The past is always greener on the other side...by Paradise OasisChaptersThis is why I live outside of townA wish fufillmentThe road backSimply marvelous, Darling!My past in PonyvilleThis is why I live outside of townThis is why I live outside of town... Ponyville... a happy village of Ponies in the very heart of Equestria, it is a now an extremely happy place with not a care or worry in the world. The town that was once home to the harmony bearers is now like a small world unto itself, separate from all the troubles and problems s of the rest of ponydom. The long and hard work of the harmony bearers three hundred years earlier to bring peace to the town they call home had paid off. For what had once been a community beset by problems on a daily basis, was now a near-paradise that knew no danger or misfortune. As a result of this, most of their descendants are a naive and innocent breed of pony. Earth mares and stallions who smile instead of arguing whenever a conflict arises between the two of them, and laugh at moments where there should be pain or unhappiness. These ponies are like children living in an innocent little bubble, with no conception of trouble or conflict. There are a few ponies whose minds are not trapped in this cloud of naivete, and see the world though more tainted glasses than their more innocent cousins. These rare denizens of the Ponyville region are greatly annoyed by the insane antics of the majority of the town's antics, and prefer to live off separately from their mentally degenerate sisters. And among these more mentally aware ponies... is the serene and remarkably intelligent mare known as Kimono. The soft wind blew through the trees outside of town, as the tall and serene mare stepped out through the gazebo that was the entrance to her cave. She trotted along at a slow and thoughtful pace, stopping to smell the flowers along the path around her. The beautiful waterfall that flowed near her home, the colorful flora and fauna that grew and lived in the grotto near her home. "This place is so calm and peaceful." Kimono thought to herself, as she walked slowly along the path. "But a mare can't isolate herself forever, I need to get into town to run my errands now and then." It was another pleasant day in Ponyville, a town that was pleasant enough, as equine communities go. The sun shone brightly down from a cloudless blue sky, warming the ponies as they danced and played beneath the rays that gave them warmth. Scootaloo and Scooter Sprite were racing along on their motorized scooters, while Skywishes and Spring Breeze were flying kites in the park. It always struck Kimono how peaceful this place always seemed when she came into town, and she would often wonder why she had chosen to live outside of town rather than here with her friends. "Kimono, look out!" Scootaloo screamed, bearing down on the mare with the purple coat and mane. "I-I can't steer this crazy thing!" Seeing the out-of-control scooter pony, The earth mare somersaulted out of the way of the runaway wheeled vehicle, only to watch it swerve past the bridge, and crash into the river. "Scoots, are you all right?" Kimono galloped over, and pulled her friend out of the river. "You really need to get the steering that thing fixed!" "Yeah, sorry about that, Kim!" The orange earth mare replied with a sheepish grin. "I'll have Sparkleworks take a look at that thing, just as soon as I get it fished out of the Ponyville river!" The younger earth pony shrugged. "Anyway, don't worry about me and my scooter. My friends and I can handle things here!" With a sigh, Kimono trotted on, and left Scootaloo and her motorized machine behind her. With another sigh, Kimono trotted over towards the park, and sat down under a tree to meditate. Sitting with her hooves crossed, and taking a deep breath, the mare concentrated, and let her mind drift slowly down the river of tranquility. The peace and quiet had always been Kimono's favorite companion, helping her keep a clear mind among the swarm of crazy ponies around her. She tried to deal with her eccentric and excitable friends. But there is only so much a pony can deal with, before even well-meaning annoyances start to grate on her nerves. And as she sat, trying to relax beneath the branches of an oak in Ponyville park, two more of those distractions found their way into her presence. "Oh, Kimono! So wonderful to see you!" Sweetberry called out, trotting up to the annoyed earth mare. "Cotton Candy and I were having a picnic here in the park, and we saw you sitting over here by yourself, and thought you might want some company!" "Yeah, and you'll just love some of the treats Sweetberry and I made!" The other mare giggled, trotting up with a picnic basket filled with iced desserts and a thermos filled with juice. "Oh, hello Girls." Kimono greeted them calmly, trying to hide her annoyance. "I'm really happy to see all of you, but I'd really like to be alone right now. See, I'm trying to-" "So, what's new? Meet any new friends? Try any new food? Why do you live in that dingy little cave outside of town again? When are you going to move back into town so you can party and play with us again? How did-?" Question after question rolled out of Cotton Candy's mouth ,as Sweetberry shoved cake after cake into the stressed out mare's mouth. It was almost twenty minutes before Kimono was able to slip away from the two airheads, who were so busy chattering and giggling to notice. With a sigh, she then tried to go about her business in town, but everywhere she went in Ponyville, the purple mare ran into the same insanity. "Ohhh, hi Kimmy! Here to pick up your hanbok you had me stitch up?" Sew and Sew asked her, when Kimono walked into her dress shop. "Well, you just gotta try on this great party dress I made just for you! Wait, what do you mean it's too tight? Gee, why is your face turning even more purple than usual? What do you mean you can't breathe?!" "Oh hi Kimono! Here for your groceries?" Meadowbrook asked her, as soon as she walked into the Bloomin Blossoms grocery store. "Sure, I have them ready in a bag right here. Huh? What do you mean that's not your grocery bag? Yes, I know you're allergic to mushrooms, what to you mean there is a pack of them in that bag? Uh oh, those are Sunny Daze's groceries. I'm sorry, I must've given her yours by mistake!" "Oh! Buenos Dias, Senorita Kimono! You here to pick up that pinata I made for your brother's birthday party?" Fiesta Flair greeted the mare when she showed up at her hacienda. "Oh, you simply must try one of mi new tacos while your here! Que? No, I do not use beans dat are too old in mi tacos, dat's a lie! See? Dat burrito not so bad! Wait, why you have that look on your face? Hey wait, why you running to de bathroom so fast? Kimono!" ... "And I spent over an hour in Fiesta Flair's bathroom after eating that bad burrito she she gave me!" Kimono told her friend in anger, pacing the floor of the Ponyville library angrily. "It was so embarrassing, I don't think I'll ever live it down!" Have endured nothing but pain during her visit to Ponyville, the purple earth mare had taken refuge in the Story loft, Ponyville's town library that had been built over two centuries earlier. Storybelle, the loft's librarian who was a great deal saner than the other ponies in this community, was the closest thing Kimono had to a close friend here. "Yeah, it sounds like you've had a really bad time with the mares in town today." Storybelle told her friend, looking up from the magazine she was reading while sitting in her big easy chair. "Look at the bright side, at least you didn't run into Minty today." "No, if I had run into Minty today, my mane would probably be dyed purple, and my tail would be on fire!" The exasperated mare exclaimed, messaging her temples with her hooves. "I-I cant take it anymore, Storybelle! I can't stand living in a town who's inhabitants have a collective I.Q. lower than bean dip! I know they are supposed to be my friends, but I can't stand the stupidity any longer! Ponyville no baka!" "I really don't think it's as bad as you make it out to be, Kimmy. You have a lot of ponies here who really care about you." The pink earth mare with the pinwheel/lighthouse cutie mark replied, looking up from her book, and taking off her glasses with her hoof. "And besides, when you want an intelligent conversation, you always have Starcatcher, Cheerilee, and I to talk to." "I know that, Story, and I'm sorry if I sound mean. But...it's just..." The other mare said with a sigh. "Just for one day, I'd love to live in a town of normal ponies, instead of a town full of silly fillies who have to come to the 'wisest pony in the land every time they can't get a peanut butter jar open!" The oriental pony buried her face in her hooves. "To be able to meditate, and listen to my kabuki music, and play on the strings of my shamisen in peace! Oh, Storybelle, just for one day..." Her friend stared at the weary mare for a moment, before closing her eyes. "Kimono... if you would really like to try a life in another Ponyville without the insanity, I think there's something in the great books that might be able to help you." The librarian stood up to face her friend. "I'll need to talk to Pinkie Pie and Mayor Flitter Flutter first, but I think there may be a way to get you the peace you are after." "Really, you really mean it, Storybelle?" The purple mare rushed forward, and hugged her friend. "Thank you so very much. It would mean a lot to me to get away from all these wierdoes, even for a day!" "The mare with the bouffant mane do is calling other ponies weird?" Storybelle relied with a chuckle. "But I'll warn you, Kimmy... when you get your dream of a saner Ponyville granted, you may not like what you find..." A wish fufillmentA wish fulfillment "So incredible..." The tall oriental mare muttered in awe, as she trotted up towards the palace at the center of Ponyville. Celebration Castle... once the home of the great Princess Twilight Sparkle, the castle was the largest and most impressive structure in the entire town. Having been remodeled again and again since it was first built, the pink castle surrounded by a moat bore little resemblance to it's original appearance in the age of the Princess of friendship. But Even as girly and frilly as it had become, the mere sight of the four-towered palace was still enough of a sight to fill Kimono with a sense of wonder. "Pinkie and the others should be waiting for me inside." Kimono thought aloud, slowly trotting her way through the well-decorated castle. Books filled shelves scattered all throughout the castle, and vases filled with all kinds of flowers stood on every surface. The two main towers outside were topped by ornate decorations- the left tower topped by a giant crystal rainbow, and the right tower topped by a large hot air balloon (tradition said that it had once been her balloon). The main hall was all painted in a bright purple, with mirrors and drapes hanging on ever wall. Kimono was staring up into the yellow dome with a crystal chandelier, what another pony finally came trotting down the stairs for her. "Kimono? The council will see you now." Pinkie Pie called out from the top of the steps. "We've almost come to a decision about what you wanted." "Wonderful." The oriental mare replied, trotting over to the stairs. "Please Pinkie, do lead the way." ... "Now, Storybelle darling... are you sure this is what she wants?" Rainbow Dash asked, almost hesitantly. "We are messing with something here, that I really don't know if we can put it back into the box once we let it out." "That's what she said, Rainbow. I'm sorry to report." The librarian mare replied with a sigh. "I tried to convince her that this was her home, and we were her friends. But I think she's just been pushed past the breaking point." There were six of them. sitting in council. That was the way it had been since the time of the princess of friendship, who set up the first ruling council in the form of the harmony bearers. Nowadays, the council consisted of five elected members and the mayor. The throne of the princess sat vacant at the head of the table, empty since the house of Twilight departed for Unicornia over a century earlier. It was Ponyville prophecy that a new princess would one day be chosen by a magical flower, but for now it fell to these mares to run things in place of a royal sovereign. "I really think it's a bad idea to open the vault, yes yes yes." Razaroo interjected, shaking her mane in disapproval. "If it turns out she doesn't like it in there, we could lose our wisest pony in the land, forever." "But what right do we have to hold her back, darling?" Rainbow pointed out, looking around at the other mares present. "Is it right of us to keep Kimono here, if she's really that unhappy?" "Perhaps it would be best for one of us to go to old Ponyville with her." Skywishes added, looking over towards the door, and seeing Pinkie Pie bringing Kimono into the room. "Just to make sure she'll be safe in there." "Hello, ladies. Good to see all of you again." Kimono addressed the council, ignoring formalities and getting straight to the point in her excitement. "I don't mean to interrupt, but what's this I hear about being able to go back to the harmony bearer's Ponyville?" The six mares merely shot nervous glances at each other, before Flitter Flutter finally stood up, and spoke. "Well, the truth is, Kimono, there actually may be a way for you to visit Ponyville during the age of friendship." The yellow mare with a pink mane sighed, adjusting her spectacles with her hoof. "You see... before her death, Princess Twilight saw that her Ponyville was slowly disappearing, and she wanted to create a way for her hometown to survive, the way she remembered it." "So according to the books, Twilight Sparkle created a sealed room, filled with a portion the essences of every pony in Ponyville." Storybelle continued, as Kimono's eyes were going wider with each word. "She used some of the most powerful magic in the land, to fill this vault with a snapshot in time, preserving the Harmony Bearers in their heyday." "The vault is still down there, Kimono. Deep underneath the castle." Skywishes finished. "And after Storybelle looked at the books, we think we can open it." "A way to go back, and meet the harmony bearers..." Kimono sputtered out, still in disbelief over everything she had heard. "Why... why hadn't anyone ever told me about this?" "We only recently learned about this, Kimmy, yes yes yes. When Storybelle found it in the old books" Razaroo cautioned, shaking her head. "We know very little about what's in there, or what effect the magic will have on any pony who goes in there." "Kimono, are you sure this is what you want?" Pinkie Pie asked cautiously, trying to get the purple pony to consider her options. "You know you have a lot of friends here in this town, ponies who love you and care about you. Are you really sure you want to leave it all behind?" The wise and soft-spoken Kimono that all of ponydom knows now, would've considered Pinkie Pie's words. But this was a much younger Kimono, who was not yet the wisest pony in the land. So the words were out of her mouth before she even knew it. "Yes, please!" The mare replied eagerly, a big grin upon her face. "I really want to go!" ... All of the ponies of the council had gathered before the great vault door, to see of their dear friend who was departing on a grand adventure, Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, as two breezies moved to open the circular bronze door. "Now, take care of yourself, Kimono!" Mare Flitter warned, as the massive vault door swung open, and a blazing gold light shone forth from within. "And if you are unhappy in any way, please come back to us!" "We'll miss you, Kimmy!" Pinkie Pie added, as she hugged the other mare. "Please come back soon!" There were other well-wishings and words of farewell, but Kimono did not stick around to hear them. The promise of a new and better Ponyville, free of the childlike ignorance that plagued the current town of the present day, Kimono looked forward to a sane town of equines she could finally talk to. "At long last, I'll finally be amongst other ponies like myself!" The mare whinnied with glee, as she hopped directly into the light eminating from the vault. "At long last, things are finally going to go my way!" The road backThe road back The town of Ponyville was a friendly enough place, filled with friendly ponies of all three types going about their business. Some say this little community is the best example of friendship in all of Equestria, with all ponies getting along in perfect harmony. The very air radiated the kindness and warmth that filled the heart of every equine in this happy little village. Houses and buildings both small and large, eclipsed by a tall crystalline castle in the background, gave the small village a quaint and atmospheric castle town air. As she trotted through her new home, Kimono simply couldn't believe how different everything looked- from the houses that were not all pastel colors and overly girly (well, at least not compared to where she had come from), and the town seemed to have a neat and orderly look to it. Oh sure, there were some odd things, like the fact the ponies were all disturbingly tall, and had such oddly shaped faces. But these ponies seemed much more calm and less goofy and chaotic then the ones she knew back back in... well, the other Ponyville! As she stopped a moment to take it all in, Kimono thought about how wonderful this was going to be. No more goofy ponies playing random games in the street! No more annoying mares pulling her this way and that to do stupid things! And best of all, no more Minty! Kimono was at last in a place where she could get in touch with her inner self, and at last converse with equines of an equal intellect to herself. First though, she would have to locate a place to stay, and..... "Say, what's up with that strange pony over there? She is so weird looking!" "I've never seen a pony that looks like that! What's she even doing here?" "Where the hay did that mare even come from? I'm not going anywhere near her!" These whispers reached the purple mare's ears, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Were these equestrian ponies... saying things about her behind her back. Wait, that couldn't be right! Equestria was a utopia according to the books, a place of love and toleration that had no place for any kind of prejudice or dislike of those who are different. Surely she must have heard wrong, as this Ponyville obviously wasn't rife with stereotyping and bridle gossip. why, just look at how unicorns, Pegasus ponies, and earth ponies all lived here together in harmony. Surely this place was the society of her dreams! Yes, most pones here were very welcoming, but even they seemed to be caught off guard by the strange looking newcomer who came trotting through town this afternoon. The purple earth pony mare clearly stood out, standing just a little bit taller than the other ponies in town, and having a slightly odd looking face. Many of the stallions and mares quietly pointed and stared, but one particular pony came bouncing up to the newest arrival, totally oblivious to the oddities that seemed to surround the mysterious mare. "Oh, hello! I've never seen you are here before! And if I've never seen you around here before, that means you're new in town! And if you're new in town, that means I need to throw you a welcome to Ponyville' party! And if I haven't thrown you a party yet, that means we're not friends yet! And if-" "Ummmmm.... hello?" Kimono replied nervously, watching the little pink ball of fire leap and jump around her in all different directions. The confused mare thought the pink pony with a balloons cutie mark. She looked like a mare Kimono had known, but there was something... off about this pony. "I take it your name is... Pinkie Pie?" "Yep, thaaat's me!" The energetic mare replied, bouncing around like a toddler who had too many pixie sticks. "And it's always great to meet a new pony, and- oh! The cakes are calling me, gotta run!" And with that, the little pink ball of fire zipped away, as quickly as she had come. "Wow, that certainly was... interesting." The earth pony mare said aloud, flabbergasted at what had just happened. "Well, she's clearly not as sane as the Pinkie I know, but the rest of Ponyville surely can't be-" "Everypony, LOOK OUT!" Three little fillies- one on a scooter and the other two trailing behind- went zooming down the center the muddy main road of Ponyville. Every other pony leapt out of the way as they came tearing through. But Kimono wasn't ready for this speeding trio to come storming on through. "Gang way, we're coming through!" "What the.... AIEEEEEEEEE!" The scooter plowed straight into the purple mare, sending her skittering to the side of the road, and planting her face directly into the mud. As the dazed and confused earth tried to stand again, the three little fillies stopped dead in their tracks, and rushed over to where their stunned victim stood. "Oh, gee! We're terribly sorry lady! We didn't mean to run over you like that..." The little white filly called trying to get some of the mud off of Kimono. "We were just trying to get the world's record for pony-trio scooter racing!" "Yeeeah, but now we'll never get those checkered flag cutie marks!" A little Pegasus filly grumbled, stamping her hoof in frustration. "Oh well, racing too fast makes you two dizzy, anyway!" "Trio... racing?" The confused earth mare asked, looking between the trio of fillies as her vision started to clear. "Wha... cutie mark?" "Wow, she must have hit her head harder that we thought!" A little earth filly with a bow in her mane commented. "Maybe we should see if we could take her to the doctor, or somethin'." "Hey look! She's got some kind of pottery cutie mark!" The unicorn filly exclaimed in excitement, pointing a hoof at Kimono's flank. "Why don't we take her back to the tree house, and she can show us her special talent so we can earn our cutie marks in pottery making!" "Take me back to your tree house!?" Kimono started, not believing the audacity of these three fillies she had just met. "Now listen here, young ladies! Those are not pots, they are paper lanterns, and-" "I dunno, Sweetie Bell. We've never seen her before, and she looks really weird." The Pegasus filly replied, looking the mare up and down. "I mean, what's with those little heart shaped things in her eyes? And her mane looks all goofy!" "Hey!" Kimono snapped, starting to get annoyed. "I'm standing right here, you know!" "Yeah, with that bizarre face, I think she might be a horse." The one called Sweetie Bell added. "But that doesn't mean a foreigner still can't help us get our cutie marks, right?" "A HORSE!?" Kimono sputtered out, finally at the end of her rope. "Now see here, you are some of the rudest little foals I have ever-" But before the shocked Kimono could do anything the three little fillies had already started to drag her away. "The horse lady is gonna show us how to make clay jars!" The trio cried triumphantly. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER POTTERY MAKERS! YAY!" "Wait, what are you doing?! Where are you taking me!?" The oriental pony cried out in terror as the three little fillies dragged her off to some unknown destination. "Somebody! Anybody! HELP MEEEEE!" Simply marvelous, Darling!Simply marvelous, Darling! Deep in the tunnels under Celebration Castle, two mares stood in front of the great vault door, staring at it thoughtfully. The pair looked on in silence for several minutes, before one finally spoke up. "Rainbow Dash, how do you think she' is doing in there?" Storybelle asked, turning her head to face her friend. "I really do hope she'll be all right." "We just have to trust that she knows what she's doing, darling." Rainbow replied reluctantly, fighting off the urge to enter the vault, and bring her friend back herself. "We're just going to have to respect that this is what she wanted." ... "Sweetie Bell, are you in there?" A knock came at the club house door, as a white unicorn with a purple mane tried to get the attention of the fillies inside. "Pinkie Pie told me you and your friends had the new mare who arrived in town here, and I wanted to-" The door swung open, and the unicorn's mouth stood agape a the sight of the three cutie mark crusaders all dancing around a bubbling cauldron, holing spears and chanting strange words. Kimono, meanwhile, was tied by her hooves to the ceiling, hanging upside down over the boiling hot liquid. "Help me, please!" The purple pony pleaded, struggling against her bonds. "I don't know who you are, but please, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" "SWEETIE BELL!" The mare declared angrily, using her magic to bring the mare to the ground. "Don't you know it's rude to tie up guests before you've been properly introduced?" "Awww, but Rarity!" The little white unicorn filly pleaded, as she and her two friends got pouty looks on their faces. "WE were just trying to get our cutie marks in-" "Not another word, you three!" Rarity lowered the terrified Kimono to the ground. "I must apologize for my sister and her friend's rude behavior, they are still very young, and can be very brash at times!" "Oh, thank you so much!" The grateful purple mare replied, shaking her mane clean of confetti from one of the filly trio's cutie mark earning attempts. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along!" "Oh, think nothing of it, darling! I" Rarity looked at the other mare, her eyes going wide. "My stars! Your poor coffiure! What did those fillies do to your mane?!" The mare stamped her hoof, a determined look in her eye. "Well, I simply CANNOT let this crime against good taste stand!" And before she knew it, the hapless mare was being dragged off once again.... ... Most ponies in ponyville who passed the Carousel Boutique, tried to ignore the terrifying screams that came out of the dress shop. They knew very well how the eccentric dressmaker within worked, and none wished to be pulled inside, and made to try on a ridiculous outfit. "Ouch! Miss Rarity, could you please not pull that corset- EEK!- so tight! Wait, don't pull on my mane like tha- YIPE! No, that saddle won't fit on my -URK!- never mind, you just made it fit..." Normally used to Rainbow Dash and Daffeydazey gently preening and prodding over her, Kimono was totally unprepared for the jostling and pulling and yanking and prodding that the unicorn known as Rarity was giving her. The purple mare really wanted to talk to the excited equine who was giving her the once over, but the fashionesta kept droning on and on, not giving the still shook-up mare a chance to catch her breath. "Oh my, such a lovely shade you have to your coat and mane! I'm sure I have a dress here that matches your color!" Rarity declared, quickly zipping back into her wardrobe, and tossing her dresses about. "So, where are you from? Ohhh, I know! -you must be a pony from the orient! How lovely for you to come and visit us here in Equestria, darling! Do you have any family here? Have you been to Canterlot yet? Ohhhh, it was such an incredible luck that I would meet you like this!" "Well ctually, my parents are from -URK!- the pony orient, but I am a native of what you call -ACK!- Equestria. I- EEK!- learned a lot from them before I -YIPE!- came to ponyville." Kimono replied, her word punctuated by yelps of pain. "Say, do you think you could stop pulling so hard with... that.. saddle...urrrgghhh!" And the unicorn used her magic to pull the saddle even tighter, and kept messing with her mane and coat. Finally, after a great deal of pulling, yanking, tugging, and tearing. Rarity finally ceased pulling on her this way and that, and finally levitated a mirror in front of her to see what the fashionesta had wrought. There, in front of the horrified earth mare's eyes, she saw the horror her image had become. Kimono's mane done up in a orange tangled mess, and her coat died a hideous yellow. She was dressed in a plaid dress that looked like a paint bucket had thrown up all over it, and her hooves had been done in a hideous beige polish. The mare's face looked like a crying clown with the runny green and purple makeup the unicorn had plastered all over it, and Kimono now looked like something out of a pony's worst nightmares. "Aieeeeeeeeee!" The mare wailed, busting out of the carousel boutique's door, and going galloping down the street in tears. "It's horrible! It's so horrible!" "Wait, come back!" Rarirty pleaded, calling out from the doorway. "We haven even tried the polka dot dye on your mane yet!" ... "Is something wrong, darling?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking over at her friend. "For a mare who's happy for her friend, you look extremely worried!" "Well, it's just..." Storybelle replied nervously. "... I had been reading in my library, about the kind of spells Princess Twilight had used on that vault... and I had come across something about the magical energies being wildly unpredictable, and reacting in bizarre ways, depending on the ponies who go inside." The mare looked nervously back at the vault. "Y-you don't think something is going wrong in there, do you?" My past in PonyvilleMy past in Ponyville "Help me! Please, some body help me!" The Terrified Kimono went running through the streets of Ponyville, every mare and stallion on the streets giving her a confused look as she galloped past. it wasn't until she got to the edge of town that the terrified mare actually stopped to rest. "I- can't- believe-how-crazy-that-mare-Rarity-was!" Kimono gasped out, trying desperately to catch her breath. "She was like a Rainbow Dash that had gone completely insane!" "What?! Who the heck said that?!" Came a voice that seemed to come from the cloud above her. "I dunno who you are, lady, but nopony compares me ta little miss prissy fashionestia!" Kimono looked up, and was startled by the sight of what looked like her friend Rainbow Dash sitting on a cloud over her head. But it wasn't the scruffy mane that the fashion pony would never be caught with, or the lightning bolt cutie mark on her flank that shocked the purple mare. No, it was the fact that this Rainbow Dash seemed to be sporting a pair of wings, just like a Pegasus from butterfly island would have! "R-Rainbow Dash?" The dumbfounded Kimono asked, staring up in disbelief. "I-is that you?!" "Yep, I'm Rainbow Dash, all right!" The blue Pegasus replied angrily, slamming her hooves down on the cloud that had suddenly turned a dark color. "And you're gonna regret openin' your mouth like that!" ZAP- "AIEEEEEEE!" Angry shock of lighting blasted forth from the cloud, painfully frying the unprepared earth pony, and causing her mane to stand on end. Within a few seconds, the terrified mare was on the run from the element of loyalty, who chased after her terrified quarry on a darkened storm cloud. ZAP! "YEOUCH!" ZAP! "OWIE!" ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP! As Kimono galloped away from the angry Pegasus, the purple mare thought about how this is not what she had been expecting from this Ponyville. She had expected order, she had expected stability... not this, this insanity! She remembered, back to a time when she had been told the glories of old Ponyville, and it all seemed so wonderful... "And so, the Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated the evil unicorn Sombra, and brought peace to the crystal empire!" "Wow, mommy, that was an amazing story!" The little purple filly told her mother, her eyes so full of wonder at the tale. "But was there really a princess Twilight and harmony bearers, or did you just make em' up?" "No, my little Kimono... there really was a Twilight Sparkle. And she really did have many many wonderful adventures." The older pony mare assured her, as the pony-pulled wagon they were on jostled and bumped along the dirt road it was traveling. "And they once protected this land when it was a far nicer place than it was now." "It would've been so wonderful to have met them." The four-year-old sighed, looking back up at her mother again. "Mommy, where are we going to live now?" "To Ponyville, little Kimono-Chan. Since your father went... on a vacation, we can no longer stay in Shang Hoof." The mother replied with a sigh. "And I thought it would be a lot of fun for you to live in an old abandoned amusement park!" The mare didn't mention that it was also the best place for the mother and daughter to hide out from the triad horses back in Shang Hoof whom had killed Kimono's father due to his gambling debts. "Wow, we're going to go live in Ponyville! The harmony bearers home town!" The little filly cried in excitement. "I can't even imagine how amazing this is going to be!" As the two ponies leapt off of the wagon and trotted towards the Ponyville barrier, the hopeful and excited little filly could not know of the disappointment and heartbreak that was in the town ahead of her... Kimono raced ahead, the pissed-off Pegasus hot on her hooves. Spotting a nearby bridge, the purple mare dove under it, as the wrathful Pegasus and her cloud kept on going. Finally peeking out from under her hiding spot, the mare saw that her pursuer had moved on. "How- how was she controlling the weather like that?" Kimono asked in wonderment, stepping back out onto the road. "This can't be happening! This is Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville, blast it! Surely there must be some pony who isn't crazy, and who understands the magic of friendship!" As she continued to trot along the path, the mixed up mare came to a lovely-looking farm that sat on the left side of the lane. Stopping to look at the endless rows of apple trees, the purple mare noticed something that REALLY caught her eye. "Whoa, this place really is really incredible! Those apples look good enough to eat!" The purple pony's mouth watered as she looked over the vast sea of red fruit. "I'm so hungry that I...could... eat... oh my." The mare then noticed a red stallion- a large, well-built, masculine red stallion- who was bucking apples off of all the trees around him. Finishing bucking one row of trees, he turned to look at the mare staring at him. "H-hello..." She replied nervously, trying to hide the fact she had been staring "D-do you work here?" "Eeyup." The stallion replied simply, nodding his head. "N-nice to meet you..." The purple pony replied sheepishly "...my name's Kimono." And as the dumbstruck mare moved over to talk beside her new 'friend', she tried to put out of her mind the Ponyville, and the friends, she had left behind... "Wow, so you're name's Kimono, huh?" The little pink filly asked her, as she and her new friends greeted the newcomer. "Nice to meet you! My name's Pinkie Pie, and these are my friends Rainbow Dash, and Minty!" "Hello, Darling!" The little blue earth filly greeted her, a smile on her face. "So wonderful to meet you!" "Nice to meet you, Kimmy!" The green mare laughed with a snort. "Always nice to meet a new friend!" "Konichiwa, my new friends." The purple filly bowed to them politely, expecting the same in return. "I hope we will all get along very-" "Ohh, look! Razaroo's holding a party over there!" The two mares squealed, dragging their new friend along with them. Before she even knew what had happened, Kimono had a party had on her head, confetti in her mane and tail, and gooey chocolate cake shoved into her mouth. The little fillies had not even stopped and taken the time to ask what she had wanted. "Oh well, maybe they were just too excited by the party and meeting a new friend, to stop and talk to me about things first." Kimono thought to herself. "I'm sure after we've gotten to know each other, my new friends will seem a little more normal." Oh, how little Kimono knew...
This is why I live outside of townThis is why I live outside of town... Ponyville... a happy village of Ponies in the very heart of Equestria, it is a now an extremely happy place with not a care or worry in the world. The town that was once home to the harmony bearers is now like a small world unto itself, separate from all the troubles and problems s of the rest of ponydom. The long and hard work of the harmony bearers three hundred years earlier to bring peace to the town they call home had paid off. For what had once been a community beset by problems on a daily basis, was now a near-paradise that knew no danger or misfortune. As a result of this, most of their descendants are a naive and innocent breed of pony. Earth mares and stallions who smile instead of arguing whenever a conflict arises between the two of them, and laugh at moments where there should be pain or unhappiness. These ponies are like children living in an innocent little bubble, with no conception of trouble or conflict. There are a few ponies whose minds are not trapped in this cloud of naivete, and see the world though more tainted glasses than their more innocent cousins. These rare denizens of the Ponyville region are greatly annoyed by the insane antics of the majority of the town's antics, and prefer to live off separately from their mentally degenerate sisters. And among these more mentally aware ponies... is the serene and remarkably intelligent mare known as Kimono. The soft wind blew through the trees outside of town, as the tall and serene mare stepped out through the gazebo that was the entrance to her cave. She trotted along at a slow and thoughtful pace, stopping to smell the flowers along the path around her. The beautiful waterfall that flowed near her home, the colorful flora and fauna that grew and lived in the grotto near her home. "This place is so calm and peaceful." Kimono thought to herself, as she walked slowly along the path. "But a mare can't isolate herself forever, I need to get into town to run my errands now and then." It was another pleasant day in Ponyville, a town that was pleasant enough, as equine communities go. The sun shone brightly down from a cloudless blue sky, warming the ponies as they danced and played beneath the rays that gave them warmth. Scootaloo and Scooter Sprite were racing along on their motorized scooters, while Skywishes and Spring Breeze were flying kites in the park. It always struck Kimono how peaceful this place always seemed when she came into town, and she would often wonder why she had chosen to live outside of town rather than here with her friends. "Kimono, look out!" Scootaloo screamed, bearing down on the mare with the purple coat and mane. "I-I can't steer this crazy thing!" Seeing the out-of-control scooter pony, The earth mare somersaulted out of the way of the runaway wheeled vehicle, only to watch it swerve past the bridge, and crash into the river. "Scoots, are you all right?" Kimono galloped over, and pulled her friend out of the river. "You really need to get the steering that thing fixed!" "Yeah, sorry about that, Kim!" The orange earth mare replied with a sheepish grin. "I'll have Sparkleworks take a look at that thing, just as soon as I get it fished out of the Ponyville river!" The younger earth pony shrugged. "Anyway, don't worry about me and my scooter. My friends and I can handle things here!" With a sigh, Kimono trotted on, and left Scootaloo and her motorized machine behind her. With another sigh, Kimono trotted over towards the park, and sat down under a tree to meditate. Sitting with her hooves crossed, and taking a deep breath, the mare concentrated, and let her mind drift slowly down the river of tranquility. The peace and quiet had always been Kimono's favorite companion, helping her keep a clear mind among the swarm of crazy ponies around her. She tried to deal with her eccentric and excitable friends. But there is only so much a pony can deal with, before even well-meaning annoyances start to grate on her nerves. And as she sat, trying to relax beneath the branches of an oak in Ponyville park, two more of those distractions found their way into her presence. "Oh, Kimono! So wonderful to see you!" Sweetberry called out, trotting up to the annoyed earth mare. "Cotton Candy and I were having a picnic here in the park, and we saw you sitting over here by yourself, and thought you might want some company!" "Yeah, and you'll just love some of the treats Sweetberry and I made!" The other mare giggled, trotting up with a picnic basket filled with iced desserts and a thermos filled with juice. "Oh, hello Girls." Kimono greeted them calmly, trying to hide her annoyance. "I'm really happy to see all of you, but I'd really like to be alone right now. See, I'm trying to-" "So, what's new? Meet any new friends? Try any new food? Why do you live in that dingy little cave outside of town again? When are you going to move back into town so you can party and play with us again? How did-?" Question after question rolled out of Cotton Candy's mouth ,as Sweetberry shoved cake after cake into the stressed out mare's mouth. It was almost twenty minutes before Kimono was able to slip away from the two airheads, who were so busy chattering and giggling to notice. With a sigh, she then tried to go about her business in town, but everywhere she went in Ponyville, the purple mare ran into the same insanity. "Ohhh, hi Kimmy! Here to pick up your hanbok you had me stitch up?" Sew and Sew asked her, when Kimono walked into her dress shop. "Well, you just gotta try on this great party dress I made just for you! Wait, what do you mean it's too tight? Gee, why is your face turning even more purple than usual? What do you mean you can't breathe?!" "Oh hi Kimono! Here for your groceries?" Meadowbrook asked her, as soon as she walked into the Bloomin Blossoms grocery store. "Sure, I have them ready in a bag right here. Huh? What do you mean that's not your grocery bag? Yes, I know you're allergic to mushrooms, what to you mean there is a pack of them in that bag? Uh oh, those are Sunny Daze's groceries. I'm sorry, I must've given her yours by mistake!" "Oh! Buenos Dias, Senorita Kimono! You here to pick up that pinata I made for your brother's birthday party?" Fiesta Flair greeted the mare when she showed up at her hacienda. "Oh, you simply must try one of mi new tacos while your here! Que? No, I do not use beans dat are too old in mi tacos, dat's a lie! See? Dat burrito not so bad! Wait, why you have that look on your face? Hey wait, why you running to de bathroom so fast? Kimono!" ... "And I spent over an hour in Fiesta Flair's bathroom after eating that bad burrito she she gave me!" Kimono told her friend in anger, pacing the floor of the Ponyville library angrily. "It was so embarrassing, I don't think I'll ever live it down!" Have endured nothing but pain during her visit to Ponyville, the purple earth mare had taken refuge in the Story loft, Ponyville's town library that had been built over two centuries earlier. Storybelle, the loft's librarian who was a great deal saner than the other ponies in this community, was the closest thing Kimono had to a close friend here. "Yeah, it sounds like you've had a really bad time with the mares in town today." Storybelle told her friend, looking up from the magazine she was reading while sitting in her big easy chair. "Look at the bright side, at least you didn't run into Minty today." "No, if I had run into Minty today, my mane would probably be dyed purple, and my tail would be on fire!" The exasperated mare exclaimed, messaging her temples with her hooves. "I-I cant take it anymore, Storybelle! I can't stand living in a town who's inhabitants have a collective I.Q. lower than bean dip! I know they are supposed to be my friends, but I can't stand the stupidity any longer! Ponyville no baka!" "I really don't think it's as bad as you make it out to be, Kimmy. You have a lot of ponies here who really care about you." The pink earth mare with the pinwheel/lighthouse cutie mark replied, looking up from her book, and taking off her glasses with her hoof. "And besides, when you want an intelligent conversation, you always have Starcatcher, Cheerilee, and I to talk to." "I know that, Story, and I'm sorry if I sound mean. But...it's just..." The other mare said with a sigh. "Just for one day, I'd love to live in a town of normal ponies, instead of a town full of silly fillies who have to come to the 'wisest pony in the land every time they can't get a peanut butter jar open!" The oriental pony buried her face in her hooves. "To be able to meditate, and listen to my kabuki music, and play on the strings of my shamisen in peace! Oh, Storybelle, just for one day..." Her friend stared at the weary mare for a moment, before closing her eyes. "Kimono... if you would really like to try a life in another Ponyville without the insanity, I think there's something in the great books that might be able to help you." The librarian stood up to face her friend. "I'll need to talk to Pinkie Pie and Mayor Flitter Flutter first, but I think there may be a way to get you the peace you are after." "Really, you really mean it, Storybelle?" The purple mare rushed forward, and hugged her friend. "Thank you so very much. It would mean a lot to me to get away from all these wierdoes, even for a day!" "The mare with the bouffant mane do is calling other ponies weird?" Storybelle relied with a chuckle. "But I'll warn you, Kimmy... when you get your dream of a saner Ponyville granted, you may not like what you find..."
A wish fufillmentA wish fulfillment "So incredible..." The tall oriental mare muttered in awe, as she trotted up towards the palace at the center of Ponyville. Celebration Castle... once the home of the great Princess Twilight Sparkle, the castle was the largest and most impressive structure in the entire town. Having been remodeled again and again since it was first built, the pink castle surrounded by a moat bore little resemblance to it's original appearance in the age of the Princess of friendship. But Even as girly and frilly as it had become, the mere sight of the four-towered palace was still enough of a sight to fill Kimono with a sense of wonder. "Pinkie and the others should be waiting for me inside." Kimono thought aloud, slowly trotting her way through the well-decorated castle. Books filled shelves scattered all throughout the castle, and vases filled with all kinds of flowers stood on every surface. The two main towers outside were topped by ornate decorations- the left tower topped by a giant crystal rainbow, and the right tower topped by a large hot air balloon (tradition said that it had once been her balloon). The main hall was all painted in a bright purple, with mirrors and drapes hanging on ever wall. Kimono was staring up into the yellow dome with a crystal chandelier, what another pony finally came trotting down the stairs for her. "Kimono? The council will see you now." Pinkie Pie called out from the top of the steps. "We've almost come to a decision about what you wanted." "Wonderful." The oriental mare replied, trotting over to the stairs. "Please Pinkie, do lead the way." ... "Now, Storybelle darling... are you sure this is what she wants?" Rainbow Dash asked, almost hesitantly. "We are messing with something here, that I really don't know if we can put it back into the box once we let it out." "That's what she said, Rainbow. I'm sorry to report." The librarian mare replied with a sigh. "I tried to convince her that this was her home, and we were her friends. But I think she's just been pushed past the breaking point." There were six of them. sitting in council. That was the way it had been since the time of the princess of friendship, who set up the first ruling council in the form of the harmony bearers. Nowadays, the council consisted of five elected members and the mayor. The throne of the princess sat vacant at the head of the table, empty since the house of Twilight departed for Unicornia over a century earlier. It was Ponyville prophecy that a new princess would one day be chosen by a magical flower, but for now it fell to these mares to run things in place of a royal sovereign. "I really think it's a bad idea to open the vault, yes yes yes." Razaroo interjected, shaking her mane in disapproval. "If it turns out she doesn't like it in there, we could lose our wisest pony in the land, forever." "But what right do we have to hold her back, darling?" Rainbow pointed out, looking around at the other mares present. "Is it right of us to keep Kimono here, if she's really that unhappy?" "Perhaps it would be best for one of us to go to old Ponyville with her." Skywishes added, looking over towards the door, and seeing Pinkie Pie bringing Kimono into the room. "Just to make sure she'll be safe in there." "Hello, ladies. Good to see all of you again." Kimono addressed the council, ignoring formalities and getting straight to the point in her excitement. "I don't mean to interrupt, but what's this I hear about being able to go back to the harmony bearer's Ponyville?" The six mares merely shot nervous glances at each other, before Flitter Flutter finally stood up, and spoke. "Well, the truth is, Kimono, there actually may be a way for you to visit Ponyville during the age of friendship." The yellow mare with a pink mane sighed, adjusting her spectacles with her hoof. "You see... before her death, Princess Twilight saw that her Ponyville was slowly disappearing, and she wanted to create a way for her hometown to survive, the way she remembered it." "So according to the books, Twilight Sparkle created a sealed room, filled with a portion the essences of every pony in Ponyville." Storybelle continued, as Kimono's eyes were going wider with each word. "She used some of the most powerful magic in the land, to fill this vault with a snapshot in time, preserving the Harmony Bearers in their heyday." "The vault is still down there, Kimono. Deep underneath the castle." Skywishes finished. "And after Storybelle looked at the books, we think we can open it." "A way to go back, and meet the harmony bearers..." Kimono sputtered out, still in disbelief over everything she had heard. "Why... why hadn't anyone ever told me about this?" "We only recently learned about this, Kimmy, yes yes yes. When Storybelle found it in the old books" Razaroo cautioned, shaking her head. "We know very little about what's in there, or what effect the magic will have on any pony who goes in there." "Kimono, are you sure this is what you want?" Pinkie Pie asked cautiously, trying to get the purple pony to consider her options. "You know you have a lot of friends here in this town, ponies who love you and care about you. Are you really sure you want to leave it all behind?" The wise and soft-spoken Kimono that all of ponydom knows now, would've considered Pinkie Pie's words. But this was a much younger Kimono, who was not yet the wisest pony in the land. So the words were out of her mouth before she even knew it. "Yes, please!" The mare replied eagerly, a big grin upon her face. "I really want to go!" ... All of the ponies of the council had gathered before the great vault door, to see of their dear friend who was departing on a grand adventure, Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, as two breezies moved to open the circular bronze door. "Now, take care of yourself, Kimono!" Mare Flitter warned, as the massive vault door swung open, and a blazing gold light shone forth from within. "And if you are unhappy in any way, please come back to us!" "We'll miss you, Kimmy!" Pinkie Pie added, as she hugged the other mare. "Please come back soon!" There were other well-wishings and words of farewell, but Kimono did not stick around to hear them. The promise of a new and better Ponyville, free of the childlike ignorance that plagued the current town of the present day, Kimono looked forward to a sane town of equines she could finally talk to. "At long last, I'll finally be amongst other ponies like myself!" The mare whinnied with glee, as she hopped directly into the light eminating from the vault. "At long last, things are finally going to go my way!"
The road backThe road back The town of Ponyville was a friendly enough place, filled with friendly ponies of all three types going about their business. Some say this little community is the best example of friendship in all of Equestria, with all ponies getting along in perfect harmony. The very air radiated the kindness and warmth that filled the heart of every equine in this happy little village. Houses and buildings both small and large, eclipsed by a tall crystalline castle in the background, gave the small village a quaint and atmospheric castle town air. As she trotted through her new home, Kimono simply couldn't believe how different everything looked- from the houses that were not all pastel colors and overly girly (well, at least not compared to where she had come from), and the town seemed to have a neat and orderly look to it. Oh sure, there were some odd things, like the fact the ponies were all disturbingly tall, and had such oddly shaped faces. But these ponies seemed much more calm and less goofy and chaotic then the ones she knew back back in... well, the other Ponyville! As she stopped a moment to take it all in, Kimono thought about how wonderful this was going to be. No more goofy ponies playing random games in the street! No more annoying mares pulling her this way and that to do stupid things! And best of all, no more Minty! Kimono was at last in a place where she could get in touch with her inner self, and at last converse with equines of an equal intellect to herself. First though, she would have to locate a place to stay, and..... "Say, what's up with that strange pony over there? She is so weird looking!" "I've never seen a pony that looks like that! What's she even doing here?" "Where the hay did that mare even come from? I'm not going anywhere near her!" These whispers reached the purple mare's ears, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Were these equestrian ponies... saying things about her behind her back. Wait, that couldn't be right! Equestria was a utopia according to the books, a place of love and toleration that had no place for any kind of prejudice or dislike of those who are different. Surely she must have heard wrong, as this Ponyville obviously wasn't rife with stereotyping and bridle gossip. why, just look at how unicorns, Pegasus ponies, and earth ponies all lived here together in harmony. Surely this place was the society of her dreams! Yes, most pones here were very welcoming, but even they seemed to be caught off guard by the strange looking newcomer who came trotting through town this afternoon. The purple earth pony mare clearly stood out, standing just a little bit taller than the other ponies in town, and having a slightly odd looking face. Many of the stallions and mares quietly pointed and stared, but one particular pony came bouncing up to the newest arrival, totally oblivious to the oddities that seemed to surround the mysterious mare. "Oh, hello! I've never seen you are here before! And if I've never seen you around here before, that means you're new in town! And if you're new in town, that means I need to throw you a welcome to Ponyville' party! And if I haven't thrown you a party yet, that means we're not friends yet! And if-" "Ummmmm.... hello?" Kimono replied nervously, watching the little pink ball of fire leap and jump around her in all different directions. The confused mare thought the pink pony with a balloons cutie mark. She looked like a mare Kimono had known, but there was something... off about this pony. "I take it your name is... Pinkie Pie?" "Yep, thaaat's me!" The energetic mare replied, bouncing around like a toddler who had too many pixie sticks. "And it's always great to meet a new pony, and- oh! The cakes are calling me, gotta run!" And with that, the little pink ball of fire zipped away, as quickly as she had come. "Wow, that certainly was... interesting." The earth pony mare said aloud, flabbergasted at what had just happened. "Well, she's clearly not as sane as the Pinkie I know, but the rest of Ponyville surely can't be-" "Everypony, LOOK OUT!" Three little fillies- one on a scooter and the other two trailing behind- went zooming down the center the muddy main road of Ponyville. Every other pony leapt out of the way as they came tearing through. But Kimono wasn't ready for this speeding trio to come storming on through. "Gang way, we're coming through!" "What the.... AIEEEEEEEEE!" The scooter plowed straight into the purple mare, sending her skittering to the side of the road, and planting her face directly into the mud. As the dazed and confused earth tried to stand again, the three little fillies stopped dead in their tracks, and rushed over to where their stunned victim stood. "Oh, gee! We're terribly sorry lady! We didn't mean to run over you like that..." The little white filly called trying to get some of the mud off of Kimono. "We were just trying to get the world's record for pony-trio scooter racing!" "Yeeeah, but now we'll never get those checkered flag cutie marks!" A little Pegasus filly grumbled, stamping her hoof in frustration. "Oh well, racing too fast makes you two dizzy, anyway!" "Trio... racing?" The confused earth mare asked, looking between the trio of fillies as her vision started to clear. "Wha... cutie mark?" "Wow, she must have hit her head harder that we thought!" A little earth filly with a bow in her mane commented. "Maybe we should see if we could take her to the doctor, or somethin'." "Hey look! She's got some kind of pottery cutie mark!" The unicorn filly exclaimed in excitement, pointing a hoof at Kimono's flank. "Why don't we take her back to the tree house, and she can show us her special talent so we can earn our cutie marks in pottery making!" "Take me back to your tree house!?" Kimono started, not believing the audacity of these three fillies she had just met. "Now listen here, young ladies! Those are not pots, they are paper lanterns, and-" "I dunno, Sweetie Bell. We've never seen her before, and she looks really weird." The Pegasus filly replied, looking the mare up and down. "I mean, what's with those little heart shaped things in her eyes? And her mane looks all goofy!" "Hey!" Kimono snapped, starting to get annoyed. "I'm standing right here, you know!" "Yeah, with that bizarre face, I think she might be a horse." The one called Sweetie Bell added. "But that doesn't mean a foreigner still can't help us get our cutie marks, right?" "A HORSE!?" Kimono sputtered out, finally at the end of her rope. "Now see here, you are some of the rudest little foals I have ever-" But before the shocked Kimono could do anything the three little fillies had already started to drag her away. "The horse lady is gonna show us how to make clay jars!" The trio cried triumphantly. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER POTTERY MAKERS! YAY!" "Wait, what are you doing?! Where are you taking me!?" The oriental pony cried out in terror as the three little fillies dragged her off to some unknown destination. "Somebody! Anybody! HELP MEEEEE!"
Simply marvelous, Darling!Simply marvelous, Darling! Deep in the tunnels under Celebration Castle, two mares stood in front of the great vault door, staring at it thoughtfully. The pair looked on in silence for several minutes, before one finally spoke up. "Rainbow Dash, how do you think she' is doing in there?" Storybelle asked, turning her head to face her friend. "I really do hope she'll be all right." "We just have to trust that she knows what she's doing, darling." Rainbow replied reluctantly, fighting off the urge to enter the vault, and bring her friend back herself. "We're just going to have to respect that this is what she wanted." ... "Sweetie Bell, are you in there?" A knock came at the club house door, as a white unicorn with a purple mane tried to get the attention of the fillies inside. "Pinkie Pie told me you and your friends had the new mare who arrived in town here, and I wanted to-" The door swung open, and the unicorn's mouth stood agape a the sight of the three cutie mark crusaders all dancing around a bubbling cauldron, holing spears and chanting strange words. Kimono, meanwhile, was tied by her hooves to the ceiling, hanging upside down over the boiling hot liquid. "Help me, please!" The purple pony pleaded, struggling against her bonds. "I don't know who you are, but please, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" "SWEETIE BELL!" The mare declared angrily, using her magic to bring the mare to the ground. "Don't you know it's rude to tie up guests before you've been properly introduced?" "Awww, but Rarity!" The little white unicorn filly pleaded, as she and her two friends got pouty looks on their faces. "WE were just trying to get our cutie marks in-" "Not another word, you three!" Rarity lowered the terrified Kimono to the ground. "I must apologize for my sister and her friend's rude behavior, they are still very young, and can be very brash at times!" "Oh, thank you so much!" The grateful purple mare replied, shaking her mane clean of confetti from one of the filly trio's cutie mark earning attempts. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along!" "Oh, think nothing of it, darling! I" Rarity looked at the other mare, her eyes going wide. "My stars! Your poor coffiure! What did those fillies do to your mane?!" The mare stamped her hoof, a determined look in her eye. "Well, I simply CANNOT let this crime against good taste stand!" And before she knew it, the hapless mare was being dragged off once again.... ... Most ponies in ponyville who passed the Carousel Boutique, tried to ignore the terrifying screams that came out of the dress shop. They knew very well how the eccentric dressmaker within worked, and none wished to be pulled inside, and made to try on a ridiculous outfit. "Ouch! Miss Rarity, could you please not pull that corset- EEK!- so tight! Wait, don't pull on my mane like tha- YIPE! No, that saddle won't fit on my -URK!- never mind, you just made it fit..." Normally used to Rainbow Dash and Daffeydazey gently preening and prodding over her, Kimono was totally unprepared for the jostling and pulling and yanking and prodding that the unicorn known as Rarity was giving her. The purple mare really wanted to talk to the excited equine who was giving her the once over, but the fashionesta kept droning on and on, not giving the still shook-up mare a chance to catch her breath. "Oh my, such a lovely shade you have to your coat and mane! I'm sure I have a dress here that matches your color!" Rarity declared, quickly zipping back into her wardrobe, and tossing her dresses about. "So, where are you from? Ohhh, I know! -you must be a pony from the orient! How lovely for you to come and visit us here in Equestria, darling! Do you have any family here? Have you been to Canterlot yet? Ohhhh, it was such an incredible luck that I would meet you like this!" "Well ctually, my parents are from -URK!- the pony orient, but I am a native of what you call -ACK!- Equestria. I- EEK!- learned a lot from them before I -YIPE!- came to ponyville." Kimono replied, her word punctuated by yelps of pain. "Say, do you think you could stop pulling so hard with... that.. saddle...urrrgghhh!" And the unicorn used her magic to pull the saddle even tighter, and kept messing with her mane and coat. Finally, after a great deal of pulling, yanking, tugging, and tearing. Rarity finally ceased pulling on her this way and that, and finally levitated a mirror in front of her to see what the fashionesta had wrought. There, in front of the horrified earth mare's eyes, she saw the horror her image had become. Kimono's mane done up in a orange tangled mess, and her coat died a hideous yellow. She was dressed in a plaid dress that looked like a paint bucket had thrown up all over it, and her hooves had been done in a hideous beige polish. The mare's face looked like a crying clown with the runny green and purple makeup the unicorn had plastered all over it, and Kimono now looked like something out of a pony's worst nightmares. "Aieeeeeeeeee!" The mare wailed, busting out of the carousel boutique's door, and going galloping down the street in tears. "It's horrible! It's so horrible!" "Wait, come back!" Rarirty pleaded, calling out from the doorway. "We haven even tried the polka dot dye on your mane yet!" ... "Is something wrong, darling?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking over at her friend. "For a mare who's happy for her friend, you look extremely worried!" "Well, it's just..." Storybelle replied nervously. "... I had been reading in my library, about the kind of spells Princess Twilight had used on that vault... and I had come across something about the magical energies being wildly unpredictable, and reacting in bizarre ways, depending on the ponies who go inside." The mare looked nervously back at the vault. "Y-you don't think something is going wrong in there, do you?"
My past in PonyvilleMy past in Ponyville "Help me! Please, some body help me!" The Terrified Kimono went running through the streets of Ponyville, every mare and stallion on the streets giving her a confused look as she galloped past. it wasn't until she got to the edge of town that the terrified mare actually stopped to rest. "I- can't- believe-how-crazy-that-mare-Rarity-was!" Kimono gasped out, trying desperately to catch her breath. "She was like a Rainbow Dash that had gone completely insane!" "What?! Who the heck said that?!" Came a voice that seemed to come from the cloud above her. "I dunno who you are, lady, but nopony compares me ta little miss prissy fashionestia!" Kimono looked up, and was startled by the sight of what looked like her friend Rainbow Dash sitting on a cloud over her head. But it wasn't the scruffy mane that the fashion pony would never be caught with, or the lightning bolt cutie mark on her flank that shocked the purple mare. No, it was the fact that this Rainbow Dash seemed to be sporting a pair of wings, just like a Pegasus from butterfly island would have! "R-Rainbow Dash?" The dumbfounded Kimono asked, staring up in disbelief. "I-is that you?!" "Yep, I'm Rainbow Dash, all right!" The blue Pegasus replied angrily, slamming her hooves down on the cloud that had suddenly turned a dark color. "And you're gonna regret openin' your mouth like that!" ZAP- "AIEEEEEEE!" Angry shock of lighting blasted forth from the cloud, painfully frying the unprepared earth pony, and causing her mane to stand on end. Within a few seconds, the terrified mare was on the run from the element of loyalty, who chased after her terrified quarry on a darkened storm cloud. ZAP! "YEOUCH!" ZAP! "OWIE!" ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP! As Kimono galloped away from the angry Pegasus, the purple mare thought about how this is not what she had been expecting from this Ponyville. She had expected order, she had expected stability... not this, this insanity! She remembered, back to a time when she had been told the glories of old Ponyville, and it all seemed so wonderful... "And so, the Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated the evil unicorn Sombra, and brought peace to the crystal empire!" "Wow, mommy, that was an amazing story!" The little purple filly told her mother, her eyes so full of wonder at the tale. "But was there really a princess Twilight and harmony bearers, or did you just make em' up?" "No, my little Kimono... there really was a Twilight Sparkle. And she really did have many many wonderful adventures." The older pony mare assured her, as the pony-pulled wagon they were on jostled and bumped along the dirt road it was traveling. "And they once protected this land when it was a far nicer place than it was now." "It would've been so wonderful to have met them." The four-year-old sighed, looking back up at her mother again. "Mommy, where are we going to live now?" "To Ponyville, little Kimono-Chan. Since your father went... on a vacation, we can no longer stay in Shang Hoof." The mother replied with a sigh. "And I thought it would be a lot of fun for you to live in an old abandoned amusement park!" The mare didn't mention that it was also the best place for the mother and daughter to hide out from the triad horses back in Shang Hoof whom had killed Kimono's father due to his gambling debts. "Wow, we're going to go live in Ponyville! The harmony bearers home town!" The little filly cried in excitement. "I can't even imagine how amazing this is going to be!" As the two ponies leapt off of the wagon and trotted towards the Ponyville barrier, the hopeful and excited little filly could not know of the disappointment and heartbreak that was in the town ahead of her... Kimono raced ahead, the pissed-off Pegasus hot on her hooves. Spotting a nearby bridge, the purple mare dove under it, as the wrathful Pegasus and her cloud kept on going. Finally peeking out from under her hiding spot, the mare saw that her pursuer had moved on. "How- how was she controlling the weather like that?" Kimono asked in wonderment, stepping back out onto the road. "This can't be happening! This is Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville, blast it! Surely there must be some pony who isn't crazy, and who understands the magic of friendship!" As she continued to trot along the path, the mixed up mare came to a lovely-looking farm that sat on the left side of the lane. Stopping to look at the endless rows of apple trees, the purple mare noticed something that REALLY caught her eye. "Whoa, this place really is really incredible! Those apples look good enough to eat!" The purple pony's mouth watered as she looked over the vast sea of red fruit. "I'm so hungry that I...could... eat... oh my." The mare then noticed a red stallion- a large, well-built, masculine red stallion- who was bucking apples off of all the trees around him. Finishing bucking one row of trees, he turned to look at the mare staring at him. "H-hello..." She replied nervously, trying to hide the fact she had been staring "D-do you work here?" "Eeyup." The stallion replied simply, nodding his head. "N-nice to meet you..." The purple pony replied sheepishly "...my name's Kimono." And as the dumbstruck mare moved over to talk beside her new 'friend', she tried to put out of her mind the Ponyville, and the friends, she had left behind... "Wow, so you're name's Kimono, huh?" The little pink filly asked her, as she and her new friends greeted the newcomer. "Nice to meet you! My name's Pinkie Pie, and these are my friends Rainbow Dash, and Minty!" "Hello, Darling!" The little blue earth filly greeted her, a smile on her face. "So wonderful to meet you!" "Nice to meet you, Kimmy!" The green mare laughed with a snort. "Always nice to meet a new friend!" "Konichiwa, my new friends." The purple filly bowed to them politely, expecting the same in return. "I hope we will all get along very-" "Ohh, look! Razaroo's holding a party over there!" The two mares squealed, dragging their new friend along with them. Before she even knew what had happened, Kimono had a party had on her head, confetti in her mane and tail, and gooey chocolate cake shoved into her mouth. The little fillies had not even stopped and taken the time to ask what she had wanted. "Oh well, maybe they were just too excited by the party and meeting a new friend, to stop and talk to me about things first." Kimono thought to herself. "I'm sure after we've gotten to know each other, my new friends will seem a little more normal." Oh, how little Kimono knew...
