Chapter 1 : Windy Scamper

View Online

I grabbed the torch and brought it to the small white bird, palming the white silk that the dove would "turn into." A quick trade-out, as they call it in the magic buisness.

"No! Stop!"

It was high-pitched and on the bloody murder category. I turned in the middle of the switch to see what was wrong, and in all the confusion, the torch dropped.

The stage was set ablaze, and I watched in horror as ponies rushed out of the theatre, trying to avoid the advancing flames.

And as I flew as fast as I could, grabbing a couple of screaming earth ponies and rescuing them, as were the other pegasi, I got a glimpse of the screamer.

It was a foal.

A stupid foal who thought I was seriously going to burn that dove alive.

My career was ruined and ponies were injured just because some stupid couple couldn't keep their foal's mouth shut!

The last thing I remember was watching the fireponies coming to rescue the others as I collapsed on the ground.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I reflected on the past night as I sat outside a cafe in Sugarcube Corner. My coat was dyed dark purple instead of it's usally lime green. A baseball cap from Sweet Apple Acres was pulled over my head to hide my eye, as an attempt to keep ponies from recgonizing me. I had gone into hiding after the accident, afraid of being pressed with charges that weren't my fault.

I had already appeared in multiple newspapers, and sometimes in the front page, such as the article I was reading now.

Amateur Ponyville Magician, Windy Scamper, Causes Fire Accident.

I read of the numbers in each article I saw involving my accident.

23 injuries. 4 casualties.

The latter always caused a sharp pang in my heart. 4 casualties. 4 ponies died because of my ADD like personality and the stupid, screaming foal.

Thus, because of all of the commotion, I potrayed one of the popular mares from my high school days; Rosemary Petuina, who specialised in chroma therapy, or whatever you call seeing/color therapy. Basically, she arranged flowers to make certain people feel certain ways; to make a colt's marefriend feel loved, to give a grave rememberance, or to give the sick hope. It's amazing what colors can do to a pony, she had told me once.

Thus, this was what I said I did for a living. Nopony had recgonized me yet, and I hoped to keep it that way. Unfortunately, this meant wearing dresses everywhere I went, to cover up my cutie mark. However, I would not allow myself to be discovered.

Of course, what life is there to live if it isn't mine? I don't have much hope; my career is shot, and nopony will even bother talking to the real me. I have no bits, and no place to stay. My parents had already abandoned me, and this incident probably caused them to erase any memory and trace of them ever giving birth to me.

And so, after coming to the conclusion that there was no point in living much longer as a pony I am not, I made a deal with myself;

Once a pony discovers who I really am, I am ending my life. And that will be that.

Half of me wants to be discovered soon. The other half of me wants to cling onto that last string of hope that says that things will get better soon. Who knows, maybe it's because of my new purple coat. The real Rosemary would certaintly know.

I continued to try and make sense of my jumbled thoughts when I saw a mare put up a note on the billboard. I had never really noticed it until now, I had assumed it was for flyers and announcements. But all I saw were sticky notes of various colors.

I walked up to the board after fixing my skirt to cover my cutie mark as usual, and lowering my hat. I saw a sign posted on the wall, and five scattered sticky notes.

The sign read;

Voice your opinion! Leave an anonymous sticky note below to get all those feelings out without anypony knowing who you really are!

Most of the sticky notes were pretty lame. The first 3 were all variations of hi, the 4th was a smiley face drawn out to fit the entire note, but the fifth was serious. It talked of a reason for hatred on somepony else, and why everypony and their cousin should hate them, too.

Coward. Using the anonymousity, if that's even a word, to destroy others. I'm sure you wouldn't say that to everypony's face.

And yet, I was offically sucidial, so who was I to talk about being cowardly?

I contemplated whether I should add to the serious side of these notes, or whether I should just turn away from it now. After all, considered how I'd hated the first five, I'm sure the 5% of ponies who actually stopped to read these things would just find mine just as stupid as the others.

But I had to do as the sign said; get all those feelings out.

I saw the stack of sticky notes to the side, and took one, along with one of the "Sugarcube Corner" souvineir-like pens. I scribbled out a note, writing in the smallest print possible to fit it all in. I reread it at least ten times before finally taking it into my hoof and slapping it up onto the board to join the others.

I reread the note one more time before turning around and leaving the board, with no intention to ever see it again.

I've made a huge mistake, and ponies died because of me. In a week's time, I will be gone. This is my goodbye to a world in which I have nothing.

Chapter 2 : North Arrow

View Online

I sighed as I sat down at a table for two in Sugarcube Corner. I pulled out a piece of paper, my notebook, and a compass, along with a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing.

This afternoon was much like yesterday afternoon. And the afternoon before that. And the afternoon before that.

Everyday, it was the same old, same old. Work on this map, which was currently of Horseshoe Bay and the surrounding swamps and forests. I had never been to Horseshoe Bay myself; I had to make this map based on the sketches of others, the ponies who actually got to travel Equestria, finding information for the maps I make.

When I made my first map, I actually got to follow it. I was in my teens, and my friends had heard of someponies looking for a supposed bronze shield buried deep within the Everfree forest. We had decided to chase after it, and before long, we were lost. And thus, I made my first map, and I got my cutie mark.

Actually, in the beginning of my career, I got to fly above the areas I mapped, since sailors wanted me for my good eyesight. However, now a days, with the supposed invasion to the Griffons everypony keeps talking about, a lot of areas are restricted, to us cartographers are stuck using notes and compasses.

I sighed as I finished sketching out the outline for Horseshoe Bay, and began to draw the coordinate lines. I let my head fall to the table as I lost any will to continue on with this project.

At this rate, I'll never leave an impact on Equestria. Nopony actually reads the little part of the map that my name is signed on. Nopony knows nor cares that I, North Arrow, have made all their trusty maps, that guide them out of the darkness and back into the world. Nopony will ever remember me, and now, I'm not even going to live an adventurous life, either!.

I sighed as I finished my final line of longtitude, marking the important ones, like the Tropic of Canter and the Tropic of Capricolt. I took a bite out of my cupcake, and then looked to the skies. I would love to just fly out of here. Just escape this world, and the war-induced society we live in. Just disappear, without a trace, and live as a refugee. That would be the life...

Sadly, that was could not be the case. What would become of my parents, of those seaponies fighting bravly against the invasion, of the Pegasus Force as well, relying on my maps to hold back the griffons? How would it be fair that I could leave the world, all while the risk their lives so the world can go on?

I rubbed my head. All this thinking about how unfair everything was and how my life was missing something was giving me a huge headache. I got up and began walking towards a pharmacy when I noticed the board.

There were six messages on the board, but the last two were the ones I could actually connect to, especially the most recent one. It too, talked of losing interest in life, though it sounded much more severe than my case. This pony talked of wanted to end life, whereas I was simply waiting for it to begin.

And yet, we share a similiar problem. Maybe we could help each other.

Maybe this pony is what I've been looking for.

I grabbed one of the Sticky Notes, and stared at it, like I do when starting a map. I tried to imagine what the finished product would look like, how I would get there, and, more important, what it would look like in the eyes of the other pony. How they would react to it.

How they would notice it.

After having everything planned out, I began to scribble out the note. Not nearly as long, but still just as effective. I then tried to figure out where I should place it in order to grab this pony's attention. They probably didn't have much interest in this board, considering how little interest they had in life.

So, I finally put it in the one place I knew they would look; right on top of their note, so only the bottom right corner of theirs could be seen.

I read over my work one more time to check and make sure everything was as it should be.

I too, have lost meaning in life, and am waiting for a new one to begin. I advise we wait together, because you can't give up hope. Not now, in this state of turmoil, not ever.

I do not know of you, nor do you know of me, but we have to wait for a life. Together.

Chapter 3 : Windy Scamper

View Online

I didn't think I would ever return to the board within the week, but when I returned to Sugarcube Corner the following day, I couldn't help but to look at it through the corner of my eye.

How have ponies reacted to my note? Has anypony actually seen it? Probably not, I bet it's just collecting dust. But maybe other ponies have started to actually post...serious things, because I did.

I tried to ignore my curiosities, but I just couldn't help it. Between my ADD constantly wanting to do more than simply walk, and my constant thoughts, I found that I had no choice; I had to stop and look at the board.

One last look, but that's it. After this, I'm just going to pretend that there isn't a board, that it never existed. After all, that board contains the once scrap of WIndy Scamper that is still here in Equestria. I can't let anypony that, and the more times I stand in front of this wall, the easier it is for ponies to add things up.

So I might as well make this quick.

I collected all my thoughts, and walked over to the board. The same dumb, cheesy title remained, along with the original 5 notes that came before mine. Some other ponies had added notes, much in the fashion of the 5th note; accussing others of things, and revealing dirty secrets. There were maybe a dozen notes up by now.

I continued scanning the board, and I noticed what was wrong quickly;

My note wasn't there.

Either it had fallen off, or somepony had ripped it off.

I shouldn't have cared, because I had already decided that I didn't care.

And yet, I did.

I looked all around the ground surronding the board, under the title message, and finally, I began flipping up notes.

And under the second one I looked at, I found my note.

But instead of feeling relieved, I was now even more confused. Why would somepony just cover up my note? Why not just take it down? If they leave it up, surely they know that I can just put it back up.

I pondered this for a while, but every time I came to the conclusion that they wanted me to see my note again, ot to see something.

I lifted my note off, and looked around it. Nothing had changed, it was still the same as it was when I left it. Whoever did this hadn't changed what it said, or anything, it had just been covered.

The only other possibility I could think of was that there was something else under the cover, like a mark or a note...

A note, you dummy. This board is full of NOTES. By covering up your note, they expected you to see their's.

Another reason I shouldn't be alive; I was rather stupid at times, so I was doing everypony a favor of taking my genes at of the pool. I mean, I did pretty well in school, I had book smarts, but after that, I was a generally stupid pony.

But no matter. The more I thought, the more I got distacted, the more time I wasted. I had 6 days left on Equestria, and in one of those days, I had to read this note. It wouldn't change anything, I was going to be discovered at somepoint in the next week; and if I wasn't, well, might as well save myself the trouble. This note was simply just final remarks from an unknown pony to me.

I took a deep breath, and then flipped the note over, and read it, after all this time I had wasted thinking. Thinking about unimportant things, and yet, so important.

Like this note, I supposse. It was just an insginificant, tiny piece of paper, and yet the words could be something very important.

I too, have lost meaning in life, and am waiting for a new one to begin. I advise we wait together, because you can't give up hope. Not now, in this state of turmoil, not ever.

I do not know of you, nor do you know of me, but we have to wait for a life. Together.

I read the note again, and then reread it for a third time. It hit me the first time that there was another pony out here that was like me, but I had reread to see if this pony meant it. If instead of giving up, instead of saying his life was over, to see if he was truly waiting.

And I finally came to the conclusion that this note was in no way, shape, or form, a scam. The way it was worded, the way that it was just so...true...it had to be a real pony.

I don't care what happens to this pony. I don't care about this board. I will not respond.

And yet, I felt the need to.

So I did respond to it. I place the two notes side by side, and then scribbled out my response. I then placed it imbetween the two note, opening that the pony who wrote the last one would notice it. I wanted to talk to this pony now, to explain everything, but I couldn't do that. This board was to be kept anonymous, and if I posted a meeting place, imposters would follow.

So I just had to hope this pony understood what I said, as complicated as the situation sounded.

What is the point in waiting when I am currently living a life that is not mine? I wouldn't give up so easily if it was possibly for me to be...me. But I hope you find your new life, as I tried. But my new life is not my own life, and I feel it is not right for me to go on longer pretending.

But I wish you good luck.

Chapter 4 : North Arrow

View Online

My day was less productive than most days. And that's saying something, considering that I barely do anything anyways.

But all day, only one thing was on my mind; the board.

The notes, the other pony, all of it flooded my mind. I mainly thought about who the other pony was. Was it a mare or a filly? What did he or she look like? What happened to them that made them suicidal?

I knew that I needed to just forget it, that they probably had already taken their life. And yet, the words of the sticky note ran through my mind. One week. One week from now, they take their life. One week from now, the other pony, whoever he or she is, will not exist anymore.

Not if I can help it.

I kept thinking about how I could stop this, when, on my way to dropping off a finished map to my boss, I noticed a display put around a cubical. I backtracked a few steps and looked at it. There were pictures of a mare smiling, and overall having fun. And there were pictures of her and her coltfriend and such, and then some messages written around it.

Ones like "We'll miss you," or "I wish you were here," and such. The odd thing is, I don't remember River Shine, this mare, ever announcing leaving the office. And when ponies leave the office, everypony knows it. A huge commotion is thrown over it, and River Shine I would especially know about; after all, she was one of my close co-workers. Before the Griffon War was beginning to break out, we would travel together and work on maps together. Even now, we would still share information and coordinates on our seperate projects.

And, not to mention, I had a small crush on River Shine...okay, a big one, but I'd given up a few months ago after she told me that she and her coltfriend were starting to get really serious.

So, in other words, I couldn't help but wonder how I didn't know she was leaving.

I kept scanning the display when I noticed one of the last messages and gasped.

I hope you're in a better place.

No. No, it couldn't be. I shut my eyes, trying to fight back the tears, not wanting to cry. She's just moving offices, she's not dead, she absolutely, is not dead...

I was knocked over suddenly, and looked up to see my boss staring me in the face. He was quite a strict stallion, and nearly everypony here was afraid of him.

"North Arrow," he said in his monotone voice.

"Yes sir," I mumbled.

"Your map better be done, because it is due in precisely one minute. Thirty seconds now, actually." He then held out his hoof, waiting for me to place my map into his hoof.

"Yes, sir. Here it is, sir," I stuttered as I pulled out the map and placed it in his hoof.

He quickly scanned over it, then shook his head. "I've seen better from you, Arrow. You've been distracted all day, and now, you've turned in sloppy work. What has gotten into?"

I gulped. What was I supposed to say? There's this pony I've been talking to, but not really, that's about to commit suicide, and even though I don't know him/her, I have to save them, and I've been trying to figure out how all day. I quickly thought up of a half-lie to get out of this situation.

"What happened to River Shine?"

My boss narrowed his eyes, looked over at the display, then stared at me with an ice cold glare. Is he suggesting that her death is my fault? I didn't even know about until three seconds ago...

"She died last night in the hospital. She had two third-degree burns on her forehooves, and had inhaled a lot of smoke in her lungs. They tried to save her, and she was making a slight recovery, but her lungs had just suffered too much damage at that point."

"Wait, there was a fire? When? What happened?"

"Her coltfriend took her to see a magic show, and the magician had no idea what she was doing during a fire trick and burned the whole place down. River's coltfriend made it out with only a few first-degrees and a second-degree burn, but he's almost recovered."

I was shocked. Not only was River gone, but he coltfriend had been selfish enough to just leave her behind in the fire. Why, if I had been there, I would have gotten her out first before myself, and she would have realized how much she loved me, and then we would have kissed under the stars...but none of that is possible now, because some stupid magician screwed up in the biggest way possible...

"Arrow, you seem shocked. Didn't you hear about the fire?"

I blinked my eyes a few times and snapped back to reality. "What? Oh, no sir, not until now. I just wish I would have been there too..."

"We all wish we could have saved her, but what's done is done." He then surveyed my current state, and added, "Arrow, why don't you take the day off, recollect your thoughts. I can fix your map for you."

I was shocked. Why was he being so generous all of the sudden? I figured I should just enjoy his generosity for now and accept it, while I still could.

"Thank you, sir. I promise, I'll be better tomorrow."

He nodded. "Go rest up, Arrow."

I walked back to my cubical, gathered up my things, and left, head hanging down. I passed River's display, and stopped. "Goodbye, River," I whispered, and then I moved on.

I could only think of one thing to do; talk to the pony. Because now, I was starting to fall into the same situation. My job had fallen down to a much lesser pay, my job sucks in general, and the mare I have been loving for nearly three years died without ever knowing I wanted to be more than friends.

For the first time, I fully understood what giving up was like, and why somepony would do it.

So I figured that I needed to talk to one pony I knew could understand me.

I made my way through Sugarcube Corner, and noticed how much darker and sadder everything seemed now that my life was dark and grey. Was this how "the pony" felt everytime they walked these streets? Was this how life felt to them each day?

I saw the board, and walked over there. Usually I would care about how other ponies would notice that I was only here for the board, but I honestly didn't care anymore. I just needed to talk to this pony, regardless of what others thought.

I knew exactly where to look for the note, and found the newly placed one.

I read through the note, understanding the feeling of it all. I pondered what to write, when I remembered what my life was like before I found out about River Shine.

My sole purpose had been to save this pony. And maybe by doing so, I could bring some purpose to life, and save myself.

But now I faced the challenge of deciding what to write. Because I wasn't just going to explain all of this to somepony I barely knew, especially when others could read what I was saying.

What I needed to say needed to be said in a face-to-face conversation. And it needed to be soon.

And thus, I finally decided what to scribble out on my note as I took it.

A lot has happened to me lately, and I need to talk to you. For real, this time. Not through these pieces of paper. If you really are you, then if you search hard enough, you will find the date and the time., I will wait for you only thirty minutes. I believe this conversation has the potential to decided whether we live or die.

I posted the note, and then scribbled out; Thurday, 8 o' clock p.m.

Thursday. That was two days from now. That gave the other pony a full day to see this and find where I hid the date and time. Not to mention, they had the majority of Thursday as well.

Now I just had to hope that they found the meeting place and liked me enough to show up.