Equestria Quest

by Iwano Imagination

Chapter 17: Just Being a Pony

Iwano, you have gained Laughter. I am so proud of you. However, I am afraid to say that your quest is still a long way to go, such as Twilight’s path to her unknown worthiness. It was a harsh battle you had with Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, who was corrupted by your magic—Dissonance’s magic, rather. It would have been worst if Dissonance took you over that time. I felt it from here, and it was very dark. I hope you learned from that gruesome experience, Iwano. You can show your true self now after all that. Do not be afraid to show your true colors. Loyalty and Laughter are actually the only ones you have obtained. Show your true colors, Iwano…
I had a slight headache. I gave out a loud yawn and stretched my forelegs out. Who was that anyway? I sat up.

When my vision cleared, I found myself in bed inside a room with blue walls, a window on my left, and a window with curtains covering it on my left, a table with chair on my north, and a door on my right.

The whole place was dim I could barely see any light switch, so I used my magic to open the window’s curtains. Suddenly, I remembered I could switch my vision into nocturnal.

It was revealed to be morning, and I realized today was Thursday—two days left before my deadline. I was running out of time, maybe.

“Where am I?” I asked myself as I looked around. “This ain’t Ponyville’s hospital for sure. Whose home am I in—ouch!”

My neck sharply ached. When I touched it, it was wrapped in bandages. I looked under my white blanket and touched my whole body, including my wings. I sighed. Only the parts Pinkamena wounded were bandaged.

Questions reeled in my mind. My hind hooves were tingling, which meant I was either excited or worried. I was definitely worried. At least I had Loyalty and Laughter. Ugh, that wasn’t enough. I thought I should do something to cool my anxiety.

Wherever my saddlebag was, I was very glad my magic returned, because I just teleported it right in front of me.

“Ayo, my amazing saddlebag~!” I greeted and gave it a hug. I was somewhat attached to it because I thought it had everything—well, rather almost everything.

I levitated out a paper and quill, and began writing a letter—

Dear Cynthia,

I’ve only obtained Laughter and Loyalty, and I only have two days left. I want you to tell Vetrix to extend my time here for another week as soon as possible. I know this would drain his power heavily since Equestria was accessed by my Forbiddens, but I’m pleasing you as my faithful assistant to find any available options even if it’s small.

I promise to return soon in time for preparations against the Elementals, with new allies upon my missions.

Sincerely your Leader,
Iwano Imagination

I’d rolled the paper, stowed away my quill, opened this room’s window with magic, and had sent my letter in flames. After that I hid my saddlebag under this bed.

“Everything’s gonna be all right,” I said with a smile. “Even though things are currently probably dreadful for me, I’ll soon fix it somehow.”

Feeling hopeful? Maybe you should look at the truth about yourself instead…

I frowned. Why wasn’t I surprised?

“I expected you to shut up for another day or rather forever, Dissonance,” I grumbled. “What are you going to rant about now, your failure? That would be good news to me.”

He chuckled. Nay, I miss you, even if it was just a day. How’s my happy challenge doing? Is she dead?

“I don’t know and I’m still gonna—wait, your challenged?”

I knew I wouldn’t possess you for long, so I had to make a substitute to carry on my bidding, your torment. Pinkie Pie was perfect since you despised her, thus I zapped her upon choice.

“You were behind all this?” I demanded. “You knew all this would happen? You stupid son of a Stoutland!”

Calm down, at least not all that was entirely my fault. You contributed to Pinkie Pie’s transformation with your clones.

“But I was unknown that that was the Mirror Pond. This was all your fault!”

Hey! I wasn’t the one who confessed that I hated Pinkie Pie from the very beginning I watched the show, Iwano. And you know it, you fool.

I winced. “Just…leave me be, Dissonance. I beg of you, please.”

Aw, but I just wanna have a chat. You’re lonely. Fine, I’ll leave you alone. However, influences will be spreading, causing unexpected events to turn on you for better or worst. Technically mostly for the worst.

“Just shut up!!!”

Control your temper, Iwano. I might not be able to control you at this time, but my influences and your temper would do my job.

I breathed calmly. “Leave me be now.”

…Fine, Iwano. Good luck with the citizens of Ponyville.

Silence finally took place.

I heavily sighed as I slumped down. After that whole pandemonium in Ponyville, there’d be no doubt the citizens would blame me for everything, including damages I’d caused in my sugar rush.

Despite beautiful morning shining through the window, frankly the day would be all about the green Alicorn being cursed and disgusted by the town ponies. The best option would probably be staying inside this house’s room.

To top it up, seven Earth ponies were dead. Their loved ones would have the greatest hatred towards me. Pinkie Pie never deserved a punishment, for I should. Braeburn, Rose and Daisy still alive wouldn’t be enough to cheer me.

I felt my heart weighing itself with all those misdeeds I’d really done. I covered my eyes with my foreleg’s hooves in despair. Everything was irreparable.

The door opened before I was able to cry. The mare of my dreams came in along with her friends, except the one I’d corrupted.

“Good morning, Iwano,” Fluttershy greeted with a saddlebag on her. “We’re here to check on your conditions and exchange your bandages. How are you feeling?”

“My wounds hurt a little,” I admitted. “But I’m okay, and alive. Why am I not in Ponyville’s hospital?”

“Some rooms in the hospital were wrecked—thank goodness Zecora’s wasn’t affected—during the whole party mayhem which had spread even there,” Applejack replied. “So we brought you here ‘stead. You took a heck lot of yourself just to bring Pinkie back, Iwano. Braeburn told us the entire story. And boy, Pinkie was horrifying.”

“Do you like your gift, darling?” Rarity asked. “Everything was furnished as an old-fashioned, everyday home just like everypony’s in Ponyville.”

I didn’t know if it were my wounds she talked about so I asked, “What do you mean, Rarity?”

“This whole house was built only yesterday by the town’s construction workers upon requested by Pinkie Pie.”

I blinked. “What the hay? This whole house is a gift for me from her?!”

“Indeed. You have no idea how much she had spent her salary she had earned in Sugarcube Corner. Be thankful she was very sweet to a newcomer like you.”

I felt a nail hammered into my heart. I was too judgmental of the party pony’s character.

Did I…kill her?

“Iwano, is there something bothering you?” Twilight asked.

I blinked again. “Sorry, Twilight, it’s just that—uh, um…”

“It is okay, Iwano,” Fluttershy said. “Whatever is bothering you, we your friends can really help. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings.”

“Even if they’re mushy we’ll still listen,” Rainbow Dash added, and pulled her tongue out in disgust, and she was afloat as usual. What a tomboy.

Ignoring the blue pony, the yellow pony had tugged my heart into sharing my feelings. I did need to weigh down my shame and sadness.

I sighed before I began. “Everything that had happened in the town party and the near destruction was my fault, everypony. You girls didn’t need to say it wasn’t, because it was. Honestly, I didn’t wanna party in the first place because I felt something might go wrong, which it had, but Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich insisted. Nonetheless, everything was built up to that moment I’d insulted and told Pinkie Pie of how I’d felt about her. I hated your friend very much from the start, but that also meant I couldn’t accept Laughter until she was corrupted, which lead me to learn a lesson while fighting her. I like to take things seriously, by the way, meaning I wouldn’t kid around or join the fun. I rarely had fun in parties back in my kingdom, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d party.

“And then there’s my hyperactivity. Another reason why I wanted to avoid my party was because of the sweets. Unlike the sweetness of fruits, those kinds of sweets make me go twisted. I hated Pinkie Pie even more when her crane dropped a giant cake all over me, causing me to accidentally eat the sugar frostings.” I sighed heavily. “Perhaps I was just jealous of her happiness. All I wanted was quietness, but that also meant I was too shy, boring and asocial. I sorta understand Pinkie Pie now: Laughter just wants to make me happy. Your friend might be annoying, but she knew how to cheer somepony up. It was just that I was blind to realize that. I deserve to be hated by the citizens for I‘d hurt their jester of happiness. It was all because of me I’d turned her into a monster. I caused damage to the town, not her! I’d put ten good ponies on the line for me! This was my fault! I’d killed her!!!”

Before I knew it, I broke down in tears. My heart hurt so bad I just couldn’t control my emotions. My mistakes were almost too unbearable, especially this one.

My mouth had let my heart talk. It was like I wanted to get Pinkamena’s big knife and stab myself. I cursed myself in thought, a part of me knew this was Dissonance’s fault too, but I couldn’t help blaming myself for the whole thing. Sure my dark element had caused the start of the party pony’s corruption during the second phase of the Bolt Wing, but I should’ve prevented it further by being optimistic about my party.

Suddenly, I wrapped in the shy pony’s forelegs. I gasped out of my tears, and then blushed hard with warm breathing. I wanted to slap myself if this were a dream—no it wasn’t.

“Pinkie said hugs are always nice,” Fluttershy said as she released. Are you feeling better now?”

I slowly nodded with shocked eyes. “I guess so. Thanks for the hug, my sweet.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Um, what did you say—?”

I pretended to laugh and grinned. “It’s nothing, Fluttershy!”

“Oh! I almost forgot. I have to change your bandages.”

“Iwano, we understand how you feel about your mistakes,” Twilight said while Fluttershy unwrapped the bandages around my neck, which slightly made me blush. “Not all of it was entirely your fault. I’ve remembered and scanned the turn of events between you in semi-Dissonance state and Pinkie Pie. It was your dark element’s fault in the first place since he struck her during the awarding in the Bolt Wing that would trigger her to becoming a monster. Of course also some part of it was your fault, too, but you don’t need to feel very bad about it. You’ve learned your lesson, right?”

“Yes, I did learn my lesson,” I replied as Fluttershy wrapped a new bandage around my neck.

“Then that would give you hope that things will turn all right in the end.”

“Yeah, you don’t need to be that harsh, Green Wing,” Rainbow Dash said. “And you didn’t kill Pinkie. She’s resting in Sugarcube, and her injuries were bad as yours. You did have to pummel her hard just to bring her back, huh? Pretty hard core if you ask me.”

“Thank Celestia she’s alive,” I sighed. “That’s good new I’d like to hear, coach.”

“Yeah…And when there’s good news there’s always—”

“Bad news, I get it.”

“Are you reading my mind again? ‘Cause that’s gonna be pretty—”

“Annoying.”

“Okay, okay, here’s the bad news. Yeah, Pinkie’s okay. While everything was back to normal for Ponyville, Spitfire came and was very mad about the damages you’d caused in the academy.”

I frowned. “What a downer, coach. And I was already happy Pinkie Pie is alright. What did you do, huh?”

“Read my mind, Green Wing.”

I followed, and I was agape with widened eyes. “You revoked yourself as a full-fledged Wonderbolt just for me to keep my membership?!”

My coach shrugged. “Being a Wonderbolt has always been my dream, but being one for a few hours was fine. I still feel kinda bad for entering you in the Bolt Wing because I was supposed to humiliate you in the first place, so I want you to experience being a Wonderbolt just for me. Is that okay with you?”

I felt a bit ashamed. “Sacrificing your dream occupation just for the one who nearly destroyed the academy almost makes no sense to me, coach. But I promise to be a Wonderbolt just for you.”

“Hey, I’m also doing that because you’re cool. I hate to admit, but you were awesome in the Bolt Wing’s Ace Thunderbolt. So the best deserve the best, as long as they’re worthy. At least I was ranked down to the Wonderbolt Reserves—not far from being an official Wonderbolt again, you know?”

“Rainbow Dash, the best flier in Equestria, admitted Iwano is better than her,” Applejack said as she giggled.

“Hey, at least I’m honest, AJ—!”

“Wait a sec,” I snapped. “What do you mean when you said everything was back to normal for Ponyville, Rainbow Dash? I thought the whole town was a wreck.”

“It was,” Twilight said. “And I thought this had your magic all over it, because the whole town fixed itself when the chaos diminished immediately.”

“I couldn’t even believe it myself,” Rarity said. “It was literally in the blink of an eye when everything instantly repaired itself. The more surprising was that the ponies Pinkie Pie had killed were resurrected.”

My widened my eyes even more. “Did I hear that correctly? The seven dead ponies were resurrected?!”

“Which I also believe had your magic all over, Iwano,” Twilight said as she rubbed her chin in thought. “Experienced Alicorns do have powerful magic beyond my extent. Though I am one, I’m still developing it in my castle.”

I remembered something else important. “Where’s Luna?”

The girls exchanged nervous glances which unnerved me. I didn’t like that.

“Princess Luna sustained wounds deeper as yours when Braeburn and the other surviving rescuers brought Pinkie Pie, her, and you back to town. That time, the ones killed were back to life. She was sent back to Canterlot to be further treated back to health under Princess Celestia.”

I sighed. “Alright, despite all that, I’m worried about Ponyville’s citizens hating me. Are we in Ponyville?”

“We’re in Ponyville,” coach replied as Fluttershy finished my bandages. “And a tiny bit hated you, but mostly everypony are afraid of you.”

I was deep in thought. “I’ll have to do something about that myself.”

“Dude, you love going solo,” Rainbow Dash guessed.

“You can say that,” I admitted. “How can you tell? You have a feeling?”

“You read my mind again apparently, and yeah.”

“New bandages are now applied,” Fluttershy said. “Can you try moving, Iwano?”

I raised my forelegs up in a stretch. Next, I stretched my hind legs, but suddenly stopped in grunt of pain.

“Oh my, I guess your legs aren’t better yet.” Fluttershy rubbed them. “You should stay in bed a little longer. If you’re feeling well now, feel free to visit any of us.”

“Since you know us too well, you obviously know where we live, Iwano,” Twilight said.

I chuckled. “Fluttershy lives in a cottage near the Everfree Forest, Rainbow Dash lives in a cloud house in the sky near Ponyville by a small hill, Applejack lives in Sweet Apple Acres just outside town, Pinkie Pie lives in Sugarcube Corner, Rarity lives in the Carousel Boutique just near town square, and Twilight lives in the Golden Oak Library, though you visit your castle sometimes.”

“By the way, when you cracked your skull during the Talent Phase of the Bolt Wing, you somehow healed yourself. Why aren’t you doing it right now?”

“Good question, I just don’t know. It’s like my healing has a mind of its own in seldom times.”

“Well, we gotta go now, Green Wing,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll be busy doing stuff, like I have weather duty.”

“I’m making orders for Sapphire Shores and Fancy Pants,” Rarity added.

“I’m going to Pinkie to check on her,” Fluttershy added.

“Applebucking on my list of chores,” Applejack added.

“And it’s gonna Twilight Time soon for the girls,” the young princess added.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders,” I said in delight. “Those little fillies still under your tutelage, I see.”

“Not going to ask how you know our special Twilight Time, Iwano, but yes. Apple Bloom’s cousin Babs Seed is also joining, which would be more fun and appreciative for me to teach.”

I realized somepony was missing, besides Pinkie Pie. “Where’s Spike?”

The magenta pony gave out an annoyed look. “Spike’s looking out for Chrysalis and another newcomer in the library.”

“What newcomer? I thought I’m the only one new in town.”

“She’s unknown to me, even my books seems to have no answer to what kind of pony she is with so much tuff. If you’re fully well now, you can drop by the library and see if you know who this visitor is.”

Tuff? I thought. She sounds familiar with just that one word.

“Thanks for visiting me, girls,” I said. “And thank you for changing my bandages, Fluttershy. You are a kind pony, you little cutie.”

The Pegasus blushed and smiled. “I’m happy to help, Iwano.”

“Once you’re well, feel free to explore your gift before you enter Ponyville,” Rarity said as she waved her left foreleg in an arch. “This home you own is located on a hill leading a road down straight to Ponyville. Ta-ta, darling~!”

After they all bid me goodbye and closed the door, I did sharp brainstorming.

“Alright, the Mane Six all have stuff to do,” I said, “Everypony in Ponyville are mostly afraid of me, I now have a house so I need to keep it ‘living’, I need some stuff and food in this house, and I’ll have to be even friendlier in my true character. I think I only have one solution, which also involves socializing.”

I glanced at my watch—8:20 AM. I levitated out several blank fliers from my saddlebag under my new bed.

“I could never imagine such challenge that had been set upon Iwano Imagination, Luna,” Celestia said as she and her sister had a chat in the moon princess’s room. “But in the end, he had obtained thro the agony the Element of Laughter.”

“It was like a nightmare I could never control,” Luna said. She was heavily treated with bandages mostly on her back and her left hind leg covered in a cast. “Iwano’s dream in which I had entered had happened, and it was all over with collapsing success.”

Luna’s azure-colored room was wide and circular, with a domed roof decorated with stars, constellations—which provided light—and the phases of the moon chasing each other in a cycle. Cobalt walls were hung with shelves filled with books and picture frames whose appearances looked ancient yet remained visible and intact. The floor was tiled in a mosaic of the white full moon. At the center of the room was a circular cerulean bed where Luna was now with her elder sister sat down.

“I have no doubt Dissonance was behind all that game,” Luna spitefully said. “And I could not believe our mother had done to our most loyal and bold guards! But of course, she is a deity.”

“Indeed her power was beyond us, Luna,” Celestia agreed. “Fortunately, Shining Armor have casted a curse on dear Lauren, causing her to retreat for a long period of time. For now, rest easy for your duty I must temporarily take over.”

“Thank you, sister.” The night princess’s eyes were vacant as she stared at the pictures hanging on her walls. “Do you think our mother is actually trying to protect us all from him?”

“Iwano?” Deep in thought, the Celestia showed uncertainty in her face. “A part of me knew that Iwano must be helped from his evil power. Another part told me to surrender the newcomer to Lauren. Truly I want Twilight and her friends to guide him to something better. Still, don’t wish him to become a new threat as all the other foes we had encountered in the past.” This subject is uncomfortable, she thought. “Are you still bothered?”

“Bothered of what?”

“That dream you had a few moons ago.”

Luna scowled. “I do not wish to speak or remember that nightmare, dear sister. The thought of Iwano as that evil figure in my dream was too much to endure, despite that was actually Dissonance. Iwano and Dissonance…Are they but the same?”

“I don’t know,” Celestia admitted. “I am hoping to separate their individuality. Iwano I strongly believe is stronger than Dissonance after you have told me of his power last night. He was magnificent, as you said.”

Luna managed a smile. “Oh yes, he was. His oneness with the moon with his chains emitting such energy marveled me, and gave me newfound curiosity of who his identity. I also found his attacks beautiful under the moonlight’s rays, with eyne as brilliant as mine.”

“You seem to show some fascination towards him, and you said he called himself the ‘Prince of the Night’, is that correct? He might be entitled of that in his kingdom.” Celestia gave a curved smile. “You admire him, don’t you?”

Luna was moon-eyed as she blushed. “Not at all, dear sister! I still despise him for he was the cause of my nightmares!”

Celestia knitted her brows. “You still have nightmares of Iwano?”

Flames of Tartarus, Luna cursed in thought. She sighed and admitted, “Yes, I still have, but I still do not wish to speak of them. I have them almost every single time I have slept, and they torment me dream after dream. Standing against my nightmares of him is like Discord’s reign.”

“I understand.” Celestia rubbed Luna’s waving mane in comfort. “If you are curious of his identity, you can find something more to him through his dreamscape. I could use some more useful information besides from Twilight, though she didn’t send me any yet.”

“Despite in this condition, I am still able enter dreams via my magic.” Luna’s horn glowed and then faded.

“In the meantime under these circumstances, I’ve sent two Royal guards to Ponyville, Shining Armor will be preparing for a snowstorm in the empire, and Iwano’s process is still underway.” Celestia’s eyes turned to concern. “You still hold contempt towards him?”

Luna sighed. “Although he amazed me and the fact we must protect him from unknown harm, I do not find him trustworthy. A nightmare giver to the Princess of the Night is but a bane to lessons in dreams.”

“Hmm, can you look through deeper in him through his dreams? Surely you will find something more from his character, and you might find a friend, too.”

Luna thought for a minute. “I will see, sister, I promise. But I still loathe Iwano.”

Celestia showed gladness. “Thank you for—”

“You are welcome,” Luna snapped. “And I have not heard of my nickname in a thousand years now since…”

“I know, Lulu. I just thought perhaps calling you that again would comfort you in your state with soft memories.”

“Those soft memories have rough endings, Tia,” Lulu reminded grumblingly.

Hearing her nickname again, Celestia couldn’t help but feel a cheerful to her grumpy sister. “Look at the bright side of your moon, my sister. We must do our parts to prevent Iwano from becoming a new peril in Equestria—or Dissonance as a new threat.” Tia went down her Luna’s bed. “Sleep and rest, and let sweet dreams take place first before your nightmares.”

When Celestia left, the moon princess laid down on her back on her soft bed. She stared at her starry ceiling in thought of the green Alicorn. Shaking her head, she was confused of what to believe in about him—either him as good or evil. Tossing and turning, she couldn’t sleep because of those thoughts flying around her mind.

The princess held her left foreleg’s hoof up and said, “Iwano Imagination shows goodness and heroism who seeks help from the Elements of Harmony, and shows brilliance in the night.” She then raised her other hoof. “Iwano Imagination spreads an aura of influence that would attract to him harm and cause unknown hazard.”

She grumbled as she sat up, grabbed a pillow, and punched it as if it were the one she thought of. And then she lay down again as she pushed down unwanted feelings from her rapid-pumping heart.

“Luna, are you moonstruck of that ridiculous and evil Alicorn?” she asked herself. “That is such moonshine...” The princess remembered what she’d promised to Celestia. “I will give myself a chance wist Iwano clearly. My nightmares are already enough than him as a new foe. The Prince of the Night? Fie! How absurd! To know him I must—and must now to rest.”

Princess Luna finally slept, only to be drifted to her nightmares again of the green Alicorn.

Somepony knocked on my door as I was exploring my new house. Obviously somepony needed my assistance. When I came and opened my door, I was greeted by my first client.

“You must be Iwano Imagination, I assumed,” my customer said. “I’m—”

“Nurse Redheart, a nurse at Ponyville’s hospital,” I finished her introduction in simplicity. “You’re the first to ask for my services. Ayo, and how can I help?”

Nurse Redheart, as I’d mentioned, was a nurse in the town’s hospital. She was a light gray coated Earth mare with brilliant sapphire eyes and light amaranthish gray mane. Her cutie mark—a red cross with a pick heart in each corner—obviously made her what she was.

“I needed you to take care of a patient for me in the hospital while I run tests on her conditions. She can be bit ‘difficult’ to control, but you’ll get used to her in a few minutes, or so—or rather not, but you’ll do the job, won’t you?”

“Of course, nurse. Who is she?” I asked as I exited, closed the door of my home with the key I’d found in my kitchen table, and walked with Redheart on the way to the hospital.

“It’s best you’ll know later,” she replied. “Her name might want you to run away. How much is this gonna cost me?”

Why wouldn’t she tell? I’d find out later, I did like a mystery. “Medical duty for me would range from ten to twenty bits depending on the job,” I said.

“Honestly you’ll have a pretty tough time with her, so I’ll pay you twenty.”

When we went through the streets of Ponyville, some ponies were eyeing on me in anticipation as if I’d cause another disaster, which I’d certainly never again do. And some had my fliers that I had distributed via magic in just a few seconds. In truth, I felt embarrassed to be in public after everything yesterday, but just like what Chicken Little said: “Today is a new day”—everything would start anew with another chance for me.

That was why, I had a job. Well, I could say I had job of “multiple proportions”.

Arriving at Ponyville’s hospital, I remembered that Zecora was still in here. I wondered of how she was after chanted those mysterious lines back at the Tree of Harmony. I held worries for my favorite non-pony character. Perhaps I should do something for the zebra and Pinkie Pie later, right after I earned a good number of bits by the end of the day.

We went to the third floor by stairs (They didn’t have elevators, yeah) and arrived at room sixty-six. That number reminded of my ace Xyz Monster from the Yu-Gi-Oh world named “Number 66: Master Key Beetle”—a DARK Attribute, Insect-type Number Monster. I suddenly missed Dueling.

“Before I can get you in, she inside this room has ‘sticky hooves’,” Nurse Redheart warned. “Thus, you must leave your saddlebag with me first for safekeeping, Iwano.”

“Sorry, but I don’t wanna,” I said. “I’m not allowed to part away with my buddy here because it’s very important to me. I’m an Alicorn, Nurse Redheart. I can handle this ‘difficult’ mare, whoever she is.”

“Okay, if you insist. Just take care of her while I get a tranquilizer and serum for her for a few minutes.”

“Serum and tranquilizer? Why would this patient of yours need—?”

Before I could finish my question, Nurse Redheart shoved and locked me inside the room. “Hmph, how ‘difficult’ is this patient that made her shove me here without…Oh…”

When I turned, I yelped like a puppy, for the patient was a barking dog. She was an Earth mare plum-colored eyes, light blue coat, and had frizzy light gray mane. Her gritting teeth was gnarly and salivating like a waterfall as she was chained on the neck by the wall and wrapped up like a mental pony—she was a mental pony!

“No wonder why that nurse needed my help and shoved me in here without more info!” I exclaimed as I sat down watching the barking mare. “I’ve seen more mental mares in my home, Screwy, or Screwloose—whatever you’re named.”

It was a good thing Screwy was a pony, just barking crazily like an actual dog. If she were a real one, I’d scratch at the door behind me for escape crying for help.

Screwy first appeared in the episode Read It and Weep whereas she was chasing Rainbow Dash with the doctor and nurses. I laughed really hard just by the sight of that mental mare. But in person/pony, I was unamused.

“Are you just gonne keep barking all day until you lose your voice, Screwy?” I asked.

In reply, she stopped, and licked her right hind leg like a cat. Ugh, that was gross.

I thought for a second and decided to read her mind. When I did, all I could hear was crying. What?

“Why are you crying in the inside?” I approached her cautiously while showering myself with little slobber. There might something be wrong with her that these doctors and nurses didn’t understand.

Unexpectedly, I became the mental mare’s chew toy.

The chains weren’t that strong enough anymore to handle Screwy’s strength in some way that it broke. She lunged me to the white tiled floor on my back as she licked me from neck to forehead.

“Dang! Screwy, stop it!” I demanded. If she were Fluttershy, I’d allow without objection. Whatever was the reason why she cried in the inside, she needed help.

I realized while I was struggling to keep her aback with her sloppy tongue, she was reaching for my saddlebag, thus I shot up and stood on the ceiling. Funny, I felt like my friendly neighbor Spider-Man. Sticky hooves, Nurse Redheart was correct on that.

I forced my heart to calm down as I thought. I was very pleased my magic finally returned, as long as negative emotions were at bay in my mind and heart, which were now filled with urges to help the ponies in this town, especially this very harmless version of Pinkamena.

Screwy was wagging her tail as she was probably expecting me to come down, which I wouldn’t. She could pull anything out of my saddlebag, and her movement was unpredictable with shakings, twitching eyes and teeth madly gritting.

“Hey, Screwy!” I called grinningly. “Perhaps you need help. You’re in luck, ‘cause I’m the answer!”

I was crazy as Screwy, for I dropped myself upon the mental mare with my horn glowing.

“This prophecy is quite puzzling, Spike,” Twilight said as she paced around her library with a paper she levitated in front of her face. “Wait, more than that. I get what the first stanza’s two lines meant—Chrysalis returned, and Iwano is protecting her. However, the two others are very unclear like all the other five stanzas.”

“What do you expect from a prophecy, Twilight?” Spike asked while reading a flier. “Prophecies I know are very cloudy, unless it happens.”

“You’re right, Spike.”

The library’s tables were stacked with books, walls were labeled with research papers and stolen pictures of an Alicorn, three blackboards were chalked with equations and multiple hypotheses, and a diadem, saddlebag and a pair of winged-blades were set on a separate table from the rest. The princess wasn’t bothered by the floor messed with different colors of paper and scrolls for she was engrossed with that only white paper she was studying.

“Twilight, it’s just been several minutes since we came back from Iwano’s new home and instantly you’re totally stuck in all that research about him,” Spike said out of concern. “Maybe you should take a break or read a book unrelated to all that junk.”

“Junk? Junk?! JUNK?!” the princess exclaimed cantankerously, which flinched the assistant to drop his paper when Twilight eyed on him aggressively. “Spike, this is a prophecy Dissonance had left for us that contains future events of a disaster. If I’m able to decipher this, I might save hundreds, thousands, or millions in Equestria! Furthermore, Iwano is Dissonance as an innocent and helpless Alicorn, who would possibly be the center of all this mystery. I don’t trust Iwano despite the fact he inexplicably repaired all of Ponyville and its injured citizens, by the way. The items Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie each owned might have useful clues to Iwano’s magical abilities of what makes him unique. Everything about him is imperative that I must research to send info back to Princess Celestia. If you’re not that all concern for this whole subject, maybe I should throw you away outside like a piece of junk!. Now, any more questions?”

The dragon frantically shook.

“Good.” Twilight noticed the flier Spike dropped. “What’s that?” She levitated the paper unto her and read. “‘Iwano Imagination: The Friendly Alicorn. Ayo! I, Iwano Imagination, will offer service in any request or job in exchange for bits depending on the client’s subject. If interested, stamp your hoof/claw/paw on this flier, say your name, and this paper is gonna magically teleport to yours truly. This is to show my apology as the root for all the mess from my failed party with my kindness and generosity in exchange for your thanks as well. For more info, read at the back. Have a good day/night. Ayo and sincerely yours—Iwano Imagination’.”

“Pretty neat-o, right?” Spike asked enthusiastically. “If he’s an all powerful Alicorn, he’d definitely help the town with ease. I already asked for his service, and I saved that for you if you want.”

“This way, pony folks in town would find him friendlier and forget about all his negative background. It seems smart of him to thought of that.” Twilight suddenly remembered something. “Where are Chrysalis and that strange pony?”

“Wow, all that studying and research must had made you forgot all about them. They’re in the basement.”

“Good. I might need Iwano’s services soon though, to find out who that soft pony is. I don’t want another question cramming in my head.”

Twilight immediately returned to her research.

Spike rolled his eyes as he murmured, “You allowed them to, you know?”

Wrapping the crazy mare in chains was easy, but healing her mental disorder was a bit tough. As I restrained her down, her head at first was difficult for me to aim my horn on albeit hugging her down with my chains. Once I successfully touched her forehead with my horn, I entered her mind. I was initially horrified at the sight of roaming Dobermans in a plain field that I startlingly conjured a magic dome around me.

I was panicking by the number of countless hounds in my surroundings that I almost gave up helping Screwloose, but when I saw her sitting down a distance from me, I flew to her. As I landed, still with my shield conjured, I was intrigued that these dogs passed through her—Screwloose was intangible as a ghost.

When I approached her, she was crying.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. “You’re alone in this field of hounds, so why can’t you mingle with any of them?”

Screwloose stopped and replied to me, “I miss Screw-Up…”

“Who’s Screw-Up?”

She went back to weeping without answer. Well, I had to use my head instead.

Thousands of dogs are everywhere and they’re exactly alike, I thought thoroughly. Screwy here is intangible and ignored by these hounds that they can also run through her, and she said she missed Screw-Up.

I didn’t know how long it took me to find the answer, but I was able to solve this puzzle. This was a little simpler than Phineas and Ferb’s Maze-o-Mania II, which was a hay difficult that I had headache after the whole challenge.

“Screwloose, I now know why you’re nuts,” I firmly said, which suddenly made her locked eyes with mine. “Perhaps a long time ago, you lost your dog named Screw-Up in a huge pack of his kind that you couldn’t find him. Eventually you had gone insane and you were sent to the hospital under mental care. The reason why you madly acted like a dog is because you were hoping Screw-Up would return to you…But he hadn’t came back ever since.”

Screwloose cracked a smile like a wacko, but not literally as that, more like “very wacko happy”, that she broke through my barrier and hugged me tight. “Finally, somepony understands,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome” I said as I hugged her back. “But you must face reality and move on, Screwy, for there better things to look forward outside a hospital.”

Screwy chuckled. “Please, call me Screwloose.”

The feeling of hugs somehow reminded me of Pinkie Pie. And everything went black.

“Sorry, I took long,” Nurse Redheart said as she opened the door to room sixty-six with a dart, a test tube filled with green liquid, and a sack of bits. “I had a hard time sorting through a lot of serums that I—Screwy?!”

“Is that what you call her?” I asked with a smile. “I prefer Screwloose. Am I right, my friend?”

“Certainly, Iwano,” Screwloose agreed, her voice melodic and un-crazy.

I was sitting down with my new friend as Nurse Redheart stared mostly at her patient in awe and was agape. She slowly laid down her items and rubbed her eyes as if she were blind to see a cured Screwloose. My new friend’s mane maintained its frizz, but her eyes and mouth were lucid like any other mare in Ponyville.

“B-but, but, we-e c-couldn’t find a permanent c-cure for-r your insanity, Screwy!” the nurse stammered in exclamation. “How did this happen?! And why do you smell bad?”

“We were just having a chat, Nurse Redheart. Let’s just say all I needed was a little understanding, patience, and friendship,” Screwloose answered. “And ignore the smell, Redheart. Are you supposed to pay good Iwano here?” She gave my head a noogie.

I giggled and stopped my new friend. “Stop, Screwloose! Yes, the payment, Nurse Redheart.”

My client hesitated. “Um, yes, you’re payment. I just never realized you can do more than assisting, Iwano. You know? Screwy—I mean, Screwloose—was detained here for months now and we only gave her serums that brought her temporary normality for an hour, just to run tests on how to cure her. We found her in Ponyville’s Dog Show a long time ago. We can’t give her more of the serum due to strong possibilities of overdose. This must be a miracle—you are a miracle, Iwano!”

“I just wanna help,” I simply replied as she gave me my sack of bits and I stored them in my saddlebag. “Though curing her had drained me a little, but I can still go on with my job.”

“Here’s you payment.” The nurse handed (or hoofed) her bill on my hooves. “I must thank you for curing Screwloose here.”

“Hey, Iwano,” Screwloose said. “Let’s get to know each other someday. I can help you get over the silly fear of yours.” And she winked.

Grinning and blushing, I reluctantly said, “If there’re any time then. Nurse Redheart, I have prescribed her to not have any medicine, but new friend—make it a dog. Goodbye and ayo to the two of you~!”

What that former mental mare needed was a friend, and so while we were conversing, she had gained me as one. As we conversed, I learned that she was a dog lover and a whisperer of those animals. It was gloomy for Screwloose to have lost a friend that had leaded her to insanity. The thought of having no friends gave me heartache.

I teleported out of the hospital and to front of my house’s door—and I just realized I could just teleport to any of my clients. Dang…

I jumped unto my new green sofa as I waited for another customer’s flier to appear. Nurse Redheart’s challenge had drained me a lot, but I wasn’t gonna sleep to rest yet. I’d earned twenty bits which was a success.

“To think, Screwloose is actually a great mare to chat with,” I said. “Getting to now everypony in this town might help me a lot in my goal”—suddenly, I remembered something that I smacked my own forehead—“Shoot! I forgot to visit Zecora! Ha, later then. I wonder who’s—”

I burped out yellow flames that formed into a scroll. I levitated the letter, unrolled it, and read away—

Dear Iwano,

I am thrilled to know from my sister that you have obtained the Elements of Loyalty and Laughter, but I am concern that Dissonance would no doubt further your trials here in Equestria that would also threaten Twilight and her companions, and probably the citizens of the town. Thus, I have sent two trustworthy guards to Ponyville not only to watch over all your progress, but to protect my other subject. You might find them amusing to get interact with. I hope it doesn’t upset you, my friend. They may be two, but I believe these guards can do something special. I saw it within their words and hearts.

Also, I want to share you something I have experienced last night. Lauren was trying to convince Luna and I that we should turn on you for you “might” threaten us. Of course, I didn’t accept, but finding you as a friend troubled Luna. If you encountered her by chance, please have time to get to know each other.

I want to be one of your new friends here in Equestria. May I ask you to be my pen pal? If you choose to accept, don’t hesitate to write back to a princess.

Your new dear friend,
Princess Celestia

P.S. You can call me Tia—that’s my nickname

“OMC,” I said, which meant “Oh my Celestia”. “I do love letters and having a pen pal. Hmm…Can I trust her with my secrets? No, I have to stay secretive—wait, perhaps she’s unlike the others, since she has wisdom and kindness.” This was more troubling to me than Luna’s. I felt my heart aching again. I thought maybe I needed somepony to share my feelings. “What the hay, I’ll accept—”

Dropping the letter quickly to prevent it from burning, I burped out two letters. The fliers were green which meant two customers wanted my assistance. It was 8:53 AM and my next two clients were Dr. Timeturner Whooves and Derpy Hooves. The mail pony’s flier smelled like chocolate that I deduced that she obviously ate chocolate muffins.

This job had gotten even interesting that my hind hooves tingled in excitement. Who to assist first?

“I’ll go for the doctor first,” I decided as I phased out of my house in a flash. I recounted him in the day I donated gems to Mayor Mare.

While I dreamily thought of hanging out with Fluttershy, I bumped into a Pegasus face-first that I might have poked or worst pierced him or her.

“Ow!” I squeaked as I held my face, blocking my sight. “I’m so sorry, are you—what the hay?!”

“I’m sorry!” Derpy Hooves apologized as she rubbed her head. “I just don’t know what went wrong.”

Derpy was a light sapphire bluish gray Pegasus mare with pale, light grayish apple green mane and gradient wall-eyes that were from pale, light grayish apple green to moderate gamboge. This clumsy mare was both Ponyville and Cloudsdale’s mail pony. I recalled her joining the Bolt Wing before, and she was one of the victims Gilda had hurt that that bandage wrapped around her left forelegs. Today, she wore a blue mail pony uniform with hat—why was her hat smoldered?

I rolled my eyes. “You’re sense of direction is probably wrong, and ayo. I think we have met the other day, but I just wanna say that I’m Iwano Imagination. Anyway, you’ve sent a flier to me. Anything you want me to assist with?”

Derpy enthusiastically nodded. “I want you to help me with my mailing job. You see, me and Care Package were supposed to send mail together but he was stationed to Fillydelphia, so I’m left with two mailbags—one for Ponyville and one for Cloudsdale. I was hoping you’d take this mailbag for Ponyville while I take this other one with me. Will ya help?”

“Yes, I will assist, Derpy,” I replied. “This is a mailing job, so the price range will be ten to fifteen bits—”

The Pegasus shoved a banana muffin in my mouth. “I-I only have five bits, Iwano. Can you take the five plus that muffin?”

I levitated the muffin off my mouth and stored it in my saddlebag. Honestly an Earth mare shoving an apple in my mouth was better. “Sure~! I’ll do that while—”

Derpy suddenly dressed me up quick in a blue mail pony’s uniform with hat and hung a mailbag on my horn. What the hay? “Sorry! I’m in a hurry—bye!”

The gray mare flew away in a dash. I sighed as I fixed myself up with my own uniform while I was on the way to Timeturner. Customers who stamped their hooves on my fliers not only would get my service but also gave my Aura senses their address or current location, which was easy.

When I arrived at the doctor’s cottage’s door, I heard grinding machinery and scraping metal that little irritated my ears. I guessed he was more than a doctor that I’d heard in the fandom.

“Dr. Timeturner Hooves!” I loudly called, but the sounds still gone on. I licked my lips in thought, and then sent a small zap from horn to an open window of his cottage.

“YEOWCH!” the stallion shrieked. I heard hoof steps from the home, and the doctor himself stormed out of the door, smothered in soot with his dark amber mane in a static frizzier than Screwloose’s.

“I’m sorry if I’ve interrupted your work,” I apologized. “But I just want your attention, Timeturner.”

Time…

His eyes widened. “How do you know my name? And are you Iwano Imagination?”

“I know everypony in Ponyville like Pinkie Pie,” I answered. “And yes, I am the one you’ve heeded for assistance. What was that fussy sound you were making?”

“That fussy sound you’ve stopped me from making was the sound of creation!” Timeturner beamed like a mad scientist. “But it needs some few modifications before I can give it a spin, thus I’ve needed your assistance, if you—”

“I’ll check it out,” I said as I entered his cottage.

Well, this was a junkyard rather than an actual home, and I thought Shauntal—Master Ghost-type Pokémon Trainer and a member of the Unova Elite Four—living in a haunted house was weird.

Timeturner’s home was entirely cluttered with different sizes and varieties of springs, gears, iron plates, broken glasses, tangled wires and coils, and other related parts for machinery. This whole place reminded me of my numerous encounters with mechanical obstacles in my adventures, and the friends and foes specialized in these kinds of machinations.

“Be careful, please!” Timeturner warned as I followed him to a staircase. “These aren’t useless yet. In fact, every useless thing still has—”

“A purpose in the far, far future,” finished his sentence.

“What, how did you I was going to say that?” he asked

“I read minds, and why were you warning me, Timeturner?”

“That’s because you were crushing those important products, Iwano.”

I blushed in embarrassment. “Oh…Whoops. I can be ignorant sometimes, so sorry in advance if I do it again.”

“A close friend of mine name Derpy Hooves is also ignorant, furthermore she’s very clumsy. A clumsy pony in my life is already enough to stress me for a lifetime. In fact, Derpy dropped by and ‘accidentally’ destroyed my latest invention a while ago.”

So that was why Derpy’s hat was smoldered, I thought. “I’m sorry about that, but maybe we can repair it together to speed up the completion. Machine repair will range the price of this job is from twenty to thirty bits, doctor.”

“Fair price since this is a big project.”

“Why so?”

I had the answer when we reached the second floor, which was very clean unlike downstairs, I gasped at a robot.

Under the sunlight from this “house’s” opened window was a robotic replica of Sweetie Belle, with red glassy eyes and metallic plate covering. It was well built as if it were really Rarity’s sister, except you can tell it apart from the real one by those lifeless eyes.

“Is that your big project?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Indeed this one my latest inventions. I’d been working on it after the Equestrian Games took place in the Crystal Empire that the town’s seamstress’s sister is perfect to me. I was about to go with her other friends, but she was fine. It’s nearing completion, but the only problem is that the circuitry of her—”

“Her? Robots are genderless.”

The inventor cleared his throat as he continued. “Like I was saying, the only problem is that the circuitry of her ‘mind’ can’t connect with its ‘heart’ in order for her to live.”

“I’m guessing Derpy caused that, which will be easy for me to fix.” I walked towards the robot. “How can I open her head?”

“Twist her horn.”

When I did, this Sweetie Belle’s head flipped open revealing a complicated-looking engine tangled with wires that almost formed it into a brain filled with eight small gears.

“The problem is in there, Iwano?” Timeturner asked. “Why not the heart since that’s what it’s supposed to function?”

“Well, I have a theory that without the mind, you can’t move at all albeit your heart pumps. I think that’s stupid, but hey, I found the problem. Too much information would cram your mind into a headache somehow. What I’m trying to say is that this robot’s brain has excessive gears.”

The stallion scratched his mane. “You mean I have to lessen them?”

“First, how do you activate her?”

In reply, he ran downstairs, I heard clutters and bumps of metals, and he returned with a tiny Sweetie Belle color themed cube with colored buttons in each sides. When he pressed the red button, the robot only whirred it gears but no movement.

“What now?” the doctor giddily asked. “I’m exhilarated to know how you’d fix it, Imagination. Oh, and do mind the gears for you’ll hurt yourself.”

Simply, I levitated out two gears out of the contraption…and suddenly it said exactly in Sweetie Belle’s voice, “Hello, I’m here to play.”

“It’s alive, Dr. Timeturner Hooves,” I said as I threw away the other gears to the floor and closed her head. “You may now—”

My client shoved me away and held his creation like a mad pony. “She’s alive!” he cried out. “She’s alive! My masterpiece is ALIVE!”

As he madly laughed, I threw a gear at him which caught his attention. He blushed and apologized, “Um, sorry, it’s just that it has been a long time since one of my inventions actually ever completed. So, how much does this cost me?”

“Just twenty-two bits,” I replied. “Do you have any other inventions needing repairs?”

“I…have one, but it’s classified. I must say, that was a simple solution that my robot only requires six gears to successfully function! How did you have knowledge on mechanical repairs, hmm?”

“I have friend back in my kingdom. He’s a young yellow fox with two tails who’s popular in my kingdom for having an extensive knowledge on these sorts, but there’re others besides him. And what would you name your Sweetie Belle android?”

“I’ll just name her Sweetie Bot. Love your new name, my adorable machine?”

“I love it~!” Sweetie Bot said. “Master, what can we do?”

“Please pay Iwano Imagination here twenty-two bits, my dear.”

The mechanical filly barfed out twenty-two coins that made me chuckle as I levitated them into my saddlebag. In the fandom in Reality, I’d heard of Sweetie Bot in videos and fan art. I couldn’t believe Timeturner would name his creation of what the fans had called her, too. This was just weird.

“By the way, why are you wearing a mail pony’s uniform?” my client asked.

Whoa, I’d forgotten about it. “While doing my job, I’m helping your clumsy friend with her delivering.”

“I’m expecting gift from my friend Rose. Is there one for me in your mailbag?”

I rummaged through the bag, and levitated out a small box with a rose attached to it. When I gave it to Timeturner and he opened it, his gift was—

“A green bowtie,” I said. “That’s nice.”

“Actually I already have one except it is red—and it was from Derpy. Well, that’s all. Thank you for your services, Iwano. You’re quite amazing for a devastating pony.”

I grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment, and it looks like two girls are crushing on you, doc. If I were you, I’d go with muffin-lover. Anyways, ayo and goodbye, Dr. Timeturner Hooves.”

I teleported out of his home and flew around town to deliver mail.

Four fliers forcefully burped out of my mouth as I landed on top of town hall. I had requests from Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, Sweetie Drops, and Trixie Lulamoon—Trixie? Incoming clients were now getting interesting.

And I had seven more out of my mouth. Hmm, I’d save the first four for later.

Applebucking a tree with her natural strength, Applejack had no difficulty in this everyday labor since she’d been doing this from the beginning.

Apples fell from the tree and were caught by three buckets surrounding the plant. Hearing those red fruits hitting the big buckets were music to the farm girl’s ears.

Big Macintosh, Applejack’s big brother, worked nearby as he pulled a wagon with a huge pile of baskets filled with the fruits with such ease. He glanced at his cousin Braeburn blithely applebucking every apple tree, speeding up the chore of the two local Apples of the acres.

“I wanna say this again, AJ,” the Appleloosan said as he leaned on a tree to rest. “Thanks for letting me stay until next week. I already sent a letter to Sherriff Silver Star back home about my stay here just in case, by the way.”

After his cousin applebucked another tree, Applejack stopped and wiped sweat from her face. “And again, yer welcome. Granny Smith was happy a relative is gonna stay. Besides you, Babs and Fritter are in town, too.”

Braeburn frowned. “Hey, Big Mac, is Apple Fritter okay in bed?”

“Eeyup,” the red apple Apple replied as he carried another apple-filled bucket to his wagon.

“I hope for sure. After she was back to life, Fritter’s been feverish with her temperature hotter than the driest dessert in Equestria.”

Applejack suddenly stumbled with a grunt. Alarmed, Big Macintosh and Braeburn helped her up.

“Cuzzin, that’s the tenth time!” Braeburn said. “That headache of yours is getting worst, probably. I think you should—”

“I’m fine!” the farm girl insisted as she pulled herself away from them to show her conditions fine. “This is nothin’, okay?”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh firmly said.

“Yeah, Mac’s right,” Braeburn agreed. “You already applebucked enough trees, cuzzin. I don’t know if you’re gonna get sick too, but is there something you wanna tell us about that headache of yours?”

His cousin wouldn’t meet his eyes. “No, not at all, Brae; probably, I’m just tired that I need a rest for awhile.”

As Applejack left to take a break, Braeburn and Big Macintosh exchanged looks of reservations. The red stallion saw a rotten apple on the ground, and thought of his sister withering.

After that whole hullabaloo, Applejack wasn’t feelin’ right at all, he thought. I gotta need to find help or maybe take her to the hospital since we ran out of medical supplies on Apple Fritter. She ain’t tellin’ the truth at all.

When Applejack came into her room and shut the door behind her, she yet again stumbled but this time harder, and grunted painfully as she her head with her hat falling. She then trudged to her bed to lie in rest.

“Bats, half-cut apples, raining apple fritters, screaming,” the mare muttered. “Dag nab that dream, it didn’t make any sense! What was Princess Luna trying to do, huh? It could’ve been a sign or something important. Twilight might find a way…”

Applejack blacked out, and entered a void of screams.

Somepony please help me…

Lies, lies, lies! This ain’t true! He’ll never turn into you! We’ll help him—I’ll help him! Let me go and I’ll help—save him!

I’d earned ninety-four bits and still counting. I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself and, uh “overconfident” of not just gaining money but also helping pony folks.

The clients I’d helped were scared or contemptuous towards me, but after doing the job they began admiring me for my helpfulness.

While on the job, I’d received extra requests from Mayor Mare, Lyra Heartstrings, Sweetie Drops, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle.

Why would the princess need my help with? Well, she wanted me to identify a visitor with “tuff”. I knew in the tip of my tongue, but who was that? And I thought there was more to her request than that.

When I landed near town hall, Mayor Mare waved to me as she walked towards the Alicorn who changed her mane color.

“Greetings again, Iwano Imagination,” she said. “I’ve heard you’re offering yourself to serve Ponyville’s citizens upon requests from these fliers you’ve spread all over town. Why so?”

“I now have a home in your town,” I answered, “thus I have to earn for a living. And because of yesterday, I’d decided to ‘punish’ myself by offering my services for I can do almost anything as an Alicorn.”

The mayor understandably nodded. “You’re quite humble and generous to offer yourself to help. You might be something else rather than a visitor from an unknown land. I will allow you to continue your services to the townsfolk, Iwano.” She giggled. “Are you willing to accept my request?”

I nodded. “What do you request me to do?”

“Princess Twilight is engrossed with her research in Golden Oak Library that she doesn’t have any time to proofread my speech. I thought perhaps you’d—”

“Proofreading is one of my wide varieties of specialties, Mayor Mare. I’ll be honored to do it.”

“Excellent! Give me a moment to get my speech then from town hall then.”

After she left, I levitated out a quill and paper to write a reply to Celestia—

Dear Celestia,

I’d be happy to accept you as my pen pal—my very first Equestrian pen pal. I felt thrilled as you are once you receive this.

Yes, I have a long way to go in order to accomplish my goal here in your land. But thanks to your fellow subjects, I believe I can achieve. Despite the harsh struggles I’m going through both physically and emotionally be Dissonance, I have high hopes for Twilight and her company to guide me.

While all this is happening, I’m having fun assisting the citizens of Ponyville. It’s great to know them personally as well as new friends.

So, wanna ask a question?

Sincerely your friend,
Iwano Imagination

PS: “Tia”? That’s a cute nickname, but I prefer calling you Celestia.

And then I’d sent the message in flames the moment the mayor came with a paper in her mouth—and I thought her speech would be a mile.

“Did you do that?” Mayor Mare asked in awe.

“Yes, Mayor Mare,” I simply replied. “I’m quite unique in many ways.”

“Well, I would be astounded even more in the future of your abilities. Now, this is my speech, Iwano, and do proofread.”

As I’d read the mayor’s speech, my eyes were secretly burning from bad grammar and sentence fragments. I’d also noticed something through the construction of this speech, or rather—

“This is a letter,” I said. “This ain’t a speech. And Mayor Mare, I may not know you well yet, but I’m certain your writing wouldn’t be this awful.”

The mare blushed in embarrassment as she tapped the ground. “I know, it was just that I felt ‘tangled’ in the stomach a while ago when I wrote that.”

Tangled in the stomach? “You’re in love with somepony?”

She blushed even redder. “Um, y-yes, though I’m afraid of his possible rejection. How do you know, Iwano?”

“Just by your words and face, I could tell. This if for your special somepony, so perhaps I could also add a few things here to please him. May I?”

“Uh, okay…”

“Tell me about him then, mayor?”

It took me twenty-one minutes to finish the mayor’s letter because she and I were also chatting about this special somepony of hers. I’d learned that nopony in Ponyville actually knew of her real name.

“Zen Marigold,” I mused as I kept writing. “That’s a pretty name, really. Why doesn’t anypony know your real name, much like rather your true mane color?”

“It’s a long story that you’d know someday,” Zen said. “Only Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Dr. Whooves know me that.”

Cadance and Shining Armor were Zen’s batch mates in their high school years obviously, and the two of them I knew were good ponies to the mayor.

“Thos two you first mentioned live in the Crystal Empire. Why is Timeturner the only one in Ponyville who knows?”

“He and I share something in common, that’s all.”

It was quite unclear of who was crushing on. She barely said anything about him and I refused to read her mind because I didn’t want any spoilers—besides, I’d get tired. Timeturner might be the one, but I was very certain he belonged to Derpy. I also didn’t wanna ask about her crush.

“Well, that’s all I could write,” I said as I levitated the letter to her. “You didn’t describe anything about your special somepony, so I wrote down some suggestions and corrected a lot of errors.”

“Thank you for your help, Iwano,” Zen said. “I could’ve done this on my own, but I’m not feeling right today.”

“That’s okay. The cost would just be seven, mayor.”

Zen told me to just call her Mayor Mare whenever we weren’t alone so she could keep the secret. I promised to her I’d never tell, of course. I loved keeping secrets, especially when it comes to privacy or romance.

As I walked along the streets of Ponyville with thoughts of who to assist next, I was hit with a huge headache as if a gong was banged against me with great vibration. Thus, I stumbled down hard. Holding and rubbing my head, I knew what was going on.

Changes had happened while season four was rolling in Reality. Whatever happened, I had gone to Golden Oak Library first.

When I’d arrived, I was very surprised to see a crystal tree with a castle on top instead.

“Aw dang,” I said as I stared at Twilight’s new home. “Looks like a late update perhaps.”

In the two-part finale of season four—Twilight’s Kingdom parts one and two—the Golden Oak Library was destroyed by Lord Tirek, the season’s main villain. Out of sadness and great anger, Twilight had dealt with the prisoner of Tartarus in a Super Saiyan-like way after she’d opened the mysterious (and extremely curious-giving) chest which obtained a new power to defeat him. In the end, this crystal tree that almost resembled her old home became her new kingdom.

I slumped down as my heart sank at the sight of the young princess’s castle. I always loved the Golden Oak Library because of its books—I was a huge bookworm, and I loved libraries. Before entering Equestria, I was very exhilarated to see the library.

Technically, the tree had first appeared in the show in Reality by October 10, 2010, and “died” in May 10, 2014.

“There you are,” Twilight said.

I turned to see the Alicorn with her assistant, a Changeling, and another surprise.

“Would you mind tell me who this fluffy mare is?” Twilight asked. “I want to feed my curiosity of her, you know?”

“That’s Fluffle Puff,” I simply said. “She’s a Fluffy pony—a separate species of Earth ponies that lives in the forests of my kingdom as peaceful and funny creatures.”

“You mean this irritating pink hair ball came all the way from your kingdom of Imaginundia to here in Ponyville?” Chrysalis asked as Fluffle Puff hopped behind her back cutely. “How in Equestria was she able to reach here?”

“I actually don’t know,” I admitted. “However, she’s no harm, although she can be quite irritating as you said and will try anything new. You know what? They can be harmful if they handle something dangerous. They’re also indestructible somehow, and they don’t speak but gasp. They’re also quite ‘illogical’ in some way.”

“How do you know her name?” Spike asked. “Is she the only the only one of her species that has that color?”

I nodded. “She and I met before when I was in a mission back in my homeland. She was a big help.” I studied the stupid look on Fluffle Puff as she attempted to jump on Chrysalis’s back. “I’m quite unsure how she’s gotten here, but she’s very sweet and friendly.”

“Can you just tell her to return home?” the Changeling grumblingly asked. “This fuzz ball is an annoyance.”

“Fluffle Puff seems to like you, Chrysalis. Perhaps bond with each other. You wanna reform, right? Then start by befriending her.”

Chrysalis heavily sighed as Fluffle Puff rolled on the ground. Okay, that was cute.

“Anyway, I’ve heard you’re giving your services to the citizen’s of Ponyville,” Twilight said. “That’s really nice and generous of you to offer up for the good, but are you sure you’re still alright?”

“My wounds were healed while I made the fliers. Don’t worry, Twilight, I’ll be fine. It’s also fun to help these ponies and get to know them personally as friends. I even know there secrets, which I heavily guarded with my life. No doubt taxes will collected, so I’ll have to earn money, including for a living too if I’m gonna stay long here in Equestria.”

“I’d like to ask you, Iwano. Why do you look down when you saw my castle?” Twilight asked.

I scowled. “It’s just that, the Golden Oak Library, as I’d heard back in Imaginundia, is one of my favorite places in Ponyville, for I love libraries. I’m saddened to see that Tirek had destroyed your precious home.”

The princess’s nostrils flared, but immediately calmed down. “Yes, Tirek had destroyed my home. But I’ll let you know that my castle also has a library bigger than the last one—”

“Really?!” I frantically asked loudly.

Twilight was startled. “Um, yes, you can—”

“Oh my Celestia, I forgot, I have requests to be fulfilled. Gotta go~!”

Spike giggled afterwards when I left in a flash of cobalt blue streaks. “Hey, Twi, looks like you’re not the only nerdy Alicorn in town anymore.”

Her master knitted her brows. “What do you mean?”

“Did you notice the twitching and crazy reaction when Iwano found out your castle has a library? You and he could be the same!”

Twilight scratched her head in thought. “I think I should put up more research on his likings or hobbies, too. I’ll get to know him furthermore soon after my Twilight Time with the girls.”

“Speaking of Twilight Time, where’re those Crusaders anyway with Babs?”

“We’ll just wait for the fillies. For now, I wanna know more about Iwano Imagination. He’s quite omniscient and a powerful Alicorn. Further studies and research on him—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Spike muttered. “Further studies and research on him must continue from day to night until he’s cured of his Dissonance.”

“Twilight!” Apple Bloom called as she and her friends Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and her cousin Babs Seed ran to the princess.

“There you are girls~! Are you ready for Twilight Time?” the Alicorn asked.

“Let’s postpone Twilight Time to tomorrow, though I wanna do it right now,” Babs Seed said. “But we need your help. There’s something wrong with Applejack.”

“You want me to train and help you enhance your magic,” I mused. “What is it for anyway? You know you could just train by yourself.”

“On Wednesday next week,” Trixie Lulamoon explained, “there’ll be a competition for Unicorns called the ‘Star Swirl Showdown’—a magic duel—held in Canterlot in honor of Star Swirl the Bearded and gains a valuable title from Princess Celestia herself~! This is my opportunity to prove my worth and be accepted by ponies around me.”

“You’re not that accepted yet?” I asked. “You seem nice enough as a friend, but why wouldn’t they?”

The mare sighed sadly. “Apparently most ponies remember my snobbish behavior and cruel actions when I had taken over Ponyville before, which is why they despised me. I wanted to win the prize of that challenge for the haters so they could see I can be a friend!”

“You’re giving me several question marks in my head, Trixie. That’s nonsense, and you can’t just gain friends just by doing that. But hey, I’ll train you for that competition anyway. I as your magic trainer would cost twenty to thirty bits. I hope you have enough.”

Trixie Lulamoon was a Unicorn mare with dark grayish violet eyes, pale conrflower blue and very pale cornflower blue, and her coat was brilliant azure. Her cutie mark was a magic wand sprinkling pixie dust.

My Aura told me I was gonna have a rough time with her, but with patience, encouragement and guidance, I’d bet I could help her. What could possible go wrong?

To make a long story short, Trixie was more “un-teachable” than Spongebob Squarepants being mentored by a military boating teacher. In fact, she was bad in being taught of discipline and her concentration to her magic was, uh, “dingy” or so sorts.

I had sustained injuries but able to heal myself. To Trixie’s amazement, she was eager to learn, which lead me to hurt myself harder.

We were doing the training in Ponyville’s park, where a lot of ponies were staring at us as Trixie made another failure with her magical attempts.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to force yourself, Trixie?” I asked as I dusted myself. “If you do, you’re gonna end up hurting not just yourself but ponies around you—especially your trainer. Getting frozen, paralyzed, burned, asleep, and poisoned from you was bad enough.”

“Confound my magic!” she cried out exasperatingly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows she can achieve this training under Iwano Imagination!”

Pride…Humility...

What the hay? I thought. Since when did that voice mentioned two things…?

Anyways, Trixie Lulamoon was a brilliant azure Unicorn mare with dark grayish violet eyes, and two light shades of pale cornflower blue. She used to be dramatic, but it seemed she wanted help training that she’d avoided acting that so.

“Iwano, are you all right?” Trixie asked in concern.

I blinked as I shook to sense. “Um—sorry, I’m just a little tired.”

Trixie frowned. “I’m terribly sorry for my failures, Iwano. I also had gotten you hurt.”

The prideful mare with her sweetened eyes had gotten me soft in my heart. I’d read hers, and she was definitely sorry. Perhaps I should teach her better rather than barking our orders and encouraging her.

“I’ll teach you my technique in how I can concentrate and cast my magic with expertise, Trixie,” I whispered to her ear. “But you must not tell anypony else how.”

“Really? Of course I’ll keep your little secret!” she frantically said. “Oh thank you~!”

I nodded. “From my mind, I channel my thoughts of a certain somepony I love into my heart which produces my emotions. I concentrate my magic with my heart, Trixie. My power depends on my emotions, and my thoughts are what keep them together.”

“That’s your technique? Hmph, to be honest, I have no more loved one.”

I frowned and felt sorry for her more, but I wanted to help her.

Lifting her chin, I said, “Just think of the ponies that had helped you in the past. Friends are also considered loved ones, you know?”

Trixie stared at me for a moment, probably in thought, and nodded in understanding. Next, she backed away and had stance herself in focused as she closed her eyes.

“Now, think of somepony and follow what I’ve said,” I firmly told her.

Tightening her eyes and quickly sweating from sheer concentration, Trixie’s horn had begun to glowed pale, light grayish magenta. She gritted her teeth, which I assumed she was doing it wrong.

“When you’re thinking, also be certain to chill and fill yourself with positivity, calm and quietness,” I added anxiously. “Forcing yourself, you’ll end up burning my tail again.”

Slowly, she calmed down, and her magic aura had glowed brighter. This made me grin. “Now, all you need now is to use your imagination with some more focus—”

I was startled to see a beam shot out from the Unicorn’s horn so suddenly that it had aback me with shock. The streaming brilliant blue light had split the clouds above into a white thin ring of puff that slowly dissipated as it expanded.

After Trixie stopped, she panted and stared at the sky in awe. “Did the Great and Powerful Trixie do that?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes from her third pony speaking and answered, “Yes, Trixie, you did it~! Now that you’ve mastered my art of magic, I guess you’ll do fine in—”

Suddenly, I was embraced by the pony who’d wanted to be trained. My eyes widened and I lightly blushed. I guessed she did this just because I’d successfully helped her, which was okay. I was used to mares in my adventures hugging me affectionately for my heroic deeds and chivalrous personality. Although, I’d felt a twinge on my stomach when Trixie did this. I wanted Fluttershy to do this to me instead, though.

Trixie frantically pulled herself away from me with her face redder, probably embarrassed. Yeah, mares did that a lot in my adventures.

“I-I apologize f-for my actions, I-Iwano,” she stuttered. “I’d just want to do that as thanks.”

“I know, Trixie, I know,” I said. “And you’re welcome. Just remember the pointers of my advises and teachings when you’re in Canterlot for that competition—”

“You know what? Perhaps you should join it, too! Everypony must see your magical expertise, Iwano. After all, everypony in town are talking about you—you’re popular, and soon, you’d be popular all over Equestria for your capabilities and virtue.”

I unnervingly smiled. “Uh, thanks, I’m flattered of my sudden popularity, but I don’t want to brag in front of thousand of ponies plus the competitors. I’d just want to help the citizen’s here, Trixie.”

“Oh, I understand—”

Another request burped out of my mouth, which almost burned the mare. When I levitated and unfurled the letter for me to read, I gasped of who was my next client—or clients.

“Another request, Iwano?” Trixie asked.

“Um, yeah—uh, hey, you don’t need to pay me. I’m in a hurry…so bye~!”

I flew off in a dash to see my next clients in a forest near Ponyville. It looked like they were too frightened to show themselves in town for the citizens might have still remembered their falsity. Serves them right, but what were they up to again this time? I knew I shouldn’t trust or rather accept their request, but perhaps I’d be friendly for awhile to enemies.

I growled, “Flim and Flam better not be up to something.”

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[Iwano Imagination]

4833161 I want the my story to be like other novels I've read.