Josh's letter takes him over to Equestria. Along the way, he reunites with Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap as well as gaining wings so he could fly, all of which would not have been possible if not for a senior prank.
Reminiscing about the senior prank, Josh comes home with his copy of his letter he wrote for Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap to a surprise, three in fact, he never thought would've been this possible. Going to Equestria, reuniting with Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap, and finally, flying. And because he was taken to Equestria, Josh never had to go to school again. But it just so happened that he was about to see a race as well with a celebration afterwards.
A sequel requested by poll on Google+
Rated Teen for multiple suggestive themes, minimal blood, and minimal usage of alcohol and profanity.
After a long day of what I call "Battle of the Genders", it was actually something else that started with "Battle of the", I get to my dorm room to relax for a while. Picking up the photo albums I have, I look through all the pictures, every last one, all of which bring me to tears. One picture is of Tail Flight on the mac I have at home. Another is of her preening herself.
Derek peeps into my room and calls out. "Josh!"
"Yeah." I look at Derek but not after drying my eyes for the fifteenth time this month.
"Talent show is going to start."
"Okay. Be right out." I set the albums under my high bed as I grab my card key and my guitar. I head to the common area as I wait at the front door for everyone else.
"Count off!" Kahlil raises his hand to hear who's present.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
"Four."
"Five."
"Six."
My turn. "Seven."
"Eight."
"Nine."
Melissa raises both of her hands as she belts out a muffled "ten". That is when everyone starts cheering as we all head out to the room we went through admission in.
As I get to my dorm room, I try to focus on getting all those "songs" out of my head by listening to some of the music on my phone. I tap "Jogging music" and push play. What starts playing is Owl City. One of my favorites from that artist was playing. "To the Sky" was the name. Thinking back to what Simone said about what those "songs" consisted of. I don't believe her with her saying that those "songs" contained real instruments. To me, as long as something does contain an instrument all the way through, I consider it music.
That is when the song changes to "Clock Strikes". I listen to a few more songs, one of them being one I wrote, and all the noise that played is completely out of my head. I ask myself in my head, how could you get so much noise out of your head only listening to just five songs? The answer I find to be very simple. But I might as well spare myself the pain of re-answering that.
Parker suddenly comes in saying hi and all that jazz until he notices what I've been listening to. "The... rainbow... and... the... runners... Is that a band or something?"
"It's my musical name." I looked at the phone and sure enough, it was on one of my songs. As Parker closes the door, I see the note I put on the back of it. It's that same note of which I blew at which somehow caused a copy of it to disintegrate. I look at it and start to tear up. Thankfully, Parker doesn't notice.
I think of all the times I had back at Maine and home with Wind Rust, Tail Flight, and Wiretap. We had a lot of great times those forty days we were together. I just wish it would've been longer.
I'm back home after a near month at LeMoyne. I actually get to keep the iPad I had there and even get to relax from a hard month's work. The note from the back of the door in my dorm is in one of my photo albums in my backpack. In almost a whole month, I went through almost every single activity in the program and had fun with it.
Today, after a long trip home with listening to real music on my phone, I set it down and go on my computer and listen to my cover I was doing back at Cole's house. Throughout that time span, I'd gotten a little further in the cover. About 2:45 was appropriate. But then that note got my attention again. But after some time, I decide that it would be best just to get to bed after a long night of making a cover so long.
As I open my eyes again, I look to see that I'm at Cole's house again. I turn to the stairs and somehow, I hear myself talking. "Why the long face? I know I was being forced to do things, but I didn't even abandon you. Did something happen?" I remember saying that when I was at Cole's house in the computer room.
I run upstairs to get to the room until I stop and think. I also do remember hearing someone racing up the stairs before Tail Flight explained everything that was depressing the three ponies. I look at the door, but it's closed. However, behind it is a very familiar story. "I love my cutie mark, but somehow, looking at it somehow brings me down. I feel like I'm gonna have to say goodbye to it. I mean, look at Wiretap. He's gotten a great cutie mark too, but he's probably going to have to say goodbye to that too."
I think back for a bit. I'm in the past. I "fly" down the stairway on my back outside. Wait, fly? I can fly? How in the world can I fly? I thought it wasn't possible but I guess I'm wrong. That is until I see a growing sun coving my vision with nothing but white as I start to wake up.
I'm now awake with a literal "numbskull", which quickly faded after a few minutes as I keep feeling something fuzzy on my hand. I pause the music I'm playing as I turn my eyes to the backpack. I start to think of why I keep thinking about the note. What is it about that note that makes it stick out in my mind? As I take out the note, my attention turns to the left arm of the pillow I was sleeping on. Something I never thought could stay in my world was right next to the arm of my pillow. A black feather. No wonder my hand felt so fuzzy waking up. It's still in perfect shape. This must've been from a crow or something.
I set down the note back in my backpack as I pick up the feather once again. I set it down on the computer as I turn it on. I go downstairs for breakfast as I take the note with me and set it down on the top of the bookshelf next to the balcony door. After getting myself some cereal, I get to my phone to post some videos I took at LeMoyne on YouTube.
I get right to my computer again and start getting to MilkyTacker upon making a new song. It was very peaceful, much like what music I'd like to listen to going to sleep. It reminded me of one picture I took late at night sleeping on the futon before school was out. It was during the weekend so, I decided that since my brothers wanted me to sleep there because of how bad it was raining then, Tail Flight happily slept with me as I did. But before she could get to sleep, she figured that it'd be the best time to preen her wings for the first time. I got my phone out and took a picture of her as she preened her left wing as her tail was almost touching the wall next to the futon.
I take out the two albums and look at them thoroughly again. When reaching that picture, I'm tearing up so much that I'm more than ready to burst out into tears. But these are tears of joy. All of these memories are inside me. Inside my friends. My friends. The feather! I get out my phone and my feather. There's still all the pictures from the album, including some of the oldest.
I grab the note and place it where I set the feather and the phone hoping it'll do something. It didn't. However, when I was waiting, my computer shut off on me. I feel something within my stomach. I start to belch out as something comes out. A scroll. I wonder who that could've been from.
"Dear Joshua,
I may've received from you a letter sometime last month, so I sent it over to Twilight and her friends. Much to my dismay, after three and a half weeks did Twilight find out what happened. There was no real way I could've quickly sent it to Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap alone but I may have a solution. It's been a while since I've seen what I gave you. But I figured you might've been looking at what's inside the entire time at LeMoyne. I can't say if it'll have any effects or not but I'm certain that it will be worth a shot, maybe even up to five. But make sure to do it at noon. Hope it helps,
Princess Celestia."
"Ugh! I need some water!" I go to the fridge and see if there's any filtered water. There is about a cups worth. I open the freezer to see if there is any ice, which there is. After seeing the ice tray, I grab it and put a few cubes in a very large clear striped cup. I look at the time. 1:01. Might as well do it tomorrow. I put the ice tray away in the freezer and open the fridge to get to the water filter and poor some water, drinking it very quickly afterwards.
I come back upstairs to turn my computer back on. Nothing's working. I go back to the note, phone and feather and separate them all. That's when the computer turns on.
That is the weirdest experience I've had so far. First, I've just received a letter from Princess Celestia herself who is very well aware of what's going on. I never thought it would actually work, although it did call for some water. Secondly, at the position of where my phone, note and the feather all were, my computer just shut down like that, only to turn on when I moved them. But I was casted on a flight spell by Princess Celestia for about a day and a half after Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap left, and did send a letter successfully to Princess Celestia. So, I might as well shrug it off.
Just before I woke up for the first time in Equestria, I had this dream, a dream that I was back at Cole's house, the computer room to be exact. I felt sad in the reminiscence of it all, but it was something different. I thought I'd loose my cutie mark again. Josh came in as he looked shocked at our sad faces. "Why the long face? I know I was being forced to do things, but I didn't even abandon you. Did something happen?"
That was when I spoke. But not before hearing some thumping coming from the staircase. Must've been Cole. "I love my cutie mark, but somehow, looking at it somehow brings me down. I feel like I'm gonna have to say goodbye to it. I mean, look at Wiretap. He's gotten a great cutie mark too, but he's probably going to have to say goodbye to that -too." I groaned as I felt an ache on my left wing trying to hide it by holding it with my hoof and tried to fold the wings. Josh didn't respond. But the pain was too much to bear. I felt unconscious as I fell to the floor with a white light in Josh's direction. That was when I woke up.
Today, I finally yawn until I find myself not in Josh's room anymore but a room I've never seen before. It feels silent, cold, hard and motionless, not warm and fuzzy with an elevation rhythm I could sleep to with some of my favorite songs. No River Flows in You, no Dead Island Trailer Music, no Sunset in Equestria but most of all, no Inevitabilis.
I'm never going to get used to that, a kind of awaking tired that is very lonely, so lonely I walk back to this bed and start to cry.
I think it's been about four hours since I started crying. That's when six ponies come through a distant door. I leap onto my four hooves still expecting to land somewhere above or below where I actually do land. I walk out of the bedroom but not before the six ponies come to greet me at the door of the room.
A winged yellow mare peeps in first. "How's our favorite pony doing? Better?"
I sniffle a bit. "Actually worse."
"What? Really?" Another winged mare, blue coat with a rainbow mane, peeps in with the other. "Like, how bad?"
"No music, no elevation rhythm... nothing. I was not on the bed I was used to. I was just on 'a' bed."
A completely pink mare peeps in now. "Well, duh! It was 'your' bed you were just sleeping on, sleepy head, ever since you've been here. Getting you home probably knocked you out." And now an orange one with a blonde mane and a country hat.
"Well, you have no idea how long it took us to get ya back. It's took almost three times as long to get ya back here as an alternate version of ourselves did getting that Rainbow Dash back to their universe."
"Wait, who's Rainbow Dash?" Now I'm confused.
"That would be me." The blue mare flies straight inside the room.
"And the others of you are..."
"Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and my name's Fluttershy." Gee, I can't guess what the yellow mare's personality is. The other two mares walk in. "And these two are Twilight and Rarity, although I'm sure you know us already."
"Actually, no I don't but thank you for introducing me to you guys anyway. But when I did hear Equestria for the first time out of this white winged unicorn thing, it did ring a bell. I'm pretty sure it works like it did in Crazy Maze."
"So, does this Crazy Maze play of yours take place in Equestria?" Twilight says.
"By the way, that 'white winged unicorn thing' is actually Princess Celestia." Rarity walks towards me as I head back to... ahem... the bed.
"Pretty much. From what I learned of it, all the ponies have their own ability, like flight, strength, spirit channeling, levitation, illumination... and from what I remember about this show, there was a Summer Sun Celebration."
"Looks like somepony's been doin' their homework. I'm proud of ya rememberin' this here land." Applejack tilts her hat forward to me.
"Maybe for the wrong reasons though. Tail Flight merely just saw-" I stop Rarity.
"Wait. How do you know my name? I haven't introduced myself yet."
"You already did that when we all first met in Baltimare. It wasn't terribly long ago." Rarity comes closer to me as I back toward the pillow.
"Sorry but all I remember prior to as a pony on Earth was just running around flightless at around thirty miles an hour each day."
"Maybe this big old hug will jog your memory."
Pinkie leaps into my bed which flings me across with Pinkie catching me and hugging me twice as tight as Josh ever did. "Uh! Pinkie! Choking! Not! Breathing!" By now I was waiting for Josh to say something like "punctuated for emphasis" or other. Twilight just sighs.
"Choking all the way to Pandama, are you? I can help you with that." Twilight proceeds to levitate Pinkie back to the door as I try to breathe in and out again.
"No, I do not remember that at all."
"Nothing? Well, I tried my best. How about you have a go Dashie!" Why did it ring a bell when Pinkie called Rainbow Dash, Dashie? Oh well, as long as it'll get them to leave.
"Gettin' one o' them 'deja vu' moments, I see." Applejack tilts her hat at me.
"No, it's not really a deju vu. It's just I heard that name in an audio book." I jump out of my bed and step towards the closet.
"Well, it must have been a memoir or something. But, If you need anything, we're happy to help." Twilight walks up to me with a welcoming smile on her face. As she does though, I see she has wings like that large white mare.
"Really?"
"Well, yes." Twilight nods.
"Thank you so much!" I hug Twilight as she returns it.
As I hug Twilight though, I see her cutie mark glowing. Everyone stops, looking at their cutie marks. It's weird seeing ponies' cutie marks glowing. "Do they always do that?"
"Somewhat. Hey guys, I think we should get goin'. A certain map is callin' us." Rainbow Dash is the first to exit.
"Okay. Bye."
Pinkie bounces toward the door. "Ajos imago!"
"Have a good afternoon!" Rarity waves heading out the door.
Twilight trots with Applejack out of the room. "See ya Tail Flight."
The door levitates closed as I get back to my bed. As I do, I hit the floor. I can't control my wings flailing out. Then as I blink, I see a whole different place than where I just was. Over there, I can see Josh. Around me are one of my feathers, Josh's phone, and a note. I try to head for Josh but I can't control my body. I've got to be hallucinating. I finally get to see Josh only to find out it was for the price of locomotion? I start crying again. "I wanna move!" But all that changes when Josh comes over and gets the note from the items surrounding me. I blink and I'm back to the room I was just in. I move my hooves successfully. But now, no Josh.
Today's a new day! I look around for the note, the albums, the phone and the feather, which is starting to look a little grayer. I come over to the kitchen and look at the time. 12:04? Darn it! I overslept! In the end, it's going to be worth it if it means seeing Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap. Soon after, I decide that it's time to have a little soda. I grab a cup and a bottle of root beer and poor the root beer into the cup.
I take a look around the apartment. Where a little box once was is no longer there. Where a food and water bowl once were are no longer where they are. All the cat toys are gone. The scratching post is gone. Did everyone have a yard sale without me this July? It doesn't seem too far fetched seeing how Tail Flight and Wind Rust have been gone for about a month now.
I take a walk over to Greg's. I look where the dishes are supposed to be, set out for Rusty, but none. Looked for the cat food. There wasn't any. Any trace of relevance to Tail Flight and Wind Rust prior to the senior prank is gone. But as I sit on a chair at the living room table, I think of the memories I had with Wind Rust and Tail Flight. It's one of those days where my mind replays an entire time period of my life.
I over flow with memories going by. The first of which is the day I found Wind Rust. Standing next to the window in the driveway, I find what I assumed was Rusty. But it was Wind Rust. He'd tried the food I set out for him but he cringed at the thought of the food. Soon after, going home, I found that Eve was at it again, but this time as a pegasus. That's when she dubbed herself, Tail Flight.
My mind wonders off to the Friday after, when we had a very bad downpour. My two brothers wanted me to spend the night there because it was so bad out. I gladly accepted. I took my shower shortly after and got to bed. As soon as I did so, Tail Flight came in wanting someone to sleep with. I gave her a spot to sleep, but she used that area to preen her wings for the first time. It was so cute that I quickly and quietly grabbed my phone and snapped a picture as she was preening her left wing.
Then I wonder off to another night of high downpour. Not much shorter than a week after, I thought I would've had to stay home if the rain kept up until the morning because the entirety of Oak from Pleasant to North was flooded curb to curb above an ankle height. Wind Rust also wanted me to stay home too but the morning came and the status quo remained. I had to go to my last day of school.
Another memory comes where my mother returned. I can't believe I thought that if my mother returned to New York, I would lose the Tail Flight and Wind Rust I know and love. When I saw my mother home, nothing had changed. Once I slept back home, Tail Flight began sleeping on me, which was absolutely adorable especially when she preened her wings in front of me. Wind Rust by that time had come over every single day.
Then my mind wonders off to the sunrise of Summer Solstice, my first attempt at the Summer Sun Celebration. It was somewhat successful. I snapped some pictures of the lighting sky with Tail Flight and Wind Rust. However, there were quite a few clouds up there.
I wonder off again into when we had a bus ride on our way to Maine. It was very bumpy but we made it alright. For the next week or so, because of how dysrhythmic the bumps were, Tail Flight and Wind Rust refused to sleep on me but they both did sleep next to me. Wind Rust got over it fast, but Tail Flight didn't. She did sleep on me by the time we got back to Cole's house but that was only by a week. The bus ride home wasn't nearly that bad on the way back. But it certainly was dark in there.
Now I come back to today. As nothing really came to my mind when I thought of LeMoyne. Maybe it was because nothing was better there than anything was prior. Everything was very routine. Wake up for breakfast, go somewhere away from Foery, have lunch and come back until dinner.
I come home to see that I'd been gone so long, I got home in time for supper. I make myself something to eat as I get my phone out to play some music. The last of the day was on my computer before getting to bed very lonely.
Wiretap and I enter the room as Wind Rust still rests peacefully, in his bed. But I still have some concern. "How long has it been since he's laid there? Is he ever going to wake up?" I ask Wiretap.
"Who knows? It's got to've been a month. He's got to be awake by now." Wiretap and I walk over to Wind Rust.
I examine Wind Rust's breathing by listening to his nose and mouth. Nothing. I plant a hoof on Wind Rust's chest to see if it was rising and falling. It's motionless. "How long will it be?!? How long before you come awake?!?" I set my forehooves on the edge of the bed as I tear up. "HOW LONG!!!" I reach other side of the bed and burst into tears.
What feels like minutes takes hours until Wind Rust finally wakes up as I feel something on my shoulder. I look up from a huge pile of water on the blanket as I see Wind Rust's hoof on my shoulder. "Tail Flight, I'm alright. And all of us are here." Wind Rust proceeds to hug me comfortably tight.
"I wonder what could've gotten her into such misery." Wiretap, just looks at the two of us.
"I'm just not used to being in Equestria without somepony I've known for almost two and a half months." As I look at Wiretap, he joins in on the hug.
"Tail Flight, it's all us three ponies together now. We're all here. We belong here." I look at Wind Rust again.
"But how do you know? You've never seen any other ponies here besides us." Looking down again, I start to tear up at what happened when I was in Josh's room. "Just because we belong here doesn't mean that it feels like home."
"Oh, Tail Flight. I've always visited you and Josh, mostly because at that time, you two were my best friends. I spent less than half the day home. If I could do that, I could certainly adapt to changes like going to Equestria. It may not feel like our home, but it's definitely where we belong."
I sniffle before talking. "But Wind Rust, I haven't gotten used to being here. There was no music, the bed was cold, and it was motionless."
Wiretap looks at me. "I see why you'd be like that. Prior to going to Equestria, I myself wasn't used to going somewhere new and I'm still not. But I'm the one who's been awake here for the longest time, so I've been visited by many ponies. Wind Rust, I'm getting the feeling that being forced to get used to Equestria has caused Tail Flight to go into self destruction, which is exactly what we don't want to do. I'm getting Tail Flight over to Spike."
Wind Rust is now confused. "Why?"
"Because we need to tell Princess Celestia about this damn situation!" Wiretap throws me onto his back. "It's time to find you that dragon, Tail Flight!" And with that, I ride Wiretap on my back.
When Wiretap drops me off of his back, I find myself in what looks like a crystal conference room. On the ceiling is what looks like roots to a tree with crystals hanging from them. What is this place? A purple and green dragon appears behind us as we turn around. "Hey guys. You come for help?"
"Yeah. I need a letter sent to Princess Celestia," Wiretap requests.
"Sure thing." The dragon leaps up to the chair and grabs a scroll from it. "All set."
As Wiretap speaks, the dragon writes down exactly what he hears.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, Tail Flight and I got to where Wind Rust finally woke up. And now, I detect a problem. She's so alienated from Equestria that it's causing her self destruction. Anypony can claim that everypony belongs in Equestria, but if being in Equestria causes self destruction to Tail Flight, it's absolutely impossible that we force her to acclimate to Equestria. It'll hurt her more than it would if she stayed with Josh. Send Josh a letter alerting him about Tail Flight. Yours truly,
Wiretap."
When the dragon blows fire on the scroll, it flies in the fiery breeze and disintegrates. "There y'go Wiretap, all done."
"Thanks Spike." Wiretap walks back to me.
"So, Tail Flight, I hear you don't feel comfy in Equestria." I nod at Spike. "Yeah, same here with the badlands. I tried to get comfy with my kind, while I'm one of the select few that belongs in Equestria instead. Next thing you know, I found out that where I've lived and where I belong are one in the same. Who knows? Maybe it was amazing where you were previously."
Somehow, I like the way Spike thinks. "No one from where I was before I was out cold would probably think this wouldn't be a dream come true. But I loved it there. It even felt like my own home."
"Well, like I said, I've been there too, only difference being that I got myself going to the badlands."
"Is there any way to go back?" I just look down on the floor.
"Not too much you can do yourself. There's, like, this weather spell that could send you to an earth only to the cost of being 15 years younger. That probably won't work since you're just a filly. There's also a portal to this human world but I'm confident that it's just a parallel universe to this. There's also a potion that could take you to another world, but that could be any world, added on by the fact that you gain extra talent only to lose the ability. Yeah, nothing really you could do yourself at least now."
"The day I first woke up here, I was transported to earth only to find I couldn't move. But really, I didn't do anything."
"Well that's weird. I would've expected something like that at this world's will." Spike rubs his claw on his chin thinking. "But all I can help directly with you is probably to wind down in Canterlot with some doughnuts at Jo's Bar and Doughnut. I know that helps me. I only go to Jo's Bar and Doughnut for the doughnuts though."
I start to think a little. "Yeah, I may want to wind down with a little cider."
Spike starts to look shocked. "Wait, you'd actually have Equestria's cider? You'll flood the whole place!"
"Well, I've tasted jug cider. It tasted just like normal apple juice. The cider here's not going to be any different. Very sugary too."
Wiretap just looks at me. "Don't worry Spike. It'll just be jugged cider. Right?" I start to chuckle inside as I nod.
"Okay, well that's going to be a relief. Maybe Jo's Bar and Doughnut will be dry after all. I got something a little secret I've always wanted to show. I could do that on the way to Canterlot." Spike giggles at the thought and leaves to the corridor. "I'll meet you at the front door."
We finally get to the front door, about to close it, when Wiretap and I see Spike coming to the entrance with a backpack. "Alright! Got the items I wanted to show you. But it has to be on the train. I don't want to get you guys distracted coming to the station." I know what Spike's talking about but it sounds interesting.
At the train, we find out what the secret is. I excitedly gasp. "Is this a phone?!?"
"Well, I call it a universal communication device, or a UCD. Use any number, it'll send a signal to that assigned device. It even comes with its own stylus. Made it all myself."
We're shocked, especially me. "How did you make this?!?"
"It's amazing what boredom can do to you in your spare time. Took about nine hours just getting one prototype built 'n workin'." Spike lets us fool around with what this UCD can do until we finish the ride of the train to Canterlot. These things are just amazing.
I wake up much earlier this time. At about 8:05 is the time I wake up. I gather the note, my phone, my photo albums and the feather, which is almost white now, as I wait to find out what this combination does. I turn on my computer, as I look on a few songs I've made on FamiTracker. Maybe a trip down a little more distant memory lane should do me less tears.
At about 11:30, I burp out a letter. "Ugh! I need more water!" I grab a water bottle and look at what the letter says.
"Dear Josh.
I've received a notice from Wiretap about Tail Flight. The result of getting the three over to Equestria has arisen more dire consequences than even I expected. As of right now, Tail Flight's on the verge of self destruction. I ask that you be there for her in Equestria. And if the circumstances are still too dire for Tail Flight to handle, please take her to your world. I hope you've learned well of gathering your items. We really need it. Please come over to Equestria,
Princess Celestia."
I start to think of what Tail Flight had said back just before the four ponies took off to Equestria. "Oh, Josh. We'll miss you. I hope you won't feel alone now that we're going to be gone forever." It can't be forever. It just can't be. As I finish my water slowly, I check the time again. 11:40. I close everything and shut down the computer. And before I did anything else, I grab some money around the house and get my shoes. I figured I'd be ready to find myself anywhere new.
I go to the four items and lay on my stomach to await an effect happening. It feels like it turned to 1:00 but, I feel like I'm starting to float as the feather glows black again. Before something happens, I think back to Princess Celetia's previous letter. "But make sure to do it at noon." It's noon now. I've done exactly what the letter said and it all worked. I'm ready to face the effect of what'll happen because I've closed my eyes.
I fall, with my eyes still closed, and expect a somewhat soft surface of a floor just as the rug where I think I am. But instead, I reach a very earthy surface, like I'm outside. As I open my eyes, the new texture of the ground matches perfectly to where I am, outside. I look up and see a tree tilted above me on a hill. This seems familiar. A leaning tree on a hill. That's where Twilight Sparkle was reading a book about the banishment of Nightmare Moon!
Just past the slope is a paved concrete road. I get to my feet and follow that paved road all the way to where Twilight used to live. That's how I find that I'm in Equestria. The trick worked. After that, I take the other way back down leading to the normal residential zones and eventually towards the markets and restaurants. That's when I see a particular restaurant called Jo's Bar and Doughnut.
I take a walk around the block that Jo's Bar and Doughnut is located on. It was a slow walk but it was enough to take in a good view of Canterlot. I just can't believe this is happening. I'm in Equestria. It's a dream come true. At one point even I see a currency conversion ATM. Once I arrive at the restaurant again, I've forgotten that I have money with me. But it's only USD. I retrace my steps to look for the ATM. As I find it, I get my money out and look at the change. $2.50. I put the money in the ATM and it converts that money into bits. The result was five hundred bits. I was right! Every dollar is two hundred bits! I have more than enough to go out for lunch.
I come back to Jo's Bar and Doughnut and enter. It's a party in there and it's going to be for a while now because of lunch hour. I wait on a seat to order a couple of doughnuts for lunch. They're vanilla filled. I'm the most comfortable with that flavor. But I've had to wait a long time, the place being so crowded and such. Then I see him. Doughnut Jo, the greatest baker in Canterlot.
"Hey there, you're that guy who ordered two vanilla creams, right?" I nod. "Well, due to the line next to you being so long, how about I get ya a drink first."
"Okay. Any soft drinks?"
Doughnut Jo nods. "Alright. So, we got Spring, Dr. Stable, Root Beer, Mist..."
"I'll take the Spring."
"Okay." I watch as Doughnut Jo goes to the kitchen and comes back out levitating a cup of what looks like Sprite. "There you are. my friend. Ice cold Spring."
"Thanks." Jo just nods and exits to the kitchen again. I look at the entrance of the shop, as many ponies come and go as I drink my spring.
Here I am now, at a restaurant in Equestria busy with many ponies, far away from Geneva. I don't have any more school. It's a dream come true! I've finally made a dream come true. But now as I think, I think of Tail Flight. I'm worried about her. I hope she's alright. And I certainly hope nothing horrible's happened to her while she's been here. I think back to Celestia's letter about Tail Flight. Princess Celestia said that even she didn't expect the repercussions to be so high. I guess she didn't learn when she was finding a solution to keep her magic away from Tirek.
Suddenly, Doughnut Jo comes back. "Hey bud. Here's your two doughnuts."
"Thanks." I turn back to the entrance as I eat my doughnuts and keep drinking my Spring. After a few more minutes of watching ponies come and go, I see three familiar faces. Spike, Wiretap and Tail Flight. What's Spike doing here? Hmm. Maybe he's just using his day off to hang with them. Either way he's got a backpack.
"Josh!!!" Tail Flight gallops straight for me and hugs me after putting down half a doughnut and my almost gone Spring. I look over at Spike and Wiretap.
"Tail Flight! What're you and Wiretap doing here in Canterlot?" I let go and Tail Flight lands to the ground.
"Well, I've had a couple days off, so I decided to hang with them. This is my second full day off and might even get a third. i don't know what's goin' on with Twilight and her friends but it gave me so much time, I made these." And with that, Spike takes out what look like phones out of the backpack. "And they even come with their own stylus. I call it a UCD." I'm now confused.
Wiretap gets on a chair and whispers in my ear. "Universal Communication Device." I nod.
"Oh, Josh, I've missed you so much!"
"But where's Wind Rust?"
Wiretap goes back on the floor. "Oh, he woke up today. As far as I remember, he's still back in where Twilight and her Friends had placed him in where they thought was his house."
"Well, what's the address?"
"Oh, yeah! Twilight gave this list of addresses where they dropped off three ponies. Here you go." Spike takes out an index card out of his backpack as I took it.
"36 Mane Ave, 101 Foal St, and 205 Bale St. Wow Spike! I didn't know that address combinations could be so vulgar!"
"Hey, at least they're still addresses and not some really rude riddle, right?"
I nod at Spike. "I guess you're right."
"Alright. Now, come on! Time to get to 205 Bale St." Wiretap starts to lead the way.
"Hold on. I got my doughnut to finish."
"I got some cider to order too." Doughnut Jo walks up to Tail Flight.
"Which kind?"
"Bottled."
Jo nods and walks to the kitchen again only in ten seconds to be back with a glass bottle. "Now, careful with that young filly. You don't want to knock out cold." Tail Flight nods and leads me with my last bite of a doughnut after paying the bill. As I eat it, we catch up to Spike and Wiretap. Wiretap facehoofs when he sees the bottle of cider.
"Ugh! Tail Flight, you said that you'd get the jugged cider."
"I'm not going to drink this. I wanted to give it to Wind Rust."
Spike looks at Tail Flight. "Um. No offense Tail Flight, but I'm not sure that's a good idea."
Wiretap looks at Tail Flight as well. "Yeah Tail Flight, I agree with Spike. He woke up only today."
"Then who's going to drink it?"
Spike closes his eyes and waves his claws out. "Certainly not me. It's just not the same without Applejack's . Plus, I'm not exactly allowed to have cider after what happened when I had my first cider season in Ponyville."
I shake my head. "And definitely not me. The closest I ever get to that is diet soda. And I only have that when there's nothing else to drink."
"You know what? I've had cider before too Tail Flight. I'll drink it. Okay?" Tail Flight nods.
Wiretap isn't feeling that great. He said he'd drink the cider that Tail Flight bought but when he did, he got trash faced faster than even he thought he would be. Tail Flight and I sit there in the morning with Wiretap in the middle of the floor with a puddle all around him. I decide to rip out a page of a notebook to send a letter to Princess Celestia, as a request from Tail Flight.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
Josh and I have gotten to Wiretap's house and he's not doing so hot right now. He's been out cold for over ten hours. I don't know when he'll be awake from all this but please send somepony to get Wiretap to the hospital. He had a bottle of cider I bought that I was originally going to use as a cut emergency and now he needs some help. Yours Truly,
Tail Flight."
I blow into the letter which disintegrates it into thin air. We waited a while. We did have this little unintentional prank pulled on us by Wind Rust. The three of us start laughing hard enough to wake Wiretap up, which is not what I expected. But as he starts talking, his speech is absolutely horrible at first. "Wha- ya -uys -aughi- 'bout?"
Tail Flight tries to listen closely to Wiretap. but that made me look at Tail Flight. "He's asking what we're laughing about." The other two ponies just sighed in relief while Wiretap groans in pain.
"Oh. Yeah. We were laughing at an unintentional prank Wind Rust pulled on us. I thought I'd bust a gut there." Tail Flight flies up above Wiretap. "Wiretap, we could've used that for severe cuts. Oh well. Might as well find something to heal everyone with."
"So why did't ya say you wanted it for -ealin' when ya gave it to me? Could'a jus- sai- so." We hear another knock. "Come i-"
The door opens again, this time by Spike. "Hey guys. Whoa, you don't look so good. What happened here?"
"Yeah, someone had a drink of our 'healing supply'." I look down at Wiretap with that same puddle around him.
"Wait, I think I've heard about you. Josh, right?" I nod. "Well, in this case here, we need somepony like Rarity for this situation. At least unicorns don't have to get their hooves dirty with... whatever it is that puddle is made of." Spike starts to gag. However, he regains his composure once he hears knocking. I open the door only to see that it's Princess Celestia herself.
Everyone except me and Wiretap has a shocked look on their face. "Joshua, I would've said this earlier, but, welcome to Equestria. Now as of Wiretap over here, I could've said the same before his visit to Jo's Bar and Doughnut. However, he may need all the help he could get right now. His condition is still unstable." Celestia levitates Wiretap out of the puddle to prevent the floor from getting further dirty. And with that, the five others of us get to cleaning while Wiretap washes himself. Also while we clean, we also socialize.
After about an hour of cleaning with Wiretap joining in, the floor's finally clean.
"Well, that was pretty hard, not!" I wipe my hand across my forehead as all of us look at the floor then laugh, except for Wiretap who still has a headache.
We see something floating and coming together into a letter. "I am glad to have seen you all reunited, despite this little mishap, but I fear that Twilight and her friends might need me. As you all have reunited, my work here has been done." Celestia heads out the door.
"Thanks Princess Celestia." In unison, me, Wiretap, Wind Rust and Tail Flight all wave out the door. Spike goes and closes the door after we're done and comes back.
"So, now that we've got nothing left to do for today, how about we have a little test at these UCD's?" We all nod. Spike passes the UCD's over to all of us. I get it going right away with my finger. The others have to use styluses with their mouths. "Okay, here are index cards for all of you containing each number for their assigned UCD. I really hope it works." Spike gives us four index cards for each one of us.
"Which one are you?" I look at Wiretap.
"Five. You?" Wiretap looks back at me with almost shut eyes.
"Nine."
Tail Flight looks at her index card. "Three."
"One." Wind Rust holds out his index card.
Minutes later, our test is done. The rest of the day was just hanging out until late at night. "Hey Tail Flight."
"Yeah Josh?"
"I had this dream my day back from LeMoyne. It was a dream about what I said the day after Independence Day. It was from a different point of view from where I originally was. It was almost like hearing what happened caused me to fly. And when I woke up, I had a black feather in my hand."
"A black feather? No wonder why my wing was very numb when I first woke up."
"But yeah, part of the dream was that I flew out of the house when I realized where I was."
Spike walks up to me, who obviously overheard our conversation if he's coming over here. "Has you flying happened in your dreams before?"
"Plenty."
"I think I may know a couple of ponies that may help with it." Princess Luna. I know about her too. "Follow me." Wind Rust comes up to us.
"Hey where're you going?"
"Somewhere where Josh here could fulfill the last of his dreams."
"And where's that?"
"A certain little hut in a forest that's only scary to ponies." Spike opens the door as we exit Wiretap's house. And with that, me and Spike are free to chat.
"I think I know what you're talking about Spike. Zecora, right?"
"You know about Zecora?" I nod. "Well, yeah, we're goin' there."
I sigh. "So, then I wonder if she's actually got that very potion that grants wings."
"Of course she does. It's been a while since I've been down there though. Since you know about her, I'll let you know if I can't remember part of the pathway to her." And with that, Spike leads me to Zecora's hut.
I walk around with nothing to do, until I have a visitor or two. I make my way to the boys, much to my dismissive mind voice. The human walks to me, as he closes his last of see.
"Hi. I'm Josh."
"Zecora, nice to meet you, anything I can do for you?"
"Yeah. Josh'd been having these dreams at night where he'd be flying. It doesn't matter how high from the ground but it still happens."
"I may have a way to true your dreams, for I have a potion that grows you wings. But use this gift wisely, or else the consequences will be pricey." I reach over for that very potion, then look back and see Josh's eyes in motion. As I give to Josh the potion and watch, I signal Spike to put the door on lock. Spike goes outside to watch in fear, that what may sound won't be easy on the ear.
Joshua chugs his cup of brew, so that the bitter taste will not ensue. But he still coughs for a moment, at whatever taste was left in the solvent. The next event results in a wet floor, as crimson red begins to pour. From Josh's back I see a grow, of additional limbs that begin to show. The scream in agony of this I've bared before, coming from one who enjoys the outdoors.
"Gah! That was painful!"
Spike comes in and checks on his friend, but seeing the wings indicates that his checking ends. "Whoa! That looks awesome! Wait'l Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap see this." I nod at the bipeds, with a smile of work that's ended. As they leave I grab a large tissue, to clean up what would've been an issue.
I close the door behind me as I come up to a window to look inside. Josh drinks the potion Zecora gave him and suddenly crouches and screams. I look further into the window and see Josh struggling to get up. As he does though, I could barely see something on his back. I just don't know what.
I race back to the door with the keys and unlock and open the door. I look at Josh and see that what is on his back are wings. Actual, honest to Celestia wings. "Whoa! That looks awesome! Wait'l Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap see this."
I lead Josh back to Wiretap's house to see if the three ponies are still there, all the while chatting. "So, what do you think of these guys?" Josh turns his backs to me.
"They look amazing!" I offer a fist pump which Josh accepts.
"I only hope these could actually lift me off the ground."
We get to Wiretap's house to see if anypony's there. It's too bad they're not here. On the couch we both sit on, Josh sees a disc case. "Hey, what's this?" Josh looks closely at the case. "A Single Demographic? Hey just like my dad's christian band!"
"Your dad has a band? That's cool!!" I'm now very curious to see what Josh's dad's band is all about. "Hey, what's the name of your dad's band?"
"An Audience of One." I play the disc on a record player as we listen to it. Josh places his palm on his ear. "Wow! For a band named similarly to my dad's band, it sure sounds different."
"Probably because celestial music has different themes compared to 'christian' music."
Josh turns the case to the back. He reads each of the tracks out loud. "Seeing You Here, Raise Them All, Open Forelegs, Homely Abode, Trotting For- wait what?!?"
"What is it?"
"Homely Abode! Spike! Fast forward the disc!" I speed up the tempo until two more songs go by. I then rewind to the near end of the third song. That's when the next song plays proper as Josh snaps his fingers. "Oh my gosh, this was a song I made on Earth!"
"Well, did you come with the lyrics?" I ask.
"Yeah! This is one huge coincidence! How long has this album been out?" Josh grabs me by the shoulders.
"About twelve years, the time I was born."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The door knocks numerous times before I open the door. "If you need me Spike, I'll be upstairs." When the door opens, three ponies come with absolute smiles.
"Hi Spike." Tail Flight waves at me.
"Hey Tail Flight. I think you'll be in for a nice surprise."
"What surprise? Cider?" Wiretap looks excited to go to the kitchen.
I look at Wiretap slightly noting about his little problem. "Not after what happened this morning." Wind Rust, Tail Flight and I all laugh absolutely hard while Wiretap looks at us very irritated.
"We will never speak of this again." Wiretap walks into the living room.
"Okay." Wind Rust trots to the kitchen.
"Whatever you say." Tail Flight trots over to the staircase and goes upstairs. I still cackle at Wiretap as I head to the bathroom. I stop when I hear some cheering. I race upstairs listening to Tail Flight cheering so loudly. As I arrive in Wiretap's bedroom, I see Tail Flight and Josh hugging tightly on Wiretap's bed. "SPIKE!!! You never told me Josh got wings!"
"Well, that's your surprise for you." I jump onto the bed only to see that Josh doesn't exactly have smile on his face. "Hey Josh, what's going on?"
"Hey Spike, can you grab me a writing utensil?" I look on the desk in this room and see a cup with pens, quills and pencils. I grab the latter and give it to Josh. "Thanks."
"I got some empty scrolls in my book bag, Want me to go get you one."
Josh moves his right arm in front of his chest. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks anyway." I climb back on the bed and see what Josh is writing.
"Princess Celestia,
If you have any letters to send, the next couple of weeks are going to be a bad time to send it. Reason being, I've been getting a bad tickle in my throat today ever since on the way back to Wiretap's house. I may not know what it is now but I hope I can get through this. Tell Twilight and her Friends about this and see what they could do as soon as possible. Sincerely,
Joshua Crapo."
Josh blows on the letter as the floats in the breeze and disintegrates. "Huh. No wonder you weren't really smiling when you were hugging Tail Flight. I have a solid idea of what you have."
"You do, Spike?"
"Yeah. A wicked bad tickle in the throat could've lead to anything, but since you're not talking as frequently, I figured it's definitely not a cold."
Tail Flight waves her hoof in sarcasm. "Oh no, smooth jazz. That could only mean one thing!"
I laugh at Tail Flight. "Good one Tail Flight. Like that's ever going to happen."
Josh facepalms himself and swallows hard in the process. "Seriously?" The door downstairs opens and Tail Flight and I race to the living room to see who it is.
"Twilight?" In unison, Tail Flight and I come shocked.
"Absolutely. Hey, it's good you remember me Tail Flight. I hear somepony has a little laryngitis starting."
"Laryngitis?!? How do you know what Josh is having?"
"It's because in the letter that was sent straight to me instead of you, Spike, getting the letter, Princess Celestia said that Josh was getting what she thinks is laryngitis. So, where is he now?"
"He's coming now." I point with my thumb to the stair case.
"Here I am." I see Josh walking slowly into the living room.
"Hey Josh." Twilight comes up to Josh.
"Twilight?"
"Wow! You've got wings too?" Twilight look at Josh's chest. Josh just nods. "Well, in other news, even without hearing you prior to now, I can tell that it's the very beginning of laryngitis. How'd it happen anyway?"
"Let's just say that growing those bad boys was very painful for Josh." I point to Josh's wings now.
"Well, I hope you're alright now." Josh nods at Twilight again. "That's good. Say, I also heard Wiretap was in bad shape. Is he okay now?"
"Yeah, Wiretap's fine now." Tail Flight nods, turning behind afterwards.
"That's good."
"Say, where are your friends?" Tail Flight turns back to Twilight.
"Oh, they're at Great Macintosh Valley." Josh starts to think with Tail Flight having a "that rings a bell" expression.
Tail Flight suddenly gasps. "The Great Valley! I've heard of that before!"
"That sounds very convenient because Great Macintosh Valley used to be called just Great Valley back before the founding of Equestria. Back on task, is there anything else you need here?" We all shake our heads. "Okay, then I've got to fly. Won't want to miss too much of what's going on at Great Macintosh Valley." Twilight flies off as we all wave.
Spike invited me to the guest room at Twilight's castle last night to make sure I'm fine. We had an amazing sleepover together, just me and Spike. We played some games and I got to teach him a few games I learned from back in the day. Some of the time, Spike was actually in his room which I got to go into and see what he was doing.
Today I get into his room again this time to see that in his closet, he's building a TV. He must've gotten those skills from him assisting Twilight for nearly twelve years. I can't really talk right now because my throat is absolutely burning right now, and I can't really walk as fast as I'm used to because the burning throat is taking all my energy just to walk away.
Twilight comes home to me in the dining room having a warm brew. Coming in, the rest of the six ponies come in.
"Howdy, partner." Applejack points her hat to me as I wave back.
"I see you're enjoying something hot." Fluttershy smiles as I nod.
"Everypony, this is Joshua Crapo." Twilight points to me as my throat starts tingling again after a short break from the honey green tea.
"Hey Josh. I heard about you when Twilight directly received a letter." Rainbow Dash walks over to me.
"I know, how uncommon." Rarity faces Rainbow Dash.
"So, has Joshy actually had wings prior to yesterday?" Pinkie zips over and examines my back.
"Who cares when he got 'em? This means another new flying buddy!" Rainbow Dash hovers over to Pinkie Pie and wraps her hoof around my wing, which, I admit, feels very comfortable.
Spike stops them. "Now hold on everypony. Josh can't really talk right now. His throat is kinda messed up."
Everyone else gasps. "Not laryngitis!!!" Pinkie shouts. "You grow wings only to lose your voice?!?" I nod. "You know how valuable your voice could be Joshy?!? VERY VALUABLE!!!" I couldn't help but smile at her over-the-top insanity.
"Calm down Pink. It'll be over in a week or two if it was just screaming, which is what you were just doing." Rainbow Dash just turns to Pinkie.
Applejack rolls her eyes. "As if he did."
"Really, she's pretty spot on Applejack."
Twilight walks over to Spike. "So then, Spike, what's your 'secret weapon' to prove it?"
"Zecora. She even said these lines. 'I may have a way to true your dreams, for I have a potion that grows you wings. But use this gift wisely, or else the consequences will be pricey.' Josh was given wings, but he has to use them wisely, which he has so far. Same applies for his voice though, albeit it's a natural gift, but since he screamed at the top of his lungs at Zecora's hut plus a realization or two, that was taken away."
"It really surprises me that he would get such an inflammation." Rarity faces me now. "Spike, do you think you could get Josh some teabags over at Carousel Boutique?"
"Anything for you Rarity." Spike starts to float around with popping hearts around him, but then dashes out of the dining room. I thought for a second. Oh dear.
"Hey Josh, when Spike gets back home, maybe we can stop at Sugar Cube Corner." I smile at Pinkie and nod.
"So, Tail Flight, if you wanted cider as a solution to healing cuts, let's get to Jo's Bar and Doughnut again and get another bottle." I lead Tail Flight and Wind Rust into the restaurant from the other day and decide to get a couple of doughnuts as well.
"Tail Flight how are you?" Doughnut Jo comes up and levitates a notepad. "So, what could I do for you."
Wind Rust speaks for Tail Flight. "I'd like six doughnuts with a bottle of cider."
"Oh, well okay. Say, you two with this little filly?" Wind Rust and I nod. "Okay. Six doughnuts and a cider comin' up." Doughnut Jo leaves into the kitchen with the notepad still being levitated.
Wind Rust looks to me with an unamused face. "Wiretap, don't ever do that again. You could've gotten yourself killed."
"I didn't realize Tail Flight wanted it in case she got herself cut. Cut me slack, okay?"
"Uh, no! Did you ever research that those on the Earth we once were on used stuff like cider to heal wounds, Wiretap?"
"Well, no... but-"
Wind Rust stops me. "But nothing! If you come to Tail Flight's for cider, do it for the damn cuts."
"Okay!" I snap at Wind Rust. "Just stop bugging me about it okay? Okay! Sheesh!"
The door to the kitchen opens as I see a pack of a half dozen doughnuts as well as the bottle of cider. "Okay. Here's your doughnuts and cider."
"Thanks." I nod as Doughnut Jo just walks back into the kitchen with the now empty dish.
Tail Flight gains a light bulb. "Hey! Let's go check on Josh! I just know he'd have a great time with Spike!"
"Well, somepony's got to pay the bill, right?" I look at Tail Flight.
Wind Rust raises his hoof. "I'll ask Jo if we could have the bill when he comes back."
We each eat our doughnuts as time creeps by with no Doughnut Jo. "Where's a Jo when you need him?" Tail Flight and Wind Rust shrug.
Someone nearby comes up to us. "You gonna drink that?!?" As soon as they come, they just whoosh off with the cider bottle. After that, a crowd starts chanting "chug".
We all turn to the pony the crowd is looking at. "THAT BOTTLE WAS FOR OUR FUTURE REFERENCE!!!"
Half an hour later, Jo finally comes in, and we didn't have to get the bill. Oh no. One cider bottle taken from us deliberately and we still have to pay for it. "Okay. Let's see what the damage is." I take a look at the bill. "Eleven bits. Alright, I have that amount." I grab the wallet from my ear and take out one gold bit and one silver bit, giving them to Doughnut Jo.
We finally make it to Twilight's castle and look for Josh. As I look in the dining room, I don't see a single thing, except for a cup with a teabag in it. "Joshua." I look in the meeting room and see if he's there. No one. I look in Spike's room, which Spike is in.
"Uh, anything I can help you with Wiretap?"
"Yeah. I'm looking for Josh."
"Oh, he left with Twilight and her friends."
"Thanks Spike."
"No prob, Wiretap." I walk out the room, but shortly before I'm out of Spike's sight, I remember to ask something else. "One more thing Spike, where are they now?"
"Sugar Cube Corner. It's a little ways south of here."
"Thanks."
I gallop to Sugar Cube Corner to see Josh and the six ponies having the time of their life without me. That is until Pinkie notices me. "Hey Wiretap!"
"Hey Pinkie. I'm just here to see Josh." Josh waves glancing at me aside.
Pinkie points to Josh. "Oh, he's right in there Tappie." Did Pinkie really just call me that? I walk over to Josh.
"Hi Josh." Josh just waves. "How are you?" Now, he gives me a thumbs up. "That's good. And I see you've got wings." I see the nod as Josh points over to what are on his back.
"Oh, Wiretap. What's up?" Rainbow Dash spots me now.
"Not much. I'm a little concerned though. I haven't heard a word out of Josh since yesterday before he left with Spike."
Rainbow Dash rubs her hoof against the back of her mane. "Right. That's because we're guessing he has laryngitis." Now, I'm utterly shocked.
"L-l-laryngitis?" Rainbow Dash nods. "Okay, I'll go tell Tail Flight and Wind Rust. See ya."
I gallop off back to Twilight's castle and look for Tail Flight and Wind Rust. That is if I didn't bump into them on the way over there.
"Tail Flight, Wind Rust, I might need to tell you this, albeit Tail Flight might already know, but the ponies think Josh has laryngitis!"
"WHAT?!?" Wind Rust is so shocked, I could see a vein in his neck. I nod. Talk about overreaction. Wind Rust's expression is the epitome of overreaction. "Where is he right now?!?"
"Sugar Cube Corner, it's back south."
"Come on Tail Flight, let's go! Thanks Wiretap." I continue to walk over to Twilight's castle as Tail Flight and Wind Rust just gallop to where I was.
Wind Rust and I rush over to Sugar Cube Corner as we see the six ponies I first met just after I woke up for the first time here. As we arrive however, Pinkie jumps to the front door and waves. "Hey Tail Flight! Hey Wind Rust!"
"Uh, Tail Flight, how does that mare know me?" Wind Rust whispers to me.
"She must've known you before we were first ponies on Earth," I whisper back.
"Oh, Wind Rust. I remember you from when me and my friends went to Las Pegasus. Wiretap and Tail Flight may've not remembered Baltimare or Marechias, which is just east of the Crystal Empire, but surely you've got to have remembered something prior to being on this totally different world."
Twilight comes to the entrance and gestures Pinkie to step aside. "Wind Rust, I'm so glad you can make it here."
"Yeah, I'd like to see Josh."
"He's right in there." Twilight directs us to the other side of the dining area.
"Josh!!!" I race up to Josh and hug him as he delivers the hug back.
"Hey, uh, Tail Flight." Rainbow Dash flies over to me.
"Yeah, RD?"
"Hate to break it to ya, but he hasn't said a word as of today as far as I'm concerned. I think it might be more than just this 'laryngitis'. If he had laryngitis, he'd still be able to talk, only not that much at all, but he hasn't said a single thing."
I look at Rainbow Dash. "As far as I know of, sometimes, if laryngitis happens, an undetectable voice is a possibility. Has he tried speaking?" Josh nods. "Any success?" He shakes his head.
"He also gestured that he tried to move his lips but it excessively difficult to, like his jaw is stiff."
"Okay, that does not sound like laryngitis." Pinkie zips beside Rainbow Dash with a shocked face that even exceeds Wind Rust's expression when we heard from Wiretap that Josh may have laryngitis.
We suddenly hear a voice that I've never heard before. "Ah, Josh the ponies have gathered around, so I heard from you there's no sound?" Josh nods at the zebra. "I would've figured that would occur, but is there anything else to tell me proper."
"Yeah, uh, Josh kinda gestured that he can't really move his lips much either." Rainbow Dash lands on the ground.
"Sounds to me more like something you can't cure with tea, but if you choose to, you can come with me."
At this moment I realize that this zebra is always rhyming as she leads the way as Josh walks out of the shop. "Can I come?" The zebra nods.
"Here we are at my hut, Tail Flight would you leave the door shut?" I close the door like Zecora asked. "You two are probably wondering why we're here, right? Well, I've gotten a dire letter later than last night." Josh and I nod together. "The letter was given by the princess, about you, Josh, straight from her highness. The letter is here somewhere, but I haven't seen it since I put it there."
"Hey Zecora, what're these plants?"
"Those plants are ton gum plants my dear, I'll be using them for a special brew here. It was time consuming to get these home, small yes, light no." Why've I heard of those before? Zecora looks around for an unrolled scroll. She even looks around the cauldron in the middle of the room. As Zecora approaches a paper, she jumps for the paper a few times and then stops. "Tail Flight, could you get that scroll for me, I think it's the one I want to see."
I fly over to the scroll Zecora was reaching for and grab it with my hoof. "There we go! Here's the scroll Zecora. Should I read it?" Zecora nods.
"Dear Zecora,
I received two letters today. One from Josh, and one from Spike. Josh's was the one I thought sounded like an inflammation called laryngitis, but hours later, Spike sent his as it said that it was getting harder for Josh to move his lips, like his jaw is about to break. As Josh and Spike visited your hut today, it seems to be something other than laryngitis. Find Josh and take him to your hut and make a special brew for him. One that contains magic that takes away unwanted cells from his body. Yours truly,
Princess Celestia."
"Wait a minute! I remember what those plants do now!" Zecora nods. "Hey, Josh. I think you might want to get your arms ready. The brew might get pretty heavy." Zecora puts the ton gum plants in the cauldron wobbling along the way. Stirring it, it's taking all her might just to get one third of her speed down with much elbow grease. "Need help with that, Zecora?" Zecora nods. With both pairs of hooves together, Zecora and I stir in sync and the speed more than doubles as I hover circling the cauldron.
Zecora sets down the stirring spoon as she walks over and gets a small cup, resting it on my back as I land. When Zecora scoops out the resulted heavy brew, she starts to wobble a bit again until she pours the brew in the cup. Suddenly, the cup feels like it turned into a boulder. I spread out my hooves, cup my back and start to breathe heavily. "Hurry Josh! Get the cup!" I don't know why I shout like that, but it sure did feel much better as Josh grabbed it off my back, albeit slowly.
Josh starts to flutter his wings as he tries to carry the brew. As he gets it in his mouth however, slowly too, he tries to keep his chin up manually. As he has it in his mouth however, his effort starts becoming less and less to hold the drink in his mouth. Not only does the drink in his mouth become light, but the cup appears to become light too. Josh gives the cup to Zecora as she placed it with her other dirty cups.
"In the mouth, the potion gets lighter by the minute, for in this cancerous battle, the brew will win it. He should be able to talk very soon, by midnight or tomorrow at noon."
"Thanks Zecora. I don't know what we'd do without you." I look at Josh, who still has the drink in his mouth from how I see his face cheeks.
"Leave the potion in your mouth, until it tastes like water, then gulp it down." Josh nods.
The time after Zecora's place yesterday was a chore to sit through. I had to wait five hours just to see if it was midnight that I finally could start talking. As a result of drinking that remedy that was extremely heavy at first, I wasn't able to eat or drink anything until I knew I could talk, because if I did before I knew I was able to talk, the remedy would dissolve.
As of now, it's about seven forty in the morning. I'm sitting on my bed in the guest room of Twilight's castle as I think back to last night with a smile glued to my face. I was successfully able to talk after midnight. I don't remember a thing I said last night, but everyone celebrated and cheered their hearts out while I just smiled.
The door knocks in my room. "Come in." The door opens with Twilight and Spike coming in.
"Glad to see you're back to talking, albeit not that much talking." I nod. "Say, just wondering if you have enough energy to fly yet." I nod again after a little thought. "Great! Let's go see Rainbow Dash! She's an expert on flying." I stand up and walk out of the room after Twilight and Spike.
We get to Rainbow Dash's place to see if Rainbow Dash is home, which she is.
"Hey, Josh! So you're lookin' to flyin', huh?" I nod. "Well, you're in luck. I've been flyin' ever since I was a little filly, about Tail Flight's age, maybe even younger. All you've got to do to learn how to fly is to run and jump." Why does that "run and jump" phrase ring a bell? I shrug and start to check my wings, and see if they work in a good way.
I start to run just like RD told me to and prepare a huge leap. As I leap, I check my wings to make sure they flap in a circle. And they do. I close my eyes and expect to land on the ground just like I had when I jumped over a gap where a block of sidewalk was supposed to be. I feel nothing on my feet. I open my eyes to see I'm still rising in the air. I look at my wings again and see that they're flapping just like they're supposed to. All I have to do is gain control of them.
"How's about you slow the flapping down?" I slow my wings down, causing my rising to slow down. "How about moving it double perpendicular?" Double perpendicular? Does that mean a completely different direction pointed to as opposed to where my back or sides point? Better try it out. I flap my wings diagonal down away from my back now, accelerating me forward. I flap in the opposite movement, sending me backwards now.
"Looking awesome out there Josh! There's one more technique to learn now! Double parallel!" Wait, double parallel? Oh, that would mean putting one wing parallel to my back and the other parallel to my side. Okay, I got that. I try to get my wings to go left, but I turn right. Oh wait. Now I get it. Turning wings left means turning right, so turning wings right means turning left. It was a good thing I lowered how much I flap my wings. They are getting tired. I fly over to Rainbow Dash and lower my flap speed more.
"Alright. Time to land." I sink to the ground slowly and brace my feet for impact, almost as if I were going to land on the other side of the gap I thought about earlier. My feet slowly touch the ground as I close my eyes. I start to smile so much, my cheeks are going to hurt for the third time this week. "Wow! That went awfully well for your first try, Josh. Your reaction may've been slow, but it looked like you knew exactly what you were doin' out there."
I start to blush. "Thanks Rainbow Dash." Deja vu! Why would something like this feel so familiar? I haven't even been to Rainbow Dash's house before. I've only seen it because of the show.
"Great work out there Josh. I think you're already getting the hang of your wings." Twilight wraps her hoof around me blocking my wings.
"Thanks, Twilight."
Wind Rust and Tail Flight come over and hug me. "Josh!" Tail Flight, full blast, blows Twilight's grip to my back out by hugging me tightly, rolling around along the way.
"Wind Rust? Tail Flight?"
"EEEEEE!!!! He's getting better!!!"
"Calm down Tail Flight. His voice sounds a little hoarse. But he sounds more comfortable talking today."
I wipe my hand through my forehead. "Wow, you guys look like ants up there."
"Wow Josh! I didn't know you were actually flying. I thought that would've been somepony like Fluttershy."
Rainbow Dash and Twilight gawk at Tail Flight. "Yeah, Fluttershy's been flying since your age, Tail. You do know that, right?" Tail Flight shakes her head.
"Perhaps, maybe she remembers being with Josh longer than she actually was, because I sure do. And we both remember being flightless back in the day. And even back then, we didn't hear any clip clopping when we were outside." I think back to before I met Tail Flight and Wind Rust as of their figures now, because of Wind Rust. The cats that I remember, from May and earlier. named Eve and Rusty respectively.
"Well, this must've been an interesting alternate past of yours. We can all agree though that you had your own past with us. Tail Flight, you met with us in Baltimare, right after Winter Wrap Up. Wind Rust, you've met us in Las Pegasus, that was before it got exceptionally hot over there. And I thought I was gonna get heatstroke just from sitting down and drinking water."
Wind Rust has a particularly strange look on his face, almost as if he remembers there being some absolutely hot days. That's the final straw. I go up to Twilight in question of that day. "Was there a travel ban over at Las Pegasus when you were there?- Ow." My throat is still somewhat soar especially when talking in longer sentences. I clear my throat a little to ease the pain.
"There was none. I don't think we've had one since Tirek came around." I remember that. The other of the six ponies warned every pony in Ponyville to stay inside, which fits as a travel ban in my world.
"Oh, I think I know how it went. Didn't Las Pegasus announce a travel ban after that? All I remember was going to your guys' place after getting a copy of some newspaper." This is crazy! How does Wind Rust remember that? I thought he only had Rusty's memory. Maybe there's just enough memory to give everyone a recall on what happened.
"Twilight, let's get to Las Pegasus town hall."
Twilight shakes her head. "Can't do it. It's the seventh travel ban announced this summer, and it's still going after two days straight."
Rainbow Dash nods. "Yeah, too hot down there. I'd feel sorry for you Rust if you still lived there. We just so happened to get you an empty house in Ponyville because of that."
Tail Flight changes the subject. "Does Wind Rust actually remembering Las Pegasus relate to me actually remembering ton gum plants."
"Maybe it does."
"Well, I'm sure that Tail Flight remembers those plants. The only reason it's used as a solution to what Josh had was because it kills cells. However, it doesn't mean just the mutated ones. Josh was just lucky because's a human... well, a human with wings. In reality, to a pony, those things are for MOD's only." I know that abbreviation anywhere, which means that if I were turned into a pony, one good thing that could come out of that would be that I'd get to see Sugar and Sydney again. Now I feel lucky to be a human.
"Well, nopony's going to have an MOD when I'm around." A very familiar voice comes from behind me. I turn around. Discord! I get to meet him in the flesh!! This is the best day ever! Okay, better keep my cool like I've done with the six ponies. "I hear you're finally getting better."
"At what?" I ask.
"Well, your voice. I heard you were sick, so I got some seeds at the Saddlantic coast and went all the way back to Ponyville to plant them in the Everfree Forest. And I knew exactly what you had. I know what it's like to not be able to move my lips, but really that was being trapped in stone."
"So, you were the ones who planted the ton gum plants?!?" Tail Flight looks shocked.
"But of course Tail Flight. Would I not do that for a friend?"
"Uh, how did you know her name?" Rainbow Dash faces Discord with a blank face.
"Why, I'm the master of chaos, remember? That's why I'm named Discord."
"Well, thanks for getting Josh the ton gum plants Discord." Tail Flight wraps her hoof around Discord's back.
I nod at Discord. "Yeah, I don't know what I'd say if I couldn't move my lips."
"And I supposed that zebra friend of yours helped deliver that plant?" I nod again.
"But if Zecora got a letter from Princess Celestia, shouldn't you have gotten it?"
"Good point Tail Flight, but I believe my senses told me there was a stiff jaw around in Equestria. And that someone who had said stiff jaw was Joshua here. And don't ask how I knew his name because it's going to be the exact same answer as last time if you do. But finally, Wind Rust. I'm so sorry about your father getting kicked out of the Wonderbolts."
"My father? Who?"
Rainbow Dash starts to fly at an increasing altitude elaborating her questioning. "Oh, so you remember Las Pegasus, but not your father? Still, I don't know how you remember the very town you lived in before your disappearance at the final night of May. But maybe it's for the best that you don't remember your father."
"Oh, yes. I remember what happened to the three. I think it was a senior prank." How does Discord know about the senior prank from last school year? I told him squat about that. "Where is Wiretap anyway?"
"At his house in Marechias." Rainbow Dash smiles.
Discord smiles now. "Road trip to the Crystal Empire anypony?!?"
Me, Wind Rust and Tail Flight all slept at Wiretap's house, southern Marechias. There were a few guest rooms, as predicted, and we all were all together again. But now, I have to find out if Discord is behind Tail Flight and Wind Rust's memories coming back. Thankfully, Wiretap doesn't seem to be affected from this yet. However, maybe it isn't Discord. He's being on his best behavior and is relatively new to friendship.
I feel great in my throat now, and I've felt this way since last night. I'm fully able to talk with no trouble whatsoever, but I try to be careful not to excessively talk. I don't want to hurt my throat again because of my carelessness. And now, I know what Zecora meant when she said to use my gift wisely. My life in Equestria is getting better as no one in Ponyville is gawking at me. At least with Doughnut Jo, he never bothered studying me, probably because he didn't want to waste any time or that he already knew what I was.
Today, I pace in the living room beating my wings, with my feet lightly walking on the floor. It's about five in the morning and I woke up from a strange dream I had of actually being a pony, and now I can't get back to sleep. Wind Rust notices right away and comes down. "Bad dream, huh?"
I stop beating my wings as I walk over to Wind Rust. "It wasn't bad per-say, but it was certainly weird. I can't stop thinking about whether Discord is the one behind giving you and Tail Flight your Equestrian memories."
"It sounds like you know Discord very well. He must be famous in your world."
I sit down next to Wind Rust. "Everyone thinks that Discord is a fictional character, but I'm actually the one who's met him in the flesh. I want my world to see my experience here in Equestria. They've probably already made a paper based on me going missing four days ago." That's when it hits me. Mentioning my world actually put my mind upon my mother. How would she've reacted if she came back after I'd gone to Equestria, I might never know.
I'm a human that's had the highest life changing experiences. I'm a brony in a christian family. I was given a temporary flight spell that lasted until the first night at LeMoyne. I sent a letter to Equestria. I burped out letters from Princess Celestia herself. I have wings! I met Discord for goodness' sake. I'm the only human to've had this much experience with Equestria in the flesh.
Now I think back to when Celestia came to my world, forty days after I found Tail Flight and Wind Rust. Even Princess Celestia noted the stirring that went on upstairs before we left. That stirring was my middle brother. Perhaps I could send a letter to him. "I think I might know what to do. I don't know if this will work, but it's worth a shot." I look around the living room and find the notebook I used. I rip out another page and get a pencil.
"Nathanael,
Tell Mom and Chaileb about this, but now, I'm actually in Equestria. This is indeed a real place, and it's where I'm staying now. I'm with Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap. Don't be worried about me, because I'm happy here. If you've been wondering where I've been the past four days, I'm over with Tail Flight, Wiretap and Wind Rust. Sincerely,
Joshua Crapo."
"Yeah, I remember Nathanael. Mostly from when I must've been a cat or something." Wind Rust rests his hoof on my shoulder as I ponder before sending the letter. I decide to send it, and see how it goes. As I blow on the paper, yeah the paper flies in the wind from my breath, but it doesn't disintegrate like it should and falls instead after a few seconds pass.
Too strange. I thought maybe hearing Princess Celestia, causing the toss and turn, would trigger something else. I guess I got my own weapon against something like what my family believes. I hang my head in disappointment still seeing the letter I attempted to send home. "Don't worry about your family. You're in Equestria. It's better here than it is at home."
"But just because I'm in Equestria doesn't mean I don't miss my family." My eyes shoot wide open as I look across the living room. Tail Flight felt the same way before I came to Equestria. "Spike's UCD's. Maybe I could call my mother and tell her I'm in Equestria."
"But how'll we get them now? The six ponies are back from their call by the map."
"Maybe we can go to Spike directly." I stand up as Wind Rust walks to the main entrance of the house. Just before opening the door though, I stop him. "Wait. It's five in the morning. Celestia hasn't raised the sun yet. What're we going to do, invite them to help test out rock candy?"
"Good idea Wind Rust. In the meantime, do you think Discord is behind you and Tail Flight gaining your memories from here?" Wind Rust shrugs. Suddenly, a knock on the door causes the both of us to leap in the air. I almost land face first until I start to flap my wings like I did yesterday morning during Rainbow Dash's flight lesson. Another happy landing.
I open the door to see Rainbow Dash, wings flared out and all. "Hey Josh. Ready for another flight lesson? Just the right time for it too."
"Okay, just let me get a flashlight so I can see what I'm going to be doing."
"Won't need one. It's already starting to get light out. By the time we get to Ponyville, the sun'll be up already."
"Okay. I'll take your word for it."
Rainbow Dash was right. I see the sun coming up as we come to Rainbow Dash's house. Just me and RD. What more could I ask for?
"So, were you surprised I knocked on your door so early?"
I nod. "It actually made me leap into the air. I saved myself from doing the flop face first by flying and landing on my feet instead."
"Well, then, it looks like you, my friend, have already learned your second lesson. Flying without the running and jumping. It'll save you plenty of energy to fly as well as improve areal coordination. So, let's see what you've got." I do a simple beat of my wings at a high enough rate that I start to rise from the ground. It works successfully, and I go for a decent amount of time, much longer than my first attempt to fly yesterday. Instead of about five minutes, it's ten this time. It especially helped that my throat isn't bothering me unlike yesterday.
"Wow, Rainbow Dash. You were right. I was actually able to stay almost twice as long in the air as I did yesterday."
"Well, we still have time before I gotta get going to Fillywood to check on a white pegasus. How about one more tip?" I nod. "When flying, make sure you're looking ahead of you if you're just starting out. Once you've gained enough experience flying, you can start to look around to make sure it's safe around you. We don't want another close call like how Twilight was about to ram into that helicopter before I pushed her out of the way. Got enough energy in those wings to take a good flight?" I nod again. "Then let's go."
Rainbow Dash and I take a nice long flight around Ponyville as we talk about what's been going on in our lives.
"So, I heard about some reserves here in Equestria."
"Oh yeah, I'm one of them. The Wonderbolt Reserves to be exact. But I heard from you that you were making your own play of some sort?"
"Yeah. I was making this show called Crazy Maze. It was supposedly an alternate version of you guys with absolutely original characters. Hey, just wondering. Are there comedians here? I really do love a good laugh every so often."
"Oh, that's sounds absolutely awesome. By the way, yeah, there are comedians. This one, Record Back-"
I look in utter shock which seems to stop Rainbow Dash in her tracks. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Record Back?!? Great! I got noise in my head now!"
"What noise?"
"The title of this noise is the same name of the day of the week today."
"Oh, Friday?" I nod. Rainbow Dash looks at me curious to finish what she said.
"Oh. Continue."
"As I was saying, there's this comedian, Record Black who normally does shows all the time, nearly every night. Well, one night, she was looking for her daughter and she wasn't there. After that, for about forty days, she never performed for any of Equestria once. It's almost as if she had her own crowd in her head and that because her daughter went missing, it was a tough one."
I look at Rainbow Dash. "Oh. If I would've been a comedian and my kid went missing, I probably wouldn't be performing either."
"Well, after what happened shortly before Tail Flight and Wind Rust returned, Record Back was then on the obstacle of finding a place that's still intact to perform. Luckily, things have gotten back to normal ever since Tail Flight came back."
"So, does that mean, Tail Flight is Record Back's daughter?" Rainbow Dash nods. "Where does she live?"
"11 A. Road. Right next to an arena up in Cloudsdale."
"Just one more question. Is there any magic that can cure amnesia or erase memory here?"
"Not that I know of. You could bring up memories, but it's limited to those that the hold of them still remembers. Memory is almost impossible to change, unless of course you're a master at chaos or something like that."
"Wait. Master at chaos, master of chaos..." My eyes shoot wide open again. "Master of chaos! Exactly why I asked."
"You mean, Discord?!?" As we land Rainbow Dash's eyes shoot wider than mine. I nod. Once done with nodding, I start to feel concerned. I think I broke Rainbow Dash.
Wind Rust paces around the living room, talking to himself as I watch from the staircase. "Uh, Wind Rust? You okay?"
"Oh yeah, Tail Flight I'm fine. But I'm a little concerned though."
"What is it? Is it about Discord?!?"
"Yes. We have no idea who or what is behind our Equestrian memories coming back. The ton gum plants, Las Pegasus..."
"Well, how about we-" A door shoots open disrupting my train of thought as Josh comes through the main entrance.
"Hey Tail Flight, Wind Rust. You want to make a trip over to Cloudsdale?" Wind Rust and I nod. "Okay. Let's go then."
Josh's flight is already getting good judging just by our fly to Cloudsdale. "Hey Josh! What're we going to be doing in Cloudsdale?"
"I've got to see how you guys keep getting your memories here back when you'd previously remember being with me longer than you actually were, Tail Flight."
"Where do you think you're going to do it?" Wind Rust asked trying to talk over the high speed winds.
"11 A. Road. Pretty much, everything over at Cloudsdale is a cloud. I don't know if I can walk on clouds yet but at least I'm getting better."
"And what's so important about that specific address?"
"A comedian lives there." Josh briefly turns around to look at Wind Rust.
"Where'd you get that?"
"I got it from Rainbow Dash, Tail Flight. Let's just focus on getting there though."
We finally make it to the arena. As Josh slowly sinks and closes his eyes, his body goes through the cloud. "Hey, Josh."
"Yeah, Tail Flight?"
"Open your eyes."
"Wait, what?!? I can't walk on clouds?!?"
"Okay, too strange."
Wind Rust whispers in my ear getting close to me. "I know Tail Flight. Why would Josh not be able to walk on clouds now? He probably would've fell through if he'd JUST come here, but he's got wings for Dusty's sake. I mean look at the cloud. Josh left absolutely no imprint in there whatsoever."
Josh rises back above the arena floor. "Tail Flight! Wind Rust! I have an idea. If I get to 11 A. Road now, I'll still have enough wing strength to make it back to Wiretap's house."
"But Josh, we should find Twilight. She'll know what to do."
"Wind Rust, if I fly to Twilight's, I won't have the strength in my wings to make it all the way back here in Cloudsdale."
"But Josh..." I stop Wind Rust.
"Just let him decide what he wants to do. I'll go to Twilight's castle."
"Thank you Tail Flight."
"I'll meet you at Wiretap's, okay?!?"
"Okay."
I dive below the arena to get to Twilight's castle. After I get to the castle, I open the door. The halls are near motionless. But this motionless is one that I don't mind, or even think anything of. A few passages by and I spot Spike's room. "Oh, hey Tail Flight."
"Spike?"
"Yep. Come on in." I walk into the room to see Spike not in the actual room, but his tail sticks out of an entry way to what I think is the closet. Spike comes out so we can talk. "So, what brings you here?"
"I was going to ask Twilight something."
"Well, since you're here, I can show you what I'm working on." Spike leads me to the closet now. "Maybe there could be some P.M. to-"
I gasp in utter shock. "Ew! Spike! Do you even know what that means?!?"
"Same something?"
"Okay. If you could stop with your nasty abbreviations, maybe I'll check out your work."
"Hey, look who's talking, Tail Flight!" Spike starts to look a little frustrated.
"Okay, okay. Let's not get worked up here. I just wanted to see what's in there."
"Oh, just something I've been working on for a while." Spike leads me back to the closet as he uncovers the sheet. "Behold! The Equestrian flatscreen television." Well, this is the best looking flatscreen TV I've seen in a while. It's amazing what those claws could do.
"How'd you manage to make this?!?"
"Just like the UCD's, it's amazing what boredom can do to you. Twilight and her friends were called by the map again and they wanted me to watch the castle until they came back."
"Where's Twilight?"
Spike pulls out two tickets. "She's at the Him-a-neighin' Mountains, Mount Everfree to be exact. Hey, I'm just wondering if you wanted to go to the Wonderbolts' Derby. I got an extra ticket. Twilight was originally going to go, but now she can't, so you can go."
"Thanks Spike! When's the show?"
"Tomorrow. I think it's at four. I ought to look at the pamphlet." Spike rushes out of his room only to be back in there with a pamphlet in his claws, starting to read. "Okay, lunch, at one. Two to three thirty is interviewing with the Wonderbolts. Aha! I! Knew! It! It IS at four!"
"Are the Him-a-neighin's, or whatever they're called, are they halfway across from here?" Spike nods. "Then we have no time to lose! We need Twilight! Now!" I gallop out of Spike's room as he follows.
"Wait! Tail Flight! You won't last that far! Wind Rust is much older than you! Maybe he can do it!" I roll my eyes at Spike as I continue to gallop. Seriously? I have to fly all the way back up to Cloudsdale just so I could notify Wind Rust that Twilight's on the other side of the world. Is Equestria seriously where I should be right now? That's the final straw. I shake my head.
"Spike, I've got to do this! I don't want to tire myself at a higher altitude than I need to be at. And certainly I don't want to waste time by requesting my friends do it. They don't know about Twilight going to the Him-a-neighin's!"
"Then don't come crawling to me if you splash middle of the Wing of Fire, Tail Flight." That's when it hits me. Josh and Wind Rust are going to be back at Wiretap's house by the time I make it there.
At Wiretap's house, I notice Josh and Wind Rust hanging out, talking. "Josh, Wind Rust?"
"Yes," they both answer.
"Someone has to make it halfway around the world to get Twilight."
"Although I may not've thought of this back in Cloudsdale, I know someone else who can give me the ability to walk on clouds."
Wind Rust and I are intrigued. "Who?"
Josh whistles enough for Wind Rust and I to keep our ears down for a few seconds. When they're back up, Discord is in front of us. "You rang, Josh?"
"Hey Discord." Josh holds a finger up. "Twilight's halfway around the world and..."
"You need a way to walk on clouds? Then leave it to me." With two snaps of a finger from Discord's lion paw, the four of us are teleported to the Canterlot Derby Arena when Josh starts beating his wings but slows them down shortly after. A bit of confusion comes from Josh until he takes a step on the cloud he landed on.
"Thanks Discord."
Suddenly, after Discord disappears, a few pegasi come to us in a very familiar uniform. As I look at Josh, he seems to be absolutely excited. Wait a minute. I think I remember these guys. "I think these guys might have the one we need."
"No kiddin' Soarin'." Oh my god, they are! "This guy would be perfect. Hey, uh, Josh right?" Josh nods. "Heard all about you taking some flight lessons from our most promising reserve." Josh nods again. "Well, Rainbow Dash was originally going to be a reserve in case a Wonderbolt was absent, but it turns out that Rainbow Dash was being called over to the Him-a-neighin's. So, would you stand in for Rainbow Dash in the derby tomorrow?"
"I won't let you down Spitfire!" Josh pushes his arms towards his wings, fists and all.
"Hey I remember you."
Wind Rust has a very surprised look on his face. "You do?"
Spitfire nods. "Of course. It's too bad that your father was kicked out. Otherwise I would've let you fill in for Rainbow Dash."
Josh turns to me and Wind Rust. "Tail Flight! Wind Rust! I going to need some racing practice for tomorrow. I'm going to need you two to race me and see how well I'd do." Wind Rust and I nod.
Ever since I've flown, I've been losing my gut very quickly. Back when I last weighed myself, I was 179. I've weighed myself this morning out of curiosity and I was 161. That is almost twice as much as I lost from when I had my first week of bringing Pop-tarts no less to lunch instead of having the school lunch.
Yesterday, after I found myself a house that was empty, I started my preparation for the Wonderbolts' Derby. Wing ups were hard but I got the hang of them. Prior to that, I wasn't used to using mid limbs to carry the rest of my body, but it felt like I was flying just above the ground. When racing Tail Flight and Wind Rust, it felt too easy. I may've needed some weights to further my strength of my wings but none were nearby. As of the turning in circles, that was pretty easy. I thought I was ready for the next day.
Today is a big day for me. I wake up at seven after about nine hours of sleep. Now, I feel so alive after a great breakfast at Sugar Cube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake's foals are growing, that's for sure. Back at my new house, I continue with my wing exercises taking many laps around the outer Town Hall Roundabout with Tail Flight and Wind Rust. That's getting so easy, while having to make ten laps around the outer roundabout, that I overlapped both Tail Flight and Wind Rust three times, and Wind Rust is pretty much a great flyer.
By the time I finish exercising, it's about ten. I get the deodorant back home and put it on. I have a little time to see what Spike's up to. As the three of us get to Twilight's castle, I look at the clock on the right, entering.
"10:30. Hey, maybe we could get to Canterlot now. I want to have some time over there to meet all the Wonderbolts before lunch." I get back outside and prepare to fly as Tail Flight and Wind Rust get behind me. Our flight took about an hour and fifteen minutes. I honestly don't know how Spike was able to ride Twilight the day before the Summer Sun Celebration last year with Twilight back then being so bad at flying.
Over at the derby arena, I get to the meeting hall and look for any of the Wonderbolts, that is until I meet an unusually large unicorn. Sassy Saddles. "Hey! I've heard of you."
"Really? You have?"
"Of course! Josh right?" I nod.
"Sassy Saddles I presume." Sassy nods. "Yeah. I'm filling in for the reserve that was supposed to be here. Unfortunately, she had to fly over to the Him-a-neighin's."
Sassy Saddles looks behind me to see Wind Rust and Tail Flight. "Are those two ponies out there with you?"
"Oh yeah. They are. Tail Flight and Wind Rust."
"Well, I hope you do great out there. How long has it been since you've raced last?"
I think a bit. The Battle of the Genders. "My last race was at LeMoyne on July 26, a little while before I got here in Equestria. Got first place. But it was very uncomfortable, at least in the ankle... I think I've said too much."
"So Prior to coming here, did you live there, at 'LeMoyne'?"
"You could say that. I stayed there for a month to simulate what college would've been like. By now, I'm able to perfectly live on my own."
"I guess it's rather impressive considering a certain day being January 8th, 1998."
"How'd you know my birthday?"
"I told you. I heard about you."
"But I told no one about my birthday."
"One pony did." Wiretap. Haven't heard from him in a while. Probably told her all about me. "Well, I hope you do well in that race. I know you could do it."
"Thanks." Sassy Saddles snaps her eyes open to the sound of the snap of a finger. I look up. Discord. I hear jingling coming from the right of me. As soon as Discord waves, he leaves. I look to the floor on my right, there's my bag of bits.
"Who snapped?"
"Oh. It's a friend of mine. I see he got me my bag of bits. Well, I've gotta fly. I've got Wonderbolts to meet."
Sassy Saddles chuckles a bit and waves goodbye as I walk over with my bag to Tail Flight and Wind Rust.
"Wind Rust, Tail Flight. Could you carry these?"
"No problem Josh." Wind Rust jumps and flies when I give him the bag.
I turn around and walk about until I see Soarin'. "Oh hey Josh. 'sup?"
"Not much. Just hanging here until lunch."
"Talked to anypony yet?"
I nod. "Sassy Saddles."
"Never heard of her."
"Rarity does."
"You know Rarity?!? That's awesome!!!" Soarin' flies in excitement to the fact that I know Rarity quite a bit, especially now since I've met her in the flesh. "It's too bad we don't have a suit for you, but that's okay. They'll know you're just a fill in for Rainbow Dash." Suddenly, two more snaps come from the ceiling. Then all I sense is blue. I feel blue fabric, and see a clear blue, with a blurry vision of Soarin'. I tip over a bit but I start flying just before I hit the floor. These wings are so handy. If I ever feel like I touched fuzzy, I can just fly. "Hey, you okay, Josh?"
I grab the outfit in my hand and land on floor. "Yeah. It's just I wasn't expecting a Wonderbolts outfit to fall from the ceiling. But wow is this light."
Soarin' examines the outfit. "I don't know. Looks exceptionally big to be a normal one. But it does look like it could fit you." Another snap shocks me and Soarin'. As I see a pair of goggles fall down, I catch it just within my reach. I spread out my legs and raise the arm containing the goggles up toward the sky. "I! HAVE! THE GOGGLES!" Soarin' starts to giggle at me. But it was within a short time that I jump to the sound of thunder. I look behind me to see a grey pony, Derpy, next to a cloud.
"Okay, I got to get to the dressing room. Catch you later, Soarin'." I get to the dressing room to put on the suit and put on the goggles. I look in the mirror, I look quite decent. I'll look even better flying especially with my hair flowing.
During lunch, I get a bowl of mac and cheese as well as a side of watermelon. For dessert that hour, I have a couple of cookies. I can't eat entirely much like I used to back at LeMoyne, but I still had a decent appetite. What helps is that everything seems smaller with the exception of the fork I have as my silverware, which is at my normal size, so now, I'm able to have more without having more. I know it's a paradox, but it's not too bad of one. Lunch was a breeze.
Interviews on the other hand is very tedious, but once I get the hang of it, it is so fun. It seems that talking pretty much takes care of lunch. As the ponies come and go to greet me as well as all of the Wonderbolts, I get more excited to race again. Break time is used to do what I call "taking a break".
Now, I fly at rest at the starting line on the inside of track with all the Wonderbolts.
I get a seat with Spike in the Wonderbolts' Derby. That is, after betting all of Josh's money on him, which is one hundred and seventy five bits. As the Wonderbolts line up, Josh stops at the end of the line furthest from the audience with a Wonderbolts' outfit that really suits him. "Good afternoon Citizens of Canterlot, and welcome to the near annual Wonderbolts' Derby! In the starting line, we have one added competitor number 6, Joshua Crapo! Down the line we have Misty Fly, Blaze, Fleet Foot, Surprise, and Lightning Streak."
Suddenly, a conversation starts up after listening to the commentator.
"Well, I choose him. I know he'll win."
"Exactly Stormy Flare! I know Josh can do it."
"You know him?"
"Ivory silk, yes. In fact, I met him in the flesh before lunch today."
"I'd say I would've voted for any of the normal five Wonderbolt entries-"
The conversation gets interrupted by the commentator.
"Wonderbolts! Ready... set... GO!!! And all are off with Josh in the lead, Fleet Foot second, Lightning Streak third, Surprise fourth, Blaze fifth, and Misty Fly last." I see a very vague figure in replacement of seeing Josh in a Wonderbolts' outfit flying. That figure seems to be traveling very fast. I can't help but smile.
"So, uh, Stormy Flare?" Stormy Flare looks at me.
"Yeah little filly?"
"You betted on Josh too?"
"Why yes I did. Did you?" I nod.
"I know him very well." I start to think back to when I remember I was a cat. It went as far as when I got home for the first time feeling no where near used to the home that I'd come to love.
"And who's this dragon with you?"
"I'm Spike."
"Pleased to meet you."
The commentator speaks as Spike and Stormy Flare shake claw to hoof. "And Josh has three more laps to go with Fleet Foot on his tail having four to go."
Spike turns to the race. "Josh overlapped Fleet Foot?!? That's extremely hard to accomplish! How long's he flown?"
"Since Thursday. I saw him land as I approached him."
Wind Rust from behind actually points to the track with his hoof. "Oh my goodness! Josh's only got two more laps to go!"
"GO JOSH!!! WOOHOO!!!" I find myself cheering with the rest of the crowd.
"It looks like Josh doesn't have any sweat broken yet!!! HE'S STILL GOING STRONG!!! All the other Wonderbolts seem to be trying their hardest to catch up but their efforts are fruitless! OOH!!! And it's the final lap for Josh!!! He's still on top of this!"
"Come on Joshua!!!" The unicorn Stormy Flare was talking to cheers herself after minutes of her jaw dropped.
I cover my ears again. "Fleet Foot finally makes it to her last two laps with all else on her tail!" As I open my ears up, I smile big and wide.
"How do you like that you Fleet Foot Fans?!? No 'Wonderbolt' has made it this far to first!"
Spike points to Josh resting his other set of claws on my mane. "Look at Josh go! He's overlapped Surprise!! TWICE!!!"
In the middle of the assembling five Wonderbolts coming from the left, the vague blue and orange figure comes in. Josh's about to win! Josh's about to win!!! I suddenly cover my ears again. "And Josh takes home the win with Fleet Foot making it to her final lap!!!" Josh curves to fly up only to swoop back to the track clouds to land. The cyan unicorn, Stormy Flare, Spike, Wind Rust and I all start cheering.
Josh finally won a race, an important one too because it was a race between him and five ponies that are teammates of an areal acrobatic group called the Wonderbolts!! I can't wait to see how much Josh got! Tail Flight and I get to the betting stand.
I close my eyes. "Hey, I hear Josh won."
"Of course. Wind Rust and Tail Flight, right?"
I put my right forehoof on my chest. "That's us."
"And you betted one hundred and seventy five bits on Josh?" We nod. "Well congrats to the both of you! Your return is a thousand and fifty bits!" I put my hoof back to the concrete floor, shoot my eyes wide open and drop my jaw. One thousand and fifty bits?!? Wow! Josh is going to be so exited.
Josh lands in front of us. "Hey Tail, hey Rust. All that training really came in handy. What's going on here?" Josh looks like he's sweating bullets. He's even breathing a little faster than he usually would.
"Guess what happened!" Tail Flight flies up to Josh and holds his shoulders.
"What is it?"
"I betted your money on you!"
"But I never told you to do that!"
"Once you won, I knew you'd be rich!"
"Okay, how many?"
"A thousand and fifty bits." Josh drops his jaw now.
"Holy crap! I think this calls for a celebration!"
"And you'd be right Josh." I see Spitfire trotting from the bleachers over to the three of us. "However, it's not just for your far win out in that race, but also becoming an official Wonderbolt." Josh? Becoming a Wonderbolt?!? "You've shown us your athletic ability, Josh. Not even our best Wonderbolt in that race came anywhere close to you. And we could use that ability to everypony's advantage in the Wonderbolts, even you."
We all drop our jaws now. Josh folds his wings. "I accept your invitation Spitfire! I won't let you down! Come on everyone! Let's go Celebrate!"
"And I know just the place too." I know what Spitfire's going to say.
"Jo's Bar and Doughnut?!?" Spitfire nods at Josh. Called it.
"And there's also another bonus. Tonight's comedy night over there, so try not to build a gut there just to bust it."
"I'll keep that in mind." Josh nods at Spitfire. "But I don't think mine's going to grow any time soon, considering all the training I went through this morning."
"Yeah. Even though I was pretty fast, I couldn't even come close to catching up to Josh."
"Josh, Wind Rust. Hold on. I want to hear who's going to perform their schtick."
"That would be Record Back little filly." Tail Flight's eyes shoot wide open.
Tail Flight starts to whisper what sounds like "mother".
Josh looks intrigued. "How does Tail Flight know who her mother is?" Now I'm getting curious myself. Is Josh's suspicions correct? I've got to find out.
"Why hello there Joshua. Congratulations on becoming an official Wonderbolt. I truly knew you were going to win that race with an overlap and a half in the works."
"Thanks Discord." Josh offers a high five which Discord accepts.
"Discord?"
"Yes, Wind Rust?"
"How've Tail Flight and I been able to remember both our lives here as well as our lives back when we remember being cats? Is there any memory magic going on here?"
"Heavens no Wind Rust. I wouldn't dream of messing with ponies' memory if that's where you're getting at. And quite frankly, I've shown my friendship to Twilight which was giving her the key to stopping Tirek."
I have a straight face to Discord. "So, you've told the truth before."
"Precisely. And I'm doing so today."
"Wind Rust cut him some slack. It's the master of chaos. I know him." I nod at Josh as he turns back to Discord. "So Discord, you up for Jo's Bar and Doughnut? Me, Soarin', Spitfire, Wind Rust and Tail Flight are all going."
"Why yes I'd love to go for a quick cider. In fact..." Discord snaps the finger of his lion paw twice teleporting us to Jo's Bar and Doughnut as well as Spike suddenly appearing. "We're here!"
Spitfire nods to Josh. "That guy must be very handy, huh."
"Of course. He's the master of chaos."
"That would explain how you have that outfit complete with the goggles."
"Well, I would've brought my UCD's with me, but I was kind of in a rush to get here so I didn't bring 'em."
"No problem Spike." Discord snaps the finger of his lion paw again and four UCD's appear.
"Now I could possibly call Mom and tell her I'm here in Equestria!" Josh turns his on and tries to call. Suddenly, hope arises. Not only is there a dial tone, but someone actually picked up the line. Josh starts to speak in the UCD.
"Hello!... Amazing!... Equestria... I knew you'd be. I just knew it... Look. Tell Chaileb and Nathanael that I'm in Equestria. This is a very real place... Wind Rust, Tail Flight, Spike, Discord, Spitfire and Soarin'... Since the day I 'disappeared'... Okay, let's see. I reunited with Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap, I managed to grow wings, I learned to fly, I competed in a race and won first place and I became an official Wonderbolt, all of-... I know it's incredible to do all of that in less than a week... I'll keep that in mind... Talk to you later... Bye."
Josh hangs up on the UCD and gives it to Spike, which Spike gives back. Josh looks confused. "Get a song for me to listen to while I'm on my free time. Maybe I'll even show it to Rarity if it fits well enough. Besides, it's your UCD."
"Says that I'm connected to Discord. Great. Discord has wi-fi. No one comes outside. It has to be between Spike and I for now." After Josh chuckles and fools around on it for a little bit, he and Spike walk out.
"What music do you think he's going to play?" Tail Flight looks extremely excited.
Discord thinks a bit. "To be honest, I have no idea. You think I'd know everything. But I only know what's going on by their expression. Nopony got to see them."
"But I did. He looked a bit curious. Maybe I'd better see why he pulled Spike out."
Discord, Tail Flight, Soarin' and I all wait for Spitfire to see what's going on. But as Spitfire comes back in the bar, she looks amazed. "Well, this isn't just some random curiosity. Josh says he's going to be in a hurry for arranging a song, which I heard part of. And I think I may know what song that is."
"What is it?" Soarin' shoots his eyes open.
"Josh told me not to tell you that."
"Somepony doesn't seem to trust his own friends with what he's going to be doing."
"That's because it's supposed to be a surprise, Discord." Josh and Spike come in the restaurant looking at all of us with smiles on their faces. "Now, let's get some doughnuts!"
I've finally achieved the last of my dreams. I'm an official Wonderbolt. I have wings, my own Wonderbolts outfit. I'm with Tail Flight, Wind Rust and Wiretap. I'm in Equestria. My throat feels the best it's been for the past year. I've gotten everything I wanted. And finally on the plus side, I get to contact anyone I know whenever I want.
Tail Flight's doing better now than she did back when she woke up here in Equestria. She still misses my house, but she's still happy she's with me. Wind Rust pretty much envies me now that I'm a Wonderbolt. Both Tail Flight and Wind Rust now remember a general synopsis of their entire lives. Wiretap is happy to be with me, but he dear misses the Burke family.
As I think of what's happened within these two and a half months, I come to what happened the morning of June first. The senior prank. If it weren't for this, none of my status would be anywhere close to this. I'm truly grateful for what the senior prank had turned out to be.
But now, I'm wondering about what's going to happen with Tail Flight and Wind Rust. Will they gain more details on their memories? Who or what is responsible for the spawning of their Equestrian memories? Will they forget their memories they had from Eve and Rusty? I should find these answers in time.