"Sorry about that, I was in a hurry."

"No problem, I wasn't exactly watching where I was going." A Rainbow mane Pegasus said, helping him up.

Oh man! I don’t have time for this! I’m going to miss it! I can’t miss it! Star Grazer looked at his watch. Oh pony feathers! This is my only chance! I have to make it to the train! Rainbow Dash passed him his scrolls.

"Sorry again ma'am."

Star Grazer continued to run in the general direction of the square. He ran through crowds of what looked like multicolored blurs to him, charging full speed for his last chance, his last hope, of ever seeing her again. He finally made it to market square, sweat dripping off his white coat. He noticed a group of earth ponies chatting idly by a fountain.

“Hey! You wouldn’t happen to know where the train is do ya’?” he asked, gasping for breath as he took a big gulp from the fountain.

“Uh...yeah it’s just over there. Just past the library…” The ponies pointed toward what looked like a giant tree.

“Thanks I owe you one!” He ran full speed toward the tree, noticing the scroll and book sign in front.

Mental Note: Random tree in Ponyville turns out to be library

He continued to hoof it as fast as he could possibly go and faster toward the train station. The watch on his hoof read 1:30 so it must be at least 1:40 now! I’m not gonna' reach the train in time! No! I can do this! Let’s go! COME ON GRAZER! He noticed a purple blur as he passed the tree house library place. Must be the librarian…gonna’ have to talk ta’ her later on… Now is not the time to be thinking!

Star Grazer steps onto the platform and reaches into his saddlebag, throwing a hoof full of bits at the ticket Pony. He leaped over the gate and dove onto the train, slamming his head against the other side of the cart, as it begins to whistle down the track toward Canterlot.

“Uh, are you ok sir?” Several passengers were staring at him from their seats as he fumbled with a saddlebag of scrolls.

“It’s ok! I’m fine everypony! No need to panic” He sighed as a gray unicorn in a blue uniform walked up to him.ugh my head hurts I don't have time for this!

“Ticket please!”

“Uh hehehe…see funny story! The thing is sir!-“ in that instant he bolted for what he assumed was the back door. He opened and slammed the door shut in time for the unicorn to smack into it. Star held back a snicker as he tiredly ran from one cart to another. If I keep this up I might have to consider trying for the race team! Star Grazer reached the final cart and realized the mess he made of all the other train carts, snickering some more, he jumped onto a small platform on the side of the cart and hopped onto the roof.

“Ah pony feathers! Where did that guy go?” The unicorn looked cautiously around the back end of the cart.

“Must have jumped, poor guy couldn’t have just told me why he hopped on?”

Star Grazer face hoofed as he gingerly trotted along the cart. He manages to find some leverage as he propped up against the saddlebag. All right, if I’m correct this train is heading for Canterlot. The news says that it got hit pretty badly by them Griffins. I hope everypony got out ok… I hope you got out ok… Lost in thought the stallion laid back on his saddlebag, a tear fell from his blue eyes as the wind blew his mane. His glasses quivered a little in the gust and he adjusted them on his face.

“Please be ok. For Celestia’s sake, Please be ok!” the sound of his voice quickly fade away as the trains engine blares its whistle. It almost seemed surreal to him. Once he was an average astronomer working at the Canterlot Library. Now he is a pony on a quest. It sounded so familiar to him… He felt like he read this somewhere… maybe in that one book from Lebart Flights? Who knows… it’s like a wind of change is blowing over him. Hope that change is good.

Star Grazer woke up from a surprisingly comfortable nap to see the structure of Canterlot Castle looming in the near distance. He noticed several moving dots all over the castle that he assumed were workers fixing the castle. The train continued to whistle along the track as he prepared himself for departure. The saddlebag was all packed, he had his glasses, the scroll he needed was in his hoof and he jumped off the train when it slowed into the oncoming platform.

“First order of business, find a place to stay.” He stated to no pony in particular.

He walked around the rubble of the Canterlot square and found what he was looking for. A sea of beige tents speckled with a variety of colored ponies going about their business of repairing the city. Ugh, more crowds. I hate crowds. They make me dizzy… He stumbled a few times but was able to make his way across the busy pathway towards a rather large and opulent tent.

Upon entering, the smell of fancy cologne and sweat rushed into his lungs. Star Grazer's face twitched and he walked into the room of Canterlot Elites. The snooty ponies looked at Star Grazer with first contempt then recognition. They all walked over to greet and brag to their fellow Elite.

“Star Grazer! I dare say you are looking quiet resplendently if I do say so myself!” Star Grazer turned around to see the familiar face of Prince Blueblood and Fancypants coming toward him.

“Blue! Fancypants! How good to see you both! I see you survived the griffin attack” Star Grazer noticed bandages on Fancypants’s hoofs and upper neck. “What happened? Are you badly hurt?!”

“No my good man! I was a part of the fight! I have to say, it was a thrill! So there we were, faced with total defeat and despair, when none other than Rainbow Dash and a Changeling of all creatures devised a brilliant plan to-“Star Grazer placed a hoof on Fancypants’s back.

“As much as I’d love to hear your new adventure, I'm looking for someone! Do you know if Cherry made it out ok?” A look of despair came across both Fancypants and Blueblood.

“Cherry… She was fighting alongside me the whole time. She had volunteered when we were in the caves…I couldn’t stop her and she. She is gone! She didn’t come up in any of the rubble but we don’t know where she is. The Captain of the Royal Guard thinks that the griffins took some prisoners.” He looked toward the spot where there once was a scholarly earth pony.

“Well Fancypants, looks like he is off again.”

“Yes…Indeed”

Next Chapter: A Dash of Cider Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 47 Minutes