The Seed of Hope

by Meadow_Dawn

6 - Dr Blast

The servant led Dawn through the castle and began to go down some stairs, cutting through the museum to more stairs that were guarded and down to the castle sublevels.

Dawn gulped internally, suspecting she was going into secure territory.

They went down several sub-levels before entering into a hall that lost all the creativity and artistic merit above in favor of spartan grey walls, and normal lanterns for light hanging from the ceiling.

Dawn walked on, her sense of direction royally ruined by this, even if it was poor already.

There were guards everywhere, as well as ponies going every which way dressed in lab coats. Every turn had signs pointing what was down each of the halls, yet the servant navigated easily through this labyrinth under the castle… or under the city for all Dawn knew.

Dawn followed, trying to quell her nerves until at last, they reached a door that looked like all the others with one exception. The door was covered in scorch marks and the floor, ceiling, and walls all had newer, rougher stone that had yet to dim from wear. A plaque hung on the door, reading, “Research & Development. Head Researcher: Dr. Blast.”

"Ah, this is where Blast works... how much further in?" Dawn asked.

"We are here. I don’t have clearance for any further." The servant answered, giving a bow and turning to leave.

"Ah. Thank you." Dawn said, then, for lack of anything better to do, she knocked on the door.

There was no answer. Dawn stood, unsure if she should knock again or wait. After waiting a minute, she knocked loudly. When there was still no answer, she hummed. She hated the idea of just barging in without permission, but even though Dusk sent her to Dr Blast, she didn’t know how big the area was, or if she should do something specific. She looked around, spotting a nearby patrolling guard and waved to them.

"Excuse me!" Dawn called, trying to avoid yelling.

The guard saw her and approached. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Dusk told me to report to Blast for discussing some things, but they don't seem to be answering. Is there something I'm supposed to do? I'd hate to just enter in the middle of an experiment or something and be reprimanded for it." Dawn said shyly.

"Answering?" The guard said and walked over to the door and opened it, walking inside the door without knocking and disappearing through it.

Dawn blinked, feeling stupid at the example being shown before following. "Oh… I’m supposed to just enter?"

The guard didn't seem to hear her, and inside was a small hallway with multiple doors, each labeled as a lab. Some of the labs had red lanterns hanging outside of them but most did not. The guard went to the first one that didn’t have a red lantern and entered it. The open door let loose the sound of muffled voices from the other side of it.

Dawn followed, waiting politely at the door, suspecting the lanterns indicated if they were busy or an experiment in progress.

The guard came back out as soon as Dawn reached the door to what was labeled as Lab 3, leading a small unicorn mare who bowed several times rapidly as the guard walked off.

"I'm so, so sorry!" The mare said in a quiet voice, sounding embarrassed and genuinely sorry. "I didn't see you at all when you entered!" She said, still bowing apologetically.

"It’s fine." Dawn waved off, trying to give her a smile and offered her hoof. "I’m Meadow Dawn."

"Yes, yes, Dr. Blast is expecting you. She’s in Lab 12." The mare said, seeming to ignore, or perhaps not notice, the hoof.

"Right, I met her yesterday. Should I just enter her lab or knock?" She asked, lowering her hoof nervously.

"As long as the red lantern isn’t up, meaning an experiment is in progress, why wouldn't you?" The mare asked confused

"Mostly cause I worry I would be being rude." Dawn said, then turned to head that way. "Thank you."

The mare blinked at Dawn, confused at the idea before watching her go for a moment, then gave a shrug as she returned to her own lab.

Dawn went to the lab labeled for lab 12 and checked the lantern. When there was none outside of it, she hummed and proceeded to enter the lab.

"Hello? Dr. Blast?"

Dr. Blast was in a room that was clearly renovated many times, as many objects showed varying degrees of wear and tear. The metal supports for different furniture didn’t always match, but it was clearly a functional laboratory with the different metal and wood cabinets filled with who knows what. The mare was at the chalkboard, writing out something but had looked over as soon as the door opened. She seemed to gasp and get a grin on her face as she recognized the entrant.

"Oh! Dawn, you made it!" She said excitedly, zipping over on her wings in surprising agility for the confined quarters.

"You bet." Dawn nodded, surprised at the move but trying not to let it show, "I understand we have a lot of things to go over about what I know?"

"In time!" Dr. Blast said, grabbing Dawn and practically zipped both of them to a side room filled with expensive equipment vaguely reminiscent of primitive computers, along with some medical equipment she could recognize. Dawn was firmly set down into the chair.

"Fascinating..." Dawn hummed before she had been sat down, looking at the contrast and getting swept up in the dissonance.

"Hmm?" Dr. Blast hummed as she strapped Dawn down.

"You have fairly advanced chemical equipment setups, yet the computer here is… I'm not even sure how to describe it." Dawn blinked, then began to realize what they were doing to her, and panic started to set in. "Wait! WHY ARE YOU STRAPPING ME DOWN?"

"So you don’t move of course." She said, placing a helmet with lights on Dawn’s head. "Now hold still, this stuff’s expensive."

"What are you doing though?" Dawn asked, getting very nervous that she was about to be experimented on in very unpleasant ways.

"Studying you."

"For what?" Dawn asked

"You’re from another world.” Dr. Blast said, as if that explained everything.

"Yes, but to test for things you need to know what you're looking for to eliminate variables!" Dawn protested, still nervous but not moving, trying to use reason to get the experiment to stop.

"Which I already know."

“…” Dawn stared Blast down and then gave up, resigning herself to being the doctor's plaything.

Dr. Blast went to the controller of some sort, beginning to flip the switch.

Dawn watched, trying to infer what things meant, but otherwise stayed put, hoping they weren't about to do anything that would hurt.

Dr.Blast came over with a small laser with an adjustable iris. "Look straight ahead."

She sighed and complied, looking straight ahead as she was asked.

The pegasus adjusted the iris so it was a thin beam, and shone it directly into Dawn's eyes, first the left, then the right. She watched them react, then moved to tap on Dawn’s knees with a small reflex hammer, including opening Dawn’s mouth to shove a lantern by her muzzle and looked down her throat.

“Huh… why is it that only now do I realize I don’t need glasses anymore… that’s kinda nice.”

"Hmm… Interesting." Dr. Blast said as she worked, examining Dawn.

"What are you finding out?" Dawn asked.

"If you are different from a pony or are a perfect recreation."

"Oh..." Dawn blinked, "And what's the verdict so far?"

"Don’t know. Still examining you." She said

"Ah." She said, hiding a sigh as they did what they felt they needed to.

Dr. Blst worked, examining everything about Dawn, but soon enough, Dawn was unstrapped and Blast’s attention turned to the machine’s printout. Dawn sighed in relief at being unstrapped and waited patiently.

"Whelp, congrats! You are a perfectly healthy unicorn mare, average in every way." She said, sounding disappointed.

"You sound as disappointed as I feel." Dawn smirked. Part of her hoped that she'd be mildly special because of all the stories of going to other worlds had something special about them or some major event going on.

"Interesting, and what about me?" Starlight smirked, starting to make their appearance to Dawn's side.

"I have absolutely no idea how to scan incorporeal entities." She said.

"Oh." Starlight said, quickly deflating.

"So what now?" Dawn asked.

“I’ll have to ask one of my researchers who are a unicorn." Blast finished.

"So, what about what we know about technology from home like electricity?" Dawn blinked. "I thought that's why I was here."

"Oh, you are." She said. "I just wanted to see… Well, anything really."

"Oh." Dawn blinked, "So what will we do now?

"Well, you talk and I record what you say." She said, getting out a large device with something like a record on it and a microphone and place it before Dawn.

"Ah, a phonograph… wow." Dawn said with a smile. "That's from about a century ago or so for us, I think. How detailed should I get?"

"A century? We’ve been using these for about three now." Dr. Blast said. "And the more detailed the better."

"Very well." Dawn said, asking for a subject. Once it was given, she gave everything she knew, including trying to both describe verbally as well as draw a diagram with Starlight's help on a nearby chalkboard.

The process took several hours as she relayed what she knew about electricity, alternating versus direct current, which led to atomic theory. After that subject was exhausted, she moved on to electric lights with tungsten filaments from not knowing how to help with LEDs beyond what it stood for. Then she turned to transportation, giving the basic idea behind how a motor works while repeatedly admitting she didn’t know enough to design one, then went into how jet engines roughly worked, allowing flight using planes. Once that was exhausted, she gave what she could of the knowledge of space flight, which boiled down to knowing the fuel and a little bit about the heat-absorbing materials that helped with reentry into the atmosphere as well as the pressures needed to keep everyone alive.

Throughout it all, Dr. Blast would ask questions when needing clarity or something explained another way. She admitted a lot of the time she didn’t understand what was being talked about, and occasionally had to ask Dawn to pause while the record was replaced with a blank one. She seemed somewhat fascinated by the concept of atomic power, which had led to many, many questions about what atomic meant.

Dawn explained during that time that atoms were the closest thing to the building blocks of things, and that all compounds and reactions relied on that level of interaction to be formulated from. She admitted she knew nothing of atomic or nuclear power other than it created extremely deadly byproducts, and weaponized turned into a very dangerous weapon to all involved for projected centuries.

This resulted in a flurry of questions on atoms, revealing to Dawn how little the world had to anything remotely close to such a concept. It fascinated Dr. Blast to a large extent, only mildly concerned at the idea of an atomic blast affecting miles of area with direct damage, not counting fallout afterward. Many questions kept being asked back and forth, and on more than one occasion, Dawn was genuinely surprised at how much she remembered and tried to explain in comparisons and metaphors for examples, just to help the concept be remotely graspable. The concept itself was so strange, yet so thorough even to this laypony’s understanding, that it went far beyond anything any author had written about even in fantasy.

Dawn did her best to relay everything she could in as much detail as she could. It easily took hours going over what she learned in schools and the barest of basics behind chemistry with this knowledge, including a rough outline of the periodic table's shape, where each general category was, and what made up their characteristics. Dr. Blast was relentless, having numerous thorough questions that tried to leave as little unexplored as possible. It was clear the doctor had a thorough appreciation for both science and the methods science used to find what was most likely true.

Dawn couldn’t help but appreciate the questions, thoroughly enjoying working with her and feeling as if a bond was being shared between them. They barely noticed time go by beyond getting sore occasionally from sitting in one position too long.

It was at that point Dr. Blast noticed the time. "Ah… perhaps we should take a break and return at a later date… It is past dinner."

"Wait, what!?" Dawn exclaimed, completely surprised, then heard her stomach grumble. "Oh..."

"Yes… I tend to get quite wrapped up in work, and more than a few times Dusk has had to come and get me." She chuckled as she put the recordings away, a stack of discs that were being carefully handled.

Dawn smiled, then timidly asked, "I know I confused you sometimes, but do you believe what I'm telling you about? At least that I was taught this stuff I mean?"

"Not one bit." She said in that same cheerful manner.

"Oh… maybe I should rephrase the question." Dawn said timidly. "Do you think I'm making any of this up?"

"Not a clue." She said, the same as before.

"Oh… Well, I must say I’m disappointed, but I understand." Dawn said quietly.

"I am a scientist. I can't just believe what people tell me without proof." She said simply. "If I did, then I’d believe what that crazy stallion on the street corner said about mole people who lived 5 feet under the city and are all named Moe."

"That’s fair." Dawn said, "The hard part I’m afraid of is the idea that what I learned no longer applies… again."

"Again? You’ve been to other worlds before?"

"No… I really was raised by the equivalent of a cult… led to believe a lot of total shit in the end." Dawn said quietly, hoping they didn’t mind the curse. "Left me entering the real world utterly confused till I relearned based on actual evidence, along with struggling with some major self-image issues and other things. I’m just hoping you can eventually test these things and find out… even if it just points a path forward, that'll be enough for me."

"Ah, yes… And I am not sure. Most of this stuff I've never even heard about, even in fantasy books."

"Well... we'll see eventually. I was told you were most interested in the electrical generation by hydropower. I know I tied it in with the bits I knew about atoms, but how soon could we test the bits I could remember for its generation or a lightbulb in a basic circuit?"

"I have a demonstration scheduled for next week. Dr. Zapper's plans look promising." She said. "We just need to show The Princess his working model."

"Ah. this is something you were planning on for a while then. How similar is what Dr. Polarize made to what I tried to describe what I remembered?" Dawn asked.

"Hmm… not sure… Not exactly my expertise as I know chemistry." She said. "But honestly, what details you gave were sort of vague as is, so I suppose close match? As I said we will know next week if what he has works or not."

"Yeah… Shame my limited knowledge of chemistry wasn't much to speak on, but I suppose it makes sense I can't help in every aspect… I'd be way too overpowered if this were a story or something." Dawn chuckled weakly

She chuckled. "Honestly? It’s sort of refreshing."

"Well, at least I can take away something positive then. Can I quote you on that when I need to feel better?" Dawn asked with a nervous smile.

"Quote me on what?"

"How my lack of knowledge in some spots was refreshing?" Dawn said, looking to the door and wondering when they'd head out, or if it'd be together.

"Oh, yes." she said, finishing putting everything away and began to walk toward the door.

Dawn followed her out, assuming they were both about to go get food. If nothing else, she didn't want to be lost and it was hard to be lost when following someone who knows their way around.

"So, I must say while I know the reason why, it is such an odd thing for a full-grown unicorn to not know things." Dr. Blast said as they walked the halls together.

Dawn nodded, growing quiet and a little sad at that news, "I'll try my best to correct that."

"No, no. It’s what’s refreshing about you."

"But… you also said it's an odd thing." Dawn blinked, like she was struggling to make the two descriptions coincide.

She sighed. "Right, new… I should explain huh?".

"I'd appreciate it. Sorry if it's a bother." Dawn apologized timidly.

"It’s no-"she sighed again. "First, what am I, pony wise?"

"Well, you have wings, so that'd make you a Pegasus, right?" Dawn blinked.

Blast nodded. "And do you know how many pegasi researchers there are in Equestria?"

"Not a clue."

"Three." Blast said with finality. "Myself, Dr. Breeze, and Dr. Vector, and we all three work here."

Dawn blinked, "So… There's racism or specism against non-unicorns then? Or are there that few non-unicorns who are interested in such research?"

"I don’t know." Blast admitted. "It’s just… there are expectations for us. Unicorns are smart and magical, Pegasi control the weather and are athletic. Earth Ponies farm, build things, make things, or do other menial tasks. I was a low-level weather pony because all my life I was supposed to do that. I worked out to stay in shape - still do, mind you - as it just… it’s odd not to do it since I did it all my life, even though I don't need to. Was sent to flight camp where I learned all about flying, weather manipulation, and so on. Everyone around me was taught how to either work in the weather factory or weather teams, outside of those who wanted to join the Guard… I went through classes as an average student."

"Hm..." Dawn thought out loud, "I guess that’s one advantage we had back where I came from. With no differences beyond skin tone, we had less physical stereotypes to that extreme, though there were still others that had to be shaken up, sometimes hard… I take it, in the end, you found out what you wanted to do and decided to go for it?"

"Nope." Blast replied, almost giving an empty laugh. "I was bored out of my mind, but had no opportunity for anything else. I was set to be a weather pony and that was what I was for a few years. Just… going through what I was supposed to be, bored out of my mind, but I didn’t know anything else.

“I sort of came here on vacation and went through one of the museums. There was a section on chemistry, and it just… made so much sense! It was fascinating! I was actually interested in something! I started reading through textbooks on the subject, bought some foal chemistry sets by mail as I couldn't get anything higher grade and just… lost hours of the day… but there wasn't much I could do. I tried to apply to a college for chemistry and the admissions office thought it was a prank.”

Blast paused, letting out a sigh as she finished her story. “After the sixth time that happened, a rejection letter making it clear they didn't appreciate their time being wasted on jokes, I gave up and was just a weather pony… Still read every shred of info I could on the subject and played with my chemistry sets when not working."

"Wow… I don't know how that would feel." Dawn said, reaching out empathetically to them and raising a hoof to pat their shoulder supportively. It was such a foreign concept, and yet it echoed certain problems her home had in its past.

"It is what it is.” Blast shrugged. “One day, there was a chemical fire in the town, and I stopped the fire brigade from dousing it with water. That would have made it far worse. I was forced to cut their hoses, they weren't listening to me, and was able to find what I needed on the truck after breaking a few locks on storage compartment and made what was needed to contain the fire. Granted, they didn’t have what was needed to put it out, just keep it from spreading till it ran out of fuel.

“Got myself arrested for destroying city property, but somehow, the Princess heard about it and you could not imagine my reaction when I got a visitor. Turned out to be Princess Dusk in the flesh who spent 3 hours interrogating me about chemistry before she just up and left… Next thing I knew, I got a letter from a school I never applied to offering me a full scholarship to attend in any field I desired, all expenses paid, and after I graduated I got offered a job in a lab. Eventually made my way here as the head of the R&D department where I found other non-unicorn doctors.

“It was very strange, seeing earth ponies and other pegasi in different scientific fields, but it seems common in Luminousia compared to the rest of Equestria." Blast chuckled.

"Ah." Dawn said, removing her hoof from their shoulder. "I'm glad you did what you did... based on what you told me, I have a lot to learn and it seems like I have a decent model to go off of already."

"Yes, there is a reason this is ‘The City of Progress.’ It’s not just meaning scientists, but in everything. You'll find pegasi doing jobs here that have nothing to do with the weather. You'll find unicorns working to coordinate the weather and Earth Ponies doing other tasks."

"Good. Maybe we can get non-pegasi into flight too, if all the stuff I learned works out anyway." Dawn said. "The biggest concern I'd have is the effect the pollution would have, but still."

"Pollution?" Blast asked, tone reflecting that they never heard the word.

"Byproducts of burning fuels that have negative effects on those nearby as well as the atmosphere." Dawn explained. "Remind me to cover it more when we continue... we are continuing eventually right?"

"Yes, of course.' Blast said, as if the answer was obvious while walking through the now-closed museum.

"Good. Now that leaves me wondering when my re-education will be starting and be balanced out by what I’m trying to cover together with you."

"I… don't know." Blast admitted, blinking as they walked and their hooves echoed in the massive empty halls.

"That's fine." Dawn said, not particularly worried by a researcher not knowing what would happen to her as a newcomer.

Dr. Blast walked on with Dawn in tow, not sure what else to talk about. Dawn was lost in thought, wondering how Nightfall's keeper testing might have gone if he went to it today. Her stomach growled loudly and she blushed, then another need made itself known. "Dr. Blast, on the way, can we stop by a restroom?"

"Restroom? Ah! Yes, I suppose we should have gone before we left." She said, turning from the path to the stairs and walked down the dark and empty museum.

"Assuming we both mean the same thing anyway." Dawn said with a blush. "Adjusting to four legs for that was… different."

"Oh, I imagine." Blast said as they reached a set of restrooms with the male and female symbols on the door. "Here we are."

Dawn habitually headed for the male side, only to hear Dr Blast clearing her throat.

Dawn blinked, oblivious, "what?"

"Ms. Dawn, that is the wrong bathroom."

"Huh? But… Oh, right… Sorry, still getting used to being a girl now." Dawn said with a blush and correcting where she was about to enter.

Dr. Blast entered as well to use the facilities before dinner. Once the pair had taken care of their needs, they washed their hooves and left to go back to the stairs, climbing them amidst protesting empty stomachs.

After a short walk, Dawn smiled as they reached the dining room, sitting together at the empty table.

"Looks like we missed everyone else." Blast said as she sat next to Dawn.

"Sadly." Dawn answered. "So what kinds of foods do ponies eat? I’ve been making due when I eat with Dusk, but there’s only so much guesswork before I flop and ask for something unusual."

"Um… We generally have a vegetarian diet, though honestly I think we can eat other food, we just sort of don’t." Blast answered, not expecting that question.

"Ah... hm." Dawn thought out loud, "What kind of food is usually served for dinner?"

"Um… Whatever you want?" Blast blinked. “That’s what the chefs here are for.”

“Oh! I think I know what I’ll ask for then, but… if I’m out in Luminosia, what kinds of food gets sold at restaurants and things so I know what stuff others eat?” Dawn asked

“I mean, I’ve just had whatever I want,” Blast shrugged. “Food is food, so I never really looked. Back when I was on the weather teams, there was all kinds of stuff my coworkers had; cookies, daisy sandwiches, hayburgers, hayshakes… usually the sandwiches to keep from spending too much.”

“Well… hm.” Dawn paused. She was thinking of trying to get pizza, but now she was curious how in the world this world could use hay for burgers. “I think I’ll give the hayburger a try. Sounds strange to me, but we don’t have to get into it.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” Blast asked, pulling out parchment as a servant came forward to take their orders, ready to document more of yet another insight into strange ideas.

-----

Nightfall growled at his predicament in his private testing. Earlier, they handled the physical aptitude tests much like the old police department had, a couple miles of obstacle course to test his ability and willingness to handle said obstacles to get the ‘bad guy’ in a chase. He managed to do just barely good enough for what they wanted, 2 miles in 18 minutes, and that was with him fumbling every now and then from not being used to having four legs!

Now, of course, they wanted to test how well he could defend himself, and after forty bouts with Lieutenant Black Mane, he had just about had enough! It didn’t help Captain Storm was here as well these last few bouts, probably judging him too. He wasn’t a damn pony, he was a human, and a damn capable one at that!

He went down again, the thought ringing even as an encouragement to quit came from the Lieutenant of the keepers.

“Come on recruit, doing the same thing over and over doesn’t change anything… but I’ll give you props for trying to throw me off even if it didn’t work. Stay down. Only Earth Ponies last more than thirty rounds with me. You’ve proven you’re enduring if nothing else.” He tried to compliment.

‘Not a pony… I’m a human!’ He thought as he shook his head and repeated again how he won’t give up until he proved he could do it.

Suddenly, an epiphany struck. He couldn’t fight like a pony, so why keep trying to?

Nightfall began to stand, feeling his balance try to shift him back forward. It was maddening in a way, ‘If only I could stay upright! … wait, I’ve been having these flying lessons for a couple of hours with Breezy. I might not be able to control flight much, but what if they helped balance?’

He pushed himself upright again, the Lieutenant and Captain both eying him with a mix of interest and confusion. It took him a couple of tries before he stood on two legs, wings lightly flapping until he gained just the right balance he looked for.

‘There we go… I can do this.’ He said, adopting a ready stance.

“Son… you ok?” Black mane asked, eying him and trying to ignore the strangeness of what he saw. “Did I buck your head too hard last round?”

“I’m ready. One last go.” Nightfall said, calming his mind with a breathing routine, arms going to a familiar pose before looking at his opponent one more time.

Black mane looked to Storm, who shrugged and gave him a nod. “All right. Last one.”

“It’ll be all I’ll need.” Nightfall said, hardly any emotion attached.

Black mane waited to see what move he would give, then when none came after ten seconds, he moved closer, calmly, as if on a walk. Once he was only two paces away, he sighed, then maneuvered toward Nightfall, aiming to throw a feint at his side.

Nightfall dodged the feint, noticing it was positioned wrong for a hit after all these matches, and used one ‘arm’ to prepare a block on the feint while he prepared the other for the block to the real blow.

Black mane was mildly surprised, but then moved his leg up to hit at his wing. The foal wanted to play at a new fighting style? He’s going to learn the hard way how-

Black mane staggered as a kick hit the back of his head and Nightfall had maneuvered to his side, wobbling slightly, but still as capable at fighting as when they staggered.

“Point to Nightfall.” Storm said with a very slight smirk. “Forty points Black Mane, one point Night. You proved your point with whatever in Tartarus you want to call that stunt… now get your flank over so we can get some food and talk.”

Nightfall chuckled weakly, “It’s all I was looking for… just had to… change how I thought a ‘lil.”

“Well, you got me.” Black mane agreed. “I’d say once you’re ready to train at the academy you’d do just fine, but we’ll worry about that when you’re ready. I’ll give him my approval Storm.”

“Thanks Black Mane.” Storm said, watching him go before turning to Night. “So… done being a bucking bag?”

“Yeah…” Nightfall groaned. “I think I’ll have some bruising, but it comes with the territory.”

“So what was that you tried to pull at the end there?”

“Just some stuff I put together from a bunch of martial arts… no real name to it yet.” He said, “Kinda my own in that way.”

“I mean, it looks different, slightly menacing if you don’t know what you’re doing, but you look like a damn fool to us.” Storm said callously.

“Oh really? Do I need to spar with you to show you different?” He asked wearily.

“Not today, but could be fun. Gonna have to keep those wings closed though.”

“Huh? Why? They helped me balance.”

“Cause they’re giant weak points of a freaking pegasus in combat, and you’re making them even bigger!” She rolled her eyes. “We might have some durability falling from heights or while flying, but those bones are still hollow and break real easy in a fight.”

“Ah…” He frowned, not realizing that detail. He sighed, deflated. “All right. Some other time.”

“Well duh, you’re exhausted from today. You fought as long as an earth pony, I’ll give you credit there.” Storm smirked. “Tell ya what, you do me a favor and teach me more about that style of yours, and I’ll see about teaching you a thing or two later, once you’ve got more of your basics down.”

“I… sure, I guess?” He said, surprised.

“Cool.” Storm said, smiling as she guided him back to the castle grounds.

Author's Note:

Hope you all have been enjoying the story so far. Progress is likely to slow down at this point due to a recent job promotion (customer service to WFM Analyst, yay!). I will still do what I can to ensure reasonably timely releases.

Comments

[Meadow_Dawn]

10212866
As an author, I am loving the comments and seeing what people discover or think along the way. Carry on my friend! These are becoming the highlights of my day!

[Asolem2]

He wasn’t a damn pony, he was a human, and a damn capable one at that!

Not at the moment you aren't