Ponyville Shimmers

Chapter 1:

Gray Storm had just gotten off the train, he was holding two saddle bags of all his belongings that he had left from his move. Gray was a tall grey coloured pegasus with a long dark brown mane. As he was leaving the station he could see the ponies from the train meeting with families, friends, or other relatives. He made his way through the crowd casually. He did not plan on meeting anypony. What family he had lived very far away and he hardly saw them. The small group of friends he had, he left back in Manehattan. Gray wanted a change and get away from the city. As he was walking he noticed the beautiful landscape surrounding Ponyville and admired the lush green hills in the far distance. The air was clean and smelt fresh, every breath felt as if it could add five years to any pony's life. Gray could only smile at the gorgeous land. It was nothing like what he was used to, the smoggy air and pavement surrounding him in the big city. There he couldn’t even imagine a place with beauty of this magnitude. This was never ending peace, a true heaven on earth.

He had started to make his way to his new home while looking around the small town. Gray's house was on the outer side of Ponyville. His new home was a normal cottage right off of the shore of a lake north of Sweet Apple Acres. Gray wanted to be as far away from town as he possibly could. He figured that his music might disturb other ponies around him so he choose something distant. Besides being that far out it would be even quieter with no neighbors.

Gray got to a dirt path that led straight to his cottage. He could’ve flown there but wanted to enjoy the Ponyville countryside on the ground. There were lots of hills on both sides of the path, covered with flowers and trees. It was completely silent with the exception of the birds chirping in nearby trees and the buzzing of bees. He continued on his path when he heard a tree branch snap behind him. He stopped and quickly turned around. No one. He shrugged and let out a sigh and turned back around. All he could see were two giant blue eyes inches away from his. “Ahhh!!" he yelled as he nearly jumped out of his hide. He shot into the air flapping his wings. A pink mare was standing below him looking up with a giant smile on her face.

“Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name??" she said enthusiastically.

“What?" Gray said trying to catch his breath.

“I saw you walking and I've never seen you before and I know everypony in Ponyville and I mean every everypony!!" She looked up at his cutie mark. "OOooooooo Is that a guitar?"

"What? Yes? Why are you asking so many questions??" Gray had never been as confused in his life as he was now.

Another pony came stumbling through the bushes. It was a dark blue unicorn stallion with a black and white theatre arts comedy mask for a cutie mark and a long auburn coloured mane.

“Pinkie, what are you doing? I turned around for one second and you were gone?"

He noticed Gray hovering in front of her.

“Who is that?" The dark blue stallion said pointing a hoof at him.

Gray landed back onto the ground.

“My name is Gray Storm, I just moved here. I was just walking along to my new home when she jumped out of nowhere and almost gave me a heart attack."

"I saw you walking all alone with no friends and I didn’t recognize you so that meant you were new and that you had no friends so I wanted to come welcome you to Ponyville" she had a gigantic smile on her face.

“I’m sorry, Pinkie is super friendly. She didn’t mean to scare you like that haha. My name is Improv, her coltfriend." He stuck his hoof out to Storm with a smile.

Storm shook his hoof smiling back, “nice to meet you guys.”

“Sooo what brings you to Ponyville Storm?" Pinkie asked.

“Well I just got done touring with my band, I wanted to take a break, and unwind in the countryside. I am originally from Cloudsdale but, we finished our last show in Manehattan." He answered

“Oooooooo, how interesting!" Pinkie exclaimed.

“What are you guys doing out here?"

“Me and Impy were having a picnic!" Pinkie said

Storm was trying not to laugh. “Impy?"

“Yeah that’s what I call Improv" she began to rub his cheeks with both of her hooves. “He’s my little Impy!"

Storm couldn’t hold it, he busted out laughing. It didn’t seem to bother Improv at all. He still was smiling.

“Yes, that's what she calls me haha"

They were all laughing.

“Ha, well I hope every other pony here is as nice as you guys are.”

Pinkie gasped! “Oh my gosh! We need to introduce Storm to everypony else!!"

“Your right they’d love to meet him!"

All of a sudden they were interrupted by a rainbow bolting over their heads, in the sky, led by a bright cerulean pegasus. Storm was in awe by the speed she passed by them.

“Hey there’s Rainbow" Improv said.

"Rainbow Daaaaasssh!!!!" Pinkie called out to her.

Rainbow kept flying without even turning around.

“Huh she must have not have heard me" Pinkie said with a smile while Improv and Storm were rubbing their ears in pain.

“She’s probably still upset about what happened with Soarin." Improv said.

“Yeah she has been acting a little funky lately." Pinkie agreed, “We should make her a cake!” She jumped into the air grinning. Improv chuckled.

Storm decided not to ask about it. It wasn’t any of his business.

It was quiet for a moment, then quickly interrupted by Pinkie. She grabbed Storms hoof and started dragging him back towards town.

“Come on lets go introduce you to everypony!!!" She had a huge smile on her face. Gray’s hooves left straight tracks in the ground.

Storm took his hoof back. “I’m sorry I would like to. I really would, but I am really tired from my trip and am ready to get home. Maybe another time?"

“Yeah Pinkie, let Storm get settled in, he hasn't even been home. Besides we have a picnic to finish"

Pinkie smiled. “Okie dokie lokie!! See you later alligator!" She began bouncing away back to their picnic set.

Storm and Improv laughed.

“Well it was nice meeting you. If you ever get bored or need somepony to hang with let us know, were always trying to find ways to have fun." Improv shook his hoof again.

Storm smiled, “Definitely, I’ll see you around."

Improv went to follow Pinkie. Storm turned and continued his way home.

“Haha," He laughed to himself. “Impy hahaha."

Finally he could see his cottage. It was about sunset by now. The sun was reflecting off of the water behind it. All he could see was the silhouette of his cottage. It was two stories tall and had a big patio on the second story. He pushed the door open. All of his furniture had been moved in accordingly and his home was perfectly the way he wanted it. He put his bags down by the door and went to his room. Everything was perfectly clean and in one piece. He was hoping that the movers hadn't broken anything. He went back downstairs to the kitchen, to see if his cider was there. He opened it up and there they were, the fridge was stocked. He grabbed a bottle and walked out to his patio. He sat down to watch the sunset and so he could relax and think. He could smell the scent of water in the air. His patio had a magnificent view of the lake. For the first time in a long time, Storm really felt relaxed and at peace. But for some reason the thought of that mare racing past them earlier nudged its way into his head. She was really fast, he thought. He had never seen a pony move that fast before, and she seemed to be flying with ease and not even trying.

It was night now. Storm had gone through five bottles of cider and decided it was time to go to bed. He got up and stumbled his way upstairs and into bed.

Rainbow was sitting on top of a cloud, heartbroken. Earlier that week Soarin had broken up with her. He said that they were growing apart and she didn't understand how. She was still upset. She was left in the dark.... alone. She didn't want to talk to anypony about it, which was making it worse for her. She hated to be alone. But she also hated the idea of letting another pony into her problems. It was too much though. She had to go to somepony. The only one she knew, without a doubt, that would tell her the truth and what she need to hear was Applejack. The flight on the way over could also maybe help her relax.

She was up high in the clouds getting near Sweet Apple Acres. She could see AJ's barn. Dash was about to call her name when she noticed she with another pony. She couldn't tell who it was, she had hid behind a cloud to remain unnoticed. She then dug a hole through the center of it so she could take a peek. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened when she had realized that the pony she was with was a stallion. It was Soarin.... Rainbow rolled over onto her back and put her hoof over her chest. She had begun to tear up and her heart was racing. She turned back over to look again and she saw them hugging. Soarin then leaned in and gave Applejack a kiss on the cheek. Rainbow was in tears and felt like she had a shard of glass wedged into her stomach. “How could she do this to me" Rainbow thought to herself. “She’s my best friend and she knew that Soarin and I just split up." “How could he be with my best friend?" She couldn’t think straight. The cloud she was on was soaked in her tears. She looked back down and saw Soarin flying away. Rainbow had to leave. She didn’t know where to go but she couldn't stay there.

Rainbow bolted towards the top of a mountain in the distance. As she was flying, she heard Pinkie yelling her name at the top of her lungs. As she passed by she saw her, Improv and a grey pony she’s never seen before. She couldn't stop, she wouldn't. She kept going without even turning her head to acknowledge Pinkie. She would probably think she didn't hear her, even though that wasn't possible.