Sky Blossom was a girl... until she became a pegasus. Stuck in a magical world, she is forced to accept help from a strange voice she does not even know. Can she get home? Most importantly, is home worth returning to?
Chapter 1: A Girl A girl was walking through the park. She was alone but did not mind. She was used to being alone. Her pale yellow dress was adorned with light blue flowers. Light green hair flowed around her shoulders in large waves. Her bright blue eyes sparkled behind long lashes. Her name was...
(This story actually began as a poll in Google Plus. On Mondays I post a new chapter and people vote on what they want to have happen next. That is why the chapters end with ...) Not every Monday, they are sporadically written but will always be posted on a Monday. :D
Sky Blossom sat down gently on a patch of flowers. They were a wide range of colors and smelled sweet. Careful not to uproot the flower, she caressed a small blue one. It didn't have many flowers next to it. Sighing, she released the lonely flower and gazed at the sky. Clouds floated by quickly, as if they didn't want to be around her for long. But she didn't mind. She was used to things leaving.
"The day sure is nice." Sky Blossom whispered to the tiny flower.
Without warning a dash of blue passed by her eyes. It disappeared into a nearby bush. Curious, Sky Blossom wandered over to the foliage and moved the leaves aside. It was a small butterfly that seemed to be caught in the web of branches. Gently, she placed her finger on the butterfly, careful not to touch the wing, and tried to free it.
"Perfect..." The butterfly cackled as it flew away.
"What?" Sky Blossom whispered as a flashing light surrounded her. She felt weightless for a moment before landing on soft, green grass. Rubbing her head and moaning, she looked around. It didn't look like the park. It was more vibrant and colorful as if it was not real.
"Hi! Welcome to Equestria!" A loud voice yelled out.
"Equestria?" Sky Blossom mumbled.
"Yeah! Equestria! You fell from the sky! Are you ok?" The voice asked. It sounded like it was jumping.
"I think so..." She tried to stand but soon fell on her face. Groaning she rubbed her head with her hooves. Hooves?
"Equestria..." Sky Blossom whispered as she frantically examined her body. "Equestria... EquestriAHHHHH!!!!"
"Woo hoo! EQUESTRIA!" The voice screamed along with her.
Sky Blossom stared in shock at her hooves. She then arched her head around in an attempt to get a better look at her body. A mirror was quickly pressed in her face by the pink pony in front of her. Her vision had cleared a few moments ago and she had been shocked by what she had seen. A light pink pony with bouncy pink hair was talking to her. Sky Blossom would have screamed about that if she had not already been screaming about the fact that she was a PONY!
She took a few steps back so she could get a better look at herself. She was now a limber pony with a pale yellow coat. Her mane was a light green color. It flowed down her back in voluminous waves. Her tail matched. It was so long that it gently brushed the ground. Her light blue eyes widened in shock as she saw her flank. There were three light blue flowers of various sizes adorning her.
"What the flowers?" Sky Blossom exclaimed as she felt herself slowly rise into the air. That was the moment she realized that she was not just a pony... she was a pegasus. Her legs flailed around wildly as she felt herself go higher and higher.
"HELP!" She screamed.
"Wow! You are good!" The pink pony yelled out.
Sky Blossom covered her eyes, the pony had looked like an ant.
Suddenly she felt her wings snap to her sides. Her eyes opened in shock. "No." She whispered. Her body began to plummet down to earth. Air whipped around her and caused her mane to cover her eyes, blinding her for the moment. She began to gag on her own hair as she tried to call for help. It seemed like all was lost. Her heart beat faster and faster as she prepared herself for impact.
Something soft broke her fall. It was curly and warm underneath her. Opening her eyes slowly, Sky Blossom realized that she was lying down in the pony's mane. She didn't know how it was possible for a mane to brake her fall but considering where she was, she didn't question it.
"I like you! My name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours?" The pony said.
Pinkie Pie bounded joyfully towards the lone cloud in the sky. The trembling Pegasus still lay down in her mane but she did not mind one bit. Pinkie Pie thought back to the moment she had met the new pony. She had been bouncing along to Apple Jack’s farm to pay the hard working earth pony a visit. Suddenly, her Pinkie sense had begun to tingle and she had quickly ducked behind a bush for cover. A small speck of yellow had appeared in the sky before growing larger and larger until it was the size of a pony. Granted it was the size of a pony that was slightly shorter than average, but it was a pony nonetheless. She had nearly burst when she realized that a new FRIEND had fallen from the sky!
Pinkie Pie giggled as she felt the pony shift slightly in her mane. Yep, today was shaping up to be a wonderful day. But she knew that if she was going to bring a smile to her new friend’s face she was going to have to help her. It seemed like the pony was not the best flier.
‘Probably how she fell from the sky in the first place.’ Pinkie Pie thought.
At last they reached the lone cloud. The sky was scheduled to be completely clear that day and Pinkie Pie knew of only one pony who would go through all the trouble of locating, moving, and ignoring the rules so she could nap of the comfort of a cloud. Just like she suspected, a rainbow tail was dangling off of the edge. She sucked in a deep breath until her entire body was as round as a beach ball.
“What in the world?” The pony on her back said quietly as she noticed the change in Pinkie Pie’s appearance.
“RAINBOW DASH!!!!” Pinkie Pie yelled out as she released the air she had gathered.
A scream called out from on top of the cloud as a rainbow maned Pegasus fell off. She expertly caught herself before she hit the ground and was soon soaring straight into the sky. After a quick turn in midair she zipped down and stopped inches away from Pinkie Pie’s face. Her cyan eyes burned with annoyance as she stared the pink pony down.
“What do you want Pinkie?” She asked through clenched teeth.
“I want you to meet my new friend…” Pinkie Pie began. She soon stopped talking with a blank look on her face. Pinkie Pie looked up and asked, “What is your name?”
“Um… Sky Blossom.” Sky Blossom replied quietly. She was not used to someone actually asking her what her name was. Not to mention have two people, or ponies, looking at her at the same time.
“Sky Blossom huh?” The light blue Pegasus said through narrowed eyes. “Haven’t seen you before. Do you live in Cloudsdale?”
“Cloudsdale?” Sky Blossom responded in confusion.
“She fell from the sky! I was wondering if you could teach her how to fly better.” Pinkie Pie said as she arched her head so Sky Blossom would slide off of her mane. The Pegasus hit the ground with a soft plunk and stayed absolutely still.
“Me?” Rainbow Dash asked with surprise.
“Yes, you!” Pinkie Pie responded. “But be careful. That one is even shyer than Fluttershy!”
“Hmmm…” Rainbow Dash murmured as she observed the small Pegasus. Sky Blossom was gently nudging the ground with a hoof. It was apparent she was avoiding eye contact with them. Her body trembled slightly every time she tried to meet Rainbow Dash’s gaze. Suddenly Rainbow Dash got an idea to help Sky Blossom fly and gain confidence at the same time. There was only one way to get a Pegasus to fly.
“All she needs is a push in the right direction!” Rainbow Dash said confidently.
Sky Blossom’s eyes widened in fear as she felt herself being hoisted up onto Rainbow Dash’s back. The blue Pegasus took flight quickly, leaving a rainbow streak behind her. They flew high into the sky. The ground continued to get smaller and smaller. Soon Sky Blossom stopped looking down at all. Rainbow Dash tried to engage her in conversation a few times but soon gave up when Sky Blossom’s answers remained either um, yes, or no. Sky Blossom sighed and closed her eyes. She wanted to go home. When she opened them she was staring straight at…
Sky Blossom stared in awe at the scene before her. It was magnificent! The rainbow waterfall seemed to go down for miles. The soft foam at the bottom bubbled with froth, merging all the colors together before her very eyes. Moisture beaded at the sides of her sky blue eyes. For a moment she actually did not feel scared or overwhelmed at what was happening to her. Sky Blossom was even able to forget that she was currently sitting on top of Rainbow Dash. That was until she heard the brisk voice of the Pegasus interrupt her reverent thoughts.
“All right, ready to fly?” Rainbow Dash barked out at the small Pegasus on her back.
“Wh-wh-what?” Sky Blossom stammered in fear as she noticed the Pegasus shift underneath her. Her wings once again snapped to her sides.
“Look, this is the perfect place to fly. The waterfall is nice and relaxing, plus all the scenery and junk makes you forget you are flying.” Rainbow Dash explained patiently as Sky Blossom grabbed hold of her neck.
“Um… no thanks.” Sky Blossom mumbled as she hid her face in Rainbow Dash’s multicolored mane. Her cheeks burned fiery at the contact but she did not release her. This was no time to let her shyness get her killed. Rainbow Dash sighed before shaking her head around in an attempt to dislodge the small mare. It did not work, Sky Blossom stayed clung on to her like a tick.
“Look… um…” Rainbow Dash began. She fidgeted in the sky as she tried to remember the pony’s name. ‘It was something Blossom. Shy Blossom? Pie Blossom?’ She thought.
“SKY BLOSSOM!” Pinkie Pie’s voice called from below.
‘How did she?’ Rainbow Dash thought in surprise. She soon dismissed the thought because Pinkie Pie could do almost anything and she had long ago given up trying to decide how.
“Look, Sky Blossom, flying is easy. Once you get the feel of the wind underneath your wings you’ll forget all about being scared!” Rainbow Dash said with great confidence.
‘Will I forget about the fact that I am hundreds of feet above the ground?’ Sky Blossom thought with great annoyance. She kept her comments to herself, however. After all, this pony was the only thing between her and a fall to her death.
Soon there was nothing between herself and a fall to her death. Rainbow Dash suddenly bucked in the air, tossing the yellow Pegasus into the blue sky. A high pitched scream filled the air as Sky Blossom began to hurl towards the earth. Her mane whipped around her face as she fell faster and faster. Eyes closed and mouth open, Sky Blossom continued to go down. Tears slid through her eyelids and flew through the air beside her. Vaguely she could hear Pinkie Pie cheering her on and Rainbow Dash giving her advice. All noise seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Her muscles began to tighten as she became paralyzed with fear. Sky Blossom was taken back to another moment in her life when she had felt the same way. Her mind began to transport her back long ago.
‘No, stay away from me!. Don’t come any closer or you’ll regret it!’ She yelled in her mind. Her voice was shrill and unthreatening. The shapes continued to get closer and closer. They were almost upon her. ‘Stay away from me you sick, revolting monsters!’ Sky Blossom wished she hadn’t of said that the moment she saw their eyes. They were mad now. Before it might have been a ruse to scare her, something to give them a rush before they departed into the night. Now they were going to go through with it. Sky Blossom wished she had kept her mouth shut. Nothing would have happened if she had kept her mouth shut.
She opened her eyes as her mind transported her back to what was happening. The ground was only a few feet away now. It was too late for her to even attempt to open her wings. Sky Blossom prepared for impact, for the smack, for the pain, for the end of life… and felt nothing. A timid blue eye opened up slowly. Something was keeping her suspended above the hard ground. She couldn’t see anything around her though. There was no glow that suggested anything magical. Two yellow and red eyes suddenly appeared in front of her face.
“Hello there.” A voice called out from the nowhere.
“Hello?” Sky Blossom said quietly. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to connect a body with the eyes that were staring right at her. She eventually gave up once she realized that there was nothing else there. For a moment she thought she might just be having a hallucination, after all she had just almost fallen to her death.
‘Almost.’ Sky Blossom realized as she looked at the ground a few inches beneath her. She quickly stammered a thank you to whatever had saved her. “Th-th-thank you. I would have hit the ground if it wasn’t for you, but you saved me. Of course, you already knew that.”
“Oh, don’t thank me yet.” The voice said in low tone.
The strange eyes began to fade away as Sky Blossom found herself being slowly lowered to the ground. She began to panic as she realized that she wouldn’t be able to see the eyes at all in a matter of seconds. Desperate to know where her savior was going she made one final attempt to learn more about the strange voice.
“Wait, um… who are you? Will I see you again?” Sky Blossom said in a worried tone.
“Well, aren’t you bold, Can’t wait to see me again huh?” The voice said in a mocking tone.
Sky Blossom was sure that whatever was in front of her was waggling it’s eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Her cheeks darkened with embarrassment and annoyance as she tried to keep the conversation on track. “I just wanted to know.” She mumbled.
“Don’t worry, we will definitely be seeing each other again.” The eyes faded away completely and Sky Blossom had the sudden feeling of being alone.
The feeling did not last once the two other ponies caught up to her. The rainbow maned one was breathing heavily with worry while the pink maned one was breathing heavily with excitement. Pinkie Pie began to bounce around once she was certain Sky Blossom was not injured in any way. Every time she went up the sound of a spring sounded through the air. Her mane bounced even higher than she did. Rainbow Dash glanced at Pinkie Pie before turning to Sky Blossom. Her eyes darted over the small body to check for damages, once she was satisfied that everything was in order she began to speak.
“Are you all right Sky Blossom?” Rainbow Dash began.
“Yes… um…” Sky Blossom wanted to tell her about the voice but suddenly found herself unable to speak.
“I was certain you would be able to fly once you were falling. After all, that is how all Pegasus ponies learn how to fly.” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Didn’t you ever go to Flight Camp? I thought it was mandatory for all residents of Cloudsdale.”
“Flight Camp? I… um… well… no.” Sky Blossom finished with her gaze lingering on the ground.
Rainbow Dash mistook this as a sign or embarrassment and decided to try and console her. “Don’t worry about it. Not all Pegasi are great flyers. In fact, one of my close friends is a Pegasus that is scared of heights. Her name is Fluttershy.”
Pinkie Pie suddenly shot up in front of Rainbow Dash and Sky Blossom. “Fluttershy is super scared of heights but she can still fly.” She said with a large smile.
“Yes, but the point is that not all Pegasus ponies like to fly.” Rainbow Dash said while motioning to Sky Blossom with her eyes.
Pinkie Pie got the hint and joined in. “Right! Besides, your cutie mark is three flowers. Flowers grow on the ground so you probably feel more comfortable on the ground anyway. Right?” She pressed her face against Sky Blossom’s as she waited for an answer.
“Cutie mark?” Sky Blossom asked.
“Yeah! Don;t you know what a cutie mark is silly?” Pinkie Pie asked as she continued to press her face against Sky Blossom’s.
“Well, of course. I just don’t know what mine means…” Sky Blossom trailed off. ‘That is only half of a lie. I really don’t know what my cutie mark means. But I also don’t even know what a cutie mark is or where I am.’
“What kind of pony doesn’t know what a cutie mark is?” Rainbow Dash asked as she studied Sky Blossom. Her eyes narrowed. “Where are you from?”
“Dashie, no need to be suspicious! Sky Blossom is a friend.” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle.
Rainbow Dash didn’t seem convinced, She continued to stare at Sky Blossom with a hard gaze. The silence seemed to stretch on as Sky Blossom searched for an answer. The wind whistled through the trees and passed the three quiet ponies. Even Pinkie Pie remained silent as she watched Sky Blossom. Her gaze changed slightly when the Pegasus still did not respond. Pinkie Pie’s hair deflated slightly when Sky Blossom opened her mouth, only to close it once more. Beads of sweat began to form on the small pony’s brow as the gazes of the other two drilled into her. Her eyes darted around looking for escape. She considered trying to fly away but decided that she probably was not going to get anywhere. Besides, there was no way she could ever outfly the quick blue pony in front of her.
“I don’t know exactly.” Sky Blossom said slowly.
“I KNOW!” Pinkie Pie yelled as her mane returned to its bouncy state. “Twilight knows everything! I bet she could help you find out the name of where you came from and maybe why you have such a hard time using your wings!”
“Fine. We’ll go to Twilight’s.” Rainbow Dash said quietly, never taking her eyes off of Sky Blossom.
Sky Blossom swallowed as she forced a smile. She followed the two ponies as they began to trot toward Twilight’s. Sky Blossom was silent for most of the trip. Her mind was racing as she decided what she should tell them once they arrived. Not wanting to overwhelm them, she decided to tell them only one important piece of information first. Eventually Sky Blossom decided to tell them…
They soon reached a large tree that looked as if it was made of crystals. Sky Blossom felt small as she gazed up at the large structure. Who could possibly live in there? It seemed big enough to house thousands of ponies but based on what she had heard from their conversation on the way… it only held one. One pony and her dragon. Sky Blossom shivered as she imagined a huge, scaly, sharp toothed dragon opening the door. He might breathe fire and have razor claws. She felt faint as she imagined what would happen if she said the wrong thing in front of the dragon. Spike, that is what she heard Pinkie Pie call him, would be very protective of his master. After all, based on what little she knew about dragons, he would be a fearsome beast that attacked anyone who threatened what he held dear.
Sky Blossom hoped these ponies knew what they were doing. They had called Twilight their friend, but what kind of a friend was she? She must be someone very important for her to live in such a magnificent castle with such a dreadful protector. Sky Blossom shivered as Pinkie Pie knocked on the front door. It rang out in a low, dreary sound. It was as if the door itself was telling Sky Blossom to flee, to fly away from the intimidating place. She wished she could.
‘I shouldn’t be able to fly at all. What is going on?’ Sky Blossom thought as she waited for someone to open the massive door.
“SPIKE!” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both cheered at the same time.
Sky Blossom closed her eyes and waited for a loud roar to tell her that the beast had arrived. To her surprise, a small voice asked in a whisper. “What is the matter with her?”
She opened her eyes slowly. Her gaze drifted down to see the small, purple dragon that stood in front of her. He was the exact opposite of the dreadful beast she had created in her mind. His claws were not razor, his eyes did not drill through her, and he did not engulf her in flames the moment she dared look at him. The two ponies were looking at her with concern as Sky Blossom studied Spike. Rainbow Dash moved to the side, partially obscuring Spike from her vision as if she was shielding him from a predator. Sky Blossom could tell that she did not trust her yet. She sighed and looked at the grass for a moment. She tried to think of something to say to ease the tension. Anything to let them know that she was nothing to be wary of. Spike continued to look at her with his bright, green eyes.
“Hi, my name is Sky Blossom.” She said as she tried to put on a convincing smile.
“Hi Sky Blossom. My name’s Spike!” Spike said as he grabbed her front hoof in his hand.
His scales were hard and cold and she tried not to shiver as he touched her. After all, she did not want to be rude. Instead she held her smile the best she could and tried not to let her fear show in her eyes. All she wanted was to get inside, away from all the strange, equine inhabitants of the world she found herself in. Once the handshake was finished, Spike motioned for them to walk into the castle. Sky Blossom made sure to linger at the back so she could look around without being questioned. If this place was ordinary to the others she did not want to seem too overwhelmed a make a bigger rift between her and Rainbow Dash, Sky Blossom’s wing twitched as she remembered the feeling of being on her back. It had been nice to be in the air when she had felt safe. The wind was cool and crisp up there. A small smile formed on her face, a real smile.
‘This place really is an amazing place. I just wish I knew how I got here.’ Sky Blossom thought. She tried to remember what it had felt like to have fingers. ‘It is so weird but I feel natural walking like this. I should get home before I completely forget what I used to be.’
“Twilight! Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are here to see you! They brought a friend, her name is Sky Blossom!” Spike called out as he led them through the castle.
“Coming Spike!” A feminine voice called out. A purple pony appeared from around a corner and flew towards them. Her straight mane flew behind her as she approached.
Sky Blossom noticed in surprise that she had wings and a horn. On the walk there she had seen many different ponies but she had never seen one with both before. Her instincts told her that it must be something important. Her brain rattled around as she tried to decide what it meant. Before she could come to a conclusion, Spike told her. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered that Twilight was the Princess of Friendship and that she had nothing to feel nervous about. According to Spike, Twilight was the nicest pony you could meet, aside from Fluttershy, and that she did not have to worry about being formal. Sky Blossom breathed a sigh of relief. She had lucked out. Now they would not know that she had been ignorant about what being an alicorn meant. Her body tingled as the princess looked at her with purple eyes. An ocean seemed to be churning around in her stomach as she tried to decide what to do next.
“Sky Blossom is it? What can I do for all today?” Twilight asked.
“I… um… that is…” Sky Blossom began in a soft voice.
“She can’t remember where she came from.” Rainbow Dash interrupted in an irritated voice. Her gaze fixed on Sky Blossom, seeming to make her wilt.
“Rainbow Dash, I am sure Sky Blossom is capable of telling me herself if you would give her a chance,” Twilight snapped at Rainbow Dash, She turned to the shivering Pegasus with an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Rainbow Dash can be a bit brash sometimes.”
“It’s okay.” Sky Blossom said with a small smile. She was beginning to like Twilight.
“Come with me. We can check the maps until we find the place you are looking for.” They all began to walk down a long hallway. The shimmering crystal walls threatened to blind Sky Blossom as she looked around. The walls were decorated with pictures of ponies. She could see Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and even Spike but there were also other ponies she had not met. An orange mare with freckles smiled while eating an apple pie in one picture, while a sophisticated looking unicorn wore a bedazzled dress in another. Sky Blossom noticed Spike admiring the picture as well, perhaps for a little too long. She smiled as she passed one of a delicate looking Pegasus holding a bunny. For some reason she felt calm when she looked at the picture, as if the Pegasus was an old friend. As she walked away she spared a second to glance back at the picture. It was at that moment that she remembered what she had wanted to say. Clearing her throat, Sky Blossom timidly said Twilight’s name.
“Yes?” Twilight asked without looking back.
“Well, um when I was being uh…” Sky Blossom looked at Rainbow Dash with a look of fear before continuing. “taught how to fly by Rainbow Dash I saw something, something strange.”
“What was it?” Twilight asked with a quick glance at Sky Blossom. Her hoof steps slowed so she would be walking side by side with the nervous pony.
“I saw these eyes, but there was no body attached to them. They were um…” Sky Blossom thought back to what she had seen. “yellow with red irises and when the… thing… spoke his voice was… well… smooth and almost mocking.” Sky Blossom did not know why her heart skipped a beat when she thought back to the sound of the voice.
“Yellow and red. It can’t be, can it?” Twilight said quietly. She did not meet Sky Blossom’s gaze. “I think you met…”
“Here are the maps!” Spike called out. He held the door open for the ponies to walk through. Twilight quickly trotted into the room without finishing her sentence. Sky Blossom reached a hoof out in desperation but could not bring herself to make contact with the alicorn. Eyes lowered and ears down, she followed the others through the door. Pinkie Pie bounced and landed in front of Sky Blossom with a worried face. The Pegasus only jumped slightly, she was getting used to the pink pony’s antics.
“What’s wrong Sky Blossom? You look like Discord just splashed you with chocolate milk and left out the whipped cream!” Pinkie Pie said with a loud laugh.
“Discord?” Sky Blossom asked.
“Don’t say that name!” Rainbow Dash hissed angrily through clenched teeth. Twilight was busy looking through the maps and did not notice.
Sky Blossom trembled as she met the fierce gaze of the simmering Pegasus. Swallowing the lump in her throat Sky Blossom…
“Can I ask you guys something?” Sky Blossom said with a tremor in her voice.
“OF COURSE YOU CAN!” Pinkie Pie yelled in her face.
Trying to ignore the dreadful ringing in her ears, Sky Blossom shook her head and cleared her throat. “Well, when I almost um…” She glanced up at Rainbow Dash and smiled slightly. If she showed Rainbow Dash she bared no ill will towards her, she might stop staring at her with those fiery eyes. “hit the ground… I saw something.”
“Does that something have anything to do with who you were just mentioning?” Rainbow Dash asked with a scowl. Her wings were spread to the sides as if she was ready to fly, or attack, at a moment’s notice.
“I don’t know.” Sky Blossom had to stop and take a few deep breaths before she was able to continue. It had been such a long time since she had talked to others. Her voice was beginning to become softer and her throat felt dry. Once she had collected herself, she continued to explain what she had seen. “There were these eyes. They were yellow and red and um… they had no body. But a voice spoke to me. It was male and sounded a little like he was mocking me.”
“Mocking you?” Rainbow Dash said quietly. Her wing tips twitched as she thought of who would be capable of mocking someone without the use of a body. She growled and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could warn Sky Blossom to stay away from those eyes and the thing they belonged to, Pinkie Pie interrupted her.
“Oh! I know who those eyes belong to! Dashie you remember right?” Pinkie Pie asked innocently. She gazed at Rainbow Dash in blissful ignorance of the Pegasus’s seething anger.
“Who?” Sky Blossom dared to ask.
“He’s a friend of ours! Or at least he was a friend until he totally betrayed all of us, including Fluttershy, and joined up with a mad, power crazed thingie named Tirek and stole all of the magic from Equestria. Now I’m not sure what he is. But he does make super, duper, yummy chocolate milk rain!” Pinkie Pie rambled on to Sky Blossom.
“But what is his name?” Sky Blossom asked with the slightest bit of irritation in her voice. She quickly quelled her emotions before they could show. After all, who knows what could happen if she offended anybody.
“His name is-“ Pinkie Pie began.
“Pinkie…” Rainbow Dash growled.
“But Dashie-“ Pinkie whined while waving her hooves in the air.
“No!” Rainbow Dash said sternly.
“It’s not like it will hurt anyone!” Pinkie Pie complained.
“But he could! I won’t have you putting anyone in danger.” Rainbow Dash said with a fierce glare. She turned to Sky Blossom. The small pony seemed to shrink when under her gaze. Rainbow Dash sighed and forced herself to soften. It was not Sky Blossom’s fault that they had all been hurt by Discord. Like a melting glacier, she forced her heart to thaw for the frightened pony’s sake. “Listen, don’t get yourself mixed up with… the person who owns the eyes all right? He is bad news and I don’t want him hurting anyone else.”
“He made a mistake Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie said in defense.
“Putting a book in the wrong place is a mistake. Joining up with an evil villain and stealing magic is a betrayal.” Rainbow Dash said in a hard voice.
Before Sky Blossom could say another word, Twilight walked over to join them. “Who put a book in the wrong place?” She asked with a worried voice. Her purple eyes darted around as if she could zoom in on whatever book was not right. Spike chuckled as small beads of sweat appeared on the alicorn’s brow.
“No one Twilight. We were just talking.” Rainbow Dash explained in a weary voice. Although Sky Blossom was not making any sounds she could see in her light blue eyes that she was not satisfied. If she knew that look, and she did because it she had worn it many times, Sky Blossom would find a way to learn more. All she could do was hope she was there before somepony actually told her about Discord.
“Well, I was able to find a few maps that might be able to help us.” Twilight said with triumph in her voice. Her wings clutched several large rolled up pieces of paper to her sides. As she dropped them on the floor they unrolled to reveal sprawling landscapes. Some of the maps seemed to be of only the sky, while others showed large grasslands. Sky Blossom chuckled as she read the names written on them. Fillydelphia? Manehatten? Suddenly she was feeling a little bit more at home. At least the names there were similar to what she was looking at right now.
“So, where are you from?” Twilight asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. If the pony could not find her town or city on the map, maybe she was from an entire new territory that was yet to be discovered. ‘Princess Celestia would be so proud of me if I discovered a brand new land and made friends with the inhabitants there.’ Twilight thought with giddy excitement.
“Well, I… um” Sky Blossom answered as she entered a panic. It would be easy for her to say she was from any of the far off cities but if they started asking her questions she would be caught for sure. Although they seemed pleasant enough, Sky Blossom wasn’t sure how they would react if they found out she was from another world. Her eyes darted to the small dragon next to Twilight before resting on her wings. ‘Maybe it would be nothing strange to them at all.’ She thought hopefully. Her legs shuffled in place as she pretended to be reading the maps sprawled on the ground. She picked up the sound of Rainbow Dash shifting slightly behind her, no doubt impatient for her to hurry up.
“Oh my. Someone is in trouble.” A voice gently caressed her ears. She shivered slightly with a mixture of fear and excitement. She knew that voice. For a moment she wondered why no one else was reacting to the new arrival. As if he could read her mind, her question was answered.
“You are the only one that can hear me right now. Let’s say magic is one of my many skills.” The voice answered cockily. Sky Blossom could imagine whatever was talking to her stroking a hoof, paw, or whatever through whatever he had on his head. Her mind began to ache as she tried to gather her thoughts. It was difficult thinking about something when you did not even know what it looked like. She refrained from speaking just in case he was unable to stop the others from hearing her voice. Hope coursed through her when he began to speak again.
“I can help you, but just this once.” His syrup voiced dripped slowly past her ear, as if he was walking past her. “You really need to learn how to take care of yourself. I am not your foal-sitter.” He chuckled in a deep voice. “After all, we can’t have you leaving yet.”
Sky Blossom’s eyes widened as she was given a set of instructions of what to say and how to say it. When she was sure the voice had said all he needed to, she cleared her throat. “I am from Mustangia.”
“Really? We met a mare from Mustangia once in the Crystal Empire.” Twilight said with a small hint of disappointment. No new city or town. “Why couldn’t you remember the name of where you lived?”
Sky Blossom gulped quietly as she met the gaze of the three ponies and dragon in front of her. “Well, I lived on a small patch of land in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t really know where I was.” She motioned to the largest map with her hoof. “But I noticed that river and remembered that the same one ran past my house, so I figure I must have been living in Mustangia.” Her voice began to dry up from talking so long but she fought through it. The voice had been very specific on what to say and a small part of her felt like she could trust him… at least this time. “Not much news comes into Mustangia so I ventured away from home to learn about the world. That is why I don’t know much about other places in Equestria. We were kind of out of the way.” She finished with an apologetic smile.
“No problem! At least we know and you know where you came from.” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“Yeah.” She smiled. For a moment her eyes seemed far away, then she politely told them that she wanted to look around Ponyville. Relieved when they finally said yes, Sky Blossom trotted out of the castle quickly.
“I might as well explore this place while I’m here.” She muttered to herself.
Sky Blossom noticed a sweet-looking building in the distance. The roof seemed to be covered in frosting. She couldn’t figure out whether the frosting was real or just ornamental. Her mind told her that frosting would melt in the heat of the sun, or attract unwanted birds and bugs. However, her mind also told her that she was now a talking Pegasus and had just been taught how to lie by an invisible being with red and yellow eyes. Sky Blossom sighed in defeat as she forced herself to stop thinking about the building and just admire it. The bright pink door looked inviting, as did the pink shutters. On top of the roof was a statue of a pony holding a large candy cane. Sky Blossom assumed that the building was some sort of sweet shop, although a small part of her thought it might be Pinkie Pie’s house.
She trotted over slowly so she would not draw attention to herself. The last thing she wanted was to be questioned by more colorful ponies. Without warning she suddenly found herself hurtling forward towards the ground. The impact was not hard and Sky Blossom did not feel any pain. Dust and dirt was coated in her mane, causing her to cough as she tried to brush it all away. Her hoof became stuck to her mane as it connected with a stray piece of candy that had been left on the ground by a negligent pony. Sky Blossom moaned quietly so she could complain without having anyone ask why she was complaining. Although if any pony saw her huddled in the dirt with her hoof stuck to her mane the answer would have been obvious.
“I can’t believe I tripped over.” Sky Blossom trailed off as she noticed a single root in the path. She had not seen the root when she had been looking at the building.
Shrugging it off as something weird that she would probably never understand, Sky Blossom continued to the building. Her stomach rumbled loudly when the smell of baked goods reached her nostrils. She detected a faint hint of strawberries mixed with the sugar and cinnamon smells that dominated the area. Saliva began to drip from her hanging tongue as she realized that she was absolutely starving. Hoping that she would be able to persuade the owners to relieve themselves of some of their merchandise to help a poor pony, she walked through the door.
‘I certainly look the part.’ Sky Blossom thought as she looked around at the interior.
It was even sweeter looking than the outside of the building. Her eyes gazed hungrily at the cookie like walls and candy cane adornments. She was beginning to feel like the children who entered the witch’s cookie house. Now she just needed to keep her eyes open for the witch.
“Oh my goodness!” A silky sounding voice called from the other side of the room.
Sky Blossom turned a weary head to see who had spoken to her. It was the graceful looking unicorn she had seen in the pictures at the castle. She only had a moment to wilt before the unicorn swept her out of the building. Sky Blossom flailed her hooves frantically as she tried to explain to the unicorn that if she went any longer without food she would pass out. Eventually after several minutes of complaining, pleading, and squirming, Sky Blossom admitted defeat and let herself be dragged toward another building.
The building was ornately decorated with ribbons and curlicues. The windows had bright lacy curtains hanging that helped light up the room while keeping the heat out. Sky Blossom took a moment to admire the decorative skills of the Unicorn. That was all the time she had before she was whisked into the building. Sky Blossom gazed in admiration at the colors that met her eyes. There were several shades and patterns that she felt every color in existence must have been in the shop. Mannequins in the shape of ponies were lined up against the wall. Although most of them were bare, a few had fabric draped over them. She walked closer to one that had pins sticking out of it. The fabric was an ice blue color that shimmered in the light. It seemed to have tiny white beads threaded throughout. Sky Blossom took a moment to run her hoof over the fabric and was surprised to see that the shiny material was actually quite warm. A couple pins were stuck near the bottom of the fabric and helped the end form ruffles.
“Admiring the fabric I see?” The Unicorn asked sweetly.
“Ah!” Sky Blossom screamed as she whirled around to see the beautiful mare. “I was… um.”
“Oh, it is perfectly all right darling! I adore it when ponies admire my designs.” She said while batting her eyelashes. “I have to admit I was worried when I started this outfit. It just seemed to icy for any pony to be able to pull off.”
“I think the colors are lovely.” Sky Blossom said with shining eyes.
“My name is Rarity darling.” Rarity studied Sky Blossoms eyes for a few moments before her dark blue eyes lit up as well. “Only a delicate pony with light features could pull of this fabric. You see it shimmers in the light, so some part of the pony has to shimmer as well so it is not overbearing. The dress needs to highlight the pony, not overpower them.”
“Shimmer? Like the pony needs glitter or something?” Sky Blossom asked with confusion.
“No, I was thinking more like their eyes.” Rarity said as she leaned closer to Sky Blossom.
“Eyes?” Sky Blossom asked with a questioning look.
All Rarity did to respond was nod before she scooped Sky Blossom into her hooves once again. Sky Blossom only managed to struggle a little before she noticed where Rarity was taking her. Her eyes rested on a large, ornately decorated bathtub complete with large, fluffy towels and sweet smelling soap. Her light blue eyes widened with joy as she heard the sound of running water. She could almost feel the warm water sliding over her, washing away all of the dust and grime she found herself covered with. The soap smelled like lavender and honey. She breathed it in greedily as she watched the foamy bubbles rise higher and higher. Rarity turned to her and motioned towards the tub. Without asking any questions or waiting a moment longer that she had to, Sky Blossom dove into the water. Sighing, she ducked her head under the water so she could remove the gunk that had gotten stuck in her mane. It came off easily in the frothy water. Smiling when she had thoroughly scrubbed herself clean, Sky Blossom surfaced and climbed out of the bath.
Puddles of water began to form around her hooves and caused the shiny floor to become slippery. Sky Blossom began to slip forward, towards the hard floor. Her small scream was quickly muffled by the fluffy towel Rarity caught her in. Sky Blossom giggled as the material enveloped her in its warmth. It smelled even sweeter than the soap.
“Thank you so much for the bath.” Sky Blossom said. She was beginning to feel more comfortable around the fashionable pony.
“Certainly darling, I couldn’t have my model be filthy.” Rarity responded as she began to rub Sky Blossom dry with the towel. She used her magic to float a brush through her hair as she did so. Humming a little tune to herself, Rarity admired the silkiness of her mane.
“Model?” Sky Blossom asked warily. Her stomach tightened as she suddenly realized that she had not been brought upstairs for a free bath.
“Of course. I need the perfect pony to model the dress I am making and you are just the pony.” Rarity replied as she hung up the damp towel.
“I am not much of a model.” Sky Blossom began.
“Nonsense. You completely look the part and the moment I saw you near the dress I realized that I needed to see you in the dress.” Rarity said sternly as she led Sky Blossom down the stairs. Her mane got a little frazzled as she tried to keep the struggling Pegasus under control.
A few minutes later Sky Blossom was standing perfectly still as Rarity draped fabric over her in an attempt to find out what color was best for the layer underneath the icy fabric. Sky Blossom sighed as she felt her stomach tighten. Now she was hungry and uncomfortable. Her hooves tried to fidget around but one glare from Rarity caused them to become still. The beads sparkled as Rarity stuck pins in the fabric to help keep the ruffles together until she could sew them. Careful not to poke her model, Rarity placed another pin near the shoulder so she could add a new fabric to the outfit. Her eyes were focused as she watched the dress practically come together on its own. Rarity wiped sweat from her brow as she worked until she finally had to take a break.
“I am famished. Why don’t we take a quick break and go get some food?” Rarity suggested.
“Yes, please.” Sky Blossom moaned.
“I know the perfect place to go.” Rarity said as she carefully removed the unfinished dress. “We are going to the…”
“Sugarcube Corner!” Rarity proclaimed proudly. Her snow white hoof was pointed toward the delicious looking building Sky Blossom had noticed earlier.
“It looks nice.” Sky Blossom said with hunger in her eyes.
“Oh it is darling. It is absolutely divine! The treats are the tastiest in all of Equestria.” Rarity said as she opened the door for Sky Blossom. The fashionable Unicorn was dressed in a pale pink gown studded with baby blue gemstones along the hem. Her sleeves were long and flowing so she made sure to keep them away from the door so they would not be torn. “You were such a good model that I am paying.”
“Thank you so much Rarity.” Sky Blossom said quietly. She was silently grateful that Rarity offered to pay because she had no idea what was considered valuable in Equestria. ‘Even if I did know, I don’t have anything with me anyway.’
The aroma coming from the inside of the building seemed to race straight for Sky Blossom’s nose. She inhaled deeply, her chest bulging with every breath as she tried to distinguish the different delights she was smelling. Her brain told her cinnamon, then strawberry, and finally honey. Her mouth curved into a large smile as she approached the counter. The treats seemed to glisten in the light as she examined them. Sky Blossom made careful observations about flavor, amount of frosting, decoration, and price. After all, if she was not going to pay she wanted to make sure that she bought something equal to or under the price of whatever Rarity ordered.
Rarity took less time examining the treats for tastiness and seemed to spend her time commenting about how desirable the decorations made them look. She muttered about the spacing of the pink roses and the way the sprinkle colors never clashed in Sugarcube Corner. Sky Blossom was sure she heard the name Pinkie Pie but soon dismissed the idea. She couldn’t possibly run into the pink pony so soon after leaving her.
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! How can I help you… RARITY!” A shrill voice called out from the kitchen. A pink mane began to peek out from the doorframe. Soon a pink head followed with big blue eyes and a bright smile. She had a tray of cupcakes carefully balanced on the tip of her nose. The cupcakes were covered with bright blue frosting and decorated with purple sprinkles that glittered in the light. Although they were stacked in a tall pyramid, they did not wobble in the slightest as Pinkie Pie trotted over to the two ponies.
“Rarity it is so good to see you!” Pinkie Pie said with a cheerful voice. “Oh! You know Sky Blossom that is so great! I can throw a big, all my friends know my newest friend party!”
“How exactly do you know Sky Blossom dear?” Rarity said with a raised eyebrow.
“Well…” Pinkie Pie began to explain the events that had happened up until that very moment. “Then I saw you walk in with Sky Blossom and I said hi to you and then I said…” “I already know that part darling.” Rarity quickly intervened.
“Oh, right.” Pinkie Pie said without the slightest amount of embarrassment.
Rarity turned toward the blushing Sky Blossom who was clearly embarrassed. She giggled slightly while trying to hide it behind her clean hoof. “Do you know what you want Sky Blossom?” She asked politely while waiting for the pegasus’s face to lose its bright pink color.
“Oh, um… you can order first Rarity.” Sky Blossom said hastily.
“All right darling.” Rarity gave a knowing smile as she turned back toward the tasty treats. Rarity knew what Sky Blossom was doing. It was the old ‘wait until the payer orders something and then get something of equal or lesser value’ strategy. She had seen it many times in Canterlot when she was in the presence of Fancy Pants. Rarity sighed as she remembered the absolute wonderful time she had in Canterlot. The fashion, the food, the architecture, and most of all… the Fancy Pants. He had been the most gracious host she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Playing the host game with grace and skill had been only one of his many amazing qualities. She smiled as her hoof pointed to the most expensive item for sale. Now Sky Blossom could get what she wanted without feeling guilty about the price.
“Oh! Good choice Rarity!” Pinkie Pie said as she carefully pulled out what Rarity had ordered. It was a delicate piece of vanilla cake covered with rich, creamy buttercream frosting. It was carefully decorated with large white roses and edible fake pearls. It was definitely one of the more sophisticated sweets there and fit Rarity nicely.
“Can I have one of the cupcakes please?” Sky Blossom asked Pinkie Pie quietly. Although she felt that she might be feeling more at ease around the hyper pony, she realized that she was not nearly enough at ease to talk in more than a murmur at that moment.
“Of course you can silly!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she took the cupcake with the most frosting off of the pyramid. Although the pyramid had a crucial cupcake missing in the center it remained standing tall. Pinkie Pie was unfazed by this and neither was her good friend Rarity, who was used to the strange things that tended to happen around the party pony.
Sky Blossom however remained staring at the pyramid as Pinkie Pie put her cupcake into a little bag for her to carry over to a seat. She remained staring as she carefully walked back to a comfortable chair. She also remained staring as she opened the bag. The only thing that broke her deep concentration was the delicious smell that wafted towards her nose. It reminded her of the sweet she would stare at in the baker’s shop at home. Although the treats had looked delicious, none of them had looked nearly as good as the cupcake that was in front of her. Her tongue tingled as she looked at the thick layer of creamy frosting. The sprinkles sparkled on top of the tiny cake as if they were violet stars sparkling in a bright blue sky.
Sky Blossom smiled as her hoof gently nudged the cupcake. Rarity gave a joyful laugh as she watched the small pony admire the treat. It was as if she had never had a cupcake at Sugarcube Corner before. The fashionista remembered what Pinkie Pie had told her and realized that Sky Blossom never had. Biting her lip in anticipation, Rarity watched with moist eyes as Sky Blossom took a timid bite. The next bite became more aggressive and the next one until the cupcake was only a small pile of crumbs on the table. Rarity’s eyes danced as she tried not to laugh at the smeared frosting on Sky Blossom’s face. It looked as if the pony had smashed her face into the treat rather than simply devouring it. Her tiny tongue was gingerly trying to clean the area around her mouth but utterly missing everywhere else.
“Here, let me help you darling.” Rarity said as she used her magic to lift a napkin and wipe off her new friend’s face. “I must admit that I had forgotten that you had never had a treat from Sugarcube Corner before. So…” Rarity disposed of the soiled napkin in the trash and turned to see Sky Blossom’s clean face. “How did it taste?”
“It was amazing…” Sky Blossom’s voice trailed off as she remembered the taste first hitting her tongue. It was as if she was tasting the color of the blue flowers she would stare at, the fluffiness of the clouds that would pass over her, and the stars she would admire at night. Her face broke into a large grin as she noticed the expression on the white pony’s face. It was obvious she was trying not to laugh. Sky Blossom however, did not try at all and broke into a fit of laughter. Rarity soon joined in. The laughter rose and rose until both ponies were clutching their stomaches in an attempt to quiet themselves.
Rarity wiped a stray tear from her eye and looked out the window. “Oh my. I had not realized it was so late. Come dear, I will escort you home.”
“Home?” Sky Blossom echoed. Her ears drooped as she realized that she was not going to be sleeping in her own bed that night. ‘That might not be a bad thing.’ She thought bitterly as she remembered the run down building she unfortunately called home.
“Yes dear. Don’t you have somewhere to stay tonight?” Rarity asked with concern.
“Um… no.” Sky Blossom answered honestly. Fear took hold of her as she imagined wandering the cold streets at night. The ponies seemed friendly enough in the daytime, but who knew what sinister characters could be found lurking at night. Her body trembled as she watched the sun set unnaturally fast. Her pupils got smaller as the sky turned a shade darker. Sky Blossom hated the night. Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the nightmares.
“Darling, you look petrified.” Rarity said as she gently took Sky Blossom’s hoof in her own. “There is no way I am letting such a delicate mare like yourself wander the streets at night. Why, I don’t know anywhere safer than Ponyville, but still it is unacceptable. You will stay at Carousel Boutique tonight.”
“That is very generous of you Rarity.” Sky Blossom said as she slowly opened her fearful eyes. A small tear trickled down her cheek as she looked into her warm, dark blue eyes.
“Well, I am the Element of Generosity.” Rarity chuckled as she led the still trembling pony out of the building.
They slowly began the walk to Carousel Boutique. Occasionally, Rarity would have to give Sky Blossom a small nudge when she faltered. Her eyes would glaze over and she would suddenly stop walking. Whimpering and trembling, she would stand there motionless until she felt the gentle nudge from Rarity’s nose. Sky Blossom would blink a few times, realize where she was, and continue walking as if nothing had happened. The only clue about her difficult time, a faint blush in her cheeks and a dull look in her eyes. Rarity watched the small pony with concern. She was used to dealing with timid ponies before and considered herself an expert in getting ponies to do what she wanted but she had never dealt with any pony that had such a deep fear of something before. Even Fluttershy had only froze for a few moments. It seemed like Sky Blossom would stand there until whatever horrific nightmare she was seeing concluded. She sighed in defeat as Sky Blossom stopped for the fourth time. Patient and gentle, she placed a hoof around the trembling pegasus’s shoulders and led her through the door.
“You can stay in Sweetie Belle’s room tonight. She is at a sleepover with her friends.” Rarity said as she showed Sky Blossom the frilly room.
Sky Blossom gave her a grateful smile before lying down on the soft bed. “Thanks Rarity.” She paused a moment before continuing. “For everything.”
“Of course.” Rarity smiled before turning and leaving the room. Her eyes dulled as she turned away and became absorbed in the storm clouds that came when a pony worried.
Sky Blossom looked around the room and smiled. ‘This sure isn’t home.’ She thought as she felt the soft comforter beneath her. Snuggling under the covers she yawned before closing her eyes. She could have sworn she heard faint laughing but shrugged it off when she realized how exhausted she was.
Sky Blossom looked around at her surroundings, only to notice that there was none. Her pupils grew larger as she attempted to see into the blackness that surrounded her. Something nagged at the back of her head, but she could not decipher what it was. Tentatively, she reached out a trembling hoof to see if anything even existed around the spot she was on. To her relief, her hoof touched solid ground. Sky Blossom gulped before walking forward. Each hoof echoed forebodingly as if she was walking in a large cave. For a few moments Sky Blossom began to assume that she was in a deep cave.
‘It would explain the darkness.’ Sky Blossom thought as she continued to walk forward.
For some reason she could not explain, Sky Blossom did not feel comfortable speaking out loud. It was not her normal reluctance to make a sound. It was as if she knew that if she did speak, something horrible would happen. So she continued moving forward without even the slightest whisper of noise. Her wings were clutched close to her sides as if the contact would save her if anything went wrong. Her belly felt like a rock as she continued to blindly stumble forward. Licking her lips, Sky Blossom shivered as she felt a cold breeze appear from seemingly nowhere. She did not stop walking, however.
‘I just know something is going to go wrong.’ Sky Blossom thought.
Sky Blossom lurched forward as her hoof contacted with nothing but empty air. Scrambling to prevent herself from falling, her hoofs scraped frantically against the ground. Crumbles of the floor she had been walking on dropped into the black abyss. After a few moments of frantic scrambling, Sky Blossom managed to regain her balance. Trembling and breathless, she slowly looked over the edge. Her eyes struggled to make out any shape or form against the darkness she found herself in. It seemed more like she was stuck in the color black instead of just someplace extraordinarily dark. For some reason, that thought unnerved Sky Blossom even more than almost falling off the edge.
‘Where am I?’ She thought as she sat down. There was no way that she was going to continue moving now. Because she was now sitting still, she had no choice but to contemplate on where she found herself. Closing her eyes, she took comfort in the fact that the darkness she was seeing was from herself and not the strange place she was in. Her pink cheeks were pale with fear as she wondered what she could do next.
‘I wish I was home.’ She thought with sadness as a tear trickled down her smooth cheek.
Suddenly, a patch of light invaded her vision. Sky Blossom opened her eyes slightly to see what had lit up the darkness she had put herself in. It was a street light, old and worn that flickered more than it lit up. The ground beneath her began to change. Instead of the smooth stretch of black she had been on, it began to grow hard and bumpy. Sky Blossom stood up and heard the sound of her hoofs clatter against a stone street. The street was beaten and worn like the street lamp. Some places had whole stones missing, while others had weeds springing up from between the mismatched rocks. Breathing in deeply, Sky Blossom continued to look around. Crumbling building surrounded her and the musty smell of rain assaulted her nose. The rocks underneath her hooves were damp as if there had been a recent shower.
The sky was still dark, but was sprinkled slightly with a few stars. Although, those stars were not nearly as bright as the ones she had seen in Equestria. Sky Blossom dimly remembered stars and a bright moon in the dim purple sky during her walk back to the boutique with Rarity. Rubbing her head, Sky Blossom realized that she did not remember much at all about her walk with Rarity. The moon seemed weathered as much as the place she was in however, and barely gave a dim glow. Softly and quietly, Sky Blossom began to walk down the street. She knew where she was going. She felt like she had been there before in another time. Every hoof step rang out alarmingly to Sky Blossom, although in reality they barely made a sound. Her breathing increased when she realized that not every hoof step she heard belonged to herself.
Turning around slowly, she noticed three figures in the distance. Although they were pony shaped now, like she was, she recognized the leader’s mane cut. A flurry of spikes that looked like they could impale someone and a stark swoop in the front. Yellow, blue, and red eyes looked at her from across the street. Swallowing and slowly backing up, Sky Blossom tried to keep from screaming. She did not want to do anything that could draw their attention. Her hoof suddenly caught on a loose rock in the street and caused her to fall backward. In pain and dazed, she lay there until her head stopped spinning. It was only then that she realized the figures had gotten closer. In a blind panic, Sky Blossom began to race across the street. The black silhouettes seemed to get two steps closer for every step she went forward. The lights continued to flicker, giving the ponies a ghostlike appearance.
Sky Blossom struggled to see through the sea of tears that erupted from her eyes. Her breathing was hindered by the choking sobs that escaped from her throat and made running difficult. She was forced to stop when she ran into a dead end. Surrounded by tall walls on both sides, Sky Blossom realized that she was in an alley. The alley she had been in when the nightmare had happened in the real world. Her eyes shrunk and she turned around. Helpless and afraid, Sky Blossom could only stand there and watch as the three shadows entered the alley. The began to circle around her as if they wanted to engulf her. Trembling, Sky Blossom opened her mouth to talk to them when a beam of light flashed from the distance.
The beam was incredibly bright and caused Sky Blossom to close her eyes for only a few moments. When she opened them she realized that the apparitions were gone and she was no longer in the desolate town. Instead she was simply floating in mid air among the stars that filled the night sky. Smiling with a mixture of joy and relief, she began to frantically look around for her rescuer. She met a pair of eyes… but they were not the eyes she was expecting. Instead of the familiar blend of red and yellow, those eyes were a medium shade of blue with white around them. Long lashes protruded from the top of the elegant eyes.
Her ears lowered slightly as she felt the faint flicker of hope be dimmed. Sky Blossom quickly stepped forward towards the dark blue pony that was floating down to the strange ground Sky Blossom was standing on. The pony’s large wings helped her land softly on the ground. Her mane seemed to be composed of the night sky. It waved and shimmered in front of Sky Blossom’s eyes. Sky Blossom stared for a moment, transfixed in the pony’s beauty. The star pony wore a black crown and a necklace with a crescent moon on it. Although Sky Blossom had only recently found out that Alicorns were princesses, she knew what a crown meant and quickly bowed down the best she could. It felt awkward to be down on one leg when she had three others sticking in the air. It was only when she heard the princess giggle that Sky Blossom realized that she might be bowing down the wrong way.
Blushing and muttering apologies, Sky Blossom quickly rose and looked the princess in the eyes. “Thank you… um… your majesty?” The last part seemed almost like a question as Sky Blossom tried to figure out how to address the royalty in front of her.
“It is quite all right my frightened subject. I trust thou is not injured?” The princess asked.
“I’m not hurt.” Sky Blossom answered. ‘None of the other ponies spoke as regally as her.’
“Thy demeanor shows that thou is frightened. Do not be afraid. I am Princess Luna, protector of dreams and ponies who sleep.” Luna placed a comforting hoof on the tiny pegasus’s shoulder. She smiled as she saw Sky Blossom gaze up at her with moist eyes.
“That was just a nightmare?” The trembling mare asked in surprise. She remembered the feeling that something was nagging in the back of her mind and realized that it was her common sense. She had felt like she should not be in complete darkness. Memories came flooding back as she remembered lying down to sleep on Rarity’s sister’s bed. She blushed and gave Luna a chagrin smile. Her body would not stop trembling.
“You still tremble young one. Be calm and be still.” Luna placed her horn on top of Sky Blossom’s head and emitted a wave of deep, blue magic. The magic covered the yellow pony’s entire body and bathed her in warmth. Luna could see Sky Blossom relax as the magic washed away all of her fear. Without the fear holding her back, she would be able to say what she wanted to without worrying about being reprimanded. ‘So many things can be accomplished without fear.’ Luna thought sadly. ‘But fear is a necessity and this spell is not. When she awakes, it will return.’
Sky Blossom felt amazing. All of her tension had seemed to melt away. Looking up at the princess with a spark in her eyes, Sky Blossom spoke without stumbling over her words. “Thank you so much for helping me.”
“It was my pleasure. Luna replied with a formal bow. She raised her dark eyes to the swirling stars around her and asked gravely. “Who were those stallions?”
Sky Blossom’s eyes clouded for a moment before she answered. “They are figures from my past. I was walking along a dark road when they appeared. They followed me and then… things happened.” She trailed off and looked at the princess with a mixture of regret and defiance.
Luna smiled. If the young mare did not feel comfortable talking about her past experience then she would not pry any further. Her mane swirled around Sky Blossom gently as she stepped closer. For a few moments she did not speak, she just examined the mare. Although her eyes sparked with confidence because of her spell, there was still something lingering in the depths of them. A question that she still dared not ask but desperately wanted to know. Sighing, Luna stared right into her light, blue eyes. She did not want Sky Blossom attempting to avoid eye contact when she asked this question. Forcing her to look at her, Luna spoke.
“What is troubling thee?” Luna asked with a hint of force.
“Princess….” Sky Blossom began uncertainly. Her former ease seemed to slip away from her just as easily as her fear had. “Do you know anything about…” Suddenly, a bright light began to form all around them. It grew until it engulfed everything from the stars to the ponies themselves. Sky Blossom raised a slender hoof to cover her eyes, hoping to get one last glimpse of the Princess and ask her what she had be about to. She could see nothing in front of her but the light. Instead of being lost in a sea of black she was now lost in a storm of white. Faintly, she could hear wing beats as someone flew away. Sky Blossom winced as she heard Princess Luna call out her name. Unable to answer due to confusion and fear, Sky Blossom remained silent.
“Sky Blossom! Thou awakens!” Luna called out one last time before everything disappeared
The pale mare sat up in the frilly bed abruptly. Her mane was disheveled and her breathing was ragged. Memories of her nightmare came flooding back to her along with her encounter with yet another princess. Moist eyes looked around the room as she checked to make sure she had indeed woken up. Relived to find that she was no longer asleep, she gingerly climbed out of the bed. On a nightstand there was a stack of paper and crayons. It took a few tries and the writing was barely legible, but Sky Blossom was able to leave a note for Rarity. It was written on light blue paper, Sky Blossom’s favorite color, and in green crayon. She notified Rarity that she was going for a walk and would return momentarily. Satisfied that her note would not be missed if she put it on the bed, she snuck out the door.
She walked slowly, to avoid waking the fashionista and opened the front door with great care. Glancing up at the sky, Sky Blossom could tell that it was still early morning and not many pony residents would be awake. Smiling, she continued walking past Ponyville. She did not feel like being around any ponies at the moment. The relaxed Pegasus was content to simply walk and enjoy the crisp morning air. Mornings had always had a calming effect on Sky Blossom. They refreshed her like a cool shower, woke her up like a tasty chocolate bar, and calmed her like a soft blanket. Breathing in deeply with every step, she managed to forget her troubles.
Sky Blossom soon came across a fork in the path. She decided to take the…
Sky Blossom’s hooves struck the dirt road with a dull thud as she decided which path she wanted to take. Small clouds of dust formed with every step she took. The dust tickled her nose and caused Sky Blossom to sneeze. Her sneeze was small like her body frame but it still shook her every time. Her large mane bounced forward and landed directly in front of her eyes. Moaning, Sky Blossom raised a hoof and pushed the long waves out of her face. Her brilliant blue eyes shone in the light as the light, green hair was pulled away. Long lashes waving, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the cool, morning air.
Continuing on her walk, but being careful not to breath in too deeply, Sky Blossom looked around at the large trees that surrounded the path. She smiled as she admired the bright colors of the leaves and smelled the fragrance of the outdoors. Sky Blossom always felt at ease when she was surrounded by greenery and life. Her heart fluttered as she examined the small flowers at her hooves. They smelled stronger than the ones she was used to and the colors were more vibrant, but she still felt a pang of longing for the flowers back at her old home. Her eyes brimmed with moisture when she finally left the small flowers and continued on her walk.
‘I wish that I was back home. I know it was horrible, but some parts made it all worthwhile. No one probably even knows I am gone.’ Sky Blossom thought bitterly as she began to trot faster. Her hooves began to make larger clouds of dust as she ran.
‘The meadow, the flowers, my place.’ Sky Blossom thought as she sped up. Her strides became longer and her chest heaved with each breath.
‘It is all gone. No one can know about them. Ever! No one can know!’ Sky Blossom closed her eyes to shut out the beauty she was seeing. The bright colors seemed to mock her and the trees seemed to be reaching for her. They wanted to grab her, to throw her away. She didn’t belong where she was.
‘I am all alone!’ Sky Blossom thought in despair. She had met ponies, but they could never know where she actually came from. No one would be able to understand what she was going through. She would always feel out of place in the pony infested world.
Her hooves were a blur as she sped across the dirt path. Her simple walk to clear her head had only made it easier to think about what had happened to her. Sky Blossom’s mind was filled with confusion and despair. Did she really want to go back? Even if she did, there was no way to return. Tears flew from her eyes as she ran faster and faster. She couldn’t tell where she was going and was relying on the feel of the dirt road to guide her. Sky Blossom’s eyes shot open as she felt her hoof snag on another root growing out of the ground. Plunging to the ground, Sky Blossom groaned as she tumbled forward. Dirt and twigs lodged themselves into her mane as she head contacted with the ground over and over again. She grunted as she finally hit a tree and stopped. Her entire body ached fiercely.
Sky Blossom slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to try and clear the fuzz out of her eyesight. The trees seemed taller than they had before and the ground kept moving. Moaning, she tried to stand but soon collapsed as soon as she tried to put pressure on her legs. Craning her sore neck, she noticed bright purple spots all over her limber legs and lithe body. They seemed more vibrant than her usual bruises but dismissed the thought. Everything in Equestria was more colorful. Wincing, she noticed scratches on one leg begin to leak a bright scarlet. Even the wounds looked slightly beautiful in the light.
Holding her breath, she tried to stand one more time before giving up and lying down on the ground. Her breath came in short gasps as she lay there wondering what to do. The tears she had been shedding were smeared across her face and made her mouth taste salty. Silently, Sky Blossom hoped that the salty taste was in fact only coming from her tears. She moved her sore neck and looked around. No one else seemed to be enjoying an early morning stroll. She was completely alone. Sighing, the small pony realized how tired she was. Her head fell to the ground as she gave up and decided to rest. Her vision grew fuzzy as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard before the darkness enveloped her was the sound of a rock being thrown and hooves running toward her.
Sky Blossom opened up her eyes slowly as she heard voices talk to her. The voices were muffled and faint. Wincing, she tried to talk but stopped when the pain overtook her. Her neck craned slowly to glance at her body. Her wounds had been bandaged and her body had been washed. Confused and dazed, she looked around to find out who had been her savior. Sky Blossom was startled to find that she had several saviors to thank. She was surrounded by a bright family of ponies. They ranged widely in age, but their colors had a similar pattern. They reminded her of a barrel of apples.
There was an older mare with a white bun on top of her head that smiled at her kindly. The mare was gently wiping Sky Blossom’s back with a cool rag to get rid of the small specks of dirt that lingered. A small filly was holding a pile of dry towels for the older pony. The filly wore a big bow in her mane and gave the injured pegasus a bright smile. Sky Blossom smiled back softly and continued to look at the family around her. Her eyes widened as she saw a large, red stallion walk past her. He was larger than any other pony she had seen. His thick legs and neck hinted that he was a strong stallion. Probably used to hard manual labor. She gave him a shy smile when he looked her way. It was intimidating to be helpless in front of such a physically fit pony. Blushing, she realized how weak she must look to all of them.
“Well, glad to see ya came to.” A voice called out to the blushing mare.
Sky Blossom looked over to a doorway and saw an orange mare with freckles walk toward her. She was wearing a cowboy hat and a large grin as she trotted over. Her mane was in a loose ponytail that swayed when she walked. The wounded pegasus just gave the earth pony a weak smile as she approached. Her eyes studied her closely as she tried to remember where she had seen the mare before. Suddenly she remembered the pictures in the castle and her eyes lit up with surprise.
‘How could I be meeting all of the princess’s friends so quickly?’ Sky Blossom thought as she tried to stand.
“Don’t move sugarcube. You got hurt awfully bad.” The mare said gently when she noticed Sky Blossom’s legs twitch. “My name is Apple Jack. What can I call you?”
“Sky Blossom.” She gave the pony a look of gratitude as she allowed her body to relax.
“What happened to you anyway?” The small filly asked with wide eyes.
“Apple Bloom! That is none of our business!” The elderly pony said sternly. She turned back to Sky Blossom with a comforting gaze. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to.”
“It is ok.” Sky Blossom answered slowly. Her nose scrunched up as she concentrated on remembering what had happened to her. “I was taking a… walk.”
“You can’t get this best up with a walk.” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“Apple Bloom!” Apple Jack reprimanded. The young filly fell silent once more. She gave an embarrassed grin to Sky Blossom before motioning for the pegasus to continue.
“I started to run. I ran faster and faster until I… tripped.” Sky Blossom said as she studied the ground. “I guess I was going too fast. I rolled and rolled until I hit a tree. Then it is all black.”
“Apple Jack was walking along the path when she stumbled upon ya. Brought ya all the way back here on her back.” Granny Smith said with a smile towards Apple Jack.
“Shoot, it was nothin’. I heard a rock get thrown from over where you were.” The farm pony said in an attempt to show that it was no big deal.
“I didn’t throw a rock.” Sky Blossom mumbled with confusion. She grabbed her head as a head ache washed over her.
“Well, I sure am glad that you are feelin’ better. I wish I could stay with you but I have a heap of chores to do.” Apple Jack said with an apologetic look. She looked around the room at her family members before continuing. “Who here can stay with Sky Blossom while I’m workin’?”
“I can’t stay here. I got to go help Pinkie Pie make some of my famous Granny Smith Zap Apple pies.” Granny Smith turned to Sky Blossom and began to whisper in her ear. “Secret recipe that only I know. Ready to pass it on to the younger generation.”
“Apple Bloom?” Apple Jack asked with a tip of her hat. Her green eyes darkened for a moment when she noticed the reluctance on the filly’s face.
“But Apple Jack, the Crusaders and I are going bungee jumpin’ today to earn our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom whined.
“Didn’t y’all already try that?” Apple Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes… but we thought we could try it again?” The young filly said uncertainly.
“Look sugarcube, you are not going to get a bungee jumping cutie mark.” Apple Jack said gently. “But right now Sky Blossom needs you. Isn’t it more important to help ponies in need?”
“Well, I guess so. I just really wanted a cutie mark.” Apple Bloom said slowly.
“You’ll get it when the time is right. Now, how ‘bout you keep Sky Blossom entertained by tellin’ her about your friends. Maybe she can tell you how she got her cutie mark.” Apple Jack suggested as she walked away. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh followed her out of the room. Granny Smith ruffled Apple Bloom’s hair before departing.
Sky Blossom studied the small filly in front of her for a few moments before shyly looking away. Her stomach twisted at the thought of her ruining the poor filly’s afternoon. When she remembered Apple Jack’s departing words her stomach twisted even worse. She had no idea how she was supposed to say she got her cutie mark or even how ponies got them. Did they appear at a certain age? That couldn’t be right because Apple Bloom had said that she and her friends were trying to get theirs. Did you have to do a certain thing for them to come? When they did come, was it a wild affair or a simple appearance? Sky Blossom covered her head with her aching hoof to numb the pain. She noticed faintly that her hair was being brushed.
“You sure do have pretty hair Sky Blossom. All those large curls and stuff.” Apple Bloom said as she raked a brush through her patient’s hair. “I do like my mane, but I always did wish it was a bit fancier.”
The pale filly placed down the brush once the tangles had been removed from Sky Blossom’s green mane. She turned to the smiling pony and continued talking. “My friend Sweetie Belle’s mane is amazin’ because it has two different colors and curls in it. Your’s is more like waves than curls.”
“That sounds lovely.” Sky Blossom said softly as she smiled at the filly.
“You sure are quiet. Even quieter than Fluttershy. She is one of ma sister’s friends.” Apple Bloom said as she sat down next to the pegasus. “It’s all right to talk louder.”
“Oh, sorry.” Sky Blossom chose her next words carefully. If she probed a little she might be able to figure out more about a cutie mark before Apple Bloom had a chance to ask her about hers. ‘Carefully, you don’t want to say too much.’ She thought as she began to speak.
Sky Blossom gave Apple Bloom a smile to put the filly at ease before continuing. “How long have you been trying to get your cutie mark?”
“Quite a while now. But we’ll get it soon!” Apple Bloom said excitedly.
“What do you want your to be?” Sky Blossom pried.
“I really don’t care what it is as long as it is there. We tried comedy, chicken herding, scuba diving, everything we can think of.” The filly said as she straightened her bow.
‘So a cutie mark can be different things. They are experimenting to see what theirs is. If they tried all that and they still haven’t got it then it then it must be a specific thing. They just need to figure it out.’ Sky Blossom thought with a grin. ‘Now what is the criteria?’
“Your sister seems to think that bungee jumping is not it. How come?” She asked slyly.
“She keeps tellin’ me that it will come when the time is right and that when I am true to myself I’ll know and blah, blah, blah. But I want it and I want it now!” Apple Bloom pressed her face closer to Sky Blossom’s to emphasize the fact that she wanted her cutie mark desperately.
“I’m sure it will come when the time is right.” Sky Blossom said reassuringly. She tried to move to pat the filly on the head but winced as dismissed the idea when he aching body protested. Instead she settled on giving her a small smile.
“Hey, Sky Blossom?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes?” Sky Blossom felt her stomach tighten as she guessed what the question would be.
“How did you get your cutie mark?” The pale yellow filly asked the older, pale yellow mare.
“Well, I… um.” Sky Blossom struggled to force herself to not revert back to her usual manner of answering with either a yes or a no. Her lips began to lock together as her body instinctively stopped her from answering. Her mind seemed to scream at her over and over again that it would be better if she said nothing. Things were always better when she said nothing.
Her light blue eyes widened as she realized that this time things would not be better. If she did not give a convincing answer Apple Bloom would get suspicious and tell her family who in turn would tell the others. The last thing she needed was more fuel for Rainbow Dash’s suspicious fire.
‘Come on, where is that voice?’ Sky Blossom thought quickly. Deep down in the part of her mind that rejected logical reasoning, she hoped that simply thinking would be enough to summon him to her aid.
“I was a small filly, about your age.” Sky Blossom began. She hoped that the fact that she had to wait as long as Apple Bloom for her cutie mark would set the filly off guard and have her not be so critical of the story.
“You were?” Apple Bloom’s eyes widened with pleasure.
“Yes.” Sky Blossom answered. ‘Where are you? I need help!’ She silently pleaded.
“Did someone call?” A silk voice answered softly.
Sky Blossom’s eyes widened with relief when she noticed that Apple Bloom did not stir at the arrival of the strange voice. Once again, she was the only one who could hear him.
A vase suddenly fell from a table in the corner. It’s contents spilled all over the floor. Apple Bloom looked over and moaned loudly. She slowly got up and began to walk over the mess of dirt and flowers. She gave Sky Blossom an apologetic look before hurrying away to clean.
“Did you do that?” Sky Blossom asked.
“My, my, aren’t we clever?” The voice mocked her.
“I know that was a stupid question. I just need you to listen.” Sky Blossom whispered fiercely. She wondered for a moment why it was easier for her to talk to the voice than to anyone else. She imagined that it was because she could not see him. Her stomach fluttered strangely when she felt the voice caress her ears.
“What is it?” The voice said softly.
“Apple Bloom wants to know how I got my cutie mark. What do I tell her?” Sky Blossom’s eyes followed the little filly’s movements.
“I can’t be your foal-sitter forever. There are some things that you have to do on your own.” The voice seemed to be floating around her as it spoke. “Don’t you even know what a cutie mark is?”
“I know what it is.” Sky Blossom began. “But-“
“Then make something up. Improvise!” The voice floated down slowly until it was directly in front of Sky Blossom.
The mare looked away quickly, imagining someone looking directly into her face. She sighed and began to talk quieter than she had. “I need your help. You helped me when I almost fell. You helped me when I needed to say where I was from. Will you help me now?”
“How do you know I won’t spoon fed you bad information?” The voice asked with a chuckle.
“I don’t know…” Sky Blossom looked up and gazed directly into where she assumed his eyes would be. “But I trust that you won’t.”
“Never trust me.” The voice replied. He thought for a moment before continuing.
Apple Bloom walked over to Sky Blossom when she finished picking up the pieces of the vase. Her mane was frazzled from the constant sweeping and her bow was hanging off of the side of her head. Sighing, she straightened her bow. Her eye brows lowered as she noticed Sky Blossom whispering to herself.
‘What is that filly doing?’ Apple Bloom thought with concern. ‘Maybe she hit her head harder than we thought.’
“Sky Blossom, are ya sure ya are all right?” the filly softly voiced her concerns.
The pegasus turned her head and stared at the filly with surprise. “Apple Bloom, I wasn’t aware that you had finished cleaning.”
Apple Bloom thought that she saw Sky Blossom’s eyes flicker to her side with annoyance before flashing back to the filly. She shook her head and dismissed the idea. The pony had been through quite a lot and was bound to have some strange behavior while she recovered. Apple Bloom smiled reassuringly at her before sitting down next to her again. She grabbed the hair brush and began to brush the pegasus’s tail to calm her down.
“So, how exactly did you get your cutie mark?” Apple Bloom asked again.
“Well, I was your age and I wasn’t sure what I needed to do.” Sky Blossom began. “I did not have many friends so we couldn’t help each other.”
“That’s too bad.” Apple Bloom said while gently patting the pony.
Sky Blossom smiled and tried to keep up with what her newfound friend was telling her. It was difficult because he was talking fast and did not seem to need to take a break to breathe. She tried to signal him with her eyes that he needed to slow down, but all that happened was that he began to talk faster. She glared in the direction his voice was coming from and continued telling the false story. “It wasn’t all bad though. I got to spend lots of time trying to find my cutie mark, but nothing seemed to work. There was this one filly who would make fun of me all the time. She called me names.”
“Like Blank Flank?” Apple Bloom asked quietly.
“Yes, like Blank Flank. For a long time I didn’t know what I was going to do. Then I finally just stopped trying. Everyone kept telling me that it would come when it was time.” Sky Blossom continued with a downcast look.
“Apple Jack tells me that all of the time.” The young filly said with annoyance.
“I know. But, they did turn out to be right. I was in a field. There were beautiful flowers all around me in different colors. I walked over to a blue one and smelled it. It smelled so nice and felt so soft. So I plucked it, but it started to wither.” Sky Blossom felt tears come to her eyes.
“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked quietly.
“I raced over to a patch of dirt and planted it. It still looked bad so I tried to remember what I knew about plants. I poured water on it and made sure it was getting sun.”
“By parting the clouds?” The filly asked.
“No, by parting the branches. I had to climb up and climb back down. I am not a good flyer, never was. Anyway, the plant got better and I realized that I loved the feeling of watching it bloom. I wanted to help more plants and bring more sweet smells and soft touches to ponies everywhere. My cutie mark appeared without me having to even try to get it.” Sky Blossom arched her head to look at Apple Bloom. “Yours will come too.”
“But when?” Apple Bloom asked with a groan.
“I don’t know.” Sky Blossom answered truthfully. She realized that her body was feeling much better and decided to see if she could stretch her legs. Wincing slightly, she extended her leg and tried to stand. The filly noticed what she was doing and quickly pressed her body against the struggling pony to give her support. Breathing heavily, Sky Blossom was finally able to support her own weight and tried to walk. At first the pain was still noticeable, but after a few steps it began to fade dimly away. Her blue eyes sparkled with relief as the pain became a dull ache and no longer a sharp pound.
“Apple Bloom, walking seems to be helping. Could I go for a quick walk in the backyard?” Sky Blossom asked the small filly.
“Ah don’t know… Apple Jack told me to keep an eye on you. What if you fall again?” Apple Bloom asked with a skeptical face.
“I promise not to go fast and if I start to feel any pain again I’ll stop.” The pegasus reassured the young earth pony that everything would be fine.
“I do have some chores to do around the house.” Apple Bloom said as she thought it over. “Fresh air is good for hurt ponies. You do look all right…”
Sky Blossom giggled quietly as she examined the concentration on Apple Bloom’s face. It seemed like she was going to think it through very carefully before giving her an answer. ‘Come on Apple Bloom… there is something I have to take care of.’ She thought.
“All right. But don’t go too fast.” Apple Bloom finally gave in.
“Thanks.” Sky Blossom quickly turned around and walked out of the door that lead to the backyard. Because it was a farm the back stretched for acres and acres, but remembering her promise to the little filly, Sky Blossom made sure to only go as far as she needed to. Her hoofs felt the soft grass and she marveled at how green it was. Everywhere in equestria the grass had been greener than usual, but this grass was a green all its own. Her blue eyes twinkled as she glanced at the clouds overhead. Sighing, she sat down in the cushion of grass when her legs began to hurt. A soft breeze caressed her face as she lay in the field. Sky Blossom stopped looking at the clouds for a moment to bend down and smell some of the fragrant flowers that were near her. They smelled sweet and fresh, like mint leaves and cotton candy.
“I assume you are out here to talk to me? Or do you simply like smelling flowers?” A voice softly said in her ear. It oozed sarcasm like a tree oozing sap.
“Both.” Sky Blossom said with a smile as she continued to smell the flowers. “I actually wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me? Why on earth would you want to thank moi?” He said in surprise.
“For helping me with the cutie mark story. You didn’t have to, but I really appreciate it.” Sky Blossom said as she stopped smelling and tried to locate where his voice was coming from.
“Don’t get used to it. That was a one time occurrence.” He hissed.
“I won’t.” Sky Blossom said with a small smile. “I just have a question. Who are you?”
“That is a question that will never be answered.” He said in a sing song voice.
“You know who I am. Why can’t I know who you are? After all, you have been very helpful.” She said persistently.
“Feeling brave are we? I haven’t heard you talk nearly as much without me coaching you.” He said softly. “Bravery is not going to get you anywhere in this world. Knowledge is… and I am no longer supplying it to you.”
“But…” Sky Blossom began.
“Like I said, I am not your foal sitter and don’t plan on being any longer. Good bye Sky Blossom… and good luck!” With that the voice faded away.
Although Sky Blossom couldn’t be sure that he was gone, she gave a sigh and plopped her head down on the grass. He was such a difficult person to deal with. ‘I mean pony… thing?’ She corrected herself mentally as she realized that she did not know what he was.
“Sky Blossom!” She heard Apple Bloom call.
“What?” Sky Blossom answered.
“Ma’ sis is back and she brought one of her friends!” The filly responded.
Sky Blossom slowly got up and walked back into the house. She was surprised to see…
“Rainbow Dash?” Sky Blossom said with surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I was walking around in the Ponyville market when I bumped into my friend Applejack.” Rainbow Dash said as she placed a hoof around Applejack’s shoulders.
“I told RD here about how I found you out on the path. She then told me that ya’ll had meet before. Of course I asked her if she wanted to come over to see you.” Applejack said with a smile. She tipped her hat to Sky Blossom and walked over to talk to her sister.
“Um…” Sky Blossom said as she circled her front hoof on the ground.
“Listen Sky Blossom, I know that we didn’t really get off on the right hoof.” Rainbow Dash said with a hint of irritation in her voice. She hated having to be careful when talking to other ponies. The way she saw it, ponies needed to toughen up. The only pony she was all right with tip toeing around was her long time friend Fluttershy.
“I know.” Sky Blossom said with a sigh. Her eyes flashed but she said nothing.
“But, I figured I should come over and make sure you were all right. Pinkie Pie is bound to hear about this and I wanted to be able to tell her you were ok.” Rainbow Dash said with a bored expression.
“Well, you can tell her that I am fine. I was just taking a walk and I… tripped.” Sky Blossom said with burning eyes. Her tone remained calm however, she did not want to spark anything in the rainbow maned pony.
“All right… I will.” Rainbow Dash said with slightly narrowed eyes. It felt like Sky Blossom was hiding something from her. Her thoughts flashed back to the conversation they had held in Twilight’s castle. She searched further back in her mind to when she had tried to teach the timid pegasus to fly. Her red violet eyes narrowed even more when she got an idea about why Sky Blossom was so reluctant to answer.
“Sky Blossom… have you been talking to the voice again?” Rainbow Dash asked quietly.
“What?” The pegasus said while averting her gaze.
“The… voice.” Rainbow Dash said a little louder.
Sky Blossom did not know what to do and remained silent for a few seconds. ‘What should I say?’ Her chest tightened as she felt a burst of protectiveness for the voice that had helped her through tough situations when she had first arrived. What right did this overbearing pegasus have to judge him when she did nothing but judge her since she first came to Equestria? Sky Blossom raised her head slightly before giving a cold answer. “No.”
“You’re lying.” Rainbow Dash said thorough gritted teeth. It was true that Sky Blossom was a better lier than Applejack, but everypony was a better lier than Applejack.
“How do you know?” Sky Blossom said with a raised eyebrow.
“Because I know you are. You were obsessed with finding out who the owner of the voice was.” Rainbow Dash said.
“You know who it is… don’t you?” The pale pegasus said quietly.
“Sky Blossom, I will say this one more time. Stay away from the voice.” The blue pony said as she turned around. Without another word, she streaked out of the farm house and into the clear sky. Her mind whirled as she tried to comprehend what had happened. She had wished for the pegasus to grow a backbone… but this was too much. After all the times she had tried to warn her about Discord, Sky Blossom continued to talk to him. ‘Don’t be too hasty. Maybe the voice is not Discord.’ Rainbow thought.
She smashed into a cloud as she flew, spewing its fluff everywhere. Shaking her head to clear the white around her eyes, she chastised herself for being so careless. ‘Yeah, right. If the voice is not Discord in the middle of some evil scheme to take over Equestria then I am an earth pony who hates to fly.’ She suddenly stopped before looking back at the small farm she had left behind. Her eyes hardened as she imagined the ponies inside. One of them was going to cause trouble for all of the others… and everypony else in all of Equestria. Rainbow Dash needed help. Her burning eyes flashed as she realized who she needed to go to.
Sky Blossom sighed as the fiery pegasus flew away. She knew that she should not have lied to her. She should have mumbled something and remained quiet. Maybe then Rainbow Dash would have assumed she was cowed and left her alone. Denying the fact that she had talked to him let Rainbow Dash know that she had done exactly that. ‘Why didn’t I say nothing? Things are better when I don’t speak. I know that. I know that!’ She thought in despair as she turned around. The Apple sisters were still chatting in a corner.
Sky Blossom suddenly remembered that she had left Rarity a note saying that she had went out for a quick walk. She estimated that she had been at the farm for at least a few hours while she recovered. The poor dressmaker would be worried sick about her. Wincing, she trotted over to the talking ponies and cleared her throat. The pair turned to her in surprise. Applejack smiled and turned to face Sky Blossom. Her darting eyes and fidgeting hooves told the farm pony that the pegasus was nervous, so she put her at ease by talking first.
“What is it Sky Blossom?” She asked in a soothing voice.
“Yeah. What’s got ya’ so fidgety?” Apple Bloom piped as she tried to follow her sister’s lead.
“I stayed with a unicorn last night, her name was Rarity. You probably know her?” Sky Blossom assumed that the earth pony and unicorn were friends. After all, she had seen both of their portraits in Twilight’s castle.
“I know Rarity. She’s one of ma closest friends.” Applejack said with a chuckle. “I bet she made ya model some of her clothes.” “Yes… she did.” Sky Blossom continued. Not wanting to cause Rarity alarm for much longer, she quickly explained what was bothering her. “I left her a note before I left the house. I told her I was taking a walk and would be right back. How long have I been gone?”
“Shoot.” The cowpony said with a wince. “You were out cold for at least a couple hours. Not to mention I’ve been doing my chores for at least a couple more.”
“Way longer than a quick walk.” Apple Bloom said with a worried frown.
Sky Blossom groaned quietly. She pranced in place for a few minutes as she silently pleaded the two ponies to realize what she was asking of them.
“Don’t worry sugarcube.” Applejack said as she placed a comforting hoof around Sky Blossom’s shoulder. With a wink, she continued. “We’ll get ya to Rarity’s quicker than a snake can slither on a patch of ice.”
“Thanks.” Sky Blossom said with a small smile.
Applejack told Apple Bloom to keep an eye on the place while she escorted Sky Blossom back to Rarity’s. The walk was a quiet one. The pegasus did not feel like talking and the farm pony did not want to intrude on something that was not her business. Occasionally, Sky Blossom would glance in Applejack’s direction. She admired the way the farm pony walked. Her strides were strong and proud. But she was not overly proud, more like she knew what she was capable of but was not one to go around boasting about it to every pony. Her hat was always straight on her head and her mouth remained fixed in a smile. Sky Blossom blushed in embarrassment as she realized how small and weak she must look in comparison. With her large waves and small stature. Her steps were quick and quiet, not at all like the deep strides of the pony next to her.
Finally, they arrived at the Boutique. Sky Blossom called out in a timid voice. “Rarity, I’m back.” Her ears lay against her head as she waited for the unicorn.
Rarity’s surprised face poked out from the side of the door as she heard the small voice. Her eyes lit up when she saw Sky Blossom. Quickly opening the door, she raced out of the building and enveloped the small pony in a hug. Making cooing sounds as she hugged her, Rarity pressed Sky Blossom’s face into her mane as if she was shielding her from whatever had kept her away so long. When the hug had ceased Rarity let go of the yellow pony and spoke.
“I was so worried about you!” Rarity exclaimed with moist eyes as she released Sky Blossom. Her eyes flashed as she realized that Sky Blossom had not said why she had been so late in returning.
“Sorry… I…” Sky Blossom began while rubbing her hooves together.
“Do you even know how long you were gone?” Rarity exclaimed as she pressed her face into the trembling pegasus’s.
“I was taking a walk like I said I was when…” Sky Blossom licked her lips for a few seconds before continuing. She could feel Rarity’s eyes drilling into her as she talked. “I tripped and got hurt. I blacked out and then Applejack found me.”
Rarity turned her head to look at the farm pony. Her white cheeks tinted pink as she realized that she had not even noticed her standing there. Clearing her throat, Rarity walked over to Applejack and gave her a quick hug. Fixing her mane with one hoof, Rarity made sure to keep her voice calm as she spoke to the smirking farm pony. “Thank you so much for taking care of Sky Blossom. How exactly did you find her?”
“Wasn’t a big deal. I heard a sound coming from the path and moseyed on over. When I noticed her lyin’ on the ground like that I wasted no time in bringin’ her back to my kin for some good ol’ Apple family care.” Applejack replied with a tip of her hat.
Rarity turned to face Sky Blossom with a smile. “I have some work to do. Would you mind helping me with my fabric?”
The yellow pony gave a shy smile and eagerly shook her head yes. Her voluminous, green curls bounced with every little bob of her head. She seemed to notice this suddenly and quickly stopped moving. Blushing fiercely, as if she was ashamed of her natural curls, she gave a quick nod of thanks to Applejack and trotted into the boutique. Her curly tail continued to bounce despite her obvious efforts to stop it.
Rarity smiled sadly at the self-conscious pony and took a deep breath before turning toward her friend. “Applejack, did you notice anything strange about Sky Blossom when she was at your house?” She chose her words carefully. The fashionable unicorn did not want to cause any undue alarm in her friend or betray Sky Blossom’s obvious trust in her.
Applejack raised an eyebrow and studied Rarity before she spoke. Her friend was obviously hiding something from her. “Not really. She seemed like a decent mare. Why?”
“No reason.” Rarity said quickly.
Applejack narrowed her eyes. Rarity had answered too quickly. She was more certain than ever that Rarity was hiding something from her. Taking a deep breath and steeling her mind, the hard-headed farm pony made up her mind that she was going to find out what it was. “You’re lyin’ to me Rarity. Ya know I don’t like liars.”
“Look Applejack, it was a silly question. I should never have bothered you about it. Just please forget what I said.” The unicorn said with a hint of irritation in her voice.
“Rarity…” Applejack said warningly.
Stuttering with outrage, Rarity pressed her face against Applejack’s and said sternly. “Applejack, I said to drop the subject. I am perfectly capable of handling Sky Blossom without any help from you or anyone else!”
“What is there to handle?” The freckled pony said through clenched teeth. Her chest heaved with every breath. Applejack could feel her temper bubbling over like an active volcano. It was not unheard of for her and the pampered unicorn to get in arguments, but she could not recall ever feeling such a strange mixture of anger and worry.
Spinning around, Rarity lifted her head proudly in the air and refused to answer. She was dully aware of her tail smacking Applejack across the face and took a small amount of pleasure in it. The victory was very small however. Deep down her stomach was bubbling with guilt and indecision. Rarity knew that she had been the one to bring up Sky Blossom’s problem and that she had done it because she wanted Applejack’s help. But it did not seem right for her to tell someone, even one of her closest friends, about the little pony’s fear of the dark. She shuddered slightly as she remembered the look of terror on Sky Blossom’s face when she had walked her to the boutique when night had been falling. Resisting the urge to clamp her hooves over her ears as Sky Blossom’s whimpering filled them, Rarity calmly walked into the boutique.
“If you excuse me Applejack, I have some work to do. Thank you again for finding Sky Blossom. Have a good day.” She said with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Your welcome Rarity.” Applejack said slowly. Something was wrong with her friend and the new pegasus had something to do with it. Turning around slowly, the earth pony trotted away from the building. She could not trot away from her spinning mind or the worry that was nagging at her. Worry for Rarity… and worry for Sky Blossom.
Rarity sighed as she closed the door. She had only had a fleeting glimpse of Applejack leaving and she had to admit to herself that she was sad to see her go. It would have been nice to have some help. Not only with Sky Blossom, but also with her dressmaking. Shrugging her shoulders, Rarity quickly entered the room where she felt the most inspiration. The room where she assembled her dresses. Her hoof quickly covered her mouth the stifle the giggles that had been trickling out. Sky Blossom, confident that she was alone, had been wandering around the room. Her blue eyes were wide and twinkling as she caressed the fabrics with her hoofs. Speaking in a clear voice now that she though no one was around to hear her, she named the different colors with each stroke. Rarity was impressed with the fact that Sky Blossom got most of them right. She had mixed up the colors cherry and cinnamon, but that was a common mistake. Trotting around the room with glee, Sky Blossom proudly let her wavy locks bounce along with her. Rarity’s deep blue eyes admired the way the mare’s mane and tail moved smoothly, as if they were bouncing in slow motion.
‘I wonder what conditioner she uses on her mane. I shall have to ask her later.’ Rarity thought as she stepped into the room. For Sky Blossom’s sake, she made sure to step loudly in order to give her some time to compose herself. Acting as if she had just arrived, Rarity called out her name to give the impression that she had not noticed her prior to coming in.
“I’m here Rarity.” Sky Blossom said with a slight hint of panic in her voice. Her body became rigid as she immediately stopped her admiring. “Good. Now, let’s start gathering the fabric for my new dress!” Rarity said with a laugh.
Sky Blossom gave a small laugh as well and quickly grabbed a minty green fabric that was laced with golden glitter. “Can we use this?”
Meanwhile, somewhere else in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash landed in a cloud of dust. Her breathing was quick as she looked for the one pony who could talk some sense into Sky Blossom. She had already met Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. If things continued to go the way they were, Sky Blossom would meet all of her closest friends. Anyone the timid pegasus knew was in danger. Rainbow Dash knew that and was determined to stop Sky Blossom before she met everyone who was important to her. Growling with frustration, the rainbow maned pegasus knocked forcefully on the door. His chuckling softly carried in the breeze as he watched Rainbow Dash futile attempt to stop him from communicating with Sky Blossom. She was right about one thing, it would be better for everyone if the shy pegasus refused to speak with him.
‘Too bad she doesn’t know it.’ He thought gleefully.
The door opened unbearably slowly for the pegasus. She thrust her hoof inside and pulled the door open quicker. Ignoring the questioning and slightly irritated look on her friend’s face, Rainbow Dash said. “We have to talk.”
“Twilight, I need your help.” Rainbow Dash said as soon as Twilight finished speaking. She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof as if she was getting ready to sprint at a moment’s notice.
“What’s the matter Rainbow? You seem…” Twilight began. She looked at the crazed look in the pegasus’ eyes and her disheveled mane before continuing. “tense?”
“Tense? I am way more than tense Twilight!” Rainbow yelled as she began to pace back and forth. “We have a very big problem. Remember that one pegasus I brought to you? The quiet one that said she came from Moostangula?”
“You mean Mustangia?” Twilight said with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Rainbow dismissed Twilight with a wave of her hoof. “I think she has been talking to Discord.”
“Discord?” Twilight said with surprise. “What could make you think that? We haven’t heard from Discord since…” She trailed off as she remembered the day Discord had betrayed her and her friends. Although she had forgiven Discord and it had seemed like her friends had as well, it still hurt to think about what he had done. The day after, it had seemed like all the progress they had made with Discord had faded away.
……….
Twilight had been having a picnic with her friends to celebrate banishing Tirek. The sky had been clear of almost all clouds. The only ones remaining were white and fluffy. Rainbow Dash had been napping on one of them while she waited for Rarity to finish plating the sandwiches. Her rainbow mane blew in the soft breeze as she snored. Rolling over onto her back, she stretched before lazily opening her eyes. When she saw that Rarity was still deciding whether to use the checkered napkins or the embroidered ones, she groaned and rolled off of the cloud. Narrowing her eyes at the few prepared plates, she hovered next to her friend.
“Aren’t you done yet?” She asked in a whiny voice.
“Not yet darling. I want this picnic to be perfect!” Rarity replied with a flourish as she settled on what napkin she wanted to use. She then lifted the basket with her magic and looked inside. Her deep blue eyes widened with shock. “NO!”
“What now?” Rainbow said with disdain.
“I forgot the silverware! Of all the worst things that could happen this is… the… worst… possible… THING!” Her eyes were blazing with panic as she shook the basket.
“Rarity.” Rainbow said in a dull voice. “We are eating sandwiches. We don’t need silverware.”
“Yeah Rarity! We can just stuff our faces!” Pinkie pie screamed as she smacked her face onto a nearby plate. When she raised her head, pieces of bread and hay fell from her hair.
“Yes, of course.” Rarity said while faking a smile.
“Finally!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she grabbed another plate and began stuffing her face.
Twilight looked on with mild disgust. She did not bother to point out that they were still waiting for Fluttershy to arrive. She knew that Fluttershy would not mind and that Rainbow would not stop eating anyway. Instead, she turned her face towards the sky and watched the clouds float by. Her eyes began to close as she relaxed her body. It had been incredibly stressful for the past few days and she was enjoying the chance to finally stop worrying. The tension melted from her muscles like butter on a piece of bread. Sighing with contentment, she did not hear the hoof steps approaching until a shadow was cast over her.
“Um… Twilight?” A soft voice said from behind her.
“Fluttershy! I am so glad you are here! What took you so long?” Twilight said with a grin as she turned around. Her smile fell from her face when she saw who had accompanied her friend.
“Hello Twilight!” A smug voice said with obvious delight at her expression.
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought Discord.” Flutter shy said with a hint of panic in her voice. Her eyes darted back and forth between her two friends.
“No. Not at all.” Twilight said with beads of sweat trickling down her face. Even though she had made peace with him after the Tirek incident, her heart still began to race.
“WHAT IS HE DOING HERE!” A raspy voice shouted.
“Oh no.” Fluttershy mumbled.
“Hello Rainbow Dash.” Discord said with obvious reluctance. His eyes narrowed as the rainbow maned pegasus pressed her face into his.
Her eyes were blazing as she examined him. Roughly, she pressed a hoof into his chest and pushed him backward. “Why are you here Discord?”
Discord brushed himself off with a feather duster before answering. His eyes were studying her red violet ones intently. They seemed to burn with fire as well. His voice remained smooth as butter however. “I was invited by my dear friend Fluttershy.”
“Friend huh?” Rainbow Dash said with a bitter laugh. She flapped her wings fiercely as she continued. “Was she your friend when you betrayed her?”
“Dashie! That’s not fair!” Fluttershy said sternly as she flew to Discord. Landing lightly on her hooves, she stood beside him. Her eyes seemed to plead with Rainbow to behave.
“I said I was sorry!” Discord said with a wounded look.
“That helps! You almost destroyed Equestria!” Rainbow yelled loudly.
“Everyone makes mistakes.” Flutter shy interrupted softly.
“Tirek lied to me! He tricked me too you know!” Discord said with a scowl. His voice began to raise in volume. “I thought he was on my side! I wasn’t going to actually let him hurt you!”
“He did hurt us! He took our strength and you just watched!” Rainbow said as she began to fly toward Discord. “He hurt us and it was your fault!”
“Rainbow! Please!” Fluttershy said with watery eyes.
“He took mine too!” Discord interrupted with flaming eyes.
“Good! You deserved it!” Rainbow began to stammer with anger. “You know… you were just a… I can’t believe you even… you are a…”
“A what?” Discord said. His voice was dangerously low.
“A MONSTER!” Rainbow finished with venom dripping from her voice.
“You think I don’t know that! I betrayed you all! I get it!” Discord said. Wind began to swirl around him as his yelling became more frantic. “But nothing can change that! Do you think that I haven’t relived it all over again!”
“Discord please!” Fluttershy screamed as flashes of plaid lightning began to shoot from Discord. The lightning struck as rock and caused it to grow spider legs. Fluttershy jumped as another bolt struck close to her and caused a flower to grow wings.
“I have seen it all over and over!” Discord said. His eyes were glazed over as if he was watching it at that moment. “You all losing your strength!”
Twilight’s eyes widened as the bolts of lightning struck more and more. She looked for the rest of her friends and was relieved to see them taking shelter from the wind behind a large boulder. Applejack held onto her hat while Rarity cried over the ruined picnic. Pinkie Pie watched everything with deflated hair and blank eyes. Twilight turned her attention back to the out of control Discord and the distraught Fluttershy who was trying to talk to him.
“Discord! Can you hear me?” Fluttershy said as she watched her friend float higher and higher away from her. “Please! Listen to me!
“You all looking at me like I am a monster!” Discord continued to yell.
“Please stop! I don’t blame you!” Fluttershy tried to open her wings but they seemed glued to her body. “No… no… NO!” She whimpered as her wings refused to budge.
Rainbow Dash was now on the ground. She stared at Discord with steely eyes as her hooves dug into the ground to stop her from being pushed away by the wind. Her mane and tail flew frantically behind her as the wind grew stronger. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash took a deep breath before calling out. “Just leave! You’re ruining everything!”
“Rainbow Dash stop it!” Fluttershy yelled through her tears.
As if something snapped inside of Discord, the wind stopped. The lightning bolts ceased and the changed objects returned to normal. He blinked a few times and looked around as if he wasn’t sure where he was. Seeing the ruined picnic and Fluttershy’s tear streaked face, it all came back to him. His eyes were a thunderstorm of guilt as he gave the landscape one last look. Snapping his fingers, a flash of white light blinded the ponies for a moment.
Fluttershy opened her eyes and blinked to try and regain her vision. Gasping, she marveled at the amazing picnic that was spread out in front of her. The sandwiches were the best she had ever seen. The blanket did not have a single wrinkle and the silverware sparkled like diamonds. Looking at her friends, she noticed that none of them looked like the wind had touched them at all. Her own mane was no longer a disheveled mess and she no longer felt the wetness of her tears on her cheeks. Placing a hoof to her face, she realized that it was dry.
“Discord.” She whispered. Looking around, her eyes grew frantic as she realized that she did not see him anywhere. “Discord? DISCORD!”
“He’s gone.” Twilight said softly.
“Good riddance.” Rainbow said with a scowl.
Turning around quickly, Fluttershy walked toward Rainbow Dash with smoldering eyes. The deep teal ocean of her eyes swirled with a savage storm. “This is all because of you Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy yelled as she thrust her hoof accusingly at her friend.
“Me?” Rainbow said with shock. “What did I do?”
“You provoked him!” The pale pegasus said with outrage. “You called him a monster!”
“He is! He did all this! Not me!” Rainbow Dash said as she took a step towards Fluttershy.
“No he didn’t! It was a mistake, he was sorry!” Fluttershy said as fresh tears formed.
“Didn’t he betray us?” Rainbow Dash asked with a cold voice.
“Yes… but” Fluttershy began.
“Didn’t he join Tirek?” Rainbow interrupted.
“Yes.” Fluttershy looked at the ground as she answered.
“Why did you even bring him?” Rarity asked as she stepped between Fluttershy and Rainbow. Her deep eyes were filled with concern as she noticed the shy pegasus wilt.
“I thought you all forgave him. I just wanted to show him that you were all his friends.” Fluttershy began. “He didn’t want to come. He… he told me that he had been having nightmares. He thought you all blamed him.”
“We do blame him.” Rainbow stated bluntly.
“I don’t blame him.” Fluttershy said as she broke down into tears.
……….
“I haven’t spoke to Discord since the… picnic.” Twilight began reluctantly.
“Neither have I.” Rainbow Dash said while averting her gaze. She mentally added that she had not spoken to Fluttershy very much since then either. “But I am sure he has been speaking to Sky Blossom. I need your help to make him stop or at least make her stop.”
Twilight thought for a moment before answering with a sigh. “Okay. Tell her to meet me at…”
Sky Blossom wandered down the streets of Ponyville in silence. Other ponies walked nearby but she ignored them all. Occasionally a friendly pony would wave a hoof to her. When this happened she simply stared at the ground for a few minutes until the pony realized that she was not going to wave back. Her pale yellow cheeks were tinged with pink as she continued to walk. It was partly because of embarrassment and partly because of anger. Her tail swished irritably behind her as she contemplated over why Twilight would want to talk to her.
‘Obviously she wants to talk about the voice.’ Sky Blossom thought angrily.
Tripping over a root that she swore was not in the middle of the path before, Sky Blossom began to sputter in anger. Groaning, she kicked at the small root until it was pounded into the ground where it would be unable to trip anymore unsuspecting ponies. Her mane became frazzled and covered one of her sky blue eyes. Pushing it out of the way with a dirty hoof, Sky Blossom gave a small smile when she was able to see again. Her smile disappeared when she noticed the looks other ponies were giving her. Obviously it was not common for ponies to pound roots into the ground in fits of anger. Taking a deep breath, she tried to maintain whatever dignity she had left and started to walk towards the large castle.
Her mind wandered back to the conversation she had with Rarity when she had first received the message. The unicorn had been so worried about her. She wanted to go with her, actually insisted on coming along, but Sky Blossom shyly reminded her that she was told to come alone. After a few more minutes of quietly arguing, the pegasus was allowed to go by herself.
‘The last thing I need is Rarity hearing this conversation.’ Sky Blossom thought as she knocked on the large doors with a shaking hoof. The castle was intimidating and cold to the touch. She felt her stomach flip as the doors slowly opened. Spike was standing there with a smile on his face. His carefree attitude showed that he had no idea why Sky Blossom had been summoned to talk with Twilight.
“Hi Spike, I’m here like you told me to be.” Sky Blossom said with a plastered on smile.
“Hey Sky Blossom! Great, Twilight is waiting for you in the throne room.” Spike began to walk inside, motioning for the pegasus to follow him. His small steps made it easy for Sky Blossom to keep up.
“Do you know why she wanted to see me?” Sky Blossom asked quietly. She could feel her tongue begin to fumble as she tried to talk to the small dragon. ‘Why can’t I talk to others when I need to? The only person or pony or whatever I have actually been able to talk to has been…’ Her thoughts trailed off as a burst of anger overcame her. Her mind seethed and she did not hear what Spike was saying.
“Sky Blossom? Are you ok?” A far off voice asked her with concern.
“Huh?” She shook her head to clear if off all the negativity before answering. “Yes. Sorry Spike, can you… um… say that again?” “I said I don’t know. She just told me to get you and tell you to come alone.” Spike repeated as he studied you with his green eyes. “Too bad. I wanted to invite Rarity over.” His eyes became clouded as he was plagued with thoughts of the white unicorn.
Suppressing a giggle, Sky Blossom remembered how he had stammered in front of her friend. He had reminded her of herself whenever she was trying to talk to another living thing. His face had turned as bright as the cinnamon cloth she had been admiring before he showed up. Her ears wilted slightly as she realized that she had never gotten to finish the dress she had been making with Rarity. Knowing the inspiration crazed pony, Rarity had probably already finished it without her. Her eyes studied the floor as she walked. Her mind whirled through all of the choices that still had to be made.
‘I wonder if she chose the shimmer cloth or the sequins. I would go with the transparent myself, but Rarity is the expert.’ Sky Blossom was contemplating the differences between glitter and sequins in the light when she was suddenly stopped by Spike.
“Here we are!” He said cheerfully as he pointed to a room. Smiling a tooth grin, he waved his claws to let her know that she could walk inside.
Nodding thanks to the small dragon, the pegasus slowly walked in. Her hoof steps rang against the hard floor and caused her to cringe. She wished that they were not so loud. It seemed wrong to break such perfect silence. Looking around with wide eyes, Sky Blossom noticed several thrones around a table with some kind of map on it. The walls shimmered and caused her eyes to look away from the thrones to marvel at them instead. The colors of the rainbow met her eyes as the patterns changed with every blink. Rubbing her eyes with a hoof, she returned her gaze to the thrones and noticed a purple alicorn sitting in one. Sky Blossom’s eyes widened as she realized that she had been keeping Twilight waiting while she admired the room. Racing over, she nearly slipped on the smooth floor. Saving herself by grabbing onto the map with one hoof, she noticed that her hoof went through the small objects on it.
“I’m sorry.” She said hurriedly as she sat down on the closest throne. Her stomach flipped when she realized that it was Rainbow Dash’s. It would be rude to switch chairs. Not to mention arouse some questions from Twilight that she did not want to answer. Forcing down her disgust, she turned to the princess and waited for her to speak.
“It’s alright Sky Blossom.” Twilight began. Her tone was comforting and warm. When Twilight noticed the small pony relax, she continued with a soft smile. “I asked you to come here because I am concerned about you.”
“Concerned? About what?” Sky Blossom asked quietly. She tried to contain the frustration she felt inside. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
“About the voice you asked about earlier.” Twilight said with patience. She could tell that something was bothering the pony in front of her. As Princess of Friendship, she had to be able to deal with all situations regarding multiple ponies but this was a unique situation.
“Why does every pony seem to care?” Sky Blossom was momentarily surprised at how easily the pony term for everybody. It gave her a small jolt of fear that she might soon forget her real self and her real home.
“Listen, you don’t know what you are getting yourself into.” Twilight said sternly. “The voice is dangerous. He has betrayed Equestrian several times and is emotionally unstable.”
“You know him.” Sky Blossom said quietly. Her eyes narrowed. “Who is he?”
“It is safer for you if you don’t know his name.” Twilight said as she placed her hoofs on the table. “Just know that he is not to be messed with.”
“He hasn’t hurt me.” The pegasus said as she placed her hoofs defiantly on the table as well.
“He might… and he might hurt others too!” Twilight said with a sharp look at the pony in front of her. Internally she was not sure that Discord would go that far, but she had to make Sky Blossom afraid to talk to him until she could find out what he was up to. Swallowing nervously, Twilight had an idea. “He is dangerous Sky Blossom… very dangerous. He enslaved Equestria before and was turned to stone because of it. Then when he was freed he tried to take over Equestria again with a monster named Tirek. Nobody could stop him until it was almost too late. He is a monster.” “You mean, no one could get through to him? He had no friends?” Sky Blossom asked with her eyes glued to Twilight’s.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight responded. “No. He never had any friends.”
Sky Blossom’s ears lowered to her head but her eyes remained thoughtful as she looked at Twilight. “I understand. I won’t talk to him anymore.” Getting out of the throne, she gave Twilight a small apologetic smile before turning away. She thought she heard a small sigh behind her but was not sure. She left the room with her mind spinning and her heart aching.
‘Am I really all alone here? He was the only one who seemed to understand but… I can’t talk to him anymore. Twilight was telling the truth… wasn’t she?’ Sky Blossom’s eyes hardened as she realized that there was only one pony that could tell her what the truth really was.
Sky Blossom walked slowly towards the cloud. Her eyes were glued onto it with a fierce determination that burned like fire. Gritting her teeth, she flapped her pitiful wings and attempted to take flight. Her wings began to sting as she continued to flap them harder and harder. Her breathing grew ragged and her limbs felt sore. Closing her eyes, Sky Blossom continued her futile attempt at flight. Sweat beaded down her forehead.
‘Come on, come on, come on!’ She thought fiercely as she felt herself rise slightly off of the ground. It was short lived however, and she was soon panting and laying on top of it. Her mane clung to her forehead as she laid on the hard ground.
Muttering to herself, the tired pegasus swore that she was going to surprise the lazy, rainbow maned lump on the cloud by landing next to her if it was the last thing she was going to do. After hours of fruitless searching in Ponyville, she had finally found the pony she was looking for. It was not going to be a waste. Her eyes hardened as she forced herself to stand. Taking a few deep breaths to still the tornado in her stomach, she tried to flap again. Her wings seemed to cry out in protest but she ignored their desperate pleas. Tears trickled down her face as she felt herself rise again. She was in the air longer, but still ended up on the ground.
“Come on Sky Blossom.” She whispered angrily as she brushed the dust off of her body.
Trying again, she rose a little further. Her wings threatened to lock to her sides but she tensed them and forced them to stay spread out. The sudden tension in her wings caused her to cry out in shock. Clamping her mouth shut, her blue eyes gazed fearfully at the cloud. But the sleeping pegasus seemed to have not noticed her outburst. Sighing, she continued to flap. Her tail felt heavier than a boulder and threatened to pull her down. Swishing it, she tried to use it as momentum to hurl herself farther upwards. Keeping her eyes glued to the cloud, she did not dare look down and see how high up she was.
‘Just a little further.’ She thought as she continued to move upwards.
Without warning, her wings gave out and caused her to fall. Gasping in terror, she barely had time to scream before she hit the ground. She shakily stood up and looked at herself. Nothing ached besides her throbbing wings and she was covered in very little dirt. Rolling her eyes with disappointment, Sky Blossom realized that the impact had been very small. She had only been a foot in the air. Not even close to the cloud.
“A foot. I flew… a foot.” Sky Blossom said in a dull voice. Sucking in air, she held it in her mouth for a few moments before letting it all out in one big whoosh. Satisfied with holding in her blood-curdling scream, the frustrated pegasus glared at the cloud. It seemed to be mocking her.
Her pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks. Shaking with anger, Sky Blossom breathed in deeply before letting out all of her frustration. “STOP MOCKING ME!”
“Woah, woah, woah tiger. Calm down.” A raspy voice said from the top of the cloud.
“I’ll calm down when you come down.” Sky Blossom said in a shaky voice.
Rainbow Dash’s head peeked over the edge of the cloud. Sky Blossom’s breathing grew harder and harder as she saw the smug expression on her face. The grinning pegasus gave Sky Blossom an examination with her eyes before nodding her head. The yellow pegasus was dirty, aching, and upset. If there was ever an opportune time for her to mess with her… it was now. Leaping from the edge of the cloud, she did a couple of flips in the air before speeding down to the ground. Stopping just before she made impact, Rainbow Dash landed as gently as a feather. Grinning even wider, she raised an eyebrow.
“What do you want?” She asked smugly.
“I want you to tell me the truth.” Sky Blossom said with a shaking voice. Forgetting her motto that it was always better when she did not speak, Sky Blossom thrust her face into Rainbow Dash’s. “Everyone has been telling me not to speak to the voice. Twilight just called me to her castle to talk about it personally.”
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and pushed Sky Blossom away with a hoof. “Seems like she has the right idea. Maybe now you’ll listen.”
“Depends.” Sky Blossom said as she narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. Her words seemed to drip with venom.
“On what?” Rainbow Dash with a suspicious look.
“On what you say.” Sky Blossom responded. “Tell me, did the voice really betray all of you?”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes hardened. “Yes. Several times and I don’t doubt he would do it again.”
Sky Blossom tried to keep the disappointment out of her eyes. “Is he really a monster?”
Rainbow Dash looked straight into Sky Blossom’s eyes. Her voice did not waver as she spoke. “Yes. He is a monster.” Flicking her tail with irritation at having to answer the smaller pony’s questions, she decided to ask one of her own. “Why do you want to talk to him?”
Blushing from the unexpected question, Sky Blossom looked down at the ground. She shuffled in place for a few moments. Swallowing, she looked at Rainbow Dash. All of her anger had evaporated and left her as scared as she usually was. “I-I-I… um…”
“You what?” Rainbow Dash said with a glare that caused Sky Blossom to shake.
“I… thought he was my friend.” Sky Blossom said quietly.
Rainbow Dash snickered as she replied. “He’s not. He is not your friend.”
Suddenly, Sky Blossom remembered another question she had been planning to ask. Taking a deep breath, she raised her light eyes and looked right into Rainbow Dash’s burning ones. Before her jolt of bravery could desert her, she spoke. “Does he have any friends?”
Rainbow Dash seemed to hesitate for a moment. Her eyes dulled as if she was remembering something. When the memory ended she shook her head and looked Sky Blossom right in the eye. “No.”
“Alright.” Sky Blossom said with a scrutinizing look. She could tell the Rainbow Dash was hiding something. The pony was not standing with the same dominance she had been a few minutes earlier. Something had changed, but Sky Blossom did not know what. Sighing, she closed her eyes. “I won’t talk to the voice anymore.”
“Good.” Rainbow Dash said in a subdued voice. Turning around, she gave Sky Blossom one last, hard gaze before sprinting into the sky. A stream of rainbow trailed behind her before it faded away as well.
Sky Blossom stared at the ground. She felt a shiver down her spine. Without even knowing why, she raised her head and stared in front of her. After a few seconds, a sound seemed to come from the direction she was looking at. Before she could stop herself, her mouth formed a small smile. Her eyes glittered without her knowing.
“That certainly was interesting.” A voice said with a chuckle.
“Tell me about it.” Sky Blossom responded with the smile still on her face.
“You honesty don’t believe a word she said, do you?” The voice said with a sing song tone.
Sky Blossom’s smile faded as she realized what she was about to do. “I… I think I do.”
“What?” He said in surprise. Laughing awkwardly, he continued talking. “You can’t be serious. They obviously don’t understand me or why we talk!”
Sky Blossom’s eyes were hard as she tried to see the voice. She knew that it was crazy to think that if she focused hard enough she could, be she still tried. “They all tried to warn me. They seem to know more about you than I even do.” Closing her eyes when she was still greeted by the empty air, her voice began to tremble. “You won’t even let me see you. I don’t even know why we talk. You complain about how dependent I am on you, but you seem to be the one who wants to keep talking with me! So tell me, WHY DO WE TALK?”
“We talk because…” The voice trailed off as if he was thinking. “You don’t want them to know where you come from and I help you keep it a secret.”
Sighing, Sky Blossom opened her eyes and looked in front of her again. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “That’s what I thought. Well, I don’t need your help anymore.”
Turning around, Sky Blossom forced herself to keep walking even when the voice called out to her. She began to walk faster and faster until she was moving at a trot. Then her trot turned into a gallop as she fled from the voice. Chest heaving, heart pounding, and eyes burning, she ran all the way to Rarity’s boutique. Sky Blossom stood outside of the door for a few minutes. Her stomach felt like a million butterflies were swarming inside of her while her mind felt like a nest of bees was buzzing around inside of it. She no longer could count on the voice to help her keep her cover. She would need to make a life for herself in the strange land of Equestria. At least, until she could find a way to leave it. Shaking her head, she opened the door and stepping into the boutique.
“Well, this could be a problem.” Discord said as he laid down on the grassy hill where he had been talking with Sky Blossom only a few minutes earlier. She had said that she was no longer going to speak to him. He thought for a few minutes before materializing a cotton candy cloud to munch on. He always got his best ideas when he was full of sugar.
“She already has all the information she needs to stay in Equestria without causing any fuss. Now I can just focus on having fun.” Discord said with glee. Twirling around in the sky, he made several large marshmallows appear and dance around him. Jumping off of them, Discord snapped his fingers and made them disappear. Things were going just fine.
Sky Blossom looked around the room to make sure she was alone. It seemed like Rarity had gone somewhere. Smiling with relief, Sky Blossom raced to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and shuddered. Her mane was an absolute mess. Strands of it stuck out of the top of her head and others were stuck to her face by her tears. Dirt was flecked across it as well. Sniffing, she wiped her cheeks with her hooves. It only helped smudge the dampness over the rest of her face. Turning on the sink, she splashed water across her face to get rid of the saltiness. Brushing a hoof over her eyes, she gave a weak smile to her reflection. It looked faker than a vampire’s suntan.
“I’m a mess. A bit mess.” She said with a moan as she rested her head on the sink. Sniffling, she thought about what she needed to do next. Things were going to cost money and Sky Blossom did not think that she would be able to survive for long unless she had some.
Steeling her resolve, she raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror again. Placing a hoof on it, she fought the tremble that forced to rack her body as she gazed on her pony form. “I will make it somehow. I don’t need the voice. I’ll do this… on… my… own.”
Quickly cleaning herself, she left the bathroom and went into the room where Rarity made her dresses. A freshly made line of dresses were folded and resting on a chair. She smiled as her eyes admired them for a few moments. Her hoof caressed the fabric as she thought.
