> Where the Wanderer Will Rest
>  by DerGroBeHengst
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Wanderer Arrives
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank you for your diligent work; this will be another great addition to the Canterlot museum”, a pure white alicorn with a billowing rainbow hued mane magically gripped a fragile looking statue of a howling wolf as she sat atop her throne a spacious room, adorned with banners and tapestries, a long red carpet that stretched from the two similar thrones to the large doors that led to the room.

“Always a pleasure to serve”, standing at about the same height; a pale white stallion with a jet black mane that spilled into his face: covering it completely as he bowed. He wore an elegant black jacket and a red scarf that covered the remainder of his face. He reached into his saddle bag at which a dark blue alicorn pointed her horn at him.

“What treason is-“, she began but was cut off by the taller one.

“Luna, there is no need for that. He has provided his services loyally since he was no bigger than colt.”

“It’s true, I’d never harm Celestia-“, her horn began to glow.

“The audacity of addressing her so informally”, as she drew closer he began to sweat more profusely.

“Luna! Enough! ”, she turned back to her sister and backed away, the stallion took out what he had in his bag: a small wrapped package.

“Um… I heard Celestia’s head has been hurting since the changeling invasion so I brought some remedies from my time in Zebrica…”, he left it in front  of Celestia.

“Thank you that’s very kind. Luna, I want you to apologize to our guest: you are royalty and should act with more tact”

“But Celestia, he was acting suspiciously… ”, she pleaded with sad eyes but her sister merely gave her a stern expression. Her expression softened and she leaned in to whisper into her sister’s ear: after a few seconds Luna’s face contorted in embarrassment.

“Oh… I had no idea I was being so insensitive “, she turned to the stallion and gave him a sympathetic look: pulling her ears back,” I am very sorry, I didn’t know anypony in Equestria-“

“No, it’s quite alright. I would be suspicious of me too, we only met a little while ago… but I did hear of your return so I got you a present. “, Luna’s ears perked up as the stallion dug through his saddle bag. He pulled out a modestly decorated wooden box that had carvings on the outside, depicting the waxing and waning of the moon.

“Oh my, what is it?”, the moon alicorn spoke with excitement and batted breath.

“Open it”, he said with a smile.

Her dark blue magic surrounded the lid and as soon as it opened a beam of light shot out: projecting a magical image of the full moon as an eerily sweet lullaby played.

“In my travels I came across a tribe of ponies in the Far East that worship the moon and sun respectively, they make these and I thought you would like it. Was I right?”

Luna was almost too entranced with her gift to speak but soon shook herself back to the matter at hand,” It’s glorious! We wholeheartedly thank you for this considerate gift!”

Celestia admired her sister’s expression of happiness and glee as she swayed with the music of her gift, “Now for the matter of your payment…”

“Huh? I’ve already received a gracious amount bits for-“

“I insist, it’s been quite some time since I’ve seen my sister so happy and I seem to remember you having said something about a dream of yours”, Celestia’s smile gave away what she was thinking and an expression of pure joy spread across the stallion’s face.

“You can’t possibly mean-“

“I do indeed; I will send word to Ponyville at once. You will receive a generous piece of land to do with as you please”

“I can’t say thank you enough! I’ll pack my things immediately! Thank you Celestia! Thank you so much! “, the stallion ran quickly out of the throne room in a burst of anxious speed.

“Sister, is it wise to send him there? Given what you told me it could potentially be a disaster.” , Luna said as her attention momentarily shifted  from the music box.

“He’ll be alright, besides being immersed in that atmosphere might help him with his problem”

~

A train screeched to a halt in front of the Ponyville station: the motion stirred the large stallion from his sleep and he got onto his hooves from the cot he laid upon. He sleepily dragged his black hooves towards a nearby window and his sleepiness melted away as he took in the sight of a town filled to the brim with happy ponies going about their day. He quickly made for the door as crates and boxes were being unloaded onto the station platform. One of the hefty looking ponies that was in the midst of unloading noticed the large stallion and called over.

“Hey! You’re him right? Where do you want all this stuff?”

“There should be an address “, he said as he stepped closer: digging through the pockets of his coat, “ if you can’t do it yourselves just call and have it shipped there but either way, thank you for the help “, he now stood inches from the worker, towering over him and reached down: placing a small bag of bits in the worker’s hoof.

“Sir, this is way too much for a tip-“

“Aw it’s fine. I’ve also reserved the dining car for you and the others so go on in and get some breakfast. I’ve got some sightseeing to do “, the worker was left slack jawed with his generosity and left before he could even protest.

The stallion continued through the town, excitedly observing everything, enjoying the wafting smell of freshly baked bread and sweets as he walked. He continued to walk on until a sudden realization hit him: he had no idea where he was going. He looked around carefully: trying to spot the most important looking building under the assumption that it was probably town hall. By sheer luck her managed to see its mahogany colored roof just past some buildings and quickly changed course. He drew closer and noticed the large clearing that led up to the building, feeling infinitely denser for not noticing it sooner. He trotted right in and made his way to mayor’s office by following the directory.

He poked his head in tentatively into the room, “Hello?”

A nervous gray maned mare paced back and forth in the office muttering to herself, “Sorry I’m not taking walk ins today, I’m expecting an important appointment”

“Oh well I was told to come here today”

“You don’t understand. Princess Celestia herself gave word for me to receive a very important guest!”

He stepped inside: trying to speak again but the mare cut him off, “I cannot express the importance of greeting this pony with the utmost tact and professionalism… if only I knew what he looked like… ”, she was now standing mere inches from him which made him back into the wall behind him as though he were being menaced with a weapon.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle-“, she looked down at a paper the stallion had dropped: it was a royal certificate written and signed by Celestia, “…Buck!!”

“I can’t believe she spent half an hour apologizing” , he wandered into town again under direction of the mayor, she assured him that he library could provide him with a map of the town so he could find his way around. She told him to look for the large tree in the middle of town: which he found rather quickly, just as he was about to knock a little purple and green dragon open the door.

“What’d you forg-“, he stared at the large imposing stallion and grew nervous, “Hey there… what can I do you for?”

“A baby dragon? Well if you work here I could use a map… ” , he smiled at the young dragon and his low, relaxed voice put the dragon at ease.

“Sure but you might wanna come in I’ll have to look for em”, he open the door wider to allow the stallion in, “So are you here to visit?”

“No, actually I’m moving here but I found out today that I don’t really know where I’m going”

“You’re really moving here? That’s great we can do guy stuff together… if you want that is”, the dragon quelled his excitement for fear of looking uncool in front of his new potential friend.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that, been a long time since I stayed in one place long enough to have real friends”

“Yes! You have no idea how bad I wanted to have a guy to pal around with. The only guy I really talk to is Big Mac and he’s too quiet. I mean I love my friends but sometimes I want to do something that doesn’t involve girls… I’m Spike by the way”, he continued as he searched through scrolls and books.

“The name’s Bo, so do you run this library alo-o-o- did you say girls?”, he said with a nervous smile.

“Yeah, like I said they’re great but I almost never get to do guy stuff…”, Spike continued to riffle through a pile until he pulled out an old map and handed it to Bo. A grin spread across his face, “I should totally introduce you to my friends, Pinkie’s gonna want to throw you a party anyway”

Bo smiled nervously and began to sweat a bit, “No, that’s fine I’m sure I’ll see them around, thank you for the map and I’ll drop by some time so we can hang out. S-see ya”, he turned as the library door swung open and a lavender mare trotted in.

“Oh Spike I forgot- oof”, she bumped into the large stallion: making her fall back onto her flank. As she gathered her wits she inspected the large figure: stopping when she got to his eyes. She was the first person in a long time to see his eyes behind his ebony mane, they were normally calm and compassionate but right now they were wild and frantic.

“AHHHHHH!!!” , they screamed in unison, the lavender mare hid behind the door and the red eyed stallion took refuge behind his new dragon friend: who was at a loss for words.

“Right… uh Twilight?”

“Spike! There’s a huge pony in the library!”, Bo let out a soft whimper when she brought his size into the matter.

“Twilight, this is my new friend Bo: he’s moving here”, Spike then turned around to speak to a shaking Bo, “Bo, this is Twilight: she hatched me and I’m her assistant”

Twilight came out of her hiding spot and walked tentatively to the large stallion, “Hi… I’m Twilight… so you’re new to town?”

The stallion looked up at her and nodded nervously, as he did his mane moved in and out of his eyes: revealing a strange trait he had. She magically moved his mane out of the way and was face to face with him in seconds out of curiosity. Before she even realized that she was invading his personal space she became focused on the jagged marks over his eyes: like someone attempted to carve an “X” into his face but never crossed it, leaving two lines over his deep scarlet eyes.

“You… have scars?”

He became panicked: his eyes moving frantic, cheeks reddening to match his scarf, “Ahhhh!! Stay away!!”, he yelled and leapt backwards like a mad stallion, slamming himself against a bookshelf, sending a few books falling down around him.

“Twilight, what did you do?”, the young dragon said accusingly.

“I’m sorry but seeing scars are a rare thing, I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable”, she caught something out of the corner of her eye: the underside of the end of his scarf had an Aquarian star embroidered in gold. She recognized it as the symbol for knowledge and saw a potential intellectual companion. “That symbol, are you a scholar? Where did you study?”

She bombarded him with questions as Spike tried desperately to slow her down. Bo spotted an opening in between the two and rushed out leaving a gale force gust in his wake.

“*sigh* One guy friend Twilight, that’s all I ask…”

“Sorry…”, she said as she straightened out her newly disheveled mane. She looked down to find a folded piece of paper with an address written on it, “Spike, we may have a chance to explain ourselves…”

~

The stallion ran until he felt he was at a safe distance away. Running and cowering had caused him to build up an appetite; luckily his panic had brought him close to a building that looked to be made out of gingerbread, he couldn’t imagine it being anything other than a bakery so he walked in. He immediately made his way to the counter and inspected the confections that were on display: stooping over as he did so. A smiling orange stallion with a paper hat trotted towards the counter and waited for a moment before addressing his customer.
“Hey there, what can I-“, Bo stood up and greeted the stallion’s smile in kind, towering over him, “get… for… you…”

“Everything looks good, I’ll eat any three you recommend but if you don’t mind I’m taking a booth”, he held up his newly acquired map and started over towards a booth, “need to get acquainted with the town’s layout”, he sat down and scanned over his map as the orange stallion gathered three desserts he thought the customer would like.

A soft humming began from what seemed to be upstairs and a pink form came bouncing over to the orange stallion.

“Good morning Mr. Cake”, a gleeful voice called.

“Hey Pinkie you’re right on time, take these to the one with the red scarf at the booth, I’m going to go help the missus with the next batch”

“Pinkie?”, he repeated mentally, he couldn’t place it but it sounded familiar. He remained occupied with the maps, thoroughly familiarizing himself with the town; he never even bothered to look up when he heard the two talking.

“Here ya go… wait a minute I don’t know you and I know everypony!!”

“Well I am new to town”, he reached for his sweets and began eating while still immersed.

“*gasp* Oh my gosh, oh my gosh I absolutely have to throw you a party!!!! I need a cake and decorations… better get my cannon”, her speech grew quicker and quicker the longer she spoke and Bo only just noticed that this was a feminine voice. He finished chewing and looked up to see an energetic pink mare looking right at him with eyes that sparkled with happiness. He swallowed hard after noticing how close she was.

Okay this isn’t bad, sure she’s close but it’s not as close as the unicorn from before. Just smile, tell her your name, pay for your food, and make your way towards the exit. You don’t have to panic, she works here and you’re a customer, you can do this.

“So what’s your name?”, somehow in the brief interval of his thoughts she had already procured a cake and was brandishing icing.

“My name is Bo Minuano, I just got here today, and I just remembered that I have somewhere to be-“, he made for the door but the pink mare blocked his way and began to protest.

“No, you can’t! You have to stay for the party so everypony can meet you!”, got hardly an inch from his face and he circled around he ran while screaming hysterically.

“Waaaait!! You didn’t pay”, Pinkie called out after him from the doorway.

Bo stopped dead and turned around very calmly and walked back, “Right, sorry: how much is it?”

“About ten bits…”

“Here’s fifteen, I really enjoyed it”, he smiled and gave her the bits.

“Yup Sugar Cube Corner’s the best around”

“I’ll take your word for it… now back to what I was doing”, he turned and began running again; leaving a dust cloud as he did so.

When he finally stopped he had nearly left Ponyville, with Everfree looming in the distance. Now that he knew the layout of Ponyville he decide it was time to see where his new home was being constructed. In a few short minutes he found the empty plot of land where his belongings were sent and on it the foundation of his new home was already constructed.

“*sigh* I really thought they’d be farther along than this… I haven’t even made a reservation anywhere”, he hung his head not wanting to think of the anxiety of having to stay in a hotel when his dream home was finally coming together. Suddenly he heard something familiar, wind being displaced, anyone else could have missed it but years of living in strange places and dealing with predators of all shapes and sizes made him very aware of his surroundings. He turned to see a light blue object racing right towards the area of his house still under construction. “If it takes a hit like that they’ll have to start over”, he blurted and jumped into the speeding object’s path.

He braced himself for the impact and as the object drew closer it appeared to be a pony, a pegasus to be exact. This only gave him more reason to stand his ground: there was no way a pony could take a hit like that and walk away. The pony sped towards him and just before it hit he vaguely saw a flash of colors before he dug his hooves into the ground, he held the pony back but the ground gave way and sent him sprawling back as all the momentum flipped him. The back of his head had found a rock: he wasn’t bleeding but there was a good deal of pain and his eyesight was blurred, he heard voices arguing.

“Consarnit Rainbow Dash, Ah told you not ta fly here anymore! Ah kept tryin’ ta tell ya that they started buildin’ somethin’ ‘r other here but you just wouldn’t listen and now look what you did”

“Come on, I said I’m sorry”

“Ah'm not the one you should be apologizing to now let’s get this big fella to the hospital”

“I’m alright”, both ponies turned around to find that Bo was already picking himself of the ground: as he did he began to blink away the blurriness in his vision and gradually two mares came into focus. Immediately he knew that it was the rainbow maned one who had crashed into him, the name Rainbow Dash helped strengthen that theory. The other was a blonde, orange earth pony: presumably the one who spoke with a southern drawl considering the hat.

“So why are you trying to break what little there is of my house?”

“Well you see… that’s actually… I should…”, Rainbow nervously rubbed the back of her neck, “Okay, I may have messed up… sorry”, she crossed her forelegs.

Bo smiled in acceptance and turned back to see if he was able to protect his house: the distance between them ensured that the conversation wouldn’t cause him discomfort. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he saw the framework still intact though his lawn wasn’t going to win any awards after the way his hooves tore at it.

“Seems to me that there’s no damage…”, he looked at the ground where his hooves dug, “Well… nothing major, so I’ll just call this a happy accident and let it go”

“Really? You’re not mad?”, Rainbow Dash asked cheerfully.

“No, not as long as you’re alright, can’t make such a bad impression on the locals when I haven’t even moved in yet”, he chuckled.

“This is a house? Looks too big for one pony, you got a family?”, Applejack asked.

“Family? Haven’t seen my family in a while… guess I should have said goodbye before I left Canterlot but I guess I’ll make it up…”, his slip only made them more curious.

“Canterlot? You some kinda guard ‘r rich pony?”, Applejack began.

“Gotta be a guard! No spoiled, rich pony would take a hit like that and stand back up”, Rainbow added.

Bo chuckled a bit, “Nope, not a guard and only my stuff stays in Canterlot, or did until I began the move”, he reached to his neck to fidget with his scarf and couldn’t feel it, he nervously pawed at himself but it was nowhere to be found. He had now realized that the entire time they had been talking they were looking at his face without his scarf to cover it.

He began scrambling around aimlessly until the duo decided to speak up.

“Uh… you looking for somethin’ partner?”

“My scarf! I can’t find my scarf!”, he looked around frantically: worrying Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Calm down now, just tell us what it looks like so we can help ya find it…”

“Same color as my eyes, deep scarle-“, before he could finish both mares were gazing deeply into his eyes. He quickly backed away and broke into heavy panting. “W-w-w-what are you doing?”

“Well you said your scarf was the same color as your eyes, so we have to see what color your eyes are”, Rainbow argued.

No matter where I go they just keep at it. I have to find my scarf… okay it’s fine, calm down and feel where the wind is blowing. And it’s blowing… back to town… fantastic. Not only do I have to look for my scarf but now I have to stay on guard against the pink one and the purple one.

“Hey!”, Rainbow’s voice brought him back to reality, “Why does your cutie mark have wings?”

He froze, his eyes slowly moving towards his cutie mark: a carmine colored compass rose with sky blue wings.

“I uh… there’s a story behind that…”, he took off running again towards town: partially to find his scarf and partially to escape answering that question.

He finally came to a stop: it felt like all he had done that day was run, he was building an appetite again. He decided he’d cook for himself if it came down to it.

“If the map is right I should be near the market now… he scanned the streets and saw a mixture of stallions and mares, which made him feel more at ease. He walked through the crowd invisibly, he enjoyed that: he didn’t like attention and if he had to bear it he did so with great discomfort. Whilst perusing the stands for something he could eat he saw something drift through the air, he turned and caught a glimpse of his scarf wafting on the midday breeze. Finally his luck had turned around: he dashed after it while carefully avoiding the ponies in his way. He got close enough to grab it with his teeth and stretched out: his teeth just missed it as the breeze picked up. It seemed that luck had smiled on him as the breeze died down, the scarf came to a halt at the hooves of a white pony and being that he was stooped over in his pursuit only one thought raced through his mind before he found the courage to look up.

Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please be a stallion. Please…

“Oh my, this scarf is simply marvelous!”, he didn’t even need to look up but did so anyway.

A stylishly done indigo mane, eyeliner, and a feminine aristocratic tone shut out any hopes of this being a stallion. It was a mare and to make matters infinitely worse it was a beautiful mare.

That’s just not fair!

He stood back up, unsure of what to say: if he could say anything at all. After all his encounters today he wasn’t sure he had anything left, it didn’t help that she was already within his personal space.

“Are you alright dear? You look a little flushed…”, she gave him a sympathetic gaze.

He averted his gaze and began to murmur, “The scarf is mine …”

“Um… could you speak up darling?”, she leaned in to listen more intently: to which he backed away sharply.

From behind him two mare came, the two he thought he’d lost after returning to town.

“Hey! Rarity, hold onto that scarf!”, Rainbow Dash called.

Rarity held up the scarlet cloth and motioned to it: her friend nodded.

“*sigh* I knew finding this was too good to be true… I assume it’s yours?”, she held it out for the stallion who nodded and hastily snatched the scarf without so much as looking her in the eye. He turned to leave but the two mares cut him off.

“Thanks for the help Rarity, this here is Ponyville’s newest stallion… uh Bo right?”, he nodded and tried to leave again only to be cut off by a lavender mare and a baby dragon.

“Bo! Come on Twilight, hurry up!”, the dragon sped ahead of his companion and made it to the large stallion’s side.

Twilight arrived just behind her assistant and immediately began to speak, “ Hey, sorry about before, I didn’t expect you to burst out of the library”

“You too? Good to know it’s a habit ‘r else I’d feel a might insulted”, Applejack said proudly.

“Bo, are you okay? You’re shaking…”, Spike pointed out.

Bo nodded nervously and tried to speak. “F-f-f-fine… just need to get-“

A pink mare came running up and blocked his last route of escape.

“Found you! Wow you run really fast but I looked all over Ponyville and I finally found you, I bet you’d be great at tag or hide and seek! Maybe we can play at your party… oh my gosh everyone’s already here so let’s invite them to the party!!”, their chatter seemed to blend into and muffle each other, it got to the point where, due to his panic, Bo couldn’t tell who was talking anymore. He just stood shaking: holding his scarf like a safety blanket hoping to make everything stop.

You’re surrounded by pretty mares, every stallion’s dream… your worst nightmare. It’s all going to be okay, just calm down and play it cool, you can get out of this. You’ve been through every danger the world has to offer; you can do this. You can do this! You can do this! You can do this!

“I can’t do this!!!”, he screamed: making them all fall silent. His back began to bulge and his jacket distorted as though something moved under it. It continued until two slits in the coat allowed two enormous, white wings to emerge. In a single motion they beat down once and launched him into the air at break neck speed, before they could process what was happening he was a speck in the azure sky. The dust cleared and all in attendance stared at his disappearing form.

“You think he’s coming back?”, Pinkie asked.

> Further Welcomed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

His ivory wings beat quickly as he sped through the air; he came to a stop at a lone cloud and took refuge on it. As he wrapped his scarf around his neck he peered over the side of the cloud down at Ponyville. He felt admiration for its neat, uncluttered layout that he easily identified from the sky.

So there is now a good chance I can never go back into town: guess I’ll just start a vegetable garden. There was one pegasus but I don’t think she saw where I went, maybe I can finally get some time to breathe.

Upon finishing that thought he heard the distinct sound of chewing: causing him to freeze in place. He turned around to see a blonde, gray, walleyed pegasus happily gnawing away at a muffin. She chewed messily as her cheeks puffed out and when she took note of him she stopped to wave. He waved back nervously: relieved that she was on a different cloud entirely. He sprawled out on his stomach wondering what to do next when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder; turning to see a half eaten muffin being offered to him. Naturally he panicked and flew: his wing hit the muffin. He saw it begin to plummet with him as the well-meaning mare called out.

“My muffin!”, she held her head in disbelief.

Deep shame welled up inside him, he had just spurned an act of true kindness and his panic faded into resolve: his features hardened and his powerful wings launched him ahead of the muffin. He caught it delicately and sped right back up to the mare, pushing his panic down: even if for only a few moments.

“I’m so sorry… I’m not really hungry though”, her expression began to turn sad, “you’re giving me this muffin?”, she nodded yes, “Then it’s mine?”, again she nodded, “Then I want you to eat it.”

The mare grew confused.

“I’m not giving it back but it’s mine and that means I decide what happens to it: so I want it to be eaten by you”

With a slight understanding of what was going on she happily accepted it and hungrily gobbled it up. He gave a slightly less nervous smile and slowly began to drift off.

“Well… b-be seeing you”, he said before he took off full speed.

“Bye mister!!”, the mare called after him.

“Don’t call me mister!! I’m not that old!!”, he called back from the now vast distance between them.

Idiot! You almost made someone cry because you’re a coward. Your parents raised you to be a gentlecolt and that’s what you’re going to be. Maybe you’re not ready to be around so many mares but that’s no excuse for losing your head when there’s only one; who’s trying to be nice to you no less. Just find a quiet place to be pathetic.

He was disappointed in himself at being such a coward but he also had a tendency of punishing himself too much. He found a clearing by the forest and decided to land and gather his wits again. Upon landing he lowered his wings and stared at them. They were large, about as big as Celestia’s: he himself was extremely large and he despised that fact, he wanted desperately to be smaller. His large size made him stand out in crowds and he absolutely hated the attention it brought him. They lightly fluffed and he shook them; cursing them the whole time.

“Maybe if I was smaller I could just be left alone… I would take just being normal sized…”, a snapping branch caught his attention: a bear had made its way towards him. He was finally in his comfort zone: there wasn’t any animal that he couldn’t match or tame in his years of travel. It approached and he felt little to no hostility from it and imposed his dominance over it, to which it quickly yielded.

“*sigh* At least I still know how to handle animals…”, he walked over and began to pet the bear and it rolled over like a tamed house cat relishing in its master’s touch. “Aw you’re just a big softy huh boy? I could swear that you were already tamed. Haha who’s a good boy? Who likes belly rubs?”

He caught himself smiling: the most earnest smile he had expressed all day. It was a sad truth that he felt more comfort with this animal than he did with mares, maybe even with most ponies.

“Got a name big guy?”, he waited for a response; not knowing why but feeling that maybe he wanted to entertain his own joke. To his surprise the bear seemed to respond. The bear rolled back onto its stomach and began walking, turning back only to motion for Bo to follow him. He was quizzical as he followed the bear: it moved further from the forest than closer as he initially thought it would. They walked under the still prominent sun until they reached a hastily made shack that appeared to be the bear’s home and above the entryway was a name plate that read “Brownie”.

“Brownie? For a bear that’s not a very elegant name… nah a tough guy like you deserves a strong name… how about Bromas?”, he smiled at the bear but it seemed to like its none threatening name. “What happened? All the bears I’ve ever met were vicious and tried to attack me but you rolled onto your back and let me pet you… not that I’m complaining”

The bear again motioned for him to follow and he did until they came to a large tree. From the bushes they stared at the tree, Bo waited to see something miraculous but time passed and nothing special happened.

“Hey… Brownie, what are we waiting for?”, it merely jerked its head forward to say that he should approach alone, “Just me? Alright… but if this is just a joke…”

Bo approached hesitantly and noticed a door: it was a cottage, a rather nice one too. Whoever lived here had obviously tamed that bear and it brought him here so they could meet. Bo’s pulse raced and a grin spread across his face: finally someone he could relate to and maybe a chance to actually meet a Ponyville resident without acting like a fool. He now eagerly approached and knocked on the door, shifting his weight from hoof to hoof in anticipation. Finally he heard a soft thumping making its way towards the door and it cautiously opened to reveal a small white bunny with beady black eyes. Despite its size it displayed the ferocity of a full grown bear.

“A rabbit tamed a bear?”, he stooped over to meet the bunny’s gaze, exerting as much pressure as he could to assert his supremacy over the small tyrant. “You are a bundle of hostility and pride, like a monster trapped in a harmless form”, ultimately at seeing his scars and scarlet eyes the bunny turned away. Bo got up deciding that it was just a joke on the bear’s part and as he did his face stopped inches away from the face of a cream yellow mare. They both panicked and leapt away from each other: Bo dove into the bushes near the cottage and the mare leapt back behind a large rock. They poked their heads out of their hiding spots almost in perfect sync and when they saw each other they reeled back like turtles to their shells.

“What are you doing in my home?”, a voice squeaked from the mare’s hiding spot.

“A bear brought me here… does that sound as insane as I think it does?”, he called back.

“Maybe a little…”, she squeaked back, the bear made its way over to her. Bo poked his head out and watched the bear sway as it growled and grumbled something. It appeared they were communicating somehow.

I should learn to do that; it’d save me a ton of trouble when it comes to wild animals. This isn’t actually that bad, she’s scared of me so we can’t really speak close enough to cause me discomfort… maybe she’s nice.

“Really?”, she seemed to have finished her talks with the bear and came out of hiding. “You’re a nice stallion right? Why did you run away?”

“Why did you run away?”, he called back.

“Well I’m not exactly the bravest pony…”, she replied.

“Well neither am I… well, for certain things I’m brave”

“Brownie says you looked mean but you’re actually really nice”, she giggled a bit, “It’s not every day that a pony rubs a grizzly bear’s tummy like a puppy”

Bo pulled himself out of the bushes and brushed off the leaves that clung to his mane, “I guess you could say I’m not an everyday occurrence.”, she briefly marveled at his size and felt a little intimidated but Brownie just strolled over to him and they instantly became like a colt and his first puppy. Bo sat and began to pet the large predator: who squirmed around on his back like a dog, his leg kicking wildly as Bo scratched a spot at the center of his belly.

“You’re not scared?”, she asked gingerly.

“I left home for work when I was a colt… I’ve always lived around wild animals and creatures. Manticores, ursas, creatures you may have never even heard of… sometimes it feels better to be around animals than ponies, you know?”, she took a seat about two feet away from him and also took part in showing affection to the bear. The only sound was the bear’s responses and for a little while it was a very peaceful activity: despite them sitting in silence. Bo’s ears twitched as they had picked up a sound that had become far too familiar throughout the day.

“Hey! Fluttershy! Keep him there!", Bo turned in sync with his pegasus companion and saw five mares and a dragon racing towards them. He was about to run but the pleading eye of both the pegasus and the bear made him swallow his discomfort. He maintained his gaze at the ground: refusing to look up even when they had finally come to a stop. They attempted to look him in the eyes but the more they maneuvered the more he averted his gaze: hiding his eyes under his mane and wings because it was all he could do to keep from running.

“Fine… it’s clear you don’t want to see us but will you at least listen?”, Twilight asked. Still keeping his gaze off the mares, he nodded silently. “Alright then… here goes… we’re really sorry. I don’t know what we did to offend you, maybe you follow some custom we aren’t aware of but it seems that we did something wrong…”

“Maybe… maybe Twilight was a little pushy back at the library but she’s really nice… they’re all really nice: you should give ‘em a chance”, Spike pleaded. Bo decided he at least owed them the courtesy of looking at them. As he looked at them he could feel his blood begin to race and he took one step back. They took it as a sign that they weren’t wanted and all turned to walk away.

You wanted them to leave right? Then why does it feel so wrong? Why does it feel like you can’t be here without them? They look so sad and all they were trying to do was be nice to you. They wanted to throw you a party. They wanted to know more about you. Helped you look for your scarf. They treated you like you were already a part of the community. Your dad would be disappointed at this cowardice, heck you’re disappointed. Push it down… just for a little bit… push it down and tell them…

“You didn’t do anything wrong”, Bo finally managed to choke out. They all stopped and turned back around to see the quivering stallion. The bear had since stood up and gently nudged Bo from behind as the cream colored mare smiled.

“Alright, alright I’ll tell them”, he insisted to the bear before straightening is coat, “I- uh yeah, you didn’t do anything wrong… it’s just… a problem I have”, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he spoke.

“Ya shoulda said so earlier, maybe we can help ya out?”, Applejack started towards him.

His eyes widened a bit and he looked visibly distressed, “Stay there… please…”

“S’matter sugar cube?”, she stopped just short of him close enough  for him to lose his cool.

“I-I-I-I’m gynophobic!!”, he finally belted.

Twilight gasped and magically dragged Applejack away from him.

“What the hay Twilight?”

“Didn’t you hear him?”, she replied.

“Yup, he said he’s gynophobic”, Pinkie said energetically, she then pondered for a moment and raised her hoof like a filly in school.

“Yes, Pinkie?”, Twilight asked with a hint of  annoyance.

“What’s gynophobic? Is it anything  about those balancing things?”

“No. not gyros, gyno: it means he’s afraid of mares”, the group let out a gasp, with such a high population of mares in Equestria such a fear was thought to be non-existent.

“Woah, woah, woah, back up: what’d ya mean he’s afraid? Like does he think we’re gonna hurt him or something?”, Rainbow Dash added.

“Phobias are irrational fears, there’s probably no reason behind it”

“The exact diagnosis is caligynephobia but that’s only a small part of the problem… it gets worse depending on how beautiful the mare is…”, he pushed his muzzle further into his scarf to stop them from noticing how red his cheeks had turned. They all slightly reddened: he had reacted adversely to all of them, which was some form of a compliment.

“So um… why could you talk to me?”, Fluttershy asked slightly self-consciously.

“When I first saw you I nearly jumped out of my skin… but you were scared of me and I was scared of you so we’re sorta on even ground” 

“So if you’re scared of mares, how are you talking to us now?”, Rarity asked.

“I’m not a total coward; I can keep a cool head as long as I’m far enough away from a mare”

“Then consider us your immersion therapy!”, Twilight suddenly called out.

“You can’t be seri-“, a stern expression on Twilight’s face shattered the comfort Bo took in his belief that she was joking, “Oh dear buck she’s actually serious… be reasonable”

“Pinkie, please tell him why we’re going to help”, Twilight called back to her friend with a smirk.

“Cause I’m friends with everypony in town and everypony in town is my friend!!”

“And any friend oh Pinkie Pie’s”, Applejack began.

“Is a friend of ours!”, Rainbow Dash finished.

“You really didn’t think that you could live in Ponyville without excitement, now did you?”, Rarity smiled.

“Um you really don’t have to do that… really I’m in no rush to-“, Pinkie rushed up to him and cut him off.

“Then it’s a deal, we help you get over it and you have to stick around”

“Uh… uh… okay fine, just try not to scare me out of my skin before I even have a chance to move in…”, he looked back at Brownie who shrugged in response and glanced at Fluttershy,”*sigh* You trust her that much, huh big guy? A bear somehow got over his instincts in this town so guess it isn’t totally outrageous that I could too, so what should I do first?”

“Um… you could introduce yourself…”, Fluttershy timidly suggested.

“I suppose a formal introduction is in order: My name is Bo Minuano, I’ve been working since I was colt and I’m originally from Trottingham.”

“Really? You don’t have an accent though…”, Twilight tilted her head in confusion.

“I left when I was really young and neither of my parents were from Trottingham. My mother is from Cloudsdale and my father is from here”

“Well I am Twilight Sparkle: student of princess Celestia”, Twilight motioned to herself proudly.

“The name’s Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt and fastest flier in Equestria!”, as she hovered she folded her forelegs.

“Howdy, I’m Applejack. Apparently I’m your closest neighbor”, she tipped her hat and broke into a warm smile.

“Hello dear my name is Rarity and despite your problem I’m happy to have a real gentlecolt in town”, she held out her hoof to shake then pulled back with an embarrassed smile when she realized he couldn’t reciprocate.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie…”, the pink mare said coldly, “Pinkie Pie for short!”, she said, as she fell back into her normal behavior.

“I’m Fluttershy… nice to meet you…”

“And I’m Spike”, he positioned himself for a proud stance.

“Great!!! Now that everypony’s friends, how about that party?!”, Pinkie excitedly called, she was preparing to sprint back to Sugar Cube Corner.

“Keep it small?”, Bo asked hopefully.

“Hmmmm… no promises”

Bo hung his head and gave a grumble of surrender. They all began to walk back and gradually Bo raised his head in pride. It wasn’t much to anyone else but he had maintained a conversation with six mares and that was a marvel.

Most peaceful place in Equestria, huh dad? I guess I can’t disagree but I think that doesn’t apply to me. I can say for sure that it’s not like any other place in the world.  Apparently I just made some friends, almost all of them mares and one baby dragon; they’re not that bad though. There is something magical about this place that just makes me want to stop being afraid and just relax, so maybe I can change a little. Maybe I can put this fear behind me. Maybe this place really can be a home for me. Maybe I can finally live a peaceful life.
Or maybe I’m wrong and I’ll never have a moment of peace again…

> Sleepless Nights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk had set over Ponyville and the commotion of the day had settled down to a dull roar as the day was finalized. All around ponies slowly retreated to their homes; some with drowsy children following close behind. The shops were closing and ponies with stalls were packing up and going home for the day. Twilight was no different, though her library didn’t see as much traffic as the rest of the establishments; she would await anyone with a desire to learn. While Spike was inside; preparing their dinner for the night she put away the books that had begun to clutter desks and tables inside. Most of the books that were being tidied were books that she herself had read but even if she was her own best patron there was at least that much work to be done. Finally she had finished sorting the works when she noticed a shadow passing by her window. She peeked out to see a tall stallion lazily dragging his hooves as he sleepily moved forward. She quickly recognized him and ran out to meet him.

“Bo!”, she called out to him and he turned slowly, doing his best to shrug off his exhaustion for a genuine smile.

“Hey Twilight”, his ears pulled back and his head reared in a long yawn, “What brings you here?”

Twilight cocked her head in confusion and raised a hoof to point at the library behind her, “Sorta live here…”

“Right, right… sorry… I haven’t been sleeping too well”

‘Your house isn’t done yet right? Where are you staying?”

“Oh you know… here and there… tents”

“You’ve been sleeping outside? I thought the whole reason you moved to Ponyville was to enjoy a real home?”

“I will… as soon as it’s finished…”

“Stay with us!”, they both turned to see Spike wiping his claws on his pink apron, “We have room and it’d be great to have a guy to hang out with… please Twilight”, Spike shot her a sad and pleading gaze.

“Okay… Bo would you like to stay with us?”, she couldn’t hide her reddened cheeks: she was asking a stallion to spend the night at her house, even if he was scared of mares.

“I wouldn’t be imposing would I?”

“No, it’s just as Spike said; we have more than enough room and I can’t very well condone you sleeping this sporadically”

“Alright but I insist on helping with dinner”

“I’ve got it covered”, Spike said proudly.

“Didn’t say I’d be taking over, just helping; you’re in charge buddy just tell me where to go”, Spike eagerly dragged Bo towards the kitchen and Twilight followed them inside shutting the door behind her.

Some time passed and the trio sat around a table of empty dishes that bore stains of a substantial meal. All three seemed extremely satisfied, finally Bo got up and gathered the plates; heading back into the kitchen.

“Spike, you’ve outdone yourself”, Twilight smiled at her assistant.

“Thanks but Bo helped a lot, apparently he knows a ton about making meals more nutritious. He gave me a lot of tips”

Twilight smiled, it had been quite a long time since Spike had a guy to look up to; not since her brother Shining Armor had left for the guard academy. There were plenty of stallions in Ponyville but Spike never really talked to any, since Bo was one of the few that came to the library it seemed like Spike bonded to him.

Bo poked his head back in, “I took the liberty of feeding your owl but if it wouldn’t be a bother…”

“Oh right! Spike, can you show him where he can sleep?”, to this Spike came back to life and raced up the stairs with Bo.

Twilight sat letting the food digest for a moment, she desperately wished to have Pinkie’s talent for eating insane amounts without the discomfort. Finally she got to her hooves and started up the stairs. As she reached the top she looked over at the large outcropping; there was simply a sofa surrounded by book shelves. Upon the sofa a black coat and a red scarf were neatly draped; this caught her interest as she had never seen her new friend without his signature accessories. Quietly she snuck around a bookshelf to get a better angle and rounding the corner she nearly bumped into the large white stallion. For a moment she took in the scene, his face was actually quite handsome, his cheeks were a light rosy color, and there weren’t any marks or deformities on his normally covered torso. Soon enough he backed away a bit.

“Since I’ve been spending more time with all of you I’m okay with being that close but the staring is kind of making me nervous”

“Sorry uh… don’t take this the wrong way but you look normal”

“I’m sorry?”

“I don’t mean anything by it but you always keep the scarf and coat on so I guess I sort of assumed you’d look strange”

He scanned himself, lifting his wings and checking his mane, “I don’t think I look strange, I have scars over my eyes but that’s about it. I just keep them because they feel natural”, an awkward silence fell over them that was broken by Spike’s snoring. “He’s got the right idea, good night Twilight… thanks for letting me stay here”

“You’re welcome, see you in the morning”, she turned and walked towards her bed.

Bo made his way towards his make shift bed and settled right in. To him the cushioning felt softer than a cloud and all the sleep he had missed caught up with him as his eyes began to flutter. The morning sun poured in from the window above Bo’s sleeping area, despite going to sleep early it was fairly later than he would normally wake up and he began surveying his surroundings to no avail as he had been blinded by the sunlight on his newly awakened eyes. Everything melded into a solid color; slowly he was able to make out rudimentary shapes. He passed Twilight’s room where he heard a deep snoring sound which was obviously Spike and a light whimper which he assumed was Twilight. He proceeded downstairs and tried to find the kitchen in order to get started on breakfast, then came a knock at the door, accompanied by hushed voices.

“Do you think she’ll be surprised?”, a female voice asked excitedly.

“Of course she’d never see this coming besides I know two ponies who’d really like to know how their daughter is fairing down here.”, the second voice was male but no one he recognized from town.

As the only one awake he decided to greet and entertain the guests until Twilight woke up. If they were going to stay for breakfast he should at least see how much more he should make. He opened the door and the sunlight poured in; further blurring his vision. He could only barely make out two silhouettes, apparently unicorns, standing in the doorway.

He rubbed his eye and greeted them, “Good morning… how may I help you?”

“Um… well first are we in the wrong place? This is the Ponyville library right?”, the female voice asked.

“Yes, it’s not exactly opened yet but…”

“We’re actually looking for somepony: lavender coat, purple mane, unicorn, adorkable, ring any bells?”, the male voice asked.

“That’s-“

“Bo? What has you out of bed so early?”, all three turned to the stairs to see Twilight with a disheveled mane, breaking into a small yawn. She noticed the open door and quickly identified the guests. “Shining! Cadence! What are you doing here?”, she asked; visibly excited.

Hearing the name Bo’s sight quickly focused: he beheld a white unicorn with a blue mane standing next to a pink alicorn with a purple, yellow, and pink colored mane with a crown. He looked back and forth between unicorns: the white one’s face twisting in a growing anger. Bo didn’t even have time to panic about the beautiful mare, the angry stallion took precedence.

“This is uh… I can… would you care for some breakfast?”, he managed to stutter out before the white unicorn punched him in the face. He reeled back but didn’t go as far back as expected due to his size. Shining pounced and Bo disoriented him with a wing and managed to get around him like a bull fighter.

Twilight gasped and ran down stairs but was cut off by Cadence. The two stallions tumbled and struggled in the background as the two mare exchanged words.

“Good to see you again, we were hoping to surprise you and ended up getting one ourselves. Twilight, who is that?”

Twilight kept trying to poke her head around Cadence to try and get a fix on the two stallions but Cadence moved with her. “He’s a friend of mine… he just moved here and his house isn’t ready… he wasn’t sleeping well so I let him stay here… can we please break this up now?!”

“Sure. Shining, please stop.”, like clockwork they came to a halt while they were both winding a punch.

“But-“

“No buts, he’s Twilight’s friend and deserves better”

“Fine…”, he trotted towards his wife.

“I’m all for a morning workout but that was too much”, Bo’s sighed.

Shining whipped around to look at him again.

“Come on Shining, I take off my scarf and grow my mane a little and you can’t even remember me?”, Bo pleaded.

Shining cocked his head and then took a better look at the stallion’s face. “Bo?”

Both mares were surprised that the two knew each other; bringing up the question of how.

“Yeah it’s Bo, apparently a few years is all it takes for you to forget your bunk buddy”, Bo rubbed his sore cheek.

“You two know each other?”, Twilight and Cadence said in unison.

“Yeah… we bunked at the Guard Academy… he was only there for a few years though”, Shining looked the stallion over well.

Spike came down after the racket and saw the mess that had been made. He spotted Shining angrily eyeing Bo and Twilight at a loss for words. “I’m… gonna go start breakfast…”

They sat around the table awkwardly as they ate: Twilight had already explained some things and Bo explained the other but there was still a mistrust that lingered.

“So you’re one of Shining’s old friends, that’s great I never met any of them”

“You make it sound like I don’t have any…”, Shining pouted.

“Well I never met them; Twilight was your best mare so even at our wedding…”

“Okay… so I don’t have that many…”

“And you greet the ones you do have by punching them in the face?”, Twilight scolded. Bo merely remained quiet and began taking a drink from his glass.

“Well I do the ones that are dating my sister without permission!”, Shining shouted. Bo began to choke and swallowed his drink quickly to avoid spitting.

“Excuse me?”, Twilight asked. She glanced at Bo, “I’m pretty sure you know why that’s impossible”

“What’s wrong Twilight? Bo seems nice”, Cadence added.

“I have gynophobia”, Bo managed to choke out.

“Are you still afraid of mares?”, Shining asked.

“Do you still carry a picture of Cadence everywhere?”, he retorted.

Now under the gaze of his wife, Shining began to stutter and then he pulled Bo in close, “That was a secret”

“You punched me in the face: apart from not being invited to the wedding yet sending a gift and then being hit before I could even say congratulations, this makes us about even”, he whispered.

“Okay if you aren’t dating then why are you staying here?”

“I told you already, his house isn’t done”, Twilight persisted.

“But… I guess it’s okay…”, Shining gave up and folded his forelegs.

“Don’t be glum Shining, I only stayed for the night, I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight”, all three ponies looked a little surprised and Spike immediately protested.

“You don’t have to go…”

“Well Shining and Cadence probably want to spend time with you and Twilight; having me as a house guest would get in the way. It’s fine, worse comes to worse I’ll book a room at the Maritrot in town”

They finished their meal and Bo gathered himself before biding his friends farewell. He didn’t have the heart to tell them that the Maritrot was booked full but he would figure it out; the last thing he wanted was to get in the way of such a closely knit family. Soon his wandering carried him all over Ponyville, dusk was beginning to settle again and the familiar tugging of sleep pulled at his eyelids.

Sometimes being a gentlecolt is hard, I’d pay if someone would just give me a roof over my head for the night. Last night was the best I’ve slept in ages. Maybe someone in the market will be kind enough. I could ask a friend like Twilight to put me up… who though? Pinkie?

An image of him in a peaceful sleep came into mind, enticing him; soon it was interrupted by a pink mare bounding in and bouncing up and down at the foot of his bed. She began speaking quickly and incoherently, faster and faster. Bo shook the thought from his mind, he was sure that that would be the case if he asked her for a place to sleep. Caught in his thoughts he made his way into the market and scanned the crowd for any signs offering a room or some sort of vacancy. He found no such thing but caught sight of Applejack trudging along, pulling a wagon with the day’s leftovers. He got behind the cart and helped push to lighten the load.

“Hey! Whoa! What the dilly? Bo? Warn a pony before you help, nearly scared my cutie mark off”, she spotted him by his large wings and quickly softened into a smile.

“Sorry… um Applejack, if it wouldn’t be too much could I ask you for a favor?”

“Don’t see why not, what’cha need?”

“I could really use a place to stay for the night…”

“Hm… well the house is pretty big and you are sorta helping me get this home so I guess sendin’ ya away wouldn’t be very neighborly… alright”

Bo smiled and moved faster; he had a place to rest for another night. They made it through the orchard and to the farmhouse; a large building that seemed to be big enough for at least ten ponies. They put the leftovers aside and got into the living area where the rest of her family was spending their time. Big Mac: a large crimson stallion with a dirty blonde mane was sitting on a modest couch. Opposite him was Granny: a wrinkled, soft green mare with a white mane and an orange dotted cloth draped around her. Finally Apple Bloom on the floor with what appeared to be school work.

“Everypony this is Bo-“

“I knew it! I told ya she’d bring a stallion home someday but nobody listens ta granny. Pay up!”, Granny held out a hoof; Big Mac and Apple Bloom place a sum of bits into it before she pulled back.

“Huh?”, Applejack asked in confusion as Granny Smith counted her bits.

“Nothin’ so who’s the big fella?”, Granny asked as she hid away the bits.

“This is Bo, he moved ta Ponyville but he’s got no place ta stay so I thought we could put him up for a while”

Bo stepped forward and bowed; after his last encounter he aimed to make a good impression on the family, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Applejack has been kind to me since my arrival so I hope staying here won’t be a bother”

Granny looked him up and down, stopping at his hooves and face. Big Mac had gotten to his hooves, watching Bo like a hawk sizing up a meal and Apple Bloom simply stared in confusion.

“Those are workin’ stallion hooves, not ta mention yer a big’un, uh huh… I’m all for it he can stay as long as he wants”

“Great, Bo this is Granny Smith, mah big brother Big Mac, and Apple Bloom…”, before she could finish Apple Bloom was already prodding Bo’s foreleg with her hoof, Applejack expected Bo to go berserk and run off but he kept calm. His face was practically peaceful.

He bent over to better meet the filly’s gaze, “Yes?”

“You’re so tall”, she said in awe.

“Being tall is overrated, I wish I was smaller”

“But if I were that tall I could get a cutie mark for manticore wrestlin’ or somethin’”

“But then there’d be a lot of places you wouldn’t fit, beside there’s nothing saying you won’t be, I was about your size when I was your age. You might even get taller than me”, Apple Bloom excitedly thought of all the things she could accomplish from that stature then noticed the winged cutie mark.

“What’s your cutie mark for?”, she finished excitedly.

“There’s a story to it but I got it for-“, Applejack cut him off.

“Come on Apple Bloom, he’s tired he can tell you tomorrow”, Apple Bloom looked a little disappointed but gave in.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell you some other time… promise”

Applejack smiled and received a wink from Granny, “So let me show you the room you can sleep in”, they both made their way up the stairs, leaving the other family members to talk.

“That one’s a keeper, reminds of the farm hands we had round here when I was a filly”, Granny rocked back and forth in her rocking chair.

“Nope”, Big Mac dryly added.

“Aw yer just bein’ protective, had ta happen eventually”

“Eventually don’t mean now”, he replied.

Bo was settling in the room, it was a great deal more spacious than his area in the library. He had set his coat and scarf down next to the bed on the head rest when he noticed a small form at the doorway. He turned and Apple Bloom was standing there watching him.

“Can I help you? If you want some help with your school work just ask, your family is letting me stay so I don’t mind helping out”, he smiled warmly.

“Big Mac said I have ta watch ya”, she said as her eyes drooped.

“Just get to bed, looks like you need your sleep as much as I do”, he replied. She persisted and relented until finally she fell asleep in the doorway. Bo gently picked her up in his wings and settled her in the bed meant for him. He gathered his apparel and sat down in the room next to the door; slowly drifting off to sleep.

Applejack walked through the creaky hallway to her sister’s room; it was a habit for her to check up on her. As she peered in she noticed an empty bed and quickly began to panic. Applejack raced through the house until she heard a gentle snore come from the guest room. She popped in; seeing her sister sleeping comfortably in the bed with the blankets pulled up to her neck.

“Apple Bloom? Where’s?”

“Shhh”, she was cut off by a voice next to her. She hadn’t noticed the large pegasus due to her hurried state and was a bit startled.

“Geez, what’s my sister doing in your bed?”, She asked.

“Apparently your brother doesn’t like me, she was his spy but she’s still a filly, she gets tired. I gave her my bed, just let her have it, I should leave anyway”

“Leave? It’s already dark, where ya gonna go?”

“Not sure but I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable”

“*sigh* Yer just too considerate. For a big ‘ol, tough lookin’ stallion ya don’t really act like it”

“There’s no reason to be tough here, I’m at a friend’s house, I have to put them ahead of myself”, he pulled himself up: his coat and scarf were merely laid on his back.

“You sure ‘bout this?”, Applejack pleaded once more: just behind her Granny passed by carrying a sack full of wedding invitations.

Bo’s eyes slightly widened, “Yes, I’m sure this is the best option. Hopefully see you tomorrow”, as they walked towards the door Bo straightened his coat and scarf, turning back to thank Applejack once more and then he headed out into the now dark outdoors.

The air was still and cold, Bo was immediately regretting his decision to leave but he was too proud to go back now. He knew he was on borrowed time, his eyes wouldn’t stay open forever and they just kept getting heavier. Suddenly he felt something cold run down his face, then he felt it again and again.

“You have to be kidding me!”, he looked up just as the rain picked up, “*sigh* Rainbow Dash did mention rain today… I should have paid more attention”. His eyes turned immediately to the street to check for any lights still on. He ran up to each building and knocked at the respective doors asking for a place to at least dry off. No one opened up; he just kept trying different places until he turned to the last building with lights on. It seemed to be built to resemble a carousel: painted with hues of purple and blue, trimmed with gold, and currently his last hope to get out of the rain. He sped towards it, kicking up mud and barely able to see past his soaked mane. He pounded away at the door, “Hello? Can you give a place to dry off?”

There was movement beyond the door and it opened slowly to reveal a puzzled Rarity, “May I… help you?”

“It’s me Bo, I sort of got caught in the rain…”

She opened the door wider in relief, “Oh thank goodness! I saw someone running around and thought it was just some ruffian… well come in I can’t leave you out there”

Bo happily trotted in and took off his scarf, “Thank you so much… you know I’ve been here a week and had no idea this was your house”

“Not just that, it’s also my place of business. I specialize in mare attire so I don’t have many male clients… it’s no surprise you haven’t found your way to me before. It’s just lucky I was working late or you’d be out in the rain all night”

“So… I hate to impose, would you be… against letting me stay here the night?”

Rarity noticeably reddened, “I… I-I-I-I-I suppose just for one night”, she looked out at the heavy storm outside and figured that it was only polite, “I’ve never had a stallion stay the night before…”

“I hate to trouble again but… do you have a shower or a bath?”, she looked him up and down.

“Dear, you’re already soaked to the bone”

“Which is why I should bathe, to avoid catching a cold”

“Oh… right, up the stairs, the powder room is fairly easy to find”

Bo made his way up the stairs, trying to make as little a mess as he could considering how dirty his hooves were. He found the powder room: a large and girly room with a large bath tub. He peeled off his wet coat and plopped into the warm bath, dipping his head under the water, enjoying the warmth. While in the midst of scrubbing he came to a frightening realization: Rarity has used everything in this room, her subtle scent and probably a few strands of her mane were probably in the room, so albeit indirectly he was in contact with her. Shock kept him from leaping out of the tub, shock and fortitude to not sully the kindness of his friend. He managed to calm down but hurried out of the bath.

“Oh no… I forgot to ask where she kept the towels”, he scanned the powder room trying to find any place that would appear to have towels. He got out while still wet and then he heard dainty hoofsteps from the hall. He was sure that it was Rarity and stepped out into the hall with an embarrassed smile, “Would you be so kind as to tell me where… the… towels are?”, he slowed when he noticed that there was a confused and frightened filly in front of him. She was small, white, a pink and purple mane, and there was only one possibility as to who it was.

“Ahhhh!!!!”, the white filly screamed and turned tail, heading down the stairs into the hooves of her sister, “Rarity there’s a big, scary pony in the bathroom!!”

“What?!”

“Um… that would be me”, Bo called timidly, “Sorry I thought she was you when I heard someone and… I couldn’t find towels… and… *sigh* I’ll leave now”, he started towards the door.

“Wait… you can stay I just got a little scared… cause I didn’t know who you were”, Sweetie Belle called from Rarity’s embrace.

A towel magically drifted towards Bo: wrapped in a blue aura. Rarity smiled at him as he grabbed it.

“Thanks, say what’s your name?”, he asked as he finished drying his mane.

“I’m Sweetie Belle”

Bo quickly thought of a way to ease her mind while he stayed, “It’s a pleasure sweet heart, my name is Bo Minuano, I guess you can consider me a butler”

~

Bo stayed with Rarity for days: sleeping peacefully in the guest room. He did his best to return every kindness he was paid. He helped Sweetie Belle with her school work, let Rarity use him as a mannequin, and whenever she needed something carried he refused to let her lift a hoof. Finally the day when his house was ready came; he was straightening his coat when Rarity and Sweetie Belle came into the guest room.

“Bo, it was an absolute pleasure to have you here and I welcome you to stay any time you are in need of a roof over your head”

Sweetie Belle seemed a little sad to see him go but managed a smile and gave him a hug before running off.

“I simply must ask, how are you okay with a hug if you have that… condition?”

“I’m not scared of fillies, just mares, I can’t be scared of fillies: I have a little sister”, he smiled.

Nearly out the door he decided to say his goodbyes, “Thank you for your kindness, I’ll see you soon dear”, he leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek before he even realized what he was doing. He tried to speak but only an odd squeaking noise escaped: he had seen his father kiss his mother on the cheek every time he left for work and it just became ingrained in his subconscious. Both were at a loss for words, so Bo summoned everything he could muster and ran for it: a huge grin spreading over his face.

I was sure if that ever happened I would die from shock but I’m alright. I’m running like hell but I’m okay. They are helping me… one day; maybe I can show them affection… like a real friend. At the very least maybe I’ll eventually stop running.

> Business as Usual
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

High above the clouds a shadow flew at a leisurely pace, savoring its moments in the sky. Past the clouds it descended before a large, newly built, classical house. He shook the moisture from black mane and upon opening the door he pulled off his scarlet scarf, showing his pale white coat to the emptiness of his home. Awards and portraits adorned his sitting room; two arm chairs and a couch were placed in front of his fire place next to the walls of bookshelves. He sat down in the closest armchair, letting his wings droop and relax after his long flight.

“Nothing better than settling back home after days of business”, the stallion let himself sink deeper into his chair.

A knock came at his door and he begrudgingly got up to answer it. A pink maned pegasus greeted him with a smile and a covered plate.

“Hello Fluttershy *yawn* to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Hi Bo, well… I saw you fly back home while I was cooking so I wanted to save you some trouble and bring you a meal”, she said with a smile.

Bo felt a rumble in his stomach; he was very hungry after his travel and it had been a long time since he had eaten anyone else’s cooking, “Thanks… that sounds great, please come in”, he stepped aside to make way and Fluttershy came in. She was nervous as the house seemed very foreign to her. Aside from belonging to a stallion, the house was structured and decorated like you would imagine a haunted house. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the mantle which was filled with medals and awards, though she didn’t look closely enough to see what they were for.

“Wow your house is so… big”

“I gather a lot of things when I travel… everything you see is from my stay in other countries and even some unchartered territories *yawn* I just got back from some urgent business in Appeloosa. That reminds me, is Applejack around?”

“Um… I think she’s in town, I’m heading there for some errands if you have something to say”, Fluttershy smiled as she set the food down on his coffee table.

“Actually a package, here”, he dug through his saddle bags and pulled out a lush red apple, “some pony named Braeburn found out I was from Ponyville and asked me to bring it back to her with the message ‘Bloomberg’s best, love Braeburn’. *yawn* I’ll be honest, I have an appointment later so I need some sleep… would you mind terribly?”

“Say no more, just get some sleep and rest your wings”, she replied in a motherly tone.

“Thanks… I feel like I should do something nice for you what with all the help you’ve provided”

“Just being a good friend”, she said as she left.

He gazed at the plate of food next to him, “…I can fit a snack in before my nap”

Fluttershy had made it back into town and made a b-line for the market when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

“Fluttershy!”, Rainbow Dash came to a halt mere inches before colliding with her, “Fluttershy… guess what?! Come on guess, it’s so awesome!!”

“Um… what?”

“Aww I’ll just tell you. My super-secret Wonderbolt fan-club connections say that Soarin and Spitfire are coming to Ponyville on a special secret errand. Imagine the possibilities! Maybe they finally realize how great I am and decided to recruit me personally”, she said in a proud pose.

“I don’t think-“

“Maybe they’ll ask me to come get measured for a uniform!”, Rainbow seemed to be getting lost in her own hubris.

“I have to-“

“Even if there is a slight possibility that they’re not here for me, all I have to do is wow them when they show up!”

“I uh… I have to go find Applejack”

“Oh why didn’t you say so? I saw her on my way here, come on”, Rainbow Dash motioned at a slightly annoyed Fluttershy.

They walked deeper into the market until they came upon a section of street that was covered in letters. They looked around, finding both Applejack and Derpy picking up the scattered post.

“Hey y’all, would ya mind lending a hoof?”

“Sure but how did this happen?”, Rainbow asked as she began gathering the letters.

“Don’t rightfully know. One minute me and Derpy were havin’ a nice chat then this big gust’a wind kicks up and flips her bag’a mail”

Rainbow Dash’s cheeks reddened; it was more than likely her flying speed that stirred the gust, “Gee I wonder why the wind picked up… glad we can help Derpy though!”

“Yeah, thanks guys!”, as she lifted a letter a slight breeze blew it out of her grasp and it landed next to Fluttershy.

She picked up the letter and read the sender aloud, “From Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts…”

“Gimme that it’s probably for me!”, Rainbow Dash called excitedly.

Fluttershy shook her head, “It says it’s for Bo”

As they finished putting back the last letter Rainbow remained dumbfounded. They returned to Applejack’s booth where Rainbow Dash finally cracked, “I can’t believe it, what’s does Bo have to do with the Wonderbolts?”

“I dunno, when ya think about it we don’t even know what his job is”

“That reminds me”, Fluttershy held out the apple to her friend, “Bo said to tell you that Braeburn said ‘Bloomberg’s best, love Braeburn’, here”

Applejack took the apple and her eyes watered slightly, “I’m so proud of you Bloomberg”, she then quickly ate the apple down to the core and spoke as she chewed the last bits, “Whatever he works in, ‘pparently he goes everywhere”

“You think Twilight knows where he works?”, Rainbow asked.

“She was the first to meet him”, Fluttershy added.

“I’m gettin’ pretty curious about this too, let’s ask her”

A short journey led the home of their friend and the lavender unicorn greeted them with a smile, “Hey guys, what’s the occasion?”

“We were just wonderin’ if you knew what Bo’s job is?”, Applejack started.

“I can’t say that I do, why the sudden interest?”

“It’s been bugging us for a while, I mean he got mail from the Wonderbolts”, Rainbow Dash started.

“He goes ta places like Appleloosa”, Applejack added.

“And his house is full of awards”, Fluttershy finished.

“Wonderbolts, travel, and awards…”, Twilight rubbed he chin quizzically, “Could it be he is a Wonderbolt?”

“Not a chance, I know the name of every member of the Wonderbolts”, Rainbow said proudly.

“He also said he doesn’t like flyin’ all that much”

“I’ll be honest; this is making me a little curious too”

“Right?! When you start thinking about it, it starts bugging you!”, Rainbow exclaimed.

“If anypony in town would know it’s be Rarity”, Twilight mumbled.

“Why?”, Applejack asked; raising an eyebrow.

“He had no place to stay and he ended up staying at her home for a while”, she shrugged.


~


“Sorry dear I don’t know either. He stayed for quite some time but…”, her cheeks reddened, “He wasn’t very open about his personal life while he was here… although”, they all leaned in to listen intently, “he knew how to handle Sweetie Belle, like he had previous experience working with children and he was intelligent enough to be a school teacher or something of the sort: in the short time he stayed Sweetie Belle improved in her school work.”

“We keep getting more pieces to the puzzle but they don’t fit together”, Twilight mumbled.

“Guys look outside”, Rainbow Dash whispered.

They all moved in closer together and peered out the boutique’s window. Spitfire and Soarin could be seen walking the streets without their uniforms. Soarin lagged behind the golden yellow pegasus, looking tired and bored with the entire situation. 

“Did I really have to come along? This guy really freaks me out”, the azure pegasus pouted.

“Oh stop being a brat Soarin, I wanted company and you need to know about these sorts of things. What if I get injured and you have to do this? Besides if I remember right they sell those pies you like so much here, if you tough it out like a stallion I’ll buy you one”, she flipped her fiery mane as she spoke.

“I’ll do it for the pie but that doesn’t mean I’ll like it”

“Come on, you might even get to know him and be friends”

“You just don’t get cause you’re a mare, he has this weird pressure coming off him… the guys have a bunch of stories about him. I don’t know if any of ‘em are true but I don’t think I want to be around somepony who can fight chimeras… I don’t even know what those are but they don’t sound friendly”

“I’m not asking you to be his best friend but at least act professional”, she began walking faster and Soarin scrambled to catch up.

Inside the group of friends was trying to process what they had just heard. How much was true and how much was fallacy, but they were sure that the Wonderbolts had business with their friend.

“He fights chimeras? That’s so cool!!... Twilight what are chimeras?”, Rainbow Dash asked.

“They’re big creatures, the head and body of a lion or big cat, with the horns and head of a goat, and a snake for a tail. They breathe fire; there aren’t any around here but they’re pretty prominent in other countries, even a couple in the less populated parts of Equestria.”

“Woah! That’s awesome!”, Rainbow Exclaimed again.

“So in addition ta bein’a traveler, good with kids, smart as a whip, havin’ medals, he wrassles giant fire breathin’ critters… that still doesn’t make any sense!”, Applejack sat down in a huff and tried to put the pieces together.

“What are we all talking about?”, Pinkie blurted, scaring everyone in the room half to death.

“Pinkie? Where did you? How did you? Never mind I’m better off not knowing”, Twilight surrendered.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, maybe they were talking about somepony else?”, Rarity suggested.

“In that case let’s follow them!”, Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t think…”, Fluttershy mumbled.

“Yeah, we could follow ‘em and figure his job by watchin’ what they do”, Applejack joined in.

“That isn’t a very good…”, Fluttershy mumbled.

“Normally I’d be opposed but I really would like to know how he was able to afford such an extravagant home”, with that they took off after the Wonderbolt duo.

They stuck to the shadows while following the duo. They neared Sweet Apple Acres then quickly shifted directions to face the large pegasus’s house. The mild brush around them thinned as they approached and they were forced to share a single bush for cover.

“I told you they were going to his house”, Rainbow Dash whispered, as the Wonderbolts waited for someone to answer the door.

There came a noise from inside the house and the door slowly opened to reveal a tall pale stallion. He was missing his signature coat and scarf so they were able to clearly see his face. Soarin broke into a nervous smile and Spitfire remained in her normal professionalism.

“Sir, Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts here on official business…”, Bo seemed unmoved by her declaration. “Uh… we’ve come to…”

“I thought I told you to relax around me? *sigh* Come in and have a seat”, he opened the door and waved them in.

As soon as the two pegasi enter the group raced toward the windows, barely peering over them at the goings on inside. Bo disappeared into the next room as the two sat down and they grew nervous in the strange house, struggling to get comfortable.

“You said this would be a short trip! ‘We’ll just be in and out’ you said, now we’re in this guy’s house. When we’re done here you owe me at least three pies”, Soarin crossed his forelegs and began to pout.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Every time I come to him he tells me to loosen up and he gets upset if I don’t”

“He tells you to loosen up? Maybe he’s not so bad”

Bo returned with two steaming mugs in hoof and put them in front of the duo on the coffee table, “Drink”

They tentatively took the mugs and drank the green-brown liquid. Surprisingly it was sweet and had a strange aroma.

“It’s my own blend of tea; now let’s try this again”

“Okay you win. Hey Bo, it’s Spitfire got anything for me?”

Bo eased back into his normal smile, “Yes, I have exactly what you’re looking for”, he got up and went up the stairs.

“Woah, a stallion is finally able to tame the mighty Spitfire. This guy is something else”, Soarin chuckled.

“He hasn’t tamed me… why are you making me sound like a wild animal?!”

“Have you seen yourself when you’re mad? Might as well be”

Spitfire’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment, “Look I’m sorry about losing my temper and I just have a lot of respect for him; he’s as old as we are but he’s been working and helping the Wonderbolts before you or me even tried out, you know when we were just kids?”

“Wow, geez he’s been working that long? Can’t imagine working all that time”

“You can barely imagine working now”

“Hey! I’m a really hard worker, how else do you think I got to be the fastest stallion in Equestria?”, he said proudly.

“All that hot air must make you lighter, so you fly faster”

“Grr… five pies!! No exceptions!!”

Suddenly the door burst open and in fell a pile of six ponies. They all looked at each other before getting up and trying desperately to explain why they were intruding.

“It’s that mare from the gala!”, Soarin called. Rainbow Dash grew excited but was passed over in favor of Applejack. “Yeah you sold me the pie! Do you have anymore? Captain owes me five and I’ll pay for five more”, he stared hungrily at the mare.

“Uh sure… not on me but you stop by the farm and I’ll git you some fresh ones”

“Captain are we done? Can I please go get my pies?”

“Wait for…”, Spitfire began.

“Huh…”, Bo began, “if I knew I’d be having more guests I would’ve made a meal”, he came back down, with a scroll in hoof, “This one should work for you, no creatures, or unnatural forces, just some challenging terrain”, he smiled.

“Okay, I’ve had it up to here with this investigation”, Rainbow belted, “Bo! What’s your job? What do you do for a living?”

“Oh that’s what you wanted to know?”, all eyes turned to Pinkie Pie, “He’s a map maker!”

“What?!”, they all grumbled in unison.

“Yea, that’s why I always travel so much. I travel to finish and make maps, usually for Celestia. She asks me to act as an ambassador and cultural expert when I’m overseas because I learn a lot about foreign cultures when I’m making maps. The natives really help when I travel, some of the nicest ponies and creatures I’ve ever met were in Zebrica”, he moved to the medals on his shelf, blowing dust off it and giving it to Twilight.

“For fostering friendship between countries through cultural understanding…”

“We come to him every now and again to get the maps of some places that have tricky flying trails, you know for practice”, Spitfire added.

“So that’s a map”, Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, one of my better one’s if I do say so myself”, Bo added.

“Speaking of which, how much do we owe you?”, Spitfire turned back around.

“It’s on me as long as you keep our deal”

“… Fine”, Spitfire grumbled.

They left leaving Bo with only Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“So how did Pinkie know about your job?”

“Easy silly, I come over here all the time to hear stories about the places he goes. Oh oh one time he told me about a place he went to where they make these tiny cakes with lots of sugar and strawberries”, she said excitedly.

“Are there any strange animals out there?”, Fluttershy asked, interest peaked.

“More than I can possibly count, have a seat, I’ll make some tea and snacks, then I’ll tell you all about the places I’ve been”