Blackest Knight

by D34dly F1ng3r

Time

Blackest Knight
Chapter 24

Days passed as John lived in Ponyville. He quickly set into a routine, helping Twilight and Spike around the library in the mornings, then going out to help Twilight’s friends in the afternoon. Applejack was often his last visit, as helping her would take the rest of the day. If nopony needed help, he would watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders after they left school. The town noticed that the rate of dangerous incidents seemed to decline. There was an incident with an explosion, but nopony was injured.

John’s schedule kept him busy between the six Bearers and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, yet he found time to visit ponies around the town as well. He was becoming a public face, and ponies became accustomed to his presence. Some still distrusted him because of his role in the Canterlot invasion, but they did not show hostility.

Two months passed since John’s arrival, and Fluttershy asked him one day to help her bring food from the market. Her requests for his help were becoming more frequent in recent days, and Twilight noted that she was starting to come out of her shell. The purple unicorn wrote her observations in her latest letter to Celestia.

Celestia wrote back, “It is good to hear that John is helping Fluttershy overcome her nervousness. You have noted that he seems to be fitting into Ponyville, and getting to know the other citizens. Luna will ask for his report tonight, but I must ask you, do any of the citizens feel uncomfortable around him? More than they should at least?”

Twilight replied that she knew of nopony that was uncomfortable around him. She decided to go into the town and ask around while John was busy helping Fluttershy in the market. All the ponies she asked denied feeling strange around the human. Several called him friend, and Cloud Kicker even asked her to let him know he was welcome to visit that night.

Twilight reported her questions to Princess Celestia again, and the alicorns reply was a confusing, “That is good. And tell John that Luna and I may call for his presence soon. Luna had a question about human alcohol tolerance.”

---

John was carrying several bags of animal feed as he followed Fluttershy out of the market. Once a week, he accompanied her to stock up on the feed before she ran out, and ended up carrying enough to nullify the need for her standard wagon. They chatted while they walked to her cottage.

“So Angel has been feeling sick?” John asked.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied, in a voice slightly louder than it had been two months ago. “He came down with a cough two days ago, but I think he is getting better.”

“That’s good.” John chuckled. “I kind of like the little guy, even though he keeps throwing carrots at me.”

Fluttershy laughed, “I think he likes you too, but he just shows it differently.”

John laughed with her as they reached her door. He carried the feed into the little storage shed behind her house and met her inside. “I’m going to have to go help Applejack as well today with apple bucking. Do you need any more help before I leave?”

She hesitated before answering, “No, I think I’ll be okay. Thank you though.”

John noted her subdued tone, but decided not to push it. “Well, I will see you later then.”

“Goodbye,” she called as he left. The human did not see the look of sadness at his departure.

---

John swung his large hammer at the apple tree. The apples fell down into the waiting buckets, and he picked up the ones that had missed. He used to just punch the tree, but Applejack made him use the hammer after he broke his hand for the fourth time. John moved to the next tree as the orange mare came up to him, towing a cart.

“Ah think that’ll do it for today.” Applejack wiped her brow as John picked up the buckets and set them on the cart, “Good job.”

“Good job to you as well.” John took the cart from the tired mare. He towed it behind him as they walked back to the barn. He stored it inside the large building before following Applejack to the farm house.

“Ah’d invite you in for dinner, but I almost forgot you didn’t eat.” Applejack chuckled, “It’s a little weird seeing you do this much work on an empty stomach.”

John chuckled as well, “My stomach’s been empty since Pinkie’s cupcake, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“She still isn’t happy that you can’t eat more of her treats.”

John shook his head, “I would if I could, you would never understand how much you could miss eating something. I’d probably even eat bugs if I could taste anything again.”

“Ah feel sorry for ya then.”

John said farewell and departed. He walked slowly on the orchard road, enjoying the evening air. His walk brought him to town as the sun was touching the horizon. Pinkie was throwing yet another party for something or other, so he would have to bathe and change into some different clothes before dark. He chuckled to himself, maybe he would try out some of the formal wear that Rarity had recently fashioned for him.

His walk back to the library was uneventful. Not many ponies walked the street, instead preparing for Pinkie’s party. He reached the library as Celestia began to lower the sun.

---

“John!” Twilight called to the human.

“Yeah?” John stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and damp hair signaled he had just gotten out of the bath.

“Pinkie Pie is throwing a party today for Mr. and Mrs. Cakes’ reunion.” Twilight raised her eyebrow at the towel.

“Yeah, Pinkie told me when I saw her today. I was about to get dressed.”

Twilight’s curiosity took over, “Why do you even get dressed? I’ve never seen anypony go so long with clothes. They would drive me nuts after so long.”

John stared at her before laughing. “I’ve noticed that most of you almost never wear clothes, so this may be a bit weird to you. On Earth, it was actually improper to walk around without clothes. They are just a social norm.”

Twilight gaped, “So all humans just wear clothes everywhere?”

“Well,” John paused, “Not all humans, there are some people called nudists that have beliefs that they should go without clothes. Special colonies are constructed to house them. Otherwise, it is illegal to go out without clothes in public. You just get used to it.”

Twilight shook her head in culture shocked amazement while John went into the guest room to don his clothes. He returned, and Twilight was dismayed to see that, even after two months, he still insisted on taking his sword wherever he went. She decided to voice her opinion, “You know you don’t have to bring the sword, right?”

John shrugged, “I feel naked without it. And I want to be prepared if anything comes up.”

“You aren’t exactly defenseless,” They both knew what Twilight was referring to.

John looked down at the scar on his left arm. “I don’t like using this magic against anything,” he paused. “I only want to use it to defend and help others.”

Twilight shook her head. She waved her hoof at John, “Come on, otherwise we’ll be late. Spike already left.”

---

Pinkie’s party had already started when Twilight and John arrived. They entered and were immediately confronted with slow dance music. The party seemed to have a more mature tone than many of Pinkie’s regular parties, because the reason was more mature than a foal’s birthday party. Elements of Pinkie’s signature parties were still present, including a large table filled with almost every imaginable desert.

“Let’s mingle then,” John said, and split off from Twilight to do exactly that.

John stood awkwardly over the short ponies, but his height allowed him to be seen by everypony that wanted to talk with him. He was soon engaged in friendly conversation with several town residents while they watched other ponies dance to the music. Mr. and Mrs. Cake waltzed together in the center of the dance floor.

John continued to chat idly with several ponies before Pinkie pulled him over by the desert table with the other Bearers. Only Fluttershy was absent, but Pinkie guessed she was too busy taking care of Angel. The pink mare immediately asked the ponies she dragged together, “Are you all enjoying the party?”

They all confirmed that they were, and Twilight asked, “Is that the only reason that you dragged us all here?”

“No,” Pinkie smiled. “I was also thinking that tonight would also be a good time for us six to celebrate that John is beginning to fit into Ponyville.”

Applejack laughed, “Ah think that is something to celebrate.”

Rarity commented, “And I see that you wore the formal clothing I fashioned for you as well.”

John chuckled, “Yes, I though tonight would be a good time to try them out.”

“Yes,” Rarity answered, “I fashioned them after tuxedos much like the one I made Spike. This one I made without a tail hole though.”

They all laughed at her little joke. “That’s a good thing, seeing that I lack one,” John replied.

None of them noticed that Fluttershy entered quietly through the door. Angel had begun to feel better, so she thought she could join the party. She saw John across the party and made her way to him, hoping her friends were with him as well.

Meanwhile, Pinkie passed out a new recipe that she had created. It was a breaded desert filled with an apple pudding and baked in apple peels. The ponies she gave them to complimented the apple flavored bread. Pinkie offered one of the treats to John, forgetting momentarily of his condition.

“No thank you Pinkie, I can’t eat anything. But back on Earth, my girlfriend made a similar recipe and …”

A voice behind him suddenly gasped, “Girlfriend?!”

John and the five ponies turned around to see Fluttershy staring, wide eyed, at the human. Before John or the ponies could say anything, Fluttershy snapped around and bolted through the crowd.

Author's Note:

Another chapter is out!
Also, the side oneshot I teased in the chapter Prank is out as well! If you haven't already, check it out, it's called Luna, Moonshine, and a Bakery.
I also teased a possible one shot in this chapter that would be a sequel to that one

Comments

[hunterman3]

someones heart got broken

[Hairy Rainbowish Thingy]

5694056

[otis12]

Dun dun duuuuuuun

[Nectarina]

5694227 double the filter heart break

[GalacticTNT]

Poor Fluttershy!!!

[ReapersinMLP]

Ahhh weeeeelllll this won't end well....

[NobleLeader6]

Holy fuck I just realized (and this is extremely late) that Morning Dew is to John as Celebrimbor is to Talion in Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Has anyone else realized that? (Horribly off topic, but meh.)

[chavis54]

5707129.... GOD DAMN IT, YOU'RE RIGHT, SHIT!

[Felixdragoon]

Good.

Remember your girlfriend.

Don't turn to the dark side.

[RC-0117]

5977128 cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder608/37418608.jpg and we allow relationships unlike the jedi