#1
Fall. Day 1. Evening. Clackerton

Today, and rather early, the first snow fell as I delivered the last letter in my route. My mom supported my decision to join EPPS. She called it the first step to adulthood and for some strange reason, I was nervous that she would say no. Perhaps it's more of the fact that as part of EPPS, is that they deliver outside of Clackerton. It was a relatively new branch of the local post office, so it hasn't gotten all its bearings together yet.

I've never been outside of Clackerton, but I've looked at plenty of maps to see what was. Canterlot and Ponyville were to the east, Howlite Forest and The Crystal Kingdom to the north, the Frozen Desert and Arid Flats to the west, and Canis Village and Appleloosa to the south. Both Busy and father supported me as well agreeing that as a young colt that my thirst for adventure was insatiable.

Today I write from Clackerton's large clock tower which had recently chimed its bell, marking the last hour of the afternoon and the first of the evening. Apricot joined me in relaxing up here. She spotted me trotting from Auction Square to the tower after I had dropped off my empty messenger bag in my office locker. The chilly air was enough for Apricot to wear her favorite light green sweater with boots to match. She even wore a hat to cover her ears. It all complimented her coat pretty well. She was rather cute, bundled up and sleeping in the corner with some animals that followed her from the forest. I was never too sure about holding a romantic relationship, but perhaps she understood that without me telling her.

I pulled my gaze away from her and stared outside towards the setting sun. The smallest specs of snow revealed themselves and vanished in the sun's rays. I figured that by tomorrow there would at least be a thin layer of snow. The clock tower was always a nice place to view the entire town. During the winter, even more so. The thick blankets of snow that have fallen before have created something that would be like a painting. Aside from that, There was always something new that was springing up from somewhere in town. It could be a parade, a new house, the sound of the auctioneer's yelling from the Square.

Although the clock tower itself was rather nice to look at. The clock tower's archways that lead out to its small balcony provided a glimpse, from the street, of the large copper bell that hung from inside. Each one of the outer walls had a clock face that were a translucent canvas-like material. Each hand was crafted from iron using an intricate braid. The cranking of the large gears that spun them was mostly quiet.

#2
Fall. Day 2. Late Afternoon. Clackerton

I received an acceptance letter for EPPS and was immediately tasked with delivering a Class D letter. The classes were there to organize their priority, can't have royal scrolls getting stuck somewhere in the middle. The acceptance letter arrived in the mail while I was away on my own route. I came across Apricot on my way home, who congratulated me once I had found out.

I went back to the post office to get the letter that awaited there. I was then directed to deliver it to the Palatial Manor to a pony named Whisk. When I arrived, I rung the doorbell and awaited a response. A rather odd looking stallion answered the door and as I handed him the letter, he invited me in. Insisting that he would rather not have me waiting out in the cold. I accepted his offer with some hesitation, though. As he turned away and began writing a response to it, I took in the grand site of the architecture of the Manor. It was of Gothic nature, high vaulted ceilings and stone walls with embedded pillars of bronze. No doubt that this building was meant to withstand centuries of wear.

Turning my attention back to Whisk, who had began whispering the letter aloud to himself, stood before a wooden desk. The sunlight blaring through the window barely bothered him. His rusty beard, short in length, a mane that almost blended in with is butter yellow coat, and his eyes matched his tail with a sage green color. It was as if he had pulled every recessive trait from his parents that was possible. It's unusual seeing such a unique scheme of colors on a single pony. Soon he took his teeth to a pen and began scratching a new blank sheet of parchment.

He finished his letter rather quickly and returned to me, hoofing over an addressed and properly stamped. I reported back to EPPS and reported my progress to my sister, Busy. She worked as the secretary for EPPS. The letter was addressed to Ponyville and she recommended that I leave tonight to deliver it on time, as it was already late in its arrival here.

Before leaving EPPS, the building, Busy tossed me my new uniform. It consisted of a scarf and a hat. Each had a matching badge presenting a pony on an envelope stitched into specific spots on them. On the scarf, which was long, it was placed on both ends and the hat had it stitched into the top. The hat is a beret with a short bill instead of the standard postal cap. Both pieces matched each other, the scarf held an argyle pattern though. Their colors were dull blue and white. Aside from the two new pieces of clothing, Busy also supplied me with a small journal for record keeping, something that every EPPS member needed to keep track off. Mostly delivery times and whether or not the customer wanted the member to deliver something for them immediately.

More writing for me, I suppose. I shall be making the trip to Ponyville after dinner tonight. I'd rather not leave on an empty stomach. I'm actually rather anxious of how things are going to turn out.

#3
Fall. Day 3. Morning .Ponyville

My overnight trip to Ponyville wasn't all too interesting, just the forest canopy and the stars. I managed to cover the distance between Clackerton and Ponyville within a few hours. I recall there being quite a few strange events surrounding the town. Discord and Nightmare Moon were two of the more notable incidents. I recall that the Blight had passed over this place as well, from the few accounts I read about it. I think most ponies at this point may have forgotten about it by now. A good five or six years have passed since then. Still I wondered what was the cause of the Blight was and what its inflictions were. Anyways, I should draw away from that. I'd rather not make up any baseless theories on the matter.

I came upon a house of a rather older mare who eyes seemed like she had seen her fair share of hardships. Her tired eyes and coat were the same rose pink, red mane and tail, a silver horn contrasted her coat though. I wondered why it was different. I felt it would be rude to ask. When I gave her the letter, she encompassed it in a silver glow. Her eyes widened a bit as she read the letter. She, like Whisk, asked me to wait by the door.

As I waited, I saw that the classic white picket fence that surrounded her front yard kept a wide variety of flowers. Some of which I actually recognized, as my mother had the same ones in hers. I saw another mare in her garden, I presumed it was her daughter, quietly picking out the weeds and piling them up. Then a stallion approached the fence from the other side, showing her an incomplete wreath of rosemary sprigs. Neither one of them seemed to mind me waiting here.

Suddenly I heard the front creak open again, snapping me away from the distraction. The old mare let out a short snicker before speaking, “Here you are.” She placed a small package before me, which appeared to contain something about the size of a jar.

The box was surprisingly addressed to Flight Gear, “You know Flight Gear?” I questioned curiously.

“We're old friends, I suppose you could say that he helped me out.” She smiled, “You must be Letter Bee, then. He's told me a few things about you. Says you've got a good thirst for adventure, something my husband has always lacked.” She cleared her throat as if her husband had heard her. “Anyways, take this to Flight and he'll know what to do. One last thing.” she said pulling my ear close to her lips. “You'll be meeting a dragon soon, just kindly introduce yourself to him. He's really quite friendly.”

That statement bothered me for the rest of the day and well into the night. Time had flown by and I suppose I have my getting lost in Ponyville to thank for that. Both upon entering and leaving, mind you. The sun had already begun to set when I began to fly back over the Everfree Forest. I wasn't sure about flying however, as my wings started getting sore from earlier. The muscles were already tensing up. I suppose the annual races and limited flight in Clackerton still weren't enough to keep my wings in good shape.

I took to flying anyways until exhaustion began to kick in. Unfortunately I was still over the Everfree Forest by the time the moon had been raised well into the sky. I thought about sleeping on a cloud but those were lacking and I'd never slept on one before. Instead, I think I'll take to sleeping in a safe spot in one of the taller trees.

#4
Fall. Day 4. Morning. Everfree Forest.

I had a strange dream when I fell asleep last night. This odd feeling of drifting away from the sky and slowly, I was pulled into an empty void until a subtle warmth covered my body. As the warm became more present, I felt myself pulled back into the sky and as I gazed back into the empty void, I felt as if I was saying goodbye to somepony I had never met before. When I stopped, everything flashed away in white.

I threw myself forward as if I was late for an early morning class and wound up knocking my head into the tree branch above me. In my daze, I feel from the branch I slept on and tumbled through the branches below. I was stopped by the thread of a vine wrapped around one of my hind legs, leaving me upside down just a hairbreadths above the grass. Then I remembered my bag, scarf and hat. As well as the package that mare had given me. Looking up, I saw the small box tumbling through the branches as well. With a flap of my wings I managed to pull myself up enough to catch the box and my bag. The scarf found itself tangle up in some of the branches and the hat wasn't too far away.

I sat the box on the ground and pondered what to do. The vine appeared too thick to chew through and using my wings didn't work. I couldn't get enough lift from this angle to propel me above the branches. The blood rushing to my head began to make me dizzy and I began mumbling to myself, to lighten my own mood.

After my vision began to blur, I refocused them after hearing a rustle some of the hedges. When I looked in the direction of the noise, I saw nothing. Whatever was there shifted more and more, moved from one place to another in almost an instant. Timber Wolves? I thought. They were certainly not good news and what most ponies know about them in Clackerton is nil. I wasn't one to know any survival methods against them. All I knew was is that traveled in packs and were dangerous. Heck if I know what they eat.

They hopped out of the bushes and from behind trees, one took to charge at me immediately. I dodged it with a quick flap of my wings only to have them trapped in the mouths of two others. I instinctively reached for the package apologized about having to throw it at the timber wolf. It fell apart and I grabbed my bag to throw it at the other one. With my wings free I was able to dodge the wolf the had charged me at first. These timber wolves were distinctively different to the one that I saw when I was younger. The third one fell into shambles as the one that charged me earlier was joined by another two.

The package and bag were out of reach and I was running out of options. I stared at the three of them and considered just head butting the one in the middle until the five of them magically merged together to form one large timber wolf. I didn't back down, how could I? I swung backward with as much force as I possibly could and brought my head forward to collide with the timber wolf's. For a moment, all there was was a loud crack and a sudden burst of pain. When I had reopened my eyes I saw that the wolf had crumbled apart as if it had run it to a tall post at full speed.

I could however, feel some blood drifting out of my head and make its way across my snout. I turned my attention back to the vine and used one of the sharper sticks from the wolf's remains to cut it as much as I could. It took a few tries, but I managed to cut myself loose. Unfortunately, this lead to a loud and rather uncomfortable snapping sound in my left foreleg as I landed. I immediately reeled back as I gasped for air. I tried to calm myself down but the adrenaline running through me made everything shake uncontrollably.

After grabbing my scarf and hat from the higher parts of the tree, I sought to wrapping my injured leg up somehow. The vine I cut earlier worked well after I covered the injured area with my scarf. I didn't even notice that my head stopped bleeding. After that I took to resting up against the tree trunk. I was absolutely exhausted and defeating those wolves seemed unnatural to me. Perhaps it was just survival instinct. The aid I could apply was something I read about and something that my father told me about.

I should take to covering myself up with some brush, to help camouflage my presence. That dream I had was rather strange.

#5
Fall. Day 4. Early Evening. Everfree Forest. Zecora's House.

I awoke to a cold breeze, but a warm fire. The weight of a blanket covered my back and legs. My weary eyes caught the glimpse of a zebra walking around the room with a large black kettle in the center. There were masks that hung upon the walls that harkened her heritage. Wooden masks carved and painted in exotic shapes and colors. “Excuse me, but where am I?"

"Ah, so you awake. A fair beating you did take. Found beneath a tree, covered with green. Injuries I did treat, using grains of wheat. You're in my humble abode where I dwell and I shall treat you well."

Her rhyming threw me off at first, but as I listened to her more I found that it was her natural way of speaking. "I suppose introductions are in order then. My name is Letter Bee. How did you find me, anyways?"

"Zecora, on my way back with some flora." She answered.

"Thanks, I mean it. I had a bout with some timber wolves before you found me. Shouldn't have slept in that tree."

She threw some sliced carrots and spring onions into a smaller kettle she had off to the side. "Ah, I see. At least you broke free. It must have been frightful, those beasts are always spiteful.”

“It was. I'm not even sure how I came out on top.” I told her as I gazed down at my broken, I think, leg. The pain was a mild and drifting stinging sensation, rather uncomfortable really. “I guess I owe you one. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.”

“There is one thing and that is the picking of Flit Springs.” The name sounded familiar. “In the morning we shall go out to the Glade of Sprouts.” I wondered if she was making it up now. “Wings I will need to pick the Springs.”

It wasn't much longer before I heard the howl of wolves in the distance, crying at the full moon. Coincidentally, she had the food ready at the same time. It was a quiet dinner for the most part. I wasn't sure where to start a conversation. I did fill her in on the reasons why I was in the middle of the Everfree Forest. She related my occupation to a wall-eyed pegasus who worked as a local post officer. She also assured me that the package I had was okay. I asked her why she choose to live out here in the middle of such a dangerous forest. She simply answered that it is the best place to get the ingredients for her potion brews.

After we finished eating, she went up some stairs to her room and I remained on the couch to sleep

#6
Fall. Day 5. Noon. Everfree Forest. Zecora's Home.

This morning, I helped Zecora pick the flowers that she needed. It appears that they grow near the tops of trees along long, entangling vines. She directed me on which ones to pick until I had enough and guided me back to her house.

However, there was a small pond that we stopped by to get a drink of water. When I drank from it, I felt as if a surge of magic flowed through my body. I'm not sure if Zecora saw my reaction to it. I simply told her that water tasted kind of unusual. She cuckled at the thought and told me to relax as she came to drink from the pond quite often. I still wondered what the feeling I had was about.

When we got back to her house, she brewed a potion and took off the makeshift bandage she had crafted out of large leaves and twain to look at the swelling. As she lightly poked at my injured leg to test the swelling, she told me about a friend of hers that taught her some first aid. I related to by telling her a little bit about Apricot. For a moment we thought that they were the same pony until we revealed their names. We both had a good laugh about it. Zecora applied some of the lotion-like substance she brewed to the swelled area to ease both the swelling and the pain. Wrapped it back up and made some lunch shortly afterword.

#7
Fall. Day 5. Late Evening. Clackerton. Home

I made it back home, carrying the package I had as best I could. My leg was still messed up but the pain was minimal thanks to Zecora's treatment. I'm uncertain if there is a broken bone but the possibility is pretty high. I flew home after she pointed me in the right direction and I thanked her again before I left with a hug and the words, “Thank you, you're a good friend.”

I stopped by Flight Gear's home first. He practically lived in his workshop. He signed off the piece of paper I needed to give back to EPPS and took the package. Flight Gear told me that he would have a package for pick up ready by tomorrow.

I took to handing off my report to EPPS and told my sister about what had happened. She hugged me saying that she was glad that I was okay and that she began to worry after I didn't come back in the proper time frame. She assured me that the injury would be covered by the office should I choose to visit the doctor's. I told her that I was planning on doing so anyways. I left her with the slip that Flight Gear signed and my report of everything, excluding conversations and the flower picking.

I visited the doctor's office and he said that the injury should heal up in the next week or two. So long as I don't go using it for anything serious. I will admit that walking around on three legs was difficult but the doctor gave me a temporary flight permit that would last until my leg healed. He said that the head injury I received was nothing to worry about and that the initial concussion had already passed. However, the small gash that was there would be healed in about the same amount of time as my leg. He did admit that he was impressed with what I had done after I told him about the timber wolves.

When I got home, I set my hat and scarf on the the coat rack in my room. Mom and dad weren't around the house. Busy told me that mother had gone to the market to sell the last of the honey we had from last month. Father was busy constructing a bridge to lead from the backside of Clackerton and would connect to another spot of land that would suit more residents of Clackerton. They had workers flattening out what land they needed by carving it out of the side of the mountain. Rock slides and avalanches were common until they managed to get everything to down a safe route.

For the remainder of the day I stayed in my room until the rest of my family got home. Apricot also showed up, apparently she had asked if I had come back yet as soon as I left for the doctor's. I guess we must have missed each other in the crowded street. She hugged me tighter than Busy did and I hugged back, as much as it threw me off balance. We had dinner together and as we ate, I told the story for a third time.

#8
Fall. Day 6. Mid-Afternoon . Clackerton. Flight Gear's home and workshop.

I arrived at Flight Gear's workshop and home as promised and waited for him to give me the package. Instead, what he gave me was some rather fancy equipment he based off of one the ships he built himself. It's air bladders had been dismantled and all that remained was the rigid steel skeleton that had supported them. Only, he would only gave it to me if I was willing to listen to the story behind his first and probably last ship. He guided me through some of the parts where the wolf had taken his steps.

He guided me down to it to show me. Said he kept the ship hidden underground as a security measure. Telling me that he didn't want he destroyed or stolen. There was a fair layer of dust on the ship, as if he hadn't touched it in years. I think I actually remember seeing him taking off in it and heading westward soon after the wolf saved me from the guards. He didn't like to talk about the three ships that he had taken down with it though.

This was the first time he had told me about them, though. He had taken down three of Equestria's best ships: the Flying Mongoose was their fastest but had poor handling and a low amount of weapons, River Fury was their most prized in terms of agility, and Mountain's Hammer was their strongest and of course slowest. He added that the wolf had taken all three of them out mostly on his own. The Intrepid Goshawk didn't have any weapons of her own other than the magic provided by the crew. The Blight had taken over the ships and their attempt to stop the wolf ultimately failed.

The Mongoose fell after the wolf had defeated a pitch black hydra and then set it aflame and its course into an empty field. Second, was the Hammer, which he took out by exposing its fuel and turning it into a massive fireball. Lastly, River Fury was pulled into a mountain peak by use of a his sword and rather lengthy chain. He then went to finished the Blight creature that took form as another hydra but it breathed fire of different colors and had long tentacle arms.

The wolf had taken in the power of the Blight to fight, it was scary how much power that wolf held. Yet, his companions continued to trust him despite the fact that it was practically a plague that spread by feeding off of magic. Somehow, the wolf was able to keep it contained. “When I saw the wolf sitting, after he had turned to stone, I understood that not every hero achieves their greatness by doing just good deeds. He had taken the risk of something that would potentially overwhelm his mind and fought both against it and with it.” He sighed as he slightly turned the wheel of the ship. “The power to raise the sun or moon means nothing in the face of the Blight. I don't know how it came to be, but I'm glad it's gone now. I don't think that wolf ever asked to be a hero. Whisk, Prudence, Marina, Charger, Wrecker, my beautiful Albedo, Lark, Tiva, and Doctor Cuffs. Why their names and stories aren't in the history books yet is beyond me. Perhaps it's for the better that it never does.”

He guided me down to the engine room, which could've easily have fitted a small house. He told me some of the basics of how the engine worked. Large containers fueled a combustible engine which would control the elevation of the ship, as well as steering mechanisms by providing extra power to the gears and rods that controlled them. A single turbine ran through the bottom of the ship, separate containers fed that engine and it was mostly used for controlling the ships speed. The exhaust of the two engines went through the same two outlets. Everything to control the flight path of the ship was held in the bridge. A term he coined for an enclosed cabin that would help to protect and provide easier an easier way to communicate with the rest of the crew.

He lead me off the ship and asked me to keep his story between us. After he knew I understood that with all my heart, he pulled out some equipment that he kept hidden under a tarp nearby. “I've been working on this for quite sometime now. It was an old abandoned project that I wanted to mass produce. Granting flight for anypony. Ever since you joined the new branch of the Pony Postal Service, I figured you might be able to use it, if anything.” He spread out the parts individually, revealing a winged apparatus that seemed largely unfinished. Flight Gear set it down on the work bench he had and listed some of its features. Holding each part up with his magic as he went through them. “There's two small turbines with small canisters for fuel. A collapsible wing cover for aerodynamics and protection. Safe exhausts. Runestones for heat and weight reduction. Pitch, yaw and roll are supposed to be controlled by some collapsible rods with rings wrapped around the forelegs. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to it quite yet. I've been basing a majority of the design off of the Goshawk, but memory fails me sometimes. Part of why I've been laying off the drinking.”

“You used to swear a lot too, didn't you?” I asked.

“Yea, it's been a couple months now but it's dwindled over the last year.”

“What are runestones, exactly?”

“Stones with engravings. I think there's some alphabet system to them but I have no idea how that works. That's something Prudence would know, I think. That bookworm.”

“Prudence wouldn't happen to be the one I brought the package from, would it?”

“Correct. Anyways, I should have this done within the next couple days. I hope with your injury you'll be having the next few days off. Get well soon, okay?”

“I will, Flight Gear. An injury like this isn't going to stop me any time soon.”

“Of course. Just...don't burn yourself. I don't want my student to die before me.”

Me being his student was a bit of a joke. Since I was the only pegasus in my family, my father found him through some contacts and hired him to train me in flight. Flight Gear had no experience in flight himself but he understood every rule and concept of it. Down to how the littlest thing can create drag and slow the flier down. “Yea, that would be unfortunate. And thanks.”

“You're welcome.”

#9
Fall. Day 10. Early Morning. Clackerton. Apricot's home.

I awoke early today to my sister nudging me awake. She gathered some travel items for me to take before leaving. I had to get up to deliver a package elsewhere. This one would lead me out west and would require two escorts that I would join me once I got into contact with them. The package was about the same size as the one I had delivered to Flight Gear and now it appeared that he wanted me to deliver it to somepony else far west of here. My leg was in good enough condition to let me get back on the job. The bone fracture, as it turned out, was almost healed. The doctor was surprised at how quick it did heal. The pain was there still, but just a slight sting under pressure.

My goodbyes to my family were bittersweet. I didn't know how long this trip would take and there was nothing to insure that I would safely come back home. They wished me the best of luck on my new trip but before I left, I stopped by Apricot's house. It didn't feel right leaving without saying goodbye to her at the very least.

I walked up the stoop to her house, knocked on the door thrice and awaited a response. The cold air and sun rise were uncomfortably calming. Strange. He mother opened the door. She was a pony that I never really saw all that much but the resemblance between the two of them was uncanny. “Letter Bee, I presume?” I nodded. “She talks about you quite often you know.” She glanced me over from my hat to my saddlebag. “I suppose you're off to deliver a package, then.”

“Yes Ma'am.” I answered politely.

“Of course. I'll fetch her for you.”

She closed the door and I waited again. Apricot's house was nice. It resembled my own a lot and the more I think about it, I think my father actually used the same plan for both of them. The only major difference were the small gardens her mother kept beneath the windows and cobblestone wall to separate the small yard from the road.

Then the door creaked open once again, revealing Apricot's small and tired form. Her hair was disheveled and knotted and eyes weary. “Morning, Letter” She looked me over, just as her mother did. “You're leaving, huh?” She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Somehow, we both agreed to sit down on the top step without a word, looking toward the street. “You remember when we didn't have to worry?”

“Yea.”

“It seems that's gonna change.”

“Yea.”

“Nervous?”

“Yea, but I'm sure I can do this.”

“Don't be sure, know.”

“Right.”

“I made you something since you came back. Close your eyes for a moment.” I complied and soon I felt her forelegs gently pass down both sides of my neck. “Open them.”

I looked down to and lifted a small gold pendant with floral engravings up from my neck, “A pendant?” She pressed a small button on the side and it flipped open. I smiled, gazing into the tiny head portraits of her and I. “This is really nice. I love it.”

“I knew you would. I made it so you had something to think about, at least.” She placed her hoof on top mine and leaned in to kiss me and almost immediately pulled away, “I love you.”

Her cheeks turned red and I could feel mine flush up as well. It was something a long time coming. “I love you, too.”

She threw her forelegs around my neck and whispered, “Just come back safely, okay?”

I hugged her back, “I will. I know I will.”

“Good.” She pulled away again. “Just don't keep me waiting.”

“I won't. I'll be back as soon as I'm done.”

#10
Fall. Day 10. Late Afternoon. Dullard.

After saying my rather bittersweet goodbyes to my family and Apricot, I flew out west toward a newly founded village that was still in its early stages. Where Flight Gear said I was to meet two of his old companions. Both of them well known for not only mercenary work, but working as part of Celestia's legion for a short time as well. He described Charger as being a white pegasus with a bright yellow mane who could leave a contrail of yellow light behind him. The other stallion, Wrecker, was as large as Celestia. Full of muscle and stronger than Equestira's toughest creatures and adding that he normally wore armor that resembled the bone and skin of a massive serpent he had killed.

I flew over loads of beautiful scenery on my way to Dullard. A small village that, as I said was founded recently, was named after the pony who had founded it. Kind of funny how that would happen. The vasts plains and forests the crowded around the mountain ranges streaked with varied rivers and falls felt almost sentimental. Fog still rose from those streams of water. I could spot several caravans of merchants and travelers making their own way in the world, taking paths of dirt or worn grass.

These mountains were somewhat dangerous, as strong gusts of winds could spin any pegasus out of control. Thankfully, I had plenty of practice in the time that I did spend just outside of Clackerton, where the flight restrictions didn't apply. Helped a lot during the annual races that I participated in while I was in school.

When I got to Dullard, I found out that village was still relatively small. Hay roofed houses with wooden beams and plaster walls, a fair few still largely unfinished. There were only ten or twelve houses surrounded by a low rise iron fence. I guess it helped to keep out wild animals. Dullard sat between a forest and a river with plenty of room for a train station or port for large zeppelins. I spotted an unusual set of tents at the north end of the village. One of them was distinct enough, bearing the colors and patterns associated with Celestia's legion. The other tents appeared to house the mayor and his family.

I approached a stallion that was guarding the tent which appeared to belong to Celestia. He fit the description of Wrecker. A helmet that appeared to have to been carved from bone and reinforced with large scales dark in color. It was almost as if a dragon had taken the form of a pony. He probably couldn't even fit through the average doorway. He leaned over a bit, “May I help you?” His voice resounded under the armor which covered his entire body.

I nervously spoke up, “Yes, um, I'm looking for two stallions on the behalf of Flight Gear for a delivery.” his size and voice were intimidating. “Wrecker, I presume?”

“Hmm...Correct.” He then held his head high and shouted, “Charger! A visitor.”

Another stallion's voice came from inside the tent, “I hear ya.” A bright white pegasus came out from and introduced himself, “Name's Charger, what can I do you for?” Compared to Wrecker, Charger was like a dwarf. I proceeded to hand him the letter that Flight Gear had given me which he promptly opened and read. “So he wants us to escort you to there, huh? Looks like Prudence and Whisk got the stuff together they needed for Abner.” he sighed and smiled “It'll be good to get him back home.”

“Abner?” I asked.

“Flight Gear never told you his name?” He said, folding the letter back up and placing it in his saddlebag. “Well, I suppose he could've forgotten the wolf's name. He saved Equestria, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yup, I can tell you more of the story later. I've to let Mr. Dullard know that we're leaving and that the paperwork should be going through soon. Wrecker, start packing up our supplies. We'll head out tonight. We've already spent too much time here.”

#11
Fall. Day 10/11. Midnight. West of Dullard.

Charger and I flew just above the trees as we headed further west. Wrecker ran along the ground at a great pace. Even with the heavy plate-like armor he wore. As we flew, Charger told me about how Wrecker was part of a very tribal race of ponies that lived in the salt flats just before the Frozen Desert. They thrived in a small marshland there and hunted down beasts of incredible sizes. Each one of them were maybe ten times stronger than the average earth pony but Wrecker could move a mountain if he wanted to. Charger added that he knew that Wrecker was just an alias but he never found out his actual name.

We stopped traveling when the sun had finished setting and the moon was brought up to reveal the gorgeous night sky. Setting up camp in a small glade within the forest, Charger and Wrecker began setting up the things we needed for a small fire and some blankets. Charger told me to take the other blanket, Wrecker never really used one as it was.

“Say, what was your name again?”

“Letter Bee, sir.”

“Don't worry about formalities, kid.” He said, nudging some of the ashen wood within the campfire with his saber. “You miss home? You've got somepony waiting for you?”

“I do.”

“Good. That's good.” He seemed almost sentimental as he spoke until his head perked up at the rustling of trees in the distance. “Wrecker, I think we've upset something big. Letter stay by me.”

The large animal turned out to be an Usra Major, a giant bear that appeared as if it had come down from the stars and it could stand well above the top of these trees. It broke through the trees, all the while snarling and letting out a deafening roar. Wrecker approached the creature without any faltering in his legs. The Ursa Major brought down one paw to swipe at him only to have its paw stopped by a single hoof belonging to Wrecker. The celestial bear reeled back its paw as if it had actually stung him. Wrecker then charged toward the Ursa as it began to bring its head to bite at him. Then, with a quick grasp of its snout and a twist, Wrecker sent the Ursa barreling through some more trees. The ethereal bear snarled in defeat and retreated back into a different part of the forest.

I had never seen such an overwhelming display of power. I suppose what Charger had told me was right. It brought me to question what new things I would see in my adventures as a courier. Wrecker stayed awake for the rest of the night to stand guard while Charger and I slept. Charger didn't seem at all worried.

#12
Fall. Day 11. Noon The Frozen Desert

We found ourselves traveling over the the salt flats now, far away from the dreaded forests atop of the cliffs behind us. The flats were a land of cracked and dried mud, unable to bear much life aside from the few marshes that were insanely far apart. We had chosen to walk to save our strength and partly due to the fact that there didn't seem to be any large animals out here capable of perceiving us as prey.

I asked Charger more about the wolf as we walked. He seemed more than happy to fill me in on. First, a great dragon by the name of Stribog had destroyed Abner's home. He and his squad plus half a battalion were deployed to the scene. “We guessed that it might return and we were correct. Unfortunately we lost quite a few good soldiers that day. What alerted us was the towering pillar of smoke visible from Canterlot.” His story continued on about how Abner had taken in Stribog's mind and body through some strange magic. Then the moment where he betrayed Abner to deliver the sword back to Celestia who was, at the time, under the influence of the Blight. Abner managed to get the sword back in part to Whisk's, Wrecker's, and Marina's insubordination. “They tore up the tracks leading to Ponyville with improvised explosives because the brakes went out. At least, that's what I heard.”

Then he got to the point where he was run through by Abner's sword but he didn't know until the beast he had defeated had faded away. “Being consumed by Blight is truly terrify, Letter. Every passing moment, I was trapped in reliving my happiest memories that twisted themselves into nightmares. It felt like an eternity until Abner saved me. Although he had run me through, he performed a spell that reversed the wound.” He glanced up towards the desert in the distance, where a massive blizzard seemed to be taking its toll. “I suppose we've still got time for the rest of the story.” He continued the story, straying away from too much detail. “We then took out two of Celestia's larger warships and continued on into the desert after stopping by Wrecker's home. When we got into the desert, we had to wait for the nomadic tribe that travel around here to show up so we could follow them to an ancient castle buried by the sands. Apparently they follow some ancient whale that pretty much brings good weather behind it. After we got to the castle with its three remaining towers, surrounding arched wall colonnade, and a ritualistic circle, we fought off a massive army of Blight. They took on all sorts of forms: hydras, dragons, ponies, bears, gryphons, and rhinos. There were some that were practically unidentifiable.” Charger took a deep breath before speaking up again. It appeared that talking this much was more than average for him. “Anyways, Lark and Tiva did this little song and dance which turned Abner and his swords to stone. Which ultimately unraveled the Blight entirely. The package that you're carrying was created by Prudence to cure Abner.”

“That's quite the story, Charger.” I remarked. “ I think he actually saved me when I was younger. He stopped by Clackerton and I guess after he left, there was a massive shield raised to protect the entiretown.”

“Clackerton!? That's where I grew up. My family owns the Palatial Manor.” He went on about his sister a bit and how Whisk had eventually married her. He didn't speak of his parents however, I guess they either left them alone, or they passed on. I didn't bother him much about the topic. Maybe this was part of the reason why he asked those questions last night, when we sat in front of the campfires. I related with what I could about my personal experiences there.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves at the edge of the blizzard wall. There, we awaited the arrival of the nomads that Charger had told me about.

#13
Fall. Day 12. Evening. The Buried Castle.

We spent the entire later half of the yesterday waiting for the tribe to show up. They eventually showed up around noon today. The leader of the tribe appeared to recognize Charger and Wrecker. I suppose that even after seeing them for such a short time, they left a remarkable impression. It was strange how the weather worked here. The clouds were clear in the area we traveled but all around us was nothing but snow. Even stranger was the fact that the snow never seemed to stay on the ground for very long. Perhaps it was the influence of the so-called whale that this tribe endlessly followed. The winds never seemed to cease either.

Once the evening had set in and the moon once again found itself high in the sky. The tribe pointed us toward the castle and took their leave. The weather was thankfully clear. I stood in aw at what I saw, so much so that I stopped in my tracks to take in the massive structure. Three towers broken apart and the bridges that connected them had their shattered debris scattered across the sands below. The colonnade that surrounded the towers appeared to be a second set instead of an outer wall. Every wall was crafted from sandstone and it appeared to have been reinforced by something I couldn't recognize. Everything that the castle was had long ago been buried by the sands. I could only marvel at the fact that such a place existed and stood to this day.

Charger broke me from my thought, telling me to hurry up. That's when I saw what Charger had spoke about. Upon a ritualistic circle of engraved stone was a statue of a wolf. Surrounding the stone circle was, surprisingly and strangely, a garden consisting of lilies that appeared to glow blue under the night sky. I think mother has one of these in her garden.

Charger took the package that I had carried, opened it and revealed a ornate vase made from jade that had been corked. He then began to spread the liquid that was inside along the wolf's back and around his paws. It took a moment before it kicked in, slowly flaking apart the stone skin. There was a detail that I seemed to always forgotten about, the wolf had a horn. Something that only creatures able to cast magic should have. I wonder what had brought that upon him.

After all of the stone had flaked away, the wolf collapsed and only to be caught by Charger. I was surprised that Abner hadn't been protected after five years of being here. Until a large dragon and stone golem of ice and earth revealed themselves. The dragon flew down from one of the towers and the golem reform itself from a several piles of stone that had been scattered about the grounds. The dragon landing in what seemed like our one and only exit. The golem brought itself to attack Charger and Wrecker, but reeled back as if it had recognized them.

The blue-violet dragon spoke up, “It has been quite some, hasn't it?”

“Indeed it has, Stribog. Five years now.” Charger replied, almost yelling.

“Feels, longer.”

“You're a dragon. You've been alive for thousands of years.”

“I suppose you've a point.”

“Don't suppose you can offer us a ride back home, do you?”

“Abner must regain himself first, his senses should come to be, at least.”

“You have a point.”

“Who is this young one you've brought along?” The dragon peered down at me.

“Go ahead and introduce yourself.” Charger encouraged

“Letter Bee.” I answered nervously

The golem, Njördur, sparked a fire and we brought out the blankets once again. Wrecker actually slept, for once. Stribog and Charger chatted for a little bit. I couldn't sleep, I think just me being in a new place has thrown off my normal sleeping habits. Maybe it was the desert air. Stribog caught a glance of me in writing this but he didn't say much. I'm sure he might find it interesting.

#14
Fall. Day 14. Morning. Canis Village.

It's been two days since we've pulled Abner from the stone shell he was once in. Now, by Stribog's great strides of flight, we wound up in Canis Village. A place that Abner called his home. It was a long flight, one that I managed to get some sleep on, strangely peacefully. Yesterday was mostly just flying with a couple breaks between for food and to avoid some bad weather.

The wolf didn't talk, I'm not sure if he understood our language. However, Charger assured me that he could but it's not a good idea to start using muscles you haven't used in years. I guess he was, Abner hadn't opened his eyes since his revival, I guess I can call it. Njördur managed to transform himself into a necklace that Abner could use as some sort of summoning amulet. There's a lot about magic that I've yet to understand and this is just start of it.

Abner's family was absolutely to see Abner after being away for so long. Each one of them thanked me and hugged me. There was, however, a single unicorn that thanked me as well. A lovely mare with a soothing voice, every word sounding like the songs of beautiful birds. I believe Lark Song was her name.

After the thanks, Abner's mother gave me that petals of the lily that bloomed under the moon light and glowed a light blue. Lark was able to translate what she was telling me about the flower. Saying that the legend behind the flower itself was that if there were no stars in the night sky, these flowers always grew with them, in the same constellations and arrangements. Follow the flowers and you'll find your way home. She had weaved the petals and stem together to form something of a bracelet, which she tied around the necklace I wore.

I waited by the fountain which held a large statue of Abner on three of his legs, the fourth raised up and his head turned toward, I think, Canterlot. Charger approached me and said that he, Wrecker, and I would travel back to Clackerton without the dragon, Stribog. Thankfully, there was a a train the headed into Ponyville, so we didn't have to worry about getting lost anytime soon. We would however, still have to go through the Everfree Forest, or over it.

I asked why the dragon couldn't fly us to Clackerton, Charger told me that he had a debt to Abner for saving his life and essentially making him whole again. The same could be said about Prudence, who had given Abner the ability to use magic. That was a question that I would have to ask Prudence the next time I met her, as Charger and Wrecker didn't have the answer.

#15
Fall. Day 14. Evening. Clackerton. Home.

Charger and Wrecker diligently escorted me through the Everfree Forest and up to the entrance of Clackerton. Charger wished me the best of luck and said something that I think will be sticking with me for a long time. “Letter, as a courier, bringing letters to those addressed means a lot. Something you should take pride in. You won't always be bringing back letters and good news.” That is where we parted ways. I asked him why he didn't want go home, he answered that it's not time for him yet. A strange answer, indeed. I get the feeling that this won't be the only time I'll be see those two and Abner.

I came home to an empty house and brought myself before a candlelight to write this. The ink in my pen has almost run dry, amazing really. I didn't think I would write this much but I hope it suffices for the future. I suppose I'll see to Apricot later, either tonight or in the morning but for now I think I'll be taking another nap. All that walking through Everfree isn't something I was used to.