Previous Chapters Next
Close
Where it Begins2,717 words
Welcome to the Gym3,750 words
Coffee at Cafe Canterlot4,572 words
All Aboard3,564 words
Haggle4,964 words
Doubts3,742 words
A New Path3,799 words
Departure3,297 words
Where it Ends2,017 words

Departure

Misty Fly looked down at the broken clipboard, its jagged edges looking as sharp as a rapier. Her vision became blurry and her heart sunk deeper into the void. The whole world around her became grayer and the breeze ceased its motions. All her ears heard were the sounds of sobs that stung her heart. She then noticed a piece of paper wedged into the grass by the board.

Picking up the paper and putting the two pieces together, all that Misty saw were a few numbers and blank lines next to them. Not a single name was written on it. Turning to Bulk Biceps, she rubbed her eyes and wrapped her forelegs around his body. His body felt warm and rough, but Misty smiled and buried her head into his chest nonetheless.

Misty looked up to Bulk and her eyes shimmered. "What happened?" she asked. She let go of him and then gazed into his eyes, filled to the brim with tears as they cascaded down his cheeks and onto the grass as though they were raindrops.

Bulk muttered something incomprehensible as all that could leave his mouth were sobs. He looked down at the broken clipboard, cringed slightly, and then brought his attention back to Misty. "Iron Will is a fraud," he mumbled with sagged shoulders.

"Could you speak up, please?" Amethyst asked in a soft tone as she trotted over to Bulk.

"Iron Will is a fraud!" Misty and Amethyst jolted upwards and nearly fell onto their backs. Bulk blushed and chuckled slightly. "Sorry about that. You did want me to speak louder, right?"

Misty's heart rose back up and a wide smile formed on her face. The colors of the world became slightly brighter as she gazed at Bulk. "How did you find out?" she asked.

"I spoke to a really aggressive pony and he said that he took Iron Will's class once." Bulk's shoulders sagged and his lips curled into a deep frown. "The pony acted rude to me and told me that I was an idiot for taking Iron Will's class. According to him, Iron Will only cares about making money and nothing else. I told him that the three of us were trying to get tougher and of the experiences we've shared, but he called the two of you idiots as well."

Amethyst clenched her teeth. "Even if he was telling the truth, that was incredibly rude of him," she said. She stomped her hoof on the ground and her face formed a fierce scowl. "I know for a fact that the three of us aren't idiots. While we can't be perfect all of the time and while we make bad decisions at times, that doesn't automatically make us idiots. It makes us like everypony."

Misty's eyes widened and a slight warmth entered her heart. "We can't be perfect all of the time," she whispered to herself. She then smiled slightly and, without warning, her eyes glowed like light bulbs. A spark formed in her mind and a sudden realization came to her as though it were a puzzle piece she didn't know she needed. She might not fit in with the Royal Guard, but that didn't make her any worse of a pony. Her outgoing attitude and friendliness was just a part of who she was and what defines her. Misty never needed to "fix" anything in the first place and neither did Amethyst or Bulk.

"You're right, Amethyst," said Misty as she nodded.

Amethyst tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"It's part of what I needed to realize. I might not be Royal Guard material and I might not be intimidating, but everything that makes me who I am is what makes me unique. The same goes for the two of you as well. Our interests and our personalities make us stand out from every other pony."

Bulk's chin shifted around for a bit as he scratched the top of his head. Silence surrounded the three for some time and after a minute, his lips formed a smile so wide that his teeth became visible and sparkled like diamonds. "I get it! You're both right! We should be happy with who we are because we're nice and awesome! Come on, let's tell Iron Will that we're done!"

"Wait a second," Misty said, raising her hoof into the air. "Where is Iron Will? The last time we saw him was at the casino, so he could be anywhere."

"I might be able to help a little," said Bulk.

Misty leaned closer to Bulk and gazed into his eyes. "How so?"

"When I tore up the clipboard, I think I saw him holding a clipboard of his own. I wanted to gallop to him and tell him that I was quitting, but when I looked up again, he was gone." Bulk scratched the top of his head for a moment. "Was he advertising as well?"

"Maybe, but helping us doesn't seem to be something that he would do." Misty closed her eyes and rubbed her muzzle. "Hmm. There has to be something else to this. Unfortunately, he could be anywhere right now as well, but he couldn't have gone too far from here."

"How about we ask somepony again?" Amethyst suggested. "It worked last time, so it's worth another shot."

Misty nodded. "Then it's settled. Let's find someone to ask."

The trio lined up side by side and trotted across the grassland as the world around them grew brighter until it shone brighter than ever. Misty looked over to Amethyst and Bulk and her smile grew more and more the longer she stared at their smiles. The dew on the grass tickled her hooves. She looked at the sky and gazed at the setting sun, lighting the sky a bright orange. Misty's eyes couldn't help themselves from shimmering and a bubbly happiness brewed inside of her soul. She took a deep breath, the clean air cleaning her soul somewhat.

As Misty, Bulk, and Amethyst continued trotting forwards, each step more forceful than the last, Misty noticed two figures that flew in the distance. The figures quickly descended into the world below and appeared to be heading towards the fair. Was there something going on?

Misty shook her head and then noticed the silhouette of an earth pony stallion in the distance waving his forelegs and bouncing around like a spring. He froze for a brief moment and looked up to the sky as a cry left his throat. It sounded like he was shouting Iron Will's name. Misty's heart raced and her spine froze. Did Iron Will do something even crazier? She sighed and pointed at the silhouette.

"Do you see that stallion?" Misty asked. Amethyst and Bulk nodded simultaneously. Misty let gravity drop her hoof back down and her shoulders then sagged. "It sounds like he might have a guess as to where Iron Will is."

Amethyst paused for a brief moment. She leaned over towards the silhouette and her ear twitched slightly. "It sounds like he's crying for help," she said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Misty groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're probably right. I hope it isn't anything too serious."

Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk rushed over to the stallion and skid across the dirt the moment he was within their sights. The stallion bowed to the group with a bright smile on his face and his eyebrows bopped up and down. There was a strange aura around the stallion as though it labeled him as a snake oil salespony, but Misty couldn't quite figure out why this was the case.

"Greetings, travelers!" shouted the stallion. Misty and her friends simultaneously tilted their heads and gazed at the stallion with raised eyebrows. "Guess who's in town to help you get assertive?"

"Let me guess," said Amethyst with a bemused expression, "is it—"

"It's Iron Will!"

"What does Iron Will want this time?" asked Misty. "We're currently his students, so it would be valuable to know."

"Students?" The stallion's jaw dropped and he took a step back. "He never said anything about students. In fact, he said that he's currently looking for someone to be his apprentice."

Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk gasped simultaneously. A wildfire erupted inside of Misty's eyes. Her ears picked up the gritting of Bulk's teeth and her senses picked up Amethyst's intense scowl. The stallion stepped back even further and blushed as sweat ran down his face.

"Did Iron Will say anything about the three of us?" asked Bulk, steam erupting from his nostrils like a geyser.

"Um, he said that there were three slackers that couldn't get assertive and that he tried to convince them to become assertive. Was he referring to you?"

"That rotten scum!" shouted Amethyst at the top of her lungs. She pounded the dirt with her hooves and crept towards the stallion. "Where is he?"

"He's at the town square. He's hoping somepony will pay him a lot of bits and become his next student. At least that's what he told me at the casino. The guy couldn't even win a single game."

"Thank you," said Misty. "We're going to give that jerk a piece of our minds." A smirk formed across her face. She turned to Amethyst and Bulk, who both grinned and their eyes shining brightly with confidence. "Let's show him what it means to get tough!"

Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk galloped forwards with scowling faces. Every step they took slammed against the grass as specks of dirt shot up into the air for a moment. The further they galloped into Ponyville, the harder they clenched their teeth. Misty's heart raced and her breathing quickened. There was no going back now. She needed to leave Iron Will, and nothing was going to stop her from letting it all out.

Or it would, except there was a small crowd gathered around a prancing Iron Will. Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk slid across the grass as clouds of dust kicked up in the air. Misty paused for a moment and her eyes then looked upwards. She could make out Iron Will's horns piercing the sky, but everything else in her vision was a large, colorful crowd of ponies. Stretching her wings, she looked over to Bulk and gazed at his muscles for a brief moment. She then looked over to Amethyst and then back to Bulk, and her lips curled into a small smile.

"Bulk, can you carry Amethyst Star on your back?" Misty asked.

Bulk flexed his muscles and grinned. "You bet," he said. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to fly up and see what Iron Will is doing." Misty extended her wings out and smiled. "If he sees us, he might get embarrassed that we found out what his plans were."

Amethyst nodded and smirked. "That's sounds like a good idea. If he doesn't notice us, we'll chase him once the crowd disperses." She hopped onto Bulk's back and wrapped her forelegs around him. Bulk's tiny wings flapped like a bee's and he slowly rose up in the air as though he was floating.

Misty looked up at Bulk and smiled. As she gazed at the hovering Bulk, his body and face as stern as ever, she thought that maybe the fortune teller from before wasn't right about everything. Tossing that thought aside for the moment, Misty spread her wings and gently flapped them. In a split-second, she was airborne and hovering next to Bulk. The slightest of breezes brushed against her cheeks and blew across her mane, causing her to shiver for a second. Looking down at the crowd below her, her eyes caught Iron Will flexing his muscles to them, who all had raised eyebrows and blank expressions.

"If you want to get tough, you'll want to work with me!" Iron Will shouted into the air. Some of the ponies in the front rows winced and covered their ears briefly. "I'm the best when it comes to assertiveness, toughness, or whatever, so contact me if you need to get better at any of those. All of my customers have been satisfied with my work."

Iron Will looked up and his body froze as though he was suspended in time. His jaw then dropped upon seeing Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk hovering in the air with deep frowns and ruffled eyebrows. He rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip before flexing his arms once again. A pale colored pony with a raspberry mane in the crowd then raised her hoof high in the air, to which Iron Will responded with a smug smirk.

"Excuse me," the mare said. "I can't help from thinking that you're lying about all of this."

Iron Will chuckled and cleared his throat, but his shoulders sagged. He flexed his arms once more and his eyebrows bounced up and down. "W-what are you talking about?" he asked.

"You were acting all cool and stuff and now you're acting like somepony you know is watching you spout all of this."

Another chuckle escaped Iron Will's throat, fainter than the last. "How, um, who are you?"

The pegasus tilted her head. "I'm Roseluck. Why do you ask?"

"I-I'm going to ban you from taking any of my classes." Beads of sweat dripped down from Iron Will's face and fell to the ground beneath him.

Roseluck stepped back slightly before turning around. She slapped her tail against the ground and looked back to Iron Will. "I'd never want to join in the first place. Sorry, but I just don't trust you. I'll look elsewhere for places to get tougher. Anyway, I'm out of here." She trotted through the crowd of ponies, who all shuffled out of the way for her. The world fell silent and after a few seconds, pony after pony turned around and trotted away from Iron Will. A mere minute later, the once dense crowd was now a desolate field.

Iron Will stood completely motionless with blank eyes. A slight breeze swirled around him and the faintest of noises escaped his throat, its sound indescribable. Misty and Bulk gently landed on the grass and Amethyst leaped off of Bulk, a thud echoing in the air the moment her hooves touched the ground. The trio trotted towards Iron Will, all of them with ruffled eyebrows. He then stepped back and shrugged as nervous chuckles left his mouth.

"Iron Will, what are you doing?" asked Misty in a heightened tone of voice.

"We deserve to know the truth," said Amethyst. "There's no point in lying now, so you may as well come clean."

Iron Will bopped his eyebrows up and down and a sheepish grin formed on his face. Misty unconsciously clenched her teeth and scowled at him. She never wanted to punch someone across the face before, but now her mind fought her limbs to stop her from smacking Iron Will. "Tell us the truth, please."

"Tell us!" Bulk shouted directly into Iron Will's face. Iron Will fell over and landed on his buttocks, cringing upon making contact with the ground.

Iron Will's grin slowly transformed into a deep frown as his chin sagged slightly. "You've figured it out, haven't you," he said. "I shooed you out of the casino for a reason. It's because I lost faith in your ability to become assertive and tough." He stared at the three ponies and cracked a smile once more. "You might have some attitude, but it isn't enough to intimidate me. I'm failing the three of you, since you've all failed in too many assignments."

"The three of us were going to quit anyway," said Misty. "Do what you must." Misty paused for a moment and looked at Iron Will in the eyes. The back of her mind tickled, yearning for a little more. "I do have to wonder, are you doing this for the money?"

Iron Will nodded and kept a straight face. "Bingo."

Misty rolled her eyes and planted a face to her hoof. "Why am I not surprised."

Iron Will got up and tilted his head slightly. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at Misty. "So what are you going to do now that you're not going to be in the Royal Guard? Wasn't that the reason you showed up in the first place?"

"It was." Misty turned to Amethyst, then to Bulk, and smiled. Her heart warmed up and her body was full of life. "However, I don't regret doing this at all. I've made so many friends and have had unforgettable experiences. While not all of them were good, some of them were ones that I'd cherish for the rest of my life. Also, I've learned that not everything is going to according to plan and that sometimes the world can feel dark and lonely. But I now know that it's okay to feel sad from time to time and that I have a wonderful group of friends who will help me when I'm feeling down."

Misty felt two pairs of forelegs gently wrap around her. She turned to her left and saw Amethyst Star hugging her. She then turned to her right and saw Bulk Biceps doing the same. Misty's vision became blurry, but her heart felt warmer than it had ever been. Her smile widened as much as it could, and her eyes shone like stars.

"Thank you," said Misty, a cascade of tears tickling her cheeks. "You're all so wonderful. I'm honored to have such great friends."

"We're always here for you," said Amethyst, her eyes filling up with tears of her own.

"Friends will always look out for each other," said Bulk. "We'll always support each other, no matter where we are."

"This is what I've learned, and the magic—" Misty's vision became focused once again, but Iron Will was nowhere to be seen. She squinted slightly and noticed the silhouette of a minotaur running off in the distance. Was he allergic to emotions? Misty rolled her eyes and chuckled briefly before smiling once again. She had her friends by her side, and that's what mattered the most.

616 views