The Elements of Equestria

by trooper7051

Chapter 10

The Elements of Equestria

Part 10

“There she is dude, New Yoke. She’s the brightest lady in Equestria, outside of Canterlot, and a fine looking one too.” Surf & Turf said gesturing down toward the mass of tall buildings in the distance.

Valiant gazed down from their spot on top of the hill and couldn’t help but be a little bit intimidated by the sight of the massive city. It had to be the better part of an hour away, by hoof, but the sight was not diminished in the slightest even at so great a distance. Steel, stone, and glass rose for hundreds of paces into the air, overshadowing smaller buildings nestled deep into the recessed streets flowing between their colossal brethren on all sides. Each behemoth stood as a solid representation and testament to the industrial nature of the residents. From his vantage point, Valiant could make out the mind-boggling number of ponies walking together in the streets, masses flowing like blood in the veins of the city. The vast ocean sat, framing the port city, a backdrop of the bluest blue. Ships meandered around a huge dock section which bordered on and extended out over the water, while crews of ponies scrambled around on board each vessel, trying to offload their freight and make room for the next ship in line. The pegasus stallion marveled at the intimate proximity the city shared with the surrounding forest. The forest came up to within a mere one hundred paces of the city’s outermost buildings.

There seemed to be a distinctive lack of farms around the city itself, which puzzled Valiant,
“Where are all the farms? Where does the food for the city come from?” he asked his neon colored friend.

“It’s all imported bro. The city gets all its food from other towns, like Ponyville, Trottingham, and Haysburg. The food gets imported by ships and offloaded at the docks, then distributed through the city. Come on dude, we need to get moving.” Surf said adjusting his saddle-bags, “I have to empty out my bank account and tell my inventor friend what percent of the profits she gets to keep for herself while I’m static.”

Surf & Turf broke into a trot, setting a brisk pace toward New Yoke; Valiant followed behind.

Within an hour, they had reached the city proper. Valiant noticed right away that there was no wall surrounding the city. There were, by contrast, a large number of armored guards patrolling the streets. Surf & Turf wound his way through the tightly packed crowds of ponies like a snake could wind through tall grass, Valiant could barely keep up. He had never seen so many ponies in one place before, even Canterlot didn’t boast the population New Yoke apparently had. The brightly colored Earth pony, however was not blind to his companion’s difficulty and politely slowed down whenever he saw Valiant begin lagging behind. They squeezed their way through crowds and crowds, Valiant was completely lost.

Eventually Surf & Turf veered off to one side of the street and waved to Valiant over the heads of the crowd. Valiant slowly made his way to the neon pony. Surf was standing in front of an old brick building which sported a sign that read, ‘Tinker’s Emporium’. The sign looked to be as old as the building itself, decrepit and saggy with faded paint.

Surf & Turf waited until Valiant was next to him,
“Alright dude, this is the place. My friend Tinker is the owner. She’s uh, well she’s kind of flirty with me,” he laughed nervously, “Me and every other stallion in the city. She may come on kind of strong at first but she’s a really sweet mare. You just have to take everything she says in stride bro, fair warning and all. I’ll go in first, you know, soften the blow and everything. If she flirts with you just flirt back, she doesn’t mean anything by it, it’s just her own special way of being friendly.”

Surf turned and pushed open the wooden door to the small business calling,
“Yo Tinker! Are you in here, or do I need to find some other pretty girl to hang out with?”

Valiant took a moment to look around the dim shop. The ‘Emporium’ had to be at least sixty paces from front to back and probably eighty paces from left to right, but walking space was apparently at a premium. Metallic contraptions of every imaginable variety littered the entire shop, sometimes from floor to ceiling. There were tables filled with half-finished gadgets and tools all over the place. The air smelled strongly of hot metal and acrid smoke filled the shop, making Valiant want to sneeze. At the far end of the room, opposite the door, stood a stout wooden counter with an open door behind it leading into the back of the shop. The sound of clanging metal echoed from beyond.

The ringing of metal on metal ceased and Surf’s challenge was answered by a voice that could only have belonged to some kind of angel, even if the words were less than angelic,
“Is that my little sweet-flank calling to me? I wasn’t expecting you for another couple of days, stud.”

Valiant’s jaw dropped. The voice was followed by one of the prettiest unicorn mares he had ever seen, doing something that was arguably the most unattractive thing any mare could do. Tinker was smoking a cigar. Valiant found it impossible to make out most of Tinker’s features. She was liberally covered in black grease and had her mane and tail pulled up into a mass on top of her head and flank, both clumps were covered with dirty rags and tied tightly in place. Tinker’s face though was a wonder to behold. Her cheek bones were slim and petite, her lips full and bright red, like she was wearing lipstick, and her eyes were like two glowing amber almonds shielded behind long full lashes. Her cutie-mark was of a ballpeen hammer smashing against a lump of metal.

Tinker sauntered up to the counter and batted her long lashes at the two stallions,
“Sweet Celestia! Two handsome stallions in my little shop, what IS a girl to do?” she levitated the smoldering cigar out of her mouth and blew out a cloud of smoke, “Are you boys here to show a girl a nice night out on the town? I know plenty of clubs we could hit, then find a nice cozy little booth all to ourselves.”

Valiant felt himself blushing at Tinker’s provocative words, fortunately, Surf stepped in quickly,
“You know full well, I don’t like sharing you, babe. Besides, I’m here for business. Tinker, this is Valiant; Valiant meet Tinker.”

Surf & Turf led Valiant up toward the counter, while Tinker took another hit from her cigar, watching the two stallions with keen interest.

Valiant walked up to the counter and extended his right hoof,
“A pleasure to meet you Tinker.”

Tinker levitated the cigar away and blew out more smoke,
“The pleasure’s all mine, and sometimes Surf’s too.” she purred, shaking Valiant’s hoof, “If you hang around here long enough, maybe you’ll get to find out exactly what I mean, big guy.”

“I’m off to Haysburg here soon babe; got mountains to climb and thermals to glide. You can keep selling the inventions while I’m gone. Feel free to keep eighty-nine percent of the profits for yourself. As for the rest, if you could deposit the bits in the bank for me, I’d really appreciate it. You know the drill.” Surf said.

Tinker’s mouth fell to an incredibly sultry pout,
“Aww, Surf!” she whined, “You still owe me that date, remember? That was the deal for the first run of your inventions.”

Surf rubbed the back of his head with his left hoof,
“I know babe, but when the wind calls, I have to answer. Tell you what, we’ll go out tonight, before I leave in the morning. Your call, anywhere you want.”

Tinker’s eyes sparkled,
“Anywhere?” she said quietly, “How about ‘Crash-Course’?

Surf’s eyes popped open wide,
“Uh, I don’t know about that babe. Isn’t there somewhere nicer you want to chill at?”

Tinker leaned over the counter once more,
“Tell you what stud.” she said seductively, “Bring your friend and I’ll go anywhere you want, uptown or downtown.”

Valiant’s ears felt as if they were about to burst into flames at the insinuation,
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable just going with Surf & Turf?” he asked nervously.

Tinker looked Valiant up and down as if appraising him,
“Oh, I’m quite sure. Perhaps I could convince you to part with your namesake for a night, huh?” turning back to Surf, she said, “Pick me up here at seven. I’ll show you boys a night you’ll never forget.”

Valiant politely bowed his head and excused himself from the shop, walking as quickly as proper etiquette allowed. Outside the door, he leaned against the wall trying to force himself to be calm. Surf & Turf stayed inside a little while longer then joined Valiant outside.

The neon pony shook himself out vigorously,
“Sorry about that dude. She was really laying it on thick.”

“What’s with her?” Valiant asked, “Is she really . . . like that?”

Surf shrugged,
“It’s just the way she is bro. She talks like that all the time, but she doesn’t mean a word of it. “

The two stallions stepped away from the ‘Emporium’, heading down the street.

“Then why does she act like that?” Valiant asked.

Surf shrugged again,
“Don’t know, Valiant. I think maybe she just wants to feel pretty.”

Valiant’s eyebrows shot up nearly merging with his mane,
“Pretty?” he asked, “She’s gorgeous! The cigars don’t help, but she really is beautiful.”

“Not my call bro; anyway the bank isn’t far. What say we go hit the beach for a while, soak up some sun, munch on some caramel-corn, watch the girls . . . “ Surf was cut by his companion.

“Why are you so obsessed with mares anyway?” Valiant asked curiously.

“What’s not to like dude? I like to look at beauty in all its forms. Watching girls is like standing in a room filled with gem-stones, or watching every sunrise and sunset that ever happened. No two are alike, and all have their own kind of beauty. Each one is precious and unique and deserves to be cared for like the works of art they are. I marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors and variety and just think how lucky I am to be able to be here to see it, even if nopony else does. I take it all in and thank Celestia for every second of it. I know it probably sounds all creepy and stuff, but it’s not like I go and hit on every mare I see.” Surf swallowed and continued, “Honestly, bro, I’m kind of nervous about tonight. I’ve never been out on a date before.”

Valiant didn’t know what to say, ‘I guess there’s more to this guy than I thought.’

*************************************************************************************

Valiant and Surf & Turf arrived back at ‘Tinker’s Emporium’ at seven o’clock sharp. Tinker met them outside, ready to go. Valiant didn’t know about Surf, but he had trouble not starring at the unicorn mare. Gone were the rags that held her mane and tail and gone was the grease on her coat in fact, gone was the rough looking mare he had met earlier. In her place, stood a divinely beautiful female specimen of the unicorn persuasion. Her mane and tail were charcoal grey with pitch black highlights and her cobalt coat shone with a type of gloss that could only have come from hours and hours of delicate care. Her mane cascaded down her shoulders, partly obscuring her lovely face and giving her a mysterious air, while her tail draped down behind her back legs flowing like a waterfall. Lacy stockings sheathed her well-defined legs from hoof to shoulder and flank. The dark mascara around her eyes made her formerly pronounced orbs of amber, now seem to leap out boldly in the dim light. Valiant snapped out of his trance when he saw her pull a cigar out from its hiding spot, carefully concealed behind her right ear.

Tinker eyed the two stallions coyly,
“Punctual, I see boys. I like that. Lead on sugar, momma’s got a sweet-tooth.”

Valiant had to strain to keep from rolling his eyes, ‘Doesn’t she ever quit?’ he wondered.

Tinker turned her backside to the two stallions and sauntered seductively down the road, looking over her shoulder,
“Come on boys. It’s time to party. Show a girl how to have a good time.” she said, tail swishing behind her.

Valiant heard Surf & Turf gulp audibly,
“Coming babe!” he called trotting up next to her.

Valiant fell into step beside the two, on the other side of Tinker, thinking about the day he had shared with his new friend, ‘Surf said he wasn’t rich, boy he meant it! He only has just over three hundred bits to his name. I hope the hotel room we rented for the night didn’t set him back too much. He didn’t let me pay for part of it either. I wonder why. I do have to admit though, he’s a lot deeper than I originally thought. He comes off like an adrenaline-crazed air-head, but in reality he’s an adventurous poet more than anything else.’

Valiant’s thoughts were interrupted by Surf & Turf speaking,
“This is it babe, we’re here.”

Valiant looked around. The building they stood in front of was average and boring in every sense of the word. It looked like an old rusty tin warehouse, except there was a line of ponies waiting outside a single door which was being guarded by a pair of well-built pegasi. Valiant became aware of a deep bass rhythm vibrating the walls of the old building from within. The beat sounded fast-paced energetic. It was obviously a club of some kind. The other ponies in line were about as under-dressed as Valiant could have ever imagined. Most looked rough and dirty, like they had just finished with the day’s work and come straight there without venturing home to freshen up. Not one sported any type of apparel save for the occasional neckerchief or bandana.

As they stood there waiting for the line to move, a pair of older unicorn stallions walked up behind them and joined in line behind Valiant, Surf, and Tinker, also waiting. Surf and Tinker were absorbed in their own conversation, but Valiant couldn’t help to hear the conversation of the two unicorns behind them.

“Ouch! Look at that pretty little thing!” one said, “Hey beautiful, why don’t you ditch these two and come party with some real stallions?”

Valiant took in the sight of the two unicorns out of the corner of his eye. They were a quite bit more muscular than average, but not particularly tall. Their manes and tails were cut short and identical in their upkeep. Valiant guessed they were two city guards who were off duty. The one who had spoken, had a cream-colored coat and dark red mane and tail; his cutie-mark was of a hoof stomping the ground with cracks spreading out from the point of impact. The other one had a coffee colored coat and yellow mane and tail with a cutie-mark of a pony with a black eye and swollen lip.

Tinker ignored the comment and continued chatting with Surf, apparently much to the displeasure of the second unicorn behind them,
“What’s so cool about these guys anyway? You know what they say, ‘No horn, no fun.’ Come on, what do you say, legs?”

Tinker turned around and batted her extraordinarily long eyelashes at the two,
“If it’s all the same boys, I think I’ll just stay here with my friends. They’re plenty of fun. Why don’t you two big stallions just enjoy the evening without me. Everypony’s here to have a good time, let’s not ruin it, okay?”

The unicorns didn’t seem to take the rejection with even an ounce of grace,
“What makes these two bums better than us?” the cream colored one asked.

“I didn’t say they were, stud. I’m just not interested.” Tinker said over her shoulder.

Another unicorn mare had come up to stand in line behind the two off-duty guards,
“Hey guys, she said she’s not interested. I think you should leave her alone.”

The coffee colored one turned to the newcomer and shoved her against the wall with a hoof,
“I don’t care what you think, tiny. I think you should butt out and mind your own business.”

Valiant looked the newcomer over. She was a young unicorn with an egg shell colored coat and dark green mane and tail. Her cutie-mark was of a compass star in front of a large body of water. She wasn’t outstandingly lovely, but she had a sturdy look to her, like a pony who exercised regularly.

The coffee colored unicorn stallion leaned in close and sniffed her mane rudely,
“Hey, she smells nice. Like a morning breeze . . . “

“Which just so happens to be my name, you oaf! Let go of me!” the mare said boldly.

“Hey, we’re just trying to have a good night here. Why don’t you come with us and show us how you have fun? There’s plenty of other clubs around.” the cream colored one suggested.

Valiant had heard enough, he turned around and confronted the two unicorns,
“You know, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Why not try being nice and having some character? You can make a good start by letting her go. I doubt your superiors would appreciate hearing about you harassing a mare, now would they?”

Valiant’s words didn’t have the desired effect, both unicorns turned on him,
“You looking to make something out of it?” the coffee colored one asked.

Valiant didn’t back down,
“No, I was saying that you should try being polite to the ladies if you want a positive response. Why be rude? It doesn’t make anypony like you better, it just makes you look like jerks. It’s called karma guys, you get back what you put out.”

“You’re awfully preachy there, bub. Maybe you need a lesson about being polite yourself?” the cream colored one said raising a hoof.

Valiant subtly shifted his stance,
“If I came off as rude, I apologize, but there’s no need for things to get nasty.”

“I’ll show you rude! Come on, put em up!” the cream colored one said, swinging his hoof at Valiant’s head.

The royal blue pegasus danced aside, away from the wall, the swing missing him easily,
“No need for violence guys. Why don’t we just call it a night?”

“Fancy hoof-work there, you a fighter?” the coffee colored one asked, turning to face Valiant.

Valiant lowered his head slightly, preparing for a fight if it came to it,
“I’d rather not fight you, if it’s all the same. Why don’t you just calm down and go home? You look like you’ve had a long day and I’m sure you don’t want to do anything you might regret in the morning.”

“The only thing I’ll regret is letting an insect like you snark away at us!” the cream colored one said as the two unicorns began advancing on Valiant together.

The sound of concerned murmurs caught Valiant’s attention. He turned his head and looked at the crowd of ponies waiting to go into the club. He came to the conclusion that he had the attention of every pony waiting in line. The two pegasi by the door looked like they were more than willing to step in, except they had a job to do.

“Look out dude!” Surf & Turf called from the line.

Valiant turned back toward the two unicorns just in time to catch a hoof to the side of his head. He saw stars and suddenly gravity lost its hold of the world, turning sideways. He felt weightless for a brief moment, then came a heavy impact as he hit the dirt. Valiant opened his eyes and shook his head. He was lying on his left side in the middle of the street and his head was throbbing. He had no idea which of the two unicorns had hit him, but he did know they were now both laughing at him.

“Was that polite enough for you? Come on, show us what you’ve got!” the coffee colored one jeered.

Valiant slowly regained his hooves and stared down the two bullies fearlessly,
“As a matter of fact, I believe, that was the rudest thing anypony has ever done to me. I can demonstrate polite for you if you wish.”

The two unicorn stallions charged the lone pegasus with reckless abandon. Valiant smiled as they approached him, ready to swing at him again. He waited until the last possible second then, in a blur of motion, he rolled forward, right between them. Caught by surprise, the two unicorn stallions tried to correct their swings, only to discover the other’s hoof in their face. They fell, sprawling onto the ground and came up rubbing their faces ruefully.

Valiant came up from his roll and spun like a top, facing the two stunned brutes,
“See I was polite enough not to hit you. I’m afraid I can’t say the same for either of you. That was very rude to hit your friend like that. Now, if you’ve had enough, let’s go our separate ways and try to have a pleasant night, shall we?”

The two unicorns stood up and Surf called to them from the line,
“Trust me dudes, you don’t want to make him fight for real. He’ll re-arrange your faces. He’s tougher than he looks. He’s not an Earth pony; he’s a pegasus who lost his wings. You seriously don’t want to fight him.”

Surf’s statement caused the two unicorns to stop in their tracks, the coffee colored one turned his head to the neon colored Earth pony,
“Say what?”

The other unicorn shook his head,
“Crud!” he said angrily, turning to Valiant, “You lucked out. We don’t fight cripples.”

“Yet, you were willing to gang up on me when you thought I was an Earth pony. Lots of honor there, oh yeah.” Valiant retorted sarcastically.

“Hey,” the coffee colored one said, “Earth ponies are strong. That’s why we didn’t use our magic on you. Two unicorns against one Earth pony is a fair fight as long as no magic is involved.”

“Bring it on, hot-shot.” Valiant said, briefly losing control his temper, “I’ll put you both in the hospital.”

“No way.” the coffee colored one said shaking his head, “Don’t bother, this fight’s over.”

“Yeah,” the cream colored one said, “We’re done here. We’ll pick on an equal, but even we have standards. Have fun, wingless.”

Valiant watched in confusion as the two unicorns walked away down the street. He didn’t want special treatment, and their actions aggravated him to no end, ‘Still,’ he thought, ‘That could have turned out much worse. I’ll have to thank Surf for stepping in.’ He walked back over to Surf and Tinker and resumed his place in line next to them. The feeling of a gentle hoof on his shoulder made Valiant turn around.

The egg shell colored unicorn mare stood behind him,
“Thanks for the help.” she said softly.

Valiant inclined his head towards the mare,
“Always a stallion’s prerogative, miss.”

“If you want some company, my friends couldn’t make it tonight.” Morning Breeze offered.

“I’d be honored.” Valiant said nodding.

*************************************************************************************

Surf & Turf collapsed onto the rented bed. He was exhausted. He, Tinker, Morning Breeze, and Valiant had stayed out quite late. Surf didn’t see a clock in the room but his guess put the time close on to two in the morning. Valiant lay on the one other bed in the room, remembering the fun night. He had never danced or drank before and the resulting combination of both left him feeling giddy. The impromptu double-date had ended on a high note with both he and Surf receiving a kiss on the cheek from their respective mares while their dates thanked them for a wonderful evening. It was, Valiant decided, a good night after all, even if there was no chance for long-term romance between either of the couples. As the two stallions drifted off to sleep, Valiant couldn’t help but to think of another mare, one that was particularly dear to his heart. Little did he know she was likewise thinking of him at precisely the same time, far away in the Everfree Forest where she and her friends had stopped to sleep for the night.

Valiant and Surf woke up late in the day, but never the less headed out, going north along the road toward Haysburg. The road leading north was fairly wide so they could walk side by side. The river was on their right, running alongside the road and providing a source of fairly fresh water for them on a daily basis. The forest bordered in on the left side of the road providing ample possibilities to forage for food if the need arose. The day passed without any incidents of note; they passed few other travelers on the road. They made camp for the night then continued on the next morning.

The farther from New Yoke they travelled, the fewer ponies they encountered. Valiant kept up his morning routine of practice and exercise and was pleased to discover Surf & Turf showing an interest in joining him. Valiant hadn’t told his companion about his experience being a Vagabond or how he was one of the Elements of Peace, but Surf seemed content not to pry. The two friends began practicing every morning and evening, using each other to help with their own routines. Valiant tended to focus on combat-oriented exercises while Surf concentrated on his strength and agility. The Earth pony had a knack for climbing trees with the strange hooks he generally had attached to his legs, and was also surprisingly good at using the height from the trees he climbed to assist with his hang gliding launches.

The monotonous days began to merge together as the two friends continued their journey. Valiant lost count after day five, the two friends simply content to travel without any particular time restraint. Slowly but surely Valiant began to recognize a change in the atmosphere as they progressed. The air became steadily more humid as they continued northward. The ground began to turn soggy and puddles dotted the road. The nights became all the more cold from the introduction of humidity, as the two stallions ventured farther and farther toward their destination.

Valiant knew they were getting close to Haysburg, he could feel it. The familiar climate called to his memory in a way that set him on edge. His most recent memories of Haysburg were nothing short of nightmare material and his temperament began to adjust to the change. It began slowly, nothing notable except a tiny bit of crankiness here and a little bit more exhaustion there. Eventually he began having trouble sleeping, his appetite dwindled down to one single meal a day, and he started to become morose.

Surf & Turf stayed silent for a while, but eventually he felt he needed to say something. One night after their practice, Surf decided the time had come to vocalize his concerns. They were sitting by their camp fire enjoying the warmth from the flames. Valiant had found a dry patch of ground for them to set up their tents and dinner was almost done. The day had been chilly, but bearable. The night was quickly growing bitterly cold.

Surf sat across the fire from his wingless friend,
“Hey Valiant, dude.” he addressed, “I’m seriously not trying to upset you or anything, but you’ve been acting kind of weird recently. You barely eat, except for dinner and I’ve hard you talking in your sleep. Look bro, if there’s something wrong, you should tell me. Maybe I can help. I’m getting, like, wicked concerned over here.”

Valiant raised his head from the spot he had been starring at in the fire,
“I’m acting weird?” he asked, “I hadn’t noticed anything.”

Surf hid a chortle,
“No offense or anything dude, but duh. If you had noticed something you would have corrected it by now. I’m just saying.”

Valiant smiled at his friend,
“Yeah, I would have; you’re right.” he ran his right hoof through his mane, “I guess I’m just nervous about seeing Haysburg again. I don’t mean to be taking anything out on you Surf.”

Surf waved his left hoof,
“No biggie, dude, but I have to ask, why would you be nervous about seeing your home again? Did your friends do you wrong or something? I know you said you were an orphan, but you never told me why you left.”

Valiant sighed heavily,
“It’s hard to talk about sometimes. My past isn’t very pretty, but I’ll tell you if you really want to know . . . “ Valiant trailed off as his ears picked up a sound from the nearby forest.

Surf swiveled his ears in time with Valiant, both alert to the sound that had startled them. Both ponies stood up and looked toward the forest. The night was deeply dark and, up until that point, had been eerily quiet. The two friends stood on either side of the fire, listening intently for the sound to repeat itself, ears turning this way and that, searching for any possible direction of origin. Their muscles were tense, ready for anything that presented itself. Valiant’s ears picked up the sound again. It was faint and far off, but distinguishable. Surf & Turf turned his head toward his companion questioningly. Without a word, Valiant suddenly sprung forward into the forest, at an all-out run. Surf shot off after Valiant, the other stallion’s trail easy to follow even in the nearly absent light of Luna’s waxing, crescent moon.

Valiant galloped through the trees as fast as he could, heart pumping, ‘That was the sound of somepony crying.’ he thought. The trees and thick bushes surrounding him made his balance precarious to say the least. He stumbled several times, but kept going, spurred on by the distinctive sounds of sorrow. Valiant realized passively that his running made almost no sound at all, ‘Must be from all the years of keeping quiet and avoiding animals.’ he figured.

The wingless pegasus saw a clearing up ahead of him, he could hear Surf close behind in case he needed help. Valiant reached the clearing first, by a matter of seconds. The area was small, but blessedly devoid of trees, giving him a clear view of the cause of the crying. A hugely thick mass of a dark color was bent over the prone form of an absolutely ancient Earth pony mare. At first, Valiant thought the mass was an animal which had attacked the oldster, but as he watched, the mass reached out a ridiculously thick limb and stroked the mare’s mane, caressing it tenderly before it broke down once more into a fit of deep sobs.

Surf & Turf arrived loudly and stopped next to Valiant, panting lightly. The huge mass raised its head and turned, facing the two friends, regarding them with huge sorrowful brown eyes. The mass was a pony. Valiant had to take a moment to recognize the fact. The pony was an older colt, just shy of being a stallion, by the sound of his voice, but he was far, far more massive than any pony Valiant had ever seen before. Most of the colt’s mass was not muscle either.

The colt rose to his hooves slowly and turned his whole body toward Valiant and Surf. He was of average height, but he was bigger around than most four ponies Valiant had ever seen, combined. He braced himself as if ready to fight, standing over the ancient mare.

Valiant took a tentative step out from the cover of the forest speaking quietly,
“Hey there, young fella, is something wrong with your friend?”

The colt didn’t respond except to look back to the mare on the ground behind him then back at Valiant. The colt’s face was thick and flabby, with a soft layer of marshmallow padding every inch, partially obscuring his features. Valiant guessed his coat was a chocolate color or maybe a touch darker and his mane and tail were cut short, both an auburn color. If the colt had a cutie-mark, it was completely obscured by the darkness. He didn’t say a word. The dim light of the moon caught his face, reflecting off a steady stream of tears flowing down his pudgy cheeks.

The colt seemed familiar. Valiant remembered seeing him around the orphanage when he was younger. He was really quiet and always followed around an older mare who liked to stop in and visit with Miss Heartfelt, the mare who ran the orphanage. He wracked his memory, but just couldn’t remember the colt’s name.

Without any other options, Valiant took another step toward the colt,
“I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to make sure the mare is alright.”

The colt seemed to consider Valiant’s words for a moment, then stepped aside, allowing the pegasus access to the ancient mare. He moved up to the mare slowly, careful not to startle the huge colt. The mare was older than old, Valiant guessed her to be nearly twice Granny Smith’s age. She had a forest green coat and her mane and tail were pure white. Her cutie-mark was of a ladle dipped into a wooden bucket. Valiant reached her and put his ear to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. There was none, and her body was already cold and stiff.

Surf & Turf slowly padded up next to his friend,
“How is she, dude?”

Valiant hung his head slightly and touched his forehead to the old mare’s,
“She’s gone, Surf. There’s nothing we can do for her.”

Behind them, the colt began crying once more. Valiant and Surf had no idea what to do. They were unprepared for dealing with a deceased pony. They stood back up and Valiant opened his mouth to ask the colt a question, but stopped short. The colt strode past the two friends and picked up the mare’s body, maneuvering her onto his hugely wide shoulders and started off, deeper into the forest. Valiant and Surf followed the colt, keeping a respectful distance.

The colt followed a well-worn trail, eventually coming to an tiny, old, rundown log cabin. The cabin had a light coming from inside and Valiant’s ears picked up the crackle of a fire from within. The colt pushed open the door and made his way inside, he still had not spoken a single syllable. Valiant and Surf looked at each other then followed the colt to see what he would do.

As they stepped through the door, Valiant’s nose was suddenly flooded with an intense sweet smell. The cabin was barely large enough to hold the ponies, even just standing as they were. A pair of beds took up the walls both ahead and to the right of the front door, which was the only door. A small square table with a chess board on top, took up most of the rest of the room. Two chairs sat on either side of the table, both thick and sturdy. Set into the left wall was a fireplace which burned merrily despite the sad events of the evening. A small pot hung over the top of the fire, the source of the smell.

The colt lay the ancient mare’s body down on one of the two beds then simply knelt down next to her. He lay his head next to hers and closed his eyes, tears still flowing freely. Valiant felt sorry for the poor colt, massive as he was. He slowly walked over and placed a gentle hoof on the back colt’s head, stroking his mane. Surf walked over as well and mimicked Valiant’s gesture, both trying to comfort the young fellow.

The two friends had no idea how long they stood there, but eventually, the colt raised his head to look at the two stallions. Saying nothing, he reached his colossal head underneath the mare’s mattress and produced a folded piece of parchment, which he presented to Valiant.

“Is that for me?” he asked the colt.

The colt nodded his head, so Valiant took the parchment over to the table,
“May I sit down?” he asked the colt.

“Yes sir.” the colt responded quietly.

Valiant unfolded the piece and began reading out loud,
“To whoever receives this paper, this the last will and testament of Mable Maple. I’m an old mare who looks like she has more wrinkles than this piece of paper, if there’s any confusion. Hopefully my little guy, Molasses, gave you this thing. If he didn’t then either you’re here to rob us or we both keeled over for some reason and you found this. Poor Molasses has less brain power than lean muscle, if you know what I mean. He’s a really sweet little guy though, I call him little because he’s younger than me, not because he’s small. He’s sweet but about as smart as a pinecone, he works hard though. He knows how to do the kind of work we do out here. We’re both sweet-sauce makers of a sort. I make the maple syrup and he makes, guess what, molasses. He knows his business and he’s darn good at it, but he needs somepony to take care of him. I already told him that when my time comes, he’s to go find somepony and show them this letter, hopefully that’s you. It’s my last wish that you take care of Molasses now that I’m gone. He can more than pay for himself if he gets the chance to work. If you can’t take care of him, I ask that you take him to an old friend of mine so he can live there with her and her family. She lives in Haysburg and will recognize Molasses on sight. To cover the cost of taking him, or as thanks for taking him in, there’s a couple hundred bits worth of bank notes inside my mattress. If you’re a robber, don’t you dare take that money! You’ll be stealing from a wrinkly old mare and a sweet, fat retard, what’s wrong with you! If I’m dead, just leave me here in this old cabin so I can decompose with it. Tell Molasses that I love him, since I may not get the chance. He calls me Momma, but he’s not mine. He might as well be though. He knows the story if you can get him to tell you. Please take good care of him.

With thanks and plenty of money
Mable Maple”

Valiant refolded the letter and regarded the colt seriously,
“Is that your name, Molasses?” he asked.

The colt turned to face Valiant,
“Slow but sweet. Yes sir.” he said quietly.

“She asked to be left here and that you come with us. We happen to be heading to Haysburg so we’ll take you along. Do you have anything you want to bring with you?” Valiant asked.

“Did Momma go away?” Molasses asked quietly.

Valiant mentally kicked himself for being so insensitive to the slow colt,
“Yes she did, I’m sorry. Do you want to take some time to say goodbye?”

Molasses nuzzled the old mare for a moment then raised his head,
“Say goodbye, every day, because you might not wake up in the morning.” Molasses said blinking back tears once more, turning back to the old mare, he nuzzled her one last time, “I miss you Momma.”

Surf wiped a hoof under his nose and turned away, feigning a cough and sniffling,
“Hey bro,” he addressed Valiant, “I don’t mean to be pushy or anything, but we need to head back to camp before somepony decides we abandoned our stuff.”

“I know Surf.” Valiant replied, “Molasses, do you know how far away Haysburg is?”

“One full day, with the sun on your right in the morning and left in the evening. Turn right when you reach the swamps and go until you hear the bells.” Molasses sounded like he was reciting something he had been forced to memorize, “Follow the bells to Haysburg. When you reach the town, don’t talk to strangers. Just follow Momma to the sweet shop and wait like a good colt, and maybe the nice mare with the brown mane will give you a cup of hot cocoa. When Momma’s done, follow her to Miss Heartfelt’s Orphanage. You can play with the foals, but be gentle, they are still small. If any fillies or colts try to talk to you, be polite but go find Momma and ask her if you can play with them. Follow Momma back home, only she knows the way. If you get lost, sit down and call for help and Momma will find you.”

Valiant now had an idea of exactly how handicapped the colt was, he adjusted his tone accordingly,
“Molasses,” he addressed softly, “Your Momma said it was alright for you to come with us. We’re taking you to Haysburg, alright?”

“Yes sir. I heard Momma say so. If I stop moving for a long time and get really cold Molasses, go find somepony and give them the note under my mattress. It’s alright to cry, when that happens. Momma has to go away someday, but I’ll always love you. When I go away, it’s alright to go with the pony you gave the note to. They’ll take care of you or take you to live with Miss Heartfelt. If they do take you to Miss Heartfelt, listen to her and help her out as much as you can. Remember to always be gentle with foals, you’re bigger than they are, you don’t want to hurt them. If the pony takes you with them, be sure to listen to them very carefully and be polite. Make your molasses for them and help them whenever they ask you to. If it’s a mare, always say, ‘yes ma’am’ if it’s a stallion, always say ‘yes sir’. If you can’t find a pony, go to Haysburg and tell Miss Heartfelt that I stopped moving and got cold.” Molasses may have been slow, but his memory seemed as sharp as a tack.

The two stallions watch as Molasses rose to his hooves and shambled over to the only other bed in the cabin. The huge colt reached his head underneath his mattress and removed a pair of saddlebags then proceeded to fill them while reciting something else to himself.

“When Momma goes away, take your blanket, so you’ll be warm. Take your canteen, remember to boil the water first. Take the cauldron so you can make your molasses. Put them all in your saddlebags. Take anything else you want, then tell the pony you are ready to go.” Molasses recited, from memory.

He gathered his blanket, canteen, and cauldron, then looked around as if deciding what else to bring. He stuffed his pillow into his saddlebags, followed by the chessboard from the table. Valiant found the last addition odd, but didn’t say anything.

Molasses looked around once more then turned to Valiant,
“I’m ready to go sir.”

Valiant debated to himself, whether or not to take the offered banknotes and decided he would, but that they belonged to Molasses. The process of finding the opening in Maple’s mattress while the deceased mare lay on top of it was disquieting. He finally managed to open the mattress and beheld a wad of rolled banknotes. He pulled the wad out and saw a second behind the first, so he removed that one too. The banknotes went into Molasses’ saddlebags. Valiant estimated the wads to be around one hundred bits worth each, more than enough to keep Molasses for a while.

Valiant addressed the slow colt softly,
“Do you need anything else before we go, Molasses?”

“Yes sir. Fires burn, never leave the fire going if you’re not here to keep an eye on it. Use the bucket of water next to the fireplace to put it out. Make sure it stops smoking.” Molasses recited.

Valiant and Surf wondered why the slow colt had left the fire going when they had found him earlier. Molasses picked up the bucket with his mouth and doused the fire, emptying the whole thing in one go. He sat the bucket down and watched until the ashes stopped smoking. Molasses sat in front of the fire as if deep in thought.

Valiant quietly cleared his throat,
“Molasses, are you ready to go now?”

The colt looked toward Valiant with a sad face,
“Momma’s never coming back is she?”

“I’m sorry, Molasses, but no she isn’t.” Surf said quietly.

The slow colt turned to the two stallions,
“Momma told me, I need to tell other ponies my name and get theirs whenever I meet them. I’m Molasses, what are your names?”

“I’m Surf & Turf, but you don’t have to call me ‘sir’, just call me ‘Surf’.” the neon Earth pony said.

“I’m Valiant . . . “ he began.

“No you’re not, sir.” Molasses said quietly, “Valiant was a mean pony who killed Miss Arabesque, the ballet dancer. He was a pegasus and they have wings. You aren’t him, sir.”

Valiant heard Surf gasp loudly beside him,
“Dude, seriously, tell me he’s just confused.” the neon pony said.

“I can’t, Surf. He’s right.” Valiant sighed heavily, “He’s right on both accounts.”

“Dude, we seriously need to talk. As in, right now.” Surf said.

“Do you trust me, Surf?” Valiant asked.

“I . . . I don’t know if I can bro. I did before, but now . . . I don’t know.” Surf & Turf said honestly.

Valiant lowered his gaze,
“I don’t blame you, Surf. I should have told you before . . . “

He was interrupted by Molasses,
“But you’re not that Valiant. Momma always said I could tell good ponies from bad ones. Trust your feelings, Molasses. If you think a pony’s nice, they’re nice and if you think a pony’s mean, they’re mean. I think you’re nice, so you’re nice.”

Valiant couldn’t help but to smile at the slow colt’s words,
“I like his answer better.”

Surf snorted,
“How about you use some of your own words bro? I need some serious reasons and clarification here.”

Turning to his friend and becoming serious once more, Valiant tried to explain,
“I’m sorry, Surf. I should have told you. It was an accident, but yes, my actions led to the death of another pony. That’s why I was acting all weird. I’m going back to Haysburg to . . . to see if they’ll forgive me for what I did. I swear to you, I’m not that pony anymore. Do you know what a Vagabond is?”

Surf shook his head,
“No dude, never heard it before.”

“Then I guess I have a lot of explaining to do. Think about it Surf. If I’m going back to Haysburg to face them, doesn’t that mean anything?” Valiant asked.

“Only that you have a death wish, dude.” Surf said.

“When I . . . when Arabesque died, I became a Vagabond. A Vagabond is a pony who’s done something really terrible. The spirit of the victim haunts the Vagabond, until either the Vagabond dies, or they do enough so that the victim’s spirit forgives them. A Vagabond loses their home and their name. They can’t answer to any other name than Vagabond until they’re forgiven. I’ve been forgiven, Surf. I’m trying to make everything right again. I never meant to hurt Arabesque, we were best friends. You have to believe me.” Valiant explained.

Surf turned to Molasses,
“You said he was nice, big dude?”

Molasses smiled in his simple way,
“He’s the good Valiant, not the bad Valiant, sir.”

Surf & Turf shook his head,
“Alright dude, I believe you. You need to be straight with me from now on, though. Is there anything else I should know about you?”

Valiant bit his lower lip and chuckled nervously,
“There might be a thing or two, I could tell you about. Let’s walk and talk, it’s getting late.”

“Sounds good to me, dude. Come on Molasses.” Surf said walking out of the quickly cooling cabin.

Valiant waited until Molasses had caught up to them before beginning his explanation,
“Hey surf?” he asked his friend, “Have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?”

“Oh, dude! You mean those mares who knocked the socks off Nightmare Moon and brought Princess Luna back? They’re awesome, bro! I’ve heard that Princess Celestia herself trained them to be, like, the most wicked bunch of fighting ponies ever to set hoof on Equestrian soil, dude! I’ve heard they’re all, like, the most beautiful and fearless ponies ever born!” Surf gushed, eyes widening, “Don’t tell me you’ve actually met them! Oh, dude, that would be so awesome! Hey, what do they look like?”

Valiant smiled as he recalled something he had heard Fluttershy and Rarity talking about once,
“Do you ever read fashion magazines, Surf?”

“Of course I have, dude. I have an eye for the girls remember?” Surf said.

“Do you remember one model named Fluttershy? She was a yellow pegasus . . . “ Valiant began.

“Her mane and tail were soft pink, and she had a trio of butterflies as her cutie-mark. Of course I remember her dude! She was one of the hottest models I’ve ever seen! She was all, like, shy and demure and everything! Totally gorgeous mare, dude; she was a complete knockout!” Surf said excitedly.

“She’s the Element of Kindness.” Valiant said bluntly.

Surf & Turf fell right onto his face in midstride, mumbling from the dirt,
“Dude, I think I’m in love.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I would like to hear honest feedback about this chapter, especially in regard to Tinker, Valiant’s revelation about Surf and Molasses. I did my level best not to jump too far ahead with Valiant and Surf traveling, but I had to do so to keep from being redundant and slowing the story to a crawl with meaningless filler. I would like to give a shout out to FoxMane. A couple of fellow bronies were out walking around on Halloween night and saw an awesome pumpkin carved to look exactly like Nightmare Moon. To FoxMane, who lives on my block, for a terrifically carved pumpkin on Nightmare Night! Bro-hoof to you, sir.

Author's Note:

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to hear honest feedback about this chapter, especially in regard to Tinker, Valiant's revelation about Surf and Molasses. I did my level best not to jump too far ahead with Valiant and Surf traveling, but I had to do so to keep from being redundant and slowing the story to a crawl with meaningless filler. I would like to give a shout out to FoxMane. A couple of fellow bronies were out walking around on Halloween night and saw an awesome pumpkin carved to look exactly like Nightmare Moon. To FoxMane, who lives on my block, for a terrifically carved pumpkin on Nightmare Night! Bro-hoof to you, sir.

Comments

[grouchopony]

Congratulations. You are, I believe, the first author I have come across who has incorporated a mentally handicapped pony in their story.

I have had encounters with such people throughout my life and they are much more common than most people believe.
Kudo's to you for touching on this sensitive topic.