A new day in Equestriaby Saris DaddyChaptersA fine welcome to youThe orange HurricaneUnexpected familyFinally QuarkSir FluffyOf Bee's and UnicornsWelcome to the neighborhoodA fine welcome to youThe day startet really peacefully as Groove Apfel was woken by a lone ray of sunlight which purposefully made every attempt to sleep futile. The place in the bed next to him was empty and the sweet smell of baking goods danced trough the air. Slowly Groove started to get out of bed and put on his glasses, stretched his back and left for the bathroom. After his business completed, he processed into the kitchen were a petite cream coated unicorn mare with a flaming red mane, adorable freckles and glasses over her purple eyes, was busily stirring dough. On her nosetip was a little white spot of flour which made Groove feel like a schoolcolt again. "Morning my dear" she chirped with an angelic smile. "I make a cheescake would you be so kind and go to the market and buy some quark* and some mandarins? i mean after you're done with breakfast." she nodded toward the table where a cup of coffee the newspaper and a Daisy sandwich were waiting for him. Groove smiled relaxed. In his two days in Ponyville he blew up his toaster, dropped his favorite cup and spilled coffee all over the book he was currently reading but in this moment everything was perfect. "Well then, let's eat and thanks, my love." It's been two days since Groove and his fiancee Tee Rose moved from Germane to Equestria and up until now it seemed like Equestria wouldn't be very welcoming. For the day of their moving a rainstorm was scheduled and Groove had to carry in all his stuff in the rain. The young earthpony was a historian and a writer, no professional moving colt. Rose did her best to keep them dry but keeping the anti rain spell up for the downpour did drain her mana reserves pretty well. As the last box finally reached their bedroom the downpour stopped instantly and even the sun came out. Groove's mood dropped from 'pretty pissed' to 'motherbucking rage' "Scheiß Umzug, leckt mich, i've had enough, bei Celestia..." He kept cursing the entire time while he was under the shower while Rose started to unpack the boxes im the living room. The room was filled with boxes, lots of boxes and most of them only filled with books. While carefully unpacking the boxes Rose teleportet a fresh towel in the bathroom where Groove started to realize that he, again, forgot to get himself a towel before he was too drenched to do so. He rubbed his coat hastily and left the bathroom, still wet with the towel loosely over his back. He came down the Stairs and threw the towel over a free chair to dry "Thanks honey" Rose smiled snootily "what would you do without me?" "I would live in a small hole in the ground and be lonely with no sunshine and no happiness for all eternity" he answered seriously Rose chuckled"Aren't you exaggerating quite a bit? " Groove grinned "ME? Exaggerating? Good mare, you seem to forget who your future husband is. I'm awesome not to say godlike . I would NEVER do such a thing like exaggerating. And now after GOD has spoken..."groove paused looking dead serious "..what would you like for dinner? " After Groove finished breakfast, he quickly stood up washed his tableware and was on his way to the market. The mandarins were quiet easy to get and the mare on the stand eyed him curiously. "How may I help you?" "How much for the mandarin oranges?" Groove asked. "A Bit the pound" the mare replied. Groove pulled out a small notebook but she couldn't read what was written inside and he stopped by a chart where a few numbers were written "Seems reasonable." He commented and started to store the book away. "Why the book?" she asked curiously. "I'm sorry..." he smiled insecurely "I'm still strugling with the Equestrian weights and measures." "You are new in town aren't you? Where are you from?" She asked still curious "I just moved here with my fiance originally we're from Germane." "Germane? Oh i simply love the Black Forest cake, pretzels and Baumkuchen. is it true you all wear Lederhosen?" Groove was slightly amused while glancing at his flank "Nope thats south Germane. I'm from northwest Germane. it's like me asking you if it's true that all manehatten ponies talk with a canterlot accent." He smiled warmly "No offense." She snickered "None taken. You simply have to tell me more. My Name is Cherry Berry by the way." Groove laughed "Groove Apfel is my name but you can call me Groove." The two talked for a while and Cherry insistet that Groove took his first pound of Mandarins as some kind of welcome present. "Ah Cherry, would you happen to know where I can get some quark? " cherry eyed him puzzled "What is quark?" Groove looked dumbfounded "Öhm how do I explain Quark? It's white creamy stuff often used to bake cake." "Maybe the Cakes have some of that quark stuff but I never heard of it before... or do you mean cream?" Groove shook his head in denial "Nope, I mean quark. It's similar but cream and quark are two completely different products." Cherry blinked confusedly "well then you best ask the Cakes in Sugarcube Corner." Cherrys directions were somewhat vague "Walk down the street and you will know when you're there." Groove laughed "Wow thats not really specific." The pink Mare blushed "Well yeah but its just a little bit down the road," she pointet to the right "and you will know when you're there. The building's kinda hard to miss." "Thank you cherry," Groove smiled warmly "I'll see you around." Groove trotted in the direction Cherry had pointed A few moments later, Groove was haltet by another pink mare. "Hey. I don't think I know you but that is not possible because I know everypony in Ponyville but I'm pretty sure that I have no idea who you are so I see two possibilities first I do know you but I forgot everything about you OR you're a new pony in ponyville and my pinky sense did take a day off. Because I haven't had my back itchy ear flop combo which means that i'm going to meet a new friend. So I know both are pretty unlikely but I have to ask DO I KNOW YOU?" She spoke in an unbelievable speed and Groove didn't know what to answer "Excuse me but ... what?" The pink mare beamed brightly "Are you new in town or do I know you? ...but if I just forgot about one of my friends I wouldn't be a very good friend." In an instant she blew bubbles out of an pipe, was wearing a Sherlock Hooves disguise and Groove was sure that just a few seconds ago she wasn't wearing anything. "So I've reached the conclusion that you must be new in town CONFESS!" Groove stared at her with great eyes " ... well yes I am new in town I'm..." The pink madmare interrupted him "See no way Pinky pie would forget one of her friends." A snotty smile played around her lips then she gasped "Wait .............NEW PONY IN PONYVILLE! " Groove was doumbfounded as he had seen quite a lot in his life but some Pink dervish madmare which danced all over the townsquare singing a bizare song to the music of a small cart which was decorated with banners trumpets and streamers. that was ... new. "Welcome welcome welcome A fine welcome to you " While bouncing all over the place she managed to force an silly hat on Grooves head. "Welcome welcome welcome I say how do you do?" A loud Trumpet noise almost blew up his Eardrum. "Welcome welcome welcome I say hip hip hurray " Still bouncing while she was playing a Timpani in a circle arround him. "Welcome welcome welcome To Ponyville toda~ay " She sang the last verse of his song while sliding on her knees towards him. "Wait for it!" with a ding something flew towards the earthstallion hit him between the eyes and knocked him out for good. The last thing he heard was "upps the cake shouldn't be thrown that hard" The orange Hurricane"Mom please stop it. I'm just moving one town, I mean Ponyville isn't really that far away you can come visit whenever you want" Rain Clouds was standing in front of his parents and tried to console his sobbing mother. "But what if you don't find friends? Or you make friends with the wrong kind of pony? Or somepony mugs you and take all of your stuff? I don't trust these groundslickers one bit, especially these one horned freaks with their magic... they can't be trusted" His mother was proud to say that she had never set one hoof on the ground. and now her youngest son was going to move to a town of freaks, disgusting, wingless freaks. The mare startet to sob again "have you already tried to speak with your supervisor? Can't he do anything? Your father could get your a job in the Rainbowfactory..." Her azure blue coat was sticky from her tears and her amber eyes were bloodshot. Rain Clouds father had thoughtfully laid one wing over his wife "Honey don't you think it's ok? he is only one town away and Ponyville is safe." he desparate tried to calm his wife. "But it's a town full of wingless freaks" A young unicorn mare who was just passing by glared angry at the sobbing mare "The nerve of some ponies..." But Drifting Clouds did not stop to panic "what if somepony cut off his wings? What if..." Rain Clouds stopped his mother "MOM WHY WOULD ANYPONY DO SUCH A THING? Cut it out already you're making less and less sense. Ponyville is a safe little village you can barely call it a real town it's so safe that even a princess lives there and now stop it." His mother was speechless "Young colt how dare you to raise your voice against your own mother. Go to your room and think about what you have done." Rain Clouds only laughed "nice try mom but I'm moving today. I will start working in a few days and the rent is already paid, all that is left to do is getting there." His mother started to cry again. "Mom calm down I will write after i finished unpacking. And i will be here at hearts warming eve." He gave his best not to show his mother the tear which persitently kept staying in his eye. "Mom, Dad I love you both...." Sun Gap smiled sadly "I will accompany you ...at least half the way" The two stallions spreaded their wings and flew off towards ponyville, leaving Drifting clouds alone in the foyer of the Cloudsdale citygates. "Your mother and I are really proud of you...don't forget that" His father said quietly. Rain Clouds smiled "yeah dad I know and i love both of you. ...I'm sorry i I agreed to this job." a small hint of remorse hushed over Clouds face. "Don't be, son. We can't always be there even if we wish, we could but your mother and i have to realise that our foals have finally all left. You have to build something on your own without me or your mother hovering over you twentyfourseven. I thougt it was hard when your sister moved out but now you're leaving and I ... don't know what to say to you." A stray tear rolled out of the side of Sun Gap's eye "Dad it's ok your both did all you could to prepare me ..." Clouds fell silent and Father and son flew together in silence. Both were overwhelmed with memories. Clouds first attemps to fly, his first maretalk (you know about the bees and that stuff) with his father, his first day of flightcamp. All these memories and a lot more kept plopping up in the clouds. Finaly, they reached the Ponyville airspace and started to descent. "Your stuff was already brougth here yesterday right?" his father asked "Yeah the company paid for the packers"Cloud answered They landed in a quiet residential district which was on the outskirts of Ponyville "This is it son?" his father asked hesitantly "Yes dad. This is it " Both stood in front of each other and an uneasy silence started to unfurl till Clouds stepped a hoove closer to his dad and embraced him with a tight hug. "Thank you dad tell mom that I love you both" Said cloud while seeing his Father off. When Clouds opend his doors for the first time he was greated by a bunch of boxes and something which might once have been boxes. On top of these rubble where three Muffins and a note ... ok it was really hard to decipher. It could be Derpy or was it Ditzy? Clouds starred puzzled Finally he started to grasp that these rubble was once his possesion and even worse it was his tableware, his beloved collection of figurines and his sofa"AH BUCK IT" After unpacking half of his stuff clouds decided to go out for a while to buy a new sofa and a few dishes. He stepped out of the door. The road was mostly empty and the few ponys who were outside walked hard left or right of the road "which way was it again to the town square?" he needed a little moment for orientation then he walked in the right direction. A subliminal buzzing started but Clouds couldn't really locate the source of it. The buzzing kept getting louder as he reaches the end of the road and then a small orange coated hurricane rammed in his side and knocked the wind out of him. The orange hurricane was a filly on a scooter with a purple mane and small buzzing wings and great purple eyes. She wore a Violet helmet with white stripes which hit him in the side. "Oh sorry. Please don't be mad. I was too fast. I'm sorry" Clouds coughed "Easy there little miss purple mane it's alright just a little ..." he coughed again "It's alright, nothing happend. Are you alright?" The filly beamed at Clouds "I'm sorry normaly our neighbors know when I'm comming it's better to move out of the way. So i guess you're the stallion which moved in next door with his ..Special somepony" she giggled like the schoolfilly she was. Clouds looked at her puzzled "Special somepony? What do you mean? I live alone, I just moved in today" He pointed at his house. She grinned brightly "Then welcome neighbour, I live over there" she pointed to the house two buildings accross from his own. "I'm Scootaloo, what's your name?" "My name is Rain Clouds. Hello there little neighbour" he smiled warmly. Scootaloo eyed his cutiemark two dark clouds infront of the sun "you're going to work for the weather patrol, right?" "Eeyup starting next week" The little filly beamed from ear to ear "How did you earn yourself a weather themed cutiemark?" Clouds noticed that the filly was a blankflank "Lemme guess you're trying to earn your cutiemark with trying all sorts of stuff? Stuff from totally safe to totally insane?" The bright eyes of the small filly reminded Clouds how he earned his cutiemark "Well yeah how else would i find what I'm good at?" the little one looked stubbornly at Clouds „All we ever hear when we ask ponys about how they earned their cutiemarks is girly talk about finding themselves and being themselves it's totally not cool. Even Rainbow Dash, the coolest mare in all of Equestria was all utsibutsy about that story." The little Tomcolt filly had obviously the wrong approach towards the whole thing "May I give your a little hint?" He asked gently. "A cutiemark is a thing that has to happen in your mind first. You could do your special talent for years and it could already be your second nature. Trying random stuff won't work or even delay getting your cutiemark. Trust me I did the same thing was the oldest pony in Cloudsdale to get my cutiemark....ever." he ended bitterly. Scotaloo was shocked "You mean we're still blankflanks because we're crusading?" Clouds had to laugh. "It takes some time and all you ever get are phrases like you will have to be patient. it will come when the time is right. never helped me but the pattern all ponies who got their cutiemark did get it in stuff they were already good at. When i realized that i started to think about what am I already good at? The only thing I could think of were Rainclouds. that was the moment when i got my Cutiemark." The blue pegasus smiled warmly "May I ask you what you're good at?" Scotaloo didn't know an answer "Don't rush it. I hope i could help you at least a bit" the two pegasi smiled at each other. "Well welcome to the neighbourhood. I've gotta go to meet my friends see ya later, bye." the filly stepped on her scooter rushed back home and a few seconds later again past Clouds towards the town square. "Well she is pretty fast..." he mused to himself "ok I guess the direction is fine." Unexpected familyApple Bloom wasn't feeling that well "Scoots could ya please pull over? Ah think ahm gonna throw up." Scootaloo wasn't listening her mind was preoccupied "Hey Scoots what's on your mind?" Sweetie Belle asked slightly frightened. Scootaloos scooter was shooting through town at an incredible high pace, almost rammed Granny Smith and Scoots was still accelerating. "SCOOTS PULL OVER!" Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle screamed at the top of their lungs. Scootaloo finally stopped and apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jumped out of the card and while Sweetie Belle started kissing the ground, Applebloom stumbled towards an side alley to puke. "Scootaloo is everything alright? You were driving like Nightmare Moon was on your flank." Scootaloos eyes sparked angrily but softened almost instantly upon seeing the fear in Sweeties eyes. "Sorry girls," she paused "I think today is just no good to become cutiemark crusader neurosurgeons... I think I will go home. See you tomorrow in school" She stepped on her scooter and with a loud buzzing sound she speeded back towards her home. "What's wrong with her?" Apple Bloom still slightly unsure where to put her hooves stepped out of the alley "No idea.... wanna come over to my place and play Candyland?" Sweetie asked happy as ever. "Bet ya." the little farmfilly answered. Sweetie Belle and a slightly pale Applebloom walked towards the marketplace "Ah will just tell mah sis bout this then we can be up'n bout" At the entrance of the marketplace the two crusaders meet a totally nervous Pinkie Pie which was panicking over a unconscious big stallion with a cake where his face was supposed to be. "Ohhhhh this is not good! This is bad! This is really bad! Calm down Pinkie! What did Ma do again when Pa was knocked out during the testing of my first Party Canon?" She then noticed the two fillies "Oh hi Sweetie, Applebloom" She smiled nervously "Hi Pinkie, 's he alright?" Apple Bloom asked while Sweetie tried some of the cake. "Hmm apple pie" Pinkies smiled shattered. "I saw the apple in his Cutie Mark and thought he sure would love when somepony would present him some tasty yummy apple pie. I mean I would love that ...who wouldn't?" Pinkie answered while picking cake pieces out of the stalions dark chocolate colored mane. "Hmm it's good. " An apple themed Cutie Mark? Apple Blooms family sense kicked in. Maybe he was one of her cousins? But none of her cousins did have a Cutie Mark like he did. A single eighth note where the notehead was a two coloured apple. "Hey Pinkie, what's his name?" Apple Bloom asked. "Oh that's easy its," she stopped "Wait I never asked for his name. .... I was so happy to meet a new friend that I totally forgot to ask." Her eyes started to tear up "I'm a baaaaaaaaaad friend" Like a spectacular fontaine she started to cry. Then pinkys eyes were filled with panic. "Oh my sweet Celestia what should I do? I Pinkie promised Twilight not to hospialize another pony for the rest of the month." "Wait it's only the fifth how many Injuries could you cause in only five days?" Sweetie asked curiously. "I took the ponys from the retirement home with me to go bungee jumping. I didn't know that old ponys have so frail hips." She sobbed desperatly. "mahbe we should ask mah sis what to do ahm sure AJ know how to handle this." Bloom said and almost instantly Pinky stopped with the waterworks. "you're right Bloom when somepony knows what to do it's Applejack. " Carefully the three tried to lift the stallion of the ground but he was heavy. Too heavy to be carried by a single mare and two fillies. "Ok new plan Applebloom you go and get your sister Sweetie and I will stay here with him." Bloom bolted away and Pinky and Sweetie started to operate the baking mould off of his face. Under the crumbs of cake submerged a pair of glasses but they were heavily bend out of form. "He seems like a nice stallion." Sweetie commented while her mind already started to search for possible matches. 'I mean Cheerilee and Big Mac are still dating soo when we scratch the love poison I think ..... maybe Rarity? Or Applejack the hardworking Farmer and the mysterious stranger ohh this is going to be sooooo goooood.' "Hey there Pinkie, how's it going today? " A young stallion stood behind Pinkie Pie and smiled politely. He had a pink coat and short but shaggy blond mane. His cutiemark was a wild scribble. "Oh hi Rebound" Pinky answered. "Quite chaotic to be honest you see, I was welcoming some new pony to the town but my welcome to ponyville cart threw the cake too hard and I ended up with knocking the poor guy unconscious and then Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came and I was totally in a panic attack but Apple Bloom said her sister would know what to do but we couldn't carry him." She nodded toward the unconscious stallion. "He is pretty heavy so apple bloom is getting her sister here to help and then you came and asked me how's it going and I was totally like oh well quite chaotic and told you how I beat the new guy unconscious and that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were helping me to calm down because I was panicking there and ..." the stallion named Rebound looked at Sweetie Belle "Oh hi. what's happened to him?" He eyed the unconscious stallion "is he alright? " "I don't know he already was out cold when we met Pinkie. " Rebound obviously didn't listen to one word Pinky had said. "I'm sorry but Pinkie told you already what happened to him so why do you ask me?" Rebound smiled awkward "oups forgot to listen to her. ... Anyway can I help?" "Well if he's asking, I'm sure Pinkie wouldn't mind" Sweetie Belle thought to herself. "Yeah you could help us carry him to the Sweet Apple Acres stand" chirped Sweetie nodding towars Groove. "That can do." He closed his eyes and tried to levitate the unconscious but the moment his pink aura started to surround his horn a loud bang was heard and he blew himself up. The young pink stallion stand there like he was hit by a bold of Lighting. "Ups forgot that happens when I try to do magic" he stammered. I dawned on her that Rebound was quite the klutz but then he lifted the unconscious up like every other Earthpony would and placed him carefully on his back. "Well, this should work but we have to go he is really heavy." Pinkie was still looping her story about how she knocked Groove out. "Pinkie we get it would you please help us here?" Pinkie smiled "Sure." Together they carried him till they met Apple Bloom and Applejack . "Damn Pinkie remand me to never get ya 'll angry this guy is almost as big as Big Mac and ya managed to get him down only with a cake" Aj was Impressed. "Let's get this fellah up." she pointed to a bench under a tree. "Lay him there sugarcube." Rebound did as he was told and then Aj pulled out a small flask with a honey coloured liquid. "This is a apple schnapps like mah great great great great grandfather's used to brew it's pretty strong so stand back" Aj opened the flask and held it under the stallions nose. Groove knew that smell it was the Apfel Korn a recipe, his father showed him. He grabbed the flask and downed it "Where did you get this?" AJ was surprised "Ya ok there partner? That was really strong shine ya drank." Groove was completly calm "Where did you get this" he asked coldly. "Ah made it mahself it's an old family recipe." Groove mustered the blond mare. "I'm saying that this schnapps tasted a awfull lot like the Apfelkorn my family brew and the recipe is a Family Secret" Aj smiled "Then ya are an Apple alright, no other way ya would get an Apple familyrecipe. Always glad to meet family" she smiled honestly "Nope I'm no Apple my name is Groove Apfel." Pinkie smiled "Isn't that Germane? " Groove looked at the blue eyed candy powerd partypony and screamed in fear "AAAAAAAHScheiße! Scheiße! Scheiße! Keep her away from me!" He was totally terrified but Pinkie only giggled. "Remember when i found out that we are cousins?" AJ only nodded "Eeyup so what?" Pinkie pulled an old looking scroll of paper out of her hair. "Well according to this baby here a lot of your ancestors did carry the name Apfel as surname." Aj looked over the scroll "ya know sugarcube I'm not the fancy bookpony like Twilight or somthingy and here i see a lot of names and also a lot of Apfel so i guess it could be true." The scroll again disapeared in Pinkie's mane "well i gotta go i have a welcome to ponyville party to prepare." With these words she disapeared. "Wait did she say party?" AJ looked at groove with curious eyes. "An Germane apple? Mahbe Granny Smith knows what to do." "So you are saying we could be related to each other?" Groove was quite surprised. "Well that would explain how you know the recipe for Opa's Apfelkorn" "We'll see 'bout that come to Sweet Apple Acres this evening and we'll talk. Till then welcome to ponyville stranger." with these words she left with Applebloom and Sweetie in tow. Groove was left behind alone with Rebound "Hey there I'm Rebound and I carried you here. how's your head?" Groove was dumbfounded at the smiling pink stallion "Everything is fine, thanks for your concern. " "oh and watch out for Pinky, she is definitely going to throw a party for you " "I hope I don't have to meet her again. she's kinda scary" "Nah, she is a sweet girl, a little over the top but she means well." "Well you weren't knocked out by her aren't you?" Rebound smiled "Not recently." Finally QuarkAfter leaving Apple bloom and Sweety Belle, Scoots was still pondering what Clouds had told her. Lost in thoughts she drove home, a little faster than usual, she took the curve a little faster than usual and dropped her scooter next to the door like usual. She opened the door, rushed in the livingroom like usual and hurried up the stairs like usual. As she opened the door to her room and stopped bewildered. Her room was filled with wonderbold posters and Rainbow Dash fan merch. But the room she was now standing in was filled with boxes. "Schatz? Hast du alles gekriegt?" a soft voice echoed from down below from downstairs. "Meine Tante hat uns übrigens eine Karte aus Canterlot geschickt. Sie schreibt, sie will uns am Wochenende mal... Oh wer bist du denn?" A young unicorn mare has made her way up the stairs and now stood infront of the small frozen filly. "Hello there, can i help you?" the mare now asked in fluent equestrian and with a warm smile. Scootaloo started to panic. She had often heard storys about foalnapping and she loved to read the awesome crime novels Twilight always said were "Nothing for little fillys" This was the real world and a unfamiliar mare stood infront of her, in her own home and spoke in some weird foreign language with her accomplices who no doubt was some muscle packed stallion with only one eye. They were going to abduct her and sell her to some weird foreign sattle arabian Sheik who was going to use her as childlaborer till she was old enough to marry his ugly lame ass son. But then on the day of the ceremony her two friends Agent Sweetie and Detective Bloom were going to rescue her and she was going to earn her cutiemark as damsel in distress. She was sweating buckets in prospect of this sad future. The mare smiled warmly "May I ask you one thing?" Scootaloo was ready for anything. ... what would she like to ask? "Would you please come with us without making a fuzz?" or... "Where do you keep your ropes?" or... "What are you doing in our house?" Scoots was confused "Come again?" "I really appreciate visitors but next time please knock, ok?" "you're not going to foalnap me and sell me to some weirdflank sheik?" she was baffled "Oh my Celestia. No, why would anypony do something like that?" Now Scoots felt like a total Dodo. She wasn't being foalnapped she was just next door where the new ponies had moved to. That would explain the boxes. The young mare beamed with joy "hey do you happen to know that you're my first visitor here in equestria?" Only now Scoots noticed the slight accent in her voice which sounded a bit like Aloe's but more natural "You're our neighbors girl, right?" It has been ages for Scootaloo but for the first time in years there was a mare who knew how she preferred her cacao. Slightly hot but without boiling the milk and not too sweet. Her eyes teared after she took her first sip. An old memory arose in her mind. A dark living room and the smell of lavender, the smell of her mother. "Be a good girl scoot's, Momy will be back soon." Never would she forget these words the last words her mother said to her. Rose was surprised to find the small home invader sobbing on her couch. "Everything alright, honey?" Scootaloo looked at her, snot running from her nose and tears welling from her eyes. Rose took a seat right next to her. "It's alright . there ... there." She nuzzeld the crying filly carefully and embraced her in a motherly hug. A few feathers in Scootaloos wings were ajar and Rose carefully started to preen the small wings. For a moment Scootaloo felt like her mother never left. Since she was small it has always been her and her brother but now everything melted into nothing she felt fine. But on the other hoof something was off, the mare doesn't smell like lavender, a sweet smell also flowerly but not lavender. Her mother always smelled like lavender. She realized this mare wasn't her mother. "Feeling better? " Scoots stopped to sob in Rose's chest. "I'm sorry." The mare looked at her puzzled "For what, dearie? Sometimes we all need somepony to lean on and I would say you were especially needy. Wanna tell me about it? " Scootaloos eyes again were filled with tears "It's really nothing you're only so much alike ... at least from what I can remember." Scootaloo mumbled almost inaudible "Like who, dearie?" Rose smiled warmly. "It's really fine ... could I just sit here like this for a while?" This time Scoots hugged Rose. "It's alright little one. I'll be there when you need somepony to talk." Again Rose started to preen a stray feather on Scoots wing. "You should really be more careful with your wings. Look! They are all messed up." The preening mare was still at it. It has been a really long time since scootaloo had her last preening and she still wasn't able to do it herself. "How comes that a unicorn knows how to preen?" Scots asked. Roses face froze "You know that is one really personal question." A overwhelming sadness was displayed on her face. "Well it's because of my filly brother ... he was also a pegasus." Scootaloo realised that Rose also lost sompony really Important. "He died a few Months ago ..." Rose smiled sadly "He never took care of his wings ... always busy and always on the run." now roses eyes were filled with tears. "Und dann macht er diese dumme Mutprobe und ... und..." The mare spoke in that strange, foreign language again. And she cried really hard and now it was Scootaloo who was comforting the mare. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm really sorry. " Rose chuckled under her tears "Never mind kido but could you do me a favour .... don't try anything stupid, okay?" Freshly preened and with a belly full of cake and cacao Scoots left the house of Rose and Groove. The Germane mare was a really nice mare and Scoot's wings were perfectly preened. Most unicorns tend to preen fillies with their magic but scoots disliked that. Magic was cold and not really gentle. A mouth does a much better job and the warm breath felt good on the skin. She took her scooter and hushed back to the right entrance next door. "Sompony home?" She shouted but no answer. "Where is that knucklehead? " Groove looked dumbfounded at the building and now he knew what Cherry meant when she said 'hard to miss'. Rebound smiled " it's always funny to see newcomers react when they first visit Sugarcube Corner. " Slowly Groove poked the facade. And it was just that, a facade in the shape of giant baking goods. Knocking on them revealed that they were hollow. Rebound trotted inside leaving Groove behind outside. " Hello Rebound, dear." A high pitched female voice greeted when he stepped inside. Groove followed and could see whose voice it was that welcomed them "And you brought a friend." Rebound smiled happily. "Hello Mrs Cake how are Pound and Pumpkin doing? " the mare behind the counter was was slightly fat... well, not fat but round. Maybe heavy boned? Let's just say that she was fluffy. She smiled one of the loveliest smiles groove had ever seen. "Just great thank you, dearie. Pumpkin will start magic kindergarten in a few weeks we're all so very excited. So, what can I get for the two handsome stallions who are blessing my humble bakery with their patronage?" Rebound smiled happily "I'll take two cupcakes ala Pinkie." "Yesididdely" shouted a voice from the kitchen and Grooves panic switch was triggered. "Was zum Geier? What is she doing here?" panicky Groove tried to escape but Pinkie was already behind him. "Oh hi Groove good to see you again I'm really sorry for the cake incident I always mess that part up and I'm really really really really really really really really sorry. so please take this. I made it extra only for you so please don't be mad anymore." pinky talked at an incredible speed and bounced around like a gumball. When she finished she hoofed groove a cupcake with a real artistic topping. "Please don't be mad anymore." Giant fillyeyes supported her pleading. 'Oh Mann, this isn't fair.' Groove inspected the cupcake carefully. "I wasn't really mad it's just. .. weird I mean you're all over the place and I have no idea what you want. " Pinkies eyes lit up "Oh Celestia I'm so glad I like to see my friends smile and everypony is my friend and when I see a pony I don't know I get really excited because there's sompony I don't know yet and we can get to know each other and play and sing and be the best of bestes friends." Groove was puzzled again. "Well, please stop drinking coffee and I think we will get along just fine." now Pinkie looked puzzled "I don't drink coffee. " After Pinkie gave Rebound his two cupcakes she left for the kitchen. "Celestias süße Zitzen she doesn't drink coffee?" Mrs Cake smiled warmly " it's just Pinkie being Pinkie. Just roll wit it." Once more groove feeled like a total moron. "Ok buck it. I need some Quark." He said rememberring why he was here in the first place. The smile on Mrs cake's face stumbled "what is it you need?" "Quark. It's a special form of fresh cheese, real creamy and a slightly bit sour." He tried to explain it but was eyed with non understanding. "For what do you need it?" asked Mrs Cake. "For cheesecake it's one of the key ingredients." "Don't you mean cream? " Groove looked bewildered "No, I mean Quark. It's simmilar but a different product." Pinky bolted back to groove "cheesecake without sour cream hhhhhh heresy!" "Käsekuchen schmeckt... I mean a cheescake has to be made with Quark. Why does nopony knows what Quark is?" Pinkie and Groove were now shouting at each other. Mr Cake looked inside the shop to see what was going on. "Please, we have two little fillies here! Stop shouting. What's this all about?" Groove was quite pissed off "I just wanted to buy a pound of Quark." Mr cake smiled "so what?" "Nopony knows anything about Quark." Groove was still irritated. "Not really surprising its more a Germane cuisine thing" "Finally somepony knows what I want" Mrs Cake eyed her husband "what do you know about Germane cuisine?" he blushed real hard. "I studied abroad for a year when I was younger and I ... well you know I ... it was before we met and ... I kinda dated a Germane baker for a few months. And ...so yeah I learned a little bit about this and that." Mrs Cake glared daggers at her husband. "I still use Quark as secret ingredient for some cakes. Pinkie starred amazed at Mr Cake. "That is the superdupersecret ingredient?" He trotted out of the room and brought back a magocool, a small box which was enchanted to keep everything inside cool . I make it myself because most ponys don't know how to or don't want it..." he hoofed Groove a good serving. "Just don't tell anypony about this, ok?" "Kein Problem I won't tell." As Pinkie, Rebound and Groove left the shop they could hear how Mrs Cake was giving Mr Cake a piece of her mind "Why didn't you tell me that? I never knew that you had...." She wasn't angry because Mr Cake dated a Germane mare but because he never told her about it. The three walked slowly past the marketplace. "well I have to go ....oh you too?" Pinkie smiled "I want to try this Germane cheesecake." "also auf gut Deutsch you will stay for lunch?" Pinkie grinned "jopikowsky." Sir FluffyRainbow Dash was dozing on a cloud. Her morning routine was done and the weather was perfectly under control. A loud grunting disturbed her leisurely spend morning. "What the hay? " irritated she tried to spot the source of the disturbing noise. It seemed to emitt from a walking couch. Waitaminute couches couldn't walk. She spread her wings and glided softly towards the ground. It wasn't a walking couch but a couch on a very tired looking pegasus stallion "hey there." she greeted "need some help?" Clouds grunted only in response "No everything is fine, I got this." Rainbow was irritated, why would a stallion in need always work themselves to death instead of asking a mare for help? "...and then I said oatmeal are you crazy? " Pinkie, Rebound and Groove turned into the street and spotted the two pegasi. " Oh look it's Dashy. She's like one of my totally best friends ever and totally awesome and strong and fast. " Pinkie explained. "Hey Dashy. What's up?" Rainbow smirked on the face of the stallion next to Pinky "New in town, huh?" Groove only nodded. "I moved in today so yeah, I'm new in town" could be heard from beneath the couch. Pinkies ears pearked up "UUUUUUUUUH another superduper new friend this is so nice to meet you what's your name? Wait don't tell, lemme guess I love guessing games I bet it's Sir Fluffy? Cozy Ottoman? Livingroom Accesior? Couchy?" Clouds placed the couch on the ground and stretched his wings. "What the hay?" He mustered Pinkie with a puzzled look. "Just ignore her it's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. It's pretty normal for her." Rainbow grinned again. "And by the way you've got some cake in your mane." she said towards Groove. Groove felt his blood rushing in his face "Well I guess you know how it get there." He said and threw an angry look at Pinkie. Rainbow tried to surpress her laughing but failed miserably. Pinkie jumped all around Clouds and again talked about party this and welcome that. Rebound felt like he was forgetting something, something important, something very important. Rainbow now mustered Rebound curiously "Haven't I met you somwhere?" Pinkies jumping stopped in midair 'How's that even possible?' wondered Groove "That's Rebound. He's Scootaloos elder brother and caretaker." explained Pinky still in midair. She then proceeded to Jump in circles arround the really confused looking Clouds. "So Scoots has a brother? Why would she then look for a sister to ..." Rainbow started to mumble. "So ... Dashy was it?" interrupted Groove Rainbows train of thought. "No my Name isn't Dashy." a short glare towards Pinkie "I'm Rainbow Dash, of course you've already heard all about my awesomness." "No I haven't ... sorry." Rainbow's ego took a direct hit. It's very effective. "Nothing? Fastest flyer in all of Equestria, Element of loyalty, soon to be Wonderbolt, only Pegasus to preform a Sonic Rainboom, nothing?" Groove only shook his head "Should I?" All four ponies eyed him puzzled. "I thought the Elements of Harmony were famous all over Equestria?" asked Rebound "Moment. Weren't the elements of harmony an old weapon? How could somepony be a weapon?" "You've heard of the elements but you didn't know that the Elments were ponies?" asked Clouds. "Excuse me?" "I always thought everypony in Equestria knew about the elements since we purified Princess Luna?" asked Rainbow. "Pinkie could you please..." Groove noticed the purple mare who tried to get the Attention of the group. But everypony was busy talking. "Could you please move this couch?"she shouted and now everypony took notice of her "Oh hi Twilight." greeted Pinkie her royal friend. Twilight stood in the entrance of a small bookshop which was barricaded with Cloud's couch and only her face could be seen. Cloud starred unbelievingly at Twilights face. "OH MY SWEET CELESTIA IT'S REALLY YOU! THE PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP AND HARMONY; OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" he then shouted out and ended with a very unmanly squee. "I'm such a big fan. It's such a honour to meet you, Princess." After a few minutes Clouds started to calm down "Tell me I didn't had a major fangasm in front of the princess." Groove snickered. "Oh brother you did exactly that." commented Rebound grinning. After his little meltdown Clouds moved his couch and Twilight joined their group. "I must've looked like the total idiot." Groove smirked "well, I have to admit it was quite amusing." Clouds groaned "My name is Rain Clouds. And you are?" "Apfel Groove and also new in town and this is Rebound and that is Pinkie Pie." answered Groove. "Do you need some help with your couch?" "No it's fine I got this." but Groove already lifted the couch on his back. "This way?" he then asked without a hint of strain in his Voice. 'Damn Earthponies and their creepy body strenght' Clouds thought and nodded. Rainbow was impressed the tall Stallion didn't look like much but he wasn't that bad looking either. While the stallions walked in front the four girls followed their lead. "Soooo why is it that you all are now comming along?"asked Groove. "Well, Pinkie said something about cake." answered Rainbow Dash. "Yes but the cake won't be ready before tomorrow.It has to cool over night. As I've already told Pinkie three times." Rainbow starred nonstop at Grooves flank "uhu" while she daydreamed. "Rainbow stop it!" whispered Twilight. "What?" mused Rainbow feigning ignorance. "Stop starring at his flank." hissed Twilight. "Why? It's a really nice one." Rainbow mustered the three stallions in front of them and had to admit that all three had nice looking ones. "Horseapples! I think its almost that time of the year..." cursed Rainbow. "What do you mean Rainbow?" Twilight eyed her friend cluelessly. "I think I'm about to come in heat." whispered Rainbow with a deep red blush. "OH." Twilight was really uncomfortable but Pinkie was not "Then you're almost three weeks early. That's not fair then you're all done when we are all ..." "Pinky stop it please!" interrupted Twilight the pink mare. "Why?" deadpanned Pinky "OH right it's your third one this year, right?" Twilight blushed like crazy, she has always been a little touchy that her heatcycle took itself so long to kick in. Of Bee's and UnicornsTwilight wasn't that much younger than Pinkie or the others, just two years younger than AJ and a few months younger than Rainbow Dash. Nonetheless she was the youngest of her friends. When she moved to Ponyville she was afraid to tell that she, a full grown mare never had been in heat and tried to hide herself in her library as the mating season began. Nopony would question that a lot of ponies did that during the two weeks and nopony would notice that her cycle wasn't active. It was the morning before the mating season and Twilight noticed something off. Her concentration was off, she couldn't focus on anything and spellcasting was impossible. She tried meditation to calm herself. When Spike spotted the manical expression in Twilights eyes he ran to get help. He didn't knew what was going on but he feared another 'Smartypants incident'. After gathering Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, Spike hurried back to the libary. Twilight bolted arround in the library like a caged manticore. "Calm down Darling. what is it? What's brotherring you Twilight?" "I don't know... it's something that keeps me from... it feels like I don't know..." Twilight tried to sit still but then again started to pace arround the libary. "The more I try to concentrate on what's wrong, the more... say Rarity, is that a new hat?" "OK something really is wrong, since when does Twilight recnognise what ponies are wearing?" asked Rainbow. "whatever do you mean darling? this hat is just a item to faboulus to ignore even for ... Twilight. I see now what you mean." Pinkie grinned with a intensity like a sunbeam on a rainy day. "It's your first time? Oh Twilight this is really asking for a big glamorous party." Twilight kept pacing "I'm sorry Pinkie but I'm really in no mood to celebrate at the moment. I could have Celestiaknowswhat maybe vascular dementia or even worse Alzheimer's." Pinkie snorted at Alzheimer's "Oh don't be silly, Twilight you're just in season." Twilight stopped dead in her tracks "in season? but I never was in season." Pinkie interrupted her "see it's about time I mean you're only half a year younger than me and still hadn't had your first tingalingagoo." Pinkie said and touched her softly on her flank. Almost instantly Twilight felt incredibly aroused. "See. You're just really sensitve right now and everything." she then leaned towards Spike "I would advise you to leave the town for the next two weeks..." she whispered. Spike couldn't make a rhyme out of it, till a few days later. Spike didn't sleep really well, all night long he heard somepony moaning. The last few years he always was in Canterlot when the mating season took place. They locked themself up in Twilight's tower. They played games and were simply having fun together but now Twilight was a shiverring mess. "Morning Twi. Feeling any better?" he asked the mare which was shiverring in a corner of her bedroom. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE SPIKE DO SOMETHING I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE!" Twilight shouted while rubbing her Flank on the wall. "Eww. Twilight gross get a hold of yourself. What could I do to make it stop?" Twilights eyes beamed with a manical Glimmer "I don't know. SOMETHING! ANYTHING! JUST MAKE THE TINGELING STOP!" Spike started to realize what Pinkie meant 'I should have listened to Pinkie Pie and left town with the other Stallions' Two days ago all Single stallions gathered to leave town. 'But I can't leave Twilight dealing with this all alone...' Twilight started to drag her butt over the floor like a dog. 'EEEEWW, OK buck it ' "Sorry Twi I think it's better I visit ...your brother...or something ..." He frantically grabbed a few gems and left the libary. He could hear Twilight shouting but he tried to ignore it. Ponyville was in a really poor state everywhere mares with frantic eyes. "Hey Spike!" Lyra trotted towards him. "oh hey Lyra. where's Bonbon?" greeted Spike the green mare. "She's still asleep last two days were..." She snickered slightly "pretty exhausting. Say Spike..." she glanced at his hands "Could you lend me a helping ... hand?" a nervous eyetwitch "Hmm sure, what do you need?" "I got this weird itching on my butt could you.....don't know do something about it? with your .....Hands?" Spike realised what Lyra wanted him to do "OH no. No. Nononononono" Spike ran into the woods and wasn't seen again for the next three weeks. The little group arround Groove entered the street. "I really favor the classical era. It was a really inspiring time, the political economics, the cultural distinctions, even two villages who were really close together often varied in cultural aspects. But I also like the pre-classical era, the rise and fall of Star Swirl the Bearded." Clouds interrupted Grooves history lesson "I really admire Star Swirl the Bearded did you know, he created more than 200 spells? He even has a shelf in the Canterlot library of magic named after him. He was the mentor of Clover the Clever, one of the founders of Equestria. I mean how cool is that? Someponys even believe he tutored Celestia herself. He is also rumored to have befriended Scorpan, and this is said to lead him to turn against his evil brother Tirek. I would really love to see his stained glass window in Canterlot, I heard it's really inspiring."The conversation had took an really sophisticated turn when the two Newbies discoverd their obsesion with historical events. Now Twilight trotted alongside the two stallions "I can assure you ...Rain Clouds was it?" The stallion nodded "his window really is divine, you can really feel his wisdom and compassion." Twilight stated. Groove was happy to have found somepony to talk about 'Egghead stuff' how his brother used to call his hobbys and later his job. "I really admire his dissertation about the fundamental differences in magic through the three tribes. His understanding of Earthpony magic was way ahead of his time. He was one of the first ponies to realize the connection between..." Twilight interruptet Groove "wait, wait, wait, You had actually read Star Swirls dissertation about the fundamental differences in magic through the three Tribes? You've read it and you were able to understand it?" Groove looked at her dumbfounded. "Well, a lot of the stuff about Pegasi and Unicorns went straight over my head and the translation wasn't that good but yeah I did. Applied Magic isn't really one of my favored subjects but it was one of the most groundbreaking theories in the pre-classical era. My Teacher had me take at least three Klausuren 'bout him." "EGGHEADS!!" Rainbow growled from behind. "At least I'm not the only one who has no idea what they are talking about huh Pinkie?" she looked at Pinkie "Don't be silly Dashy of course I know what they are talking about . I did also read it but Swirlsy was wrong when he assumed the significance of the consumed nutritions of a pony to be completly independent of their manareserves. this was debunked a good eighthundred years later by Einzel Stein when he released his dissertation about the different kinds of Magic and their effects on reality." Pinky beamed with a innocent grin. "yeah Einzel Stein did indeed debunk a few minor errors." said Twilight and gave Pinky a approving but questioning smile. "He was also one of the first ponies who was able to theorize about the nature of chaos magic." said Twilight to underline Einzel Steins significance. "Sadly, his reality theorem also led towards the development of the Harmony Bomb..." all three 'eggheads' looked down in mortified manner. "The what now?" Rebound looked puzzled. "The Harmony Bomb. A spell for military use, it concentrates a mass of Chaos magic particles into a supercritical mass the amount of material needed to start an exponentially growing magical destructive chain reaction..." lectured Twilight "by compressing a sub-critical sphere of Chaos magic expanding it to many times its original density... The after effects are ....horrible and hard to control..." she finished and an awkward silence befell the group. Rainbow didn't understood one thing what Twilight had said. "Maudi brought all of his books but she was pretty disappointed when she found out that he didn't wrote about rocks." Twilight was confused. "Why should he write about rocks? He was a mathematician and physicist?" Pinkie snickered "because his name means single stone so she thought he was a geologist." Welcome to the neighborhood"You live here?" Groove asked dumpfounded while standing in front of Clouds home. A small typical Ponyville style building with a thatched roof and a balcony on the first floor. "Yeah. Why are you so shocked?" "Because I live right across the street." Groove said while pointing towards his door. "That's funny. I live over there" said Rebound while pointing towards the door next to Groove's. "What a funny coincidence." mused Twilight with a knowing smirk. "Ok that's odd. Well nevermind welcome to the neighborhood." beamed Rebound brightly. "Where do you want your Sir Fluffy?" Groove asked with a smirk on his muzzle. Clouds opened his front door and made room for the couchcarrying stalion. "Simply drop it somewhere- I'm still unpacking and stuff." He said. "Thank you again for carrying." "No problem. Welcome to the neighborhood... even if I moved here a few days ago myself...." "Well, usually I would invite you guys to come in and have some tea but my kitchen stuff is still somewhere in a box... well, I'm back to unpacking." Clouds said while he awkwardly closed the door. "Oh Horseapples! I forgot, I promised Loolo to mow the lawn and have dinner ready when she comes back from playing with her friends. Sorry everypony I have to go." With this words Rebound hurried across the street and Groove was left alone with the three mares. Pinkie bounced up and down while chanting "Cake. Cake. Cake." Rainbow Dash mustered his body like a Dragon on diet would muster a jewelry store and Twilight glared daggers at her pegasus friend. "I live over there,...as you already know... If you would like to try the cake you can come by tomorrow ... I think the cake should be ready by then." He pointed at his door and tried to shoo the three away. Pinkie snickered "Silly filly. ... no that wouldn't be right ... silly colty? Nah... stupid stallion. .. feels more like an insult ... " she rambled for a while about a fitting phrase. "I'll help you make the cake." she smiled a friendly smile and hopped towards the doorway. Rainbow Dash only nodded and said with a flat voice "Yeah... what Pinkie said. " Pinkie beamed brightly with joy "Yay Dashy it's gonna be soo fun to bake cake with my friends it's one of my super duper most favorite things to do in the whole wide world. It's gonna be legen... wait for it." She stopped mid sentence and smiled for a moment and then she bursted out "-dary! Legendary." Rainbow Dash looked at her pink friend "Wait, what?" Twilight seemed to ignore the hickhack between her friends and smiled politely "I hoped, we could talk a little longer about the classical era. I don't really get the chance to talk with an educated expert." Groove could feel how his blood rushed to his cheeks. "Expert wouldn't be the word I would use. I'm a historian nothing more. that was my job." Twilight blinked at him confused "Was your job?" Groove blushed even harder "Scheiße ahem I mean yeah. I used to be a historian in Germane but here I'm currently unemployed soooo I used to be a historian. " he stammered embarrassed. "Will you continue to work as historian here in equestria? Or do you plan to switch your field of expertise?" Groove laughed "I've always dreamed about my own small bookshop. I hoped I could fulfill this dream of mine but I don't think it's gonna be soon... To be honest the moving here was a lot more expensive than I had expected." He opened the front door and let the three mares inside his home. The living room was sparely decorated with only a few pictures hung on the wall next to the kitchen door. A pegasus stallion with a little earthpony filly playing with dolls. A bunch of earth ponies working in an orchard. Groove playing a giant double bass on a fancy looking party. A small pegasus colt snuggling on the side of a unicorn mare. Groove and the same unicorn mare snuggling in a restaurant, both beaming with joy. A group of ponies standing infront of a barn the pegasus stallion with the little earth pony filly and Groove stood side by side. Next to Groove stood an older Pegasus mare who was obviously Grooves Mother. Groove could be her spliting image just younger and male. On the other side of Groove and the young Pegasus stood a dark green coated earth stallion who was to busy making funny faces for the little filly as to look in the camera. A picture of two elderly ponys sitting on a porch exchanging affectionate glances with each others. An old, black and white picture of a young Stallion in the Germane military dress uniform. An old, black and white postcard picturing a street and a celestial cathedral. A bunch of frames were stacked in the bookshelf next to the wall. A lot of bookshelves almost all filled to the brimm with books were standing in the room. "Wow it's looks like somepony tried to revive the Golden Oaks Libary... Oh sorry Twilight." blurted Rainbow and was paid with an angry glare from Twilight. In the middle of the room stood a loveseat across from the chimney and two armchairs. on the endtable next to the loveseat Rainbow spotted a familar sight. A Daring Doo book, Rainbow knew every Book ever written by A.K. Yearling. but this book looked different "Daring Doo und das Ratsel der Funf Ringe des Schicksals?" She tried to read the title out loud but failed to pronounce it correctly. Groove corrected her "Das Rätsel der Fünf Ringe Schicksals. it's the germane translation of 'The Rings of Destiny.' My fiance is a really big fan of Daring Doo." "Why are there these funny dots over the a and the u?" asked Rainbow puzzled "They are Umlaute. The equish language has simmilar pronounced sounds for example the ay in Day is simmilar to the Germane Ä..." A loud crashing sound from the kitchen interrupted Groove's little lecture. In the kitchen they found Pinkie burried under a pile of pots. "Pinkie? What the hay were you doing? " asked twilight. "I was looking for a mixing bowl to start the dough. But then stuff happened and now I'm on the floor and you guys came running and asked what I was doing... ahem ..sorry?" " I'm sorry Pinkie but could you please not rummage through my cupboards on your own? " "Schatz? Ist alles in Ordnung? oh we have guests... hello." After the noise Pinkie made, a petite mare came running to see what was causing it. "Ladies, this is my fiance Tee Rose. Honey these girls are Pinkie Pie who wants to help bake the cake. Rainbow Dash ... to be honest I have no idea what she wants here... and finally princess Twilight Sparkle." Rose's eys grew big after realising that a member of the equestrian royalty has blessed her home with her presence. "Oh my sweet Celestia... I'm sorry for the mess, your majesty. If I would have known that a princess would visit our little home I would have..." before she could finish Pinkie stopped her midsentence by showing her hoove in Rose's mouth. "No need to worry. I'm just a normal pony just like everypony else, no need to make a fuss." said Twilight with a sad smile. "She dosen't like it when you treat her like that. Just treat her like you would treat anypony else." explained Pinkie with a forced smile. "Oh I didn't know I'm sorry." Rose said with a disheartened look on her face "It's no problem ..." Twilight said with a faked smile "It just feels weird I mean last year I was just Twilight and only one spell later and the Twilight, I used to be ceased to exist... It's ..." Rose smiled warmly and started to rummage through on of the shelves "I might have just the thing you need princess." she pulled out a small tin canister and started to boil some water "Anypony else want some tea?" "Nope, thanks." Rainbow answered and pinkie snickered "Hey Dashy when we three bake the cake we are three mares and one meassuring cup." Pinkie snorted "Wait Pinkie, you remember what happened last time you tried to teach me how to bake?" Rainbow asked with a concerned look on her face. "Yeah it was super duper....." Pinkie trailed off and stared into the void and before her inner eye she could see the gruesome scenes of rainbows last attempts at baking 'That shouldn't be able to burn?' 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! KILL IT! KILL IT!' 'I DON'T WANT TO DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! "... not fun. maybe it's better you sit this one out..." said Pinkie with a frown on her face. "Well. I will leave here, got a cloud with my name on it." "Do you mean a cloud cloud or the stallion next door?" asked Pinkie with a puzzled look. "Yes." answered Rainbow and closed the front door behind her. "So you want to help me with the cake I heard?" asked Rose Pinkie. Rebound was mowing the lawn under the watchfull eyes of his little sister, or at least he was trying to. With a loud boom the small lawnmower bursted into flames. Blinded by the explosion he stumbled over the rake lying in the grass infront of him concealed by grass which wipped up and smacked his nose. "OUCH! That smarts!" he mumbled while rubbing his hurting muzzle. "Great, now we need a new lawnmower ..." Rainbow stared unbelivingly at the Unicorn trying to supress the laughter which started to rise inside her, but failed miserably. Inside Scootaloo was observing how Rainbow Dash and her brother talked with each other. She wasn't judging him for being a klutz, no she even played with her mane and gave him pretty obvious looks... "That's it, now I know how i get Rainbow Dash to become my big sister." she exclaimed with a mischievious grin. A few hours later the cake was baked, the guest had left and Groove and Rose got ready to leave for dinner at Sweet Apple Acres.
A fine welcome to youThe day startet really peacefully as Groove Apfel was woken by a lone ray of sunlight which purposefully made every attempt to sleep futile. The place in the bed next to him was empty and the sweet smell of baking goods danced trough the air. Slowly Groove started to get out of bed and put on his glasses, stretched his back and left for the bathroom. After his business completed, he processed into the kitchen were a petite cream coated unicorn mare with a flaming red mane, adorable freckles and glasses over her purple eyes, was busily stirring dough. On her nosetip was a little white spot of flour which made Groove feel like a schoolcolt again. "Morning my dear" she chirped with an angelic smile. "I make a cheescake would you be so kind and go to the market and buy some quark* and some mandarins? i mean after you're done with breakfast." she nodded toward the table where a cup of coffee the newspaper and a Daisy sandwich were waiting for him. Groove smiled relaxed. In his two days in Ponyville he blew up his toaster, dropped his favorite cup and spilled coffee all over the book he was currently reading but in this moment everything was perfect. "Well then, let's eat and thanks, my love." It's been two days since Groove and his fiancee Tee Rose moved from Germane to Equestria and up until now it seemed like Equestria wouldn't be very welcoming. For the day of their moving a rainstorm was scheduled and Groove had to carry in all his stuff in the rain. The young earthpony was a historian and a writer, no professional moving colt. Rose did her best to keep them dry but keeping the anti rain spell up for the downpour did drain her mana reserves pretty well. As the last box finally reached their bedroom the downpour stopped instantly and even the sun came out. Groove's mood dropped from 'pretty pissed' to 'motherbucking rage' "Scheiß Umzug, leckt mich, i've had enough, bei Celestia..." He kept cursing the entire time while he was under the shower while Rose started to unpack the boxes im the living room. The room was filled with boxes, lots of boxes and most of them only filled with books. While carefully unpacking the boxes Rose teleportet a fresh towel in the bathroom where Groove started to realize that he, again, forgot to get himself a towel before he was too drenched to do so. He rubbed his coat hastily and left the bathroom, still wet with the towel loosely over his back. He came down the Stairs and threw the towel over a free chair to dry "Thanks honey" Rose smiled snootily "what would you do without me?" "I would live in a small hole in the ground and be lonely with no sunshine and no happiness for all eternity" he answered seriously Rose chuckled"Aren't you exaggerating quite a bit? " Groove grinned "ME? Exaggerating? Good mare, you seem to forget who your future husband is. I'm awesome not to say godlike . I would NEVER do such a thing like exaggerating. And now after GOD has spoken..."groove paused looking dead serious "..what would you like for dinner? " After Groove finished breakfast, he quickly stood up washed his tableware and was on his way to the market. The mandarins were quiet easy to get and the mare on the stand eyed him curiously. "How may I help you?" "How much for the mandarin oranges?" Groove asked. "A Bit the pound" the mare replied. Groove pulled out a small notebook but she couldn't read what was written inside and he stopped by a chart where a few numbers were written "Seems reasonable." He commented and started to store the book away. "Why the book?" she asked curiously. "I'm sorry..." he smiled insecurely "I'm still strugling with the Equestrian weights and measures." "You are new in town aren't you? Where are you from?" She asked still curious "I just moved here with my fiance originally we're from Germane." "Germane? Oh i simply love the Black Forest cake, pretzels and Baumkuchen. is it true you all wear Lederhosen?" Groove was slightly amused while glancing at his flank "Nope thats south Germane. I'm from northwest Germane. it's like me asking you if it's true that all manehatten ponies talk with a canterlot accent." He smiled warmly "No offense." She snickered "None taken. You simply have to tell me more. My Name is Cherry Berry by the way." Groove laughed "Groove Apfel is my name but you can call me Groove." The two talked for a while and Cherry insistet that Groove took his first pound of Mandarins as some kind of welcome present. "Ah Cherry, would you happen to know where I can get some quark? " cherry eyed him puzzled "What is quark?" Groove looked dumbfounded "Öhm how do I explain Quark? It's white creamy stuff often used to bake cake." "Maybe the Cakes have some of that quark stuff but I never heard of it before... or do you mean cream?" Groove shook his head in denial "Nope, I mean quark. It's similar but cream and quark are two completely different products." Cherry blinked confusedly "well then you best ask the Cakes in Sugarcube Corner." Cherrys directions were somewhat vague "Walk down the street and you will know when you're there." Groove laughed "Wow thats not really specific." The pink Mare blushed "Well yeah but its just a little bit down the road," she pointet to the right "and you will know when you're there. The building's kinda hard to miss." "Thank you cherry," Groove smiled warmly "I'll see you around." Groove trotted in the direction Cherry had pointed A few moments later, Groove was haltet by another pink mare. "Hey. I don't think I know you but that is not possible because I know everypony in Ponyville but I'm pretty sure that I have no idea who you are so I see two possibilities first I do know you but I forgot everything about you OR you're a new pony in ponyville and my pinky sense did take a day off. Because I haven't had my back itchy ear flop combo which means that i'm going to meet a new friend. So I know both are pretty unlikely but I have to ask DO I KNOW YOU?" She spoke in an unbelievable speed and Groove didn't know what to answer "Excuse me but ... what?" The pink mare beamed brightly "Are you new in town or do I know you? ...but if I just forgot about one of my friends I wouldn't be a very good friend." In an instant she blew bubbles out of an pipe, was wearing a Sherlock Hooves disguise and Groove was sure that just a few seconds ago she wasn't wearing anything. "So I've reached the conclusion that you must be new in town CONFESS!" Groove stared at her with great eyes " ... well yes I am new in town I'm..." The pink madmare interrupted him "See no way Pinky pie would forget one of her friends." A snotty smile played around her lips then she gasped "Wait .............NEW PONY IN PONYVILLE! " Groove was doumbfounded as he had seen quite a lot in his life but some Pink dervish madmare which danced all over the townsquare singing a bizare song to the music of a small cart which was decorated with banners trumpets and streamers. that was ... new. "Welcome welcome welcome A fine welcome to you " While bouncing all over the place she managed to force an silly hat on Grooves head. "Welcome welcome welcome I say how do you do?" A loud Trumpet noise almost blew up his Eardrum. "Welcome welcome welcome I say hip hip hurray " Still bouncing while she was playing a Timpani in a circle arround him. "Welcome welcome welcome To Ponyville toda~ay " She sang the last verse of his song while sliding on her knees towards him. "Wait for it!" with a ding something flew towards the earthstallion hit him between the eyes and knocked him out for good. The last thing he heard was "upps the cake shouldn't be thrown that hard"
The orange Hurricane"Mom please stop it. I'm just moving one town, I mean Ponyville isn't really that far away you can come visit whenever you want" Rain Clouds was standing in front of his parents and tried to console his sobbing mother. "But what if you don't find friends? Or you make friends with the wrong kind of pony? Or somepony mugs you and take all of your stuff? I don't trust these groundslickers one bit, especially these one horned freaks with their magic... they can't be trusted" His mother was proud to say that she had never set one hoof on the ground. and now her youngest son was going to move to a town of freaks, disgusting, wingless freaks. The mare startet to sob again "have you already tried to speak with your supervisor? Can't he do anything? Your father could get your a job in the Rainbowfactory..." Her azure blue coat was sticky from her tears and her amber eyes were bloodshot. Rain Clouds father had thoughtfully laid one wing over his wife "Honey don't you think it's ok? he is only one town away and Ponyville is safe." he desparate tried to calm his wife. "But it's a town full of wingless freaks" A young unicorn mare who was just passing by glared angry at the sobbing mare "The nerve of some ponies..." But Drifting Clouds did not stop to panic "what if somepony cut off his wings? What if..." Rain Clouds stopped his mother "MOM WHY WOULD ANYPONY DO SUCH A THING? Cut it out already you're making less and less sense. Ponyville is a safe little village you can barely call it a real town it's so safe that even a princess lives there and now stop it." His mother was speechless "Young colt how dare you to raise your voice against your own mother. Go to your room and think about what you have done." Rain Clouds only laughed "nice try mom but I'm moving today. I will start working in a few days and the rent is already paid, all that is left to do is getting there." His mother started to cry again. "Mom calm down I will write after i finished unpacking. And i will be here at hearts warming eve." He gave his best not to show his mother the tear which persitently kept staying in his eye. "Mom, Dad I love you both...." Sun Gap smiled sadly "I will accompany you ...at least half the way" The two stallions spreaded their wings and flew off towards ponyville, leaving Drifting clouds alone in the foyer of the Cloudsdale citygates. "Your mother and I are really proud of you...don't forget that" His father said quietly. Rain Clouds smiled "yeah dad I know and i love both of you. ...I'm sorry i I agreed to this job." a small hint of remorse hushed over Clouds face. "Don't be, son. We can't always be there even if we wish, we could but your mother and i have to realise that our foals have finally all left. You have to build something on your own without me or your mother hovering over you twentyfourseven. I thougt it was hard when your sister moved out but now you're leaving and I ... don't know what to say to you." A stray tear rolled out of the side of Sun Gap's eye "Dad it's ok your both did all you could to prepare me ..." Clouds fell silent and Father and son flew together in silence. Both were overwhelmed with memories. Clouds first attemps to fly, his first maretalk (you know about the bees and that stuff) with his father, his first day of flightcamp. All these memories and a lot more kept plopping up in the clouds. Finaly, they reached the Ponyville airspace and started to descent. "Your stuff was already brougth here yesterday right?" his father asked "Yeah the company paid for the packers"Cloud answered They landed in a quiet residential district which was on the outskirts of Ponyville "This is it son?" his father asked hesitantly "Yes dad. This is it " Both stood in front of each other and an uneasy silence started to unfurl till Clouds stepped a hoove closer to his dad and embraced him with a tight hug. "Thank you dad tell mom that I love you both" Said cloud while seeing his Father off. When Clouds opend his doors for the first time he was greated by a bunch of boxes and something which might once have been boxes. On top of these rubble where three Muffins and a note ... ok it was really hard to decipher. It could be Derpy or was it Ditzy? Clouds starred puzzled Finally he started to grasp that these rubble was once his possesion and even worse it was his tableware, his beloved collection of figurines and his sofa"AH BUCK IT" After unpacking half of his stuff clouds decided to go out for a while to buy a new sofa and a few dishes. He stepped out of the door. The road was mostly empty and the few ponys who were outside walked hard left or right of the road "which way was it again to the town square?" he needed a little moment for orientation then he walked in the right direction. A subliminal buzzing started but Clouds couldn't really locate the source of it. The buzzing kept getting louder as he reaches the end of the road and then a small orange coated hurricane rammed in his side and knocked the wind out of him. The orange hurricane was a filly on a scooter with a purple mane and small buzzing wings and great purple eyes. She wore a Violet helmet with white stripes which hit him in the side. "Oh sorry. Please don't be mad. I was too fast. I'm sorry" Clouds coughed "Easy there little miss purple mane it's alright just a little ..." he coughed again "It's alright, nothing happend. Are you alright?" The filly beamed at Clouds "I'm sorry normaly our neighbors know when I'm comming it's better to move out of the way. So i guess you're the stallion which moved in next door with his ..Special somepony" she giggled like the schoolfilly she was. Clouds looked at her puzzled "Special somepony? What do you mean? I live alone, I just moved in today" He pointed at his house. She grinned brightly "Then welcome neighbour, I live over there" she pointed to the house two buildings accross from his own. "I'm Scootaloo, what's your name?" "My name is Rain Clouds. Hello there little neighbour" he smiled warmly. Scootaloo eyed his cutiemark two dark clouds infront of the sun "you're going to work for the weather patrol, right?" "Eeyup starting next week" The little filly beamed from ear to ear "How did you earn yourself a weather themed cutiemark?" Clouds noticed that the filly was a blankflank "Lemme guess you're trying to earn your cutiemark with trying all sorts of stuff? Stuff from totally safe to totally insane?" The bright eyes of the small filly reminded Clouds how he earned his cutiemark "Well yeah how else would i find what I'm good at?" the little one looked stubbornly at Clouds „All we ever hear when we ask ponys about how they earned their cutiemarks is girly talk about finding themselves and being themselves it's totally not cool. Even Rainbow Dash, the coolest mare in all of Equestria was all utsibutsy about that story." The little Tomcolt filly had obviously the wrong approach towards the whole thing "May I give your a little hint?" He asked gently. "A cutiemark is a thing that has to happen in your mind first. You could do your special talent for years and it could already be your second nature. Trying random stuff won't work or even delay getting your cutiemark. Trust me I did the same thing was the oldest pony in Cloudsdale to get my cutiemark....ever." he ended bitterly. Scotaloo was shocked "You mean we're still blankflanks because we're crusading?" Clouds had to laugh. "It takes some time and all you ever get are phrases like you will have to be patient. it will come when the time is right. never helped me but the pattern all ponies who got their cutiemark did get it in stuff they were already good at. When i realized that i started to think about what am I already good at? The only thing I could think of were Rainclouds. that was the moment when i got my Cutiemark." The blue pegasus smiled warmly "May I ask you what you're good at?" Scotaloo didn't know an answer "Don't rush it. I hope i could help you at least a bit" the two pegasi smiled at each other. "Well welcome to the neighbourhood. I've gotta go to meet my friends see ya later, bye." the filly stepped on her scooter rushed back home and a few seconds later again past Clouds towards the town square. "Well she is pretty fast..." he mused to himself "ok I guess the direction is fine."
Unexpected familyApple Bloom wasn't feeling that well "Scoots could ya please pull over? Ah think ahm gonna throw up." Scootaloo wasn't listening her mind was preoccupied "Hey Scoots what's on your mind?" Sweetie Belle asked slightly frightened. Scootaloos scooter was shooting through town at an incredible high pace, almost rammed Granny Smith and Scoots was still accelerating. "SCOOTS PULL OVER!" Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle screamed at the top of their lungs. Scootaloo finally stopped and apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jumped out of the card and while Sweetie Belle started kissing the ground, Applebloom stumbled towards an side alley to puke. "Scootaloo is everything alright? You were driving like Nightmare Moon was on your flank." Scootaloos eyes sparked angrily but softened almost instantly upon seeing the fear in Sweeties eyes. "Sorry girls," she paused "I think today is just no good to become cutiemark crusader neurosurgeons... I think I will go home. See you tomorrow in school" She stepped on her scooter and with a loud buzzing sound she speeded back towards her home. "What's wrong with her?" Apple Bloom still slightly unsure where to put her hooves stepped out of the alley "No idea.... wanna come over to my place and play Candyland?" Sweetie asked happy as ever. "Bet ya." the little farmfilly answered. Sweetie Belle and a slightly pale Applebloom walked towards the marketplace "Ah will just tell mah sis bout this then we can be up'n bout" At the entrance of the marketplace the two crusaders meet a totally nervous Pinkie Pie which was panicking over a unconscious big stallion with a cake where his face was supposed to be. "Ohhhhh this is not good! This is bad! This is really bad! Calm down Pinkie! What did Ma do again when Pa was knocked out during the testing of my first Party Canon?" She then noticed the two fillies "Oh hi Sweetie, Applebloom" She smiled nervously "Hi Pinkie, 's he alright?" Apple Bloom asked while Sweetie tried some of the cake. "Hmm apple pie" Pinkies smiled shattered. "I saw the apple in his Cutie Mark and thought he sure would love when somepony would present him some tasty yummy apple pie. I mean I would love that ...who wouldn't?" Pinkie answered while picking cake pieces out of the stalions dark chocolate colored mane. "Hmm it's good. " An apple themed Cutie Mark? Apple Blooms family sense kicked in. Maybe he was one of her cousins? But none of her cousins did have a Cutie Mark like he did. A single eighth note where the notehead was a two coloured apple. "Hey Pinkie, what's his name?" Apple Bloom asked. "Oh that's easy its," she stopped "Wait I never asked for his name. .... I was so happy to meet a new friend that I totally forgot to ask." Her eyes started to tear up "I'm a baaaaaaaaaad friend" Like a spectacular fontaine she started to cry. Then pinkys eyes were filled with panic. "Oh my sweet Celestia what should I do? I Pinkie promised Twilight not to hospialize another pony for the rest of the month." "Wait it's only the fifth how many Injuries could you cause in only five days?" Sweetie asked curiously. "I took the ponys from the retirement home with me to go bungee jumping. I didn't know that old ponys have so frail hips." She sobbed desperatly. "mahbe we should ask mah sis what to do ahm sure AJ know how to handle this." Bloom said and almost instantly Pinky stopped with the waterworks. "you're right Bloom when somepony knows what to do it's Applejack. " Carefully the three tried to lift the stallion of the ground but he was heavy. Too heavy to be carried by a single mare and two fillies. "Ok new plan Applebloom you go and get your sister Sweetie and I will stay here with him." Bloom bolted away and Pinky and Sweetie started to operate the baking mould off of his face. Under the crumbs of cake submerged a pair of glasses but they were heavily bend out of form. "He seems like a nice stallion." Sweetie commented while her mind already started to search for possible matches. 'I mean Cheerilee and Big Mac are still dating soo when we scratch the love poison I think ..... maybe Rarity? Or Applejack the hardworking Farmer and the mysterious stranger ohh this is going to be sooooo goooood.' "Hey there Pinkie, how's it going today? " A young stallion stood behind Pinkie Pie and smiled politely. He had a pink coat and short but shaggy blond mane. His cutiemark was a wild scribble. "Oh hi Rebound" Pinky answered. "Quite chaotic to be honest you see, I was welcoming some new pony to the town but my welcome to ponyville cart threw the cake too hard and I ended up with knocking the poor guy unconscious and then Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came and I was totally in a panic attack but Apple Bloom said her sister would know what to do but we couldn't carry him." She nodded toward the unconscious stallion. "He is pretty heavy so apple bloom is getting her sister here to help and then you came and asked me how's it going and I was totally like oh well quite chaotic and told you how I beat the new guy unconscious and that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were helping me to calm down because I was panicking there and ..." the stallion named Rebound looked at Sweetie Belle "Oh hi. what's happened to him?" He eyed the unconscious stallion "is he alright? " "I don't know he already was out cold when we met Pinkie. " Rebound obviously didn't listen to one word Pinky had said. "I'm sorry but Pinkie told you already what happened to him so why do you ask me?" Rebound smiled awkward "oups forgot to listen to her. ... Anyway can I help?" "Well if he's asking, I'm sure Pinkie wouldn't mind" Sweetie Belle thought to herself. "Yeah you could help us carry him to the Sweet Apple Acres stand" chirped Sweetie nodding towars Groove. "That can do." He closed his eyes and tried to levitate the unconscious but the moment his pink aura started to surround his horn a loud bang was heard and he blew himself up. The young pink stallion stand there like he was hit by a bold of Lighting. "Ups forgot that happens when I try to do magic" he stammered. I dawned on her that Rebound was quite the klutz but then he lifted the unconscious up like every other Earthpony would and placed him carefully on his back. "Well, this should work but we have to go he is really heavy." Pinkie was still looping her story about how she knocked Groove out. "Pinkie we get it would you please help us here?" Pinkie smiled "Sure." Together they carried him till they met Apple Bloom and Applejack . "Damn Pinkie remand me to never get ya 'll angry this guy is almost as big as Big Mac and ya managed to get him down only with a cake" Aj was Impressed. "Let's get this fellah up." she pointed to a bench under a tree. "Lay him there sugarcube." Rebound did as he was told and then Aj pulled out a small flask with a honey coloured liquid. "This is a apple schnapps like mah great great great great grandfather's used to brew it's pretty strong so stand back" Aj opened the flask and held it under the stallions nose. Groove knew that smell it was the Apfel Korn a recipe, his father showed him. He grabbed the flask and downed it "Where did you get this?" AJ was surprised "Ya ok there partner? That was really strong shine ya drank." Groove was completly calm "Where did you get this" he asked coldly. "Ah made it mahself it's an old family recipe." Groove mustered the blond mare. "I'm saying that this schnapps tasted a awfull lot like the Apfelkorn my family brew and the recipe is a Family Secret" Aj smiled "Then ya are an Apple alright, no other way ya would get an Apple familyrecipe. Always glad to meet family" she smiled honestly "Nope I'm no Apple my name is Groove Apfel." Pinkie smiled "Isn't that Germane? " Groove looked at the blue eyed candy powerd partypony and screamed in fear "AAAAAAAHScheiße! Scheiße! Scheiße! Keep her away from me!" He was totally terrified but Pinkie only giggled. "Remember when i found out that we are cousins?" AJ only nodded "Eeyup so what?" Pinkie pulled an old looking scroll of paper out of her hair. "Well according to this baby here a lot of your ancestors did carry the name Apfel as surname." Aj looked over the scroll "ya know sugarcube I'm not the fancy bookpony like Twilight or somthingy and here i see a lot of names and also a lot of Apfel so i guess it could be true." The scroll again disapeared in Pinkie's mane "well i gotta go i have a welcome to ponyville party to prepare." With these words she disapeared. "Wait did she say party?" AJ looked at groove with curious eyes. "An Germane apple? Mahbe Granny Smith knows what to do." "So you are saying we could be related to each other?" Groove was quite surprised. "Well that would explain how you know the recipe for Opa's Apfelkorn" "We'll see 'bout that come to Sweet Apple Acres this evening and we'll talk. Till then welcome to ponyville stranger." with these words she left with Applebloom and Sweetie in tow. Groove was left behind alone with Rebound "Hey there I'm Rebound and I carried you here. how's your head?" Groove was dumbfounded at the smiling pink stallion "Everything is fine, thanks for your concern. " "oh and watch out for Pinky, she is definitely going to throw a party for you " "I hope I don't have to meet her again. she's kinda scary" "Nah, she is a sweet girl, a little over the top but she means well." "Well you weren't knocked out by her aren't you?" Rebound smiled "Not recently."
Finally QuarkAfter leaving Apple bloom and Sweety Belle, Scoots was still pondering what Clouds had told her. Lost in thoughts she drove home, a little faster than usual, she took the curve a little faster than usual and dropped her scooter next to the door like usual. She opened the door, rushed in the livingroom like usual and hurried up the stairs like usual. As she opened the door to her room and stopped bewildered. Her room was filled with wonderbold posters and Rainbow Dash fan merch. But the room she was now standing in was filled with boxes. "Schatz? Hast du alles gekriegt?" a soft voice echoed from down below from downstairs. "Meine Tante hat uns übrigens eine Karte aus Canterlot geschickt. Sie schreibt, sie will uns am Wochenende mal... Oh wer bist du denn?" A young unicorn mare has made her way up the stairs and now stood infront of the small frozen filly. "Hello there, can i help you?" the mare now asked in fluent equestrian and with a warm smile. Scootaloo started to panic. She had often heard storys about foalnapping and she loved to read the awesome crime novels Twilight always said were "Nothing for little fillys" This was the real world and a unfamiliar mare stood infront of her, in her own home and spoke in some weird foreign language with her accomplices who no doubt was some muscle packed stallion with only one eye. They were going to abduct her and sell her to some weird foreign sattle arabian Sheik who was going to use her as childlaborer till she was old enough to marry his ugly lame ass son. But then on the day of the ceremony her two friends Agent Sweetie and Detective Bloom were going to rescue her and she was going to earn her cutiemark as damsel in distress. She was sweating buckets in prospect of this sad future. The mare smiled warmly "May I ask you one thing?" Scootaloo was ready for anything. ... what would she like to ask? "Would you please come with us without making a fuzz?" or... "Where do you keep your ropes?" or... "What are you doing in our house?" Scoots was confused "Come again?" "I really appreciate visitors but next time please knock, ok?" "you're not going to foalnap me and sell me to some weirdflank sheik?" she was baffled "Oh my Celestia. No, why would anypony do something like that?" Now Scoots felt like a total Dodo. She wasn't being foalnapped she was just next door where the new ponies had moved to. That would explain the boxes. The young mare beamed with joy "hey do you happen to know that you're my first visitor here in equestria?" Only now Scoots noticed the slight accent in her voice which sounded a bit like Aloe's but more natural "You're our neighbors girl, right?" It has been ages for Scootaloo but for the first time in years there was a mare who knew how she preferred her cacao. Slightly hot but without boiling the milk and not too sweet. Her eyes teared after she took her first sip. An old memory arose in her mind. A dark living room and the smell of lavender, the smell of her mother. "Be a good girl scoot's, Momy will be back soon." Never would she forget these words the last words her mother said to her. Rose was surprised to find the small home invader sobbing on her couch. "Everything alright, honey?" Scootaloo looked at her, snot running from her nose and tears welling from her eyes. Rose took a seat right next to her. "It's alright . there ... there." She nuzzeld the crying filly carefully and embraced her in a motherly hug. A few feathers in Scootaloos wings were ajar and Rose carefully started to preen the small wings. For a moment Scootaloo felt like her mother never left. Since she was small it has always been her and her brother but now everything melted into nothing she felt fine. But on the other hoof something was off, the mare doesn't smell like lavender, a sweet smell also flowerly but not lavender. Her mother always smelled like lavender. She realized this mare wasn't her mother. "Feeling better? " Scoots stopped to sob in Rose's chest. "I'm sorry." The mare looked at her puzzled "For what, dearie? Sometimes we all need somepony to lean on and I would say you were especially needy. Wanna tell me about it? " Scootaloos eyes again were filled with tears "It's really nothing you're only so much alike ... at least from what I can remember." Scootaloo mumbled almost inaudible "Like who, dearie?" Rose smiled warmly. "It's really fine ... could I just sit here like this for a while?" This time Scoots hugged Rose. "It's alright little one. I'll be there when you need somepony to talk." Again Rose started to preen a stray feather on Scoots wing. "You should really be more careful with your wings. Look! They are all messed up." The preening mare was still at it. It has been a really long time since scootaloo had her last preening and she still wasn't able to do it herself. "How comes that a unicorn knows how to preen?" Scots asked. Roses face froze "You know that is one really personal question." A overwhelming sadness was displayed on her face. "Well it's because of my filly brother ... he was also a pegasus." Scootaloo realised that Rose also lost sompony really Important. "He died a few Months ago ..." Rose smiled sadly "He never took care of his wings ... always busy and always on the run." now roses eyes were filled with tears. "Und dann macht er diese dumme Mutprobe und ... und..." The mare spoke in that strange, foreign language again. And she cried really hard and now it was Scootaloo who was comforting the mare. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm really sorry. " Rose chuckled under her tears "Never mind kido but could you do me a favour .... don't try anything stupid, okay?" Freshly preened and with a belly full of cake and cacao Scoots left the house of Rose and Groove. The Germane mare was a really nice mare and Scoot's wings were perfectly preened. Most unicorns tend to preen fillies with their magic but scoots disliked that. Magic was cold and not really gentle. A mouth does a much better job and the warm breath felt good on the skin. She took her scooter and hushed back to the right entrance next door. "Sompony home?" She shouted but no answer. "Where is that knucklehead? " Groove looked dumbfounded at the building and now he knew what Cherry meant when she said 'hard to miss'. Rebound smiled " it's always funny to see newcomers react when they first visit Sugarcube Corner. " Slowly Groove poked the facade. And it was just that, a facade in the shape of giant baking goods. Knocking on them revealed that they were hollow. Rebound trotted inside leaving Groove behind outside. " Hello Rebound, dear." A high pitched female voice greeted when he stepped inside. Groove followed and could see whose voice it was that welcomed them "And you brought a friend." Rebound smiled happily. "Hello Mrs Cake how are Pound and Pumpkin doing? " the mare behind the counter was was slightly fat... well, not fat but round. Maybe heavy boned? Let's just say that she was fluffy. She smiled one of the loveliest smiles groove had ever seen. "Just great thank you, dearie. Pumpkin will start magic kindergarten in a few weeks we're all so very excited. So, what can I get for the two handsome stallions who are blessing my humble bakery with their patronage?" Rebound smiled happily "I'll take two cupcakes ala Pinkie." "Yesididdely" shouted a voice from the kitchen and Grooves panic switch was triggered. "Was zum Geier? What is she doing here?" panicky Groove tried to escape but Pinkie was already behind him. "Oh hi Groove good to see you again I'm really sorry for the cake incident I always mess that part up and I'm really really really really really really really really sorry. so please take this. I made it extra only for you so please don't be mad anymore." pinky talked at an incredible speed and bounced around like a gumball. When she finished she hoofed groove a cupcake with a real artistic topping. "Please don't be mad anymore." Giant fillyeyes supported her pleading. 'Oh Mann, this isn't fair.' Groove inspected the cupcake carefully. "I wasn't really mad it's just. .. weird I mean you're all over the place and I have no idea what you want. " Pinkies eyes lit up "Oh Celestia I'm so glad I like to see my friends smile and everypony is my friend and when I see a pony I don't know I get really excited because there's sompony I don't know yet and we can get to know each other and play and sing and be the best of bestes friends." Groove was puzzled again. "Well, please stop drinking coffee and I think we will get along just fine." now Pinkie looked puzzled "I don't drink coffee. " After Pinkie gave Rebound his two cupcakes she left for the kitchen. "Celestias süße Zitzen she doesn't drink coffee?" Mrs Cake smiled warmly " it's just Pinkie being Pinkie. Just roll wit it." Once more groove feeled like a total moron. "Ok buck it. I need some Quark." He said rememberring why he was here in the first place. The smile on Mrs cake's face stumbled "what is it you need?" "Quark. It's a special form of fresh cheese, real creamy and a slightly bit sour." He tried to explain it but was eyed with non understanding. "For what do you need it?" asked Mrs Cake. "For cheesecake it's one of the key ingredients." "Don't you mean cream? " Groove looked bewildered "No, I mean Quark. It's simmilar but a different product." Pinky bolted back to groove "cheesecake without sour cream hhhhhh heresy!" "Käsekuchen schmeckt... I mean a cheescake has to be made with Quark. Why does nopony knows what Quark is?" Pinkie and Groove were now shouting at each other. Mr Cake looked inside the shop to see what was going on. "Please, we have two little fillies here! Stop shouting. What's this all about?" Groove was quite pissed off "I just wanted to buy a pound of Quark." Mr cake smiled "so what?" "Nopony knows anything about Quark." Groove was still irritated. "Not really surprising its more a Germane cuisine thing" "Finally somepony knows what I want" Mrs Cake eyed her husband "what do you know about Germane cuisine?" he blushed real hard. "I studied abroad for a year when I was younger and I ... well you know I ... it was before we met and ... I kinda dated a Germane baker for a few months. And ...so yeah I learned a little bit about this and that." Mrs Cake glared daggers at her husband. "I still use Quark as secret ingredient for some cakes. Pinkie starred amazed at Mr Cake. "That is the superdupersecret ingredient?" He trotted out of the room and brought back a magocool, a small box which was enchanted to keep everything inside cool . I make it myself because most ponys don't know how to or don't want it..." he hoofed Groove a good serving. "Just don't tell anypony about this, ok?" "Kein Problem I won't tell." As Pinkie, Rebound and Groove left the shop they could hear how Mrs Cake was giving Mr Cake a piece of her mind "Why didn't you tell me that? I never knew that you had...." She wasn't angry because Mr Cake dated a Germane mare but because he never told her about it. The three walked slowly past the marketplace. "well I have to go ....oh you too?" Pinkie smiled "I want to try this Germane cheesecake." "also auf gut Deutsch you will stay for lunch?" Pinkie grinned "jopikowsky."
Sir FluffyRainbow Dash was dozing on a cloud. Her morning routine was done and the weather was perfectly under control. A loud grunting disturbed her leisurely spend morning. "What the hay? " irritated she tried to spot the source of the disturbing noise. It seemed to emitt from a walking couch. Waitaminute couches couldn't walk. She spread her wings and glided softly towards the ground. It wasn't a walking couch but a couch on a very tired looking pegasus stallion "hey there." she greeted "need some help?" Clouds grunted only in response "No everything is fine, I got this." Rainbow was irritated, why would a stallion in need always work themselves to death instead of asking a mare for help? "...and then I said oatmeal are you crazy? " Pinkie, Rebound and Groove turned into the street and spotted the two pegasi. " Oh look it's Dashy. She's like one of my totally best friends ever and totally awesome and strong and fast. " Pinkie explained. "Hey Dashy. What's up?" Rainbow smirked on the face of the stallion next to Pinky "New in town, huh?" Groove only nodded. "I moved in today so yeah, I'm new in town" could be heard from beneath the couch. Pinkies ears pearked up "UUUUUUUUUH another superduper new friend this is so nice to meet you what's your name? Wait don't tell, lemme guess I love guessing games I bet it's Sir Fluffy? Cozy Ottoman? Livingroom Accesior? Couchy?" Clouds placed the couch on the ground and stretched his wings. "What the hay?" He mustered Pinkie with a puzzled look. "Just ignore her it's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. It's pretty normal for her." Rainbow grinned again. "And by the way you've got some cake in your mane." she said towards Groove. Groove felt his blood rushing in his face "Well I guess you know how it get there." He said and threw an angry look at Pinkie. Rainbow tried to surpress her laughing but failed miserably. Pinkie jumped all around Clouds and again talked about party this and welcome that. Rebound felt like he was forgetting something, something important, something very important. Rainbow now mustered Rebound curiously "Haven't I met you somwhere?" Pinkies jumping stopped in midair 'How's that even possible?' wondered Groove "That's Rebound. He's Scootaloos elder brother and caretaker." explained Pinky still in midair. She then proceeded to Jump in circles arround the really confused looking Clouds. "So Scoots has a brother? Why would she then look for a sister to ..." Rainbow started to mumble. "So ... Dashy was it?" interrupted Groove Rainbows train of thought. "No my Name isn't Dashy." a short glare towards Pinkie "I'm Rainbow Dash, of course you've already heard all about my awesomness." "No I haven't ... sorry." Rainbow's ego took a direct hit. It's very effective. "Nothing? Fastest flyer in all of Equestria, Element of loyalty, soon to be Wonderbolt, only Pegasus to preform a Sonic Rainboom, nothing?" Groove only shook his head "Should I?" All four ponies eyed him puzzled. "I thought the Elements of Harmony were famous all over Equestria?" asked Rebound "Moment. Weren't the elements of harmony an old weapon? How could somepony be a weapon?" "You've heard of the elements but you didn't know that the Elments were ponies?" asked Clouds. "Excuse me?" "I always thought everypony in Equestria knew about the elements since we purified Princess Luna?" asked Rainbow. "Pinkie could you please..." Groove noticed the purple mare who tried to get the Attention of the group. But everypony was busy talking. "Could you please move this couch?"she shouted and now everypony took notice of her "Oh hi Twilight." greeted Pinkie her royal friend. Twilight stood in the entrance of a small bookshop which was barricaded with Cloud's couch and only her face could be seen. Cloud starred unbelievingly at Twilights face. "OH MY SWEET CELESTIA IT'S REALLY YOU! THE PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP AND HARMONY; OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" he then shouted out and ended with a very unmanly squee. "I'm such a big fan. It's such a honour to meet you, Princess." After a few minutes Clouds started to calm down "Tell me I didn't had a major fangasm in front of the princess." Groove snickered. "Oh brother you did exactly that." commented Rebound grinning. After his little meltdown Clouds moved his couch and Twilight joined their group. "I must've looked like the total idiot." Groove smirked "well, I have to admit it was quite amusing." Clouds groaned "My name is Rain Clouds. And you are?" "Apfel Groove and also new in town and this is Rebound and that is Pinkie Pie." answered Groove. "Do you need some help with your couch?" "No it's fine I got this." but Groove already lifted the couch on his back. "This way?" he then asked without a hint of strain in his Voice. 'Damn Earthponies and their creepy body strenght' Clouds thought and nodded. Rainbow was impressed the tall Stallion didn't look like much but he wasn't that bad looking either. While the stallions walked in front the four girls followed their lead. "Soooo why is it that you all are now comming along?"asked Groove. "Well, Pinkie said something about cake." answered Rainbow Dash. "Yes but the cake won't be ready before tomorrow.It has to cool over night. As I've already told Pinkie three times." Rainbow starred nonstop at Grooves flank "uhu" while she daydreamed. "Rainbow stop it!" whispered Twilight. "What?" mused Rainbow feigning ignorance. "Stop starring at his flank." hissed Twilight. "Why? It's a really nice one." Rainbow mustered the three stallions in front of them and had to admit that all three had nice looking ones. "Horseapples! I think its almost that time of the year..." cursed Rainbow. "What do you mean Rainbow?" Twilight eyed her friend cluelessly. "I think I'm about to come in heat." whispered Rainbow with a deep red blush. "OH." Twilight was really uncomfortable but Pinkie was not "Then you're almost three weeks early. That's not fair then you're all done when we are all ..." "Pinky stop it please!" interrupted Twilight the pink mare. "Why?" deadpanned Pinky "OH right it's your third one this year, right?" Twilight blushed like crazy, she has always been a little touchy that her heatcycle took itself so long to kick in.
Of Bee's and UnicornsTwilight wasn't that much younger than Pinkie or the others, just two years younger than AJ and a few months younger than Rainbow Dash. Nonetheless she was the youngest of her friends. When she moved to Ponyville she was afraid to tell that she, a full grown mare never had been in heat and tried to hide herself in her library as the mating season began. Nopony would question that a lot of ponies did that during the two weeks and nopony would notice that her cycle wasn't active. It was the morning before the mating season and Twilight noticed something off. Her concentration was off, she couldn't focus on anything and spellcasting was impossible. She tried meditation to calm herself. When Spike spotted the manical expression in Twilights eyes he ran to get help. He didn't knew what was going on but he feared another 'Smartypants incident'. After gathering Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, Spike hurried back to the libary. Twilight bolted arround in the library like a caged manticore. "Calm down Darling. what is it? What's brotherring you Twilight?" "I don't know... it's something that keeps me from... it feels like I don't know..." Twilight tried to sit still but then again started to pace arround the libary. "The more I try to concentrate on what's wrong, the more... say Rarity, is that a new hat?" "OK something really is wrong, since when does Twilight recnognise what ponies are wearing?" asked Rainbow. "whatever do you mean darling? this hat is just a item to faboulus to ignore even for ... Twilight. I see now what you mean." Pinkie grinned with a intensity like a sunbeam on a rainy day. "It's your first time? Oh Twilight this is really asking for a big glamorous party." Twilight kept pacing "I'm sorry Pinkie but I'm really in no mood to celebrate at the moment. I could have Celestiaknowswhat maybe vascular dementia or even worse Alzheimer's." Pinkie snorted at Alzheimer's "Oh don't be silly, Twilight you're just in season." Twilight stopped dead in her tracks "in season? but I never was in season." Pinkie interrupted her "see it's about time I mean you're only half a year younger than me and still hadn't had your first tingalingagoo." Pinkie said and touched her softly on her flank. Almost instantly Twilight felt incredibly aroused. "See. You're just really sensitve right now and everything." she then leaned towards Spike "I would advise you to leave the town for the next two weeks..." she whispered. Spike couldn't make a rhyme out of it, till a few days later. Spike didn't sleep really well, all night long he heard somepony moaning. The last few years he always was in Canterlot when the mating season took place. They locked themself up in Twilight's tower. They played games and were simply having fun together but now Twilight was a shiverring mess. "Morning Twi. Feeling any better?" he asked the mare which was shiverring in a corner of her bedroom. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE SPIKE DO SOMETHING I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE!" Twilight shouted while rubbing her Flank on the wall. "Eww. Twilight gross get a hold of yourself. What could I do to make it stop?" Twilights eyes beamed with a manical Glimmer "I don't know. SOMETHING! ANYTHING! JUST MAKE THE TINGELING STOP!" Spike started to realize what Pinkie meant 'I should have listened to Pinkie Pie and left town with the other Stallions' Two days ago all Single stallions gathered to leave town. 'But I can't leave Twilight dealing with this all alone...' Twilight started to drag her butt over the floor like a dog. 'EEEEWW, OK buck it ' "Sorry Twi I think it's better I visit ...your brother...or something ..." He frantically grabbed a few gems and left the libary. He could hear Twilight shouting but he tried to ignore it. Ponyville was in a really poor state everywhere mares with frantic eyes. "Hey Spike!" Lyra trotted towards him. "oh hey Lyra. where's Bonbon?" greeted Spike the green mare. "She's still asleep last two days were..." She snickered slightly "pretty exhausting. Say Spike..." she glanced at his hands "Could you lend me a helping ... hand?" a nervous eyetwitch "Hmm sure, what do you need?" "I got this weird itching on my butt could you.....don't know do something about it? with your .....Hands?" Spike realised what Lyra wanted him to do "OH no. No. Nononononono" Spike ran into the woods and wasn't seen again for the next three weeks. The little group arround Groove entered the street. "I really favor the classical era. It was a really inspiring time, the political economics, the cultural distinctions, even two villages who were really close together often varied in cultural aspects. But I also like the pre-classical era, the rise and fall of Star Swirl the Bearded." Clouds interrupted Grooves history lesson "I really admire Star Swirl the Bearded did you know, he created more than 200 spells? He even has a shelf in the Canterlot library of magic named after him. He was the mentor of Clover the Clever, one of the founders of Equestria. I mean how cool is that? Someponys even believe he tutored Celestia herself. He is also rumored to have befriended Scorpan, and this is said to lead him to turn against his evil brother Tirek. I would really love to see his stained glass window in Canterlot, I heard it's really inspiring."The conversation had took an really sophisticated turn when the two Newbies discoverd their obsesion with historical events. Now Twilight trotted alongside the two stallions "I can assure you ...Rain Clouds was it?" The stallion nodded "his window really is divine, you can really feel his wisdom and compassion." Twilight stated. Groove was happy to have found somepony to talk about 'Egghead stuff' how his brother used to call his hobbys and later his job. "I really admire his dissertation about the fundamental differences in magic through the three tribes. His understanding of Earthpony magic was way ahead of his time. He was one of the first ponies to realize the connection between..." Twilight interruptet Groove "wait, wait, wait, You had actually read Star Swirls dissertation about the fundamental differences in magic through the three Tribes? You've read it and you were able to understand it?" Groove looked at her dumbfounded. "Well, a lot of the stuff about Pegasi and Unicorns went straight over my head and the translation wasn't that good but yeah I did. Applied Magic isn't really one of my favored subjects but it was one of the most groundbreaking theories in the pre-classical era. My Teacher had me take at least three Klausuren 'bout him." "EGGHEADS!!" Rainbow growled from behind. "At least I'm not the only one who has no idea what they are talking about huh Pinkie?" she looked at Pinkie "Don't be silly Dashy of course I know what they are talking about . I did also read it but Swirlsy was wrong when he assumed the significance of the consumed nutritions of a pony to be completly independent of their manareserves. this was debunked a good eighthundred years later by Einzel Stein when he released his dissertation about the different kinds of Magic and their effects on reality." Pinky beamed with a innocent grin. "yeah Einzel Stein did indeed debunk a few minor errors." said Twilight and gave Pinky a approving but questioning smile. "He was also one of the first ponies who was able to theorize about the nature of chaos magic." said Twilight to underline Einzel Steins significance. "Sadly, his reality theorem also led towards the development of the Harmony Bomb..." all three 'eggheads' looked down in mortified manner. "The what now?" Rebound looked puzzled. "The Harmony Bomb. A spell for military use, it concentrates a mass of Chaos magic particles into a supercritical mass the amount of material needed to start an exponentially growing magical destructive chain reaction..." lectured Twilight "by compressing a sub-critical sphere of Chaos magic expanding it to many times its original density... The after effects are ....horrible and hard to control..." she finished and an awkward silence befell the group. Rainbow didn't understood one thing what Twilight had said. "Maudi brought all of his books but she was pretty disappointed when she found out that he didn't wrote about rocks." Twilight was confused. "Why should he write about rocks? He was a mathematician and physicist?" Pinkie snickered "because his name means single stone so she thought he was a geologist."
Welcome to the neighborhood"You live here?" Groove asked dumpfounded while standing in front of Clouds home. A small typical Ponyville style building with a thatched roof and a balcony on the first floor. "Yeah. Why are you so shocked?" "Because I live right across the street." Groove said while pointing towards his door. "That's funny. I live over there" said Rebound while pointing towards the door next to Groove's. "What a funny coincidence." mused Twilight with a knowing smirk. "Ok that's odd. Well nevermind welcome to the neighborhood." beamed Rebound brightly. "Where do you want your Sir Fluffy?" Groove asked with a smirk on his muzzle. Clouds opened his front door and made room for the couchcarrying stalion. "Simply drop it somewhere- I'm still unpacking and stuff." He said. "Thank you again for carrying." "No problem. Welcome to the neighborhood... even if I moved here a few days ago myself...." "Well, usually I would invite you guys to come in and have some tea but my kitchen stuff is still somewhere in a box... well, I'm back to unpacking." Clouds said while he awkwardly closed the door. "Oh Horseapples! I forgot, I promised Loolo to mow the lawn and have dinner ready when she comes back from playing with her friends. Sorry everypony I have to go." With this words Rebound hurried across the street and Groove was left alone with the three mares. Pinkie bounced up and down while chanting "Cake. Cake. Cake." Rainbow Dash mustered his body like a Dragon on diet would muster a jewelry store and Twilight glared daggers at her pegasus friend. "I live over there,...as you already know... If you would like to try the cake you can come by tomorrow ... I think the cake should be ready by then." He pointed at his door and tried to shoo the three away. Pinkie snickered "Silly filly. ... no that wouldn't be right ... silly colty? Nah... stupid stallion. .. feels more like an insult ... " she rambled for a while about a fitting phrase. "I'll help you make the cake." she smiled a friendly smile and hopped towards the doorway. Rainbow Dash only nodded and said with a flat voice "Yeah... what Pinkie said. " Pinkie beamed brightly with joy "Yay Dashy it's gonna be soo fun to bake cake with my friends it's one of my super duper most favorite things to do in the whole wide world. It's gonna be legen... wait for it." She stopped mid sentence and smiled for a moment and then she bursted out "-dary! Legendary." Rainbow Dash looked at her pink friend "Wait, what?" Twilight seemed to ignore the hickhack between her friends and smiled politely "I hoped, we could talk a little longer about the classical era. I don't really get the chance to talk with an educated expert." Groove could feel how his blood rushed to his cheeks. "Expert wouldn't be the word I would use. I'm a historian nothing more. that was my job." Twilight blinked at him confused "Was your job?" Groove blushed even harder "Scheiße ahem I mean yeah. I used to be a historian in Germane but here I'm currently unemployed soooo I used to be a historian. " he stammered embarrassed. "Will you continue to work as historian here in equestria? Or do you plan to switch your field of expertise?" Groove laughed "I've always dreamed about my own small bookshop. I hoped I could fulfill this dream of mine but I don't think it's gonna be soon... To be honest the moving here was a lot more expensive than I had expected." He opened the front door and let the three mares inside his home. The living room was sparely decorated with only a few pictures hung on the wall next to the kitchen door. A pegasus stallion with a little earthpony filly playing with dolls. A bunch of earth ponies working in an orchard. Groove playing a giant double bass on a fancy looking party. A small pegasus colt snuggling on the side of a unicorn mare. Groove and the same unicorn mare snuggling in a restaurant, both beaming with joy. A group of ponies standing infront of a barn the pegasus stallion with the little earth pony filly and Groove stood side by side. Next to Groove stood an older Pegasus mare who was obviously Grooves Mother. Groove could be her spliting image just younger and male. On the other side of Groove and the young Pegasus stood a dark green coated earth stallion who was to busy making funny faces for the little filly as to look in the camera. A picture of two elderly ponys sitting on a porch exchanging affectionate glances with each others. An old, black and white picture of a young Stallion in the Germane military dress uniform. An old, black and white postcard picturing a street and a celestial cathedral. A bunch of frames were stacked in the bookshelf next to the wall. A lot of bookshelves almost all filled to the brimm with books were standing in the room. "Wow it's looks like somepony tried to revive the Golden Oaks Libary... Oh sorry Twilight." blurted Rainbow and was paid with an angry glare from Twilight. In the middle of the room stood a loveseat across from the chimney and two armchairs. on the endtable next to the loveseat Rainbow spotted a familar sight. A Daring Doo book, Rainbow knew every Book ever written by A.K. Yearling. but this book looked different "Daring Doo und das Ratsel der Funf Ringe des Schicksals?" She tried to read the title out loud but failed to pronounce it correctly. Groove corrected her "Das Rätsel der Fünf Ringe Schicksals. it's the germane translation of 'The Rings of Destiny.' My fiance is a really big fan of Daring Doo." "Why are there these funny dots over the a and the u?" asked Rainbow puzzled "They are Umlaute. The equish language has simmilar pronounced sounds for example the ay in Day is simmilar to the Germane Ä..." A loud crashing sound from the kitchen interrupted Groove's little lecture. In the kitchen they found Pinkie burried under a pile of pots. "Pinkie? What the hay were you doing? " asked twilight. "I was looking for a mixing bowl to start the dough. But then stuff happened and now I'm on the floor and you guys came running and asked what I was doing... ahem ..sorry?" " I'm sorry Pinkie but could you please not rummage through my cupboards on your own? " "Schatz? Ist alles in Ordnung? oh we have guests... hello." After the noise Pinkie made, a petite mare came running to see what was causing it. "Ladies, this is my fiance Tee Rose. Honey these girls are Pinkie Pie who wants to help bake the cake. Rainbow Dash ... to be honest I have no idea what she wants here... and finally princess Twilight Sparkle." Rose's eys grew big after realising that a member of the equestrian royalty has blessed her home with her presence. "Oh my sweet Celestia... I'm sorry for the mess, your majesty. If I would have known that a princess would visit our little home I would have..." before she could finish Pinkie stopped her midsentence by showing her hoove in Rose's mouth. "No need to worry. I'm just a normal pony just like everypony else, no need to make a fuss." said Twilight with a sad smile. "She dosen't like it when you treat her like that. Just treat her like you would treat anypony else." explained Pinkie with a forced smile. "Oh I didn't know I'm sorry." Rose said with a disheartened look on her face "It's no problem ..." Twilight said with a faked smile "It just feels weird I mean last year I was just Twilight and only one spell later and the Twilight, I used to be ceased to exist... It's ..." Rose smiled warmly and started to rummage through on of the shelves "I might have just the thing you need princess." she pulled out a small tin canister and started to boil some water "Anypony else want some tea?" "Nope, thanks." Rainbow answered and pinkie snickered "Hey Dashy when we three bake the cake we are three mares and one meassuring cup." Pinkie snorted "Wait Pinkie, you remember what happened last time you tried to teach me how to bake?" Rainbow asked with a concerned look on her face. "Yeah it was super duper....." Pinkie trailed off and stared into the void and before her inner eye she could see the gruesome scenes of rainbows last attempts at baking 'That shouldn't be able to burn?' 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! KILL IT! KILL IT!' 'I DON'T WANT TO DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! "... not fun. maybe it's better you sit this one out..." said Pinkie with a frown on her face. "Well. I will leave here, got a cloud with my name on it." "Do you mean a cloud cloud or the stallion next door?" asked Pinkie with a puzzled look. "Yes." answered Rainbow and closed the front door behind her. "So you want to help me with the cake I heard?" asked Rose Pinkie. Rebound was mowing the lawn under the watchfull eyes of his little sister, or at least he was trying to. With a loud boom the small lawnmower bursted into flames. Blinded by the explosion he stumbled over the rake lying in the grass infront of him concealed by grass which wipped up and smacked his nose. "OUCH! That smarts!" he mumbled while rubbing his hurting muzzle. "Great, now we need a new lawnmower ..." Rainbow stared unbelivingly at the Unicorn trying to supress the laughter which started to rise inside her, but failed miserably. Inside Scootaloo was observing how Rainbow Dash and her brother talked with each other. She wasn't judging him for being a klutz, no she even played with her mane and gave him pretty obvious looks... "That's it, now I know how i get Rainbow Dash to become my big sister." she exclaimed with a mischievious grin. A few hours later the cake was baked, the guest had left and Groove and Rose got ready to leave for dinner at Sweet Apple Acres.
