“Boots?” Twilight asked as she checked her hooves. “Check! Sweater, check! Coat, check! Hat, check! Scarf, check!”
“Do you really need all that?” Spike asked.
“Well, Cloud… umm…” Twilight paused, trying to think.
“Slider.”
“Yes, Cloud Slider did tell us to dress warmly,” Twilight said. She groaned as she fought to move even a single step forward. However, her several layers of clothing seemed determined to prevent her from walking. She had to settle on waddling, but even that was a struggle. “Let’s get going.”
Spike stifled a laugh as he watched while Twilight, alternating between tilting left to right, slowly made her way to the entrance of the library. By the time she reached the door, she already seemed out of breath, and all the heat building up inside her clothing was not helping either. Twilight groaned with each attempt she made to lift her leg and grab the knob. After one particularly strenuous try, the alicorn let out a small yelp as she tilted over onto her side, helplessly flailing her limbs in vain effort to get back on her hooves. It was the final nail in the coffin for Spike as he broke out in laughter, carelessly spewing flames in every direction.
“Okay, okay. I know it’s hilarious, but how about a little help?” Twilight said with a sarcastic laugh. “You’re lucky I fireproofed the library after your last little accident. I’m pretty sure this whole place would’ve been up in smoke by now.”
“Sorry, sorry…” Spike replied as he took a second to catch his breath after his long laugh and wipe a tear from his eye. He easily picked her up with one claw and opened the door with other. He then tried to help her out the door, but Twilight merely grunted and waddled herself out of the library.
“Good morning, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie sang as she greeted the alicorn right outside her door.
“If you can call it morning,” Spike yawned as he stared at the sunless horizon.
“Uh… Pinkie, you do realize that we’re going to the mountains, in the Frozen North, right? Not the beach,” Twilight said as she stared at her friend who donned an inner tube, a swim cap, flippers, goggles and some water-wings.
Pinkie gave her head a quick knock. “Well, I was thinking about it and Cloud Climber—”
“Slider,” Spike interrupted irritably.
“Cloud Slimer said that there are snow storms and snow is just water, right?” Pinkie continued.
“Frozen water, but still water, I guess,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes slightly. “But you should have brought a jacket and a hat instead of that floatie.”
“Do you want me to drown!?” Pinkie exclaimed, her brows cocking as she finished her question.
“Ugh…” Twilight groaned, knowing better than trying to argue with her Pinkie logic. “Can you at least leave the surfboard behind?”
“And miss a killer wave? I don’t think so,” Pinkie answered, hugging her pink surfboard tightly.
“Mornin’, Twilight!” Applejack yelled as she approached the scene with Fluttershy and what seemed like a wagon behind them. At first glance, Twilight was not able to see Rainbow Dash. But as they got closer, she saw that the blue pegasus was still fast asleep in the bed of a wagon behind them. “Sorry, had a lil’ trouble with this un’.” Applejack gestured towards Rainbow Dash with her head. “Hadda get Fluttershy to help me get her out of bed.”
Though more appropriately dressed than their pink friend, the three did not seem nearly as prepared as they were told to be. Fluttershy only brought a thin parka with her while Applejack seemed to be wearing some hoof-woven sweaters. Rainbow Dash wore a simple jacket and hat that looked more suited to a brisk day than a snowy trek.
“So I guess we’re just waiting on Rarity then. I’ll go get her!” Spike said eagerly, hearts almost literally bulging out of his eyes.
“I don’t think you’ll have to,” Twilight told him, pointing out the white unicorn slowly making her way to join the group.
“Sorry I’m late, darlings,” Rarity told them as she walked over from the road that led to her boutique. Though on the surface it seemed that she was properly dressed, a closer look revealed her clothes to be much more stylish than practical. “I just had to pack some extra sweaters.”
“But Cloud…” Twilight paused as she looked at the irritated dragon beside her, “Slider said to only take what we absolutely need.”
“But this is absolutely necessary, darling,” Rarity rebutted, revealing her saddlebags filled to the brim with different sweaters, scarves, and boots. “What will I do if I get all sweaty from climbing that mountain, or if I fall in the snow and get wet? What kind of first impression will that make?”
Twilight let out a small sigh, hoping that the trip was not as egregious as the mail courier made it out to be.
“I did tell you guys that we were going to the Frozen North, right?” said a distant voice come from above. “Well, luckily, ‘Wrangler’ told me to bring these with me.”
“Hey, Cloud Slider!” Spike greeted the beige pegasus.
“Hey there, Spike,” Cloud Slider returned the hello with a small smile as he landed with a large sack, and quickly bowed after seeing Twilight. “Oh, and good morning, Princess.”
“Good morning!” Twilight greeted him more formally than she was used to.
She smiled at Spike and Cloud Slider as the two almost immediately engaged in a friendly conversation. She did not realize until just then, but she never saw Spike have too many friends besides the girls, especially male friends. There were Snips and Snails, but they often acted a bit too immature, even for the little dragon. He had met Big Mac a few times, but he was not much of the social type. Maybe it was good that they tracked Cloud Slider down; he seemed to provide something that the young dragon was missing. Her eyes eventually wandered to the large bag that the courier brought.
“What’s in here?” Twilight asked as she undid the sack’s knot.
“Oh, right,” Cloud Slider said, breaking away from his conversation with Spike. Reaching inside, the pegasus pulled out several coats that matched his own.
“They don’t look too special…” Applejack said as she examined them closer.
“Trust me, they’re better than what you’ve got on right now,” Cloud Slider said as he handed one to each of the mares. “Sorry, Spike. We only had coats made for ponies, but if what the Professor told me is true, I don’t think you’ll need anything.”
“You seem to know a bit about dragons yourself,” Twilight pointed out.
“Th-thank you, Princess,” he replied, shying away. “Uh-umm… So these coats… They’re made from phoenix down. The feathers keep it warm and it’s not as bulky as other coats. The Cloudsdale Courier Service spent a pretty bit to buy these, specially made so that we can deliver to Professor Tall Tale.”
“By the way, there was something I wanted to ask you about,” Twilight addressed him again as he stiffened up once more. “How—”
Before she was able to ask her question, the distant whine of a train’s whistle caught the attention of the group.
“Let’s get to the station,” Twilight instructed the group. “We don’t want to miss our train.”
“It’s a bit early today,” Applejack said, checking the station clock..
All of them filed into the empty train car and took their seats. Spike sat in the middle of the aisle, closest to Rarity. Applejack took a seat near Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hid behind Twilight Sparkle. Of course, being as hyperactive as she was, Pinkie Pie bounced around the train car, joining each group only momentarily before moving onto the next.
Cloud Slider, on the other hoof, sat at a distance. He looked around the group as they talked or just kept each other company with friendly gestures. As his gaze reached her and Fluttershy, a small blush came across his face and he quickly turned to the window to avoid further eye contact.
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but the train’s sharp whistle, followed by a violent jerk forward, effectively silenced. It might have been for the best. She barely knew the pegasus. She hesitated in asking him what was wrong. Moreover, he seemed to not be used to speaking with a princess and shied away each time she tried to talk to him. She believed maybe introducing the group could help him feel a little more comfortable among them.
“So, Cloud Slider,” Twilight began, throwing her voice around the car. “We kinda just dragged you along without even introducing ourselves. Well, I think you know Spike already. I’m Twilight Sparkle, uh, Princess Twilight Sparkle now, I guess. But you’ve probably heard a lot about me lately with the coronation and all.”
“Twilight’s right. We’ve been mighty rude to ya,” Applejack said, taking off her Stetson hat and giving a slight nod. “I’m Applejack. Me and my family run Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville.”
Rainbow Dash remained silent as the group gazed over at her and pretended to look out the window instead. Her eyes momentarily shift to the rest of the group, stopping on Cloud Slider. She narrows her eyes intensely before returning her gaze back out the window, whistling as nonchalantly as she could.
“Until Rainbow stops her little fit, I will introduce myself,” Rarity said with a flick of her mane. “Rarity, Ponyville’s premier stylist and proprietor of the Carousel Boutique.”
“Oooooooh! MY TURN!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“Uh… Pinkie Pie, right?” Cloud Slider asked. “I think I’ve delivered to you a couple of times before.”
“Oh yeah!” Pinkie Pie beamed. “I threw you a party for bringing my stuff!”
“What did you need to use the Cloudsdale Couriers for, Pinkie?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Emergency party supplies, duh!” Pinkie Pie answered, spreading confetting over the entire group.
“Fluttershy? Do you want to introduce yourself?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy eyed the courier before weakly shaking her head.
“Did you do anything to Fluttershy?”
“No… I don’t think we’ve ever met before…” Cloud Slider said, drumming his hooves against the seat as he considered the mare.
“Well, this is Fluttershy,” Twilight introduced her friend as best she could as she tried to stay out of sight. “She likes to take care of the forest animals. I thought she was starting to get used to being around other ponies, but looks like she still has some ways to go.”
“Rainbow,” Applejack nudged the blue pegasus.
“Fine, fine,” Rainbow Dash said as she threw hooves in the air. Narrowing her eyes at Cloud Slider once again, she gave her curt introduction, “I’m Rainbow Dash. Future Wonderbolt and fastest pegasus in Equestria.”
“Wonderbolt? Really?” Cloud Slider asked dumbfoundedly. “I always thought they just a bunch of show-offs. They don’t really do anything in Cloudsdale. I never got why they were so popular.”
“Hey, pal!” Rainbow Dash said, closing in on him and poking his chest with her hoof. “Don’t badmouth the Wonderbolts! They’re the coolest! Way cooler than the Cloudsdale Couriers, that’s for sure!”
“Well, at least the Couriers help Equestria with all the packages and mail we deliver,” Cloud Slider said as he stood from his seat. “I don’t remember the last time a fancy trick helped anypony.”
“Alright, alright!” Twilight exclaimed from her seat, interrupting their little showdown. “Obviously both teams have their merits. There’s no need to fight about which is better. How about you introduce yourself now?”
“O-oh, it’s my turn?” Cloud Slider asked as he sat back down. “I’m Cloud Slider. I guess you guys already know that I’m a Cloudsdale Courier, but I’m looking to get promoted to be one of the new Royal Couriers.”
“‘New’ Royal Couriers?” Twilight asked.
“Well, you see, Princess,” the beige pegasus began with a now-puffed chest and a more stable, confident voice. “The Royal Couriers are a special branch of the Cloudsdale Mail Service, kinda like the Cloudsdale Couriers, but they only deliver for the Princesses. There used to be only nine couriers, three for each Princess. But now that you’re a Princess, the Cloudsdale Mail Service has to scout for three new Royal Couriers to serve you. They almost always get their choices from the Cloudsdale Couriers. Even though I’m kinda new,” he paused as he pointed to himself, “I was hoping to snag a promotion.”
“Ah okay,” Twilight responded, a small smile spreading across her face. But his talk about the Princesses harked back the question she had asked Princess Celestia the previous day. Her smile drooped and her expression became somber. “There’s been something that’s been bothering me since yesterday…”
Cloud Slider audibly swallowed, breaking out in a cold sweat. “I-if it w-was s-s-something I d-did…”
“Nonono. You didn’t do anything bad,” Twilight answered, realizing she was quickly losing him. “No, I just…” she rested her thoughtful frown against her hoof, “there’s a question that Princess Celestia didn’t want to answer for me…”
“I-I don’t think I would know something Princess Celestia didn’t know,” the courier answered, taking some deep breaths to regain his composure.
“It’s not that she didn’t know the answer,” Twilight told him. “She said it would be better to hear it from you. How did you meet Princess Celestia?”
“Oh…” Cloud Slider answered. “That’s kinda a long story, actually.”
“We got plenty of time,” Applejack said. “We ain’t gettin’ to the Crystal Kingdom anytime soon.”
The others trotted over and congregated in front of him, splayed out like kindergartners during story hour. Pinkie was already way ahead of the pack with a small bag of popcorn in one hoof and cup with a ridiculous silly-straw in the other. The stallion gave another loud gulp before speaking up again.
“Okay, well,” Cloud Slider began, slowly rubbing the underside of his muzzle with upturned eyes. “I guess it all start back a long time ago in Cloudsdale. I was just a colt back then. I couldn’t even fly yet. Most of the other foals could already, but I was still a year away from flight school. The other colts left me out of the games, so I got a paper route instead…”
“You were delivering even back when you were a colt?” Rainbow Dash laughed. “L~AME!”
“Rainbow!” Twilight snapped, shooting daggers at her friend.
“Seems kinda mean that the colts wouldn’t let you play with them just because you couldn’t fly yet,” Pinkie pointed out.
Cloud Slider retreated into the seat cushion, acting as if he were about to curl into a ball. He stayed quiet for a bit, almost as if he were deciding whether or not to answer it.
“A-anyways,” Cloud Slider continued, shaking his head. “While I was on my paper route one day, I accidentally threw a paper near the edge of the clouds. My mom told never to go near the edge because I couldn’t fly yet and if I fell, I’d get hurt. But there was no one around to get the paper for me, and I thought if I was really careful, I’d be able to get it myself.”
“Shoulda listened to your momma,” Applejack shook her head, already knowing what was coming next.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t my fault!” he countered. “When I picked up the newspaper, something hit me in the back of the head. Then everything went dark. The next thing I know, I woke up on a little cloud in the middle of nowhere. It was the only cloud around, so I knew I wasn’t in Cloudsdale anymore. And… well... “
“Yes?” the grouped asked.
“I… started crying for my mom…” Cloud Slider admitted, lowering his head to hide his red face.
“It’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack said and flashed a sympathetic smile. “We were all foals once. No shame in admitting you cried for your momma. I can’t even count how many times I did it while she was around.”
Twilight’s lips curled into a small grin after seeing Applejack step in to comfort the embarrased courier. Nevertheless, she found herself looking expectedly at Fluttershy, who still kept her distance from the beige pegasus. She might ask him about it later, but for now, she wanted to hear the rest of the courier’s tale.
“Thanks,” Cloud Slider said, taking a deep breath to calm his embarrassment. “After awhile, I realized that no one could hear me, so I stopped crying. Since there was no other clouds around, I decided to look underneath me. I was kinda hoping maybe there was a pegasus or other ponies there. I inched over to the edge, careful so I wouldn’t fall again. When I looked below, I saw a bunch of trees. It was my first time seeing real trees. It was the first time I ever left Cloudsdale, actually. So I had no clue where I was.”
“The Everfree Forest?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, I found that out later,” the stallion answered. “But while I was looking underneath, the cloud suddenly turned gray, rained for a couple of seconds and then just disappeared right beneath my hooves. I tried to get my wings to work. I flapped as hard as I could, but I still couldn’t fly. I ended up falling straight down in the middle of the forest.”
Most of the group gasped, reeling backwards in their seats.
However, Rainbow Dash seemed to raise an eyebrow. “Wwwwwait a minute!” Rainbow Dash said, flying towards him and mashing her nose against his.
“I think ya said enough already, Rainbow!” Applejack told her, trying to pull her back.
“This sounds a lot like that one rumor that was spreading around right before we went to flight school,” Rainbow Dash said, looking at Fluttershy. “You remember, don’t you?”
“Y-yes,” Fluttershy finally spoke up, nodding her trembling head.
“You’re telling me you’re the colt who made it out of the Everfree Forest by himself!?” Rainbow Dash said accusingly, narrowing her eyes at him once more.
“Why would I lie about that?” Cloud Slider said, getting up off his seat and staring directly back into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “It isn’t my happiest memory…”
“Before you start calling people liars again,” Twilight said, enveloping both in her magic aura and forcibly separating them, “let’s hear him out, Rainbow.”
“Please, do go on,” Rarity said.
“Well, I don’t know if I’m lucky or unlucky, I hit a couple of branches on my way down and they broke my fall,” Cloud Slider continued, massaging his sides. “It still hurt… a lot. I finally got up and took a look around. I had absolutely no clue of where to go next. While I looked around for a way out, I heard howls.”
“Timberwolves,” Twilight offered.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I heard the bushes shake. I was hoping it was another pony, but when I got close, one of those monsters popped. Even though I didn’t know what they were, I knew that it wasn’t something nice. It just stared at me at first, then it started growling and showing me its teeth. I tried to get away from it, but every step back I took, it took one forward. Then it suddenly jumped at me. It didn’t get me though. It did bite my left saddlebag and started to chew up all the newspapers that fell out. While it was tearing them apart, I ran away. I heard more howls and when I looked behind me, there were three more following me. They were getting closer and closer to me and I couldn’t keep running forever.”
“OH! MY! GOSH!” Pinkie Pie yelled. She grabbed the courier by the shoulders and shook him violently. “Did you make it? Tell me you got away!”
“I got away! I got away!” Cloud Slider shouted.
“Phew…” the pink pony said, wiping her forehead. “I didn’t think you were going to get away for a minute!”
“Ahem…” the courier coughed, fixing his mane and dusting himself off. “While I was running from the Timberwolves, I ran into the side of hill or something. I turned around and saw them slowly creeping up on me. But suddenly, they all just started backing away. They almost sounded like they were crying, like they were scared of something. I looked around and found a cave. When I looked back at the Timberwolves, they were still there, growling at me, but they wouldn’t get any closer. Actually, they were backing off. I sat there for a while. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I was tired and I saw that the sun was setting. If I couldn’t outrun them in the day, I didn’t stand a chance at night. But they didn’t look like they wanted to go near the cave, so… I crawled inside.”
“Not the smartest idea…” Twilight judged. “But you’re here in one piece, so I guess it was the right one.”
“Yeah...” Cloud Slider said, a small shade of red creeping over his face. “When I got into the cave, the Timberwolves fell back into the forest. I couldn’t see them anymore, but I could feel them watching me behind all the bushes and trees. Every time I tried to step one hoof out of the cave, the Timberwolves were right there, growling, howling. I was hoping maybe they’d get tired of waiting, so I just stayed at the entrance. The rest of the cave was too dark, I couldn’t see a thing if I went too deep inside, so I just stayed there until I finally fell asleep.”
“I woke up the next morning. I was sore all over and I was hungry. I looked in my saddlebags, hoping maybe I packed a snack or something. I emptied them, but all I had were the papers that I didn’t get to deliver. Maybe I had something in my left saddlebag, but everything fell out when the Timberwolf bit it. That’s when I realized that I couldn’t hear the Timberwolves outside anymore, but as soon as I stepped out, I could hear the growls start all over again. Since I couldn’t go outside, I went deeper into the cave. Even though it was morning, the cave was still pretty dark, so I went in as carefully as I could.”
“How does this have anything to do with him meeting Princess Celestia!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, exasperatedly throwing her hooves in the air.
“Shh!” the rest of the group hushed.
“So, anyways,” Cloud Slider flashed her a quick, cocky smile before continuing with his story. “While I was walking, I felt like I stepped on something. It wasn’t rocky like the rest of the floor. I lifted up my hoof and found some bits. I felt kinda happy. I thought since there were some bits, maybe that meant there were other ponies nearby. I ran deeper in, but I didn’t find any pony, only some piles of bits scattered around. Right when I started to give up, I saw a green light coming from in front of me. I got closer and found a big gem! It was an emerald the size of my head! I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. When I got even closer, I heard a crack. I looked underneath me and found some eggshells all around the emerald. When I got close enough to grab it, I saw an egg lying right next to it.”
“I looked around to see if there were somepony somewhere that left their egg just lying there,” the courier paused again, with another blush spreading across his face. “This was when my mom told me that ponies still came from eggs.”
“Ponies don’t come from eggs?” Spike asked with genuine astonishment. “Where do they come from then?”
“I’ll tell you later, Spike,” Cloud Slider said, earning him a glare from Twilight Sparkle. “I mean, much later! When you’re old enough…”
Spike frowned briefly, but a quick wink from the courier brought his smile back. He would have to ask him about when Twilight was not around.
“So, I couldn’t decide which to take,” Cloud Slider continued. “I wanted to take the emerald, but I couldn’t just leave the egg there. It was all alone, like me. Stuck in the middle of that dangerous forest, with no pony to take care of it. I only had room for one of them in my right saddlebag. I chose to put the egg in my saddlebag. But while I was walking away, it kinda felt wrong to leave the emerald there. It almost felt like it belonged to the egg. They were right next to each other after all. I only saw one way to carry both. I bit down on the emerald and carried it in my mouth, while the egg stayed in my saddlebag.”
“Hmm…” Twilight rubbed her chin methodically.
“I-is there s-something wrong, Princess?” the courier asked the purple alicorn, his shaky voice returning.
“Oh, no! Nevermind! Go right ahead!” Twilight said, giving him a reassuring smile.
“Okay,” Cloud Slider said, unsure of what to make of his Princess’s reaction. “Well, after taking the egg and the emerald with me, I saw a light from the other side of the cave. I didn’t remember seeing it before I found them, but I didn’t really ask any questions. I was just happy to find another way out.
“I carefully looked outside. I thought the Timberwolves might have been there too. All I could see was couple of drops of rain, but I couldn’t hear any of their growls. I took my first step outside since the day before. I was still scared, but I knew I wasn’t going to get home if I stayed in the cave. The only problem was that I still didn’t know where I was going. I just wandered around for a long time. Everything looked the same. I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere and the rain was getting worse. I tried to fly, hoping that maybe I could see which way to go from up high, but my wings still couldn’t carry me. So instead, I climbed a hill, but that didn’t help either. The hill was full of trees too. I decided to take a break under a tree, just to rest my mouth and dry up a little. I put the emerald down next to me.
“After a while, it started raining even harder,” he paused as a whistle sounded, signaling the last stop before the long ride towards the Crystal Empire. Shaking off the interruption, Cloud Slider continued, “I didn’t think I was going to be able to get anywhere with that rain, especially when I hadn’t eaten all day. While I was trying to calm my empty stomach, a lightning bolt scared me and I knocked the emerald away. I chased it down the hill while it bounced around. Finally, I caught it. When I picked it back up, I found a weird-looking tree. It had windows, a light inside, and even a door. I got excited. I thought I finally found another pony. I knocked on the door, but it wasn’t a pony that answered. Well, she looked like a pony, but I could tell she wasn’t. She was black with white stripes… or maybe she was white with black stripes. I can’t really remember her name though...”
“No… it can’t be,” Twilight said with a slight slackjaw.
“Zecora…” the group said in unison.
“Yeah, that was her name!” Cloud Slider exclaimed ecstatically. “She opened the door for me, but she looked really surprised to see me. I guess she felt bad for me and invited me inside. It was weird though. Whenever she talked to me, she always rhymed.”
“Yup, that’s Zecora alright,” Spike said, rolling his eyes a bit.
“I told her that I was lost and that I needed to get back to Cloudsdale, but she didn’t know where that was,” the courier continued his tale. “She was really nice to me. She saw that I looked sad and told me she would take me to a nearby town where she knew other ponies lived. But she said she couldn’t take me that day because of the storm outside, so she invited me to stay the night. That’s when my stomach growled again. She smiled at me and made me some food. When I took off my saddlebags, she saw the egg and the emerald I was carrying with me. I thought she wanted to take them, but she just smiled again and told me that they were very special and to take good care them.
“She woke me up the next day. She even fixed my saddlebags so carrying the emerald wouldn’t be so hard. I followed close to her, still scared of the Timberwolves, but we got the edge of the forest pretty fast. I guess she had lived there for a long time already. She pointed out a farm and the town a little farther ahead. I looked back, but she disappeared. I never got to thank her for all her help. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve never gotten out of the forest. I wanted to go back to look for her, but I didn’t really want to go back into the forest. Instead, I decided to just head towards the town… Now that I think about it, I never went to thank her after I got older.”
“Don’t worry! We can introduce you after we get back,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “We’re good friends with her. She’s helped us quite a bit too.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Cloud Slider bowed, giving Twilight a genuine smile. “As you probably know, the town was Ponyville. When I got there, there was a huge crowd of ponies. I was trying to get somepony’s attention, but everypony just wanted to see what was on the street. That’s when a colt came up next to me and started asking me a bunch of questions, really fast. He wanted to know my name, how old I was, a whole bunch of stuff. That’s when he noticed that my saddlebags were full and he opened them up and started to ask why I had an egg with me. That’s when another colt came over tried to take away my egg, telling his dad to buy it for him. I tried to protect the egg, but he kept pulling at my saddlebag. While we were fighting, it ripped and the egg flew over the crowd. I chased it down, but I couldn’t push past the crowd. I knew if I didn’t catch it, it was going to break and I remembered what Zecora told me. I didn’t know what was happening, but suddenly, there was no pony in front me. I went straight towards the egg and finally caught it.
“I was pretty happy I was able to save the egg, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that somepony was looking at me. I looked around and saw a pony. She was nothing like I’ve ever seen before and since! Pure white coat, long, flowing mane, a big crown, both wings and a horn! She looked so beautiful and regal! I couldn’t stop looking at her and that’s when our eyes met. It might have just for a couple of seconds, but for me, it felt like forever,” Cloud Slider paused as the train rocked. A quick glance out of a nearby window revealed that the train had slowed down as it entered the snowy plains of the Frozen North. Though their destination was only a short distance away, the group continued staring at him attentively, egging him to go on. “That look her eyes was just so intense! I know ponies don’t usually wear clothes, but that’s the first time I ever felt absolutely naked. I swallowed hard and felt myself sweat. I couldn’t stop looking into her pale-purple eyes. For a second, I saw her smile at me. Suddenly, I heard somepony yell at me. I finally pried my eyes away and saw that I was surrounded by guards, all of them pointing their horns at me. All the crowd was looking at me too. But I noticed that I had to look down to see all of them. That’s when I realized that I was just kinda floating in mid-air. I was flying!
“As the guards got closer, the white pony waved a hoof and they all bowed. She walked towards me. I couldn’t move. Her eyes locked me in place again. She asked me my name and I told her. Then she looked at the egg I was holding and asked she could see it. I couldn’t say no, I just nodded. It floated to her and she looked at it carefully. After a while, she gave me big smile and asked me if it was for her. I don’t know why, but I said yes. It just felt right. She asked me if there was something I wanted since I had given her the egg. I told her that I just wanted to go home, to Cloudsdale. She gave me another big smile, patted me on the head, and gave some of the guards a quick bow. They got a chariot and sat me on there. A couple pegasi strapped themselves to the chariot and we flew off. I looked back her. She still had that smile on her face and I saw her lips move. I think she said, ‘Thank you, young Cloud Slider.’ On our way back, I realized that I forgot all about the emerald and thought maybe I shoulda given it to her too. I looked at my saddlebag and I noticed that I got my cutie mark too.
“Learning to fly and getting my cutie mark in one day,” Cloud Slider flashed a prideful smile as he looked at the messenger bag printed on his flank. “I think I could call that a good day. When I got home, my mom and dad were really happy to see me. I could tell that they had been both crying. Their eyes were red and puffy. They told me they hadn’t slept since I went missing. After I told them what happened, they told me who it was that I met.”
“It can’t be…” Twilight shook her head.
She quickly glanced over at Spike. The dragon did not pry his widened eyes away from the courier for even a second as Cloud Slider tapped his head. His bottom lip was quivering and his brows were intensely furrowed. He was also panting very quickly, small flares of fire escape with each breath.
“D-do you remember what the egg that you gave Princess Celestia looked like?” she asked.
“I think so… it was purple…” Cloud Slider said as he looked down at the dragon. “It kinda looked like Spike’s scales, I think. It was a long time ago, though. I might not be remembering that well.”
“It was you…” Spike said, his eyes filled to the brim with tears. “You were the one that found my egg.”
“W-what!?” the courier stammered. “I-I w-w-was… That was a dragon egg!?”
“It makes sense if you think about it,” Twilight answered him. “Though we might not know a lot about dragons, their lairs are usually filled with gold and gems. That would also explain why the Timberwolves wouldn’t go near the cave. They were scared of the dragon that they knew lived there.”
“But why did they just leave me there?” Spike said, his tears beginning to flow. “Did you see what the dragon that was there looked like? Didn’t you see them leave? Can you take us to the cave where you found me?”
“I-I’m sorry, Spike,” Cloud Slider said, trying sound as gentle as he could. “I didn’t see any dragons. The cave looked pretty empty to me, and I can’t really remember how to get there.”
“Spike…” Rarity pulled the dragon back and looked him in the eye.
“I’m sorry,” Spike said, lowering his head.
“I really wish I could help, Spike,” the courier said, hanging his head as well. “I do, but it was a long time ago. I don’t remember every little thing that well.”
“It’s alright. Don’t blame yourself,” Twilight told the beige pegasus. “You found him and you kept him safe until you gave him to Princess Celestia. If it wasn’t for that, he wouldn’t be here with us now.”
Cloud Slider bowed before falling silent. He constantly glanced over at Spike. Each time, he opened his mouth but always ultimately closed it, letting a heavy sigh escape his lips instead.
“Is this why Princess Celestia didn’t want to tell me?” Twilight whispered under her breath as she watched the courier pet the dragon. “Did she want Spike to hear this too?”
Back in Ponyville, the most of the town was still fast asleep. Even those attending the train station were “resting their eyes,” knowing full well that the next train would not arrive for hours. Despite that, a stallion sat at full attention on a nearby hill with the perfect vantage point of the train tracks that led beyond the horizon. Though the day’s first train had long since left, he waited patiently as if he expected it to return. After what he felt to be an adequate amount of time, he finally stood. His legs felt like they were being stung by pins and needles, but he ignored the uncomfortable feeling and made his way onto the road.
The stallion casually made his way to the town’s library. As he approached it, he eyed a note on the door left by its occupants. A smile spread across his face as he reached for the doorknob. However, he quickly retreated his hoof as he heard the clumsy mailmare crash into a nearby house as she attended her daily route. She had not noticed him yet, but soon enough, she would be heading over to the tree-house.
“What’s another few hours?” the stallion asked himself as he walked away from the door. He had plenty of time, according to the note. He would wait until night, when no pony wandered through the streets, no risk of being seen.