-->'''Rhino''': Are we there yet?\\
'''Hydro''': No, Rhino, we're not.\\
'''Rhino''': Damn.\\
''Well that killed about five seconds, now what?''

[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/21191/The-First-Steps-of-the-Rest-of-Your-Life The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life]] is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' FanFic written by Rhino and published on Platform/FimfictionDotNet. It features a variety of different original characters, attempting to live a normal life--or as normal as one can be in Ponyville. The list of main original characters as of writing this are:

# [[TheHero Rhino]], the protagonist and a unicorn vet with "res" abilities; "The Arcane Assassin"
# [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Hydro Pump]], Rhino's best friend and an earth pony hydraulic engineer; "The Aqua Engineer"
# [[ButtMonkey Voltage Surge]], a unicorn electrical engineer who later gains ShockAndAwe powers; "The Electromancer"
# [[OnlySaneMan Blue Breeze]], a pegasus weather pony with wind-related abilities; "The Tempest Monk"
# [[TheQuietOne Atomic Vortex]], a pegasus former guard (now private investigator) who was [[ClearMyName framed]] for theft and assault; "The Cyclone Knight"
# [[BadassAdorable Ruby Pinch]], a unicorn filly from [[{{Crossover}} another dimension]] who becomes Rhino's adopted daughter.
# [[TheStoic Orion Starchaser]], a pegasus member of the Astronomer's Guild who is sent by Princess Luna to retrieve star pieces.

Together, they face the challenges life throws at them...whether they want to or not.

!Tropes present in this work
* AssassinOutclassin: An assassination attempt on Atomic Vortex ultimately fails due to the intervention of Rhino and Hydro.
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Invoked; [[spoiler: when Princess Luna appears at the end of the fight between Lieutenant Torchlight and the good guys:]]
--> '''Atom''': [[spoiler: Princess, can I please beat him [Torchlight] some more?]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Luna''':]] [[spoiler: Nay, it would be most unlawful of us to allow you to fight under our watch. ''(turns and picks up a book)'' Oh, we have not read this tome. We are afraid we might be distracted for a few moments and will be unable to react to anything that might be happening while our back is turned.]]
--> '''Atom''': [[spoiler: ''(grins evilly at Torchlight, who gulps)'']]
* BadassAdorable: Ruby Pinch, i.e. Pinchy. Young and cute filly, who has been training to become a ninja and actually has skills to show for it.
* BerserkButton: If you want to get away with your limbs still working, don't even ''threaten'' to harm Fluttershy around Rhino.
* BetaCouple: Hydro/Applejack and Blue/Rainbow get significantly less elaboration than Rhino/Fluttershy and Volt/Twilight. Hydro and Applejack's relationship is barely even referred to.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Rhino normally keeps his cool...but he is ''not'' to be messed with. See BerserkButton above.
* ClearMyName: How the group first meets Atom - and by extension, Navy; Atom is framed and taken to Rhino to be watched until the trial, and it's thanks to Navy that the guys start to realize Atom is innocent.
* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: [[spoiler: Lieutenant Torchlight is the first major pony villain of the series and uses enchanted armor to boost his magical and physical ability.]]
* CoolSword: Atomic Vortex has a magically enchanted sword called Breeze, which has been passed down through generations of his family. It consists of a hilt that uses natural Pegasus magic to form a blade in the shape of an infinity symbol out of wind.
* {{Crossover}}: With ''Epic Rap Battles of MLP''; Rhino hosted a Q&A and appeared in a couple chapters afterwards (and is still there, going by that story's canon). Similarly, a few characters from ''Epic Rap Battles of MLP'' briefly appeared in this story, and led to Pinchy becoming a main character.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Pop Filter is briefly seen several chapters before he is formally introduced.
* HumanCannonball: [[spoiler:To defeat the sentient cloud monster Fluffers, Volt is fired out of a canon holding a weather device.]]
* LivingWeapon: [[spoiler:Volt is used as a weapon by his comrades in both a fight with Torchlight and a fight with the members of the mob.]]
* OfficialCouple: Rhino and Fluttershy; Hydro and Applejack; Blue and Rainbow Dash; Volt and Twilight Sparkle.
* PlayingWithFire: [[spoiler: Lieutenant Torchlight when boosted by his magical armor can be become a skilled pyromancer and tends to use this style of magic as his main form of combat.]]
* PungeonMaster: Voltage Surge and to a lesser extent Blue Breeze.
* [[RedEyesTakeWarning Red Mane Take Warning]]: When [[BewareTheNiceOnes Rhino]] gets his BerserkButton pressed, the blue stripe in his mane turns red. He then becomes ''extremely'' violent.
* RelationshipUpgrade: After the train ride back from Canterlot, the tension between Volt and Twilight is finally resolved resulting in them becoming a couple.
* ShoutOut: [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hydro Pump]].
* StraightGay: Navy Shadow is a Pegasus author and Atom's best friend, but he also hits on Atom during the duration of his stay with the group.
* YouAreNotAlone: [[spoiler: When Lieutenant Torchlight is curbstomping Atom and is on the verge of victory, Rhino, Hydro, Volt, and Blue all step in to join the fight.]]
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