The skies over Ponyville where clear, not a cloud in sight. Perfect for flying! A rainbow maned pegisus flew at an incredable speed, doing backflips, barrelrolls and cork skrews. "At this rate, i'll be in the Wonderbolts in no time!" she thought. She saw herself standing next to the legendary pegasi fliers in their trademark jumpsuits and her in one of them. A roaring crowd cheering them on for more tricks and all of them giving them what they wanted. But then the dream shattered to the sound of knocking at the door "Grr, why is it always the good ones...?" she growled. Reluctently, she got out of her bed and walked down the hall of her cloud house. When she opened the door she found a huge hot air balloon with a pink Earth pony in it.
"Hiyah Dashie!" the pony said in a high pitch, hyper-ish, kinda annoying tone. "I just wanted you to know that there's some new ponies in town! And I'm hosting a welcome party for them! "
"Well, who are they Pinkie? Anypony important?" Dash said, still rubbing her eyes to get the remaining eye crust off.
"Oh, it's just a couple of colts. Nothing that interesting, for you at least." Pinkie said with a giggle. "So, you wanna come?"
"Yeah, yeah, i'll go..." Dash said sadly. That last part hit harder than Pinkie knew, or would ever suspect. Luckily, Pinkie didn't think why Dash sounded sad. Which was damn lucky for Dash.
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said with a smile. "Well, I have hurry back to the Sugarcube Corner and prepare everything. Wanna help out?" Dash shook her head. Her emotions had gotten to her again.
"No, i'm busy with other things. I'll be there for sure though." Pinkie nodded and with that left the pegisi's house. Dash watched one of her good friends slowly glide away and then slammed the door shut. A single tear slowly rolled down her cheek. "Why? Why do they all assume!" she thought. It was always the same with everypony. They just assume she's only a filly fooler, even though she had done nothing to suggest that! The only thing that she could think of that may be the reason was her hanging out with Gilda so much. But even then her friends should know better. Or maybe it was because her mane was rainbow coloured... Who knows. "Better get ready for that stupid party..." she said silently and began her morning.
The three walked down the dirt path to Ponyville, where they would deliver the special package that they risked their lives for. Zecora stopped us from walking across a patch of blue flowers. "Watch where you step, pony folk. Or feel the wrath of Poison Joke." she warned us. Brother and Eli exchanged glances, both saying 'what in Celestia's name?'
"Uh, alright. Thank you Zecora." Brother replied along with a nod.
"Poison wha-? Whatever." Eli said, leaping over the small patch cautiously. Brother looked at Eli and shook his head, showing a bit dissapointment.
"Shouldn't be so rude. She is our guide and she helped us avoid these odd plant. If ya don't know what it does, that's more the reason to avoid it." he said 'mater-of-factly'. He walked around it with Zecora and met up with Eli. He sighed at Brother for acting all leadery.
"Ponyville is getting near, it should be not far from here" Zecora interupted the two. They nodded and followed. She was right. Within minutes they where in the busy town of Ponyville, home to the ponies that can wield the Elements of Harmony. Pegasi flew by over head, unicorns were working on various things, and earth ponies were by food stands, selling their harvest. A bright pink earth pony walked up to Zecora and asked them who were the colts following her. "These are new ponies to Ponyville, i'm sure they might cause quite a thrill." And just as pridicted, the bright pink mare jumped up, gasping, and ran off. Zecora laughed and said "Hurry my friends, we have much to see before this day ends." Brother and Eli exhanced the 'what in Celestia's name?' glance once again and went on. Zecora took them on a lengthy tour of the town, showing them every building from the post office to the train station and even to the pretty famous farm, Sweet Apple Aches. The sun was setting by the time they where directed to a small place apparently called Sugarcube Corner. "In here some ponies await, but make sure that you are not too late!"she said advertantly.
"Yeah, thank you Zecora." Brother said with exhaustion. His hooves were getting tired from all the walking around they did and longed for a nice seat.
"Well, let's not keep them waiting!" Eli said with much enthusiasm. Brother magic'd the door open and there sat five ponies. A bright pink pony, the same they saw before, with a smile on her face, a purple unicorn mare with a book levitated in front of her, a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane that looked pretty bored, a white unicorn who looked up from a fashion magazine and oddly seemed to instantly check Brother out, and pink tail that connected to a yellow flank coming from behind a table. Brother and Eli were suprized to see they group of mares greet them.
"Uh, hello everypony," Brother said as he walked in slowly, along with Eli, with a smile on, "i'm Brother Brave, and this is my friend Emerald Night." he acknowledged with a nod. The purple unicorn put down her book and cleared her throat.
"Hello, i'm Twilight Sparkle. This is Pinkie Pie," the unicorn said as she gestured to the pink pony, now bursting with energy as she tried not to jump into the air once again. Her wide grin actually creeped them out just a tad bit, "Rainbow Dash," the cyan pegasus nodded and said 'Sup?', "Rarity," the white unicorn kept her eyes on Brother. Eli smiled and nugged him.
"Looks like somepony already has a crush on you." Brother shook his head, actually kinda embarresed.
"And Fluttershy," the pink tail and yellow flank made the cutest squeek Brother or Eli have ever heard when her name got called. "Our other friend will be back shortly" and as if it was all planed, an orange earth pony with a beige cowboy hat walked out of a doorway that lead to what seemed like a kitchen. She carried a plate of cookies and set them down on the table the mares were sitting at. She looked up and saw the new comers. But her reaction was something way different. She rubbed her eyes and blinked in disbelief. She stared directly at Brother along with Eli, only his face was more 'why is she looking at you like that?'. Her face went to a small smile and she slowly walked to him. "Well ah'll be. Never thought ah'd see you for a while."
"Uh, excuse me?" Brother asked. He had never seen this mare in his life. Though, oddly enough, she had the same coat and mane as his friend from long ago. Wait... Suddenly he gasped and face hoofed himself for not putting one and one together. "That's right! You're that filly I was friends with a long time ago!" He was excited that he had reunited with the only friend he had as a foal.
"You do realize ah have a name suga cube." the mare said as she went to hug her old friend. Brother blushed a crimson red for forgetting her name.
"Uh, yeah, but it's been like, eleven years. Kinda forgot it." he chuckled, "Sorry." His grin widened as his blush darkened. The mare shook her head with a smile on her face.
"Always forgetful," she mumbled, "Ahm Applejack, remember?" Yet another hoof met Brother's face.
"Man, it sure has been a long time since we last saw each other." Brother said after recovering from his own stupidity. "I actually thought I wouldn't see you again! What happened?" She looked sad all of a sudden. As if he was stabbing a very soft subject for her.
"Ah know it was bad of me for not tellin' ya, but ah needed tha farm and it needed me. Ah hope ya can forgive me." Applejack said. She sniffed and a tear rolled down her face. "Ah know it ain't really of me to be cryin' but after what you done for me back then with those thugs, and then me leavin' you all alone, it was terrible of me." Brother put a hoof around her neck and smiled warmly.
"Hey, it's alright. You had a legitimate reason to leave. I would've understood." Applejack returned the smile and put on a bright happy face.
"Yeah, ahm sure you would've. But right now isn't the time to be sad. As Pinky would say, it's time to party!" She broke away from Brother's arm and started to put on a dance song. It was a 'd'aww' worthy moment between the two but with the music, plus Pinky's sudden jump onto the empty floor where they were to dance, the sadness was replaced with happiness.
After coming out of a 'what just happened' trance, Eli went outside and took off the bandages that covered his one wing. He extended them and flapped lightly. He planned to bring his wing back to full strength by doing a quick loop around Ponyville when he heard the faint cry of a mare. Eli had no idea where it came from so he lauched into the air to check it out. He flew around the sweet shop, only too see the pegasus named 'Raindow Dash' huddled behind the store, crying. He gently decended infront of her pegasus, not making a single sound as he touched the ground. "Dash, was it? Rainbow Dash?" he said to her. She lifted her head and looked at him with redend eyes.
"Y-yeah." she sniffed, wipeing away some tears, "What about me?" Dash suddenly snapped. Eli examined her facial features more carefully now. She seemed oddly familier. But from where? His memory hit him like a train. Flight school!
"I think I remember a Rainbow Dash in flight school. She pulled off the Sonic Rainboom that got me this." he said, pointing a hoof to his cutie mark.
"F-flight school? In Cloudsdale? W-what did you say your name was?" She said, wiping more tears off of her cheek.
"Emerald Night, at your service!" he said cocking a smile. She giggled, only to burst into more tears. "What's wrong Dash?" he asked.
"E-everyone I know thinks I'm a filly fooler, ever since I would hang out with Gilda in flight school." she stated, unloading another sob. "Oh right, Gilda." he cringed at the thought.
"Well dash, are you a filly fooler?" he said, tilting his head.
"No!" She yelled, sudden anger in her eyes. But it quickly faded. "Well, yeah. But I like colts... I don't know, it's stupid." she said, looking away.
"Then why do your frie- wait, have you ever dated a colt?"
"Well, no."
"Then that's why they do. They don't know that you like colts because they've never seen you with one!" he hoof hit the ground in a eureka moment.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Thank you!" she said as she glomped Eli. Struggling to breath, he managed to say
"No problem." But then Dash's happiness was drained out of her.
"How am I going to find a coltfriend?" Emerald laughed,
"I have no idea. But here's a tip, make sure he's your friend first. Just starting off as coltfriend and marefriend is kinda awkward." Dash nodded. Eli put on another grin and and held a hoof out to her. "C'mon, we better get back to the party."
It was well into the night when the two colts made their way to a hotel to spend the night. The party had been very fun, even the pegasus Fluttershy left her hiding spot to join her friends. But before leaving the Sugercube Corner, Twilight had noticed Eli's saddle bag and asked him what he was carrying. He remembered the package and took it out, hoping that maybe one of these mares might who's the owner. When he pulled it out he read the tag, to his and Twilight's surprise, it was to her. She jumped for joy and ripped the package out of Eli's grasp. Apparently, it was an extremely rare book that she had heard about and asked the Princess herself if she could buy it for her so that she may study it. Once the payment was made Twilight galloped out of the store and went home. After seeing how late it was the others did the same except for Pinkie Pie, who just went up a flight of stairs. Applejack offered Brother a night at Sweet Apple Aches but denied it. He was Eli's bodyguard and he had to make sure no filly mugged him. Eli death stared him before exiting the store too. Brother chuckled and was about to do the same Applejack pulled him back to her. She wanted to thank him once again for getting her out of that situation back then. Brother told her to stop thanking him, that she already paid him back for being his only friend. They exchanged another hug and he was off. Applejack closed the door behind her and walked the opposite way. She thought deeply about Brother. She had liked him ever since he saved her, yet she could never show it. They were a year apart, Brother being younger. Not only that but they way he looks now, even Rarity was checking him out. She sighed and hit her hoof against her head many times. How could she be so shy? Before she could think anymore she was already home.
Eli was given bits to rent a hotel for a week so that he could received another package. Once he gave the pony the bits needed and took the room key, the duo went to their hotel room, quickly found their beds, and fell asleep. Or, at least Eli did. Brother began to think about that day. He was reunited with his only friend back when he was a foal. And not only that but now she was extremely pretty. Coupled with her accent and what he remembered of her personality from back then she seemed great marefriend material. Only thing was that he wasn't sure she even liked him. She was a year older then him and the odds of rejection were high. "If you don't know what'll happen, that's more the reason to not do it." he thought. But the feeling for her kept growing, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. It was maybe an hour before he was able to finally fall asleep. Though, his last thoughts were of him and Applejack, snuggling by a fire after a cold winter's day.