As she entered the cheery town of Ponyville, she breathed a sigh of relief. The old place was still standing as it had been so long ago. There were new places, and new faces, but as she walked on it seemed to be a cheery place. She looked to her tired companion who was traveling with her. Her companion didn’t know her real name, but she knew enough. The name she was using was Hope, Hope Healer. She was a dusty pink unicorn with bandages almost covering her whole body. Even her cutie mark had a large bandage on it. Her dark pink horn tingled with energy as they walked past a police-mare.

Her companion shuddered and looked to her as she gave her a reassuring nod. Her name was Astra Compassion, and she looked like a Nightmare. Not like a bad dream, but like the horses that came from them. She looked similar to what had been known as Nightmare Moon only a few years ago. She hid her looks under a large cloak, much like Hope did. Her fur was a dark purple, her hair a dark blue, and unlike most, her horn was two colors. Every other stripe of her horn was black. Her eyes were black with red slits which had given her nightmares at first. The only ones comfortable with seeing her were her family, her sisters, she only hoped that they would still love her after all that had happened. Her cutie mark was a black and pink compass with the north point on top like any normal compass and had a red heart at the center.

“Relax, Astra, no one will even recognize what you look like. Once I bring you back to your sisters, this nightmare will be over.” Hope reassured the alicorn as they neared the town’s edge. They had passed through quickly without any bother, save for a young pink pony that had seen them and gasped at them. It had taken Astra a while to calm back down after that.

“You say that, but you don’t know for sure. The two of my sisters could be just fine without me. I just wish we knew where the third was…” Her voice was as fluid as a river and had a feel of a starry night about it. “I’m sure no one remembers me, Hope. You told me it’s been about Fourteen hundred years. That’s a long time for any pony’s memory, even an Alicorn. Face it, everyone but the dark ones has forgotten I even exist.” She sighed. Hope glanced towards her and knocked the back of her head with her hoof. “OW! What was that for?”

“For being a pessimist when I’m trying to help you. I didn’t use fourteen centuries of my existence to help you just so you could psyche yourself out of talking to the two remaining sisters you have.” Hope knew it was a low blow, but she also knew it was necessary for her to get Astra back to Celestia and Luna for her own safety.
Astra looked down to the ground. “Sorry, Hope. I guess I’m just worried.”

“It’s understandable. I myself haven’t been around my family in just as long. You were unconscious for twelve centuries, so you’re lucky to have survived whatever had turned you into her.” Astra looked at her companion in surprise. “I know this is how you usually looked, not that stuck up prissy pony who used magic and wings for everything. I was right there in the court with you and your sisters. I was wounded in battle and saw everything. None of it was your fault, Astra.” Astra sighed.

As the two neared the edge of Ponyville, they ran into the pink pony from earlier. Her name was Pinky Pie. She was a pink, curly haired, energetic, party pony with a set of balloons for her cutie mark. “Hi, I’m Pinky Pie, are you leaving so soon? We love having visitors, and it’s also going to be dark soon, so you should really stay here in town, I’m sure we can find someplace for you to stay and if you stay long enough, I can throw you a surprise party, though now it won’t be a surprise, but I’m sure it can still be a party and come on it’ll be fun, don’t you think?”

Astra was so confused by the fast talking energetic pony that she was surprised when Hope just laughed. “Well, it is getting late, but we don’t want to impose. We’re on our way to Canterlot to visit the princesses. I’m sure we can keep going if we need to and sleep in under the stars in a field somewhere.” Her voice was as gentle as a cloud and yet as fluent as a stream.

Pinky was insistent though. “Oh, come on, I’m sure some pony will let you stay the night, it gets pretty dark, though not as dark as it used to since Princess Luna came back. She makes it just a little lighter than what Princess Celestia would do, but of course you know all about that. Oh, there’s Twilight Sparkle, maybe she can share a room, she and Spike live in the Library all alone.”

They looked towards a young Alicorn who was grimacing. She was wearing the latest design from her friend, Rarity, a new starry dress for her. Rarity was the fashion designer of Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle was the only Alicorn that lived in Ponyville. She had once been just a powerful unicorn that was apprenticed to Princess Celestia. Hope made sure her hood was over her head. She knew this young pony from back when she had been a filly.

“Hey, Pinky, what’s up? Who are your new friends?” Twilight smiled kindly. She was a very studious pony who was also well organized.

Astra was a little hesitant. Hope herself was as well, but took a deep breath and took off her hood. “I’m Hope Healer, and this is Astrana Compassion. I do hope you’ll forgive our appearances, but things do happen when traveling.” She smiled as Twilight’s expression became surprised. “It’s nice to see you again, Twilight Sparkle. I hope you and Spike have been staying out of trouble.” She winked.

Twilight blushed a little in embarrassment. “Oh, well um, yes but um…”

Hope just chuckled. She was a kind hearted soul full of hope and dreams, which was why her bandage cutie mark had a white star in the center to symbolize hope. “I figured as much, but at least the town hasn’t been destroyed.”

Pinky Pie then started in, “Well not recently, but things do tend to happen not that its Twilight’s fault or Spike’s for that matter oh and I know we can throw a party in the morning just before you go and then maybe before you get to Canterlot we can have Spike send a message to the princesses and tell them you’re on your way and oh then you can spend more time here because maybe the princesses would like to come here and then you won’t have to travel so far, huh?” Pinky was jumping about ecstatically, filled with excitement and wonder all at once.

Twilight looked to the old dusty pink Unicorn. “You’re going to see the princesses?”

“Yes, you see my companion is an old… friend I guess you could say, who’s been under my care for some time and I thought that it would be best to let the princesses know that she’s in complete control of herself once more, aren’t you, Astrana?”

Astrana nodded slowly. “I still scare ponies though, I bet…” She muttered.

Hope rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, I don’t have enough power on my own to get rid of a curse that was placed on her as a young filly. She looks like a nightmare according to most ponies, but since no one has seen a pure nightmare in centuries, I happen to know for a fact that it’s an over exaggeration.”
“All the same, I’m keeping my hood up. I don’t want to scare these young ponies. I’m not exactly as pretty as Celestia, as you know.”

Twilight took pity on the poor mysterious pony. “Well don’t worry. We won’t judge you… well I won’t…” She looked to Pinky as she remembered the day when their Zebra friend, Zecora, came into town. “Anyway, do you both need a place to stay? It’s getting pretty late and Spike would love to see you again, Ms. Healer. I’m sure we could move some stuff out of the way and there’d be plenty of room for you both in the library with me and Spike.” She smiled. Hope Healer had helped her a few times as a young filly and had been the one to take care of Spike for her after he hatched before disappearing. Spike had always thought of her as his mother.

Hope looked to Astra who nodded once with her dark head. If Hope trusted this girl, then so could she. Hope then replied, “We’d be quite grateful for that, Twilight. Thank you. We’ll leave tomorrow, unless Astra wouldn’t mind staying for a Pinky Pie Party?” She chuckled.

Pinky Pie looked at the hooded pony with pleading eyes. Astra couldn’t help but give in. “Alright, just … don’t freak out if my hood comes off, I’m not exactly pretty anymore. I look rather scary in fact.”

Hope smirked. “I always thought you pulled off the look rather elegantly, Astrana.” Astra rolled her eyes. Astrana was her full first name, but she was sure that everyone else had forgotten she even existed, save for this one unicorn. “Twilight, how about you go and tell Spike that you have guests coming, don’t tell him who it is, I want to surprise him, please, and we’ll come along after you.”

“Alright, Miss Healer.” She smiled.

“Oh, and one more thing, Twilight.” Twilight stopped to look at the tired old pony. “Just call me Hope. I never really liked being Miss anything.” Hope smiled as Twilight grinned and flew off towards the library. She was getting faster with her wings, but not as fast as Rainbow Dash, her speedy Pegasus friend. “Well, Astrana?”

Astrana sighed as she managed to smile a bit. This town was so nice and peaceful compared to what she last remembered of her world. That was over a thousand years ago though. This world was happier. “I’m coming, Hope. I just hope I don’t scare this young Spike or anyone else who happens to be a friend of yours.”

“If you do, I’ll scare them worse, sound fair enough?” She chuckled as they walked off towards the library with the sun setting behind them. Pinky Pie smiled as she cantered off to go to bed and then in the morning set up a party. She loved parties.

Author's Note

Okay, so this is an intro to two of my OC's that I made while being depressed one day. The story is actually a lot more happier than I thought it would be, but not so happy as a Pinky Pie Party! Still, don't think I'm already near done, there's a lot more to it. Have fun reading.