in this world, especially in making friends...” The marble-colored mare finally said, in a calm tone.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking up to her.

“We are called Luna...the mare you met prior was my elder sister, Celestia...we opened our doors to you...to test you...”

“Test me? In what?”

“In your ability to adapt to a new world...the one you come from is rife with cynicism...but, interwoven into this darkened fabric...there exist small glimmers of hope...those that make it their goal to keep their heads head high, and their hooves on the ground...you were one such being that we thought might be worth helping shine...”

She then offered a hoof and let me stand.

Just then, a thought occurred to me. If I was here in Equestria, and a day has passed, then what is happening in the human world? How much time had gone by? Was anyone worried? I was about to open my mouth and question her, but-

“Don't worry about your home...when it is time, you'll return...for now, focus on the task ahead.”

Could she see into my mind?

“Oh, we can see many things, colt...or rather, as you have dubbed yourself, 'Morning Haze'...for instance, you are thinking of all the ways you could have happened upon this world...how we found you, et cetera...You are an over-thinker. As we said before, mind not of the predicament that brought thee here, and focus more on what you must do...you still have two more Ponies to visit, after all.”

I was going to argue, but I nodded, kicking the ground a bit.

“We will be seeing more of each other...we can feel it...”

At that moment, light engulfed me as I woke.


Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the whole house at this point. She had just heard that I was able to continue the party preparations, but Fluttershy advised to keep me from doing much dangerous activity. The head injury had mostly healed, but it would still need at least another day. Regardless, she was ready to drag me where she needed.

“Wow! You sure know you to take care of somepony, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie said, smiling.

“Oh, well it's nothing compared to Nurse Redheart...after all, you're throwing the party for him, aren't you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Of course! I do it for anypony! Especially anypony who's new?”

“Who else do you need to invite, anyway?”

“Just Twilight and Dashie! That's all!”

“Good...I didn't want Morning Haze to get any more hurt than he needs to.”

“Oh, he's fine!”

Just then, I walked in, and was glomped by Pinkie Pie!

“There you are, sleepyhead! Time to finish our little job for the day!”

I groaned, peeling myself off the wooden floor.

“Right...let's not waste time..my head's still killing me...” I noted, before leaving with Pinkie Pie.


Our semi-final stop was to another tree-house. One that, for some reason, had a large landing pad just off to its side. It was much more ornate than Fluttershy's, with a large, candle-lit window at the other side. The clatter of books meant that this was the Library...and by Proxy, it was Twilight Sparkle's home. Naturally, being the extroverted equine she was, Pinkie Pie began the greeting. She started with a rapping at the door.

“Coming!” A voice called, as trots could be heard getting closer to the door. In moments, Twilight Sparkle had opened the door, blowing a way a rogue strand of her multi-colored hair.

“Oh. Hi, Pinkie Pie. What brings you here?” She asked, heaving a yawn.

“I just wanted to invite you to another one of my super-duper 'Welcome to Ponyville' parties!”

“Really? Who's the lucky Pony?”

“This guy!” She said, doing a grandiose motion to address me.

I blushed, but smiled.

“Oh! You're that colt from yesterday, right? It's good to see you again. Tell me, are you feeling any better? Anything coming back to mind?” Twilight asked, off-hoofedly searching through her library with Telekinesis.

“Oh! Why yes...I've gotten an idea on my name. It's Morning Haze.”

Twilight snickered, leading me to grimace.

“What's so funny?”

“I'm sorry...it's just that it's a bit silly of a name. But, I guess it's as good as any...” The violet mare giggled, before regaining her composure and shaking hooves.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Twilight Sparkle.”

“Likewise.”

She then took another look at my wings, which ever since I originally woke, were kept folded and tucked.

“Didn't somepony imply you didn't know how to fly?”

“If I remember right, somepony did...why do you ask?”

“I have just the thing!” Twilight said, before galloping off in search of books, before returning with a book the size of a Telephone directory, before sticking it into a saddlebag and giving it to me.

I examined the contents. It was a large book titled: Walking on Air: The Novice's Guide to Pegasus Aerial Propulsion.

A strange name, but it made sense.

“You should read into this. It might tell you what you need to do.” Twilight said, adjusting a pair of glasses.

I nodded, saying “Thank you.”

“Oh, you're quite welcome. Return it whenever you can, though. And, if you ever need a book, you can always come by here. Owlowiscious or Spike will be glad to help you find one!”

“Right. I'll keep that in mind.”

After our short exchange, Pinkie Pie interrupted. “Hey, while I'm doing invites, mind if I borrow your hot air balloon?”

Twilight hummed to herself, but nodded. “I'm guessing you want to go to Cloudsdale to Rainbow Dash, right?”

“Yup! She's the last one on the list!”

“Sure thing. Spike?” Twilight asked, craning her head to a short, purple-scaled dragon...

“Yes, Twilight?” He asked.

“Watch the Library. I'm off to Cloudsdale.”

Spike saluted like a soldier, smiling. “Yes, Ma'am!”

She then made a motion for us to go around the back of the house, where a hot air balloon laid in wait, before taking us aboard and onward to the city in the clouds...


As the balloon began to rise just above the horizon of clouds, I was once again amazed at seeing Cloudsdale once again. The last time I was up here, I was so busy ogling the scenery, I fell from the sky. I couldn't even figure out my wings to save my life. It was a good thing Rainbow Dash rescued me...And so now, I had returned.

Pinkie Pie looked at me. “Beautiful, isn't it?”

“Yeah...I know...”

“Hold still, everypony! We're making our landing!”

With a hard THUNK, the hot air balloon landed on the clouds just before the city limits. Something seemed...off about this city. I looked about. From one end to the other, I saw nothing but Pegasuses galore. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were the only two exceptions at the moment. So I turned to Twilight.

“What's with all the Pegasuses here?” I asked the Unicorn.

“Oh, that's simple. Normally, only Pegasuses can walk the fluffy roads of Cloudsdale. It's something they're born with.” Twilight replied, in a matter-of-fact tone, as per her standards.

“But wouldn't that essentially mean you two would have to wait here?” I asked back, worried.

“No, silly!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Then how are you two going to be able to follow me?”

“That's simple. A while back, I enchanted me and my friends with a spell that allows us to walk on clouds. Thankfully, it never wore off, so ever since, we've been able to make the occasional visit to Rainbow whenever we wanted.”

With this explanation, I smiled. “That's good to know.”

“Right. Now, then. Let's see how Rainbow is-” Twilight asked, as we disembarked, before being blindsided by Rainbow Dash making a crash landing.

“Whoops! Sorry, Twilight. I was just practicing my Buccaneer Blaze, and I guess I didn't look ahead.” She then craned her head behind Twlight, noticing me. “Hey! You're that guy from yesterday, right?”

“He sure is!” Pinkie Pie said, smiling.

I gulped, and nodded, to which Rainbow Dash smirked.

“So, what can I call ya?”

“Well...you can call me Morning Haze.” I said, stammering a bit.

“Alright, then! Girls, could you excuse us for a moment?” She asked, taking me aside as Pinkie and Twilight nodded.


“Okay, this should be far enough.” Rainbow Dash said.

“So what's this all about?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“It's about yesterday...the girls thought you didn't know how to fly...is it true?” She asked, somewhat concerned.

I froze for a moment, but nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat. “Y-yeah...I don't know anything..”

Rainbow buried her face in her hoof. “Do you know how much of an embarrassment that is? I mean, I can understand you have amnesia, but I would've thought instinct would have covered you! Well...do you know somepony who could teach you?” She asked.

“Well, Twilight gave me this book, and-”

“Pffft. A book? What's a book going to do? Make your brain tougher for when you crash and burn? What you need is a teacher! And I'm just the pony to teach you! After all, I was the champion of the Best Young Flier's Competition!”

“But I-”

“No buts! We're going to be training hard, starting tomorrow! Got it?

I gulped, nodding then.

“Good. As for Pinkie's Party, I'm there! I never miss one!”

I smiled then. “That's good to hear.”

Contented, I and Rainbow Dash returned to greet the others once again.


“So, how'd it go?” Pinkie Pie asked, obviously having trouble containing her excitement.

“Oh, it went okay. Me and Dash had a talk.” I said, winking to Rainbow Dash, as she winked back.

“O....kay then...” Twilight said, blushing. “Now then. Shall we head for the ground and get ready for the party?”

I nodded, smiling as I joined Pinkie Pie and Twilight for the return trip, waving goodbye to Rainbow Dash as we descended upon Ponyville once more.


“Over here, Haze! I need you to hold this up so I can pin it to the wall...” Pinkie Pie asked, as I began to pin a poster with the vague semblance of a pony drawn upon it. After keeping it held there, pins were put in place of hooves to secure it to the wall.

“There! That's Pin the Tail on the Pony, ready to please!” Pinkie Pie said, clopping her hooves in a sliding motion.

The two of us looked over the scene with pride. For the remainder of the afternoon, we had been hard at work preparing the party that would introduce me to the neighborhood. It was kind of ironic, working on my own party. But, as I looked at the ensemble of pink walls and floors, along with rainbows of streamers and balloons, and a veritable buffet of sweets, from Cakes to Candies to Cookies...even drinks were served!

Pinkie Pie took a snuff of the air, before saying, “Ah...I love the smell of Parties in the Evening!”

I smiled and nodded, hoofpounding with Pinkie.

“And now we play the waiting game...” I said, smiling.

“The Waiting Game? I've never heard of that game! How's it played?!”

I sighed for a moment, facehoofing.

“I was speaking metaphorically...”

“Oooooh. Makes sense.” Pinkie chimed, shrugging.

Within a few minutes, the guests began arriving. First was Fluttershy, oddly enough. I suppose she preferred to arrive early for the sake of preparing herself for the crowd to pour in.

“H-hi, Pinkie Pie...Oh! And Hi, Morning Haze...”

Second was Applejack, who had Applebloom in tow.

“So who's Pinkie Pie welcoming this time 'round?”

“Some colt named Mornin' Haze. I saw him on the farm a few hours ago, and he helped me bring in the harvest while you were busy Crusadin' and what-not.”

“Really? What's he look like?”

“He's a skinny fella. Last time I saw 'im, he was wearing a Tux that only somepony like Rarity coulda' made.”

“Ya mean that grey guy next to Pinkie Pie?”

“Yep! That's the one!”

Applejack then came to me and shook hooves with me again. “Pleasure to be here to welcome ya to 'ol Ponyville, Mornin'.”

“Pleasure to be here, Applejack.”

Rarity arrived soon after, dressed in an elegant dress, Sweetie Belle not far behind, short of breath from a corset.

“Sis, why do I have to wear this tight thing?”

“Because, you've not kept up a presentable appearance as of late, so I had to take drastic measures to ensure you looked marvelous. After all, if I could make a colt with a glaring head injury look presentable, I can surely do the same for a gluttonous filly!”

“But I can barely breathe!”

“Just breathe through your nose, and you'll be fine. Now hush! We're near the guest of honor.”

“Okay...”

Next came Twilight, who was one of the first guests to bring some fairly filled saddlebags with her. My guess is, they were full of books.

“Hey, Morning Haze! Pinkie, I hope you don't mind, but I brought some books. I thought I would catch up on some studies I've been neglecting.”

“I don't mind a bit! Just don't work too hard! There's plenty of party to go around!”

Last of the mane six to arrive was Rainbow Dash, who was decked out in Aviator's gear.

“Sorry I'm a little late. Thought I'd get in some last minute practice before I came down.”

“Oh, Dashie! Always pushing yourself to the Limit...” Pinkie Pie said, giggling.

With this, further guests arrived, including the mailmare, Ditzy Doo, known by some as Derpy Hooves, Roseluck, Lyra, Bon-Bon, and several others. It was a pretty large crowd, all of which seemed to be eager to greet me, which, while it made me happy, it made me embarrassed as well. While I wasn't against all these new ponies Pinkie was dead-set on helping me befriend, the sheer number of this herd somewhat frightened me.

“Now, everypony, before we kick this party off, I'd like to introduce the pony we're here to give a big hello too. This is Morning Haze, and he's from Cloudsdale! Careful around him, though. He's a real kidder!” She said, giving me a playful jab, forcing a blush from me. After a moment, I said hello to the massive herd that had encircled me.

“Hiii, Morning Haze!” They greeted back, almost in total unison. Well, minus Ditzy, who was already getting a muffin to eat.

With that, Techno music began to play, and the party started.

Now, I'd like to point out that when it came to Parties, I wasn't exactly a party animal (pun not intended). I was usually the type that would only dance for a minute or two, then take the next eight minutes sampling the food. But, when given an opportunity to share a dance with a group or just a single person, I never pass it up. While I wasn't a professional dancer, I was especially known for my unpredictable patterns of dance, and my enthusiasm when it came to dancing for an event like a pep rally. The only true “party” I went to was one celebrating Mardi Gras in the 6th Grade. However, I didn't quite have the constitution required for a party. I danced wildly for a few minutes, then sat the rest of it out with a headache. Even my birthday parties weren't all that wild. Though, in hindsight, that aided the sentimental value of it all.

Here, though, I felt more inclined to cut loose, sharing a dance with the nervous Fluttershy, who was simply waving about, nodding her head to the music.

“Um...Fluttershy?”

“Yes, Morning Haze?”

“May I dance with you?”

Fluttershy blushed, but nodded.

“It's nothing, I suppose...”

And so we did a simple dance of circling about the floor, swaying about, but being mindful of the crowd. Rarity was using her magic to eat from the snack table in a formal manner, being careful not to sully her dress with crumbs. Rainbow Dash was regaling the fillies who had arrived with tales of her bravery, and Twilight was studying from a book. Pinkie Pie, being the party pony she was, was doing everything in her power to further enhance the fun factor of the festivities.

After a while, I somehow got dragged into playing Pin the Tail on the Pony. A fairly simple game, if its human equivalent was anything to go by. I had a blindfold twisted and tied to my eyes, I was whirled around a few turns, and a pin was stuck in my mouth. I felt almost as if I were drunk as I staggered across the floor, slowly advancing to the poster before sticking the pin into it. I bit my lip then, unfurling the blindfold...only to find the pin had gone dead in the fake pony's chest. I frowned only slightly, but blushed and laughed it off.

“Guess I'm just a klutz!”

Everypony laughed with me, as I partook in something to eat. Most of the table had nothing but sweets. Cupcakes, Pastries, Pies...aside from that, there were a few salads and sandwiches, along with punch, which I took pleasure in drinking. The tangy taste of berries washed over my taste buds, the sourness making me pucker my lips. This, I thought, would be well complimented by something sweet. So, I eyed a cupcake and began to dig in. Seems it was a vanilla cupcake, with chocolate filling. Such tender bittersweet tastes danced a waltz in my mouth!

“Enjoying yourself?” Asked somepony from behind.

That voice made me jump in my hide. One of my worst foibles came to light. One of my worst weaknesses was sudden noise. Whenever a sound or voice came from anywhere, but especially from behind me, I would freak out and freeze in my tracks. But, within turning about face, I would calm down and engage in conversation.

Such would occur here as well. I turned 180, and found Twilight Sparkle. The bookish, but friendly violet pony gave me a warm stare, smiling as she snapped shut a book with her magic, the glow from her horn dissipating within moments.

“Sorry that I scared you. I know how jumpy some ponies can be. Reminds me of the time Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash fainted during that incident where this Dragon almost covered Ponyville in smoke...” She said, smiling.

“Oh, don't worry about it. I've always been somewhat like this. At least I'm not a complete scaredy cat...”

“Good to hear; Say, did that book I gave you help any?”

“Oh, I haven't had the chance to read it quite yet. Although, now that you mentioned it, I have something I'd like to ask.”

“What's that?”

“You know that hot air balloon we used to get to Cloudsdale?”

“Yes? What about it?”

“Well, Rainbow Dash is wanting me to become her...what would be a good word...protege? Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Twilight held a hoof to her muzzle the way one would hold their chin.

“Are you sure you want to train under Rainbow Dash? After all, I hear she can be pretty tough. When Applebloom went to her to try and earn her Cutie Mark, she practically put her through boot camp!”

“Well, I don't think Fluttershy would be able to teach me. Her specialty is in Naturalism, not in Aeronautics.”

“I guess that is true. Just...be careful, okay?” Twilight asked, lifting a hoof.

I smiled, meeting mine with hers. “I will be. I promise.”

With that, the rest of the party went by like a blur. I got to meet new ponies, enjoy myself a little, eat and drink some nice concessions that Pinkie Pie had painstakingly put together, and play a few games. All this time practically drained me of all my energy, to the point where, from what I can understand, I passed out. Considering that this is a Pinkie Pie brand of party, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.


The next morning, I met an...interesting beginning to the day. You know how normally when you have a wild night, you usually have an alcohol-induced hangover the next day? Well, because there exists no such drink (to my knowledge) in Equestria, I must have gotten drunk from the malts and sugars that Pinkie's provisions were packed with. As my eyes began to focus, I saw something weird on top of me. Actually, it was more latched onto me.

It seems that now, I've met Gummy. Pinkie Pie's toothless pet alligator. It's purple, knife-like eyes stared at me in a somewhat wall-eyed fashion as he blinked. Repressing my first instinct to scream, therefore alerting Pinkie Pie and the Cakes, I started vigorously shaking the alligator off of my muzzle as quickly as possible, before attempting with as much accuracy of my early-morning daze would allow me to tip-toe out of the bakery. If it weren't enough that I had to maneuver carefully with such large hooves, there was trash everywhere!

As I began to leave, I then thought to myself. It would be rude to just leave without a calling card, so I looked for a sheet of paper and a pen, and began to, in the best of my capacity, write a note:

“Dear Pinkie Pie and The Clan Cake,

Thank you for offering me your home the other day. Your kindness and willingness to help me come out of my shell really helped me yesterday. If you are wondering where I have gone, I am off to Cloudsdale to undergo a crash course in flight. I should be back within a week. Perhaps 2, If I am lucky.

By the way, I'd suggest getting a proper cote for Gummy. Seems little gator had me in its jaws this morning. I was going to tell you about it, but I didn't want to worry you.

Anyhow, I'll be in Cloudsdale, should anything arise. Come see me if you'd like.

Best Wishes,
Morning Haze.”

The penmanship on the note was, frankly, atrocious. Then again, I'd like to see someone who's written by hand most of his life suddenly have to use his mouth to write. Thankfully, it was just barely legible. If anything, Pinkie Pie would be able to read it. Contented, I left the note on the counter, where it would be easily found before they began to go to work.
With this, I continued to sneak out the door, before being stopped by a hoof at my shoulder. That sudden sensation of being grabbed made me freeze. I didn't even turn to face the pony grabbing me.

“I saw the whole thing, Morning Haze.” Said a rather calm, mellow voice. “Don't worry about it. We're friends! And no matter what, friends are always together at heart, even if they're long gone...So go on. You've got things to do with Dashie, and I wouldn't want to keep one of my bestest of friends from doing them!”

It was indeed Pinkie Pie, and she wished me a fond farewell before my hoof was even a foot by the door. But, being wished goodbye by the friendliest pony in Ponyville was something that gave me a great feeling in my weary body. I smiled, and waved to her as I left, before making a a trip to Twilight Sparkle...