“Mommy, mommy look! There’s Ponyville!” a young filly yelled who was practically glued to the window of a train cart.
The yell snapped Wild Soul out of his thoughts and his ears perked up. When he focused on the sight in the distance, he saw a town full of humble but stylish buildings. A smile rose upon his face and he turned to look at Noble sleeping next to him. “Hey, Noble.” he said and gently shook his friend awake. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Huh, wha…?” Noble let out a big yawn and rubbed his eyes, then stretched his forelegs. “Already? How long was I asleep?”
Soul turned his attention back at the town in the horizon. “Felt like forever. My stomach was twisting in knots like a coil of rope....”
Noble yawned once more and sat up straight on his seat, and looked out of the window. “So that’s Ponyville?” His eyes widened as he got grew more alert and got a better view of it and a smile rose upon his face. “Wow, it looks great!”
The unicorn inched to the side to allow Noble to look out the window. “It’s a bigger place than I expected.” He turned to look at Noble who was rubbing an eye again. “Still tired, by the way? You didn’t sleep that long.”
One more yawn escaped Noble’s mouth and he fell back on his seat. “Yes, still tired. I’ve been so excited for this trip that I couldn’t sleep last night. All I thought about was how I could finally leave Canterlot behind, even if I will miss some of the memories.”
Soul let out a little laugh and leaned against the window frame. “Well, luckily we get off this train soon and you can go and take a nap or something.”
Noble laughed too and looked at the Ponyville again.“That is a possibility. You will probably meet with Rarity right away, right?”
“Yes, she said she’ll be waiting for me at the train station, and from there she will take me to and introduce me to her Boutique.” The unicorn nodded smiling as he looked out the window, enjoying the approaching town’s look.
Noble’s eyes bulged and he spoke up with an overly corny tone. “Wait, what about me? Are you just going to leave me somewhere sleeping on a bench?!”
Soul lowered his eyelids halfway down his eyes putting on a serious, sophisticated face and placed a hoof on his chest. “Yep, that’s exactly right. I will come to get you at some point when I can.” A laugh escaped Soul’s mouth and he swiped his hoof forward. “Just kidding, I suppose Rarity doesn’t have anything against it if you come with us.”
Noble let out a little laugh himself. “Thank you, but I think it would be better if I begin searching for a job as soon as possible, most likely as soon as we get there.”
“Whatever you see fit. Do---” Soul was cut off mid sentence by an announcement stating that the train would arrive in Ponyville shortly. All the passengers began taking their luggage off the racks. Soul and Noble did so too, though all they had for now was saddlebags. After taking them down, they walked over to the train car door before Soul spoke again, “Anyway, do you have something in your mind already?”
There was a brief moment of silence before Noble spoke again, “No… I figured I would just go around and ask for a job. That’s how I got one in Canterlot.”
A bell started to ring and the train’s pace started to slow down. Finally, they had arrived. The doors opened and passengers started walking off of the train. There they stood, in the quaint station of Ponyville.
Soul looked around at the ponies around them, with a wide grin upon his face he looked forward into the station opening. “Hello Ponyville,” he whispered to himself.
The very first thing Noble did was take a deep and slow breath, breathing in the fresh, sweet countryside air, before letting it out peacefully. “Yes… This is the smell of fresh air and new beginnings.”
“And smoke,” Soul added holding his muzzle and they started to walk towards the building nearby, while he constantly scanned the groups of ponies. “No sign of her yet. I guess we’re a bit ahead of time.”
As they arrived to the building, they sat on a bench under a window. Noble looked at his friend with a sly smirk while squinting and sliding his eyes to the side. “Maybe she stood you up?”
Soul untied his saddleback and laid it on the ground. His eyebrows dropped and he put on a grin. “She would get a pretty bad reputation if she did that.”
Noble let out a slightly forced chuckle. “Of course, I’m just kidding, buddy.” He then untied his own saddlebag as well and watched the ponies go by. “But don’t you think this place seems amazing?”
Soul turned to look at the tan earth pony and let out a little laugh as he scrunched his eyebrows. “Um… We’ve only been here a few minutes and have only seen the station. You can’t say something like that yet.”
“Sorry,” Noble murmured, he shrunk down a little and rubbed the back of his head closing his eyes with a typical wide, overly dramatic smile.
Soul rolled his eyes with a smile and just watched the ponies go by like Noble. After a brief moment of waiting, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, followed by a calm but elegant voice.
“Wild Soul!” the voice chanted.
When the pale stallion turned around, there was a pleasant sight waiting for him. He immediately stood up and stretched his hoof halfway between them. “Rarity,” he said with assured tone. “ It’s pleasant to see you again.”
Her lips parting into wider smile, Rarity extended her hoof and lightly shook with Soul, bending her legs in a curtsey like fashion. “Likewise. My my, those three weeks went by much quicker than I thought they would.”
“They sure did.” Soul didn’t exactly follow the mare’s lead with bowing, but simply gave her a nod.
Releasing Soul’s hoof she offered it to Noble with a pleasant glimmer of a smile. “And Noble, it is a pleasure to see you too. You must be thrilled to finally be here, no?”
The earth pony tilted his head to the side at the slightly formal greeting, he reached his hoof out facing up and took her hoof from below and he even gave bow. “Hello there, Rarity. I couldn’t be any more thrilled.”
As the ponies rose and finished the greetings Soul looked around, craning his neck to see as far as he possibly could. “So… this is Ponyville.”
“Oh right, my goodness where are my manners?” She said while holding a hoof on her forehead, tilting it back with her elbow out dramatically. Rarity dropped her hoof and turned around, spreading a leg out to the side. “I warmly welcome you to my humble hometown! Things are quite a bit different here but you will adapt eventually.”
Narrowing his lips as he stood silently for a moment, looking over the town.
The mare had a wide smile on her face, though it which started to become a bit more of a struggle as Soul face was carving into her mind, a drip of nervous sweat forming on her forehead. Was he disappointed?
Soul finally opened his mouth. “Yep, back to Canterlot…” He turned around to face the train again and began to take a step forward.
Jumping at the exclamation and performing a speedy about haise, wide eyed and on his toes he exclaimed, “Wait, what?!”
Rarity’s heart also jumped to her throat.
“Kidding kidding,” Soul reassured as he turned around to face the town again. “How did things look at the apartment?”
The mare gave a very awkward laugh and swiped the sweat off her forehead, fixing her posture. “Oh the movers arrived just in time. I took the liberty of directing them in placing some larger pieces of furniture in places I thought they would look well in, but I didn’t touch the boxes. And of course I have your keys.”
Soul nodded and gave a smile. “Excellent, thank you for all the help.”
Rarity raised a hoof. “Don’t mention it, I am happy to help,” she chanted with a smile and looked toward the town though she turned back again, this time looking at the earth pony.. “Oh, Noble, will you be coming to see my Boutique too?”
Noble took a step back and shook his head, raising a hoof between them. “Thank you for the offer Rarity, but I’ve already planned to go out searching for a job. I’m hoping to find one as soon as possible. I’m sure I won’t get one today, but… if the word about a stallion searching for a job spreads, maybe it would reach somepony who needs some work done.”
“I completely understand.” The stylish mare nodded feeling better. She had been wanting to test Soul’s knowledge of artistry more and had hoped Noble would not feel left out as she focussed on Soul and this was a big relief for her. “I’m quite sure you will find a job in no time. Here in Ponyville, earth ponies are an important part of our income, so the fact you’re an earth pony is actually an advantage.”
“We’ll see how things will turn out.” Noble took a few steps forward and turned his head back towards the duo. “I think I’ll head off to search for that job now so you two can proceed with Soul’s education.”
While in mid wave Soul stopped and lifted an arm up, shouting to Noble before he had a chance to take off, “Wait, where should we meet up when we’re both done? Rarity has to guide us to our apartment and well, when I look at this town, everything looks pretty much the same for a newcomer. I mean you’ve got an incredible sense of direction, but me...”
Noble halted and furrowed his brow, looking at the ground and turned one corner of his lip up as he scratched the side of his head. “Oh, true… and thank you.”
With her head held high and eyes closed Rarity chimed in, “Excuse me, but don’t you think my Botique would do just fine?.”
“Maybe, but how hard is it to find?” Soul said with his eyes transfixed on the artisan.
Giving a look about to ensure both stallions were listening before she continued. “Oh it’s fairly easy to find indeed. it’s one of the most unique and artistically enhanced building in Ponyville. If you need further detail look for a round two story home that simply screams, devine.”
“Umm, sure... that sounds good to me.” Noble closed his eyes and recited the name a few more time, trying to cement it in his memory. “Carousel Boutique, Right?”
“The boutique it is.” Soul nodded in agreement. “So… is this all for now?”
“Well, before you go, you might want one of these,” Rarity said with a giggle and lit her horn, taking off two keys from a thin necklace she had. She gave both stallions their own keys. “There we go. That’s all I think.”
“Oh right, thank you very much,” Noble said with a nod and then put the key into his saddleback. He turned to look at Soul. ”I’ll be on my way then. I’ll see you later buddy,” he said with a smile and extended a hoof before going.
Soul clopped hooves with his friend. “Right. Don’t fall asleep or anything.”
Letting out a laugh, Noble jumped off the edge of the station and gave a final wave to the two before heading into the town.
After they waved and saw Noble drifting out of sight, Rarity and Soul started proceeding towards the other stairway of the station, her head raised and a big smile on her face. “How were things at Canterlot Spectrum when you left? I hope you came here in high spirits.”
“No worries, I’m one hundred percently functional. Or at least ninety-nine if not hundred.” He gave a stretch as they moved on, slowing down for just a moment before jolting forward to walk next to the mare. “And well, let’s just say change is always better than loss.”
“I believe I understand what you are trying to say.” Now that they were alone Rarity looked the stallion up and down, giving a little pout that made her flip her head up to cast her mane upward out of her field of vision once more. “Oh and I also happened to notice that you’ve drastically lightened your ensemble… What happened to the red jacket, collar and tie?”
Soul started rubbing his neck and gave the mare a small grin while lightly scrunching his inward. “This might sound funny, but I consider those being my Canterlot identity. Canterlot exclusive if you may,” he explained with a small laugh. “I want to develop something new for Ponyville so for now, my coat is all I’ve got.”
“No that’s not ‘funny’ at all!” Rarity chanted and extended her hoof reaching for Soul’s shoulder. “I completely understand that mindset. I always wear something if I feel like the situation needs it, so it’s not hard for me to understand if somepony claims one style for one city.”
Soul jumped back as soon as the faintest sensation of a hoof on his shoulder registered in his mind, leaving Rarity to lower her hoof. “Y-Yep, well that’s me for you then,” he said and shifted his attention to their environment. “Though when I look at these ponies, I can see they don’t exactly wear anything around here… So, I suppose something subtle would fit.”
“Like a necklace?” Rarity said as her eyes were now purely focused on the gem Soul had hanging around his neck. “I’ve been watching that gorgeous piece of jewelry for a while now. I absolutely must ask where you found such a piece?”
Soul touched the necklace with his hoof giving a small warm smile. “Oh this. It was a farewell gift from a friend and co-worker. You see, she’s a very skillful mineral artist who can craft basically almost anything out of blocks of minerals. She even runs her own small business on the side.”
“Oh my, she sure doesn’t seem to be an amateur!” She stopped, leaving Soul with no option but to stop as well and let Rarity look closer at the amulet. Rarity simply looked closely at the necklace, not wanting to reach for it, for an obvious reason. “Does that gem happen to be topaz?”
The stallion shook his head and put a hoof under the necklace, lifting it up to give Rarity a better view. “Actually, she told me it’s a citrine. According to her It’s said to protect from bad thoughts.”
“Very interesting. If I ever get a chance to meet this friend of yours, I might want to try some co-operation projects with her.” She placed a hoof to her cheek and sighed, leaning into her hoof as she imagined the possibilities.
Soul couldn’t help but quietly let out a laugh at the irony as he thought of Mineral’s mindset of fashion designers. “Good luck with that.”
“Excuse me?” The laugh had broken through Rarity’s day dream and sparked her attention.
“Ah, nevermind.” He covered his mouth and was finished laughing. He switched gears standing slightly straighter and taller. “Anyway, we’ve talked about how you want to pretty much just introduce me to your boutique today. Is that still the plan?”
“Pretty much, though I might want to ask your help with moving a few things,” She spoke in a softer more pleasant tone and began to walk again.
Soul raised his eyebrows and put on a grin, galloping a few steps before returning to his usual pace beside her. “Putting your new slave to work immediately after all, huh?”
Rarity’s eyes bulged in terror when those words reached her ears, she leaned towards the pale stallion and waved her hoof wildly. “Oh heavens, of course not. I would never dream of such a thing."
“Why not? Just put some chains on me and be hush about it. Embrace the opportunity and I was looking forward to the chains you know.”
The mare leaned away and pulled a hoof to her chest and looked around to ensure no one was around to hear their conversation. “Did you... not sleep well or something…?“
Soul instantly gave the mare a quick glance but turned away from her to look down the path they were walking on and frowned. “Yeah umm that was awkward… Very awkward, forget what I just said...”
Rarity stood there wide eyed in silence for a moment as Soul passed. She turned her head to the side and opened her mouth with a hoof raised in the air toward Soul but she still could not speak and finally just dropped her hoof and began walking again, giving her head a shake.
When they approached a bridge, a strange smell caught their noses. Soul looked forward and saw black smoke rising from the other side of it. The sight of it makes him slow down the pace and his ears dropped behind his head.. “I-Is it just me or is somepony setting up a campfire...?”
“Oh Celestia, my sister and her friends are probably trying to send smoke signals to one another again. Oh what will they not try in order to get their cutie marks?” Rarity picked up the pace a bit and her eyes were growing wider as her eyebrows grew further apart.
Noticing that the pace picked up Soul began to move quicker just a step behind Rarity, though he had brought a hoof to cover his muzzle, his eyes locked onto the smoke. “Little sister?”
Rarity nodded. “Yes... Our parents happen to be active travelers, so she stays with me frequently. I swear for the love of my passion for fashion, if there is a black spot in my yard she will... Ugh, I don’t even dare to say!”
As the ponies scurried ever closer to the Boutique the smoke grew larger and their pace quickened. They ran around the Boutique but what they saw brought a look of sheer terror to Rarity’s face followed by a loud scream. Her eyes grew wide pupils dilated. “W-Wh-What in Equestria is happening here?! What has Sweetie Belle done?!”
When the mare finally stopped Soul caught up, he saw huge, not to mention brutal flames bursting from a window. His eyes grew wide while the flames danced before him while he froze. His heart started to beat rapidly and cold sweat started dripping on his forehead while his breathing was growing unnaturally frequent. “W-Wow, dang… Your house is on fire.”
“You don’t say and is that really all you have to say and the reaction you can muster for this situation?!” Rarity yelled as she gave the stallion a piercing glare. In an instant the mare bolted for the front door.
“W-Wait, what are you going doing? You can’t just run inside and dive into the flames!” Soul’s eyes were still wide open and he tried to rush after Rarity, but as he took off he felt something like a snap in his head making him nauseous and he was wobbling as he tramped behind her.
Rarity stopped and makes a quick one-eighty. “Well stay outside then!” She puffs out her chest and put a hoof on it like some overly dramatic soldier. “This is not the cruel way it ends for my sister!”
“I-I know but… Those flames are brutal! You still need some way to put the flames out or protect yourself--” Soul was cut off mid-sentence when the door behind them swung open and a filly ran out of Rarity’s boutique with extremely heavy looking bag behind her.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity yelled and ran over to her sister, grabbing her into her arms and squeezing her like a plush toy. “Oh heavens you scared me half to death, I had feared that the worst had happened to you! Are you alright, you aren’t burned are you?” She leaned her body around tilting the filly's head to the sides as she examined here for burns.
Sweetie Belle was sniffling holding back tears as she shouted. “Rarity, I didn’t expect you to be back so soon, I---”
“Phew! You sound healthy!” Giving a sigh of relief and hugging her sister away then pulling her away from the door Rarity quickly let go and spoke up in a harsh brittle tone. “Sweetie Belle, what in the name of Equestria have you done!”
Sweetie Belle hugged Rarity back and pulled the bag back toward her out of the doorway still sniffling but her eyes opening into a glare as Rarity scolds her. “Can’t we leave that for later, big sis! I-I managed to gather some of our most important things b-but I can’t find Opal anywhere and I know she’s still inside!”
“W-What…?!” Rarity drew her neck back as her eyes grew wide open, her other eye twitching. Without saying a word, the mare rushed inside.
Ruffling his mane and stopping to hold the back of his head, Soul immediately reached for the mare as she ran through the doorway. “Rarity, wait!”
His voice didn’t reach her at all and for a brief moment he just stood there shaking, looking back and forth between Sweetie Belle and inside the boutique. He bit his forehooves as he looked, his legs shaking slightly and heart ramming against his chest so hard it felt like it’s going to burst right through. In the end he ended up just clenching his teeth and run inside after her.
“I’m Sweetie Belle by the way!” the filly called to Soul, then looked left and right and slowly proceeded to walk backwards.
Soul didn’t have time to take in the introduction, he made his way over in the direction Rarity headed in and when he reached near the kitchen, he saw Rarity standing there not too far away from the flames holding a hoof on her forehead.
The mare’s voice was high pitched and barely audible as she held her cheek then moved her hoof next to her mouth to focus her voice. “Opal! Opal try to be brave little kitty, mommy promises to get you out of there!”
The cold sweat started forming on Soul’s forehead again and he backed off a couple steps, his ears drooped. “W-Wait there’s a cat in there?”
Rarity’s voice was beginning to crack as she cried out in high pitched cries. “She is meowing in there but I can’t get close enough to see where she is!” Rarity turned back to face the kitchen, stretching her neck. “Opal darling, please just hang in there, I will come up with something!”
“I-I could... “ Soul couldn’t finish when he started holding his head again, his body gently collapsing against the wall. He couldn’t maintain his balance anymore.
Rarity heard the bang and turned and saw the stallion leaning against the wall and quickly reached out and put a hoof on his shoulder, her eyes still beginning to water as she looked at the fire then back at Soul. “Soul? What’s wrong with you?”
Soul closed his eyes and grabbed his stomach as a sharp pain shot through it and his head span. “I-I’ve never been good around even small fires… Just the smell of smoke twists my stomach and seeing flames bigger than a candle makes my head and body feel like mash...”
Rarity quickly gasped and got next to him. “Pyrophobia---” Looking at the flames as they grew she took his outermost foreleg and draped it over her back in order to pull him to his feet.
Reaching up and holding his mouth with his other forehoof the stallion called, “D-Don’t worry about it now, we need to get you close enough to that opening and I might have an idea how. I just hope I remember how to do it...” He pulled away and put his weight back down on his own four legs and closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, lifting up his horn. His orange magic quickly started expelling a blue aura from the tip of his horn that swirled around Rarity.
The moment it did, it caused the mare to squeak as icy waves ran through her entire body, her eyes bulging and teeth clenching. “S-So chilly all of the sudden! W-What did you do?”
Soul focused on continuing the spell and keeping it as cool as possible. “That’s just a first aid spell to cool down swelling that I learned years ago, but I’ve applied it around your whole body. With that you can get---”
“Get close enough to the flames and levitate Opal away!” Rarity exclaimed her eyes widened again and this time her lips turned upwards. ”Oh you are a lifesaver!” The mare immediately bolted right next to the flames without feeling the slightest bit of heat from them. As the flames drifted closer to her they puffed and hissed as they were extinguished.
It was hard for her to see in the kitchen through the waves but she managed to spot her cat right on top of a shelf where flames hadn’t reached yet. Rarity’s horn lit and magic surrounded Opal, lifting her from the shelf and although she tried to cling on it with her claws, Rarity managed to pull her off and levitate her to safety along the ceiling only lowering her when she was close to Rarity and quickly jolted away from the door where the flames had been pushed back.
“Opal oh my goodness are you alright mommy’s little darling? You’re in safe hooves now!” After the quick reunion Rarity trotted over to Soul who looked worse than just a moment ago. It was good he wasn’t collapsing right there. Rarity put her hoof on the stallion’s shoulder and lowered her head to look him in the eyes. “Come Soul, let’s hurry! Can you walk?”
The touch gave Soul a spark which caused him to wince and jump off the wall and reach of her hoof, though it didn’t make him to feel any less out of it. He could barely see through his blurred vision. He simply nodded and started wobbled his way out of the boutique.
Rarity followed behind making sure he wouldn’t fall and eventually they managed to get out of the building with lots of coughing even though they held their muzzles and had their heads lowered. Soul ran away from the building for a ways still holding his muzzle.
“Rarity!!” Sweetie Belle yelled as she trotted over to her sister, panting. “Is Opal alright?! Please tell me she is!”
The mare let out a big and deep sigh of relief and sat down. She felt a sharp pain on her back and looked back to see Opal standing up straight, a little dark with ash in her fur and shaking. Rarity winced and reached back to pet Opal but received a scratch instead.
Opal then lept off her back and walked away out of reach, laying down in the grass and patting at it’s tail to knock soot off. “She will be traumatized for life the poor thing, but otherwise she is perfectly fine.”
“Oh that’s a relief! ...I guess...” Sweetie Belle turned toward the cat and took a few steps toward it extending a hoof. “I’m so sorry Opal, this is all my fault…”
As the filly’s hoof reached for Opal, the cat sprung up and hissed at her extending a paw with claws out that caused Sweetie Belle to run and hide behind her sister, peering around to look at Opal who layed back down.
Rarity put a hoof on her sister’s head and walked around to face her before speaking. “Now, that everyone is safe I’m fairly comfortable saying; Opal is right, it is your fault! What in the name of Equestria were you thinking?! I’ve told you dozens of times not to cook by yourself!” Rarity scolded and huffed, standing tall and being firm. She put a hoof over her heart. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you! Do you even realize how dear you are to me? And I won't even get started on the appalling mess you have made of my kitchen!”
The filly hung her head and looked up with teary eyes as she was scolded. “I’m so sorry Rarity! I… I just wanted to surprise you by making lunch for you and your new apprentice and it just got out of hoof…” She quickly lifted her head up and explained, “But don’t worry! Scootaloo was here helping me and immediately when we noticed the fire, she---”
“Sweetie Belle!” A voice called from the distance where a young orange filly riding on a scooter approached at high speed gritting her teeth and flapping her wings as hard as she could.
Sweetie Belle jumped up and down, extending a hoof toward her friend.“Finally! They’re here!”
Scootaloo pulled back on the brakes and stopped right in front of the sisters and stood straight up supporting herself with her handlebars to give Sweetie Belle a salute. “Mission accomplished! Operation Flame Slayer has been ignited!”
“What are you talking about darling…?” As Rarity shielded her eyes amd looked up into the sky through the horizon, her eyes were greeted with the sight of a group of pegasi in formation pushing a huge rain cloud towards the boutique.
“That fire is as good as gone!” Scootaloo said extending a hoof up to the sky, though her attention was captured by Soul who was sitting by the stream. “By the way, who is that guy over there? Is he confessing his love for a river?” she said pointing at the stallion who was holding his chest.
Soul’s ears twitched at the comment, indicating he could still hear regardless of the distance. Although he didn’t look back and continued staring at the river and continued to breath deeply while holding his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He just shook his head and grinned, pretending he didn’t hear it.
Before any of them had a chance to speak, a loud voice rang from above. “Alright everypony; let’s get those clouds just in front of the window, Alpha team you go and blow the rain in the window with me, Bravo team make it pour! Break!”
Once the mare shouted out the order the pegasi broke off and began pushing the rain into the window, taming the flames. Just as the filly said the pegasi got the fire under control quickly, as soon as the window was clear the ponies kicking the cloud stopped and the leader ran up and took a piece of the cloud and flew into the house followed by the other pegasi that followed her lead.
Rarity and the two fillies sat in awe as they listened to the last of the flames hiss and become extinguished.
Soul wiped his mouth and looked back. He still felt nauseous but could not look away from the teamwork and technique that went into putting out the fire.
When there was nothing else but smoke left, the pegasi all emerged from the house followed by their leader who called out, “Thanks a lot everypony, awesome job! Can you guys take the cloud back for me? I think I have explanations to hear and gratitude to collect.”
As the formation pushed the cloud off back toward the horizon the lead pegassi soured through the air performing a barrel roll and made a circle around the sun before stopping right in the center of it. All of the ponies on the ground looked up at the pony that was hovering just in front of the sun causing her body to become a silhouette. “I would go and say that was awesome but I suppose this isn’t the right time--- Awe who am I kidding I can’t hold back, that was awesome!”