> A Light in the Black > by Ask_Dj_faUn > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1 - The Beginning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a cold night in Equestria. The night sky was filled with sparkling stars, gently shining with the moon. The clouds moved slowly across the open skies and a gentle breeze whispered across the area. Everypony was sound asleep tonight. Not a sound was made in the air. Only the silent whispers of the soft midnight breeze. But somepony was indeed awake. In the dark forest, a little pony was laying on the ground. It was just a tiny little unicorn. His coat was black and his body was very fragile and weak. The little colt began to lift open his eyes. He just stared for a few minutes, registering his state of mind. His head lifted from the ground and he slowly sat up. It was so cold out here. He quickly began to shiver as the cold air surrounded him. The trees stood high above him and many sounds echoed across the dark atmosphere. He was quickly getting scared. The little pony tried to hide, but his legs were barely able to lift him up. He began to tear up in his eyes as he continued to hear new and frightening noises. He attempted to drag himself towards a tree to hide underneath. He pulled his body over to the tree and dug his way under a root, hiding from the cold and hoping he would be safe. The little pony stayed awake for several hours, too afraid to even blink. His beady yellow eyes looked around slowly and kept an eye out for anything that might be dangerous. Nothing so far... Maybe it was safe? He cautiously crawled into the open and was eventually able to lift his body from the ground. He looked down to his hooves and watched his legs shake a bit until they could hold him up properly. He took a step forward but suddenly tumbled to the ground again. A small and tiny thud was barely visible to the ear. He lifted himself up again and tried to take another step. A little shaky, but he did it. He took another, but because of his legs still growing, he wasn't able to hold himself up with just a hind leg and two front legs. He fell to a sitting position and then quickly stood back to his hooves. He watched as he took one step after another until he was fully capable of walking. He trotted for a few minutes, going in circles to get used to his legs. His eyes also changed colors. Instead of being yellow for cowardice, they were a light red, symbolizing activeness and will. He was a bit excited to be walking. He looked back and looked at his hoof-prints. He stomped the ground, losing some balance and wobbled in the progress. He lifted his hoof and discovered the same print was there. Today was just a school day for the little colt. He was learning so much. He learned how to walk in just a few minutes, he learned what his tracks looked like. He was actually having fun. As much fun he was having, he felt like something was wrong, maybe even missing. He looked around himself and began to think. He never really explored beyond this little area he found himself in. He curiously looked in the distance. He cautiously traveled out of his little home and began to explore this strange place. His eyes, now a light indigo, which was helping him from being scared and to keep exploring, looked all over himself, viewing everything he could spot. Up ahead, he saw something new. It was on the ground and looked like it was in the air as well. He cautiously approached the thing and circled around it. The floor was very different now, compared to the rest of the area. He moved up, just an inch away from touching this new and strange thing. He looked it up and down, examining it with great curiosity. He could see through it as well. This only made him more and more curious. "What is this? It looks so strange..." He thought to himself. He sat down and raised his hoof up. A bit hesitant, he slowly moved his hoof forward, placing it in the thing. His hoof felt... Different. It felt a bit strange. A good strange. He placed his other hoof forward, bringing both hooves into the thing. His balance shifted as he used both of his front hooves into the thing. He fell forward, his balance been off as he only sat on his hind legs, and fell forward and letting his front half rest inside the strange something. Nothing happened. He sat up in the center and looked around. Everything just seemed so strange. This one little spot on the ground felt so much different to what he's been hiding in. His eyes looked down towards his body. It changed too. It was... Warm. He felt warm. He looked to the treetops and up where the thing was coming from. It made his eyes squint. He looked away from it and then walked out of the strange thing. He loved this thing... whatever it was. He soon heard something, turning his head towards it as it rang softly into his small perked up ears. With an ever growing curiosity, the colt went off to discover what made that strange new sound. Upon his presence, he found something new. He examined the area and saw that the thing he found earlier was here as well. It was now moving around on the floor... The floor was moving as well. This was strange. He cautiously moved closer, but his hoof fell into something. He looked down, startled by the sudden happenings, and looked down at his hoof. It wasn't on the ground... It was in it. This part of the ground was different too. His hoof next to him was sitting on soft and fertile ground as his other hoof was in a cold and strange acting ground. It remained the same even with his hoof in it. It moved more than it did before, but it mostly stayed the same. He lifted up his hoof , taking it out of the chilling embrace of the alien-like thing and watched it act strange again. His hoof still had some of the thing on him. It was very cold, colder than it was before he moved it from the something. It was... Wet? Yes, wet! His hoof was wet. He could see something as well. It was in the... Water? That's right. Water. Something was in the water. He leaned in closely, hoping to get a better look at what was down there. He saw himself. His ears, his glowing eyes, his coat and nose. He saw himself for the very first time. It was kinda cool. The colt started to feel as if he knew these things from somewhere. He felt like he had learned these things before. That thing he found before. It began to nag at him, making the little pony want to remember if it was possible. It was… something called. Light... It made him warm... Warm light... Cold water... He remembered those things. What else did he know? He traveled around the area some more, curiouser and curiouser about everything he saw. He was just fascinated. He wasn't so scared anymore. In fact, one could most likely say he was fearless now. He always hid under that one tree, frightened to see what might be out there, scared to go far beyond the safety from under its roots. But now he was brave and venturing further and further from the comfort of his home. He was also pretty happy. He walked on and explored some newer areas, discovering even newer thing with each step. He never thought he would be in such a big place. It was so huge. But he was so tiny. He didn't even mind that. He just wanted to explore this wonderland he woke up in. After a long and exciting voyage the colt grew tired, slowly starting to yawn as his body gradually drained itself out over the past few hours he explored and discovered. He gave another silent yawn and turned back to try and return to his tree. He then had a chilling thought... Which way did he come from? Where was he? He didn't remember where he came from... He started to worry... He didn't know where he was. He was lost. How could he sleep? Where could he sleep? Who would be there to keep him safe? Where was his tree? The fact he couldn’t find the way back to his tree scared him. He was… lost. Hopelessly lost. He tried to go back, but he wasn't sure if that was the right way. Which way can he go? He was so scared now. He tried to follow his tracks, but it was so dark and he could barely see where his hoof-prints were. Maybe the light could help him. But where was it? He wasn’t able to go back. He can’t go back. He felt so lonely. His eyes changed to a light blue. The blue of isolation. He was afraid now. There wasn't anything to keep him warm. Nothing to protect him. He shivered and looked around... Wait, what's that? Is that light? It looked different. It wasn't shiny like last time, but it was some sort of light either way. He walked over and looked at it, seeing that the ground was not a bright as it should have been made. He looked up and could see more. He was able to look into the sky, spotting a huge white thing up there... He moved into the light and looked around himself. This light... It didn't make him warm. He stayed the same. Cold. He looked at the white thing some more. It was lovely. It shined nicely around him, lighting up some of the ground he stood on, similar to the other brighter light from a while ago. Maybe it could look after him as well? He slowly laid himself down and relaxed, laying in the gentle light. His eyes slowly closed and he went to sleep. The night went by smoothly for the tiny colt. He easily woke in warm light with a tired sigh. He slowly sat himself up and shook off his tiredness with a good yawn and shake. He noticed the warm light was back and smiled. He loved that warm feeling it gave him when he moved into it. "Where did the cold light go?" He thought to himself. Maybe he could find it. He decided to go out and look for it. He traveled all around, traveling far and wide for almost an entire hour in hopes of finding it. Sadly, it was not to be seen. He couldn't find it. Just the warm light. He didn't mind the warm light, but he was curious as to where the other light went. Just then, the colt felt a pain... His body didn't feel good. He was hungry... He had to eat. What was he able to eat? The little black colt looked around for a bit... He remembered that he could drink water... But there wasn't any nearby. His stomach howled again and he whimpered a little. He searched a little more and soon spotted some small flowers and pondered. Was he allowed to eat flowers? It seemed right... He went over to the flowers, examining their beautiful colors and sniffing the magnificent smells. He slowly took a pedal and nibbled on it, testing its flavor. He found it, to a surprise, very pleasing. He finished the petal before going to the other flowers and eating them as well. He finished in a few minutes and felt that he was still pretty hungry. What else was there to eat? He looked around and searched for something, even a few more flowers.. There wasn't a single piece of food around. "There must be something I can have... But where can I find something to eat?" He wondered as he continued to travel. But wait... Up ahead... There was light... A lot of light. He moved out towards the light and found himself awestruck at what he was looking at. It's someplace new. What is this place? The light was almost everywhere. Some places didn't have light. But still, look at all of the light! He cautiously left the darkness of the forest and came out into the open. The little colt instantly felt the warmth of the light. It felt good... But that thought was quickly replaced with hunger. He had to eat something... Maybe there was something here he could find? He began to move further out and look for food. Just close by he spotted a tree. It was very big. It had these red things hanging from high above. There were some yellow and red and green ones as well. They looked like food... Maybe it was food. He approached the tree and tried to reach up. He was too small, his tiny hooves barely lifting him to his hind legs. He couldn't reach the food. He kept trying either way. He found a stick nearby and started to throw it at the tree.. No, that didn't do anything. He was only able to find a stick with some leaves on it... Sadly, he decided that was going to have to work. He took back his stick and started to try and bite into it... No, that wasn't working either. He looked at the leaf on the stick and went to eating that instead. He laid beside the tree and worked on the single leaf he was able to find. It wasn't the best tasting thing, nor was it the most filling, but at least he ate something... And because he was small, he was able to keep going for a little longer. The wind gave a small gust and caused an apple to fall from the tree. The apple fell close by the young pony. He flinched and quickly stood up, ready to flee... Wait… a red thing fell down. He calmed down as he saw what it was. It was the food from the tree. Seeing nothing else around, he took the apple by the stem with his teeth and slowly dragged the huge apple into the shade the tree gave and relaxed ash started to eat. He finished the huge red apple and went on to explore some more. "That feels much better." He sighed happily. The black colt looked all around himself as well as over his head. This place had a bigger sky... It was much higher and brighter. It looked really pretty too. He watched as white things moved high above him. Those were... clouds. Puffy fluffy clouds. He remembered those too. He sat down and watched the sky, finding it to be very relaxing. He let his eyes drift and eventually close. > 2 - Meeting the Elements > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The small black pony napped under the big tree, laying on his side as the sun beamed around the tree, which blocked some of the light and offered some shade for the colt to rest within. The wind softly whispered in his ears and made a leaf to fall off of the tree, dancing in the air as it fell downwards and very softly landed over his nose. Feeling the slight discomfort of the leaf resting on his nose, the colt stirred from his nap and sat up, yawning after letting the apple settle in his stomach. After a few moments of stretching his legs and looking around, he began to hear something from afar. This was a new noise that he hasn't heard before. However, being new to him, he couldn't help but feel like he has heard this sort of noise from before. The colt perked his ears up as he very carefully listened, now looking towards the new sound and. As the sounds rang softly into his ears, trying to think about what it was. It was right on the tip of his tongue. He tapped his hoof on the ground as he puzzled about what he was hearing. Talking... that's it, talking. Wait, who was talking? The very question made the colt curious. He listened carefully and learned that the talking was coming from that large red building, which wasn't that far away from him. Being as quiet as he could, the colt started to approach the red barn, sneaking around the corner and looking around. His searching was very short and quick as he spotted two creatures close by. Spotting them, he moved his head back behind the corner. He poked his head out, less than before, as he watched closely and waited to see what these two things would do. He was afraid to come out. He doesn't know what they are... Wait... Those legs... He looked at his own legs and saw that they were kinda the same. Was he like them? Was he one of them? He looked around some more. These two creatures were the only ones here. Maybe he could get closer to them? He cautiously began to step out into the open. The light gently beamed against his body as he made his way out of the shade and back into the warm light. As his coat was hit with the warm sunlight, his eyes responded and began to change into a deep crimson. It was a warm red, which represented how warm he felt as he walked out and into the light. He loved this feeling of warmth. It was so comforting and inviting. He loved to be warm. As he approached, the two ponies spotted him after hearing a small twig snap under the colt’s hooves. He stopped as soon as the loud snap went off, and the two ponies turned to see the colt. Just a moment after they spotted him, the seemed to very slowly and worriedly back away from him. They saw his black coat and could see the piercing red glow in his eyes. They panicked and bolted away in a rush as they began shouting in fear. The young colt was a bit spooked as they moved so suddenly and darted away as soon as they did, too scared to do anything else. He hid in the shade once again, his eyes still a bit red, showing his warmth. He remained in the shadows and shivered in fear. He didn't want to do that again. "Are they gone?" He wondered and looked out again. He was alone again. He cautiously came out and looked for the ponies, curious to see if they were still here or if they really did leave. "Okay... They left... I'm safe." He thought. His eyes scanned everywhere as he came back into the light.. They continued to glow light red due to the warm sun beaming against his dark coat. He walked slowly, following a path that left the place with food and trees. It lead him towards an even larger place. It was more colorful, showing more shades of countless new colors than he has ever seen so far. "What is this place?" He asked himself and looked up and down at everything he could spot with his fascinated and glowing eye. He even saw a few more ponies and froze. He was suddenly scared, recalling the panic that happened not too long ago. They saw him and also hurried away after noticing his eyes. He backed away as he saw them stare and flee, saddened as everyone else that spotted him fled the area, abandoning him and gone into hiding. "Why are they leaving me?" He asked himself and frowned. He walked out a little more. And suddenly there was an entire street of ponies, all of them hearing about this small colt and quickly running away at first glance. He watched as the streets were quick to grow deserted, leaving him the only one outside in the sunlight. Windows closed and doors slammed shut. He was once again all alone. His eyes began to turn a bit lighter red as he was beginning to think about something other than warmth. He slowly walked down the street and saw the there wasn't a single pony out here. He was just left alone. Across the town, a pony was walking peacefully in the quiet afternoon. She had a pink mane and tail, light green eyes, a cutie mark of butterflies, and had a yellow coat with wings. She walked and listened to the birds sing their songs as she carried a few things to her house. On her way however, she saw that the town was completely empty. She has never seen this happen in a while. Maybe something happened? The Pegasi, named Fluttershy, walked further into town and began to investigate. After a minute, the young colt sat down with upset eyes. He closed them and just remained still. He felt so alone. So sad. So blue. Around the corner, Fluttershy walked by and then looked over to find the young pony by himself. He was the only one out here... Maybe he was scared? Lost? Fluttershy cautiously began to walk up and get close to him. She looked over him and saw he was just looking down at the ground. She wondered why he was out here alone. "Are you okay?" She asked with her soft voice. The little colt was startled and panicked. He quickly began to run to the shadows, tripping over himself a few times and cowering in the dark. He hid in the closest shadow he could find and shivered in fear. Fluttershy felt bad that she spooked him and watched him try to hide. She cautiously followed him after he went behind a bush. "It's okay, little guy. Don't be scared." She said to him. His little tail shook as he tried to keep calm and quiet so he wouldn't be noticed. When he heard her voice again, he flinched and tried to go further into the bush. He listened to her voice and felt somewhat calmer... But he was still too scared to realize. He slowly turned around as he tried to stay hidden in the shadows the bush had to offer. His eyes were a light yellow, once again showing his cowardice. He looked at her and tried to keep quiet, as if she was still looking for him and didn't know where he was. His eyes were fixated on her. "Please don't be afraid... It's okay to come out." She assured. She backed away slowly so he had some room to breathe. As she moved away a little, he started to calm down, sensing she really didn't mean any threat. He shyly crawled out just enough so that she could see his yellow eyes, but he remained inside the bush. "Come on out, it's okay. My name is Fluttershy." She said and waited for him to come out. "Fluttershy." He repeated in his head. He kind of liked that name. He slowly poked his head out of the bush and looked around. He and Fluttershy were the only ones outside. He cautiously brought out his front hoofs as he cautiously and nervously left the bush. He remained right in front of it as a way to hide in case something spooked him again. He sat down and looked into her eyes curiously. "What's your name?" She asked him with a warm smile. He thought for a moment. What was his name?... Name... Name... He didn't have one! He frowned and his little ears folded down. Fluttershy looked at him curiously. "Do you... Do you have a name?" She asked. The colt only frowned again and shook his head. "Oh, you poor thing!" She said and began to move closer. The pony saw the sudden motion, startling him and making him back away into the bush. "Don't be afraid, I'm a friend." She said, trying to help him calm down. He came back out shyly and even began to come closer towards her as she remained where she stood. He felt comfortable around her... He wasn't too scared of her. His eyes changed back to a light red, showing he had a sense of safety near Fluttershy. Fluttershy noticed this change and was slightly startled. She assumed it was natural and meant he was happy, based on how he was acting now. As he moved beside her legs, she watched him and felt good with herself in getting him to relax and move beside her. She got him to feel less scared of her. She could easily tell he wasn't scared anymore just by watching him sit next to her and started leaning on her front leg. She looked around again, seeing if there was anypony outside. There still wasn't a single pony out here except for her and the colt. What happened to everypony? "Why don't we get you somewhere safe?" Fluttershy suggested, slowly standing up and even more slowly walking forward. The little pony stood up as she did, and started to follow her, keeping up as best as he could and staying at her side. His eyes slowly changed to a calm blue as he kept by her side. They walked together and eventually made it to a big tree. Fluttershy walked over and walked inside. The colt curiously went in with her and looked around, seeing some new things. "Twilight? Are you here?" Fluttershy called out. After a minute there were steps coming from above. The colt heard this and grew worried once again, hiding in Fluttershy's pink tail and covering himself in hopes of keeping from being seen by what was coming closer. After a moment, a purple unicorn started coming down and welcomed Fluttershy. "Hi Fluttershy. What brings you here?" The mare asked. She looked over and noticed the black colt and looked back at Fluttershy and, now feeling very uneasy. "Who is that behind you?" "Oh, I found him all by himself out there. Everypony in Ponyville is gone. He was just sitting out there all alone. He looked so upset, too." Fluttershy said and moved aside to let Twilight see him. The colt felt her tail moving off of him and revealed his jet black coat. He nervously moved back into her tail, covering his head with her pink colored tail and hiding as much as her tail would allow. "The poor little guy must be so scared." "The only one out there? That is a bit strange. I just saw the streets filled with ponies a few minutes ago." Twilight looked out the window. Fluttershy was right. The whole town was empty. Everypony was just gone. "Maybe they all went back inside?" "Maybe... But why was he all alone out there?" Fluttershy wondered and looked back at the colt. She helped him to relax like before and slowly helped him approach Twilight. "I don't think he can talk either. I tried talking to him, but he won't say anything back." Twilight turned to look at the small black pony. As she looked at him, she noticed a change in his eyes. They were a new color now. "Wait a second. His eyes just change! Weren't they just blue a second ago?" She asked and looked at him closely. He became nervous as Twilight stared at him closely and started backing away, returning to Fluttershy and sitting in front of her, keeping closer to her yellow coat and prepared to hide if the new pony tried to do anything. "Oh, I noticed that too. I think he's controlling that. Do you think it's his magic?" Fluttershy wondered and looked at the new color of his eyes. As Fluttershy asked the question, the word magic sounded familiar to the tiny colt. He thought for a moment and tried to think about that word... He couldn't remember anything. "That could be an answer. I might have something in one of my books." Twilight said and started to search her large bookshelves. She looked through one book after another and eventually found a thick book and pulled it off the shelf. "I think this is it. Equestrian Myths and Legends." Twilight said as she began to open the book and search the index. She then surfed through the pages until she found where she needed to read. Clearing her throat, Twilight began to read out loud. "Chapter 14: Spectrum Ponies," Twilight began, "A very unique type of unicorn that have the power to change their eyes into different colors, each one symbolizing a different emotion at several levels. The deeper the color, the deeper the emotion they currently are attempting to express." Twilight read further down the pages and smiled as she spotted a list of examples. "This book even has the list of colors and what each one means. Hmm, let's see here." She hummed while quickly looking at the colt's eye color. They were yellow right now. Knowing this, Twilight searched this list. "A light yellow hue can represent a feeling of cowardice." Twilight thought about what she read and looked over to Fluttershy. "So... he's scared of us?" "When I found him, he got scared and tried to hide in some bushes. His eyes were a bit yellow then. Maybe he was afraid of me back then, too?" Fluttershy suggested. "That could be it. The book also has red on this list. We might want to be sure he doesn't scare Ponyville into hiding." Twilight said as another quick thought rushed into her mind. "Or did that already happen?" Twilight looked back out the window. A jet black colt with deep red eyes? Yep, that made sense. "It says red stands for heat and warmth. I would assume that he was out in the sun when they saw him?" Twilight suggested. The colt listened and nodded. That's exactly what he did. "Well, that explains why Ponyville looks deserted. He must have scared some ponies and then the whole town was told about it." "You mean he's why everypony is gone?" Fluttershy asked. "Well, you found him alone in the streets, right? That has to be the only reason he'd be by himself. He scared everypony and made them lock themselves in their houses." "But he's so little." Fluttershy said and looked back at him, watching him looking around at the tall shelves filled with books. His eyes scanned all over the place, feeling a little less nervous around Twilight now that he's calming down and distracting himself by looking at what was around him. Both mares smiled at him and thought about how cute he looked. Fluttershy had a good point. He was very small and young, so he can't possibly be a threat to anypony. There was no way he could do harm. He wasn't acting like he was dangerous. "Well, this book has a lot of information about him. I'll let you keep it so you can find out some more information, maybe even add some things that you might learn." Twilight said and used her magic to put the book in Fluttershy's bag. Just then, there was a knock at the door. The three ponies looked at the door. The colt recognized that noise back when Fluttershy did it. It could only mean one thing, and he knew this very well now. Somepony was on the other side of the door. As Twilight opened the door, a white unicorn trotted in. Her mane was purple and delicately curled. Something about this mare just emanated elegance. “Twilight, darling! Thank Celestia I found you! I heard there was a black pony around here and I came here to warn you about him!” she cried as she quickly walked inside and noticed Fluttershy. "Black colt?" Twilight repeated. "Oh, you mean that little guy over there?" She pointed behind Fluttershy, revealing the hiding pony with his eyes looking at the new unicorn nervously behind Fluttershy's tail. His eyes were once again light yellow, almost matching Fluttershy's coat as he looked to the white Unicorn. The white unicorn widened her eyes and let out a frightened squeak. “AAAHH!!! There he is!” The small colt was frightened by the shriek and started to run away. In his attempt, he ran into a very tall bookshelf, causing a few large books to fall over him, hiding him from the mares. He poked his head out and tried running away again, squeezing his way under a nearby desk. “Twilight, you know how dangerous black ponies can be!” The white unicorn whimpered, just as scared at the little colt. She looked to see that it was gone and tried to keep her eyes out for it. “You know what they’re capable of! Don't you remember when we came across King Sombra? This colt could be just like him!” She said and backed up a few steps, looking around for the colt and hoping he wouldn't jump out at her. "I know, Rarity, but King Sombra was a king and a fully grown alicorn. This colt is a Unicorn, and he barely looks older than 10 years old." Twilight said and grabbed the book she just gave to Fluttershy. She opened it to the same pages as before and let Rarity read it with her. Meanwhile Fluttershy went over to where the colt fled and tried to calm him down and help him come out from his hiding spot and move into the open. “A Spectrum pony? That’s new.” Rarity said and looked at the colt as he was gradually talked into coming out from under the desk. “But I’m still not sure about all of this. I remember the stories they told me about how... chaotic and dangerous these black ponies can be.” She said, cautiously watching the colt from afar. Fluttershy slowly helped the tiny colt out from under the desk and stayed by his side as she and Twilight talked wit Rarity. His eyes were still that familiar light yellow. "Well, maybe he's not like those ponies in those stories?" Fluttershy suggested and looked down at the colt. He kept his eyes from meeting Rarity's, still very scared from her sudden and loud shriek. He was still shaking after her scream. "Can you give him a chance? I'm sure he's very nice and would never want to hurt anypony. Just look at him!" She said and gave another glance at the scared pony next to her. "I think Fluttershy has a point, Rarity." Twilight added. "He's only seen me for about five minutes and already he seems pretty calm and okay around me. He might act the same way to you." "Please, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked. "Just say hello to him? That might make him less scared." The little black pony nervously looked up at Rarity, still a bit frightened that she might do something scary again. His small yellow eyes looked into her own and wondered what she might do. His eyes only stayed on her for a moment before turning away. “I suppose it's worth a try." Rarity said as she cautiously moved closer to the black pony. "He-Hello, little pony." She spoke with a nervous posture, shaking nervously as she took a few steps forward. She didn't move any further, worried that he was just acting like he was innocent and harmless. The tiny colt looked up at her and tried to give a smile. As he and Rarity kept still for a brief and quiet moment, he cautiously stood up and even more cautiously began to take baby steps towards her. Her shaking made him a bit worried, knowing she was just as scared as he was. But he dared himself to keep going and try to be nice. Both Fluttershy and Twilight watched as the little colt tried to be brave and moved closer... But what about Rarity? Before anything else could happen, the front door burst wide open and a very loud and sudden noise went off like a bomb. The colt was in a quick panic and hid by the closest thing he could reach, which happened to be Rarity. He jumped in horror and clung to her leg, holding on for dear life. From the looks of it, Rarity had a nervous expression on her own face. The black colt was extremely close to her, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. The little pony seemed more afraid of the door suddenly busting opening than he was of Rarity. But she kept calm and collected, and looked up at the door to see who barged in. "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Did you hear the news?!" A new voice shouted with joy. "There's a new pony in town! Let's welcome him with a PARTY!!!" The pony jumped playfully and excitedly, shooting around some confetti and balloons. The poor colt was terrified, just clinging to Rarity and unable to even move anymore. He just stared in terror. "Whereishewhereishewhereishe?" She asked. Fluttershy acted fast and tried to quiet the new pony, but to no avail. "Pinkie, stop!" Twilight spoke quickly and placed her hoof over the pink mare's lips. The room went quiet again as everyone looked to see the terrified black colt still holding onto Rarity's leg for his life. “Pinkie, that was just plain rude!” Rarity exclaimed. “Not only that, but we have a colt in our midst. Try to show some control.” Rarity half-shielded the little colt with her other hoof. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf, much worse than just a few moments ago. If she looked closely, she could see him hiding his face in her coat as he began to cry a bit. Her thoughts of the colt suddenly changed, now feeling sad that he was this terrified and how she assumed he was a threat in the first place. She only now realized just how little he truly was and how innocent he was being. Fluttershy and Twilight were right. He was NOTHING like what she was told about. He was an all new story. Fluttershy moved over to the colt and tried to calm him down once more as well as help him off of Rarity's leg, but he wouldn't let go. He kept himself there and was just overwhelmed by the sudden attack of sounds and fast motions. "Don't be scared.” Fluttershy quietly spoke. “It's okay. It's just a friend. You don't have to be scared." She spoke as calmly as she possibly could, doing her best to have the colt calm down, but it didn't seem to work right away. Pinkie noticed that the pony was black and was about to panic. Twilight tried to keep her quiet as Rarity and Fluttershy worked on actually calming down the poor colt. "Before you say anything, Pinkie, he's not what you think." Twilight said and explained everything just as she did to Fluttershy and Rarity. After a few more minutes the colt was finally able to calm down and started to let go of Rarity, but was still very frightened by Pinkie. As he let go, his legs lost their hold and he flopped to the ground, softly landing on his back. He stood back up and kept behind Rarity, hiding in her tail and keeping his eyes on Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy continued to speak to him, doing everything she could to calm him down at last as he stayed close to Rarity still, hoping she would offer him protection. He shivered behind her leg and in her tail, hiding from Pinkie with his eyes still bright yellow. They both looked at each other, but the colt kept himself hidden behind Rarity. "Don't be afraid little buddy." Fluttershy whispered and lowered to his eye level. He looked at Fluttershy and cautiously moved by her side, looking around at everypony as they all watched him quietly. "That's just Pinkie Pie. She won't hurt you. Go say hello to her." Fluttershy gently nudged the colt closer towards Pinkie and watched as he then very slowly approached the mare, still shaking wildly. He was still scared by the loud noises she made. "He looks so terrified." Twilight said and frowned, feeling bad for him. She watched as the colt began to slow down half way and came to a stop, slowly beginning to back away. He shivered some more and made eye contact with Pinkie. "Why don't you try to get closer, Pinkie?" Twilight suggested. "Just move slowly so he doesn't freak out... This must be so new and overwhelming for him..." Pinkie Pie slowly moved closer, smiling warmly at the small colt. He watched her approach and began to hesitantly back away even more. Pinkie watched and also backed away. She sat down and decided to let him come to her again, hoping he would try. He calmed down some and tried to encourage himself. "Just go and say hello." He thought to himself. "Just go up and say hello... I have to do this..." He slowly began to walk closer, being as brave as he could. His hooves slowly closed the distance between them, almost two feet apart now as he kept a careful eye on her and prepared himself in case she tried anything again. Pinkie Pie decided to try something. She knew about little ponies being shy and always tried this one little trick to help ease their minds. Pinkie lowered her head down very slowly, eventually settling down on the floor and laying down. Her slow movements showed that she was being careful not to spook the colt, and laying down on the floor helped show she meant no harm. The colt watched her do this and began to understand she was not as scary as he first believed. He walked a little bit faster and was soon by her side. As he made his way next to her, the colt decided to settle down with her, laying down with her as she let him make his way over. He was still a bit shaky, but the mares could easily see that he was much calmer than when Pinkie first showed up. They awed at how cute he looked as he and Pinkie Pie laid on the floor together. His eyes slowly became a calming blue again and he became fully relaxed. Pinkie's little trick had earned her another victory. Pinkie watched his eyes change as he looked up at her and she oohed in astonishment. She looked back at the book Twilight showed her before and looked back to it mentioned the color blue. Pinkie gave a smile as she read the text, liking how the color was described and defined. Pinkie looked at the other colors and chuckled when she saw pink listed in the book. The little colt lifted himself up and went over to Twilight, feeling like he hasn't given her much attention as he did with the other mares. He moved next to her hooves and looked up in her eyes. She smiled at him, showing she was okay with him close to her and offering to be at her side. As he sat down and simply looked up at Twilight, there was a knock on the door. Twilight made her way to the door and poked her head out to see who was there. "I'll take care of this." Twilight said and grabbed her book and carefully left the house, leaving the mares alone with their new friend. The colt watched her leave and tried to follow her. She left without him and left him a bit confused. He looked at the door and wondered where Twilight went. He lifted himself up and tried to open the door, but sat down in failure. He looked over to the others and wondered what to do next. Pinkie moved up to him and smiled. "What's your name?" She asked and sat down beside him. "Oh... Uh, Pinkie, he... Doesn't have one..." Fluttershy said and sat up. She looked over at him and frowned after remembering that he had no name. "Should we give him one?" "Ooh, I wanna give him a name!" Pinkie bounced excitedly. The colt watched her move up and down. He moved aside both nervously and also tried not to get in her way. He moved back beside Fluttershy and gave her a smile. He felt so safe by her side. A moment later, the front door opened up and Twilight walked in with two other mares. One of them was a bit familiar. The colt looked at the orange pony and nervously laid his ears down. That was one of the first ponies he was seen by. She was the one who panicked after seeing him. "Ya sure he's safe to be 'round, Twi?" The orange one asked, looking at him and saw how he looked back at her. "He's completely harmless, Applejack. I can assure you that he can't do any damage." Twilight said and watched the other mare come in. Her mane was full of colors... She also had wings, just like Fluttershy. He didn't even think about it and started to move over to the new Pegasi, very curious about her as well. "Maybe she's like Fluttershy?" He thought as he just stood up and approached the cyan pony. "Whoa, whoa why's he coming after me?" The Pegasi panicked and jumped off of the floor and into the air. The colt stopped as she flew up, watching her just stay up there with amazement in his eyes. He looked over to the orange mare and remembered that she didn't really like him. He nervously moved a few steps back, keeping his distance as she watched him. "Perhaps he has a thing for Pegasus?" Rarity guessed. The group of mares watched the colt stand still, keeping his eyes on Applejack as she looked back at him. He looked over her orange coat and blonde mane and tail. As he looked at her tail, his eyes caught her cutie mark. She had those red things on her flank. His curiosity once again ignited, encouraging him to approach and investigate. "Why is he starin' at me like that?" Applejack asked and watched him move by her and look at her cutie mark. He examined and wondered why she was wearing food... Applejack moved away and watched him curiously. "Where'd he even come from?" "Fluttershy said she just found him all alone outside." Twilight said. "And we think he's why everypony is hiding. His eyes must have changed red when he was out there." "Well... Ah did see him at the barn... His eyes were redder than Big Mac." Applejack said. "I warned everypony that he was here, so ah guess it's mostly mah fault." The colt moved back in front of her and looked into her eyes, his own slowly changed into orange. Applejack saw this and glanced at him. "Is he tryin' to be like me or somethin'? His eyes are goin' orange..." Pinkie Pie looked back at the book and was curious about orange. She then began to read what she found on the page. "It says that orange is a color of forgiveness." Pinkie stated as she looked back at Applejack. "Is he using orange for forgiveness? Is he trying to forgive Applejack?" Fluttershy asked. "Well, Applejack did warn Ponyville about him being an evil little colt." Rarity said and moved over to his side. "I could hear her shouting it down the street." "Sorry little guy..." Applejack said and frowned. The colt moved closer and leaned against Applejack with glowing orange eyes. "It looks like he does forgives you, Applejack." Twilight smiled. Applejack smiled at the colt and placed her hoof over his head, giving a small hug. "What about you Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked and looked up to the pegasi. "He seems kinda cool... I guess..." The cyan pony replied. She slowly came down to the ground and moved up to the colt. She extended her hoof to the black pony and smiled kindly. "The name's Rainbow Dash." The colt looked at her hoof and looked at his own. Curious, he placed his tiny hoof up against Rainbow Dash's hoof, but wasn't sure what to do next. They both just touched hooves and stood in an awkward silence. "What should we name him?" Pinkie asked, breaking the silence. Everyone thought for a moment before they started to list some names. "Maybe Midnight?" Rainbow Dash suggested. "That doesn't sound very colt like." Twilight answered. "How about Ash?" "Or maybe Charcoal?" Pinkie added. "What about Shadow?" Applejack said. "I think he should be named Lucifer." Rarity suggested. "Or Charcoal!" Pinkie repeated. The group started to negotiate and list as many names as they could come up with. The colt looked over and noticed Fluttershy was by herself. He moved away from the others and hurried to her side, not wanting her to feel lonely. "I wonder what names I can think of..." Fluttershy said and watched him sit down next to her. She thought for a moment before saying the first thing that came up. "Buddy?" The colt thought about that name... "I like Buddy." He thought. He smiled at her and nodded yes. Fluttershy smiled back as he agreed to her idea. They both stood up and tried to speak to Twilight and the others, but they continued to talk to one another, unable to hear Fluttershy as she tried to get their attention. > 3 - Learning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The little colt wondered how he could get their attention. He moved in the middle of the group and tried to wave to get their attention. Nope, he was too short. What else could he try to do? He looked around and tried to find something, but to no avail. He moved his way back over to Fluttershy and pondered about what they, being himself and Fluttershy could do. He looked around as he could only think of one last thing to try. He made a stance, looking directly at Pinkie Pie, and started to dart over to the mares again and bumped into Pinkie Pie's side. With success, Pinkie felt him run into her and looked at him. When she did, he quickly stood up and looked back to Fluttershy, trying to tell Pinkie she gave him a name. He looked at Fluttershy and back at Pinkie, then back at Fluttershy. He kept turning his head between the two mares, all while pointing his hoof towards Fluttershy. Pinkie looked over for a brief moment and shrugged. Maybe he just got confused or something? Pinkie Pie turned back to the other mares and went back to discussing names. Buddy frowned as she ignored him. Now he had to try something else. Fluttershy watched him and wondered how she could help. She gave an attempt to call out to the others, only to be left unheard with her softer and lighter voice. Buddy returned to her side and tried to think, his hoof tapping against the floor as he pondered and thought about how he could communicate with the girls. He couldn't think of anything, and let his hoof rest against the wooden floor. He looked around and had a sudden flicker in his head as a certain object appeared in his view. He found a bell! That might work! He went over to it, grabbing the small bell in his mouth, and moving back to Fluttershy's side. Readying himself, he arched his head as far to the left as he could and shook his head around crazily, causing the bell to make quite a lot of noise. The group of mares heard the bell ringing like an alarm clock and looked over at the colt. The room went quiet as the colt finally managed to get their attention. His wild head thrashing and bell ringing had caused him to go dizzy after shaking so much and fell over on his side, the world and the room spinning all over the place as he tried to stand still. He sat himself back up, his head still spinning a little, and tried to look up at Fluttershy. His eyes appeared a bit cross-eyed as he worked to regain himself from his successful attempt to get everypony's attention. "Is something wrong?" Twilight asked and tilted her head at the two ponies sitting by themselves. "Oh, well..." Fluttershy began, her pink mane almost hiding her face and eyes as she worked up her answer towrds Twilight's question. "I suggested the name 'Buddy'... I think he likes it." "Why didn't you say anything before?" Pinkie asked with a giggle and a smile. "That name sounds cool. He can be my Pinkie Pie Party Buddy!" "It does seem like a good name..." Twilight agreed. The other mares all thought the name over and agreed with smiles. His name was Buddy. "Kinda catchy... Little Buddy..." Rainbow Dash laughed. "So, what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked and looked at Buddy. He moved closer to her and smiled. As he tried to walk, his hooves wobbled and wiggled from being so dizzy still. He leaned too far, falling onto her leg. He quickly regained his stance, keeping still as he let his head work to stop the room from spinning round and round. "Why don't we tell everyone that everything is alright?" Twilight said. “I'm sure everypony is still freaked out from his appearance from earlier. "Yeah, we probably should." Applejack said. Everypony started to walk out of the house and went out in the open. Buddy followed behind Fluttershy and looked around the outside. Everything was so bright. So colorful. He never noticed until right now that the place he was coming into was so bright and peaceful. Still, however, the streets stayed empty. Not a single soul could be seen outside. Twilight moved out to the middle of the streets and cleared her throat. She decided the scare was over. "Everypony in Ponyville," she announced, "it's safe to come out now. There's no need to hide anymore! Everything is okay! After a minute of silence, some windows began to slowly creek open. Doors slowly unlocked, and heads began to poke out curiously. Some ponies started to walk out and look around the streets, checking to see if there was any damage or danger. Buddy watched from behind Fluttershy and looked at all of the ponies as they came out from hiding. He was still very new to Ponyville, and the newer ponies that appeared in his view brought him concern and worry. Were they nice? Were they mean? He would only find out once they came out. "There has been a small mistake.” Twilight continued, watching “The black colt is not what he is thought to have been. He is no threat to us." Buddy as the ponyfolk gradually moved outside and relaxed their minds. The town became active, and Buddy started to see more Pegasus fly across the sky. Some ponies approached the colt, examining him and talking about how cute he looked, while few ponies saw him as a problem just waiting to happen. Most of the town welcomed the young colt and even a few fillies and other colts asked to play. Buddy was a bit overwhelmed and stayed beside Fluttershy. As the younger fillies and colts approached him, looking over his coat and eyes, Fluttershy gently nudged the little black colt towards the open air, where he was able to be examined and met with many more ponies of ages and colors. He looked around himself, carefully walking and cautiously looking at who was approaching. He felt a bit uneasy as he was brought to so many ponies. He wanted to do it for Fluttershy, but it was getting a bit hard as he was examined. “Where's his mane?” One colt asked as he looked up at Buddy's head. “Did it all fall off?” “And where's his tail? It's not there either!” A filly pointed out as she moved closer. “What's yer name?” Another pony asked, her mane and tail a soft apple red, accompanied by a large pink bow over her mane. Her coat was a soft yellow, with a pair of orange eyes. As she waited for an answer, the colt provided nothing for her. Not even a peep came from his lips. “What's the matter, fella?” She asked confused. “Can't ya talk?” “Maybe he's just shy?” Another filly guessed as she moved over to look at him. Her coat was a soft white, and her mane and tail purple and pink. Her soft green eyes looked over the colt, and was soon accompanied by an orange filly with purple hair and eyes. “Does he have a voice?” She asked. “Maybe he doesn't know how to talk?” “Now, c'mon, y'all.” Applejack spoke up as she moved over. “Give him some air, now. He's just nervous is all. And his name's Buddy.” She spoke, looking over at Buddy and seeing him smile up to her, keeping to her side as the three young fillies looked at him still. “Now, Buddy, this here's mah little sister, Apple Bloom.” Applejack said as she looked to her sister, who gave a friendly wave with her hoof. Buddy let his hoof lift up, waving back at her. Rarity walked over towards the white filly, standing beside her and smiling. “And this is my little sister, Sweetie Belle.” She spoke proudly. Sweetie Belle gave a wave as well, which Buddy returned. She looked over at the orange filly. “I'm Scootaloo.” She smiled as she offered her hoof to Buddy. Buddy wasn't sure what she was doing, but curiously placed his hoof against hers, letting it stay there for a moment. Both Buddy and Scootaloo looked at each other and their touching hooves. “You're supposed to shake it...” Scootaloo said as she looked back at him strangely. “Don't you know how to shake hooves?” “He's still learnin'.” Applejack said. “Show him how ya do it.” She suggested as she watched. Scootaloo did as suggested, slowly lifting her hoof up. “First, you lift your hoof like this...” Scootaloo explained, feeling like she was talking to a baby right now as she explained to Buddy how to shake hooves. “And then you move it down. And then up. And then down again.” She moved her hoof as she explained to Buddy how to shake. In no time, Buddy was doing it by himself, shaking her hoof without her having to teach him. He began to smile, feeling good about himself as he was getting to learn something new. “He looks so happy.” Fluttershy smiled as she moved over to Buddy, sitting beside him and letting him move closer. He leaned against her, smiling up to her and letting his eyes change colors once more to show his current emotion. She stood up, and he did the very same. As she looked towards Twilight and the others, Fluttershy gave a wave goodbye. “I am going to go home now.” “Take care, Fluttershy.” Twilight spoke as she turned to move back to her own home. The others did the same, resuming their daily routines as Buddy followed beside Fluttershy towards her home. It was an easy walk as the two ponies made it to the house. It kinda looked like Twilight's house. Only smaller. They both walked in and Buddy quickly started to explore, feeling the floor and examining everything his little red eyes could find. Fluttershy smiled at how adventurous he seemed to be. So easily excited and curious towards every new thing he came across. So small and brave... She could only smile at him as he ran all over the room, staring and touching whatever he could put his little hooves against. "Now then,” Fluttershy sighed,“let's see what this book has to say about you." she spoke as she put her satchel aside, pulling out the book that Twilight gave to her. Fluttershy settled down on her sofa and opened up the book up, flipping through the pages until she found the Spectrum Ponies. Buddy eventually climbed up the couch, moving his way over and settled himself down right next to Fluttershy. He leaned his head over her arm, laying his chin against her hoof as she kept the book open to read. Buddy looked closely and tried reading with her. Fluttershy smiled once again towards him and began reading to herself, interested in what the book had to offer about Buddy's origins. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Chapter 14: Spectrum Ponies This is a very rare and powerful generation of pony. Their magic is very powerful, becoming even stronger as they become older. They are an ancient generation that has said to die out long ago. There are points in history that ponies all across Equestria have been lucky enough to see one, as they are also said to bring a lifetime of good luck. A Spectrum Pony is said to be born in a rainbow. They are capable of using 12 colors, each one different than the others. Spectrum Ponies are a kind generation, protecting the ones they love with their very lives. When a Spectrum Pony dies, stories say that they are reborn somewhere within the rainbows that cover Equestria. They travel on light bridges they make with magic, which stories say are rainbows themselves. Spectrum Ponies are not only capable of controlling colors, but they can change the way other earth ponies, unicorns, pegasus, and alicorns act, moving their emotions and behavior. Each color is said to represent a Spectrum Pony. While most of these ponies use their powers for good, very few misuse their powers for evil, covering the land of Equestria in hate and endless wars. But one day, one brave Spectrum Pony rose above the darkness of the evil and defeated their wicked king. The king was cast out forever, never to be seen or heard of again. To this day, that brave stallion watches over Equestria, protecting everypony from above. Until his fall, the king will never rise and the darkness shall never reign over Equestria. RED----------Red evokes a sense of safety and confidence in the future, and helps to cope with life problems. Red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and rising blood pressure. It stimulates the nervous system and releases adrenalin. Red is hot. It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. It denotes fire, heat, passion, aggression and anger, at the same time symbolizing life, energy, activeness, struggle and will. ORANGE----------Orange helps to get rid of unpleasant emotions and forgive people, helps through hard times (broken relations, death of someone close) and assists in solving problems. It is a color of change between the heat of summer and the cool of winter; it indicates transition between two opposing factors. If you are at a loss or have doubts, use orange. Orange is vibrant. It denotes energy, rhythm, joy, emotion, cheerfulness, gaiety, and greed. YELLOW----------Yellow makes feelings move, eliminates negative emotions. It helps to accept new ideas and different points of views. Yellow assists in self-organization and concentration. This color enables cognition and improves memory. Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that has conflicting symbolism. On one hoof it donates happiness and joy. But on the other hoof, yellow is the color of cowardice, stubbornness, and deceit, and sometimes fear. GREEN----------When we think of the color green, we imagine forests, trees and grass. Forming a bond with nature, the green color makes ponies closer. When you are short with green, you lack harmony. Green helps to relax. It is the color of nature, belief, willpower, spontaneity, kindness and gentleness. TURQUOISE----------Turquoise contains two colors: green and blue. Similar to green, it harmonizes; familiar to blue, it creates the feeling of purity. Emerald green helps finds to express and support the contact with listeners. It's the color of wave, rain, purification, change and calmness. But too much emerald may evoke vanity, together with confusion or boasting. BLUE----------Blue has relation to intellect and ability to calm with words. It indicates honesty and sincerity. With the help of blue, you can isolate from the reality, and - staying in solitude - contemplates and thinks. Blue enables creativity. It is associated with the wind, sky, cold, reserve and indifference, but at the same time purity, compassion and candor. INDIGO----------Indigo is "The Third Eye". This color develops your mental capacity. It purifies thinking and raises thought power, helps get free from worries and fears, reveals the ability to hear the inner voice and make a right decision. It indicates peace, depth, vision, wisdom and silence. Be careful, too much indigo gives birth to idealism and fatality. VIOLET----------Violet is majestic. It's the color of kings and priests. It's the color of inspiration, healers and creative ponies. The violet color calms your soul, fills your body with energy, and powers the thought. It provides balance of feminine and masculine in the pony organism. It's the color of spirituality, mystics, artistry, nobility, law and power, but at the same time fanaticism, alienation and death. PINK----------Pink decreases aggression and helps to relax. It causes a sensation of comfort, helps to get rid of obsessive thoughts, helps through hard times, and helps us dream. It's the color of feminine, love, romance, friendliness, frivolity, and excessive sensuality. GREY----------Gray is a neutral, balanced color. It is a cool, conservative color that seldom evokes strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody color. It's a color of "Gray substance, brain, intellect. It's the color of shadow, clouds, rigor, good sense and realism, at the same time being the color of duality, boredom and sorrow. BLACK----------Black is the absence of color. Being the opposite of white, it plays an important role in our life. Black may obstruct changes. Black protects. When we feel vulnerable or need loneliness, we appeal to black. It's the color of dark, quiet, mystery, emptiness, sorrow and death. WHITE----------White is a positive color, and ---in fact--- is a combination of all the colors in the spectrum. The spirituality of white energizes and purifies. White heals. If you don't know what color suits you, use white. The color white is associated with light, purity, innocence and concentration. While there only few colors listed, there are even more shades and hues of each one, making endless combinations of emotions to discover. The true number of colors that can be created by this unique race is still unimaginable. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> As Fluttershy finished the chapter, she noticed that Buddy was getting tired. His eyes looked droopy and lazy. She couldn't blame him. He must have had such a rough day today. She also noticed that the sun was beginning to go down. It was time for bed. Fluttershy closed the book, placing it on the top of her living room table, and looked over to the tired black colt that flopped against the sofa. Fluttershy carefully reached towards him, carefully moving him onto her back as she carried Buddy to bed. She had a small room that had a bed. Fluttershy walked into the small bedroom, moving Buddy fro her back and onto the soft pillow and laying him under the sheets. After tucking him in, Fluttershy kept a lamp on with a very little light coming out of it, helping him relax and stay cozy in his bed. She then started to leave the room and went to her own bedroom. She gave a yawn and was soon sound asleep in her bedroom.