//------------------------------// // Day 6: Tryouts // Story: The Problem With Magic // by deathtap //------------------------------// Again that rooster. I wondered why it was that you always seem to wake up from the sound of a rooster's crow. I know that the bird always does his 'cock-a-doodle-doo-ing' in the morning and it essentially announces the arrival of the day - but why is that you wake up from hearing it? In a city there are other plenty of other things that make an obnoxious noise, especially in the early morning. Back on Earth - my Earth - you'd get drunkards who'd start singing horrid songs off-key in the wee hours of the morning, or some construction would start, or a car would drive by at a million miles-per-hour with a broken muffler. And yet, people manage to sleep through all of it - myself included. But one call from a damn rooster, and your eyes refuse to stay closed! Maybe if I get back to my world, I ought to buy a rooster. Or maybe a rooster-alarm clock. Yeah. That way I don't have to keep feeding it. Then I tried to get out of bed. Didn't get far. I pulled the blankets back and instantly spotted the culprit, "Pinkie, what are you..." My voice died in my throat. It was not that I was suddenly overcome with Pinkie's sleeping face, but there was indeed something different about it. The lower parts of her eyes were red, as if she had been crying all night long. Had I slept through it all? Did she come to my room looking for comfort and instead got an unconscious me? I knew that I was a heavy sleeper, but to actually not notice Pinkie slipping into my bed? Was I drugged or something? Confused, and also kind of happy (not because Pinkie was there, so don't get the wrong idea) I let her sleep holding on to me. Some time had passed before I heard a gentle knock on the door. "Come in," I answered in a half-whisper. Applejack entered, "Forest, sorry to disturb..." I put my hoof in front of my lips, "Sh!" She looked at me confused, and I pulled the blankets back and revealed a red-eyed, sleeping Pinkie. Relief washed over Applejack's face, "Thank Celestia she's fine." "What happened?" I asked. "I don't know. With everything goin' on, she probably could not take it. No matter how hard she tries, she can't make everyone always smile. Sometimes... sometimes Ponies gotta make themselves smile when the time comes." "Well, what is she doing back here?" I replaced the blankets over Pinkie. Applejack fidgeted with her hooves, "Well... we all sort of... shouted... at her..." Applejack's voice got quieter and quieter towards the end, "She was making too much noise in the hospital, and well..." Slowly, and steadily, I pried myself loose from Pinkie's grip. She did not fight back as hard as yesterday and I managed to escape fairly quickly. Taking my side of the blankets, I tucked her in snugly. It seemed to help because I saw a small smile on her lips appear. Not a complete smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I must have been really out of it to not notice her. I don't even know when she came here!" I exclaimed standing next to Applejack and watching Pinkie sleep, "And on that note; why here?" "She must be takin' a likin' to you, Forest," Applejack said, "And usually I'd make a joke and tease ya about it. But right now it doesn't seem appropriate." Understandable - wait, did she just say, "Like me?" I asked astounded. "Aw, come on, Forest. A Mare just doesn't go to some random Stallion's home, and sleep in his bed unless she has feelin's for him. Even if she doesn't understand them," Applejack walked over to Pinkie, sat on the bed and began to stroke her puffy hair. They were close. Almost like sisters. "Forest, can I ask you somethin'?" "Sure, Applejack." "If... and I do mean 'if'... if you were human, you'd tell us, right?" What. The. Fuck! The question caught me completely off guard, and it took a second to snap myself out of the panic induced state that was threatening to envelope me, "What?" Applejack ignored my question, "I mean, you'd tell us, right?" I looked into those eyes, looked at her as she stared into mine. And for the first time since I got there, I felt really guilty that I had lied to her. It was not that I didn't feel so before, but right now I felt that I had a chance to tell her, to explain everything, but I just couldn't. It was not that I didn't want to, it was that I couldn't. Then, like a ray of light in the darkness, something just clicked in my mind. It was a gamble, but anything was better than lying to Applejack. "Yes," On that word, a sudden wave of feeling of lightness took me, "I would, but... I can't remember my past, remember? Am I really that... human?" Applejack looked at me, "Y'know, I'm not sure anymore. I think the best thing would be to ask Princess Celestia." "If that's what you think." I think I might have just screwed myself. "Well, Twilight's been mighty suspicious of you for a while now," Applejack confessed. Tutela was right! The purple Pony was the dangerous one, but where had I gone wrong? Where had I accidentally left a trail for her to follow? I rarely even met Twilight, how was it that she knew to suspect me in the first place? "Really?" My voice sounded colder than I intended it to be. Applejack misunderstood the tone of my voice. "Don't be angry, Forest. She's just tryin' to protect us." "I know. I'm not blaming her nor am I angry, I just feel that I've messed up for letting her think that," What do you know, an honest answer! "Would you believe that Brian also thinks I'm a human." "Honestly, I didn't believe it neither, but when Twilight started talkin' to Brian and Rainbow about it, well, she can be convincin' if she needs to." I shuddered. Brian and Twilight? It was hard enough dodging the bullets Brian fired at me, now I had to keep an eye out for the ones from Twilight as well? In retrospect, maybe coming to Ponyville where there already was a human and Ponies that have dealt with humans in the past was not the brightest of ideas. But then again, a week ago I had no idea that there were real-life talking cartoon Ponies, let alone a magical land in a parallel dimension, if this was a parallel dimension. Could have been another planet in a galaxy far, far away for all I knew. "And... do you think I'm a human too?" I asked. "Honestly? I don't know. You act strange, but I just thought that was you being you. I mean, you don't have memories of your past, how are you expected to act like a normal Pony in the first place?" Applejack shook her head, "I just don't know. You do say things that are mighty strange, but then again you could be from a big city. Big city folk always talk funny to me." At that, I couldn't help but laugh. Acting like a country yokel, yet I knew that Applejack was anything but backward. She was a helluva lot smarter than many people I knew, and her honesty was her greatest strength. It was understandable why she was indeed the Element of Honesty. She was perfect for that title. "Twi asked us to stay away from you for a while." "I know," Our conversation outside the hospital yesterday came to mind. I was still hurting over that. "At first I thought she was off her rockers, but she started sayin' things about you, and the way you talk, your manners... it all seemed..." "Convincing?" "Yep. But Pinkie here said that she didn't care, that you were nice and kind. Twilight was concerned about your motivations and got angry at Pinkie for not listenin' to her." "So that's why she's here?" My face started feeling a little hot, but I forced the blood in my cheeks away. There was no way I was going to blush over this! "I guess. I wanted to come check last night, but..." When Applejack stopped in mid-sentence, I helped her finish it, "Twilight's words still were too fresh, and you didn't feel comfortable?" "That's right. Gee, Forest. I feel so..." "Don't. You never have to feel uncomfortable with me. If something bothers you, or if you ever need me to do something, then just ask. You've already done far more for me than..." Applejack had done more for me ever. There was nobody on my world or this that has gone as far as Applejack in helping me. "Thank you, Forest. I'll remember that." "So, Twilight believes I'm human, gets into a spat with Pinkie, who then sneaks into my room and into my bed without me ever waking up. Sounds legit." "But there were questions that she brought up. What brought you here to Equestria? Why you're here? And most of all: how you're here?" "Well, I guess we'll just have to go and talk to the Princess." "Twilight's already asked her," Applejack looked up at me, "She'll be here this afternoon." Oh great, so now I have one day left before I vanish? "I see. Well, until then, I'll just continue being a Pony!" I laughed weakly at my own joke. "Forest, this is serious. If you're a human..." "Applejack, let's just let things happen as they happen. Do I really look like I'm out to hurt anyone? I mean, I could've taken advantage of Pinkie twice now, and yet I've been..." What was the word I was looking for? "Well, I guess you have," Applejack stood up and walked over to me, "And, thank you, Forest." "For what?" "For at least bein' open to the idea that you might not be a Pony. I don't usually like confrontations if I can avoid them, but I've sort of taken you on and I feel responsible for you," Applejack looked at my eyes again. No matter how hard I tried, I could not meet them. I wanted to, I wanted to look straight into her eyes and tell her the truth! I really did, I wanted to let her know that I was a man from Earth, and I was only here because of a stupid bet with a Changeling to discover the true meaning of friendship. But I had to lie. I had no choice. But telling myself that still did not help. "I am not going to deny the possibility now that you seem so convinced, but I just want to let you know that whatever happens today, I am glad to have met you and your friends." Applejack gave me a single nod of her head. It seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Well, shall we go?" She asked. "Go? Oh! The tryouts! Sure. What about Pinkie?" "She'll be fine. Now that I know where she is I can stop frettin', I'm sure she'll be up and about in no time, and hopefully back to her usual perky self." "Somehow I think that Pinkie will never change. Anyway, let us go," Moving aside, I let Applejack go ahead of me like a gentleman - Pony! Gentlepony - should. As I was about to step out the door, I turned back and looked at Pinkie sleeping on the bed. Good-bye, Pinkie. It's been fun while it lasted, but I can't take it anymore. This constant lying. When I first got here a week ago, I really didn't give a shit about anything or anyone. Now, I can't even lie to save my own skin if it meant that I'd hurt you or your friends in the process. C'est la vie. I closed the door, and left everything. Mementos. Although I knew that in a few hours I'd be screwed, I felt light, happy and jovial. The thought of running away just seemed... pointless. Even if this Princess Celestia kept an eye on her Ponies like a god-like creature, what good would hiding do? Not only would she be able to search me out, forcing me to constantly be on the run and eventually lose because I wouldn't have a chance to learn about friendships, but more importantly I'd really hurt my new friends. That seemed far worse than running like a little bitch and hiding. So, I was screwed no matter what I did! With that in mind, getting found out and feigning ignorance seemed the most logical solution. You could say that I felt free, like I did yesterday while I was running. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from me. "You seem rather cheerful," Applejack commented as we walked towards her house. "I do?" "Yep." "That a good thing?" "Of course!" We continued to make small talk as we walked towards her house and up her porch where Granny Smith was sitting on her rocking chair. She was up early today. She even had the nerve to scold me for not visiting and downing a batch of that delectable sludge she called 'hootch'. Jet fuel that tasted fantastic! With the mystery of why Applejack and Applebloom felt so distant resolved, both of them started treating me like normal. Applebloom gave me that ridiculously adorable smile when she first saw me and her sister approaching the house. Next to Granny Smith, Big Mac was laying down and gave me a nod when I looked his way. Being the polite thing to do, I nodded back and he resumed gazing off into the distance. He really was a strange one. Stranger than me, I thought. Why didn't everypony suspect that he was a human. After a flash-breakfast of one pancake with a spoonful of Zap Apple jam we all headed towards the tryout venue - with the exception of Big Mac and Granny Smith, who said that she was content on watching from Sweet Apple Acres. Watching what, I didn't know. We walked for quite some time in the opposite direction from Ponyville. On the way we saw a familiar light purple figure walking slowly at the side of the road. He was kicking rocks out of his way, and mumbling something to himself. "Spike!" Applebloom called out. The dragon turned around, "Oh, hi, Applebloom, Applejack and Forest. You guys heading to the lake too?" "That's the plan," Applebloom replied. As we walked together, Spike regaled the tale of how he left me with Cyan Crystal in Sugarcube Corner, exaggerating the look of horror on my face. Well, maybe it wasn't an exaggeration. "Why did she insist on eating with you if she didn't like you?" Applejack asked. "Because of what I did for Brian. Apparently they are good friends, or something," I replied, "And I tried to be as civil as I could, but all I did was say Pinkie's name and..." She went bat-shit insane! "She didn't feel the need to try and befriend me." "What was classic is when you heard your voice. Your face!" Spike laughed, slapping his head, and literally rolling around on the ground due to the sheer hilarity of it all. "I can't believe you just left me!" I replied, pretending to be angry. Spike was on his belly, and had stopped laughing long enough to look up at me, "Your face when you heard her voice! Ha! It was priceless!" He then resumed his rolling around the floor laughing. Despite being the subject of said joke, I couldn't help but laugh along. Although I could tell Applejack didn't find it as funny as Spike, she could not help but get swayed by Spike and she giggled despite herself. We all joked and jostled around, talking about the last few days. It was not that we didn't want to talk about the serious events that had transpired, but I could tell that a tiny break was needed. After all, with Fluttershy apparently taking care of her ill pet or more-than-just-a-pet rabbit, and more importantly Rainbow Dash's father... a small break for smiles was okay, right? As we walked on we reached the top of a small hill. I gasped. The others stood there and beamed with pride; proud of their little oasis. There was a beautiful lake, the water was practically transparent, revealing the bottom of the lake, which was full of various types of fish lazily swimming around. Around the lake was a stretch of beautiful sand, and many Ponies were laying on it, and splashing in the shallower areas of the water. On the far side, I saw a river that seemed to flow out from the like and down a valley where a monstrous castle-like citadel was built into the side of the mountain. "Canterlot," Spike said at my amazed face, "You can see it from Ponyville, but from here..." "Wow," Was all I could say. "Hey! You stole my line!" Spike said, punching me lightly on the arm... hoof... leg... front-left arm? Ah, whatever. As I stared in awe of what I saw, my mind began to wander. Is this how people felt when they accepted their fate? Did people who faced the inevitable feel this sense of freedom and peace when coming face to face with your destiny? Was everything more beautiful and did you appreciate life more when you knew that your time was coming to an end? Does coming to terms with what was about to happen enlighten you and your life? Should I bother even trying out? After all, it was only a matter of time before my secret would be discovered. Might as well enjoy the ride while it lasted. And yet while all these thoughts were going on, something bothered me. For the first time since I got here, I realized that I did not want to go back. I will go through with this, I will stand up to it. I wondered that would I be naked when I changed back into a human, or would I be clothed? How would everyone react? Would they accept me as they had accepted Brian? Not that it would matter, I would have lost the bet and Tutela would have pulled me away from this world one way or another - that was something I was quite assured of. "Well, don't just stand there gawkin'! Let's mosey on down," Applebloom said excitedly, and pushed Spike with her head, then me urging us to get moving. Clearly she had appreciated the view of Canterlot quite often. The four of us walked down towards the lake. From our vantage as we slowly descended the hill we noticed a series of tent along the beach. In the midst of them was a banner with the word 'start' emblazoned in large red letters across it - obviously the tryouts began here. "Where's the finish line?" I asked. "Same place. You need to go around Ponyville three times - that's about a quarter of the distance you'll be doing at the final race," Spike pointed out, "So, you run that way, then swim across the lake, out the other end, down that road there and around Ponyville, before coming up on this path, then down the road again to the starting point. Simple!" "It's marked, right?" I asked. "Yeah, don't worry. It'll be clearly marked all through." We all headed down and into the tent area. It was obviously a fair of some sort. Applejack and Applebloom immediately pointed out to themselves that they were silly fillies for not bringing some apples with them to sell here, but business has been kind as of late, and Big Mac was going to come later with some barrels of cider. The knowledge of this managed to appease Applejack, because she stopped fretting and calmed down. We wandered around for some time, checking out the tents and what they had. Some of them were still being set up, and I could see fires being stoked in stoves for cooking things, there was even a stand that sold candied apples. Not that Applejack minded, they were her apples being candied. There were even stands with a bunch of games for prizes to win. "Hey, Forest! Try that one!" Applebloom said, pointing to a game stand where you had to throw balls at targets and try to knock them down. "I'm really bad at this, Applebloom." "Try! Please!" Again with the smile! Ugh! Couldn't say no to her. "How much?" I asked. "One bit for five balls!" The Pony exclaimed loudly. Putting the coin down, I watched as the five balls were put into a large tin can and placed in front of me. Throwing with all my might, I completely missed everything. "That's not how you throw," Applejack said pushing me aside, "Here, let me show you how it's done." Taking one of the balls, Applejack easily lobbed it at the highest scoring target hitting it dead center. Spike was next, and threw the ball at the next target, clipping it slightly as Applebloom took the next ball and finished the job on the same target. With my turn, I threw it again and it hit one of the targets, but it didn't knock it off. It was hard throwing with hooves! "Here's your prize!" The Pony at the stand grinned at us, and handed me a fairly large stuffed animal. I think it was supposed to be a lion, but it had a scorpion tale and wings. Taking the animal-scorpion-flying doll, I handed it to Applebloom who gave me another one of her super-cute smiles. We played a few more games at some other stands, one of my favorites was a fishing game, where you had a fishing pole with a magnet at the end and there were fishes in a large wood vat turning around - courtesy of a poor volunteer walking on a treadmill-like device. So you'd just use your fishing pole to try and get a fish. On each fish had a number, some had a plus and others minus. I kept getting minuses, but it was still fun. Although when it came time to tally the scores, I would always be around zero. I think my personal best was plus one. "Hey, Forest! Let's go to the riverbank," Spike suggested, and I followed him. When we were there, I instantly jumped in... and promptly sunk. Walking out of the water, a sudden feeling of dread overcame me. Spike saw my face. "What's wrong?" "I can't swim..." "What?" "I can't swim!" I yelled, "I didn't know I couldn't swim!" That was true. In my human form I could swim, but this Pony form - it was impossible! "Well, try again!" Spike pushed me back into the water. So I tried. Really I did, but I couldn't! No matter what I did, I could not even get my body to float! "I'm sorry, Forest, but I don't think you can tryout. Swimming is a big part of the competition..." Spike said as I dragged myself onto the shore, coughing out the water I had inadvertently swallowed. "Watcha guys doin'?" Applejack asked as she caught up to us. She was eating ice-cream in a cone. "Forest can't swim." "What?" "He forgot," Spike shrugged. "We better tell Rarity you can't race," Applejack turned to go, but I stopped her. "Wait! I can swim! I know how! I know I know how! I just know!" I shouted, looking at her. Applejack just did a double-take, and shook her head, "Forest, there's no use arguin'. You can't swim! You'll drown!" "Let me try one more time... maybe I can relearn it," I turned and ran into the water again, this time I maintained a constant speed. The momentum kept me up above the water, but I was not really swimming, I was running with my legs underwater. A few other Ponies laughed as they saw me trying to 'run', it was a type of doggy-style swimming. But I didn't care, I wanted to tryout. I wanted to try my best! Damned if I was going to not tryout because of some stupid reason like not being able to swim. Fuck that. For a while I thought I got the hang of it, but after being overtaken by a Pony a third my age, I really did not feel like competing anymore. "Don't let it bother you, Forest," Spike said when I finally gave up trying to learn, "There's always next year." "No," I whispered, my head facing down, then I slowly raised my eyes to look at him, "There isn't going to be a next year, Spike. Not for me. I have to do this. I want to do this. I need to do this. Please understand." Spike and Applejack shared a look, "But if you can't swim, how are you going to race?" "Winning isn't what's important, it's trying. And I need to try." "That's crazy, Forest," Applejack tried reasoning with me, but I wouldn't listen. My mind was made up. "Attention please, will all Ponies who wish to tryout please head to the main registration tent. Attention please, will all Ponies trying out, please head to the main registration tent," A loud voice echoed suddenly. Walking out of the water, and shaking the excess off, I walked past Spike and Applejack. I wanted to say something clever and witty, but my brain was still full of mixed emotions. A part of me was terrified about what would happen when Princess Celestia arrived, and another part of me couldn't wait. I wanted to end the lies. Then I wondered why I didn't just end it right then and there. That question was already answered for me; I liked it here. Why would I willfully lose? If I lost, I get taken away. My only chance was... "To win!" I exclaimed. "What?" Spike asked, thinking I was talking to him. "If I win, I can stay!" "I don't know what's wrong with you, Forest, but you can stay even if you don't win, you know..." But I was no longer listening to him. It made perfect sense. If I won the bet against Tutela then I got to 'go home'. What if I said that home was here in Equestria? Could I then stay? Would that be allowed? Could I live here, like Brian has done for the past... who knows how long. But I had to win the bet, I had to beat Tutela. The condition that I had to win my freedom was still very much there. Why had it taken me this long to realize it? There was only one reason; denial. Not that I denied that my life here was a million times better than the one on Earth, but the fact that I denied that I belonged here. All along all I wanted to do was leave and go back. But... back to what? There was nothing for me. No-one wanting for me. Go back to that empty life, when after only six days my life here has been so full and eventful? I think not! If I had fists, I would have clenched them in determination. Since I didn't, I gritted my teeth psyched myself for what was to come. As of now my greatest challenge was to somehow fool or trick Princess Celestia. I needed to avoid her or prevent her magic revealing a human. That was the only way. But even if I was, even if Celestia could change me into one, then all that would have proven was that she could turn a Pony into a human. If I went along with that, then perhaps I could pretend that she was the one who turned me into a human, and that I was never a human in the first place. Would that even work? I asked myself. "Yoohoo! Forest!" My attention returned, "Huh? Rarity?" "Finally. You've been standing there mumbling to yourself for some time. Are you going to register for the race? A lot of Ponies are coming to watch you run. Apparently you're quite the athlete, I hear." "It's a shame I can't swim properly," I growled. "You what?" "Nothing. Where do I sign up?" Forcing a grin on my face, I took the pen Rarity had and signed on the dotted line. That was it. I was in. "Um... you need a last name." "What?" "A last name, you need one," Rarity smiled, "It's so that the press have something to go with." "Do I need one?" "Well, no, you don't need one, but I do have one in mind that you might like." "Which is?" She narrowed her eyes and gave me a smile that if I didn't know better I would say was suggestive, "Fire." I had to admit, that was pretty badass, "I like it. Forest Fire. Thank you, Rarity. How'd you think of it?" "Yesterday a friend of mine was visiting her aunt in the hospital when she saw a pony charging around a track. She said that he was a tan Pony with a dark mane, and I instantly knew it was you. Anyway, when she had told me that the ground behind you was burning as you ran, the name just came to me!" She struck a semi-dramatic pose, "Then she told me that you ran straight into a tree!" "Yeah, that happened. Anyway, I like the name. Forest Fire! Forest. Fire..." That is so awesome!, "Thank you again, Rarity." "My pleasure. Oh, and one more thing, good luck with the race, Forest, I hope that you win," Rarity smiled at me. "I'm going to need all the luck I can get," I replied quietly, "Just promise not to laugh at me during the swimming parts." "Why would I do a thing like that?" "You'll see..." Leaving the registration tent I was instantly pulled aside by Spike. "So, did Rarity say anything?" "She gave me a last name!" I replied, "Fire. Forest Fire. Pleased to meet you." Spike shook my hoof, but that was not what he wanted, "Forest, did Rarity say anything about me?" Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that Spike had the hots for Rarity, "Nope. Didn't mention anything about you." He let out a long sigh. "Spike, just out of curiosity, have you actually told Rarity how you feel? Ever?" "Well, I tried once." "And?" "She didn't let me finish. She shushed my half way." "How long ago was that?" "I dunno. Years ago now." "So, you've never thought of asking her all this time?" He fiddled with his fingers at that question. "She's not going to know if you're not going to tell her. I don't think she sees you in that light." "Yeah, so what would you do?" Spike challenged me. "Me? Uh... well, would go and tell her straight. Loud and proud." "Well, what would you say?" "I would say; Rarity, I really like you!" "Oh my," A voice said from behind me. Aw. Shit. I spun around and saw a thoroughly embarrassed white Unicorn looking away from me. Quick! Say something! I coaxed myself in my head. "Uh... that is... well... Spike?" I prompted him to say something. "Don't look at me, I didn't say anything," Spike replied shrugging. No, you fool, explain the situation! "Isn't there anything you wanted to say to Rarity?" I asked, giving him a look that was so obvious, a baby would have guessed the meaning behind my words. "Nope." I really fuckin' hate you right now. "Rarity! I didn't see you there! How... how long were you..." "Just the... part about what you'd say to me," Rarity blushed and smiled again, "Forest, I'm flattered by your feelings towards me and while it is refreshing, I am already interested in someone else." Thank the heavens and beyond! "Oh? Who, if you don't mind me asking..." "Nopony you know. He lives in Canterlot." From the corner of my eye I saw Spike mouth drop. This was apparently news to him too. "I see." All three of us stood there silently. The awkwardness was suffocating. "Well, good luck with the race, Forest," Rarity said, and started to back off, "Oh! I forget, the reason why I followed you. Your numbers." She handed me two large white squares with the number 42 in black written on it. I took them and stood there confused, "How am I supposed to pin them on?" "Pin? Don't be silly. Just peel off the back and stick them on yourself." How was anyone supposed to do that without fingers! I tried for a few minutes, but when it was clear that such a skill was beyond me, Rarity took them and removed the protective layer from the back of them. Then I stuck them on both of my flanks. Number 42. Me. Oh yeah. Life couldn't get better than this. "Thanks again, Rarity. Please, don't take what I said seriously. I was... practicing." "Really? Practicing for what?" "Practicing saying what I said to that special one!" I grinned nervously after that. Would she buy it? She squealed in excitement, "Do you already have a particular Pony in mind?" "Maybe..." I lied. I didn't. "Is it Pinkie?" Rarity asked, whispering. Well, since she brought the subject up, "Did you tell Pinkie to stay the night with me?" "Well, yes. But as a joke. Why?" I knew it! "Oh, no reason. I was just curious." Rarity placed her hooves over her mouth, "You mean... she didn't... did she..." He expression changed to a hostile one a second later, "Did you..." "No! I'm not like that!" I retorted, "Besides, you were the one who instigated it!" Rarity kept the look on her face anyway, "I'll ask Pinkie. If you've..." She humphed and walked off. As soon as she was out of hearing range, I turned to Spike. "Why didn't you say something! That was the perfect opportunity!" "Sorry, Forest, but I just froze! Not that it matters. Now we know that she has a special somepony in Canterlot," He looked so dejected. "Look, you have to tell her your feelings otherwise how's she supposed to know? That aside... isn't she a little old for you?" "What is age when it comes to true love?" "I wouldn't know. I've never fallen in love before," I answered, but before he could say anything else, I walked away. That was all the love-talk I was willing to take. I needed to set my mind on a more pressing matter, namely the inevitable show-down with Princess Celestia. Making my way to the starting lone, there were quite a few other Earth Ponies hanging about. Some were stretching, others were just lounging and a few were even eating. But they all had one thing in common, they were all contestants. A part of me wondered why Applejack wasn't here. Wasn't she an Earth Pony too? "Hi there, you must be that new Pony everyone's been going on about, right? The one that stood up to Cyan Crystal?" One of the Ponies said as I stood there awkwardly. Spike had again ditched me when I wasn't paying attention. Or perhaps he decided to heed my advice and finally go tell Rarity how he felt. Wouldn't that be great? "I didn't stand up to her," I replied. "Really? Well, anyway, I'm Lavenderhoof." "I'm Forest. Forest Fire, apparently," Damn, I just loved that name! "Well, Forest, good luck out there. I saw you swimming earlier... are you sure you're going to be okay?" I shrugged, "I won't drown if that's what you mean." We chit-chatted for a few minutes. She told me what she did, where she lived, a few of her hobbies and her friends (which Pinkie Pie was a part of). Several other Ponies had gathered around, and it was simply surprising how social and easy to get along they were. It was also a very disturbing fact that the vast majority of them seemed to be female. There were a few males, but not many. Were Earth Ponies predominantly women? "Everypony please gather round," Came a voice from nearby. It was amplified somehow, but I didn't bother questioning as to why that was. It was just easier to go with the flow, "We will start the race in ten minutes." Walking towards the starting line, I found a place behind a couple of other Ponies. The audience around the start was slowly getting bigger. It was strange seeing so many Ponies in one place, and I do understand that this being a land of Ponies and stuff, it was still strange to see so many of them. Perhaps news of Princess Celestia coming for a visit had increased the expected turnout... "On your marks!" Came a sudden shout. My attention focused now on the task at hand. This was it! I had to concentrate on what I had to do! "Get set!" The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. These Ponies really wanted to win this race! I could feel their determination pulsing from their bodies. Each one had a wish they wanted, and they were going to try their hardest to go and win it. Perfect! I cursed myself again for getting into this mess. "Go!" The crowd erupted into a cheer as the racers dashed forwards towards the lake. By the time I had reached the shore, several of the other Ponies were already a good distance away. I tried to keep up, but I just couldn't swim like the rest of them, and instead had to 'run' under the water, a few other Ponies laughed - I could hear them from where I was. But did that stop me? Well, no, but it didn't help either. I was only halfway across the lake by the time the second to last Pony was exiting the water! Maybe Spike was right, maybe this was too... "Go, Forest!" I heard someone shout. The voice was familiar, but I didn't dare turn to look, "Come on! Swim!" Fuck this! I said in my mind and turned around so I was on my back. I stared at the sky above me... and was still afloat! Holy shit! Taking my hooves, I started to do the back-crawl. It worked! I was moving! A lot faster than before, and as I hit the shore, I whipped my body around and dug my hooves into the ground and pulled my body forwards. Water, I might have had a slight disadvantage, but running... running was a different ballgame altogether! I roared past the second to last Pony, but did not bother looking back. My eyes were keenly glued onto the path in front of me, and I was not going to get lost. Then I passed another Pony. The grey Stallion let out a squawk as I roared by her. Then I overtook a batch of Mares who were more interested in gossip than in the race. They all squealed as I zoomed by them. Rounding the bend near Sugarcube Corner, I saw the Cakes out of the corner of my eye, their two young children perched atop their heads. They screamed in delight as they saw me rush by - the kids did, not the parents. At least, I think it was the kids. Then I bolted past Sweet Apple Acres, and I spotted the front runners were just going over the hill that led down towards the lake. Granny Smith gave me a holler as I whipped past the house. Big Mac may have said something, but the speed of his voice probably never caught up with me. As I topped the hill, I launched myself down the other side being pulled along by gravity. Already some of the other Ponies were half-way across the lake. As I roared through the starting line completely my first lap, I could not help but take a quick glance at the audience. There was no-one there that I knew. Jumping into the water, I turned my body around and began the back-crawl again. As I did so, the front-runners were already across and starting their second lap. Using my hooves as fast as I could, I reached the other bank along with some of the other Ponies I had past just before the hill. But then again, land was my domain! As I ran, I kept my eyes ahead of me again. I had to catch up with the front runners! I had to pass them! I had to win! Rounding the corner at Sugarcube Corner again, I did not notice the kids or the Cakes. My heart was beating so hard, and my legs felt as if they were on fire. The muscles burned! But, no! I had to continue! I had to keep going! The hill! I reached the hill! I did not even noticed going by Sweet Apple Acres. As I started the decent once more, I noticed that this time the front runners were just entering the water! I was catching up! Again I pulled along with the back-crawl, but my limbs felt exhausted! The swimming and the full laps of constant sprinting - or galloping - were killing me! My body just did not want to move. Fuck it. I've done my best. Funny that this is the only thing in my entire shitty life that I've actually attempted to do that wasn't half-assed. No regrets... "Go, Forest! Go! Go, go, go! Come on! You can do it!" I heard a voice call out. Although it was coming from the huge crowd on the shore, it was clearer than the others, "Use you super-duper-speed!" That voice I knew. Very well as a matter of fact. A sudden surge of energy roared through my body, I had got my second wind! Grinning through the agony, I forced my arms above my head and kicked my legs. Each stroke was painful. After running two laps and trying to cross the lake twice, my body did not want to continue. Okay, body! Let's do this! Come on! Let me at least try! Try, try, try! "Forest! Go! Swim!" The voice shouted again. Why was it so loud? I counted each stroke, letting my mind concentrate on the numbers. One, two, three, four... My head hit something, and I spun around. I had reached the other end! My legs touched the ground, and I trotted out of the water, my limbs wobbled, but I had completed the last swim, and the front runners were still within view! Turning around, I saw the Ponies on the other shore all cheering away, and my eyes instantly found a pink Pony standing on the stage. She had shouted through the broadcasting system, or whatever it was. I couldn't resist. I reared up, and grinned, before turning towards the trail and continuing on with the race. If I was fast before, then I was in warp-drive now. The ground raced under me, the trees were a blur. I could barely make out the route, I was going so fast. Sugarcube Corner suddenly was there, and gone! Then Sweet Apple Acres appeared, and was behind me. As I run I rushed passed the other Ponies. All but one. Lavenderhoof! She had her head down and was running at full tilt and was already crossing the final hill before the last stretch towards the finish line! As I reached the crest of the hill, I bolted straight down. She was just ahead of me now. My legs were moving and I closed the gap between us, the finish line quickly rising up to greet me. It was close, real close, but I had snatched victory from her at the last second. As I rushed through, I fell down on my face, skidding to a halt gasping for air. All my limbs felt dead and my heart thundered in my chest. "Wow, Forest! That was amazing! Look," Lavenderhoof said, pointing back up the hill I had run down from. Two lines of fire were still burning straight towards the finish line, "Forest Fire!" She stressed the 'fire' out. I beamed. For once in my life I actually felt really proud of something. Not the fake pride I had in being an ass, but a good feeling that came from hard work and effort. God lord, I'm turning into a Disney movie. Before I had time to reply, the Ponies that were watching the race swarmed me. Each one patted me on the back and congratulated me on my victory. A few even picked me up and went on a mini-lap around the tents cheering as they went along. Eventually I was set down in the registration tent, while the other contestants were finishing up. Rarity was there, and smiled when she saw me. If she felt any awkwardness from before she hid it extremely well, "Congratulations on your win, I just knew you would do it. You'll need to work on your swimming, of course." "Of course. Anyway, where are you friends?" I asked. "Well, I'm not sure. I think they might be with Rainbow and her father. I should actually be with them as well, but I did give my word to help with this project. Now that it's over, I can concentrate on other matters." "Let me know if I can be of any help." Rarity nodded, and turned and left the tent. After managing to get a drink of water, I was taken to meet the rest of the team, who were standing in the corner of the registration tent in a small area roped off with a sign that said 'team-members only'. There were four other Ponies in there. A grey Pegasus that I've never seen before, and Scootaloo (who I had met at Rarity's shop), Lavenderhoof, and a light purple or violet Pony that I've not yet met. "Hello, Forest!" Scootaloo said when she saw me entering the 'VIP section'. "Hi, Scootaloo," I would never forget that name. "Let me introduce everyone. First, the main contestants; Derpy and Twilight - who isn't here, and you." "I already know Twilight's on the team. And Derpy?" I asked, I still couldn't get over the name. "Hello!" The grey Pegasus promptly replied and made her way towards me, tripping over her feet, crashing into a small table. "Are... are you okay?" I asked, my eyes open wide. "Oh, don't worry about her. She clumsy, but she's also invincible," Lavenderhoof replied, "In all the time I've known her she has never once got hurt." Sure enough, Derpy picked herself up and grinned up at me, "That was so cool how you made that fire! It was like whoosh! And then you were like zoom! But in the water you were glub-glub." There was nothing I could say in response, so I just nodded. "We are the backups," Scootaloo said putting her hooves over the other two Ponies, "I'll take Derpy's place if for some reason she can't race. Lavenderhoof is your backup, and this is Amethyst Star. She's Twilight's backup." Amethyst Star smiled at me, "That was quite a show. How'd you make those tracks of fire?" "Not a clue." "The only times I've seen things like that is from the Pegasi. The Wonderbolts have thunderclouds that follow them, and Rainbow Dash has a rainbow that follows her." "Really?" I asked, "I've seen her fly, but no rainbow." "It only happens when she flies really fast," Scootaloo said, "She can do a Sonic Rainboom!" "A what?" "A Sonic Rainboom! It's totally the most awesomest thing ever. She goes faster and faster, then, ka-boom!" She jumped in the air as she went 'boom' and floated at the top of the jump using her wings, "Then you see a rainbow! It's soooooo awesome! If there was a word more awesome then awesome..." "Epic? Legendary? Phenomenal?" I gave some suggestions. "Yeah, like that... epic. It's awesomely epic!" "I hope that I can see it one day," I replied. We chatted for a while together, but all through I felt as if something was missing. Where was everyone else? Where was Applejack, Applebloom or Pinkie? And where did Rarity disappear off to? "Hello, everypony, but we're taking down the tents now," A pony said to us a little while later. We all left the tent together, with our 'fans' following. They were just excited that they had a pretty strong team for the great race that was coming at the end of the month. Already Lavenderhoof promised me that she'd teach me how to swim properly, and I vowed to help her improve her running. The tent we were in was being taken down by a gang of Unicorns who combined their magic together to remove the heavy poles and pegs, folding it neatly and then placing it on a large wooden cart that was marked with something that looked like an official Ponyville emblem, or something. Probably owned by the town. It was amazing seeing the Ponies just work together, helping each other out. The little fair that they had was now packed up, and a long train of carts and Ponies made their way towards Ponyville. To a bystander, it might have looked like a parade, but we were just going home. When we approached the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, Scootaloo and Derpy started to hover, "See you guys later. We've got to help move the clouds for tonight's rain." "You guys scheduled a shower tonight?" The two Pegasi nodded, "Yeah, a nightly shower. The race today ruined the grass around town, so we got to help it regrow, and the sooner the better." We watched them go, along with a lot of other Pegasi. The rest of us just watched. "I wonder what it would be like to fly," I whispered. "Twilight can give you wings. Once, a long time ago she gave Rarity these beautiful wings. Too bad she flew too close to the sun," Amethyst replied. "What happened?" "They melted, apparently. To this day Rarity will not leave the ground without a significant amount of convincing," Amethyst laughed, "Maybe some day you can go visit Cloudsdale, but I wouldn't recommend using the wings. Just get the Cloud-Walk spell cast on you." "Cloud-Walk?" "Yeah, so that you can walk on the clouds. Twilight taught that spell to me. It's a little complex, but I've practiced it enough times now." "Walk on clouds?" I asked, my eyes growing wider. "Yeah, like all Pegasi," Lavender said, looking at me funnily, "You do know that Pegasi can walk on clouds, right?" Ah! That's how they manipulate the clouds! I'm such an idiot. "Of course!" As we approached Sweet Apple Acres, I noticed that a large line had formed in front of it. "Have you tried the Sweet Apple Cider? It's the best in all of Equestria!" Lavenderhoof barked at me. "Was it that delectable cider I had at my welcome party?" "Yeah! Isn't it great, but nothing beats fresh cider," And she instantly got in line. "I've got to do a few errands. It was a pleasure to meet you, Forest. I will see you around," Amethyst walked off. Lavenderhoof and I stayed in line for a while. Strangely, though, we were the last Ponies, all the others had gone on ahead. As the line grew shorter, I noticed that only Big Mac was manning the cider sales. Granny was on the porch with her eyes closed, perhaps sleeping some more. "Hello, Big Mac," Lavenderhoof leaned forward and gave him a wink, "How's Cheerilee?" Big Mac blushed, "Fine." "When are you going to ask her the big question?" Big Mac's face turned a shade darker, "Soon." "Aw. So sweet!" Big Mac looked at me, I could tell from his expression that he needed rescuing of some sort, "Who is Cheerilee?" "She teaches young Fillies and Colts at the school," Lavenderhoof said, "And Big Mac has had a crunch on her for years now, right?" "Eeyup," Big Mac said barely audibly. What is up with these Ponies and being unable to communicate their feelings? Granted, the other being I knew that was shy was a Dragon and not a Pony, but the principle was the same. You've got to tell the lucky lady your feelings! "Well, let's go," Lavenderhoof took two steps before noticing that I wasn't following, "Aren't you coming?" "Well, I live here. For now at least," I said. "Oh yeah! I forgot. But are you coming to..." We were interrupted by Applebloom, she had tears in her eyes, "What's wrong?" Applebloom tried to answer us, between her sniffles, "Brian... is... sick... he's..." That was as far as she got before she pushed past us and ran straight to Granny Smith, instantly seizing her in an embrace. Without thinking, I turned and headed towards the hospital. When I got there, a large crowd had gathered outside the main entrance. The Pegasi had started the rains by now, as per schedule, so the Ponies outside all had their umbrellas open and some were wearing raincoats. "What's going on?" I asked a random Pony. "I'm not sure. I came here and there already was a large crowd," The Stallion confessed, "But from what I hear the Princess is in there." It was then that it hit me! The Princess never showed up at the race! I had got so carried away with my victory that I completely forgot about my resolution to allow the Princess to do her magic-scan on me. She was now in the hospital - well, maybe inside the hospital. For what reason, I did not know. The rain poured down hard, and practically all the Ponies fled the torrents, heading for cover, but I stayed. I stayed and I watched. Waiting. Not sure how long I was out there for, but it was after the rains had stopped before anypony was allowed into the hospital that was not an emergency. I started to walk up the stairs towards the hospital when I heard a familiar voice coming from just outside the entrance. I was about to say hello, when I realized they were talking about me. I ducked behind a large bush before I was spotted. "... I'm not saying that he's bad, I'm just worried." That was Twilight's voice. "Well, he's agreed to allow the Princess to scan him. I really doubt he'd be willin' if he was hidin' something." Good ol' Applejack, coming to my rescue! "I don't care if he's a human! Forest is nice. I like him." I blushed. It was Pinkie. "I know you like him, Pinkie. But we don't know what his intentions are." "I trust him." "How can you trust him, Applejack?" "Because... I just can!" Applejack replied defensively, "He's honorable." "What do you mean by 'he's honorable'?" Applejack did not respond. "It's because Pinkie has stayed the night at Forest's place and he hasn't done anything to her," Rarity's voice suddenly made itself clear. This was bad. Very bad. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be hearing this. "What?" Twilight shouted in shock, "How could you let her do that?" "But Forest's done nothin'!" Applejack replied. "Yeah! Wait, what's he supposed to do?" Pinkie asked. There was an uncomfortable silence. "Why is it that every time I ask that question, you guys become as silent as statues?" "It ain't easy to explain, Pinkie," Applejack mumbled. "So explain it! How am I supposed to know what he's supposed to not do if I don't know what he's not doing in the first place to not to?" Rarity let out a loud sigh, "Pinkie, let me talk to you for a moment." I heard the two of them move further away from me, obviously Rarity had taken Pinkie aside for a few minutes. "He does what? Ew! Ew, ew, ew, ew! Nuh-uh! Forest has never done that! He would never do that!" "How do you know he would never do that?" Twilight asked. "Because... it's Forest. He would never hurt me." My heart broke. I've never heard anything so beautiful in my life. "See, Twi? Give him a chance." "Fine. I just hope this doesn't turn out like that time at my brother's wedding. Remember how that went when none of you listened to me?" There was only silence in response. "So, who's on Fluttershy-watch tonight?" Applejack asked. "I'll go," Pinkie offered. "No, Pinkie, I'll go. The last time you went, you made Fluttershy worse," Rarity replied, "She's finally coming around to accepting the inevitable. It will take a delicate hoof to help her. Sadly, it won't be long now." "I'll stay here at the hospital," Twilight stated, "Princess Celestia..." Their voices trailed off as they walked away, so I couldn't hear what they were saying about the Princess. With the coast now clear, I moved out from my hiding spot and headed home making sure to stay out of sight. Walking into my little house, I was exhausted that I didn't even bother pulling the sofa-bed out, and collapsed on it. My eyes saw the laptop hanging behind the door, "Did you see my race?" I asked. No answer. Shrugging, I just drifted off to sleep, wondering about many things, but the most forefront of those thoughts was now Princess Celestia and her ability to find out if I was human or not. And Pinkie's words. Because... it's Forest. He would never hurt me. "Thank you, Pinkie," I whispered out loud, "Thank you."