3.1
What a drag, that’s what this morning had been so far. Enough to make Rainbow Dash yawn yet again. None of this made it any easier to stay awake, this constant rotation she did with the rag cleaning each and every glass. Practically putting her to sleep. Not really sure how it was she could still keep her eyes open. Being this bored. This deprived of the sleep she had been looking forward to. May as well have just stayed up all night rather than turn in super late like she did. Maybe just a few hours of sleep. What a bother and it was all still on her mind.

A constant reminder, not even a little sleep made it go away. Like it was still in front of her. How it all moved.

Rainbow couldn’t even pay attention. Seeing it. Like the little drip of water she watched sliding down the side of the glass. Leaving a long, wet gleam along the path it left behind before she watched it fall right off and join with all the water pooled up in the sink. Then another one. Dash wiped it away. Stroking the rag furiously over the glass. Cleaning off the all that water. Get rid of the reminder.

She placed it with all the other dry ones and continued on. Grabbing hold of the next soaked glass between both hooves as she hovered over the sink. Looking away this time. Not caring to see anymore. Just… anything else. Something pleasant. Like the little birds that sang outside. Must be mom coming back to feed her chicks again. All the bird’s nests she always left alone around the clouds of her house. Those birds always proved to be good company to listen to as she read. Yup. She spotted one brown feathered bird swoop in. Right in front of the open window she left in her living room. Think I recognize you, yeah, your momma bird. Here to give her a little look from where it was perched on the window sill, cocking its head and ruffling its feathers. Not even caring that the Pegasus was rather close. She probably thinks my house is also her house. Hehe.

That bird went on its business. Jumping right off the ledge and down below, out of sight. Off to tend to her young. Lucky guys. At least they didn’t have too much to worry about. “Not like me.”

3.2
Because of how stupid she was being lately. This should have all been a cinch. It should have been. Never, ever could she have imagined all this to have caused what she saw last night.

Really, I’m Rainbow Dash and she’s Soul Serenity. We should have been able to make this all work. No. It really all must have been because of me. Just to be able to see one another again. It didn’t do anything. Not enough to keep Soul from crying. Whatever pain she must be in. Hopefully it isn’t as bad as… Dash shook her head.

No, I don’t want to remember those thoughts again.

It took so much just to get rid of them. So much effort. Get rid of them after so many years. Cuz I’m strong. She was strong. Foolishly strong. Foolish, otherwise there would have been a better effort to prevent what happened to Soul. So she would not have had to cry in her sleep. Crying over all the pain that she must have suffered from. To haunt her in her sleep… so terrible.

Funny, all this time… I thought Soul was the stronger one.

She set the rag down. Lowering her eyes upon the pitiful work she was doing in cleaning out the glasses. Still stains. Like on her heart. It made her slouch her ears. Thinking back to the Soul Serenity she knew. And I was the weak one. She was the one who changed me all because of how great she was. That had been the case. W-what happened? Soul, she never told me. Told me how bad it hurt her all this time. Not one bit of imagination to think on how everything hurt Soul so much and what went down to make it get to this point. This point where she could honestly ask herself one very painful question. Because it made sense, it stung her mind. It frightened her.

Are you the same Soul Serenity I flew with?

For her to change so much. It’s like… I’m afraid to know you. Because it would be too painful to know exactly what it was that happened to her. Remind her of all the faults. All the mistakes. Mistakes she could just wish to have done differently. There was no point in thinking otherwise. They were the cause. I caused this. I get to suffer more, I get to watch you suffer. Since there was no way in these twelve long years that this mentality could leave her. Fester inside her like a tumor. That Rainbow Dash had changed too… for the worse.

“I’m no longer the friend she loved.” Such a pain. Hard to believe it was all because of three words.

3.3
A noise brought her back to seeing she had been staring off at the wall. Perking her ears right up, she recognized the sound immediately. Coming from upstairs. The toilet flushing.

She’s awake. She’s awake! Shit.

Dash let the rag fall gently into the sink. Forget this. Turning off to face where her refrigerator stood tall, and where all her food was. Her lack of food. Soul is gonna be hungry and I have nothing but snacks to eat. Just apples. No strawberries or pancakes or freakin waffles. No food Soul will like. …If she would like anything I make her now. All that time gone, I wonder if she still even likes the food I remember her eating. I wanted to go to the market today… but what should I get? At that matter, Dash slumped her shoulders. Hearing the sound of hooves stepping atop the floor above her.

Going to the market. That’s all I have planned. What could we even do together? Fly around? No, that sounded boring. Dash realizing such a simple thing would be too boring for the newly arrived Pegasus to do. Besides just meeting the gang. If she still wanted to. But that probably didn’t sound like fun for Soul. Anything really to cheer the mare’s spirits up. Such a shame. We used to be able to do so much and be so happy together, now I don’t even know if she wants to be around me or not. I’m the one who ruined Soul’s life. Twelve years of her life wasted and all the pain it must have plagued her with all that time. “Damn.”

3.4
The hoofsteps got louder, right behind her to where Rainbow knew very well what to expect as she turned around. Soul was right there making her way down the last steps. Watching her footing as she descended and placing those hooves right on the same floor Dash hovered over. She looked good anyways. Mane well styled along with her tail. No bedhead at all. At least Soul was comfortable enough to groom in Dash’s bathroom. How she looked up at Dash. It made Dash want to shake her head. For it betrayed how the mare must truly feel. With no sign of sadness in her eyes, just the same glistening yellow eyes burning of flames with not even a speck that may suggest she had been crying.

Does she even know that I was in her room last night?

“Good morning, …Dashie.”

“Hey” Dash spoke in as best a calm voice she could manage. “Did you sleep well?” No point in expecting the truth though her teeth grinded wanting an explanation. Something to tell her and break this pause that made Dash want to bang her head against the counter. Anything to get Soul to talk.

“I did. Thank you.”

To get her to talk about what really happened. Rainbow winced. “Did you sleep well too?” Soul asked. Asking questions like this… really a painful façade she hated to drag out over the two of them. Like nothing was wrong. Terrible. “I stayed up a little late, but I’m good.” Yet I am lying about last night too. Dash just realized her hind legs were shaking. Like begging to be put to ground. Hidden well behind her flapping wings. Soul not even noticing. No, the mare just stepped up. Giving one gentle flap of her own giant wings to take flight and perch herself up on one of the stools. Just across from Dash, planting her forehooves against the counter and watching Rainbow as she hovered.

If only I could read your eyes, what are you thinking? Why act like this around me? How to make her more comfortable around me? What can we do together? Something that wouldn’t hurt Soul or make her terrified of what Dash may do to her. What I may say to her to make her cry. If only my friends could be here. Twilight would know what to do. But to just go up to her and say ‘Hey Twi, this is my old friend Soul Serenity. A convicted murderer returned from her banishment and she’s super sad because I made all this crap happen to her. Help please.’

If only. Probably best to break them in gently. For when Soul was ready. If only it were sooner because she really needed that help now.

3.5
Rainbow’s stomach growled, kicking her in the gut and right back to seeing Soul still watching her. Waiting patiently. For something. Probably what Dash wanted right now to calm her. Maybe we can do that. Dash had an idea.

“You hungry?” Dash edged in closer, trying her best to give as wide a smile as she could. Tell me what you want. Soul did not smile back. She was blankly staring. Just for a moment. She blinked. Glancing down to where Dash followed to be to where Soul’s hooves sat upon the counter.

“I am” Soul said breaking this pause. Saying it so casually. A response like any to confirm to Dash that she could try to ask Soul if she wanted to do her idea for this morning. Something to help break up this stall. Ease Soul back into life. A life with Rainbow Dash. That life we should have had together.

“I’m out of food” Dash admitted. “But how would you want to go eat out? I know a nice restaurant…” Dash took a moment; a restaurant? Which one? Oh! “With killer pancakes.” Soul hunched her shoulders. Not even an indication she was any better. Not even a smile. How was she still able to answer? “Would you be okay eating with me? We may get in trouble… if somepony finds me out.” That kind of answer. Soul. Why do you worry so much? She is just like she was yesterday, maybe worse. She really thinks it would be too much trouble for us to just eat together. What happened to you last night?

Dash did her best to remain calm. Give no showing as to how very hurt she was but… to ease another’s pain instead. Because she needed it more. “I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want to” Dash whispered. “Come on, I’m hungry.” “But…” Soul started. Oh yeah. “Don’t you worry about being caught” Dash said. “Will you believe me when I tell you nopony will recognize you?” Not a good example. It dawned on Dash just then. I’m probably the last pony Soul would want to trust. Dead last. Soul was busy fidgeting around over there. Probably actually considering it since she had not flat out said no.

“We can meet my friends afterwards. They’re gonna love you” Dash repeated what she had assured to Soul before. Give the pony something more to look forward to such as new friends that Rainbow was certain would accept Soul in the end. All six of us, no way we’d be unable to cheer her up. They’d give Soul something to smile about and, hopefully, give me some help to figure all this crap out. Cuz I want to help her so much.

Soul looked up to her. The sweetest and most innocent eyes she could make. So much worry inside them. A film to hide it all. She had so much to worry about, too much here. We can wait until she gets more comfortable. I shouldn’t rush her. This whole new environment. I’ll let her read my books instead.

“Do they have strawberries?” Soul asked pleasantly.

3.6
“So their pancakes are where you’ll get your strawberries” Rainbow decided to let Soul know as they both flew in together over the edges of Ponyville. Skimming the sky just above the rooftops they cast their shadows upon in the morning Sun. “But don’t worry” she said fearing that Soul may be over there upset that she sort of lied about there being strawberries, only way to get them were those dumb combos. “They smother that stuff in whipped cream and give you a bunch of them.” The Pegasus took it well. Soul gave no reason for Dash to suspect she was turned off at the idea of having her favorite food served to her in such a style. Simply flying there in the corner of Dash’s eyes. Looking down and around the scenery they flew over. As if this may be Soul’s first time to see Ponyville from up here.

That could be the case.

Even as they flew past the great dome of town hall and all the surrounding gardens and gatherings where so many ponies were up bright and early, this same place they came through last night but now given greater time for Soul to remain silent and just watch it all from up here. That actually could be something we can do later. A tour of the town. This great place she had been a part of for so many years now and was able to share in all its experiences with her friends, whilst Soul only knew the dreary memory they had left of Cloudsdale and wherever it had been she was sent to all this time.

Soul must not have any idea as to how this town worked, this town she wished her old friend may become a part of. That started with her knowing what kind of food they had in store. Ponyville had so much more than what food Soul must remember from Cloudsdale. Killer pancakes to be sure that tasted much better than anywhere else, certainly the thing Dash wanted. Already able to taste it waiting for her. Really an entire menu waiting for Soul with food to die for. I bet she’ll love it all, or maybe she’ll try her hoof at something different like the grilled veggie omelet or lemon muffin surprise.

Rainbow led that pony on, keeping up with one another in neat synched flaps of their wings that Dash did notice. Soul wasn’t even looking. Eyes fixed to something off to their rights and she looked back over to where Dash flew with her. She flies so perfectly. Like… her wings are the wind. How is she able to fly exactly like I do… not even looking? Rainbow could not take her eyes off the pony. Just like how Soul could not take her eyes off the town.

3.7
She was so fascinated with it all. Looked like it. The way Soul just stared out all along the horizon and across the rooftops. Down upon the ponies below. Everywhere they flew, that pony looked just like some sort of foal in a candy shop. Past the center, over the markets and now into the suburbs with so many beautiful houses of her fellow inhabitants all brought together in the wide and vibrant roads. All of it a good look being given to Soul. Dash would hope she could feel more at home seeing just how inviting the town was.

Soul even got to see something else too. Flying up here, as all pegasi did, three other Pegasus ponies all together. Flying just like the two of them and… Dash smiled when she saw one of them wave over to the two of them as they passed. A move that Dash gave back to them. Because such a friendly gesture proved to her that even those pegasi did not recognize the pony who flew with her. Nope, they were being so nice to her. Something that prompted no worry from her flying companion.

Hope she sees how great this town will be to her.

Soul looked like… she didn’t care. Flying on without a worry or care over what just happened. Only that her legs were kept close to her stomach. “Thanks for letting me come” Soul said. Speaking even faster than Dash had her chance to respond. Even cutting her off. “I’ve never been to a restaurant before.” That was more than enough to stump Dash. Because it was not something she expected to hear from Soul.

She has never been to one? Not even as a kid? But we… oh… that was right. They always ate together for lunch at camp, they never did take the chance to just go out together to a restaurant. Still though, it just sounded weird for any pony to have done something so simple. Hell, I go to one every week. Always doing it when she was a filly too. Well, if I had just known, I would have taken her somewhere fancier. Not the place that she could see ahead in the mix of houses. Right with a huge patch of grass completely lit by the rising Sun. Close for her to slow down and come to a dead stop alongside Soul.

“Is something wrong?” Soul asked. No, just… Dash thought about what it was to say. That she now had no idea on if this was the best decision or if they could spend some more time flying around to find a better restaurant… in Canterlot. Quite a fly on an empty stomach. A discomfort for her companion and… even worse, that’d be so close to the princess. Maybe it would be better to go somewhere simple like her original plan. “No, I’m… just surprised you’ve never been to one” Dash half lied.

3.8
“Nope” Soul shook her head. “What are they like?” They? As in all restaurants? How the hell does she want me to answer that? Well besides the obvious answers that she was certain Soul would know. Or maybe I can just tell her about the place… the place she stared back over to in the distance that she was reconsidering taking Soul to again. They did have good pancakes that made her mouth water.

“We’ll just be eating around a bunch of other ponies and have ponies serve us food, that’s really it” Dash explained. Though she just realized the gravity of what she just said carried and made her have to stare over at Soul again. Surprised. The Pegasus was not afraid. No, Soul just hung there in a gentle hover raising her eyebrow in intrigue. “Like a big crowd?” “No, no, no” Dash shook her head. “Probably a few ponies at least.” This wasn’t a Canterlot bistro or anything. Just a simple restaurant, one of many in Ponyville. So quaint that it was a cute place. Just to give a sense at how peaceful Ponyville was. In fact, she had a better idea to give this world a good impression on the pony who had been removed from it.

“We’re gonna eat outside” Dash said. Quick to chime in before Soul could be confused. “They have a bunch of tables outside with soft chairs and even umbrellas. It’ll be a pretty awesome way to eat, and the ponies will come outside just to serve us. Serve… us, girl!” Then Soul did do something Dash did not anticipate her doing. She actually looked off to… to the very thing Dash had been taking looks at too, right over to where the restaurant stood way over there amidst the houses and parks. She must have spotted it, for it was the only place with a bunch of umbrellas over there.

“Umm…” she moaned looking at it. “Come on, doesn’t it look good?” Dash flew in a little closer to Soul. Pressing her attention back and away from the restaurant. Away from her doubt. “Just you and I with some good food, I bet it’ll be pretty quiet since we’ll eat outside. Don’t you wanna try it?”

Please don’t run off. I really have no other idea right now how to help you be more comfortable here. For this beautiful day and the cool breeze blowing through their manes to ease her worries just a bit while they ate such good food. You know what, I’ll buy… no matter what she gets. Don’t complain at all since this is Soul’s day. Not even give her a chance to say no. Dash refused to. For if she let this worry over both of their safety keep going, then Soul will never feel any more comforted. Rainbow flapped her wings.

One quick look over her shoulder and there was Soul. Flying in after her right on her hooves. Proof enough that her old friend did indeed not run at all.

3.9
Both pegasi joined one another. Right as Rainbow did land next to one of the open tables she spotted, Soul also landed across from her. Standing almost proudly, she may say, with her great wings flushed out and presented for a brief moment before they folded right up. Maybe proud, though Dash saw she was still a little nervous. The way her eyes looked around them. Hesitating to even notice where it was they had landed until later when she was taken by the bright and vibrant red umbrella propped up over the table they had chosen. Dash also took a moment to look around. Just to be sure.

Yes! It’s just like it always is. Lots of umbrella covered tables sprawled around the outer wooden walls of the wide restaurant. Empty tables. Making her sigh in relief inside. Just a few ponies here and there enjoying their breakfasts. Much too engrossed in their own conversations to even notice the two new arrivals. One unicorn even kept to his book in the corner of the grassy scenery. Just a single pair of eyes noticed them. One of the server stallions in his formal black uniform taking a glance from where he stood by the doorway into the building. Just a glance before he went off on his business over to where the menus must be. Really the only company here. With just townsponies going on their own ways on the streets outside their little abode here. Really all plenty comfortable for the two pegasi to enjoy a meal together.

“I guess it’s not that crowded” Soul commented. Even easing her frown a little watching the other ponies that joined them in this restaurant and how none of them did anything to scare her.

Yes! I actually did this right. Success!

“Take a seat” Dash said. Doing the same herself. Choosing one of the few raised seats sat around their table for her to plop herself atop their soft, red cushions and lean back against the cushions like they were her pillows. This place always was so nice. Such lovely chairs. A thing Soul got to enjoy too. Almost following Dash’s lead and bringing herself onto the chair just opposite where Dash sat. Soul lay back against the chair… actually smiling a little. So happy with it, and she even sighed so softly.

3.10
Soul couldn’t take her eyes off the table they sat at. Even running her hooves along the cushions. “We’re really gonna be given food like this?” Soul asked. Dash did want to answer, leaning forward to but…

“Welcome, ladies. I’ll be your server today” Right as the black coated stallion stood tall over their table presenting the menu right down to Dash and another to where Soul was busy being dumbstruck as to how this stallion was over there, so close to Soul. That’s right… he’s right in your face and not even caring, Soul.

The magenta Pegasus was speechless. Staring up to the stallion and then back for Dash to meet her eyes. Like she were silently begging a question. Rainbow grinned. Hunching her closest shoulder over to the server just as her way of answering Soul’s previous question. “Would you ladies like a drink to start you off” the stallion said, bringing up a paper right to the pencil he held in his mouth. That was easy. “Orange juice, please” Dash said. Leaning back again. And what do you want, Soul?

Soul cocked her head. Glancing right on over to the stallion as he wrote down the order. She was quick to learn. Making it a bit funny for Dash when she saw how Soul scrambled over to grab her menu and flip through it. She probably didn’t know what to order for a drink. Ha, well all these restaurants have something different. Not even knowing what it was to order, or whatever flavors could be given to her.

I know. Better help her out. The server was already staring at Soul. They did have something Soul may like. Rainbow waved a hoof over to her.

“Hey Soul” she said and caught the pony’s attention. “You should try the strawberry lemonade.” And Soul’s eyes widened. That’s right, Soul. They have your favorite flavor.

I wonder if she ever got to have stuff like this the whole time she was gone. If this may be her first chance in a long time to taste it again. Something she’ll find out soon.

“Can I…” Soul said, failing to connect eyes with the server. “Have a strawberry lemonade?” Answered right there when the server wrote it down and turned. “I’ll be right back with them.” Leaving to return both pegasi to being alone together. Rainbow watched the server walk off. Just to be sure. He didn’t look back at them, no pony made a look. None of them suspected a thing and only treated Soul like a lady.

Can I be proud this is going off without a hitch yet? Haha, no need to worry at all, Soul.

3.11
Soul was over there looking across her menu. Flipping pages every now and then and scanning over whatever it was she saw on it. Just a fascinating sight really. The way her eyes were glowing and completely enthralled on whatever was on the pages. Not even noticing that Dash was watching her. Silent. Determined. Soul was gripped in looking over the pages and… she licked her lips. Clenching her mouth well enough. Biting down on her lower lip that begged the idea that Soul must be trying to hold in how much she wanted to drool over the food she saw. In love with it all. …Was it true? I really do wonder.

Maybe this is the first time she gets to eat food from home again.

She’s even acting like this. Fidgeting in her seat. If so… what was it like? Really. What was it like to be apart from all this? Soul must have missed her favorite meals. Wherever she was all these years, must have been terrible. Banishment, I know it isn’t pretty. No banishment was ever easy no matter the pony. I remember what Princess Luna told me… a chill went down her spine. Man, would it even be appropriate to ask her? Maybe, if I word it right. Because I can’t get this out of my head.

She leaned forward. Placing her forelegs atop the table in a move that brought Soul up from her menu. How to start this off? In how difficult a subject it was. “I’d like to talk” Dash said. Her request hit home. Soul lowered her menu. “About what?” she asked.

There really is no easy way to ask this. All this curiosity to know how life had been for Soul without the world they both belonged in together. How much did this mean to Soul? “What…” Dash paused to think it over. Really punishing herself for not being able to think of something that may not sound like she was being an insensitive jerk. Praying that Soul would not hate her any more for bringing this up in as best a way she could come up with. Just one hesitation to continue it.

“Were you able to eat well all this time?”

3.12
“You mean while I was banished?” Soul whispered.

Soul’s menu fell onto the table, slipping between her hooves. Putting it as blunt as Dash would have were she not being considerate, but she did not change. Surprising as to how Soul did not even get angry at it. No, instead she glanced down to the table. Watching it. Thinking, it looked like. Or remembering. Remembering how terrible it must have been? I regret asking her. It is something I do want to know, but… is it too much for her to think about? Back wherever she had been, and I wasn’t there for her.

No, I abandoned her.

She’s gonna be mad at me. Like a pinch to her ears, anticipating the pain she knew she had caused to Soul being told to her right now. But something clanged.

Dash blinked to see both her and Soul were brought to attention in seeing a pair of glasses set down in front of them. Placed there by the newly arrived server. His hooves pushing one glass filled to the brim with orange over to where Dash sat, and Soul able to see exactly what it was she ordered. To see the pink colored drink placed right over to her with a straw pointing to her and… even a lemon was garnished over it. That was Pegasus astounded to see this. Not able to take her eyes off it. Just that look of complete admiration that kind of told Dash something more about what it was that Soul went through.

“Here you are, ladies” he said to both of them. Not getting any response out of Soul, no way that would happen. Soul was gone now, staring at her drink. “Thanks” Dash said instead. Thanks for interrupting us. Whatever, just doing his job. Giving them half the reason for them even coming here. “Have you decided what you’d like to eat?” he asked with his paper ready again for even more orders from the pegasi.

3.13
Dash pushed her menu away, already knowing this whole time what she wanted and eager to let him know. Anything to keep the suspense to a minimum. “I’ll have some pancakes, strawberries and cream… the usual, please.” So it was made as he wrote it right down. Eagerly awaiting an answer from Soul as well. The Pegasus did not even look nervous anymore. Didn’t even take any more note of her menu, even glancing up to the server. “Can I have what she’s having?” pointing back to Dash.

So she wants it too. Awesome! Knew she would want it. Soul even looked super excited. The server probably missed it, but Dash didn’t. Seeing how Soul’s tail wagged a little along the side of the chair. Oh man, they better not mess this up. They better make it the way they normally do. If they do, Soul is in for something special. MY gift for her.

“I’ll be right out with them” and the server left. Make it quick. Soul is gonna love this food. I can’t wait to see how much she’ll absolutely fall in love with this food. I want it to mean a lot to her. Something to help make this day great for her.

“I didn’t eat well” Soul said. Silencing any thoughts Dash had.

3.14
I think it’s okay to tell her about it all. Not just the food. Soul thought about it. Really does sound like I should let Dashie know what it is I went through. My punishment. What it was I had to go through for my wrong decisions. Just some of it. No need for Blight to come in and beg her not to talk about meeting her. Though Rainbow deserves to know what some of my life has been like. Especially since she took me out here just to eat… eat the food I missed. The idea of just being able to bite down into a pile of pancakes again alongside the strawberries and cream atop it. Like being home again. To see that in front of her again.

Are pancakes brown or tan? I don’t remember.

To think I get to see them again soon… really soon. All because of Dash. And this lemonade. The straw begged for Soul to help herself to the cool looking juice within. Why not tell Dash the answer to her question? As some little bit of payment for this treat. She’s probably dying to know where I’ve been this whole time as well. But would it make Dash feel bad? Maybe not. Soul did not want her to pity her. Still, Blight said nothing. Really quiet up there for a while now. Nothing to tell her that her best friend thought this may be a bad idea. Though… how to explain it? She felt bad over the idea of having to do this but… Make it feel a little better. Need something to make it through this, and… I’m pretty damn thirsty. Let’s taste this.

Soul pulled herself right up to the straw and grabbed hold. Finally something other than melted snow. Rainbow was even being patient about this. Sitting over there not even moving. No signs she was annoyed at having to wait. Sorry, but I can’t wait any longer. Soul gulped down one large sip, striking her like an anvil. So much so that it made her reel back. Falling back in her seat amazed at how it turned out. That is so sour. …Exactly like… I always loved it. It’s all coming back. This was lemonade. She happily let the taste just sink in and send her off to something just so heavenly. It made her want to just lay back and relax. Love it. It tastes so good.

This is something I can get back into. Stuff like this, how I missed it. But still… she looked down at her glass. I only get this much? I want a ton of these. Chug all of it down. This glass would have to last.

3.15
This lemonade... Soul did as she wanted to, laying back in the soft cushions tickling her back in such lovely sensations. Looking over to the glass and then past it to the pony who gave it to her, out of kindness or obligation? Soul sighed at what it may be. It was much appreciated. “Thank you for this” Soul nodded to the glass. “It’s great to drink something nice for a change.” Much too nice. I really can’t think of anyway to thank her for it. Awful of me, after she gave me such a treat. Do more. Say more. What?

“Something nice?” Dash said.

Rainbow Dash frowned. Glancing at the same glass Soul had taken a drink from. Yes, you’re right.

“Thank you, Dashie” Soul whispered. Really wanting to drive it home to the best of her ability. “It’s been twelve years since I had something like this.”

“Soul…” Rainbow leaned in. No longer enjoying the comfort of her chair, it actually surprised Soul as to how fast the Pegasus shot herself up. Nearly making the table shake when her hooves set down on it. “What are you saying?”

She really wants to know. It was in her magenta eyes. Staring right at her, like they were going right through her even. Not even blinking. Everything about how she looked, it made Soul silent. Regretting this now. Because of the chance that this was wrong. To beg Dash for pity, practically. That’s what this is.

Rainbow is the last pony who needs to know about what I went through. She doesn’t need to know, no. Just go on with your life and not worry about my problems. What she told me yesterday and… all the pain from before… Soul looked off.

Really, why do I get like this? Rainbow Dash wants to know. I should tell her. I have to. It’d be wrong to hold any of this in as a secret. Also… she had to secretly admit it. Maybe Blight will hear it too, but so what? As long as no other pony did, Soul wanted to be pitied. Just a little. I’m so selfish.

3.16
“I didn’t have anything good to eat… or drink. Nothing like all this.” Except for what Blight gave me but probably best to keep that a secret. Not that Dash would understand or even Blight would want her to inform everypony about that certain fact of her time in that arctic wasteland. All that time… without food. It was… something. So much so that Soul had to look down upon herself. I have to lie about it. But just do it to protect Blight. Don’t want Dash to feel bad. Already, because Dash was already slouching. Her big wings falling to the sides of her chair. It really does look like she was upset over it. Whatever thoughts may be running through Dash’s head. Probably… downplaying it. It sounded like something she would do… Soul widened her eyes. Damn. Just to see that again in front of her. Not at all.

Because she looked it. She looked so sad.

To not drink well. Best to tell her exactly why. Get it over with, so she may know. Soul sighed. “I only got to drink snow.” “Why… snow?” Dash asked. “Are you…” That’s right Dash. It is what you think. Though… probably didn’t sound as bad, huh? Being sent to the Moon or cursed to know how much you are hated by your best friend. Exactly what we had to go through. What Soul had was still… it still made her eyes heavy. Feeling like they may just let go right now.

“I’m saying that…” she had to look away from Dash. “I was banished to a place where all I had was some sort of endless winter.” Because how else can I describe that damn place? That place I never want to go to again. That despicable and harsh world she knew not where it was, and its only single gift to her being Soulblight. Like a real apology she got from the arctic after all the cruel things it had done to her. I can’t forgive it. I never want to go back there again. Blight and I, we never need to see it again. Just leave it as the painful memory it was. As much a reminder as what was in front of her. Staring back over to see how the scene played out in front of her just like that icy world, in the shape of these ice cubes that floated about. She watched them circle and gleam in her lemonade. As if really trying to remind her of it. Like they tainted the image of that drink she had not been able to have in years. The past and present. Both here. They made her want to cry.

“It was always so cold. With blizzards that almost made me freeze” Soul explained how she remembered it. A clear feeling left behind on her to burn her skin. Incredible. That burn, it’s like it really is there. Gone but she still felt it. Pain running all along her forelegs. It stung. Staring down at them and surprised to find nothing. “And there was nothing. Just a little house to keep me from freezing at night. That’s where I was most of the time I was gone” Soul looked over to Dash.

3.17
Rainbow? Her ears drooped so low, just like her wings. Her forelegs sitting right up on the table. Slashing along it in such slow and subtle strokes. Grinding quietly in her ears as her entire forelegs shook. This must be painful for her to hear. It must be something to hear what I had to go through. I never came here to complain about it… or remember it all, but Dash asked me. She suffered just like I did. She knows what it is like. So sure. Why not? I’ll keep going.

“I had nothing to do. Only able to sit around and wait for the storms to die down inside my cold house” Soul said with the best she could explain what she went through for most of the time. “Just going outside to train when I could and drink the snow. I had no lemonade, just dirty snow that I walked on. It was either that or…” Now was the time to lie. One thing I can use to hide what Blight did to save my life.

I saw them in the cave… the last time I saw Spots. Really… was it all just awful memories now? Just an inexorable flood of her sad and pathetic life to a pony who couldn’t care.

“I’d go out to eat bunches of roots I’d found in caves.” It didn’t take a genius to imagine it. “They were terrible. But it’s all I had. Plants and snow water.” It may as well have been all the truth because it sure did feel like all that misery was what she went through. Maybe worse. No, it was worse. Just to think about having to eat roots, like a damn fool. Why would that not be better than eating nothing at all? Just having to miss all the delicious food she was used to. Now here she was, about to get some real food. Pancakes. After so long. Hell…

She placed a hoof to her cheek. I’m crying. Right on the edge of her eye, it felt awful to have to cry. I shouldn’t. Rainbow Dash isn’t. She was still a strong pony. She really wasn’t affected by this at all. Just like… “I ate like a wild animal. I hated it. All the nights… I spent with an empty stomach.” None of that happened, so why am I crying over it? There was still just too much pain. Not even any shoulder for her to lean on, cry in. Hide from the world. Hide me from it. I want to… Blight, I want you to hold me. You are the only pony I can ever rely on. Because you care for me.

To be protected under those large, black wings. Covering her from gazing eyes. Watching as she almost cried. Almost. In front of the very pony she knew as much as she did that “I did deserve it…” all.

I can’t believe I said that. It really was not meant to be. I can’t stop myself. Not in front of her. Breaking down in front of her. Rainbow Dash would hit me. Hate me. Damn it. All of it really like… it is the same. It’s almost like I never even…

“I’m sorry” Soul got up from her chair. I can’t let her see me. I have to lie again. For our old friendship. For as long as I can hide this. “I have to use the bathroom.”

3.18
There was no real word to describe it. As much as Dash wanted to think of some way. This was not anything that a pony could be prepared to hear. To hear from the very pony who ran off. Going in a gallop off to where nopony was. Wherever it was, Dash didn’t know. Disappearing behind the corner of the building and leaving just the bushes wafting in her wake.

I know what it is. There is no bathroom. Soul was going to go cry. And here I am… sitting here.

Dash placed her head right between her hooves. Not even caring that she struck the table hard with her chin. It actually was incredible. But what to expect from banishment? And Soul got it… for no reason. Such a sweet and kind pony could never have deserved that. She never deserved any of that pain.

Twelve years? Twelve! Of nothing but suffering in the cold. She was alone for all this time with just snow and just struggling to stay warm. She must have. We just ordered pancakes together. Just for us to have something nice. And it’s her first pancakes in twelve years. Her first food.

Just listening to that story, what if… could I do the same? Could I even do it? Could I even bring myself to eat filthy roots let alone having to shiver in the cold all by myself? I got to enjoy life all this time. Warm houses and great food. Great friends. Willing to even forget everything that happened. I almost did forget. Forget the pony who suffered from all this. There was one word that came to mind.

Horrible. I am horrible.

If I had just been there… never left her behind. Soul, …I really did do this to you.

“Soul…” She looked over to where she had seen her old friend run off to. Hiding somewhere. That mare… she would never have done this back when we were kids. She would have cried on my shoulder. I would be there for her and she would want me. It would help Soul so much. But she just ran off. Probably not wanting to come back.

I don’t blame her.

3.19
She became this way because of me. I ruined her. When I should have been her friend. That punched Dash right in the gut. Because one thought did come to mind. To think so about herself, to hope that she did it like this.

Am I a burden on her?

Is it too painful to be around me? Remembering what I did to her? That caused all this. Damn, I hope she does come back. If not for me, then for the pancakes and whatever food I’ll get her. That was it. We’re gonna go to the market after this. I’ll get you a load of foods that I bet you missed. Right after we get done here… if we get done here. If not, then… so be it. At this point Dash would not make a second thought if she would leave this place alone. Alone and having to know all this that she did. Leaving to the skies and off to wherever.

I’ll have to hide this from my friends. I don’t… want them to know how much this hurt me. How afraid I am. I’m… afraid that Soul hates me.

Maybe, …it would have been best if we had never been friends.

I don’t want us to hurt. It sucked. It really did. So why so tantalizing to just ask Soul if they could part? Just let one another go on their own way without having to worry about the other being there. For Dash to cause more damage. I’d be fine with it. With any friend of mine who would want to leave because I hurt them. Good thing Soul isn’t here now, or anypony else. I don’t want them to see this.

Rainbow wiped a tear away.

She fell quiet. Just listen to the birds and the happy ponies around. They had no care. They had so much to be happy for. I want to be happy too. I don’t want Soul to hate me. I don’t want her to leave. There has to be something I can do. Something real. Twelve years of this, what can I do? What can I do to show her I am there for her? She wondered. Even more than before. Now it was serious. Because she never imagined things to have gotten this bad. Never even thought she’d learn something so terrible when she woke up today. So very terrible and not able to leave her mind.

…And I almost didn’t notice him there.

Dash lifted her head up and cleared the table for the server pony. Big open spots for both her and Soul.

“Here you are, please enjoy.”

Dash waved him off with a nod. Really fixated more on the food than anything else. This food she had enjoyed so much while Soul could only dream of it. Please, may it be good for her. These stacks of fluffy pancakes drenched in syrup all along their sides and the most beautiful of sweets that existed for her right now. All the cream and so many strawberries set atop. Glowing like the Sun in their magnificence. That was Soul’s plate. She didn’t care about her own.

I never wanted any of this to happen to you, Soul Serenity. I want to be your friend again, your greatest friend. None of this, it’s not enough.

3.20
But all that can be done is to just wait. Wait for Soul to come back and enjoy her food. Enjoy it so much, much more than Dash may ever hope. It felt so weird now. Staring at her plate. At how the warm, soft pancakes with all their whipped cream slowly melting all along them. Dash leaned in. Wrapping her lips around the edge of the stack and, feeling confident her teeth gripped them, pulled it apart. Instantly relearning the taste of this yet again. Practically falling for it by losing herself in pure euphoria with just how delicious it tasted to have the warm cakes fighting with the cool chill of sweet whipped cream. Then that little tart of the strawberries. So weird.

Why do I care? This is like the thousandth time I’ve had these.

It really was nothing special anymore. Not as special as when Soul got to eat it. But… hard to resist. Dash was still satisfied. Still sort of happy she ordered this anyways no matter how bad it made her feel. At least Soul will be able to eat all this. All those strawberries Dash saw topped on Soul’s pancakes. Looking like she got even more than Dash got. How will she be when she takes the first bite? Like how she was when she drank from her still cool lemonade sitting with water dripping down its sides. A refreshing thing to come back to from her crying, and just one thing to give Dash a sense that all this was not as bad as…

“Dashie!”

Dash fell back right as those blue eyes zipped in front of her. It almost looked like they would have ran right into her own face, startling her something fierce… just like normal. When she saw who it was. Who it was that was hanging with crossed legs around the pole of the umbrella and staring at her… upside down.

“Pinkie!?”

“I’m so glad I found you” Pinkie Pie shrieked, rushing at Dash faster than she expected with those pink hooves of her reaching out to pull Dash right back to where she had been. Found me? Geez, not now, this isn’t really a good time. This better not be something serious. Hard to tell with how she could not even budge from Pinkie’s grip on her cheeks and the pony’s frantic gazes all about before she looked back to Dash. “You gotta help me.”

Of course, now of all times.

Just give me an hour and I’ll help. I got enough to worry about… and my cheeks hurt now.

“Can you let go, Pinkie?” Really starting to feel the discomfort by just talking and seeing in the corner of her eyes that her cheeks were being scrunched up in Pinkie’s hooves. More annoying than anything. Thankfully, she let right go. Much better.

3.21
Except… Dash jumped seeing how the pink pony fell right down… on the table. Just a smidge away from landing right on her pancakes. Even making them jump as well from the impact. Falling perfectly back into place next to Pinkie. “Sorry” she said in as goofy a way Dash could conceive her to do right now. Upside down and mane spread across the table with her legs hanging in the air, somehow able to make a smile after all this. I wish I could be happy like her right now.

“Oh, good morning by the way” Pinkie said waving a forehoof in the air. “But no time for that! I really need your help.” Prompting Pinkie to right herself back up with a quick flip along the table and plummeting on all fours down to the ground. She seems a bit more excited than normal. Maybe… this is important. Please no. Not when Soul needs my help too. Actually, Soul needed it more. No doubt about it. So, whatever it is, Pinkie will need to wait.

“I’m kind of eating right now, so could you give me a moment?”

“Okay!” Pinkie said flatly. Too flatly. Actually… surprising. So this… wasn’t that important? Sheesh, too much to deal with this morning.

Pinkie just went about grabbing one of the free chairs next to Dash and helping herself to the table. Hooves placed casually on it. Her blue eyes glancing all about at Dash’s food and drink, a move Dash caught that Pinkie also stared over at that other thing on the table. Seeing the plate of pancakes all by itself with nopony to tend to it at the other end. She said nothing though. Just going back to waiting exactly as Dash asked.

She must be wondering why I have another plate here.

So we’re just going to wait here while I eat? Dash sipped from her orange juice. Glancing back over to where she saw Soul run off to. Still no sign of her. She wouldn’t leave, no. It wouldn’t be like her at all… I hope. Soul wouldn’t just leave. Not with food here and me as well. All the things I want to do with her to help. And Pinkie is also here.

Pinkie?

Oh wait. Dash widened her eyes. These two are gonna meet now?! That was not good at all. After being reminded so well as to all the suffering she had to go through for so many years and crying over it, still seeing that one little tear forming in the pony’s yellow eyes. So much unhappiness… still such a shy pony at that. Scared. Terrified. We’re meeting this early? Damn it, I need to get her to leave. Give me some time to warm Soul up. But, oh, Pinkie is such a good friend.

Maybe she can help. I need all the help I can get. Besides, Pinkie needs my help with something.

3.22
“What is it you needed?” Dash asked. With that, Pinkie’s smile turned right into a frown. Pulling herself right onto the table and closer to Dash as if she were threatening to just jump up and hug her. She actually held back with how terrible she sounded. Pitiful was the better description.

“Dashie, it’s really bad. You won’t believe what I’ve heard.”

Okay, I’ll listen. Dash pulled herself in closer. Has to be serious. A serious pain in my ass. How can I explain this to Soul? I might need to go help Pinkie. Or having to drag Soul along on an errand that was not planned at all for today. For as little of a plan that Dash had. Still though, this would not be her idea of a fun day to introduce a new pony to Ponyville.

“Look” Pinkie leaned in closer. Really concerned in her eyes, eyes she shielded with a cup of her hoof. Hiding herself from… whoever. “You didn’t hear this from me but… sources are telling me there’s a new mare in town.”

Wait. What?

“Even worse, I don’t know who this mare is!” Pinkie reeled right back. No longer caring to cover herself and just went about with a voice that really did let Dash know just how much she was astonished as to how her friend was reacting to this, and bringing this ‘crisis’. Because Pinkie sure was bringing it out as one. “And if I don’t know who they are, how can I possibly make friends with them!? I need you to help me find them.”

Make friends… that is… Dash shook her head. Oh thank Celestia it isn’t important. Even more so, it gave her one hell of an idea. So Pinkie wants to make friend with Soul, our ‘new pony’. Pinkie Pie, no better pony out here to make friends with and Soul would be totally safe with her. Pinkie is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to worry about, and Soul needs no more worrying. But if these two were to meet just to become friends… Pinkie Pie, you’re a lifesaver.

If Pinkie just wanted to be friends, maybe that’d be enough to break through this shell that Soul had all because of Dash. Maybe she’d be willing to make friends. Friends in Ponyville. There is no better thing to love this town for. Pinkie isn’t the first pony I wanted to introduce Soul to… actually AJ sounded better. But… whatever. It’s a good idea.

“A new pony, huh? Well…” Dash said. Looking off to give this one last thought. I think Soul will like her. It… it couldn’t hurt to try. “Can you help me find her?” Pinkie pressed once more. Alright… I’ll tell her. She is my good friend after all.

“She’s actually here… with me.” Dash pointed to the free plate across from her. “That’s her food.” Pinkie blinked. Quiet for much too long. Longer than Dash cared for when such news may be delivered to anypony.

3.23
“She’s here!” Pinkie screamed.

Dash had to look. All around. Feeling much too embarrassed now that she knew that the few other ponies here were staring over at them. Soul still not here, not here to see Pinkie yell as loud as she did. That would have certainly frightened her. “I need to go get my stuff” Pinkie said. Jumping right up on the chair. Almost looking like she was ready to leap with joy off from the red padding and off to wherever to get… supplies? No, stop!

“Wait, Pinkie.” And both ponies locked eyes again. “Can you hold off on the welcome wagon? She’s a really shy pony, okay?” “She’s shy, huh?” Pinkie held her place, sitting right back down in her chair. Even more calm now that that ice had been broken. But there was still something in her eyes that Dash saw. A glimmer of excitement. I can only hope Soul will feel the same. Pinkie is all I got to go on now. Pinkie who… who pulled a notepad out from behind her back… and a pen in her mouth.

Dash shrugged her shoulders.

“Alright” Pinkie said, flipping the pad open. “Tell me all about her. Her height, weight, waist and hip sizes, favorite food, mane style, favorite sleeping position, favorite…”

“Pinkie!” Stop it with that. Seriously, maybe she’s not a good idea after all. Soul was not like any normal pony. Besides, …Pinkie doesn’t need to know all that. Really? Like I know her waist size… that’s not the point! That would all freak Soul out. A point she drove home with her pleading she gave to Pinkie. Her dear friend threw the pad and pen aside.

“Just kidding. Seriously, though. Tell me a little about her.”

What to tell that wouldn’t upset Soul? Dash thought. “Well…” She looked over to make sure Soul was not around. “She’s an old friend who just arrived in Ponyville. Just know that she’s extremely shy and has a hard time talking to others, okay?” Pinkie nodded with sealed eyes. Just her face really gave no indication that she did understand what was said, despite her response. “Shy and antisocial, got it.” Antisocial. Dash went back to eating her pancakes, kind of begrudged at her over hearing it described like that. No… she was always just a nervous wreck. Used to be. Really though, it is worse than that now. Beyond anything she could care to describe.

“But what is her name?” Pinkie asked. That almost made Dash choke on her bite of food. Hard to hold in the cough she felt coming, but… it went away. But not what she heard. What she knew she had to answer… somehow.

3.24
We didn’t plan this at all. Always just thinking it’d be best for Soul to let the others know her name. Whatever name she wanted to go by. Not even sure if Soul wanted to go by Soul with them or just lie. She wouldn’t put it past her. Soul seemed devoted to keeping herself a secret with how painful they both knew it’d be if everypony just suddenly knew her full name. Would just ‘Soul’ be good enough as an answer? Do I really have to answer this?

“You actually don’t know her name?” Dash had to make sure.

“All I know is she’s a Pegasus who is well endowed… in the wing department. C’mon, tell me her name.” Pinkie leaned in closer. Just a hoof reach away from Dash’s nose. She really wants to know. Pinkie will understand.

“Don’t you think it’d be best if she told you her name? I mean, it’s only polite for you both to introduce yourselves.”

“You’re right!” Pinkie yelled. That came quick. Dash thought she may have put a little more thought into it or would ask her over and over for a name without pause. Thank Celestia. “How silly of me, it would be rude to not give her the chance” Pinkie went on with no stop to how rapid she spoke. Indeed, it seemed to be getting faster. “And as Ponyville’s number one friend, I have to give her to biggest greeting ever. …Oh, how exciting! My greetings just keep getting bigger and bigger so there will probably be a bigger one for the next new pony and then that one will be the biggest greeting ever. But this new pony will still love the one she gets. Cannons, cakes, balloons, fireworks…”

Okay, that was enough. Dash stopped her right there. “Hang on!” Just listening to all that was enough to know just what it would do to Soul… especially out here around all these ponies. Dash looked left and right at the crowds gathered about the surrounding streets and buildings. A welcome party… a traditional Pinkie Pie welcome party, that was a bit much.

“I said she is very shy… so please, take this with some care. Alright?” Rainbow pleaded to the ever-attentive Pinkie. “Just be a little serious and…”

A party! That’s it.

How did I not think of that? Pinkie Pie, willing to be Soul’s friend already and wanting to welcome her to Ponyville. That’s perfect. A party, that can be the perfect way to welcome Soul to the town, show her she can make friends here. She has nothing to worry about. Just a nice little thing to let her know just how great a time she will have here. Pinkie, you’re a lifesaver.

Dash leaned in closer, bringing her foreleg up and wrapping it right around Pinkie’s neck. Close enough for her to hear a whisper. Making certain nopony was around to hear it, like a certain Pegasus. The coast was clear. “We can have a party for her later, alright? Nothing big. Please. How about just you, me and the others having a private party for her?” “Oooh” Pinkie moaned. “A private party. Alright, you got it. Oh! And we can do it at the castle. Plenty of room and super convenient” she giggled. “I amaze even myself.” Dash nodded. That’ll work just fine.

Finally! A plan!

And I know just where to find the others at today. A good time to let them know. “I’ll tell the others” Rainbow said. “You just set it up… after you get a chance to meet her that is.” Pinkie took the hint. Nodding affirmatively as Dash let her go. Enough room to salute. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be real formal, don’t you worry.” And she clapped her hooves together. “Super serious time.”

3.25
Great, so that was settled. She could only take Pinkie at her word. But first, they needed Soul. Seeing the pony still had not come back yet. Maybe she had gotten lost on her way back. Just another excuse Rainbow came up with in the fear that Soul may have actually ran off. Building a wall to hide off that possibility. She needed to know now. Before the food gets cold.

“Look” she said to Pinkie. “She went off to the bathroom and doesn’t know her way around.” She got up off her chair. Looking back off to where she had seen Soul run off to, past the corner to the restaurant. Hiding somewhere over there or beyond. Hopefully close. “I’m gonna go check on her. Can you watch our food?” Dash turned around just in time to see the answer as Pinkie did nothing more than throw herself atop the table on all fours and… stared down at her plate and then over to the other one. “Got it!”

Sheesh, as long as she doesn’t eat them, then that’s alright. “I’ll be right back” Dash said and went off on her way. Off to where she saw her old friend disappear to, checking back over her shoulder just to be sure.

Pinkie wasn’t following. Good. Because I don’t need her for this, and Soul needs some time. Just ease that pony in right now. That was the best she could come up with to help this near hopeless situation. If, and that was a big if, Soul was still here then best to ready her for this. Because, in the back of Rainbow’s mind, she doubted Pinkie would be able to be serious over this and treat it as she did any other time she welcomed a pony to the town; just like she did with me. Now that would be frightening for Soul.

She stepped her way past the other empty tables and chairs, she let a pair of mares walk by between her and where she hoped to keep going to find Soul. She sighed. This really was turning out to be quite a day despite only just starting. Certainly different. Not at all normal. I just wish days can be normal again… for both of us. Soul deserves it.

She watched after the two mares who walked off. So happy and not at all troubled right now. Really, is it too hard to see Soul like that? So happy and carefree again… like when we were friends. Back then when… when she was good around other ponies. At least feel comfortable around them. But all this time… she changed. Dash felt looked down upon her hooves. Not at all happy to know of the pony they belonged to, the pony who changed Soul. I hope she isn’t mad to see me coming to check on her. Pinkie, I really hope you can help… and please be careful with her.

3.26
She stepped forward, passing their server on the way, who gave her a quick nod and a smile. She smiled back and slipped past. Turning back as she rounded the corner to be sure nopony was following and that the server wasn’t curious over where she was going. Nope, he just went on his way not even giving a second look.

Dash turned around… just in time to skid to a halt when she found the yellow eyes right in front of her.

Soul stopped right in front of her. Just short of bumping noses together. She’s here. Oh awesome! This alone cheered Dash up just a bit, even feeling the need to smile. Soul wouldn’t leave. Not even looking sad, just surprised at seeing Dash right here, but Dash’s heart did skip a beat. She felt it pain. Glancing over to notice the weird way a bit of that magenta fur looked around the corner of one of Soul’s eyes. It was damp. Damn it.

Dash looked away from it. Just look away from that. Can’t believe I let her cry so much. It must really hurt to remember everything. Just ignore it for now. Forget the pain… even for just a bit. I have something to be happy about. “Soul, I’m glad I found you.” And Soul slinked back a little. Every move of hers was painful to watch. Soul’s hind legs shook for a moment back there just as her eyes sunk down as if trying to look away. Not before they came back up reluctantly. The slightest droop of her massive wings.

“How are you feeling?” Dash asked trying to see if she could calm her but a little. “Alright. Did our food arrive?” Soul asked. Guess she doesn’t want to talk about it. Man, and… we used to always talk to each other about our feelings. I know you’re not alright. Yet she lied anyways. A lie Dash needed to accept. Really unable to think of anything good to say. Nothing besides the obvious response here. “It did” Dash nodded. “But uh… look…”

May as well break the ice now. Especially when she had to put a hoof out to stop Soul when the Pegasus started walking on.Trying to walk around Dash. Eager to get back. Grabbing Soul’s attention again. Her ever fleeting attention. It must really be hard to deal with this. The time was best now. No walking away from it. “One of my friends is here” Dash admitted to the Pegasus, and that pony’s eyes got really wide.

3.27
“Pinkie Pie, one of the ponies I told you about yesterday” Dash continued. “She’s at our table and wants to join us.”

Soul blinked. Not even shaking right now. She actually set the hoof she had been holding mid trot back down on the ground. Glancing past Dash for a moment. Dash held her breath. Please don’t run off. Your wings… I really don’t want to chase after you. But Soul didn’t… for now. Soul spoke instead. “The one who would want to be my friend? Who makes the cakes?” I did tell her that. Not a lie considering the eager pink pony who was waiting for them. “Yeah, I told her you were here…”

Soul jumped back a tiny bit. Oh crap. Hang on. “I didn’t tell her your name or anything.” But I really wish I could. At least Soul was calm now. “She does want to meet you… really badly so she’s gonna…” Dash looked back to where she knew Pinkie was. Really thinking more on this… and the unavoidable. This is gonna be big for Soul. I don’t think she will be used to something like this. Especially Pinkie, if I know that pony well, then I bet… “She’s gonna ask you a lot of questions.” That’s just how Pinkie is, though she wished to Celestia she will be considerate to Soul.

“She is gonna ask for my name, isn’t she?” Soul asked.

There it was. No reason to deny it, Pinkie will definitely do that. I’m the one who told her to. So looks like I’m gonna be partly to blame for how this could go. Great. Dash could only nod.

“Of course” Soul said. Drooping her head down as far as her own ears could go as well. “I just… didn’t expect it to come this quickly. I… sorry…” she turned her head around. Really showing just how much trouble this truly must be. “I’m still scared.” Oh no. Soul, I understand. Just like when we were kids. It’s so hard for you to trust ponies… no way it got any easier to after all these years. I feel bad watching her like this. Soul kicking her hoof against the ground under her sad eyes. Kicking a little bit of dirt up to splotch her perfect magenta fur. Soul probably didn’t even care that she admitted that she was afraid.

“Sorry” Dash said. “I can ask her if we could postpone the introductions. Meet up with her later.” Like during the party. Let Soul get a little cozier around here before I take her to the castle. She’ll see my friends are totally the ponies she can trust and rely on. They will do nothing to hurt her. It didn’t need to be sooner. But Soul grumbled. Looking down upon the ground… blankly. Just a dead stare for a moment, just a moment. But Dash caught it before the pony looked back up to her.

“Do you think she will be alright if I do tell her?” she asked. What? She was… Dash stopped herself. She already had the answer. “Yeah! Pinkie is really nice and she definitely doesn’t know what you would look like.” “So… I guess I can just go by Soul with her” Soul responded after another long pause.

“Please don’t let her know my full name.”

3.28
This is so awesome! Does she actually trust me enough to believe in my friend? Or maybe she really does want to make friends. There is no better place in Equestria to feel more at home than here. Dash was certain the others would be very friendly to Soul, maybe even willing to ignore her past once they saw just what kind of pony she was. Find it unbelievable this sweet and broken Pegasus could ever be a killer like those fools ever claimed her to be. They are much better friends than certain other ponies I used to know. Prove me right, Pinkie.

“You got it” Dash confirmed. Offering one of her hooves back to where the table was, egging Soul on to take that step. Alright. Dash watched Soul slowly walk past her, brushing her with the slightest of breezes by a gentle flap of her wings as she passed. Don’t be too aggressive with her, Pinkie. That’s all she could wish for at this point. Only hoping her pink friend will keep her end of the bargain and make Soul feel a little comfortable. Truly comfortable because, as Dash walked on to follow her old friend, she saw it.

Soul’s legs were still shaking.

Hard to catch as she walked, but those magenta eyes could see it. Soul stepped up ahead, rounding that same corner and looking on to whatever caught her attention past the building. Dash caught up. Stepping to her side, able to see that Soul saw her.

Pinkie was still over there past all the tables, still standing on top of it. Like some dog. She didn’t even notice the two pegasi. Just… still staring down at the food. But a quick glance showed that Soul was staring over at her. She must know who that pony is. Probably wondering what the hell she’s doing.

“That’s Pinkie, I asked her to…watch our food. Come on.”

Dash continued on eager to get Soul to follow and not be afraid. Afraid of the completely innocent looking mare waiting for them. Not even aware of them. “Let’s go sit with her. I bet you’re hungry.”

3.29
This little walk, the entire time, really did look like Soul could just freak out and scream over the idea of meeting a new pony. Finding it too hard to resist catching a look at her side to see if she stopped being so afraid. Pinkie wasn’t going to bite her. Indeed, her dear friend looked up finally from the food and clearly spotted them when Dash led Soul past some of the empty chairs before their own seats… and the pink pony smiled.

Pinkie grinning from over there when Rainbow was certain Soul was right there in plain sight, and nopony was going crazy yet. Nope. Pinkie didn’t even seem phased by seeing Soul. Good. Good! Just as I though, no way Pinkie knows who Soul is. Really, who would? Soul is just an overly beautiful Pegasus, nothing scary or suspicious. Hopefully Soul realized that now since they both came up to the table. Looking back and finding Soul was looking off in the distance. Oh that had to be just because she was shy. That’s okay. I’ll keep her safe.

Pinkie backed away off the table, still wearing her smile. Not to Dash but to the pony behind her. Giving nothing more than a simple “Hello, my name is Pinkie Pie.” Right before she sat back down into her own respective seat. Calm and… serious? Good job, Pinkie. It was actually a massive surprise. Really expecting balloons and cannons to be going off right about now, sending Soul off on a panicked flight out of the town. But, no. This could actually be considered a real and nice response to meet Soul with.

But Soul… she still looked skittish. Still just lingering at the edge of the table, practically hiding behind Dash’s tail, so nervous that she was just staring at the table with little shakes along her body and her mouth quivering. She really is terrified. Rainbow felt her own gut lurch up into her spine. No more of this. She really didn’t want to see this more than she already had, just more and more that made her shiver now that she knew so much more about what was wrong. Truly wrong after that light that was shed earlier.

Rainbow looked back to Pinkie. The pink pony… she didn’t smile anymore. Looking at Soul with her eyebrow arched. Yeah, I told you Soul is shy. This is how it will be… pretty bad. Maybe worse. She simply needed to get to know others. A fact Dash rammed home with a wink to Pinkie right when she made her way back to sit down in her own chair using but a quick flap of her wings. Hopeful Soul will do the same. Join them like she should, right where she must have seen the sight of her pancakes waiting for her. All that delicious food just for her. Not even the ice in her lemonade had begun to melt. Like it all begged the pony to sit down.

We can all sit and eat together. Or anything, as long as Soul was happy. If she wants to leave now, I’ll just pay for the food and we can go… even if I’m still hungry.

3.30
They’re just watching me, they really want mt to join them. Like some pair of hawks or something with just the right amount of threat she’d assume a hawk to give. If hawks smiled, that is. These two just kept at it. Just smiling at me. Stop it. You both look so weird right now.

I know that… you both want me to join you. It’s just… strange for me. Pinkie Pie seems so calm. Calm around me. Like, really, she won’t recognize me? It was still a bit hard to believe. Regretful to let herself be talked into this. But I agreed to this. I’m here now, standing in broad daylight in front of her. In front of all these ponies. With the world sitting there between where Soul and Pinkie stared at one another. The world right in front of those ocean blue eyes that blinked happily down at her from the other side of the table. Rainbow Dash shifting a little in her seat. Must be a pain to just watch me standing here not doing anything. Sorry for making you nervous, Dashie.

I shouldn’t be afraid. Even Soul had noticed the plain obvious that she really had become something different. Such a nice looking pony, innocent looking with such poofy and curly hairs upon her mane over glimmering eyes almost making her look much like a filly were it not for her size. Even greeting her. A greeting she knew exactly how she had to respond to. Just like with Blight… only sooner. Much too soon, and she had to say it now.

This is gonna be the first pony I’ll introduce myself to. Can I really trust her? Dash seemed to think so. An Earth Pony at that. Soul stared off away from those eyes and back to what caught her attention earlier. The true joy of this situation. The only joy. Catching her right off with those red orbs topping it, completely drowned in whipped cream. They look… so good. I bet they are so sweet. And they’re for me. An open invitation for her to eat them. So this really is what it’s like to eat at a restaurant. Just getting food.

I’ll sit down. This food… I can’t resist. Not after so long without it.

3.31
Soul followed the same as what Dash had done and had her wings kick her right back up onto her chair. Falling well into the soft and fluffy cushions that still graced her rear just like such a cozy bed. Really, all she could imagine was her wrapping a blanket over herself and making this like she actually was eating in bed. Eating this astonishing plate she had ready for her.

Just able to see every bit of it up close, like it drew her in. Pulling her to just levitate her head over it all and feel what she knew to be steam rising up and kissing her chin. Fresh and warm. Just the slightest little bead of water dripping down some of the strawberries. Making them shine bright in the sunlight that found its way to them under the umbrella.

Holy hell. This makes it worth it come back here and meet Dash’s friend. Oh yeah. Guess… now was the best time.

“Hi Pinkie” Soul said finally. Lifting herself to look back at that pony. Able to see that the pony practically lit up by just those two words. Dash took a bite of her pancakes, glancing back to Soul as well. Then to Pinkie. She’s probably waiting too. Maybe I’m worrying her. Worried that I’m still such a coward over this. Come on now, I can trust her.

Rainbow Dash used to look out for me a lot when we were kids. She was by my side… until our… problem. But… I still think I can trust her. These ponies aren’t gonna hate me, maybe that is true. Besides, Blight said I have nothing to be afraid of. Both of them think it will work.

Really, what will happen if this fails? Would Celestia come back? Hearing about me being home now. Push me into a corner, so terrifying… those scary, mean eyes she had. Right before she sends me… sends me back. Try to send me back… oh no. No! If she tries to then… what would Blight do…? No! She could even see the blood fly in her eyes. Easily to fall and flow, saturate the Earth with her failure.

How are Dash and Blight so calm about this? Seriously! My name is hated here… hated to all pegasi and… Soul held her breath.

3.32
Pinkie is an Earth pony. So maybe, that meant something. Maybe she won’t know my name. Even just my first. Should… should I tell ponies just my first name? Hide that last name of hers forever if it meant being able to stay here. Rebuild that impossible love she missed all this time. Just able to trust in the words of her old friend. That all of Rainbow’s new friends would love her. Trust her and accept her to this town.

Dashie… maybe they all did something to earn your trust. You earned their trust. Something makes you all love each other. I want that too. I… I want it back. All that can be done is to see what happens. The big chance everypony assured her that this will work. Not like she had anything to lose. Going around here without a name, a real name. Something to proudly claim as her own. As proud as her own true name. Even with just half of it.

“My name is…” Soul gulped. Taking one final look at Dash. The pony just waiting there. Looking between the two ponies. Not even showing any concern. Just watching. I want to be as strong as she is. So start now. Be strong like I was back in the snow.

Times were so tough back there and I beat them all. Blight and I were able to beat it all and come back here. Survive it all. This… this is nothing. Saying my name to another pony is nothing.

“Soul.”

Soul’s ears and tail whipped down. Able to hear it. She heard that name ringing in her head so loudly. An echo. Like all ponies around here could hear it. And it stung. It hurt to hear it. That she had spoken that name in the land where that name was hated. Echoing… though nothing but silence.

Soul waited. Watching. See Pinkie’s eyebrow pretty much cap and her smile turn to amazement. The pink pony gasped.

No...

3.33
“That’s such a beautiful name. Wow, like it completely matches you, just how you look” Pinkie pulled herself up to the table in such a scene the likes of which Soul had not seen before. Not heard before because this pony was essentially talking a mile a minute. Swearing she even lost some of what she was saying. “Wings like an angel, although I’m not sure if angels are souls. I might need to figure that out. Either way, great name. Very great. So great that I’m so happy I get to eat with such an amazing pony. Color me impressed already.”

…She finally stopped. Soul able to sit back for a moment. Catch her breath. Something Pinkie didn’t do. Strange considering how much she said. All of it, how to take it all? Maybe… flattered.

I’m an angel? Well… I don’t usually compare myself to something like that. I… Soul felt her wings shake a little. I don’t know what to say. She likes my name and… why do so many ponies keep calling me beautiful? Did they really mean it? And… does Pinkie actually like me? Already?! Having nothing to say about her name other than nice things. Nothing more. Pinkie just sat, clinging to the edge of the table with nary a shake or shiver.

It’s like she’s okay. Being around me. She’s okay with my name, okay with me. Wow.

Soul eased herself up a bit. Like an enormous weight came off her the likes of which she could not describe. None of this feeling. It was amazing. Like she could actually smile right now. Am I smiling? She couldn’t tell. But Dash sure was smiling over there.

“Thank you…” Soul responded. Feeling the need to get something out there for all Pinkie said. “It’s really nice to meet you, Soul” Pinkie nodded. Able to sit back herself as well. Relax with the other two. Giving this entire thing a real sense of… was it normalcy? Different? Sitting here with other ponies and just chatting and eating. Wow, it’s been a long time. Since anything like that, really. I can trust Pinkie.

“Do you happen to have a last name?”

Soul shuddered. She wants my last name? But uh… damn it, I will have to lie to her. Right after she was so nice to me. Giving such kindness she was still not really used to. Maybe I can make something up for now, come clean later if that ever came around to being reality. That always sounded like a good plan as long as she told the truth in the end to them… maybe then they will forgive her for all the…

“She forgot it” Dash blurted out. Taking the attention of both ponies.

Forgot?

3.34
“Yeah!” Soul agreed. Both pegasi making the pink pony look between both of them. She looked so confused. What to say? Soul almost stuttered on her own tongue when she talked. “I forgot it a long time ago. So uh…” Damn it, what can be good to say? Something because she was certain this pathetic attempt to cover herself up was going to sound stupid. This was all going to lead to a ton of questions being asked, questions she didn’t know how to answer. Things about her meagre and sad life, while Pinkie Pie will certainly not be the last to ask her such questions. How to deal with all this?

“She only goes by Soul. Nothing more or less” Dash said. Finishing for her in a way more beautiful than what Soul may have been able to come up with. Pinkie stared for just a moment. Right before a cheerful “Okay!”

Wow, she accepted that explanation fast. Faster than any chance for Soul to think otherwise of the result. No. She just continued to give that impression she had thought of when Dash first told her about this pony yesterday. She really must be a friendly one. “Nice to meet you, Soul.” Scrunching up in her chair and hiding herself away in a way that Soul could claim to be worry in anypony seeing her excitement, given form by the cheerful ‘teehee’ she chimed out from behind her pink hooves. Her smile may as well be big enough to loom out from behind those hooves. “This is great!” she screamed out with her entire body outstretching quick enough to even make Dash jump in her seat, nearly spitting up her food. Right before she went back to chomping down on it like nothing happened.

This pony. She’s so strange. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony like her back in Cloudsdale. Like she is so carefree, trusting, almost like a kid. Like a kid I should feel better about being around, if only my legs would stop shaking. “This is probably the fastest I’ve ever…” Pinkie stopped. “Oh wait.” Soul really had no chance to react.

Uhh… what is she... Pinkie leapt up onto the table. So hard that her hooves even made the plates shudder. So quick. Soul could barely see it before that pony was right in her face. Standing high above her on that table. Practically able to feel her own wings reacting on their own and wind up ready to just push her back from what she could make out as a pony trying to rush her. But they stayed still once she saw those blue eyes stay still in front of her, above her. Close enough to feel her breath. She could probably tell that Soul was almost panting under her lips. Not even able to see Dash anymore, not with this pony filling her vision. Standing over her food like she may be guarding it. Standing with just three legs.

3.35
The fourth held outstretched right to where Soul found it presented to her side. Pink hoof ready to just tap into her and the flat end given to show she did a good job at keeping her hooves clean and tidy. Is that why she’s doing this? Showing me her hoof? Cuz I have no idea what she wants. Just… please get out of my face.

“Can I get one?” Pinkie asked.

One what? Soul glanced over at Dash, seeing her nodding. Like it all meant something. I really don’t know. Is it something I should know? Some weird thing ponies here do that I’ve never heard of. What should I do? She’s waiting for me to do something. Maybe some secret code that Dash never talked about before that her and her friends do… wait… Rainbow Dash… something her friends do. I am a fool. She did know what this was. Embarrassing for her to forget it for that brief second and how much it meant. So meaningless to others but, to Soul, she loved it.

So not used to the feeling, this feeling that Pinkie was willing to share with her. It’s been a while. Soul checked. Her foreleg, planted firm in the cushion with all her other legs, wasn’t shaking at all. Just her hind legs like usual. Nothing to show Pinkie she was still afraid. Not enough to keep her from finally lifting her foreleg up, slowly, watching the pink pony. Thinking this may still be some sort of prank or something sinister. But why believe in her? To think that Pinkie meant no harm. Was it because there was no harm in finding out? Nothing to lose. Or something… go on with it. It will be good. Always great to do this with the few ponies who let her do it.

Soul planted her hoof right up against Pinkie’s hoof with just a small click… and nothing happened. Except that Pinkie’s smile went as wide as possible. Stunning even more with how loud she could shriek. “Yay!”

Soul backed herself away. Just as confused as she had been this whole time with no words to give as to what it was this pony was thinking or doing. Really, she is such a mystery. But I like her. Just a little. “Hoof bump! Now we’re friends.” Pinkie skidded back into her seat. Leaving Soul to her food. Her food… and her words.

3.36
We’re friends? Did that… what?

Soul blinked looking over at the pink pony. Is that really true? Soul never got any sense that this pony actually was her friend or not. This was nothing like Rainbow Dash or Soulblight. So very different. Odd, it almost didn’t feel real but there was something to it as she watched the pink pony giddily bouncing in her chair, almost like a child. So happy just because we may be friends.

Am I really her friend, though?

Pinkie Pie, she doesn’t know she’s wanting to be friends with Soul the Pegasus. But it does sound nice. All of it did. But not as nice as others. The others who could call her a friend, by being friends with not Soul the Pegasus, but with Soul Serenity. With who I am.

It’s so weird. She sees me as a friend. Looking down at her hoof and then back up to that chatty pony. “Now we can all eat together as best friends!” Pinkie said. Best friends?

Pinkie pulled out a cake… right from under the table. Going at it in an instant. She wants to eat with me? I… I don’t know what to say. Making this moment… something more. Something rare. Could… could it be like back in the day? In a time when she knew it’d be right to tell ponies who she was. Because she wanted to.

She said I have a beautiful name, and I do. Too bad, the idea of it, keeping it away from other ponies. Because it was a shame. A shameful name for a shameful pony. Hard to believe I get to eat in a town that would hate me. So is it wrong to do it? To hide from them all, never know my name. All I can do is enjoy this. This food she had before her, perhaps looking to be the most incredible thing she was going to experience here. So far, she hoped. So many more meals like this. Perhaps. Something she got to enjoy now… after twelve years.

This would have been my first real food in all this time… if not for Blight. Oh I don’t think anything can top that cake she made me. That was the best thing I have ever tasted. I bet this food is good, but it’ll have nothing on that cake.

Little wafts of steam billowed out from within the sea of whipped cream and coiled around those delectable strawberries. It made her mouth water. Finally getting her chance to eat it, close on it. Hovering her mouth right over the edge of where that succulent food sat waiting for her to take that first bite of pancakes since the last time she had been in a world this warm. Able to hear the sounds of ponies biting.

Soul looked up to see the other two biting down into their own food. Not even caring for anything else… except for when she noticed Pinkie take a glance over to her before going back to her cake. Soul really should join them.

3.37
She came in close enough, enough for that cool touch of the cream to wipe against the fur along her chin, giving way for her to practically wrap her mouth over the edge of the stack. All the more shaking, not out of fear. No, she felt it for something different because she was actually happy over it. She was excited to take that first bite. Strawberries too. Need to get at least one of them. Feeling her teeth touch scrape against it all, she let instincts do the rest. Almost blindly. But oh so satisfying. Right when that explosion of flavor hit her.

Oh… it’s just like… when I ate the cake. Feeling like she was in heaven now. Taking all her strength just to keep her eyes open as she really wanted to just fall back into her seat and go into some euphoria she felt coming on. Like a tingle all over her body. Her hind leg kicked hard. Missing by a hair from hitting the table. Not able to disturb her from melting apart by the taste of how sweet it all was and that final impact… she bit the strawberry.

Sweet Celestia. It’s just like how they used to be. Making her shudder, not even caring her back trembled. The feeling of everything being so nice to eat such sweets again. Oh. Tastes so good, so good that… she could feel it in her wings. Whatever. She let her wings shake at her sides. Not able to control it. But she did control what she said. Holy hell, that tastes good. The words failed to come out of her mouth. Not when she made so many noises giving off just how much she enjoyed devouring it and letting herself go to enjoy every bit of it.

“Is it good?”

Soul opened her eyes. I had them closed? Rainbow Dash had asked it from across the table. Waiting for her with some sort of goofy smile, probably more than satisfied seeing however it was Soul had looked like while eating her first bite. For, what all Dash knew, to be her first taste of real food. Close enough.

“It’s so good” Soul said. Wasting no more time to take another bite of it. Close to just screeching and kicking her legs happily from this bite as good as the first. She came close. Her legs kicked against the chair.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony this happy over food” Pinkie commented, stopping Soul dead in her tracks. I am putting on too much of a scene. Can’t even contain myself. How stupid was I looking? She looked over and back to her food, just wanting to forget it and continue on. Forget everything around her for now. Just her food. Ignore it all.

3.38
“Have you had Equestrian food before?”

Soul almost spit up her food. Unable to ignore that question. One from an increasingly annoying pink pony she found to be rather blunt now in trying to figure things out. Figure what out to be exact?

Like, what kind of question is that?

If I ever had Equestrian food before. Soul wasn’t certain if Pinkie was joking or actually curious. Nonetheless, it sure did stun even Dash over there who was staring over at Pinkie. Based off how she looked, it worried her too. For Soul to be given such a direct question, one both of them probably had not anticipated.

Dash was terrified. Soul was even more. Losing all the pleasure of eating, Pinkie killing the moment in an instant. Leaving Soul just to wonder what to do. How to respond at that. Soul really had no answer for it. Just more questions.

“W-what do you mean?” Soul asked to the best of her ability. Please tell me I misheard her. That Pinkie’s question had a different meaning. “Equestrian food?”

“Yeah” Pinkie nodded and she was serious. Soul saw it in her eyes. This malicious little question out of nowhere. Even that… Pinkie sounds like she doesn’t think that I am from here. She’d be right. Like she really knows. But if she does… why does she not care? Damn it, why…

“All the ponies I talked to say they’ve never seen you before, and I talked to A LOT. I know a lot of ponies, yes. So nopony knows you and you are definitely eating pancakes like you’ve never eaten it before. Put two and two together” Pinkie interrupted her ramble with a smack of her forehooves. “You’re not from around here” she zipped her face forward with one eye giving off such a stare the likes of which Soul had never seen.

“Are you?”

3.39
Was it a surprise that Rainbow Dash seemed to ease up? Maybe. Just like Soul wasn’t certain if she too should be surprised or not. Not even knowing how to respond right now. Just… what Pinkie said. The first line hit her hard.

She talked to a lot of ponies? None of them know me? Just like… Soul looked all around her again just to be sure and she was still confirmed of it. Nopony paid her any mind. Not even a stare. The only attention I’ve gotten so far was from those nice stallions. But… it’s true, she is right. Nopony here should know who I am right now. I’m too different and… I’m just Soul. All these ponies would see me as is… that pony who has been acting weird since I got here. I never would have acted like this back in Cloudsdale.

Cloudsdale… that was her only home in Equestria. It had been. So much has changed. I have changed. To not even remember the taste of food here, these same dishes she used to eat in that floating city. Pinkie was completely right. It was like Soul was not even from here. Equestria was not her true home anymore. It ceased to be long ago. The only home she ever really knew… she never wanted to go back to.

I am not from around here. I am not familiar with this food. But I really did miss it. I love it all and I love being here. Yet still, she could never say this to anypony here. None of them will understand. Why, she didn’t even know why Dash was so relaxed now. What does she expect? I don’t know how to answer this. Pinkie and anypony else will surely want to know where Soul was from. Why she was so different, and all of it just by eating pancakes. So stupid.

Though she’d rather just go back to biting down on this food and going back to pure paradise. Not deal with her past at all. Not now. Because she had no idea how to explain it. What, do I need to lie again? Tell her I’m from around here and I’m just… a hermit pony or something? Maybe she will buy that. Though… I wouldn’t buy it. No, it won’t work. But Pinkie was still curiously waiting. Waiting for an answer Soul struggled to come up with and had absolutely no help from Dash. Like she enjoys watching me struggle.

Or, no, she just doesn’t know. Dash is no jerk.

I don’t know either. How to respond to any of this. None of this new world. This world that was familiar but foreign.

3.40
“True” Soul said wide eyed. “I’m not from around here. I lived in Cloudsdale when I was a filly but left early to achieve feats I could not do there. I travelled all over the lands outside of Equestria to learn countless flight techniques that none of those novice teachers in Cloudsdale may teach me. Too hung up on traditional flying… you know?”

Soul could not say or do anything. Just listen and be amazed as all this came out so naturally. It was almost impossible Almost. Because there was another pony who could come up with a story like this.

“That’s why I got these wings, and Dash over there is mere rookie now compared to me. Aren’t you, Dashie?”

Dash dropped all she was doing, even more so than she had been. No longer able to just listen with a blank stare as she had been. She shook her head. “Hey!” she whined.

Please may she just take it as a joke. She must. Soul did her best to give her old friend a little smile before more came out. Tearing past her teeth and ending any move she made to tell Dash she was playing around with her.

“Of course those lands had different foods that were quite good but I still missed old fashioned Equestrian food. So yeah, this is my first eating pancakes in many, many years.”

Soul was surprised to hear herself able to squeak again in response. Like a grip on her was gone and she could regain the world as her own. Everything her own when that voice slipped away. Humming and chiming in a familiar tone as Soulblight giggled. Oh geez, and I told her… Soul looked up. Rainbow was still dead eyed right on her and fidgeting a little in her seat. Likewise. Soul had no idea how to respond to what just happened either. Guess I sounded really strange. These words that were not her own. Said so smoothly and perfectly. Soul was astonished they came out as they did.

Well… I could have never come up with a story like that. Maybe… it would work. A decent job. I’m okay with it. Because it did do one thing. Pinkie sat back in her chair. “Gotcha” she nodded. “I love travelling as well. Tell me were the ponies nice? Was the food good too?” Simple enough.

“Yes…” Soul nodded. Hoping to answer both questions and let this conversation die. Pinkie bit into her cake again. Happily grunting as she chewed and lost in her own little world now. Soul could finally breath. Wow, it worked. Amazing. This actually worked. No way I could’ve done it better.

…But Blight could.

She was either good at planning ahead or, Soul admitted it, frighteningly smart. Thank you, a lot.

No problem. Don’t worry, I won’t jump in like that again. Personal space and all that.

Yeah, Soul agreed. Though Blight could… just as long as she gave a heads up.

3.41
Soul was comfortable enough now to go back to eating her breakfast. Taking another big bite of the pancakes and all that whipped cream. As incredible as the last, almost. It lacked the one special thing. She did it on purpose though. Avoiding eating any of the strawberries in that bite. No longer needing to deal with frightening questions or explanations she had no way to give. Just adore these fruits and foods she missed eating as often as she used to.

Soul didn’t hesitate to lop one of them right up with her tongue and into her mouth. Then another. They really were the one best part to this entire meal. Going in to try and feed some sated emptiness she always knew to exist but it still managed to satisfy her as a whole. No difference in that. There really was no way to make eating such foods she hadn’t had in so long anything other than fantastic. But there was always room for improvement. That same solemn request she had of herself to do this again but with her friends. Right now, she had no idea. Looking past her food to the figures of Dash and Pinkie devouring their food in as messy a manner as possible now, it wasn’t at all like she had imagined.

I want something like… what I had before. But… with something more. Not like how it was now, no, Soul wanted Blight to sit in that empty chair next to her. Sitting right between her and Pinkie eating whatever it may be she liked and for all four of them to happily talk about things other than how different Soul was.

Like the old days when I ate with a good friend. Just something nice to do with my truest friends.

Is Pinkie my friend? Is Dash? I don’t know. Not after all this. These years. Rainbow Dash is no longer the same. I’m no longer the same. So is it even possible for us to be as we were? Together with a whole new group of friends different than what she was used to. Those old days were gone now. Now, …she shook her head down at her strawberries right before eating another.

Are good times even possible?

I just have to trust what she said. Dash assured me I can trust these ponies. Pinkie Pie… that pony who inhaled her cake in a remarkable fashion, she may be my friend. I have to think so. Since it was true that Soul wanted to be her friend, but could not wish the same unto Pinkie. The same goes for Dash. For now, let’s just believe Ponyville is my home. Now or maybe someday soon. In a time without so much pain she had no idea how to make just go away forever and for all its terror to have no more power. When the past will go away. Replaced by something nice like the fruit she ate. Fond memories worth remembering.

3.42
“Well I’m stuffed” Rainbow Dash’s voice brought Soul back up to see that she too had finished eating with as clean a plate as Pinkie had. Both their plates actually entirely clean as if nothing had been on them at all.

Well then... here I thought I could eat fast. I did. That cake the other day didn’t last at all. Rainbow still just inhales her food. She hasn’t changed there, haha. I’m not gonna keep them waiting. Sit my ass down and eat, I’m not slow. She bit at the strawberries she had atop her pancakes one by one, and each of them still managed to be just as incredible as always despite how quick she went down on them. Chewing them down and then… nearly biting her tongue when a flash of pink burst up next to her. Soul screeched when that pink pony zipped in in front of her with such a smile on her face.

Celestia, stop scaring me.

“I got another question, Soul!” she blurted out almost in her ear. Giving even more weight to that idea of an excited pony that was really was. Happy… and so annoying; Dash sure did know how to pick her friends. Both old and new.

So… another question. Is it gonna be as bad as the last one because I really am having a hard time dealing with this.

She really is a curious one. Want me to take over?

Not right now. I can handle this. She could hear it. In Blight’s voice. Is Blight irritated… just like I am? And an irritated Soulblight, well… I know what that looks like. Though it did not hide from what Soul did feel. Maybe you can take over, it depends… All she could say to Blight.

“It’s super important” Pinkie said. Closing in a little more with her voice dropping to a close whisper. Oh damn. Something important about me?

“Do you like strawberries?” Soul cocked her head.

3.43
Of all the questions, something so innocent. Not many ponies say stuff like that to me. I’m… I’m glad she did.

Guess I did a bad job hiding I love strawberries. Must have looked ridiculous eating them, oh well. This is something I’d love to talk about. “I love them. They are my favorite food.” Not to mention… they were quite the rarity in my travels around foreign lands. Not far from the truth. Still a good story though.

“Oh you should have seen her way back” Dash commented over there. “Soul could never let them go. Surprised she didn’t fatten up off how many she ate.” That deserved a shot of Soul’s glare. Although, guess I had that coming. After all, I sorta just got done with making fun of her flying.

…And I never got fat cuz I worked out so much!

“I see…” Pinkie rubbed her chin. For just a moment and, …she turned away. “Well it’s been a blast but I got things to dooooo!” She left off on that long note complete with a wave back of her foreleg. Rushing off to wherever and… Soul just sat stumped.

Well that happened.

Yeah it did. Whatever that was. I thought she wanted to talk to me about food or something. Not just leave like that. Such a shame. Right when she was not exactly happy with the pony and all her questions… why now, to feel a little down at seeing her go? Maybe I really do want to be her friend. So many more things I wanted to talk about.

“Pinkie, wait!” Rainbow Dash called after. Like she was giving voice to a little desire inside of Soul. She felt a little happy to keep Pinkie up for just a moment before she went off to do what it was she needed to do. Pinkie turned back with a questioning grunt. Curious as Soul was to see why it was Dash demanded her to stay.

“Don’t tell anypony Soul’s name, okay?”

3.44
Wow! Soul shot back in her seat. She couldn’t believe she forgot about that. Rainbow Dash was the one who remembered! Remembered a crucial and very good point to address with Pinkie. Thank goodness she stopped her for that. “Yes, please don’t” Soul added in. Feeling for certain she too could contribute to this request. All the more making Pinkie groan in confusion. It is confusing but just go with it.

“Why?” Plain and simple… and so hard to answer. Now may actually be a good time for Blight to say something. She had lots of answers, all of them it seemed. Or she was just better at dealing with these situations more than Soul was. Whatever she came up with will be so well crafted and thought out that nopony could deny it and just accept it. Accept that Soul’s name was not to be given out like a gift to any pony Pinkie did meet.

“Because reasons.”

That was not Blight. It was Rainbow who said that, and… she managed to look serious saying it. There is no way…

“Ah, reasons” Pinkie nodded. “Got it, my lips are sealed.” Turning right over to Soul. “Your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart. Hope to fly.” Pushing one of her hooves right into her eye… ouch. “Stick a cupcake in my eye.” …Whatever all that meant. But she did say the secret was safe so Soul believed her and this bizarre display. Pinkie gave another quick wave, with nothing more Soul could think of to address with this pony before she left besides the short time she had spent with her. Short and, she felt, unsatisfying. “I’ll see you later, Dash” she said, turning back and trotting away. Trotting into an apparent gallop.

“Really nice to meet you, Soul. Bye bye!” And… she zipped off. Not ran. No, that was what Soul thought was supposed to happen. Pinkie just… disappeared?

The… hell?

3.45
“How did she…” Soul said turning to Dash. “Don’t ask.” Alright, I won’t. But that was really a perfect end to such an absurd time. She thought absurd but, it was more different than anything else. A huge change from the normal. All of this was. Even able to eat was a change.

She went back to it, taking several more bites in quick succession just willing to get this done and not keep anypony waiting. Apparent that can become the case. Rainbow Dash threw down several of those gold coins; bits I think they are called. Some ones I saw yesterday. Placing them center of the table before she sat back and watched. Watched as Soul nervously ate what was left of her food. Enjoying it nonetheless. Really starting to drown out her cares and just make what was on her plate disappear much like the other two had done.

Funny, maybe I am still a messy eater. All this whipped cream all over her face. Really without much to think over except that pink pony. Would have been nice if she had stayed and talked about something other than my past. I actually did want to talk with her about stuff around here. Now that would have been fun to talk about.

“So were the strawberries good?” Rainbow asked. Soul nodded. Finishing up what was left of her food. Growing ever more apparent that her old friend was patiently waiting for her to finish. Sloppy at best. Taking a lot of time just to lick off her face of all the mess she left behind. “Well I’m gonna buy you some more.” What? She didn’t need to. I won’t let her. More turned down in the determination she saw in Dash’s face. But, really, it was no trouble. Not like Soul came here to be fed… fed in such ways she only could have dreamed of back in the snow, and all of it was right here for her complete with a pony ready to give her food.

“No, no. You don’t have to get me any.” She doesn’t need to look after me like that. I think I can do some work, find a job and make my own money to buy stuff. Besides, I need to save up for a home haha. I don’t need Dashie paying for everything for me. She already did enough. This meal was pretty nice as it was.

3.46
“Shut it” Dash countered. “I had to go get food anyways… may as well get stuff for both of us.” Yeah, apparently apples were all she had left at home. Well that didn’t take away from… and Dash jumped off from her seat. Stretching herself out and clearly ready to go already.

“I’m getting us food anyways, you can’t stop me. Lots of great stuff I bet you’d want to eat.” The Pegasus began to trot off. Almost like she suddenly had no care. What is with her? Saying things like that to me… she should know I am absolutely dying to get a taste of old food again. There was no denying it, so excited of eating all these foods again. The chance to partake in all she missed so much these past years, all in Rainbow Dash’s hooves. Whatever it was she planned to buy. Sure did sound good. Exciting. So much so that Soul’s tail twitched across the legs of the chair.

“Come on!” Dash called after the hesitant Pegasus sitting atop her chair. Waiting and watching to see if anything more needed to be done here. With an ever-satisfied stomach and so many questions as to what it was that happened here, Soul could only push herself off the chair after a long pause. Not certain why it was Dash wanted her to even come along for something like a menial trip to the store. “Let’s go have some fun.”

Why would this be fun? Fun. Well, at least somepony had their spirits cheered up. For what reason, Soul had no idea. Maybe this was just a real joy to watch as Soul struggled to make sense of what it was she had dealt with moments ago. Or she had woken up finally? It really was a mystery. But Soul could admit that she too felt a little cheery right now. Like some warmth inside her. The result of what happened? She paused to think over it.

I think I know. She’s happy because. I’m a little happy. Dash was right. I met one of her friends… and she turned out to be pretty nice. Just like Dash said. Pinkie was something different. Just like this entire town. This feeling and everything around me, it’s nothing like that cold and snowy place.

3.47
That went nothing less than excellent. Beyond what Dash could have hoped for to happen. Certainly the best it could have been in such a situation but she genuinely believed it to have truly worked out in the end. Though it had the easy potential to fall apart as well. Such a surprise it didn’t. Not at all.

It went so well that… that I think those two just made friends.

It would have been much worse though. Much, much worse. She looked back to the pony who followed her close to her side. Soul doing nothing more than just observing everything around them, much like she had done on their quiet little walk along the short stretch it took to get close to the market. Soul really did seem like a filly in a candy store. Looking every which way in astonishment sometimes. Staring as they passed a pair of stallions doing some sort of performance atop unicycles and juggling flaming pins, just another day for fun out here. Though it was fascinating to Soul. Not at all hard to miss.

Rainbow was sure to give Soul plenty of time to watch them. Just short of both of them standing right in the crowd that watched as well. It was proving something. In all this walk, Soul was not jittery in the slightest. Fully focused on just marveling over the town. Not caring who or what they passed. Even so, she kept her huge wings close to her sides. Fluttering ever so gently as if she were prepared to take flight, at least that’s what Dash could pull out from that movement. It may be for a completely different reason. She hoped so.

For Soul to be getting a little more comfortable around here.

Seeing and hearing the many things the town had to offer that no winter wasteland, like Soul described, could ever deliver. Really engrossed in it. Really into it all that… she doesn’t even notice hehe. There were some ponies who actually did a double take on Soul. I see where they’re looking. Especially some of the pegasi. They were all looking at those wings gently flowing at Soul’s sides. As massive as always even when folded. She was half inclined to believe that incredible story Soul had made up on the spot back at the table. Not that any of this bothered Dash. It sure didn’t bother Soul who came back to mind her own business, staring ahead with just a little faint of her head but keeping up with Dash nonetheless.

3.48
But all of this could only be justified by one burning question she had built up in her. Because the answer may very well determine what it was she could expect to happen in the market.

Applejack had to be in the market still along with the others. The morning was still young. Surely that workhorse had not finished all her errands yet. They had all made good time at the restaurant to be able to get here while the Sun was still low. Both of them trekking together past a small batch of ponies who left with their carts and bushels of food alongside the saddlebags, squeezing by them with Soul making but a small whimper being so close to other ponies she did not know. She still did well. Walking in with Dash into the town center so familiar to Dash and all these ponies.

She looked back. Seeing Soul saw exactly what Rainbow got to see so often. Wide-eyed. Looked like that magenta Pegasus loved the thing she saw. All the things. This place was ripe full of so many stands on, this, the best day of the week to deliver the harvests. An event so very packed to the brim with many ponies standing all about and partaking in the fruits of so much labor of who delivered such foods.

Soul must love to see it all. All the fruits and vegetables stacked by the boxes and barrels bursting with ripe green leaves of carrots, celery stalks and whatever other things that could satisfy a pony like Soul. Why, the asparagus was just on their right. Maybe Soul would like some of that. Steamed perhaps? I sure want some, hope she’ll like them too. Though there were no strawberries in sight. That prize was further on. Along with all the fruits she had in mind to get for Soul for all the years she had to go without them. Now was her chance to enjoy them all. Give Soul more of a taste of what Ponyville could deliver for her that no other place could. Literally.

But more than just foods.

“So I’m dying to know” Dash began her long awaited question. Though it took a moment for Soul to be drawn away from the tantalizing sights all around. “What did you think of Pinkie Pie?”

3.49
“Pinkie?” Soul asked. Making it very apparent she was really questioning why it was Dash asked this. Yes, I know, I waited a long time to ask you. Still… I want to know if the plan is working.

“Well, uh…” Soul turned away. No sign of grief or pleasure on her face. No, she looked more taken by something. Really a face that did nothing but make Dash worry. Because it was worrying. She thought Pinkie did a decent job at presenting herself as the good friend she was, not that excited and energetic one that it would take Soul so much time to get used to. Not as she was now. Maybe the old Soul would, but not this one. This current Soul Serenity who became impossible to read the entire time they ate together. When she had been an open book before. So easy to tell what would please her or not.

Now, …did Pinkie scare her a little? She is my first friend I got to introduce to Soul. I really thought they got along. Besides all the hectic questions. Really didn’t seem like Soul liked them.

Soul smiled. …Pinkie… you did good. Dash had to smile too.

“She was nice” Soul said, not in sadness. Not in despair. Soul was calm. Calmer than anypony Rainbow would ever hope to see of a pony like her. But that was before. Now, now Soul was actually walking in the busy streets of Ponyville, being secretly flattered by other ponies who saw this pony fresh from a lonely world of ice and snow.

“She was certainly different, but…” Soul looked back at Dash. Presenting that she was indeed wearing none other than a small smile. One shrouded in the dark of her lowered eyes. “In a good way.” Yes! “Is she the type you’d be friends with?” Dash budged her way closer to Soul. So eager for her answer. “I think Pinkie wants to.” Though her answer came as no surprise, not after how she had been acting which made Dash feel a little foolish for thinking otherwise moments ago.

“I guess.” And she did a rather good job at hiding her enthusiasm. Clearly failing though. Rainbow caught it. She saw it in her little movements across her body. The most subtle of shifts in her smile. Soul was snickering a little. Overjoyed indeed. All the right to. She got herself a true friend already. Oh for the two of them to be able to hang out again, Pinkie would be best suited to bringing Soul into being comfortable around here, not have to worry about the past, and lead to a time when Soul may speak her name to them all. Instead of sticking with that stupid story Dash would need to tell the others.

3.50
A minor problem. But she still rejoiced. Happy for her old friend, for the happiness that she too had to be feeling. Dash couldn’t contain herself. Being this close, she had to.

Rainbow gave her old friend a loving punch to her shoulder. Just enough to nudge her back a little but, Soul did not protest. Though she did not give it back. Unfortunate. Dash could not expect every miracle to happen right now. “Great to see you two are friends” Dash claimed. Right there, assured that this day was going better than she hoped for. Maybe it won’t be so hard to cheer her up. That thought crossed her mind just now, glancing back over her shoulder as she walked off towards the market. Proud to see her old friend not even hesitate to follow her.

I’m glad things are going well for her. Pinkie, you are a lifesaver.

Rainbow walked off, still able to picture Soul following her. Listening to her hoofsteps as they matched her own. No sign that they even gave hesitation in her trot. No, Soul was content with this. “Glad to hear it” Dash gave comment to the excellent turn of events that Soul had confirmed. “So we’re off to make you more friends.” To put it blunt. Was it a surprise Soul did not slow in her walk? Dash wasn’t surprised. More happy. So much so that she could smile.

“More friends?” Soul questioned from behind. “But I thought we were getting food.” Dash ignored her for now. Sorry but… I can’t let you in on what my plans for you are today. That was why she could not answer. There were no right words for this. Just to let it all happen.

Rainbow walked on and took a look to see that Soul still followed. Concerned as well but that did not stop the Pegasus from looking about at all the amazing things that they did pass. Everything that Dash was so used to seeing by now. Rainbow spotted more of what she was looking for. As part of this whole journey to the market, the stacks of saddlebags ripe for the taking sitting past a crowd of ponies among the carrot stands. Not where they always were. They were prone to being moved each time the market was opened, but that didn’t mean any less of what they were there for.

Think I need two pairs. Seriously considering letting Soul carry one of them on the way out of here, but… carry both herself? I think I can do it. Her wings could definitely carry all that. Soul is my guest and doesn’t need to put out for me, besides… I’ll show her for making fun of my strength earlier. Really, a rookie? If anything, I’m the better flyer and I’ll show you up any day. Even if your wings are so impressive now. Not befitting now when there were far more important things to do. Still, it didn’t calm her constant urges to want the old Soul Serenity back. One who was always in the mood for a throw down with Dash over any and all with an endless smile. Always so much to be happy about. Not enough to be sad about.

But those shoes had changed hooves. Without her friend, without her trust, Soul was so different now. I wish it was different, I miss my best friend. And Soul was so hard to get to trust me back then. But it still was nice. I want it back. Now I need others to help me. But that was fine. Rainbow Dash was perfectly fine with asking the others for help, they always had been there for her when she needed it and they’d do the same again with this. She trusted them and that trust was proven right with Pinkie.

Now… she spotted something else familiar in the crowd off to the left. One that made her grin, so much so she needed to hide it from Soul. For this was too good. There was another one she could trust as she learned to do so many times again and again under that straw hat. “More friends, here we come” Dash whispered.

3.51
I may as well follow her. None of what has happened so far has proven to be a mistake. Really all such incredible experiences she could easily call menial, but that word did not come to Soul till now. No, this was all somewhat… alright for lack of a better word. Truthfully, she was interested over meeting these other friends Dash had in store for her, if they were anything like the last one. They may be nice. Dash made them all out to be so nice, and she was right with Pinkie.

Even better. It’s like I’m back in Cloudsdale, before the incident. Ponies still ignored her. Whether that was good or bad was not on her to decide. Though it gave her comfort that they didn’t seem to care who she was… except for the occasional mare who smiled at her from a distance. I feel the envy around them. No way to hide it from me. I can even tell some stallions keep staring at me. Some of them blushing, oh geez.

Lots of Pegasus ponies around here, and none of them recognize me. They all just keep staring at me… adoring me? Oh… they don’t need to do that. Hope Dash isn’t seeing it, I think she would tease me if she saw these guys looking at me.

They notice me… but does Dashie? She… hasn’t really said much about me. Even after all the time she put into that very effort back in the arctic. She didn’t notice my cutie mark. All this fanfare I’m getting right now, I’d rather get a compliment from my old friend. I… I want to feel like she appreciates something about me.

Well… at least I know some ponies like me and aren’t judging me. It’s kind of like a good dream. Been a while. From the ponies to the scenery to the food. Even having a conversation with Soulblight about food upon them entering this market packed full of it. Left off on a rather quick note with Blight commenting on how the celery must taste good as it had the most ponies around that stand. That was true. Soul did see it had quite a commotion over there.

That conversation did give her more of a rather big distaste in her own mouth over the one fact that was made apparent in Blight’s comments and, really, all the time she already spent with her but still too hard to believe. That Blight had no idea what food tasted like. She can always come out and try it for herself. Soul never asked her to do that. But she probably could come out and walk around with them considering how Ponyville was turning out to be. A rather charming place. No wonder Rainbow moved here.

3.52
Rainbow had so many friends here and so much to look forward to every day. Now she wants to introduce me to more of her friends. One of which took Soul no time in spotting. Easy to for it was over where Dash happily trotted towards ahead of her. A near gallop even. Rainbow was clearly excited with her tail whipping in the wind. Running off with so much vigor towards a sight that Soul instantly recognized as familiar.

Past the groups of ponies that Dash squirmed her way past or flat out fly over with one graceful flap of her wings and all around the few stands that those ponies massed around, Soul spotted the shade of orange fur that she had seen before. Right before that pony and Rainbow Dash were blotted out behind an ever-changing crowd of ponies with all their hauls of foods. No longer able to see them but she knew well where they were.

Soul let her own wings be the ones to come out now. Out in front of every pony, and she saw… many of them turn and see the sight that none of them had seen before. Of wings unlike any other. They’re all… staring at me.

That’s good.

This town… it’s different than what I thought it would be. I’m… okay with them seeing my wings. However many ponies around her saw them. She could feel the short breaths coming out around her, the small gasps and ponies coming to a halt to see the magenta Pegasus flap her wings once. Sending dirt flurrying about around her right before she took off. Off over the crowd, shrouding them in the shadow of those great wings.

I feel… okay showing them all.

Doing this to land behind all the other ponies… landing right next to where Dash was. Patiently waiting next to the other pony who turned and saw those massive wings land before her. Peering at her from under her hat with wide eyes. Staring just like all the other ponies.

This is Applejack, right?

The same pony as yesterday. Barely a word spoken and now, now that shocked mare calmed down… and smiled at her. Smiled at me? A shimmer of kindness she saw in another pony’s eyes exactly like she saw with Soulblight so many times, now in the eyes of this pony. It had the same effect. Such a warmth. I… I’m not afraid of her.

Soul approached her. Folding up her wings once more, it came upon her too. Soul actually smiled. With butterflies that stirred in her stomach, they did not stop her. Not enough to keep her away from joining the two of them. Wasn’t till then when Applejack let her hooves off of a stack of barrels and she gave one out to Soul. Pointing at her and looking back over to Rainbow Dash. “Well, well. I never would’a guessed ya’ll had such wings” she spoke still in the heaviest accent I’ve never heard an accent like this. Do lots of ponies around here have it? It sounds lovely. Almost unique. Such a mature sounding pony and… she likes my wings? Seeing Applejack was looking left and right along them.

“Well now, I reckon Dash here found herself a mighty fine flying partner. Glad to see ya’ll two got along.” A flying partner? She thinks we’re…?

Dash smiled, glancing at Soul… like she was shy.

3.53
Soul had to make a little squeak when that Earth pony so suddenly wrapped her foreleg around her, pulling her right against her orange fur so tightly, with so much strength. How strong could she be? Able to just pull Soul across the ground and right into her with no effort at all. Giggling right next to her. Such a friendly pony. “Well it’s finally nice to make your acquaintance” she said. “I’m Applejack.” Now this was different indeed. One thing that garnered no words as to how to describe it. Just leaving Soul in a daze for a second before realizing what this pony had said. Glancing back to the hoof that was draped over her shoulder connected to the pony who was holding her, and… Soul liked it.

Soul gave one look to Dash. Seeing how the Pegasus nodded at her. Her smile always showing that this was real, that all was okay. So… why not trust her with this just like she learned to appreciate in such a quick time during this morning? “I’m Soul” she admitted to Applejack. “Nice to meet you.”

“Well if that’s not the finest name for a Pegasus like you” Applejack commented, turning her attention back over to Dash with a look that Soul could call out as annoyance. “How have you never told me ‘bout her?” That question answered Soul’s own. Applejack didn’t know who she was. Was it true that none of these ponies knew who she was? That Blight and Dash were really right the whole time and she had been worrying over nothing. That really was what it seemed like. Like none of these ponies around here recognized her, and they even gave her affectionate stares.

They don’t stare at me like all those ponies that hated me.

Like she was special enough to be acknowledged like this. To be held like Applejack was holding her. In some sort of honorary greeting she doubted the pony would give if she knew what she was known for. Rainbow Dash was right. “She was my old flight partner back in camp” Dash said. Continuing the story that Soul knew exactly how to pick up on. Finishing Dash’s fact with a lie. One so easily slipped from the tongue of another pony and now became her own.

3.54
“But I’ve been practicing my flying in other lands for a long time. So I came back to see how my old home is.”

“Old flight…” Applejack shot Dash a stare. “You never said anything ‘bout no flight partner. Like legit doing tricks together and practicing?” To which Dash rubbed a hoof over the back of her head. Ruffling her mane furiously and giving a little laugh. “Yeah, …all the time” she said. “And I reckon she really gave you a run for…” “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Dash interrupted Applejack. Not quick enough. Soul couldn’t help herself and giggled under her breath. I didn’t know Dash had a friend who could do this to her. Dash looked so annoyed. Even rolling her eyes. But those two went at it again much to Soul’s delight. Ending the same way.

“I’m just sayin’, anypony who can participate with you must be good. Plus she has her wings too, does the mean she done outed your little advantage?” “Shut it!” Now that was enough to make Rainbow puff up her cheeks, leaving Soul breathless for one moment. Sure that her old friend was certainly getting upset with these jokes Applejack was giving her, how great to see her frustration turn to a grin. Enough for Soul to laugh a little at her.

They’re just playing around, just like we used to do. Rainbow must like this sort of stuff still, and she had a friend who enjoyed it too. “Don’t mind AJ” Dash said as she made her way over to the barrels stacked next to the ponies. Sure to put her own hoof over one of them and feel along its brim with the tip of her hoof. “She’s just putting on some show to impress you. Although a pretty crap performance, I might say.” “Yeah, a performance” Applejack let her grip around Soul go. “Let’s go with that.”

Performance or no, Soul liked the way the two of them acted. It really didn’t take a genius to see how it was. Soul picked up on it while they had greeted each other, and just how things looked. When Applejack came over to those barrels with Dash and exchanged a hoof bump between the two, showing there really were no hard feelings, Soul did see how strong this Applejacks’ legs were. Why pretty much an equivalent of Dash’s wings. Bristled with muscle along their lengths yet still able to look so limber to Soul. Much befitting of this farmgirl picture that Dash had painted for her yesterday.

So I guess these two like to compete or something? I bet they do with all these jabs they are making. Much like… how I was with Dash. Long ago. She couldn’t help but be happy for them. That really was a prized feeling she loved to partake in with Dash. Now these two got to experience it too.

They must be very good friends, especially able to make up like they did so fast. Pull off these jokes and quips, bashing each other like it was normal. Still, I wonder why I don’t do that with anypony much? Piquing her interest at this. Soulblight really had been the most fun to joke around with, and that pony had certainly could make fun of ponies. Even making Dash flustered at the comment that came out in Soul’s voice.

Soul herself, …she sighed silently. I don’t really have anything to say. It’s like I got nothing. None that fit. None that sounded right to say to a pony she had harmed so badly with more harsh words that could never be taken as a joke. Only able to watch her old friend do this with another pony. Hard to not feel a little jealous and hide that behind a smile so feigned that it hurt her mouth as she walked over to join the two of them.

3.55
She just waited and watched these two. Going on with a little more back and forth that she chose to drown out. Seeing no reason to really want to hear the mockery which she lost all need to find funny. Cut short with a simple bang. Bringing Soul out of her silence with a quick yelp so silent that she could tell neither pony heard it. A bang coming from Rainbow Dash smacking a hoof against one of the barrels.

“Whatever. So I thought you were supposed to go shopping. What’s this junk?” “Umm I already went shopping, thank you very much” came Applejack with a swipe of her hoof to clear Dash away from the barrel that the Pegasus started to lean on. “And this here junk will be yer food at some time.”

Her food? Soul came forward. I wonder what’s in those barrels. Finding more to them than what she saw before. Like the strap of rope tied around all of them and joined together in one knot leading up to what she could call out as a harness, much like the ones pegasi had used to haul large vats of water to the factories of Cloudsdale. This one left strewn upon the ground. Clearly dragged along as made apparent by the scratch marks left behind in the soil all around the barrels and disappearing further on into the crowd behind them.

Like she knew, Applejack eased herself next to Soul and, arrogantly winking at Dash, pushed aside the top to one of them and revealed what was hidden inside. Looked to be seeds. Filled to the top of this barrel with what must be thousands of tiny little seeds packed close together in a dark ocean with nothing else in there. So the other few barrels with this one must also have the same thing in them. “I done got a mighty fine haul today” Applejack said. “Half price so I bought twice the usual. Might make for a good harvest.”

So are these apple seeds then if she was planning on some sort of harvest? All I know about this pony. That she had a farm with great apples, ...and those apples on her flanks. What did that cutie mark mean? That she was good at growing apples? Probably not, might be something more deep. Like a good trait that Soul herself could never claim with her meaningless one.

“Just takin ‘em back to the cart.” Applejack sealed the lid. Turning off to leave Soul and Dash to themselves and going over to where she began to fidget with the harness. Having a damn good time trying to fit it around her nose and let it slide down around her.

“Best… let ya’ll get to yer shopping” she looked back at them. “Rainbow Dash…” “I got it” Dash blurted out. “Looks like nopony wants me around.” Huh, wait but I want… oh… she saw it. The way Dash floated off on silent wings and how sad she looked. She’s playing around. It actually was kind of amusing. Like Dash’s spirits were being lifted. Certainly acting more carefree than she had been earlier. She must be waking up finally.

“Oh shut yer hole” Applejack commented, and her green eyes fell onto Soul. Not annoyed at all anymore. She smiled instead. “It was real nice to meet you, sugar cube.” She sounded… so friendly. Was it weird to see a bit of Pinkie in her joyous eyes? Like no actual malice of distaste to be seen in them. No, Soul saw that this pony was being nice. To her.

Soul was about to wish her the same, not before Rainbow Dash came back in between them. Startling her with how fast the Pegasus rushed in. “Wait! I don’t know why you two are saying bye.” “What…?” Soul stuttered. Really not seeing why it was that dash was acting like this, and curious as to why her old friend was stopping them. Being so forceful. Like something was at stake. Catching a little concern in her magenta eyes.

3.56
“Whatcha talkin’ about, Dash?” Applejack also wondered. “Well…” Dash scratched the top of her head. Looking back between Applejack and Soul. Looking as if something was on her mind. So much so that her wings couldn’t keep still. “Are the others here?” she asked. “Yeah” Applejack confirmed. Pointing her hoof past Soul and over to the crowded market stalls behind them. “Somewhere in there, I couldn’t be bothered to deal with that there mess those two are in right now.”

A mess? Soul looked back behind her but had no idea who it was she was looking for. Though Dash seemed to. “Great!” she excitedly yelled. “So I’m gonna go shopping with them.” Dash hovered over Soul. Flapping her thick wings in a gust of wind across Soul’s back as she changed places and nudged Soul forward with a gentle shove to the base of her tail. Pushing Soul closer to Applejack. Whatever the Pegasus wanted of her.

“Soul is pretty strong, so how about you give this workhorse something to do, AJ? At least till I get back.” Until she gets back? So is she gonna leave? She wants to hang out with the others? Did I do something wrong? She looked at Dash, staring for an answer and she got one. Dash winked at her.

Well… I guess I can stay here. This Applejack girl is pretty nice. She seemed like a rather friendly mare. Soul even stepped a little closer to the Earth pony when Dash began to float away. Leaving with an affirmative nod from Applejack who removed the harness easier than it had been to put on, but no nod from Soul. There was just something. Something about seeing the cyan pony fly away that made her skin crawl underneath her fur. A wretched feeling of worry all over her. As if Dash… she is leaving me again. Even if she said just to shop… how long? And would she come back?

Stop that. Soul felt such a pain along her body. As if she smacked herself on the inside. I’m lying to myself, Dash won’t leave me. Not this time. Not after all she has been doing for me. This Rainbow Dash was nice. Nice enough to try her best to help Soul make a few friends in this new town even after their past. That, that was nothing less than true kindness. The same friendly and kind Rainbow Dash she wanted, and that Dash would not abandon her… ever again. …So trust that warm smile that Dash gave her. How the Pegasus reached out to touch Soul on the shoulder with the slightest little rub that Soul picked out in her touch. As if to tell her all was going to be okay.

“I’ll be back soon, okay. How about you hang out with AJ?” Dash whispered. “I’ll come back so you can meet the others.” Applejack did confirm that they were here, those other friends of Dash’s. Including an alicorn princess. Sheesh.

3.57
Well… she looked back to Applejack and thought more on Pinkie Pie. These ponies are really treating me so well, maybe because they just don’t know who I am. Rainbow couldn’t stress enough how this was going to be the case and it turned out to be. I can trust her. Not like I got anything to lose. I’m already deep in it. It really won’t hurt to get to know Applejack a little more. Even though I get to work. Anything to show she was not some sort of pushover to these ponies. That she was worthy of being their friend as she was starting to like the idea of.

Soul nodded. Reeling her hoof back and standing back in place with Applejack coming to her side. Fully accepting of the idea of having Soul with her as was seen with how very happy she was in how she looked and her sweet laugh. Doing exactly what Dash did to her earlier: giving that light punch to her shoulder.

“Don’t run off without me, you two.” With that, Dash took to the skies and flew off over the crowds in as graceful a flight she could manage without stumbling her wings over how excited she looked. Heading well off in the direction that Applejack had pointed.

Gone again… just saying she’ll be back soon. A promise that Soul felt she could accept. Constantly telling herself she was going to be okay, that Dash was not doing anything other than going on a couple errands. I’ll prove to her that she can trust me. I’ll help her friend and I’ll wait for her. I kind of wonder, does she think I may leave?

Dash did look to be happy. That Pegasus was always too hard to read. I won’t run off without her. Telling Dash that right when she found herself pulled once more in the same headlock she experienced before. Applejack dragged Soul straight back to her with that strong leg of hers. A strong leg that failed to be gentle. It actually kind of jumbled her a bit with how strong of a pull it was. Pulled right in, Applejack held her close. She was not gentle, but her voice turned out to be.

“Alright, seriously. What the hay did you two yesterday when I left? I know I saw you go after her mighty fast. You two gettin’ along?”

She saw us? So that meant… it must have looked weird. I kinda did chase Dash out of town. Like I’m just trouble; especially since AJ did look rather concerned right now. Worried about Dash. Don’t worry… I’m not this mean pony that everypony sees me as.

3.58
Soul told her the truth, seeing no harm in it. I’d rather her not worry about it. “We’re doing good. I… we just sort of…” Soul darted her eyes aside. What can I say? What did Dash and I do yesterday? Seemed wrong to call it this. “We raced each other.”

“A race?” Applejack said intrigued. “Just comin’ back and ya’ll already racin’ each other. Well if that ain’t touching than I don’t know what is.” “Yeah” Soul accepted what she got out of her explanation of what happened. Further driving that little thing about this false life she had spun to these ponies. Well, not her exactly.

“I was dying to put her to the test after so many years being apart” Soul said. That… was truth. “You’ve been practicing in other lands for years?” Applejack asked. “Twelve to be exact” Soul said.

“Twelve!” Applejack let her go. She was in total shock. So now the truth was out. Twelve years outside of this life that these ponies knew. Soul was surprised how Applejack did react to it. The Earth pony held her mouth agape for a second. Twelve years did sound like a lot, it must be to her. Too bad she will never know just how long that torment really was. How it felt like twice as long.

“You’ve been practicing… for twelve years?” Applejack whispered. Glancing past Soul to her left and then her right. Clearly looking at her wings. “So… that was you.”

Huh, what is she talking about? Soul peaked her eyebrow. Just about to ask before “Can you do a sonic rainboom?”

A sonic… Dash’s move? Soul shook her head. “I don’t think so.” Thinking over it all and realizing one thing. AJ here must have seen what we did. I don’t think anypony would’ve been able to miss what we did yesterday. The sight of Rainbow’s rainboom and my… was it even a rainboom? Never really did figure out what it was. All it took was her going so fast that it nearly hurt her, yet it was exhilarating. Like being the wind itself. Such a joy bringing an epic light show she still could not believe she was able to make just by flying. Though, Dash could do it too just by flying. Simply different colors.

“I mean…” Soul decided to try and put that into words. “It’s something like it, just happens when I fly really fast.” “And you used that against her rainboom, didn’t ya?” Applejack said. Getting nearer and her enthusiasm growing along with her joyful smile. Soul had no comment. “I knew it! All them black and purply lights. That was you. Right after Dash’s rainboom.” She smiled with a squee.

3.59
“You gotta tell me, who won?”

Is my move a sonic rainboom? I need to call it something. Not like it was rainbow or anything. Seriously, what to call it? I got an amazing move like that and nothing to call it, I wonder if Dash would be upset if I called it a rainboom too. …Oh wait, did she just ask me something? Who won?

“We tied” Soul said. I think that’s what happened. Even with the race not exactly ending, though if it had ended Soul could tell that things would likely end the same way they always did in the past. Especially since both pegasi did a good job in keeping up with one another. There’d have been no way to pass Dash anyways in that race. It hurt too much. If only I had stretched.

AJ gasped. So loudly. “There’s no way.” Soul watched as AJ broke from her stupor, coming forward and leaning past Soul so close she could feel the Earth pony breathing onto her back as she stood tall over Soul. Looking right back at her wings. She’s staring at them. Like lasers tickling her spans. Her wings even shook in response. But she calmed them and let them rest firmly against her sides. Right clear where AJ could see them no matter what unless she shoved her aside.

“Hard to say this…” Applejack paused. Gulping deeply. “But I believe ya.”

Yeah, I admit, it is really hard to race Dashie. It really is but I still got it. She bet it to be quite a feat for any Pegasus to keep up with a pony whose wings were as strong as those cyan ones. It took really special wings and real special determination to match a pony who had both of those since childhood. I guess I should be impressed with myself.

“Dash is the best flyer in Equestria… and you tied with her?”

What did she say?

Dash is the best…? No… no way.

“She is?” Soul squeaked.

AJ stepped back. “Yeah… but now I don’t know. With wings like yers… why, they’re as good as hers.” My wings are pretty strong, yeah, but… I don’t know. Dash is the best? Can I even be as good as her? Twelve years. In twelve years… Dash was able to become the best flyer. She did this.

Rainbow, you are this amazing? You stuck with what we wanted since we were kids and you did it. And I… I kept up with you. All this time, I was able to fly as fast as you. Her wings practically jumped for joy against her sides exactly like her heart leaped. Applejack was saying this. This thing that could be the one thing she took out of it. This means…

I’m as good as Dash, I’m a better flyer than any other?

3.60
Soul placed a hoof to her forehead. Still taking that in. I never knew… I was able to do this. It felt good. So good. Like euphoria running across her body. Such calm. Like it told her just how special her wings were. She always did think they were but… this special! With no more ponies around to insult her over them. Nothing but praise. All because of the work I did to them. Do I really deserve to be given such praise?

I told you you were good.

Blight called me a perfect flyer. All these ponies stare at me like I’m weird or something. No, all these ponies, they feel the same way. It’s not like back at camp. Not like when I was a kid. Ponies actually like me. They like my wings. Twelve years of work and… now it’s like a dream.

What if I were to perform for all of them? Would they love me? Love me like they love Dashie. I wish I had that chance… long ago. Like a few years ago. I would totally enter the Best Young Flyer Competition. Crush all those ponies in it.

Soul giggled inside. More giddy than anything else right now. Her legs shook. Not even able to tell if she was smiling. Probably was. Who cares? This must be what it feels like to be… something. No more ponies hurting me… no. Ever since I got here, it’s like something completely different from Cloudsdale. Nopony sees me as a horrible pony. They just see me as an amazing flyer with beautiful wings. It made her giggle. Laughing with AJ. I think I’m starting to like this town.

“Color me impressed, sugar cube.” She was impressed. Just like Blight was. Like Dash had been before. Like other ponies. Applejack, does she like me too? She makes me feel… appreciated.

3.61
“You gotta show me those wings of yers in action” AJ requested. “I’m bettin you can pull off all sorts of fancy maneuvers. Show my girl, Rainbow, up for me. That’ll really ruffle her feathers.” Yeah. I think it’s true. Applejack likes me. I like her too. It’s sort of just like how it was with Pinkie, but… better. AJ was pretty nice.

Hope she doesn’t mind, but I want to call her what Dash calls her. “Sure thing, …AJ.” Soul smiled. Rewarded by the same from AJ whose spirits soared. “That’s my girl” the farmpony howled out. Hehe, anything for my friend...

Rainbow Dash was right again. These ponies Dash was friends with, nothing like the children from the past. These ponies were so open and kind. So friendly. None of them seemed to see any flaws in her, nothing to keep them away. Unless they knew the truth. Then what? Something other than what Soul knew would happen?

It would be a dream for me to be able to tell them my real name and they still love me. Will they? I don’t think so.

No. If they knew, then they would all hate me. Just like all the ponies before. I’m fine with lying to them about everything. Anything to feel like they will like me. …They only all like me… because they don’t know.

“And who knows” AJ said. “Maybe you can do a hoof race with me sometime, your legs there are lookin’ mighty strong too. …No wings for that though.” It was instinctive, but Soul nodded. I like the sound of that. Even if I lose, I don’t care. It will be a fun thing to do with this pony who can never know who I am.

“Can do, but…” Soul made her way past AJ and to the barrels the two had waiting for them. “Not here.” Soul set her own hoof on one of the barrels with an inviting clank. Let’s get this stuff done before anything else.

3.62
The harness was all set up with a rope that went all around the barrels and tightly strung along them. Well tied in and ready for them all to be pulled with more ropes strapped around them seemingly to keep them in place with one another. Can we even move all these? I guess AJ has a lot of strength, she was able to move them all the way over here. Gonna be a lot of work but… I won’t back down. Besides, there’d be no way she’ll leave Applejack hanging. That pony deserved some help. From Soul alone.

“Sorry if I struggle moving these” she said not for pity, but because she truly thought this may be a challenge for her. “I’m not that strong. …But I’ll still do that hoof race with you.”

“Well clearly ya’ll never looked at yer own legs before” Applejack said so snark as she passed by with a grin. Soul looked down at her legs. What? They’re nothing special. Yeah I worked them out a ton and all but they’re not that strong. Unlike AJ. Does she even mean it? That my legs look strong. Well… I can still try. It means a lot that a pony like her would notice the work I put in.

It was actually starting to get to be too much.

All these nice things ponies were saying. Stop making me blush.

“Just follow my lead and you’ll do fine, teammate.” Applejack smiled saying that, welcoming Soul over to where she waited in front of these barrels of seeds. Alright so… how am I gonna do this? Looking back over the setup AJ made here. Making her way over to the harness that had been casually left to its lonesome on the ground. I think I see how to put it on. Didn’t look too tight either, just well enough for her to possibly slip into.

It looked weird though. Such a thing, I’ve never worn one of these before. I never had to haul anything like this. But I’ll do it for Applejack. Picking it right up in her mouth and maneuvering it around till the openings got in a position to just slide around her. Or they would.

3.63
Applejack set a hoof right on it, stopped right in its tracks and tossed back onto the ground. “I said to follow my lead” she said. What, was I not doing something right? Applejack doesn’t need to use the harness, I’ll gladly do it. She could always use her wings and was about to point this out, ready to take on the responsibility when she witnessed AJ do something much different. She grabbed a part of the rope in her mouth.

That was it? Had to be. She simply stared at Soul like that as if awaiting something. Until she nodded downwards. Soul realized what it was she was doing. Pointing to another free part of the rope connected to the harness that sat between the two ponies. Well if that’s how she wants to do this. Not what I expected.

Soul did as she asked, picking it right up in her mouth. Clamping tight with her teeth. “Where are we going?” Soul asked. Looking about for something she knew not what to look for. “I got my cart outside the market. Let’s just load ‘em up in her.”

Applejack began to pull, wasting no more time. Such a heavy tug and… Soul looked back just in time to see all those barrels being pulled right at her. Oh crap! Soul rushed forward. Catching up with AJ and then, she really felt it as the rope snapped tight. Hell, they were heavy back there. Even with AJ’s help, they felt like she may be hauling a load of boulders behind her. Making her legs wobble for a moment. Enough of this.

Soul let out her wings. Giving such a strong flap that pushed her legs forward, all the strength she needed. Just use some flaps with them to get her forward. Then again. Still felt like a huge strain on her legs. Applejack really did move these things all on her own? Impossible.

“Why didn’t… you just get the cart?” Soul asked the burning question in her mind.

“You seriously think I can get that behemoth through this here crowd?” AJ responded and waved a hoof before all the ponies massed around them, some of which took their time to notice the two ponies and get out the way. One even stared at Soul and her technique of moving the barrels along. Hey, it worked. Not hurting her legs so much anymore and giving her wings something to do. But, yeah there were too many ponies.

“We’ll just load ‘em up and wait for the others. I think Rarity’s gonna have a ton a crap for me to carry as well” Applejack said. A ton of crap for her? What is she talking about? Wasn’t Rarity one of Dash’s friends? The fashion pony? Yeah that was it. Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight?

Still incredible that she was so close to meeting them all. Here! Here of all places, and so soon. But she stuck with it as she did before. They all seemed to be exactly what Dash told her they will be. She could only hope AJ would be able to haul all that. Unless… I can still help her if she wants. All this is really heavy.

3.64
“What even are those seeds for?” Soul asked. So many barrels all filled to the brim. “For plantin’ of course” AJ said. “Oh…” Soul paused. Nice smartass answer. I see how sarcastic she’s being. Like she was goofing that Soul may be stupid or something. Soul shook her head. “No, I mean what are you planting them for?” Surely she didn’t need all of this. “For the crops. Need us a new batch of food for Ponyville. Ya know, my family’s got a stake in this here market and they need all the product we can make.”

Soul cocked her eyebrow. This pony was telling her about her life. Her very simple life. One of farming and selling the results just to make these ponies happy. It… it sounds so normal. Like a life I can remember for ponies back home.

This is the first pony to tell me about their lives here. She wants to talk to me about it? Why even bother? Do all ponies here have lives as simple as that? It sounds so nice. One without heartache or pain, loneliness. As far as she could tell. This pony seemed as happy as could be.

What if I had a life like that growing up? No mistakes or pain. How normal her life may be. What could have been accomplished? Where would she be? Similar to this Earth pony? But, Blight, …that thought hit her. I… may not have met her. Would I? I could have just gone on with my normal life with Dashie… or… gone through this pain… and find such a great friend. Really, why do I need to be the one who deals with all this? No such thing as normal. Like it may make her cringe in front of everypony. In front of AJ. Walking next to her talking away.

“Done picked me up some carrots, cucumbers and lettuce seeds. That stuff is a killer. But most of the haul is apple seeds.” Talking about her farm. All the stuff she grows there. Sounds like a nice hobby, one this pony indulged in for a job. Growing foods for others and some sort of great apple farmer as apparent by her family’s status that she learned of. Hehe and her name is Applejack. What, are there other ponies out there named after apples too?

3.65
But it was interesting to her that they were hauling apple seeds, and so many. Soul was no farmer but… didn’t apple trees sort of last long? Or whatever the term was. This must be enough to make an entirely new farmland of them. So many barrels. “What do you need the apple seeds for?”

“Rainbow Dash” Applejack said bluntly.

Soul sighed. This will be good. “What did she do?” Applejack responded with a resounding snort and a wave of her hoof. “You kidding me, that pony made one helluva mess of my fields the other week. Pulling some fancy move that near tore my acres up. She spent all day apologizing.” Whoa. So sounded like Dash really messed up right there. What kind of move would it take to ruin a field? Really hope nopony got hurt.

Dash still rushes and makes mistakes. All these years and she never grew out of it, never learned from any of it… just like the crash yesterday. Or… that was my fault. No, she was doing a good job. Except for all the accidents. Guess no matter how good Dashie gets, she’ll still have problems. But …ponies make mistakes. I know I do.

“So that’s why I got that Pegasus on rain duty for my farm for the next three months” Applejack nudged her. “Don’t be surprised to see her getting’ up early somedays.” Well at least Dash was making up for her mistake. Soul could relate. It always was right to make things right, to right all your mistakes that hurt other ponies. I totally get what you’re saying, AJ. Even if you didn’t mean it like this. It just sounded so right for her. So, don’t be upset Dash, we both are still pretty reckless. With Soul still being a burden to the pony who didn’t need her to be one. Who didn’t earn a burden on herself. Not when she had so much to do already. Soul will do so much to make things right.

I’ll help anypony till I can have my normal life back, where Dash will be my friend again and nopony will hate me. I’ll earn it all.

When Dash will finally forgive me.

I don’t know much about weather control or any of that stuff, but… maybe I can try to help Dash out with that sometime. I’m a Pegasus after all, and I’m good with clouds. Move them around and all that, isn’t that mostly what weather control is? I don’t know. Something to help her. Anything she needed.

She did give me this, after all.

Right next to Soul. Matching Soul’s steps. Applejack was laughing and smiling with her. Having a good time. I think… I may have a new friend?

3.66
Don’t even know what to do, but things are still working out so good. Rainbow Dash could not stop loving how well it was all going. No doubt those two are back there having a good time together. No better way to make friends than through working haha. How could there be a better way for a pony to get to know Applejack? That workhorse would talk your ear off while she worked. Hope you can handle it, Soul.

Those two will be friends in no time. Thankfully. AJ did a good job at greeting Soul. Why, it was nearly impossible not to notice the shine that Pegasus had in her eyes. Still there even when she left Soul. That pony must love being able to hang out with another pony. Not even putting up a fight at the idea. Simply going along with it. Now that was a shocker. A shock for all to be working out.

Now, things were working out even more.

Dash threw her bits upon the counter and plucked up the results of what she bought. A nice bundle of grapes set atop her left wing and set to join the rest of the fruits she had stocked up in one of the saddlebags draped along her side. Damn near filled to the brim just like the other three she had on her and their weight was starting to become a bit much. Maybe because the bags dragged along the ground as she walked off. Putting up a fight against her just to move along.

Ugh, don’t got much of a choice nowadays. I’m buying for two now… and Soul… she’s a pig if I remember right. Hope this is enough. All these fruits and vegetables may not even be enough in the end to last the week. But what more to get?

She walked on over to the other stand nearby, selling nothing at all she needed. Somehow it still managed to boast a crowd around it. Around where they sold seeds. Seeds meant for bird feed. No clue why so many ponies wanted that stuff. But… a certain pony must be over here. Didn’t take long. Dash heard a little scoff behind her.

3.67
None other than Rarity. The pony rushing up behind Dash. Her blue eyes set right on the saddlebags.

“Seriously!?” the unicorn asked in such an annoyed shrill. Why did it amuse Dash? She still smiled. “I just bought grapes and you go ahead and get some anyways?” Rarity pulled up a fresh bundle of red grapes held up from her bejeweled saddlebag, aloft by the burst of blue mist formed around it that matched the same color as her glowing horn. Oh what, how was I supposed to know she would buy some?

“Sorry” Dash said. “Guess Soul will need to settle with white grapes” referring to the ones she bought instead. “I’m just too ahead of you. But hey” Dash pointed to the grapes Rarity had bought. “Now you got some for yourself.” Dash going on ahead with her business. Hope she won’t be too upset. Not even knowing both of them were buying the same thing for this.

Rarity followed her. Dash hearing her hoofsteps behind her in a little stomp. “Seriously, Dash I simply can not figure out what it is she would like. Not like you gave us any time to prepare for this.” Oh I made it clear earlier. She doesn’t need to buy presents for Soul right now. Rarity is such a spaz. So hard pressed for ideas that she went ahead and bought grapes for a present. Besides, presents would be for a later day. Right no, this is just supposed to be a welcoming party for Soul and introduce her to everypony. Welcome to have so many new friends to guide her away from the horrors of her past. No need for presents to do that. Pinkie, like she always was, probably already had a bunch readied up.

But… she barely knows Soul. What would she even get her?

“Stop your worrying” Dash said back. “All I asked was for you to be there for her.” “Yes, but it’s hardly ladylike to show up to a party without anything to give” Rarity countered. Lifting something else up from her bag. “Perhaps this comb?” Holding up the black studded comb complete with a little ribbon around it and then …glasses popped up. Making Dash roll her eyes.

“Or these glasses. They become sunglasses in the light.”

Soul doesn’t need glasses and… a comb? Seriously. “Let me tell you, once you see that mane of hers, you can tell she doesn’t need a comb.” It would just get destroyed again in the wind all thanks to that high-flying pony.

3.68
“Excuse me” Dash said to the ponies around the stand. Thankful for them to part for her to trot right on in. “Well excuse me” Rarity said. Doing well to put emphasis on the excuse part. Standing her ground outside the crowd and not wanting to follow in. Glaring at Rainbow. “But will you not help me?”

What does she want me to say? She’s overreacting so much on this. She even freaked the hell out earlier when she learned about the party. And Pinkie probably already almost has it ready. “This is just her welcome party” Dash reiterated. “You don’t see me getting her gifts.”

Rarity made an obvious glance to the saddlebags Dash toted. Raising an eyebrow. “That’s just food for the two of us back home. Come on now, you’re worrying over nothing. Just show her a good time later.” “You know I’m not going to accept coming empty hooved” Rarity flashed her hoof to Dash. Pointing it right through her essentially even though it stopped just short of striking the fur on her chest.

Sweet Celestia. Dash held her breath. Really trying to figure this out right now. In a manner she couldn’t figure out anything with. Even she lost ideas on what it would be that Soul would like for gifts. Not that she ever planned to get any for this party to begin with. The thought did cross, but then the thought of disappointing her with garbage crossed as well. Until another idea had come to her mind earlier.

Why did Rarity not let it sink in? This was not that important, just to make friends. The most important thing was… Dash had an idea.

It… sounds perfect!

Then maybe Rarity would stop worrying over it and have some actual time to plan things out. “Look, just show up to the party, hang out with her and make her feel welcomed. That’s gonna make her very happy” Dash said. Seeing no change in Rarity’s expression. So Dash came closer. Holding her hoof up to wave her friend closer, and she did. Enough for Dash to whisper.

“I got something special planned. But for now, just play along. I need all the help I can get to make her feel welcome.”

“What is this special thing you have planned?” Rarity said. More intrigued now than she was annoyed. Dash considered telling her. About to until, that wouldn’t be good. Not until all of us are together. Because Dash didn’t want to think about it right now, not with so much on her plate as was. So much that her head might spin. Leave it for later.

“It’s a secret… but I’ll give you some designs later. Suppose it wouldn’t be too much to ask you to sew them up for me?” Dash held her forehooves together. Practically begging Rarity for the favor and to drop this for now with the biggest grin Dash could manage.

“Very well” Rarity said, surprising Dash with a quick nudge to her side as the unicorn walked past almost making Dash fall over if not for her catching herself. But Rarity smiled back. A small giggle betraying that tough show she tried to put on. “I’ll do it for you, just try to give her a good show today. The poor dear needs it after such a long journey.”

3.69
Dash smiled. Yes! So that may work out in the end. Good. At least after this worked out. All of this. But it seemed like it may. Really, none of them know who Soul really is. Just like I thought. Rarity more than happy to help Soul out. Even Fluttershy was on board. Doing her business before she’d be ready to head back with them to find wherever Soul and AJ wandered off to.

Hopefully those two had not gotten too far. But none of them suspected a thing. Really buying into that crazy story Soul came up with. Dash could only hope they’d all forgive her for lying to them over the story when the time came to tell the truth. They’d have to because they’ll all understand she had no choice.

Then we can all prove Soul is innocent.

She can live here with me! Oh, so exciting! I can already see how happy Soul will be when Celestia clears her of everything. Accept all that happened as the accident that it all was. Surely, Celestia will listen to us and Soul will want me to be there for her again. She’ll want things the way they used to be and we can be together! Dash giggled under her breath.

She followed right after Rarity now into the crowd which began to disperse so much so that the ponies had an easy time making their way to the stand. Finding that Fluttershy was still there. Looking to be more at ease to see both of them had arrived. Dash swore she saw the Pegasus giving a little sigh of relief under her breath. No sign of worry at all unlike other ponies. Walking right up to meet Dash from where she could see Fluttershy had indeed picked up a big surplus of seeds inside of her own saddlebags. Thankfully not for Soul.

“Did you manage to find everything you needed?” Fluttershy asked. Sounding so sweet as she said it but, for some reason, she frowned. Dash answered anyways with a nod. “Yeah I think I got everything.” Looking back over her bags and being certain she had everything she set out to get. Recalling the list she formed in her head and checking each off as she remembered everything she bought already. Really not finding anything she missed. Enough food for maybe a few days. I’d get more but these bags are starting to get pretty hard to haul around like this.

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“That’s good” Fluttershy pointed out and made her way past Dash. Like she was ready to go. Go on with that frown of hers. “Do we have everything for a cake?” Is she serious? More so, it was making Dash realize something apparent with that Pegasus. “Pinkie will already have it done.” Dash put a hoof to her chin. “Though I don’t know what flavors she’s doing.”

Another surprise cake for any pony that managed to get a welcome party from Pinkie. But Soul really loves sweet things, so she’d likely be satisfied with any flavor, and how could she turn down any after so many years without any type of real food? But more to the point, the one Dash realized she strayed off from. “You still okay with coming to the party?” she asked Fluttershy. Responded with a resounding sigh, turning Dash’s spirits down in an instant. Seeing the disappointed faces of her two friends in front of her.

Uh oh, what’s wrong?

“I’m just worried I may make her upset” Fluttershy said. “I couldn’t think of anything to get her for a present.” Here we go again. So now I get to hear the lecture. Seeing it in Rarity’s eyes. Right as the unicorn said it. “You didn’t exactly give us any notice. We have to give a surprise party for a pony we don’t know how to surprise. How do you even expect us to do that?” But… that wasn’t even the point of surprise parties… wait… why am I wasting time on this? This should be so simple.

“You’re her friend, Dashie. Can you not tell us more about her? Please” Fluttershy said.

There wasn’t anything more to say. Dash made her way to join the two ponies. Almost tripping on a bag in the process, fed up with this burden. She took to the air now to hover gently over them. Letting her wings do the work and feeling so much relief wash over her. “Just talk with her, introduce yourselves. Make her feel welcomed. She’s been very lonely on her trip and could use some company. I really wish I had a better plan, but it’s all I got.” Dash pleaded with them. “So please just help me.”

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“Perhaps you should have considered asking Twilight for some help” Rarity suggested. Twilight, huh? The truth was Dash did want Twilight to help with this. She’s handled hard stuff before, I’ve never had to deal with this kind of thing before. No friendship problem like this. It would have been a good idea, but… Soul was way to nervous. How Soul was acting earlier, she probably wouldn’t be able to hang out with Twilight. Understandable, but it didn’t help.

“I’d rather I handle it. She’s my old friend, I want to be the one who is there for her.”

Really, these two had no idea how hard this actually was. All the reasons why Dash could not do any of this the easy way. She wished she could tell them. Better yet, she wished those mistakes had not been done twelve years ago and they wouldn’t even have this situation. Soul would have had her welcome party long ago and it’d gone much smoother. In a time when she knew the Pegasus better. Now, now she didn’t even know what to say.

Rarity called her my friend. Soul doesn’t even feel like my old friend anymore.

Applejack probably knew more about her by now than even Dash did. Soul looked plenty happy around that pony. She’s just happy cuz I’m not there scaring her. Well… today, I’ll show her I can be her good friend again. That I am so very sorry. Sorry for what I see in her. Seeing the unbelievable sadness in Soul’s beautiful eyes that had once been gifted with nothing but joy and happiness the likes of which Dash adored to see in such an adorable friend. Rarity and Fluttershy giggled.

Dash looked up seeing both of them enjoying themselves to one another. “Aww that’s so sweet of you, Dash” Fluttershy said. Not even letting Dash respond with even a blush before Rarity said “You don’t need to beg us for help. We already agreed and will do our best. It really is nice of you to want to help her so much.” The unicorn turned around and made her way off, off in the direction that Dash began to assume as to what may be her destination. Followed by Fluttershy. “You really are a good friend of hers. Shall we go meet her?”

Dash took a moment… then she nodded.

A good friend of hers?

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Her good friend? No, that… that won’t be until after she can forgive me for what I did to her. Still, I want to do all this for her. Rarity was probably blowing smoke up her ass, but Dash liked what she said. Feeling a little pride that she was being recognized for her deeds. All to lead to when Soul will recognize just how good of friends they all can be together. She’ll let me be in her life again.

The moment when both of us… can finally hug each other again… and I’ll apologize so much. And she’ll forgive me.

Dash already knew just how to do it. That loving hug that Soul had been devoid of for too long. That hug that both of them missed deeply. Or so she hoped her old friend missed it just as much as she did. But, I guess I am a good friend for her. The thing she needed to show. For only a true friend would do stuff like this. Dash tussled her saddlebags a bit feeling that they may fall off with all of Soul’s food. Righting them once more. Feeling proud that she got all this for her old friend and how happy Soul will be. Listening to her friends talk below her.

“Just off her travels, she sounds like a fascinating pony. You think she may have foreign fashion advice for me?” To which Fluttershy responded with “I don’t know, but I hope she’s nice.” Saying it with an enthused smile. Fluttershy will be pleasantly surprised. Soul is such a nice pony. She always had been. Contrary to all she was known for. Those three will get along real nicely, and then a kickass party for all of us. I can’t wait.

“You don’t have to wait for long.” Dash widened her eyes, just as she almost felt the need to plummet out of the sky. Caught by a quick burst of her wings strong enough to… to carry this weight? Dash looked over to her right. Right where she had heard the voice.

Pinkie Pie?

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Dash gasped. Pinkie right there. Right there… inside one of the saddlebags with her head poking out of it. Clearly doubling the size of that bag alone and… Dash’s heart plummeted. She better not have squished the plums!

She pulled something other than food out from the bag with her. Holding up a little watch on a string tied around her forehoof. Giving Dash no time to read it. More in bewilderment that Pinkie was here right now, and why she felt the need to hitch a ride. “Party will be ready in an hour. Don’t be late.”

“Wha…!”

Dash watched as the pink pony plummeted right back down into the bag and… felt like normal now.

She didn’t even give me a chance to…

“An hour!” Rarity shrieked. The unicorn clearly freaking out down there. Barely able to keep herself still, like she was dancing on all hooves. Looking left and right. Dash too… I only have an hour?

“I haven’t even prepared. Ooooh…” Rarity took off faster than Dash had time to calm her. With her curly purple mane waving violently in the wind with every gallop she took through the crowds of ponies. Dash just able to see her from up here, and hear her. “I gotta get ready, …see you at the party!” Her voice not doing well in masking that she was really, really freaking out. As was Dash. Damn it, Pinkie. She could’ve at least given us more time. It wasn’t even noon yet.

Even Fluttershy felt the need to take off. The Pegasus joining Rainbow in the air with gentle little flaps that brought her right next to her. “Sorry, I need to go. Angel and the bunnies are going to need their meals early now.” She turned to fly off. Waving a hoof back and effectively killing the idea Dash had of all the ponies getting together here and being able to meet Soul. “I’ll see you and Soul soon” Fluttershy parted with and the Pegasus flew off. Leaving Dash alone.

So now we have to wait till the party… but I told Soul that… Dash shook her head. No, no. This wasn’t a big deal. I need to see if I’ll have enough time to get all this food back home. To even have time to do other things. That party now sounded like it’d be even more of a surprise for Soul in this, an ever-increasing day of surprises. Maybe it was for the best. Refusing to see anything worse with this situation. Soul could be surprised and meet new friends at the same party. Rarity and Fluttershy will treat her so well. But what to do?

Dash looked around. Taking a moment to pinpoint the direction she remembered leaving Soul and AJ in. Oh please may they be close to done with their work. AJ needs to get home quick. She just imagined that workhorse having to bust her tail in a rush to get all her work done beforehand.

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Rainbow took off into the sky, finding a better vantage with which to find exactly where it was she left those ponies. Hoping they may still be around there like they should. Both of them. Really hope AJ didn’t take off already, she doesn’t even know the party is soon. Dash sure as hell was ready but she needed the others to be as well.

Going off, she flew over the crowds of ponies mixed around with so many stands and carts, leaning down to catch wind of recognizable things that did let her know she was going the right way in her frantic flight so hurried that she knew she left a trail of wind behind her. Even hearing somepony yell about their hat in her wake. All the while wondering what it she should do. She really wanted to have a little fun with Soul before the party. Anything really, and she still worked on whatever it may be. Still desiring it.

She had so much weight on her, but none of it stopped her. None of it kept her down from zipping over everything. From trying to find those ponies. Finding her way to fly over the familiar carrot stands that let her know that she was indeed flying back in the right direction. Not taking long at all.

She heaved a sigh of relief, quickly getting sight of Applejack right at the crossroads with her wagon just outside the hustle and bustle of the market. Looking to be getting ready to pack up and leave, alongside her being the Pegasus she was also looking for. That’s a good sight. Of course they wouldn’t leave without me coming back. AJ wouldn’t do that. That girl would stay with Soul the entire time. If not for fun than for protecting the newcomer to Ponyville. Keeping her company. Gotta thank her later for helping me out.

For now, she zipped off. Closing in fast and just needing a little flick of her wings to slow her down for a landing. An awkward one when she almost tripped forward with a kick of her hooves against the ground all thanks to how heavy her saddlebags were now that they too got to drag along the ground. Happy in the end. For one reason. Nopony said anything stupid about her landing. Especially AJ, both ponies more focused on their task. Still managing to get a glance and a smile from AJ who just did the finishing touches to a tight looking knot she made in a rope that circled the entirety of the barrels stacked atop the cart. One of many knots. Looked as if AJ had put around a dozen ropes in to fasten them in place.

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There was something that did make Dash smile. She saw that Soul really had been helping AJ and she saw something more to it. Soul turned out to also be working to help prep the barrels too. Standing up on top of the cart and giving a quick buck to one barrel and then another, pushing them closer in till they were all tightly packed. Just seeing that Pegasus give a light whiff of her breath and rear up before delivering quite a snap of her hind legs against the barrels, such a strong kick. Breathing heavy. She must have been working hard.

Soul probably hasn’t put a ton of work into those legs of hers. Spending all that time on her wings, just like most pegasi. Dash couldn’t fault her. I don’t have amazing legs either. Still, I’m glad she helped out. She must have made things a bit easier. AJ seemed happy enough. Soul finally getting her moment to jump off from the cart and, after a small pause, she came over to meet Dash. Giving off her final haggard breaths and licking her lips. She nodded. Right as Soul spoke out. “You’re back.” Not so much say but almost shrieking.

Dash noticed something in her voice, like it was painful or something to say those two words. Like it hurt her throat. So why sound so weird over it? She couldn’t place it, at least Soul gave a little smile. Like her face lit up. Shining like her eyes. Stunning Dash at first, until she greeted her back with just as much strain in her voice that Soul had. “Yeah, I’m…” she coughed. Hearing how she sounded. Just wanting to correct that little mess up, and hope that Soul may not catch it as just how happy she really was to see them. Just something in my throat, haha.

I’m so glad I found them.

I was worried for a moment, I… I’d even hug her if she wanted me to. “I’m done shopping. I’m ready to go now” Dash said with no problems. Not like the surprise that came out a moment ago. “Well we just got done too” Applejack chimed in. Patting a hoof against the side of her cart with pride. That really was a good thing too.

3.76
“Great” Dash said, sliding past Soul and over to the Earth pony who was in no hurry to leave. Time to change that before Dash could feel her happiness begin to turn to an anxious breakdown. “Well you better get going so you can do that thing you need to do.”

“Wh…” Just as she expected.

Dash rushed in, setting a hoof right on AJ’s mouth and shutting her up before she blew this. Close enough now for her to grab her by the cheeks and whisper in her ear. “We need to get going.” “What are you talkin’ about, and why are we whispering?” Applejack said despite herself whispering with no hesitation. Rainbow took a glance over her shoulder, just enough to see that Soul was curiously fidgeting over at the far end of the cart. Doesn’t look like she can hear any of this. Frowning and then smiling again at them.

“Change of plans” Dash whispered back into Applejack’s ear. “Pinkie rushed, we got an hour till the party. Rarity and Fluttershy are already off to…”

“Oh dear!” Applejack surprised her. Rearing back free from Dash’s grasp and looking back over to her cart. “The thing” she nodded. “Right.” She was off, slipping easily into the harness that took over her entire torso. Taking her position up front at the head of the cart and ready to pull it off, as was shown in how freaked out she was. Barely able to keep herself still. So she really was reacting just like the others. At least she got the message. Not before she turned back. Holding still for just a moment.

“Thanks a ton, Soul. I’ll be sure to pay ya back but I gots to go get the… uh… stuff ready for later. Food prep and all!” She put on a little smile to seal the deal. Nice cover. AJ better do just as she said she was doing. I’m counting on her to deliver.

“Alright” Soul whispered. She gave a little wave of her hoof, and a smile. Not looking like she was upset at all over this unfortunate early parting. “It was nice meeting you.” “You too, sugar cube!” With that, Applejack kicked up her legs and sent that cart flying off behind her. Leaving a nice trail of dirt in her wake and the rickety creaks of the wagon wheels. “I’ll catch ya’ll gals later!” she yelled back.

Rainbow turned around, able to catch the last glimpses of Soul giving her friend a long wave off. She looked so happy. What did they do while I was off? Been a while since I saw Soul this happy. Those two… they must have gotten along so well. Giving this pony even more incentive to trust what Dash was saying. That this place was meant to be her home and she can trust everypony here. Here, the past didn’t matter. Not when she would have great friends ready to protect her. Ready to give her hope for a better future without worry.

I can only hope she’ll include me in it.

But I’m happy for her. Soul made another friend. There was no doubt in that. One more hour, one more and Soul will be so happy with me. Dash could hardly stand it. Wanting to break down with glee right there.

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She proved herself stronger than that. Rainbow rejoined Soul, standing side by side. She hesitated but went through with putting a thankful hoof atop Soul’s back. Right in between her folded wings. “Did you two have fun while I was gone?” Soul giggled. Showing nothing to indicate she didn’t like Dash touching her like this. Or she didn’t care. Looking to be more engrossed in her time with AJ.

“If by fun you mean hard work, then yes. I enjoyed it” Soul said. Wasting no more time in going on about it. Sounding a little like Pinkie Pie right now. “She had a lot of interesting stories about her farm so that made all that work pretty easy. Gave me a good workout too. I didn’t even know I could buck so good. So, I did have fun.” That sounded so good! Dash laughed for her. Patting her between the wings. More proud than anything else of what she was hearing. That this was all working out.

“I told you” Rainbow boasted. “My friends are awesome. They’re gonna be a blast to hang out with.” “Thanks for letting me meet them.” Soul raised a hoof. Up and then back till… Dash’s ears perked up. Soul touched the hoof Dash had set on her, and… she pushed it aside. Right back down onto the ground and free of the soft fur that Soul sported.

It was right there, right there when Dash felt a big emptiness in her heart.

She pushed me away. Did she actually not like me touching her? I thought she may be okay with me doing that. That we could be good friends again and… see that I’m doing all this for her. That I wasn’t lying. So both of us can go back to how we were. To better times.

Rainbow hid her face. Unable to look anymore at her and show that she was so hurt by that. Damn it all.

“You don’t need to do that for me” Soul said. But why? Soul used to be okay with me touching her. She always allowed Dash to. Typical because the two of them still weren’t friends. “Thanks for letting me meet Applejack. I think…” Dash felt a little tug on her. Pulling her back towards Soul. She had to see.

Soul was still here. Right next to her and… her own magenta furred leg set atop one of the saddlebags. Curling the hoof into the opening and pulling it towards her. “You should take a break. Let me carry some of these.” She gave another tug.

She wanted to… Rainbow Dash turned around fully. Bringing the bags with her. The bags that… Soul wanted from her. Offered to carry for her, and she wasn’t joking. Soul took another step forward. Really awaiting a response. Applejack, what did you do? How did this day manage to turn out so well. Well enough that Rainbow Dash looked across her old friend’s face and saw the sincerity, the kindness she was offering. Ones that left her mouth agape.

She wants to help me? Soul wants to help me? But I was meant to help her.

Soul offered her hoof again. Unfolding her wings and letting them plop down to present a nice and open area on her back fresh for a pair of saddlebags to be tossed on. It… wasn’t often that Rainbow was offered help like this. Always needing to ask for it first. So, to feel like this over it, that her old friend was wanting to help her in such a pitiful task… this feeling. Dash smiled for her. Ready to decline her offer, but… no. Not out of selfishness. Not about getting rid of some of this weight on her back. Strange enough, she felt it was a reward for Soul.

I’m so proud of her. She put up with so much today. She had to deal with twelve years of miserable crap and, after all that, she still is that pony that wants to help me just like when we were fillies. I can’t believe I pushed a pony like this away. To feel shame and pride at the same time. I’ll never let this pony down again, I promise. I’ll anything to help her. Even stand between her and Celestia if it comes down to it.

I’ll protect the pony I let down. Never let her down again.

Rainbow’s smile grew wider. Soul, you’re gonna get a treat. Looked like they did have time to go have a little fun. Show Soul more of what was in store for her here. How different this place is to the world Soul had to deal with for so long.

Rainbow lifted a bag up for her. “Let’s get going.”

3.77
“Ah! I see a bench we can use.” Rainbow Dash picked up her pace and rushed on ahead. Really gunning right for whatever it was that was happening. Soul really did think they were going to go meet more ponies, the others as Dash had said. But that Pegasus had failed to tell her anything more on it. Like where they were. So that left one question.

“What are we doing here?”

“Let’s just hang out for a bit” and Rainbow Dash galloped off, letting her hefty saddlebags bounce along her sides. Leaving Soul behind in surprise. But I thought we were going to go meet the others. She went all this way under the idea that they were doing just that. Just walking with Rainbow by her side as both pegasi hauled their respective saddlebags. The one Dash had given her still weighed down on her back. Bristling along her feathers.

It was just them and these bags as Soul was given the opportunity to marvel over everything she saw because now she realized, as they entered this clearing that bared way to a bench beneath a slew of thick trees, that all she had seen was something more. From the dirt paths just wide enough for Dash and her to walk side by side flanked by seemingly endless hills and flatlands of the brightest green grass she may see. The likes of which she would never be able to see days ago. All right here and broken just by lines of beautiful trees that lit the path. Forking all over to find more and more trees whose leaves beamed of sunlight. Those were all that dared to break the sanctity of these grasslands. Till now. When she found out where they were. When the trees parted.

Soul was face to face with a wide-open land shrouded in a blinding sunlight. Like it may warm this place on its own and only this place.

Soul looked all around, from the small patches of trees that covered benches much like the one that Dash skidded to a halt at and across a wide and sky-blue lake. The only thing that stood out among the endless green fields. Where she saw so much life all around it. Ponies that playfully ran or sat together at the lakeside. From adults to the children. All the laughter those kids gave off. The animals in the water itself. Flapping their wings and sending plumes of water off. Wow, it’s been so long since I saw ducks… and those are… swans. Few of the gorgeous white birds elegantly floating along in the water not giving any care to the ponies who watched them.

Even more benches beyond this and so many more ponies. Just enjoying all this. Sprawled out on blankets. Basking in the Sun. Kids flying a kite rising up to cover over a vast expanse of beautiful blue mountains so far off. Rising over all this in such beauty as they were meant to. To give the final touches to what Soul expected to be beauty. This was a park.

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So this is what Dash wanted to do this whole time. Not meeting the others. She wanted to show this to me, hang out here. Soul looked all around even more. Really no longer caring over her assumptions of what she wanted to happen. This… this was perfect.

I never knew this town had anything like this. Not even Cloudsdale had anything like this. No beautiful scenes around that massive cloud metropolis. The cloud mountains and rivers running through it all, this… this felt so much better. Impossible. Impossible not to feel some sort of appreciation to see all this after too many years. So peaceful and lively. Nothing like what she knew. Even little birds chirping happily over her.

Dash… wanted me to see this place. That was so sweet of her. Soul couldn’t deny that that Pegasus was doing a lot to welcome her into this town. When there was no reason for he to do any of this. She fed me, gave me a place to sleep and stay warm, showed me around town, introduced me to her friends. All I’ve done is… Soul looked over her shoulder to the bags she carried.

Seemed very one-sided.

There’s just nothing else that I can do. There was nothing she could do. Besides just prove to Dash that she wanted to be around her again. That she wanted them to do all the fun stuff they used to together. Like… this.

Soul looked over to her old friend who let her saddlebags drop and prop them against the side of the bench. We did use to enjoy moments like this together. Just sit down in a nice place and talk. Together… in a sauna. It’s like all those old times are coming back. All because of her. It’d be wrong of me to turn her down? She accepted it. Not able to resist the lure of being able to do what she assumed to be nothing more than taking time to not run all over the town and worry over what it may be that awaits her. Even if she knew that right after this will be meeting the other ponies. Rarity, Fluttershy and the alicorn Twilight. Whoever would be first, she could only hope for. Dream for all of them to accept her as had been the case so far in this total miracle.

3.79
Soul walked on over to join Rainbow Dash. Taking another glance around at all the other ponies she could find. Some of which just like her and Dash. Pairs of ponies just sat with one another on other benches. One who reclined and even others who just lay like they were on beds. Dash did the same. The Pegasus leapt up onto the bench and took no time to lay herself down, outstretched, on her belly. Leaving her tail and wings to lazily flop down from there and reach for the soil below. May as well fall asleep like that for how she looked. But she didn’t. She giggled instead. Patting a hoof on a nice, open spot next to her. Insisting on Soul to take a spot with her.

“Come on up, get a load off.” Hehe, she’s been so nice to me. Doing a lot for me. This might be what I need right now. Just a nice break from all this craziness, just some time alone… with my old friend. Besides, I need to get this load off. Soul leaned back and let the heavy saddlebags plummet off her. Arcing her back just to hear it crack back there. Really did feel relieving. All the more too, able to take the spot next to her old friend. Lots of room. Looks like just enough to stretch out. Choosing to sit down and stretch her hind legs out rather than laying down.

Still, she glanced over… just to make sure. I don’t want to intrude or anything. Make her feel uncomfortable being this close. Touching Dash was hard enough, too much courage it did take to do that. All she had. There was no way she could do more. Not able to sit so close to this pony. But she was afraid that the pony she sat with would notice what it was that Soul did. How she left quite a space between herself and Dash. Anything to give the cyan Pegasus room and just in case… Dashie doesn’t want to be so close. It was too much for me to touch her back at the market, I shouldn’t have done that.

“We got a great view from here that I wanted you to see” Dash said. Her voice chipper enough to tell Soul that she did not even notice the effort that Soul had done to distance herself.

3.80
Dash pointed off past Soul’s nose. “Check it out, that’s where we’ll be going soon.” Soul looked.

I… I didn’t even see it. Between all those trees. Like something that bejeweled this massive park. Making her eyes go wide. Never seeing anything like it. Even hearing another voice say something.

Wow.

Right past all of this beauty, like some monolith standing guard over the vast tree line that shielded it. Enough so she could only see the top of it, some building the likes of which Soul found no words for in its impressive beauty. A great building shimmering in the sunlight itself rising high in the distance among such gleam of pure indigo and violet coming right off its vast and towering spires. Giving off such a vast sense of wonder because there was one word she could come up with to describe what this thing may be.

Remembering beauty just like… a final sight she did see the last time her hooves were allowed to touch the ground of this land. Standing as it should, a beacon, right in this town. With its lone and solemn glyph rising higher than any other point of it. As if it may be what it was intended to be.

A star. Center in the sky. Glowing blue like one. So bright that it was even more than the Sun itself could outshine. But she couldn’t stop looking at it in wonder. Amazement. A truly different sight, to see such lights of brilliant blue gleaming off every point of that place and making all the trees shimmer in that light. It was like a star. To rise over all of Ponyville. That was what it should be. Just like… what I used to see. When we flew over these valleys when I was a kid. At Canterlot. Those same things.

It was a castle.

Ponyville has its own castle? Soul blinked. I never even heard of any other town or city in Equestria with a castle. Celestia was the only one who had one. That castle she made me stay in for months. Where… they hurt me.

This castle… it did not make her afraid. This is why Dash wanted to take me here?

3.81
That is where we’ll be going soon? My first visit, after twelve years, to a castle. One completely different. One so calming and gorgeous. Serene. As it was true glory. I’m not afraid? Even when I know who is in there. Castles are meant for one pony. She’s gonna have me meet her. Already. Meeting a princess.

Twilight Sparkle.

Does this castle represent the pony who lives in it? No fear or intimidation. Just wonder. Wonder and amazement. Fear gone away like that. Was that intentional? No, …she hated to say it but Dash wasn’t that clever.

I’ve never seen such a castle before.

Neither have I. Any building like this. There’s nothing else like it. Like something she may put on a postcard. Send it to the old jerks at Cloudsdale as mockery to them over something like ‘haha look where I get to go.’ A castle jutting over trees that had no hope to rise higher than it and only the vast swathes of snowcapped mountains in the distances managed to achieve that.

Soul felt a nice breeze run over her, slowly and gently brushing her mane along her ears and whipping it along the fronts of her eyes. Just seeing the leaves fly along in front of all this. Carried onward, not even knowing they gave this sight even more reason for Soul to gasp in amazement at.

“Wow…” Soul smiled. “…Princess Twilight lives there?” “Yeah, that’s her castle. The big showoff” Dash answered. “Good guess if I do say so myself. Right on the first try.” Soul could no longer care for why it was they decided to come here and spend time to see this scenery. Whatever the exact reason Dash had, it didn’t matter. This place. All she had seen so far. Then this, this beautiful sight that would have been impossible to see before. Back during times she thought she may never see chances like this before. In times where she looked out over hilly plains much like these, devoid of all green and nothing but a vast whiteness, and able to stare out at mountains just like the ones she stared at past the castle. Mountains that reminded her of those times.

Those times that didn’t have any of this.

She got to see it. All of this. I can’t believe I forgot just how beautiful my home can be. Just centered in this one place. I really do want to live here. For this to be my home again. A happy scene. Happy ponies all about. With the laughter of the children and such warmth on her back. A cooling breeze on her front. It was all perfect.

3.82
Rainbow Dash laughed a little. Sighing to calm herself down. The Pegasus tried to bury her nose under one hoof like she was trying to hide something from Soul. No, Dash only glanced back and forth between the bench and the scene they both saw.

“What’s up?” Soul asked of her. Acting all weird over there. “Oh… well…” Dash took her sweet time to answer. Hiding herself for a few more seconds and slowly lifting her hoof away. “I remembered something, but… I’m afraid to…” her smiled faded. “To tell you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She remembered something that may hurt me? What on earth could it even be? I already thought I was in enough pain seeing all the stuff that I missed out on. Everything she missed so deeply. All just reminders of…

“Is it from…” Soul didn’t care how to place her wording. Just something… something that would hurt her. It must be from… “Before?” She left it at that. Dash will understand. Before the time, the time they lost each other.

Rainbow Dash nodded. So… before we left each other. Before we lost everything. Soul frowned. Not even able to look at Dash. She didn’t want to. This place… it’s so beautiful. Like a look back in time when things were nice. Those times that I can never forget. And those horrible times that ended it all. The days and days I went through with it all on my mind. When I just wanted to forget the pain. So, Dashie, why do you still remember these times?

“Tell me” Soul said, I want to know. Dash trembling over there. So much that it hurt Soul’s heart. Felt it sink. She looks… so afraid. Dashie? Are you okay? I’m… I’m back. I’m here for you.

“Please talk to me.”

Rainbow Dash gulped. But she did not run and hide. Did not do anything to run from this. She stayed with Soul. With moments passing. Passing until both pegasi looked into one another’s eyes. Soul smiled for her.

“I like to remember those times” Soul told her.

“You do?” Dash rose her head up. Wide eyed until… she calmed herself. A patient Soul waiting and then watching as Dash pointed again to the castle. Or was it the castle? “You see those?” Dash asked. Leaving Soul to question what it was she may be pointing at. Straining to figure it out and then… she knew it. The only other things that may be seen with that castle. Just like the ones she looked out and saw every day she was gone from this place.

3.83
Soul nodded. “They are beautiful” Soul said about the mountains. “Are you talking about the mountains?” Dash asked. “I mean the other thing.” Soul looked again. What else is out there that...?

“The clouds?”

“Yeah” Dash said. “You remember those times?” What times? The clouds? I’ve seen so many. So many times when I had to deal with them. What time… matters to you and me? Soul shook her head.

“That’s okay” Dash said. “It’s been a very long time. They’re what I actually wanted you to see out here.” Dash flaunted her wings up proudly. Flapping them in place but not lifting off at all. As if she were showing Soul some weird trick. But, there was something else in her eyes. Not a plea or demand. She looked expectant. Even… happy.

“I remember…” she said. “We used to fly around them… together” she glanced over to her own wings. “Just like this.”

The birds chirped. Soul stared at her. We flew around them… together. Over the vast spires of Cloudsdale and all across the sky, we played together all the time. Up there… with the birds. The two fillies. Back when we were best friends.

“…When we did tricks together” Soul whispered. Staring up at those clouds. The same ones. Looming over the land Soul stared down on as a kid. Left in her amazement at the world she was born into. She saw Dash nodding in the corner of her eyes. Damn it. It almost made Soul want to cry.

I wonder. Staring up at all of it and the vast sky that dominated this world. This… is it the same sky? The clouds hanging over the mountains. Could they be the same ones we flew through together? The same ones we flew right through together? Back in times when she and Dash were much closer than how they were together now on this bench. So different from it.

Soul held her tears in. I want to go back to that. I want us to be like that again. I don’t want to be afraid to lay so close to you. Like I was afraid last night. I want to hold you again. Be best friends again.

I wouldn’t be with the pony who hit me so hard and kicked me off a cloud. Leaving such pain that it’d be better to just fall until she hit those… Soul stopped it.

That… is… not… Rainbow.

She looked over to Dash. The Pegasus busy staring up at those same clouds. Not even caring Soul was watching.

This is Rainbow. The smile on her… the Dash I wanted all this time. My Rainbow Dash. Back during the time when she and this pony laughed just like kids who played in this very park. Seeing those kids doing just what they did as they ran around together. Groups of them, or even just pairs.

Just like you and I. Playing together. Not caring about the hardships of life. None of those kids knew… just how important these times were. Just another simple day for them.

You will have so many better days.

Can we? I want to. To be like them. Just go back to it. I want my time back again. With Dashie.

3.84
“Sorry…” Dash slumped. No longer able to smile. She turned away instead. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.” No, no there was no need to feel sad over it. Damn it, hope I didn’t make her feel bad. Ruining this moment for her. This beautiful moment. Soul could admit that. It was painful to remember… but, her heart bled. Bleeding of those times she wanted back. So… to feel better over it. Soul saw it.

Every moment she spent in this town. Seeing what was waiting for her. For the time when all the pain was gone. It was so much, enough to give her hope. No matter what pain may remain, it will be worth it. Because it was all different from a world that is just like this one, that world that is so much colder and lonelier.

“No. I like to remember. Those times… they make me so much happier” Soul said. “Happier than before those… those…”

“I’m so sorry what you had to go through” Dash blurted out. Swinging her mane along when she spun her head back to face Soul, leaning in. So close… staring… right into Soul’s eyes. Leaving Soul in silence. She’s so close to me. I… I’m… listening, Dashie. Dash had something more to say.

“I hate thinking about it” Dash said. “All that crap you had to suffer from. Nopony deserves it. It… it…”

She has no idea. None at all. Dashie will never know what it was like to feel so hopeless. Betrayed and heartbroken. Feel what it is like to… hold a blade to myself. So much pain, so little good times. That was my life. But… those good times were still so precious.

“It’s so terrible. I… don’t know what to say for you” Dash’s voice trailed off and the Pegasus threw her head down between her forelegs. No longer wanting to look Soul in the eyes. She looked so… defeated. She… really wants to understand. Nopony in this world would understand what it was like… I’m glad you want to. I’m glad that you care. There is only one other pony in my life that has done that.

Dash softly pounded a hoof up atop her head. Soul stopped her.

3.85
Her hoof touched Dash’s. Stopping it from hitting again. “Stop that” Soul demanded of her. Dash didn’t even lift her head back up. It’s all okay. It still hurts to know what I lost, but… that’s not what’s important right now.

For now, I just want you happy. I want you to see I am still that pony you loved. Nothing has changed and you can count on me for anything. You already have done a lot to help me. Please don’t beat yourself up over it. Not over me.

“It wasn’t all bad” Soul said. Shocking herself to say that as much as it did Dash. That was what made the Pegasus lift herself back up and cock her head. Yeah, it would sound unbelievable. Though Soul thought of… other things that came out of it. I’d love to tell Dash the best thing that happened. But… I just can’t. There is something else.

The very reason she was able to keep up with Dash all this time in the sky. If that place was so terrible, it would have never let me gain these wings. Be as good as you are in the sky. Even AJ said something about me. I’m equal to the best. For both of us to be so accomplished. It’s all because of what she went through, proudly showing it off.

She lifted her mighty wings up to tower over both of them, casting such a massive shadow over her old friend. Feeling all the more joy when she saw Dash stare in amazement at them. Like the Pegasus could never get used to how fantastic these wings were. Stare as much as you want, I don’t care. Just see that not everything was so bad.

Such a terrible place could not stop this Pegasus from getting the two things behind her. “I was able to get these in my time there” Soul said.

3.86
“I spent so many days, years just training all day long” Soul went on. Careful to assure Dash of this truth. “It was some of the most intense workouts I could come up with, even just making stuff up based off what I knew. And then spending a lot of time practicing my moves and learning what…” she glanced off, not able to look Dash in the eyes for this. “What I was supposed to… if I were still here. I followed all the teachings I got. There were even times when I was going to give up. Never, never give up if it meant doing what you and I wanted to do.”

“I… wish I could have been there. To help you train. We could have done it togrther.”

Soul looked over to Rainbow Dash, the pony who looked away from her. Such a shame. There was not a day that went by when I wished for her to be with me too. To be my best friend. No, it wouldn’t be right for her to suffer with me. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to.” No matter how much Soul would have wanted Rainbow Dash to be there for her in all those years, to have both of her good friends by her side, she would never want anypony else to be in that cold and lonely place.

I’d never want Dashie to lose her home and family… like I did.

You didn’t need to be there. I did it all on my own. Twisting and turning all by herself in the tightness of the mountains much like these ones that towered over this land. Sending plumes of snow and avalanches to tumble just from her speed and achieving such feats that would take pegasi years and years to try and master. Not even the Wonderbolts could do this. Maybe even Dash couldn’t.

It was best for me to go through it without you. So you could achieve all you wanted and be with the ponies who loved you. So you could get the life you have now, and I have no life.

“Nopony would ever want to be there, but…”

3.87
Soul looked back and found that things really had changed. Rainbow Dash… her old friend looked completely terrible. For just the briefest of moments but she caught her just in time. Eyes shimmering greater than anything Soul thought possible of those magenta eyes as they watched off away from the mountains. Shining like the lake she stared at. Burying her face deeper into her forehooves as if she had something to hide. Something so dark and… lost. The eyes… of true pain.

I’ve seen those eyes before. I stepped outside my house, into the snow. In the dark. I saw the Moon. I saw the clouds… and the pony who sat under it all. She was on top of another house in that snow. Staring up at the sky. At the clouds. They weren’t Dash’s eyes, no, they were …yellow.

Eyes of yellow shimmering so deeply in the moonlight. Like they didn’t even see Soul. Only able to stare up at the sky… and shed one lonely tear. The pain that I caused to that pony.

Dash, you were always so strong and tough, I rarely saw just how sad you could be. I see it now.

Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, is sad for me?

I can’t be sad. Can’t be happy over it. No, I can only help her.

No need to feel sad. You are such a better pony than I am. Just look at all you have done since we last saw each other. And you still find a way to be nice to me and help me out. Much more than what I could ever wish for you to do. I’m the one who hurt you, yelled at you, ruined the life you and I had together. No need to feel sad over what I went through. No, no reason at all. Just be happy for the pony you are and how sweet you still are. Don’t cry over me, don’t feel sad over what I went through. We both left one another… and we came back as changed ponies.

I did change. And… I’m sad about it. That you weren’t there… to be with me during it all. You never got to see this.

3.88
“But it was still an experience” Soul said. It really was, beyond anything that anypony here could imagine. Pointing at those skies with her own hoof this time. “I trained around mountains just like those.” “…Really?” Dash muttered. Oh come on, cheer up. Cheer up for me. Just like you’ve been cheering me up.

“Yeah, but they were much bigger and there had to be hundreds of them. I would spend hours practicing obstacle courses with them and doing what I could to do what I was taught. …And…” If she hadn’t noticed now, the time had come. I know something that should cheer Dash up. There is one other thing I have that proves that it was all worth it.

How it made her stronger. How it drove her to make a decision. The decision that led to this thing.

“I would spend my time resting on the mountains, looking out on the endless snowfields” Soul whispered clearly remembering the almost truth of what she knew happened when it did. Not daring to tell what actually happened. Never knowing for sure if it would ever be spoken of again. She didn’t want to. Just the result. That incredible result. “Until something amazing happened.”

Soul took a deep breath. I don’t often try to show my body off to ponies but… for you, I’ll make an exception. This was something to show. Hidden right under her wings, she lifted them certain they would be seen now. Now, as the cool breeze was able to caress the fur all around them and kiss the skin. The skin painted in black, and Dash looked at it. She did… and she watched. No longer able to do anything. Soul simply saw her old friend shudder and then… in such a surprise that made Soul tingle at being seen, Dash gasped. A gasp of amazement shown in her smile. Oh man, I’m embarrassed. But, no. I need to be proud of it. Dashie is the last pony I should be showing off to. She needs to see this.

“You got your cutie mark!” Dash shrieked. Gasping in her excited laughter. The mare almost threw herself off the bench with how fast she blasted herself up on all fours with a flap of her wings. Closing in and staring. Soul glanced back, just watching. Seeing how her old friend spent seconds not even moving, keeping her eyes set right on Soul’s flank. All along the blackness on her body. It may as well be like a gem in the night. One grace to shout out and show that she was unique.

3.89
“Hell, Soul!” Dash finally took a moment to look away. “I never thought you would get one like this.” “Yeah” Soul admitted. Slowly lowering her wings in her subtle attempt to hide the markings away again. So flattered that Dash liked it. See, Dashie, it was not all bad. I never thought I would get my cutie mark out there. Yet, it happened.

“I used to always wonder what our marks would end up being” Dash said. Is that right? It rarely crossed my mind. A part of growing up that Soul never got to experience. It didn’t matter now. It happened in the end. A real achievement to be made in all that snow and ice. We both did it. Dash had her own mark too, and it was pretty cool looking.

“Have you seen mine?” The Pegasus immediately turned herself around and lifted her own wings to show that impressive lightning bolt once more that burst out from her flank. Just like when I first saw it. I love it. I love that… we both got our marks. Such different situations and the same thing was able to happen to both of them. Rainbow managed to do so much in all this time. I did as well.

“I saw it yesterday. You have an amazing cutie mark” Soul complimented. It alone was enough to send Dash into a giddy squeal. Giving a light kick up into the air. Not at all like she had been a minute ago. Finally, the Pegasus had cheered up. Truth be told, Soul loved it. It made her giggle a little.

“Awesome!” Dash cheered. Not even showing a single ounce that she was upset anymore. That was a relief. “We both have awesome cutie marks. That’s so cool that you got yours.” Soul laughed. Not able to stop it. So great to see Dash this happy over something. She had not seen a smile like this one on those cyan lips in ages. Or hear her laugh like this. Really feeling like it melted her own sadness away. Still remembering it in the back of her head, it didn’t matter. Not at this moment, when she was making another pony happy.

“You gotta guess” Dash pressed. “What do you think my talent is?”

3.90
She could not be serious. That was too easy to guess. I’ve been gone for a long time, yeah, but I never forgot what kind of pony she is. She has the same talent I wanted to have from the start. A perfect talent for one of the best flyers in Equestria. Dash had that talent from the start. Our talent. Hehe, I love talking about this stuff. It’s like nothing bad happened.

“Wow, what could it be…?” Soul shrugged. Wandering her eyes about and locking them back to Dash’s wings. “Flying fast, maybe?” Dash laughed. Pumping a hoof in the air with so much vigor in her. “And winning, baby. But you got it.” That pony happily laughing with Soul. The first real laugh they shared in so long.

“You and me, both” Dash said. “We didn’t give up. And now look at us. We got awesome cutie marks and awesome talents just like we wanted.” Soul let her laugh die off a bit. Awesome talents? Right. Rainbow Dash was kind of right. But she reminded Soul of one very real thing. We both wanted to have an amazing talent. Something we both worked so hard to get. Rainbow has a talent she can be proud of. But there is just one little thing about that. That one thing was the thing she wondered about every now and then, ever since she first got it.

What is my talent?

Dash has speed. What do I have? Leaving all the questions she asked of herself to come back and try to always figure it out. It always failed. What did her mark mean? Nothing had happened, nothing that… this mark… nothing it could mean.

The worst pain. It was the worst in my entire life. So bad that I almost ended it myself. I could feel my heart bleeding and so much sadness. So much that I never want to feel it again. It took my best friend to stop me and make me feel better. It all led to this mark. One of hearts and a black night. What happened to me… how did it make this mark? Nopony has the answer, I’m not sure if I will ever have it.

Rainbow Dash had a mark and something to claim. I have a mark and nothing more.

3.91
“Ok, I can’t figure it out” Rainbow interrupted. Slowly rubbing a hoof along her chin. Staring intently down at the bench she stood on. “What does your mark mean?”

Oh for Celestia’s sake. She asked it. The one question I have no answer for, not even a lie. She did not want to lie about it, not to Dashie. Though, was there really anything to be said? Admit that she, out of all ponies, failed to figure out what it was she was good at. Tell her that it’s not that great. I failed to find out my talent.

She had nothing to say. Nothing to prove she was not the strange pony that everypony made her out to be when she was a kid. She lacked a talent to claim with pride. One talent that improved endlessly and separated her from the rest who may try to achieve something similar. I have nothing like that. Wow, Dash will think I’m a weirdo or something. Just like all the other kids. A pony with a cutie mark that had no meaning. Such a thing… Dash probably never seen it.

But… Dash probably never thought to see a Pegasus with wings like mine. The times ponies hurt me over them, I just wanted them to be happy for me. They laughed and… hurt me.

There was a Pegasus who loved me from the start. She thought I was cool long ago… back when I was a filly. She never made fun of me. I can trust Rainbow.

“I don’t know.”

Such a long pause.

Soul didn’t look at Dash. Hidden behind her long mane. Though she still heard her breathing. She had not left. Still there and so quiet. Did she hear me? I’m a pony with no idea what my mark means, that should be weird to her. It simply wasn’t normal. Though, I’m not normal to begin with. Rainbow Dash was not normal either. From the very start, she was not normal. So different from the other kids. Not following that image. She was something completely different and Soul loved that, she respected her so much, right when she heard her speak. Speak words she liked.

3.92
“I understand.”

Soul smiled. Smiled behind her mane. “And, just like back then, you don’t need to be ashamed of that.” What…? Soul had to turn around and see her old friend’s little smile. Like she was saying exactly what she wanted to hear. But it sounded real. Not like a dream. Just like… like before in that little shrill voice of hers still driven by such boyish charm. It may as well be the same thing she heard before.

“You understand?” “Of course.” Rainbow Dash finally took her seat. Right next to Soul. Though she never looked away. “You still have it, Soul.”

Have what? What are you talking about? Another lovely breeze sang between the two of them. Brushing Dash’s mane along her neck and flowing out behind her. Not when she heard this… this beautiful mare tell her the thing she wanted. Like a glimpse in the past. Soul saw her. She may as well be her. Just a little bit. She saw the same look, the look of a rainbow maned filly. That… that left her unable to say more. Just to listen.

“You still have it, that thing no other pony has.” And Rainbow Dash scooted forward. Just a little. Close enough to whisper. She may as well touch her too. Speaking the words. “You’re still different. …And that’s what I like. You’re like no other pony.”

She likes that I’m different? After all this time? She… she was always the only pony who accepted me. My best friend… how much I missed hearing her say these things. It almost made Soul cry. She makes me feel special. So few others ever did that. That is why I want to be your friend again. Why I will work so hard to make it all right. Because I still love you, Dashie. There can be nothing left. Nothing left to make it hurt.

“T-thank you” Soul managed to whisper. “I thought…”

“That I’d find it weird?” Dash finished for her. Exactly. Most ponies would find it weird. “I know” Dash said. “You’ve never had it easy. But you’ll get it. I bet you’ll find out what your talent is.”

That was exactly what she wanted. Not surrounded by snow and sadness. But by beauty and happiness. So many friends that she wanted to have, all made possible here. When the time would come to end all the nightmares of the past. Soul looked so forward to it. For when this can be her home, these ponies may be her most cherished memories, and all of them may be together. We will be there for one another. And Dashie, she… will always be that pony I missed. Her kind words. Her love and companionship. Something that only one other pony ever gave.

She was my best friend. The Rainbow Dash that I remember. And I feel like, after all this, it might happen again. In the end. With all of us together and no more to worry us. For none of us to be afraid. That is what I want.

3.93
“Look out!”

Soul perked her ears up right as she heard that faint little cry calling out. She heard it clear and directed… towards her. Right as she felt the whishing in the air. Even Dash turned in unison with her, knowing both of them could see it. Just in time. In time for Soul’s eyes to catch a glimpse of the red orb coming right in at her. Right at her face.

It moved too slow. Too slow.

Dash couldn’t even gasp before Soul moved. Closing her eyes but… she felt it. All around her. Something striking so hard yet so soft. Like the wind flowing over her wings once more and the entire world went still. Everything went silent. In that split second that she had, it felt so similar. Just like back in the mountains. I really did achieve a lot.

Stuff like this… is so easy now.

She opened her eyes. Seeing it… it had worked. Dash just now gasping. Seeing alongside Soul what she expected herself to do. With magenta feathers fluttering about and falling to the earth. Those feathers curling over the very thing Soul had caught. Soul brought her wing back down, not daring to let go. Only to see what had happened. For she could tell she did it. Tell… and see that she held that big, red orb in the midst of her wing. Gripped tightly between her feathers.

It was a ball. No bigger than her head. She had to heave a sigh of relief. That would have hurt if it had hit. But she heard something she could call a groan. Coming closer. From where she saw what turned out to be two other ponies coming towards them. Not just ponies, but fillies. No taller than her flanks it looked. Even staring down on them from up here made them look so much smaller. Doesn’t look like they see what they did. Soul smiled to herself but… she felt her legs go weak… still thinking how badly it would have hurt if that ball had hit her.

The groaning voice belonged to one of these kids, a little unicorn filly as bright as the leaves were green wobbling along on her stubby legs and rolling her eyes at her companion. “You dummy, you almost hit her.”

3.94
She was talking to one who had wings. Just like Soul. A Pegasus whose reddened wings barely kept her aloft, just short of her hooves touching on the grass, and she looked no more happy than her friend. Actually running her hoof along her head and being sure to look away.

So she kicked this at me? Soul looked back at the ball, then back to the fillies. Back to the Pegasus. That filly did not look happy at all… actually, she looked sad. Maybe even… afraid. Afraid of what? Of… me?

“I-I’m sorry” the little pony muttered. “I didn’t mean to.” Now there was no need for that. I’m not angry haha, just a bit surprised that a ball almost slammed into my face. She had not even noticed these two fillies playing, having so much fun together on this warm and beautiful day to be spent with friends. Exactly what Soul wanted. There was no need to let it be spoiled for them.

“H-hey now” Soul started. Really struggling to think of anything to say. Quieting the Pegasus down. Not even sure if she was doing a good job in keeping her voice low. Not caring if she looked intimidating at all, for she was not one for any child to be afraid of. These two just needed to know everything was alright. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.” She looked back at the ball she had caught. These two little fillies got to play together like there were no worries out there, and it was true. Because no little one should feel like they had anything to be afraid of and just enjoy life as it was. They should go back to having fun… it’s the best thing for kids like them.

They’ll need this ball back. Such a small thing. But Soul stared at it. Play… and have fun. Be with your friend. That is all kids should worry about; none of what I had to go through.

“Really, it’s okay.” Finally able to get the filly to look at her. Glancing over what Soul saw to be her own wings. Taking an entire second to stare at the one that held the ball. Letting off more of a shimmer of such sweet innocence.

3.95
“Do you want your ball back?” Soul softly asked. Calm at last now that her legs stopped shaking and nothing to be afraid of, only to see two young ones enjoy the day. Soul presented the ball back to them. Ready to just let it fall out from her wing and to their hooves.

“Yeah!” the unicorn cried in excitement. Rearing herself up and happily bouncing. “Throw it and I’ll catch it!” Throw it? Soul looked past the fillies and to where she hastily looked to find a nice and open area of hills free from any possible place she may toss this ball wrongly. Like into the lake. Nope, this will work. She will gladly throw it if it meant these two may go on with their days. Their nice and beautiful time. More pleasing to see these fillies happy. Playing. It made Soul smile. Reeling her wing back.

“Ok” she said. Right as she sent it forward and let loose. Feeling all that weight release from her wing and a couple freed feathers lashed the air in their magenta color. Splashing it in red, and the ball flew off. Sent high and free out to the very hills Soul wanted it to go. Like something caged now ready to go out into the world and make new friends. She liked that. Loved how happy the unicorn sounded laughing as she ran off after it. It was only the unicorn. Another pony spoke.

“That was a good catch” the little Pegasus said. Softly fidgeting in the air in front of Soul. For only a moment, when the filly turned around slowly and hovered on rapid yet gentle flaps of her wings. So silent and sweet, to match that of the young filly they belonged to. Only able to mutter off one line. One line before she stopped.

“I want to be like you someday, Ms.”

She flew off… chasing after the unicorn into the green of this wonderful and beautiful land.

Soul held her breath. That filly wants to be… like… me? But why? I’m not anything special. So… why even tell me that? I think I heard it wrong. Or did she really say that? It feels weird. She saw something in that filly’s flight. Like a certain joy. A certain happiness. One that… even possible for a kid to achieve. One with no worries, no need to worry. With so much to look forward to. So polite, so happy, so mysterious to look up to… me.

Are things like this normal around this town because nopony back in Cloudsdale ever wanted to be like me. A pony here… wants to be like me? She turned to Dash.

“Did she just…” Soul stopped. Stopped when she was greeted by such a smile. Such a sweet and gorgeous smile worn by none other than her old friend. Rainbow Dash just staring at her like that, as if… as if she had done it the entire time. Staring and smiling like there was no care in the world. Like she was… proud.

“What?” Soul asked. Dash said nothing, no. The cyan Pegasus just batting her lashes at her right as she leapt down from the bench and trotted on with one little glance over her shoulder and a nod of her head. Going on like nothing did happen, even snatching up the saddlebags with no care over anything.

But something did happen. Something is changing about this place. About all that was going on. More than anything Soul felt from any other pony today. The way Dashie smiled at me… Soul held her breath… right as her heart fluttered. Just for a moment. I made her smile. It’s just like… when we were kids.

“Let’s go, Soul.”

Next Chapter: Part 3 Solace - Act 4 Estimated time remaining: 14 Hours, 48 Minutes