My little dream girl

by Slick Dash

First published 19th of February, 2012

A man is in a car crash and wakes up in Equestria. While there he develops feelings for 1 of ponies!

A young man is driving home on a cold icy night. A crash causes him to wake in an odd forest, there he meets a magenta unicorn, who helps him heal before showing him her friends. While waiting for the ever slow Celestia to find him a way back home, the young man begins to fall for a certain pony in Ponyville. But this strange connection is tested to its boundries as unkown obsticles stand in his way of being with the pony of his dreams.

Arrival

My head is on fire! The smashed windscreen in front frosts my vision ahead of me. My seat belt cuts into the flesh of my neck as I lay there on top of the dash board. Damned airbags! I’m happy just to be alive but at the same time I curse the workers at my garage that passed this piece of crap’s inspection! I pealed myself away from the plastic interior and leant back into my chair. Immediately my bones and muscles screamed their obvious dislike! I let out a short gasp of pain and clenched my eyes shut.

What had happened? A simple visit to the folks, then a 30 minute journey back home, Id taken it a thousand times, so what the hell had happened to me? It had been snowing. The wonderfully unpredictable English weather meant that no one had prepared for the white flakes to fall in the middle of March. Because of the weather, many of the main roads had been closed off, meaning- stupidly- that the only ways to travel were the frozen windy country lanes. I had been going down a stretch of straight road; it hadn’t been too badly frozen. And as id continued down it in the dark night I had seen a set of headlights headed towards me. I slowed to ensure any ice between us didn’t cause any problems. But then those lights never dimmed. My stomach clenches as I recall what had happened in-between throbs of my aching head. The lights had intensified until I couldn’t even see my own hands on the wheel.

And as quickly as the light’s had appeared they had vanished. My vision swam back slowly as my burnt eyes adjusted back to the lack of light. With a plummeting feeling I realized the worst thing possible. The car was still moving! I tried to slam my foot on the breaks but it was too late, I looked up just in time to see a huge tree fast approaching. And as my foot made contact with the brake pedal, so did the car bonnet with the trunk of the huge oak. I finally open my eyes, it feels like I’ve just watched the events through a TV, the memories were so vivid, so powerful!

I reach for the release button of my belt with much discomfort. My right shoulder hurts beyond all imagining, it was probably dislocated! GREAT! My vision began to swim, and a red haze began to tint everything around me. It’s the pain! It’s starting to effect my mind, I feel my inside’s churning terribly, and I know what’s about to happen. I finally find the release button, I fling open the door and I hurl my guts out over the cold wet grass beneath me. The vomit is almost vibrant against the dark colours of the surroundings, and as I look up from the ground, a sliver of vomit still hanging from my lip I look around. I’m in.... a forest? I turn to look the way I came, and a solid line of tree’s greet me, but no space large enough for a car to pass through, forced or natural. As I look the floor - spattered with sick – I see the tracks my car had made, they suddenly started in the centre of the clearing and followed to the wreckage I now sat inside.

I swung my legs out of the open doorway, and careful to avoid the brown puddle I had moments ago with the contents of my stomach I stood up into the cold breezy night air. I couldn’t hear anything, no noises of cars passing by, no voices, not even animals. Then again my accident just now probably just scared the hell out of any living thing near here into hiding. I looked to the sky, it was tinted with orange as -I assumed- the sun was beginning to rise. But that made no sense, I looked at my watch, and surely enough there it was! The digital numbers read “11:42 PM!” so why the hell is the sun rising so early?! I hear something. A twig breaking? Or was it a foot step?

I looked into the dark forest to discern what the cause of the sudden noise was. “Hello?” I called out tentatively. And as I looked to the opposite end of the clearing to my totalled car I saw the cause. Was it a deer? Or a horse? I took a step forward, and as I did the creature backed away quickly. Obviously terrified by what it saw. “Hey, it’s alright.” I said soothingly, the sight of a living thing was more beautiful than anything I could have hoped for. Even if it was an animal i didn’t care, i just needed to be close to another living thing after suffering so much pain. I tried to reach out to the small creature with my right arm, completely forgetting the ferocious beating it had received. As i stretched my fingers out, the entire arm felt like it was on fire, the sudden explosion of pain caused me to shout out angrily. The creature jumped, but this time it didn’t retreat.

I turned away for a moment and fell to my knees, tears threatened to fall from my brimming eye lids, I quickly brush them away furious with myself and my weakness. I clench my arm, and hold it tight to my chest, I took off my shirt. (I was wearing a T-shirt with a button shirt over the top) and proceeded to wrap it around my arm, I then slung the other half over my shoulder, and finished by tying the two ends together. Making a very rough looking sling for my arm to rest in.
“Why don’t you just try to heal it with magic?” asked a very quiet voice from behind me. I whirled around in both fear and excitement! Finally a human being to talk to! No one was there, all that stood there was the small horse like animal. It was beginning to approach me slowly, and as the light of the fast rising sun struck the creature my jaw dropped.

It was purple! A dark shade of unmistakable purple! But that wasn’t the strangest thing of all, it gave me a half tentative smile, and even yet that wasn’t the strangest part! The small pony had a horn!

Open mouth, insert foot!

“HOW THE HELL DID YOU PONIES FIX THIS PEICE OF JUNK?!?!” I cried out with surprise as the blindfold was taken off my eyes to show Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy all stood around my car, now shining and glimmering in the noonday sun. Twilight chuckled as she came out from behind me placing the strip of ribbon she had used to blind me back into her saddle bag. “Well, you need a way to get around. We can all run faster than you, and you certainly have no chance of keeping up with a Pegasus on foot.” She looked up at me and smiled. I gazed upon the car, that one thing I owned other than my clothes which was from my old world, and here it stood, suddenly the most beautiful car I have ever seen! I crouch and hug the magenta pony tightly! As I do she rests a hoof over my shoulder. I then break away from her and rush to the old heap of metal and immediately do what every man does... I inspect every aspect of the car. As I looked under the bonnet to find the new cleanly polished metal of the engine, Applejack piped up.

“Well yah see, with what you’ve been telling Twilight while staying in the library, combined with Fixit’s knowhow of machinery we guessed we could fix her up for yah.”
“Fixit?” I asked confused, looking up from the gorgeous machine.
“He’s our town’s handyman!” The country pony smiled at me. “You’ve met him! Shucks you’ve met everypony here last weekend!” Now that was true, it had taken me a while to adjust to this new world. Equestria was a strange place, but also it was filled with joy and hope. Far better than that dammed dark world I came from. But after I had finally adjusted properly, Twilight had introduced me to her friends and they had soon taken a shine to me. All of which accumulated to last weekend when the ever eccentric Pinkie Pie had thrown a “Welcome to Equestria” party for me at Twilight’s library.

After my crash, and the meeting of Twilight in the forest, added to the strain my body was under with all my injuries, I had inevitably passed out. When I woke I had been lying on a soft set of cushions. Looking down I had seen most of my body covered with bandages. Combined with help from Ponnyville hospital staff, Twilight had begun healing my wounds with her magic and medicine from the helpful doctors. The reason I hadn’t been taken to the hospital itself had never been told to me but I didn’t mind. It didn’t really matter because within a week I was my old self once again. Over the next few weeks I spent most of my time inside Twilights library. In my more conscious states during my recovery she had explained how it had been her fault that I was brought here. She had been experimenting with a new spell, slightly more volatile than her usual kind. So she had headed out to the Ever Free Forest. Using a small glass orb the little unicorn had tried to use a spell to record Celestia flying over head as she brought the sun over the sky and started the new day.
“I...it was going to be a birthday gift for the princess...” she had murmured guiltily. “I...I thought it was going right, but then instead of thinking the word ‘window’ -as in something you look through- I accidently thought ‘door’ and so instead of an image for ponies to look at, I made a gateway that let you pass through it! A-and when you came through and smashed into that tree I dropped the orb...and ...it smashed.” At this point the pony had begun to cry. My right arm was completely tied to myself at the time so I hadn’t been able to comfort her at the time.

However, now that I was healed and her guilt was lessened because her accident was no longer causing me physical pain, the two of us had become reasonable friends. And those few weeks were some of the happiest I’ve ever experienced. I felt like a child again, learning all the rules and laws of this world from scratch. A lot of things were similar, gravity, biology etc. But other things were vastly different (Besides talking ponies that is!) Magic, over the fortnight Twilight had tried to help me discover if I was any good, I wasn’t. We eventually gave up, and that’s when she had introduced me to the gang. Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and... Rainbow dash. Well let’s just say that while the others welcomed me with open arms (or hooves in this case) she hadn’t been so hospitable. When Twilight had introduced me to the multicoloured Pegasus, the winged pony had been very cold and quiet towards me. After a long awkward exchange of barely any information, Rainbow had muttered something about a storm needing moving out of the way of Ponyville. As she had flown off, I had followed her with my eyes until she passed behind a cloud and left my sight. I wasn’t sure what the matter was, but my stomach felt slightly strange whenever it came to thinking of that moment.

As I sat in the driver’s seat of the newly repaired car I looked through the dazzlingly clear windshield and looked at the ponies before me. As I had suspected, Rainbow hadn’t come. But I put that slightly sombre thought out of my mind, I didn’t want to look ungrateful in front of my new friends. I smiled at them all, glad to have such caring friends after only a few weeks staying here. Twilight had written to the princess to see if anything could be done to send me home, but the reply had been less than hopeful. The princess did promise to research the matter as best she could however. So for now I just had to enjoy my time here in Ponyville while I could.

“G’ ‘head!” yelled Applejack, “Start it up! I wanna see how you use that dang thing! I’ been waiting since we went to get it from the forest!” The other girls shared the same anticipated expression on their faces. So I reached for the keys, and turned them. Perhaps it was because I’d been away from anything in my own world, or maybe because I had grown to miss this little bucket of bolts, but when the engine roared into life, it sounded louder than ever before! The gang jumped slightly at the sudden noise, but as they watched they looked on in awe as I began to move the car towards the main road surrounding ponyville. “This road goes in a full circle right?” I asked the group through the window –which received an entranced “Ooooh” as I pressed the button and let the window roll down electrically- Twilight was the one who answered.
“Yes, it just goes round and comes back here, there are a few side roads off it, but yes it’s a circle. Why do you ask?” I winked at the purple unicorn.
“Oh you’ll see” I coiled the window back up. I slowly got a feel for the pedals: testing for their perfect place to start the car moving fast. I found it quickly, and took the hand break off, with a screech of wheels on the dirt track road I was off!

The car handled as better than before, it almost felt as though it nearly drove itself. I pelted around the town quickly, whizzing past bystander ponies that looked on in awe at the powerful machine. I rounded the final corner fast approaching my starting point. I could see the girls were cheering me one. Apple jack was reared on her hind legs, waving her forelegs in delight. Rarity had sat down on her haunches and was applauding quietly and gracefully with her forehooves, as was her friend Fluttershy. And Twilight and Pinkie were jumping up and down on the spot, their eyes closed, their mouths smiling broadly, both cheering so loud that I could hear them through the closed doors of my car. But as I came close to where I began and I started to apply the brakes, I saw her, a flash in my rear view mirror startled me, and as I looked into it I saw Rainbow Dash fast approaching me. By the look in her eye’s she wanted to catch up with me. That strange feeling grew in my stomach again, was it nerves? No. It was something else, but with it grew a need to impress the cold Pegasus. I took my foot off of the brake and put it down hard on the accelerator, I began to pull off again, following the tracks I had made on my first circuit around the town. I looked back into the mirror, and saw Rainbow smile eagerly. Well, at least we share something, a need to race!

We followed the path I had taken before, but the Pegasus fast gained up and flew alongside the driver’s side window. She looked in as we turned a corner, I looked back and smiled, not really expecting anything back from the pony who had obviously avoided me earlier. But to my shock and surprise, she smiled and winked at me. The look took be by such surprise, I didn’t see the last corner approaching. I looked just in time to realise I wouldn’t make the turn at such a speed I slammed my foot on the brakes, the sudden change in speed catapulted Rainbow into the lead. I made the turn –just barely- and then put my foot down to catch up, but it was too late, I saw the rainbow pony reach the starting point and land beside Twilight. No longer rushing, my thunder most likely stolen, I rolled the car to a halt in front of the gang and stopped. To my surprise they rushed to the vehicle, screaming their approval at how much they loved watching me drive. I smiled at them all, but I then looked over their heads to the rainbow pony. She had a slight frown on her face, but when she saw I was watching she blushed and looked away quickly. The girls began to calm down and started to talk to each other once again. Twilight moved towards me, probably to go back to the library. But before she could reach me, I rushed up to Rainbow Dash, determined to speak to her properly this time.

Twilight watched me as I did and as she watched me she smiled, hoping that we could talk to one another properly and put whatever problem’s the Pegasus had behind us. Unbeknownst to me however, the little purple unicorn’s heart panged slightly with the slightest hint of jealousy. I reached Rainbow, she didn’t look back around at me but simply kept looking at the ground. “Now THATS what I call speed!” smile at her, she looked up and smiled sheepishly.
“Yeah well I AM Equestria’s best young flyer you know.” She rubbed the back of her mane with her right hoof nervously. I didn’t realise, but I was doing the same thing with my right foot, inadvertently scratching the back of my shin with it. I grabbed hold of the topic and went with it.
“The BEST flyer? How do you know that, win a competition or something?” I had put a sarcastic spin on the question, trying to make it a joke. But the Pony looked at me with surprise at my tone, and then that surprise turned into a glare.
“Actually I DID win a competition!” With that she turned in a huff and bolted off into the sky. I stood there for a moment, dumbstruck at my own stupidity. We had actually been speaking to each other normally, she had actually seemed to at least not dislike me but then I had to go and put my big foot in my mouth. If she hadn’t already, she probably disliked me now after my comment.

I turned to see Twilight watching from a slight distance, her expression was hard to read. Then again a lot of ponies faces were hard to read though very similar to a humans face in this world, the muzzle and ears made it little harder to decipher what they are thinking. She moved over towards me, she half smiled at me. “Don’t worry, Rainbow can just be a little...brash sometimes, just give her time and you’ll realise she’s the best friend anyone could ask for!” her smile widened, and I returned what I hoped was a reasonable imitation. Well it at least seamed to please her, and so the two of us made our way back to the library.

What the hell was that about?

I left my car on the outskirts of town near Fixit’s shop, there wasn’t any point driving it everywhere. It had about half a tank of fuel, and as far as I knew ponies didn’t need to use petrol here. So id save it for when I drove back home when I eventually got back to earth. I know out of every possible spell imaginable, finding one particular incantation must be harder than finding a needle in a haystack, but I still wondered if the princess would be giving her best efforts to find me a way back home. After all I’d been here for just over a month already. We got through the door just as my thoughts reached my parents, they were probably terrified of what had happened to me. Judging by how terrible the snow and ice had been I guessed that I must be counted as a road accident. Would they even be looking anymore.

“Are you ok?” Twilight asked as I sat on a sofa leant back and put my head in my hands. I parted my fingers and looked at her for a moment. Then from my hands I spoke with a muffled voice, “Of course! What could possibly be wrong?” she giggled at my silliness, which made me chuckle as well. The two of us sat there for a moment, the quiet was nice. Not like the awkward silence with Rainbow earlier, why was that? What was different between dash and Twilight that made one quiet so terrible and the other so calm and relaxed. I chocked it all up to being the fact that Twilight was my closest friend here, and dash...well dash just didn’t seem to like me at all.

Almost as if reading my mind, Twilight spoke, “You know, she will come around.” There was a strange tone to her voice, it was low and quiet and yet it carried from her seat to mine across the empty room. I looked at her, playing dumb and asked unconvincingly,
“Who?” the tell tale squeak in my voice gave me away immediately. Once again she giggled, she stood up from her chair and moved over to the couch and she sat on the other end. Something was different in the air; I couldn’t really understand Twilights sudden drastic change in mannerisms.
“Rainbow” she answered, “you and she are too alike to not be friends. And soon when she counts you as a friend you won’t have to try and impress her by racing in your car.” She winked at me at that moment. I felt myself blush three shades redder. At that moment I stood suddenly, and at that moment the atmosphere was broken. Twilight looked up at me inquisitively, her expression had become one of confusion and... possibly disappointment? My mind didn’t register it at the time, and I simply stretched I turned and ruffled Twilight’s mane tenderly. At the touch she closed her eyes and smiled.

“You don’t have to let me stay here you know.” I told her, her eyes opened and she looked up at me with those big round purple eyes. “I’m pretty sure I get in the way of a lot of things you’re used to doing round here.” I continued, but she still said nothing but simply looked into my eyes. “So I’m thinking that, if I’m going to be here for a while then I need to help around the town, it’s the least I can do. So I’m going to go and get a job tomorrow?” I finished my sentence as more of a question than an actual statement. At that twilight smiled broadly at me.
“That’s a great idea! It’s almost like a cutiemark, we need to find you what you’re best suited at doing!” overjoyed by her enthusiasm, I quickly wrapped an arm around and squeezed slightly. Once again she placed a hoof over my shoulder. We held there for a moment, then a sarcastic voice from the top of the stairs called out.

“Weeeelllll maybe I should come down and do my chores a little later then, should I?” it was spike, the little dragon slowly walked down the steps from his room and smiled at me and twilight –still half embracing one another- both realising this we quickly pulled apart and looked away from one another, both of us blushing slightly.
“Well I think I’m going to take a nap.” I said quickly and embarrassed as I sped off towards the guest room on the ground floor.
“Awwww come on dude! I was only kidding!” Spiked tried to apologise to me as I passed him.
“Don’t worry Spike” I told him, “It’s nothing, forget about it.” I quickly closed my door behind me and fell onto my bed.

“What the hell was that all about?” I wondered aloud to myself. And though my thoughts were for that moment on Twilight, it wasn’t long before they began to shift back to the rainbow pony. “Rainbow Dash.” As I thought her name, a slight whisper of it escaped my lips. I put my fingers to them, pondering what this feeling was. The odd feeling in my stomach had returned yet again, and as I sat there I realised when I had felt it before. It was that same nervous and tentative feeling I used to get when I was in my younger teen years. I was only 18 now, but still I realised that the feeling was the slightly immature butterfly’s you get... when you like someone, or in this case somepony. As I lay there in my small room I let the realisation sink in, I... was in love... with Rainbow Dash the Pegasus Pony, OHHH HELL!

An eventful day and night

The next couple of days continued with no truly spectacular incidents, I explored the town on my own for the first time. Yes I received a few confused glances from those ponies who hadn’t heard of me, but in general most of the gentle ponyfolk around town simply smiled and greeted me as I was one f their own. I was looking for work, to either help the community or to pay for my share of the bills now I was living with Twilight for ‘Celestia knows’ how long. I chuckle to myself at my adoption of the usual pony speak around Equestria. I really am starting to fit in around here, if not in appearance, then at least in attitude.

To my joy I discovered on the 3rd day of job hunting, how the Apple family was short hoofed this harvest. So eager to help my country friend I rushed to sweet apple acres to volunteer. I was surprised to see Applejack so eager to have me help, either she has seriously low on staff, or I would actually be more help than I thought. She told me at nearly a thousand miles an hour how if I wanted I could get paid daily or weekly, flustered beyond all belief I quickly blurted out “Daily?” and surely enough the country pony let out a huge “YEEEHHAAAAWWW!” as she pushed my straight out into the apple orchard with her head pushing into the small of my back.

Soon I was helping around the farm as if i had been for months. My opposable thumbs where a great advantage, where as ponies like Big Macintosh had to lift the barrel up with their heads and then onto their backs, then spend a few moments balancing them before moving on, I on the other hand simply had to bend down, and lift it up. The barrels were no bigger than a small beer keg back home, so I was able to take more than one at a time. For the entire day I simply moved to the barn, picked up a few barrels, and took them up to the farm house at the top of the hill. I then descended the hill and repeated the process all over again.

At first the task wasn’t that daunting, but after a couple of hours, my newly healed muscles began to creak with the sudden large amount of exercise after such a long rest. Gritting my teeth, I bore through the pain and continued until my 5 hour shift was over. It felt good to be doing something, anything which had the slightest amount of meaning. And as I sat there on the grass just outside AJ’s family home, I rested my arms on my knees and watched the sun begin to set. The orange hue tinted the tree’s to make them look as though they were ablaze! The sight was magnificent. Had I ever seen something so beautiful back home? If so I sure as hell couldn’t remember it. I heard the soft opening and closing of the wooden front door behind me. And soon enough an orange coated pony in a cowboy hat came beside me. She didn’t say anything; she simply looked into the orange ball fast dropping out of sight over the horizon.

“It sure is beautiful out ‘ere huh?” she asked me as she dropped to sit on her haunches. “I was silly to think I could leave this place forever...” she murmured, more to herself than me. Now I don’t know if it was the sheer exhaustion or the serenity surrounding me and the orange mare, but I took a deep breath of the thick country air and sighed.
“Same here...” At that moment both our eyes widened at my strange comment. We looked at each other for a moment, and then AJ’s surprised expression melted into a warm smile. I returned it, realizing that what I said was fast becoming true, the longer I stayed the more I realised I didn’t want to leave. AJ stood up suddenly “Don’ worry nothing sugar cube, I won’t go blabbing telling everypony if you’re staying or not, I’ll leave that to you darlin’.”

The mare turned to head back inside, but then stopped. She took her hat from her beautifully blonde main, and nuzzled her muzzle inside it for a moment, and when she withdrew she was holding a small pouch in her teeth. “I almost forgot your pay!” she hollered at me as she flung it into my hands. “Now that’s a lotta pay, and that’s because of the dang fine job you did here t’day, now it won’t happen very often but I think after all you’ve been through, doing what you did today must have some real hard work.” As I felt my muscles agree with every word she said I smiled and jingled the purse at her in thanks, and with that she opened the door and entered her home.

I stood, knowing that if I didn’t move soon I could very well stay here in the warm field all night. I placed the pouch and my hands in my pockets and began the journey home to the library. As I passed under the apple tree just by the farm entrance I heard a shout, I turned to see Applejack leaning out of her bedroom window, her hoof held to her mouth so I could hear her. “I forgot! You have little visitor!” she then proceeded to giggle, and shut the window once again. I frowned for a moment, and in that same instant I heard rustling in a tree just halfway between me and the house. And as I squinted, I saw the unmistakable shape of a Pegasus suddenly fly out from its foliage and burst off into the night sky... I stood there for what felt like hours, Dash? I actually hadn’t have thought about her for the whole day, but this sudden strange behaviour of hers simply struck me dumb!

All the thoughts over the last week that had passed through my mind flashed by as fast as the speedy pony had flown away. That terrible sense of dread -in the fact that I had come to the conclusion that I loved the rainbow Pegasus- began to grow once again, it wasn’t fear out of meeting her, or the possibility of goofing up around her. It was the same reason why I had said what I had on that hill in the glow of the sunset. I didn’t want to leave, but it was inevitable, this dread was a simple thing. I didn’t want to leave a world with her, and enter a world without her. All this time, as i thought the terrible thoughts to myself, I didn’t realise the smooth and gentle patter of drops on my face. It had begun to rain, almost as though the heavens sympathised with my plight and wept for the man below them. I closed my eyes and let the cold refreshing downpour run over my face. I must have looked like some character from a John Cusack movie.

The rain continued, and I still stood there. As I stood looking up into the dark swirling sky, the rain intensified I saw the perfect fork of lightning flash in the distance. The soft approaching rumble of the thunder shook my from my deep thinking, now being caught in the rain was one thing, but being caught in a thunder storm was no help to anybody. So I hunched my shoulder to shield myself from the full force of the cold wind and moved off towards the town. My thoughts... as always, returning to Rainbow Dash.

I eventually trudged through the door of the library, the storm was well underway by this point and I had caught the full force of it on my short journey back. A studying Twilight looked up at me as I entered, her eyes filled with immediate concern, “OH MY GOSH!” she squeaked, “Hurry before you catch a cold! I guessed you must have been staying at the orchard until it stopped raining, but for you to be walking home in this weather!” she magically handed me a thick blanket from the cupboard just inside my room whose door was ajar, I hadn’t recalled leaving the door open, after all I am a very private person. I paid no attention to it however, I was just glad to be in a warm place and being shown such kindness. It hadn’t even been an hour since Applejack had given me my pay, and a huge bonus but I found myself craving more kindness. Was it because of the sombre thoughts that had passed through my mind during my journey back? Was I that infatuated by Rainbow that the thought of leaving her made me feel this helpless?

Twilight fussed around me, she guided me over to my usual place on the sofa. Only now that I was in the warmth did I realise how truly cold I was. I shook from head to toe violently, huddled up for warmth in the blanket. Even its smell seamed to warm me, it smelt of lavender. I didn’t know when i had closed my eyes but I now opened them to look up at the small purple unicorn frowning at me a look of true concern on her face. I was still shaking, but as I did a dawning idea struck me. “S-Sp-S-Sp-p-piiiik-k-ke!” I whispered to Twilight, her frown now became one of sheer confusion. She really wasn’t the best pony to have in a crisis, but I understood her confusion even in my freezing state. I moved my hands over my mouth, and exhaled loudly into them, trying to give her a hint as I could no longer bring my voice to do any work. Then suddenly something clicked inside Twilight’s mind.
“SPIIIIIIIKE!” she yelled loudly up the wooden steps, luckily the dragon hear the urgency in her voice and rushed down imedietly.
“What’s the matter Twi”- his gaze fell on me, what a sight I must have looked like.
“Use your dragon breath!” Twilight urged him, the dragon frowned in confusion as he tried to understand how that would help. But with the same dawning comprehension spreading across his face as Twilight had shown mere seconds ago, he rushed to my side.

“Right, I want you to stand up if you can dude.” I did as I was told. “Now put the blanket over your head, and wrap up tightly!” The small dragon commanded of me. “AND I MEAN TIGHTLY!” So I did. I was feeling rather ridiculous standing with a blanket over my head like a child while shaking all over.

All that embarrassment melted away however as I felt warmth seep in through the material on my left side, understanding what would happen if I stayed on the same spot for too long with fire being gently blown my way, I turned on the spot. To my overwhelming joy I felt the heat moving up and down as well as I turned Spike knew what he was doing. My shaking ceased quickly, and the little dragon took that as his cue to stop roasting me. I took off the blanket, feeling as warm as I had out in the sun earlier that day. I beamed at the little purple and green reptile in front of me. He smiled back at me, bouncing on the balls of his feet with pride. I took one long stride over to the little guy and pulled him into a hug and lifted him high off of the ground! Spike chuckled, at first he weakly protested with “Come on man...” and “Awww dude!” but he eventually laughed strongly as I swept him up onto my shoulders and took him for a lap of honour around the library as i cheered and chanted his name.

Eventually we stopped our horseplay (No pun intended) and Spike beamed at me before returning to his room. With sudden realisation, I jogged up alongside the steps so that my head was level with Spikes as he was about to pass me with my substantial height difference. “Look little guy, sorry for waking you for all that nonsense!” I half smiled apologetically at the little purple and green guy.
“Hey, no problem! After all what’s the point of having dragon breath if you’re never gonna use it besides sending letters!” he chuckled again, and with that I moved my head away from the steps to let the dragon pass and go back to bed. I turned and picked up the smoky Blanket from the floor, it wasn’t damaged I was grateful for that. I didn’t want to be even more of a burden than I already had been on my unicorn friend. As I folded it I looked around, where had Twilight gone? Had she gone to bed? Or was she angry with me for causing such a fuss. To be honest I expected the latter due to my experience with other girls. But as I entered my room to place the blanket back into the cupboard I truly saw for the first time what the big difference was between female humans... and female ponies.

A happy mare, for a moment WARNING: slight gore for a minimal time in this chapter

I stood in the doorway to my room looking in at the strangest sight I had seen since first meeting a unicorn. The purple mare was bouncing up and down in a circle, her eyes closed and her smile wide. She was quietly humming something, I craned my neck to here without moving my feet –not wanting to disturb her- tilting my ear as close as I could. It wasn’t much of a song but more like a little chant. “He’s safe! He’s fine! His smile’s so benign! He’s friends with my dragon and he smells so devi”- the unicorn stopped dead in her tracks as she opened her eyes to see me watching. “I uhhhh, didn’t hear you a Spike stop playing...” she mumbled as her cheeks went a bright pink noticeable even in the darkness of night and the storm. My light wasn’t turned on, I reached over to the switch and flicked it up. The harsh light made Twilight flinch slightly before she adjusted to it.

I smiled at her, as I walked over towards my bed and ruffled her mane as I passed her. Finally slumped into the deep folds of the mattress and smiled. Tilting my head towards the on looking Twilight so we could still see each other’s faces I said very calmly.
“You know, the only reason I’m “safe” and “fine” is because of you shouting down Spike for me. I’d probably be dying of frostbite by now if not for you.” The unicorn smiled at my comment, but then she frowned,
“But it was your idea! And if it wasn’t for me being so slow you could have been fine quicker!” she looked crestfallen, and at that I sat up and swung my legs over the side of my bed so I looked at her head on.
“I wasn’t even able to speak, let alone shout awake a sleeping dragon, and anyway!” I clapped and smiled, slightly startling the sad magenta pony, I flung my arms out wide to emphasise my happiness. “Who cares how quick it happened?! I’m fine now and that’s all that matters!”

The pony nodded and smiled in agreement with me, and then her blush returned. She tried to start her sentence but it was obviously difficult –impossibly- for the pony to articulate how to begin. “Well, you know...” She began, “You know that’s why I was just dancing around just now right? It wasn’t anything else but me being glad my lack of thought didn’t end up harming you, no other reason than that.” She looked at me, and at that I smiled at her, which she returned with a radiant beam as I said,
“Well of course, what else would you be dancing around for?” I needed to cheer her up slightly, so I continued with “After all, with this beautiful face gone, who would you have to stare at all day?” I winked at her. At that moment she scowled at me, almost the same way rainbow had after our race.
“Stare at you?! I don’t see you most days because you’re out trying to get a job or actually doing one! So I don’t really think I’m able to stare at you ALL DAY!” and with that she turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut with her bright purple magic.

I sat there for a moment, staring at the slab of wood that separated the two of us, dumbfounded. With what seemed like my 100th sigh of the week, I twirled myself around so I lay back on my bed. “Chicks!” I grunted, and for a moment, I swore I could hear a faint voice outside the door “Boys!” And with that I drifted into a troubled sleep, filled with cider barrels, lightning, dragon fire, dancing ponies and...rainbows.

Unbeknownst to me Twilight then went up to her room, fell onto her bed and looked up into the ceiling, a thousand thoughts rushing through her head. All about me I regret to say. She laid there for hours, never dozing off or feeling drowsy. She simply lay there trying to understand what this feeling was? Why had she become so angry at an obvious joke? Was it jealousy that AJ had spent so much time with him today? No, she wouldn’t have been doing the same work as him anyway. She was sure she had the jealousy part right however. As she racked her brains to understand these emotions, it hit her. My reaction to Rainbow not seeming to like me. Twilight sat and thought hard, she wondered if she suddenly stopped acting as if she liked me, would I give her the same reaction. Coming home in the middle of a storm, nearly killing myself in the process. Would I be this distraught if it was her? She secretly hoped so.

She still looked up at the dark ceiling, listening to the rain fall on the window outside. To the distant rumble of thunder, it made her think of her friend the weather pony. Why wasn’t she doing her job? Keeping the skies clear was after all what she was supposed to do in ponyville. She could have prevented the storm easily before it had even begun to rain. So...what had stopped her? Had she been distracted? And if so, what? She turned in her bed and hung her head off of the side of the mattress, looking down at her rooms floor which was immediately above my ground floor guest room she corrected herself in her mind “And if so, who?”

Downstairs my dream was taking a turn for the worse! I was sat in the library all alone, freezing alive. I try to call out but my lungs feel as though they are filled with ice. I drag myself to my feet and move to my room, I look in to see Twilight staring straight at me, still scowling!
“Stare at you do I?!” she screamed at me madly. As she began to approach me. A knife almost seemed to materialize in her mouth. “Well, why don’t we fix it so I don’t stare at all!” at that she dropped the knife into her hooves and angled it towards her face. She then dived on top of it, laughing insanely while she did. The knife entered her eye’s fluid and sent it spewing to the floor! Still laughing she looked up at me with her only eye she had left. “Well no more staring for me!” as she dived onto the knife for a second time I close my eyes in horror. Nothing.

The scream of an engine roars into my ears, I open my clenched eyes to find myself behind the wheel of my car. I’m driving at a furious speed through the town of ponyville, I look to my right and I see Rainbow there yet again. She smiles at me and gives me that same cheeky wink. Remembering what happened last time I look up sooner, ready to take the corner properly. But there was no corner. There was no turn, just a wall. I smash into the sheet of brick head on. In a dazed half dead state I look up through the windshield, I’m in the forest, ploughed into the side of the same tree as before.
I get out of the car shakily. And a strange sight catches my eye. In the centre of the clearing stands spike, with Rainbow Dash to his left, and a blindfolded Twilight to his right. The fabric is white, but red circles were expanding from above where her eyes should be. The two mares begin to laugh as the little dragon takes a deep breath, I scream! Knowing exactly what is about to happen. A giant plume of green flame explodes from the dragon’s mouth, engulfing me into its almost liquid like depths.

I awoke suddenly, I bolted out of my bed tangling my feet in the cover’s and ultimately ending up on the floor of my room in a heap. At that point while I was sprawled on the floor I realised that I was still screaming but as soon as I noticed, my voice began to die down. I was soaked in sweat, I felt hot, and yet my body was riddled with shiver’s and Goosebumps. Twilight was correct yet again, I had caught a cold. And a nasty one at that! I thought back to my dream, the images fast fading from my mind but the general story was still vivid. I’d never had a fever that altered my mind so much in my sleep. I took a deep breath, the sound reminded me of the dream Spike preparing to roast me alive, and I flinched almost expecting the fire to engulf me once more.

I heard hurried hoof steps behind the door, but my strength had left me. I couldn’t bring myself to sit back up or even speak, I simply lay there panting. My vision began to blur, colours mixed with each other smearing the room into one long smudge of mixed paint on a canvas. Light suddenly landed on me as I heard –almost as if a mile away- the door to my room open, and a startled gasp as Twilight looked at me. A fuzzy outline of a purple mane’d head swam in and out of my focus. Her voice sounded muffled... as I..... Slowly...........passed................out......................

Thank you all for following this story!

A visitor?

“Good morning!” Twilight cheered merrily as she trotted into my room carrying a tray of cereal and milk. I smiled at her as I sat up, propped against a good four pillows at the head of my bed. I was still sick, but the worst of the fever was behind me now. I hadn’t had any more weird dreams since the first night, and now my temperature was actually that of a normal human being again. I still sneezed and coughed at regular intervals, but to be fare it had only been three days since I had been out in the storm.

“There you go.” The purple pony squeaked with delight as she placed the tray on my lap. It looked delicious, even for cereal!
“Thanks Twi.” I grinned stupidly at the pony who had been playing nurse for the last few days. “This is becoming a regular thing! You making sure I get better while I writhe about like a loony!” she giggled at the joke but said nothing and turned back to the main room outside. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached the door. “When you’re finished, give me a shout. You have some visitors waiting out here.” Visitors? My stomach clenched as I recalled who had been my “visitor” at Sweet Apple Acres. Was Rainbow here? Waiting to check up on me?

Twilight saw the happiness in my eyes, and smiled at me. “Well hurry up then if you’re so eager to see them!” At her command I began to wolf down the cereal as fast as I could, for a moment I ate the dry food without realising I hadn’t added the milk that sat next to it. So I grabbed the mug and took a large swig before pouring what was left onto my –almost gone- breakfast. The whole thing was over within a minute, and as I opened my mouth to yell for Twilight to let them in, I broke out into a huge smile! She had already sent them, in order of their coming. Applejack, fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight entered the dimly lit room. My heart didn’t know what to do, it soared at the site of my friends but it also plummeted at the absence of Rainbow.

“Jeez!” I heard shouted from the main library room, we all looked to the door as The Rainbow maned pony trotted in after them. “You could have told me we were going in!” Applejack sniggered,
“Well if you hadn’t been stuffing yah face in the kitchen then you’d a realised!” I had to laugh at that!
“Gimme a break, I was hungry!” the Pegasus muttered defensively. We all laughed. Even rainbow chortled slightly. It was the first time I’d seen her laugh, yes I had seen her smile when we had raced, and that was dazzling enough. But that laugh made my heart skip a beat! I tried to keep my cool however around the group of friends around my bed. The orange cow-pony was the first to speak to me after the laughter finally died down.
“Figures!” she winked at me. “I finally get a decent worker to help with the cider barrels besides Mac, and after one day of work he collapses!” yet another laugh echoed across the room from each of us. The atmosphere was wonderful; everyone was just in a good mood. No one was upset or angry like back home on earth, everyone was just happy.
“Well to be honest, I can’t control the weather AJ.” I retorted sarcastically.

“True,” the country pony smiled. She looked over at Rainbow Dash who suddenly looked sheepish. “I always thought that was your job rainbow! What happened that night? Get a little distracted with summit?” she looked back at me subtly without alerting any of the other girls around. I blushed scarlet!

“Yes Rainbow, darling what happened, that dreadful wind nearly blew away my gift for this strapping young fellow!” I looked at her shocked for a moment, a gift? For me? But I pushed it from my mind for a moment, I HAD to see what excuse Rainbow used seeing as only three of us in this room really knew what the truth was. The Pegasus blushed for a moment and glanced up into my eyes for a fraction of a second, suddenly I felt the need to help her (pathetic, I know). I racked my brains for something that would help her, but as I watched the mares face lit up.
“Well yeah, I know it’s my job but I was practising this trick you see, and when I finally got it right I was just so tired I fell asleep and just slept through the whole thing.” The others all looked at her doubtfully, she laughed hollowly “Heh, sorry guys...”

“OhnoworriesRainbowdash! AfterallweallknowhowfastyoucangetsometimesyoucangetsofastthatIevenneedtorestjustwatchingyousoitmustmakeyou reaaaaallly tiredsowecompleteleyunderstandrightgirls?” Pinkie was bouncing around the room unbelievably fast while she spoke at a million miles an hour. In fact she spoke so fast it caused me a slight pain in my head to actually hear what it actually was that she had said.

The others went unfazed by pinkie’s unreal speed of speech. They all nodded in agreement and understanding. But as I watched I saw AJ wasn’t finished joking yet, a small gleam seemed to glimmer in her eye as she spoke yet again.
“Yah, I guess tha’ makes sense, after all I did see you tearing out of Sweet Apple Acres at some terrific speed!” At that point Rainbow blushed stronger than ever. However this time I bailed her out before anyone could ask what she had been doing there.
“So Rarity... you said you nearly lost...what in that storm?” The unicorn didn’t blush, or act at all embarrassed at all as she looked at me. It didn’t really surprise me, she did keep a cool composure no matter what happened.
“A gift darling, I had to let you know I had one for you somehow after all.” She trotted out of the room for a moment, and returned with a box topped with pink and vibrant green wrapping paper. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning like a buffoon. I looked to the pink pony who was quietly hopping on the spot with excitement.

“I’m guessing you helped with this pinkie?” I looked at the gift as it was placed on my lap as Twilight took away the tray holding my former breakfast. The colour was obviously the party pony’s choice. “Wrapping by any chance?” The pink mare looked at me with shock plastered across her face, for a moment I was terrified id insulted yet another friend! But my fears were washed away as pinkie exploded into a fit of giggles.
“Yeah! How did you guess! Iknowitlookslikemykindachoiceofpapersothat’sprobablywhattippedyouoffbutstillanyponycouldhavepickedthispaperiguessyourjustsogoodatguessingtha-murphle” she had been cut short by Fluttershy who had very quietly snuck up behind her pink friend and placed a hoof over pinkie’s mouth to silence her.

“Oh I do hope you like it... umm, I picked the colours out myself from berries I found in the forest.” The small yellow pony said beaming at me. I looked at the three ponies, the platinum unicorn, the pink earth pony, and the sunshine yellow Pegasus. They had all worked so hard on a gift for me, for no reason. I smiled yet again, unsure of what to say. I caught Applejack looking at me, and I looked up towards her. “Don’t suppose you had anything to do with this did you... boss?” she laughed at my reference to my work with her.
“Weeellll I might have told them you may be needing it after so much work over at the farm...” but that was all she said.

“Oh come now Applejack, you’ll ruin the surprise! But seeing as we’re confessing who did what we may as well finish:” Rarity turned to me once again “Applejack came up with the idea, I made it and Fluttershy died it, and pinkie did the wrapping up! But we’re all outshining our friend here!” she turned to Dash, who was rubbing the back of her neck. “She was the one who was able to pay for it!” Now that surprised me, Rainbow had paid for it? I smiled at her to show my appreciation, and I beckoned her to come closer to watch me unwrap it. She did, but spent the whole time looking at her forehooves.
I tore the paper away feverishly, more excited than I had been for a long time. The girls watched in silence as I took the lid of the now uncovered box and moved it up and away. My jaw dropped.

On my own for a while

Yet another week had passed, I didn’t mind the waiting for Celestia. In fact the longer I stayed, the more I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t seem to be growing homesick, if anything I seemed to be growing fonder of Equestria. I had finally recovered completely from my illness now. And I was finally able to explore Ponyville yet again. It felt kind of lonely however, while I had been ill the girl’s had received tickets to the Wonderbolt’s derby in Canterlotte. And seeing as I was ill, Celestia had only sent tickets for the ponies. (Or at least I hoped that was the reason, and that she hadn’t just forgotten me completely!) Even Spike had been sent a ticket, meaning that for the few days they were in the capital I was living in the library alone. But it wasn’t all bad, yes I kind of missed the smiling faces of the ponies I had come to call my friends, but they weren’t going for weeks, only a few days. However, if at any point I felt particularly lonely I would simply wear their gift.

It was a red and black coat, it fit me perfectly, Rarity’s measurements and stitching had made so the coat hugged my entire body, and stretched enough to fasten it without being at all baggy on me. The outside was the darkest shade of black I had ever found, but the interior was smooth silk died red with the berries that Fluttershy had found which also made the coat smell sweet whenever I moved with it unfastened. I headed for the Sweet Apple Acres for my shift, still engrossed in my thoughts. I flashed back to the memory of me staring at the coat in disbelief. Under which had been, a blue T-shirt, a purple one, a yellow one And a white coloured long sleeve button shirt. They all obviously represented each of the gang. At that point I had reached out and hugged each of them with joy in my heart. Leaving Rainbow Dash until the very last. She had paid for all of this and I was truly grateful. I held onto the rainbow pony and squeezed tightly, and like every other pony, she put her foreleg over my shoulder and pulled me in close. “Thank you” I had whispered to her. I heard her chuckle at that point.
“No problem, you’re pretty cool really so I guess you’re worth it.”

Afterwards I had turned to Twilight, “Well everypony here has had some little part in this. So I think I know just what to do to make it so there’s a bit of every one of you with me whenever I wear it!” I leant close to Twilight and whispered something into her ear. She frowned for a moment as she listened intently, her ears twitching with each change of tone as I spoke. Her mouth gaped open with sudden realisation and joy at my idea! With bewildered gazes from each of the other mares in the room, she rushed out of the room, quickly returning with one of her many books. After she found the page she was looking for, she scrunched up her nose in concentration as she levitated the coat out of its box and brought it towards her. Her horn slowly began to pulsate with magic light a slight lighter shade than her usual purple kind. As we all watched, the coat shimmered and sparkled for a moment before disappearing behind an explosion of bright white light. When site returned to everypony, they saw me wearing the coat with pride.
“Well” I laughed as they all looked on all with approving gaze, “It’s now fireproof!” We all laughed hard at that! And from that moment i never took the thing off when outside the library.

My thoughts returned to what Rainbow had said “you’re pretty cool really so I guess you’re worth it.” Those words now rang in my head wherever I went, filling me with joy no matter what I was doing. I felt as though I was filled with helium, light on my feet and giddy. Maybe this is how Pinkie felt all the time. I would give anything to stay like this forever. I almost glided through the town, and as I reached the entrance to the farm I saw almost through rose tinted glasses, the tree Rainbow had hidden in on the night of the storm. I smiled to myself, id never been good at picking up signals from females. But this seemed promising even for me. I saw Big Mac headed towards the barn, I called out to him as I ran to catch up. The stallion turned and saw me at the gate, he smiled and yelled at me to “Hurry it up.” I quickly stopped at the farm house to take off my treasured jacket and place it on one of the hooks just inside by the front door. Then running back out to help my fellow worker with today’s chores in the fields.

Today I was pulling the apple karts under the tree’s while Big Mac bucked them. This moved us along quickly meaning we could do twice the work it would take Macintosh to do when he was bucking then moving the carts then bucking again and repeating the whole process. We spent a good two hours working without a word. But once we had pulled in our 10th kart of apples into the barn we took a quick break. I felt a nudge in my shoulder, I turned around to see Macintosh holding out an apple to me. Balancing it on his back so he didn’t hand it me with his mouth. I blinked stupidly for a moment then took it gratefully, I was still surprised by the kindness of everypony in Equestria, even though we had barely said a word to each other while working over the past few weeks, here Macintosh was simply giving me food for no reason but help me recuperate.

“Yah know sum’in?” he asked me as I took a bite into the delicious green fruit. “I wasn’ too sure ‘bout you when you first got here.” That was all he said for a while, I was worried that the stallion was threatening me for a moment. I knew I wouldn’t win in a fight! I may be JUST taller than him, but he had strength far beyond my own. The stallion chewed on his stem of wheat for a while longer, obviously thinking. “But” and with that word every muscle in my body relaxed. “You help us round here, you keep things interestin’ and most of all make a lotta ponies happy round here.” He turned and looked into my eyes with his large green ones. “Some more than you realise... but just keep doing what you’re doing, and no one will fault yah fer that.” And with that mysterious comment he moved back into the field, break time was obviously over, following the stallion slightly confusedly I continued working. My shift ended and I left without a word except for one of thanks as Big Mac tossed me ten bits in another small pouch as my payment. Lost in thought on the wise words Mac had told me, I went home. Yes, home. To the library, if anything had decided it it was today. Knowing how much i meant to ponies around here made me sure. I was going to stay in Equestria.

The girls return

The girls were back! They came home screaming about how amazing the derby had been. How the flyers had spun, dived and weaved through the air so gracefully. I felt a slight pang of jealousy when they did that, I wished that I could have gone too, but oh well too late now!

We were sat in the main dining room of Sugar Cube Corner, all of us tucking into a round of fresh and delicious cupcakes! Dash wouldn’t stop talking; she went at a pace that I only expected of pinkie pie. She gave a detailed analysis of every move the Wonderbolts had done in the show, so we were there for quite a while. I didn’t really mind though, after not seeing them for a while it was nice to see what my friends had been up to while in Canterlotte. Also this was the most id ever heard Rainbow Dash talk, and definitely the most happy I had ever seen her!

She soon began to gush about how amazing each of the troop members were, most of the names I didn’t recognize but I heard the name Spitfire. She was a fire like coloured Pegasus, who seemed to be the one who always spoke to Rainbow Dash whenever she had the chance. She sounded nice. A few more names were mentioned which just passed over my head, and then she stopped suddenly. Suddenly becoming very bashful and quiet, almost ‘Fluttershy like.’ I quickly added the names in my head, 1,2,3,4,5,Spitfire,7,8,9,10.... I was sure there was at least one other Pegasus in the flying squad who she hadn’t mentioned. I swore I knew his name he was about the only other one I knew the name of besides Spitfire.

Rarity soon confirmed my suspicions before I had a chance to ask. “I believe you’re forgetting a certain special member of the Wonderbolts there Rainbow Dash.” She reached over and nudged Rainbow’s hoof with hers jokingly. I started to wonder what was with all the joking tone in her voice.
“Yeahh... well Soarin’ was also pretty cool.” She blushed deep red at this point, suddenly jumping up she looked around frantically. “I...uhhhh have to use the bathroom! Be right back!” and with that she bolted through the rest room door.
Soarin’ now I remembered why I knew his name. He was the Wonderbolt that the girls always teased about Rainbow having a crush on. Soarin’ was apparently a strikingly handsome blue Pegasus. My stomach seemed to flip upside down, why was she so nervous on the subject suddenly? Fluttershy leaned to her right towards my shoulder, at that point I ducked my head so I could hear her.

“You see, she’s a little nervous... well... because after the show, Soarin’ came and asked to have a word with her....” she smiled girlishly at the harmless gossip. While on the inside my stomach began to twist in two separate directions. I kept my outside appearance neutral (I hoped) and continued to listen to the story as Pinkie Pie took over, this time she spoke at a reasonable pace.
“Then when she came back she was all giddy and jumpy! I mean as jumpy as me after I’ve had a banana split, because I really like banana splits and they make me”-
“She was all of a bother because Soarin’ had told her he wanted to see her here in Ponyville in just under a week’s time...alone.” Rarity chirruped taking over as Pinkie Pie rambled on still about, banana splits not realising that no one was listening anymore.

If my stomach twisted any tighter it felt like it would rupture. I chuckled half heartedly, trying to keep up the facade that I wasn’t completely destroyed on the inside. I looked around at the girls, all of whom were giggling with excitement. All except for Applejack, she sat on the furthest end of the table to me. She looked straight into my eyes, and mouthed the three words, “I’m sorry darling’”
...............................................................................

It was a few hours later, for a celebration of being back home the girls organised a night time picnic to watch the stars. I tagged along begrudgingly, the lightness in my heart that id carried for the last week suddenly gone. I had my coat, but not on. I had brought it with me to Sugar Cube Corner, and we hadn’t gone home yet. The coat was slung over my shoulder as we walked up a slight hill with a tree rooted at the top of it. (a popular picnic spot for the group apparently)

As we reached the top Rarity turned to me, with a look of shock on her face. “My dear! Why aren’t you wearing your coat?! Is something wrong with it? You have bulked up a lot since you’ve been working on the farm. I should have thought of that when I was making it!” The white pony stomped her hoof into the dirt with self frustration, sending a plume of dust over her own immaculate natural coat. Realising what she had done, she immediately shook her foreleg to lose the clinging bits of dirt.

I didn’t want to upset her, so I quickly mumbled. “There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m just...not that cold.” Rarity sighed with relief, and proceeded to produce a lavender scented pillow from the basket they had brought with them, she placed herself on top of it with pride showing in her face. Applejack stood not too far away, she caught my eye and smiled at me with a “That was the right thing to do” look. I shrugged at her, moving over to the tree and leaning against it not bothering to sit down.
“Are you kidding me!” shouted Twilight from the floor looking at me with surprise. “It’s pretty cold up here! How can be ok in just that shirt?” I looked down, I was wearing the long sleeved collard one. At least my arms were shielded from the wind, but the material WAS rather thin. I still didn’t put the jacket on. I just simply folded it up carefully and placed in the now empty basket.

Soon spike had a raging fire going in the centre of out circle, and to his joy received a grateful kiss on the cheek from Rarity. Normally id laugh at the dragon’s awe filled face, but this time I simply smiled. I felt some comfort that someone was having contact with the pony he cared about. I shook my head violently to chase away the fast developing feelings of self pity, and tried my best to join in the convocations. However as the night moved on and more subjects were finished with, the convocation turned to Rainbow and what she thought Soarin’ wanted. After five minutes of this agonizing torture I was saved by Applejack who turned to me and spoke loudly so the rest of the group could hear. “I think we should go get that car o’ yours! I bet there’s still some stuff you haven’t shown us yet!”

Even if it hadn’t have been true I still would have leapt at the opportunity of escape. The other girls began to move, and before I could think something up AJ came to my rescue once again. “Naaawww! You ponies stay here, we can’t all fit in that thing anyway. I gotta talk apples with my employee anyway.” She winked at them all, and they all laughed in response before saying a quick “See you soon” before resuming their girly gossip. As me and AJ left in the direction of Fixit’s shop circling round the side of the hill, I looked up at the group sat on top. I saw someone looking down right back at me. Pink eyes, a blue coat, and a rainbow mane. I looked away again sharply, a panging feeling in my chest... as my heart began to crack and break.

Now it aint much to help mend a breakin' heart...

“I can’ begin to say how sorry I am for yah sugar cube.” AJ tried to put a consoling hoof on my side. I didn’t reject it but my lack of reaction didn’t encourage physical contact, so she changed her mind. We had made it to Fixit’s shop without a word, only when I went up to my car outside and leant against the bonnet did Applejack begin to speak. I didn’t bother pretending that I didn’t like the Rainbow pony, AJ obviously knew already.

“So?” I finally croaked, with a weak attempt at my usual joking demeanour. “How long have you known I have a thing for flying ponies?” It wasn’t really that funny. But the hat wearing pony obliged me and played along,
“Well in that case wha’ about Fluttershy?” she winked at me. I know she was the element of honesty, but at the same time I could have easily mistaken her for the element of kindness. Everything she had done for me was kind and helpful. I budged off of the bonnet of my car and slid to the ground leaning against the grill for support. I also shuffle to my left so Applejack could sit next to me. “Let’s just say I’ve known since that little race you had in this beauty.” AJ smiled and jerked her head towards the car as she took a seat next to me. “Now I don’t know about humans but when a colt risks his life like that, he’s usually got something to prove... to a Filly.” I couldn’t help but laugh at that, Applejack joined me in laughter, glad to see me not as morose.

“And for all the good it does, which may not seem like a lot... she feels the same.” I looked up into her emerald eyes, forcing my own not to blur with tears at the comment. She was right, it didn’t seem to do any good at all except for blowing a huge chunk of my crumbling heart away that much quicker.
“I think you mean FEALT there AJ.” I said glumly, letting my head role back down to look at my knees yet again.
“Now, I dunno...” There was something odd in her tone, I could tell she was smiling at the top of my head as I sat and moped. “I don’ think somepony would look at someone else leavin’ with such worry and carin’ on her face. Do you?” The image of Rainbow’s eyes watching me as I left the picnic seemed to burn through my vision until it was all I could see.

“Here.” I looked up at the orange country pony, she had a small bottle in her mouth. Her hat resting on my car bonnet, just above our heads. Did she carry everything in that hat? I took the bottle, and proceeded to uncork it. I closed my eyes, tilted my head back, and went to take a swig from it, but I was met by the feel of fur on my lips. Confused beyond all reason I opened my eyes to find Applejacks hoof in-between my lips and lips of the bottle.
“Wooooooohhhhhhh there sugar cube, now that aint a drink!” I moved my hand away from my face, and Applejack did the same with her hoof.
“Then...what is it?” I asked, puzzled out of my mind as I looked the clear, and familiar liquid.

“There was this unicorn in Can’erlotte, it was just on the way back from the derby. He were peddling some real silly thangs, but he also wa’ selling this for a reasonable price.” I listened tentatively at this point desperate to know what this thing was I had nearly drank. “Now you gotta understand that it’s pretty rare in Equestrai, so I dunno how genuine it is. But it’s alcohol, a lot of it. Concentrated with magic to give some real kick.” I still didn’t see why this made it undrinkable, in fact it made me want to drink it all the more, finally something in common with earth that helped me, something to numb the pain! I waited for AJ to finish speaking though, just in case there was a real reason that this stuff was dangerous. “Well with all that put together, when you burn it you get a pre’y big amount of energy. So I bought it to see if it’ll work on her!” she stood and turned to the car, taking her hat off of the yellow bonnet as she did.

The pony looked down at me and smiled with care in her eyes. “Now it aint much to help a breakin’ heart but I thought it might just cheer yah up a little.” I stood sharply, but then immediately fell to my knees so I was at her height. I embraced her tightly. I must have hugged more people in my time here than a year on earth. But it didn’t matter to me; here in this world I had become someone completely different, filled with caring, hope and joy more than any other emotions. I eventually pulled myself away from the hug. I shook the bottle in front of Applejack’s nose, and smiled at her. I took the cork and replaced it into the neck of the bottle, and placed it in my pocket.

“I’ll save it for now I think. I’ve still got half a tank. And if this stuff works, it may even give me miles seeing as its made with magic and everything!” Applejack beamed as she saw me return to being my usual exuberant and enthusiastic self. “Well,” I said, getting to my knees and opening the passenger’s door of the golden yellow car, “Hop in. They’ll realise even YOU can’t talk about apple’s for this long if wait anymore.” I winked at her. And one of my closest friends beamed at me yet again and hopped into the car.

I ran over to my own door and quickly settled myself in my old seat. It felt good to be back! I turned the key and the engine roared, met by a huge “YEEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAWWW!” from my little passenger. I put my foot on the accelerator without putting it in gear, just to hear my baby purr again. Now even without the little bottle in my pocket being used on her, she sounded pretty damn magical to me! We set off in the direction of the picnic, I wasn’t too sure what to expect over the next few days, maybe id fall apart as I saw Soarin’ flying away with my dream pony. Maybe id realise that loving a pony was ridiculous (Though I hoped not!) and decided to try to get back to earth! (I hoped not even more!) But maybe, just maybe, I’d finally build up the courage to confront Rainbow. Take her into my arms, and tell her “I love you, you damned fast Pegasus!”

Not such a pleasant surprise

The next day we all receded back into normality. I myself, rather sluggishly after another batch of weird dreams filled with Soarin.’ I’d gone back to the picnic with AJ and to the delight of everypony, I showed them how the stereo worked. I still had some CD’s in my boot so I took them out, distributed them to each pony and had them make a request based on the song names. All in all, it made for an interesting end to the evening. Amazingly each pony chose a song which I could relate to them perfectly. But when it was rainbow’s turn, she requested a song and handed me the CD case back and blushed looking down at her hooves. I had stared at her in disbelief at her choice. “Areosmith’s ‘don’t wanna miss a thing.’ Are you kidding me! After how crap I felt that night the girl I love then asks for THIS song! I obliged her, and we had all sat listening to the slow almost sad song in quiet and thoughtful silence.

We stayed on that hill for a reasonable time, so eventually when everypony went home many were so tired they retreated to bed immediately. I tried to be one of them, but it wasn’t meant to happen. Twilight didn’t seem dampened by the late night at all, she simply sat on the sofa and began to unpack the basket while asking me about what I had been doing while they were away. I didn’t want to seem rude to my dear friend so I sat and spoke to her. I explained the work I’d been doing on Sweet Apple Acre’s, how me and Big Mac had finally spoken for the first time –or at least he’d spoken to me- Twilight squealed with happiness and clapped her forehooves together excitedly.

“You really are beginning to fit in around here!” I thought about it for a moment. I really was becoming one of the citizens of Ponyville now! The thought to ask about Celestia’s research crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. After all Twilight had only just returned and I didn’t want to upset her by making her think I wanted to leave.

The convocation continued, about random and needless stuff. I envied Spike who had been able to go straight up to bed from the picnic. Maybe it was because I was older than him that Twilight felt that we could stay up longer, the thought seemed to excite her. That made me feel wanted at least, after hearing about Soarin’s impending visit to Rainbow Dash I just needed to feel as though someone still wanted me around. AJ obviously did, and so did Twilight and that would have to do for now.

I was now outside Sweet Apple Acre’s, preparing for another day of work. The sun was shining brightly and warmly, so I just took my blue shirt for the day, leaving the coat on the hook in my room. I walked through the tree’s with ease, knowing exactly where to go now. I headed for the large barn that dominated the scene of tree’s and barrels scattered around. As I passed the farm house, I heard a scraping noise from above me. I looked up in time to see Applejack popping her head out of her room window that she had obviously just opened.
“Mornin’ sugar cube!”
“Morning boss.”
“Well I’m sorry but today we’re turning the apples into cider, so that means we aint got much work for yah down here. But it you’re still looking for sum’in to do I heard Pinkie Pie could use a hand at the bakery.”

I gave the country pony a joking salute –to her approval- and turned and headed back out of the farm. That was when I first felt it, a tickling on the back of my neck. It wasn’t a physical feeling, but more of a mental feeling. Almost as though my subconscious was trying to warn me about something. Was...I being followed? I turned around, and saw nopony there. Learning from past experiences, I then looked into the sky scanning for Pegasy, scanning the tree tops for the tell tale signs of somepony hiding in them. I didn’t find any. With a sudden sense of unease building in my stomach I turned back towards the town and walked over to Sugar Cube Corner, my pace suddenly a lot faster.

“Oh thank goodness you’re here!” yelled a flustered looking Pinkie Pie. The shop wasn’t particularly busy, but at the same time, the customers were ordering rather large amounts of products and the party pony was obviously struggling. I saw that her hair was dangerously close to falling limp, never a good sign with pinkie!

Wasting no time, I jogged over the room and slid under the counter. “So Pinkie, what do you need?” the pony rushed into the kitchen almost as fast as Rainbow could fly. She then zipped back out holding an empty white bag.
“We’re out of flour!” she squeaked miserably. “There’s a little hut outside the back door. It has everything we need, but seeing as Mr and Mrs cake aren’t here there’s no one to go get the supplies while I watch the ovens!” I threw my hands up in front of me to calm her down slightly, before saying very calmly.
“Pinkie, I’ll go get the flour ok?” Pinkie beamed at me, her hair suddenly regaining its bouncy quality. Her personality flipped from frantic to her usual care free self once again.
“Okie-dokie-lokie,” and she trotted back into the kitchen humming some song as she did so.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the random party pony. I went through the kitchen, and out the back door. Sure enough just like Pinkie had said there was a little hut situated just to the right of the back door. I turned the door handle, and it stuck. I juggled it a little and pushed harder. Still nothing, so I pushed myself up against the door hard and pushed with all my might. The door eventually gave in and I fell face first into the dark little room. I didn’t see the flour fall, but I did feel the bag fall onto my stomach knocking the wind out of me and coating me in the light white powder.

I coughed and spluttered for a long time. It felt as though I was suffocating! My hand eventually found the frame of the door way, I gripped it and pulled myself up. Now back in the light of day, I saw how ridiculous I looked. Ironically I had been wearing my pink shirt today, but now it was more white than any other colour. I was thankful that I hadn’t been wearing the gang’s coat. I had taken to not wearing it every day now, heart breaks a funny thing like that. Something you adored and treasure on day can suddenly become not as appealing as it once did. Not wanting to focus on my feelings about Rainbow and Soarin’s meating this week. I grabbed two bags of flour –not the one that had burst all over me- and tucked them under my arms. Closing the door with my foot, I went back inside to the bakery to give my pink friend a hand.

Inside the kitchen was chaos, the pony was zipping from one station to the next at break neck speed. I was worried that she was going to hurt herself, she was building up a tremendous sweat as she, took out the cookies from one oven, left them to cool on the windowsill, while she bolted over to the icing station and topped the ones that had only just finished cooling themselves. Then taking them away to the packing station and wrapping them so fast I was amazed to she didn’t give herself a hundred paper cuts!

I took the flour over to the mixing station, placing them as close to the wall as possible so pinkie had the smallest chance of tripping over them. She turned and looked overjoyed! “Oh thank you! I really don’t have time to stop though. Reeaaallly busy, but that’s all I needed I’ve got all the rest covered.” She zipped to the window and took a tray of cooling cookies off and into the oven once again. As she turned to go back to the mixing station she realised what she had done! With a loud “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKK!” she wrenched open the oven, and saved the delicious treats with a quick sigh of relief.

I moved back out of the back entrance, trying to think of how to help the party pony... but what could help? If orders, were coming in fast, then surly they needed to be made packed and delivered fast. I realized how to help. I ran out from around the back and headed for the centre of town, if I had to find her, there was a high chance she was there. I pelted into the town square, scanning the few clouds in the sky, hoping to see her napping on one of them. DAMN! She wasn’t there. I turned, racking my brains to think where she may be. Rarity’s parlour? No, Rainbow wouldn’t ever go near that fru-fru place. She wasn’t at Sugar Cube Corner, or Sweet Apple Acres. So that left two places, either Fluttershy’s home or the library. Rainbow never went home unless it was night time, so I ruled out her house immediately. Which would be the best place to go? Well I was in the town already, so I may as well go to the closest one, I turned and ran for the library receiving some startled looks from ponies who I passed.

As I approached the building adapted from a large tree, I looked through one of the windows. I thanked Celestia, Rainbow was in there. She seemed to be speaking to someone inside, probably Twilight. I reached the door at a phenomenal pace. I skidded to a halt just outside, whirling up dust and dirt from the dry ground all around me. I waited to catch my breath, when I was under control once again I stood up straight and began to open the door.

“I just don’t know Twilight, I don’t know what to do! He’s just so... different from me. And yet I...” It was Rainbow speaking, I didn’t want to interrupt at first so I had opened the door slowly. But now I hung there with the door only slightly agape as I looked in on my dearest friend and the girl I loved as they continued speaking.
“Well maybe it’s for the best you realise you two are different... after all, if you don’t have much in common then what is there behind a relationship like that?” Twilight was trying to console the distraught Rainbow who was pacing up and down the centre of the circular room.
“Nothing! That’s the point!” Rainbow turned and said desperately. “But then why the hay do I still feel like this about him?” My stomach did a tumble roll, they were...talking about me. Did Twilight know about how I felt about Rainbow? Or was she her version of what Applejack was to me? “Out of the two of them, he is the one I have the least fun with. I just sit around being quiet around him, ‘cos I have nothing to say. A stone plummeted into my stomach, it WAS me they were talking about.

“So when are you going to tell him it’s never going to happen with you two? You know it’s going to destroy the guy.” So Twi did know! Why was she just standing there? Just being that usual calculating unicorn she always was! She was practically signing my death warrant!
“The day after Soarin’ gets her. No point in draggin’ it out huh?” Rainbow finished coldly. That was all I needed to hear. This world had deceived me, showing its bright colours and happy inhabitants but it was all the same as earth, still filled with heart ache. Still filled with disappointment...it was no different. I felt that last little sliver of my heart begin to break away from my soul. Soon it would be gone forever. But first i needed to make sure I used it to help Pinkie.

At some point I had fallen to my knees while listening, I now stood tall once again. And opened the door wide. The two Mares stared at me in shock as I entered. “I... thought you were at AJ’s working...” it was Twilight who had spoken in nothing more than a whisper. I didn’t bother smiling, I just rubbed the back of my neck, hoping they didn’t think I’d over heard them.
“Uhhh, actually I was helping Pinkie, she... uhhh is a bit buried under the work. So I thought... if you two could help pack up the goods and send them out to the customer’s ... she could... you know focus on the baking.” The two looked at me for a moment, I could tell they were wondering if I had heard them. “I just ran straight here from the shop, she really needs help!” I said a lot stronger this time. The two of them shook their heads to clear their minds then cantered out of the room to go and help pinkie.

As I stood there in the doorway, a chill crept down my spine. That same feeling of being watched was welling up inside me. I didn’t bother looking this time. I knew no one was there, I just hung my head, and proceeded to Sugar Cube Corner miserably.

Next 2 chapter's kick the story up a knotch! Can't wait to see what you guys think! hope you're enjoying it all so far!

A decision made

Soarin’ was coming, if I hadn’t heard Rainbow announce it to Twilight loudly at 10 in the morning from inside my room. I would have heard about it soon enough, Ponies walked around with their best Wonderbolt merchandize. Waving flags, holding little toys, or even sporting a full costume of their uniform. I didn’t want to be around all the rabble, i just wanted to work. Work until my bones ached, that way I could just come home and fall straight asleep. Nopony would speak to me that way. I headed out to the farm, it was Sunday, and Twilight was surprised I was so eager to work, but she didn’t protest. As I’d walked out of the library and down the street, I heard her shout after me. “When you get back I’ve got a treat for you!” my hands were deep in my coat pockets. WHY THE HELL WAS I EVEN WEARING IT! I took one hand out and held it high above my head waving, to show the unicorn I had heard her.

I came to the farmhouse without anypony stopping me. I stepped onto the patio, ready to open the door and hang my coat on the hook as I always did, but when I brought down the handle it wouldn’t turn. I tried again, but the handle wouldn’t budge. Locked. I stood there for a moment, wondering what to do. I decided to go to the barn, yes it may get a little hay on it but the jacket would be safe there. It wasn’t like anyone would steal a coat for a human in a world full of ponies.
But when I reached the barn door I found it was also locked shut. I rattled the door, more out of frustration than an actual attempt to open it. I didn’t know what to do, I looked over to the side over the house. There were a number of empty barrels leaning against the old wooden house. So I took one and rolled it down the path towards a tree with low hanging branches. I began to pick the apple’s. It had never been my job here, but I did it anyway, just so I could have something to occupy myself with. As I started to run out of Apples on the lowest branches I heard a voice.

“Aaan’ wha’dyou think you’re doing?”
“Working, Applejack. It’s all I’m good for round here.” I jumped at a branch out of my reach, catching hold I tested it momentarily. It was thick and sturdy and held my weight nicely. Holding myself up with my right arm, I began to pick the apples higher up with my left, dropping them into the fast filling barrel.
“Whats happened darlin’?” She sounded genuinely concerned. I didn’t say anything, I simply dropped and took hold of the barrel, dragging it over to the next tree. Just before I began picking again, I looked over at my friend. She looked hurt that I was ignoring her. At any other time I would have apologized but some part of me –the human part- stopped me from doing so.

I smirked horribly “Didn’t you hear? The great Wonderbolt Soarin’s coming to town!” I gazed into those big green emerald eyes. I stopped moving, trying not to be the first to break eye contact. “It’ll be over soon, I heard her and Twilight talking. I’m getting scrapped tomorrow anyway. So I’d suggest you let me work... because...” my voice quivered slightly, I stopped and sniffed loudly, pulling myself back under control. “Because I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be much use after that!” I took the apple in my hand, turned around and flung it as far away as I could, as though the green fruit had somehow insulted me! I marvelled at my strength after only a few weeks of working here as it sailed far into the distance.

I could still feel her eye’s burning into the back of my head, “So, you going to tell me why Acre’s is all locked up?” I turned to face AJ, slumping to the ground and leaning against the now heavy barrel behind me.
“In honesty?”
“I didn’t you could give it any other way.”
“It’s because of you, i don’t want you coming down here and burying all your problems in work.” I look at her slightly shocked. “Heck, thanks to how much help you’ve given us, we can afford to be closed for a week and still be ahead of schedule! So don’t go thinking you can outwait us!” That last remark had been a joke, she moved over to my side and nudged my shoulder with her muzzle, trying to get a smile out of me. Though it was with much effort. I gave her one.

“I...it... hurts Applejack.” I said suddenly morose once again. She sighed and lay next to me.
“Ah know darling, but I bet you mah whole farm, that you didn’t hear everything that was said ‘twean Twi and Rainbow.” I wished I could believe her. “What’s there stopping you from talking to Rainbow Darlin?” I scoffed, standing up forcefully and holding my arms out to my side to show myself as much as possible.
“Gee can you guess? Maybe it’s my eyes... maybe it’s my ears... OH WAIT I HAVE IT!” i turned for the gate, looking over my houlder down at the orange pony who looked up at me with near despair in her eyes. “It’s because I’m just a freak here. nothing else.” I dug my hand into my pocket, pulling out the small bottle of fluid AJ had given me. “Tomorrow morning, before everyone wakes, I’m using this.”

“But”-
“Be glad I’m telling you...” tears began to fall freely from my eyes now, “It’s more than anyone else is going to get in terms of a goodbye.” Clutching the bottle tightly in my hand I noticed the terrible tingling that had begun to build up my neck again. And that’s when I lost it! I spun as fast as I could on the spot determined to find what was following me. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” I screamed in a deep primal yell. The usually brave Applejack actually screamed, and scrambled away from me, retreating a good ten feet away. “STOP FOLLOWING ME! DAMNIT! I DON’T... I ...DON’T....” my screams gave into soul crushing sobs, “I don’t want to be seen like this...” I swayed weakly on the spot, threatening to fall to the dirt path beneath me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Applejack take a tentative step towards me. I turned tail and ran as fast as I could, down the path out the gate and towards the Ever Free Forest.
“Sugar cube wait!” I heard the pony trying to chase after me, so as I ran I pulled off the beautiful coat on my shoulders. And with tears still streaming down my face, I threw it back into the pony’s face. I heard her tumble and fall, but I didn’t look back to see. I just threw myself into the thick line of trees, and ran.

Twilight, what are you doing?

For a long time I couldn’t hear anything except my own frantic breathing as I ran for my life, punctuated with the occasional sob. The branches cut of my skin and clothes, not deeply, most didn’t even leave marks. But the constant barrage of wooded needles was unrelenting. I finally burst out into a clearing. THE clearing. I could see the warped tree trunk on the other side of the clearing. I stopped dead in my tracks, I was back to where it had all started. I almost expected to see Twilight just under the tree line ahead of me, tentatively observing this strange creature as he knelt broken on the floor. How ironic, here I was again, just as (if not more) broken than before.

I took a tentative step forward into the centre of the clearing. Was... that a car I heard go by? What direction had it come from? I strained my ears to hear anything else. Nothing. I must have imagined it, the wind made all kinds of ungodly noises when passing through trees in Equestria, one of the few menacing things I had first noticed about the place.

I looked to the sky, Twilight had said she had come here specifically to keep a safe distance from anypony so they wouldn’t be harmed. And yet it was also one of the few places in the forest where you could see the sky so clearly. As I watched the clouds pass over, I saw...something. A little line of dark...smoke through the sky? As I watched, I began to hear a faint rumble almost like thunder. The shape was getting bigger. With a sickening feeling in my stomach I realised what it was. A pegasus’ slipstream as the flew through the sky. Only a few ponies left that kind of mark when they flew, the Wonderbolts. Soarin’ had finally arrived. I moved out of the light to ensure I wasn’t spotted, I needn’t have worried the Pegasus flew over without a care in the world. Why would he have? He had Rainbow waiting for him...

I took one last look at the site of my crash, the site of my rebirth as a new me. Maybe it was for the best, I now knew what I felt like to be cared for by so many people. (or ponies in this case) My spirit began to lift. And then I looked down. I was wearing one of the shirts the girls had given me, any other colour would have secured my thoughts how it had all been worth it. but the colour wasn’t pink, it wasn’t white with long sleeves, and it wasn’t yellow or purple. It was blue. The one to represent Rainbow Dash.

I didn’t scream, I had no voice left. I didn’t cry, my eyes were dry. I looked into the dirt at my feet, and simply decided. No matter how homely this place felt, I wanted to go back to earth. And with that terrible thought in my head, I turned in the direction to get out of the forest. I wanted to go to the library, to see Twilight one last time. To make sure she knew it wasn’t her fault. To sleep in that bed one last time. Before I went away in my car and never looked back.

As I trudged back towards ponyville, I vaguely recollected Twilight telling me she had a surprise for me. Oh dear god! I hoped it wasn’t anything big! I don’t I would be able to stand it. I’d already broken down in front of one of my two closest friends here, and I didn’t want to repeat it with the other.

I reached the library without seeing anypony in town. I didn’t mind really, it meant it made leaving a lot easier by not seeing all their happy faces one last time. I came in to complete silence, thank god the light’s were on. It showed that no one waited to surprise me with a party, as Pinkie Pie was very prone to doing. “Twi? Spike? Anypony home?” I was amazed by the strength in my voice after so much sobbing and screaming. I glanced over to the table, there sat my car keys. My hand tightened around the bottle still clenched in my fist. I didn’t want to upset Twilight, it was completely selfish to come back here just to see her again. I could just take those keys and leave before anypony came looking for me.

The crazy thought eventually died down as I calmed the storm raging inside my head. I went over to the centre of the room, placing the fuel next to the keys. I then moved back to the sofa I had sat on so many times before, and collapsed on top of it. I sighed to myself and leant my head back to look at the ceiling.

I suddenly felt two hooves quickly place themselves over my eyes. I jumped, I would have reacted more if I had the strength, but my day’s escapades left me drained. “Got you!” sang a familiar voice. After all I’d gone through over the last few days I was amazed. I was smiling. I reached up at took hold of a hoof with each hand, and parted them to see my longest standing friend in Equestria smiling back at me. Her violate eyes seemed to glow with brightness as she looked at me. I lunged up with my arms, hooking them round the back of her neck and pulling her in close for an upside down hug.

We stayed there, embracing each other for far longer than the time Spike had walked in. Her mane, I had forgot that smell, lavender. Eventually we broke apart, and Twilight came around the side of the sofa to look at me. She looked slightly worried. “Are you ok? You look terrible.” I looked at her, I almost burst out with every scrap of detail about how I was feeling right now! But the urge passed soon enough.
“Yeeaaahhh, I’m fine, just... been a long day that’s all.” She looked sceptical, but she didn’t pursue the subject. She simply shrugged, and turned away trotting into the kitchen. Humming a tune that I thought I could remember humming once before in this house.

“So where’s the little guy?” I queried about Spike. I heard movement in the kitchen, plates were being moved out of the way of something, and I could the slight chink of glass. “He’s at Rarity’s helping with some gems they found the other day.” She sounded happy, I was glad. This is how I wanted to remember her. The usual joyous Twilight. At the sound of approaching hooves, I swung an arm over the back of the Sofa as to lean around and spot what the unicorn was doing. She was levitating two tall, long stemmed glasses in front of her and a green bottle with a golden foil top just behind her.

I raised an eyebrow at the magenta unicorn. “Is... that...?”
“Champagne, yes!” squeaked Twilight happily, as she set the glasses and bottle on the table in front of us. “From Canterlotte, the Princess’s own private collection!” She hopped up onto the sofa, lay down on her haunches and got comfortable. I leant over and took the bottle in hand, it wasn’t like back home, it didn’t have a label coated in fine print, it simply said ‘Canterlotte’s own: Champagne.’
“So what’s the big occasion then?” I asked, pulling away the foil top to expose the cork.
“Here...” she said soothingly, using her magic she took the bottle from my hand, and handed me one of the glasses from the table.
“Well? Why are we breaking out the bubbly?” I asked again.
“Oh, it’s kind of an early celebration...for tomorrow.” My stomach tightened for a second. Tomorrow? Oh god what had I been so stupid to forget and plan to leave the same day?
“And what IS tomorrow exactly?” Twilight smiled at me warmly,
“It’s my birthday.”

I nearly dropped my glass out of surprise. Barely holding on, I managed to force out a slightly garbled “Birthday?!”
“Yeah,” Twilight finally popped the bottle’s top and cheered quietly. She then proceeded to poor her and I a glass. “It’s not like I expected you to know, you haven’t been here very long.” Her words meant nothing to me, I felt terrible. I was running away, on Twilight’s birthday. And I couldn’t stay because I knew what was coming tomorrow for me. That last little sliver of my heart still left made me feel disgusted with myself.

I put on a brave face, and with as much gusto as I could muster I cheered “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s celebrate!” I clinked my glass against hers and took a swig of the delicious drink. It tasted perfect, and I felt terrible that Twilight had to share it with a creature like me. As the night moved on, we talked, and drank. Twilight was a bit more generous to her own glass than my own, which I was grateful for; perhaps it would mean she’d sleep right through me leaving. The convocation eventually began to grow thin, and we found ourselves growing quieter and quieter.

Twilight had abandoned her rigid posture, and was lounging out over her half of the sofa, and was dangerously close to invading my half too! When the bottle was empty, we gave one last cheer of congratulations. “Happy birthday Twilight!”
“Happy birthday me!” she giggled drunkenly. She stretched her forehooves out ahead of her, and let them rest over my legs. She was warm, even through my trouser’s I felt her warm skin push close to mine.

“You know...” she began, I looked down at the tired looking unicorn smiling, inviting her to continue. She pushed herself back up into a sitting position once again. “I never gave you your surprise...” she was very close. “We got so carried away with me, we forgot about you.” She leant in closer and rested the side of her head on my shoulder. She was drunk; I knew she’d probably fall asleep soon. After all it’s what drunken friends end up doing. But I let her continue, there was another breeze of lavender which travelled up my nose with her being so close. I spoke quietly,
“Today’s is about you, not me.” She took her head of my shoulder, and looked into my eyes.
“What if your surprise is something I WANT to give you?” I struggled to find words, I was lost in those violate eyes.

Twilight was leaning in to me. I sat there looking dumb for a minute, before the alcohol began to cause me to do the same, closing my eyes as I did. A voice in my head was screaming! “STOP! STOP! STOP NOW!” it sounded a lot like Rainbow Dash. I opened my eyes, we were nearly about to touch, I could feel her hot breath on the flesh of my lips. But as I looked at her, I didn’t see Twilight. In my mind I knew it was her. But my heart warped my sight. Her fur was blue, her main every colour of the rainbow. And that stupid little vision was all I needed. I stopped just short of her mouth. I could feel her breath change as she tried to find my lips. I rested my forehead just below her horn. Tilting my head down as to pull my lips away from the temptation. Twilight opened her eyes.

Still resting against her head I reached up with both hands. And put them on either side of her ears. I pulled myself away, and tilted her head back into me. My lips met her forehead just below her horn. I could feel myself shaking, taking a deep calming breath I opened my mouth and whispered. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” We stayed there for a moment, heads pressed against one another’s. When she spoke, she didn’t sound as though on the edge of crying. Her voice had more of a hint of disappointment and understanding. She only spoke one word, a name.
“Rainbow.” We pulled apart finally, and I looked at the magenta pony for a moment. Just like with Applejack, there was no use pretending.
“Yes.” I said meekly looking to the floor. I felt a warm hoof under my chin, Twilight tilted my head up to look at her. And though her eyes looked slightly more misty than usual, I also saw warmth within them.
“She’s lucky.” I smiled at her sadly, and for the first time. She gave me a hug. She leant in and held me tight to her. I simply sat there, almost dazed. After everything today, I was amazed to be conscious now.

I felt Twilight’s muscle’s slacken slightly, and soon she was leaning on me, asleep. I carefully pulled myself away from her. I lay her down gently on the padded sofa, I then moved to my room where I took out a blanket from a draw. As I tucked twilight in snugly, I noticed the blanket was miscoloured, with some patches darker than the others. It was the one she had used to save me on the night of the storm. With a bemused smile I leant in and kissed her forehead one last time. As I walked to my room, the hairs on my neck decided to stand on end yet again. I ignored it, whoever was watching me would eventually reveal themselves. I took a look at my watch. It was 4:00 in the morning. Why wasn’t spike back yet? As I stuck my head back out into the central room to turn off the lights I thought to myself. “He’s probably collapsed at Rarity’s, either out of exhaustion or a heart attack from being too close to her for too long.” I chuckled. I turned the lights off, letting the sleeping unicorn lie. I went to my bed, and sat there for a minute, setting the alarm on my watch. Id only had two glasses, if I slept for three hours I should be fine to leave. I lay down in the bed for the last time, and took a look out the window for the last time. And I fell asleep in the bedroom in the library, for the last time.

A funny time to be going 'nowhere'

It felt as though I had merely blinked. As my eyes closed, it seemed as though the alarm had already started. I quickly slammed my finger on the off button before I woke Twilight in the next room. I stood, and changed out of the blue shirt, I went into the draws and rummaged down into the very bottom. I took the shirt I had worn when I first came to Equestria, and tried to put it on with difficulty.

Rarity had been right, I had bulked up a lot over the last few months. Rarity, would she miss me? I know she never loses her composure except around royalty, but would she at least feel a slight pang of ... something? Fluttershy would be sad, I knew that, and pinkie could very possibly cry. And the unicorn in the room next door? She’d have her birthday ruined. I hated myself. But I wouldn’t suffer the pain of what was coming. I cared about the Rainbow Pony too much to let her break my heart. I would rather live loving her, and knowing she is with another, than living knowing she rejected me.

I snuck out of my room, while heading straight for the table, I took great care in keeping quiet. I picked up the fuel, and my keys and crossed the room as quick and quiet as possible. And then I was outside in the cool morning breeze. I began to head towards Fixit’s shop quickly, I didn’t want to be seen. I just wanted to get out before I hurt anyone else. “So where are you going in such a rush huh?” I stopped dead, realising who it was by voice alone.
“Nowhere...” I mumbled. I began to move again, faster than before.
“Heh, funny time to be going ‘Nowhere,’” she giggled at her own joke. That laugh, that beautiful laugh almost made me fall to my knees. But I shut that side of myself away not giving it room to breathe, or it might just be the end of me.

“Hey...” Rainbow Dash sounded unsure for a moment. “Why are you wearing... your old clothes? They’re all torn! Where’s you’re coa”-
“Rainbow, go to Sweat Apple Acre’s. Tell Applejack I sent you. Tell her I said she has something that belongs to you.” That was all I could bring myself to say, a small part of me hoped she’d keep it, to remember me. But then my head played over what I’d heard, “Out of the two of them, he is the one I have the least fun with.” She wouldn’t keep it, she’d most likely throw it away as soon as I was gone.
“Something that ... belongs to me?” she sounded confused, I prayed shed go now and investigate. But she continued following. I still didn’t know where she was, was she walking behind me or flying above.

A sudden touch from a hoof onto my lower arm answered my question, she was on the ground. I stopped at the contact, I looked down at the pony I loved with all my heart and saw concern and worry in her eyes. “Wh-what’s wrong?...” her voice was softer than I’d ever heard it before. I looked away from her eye’s knowing what she was about to try and do, I didn’t want to break the contact with her but I had to get out of here, the sun was rising fast and soon ponies would be rising out of bed.

“Don’t you have something you need to be doing right now?” The sarcastic comment had come from nowhere, some dark part of me was trying to hurt Rainbow so she would let me leave. The pony was unperturbed, I felt her gaze burning into the back of my head.
“Actually I do, and I’m trying to do it right now.” And that was all I needed, that confirmation that it was coming was enough to spur me into movement. I ran. Straight towards the car that I could now see in the distance. “WAAAIIIIT!” the pony could have caught me, but I guessed she was too surprised to do anything but watch me run before she could hurt me. Well at least she got rid o me now.

I got to the car, I took the cork out of the flask. Kissed the side of it for luck, then taking of the fuel cap I poured every clear
drop into the tank. Without warning, the car roared into life. Without the key’s in the ignition or anything, the engine simply revved loudly. Now this was the only magic I needed! I threw myself into the driver’s seat just in time to see the fuel gauge rise to full. I put my hand on the steering wheel preparing to race away from this town and never look back, but then the back of my hand began to burn white hot! I clutched it tight to my chest and cried out in shock. Had a drop of that stuff gotten on my skin, who knew what it would do to me! But hell I could bare the pain. I slammed my baby into gear, and with a scream she flew through the streets faster than ever. And yet easier to control than ever. I swore that if I took my hand s off of the wheel I would still never crash.

I had woken ponies up, they stuck their heads out of their windows in anger and frustration. All wanting to know what was happening. They meant nothing now that I was away, I couldn’t see their faces, smiling or otherwise. I hit the last stretch of town road before the open country lane spread out across the land. At the end was Rarity’s boutique, nestled on the grass just next to the road. I floored it! I wanted to get passed before... too late. As I got halfway there I first saw the Platinum fashion Diva step out to see what was happening, and worst of all she was followed by a very groggy eyed Spike. I focused on the road, shutting out my two friends near the side of the road.

My window opened, not by me! I looked down to see the switch held down by magic. Looking up again I saw a distraught looking Rarity’s horn glowing softly. She obviously couldn’t stop the car or she would have, maybe it was the fuel. But as I approached I heard her shouting to me, not at me but to me. “Darling where are you going?!?” I passed her on her last word. Leaving her behind I a cloud of dirt and dust. I looked back in my mirror, I saw her stood there. Not bothered by her filthy coat, she just looked on as I kept going down the road, far away and eventually until I rounded a corner and broke both our lines of sight.

Something inside me, it couldn’t have been a heart –god no! I obviously didn’t have one!-panged painfully, as I left my job, my home, my friends, hell no not my friends my FAMILY! And most of all, my chest panged as I left the love of my life, alone, screaming for me to wait, and id just driven away.

A change of perspective

I watched the car hurtle into the distance. What had happened? Had I done something to upset him? I felt my eye’s mist over, but I didn’t cry, that was stupid! Why cry? It’s not cool to do something like that. But yet... I dreaded what my gut was telling me. That he wasn’t coming back. He had been wearing what he came to Equestria in. And he hadn’t worn those clothes since all of us had given him his new outfit, so he had obviously a reason for suddenly adorning those rags again and leaving his new threads behind.

APPLEJACK! She knew something! She HAD something from him meant for me! I turned towards the distant farm, and rocketed into the sky as fast as I could! I was soon over the top of the farm, I angled myself into a dive, and moved straight towards the barn. I wondered if AJ knew what had happened. Or had she began her working day as normal? As I descended, I saw her. Sat on the bank just by her house, overlooking the entire orchard.

I landed a few feet behind and walked up next to the unusually still country pony. She looked over at me, with sadness in her eyes. “He hightailed it outta here didn’ he?” I nodded miserably. AJ sighed and looked back over the tree’s just beginning to shimmer in the rising sun. There was something she wasn’t telling me, I knew her too well for her to keep me in the dark.
“You know... why he left I mean. You seem as though you were expecting it, so... what did he tell you.” Applejack stood up and turned in the direction of the big red barn. She let out another disappointed sigh,

“He told me a lotta thin’s Rainbow, others I guessed for mahself. But eventually it all came out yesterday. So yeah... I do know why he’s gone.” My heart rose slightly,
“Really?! You know?!?! Then what’s he doing? How long is he gonna be gone?” I gulped nervously, “I-is he ever coming back?” Applejack hung her head in misery, and that was all the answer I needed. “H-h-he’s never coming back...” It hurt me deeply to admit what my gut had already told me. Applejack reached the barn door and nudged it open slightly so she could enter. I followed suit slowly, as I was halfway to the door I remembered why I had come here in the first place. “Uuuuhhhh AJ? This might sound strange, but do you have anything of mine I don’t know about?” The hat topped pony stuck her head out of the open door, she looked puzzled.
“Uuuhhhmmm... I don’ think so sugar cube, why?” She grew serious, “You aint planning on hightailing outta here too are yah?”

“NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO!” I quickly exclaimed, shaking my forehooves at her to dismiss her hasty assumption. “It’s just, I saw him... just before he left. I tried to tell him...” I stopped myself quickly before I gave it away to one of his best friends. “Something, and he started acting really strange, and he said... that I should come here. That I should come here and tell you he said you had something of mine from him.” Applejack’s jaw dropped in disbelief, she began to mutter under her breath, seemingly wrestling with herself to decide what she should do. “Well?” I asked, rather impatiently.
“Naaaawwww, listen sugar cube. If he means what I think he does, then you don’t want it. Trust me. It’ll hurt too dang much.” She looked genuinely concerned at this point.

I dreaded what would come next, but I opened my mouth and told her, “It’s my choice Applejack, I want to see what he left here.” Applejack clenched her eyes tight at my response, as though it caused her pain to hear me say it. She turned as though to head back into the barn, I almost shouted at her not to ignore me. But then I saw her dip her head out of sight for a moment. When she came back into view she had something in her mouth.

It was large, black and curled into a roll. The country pony placed it on the floor, then nudged it forward with her nose, causing it to roll and unravel. I stared in shock, as his coat lay there at my hooves. “W-why... did he say...” I couldn’t think straight, all I could feel was my soul screaming out! This was mine? So... he didn’t want it anymore, he didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Why? What had I done?

“Now there’s no use denying it Rainbow, I know you care about this feller mighty strong like.” The orange pony began to approach me, “So what’s been going on? What’s all this stuff about with Soarin’?” I looked into her eye’s, there it was again, a glimmer of something being hidden from me. What did she know?
“H-he came here to spend some time with me one-on-one,” I began slowly, “at the derby he told me, he... was into me, and he would have loved to see me another time away from all the Wonderbolt life.” I began to choke up slightly, “But I... At any other time I would have been over the moon! But... he was just so...so...” I couldn’t find the words, but Applejack wouldn’t help me, she tilted her head to me, egging me on. “He, hates the country, he doesn’t like the idea of living without a lot of money. He’s just so... different from me. And... whenever I’m with him I can never relax, I’m always worried about slipping up. I never have any fun with him.”

Applejack’s eyes grew wide with astonishment as she seemed to realise something.
“I’m not the first pony you’ve told this... am I?” I was slightly taken aback by how strange she was acting.
“Uuuuhhh, no? I told Twilight the other day.” Applejack closed her eyes and breathed deeply. I still didn’t understand what was going on.
“And what did you tell Twilight you were going to do ‘bout all this?” she sounded as though in pain, she almost growled the question through gritted teeth, but she still kept her eyes closed.
“Well,” I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I obliged my friend. “I told her from the very beginning that I’d made up my mind. That when Soarin’ got here, I would tell him I didn’t think of him in that way. That we were too different, that there was someone else I cared about more than him, someone who I had far more in common with.”

“Oh no,” Applejack groaned softly, “And... then... did someone walk in on your little talk?” The realisation hit me like Manticore tail.
“H-he, heard me saying... and he thought that I meant...” Applejack finally opened her eyes and nodded at me glumly. I was still confused though, “But if he left because of that... but why would he do that? Why would he...... care?” The last word hung on my lips, as I realized. Applejack was smiling now as she saw me figure it out.
“He loves you too sugar cube, and he left ‘cos he couldn’t stand you sending him packin.’” I fell down onto my haunches and sat there dazed. He... loved me too?
“I tried to tell him, this morning. That I...”
“Come on now Darlin’... say it!”
“...I... I love him.”

So give me your opinion on this cahpter! My next story is most likely a 1st person from RD's perspective. want to know if i got her attitude right xD
So? what do you think is going to happen next? Next chapter at 9:00 PM

It's just so romantically tragic!

I took the coat from Applejack’s, and hung it over my left wing. The orange pony had tried to get me to stay, but I had refused outright. I just wanted to be alone. Whenever I rustled my wing, it released the scent of berries from the coat. But that wasn’t what I cared about, the smell that I loved the most about the coat. Was that it was his scent.

I didn’t know where I was headed; I just aimlessly walked around the town. I eventually found myself near the library, I felt a need to explain to Twilight why her birthday had been ruined so badly. The magenta pony welcomed me with open hooves. And when she saw the coat on my back, she realized why I was here. I looked up and saw Rarity and Spike looking back at me, they had obviously come here out of having nowhere else to go, now that he was gone, none of us felt like celebrating anything.

I no longer held back, I told the three of them everything. Some stuff they already knew, like Soarin’s true reason for coming here. But they gasped with surprise when I told them how I came across getting the coat. “You poor dear...” Rarity had said, still slightly dirty and dishevelled. “He, sounds like he... is in just as much pain as you are darling.” She began to tear up, and Spike tried his best to comfort her. Which resulted in her falling onto him and wailing in misery. “IT’S JUST SO ROMANTICALLY TRAGIC! LIKE A MODERN DAY ROMEO AND JULIET! WHYYYYYYYYYY! WHY DID HE HAVE TO LEEAAAAHEHEHEHEEEEEVE!” her last word broke up in her sobs as she gave into her emotions and cried in earnest on the small struggling dragons shoulder.

My confession took a few hours, once everything had been said it had begun to grow dark. So I took my leave, Twilight followed me to the door. And as I passed through and turned to say good night, she moved close to my ear and whispered.
“He really does love you, more than anything in this whole world. Trust me.” Everyone was asking me to trust them, it drove me insane! I didn’t want to trust, I just wanted him back here! With me! Racing in the streets, or simply talking and me making a fool of myself in front of him! I would fly away to find him, if I knew which way he went. The road split into four direction further down, which made it impossible to know where he was going, because he probably didn’t even know.

Marauding around town eventually brought me to a hill. I looked around, I felt light headed with my fatigue setting in. It was picnic hill. I came and sat under the tree. Angling myself to look up into the stars, I took his coat -It smelt so much like him!- and wrapped myself up inside it. I fell asleep very soon after that, my last conscious thought was of him. Was he safe? I hoped so. Wherever he was heading, I hoped it made him happy.

It's about time we met!

Hours of endless driving, at around 80mph. There is no feeling like it, the car responded to my slightest movements in my hands. I honestly believe the magic in the fuel is making this thin come alive at my touch! My right hand is bandaged up, I had torn a scrap from my already ruined shirt and wrapped my palm and knuckles with it. It still hurt slightly when I knocked it against something, but the makeshift bandage kept out most of the pain against the burn.

The tingling. It was maddening, it had steadily built up since I had left ponyville. Now with many hours between me and the town, it felt as though someone was stabbing me with a thousand little needles! I was on an outstretch of road set into a cliff, and it was climbing steeply. As I came out to the summit, I had to slam my breaks hard to stop myself falling off of the other side. The top of the cliff was impossibly thin. The car skidded and slid on the loose stones and dirt, coming dangerously close to what –to me- looked like the edge of the world. If I’d have been going any faster I wouldn’t have stopped in time, I heard the rocks I had pushed aside slowly fall down the chasm before be.

I panted breathlessly in relief. I turned to pull my keys out of the ignition, but they aren’t in there... then I remember how once I had poured the fuel into the car, it had come to life without the keys, eliminating the need for them. I took hold of the handle of the door and pulled it open. As I did the engine died, and a deafening silence rang out over the quiet mountain summit.

I had stopped with about 2-3ft spare from the edge. I gazed down into the chasm, it was deep and dark. And like in all tall places, a small voice in my head whispered “Jump!” I fought against the urge, and looked up to the horizon. I could see the road I had taken to get here, both physical and metaphorical. While I saw the dirt track that wound its way like a snake through the fields towards the blot on the horizon which I knew to be Ponyville, I also could see every decision i hade made to get me here in my mind’s eye.

Making the friends who were so dear to me, finding a job, obsessing over Dash, nearly freezing to death, accepting their gifts, running from Sweet Apple Acre’s, throwing the jacket aside, rejecting Twilight, running like a coward, leaving those “friends who were so dear to me.” When I looked at it in retrospect, I saw how terrible my choices had become as time had went on. I had permanently blocked that part of my life away now, they would never except me there again. Was Twilight having a good birthday? Probably not. I had rejected her one night, and fled the next morning, of course she wouldn’t be having a good time, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hated me.

The tingling was still there, and I eventually gave into my maddening impulses. With a deep breath, I let out a shriek that felt as though it should the cliff face I stood on. “COME ON OUT! CELESTIA! YOU’RE THE ONLY DAMN PONY WHO COULD FOLLOW ME LIKE THIS! I THINK ITS ABOUT TIME WE FINALLY MET GOD DAMNIT!” at first there was nothing. But then i heard wings, large and heavy approaching. I turned in time to see what looked like a miniature sun fall from the sky before me. With a flash of light it vanished and left the most elegant creature I had ever seen, her multicoloured mane seemed to float on an unseen breeze as did her tail. Her horn was long and pointed, far more intimidating yet also elegant than any unicorn’s horn I’d seen. As she stood before me, she folded in her wings, which I could see were massive.

It was the first ever time I had ever found somepony here who I could look in the eye without adjusting my height. (Except for big Macintosh) She seemed to emit a slight glowing aura. I stood straight, not caring if I insulted the Alicorn when I spoke. “A letter not good enough? Or do you prefer just watching strangers suffer?” She looked at me unfazed; her eyes were small, and purple. They reminded me of Twilight. A pang of guilt throbbed deep inside me yet again, but I buried it.

“I want to go home.” I stated, almost childishly. The princess merely lifted one eyebrow at me inquisitively. And then she spoke in a voice that was both calm and mighty at the same time.
“Then why don’t you?” She pointed a hoof to the horizon, at the little lump that was ponyville. “There it is, and your family await you there.” I grew slightly annoyed at her.
“You know what I mean, earth! I want to go back to earth!” The princess turned and looked to the horizon, the sun was beginning to dip in the sky. I was amazed she could be here talking to me, and still be able to control the day time too! Her mouth was in profile against the orange ball of fire, she glanced at me over her shoulder.
“We both know you don’t treat that place as home anymore. You haven’t for a very long time now. Ponyville, with Twilight, Applejack, your friends...with Rainbow Dash, that is the place you think of as home and you know it deep down.”

I fleetingly looked over at the distant batch of houses and trees in the distance, but I didn’t let it affect me in the slightest. I moved over to my car bonnet and lent against it, folding my arms across my chest in defiance against the grand Alicorn. “Earth, how do I get there?”
“You already know how...” This time she didn’t even bother to look away from the son when she spoke to me. “You went there, and heard the sounds of your home. You could have gone then, if your heart had truly wished it. But you still stand here in Equestria, which means your heart didn’t wish to leave. Just as it doesn’t now, so why listen to your mind which fogs your judgement with fear?”

“Fear? Fear of what?” I knew the answer, deep down I did, but I needed to hear it from someone else.
“To be hurt, you have already let hurt take so much of your heart away, and this is all caused by yourself. You’re insecurity, your lack of confidence in the one you love. They have all whittled you heart away to its bare minimum.”
“I’m only living the way my life taught me to live. I’ve been hurt before, but this would have been different. It would have killed me.” The Alicorn turned back to me, pity lined across her face.
“You must understand, there is a vast difference between our worlds. And though you come from one world, spending so much time here has made you adopt certain traits of its inhabitants. Not individuals, but generally what all this worlds’ people feel and believe. You fear the hurt you will receive from being passed over by the one you love. And you fear it more now more than ever because your feelings for that one living creature are ten times as strong as anything you felt on earth, so you dread that the pain will also be tenfold.” Allthough she spoke in a ridiculously complicated and old fashioned way, I understood her, because it was true. I saw that she had more to say, so I stayed silent and looked straight into her eyes.

“For the first time, you have truly fallen in love for a person out of the way she makes you feel and the way she acts. With the two of you from different worlds looks do not matter, the connection you feel with this pony runs far deeper because of this. It’s as much the mare’s soul you have begun to love as it is the mare herself.” She finished, and suddenly the cold inside myself I had felt for the past few days began to fade, replaced by slight warmth. The sun was still up, just peaking over the ground one last time before vanishing, so the area was still lit reasonably well.

The princess looked into my eyes, I could tell she was trying to read my face to see what I was thinking. I looked coldly back at her, and I told her the one thing I thought would shut her up,
“She chose someone else. I can’t be here anymore, it hurts too damn much!”
“Chose someone else? Now are you sure about that...” she was wearing a devious smile. Instead of warming my soul it made me feel sick, I wanted to through her off of this chasm for her ignorance at the facts!

The princess’s horn began to glow gently. At first I didn’t spot anything happening around me, then a glimmer of light shot across my face. I looked dazed up into the sky to see a glass ball, slowly lowering from the sky.
“Now,” the princess began softly, “You should know what this is.” I did.
“It’s the same kind of orb Twilight used to bring me here! Great, now open up a door and let me go back to”-
“You are forgetting the items true purpose. They are designed to record an event close by.” She explained in her melodic voice. “Take hold of it” she commanded me. So I did, it was light, almost as though it was hollow, like a fish bowl. “Now look into its core, and see what has already come to pass.” Her horn glowed again and I found myself drawn to the centre of the glass orb. It almost looked like static on a TV, nothing was happening at first. But then colour burst out, filling the orbs interior with an image of a field, a red barn could be seen just to the side. A mini Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood looking at one another, a miniature version of my jacket lay between them.

I tore my eyes away, I didn’t want to see what my desperate ploy to rid myself of Rainbow during my escape had caused. I felt a hoof on my shoulder, light, and warm. “If you do not watch the image, you will not hear what was said.” She stated calmly.
“Do ... I have to? I don’t want to see Rainbow hurt because of me.”
“I give you my word...you won’t.” With an unknown feeling of trust towards the great white Alicorn that was beginning to grow within me, I looked back at the orb. It seemed to whir for a moment, and then the image came back into focus.

“But if he left because of that... but why would he do that? Why would he...... care?” It had been Rainbow Dash who had spoken. What had just been said before? Left? So they were talking about me surely.
“He loves you too sugar cube, and he left ‘cos he couldn’t stand you sending him packin.’” Was Applejack trying to persuade Rainbow to change her mind?
“I tried to tell him, this morning. That I...” the blue pony paused, and my heart seemed to stop beating. All sound seemed to shut off.
“Come on now Darlin’... say it!”
“I lo”- The image cut out, back to the same static as before. I shook the small orb, but nothing happened. “She... what?” I croaked quietly.

The warm hoof was gone from my shoulder, I span on the spot to find Celestia. But she was still there, she was stood a few feet back. Her wings were unfurling once again. I staggered towards her, “There has to be more!” but the Princess shook her head, still smiling broadly at me. “I NEED to know! Show me what she said! Please!” I begged and pleaded, but the princess still shook her head. Slow, and almost mockingly.
“You know what she said, but if you want reassurance it lies over there.” She pointed one last time at the distant town.

My head was racing, what should I do? There was a chance that Rainbow had been talking about Soarin’, but then why would Applejack be encouraging her knowing how I felt about the Rainbow mare... in front of me, the princess stood ready to fly. But she waited, desperate to see what my decision was. My eyes were closed. My head held down in hard thought. There was silence... The princess began to open her mouth, to send me one last persuasive comment. But before she could, the engine of the car behind me screamed into life. She burst into a smile as my baby purred to get back on the road home. She took to the air, flapping slowly to stay airborn before me. She could tell i still had something to ask.

“So, if you had this...” I held up the orb without looking up at her. “Then why didn’t you come here as soon as I arrived and sent me back?” she chuckled softly, she had a beautiful laugh. She edged closer to me through the air, and spoke to me simply.
“Everything occurs for a reason. I left you to recover and learn about this world. But within weeks of being here you began to develop feelings for one of my subjects, and she the same for you and so I left events to play out. If you truly wanted to return, the next time you drove that vehicle behind you, it would have taken you back to earth. The magic of your arrival stayed within you, it is that magic that helps you adapt to our way of life here. It is the magic of this world: Friendship it is key to all things here, even the birth of love.” She flew right up to me now, with one hoof she lifted my chin to look at her. While with the other she pulled up my right/bandaged hand.

Her magic coiled around the cloth and began to unwrap it. “If you ever believe that this world is not meant for you again, this will always reassure you... you are home.” The bandage fell to the floor, I looked at my palm, nothing had changed. I turned my hand over to the burnt side, and at my sharp intake of breath, Celestia laughed joyously and flew in the direction of Canterlotte. My... hand......my............hand...................... My baby purred behind me, no my car was purring behind me. My baby was still in ponyville. I bolted for the door, her engine exploded with fury as it touched her handle. Her wheels screeched away before I even shut the door. Twilight had tried to introduce me to magic and I had simply failed it all. But that was obviously because I wasn’t being given the right tools for the job!

A horrible scene before me

It had grown dark, I finally slowed down as I reached the quiet town. I parked her as quietly as I could, she seemed to hold her breath for me as I crept up to the only house still with lights on. The library. Once I had stopped fully, I stroked the dashboard affectionately and she died down. I then left the car as softly and quietly as I could. I moved over to the window, peeping over the windowsill I saw a terrible sight. All my friends were there, they weren’t crying, they were simply spread around the room.

Twilight sat there, on her favourite sofa reading a book. Rarity stood to the side of the kitchen entrance talking to Applejack. Pinkie and Fluttershy sat on the stairs up to the bedrooms and balconies above. The sight wasn’t terrible because of what they were doing; it was HOW they were doing it. The little details were what made the change so drastic. Twilight’s expression, instead of being exuberant at the prospect of learning something new, was glum and bored. She lazily flicked through the pages with her magic, leaving herself no time to read before moving on to the next page. Rarity’s coat was still clumped with bits of dust and mud from when I had passed her when leaving town. Her lack of obsession over her appearance was frightening.

Applejack wasn’t wearing her hat. I couldn’t see it anywhere in the room. Her hair looked alien without the usual brown leather placed on her golden lochs. Fluttershy was completely huddled into a ball, she angled her head so she could whisper to pinkie, but for her to be THIS enclosed was terrible. And pinkie...Pinkie’s hair was straight. It hung limply and lifelessly, her usual grin replaced by a terrible pouting lip as she laid her head over her hooves as to cover her mouth.

The sight was horrible, Rainbow Dash would have to wait. I loved her but this wasn’t right. I came to the door, hoping it wasn’t locked. The handle turned easily, and made a heavy clunk as it fell. I heard the hushed conversations in the room go deadly quiet, I could feel all their eyes focused on where I was about to enter. I pushed the door, it creaked slowly, I didn’t peak round the wooden slab. I just simply walked in a few steps and stood still before my group of former close friends.

Unsurprisingly they all looked at me in shock, though Applejack’s expression seemed to be more joy than furious questioning. Pinkie was the first to move. She came up to me slowly, nothing could have broken my heart more than the sight of the sad party pony slowly approaching me with pleading in her eyes. “You...left.”
“I know” that was all I could bring myself to say.
“Without saying goodbye to me, or Fluttershy, or Rarity or Twi”- she was cut short by my dropping to my knees in front of her and taking hold of her tightly, and hugging her pink body as hard as I could. She stayed still, but I still held her close. Silent tears were in my eyes, no sobs escaped me. But they began to drip from my nose as they ran down my face.
“I’m...so sorry. I’ll never leave you guys again, you guys are my family, and I’ll never run again. I promise...” Pinkie stiffened as I said that.
“....Do you pinkie promise?” she whispered, I leant back. And with tears down my face, I took my hand, crossed my heart, then covered my eye.

The pink mare looked at me emotionless for a moment. Then I noticed her lip starting to quiver up at the corners. And then with a huge “POOF!” her hair exploded back into its old self. “HURRRRAAAAAAYYYYYYY! YOUR BACK!” she squealed, as she flung herself onto me and squeezed me tightly. I laughed, hard, and I couldn’t stop. My laugh spread to Pinkie who started to giggle helplessly as she lay on top of my chest. The laugh then spread over the room to Applejack, who first began with a nervous chuckle, but soon became that usual country chuckle of hers. Three other ponies in the room smiled, but didn’t laugh.

I stood once Pinkie proceeded to bounce off me and into the kitchen to make celebration cookies. I looked over at AJ who simply nodded at me with a smile, the glint in her emerald eyes showed how happy she was that I was back. But then I turned to the steps, Fluttershy had loosened up after all the laughter and was smiling. She watched with interest as I approached her and dropped to her level. I took hold of one of her hooves, “Fluttershy, you are the kindest pony I know, and after everything I’ve done today I would understand if you never spoke to me again. And I am so sorry for the ruckus I caused this morning it must have been hard on you to calm down all the animals after I went around like a lunatic. If I can do anything to put it right just tell me, I’ll even apologies to each creature in and around the entire town if I have to!” the yellow Pegasus looked at me and smiled widely.
“That was...nice.” and with that she sprang into the air and called out a little tune to show her happiness. She then flew into the kitchen to help Pinkie pie.

I turned to the other three in the room, they all looked overjoyed. Even after everything I’d done. I opened my mouth to try and apologise, but before I began Twilight spoke. “We all know why you did it. We understand how difficult the last few days, hay! Even weeks! have been for you.” She smiled at me warmly. I knew she was thinking about last night. The devotion I had shown to a pony I thought didn’t even love me, and how I had been so careful not to hurt her feelings when I let her down. “You live here, I should have put two and two together, you suddenly got really upset after you heard about soaring, and the way you act around Rainbow.....” She stopped, stunned.

“R...ain..bow... she doesn’t know you’re back does she?” The purple pony asked me frantically. I was taken aback by this sudden change of mood,
“Uuuuuhhhh no not yet. I wanted to put things right by you guys first.” Rarity took a step forward,
“You mean you haven’t gone and found her yet?!?!”
“No,” I said quickly, fearing the wrath of this incredulous pony before me.
“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!” she yelled at me in shock, “SHE’S CARRIEING AROUND YOUR COAT! SHE WONT LET GO OF IT!”
“So?” I was frazzled by the sudden yelling and couldn’t make the connection Rarity was pointing out.
“SO?!?! GO FIND HER! NOW! SHE’S LOST WITHOUT YOU!” I stood there dumb struck for a moment, before shaking myself from my reverie. I strode across the room, opening a door to one of the ground floor bedrooms. My room. I took out the drawer that held everything I owned here in ponyville.

A minute later I emerged, I was wearing the long sleeve white button shirt. I stood at the entrance to the main room, holding my arms out and spinning on the spot for the ponies still in the room. “Very debonair Darling!” cooed Rarity.
“Now that looks dang good on yah partner.” Applejack nodded her approval. I looked to Twilight for her opinion, she smiled lovingly at me,
“Very handsome.”
“Thanks guys...” I brought my hands up to adjust the collar slightly. And received a gasp from the ponies in the room. Pinkie who had just poked her head in carrying a bag of flour dropped it on her own hoof! Fluttershy immediately came to help her, but delayed for a second when she looked at my right hand.
“Oh...my...”

Twilight spluttered for a moment, “T-Th-that’s a...”
“I know.” I smiled at all their stunned faces. “I’ll be back soon. Once I find her.”
“Don’t rush darling. She’s been waiting for this as long as you have.” The platinum Rarity winked at me. Not bothering to ask how she knew that, I turned and left into the night. As the door closed behind me. Rarity sniffed loudly.
“You ok ther’ darlin’?” Apple jack put a consoling hoof on her friends shoulder. “What’s the matter?” Rarity’s lip quivered for a moment.
“It’s...It’s...IT’S JUST SO BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!” she began to sob like she was reading a romantic story. Applejack rolled her eyes at Twilight over her friends head, Twilight just giggled and moved to the window.

Our gran finale

I ran outside, trying to figure out where Rainbow would go. To her house? Well it was worth a shot, then I realised something Celestia had said to me on that cliff. I could have returned to earth at any point ‘if my heart truly wanted to.’ I decided to see if that applied here as well. I closed my eyes, took deep breaths and calmed myself. Then I asked myself silently, “What is it you want the most right now?” nothing for a moment. Then. A cheeky wink, a beautiful laugh and a radiant smile all burst into my mind at once. Yet again, as my mind thought it, my lips projected the thought. “Rainbow Dash” I heard a click, so I opened my eyes. Nothing seemed to be different, I looked around looking for the sauce of the noise. I finally looked back at the library, my car’s light’s had switched on. Its main beam shot out into the distance. I walked over to the car and stroked the bonnet, the lights went out again.

I looked in the direction that the beam had shone, my eyes took a while to adjust to the sudden lack of light once again. But soon the shape of a tree loomed in the distance, raised up on a hill. I recognized it as our picnic spot. What had just happened finally dawned on me. My magic had worked again. Rainbow was on that hill! I tore off towards the hill as fast as I could. Finally, after so many months, to tell her how she was the only pony for me!

The hill was deadly silent as I climbed it, not even a bird made a noise, either it was because of the time, or maybe they knew what was about to happen. I finally reached the top, and I saw her. She lay next to the tree trunk, my coat was wrapped tightly around her as a blanket. I smiled warmly at the sight of the Pegasus. I then quietly moved up to where she lay. As I approached, I saw her left foreleg was sticking out from under the coat. She had obviously moved in her sleep and caused a gap in her covers. I leant against the tree and slid down to the ground quietly.

When I was sat down I reached out to pull the coat back over the sleeping pony’s leg, but as she felt the tug on the material Rainbow grunted softly, she moved her foreleg back under the covers. However her leg hooked my arm with it, pulling it in with her. I stopped myself from jumping out of surprise (barely). The sleeping pony was now hugging my arm tightly to her chest. My fingers must have been cold because she soon began to move uncomfortably. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, those pink eyes I had come to love. She looked up at me for a moment, then followed my arm to where it met her chest, still being clung by both her forelegs.

She didn’t move, or freak out. She actually squeezed on my arm even tighter, refusing to let go in case I slipped away again. I smiled down at her, taking my other hand and stroking her Rainbow mane. It felt scruffy, but soft at the same time. She closed her eyes for a moment, a look of extreme comfort on her face as she felt my hand run through her soft hairs on her head. “I’m dreaming...” she didn’t open her eyes. “I’m dreaming that you’re here.” She squeezed even tighter on my arm, almost wrapping herself around it.

“No beautiful, you’re not...” I said softly. Her eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice, she bounded into the air out of surprise as she came out of her dream like state. I didn’t say anything, I just let her get everything out of her system first. “BUT YOU LEFT!”
“I came home.”
“Why did you come back?”
“Because this is my HOME!” I reached out and stroked her face with my thumb. She nuzzled her face happily into my hand as I did so. She then stopped, pulled herself away from my hand and looked me straight in the eye.
“Why did you leave?” I knew the question would come up.
“I was scared...”
“What about?” she asked, her voice suddenly a lot softer.
“Of being in a world where you didn’t want me!” I decided now was the time, now I would tell her ANYTHING she wanted to know. I was hers to command.
“So you left?” she was slightly confused with my logic, so I explained it better.
“I would rather leave here, with my memories of you intact. To remember you as the pony I care the most about, and not the one who turned me away.”

“So what made you change your mind?” Rainbow shuffled closer to me.
“Well...” I took my hands and placed them on her flanks, dragging her right up against my own crossed legs. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise. “Let’s just say I’m seeing straight for the first time ever.” She shivered due to the cold, so I leant forward reaching around both her sides and picking up the black coat on the floor. I then draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm. I didn’t retreat, my face stayed perilously close to hers. “I thought you would go with the Pegasus ‘Fly boy’ so I ran.” I finished lamely. Rainbow rolled her eyes at me, and tutted loudly.
“It was you, from the moment you came here. I chose you! You big dummy!” and with that she pushed her lips against mine. I pulled her in close to me, feeling her warmth seep into my cold body. She let out a slight moan as she ended the first kiss and pulled away. She leant back, taking one of her forehooves she brushed her hair out of her face and blushed. She glanced at me, unsure what to do now.

At that point I took hold of her face in both my hands, looked into her eyes for a moment, then whispered to her “I love you, you damned fast Pegasus!”
“... I love you too...Tom” My name, everypony here knew it but always called me their little pet names. But hearing the pony I love say my name with so much caring in her voice took every shattered part of my heart and put it back together. I pulled her in, and kissed her. I tipped backwards under her weight and I landed softly on the grass below. She lay on top of me, our lips still together.

In the distance, the other 5 ponies were staring out the window. And when they saw us kiss for the first time, they all smiled. “Well it’s about time!” hollered Applejack as she turned away from the window.
“I’m so happy for Rainbow...” purred Fluttershy who flew over to her step and lay down. “I’M HAPPY FOR THE BOTH OF THEM!” squealed Pinkie who bounced around the room with girlish excitement.
“Well... I am too... oh dear I wasn’t trying to sound so mean.”
“Calm yourself Fluttershy, you didn’t sound it at all.” Rarity reassured her friend, “He truly is a real gentlepony ... gentleman. Isn’t he?” she smiled and came to sit on the sofa. Leaving only Twilight at the window. She smiled up at the hill, she thought to herself how she would be over me soon enough. I was just a little crush. But what me and Rainbow had was special. The purple unicorn looked up at the stars across Luna’s night, and thought a silent thank you. I was back home safe, and me and Rainbow Dash were finally happy. She couldn’t have asked for more on her birthday, she rubbed her forehead just under horn. Almost a reminiscent look on her face.
“Yes, he really is.” She said as she turned around to her friends and smiled.

Out on the hill, I was happier than ever. I was finally with the pony of my dreams. No. The girl of my dreams. We weren’t that different! We both loved speed, we both cared for one another... we both had... a mark, an image that symbolised our need for speed. Rainbow had her rainbow thunder bolt cutie mark on both her flanks, and I had a wheel, blurred with a trail of fire following behind it set against stripes of colour, set against a rainbow. Celestia was right. If I looked at it I would always know. I belong here. With Rainbow Dash. Working on a farm during the day, and being hers all night.

I belonged...I was home finally!

END
Thankyou for following this story to the very end! I'm sorry to see some people didnt like it, but you cant please everyone.
I hope you all enjoyed the adventure!

A teaser (preveiw for next story)

My little dream girl ends with such a heartfelt ending, as finally Tom and Rainbow Dash share how they truly feal about one another and become the special person the other cares for above all others.

Join us now, eleven months later... as their one year anniversery fast approaches. Tragedy strikes the couple. leaving the loving world the two had began in far behind. No wings are flapping, and no tires are spinning. There is no speed, no racing, only emptiness.

Celestia say's "Everything happenes for a reason." What possible reason could there be?

Chapter 1: Leaving out now
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/13086/A-time-of-sadness i hope you all enjoy it as muvh as you did this :)

What happenes next

I'm making this little new chapter just so everyone who is tracking this story knows, the sequel is now out :)
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/13086/A-time-of-sadness
There it is :) enjoy!