Rune Factory: Friendship is Magic

Chapters

Chapter 3: Welcome to Ponyville: Part 2
Chapter 4: The Invitation
Chapter 5: The Ball
Chapter 1: A Little Hope
Chapter 2: Welcome to Ponyville: Part 1

Chapter 3: Welcome to Ponyville: Part 2

Chapter 3

Welcome to Ponyville

Part 2

After the meeting with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres, Hope and her guides continued to walk down the path that lead toward the edge of the Everfree Forest. They passed two hills before they came across a grove at the end.

"Here it is, Hope. Your new home." Twilight spoke.

Hope took a few steps forward and caught a surprised breath.

The barn and the house were carved within the bases of two of the thickest trees she had seen ever since she arrived in Equestria. There was a large field in front of the two trees and next to the field was Soren, who was catching forty winks in the sun. As she looked at the house-tree, she was reminded of her hometown of Sharance and the Sharance Tree. But instead of a stairway that would lead to the upper part of the tree, walls of the house were visible, even though it was surrounded by the tree's roots.

"It's absolutely charming!" Hope exclaimed.

Twilight chuckled as Spike decided to look around the farm.

"Really? I thought it looked a little modest."

Hope smiled at Twilight as she headed toward the house.

"Well I'm happy to tell you that you were wrong."

Twilight chuckled as the fun/explorer side of the Earthmate as she followed her to the house.

Once at the door, Twilight handed Hope a silver key with the handle in the shape of a heart. Eager to see inside, Hope inserted the key into the lock and turned it, granting the Earthmate and the pony admittance to the home.

Upon passing the threshold, they could see the inside of the house. Like the outside, the inside was carved from the giant tree, with the den at the entrance, followed by a bathroom, kitchen and dining room. To the left of the house was a set of stairs that lead to the upper floors. It was empty because Hope had to go into town to get furniture, but there were no signs of dust or cobwebs, letting Hope know that it was cared for before her arrival.

After climbing the stairs, Hope was now on the second floor of the house, which held the bedroom. Like with the rest of the house, it was empty until Hope removed her bags from her back and set them on the floor.

"Good thing I brought a sleeping bag." She spoke.

Twilight spoke up.

"Well, we can find a bed when we go into town. Come to think of it, we'll have to get you some groceries, too."

Her stomach growling at the sound of groceries, Hope blushed as she giggled at the sound, joined by Twilight.

"Well, come on. I'll take you someplace to eat before we can begin the tour."

"Thank you." Hope thanked Twilight as the two left the cottage, the latter telling Spike to head home, and headed into the direction of Ponyville.

They had to walk a ways to get to their destination, but when they got there, Hope saw that it was a charming town of ponies of various kinds.

But her anxieties return as they enter the town. Upon seeing the Earthmate, the streets of ponies parted for them like the Red Sea, staring and whispering. Seeing that the attention was making Hope nervous, Twilight spoke.

"Come on, everyone. This is the Earthmate that Princess Celestia told us about. There's no need to make her feel so unwelcome."

The ponies remained cautious as they went about their business, unsure what to think of the girl as she and Twilight made their way through the town.

Just then, an unbalanced scream caught Hope's ears.

"Whoa! Look out!"

Hope was quick to react and jumped out of the way just in time as a speeding rainbow managed to pull up at the spot where Hope originally stood. Hope then looked up to see the rainbow slowly coming to a stop, revealing, to Hope's surprise, a light blue Pegasus with a rainbow main and tail. She had a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt on her flank.

Twilight immediately recognized the pony and scolded at her.

"Rainbow Dash! What were you thinking? You could've hurt somepony!"

The Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, hovered down until she touched ground.

"Sorry about that, Twilight. I was practicing some new awesome moves when I went out of control. Thankfully, I didn't hit that pony that jumped out of the way just now."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her as Hope helplessly stood still.

"Rainbow Dash, that wasn't a pony you nearly hit."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? It wasn't?"

"No. It was the Earthmate I told you about. You know, the one who can take care of this monster crisis?"

Hearing that this 'legendary' Earthmate was here, Rainbow Dash looked around quickly to find them, but found no one. Just a strange creature standing idly by.

"Huh? Where?" Rainbow asked.

Shaking her head, Twilight spoke as she pointed a hoof to Hope.

"Rainbow, she's the Earthmate. Her name's Hope."

Raising an eyebrow with suspicion, Rainbow Dash flew around Hope, examining her. Hope nerves were going haywire until Rainbow Dash spoke.

"Hmm. You don't look like you can handle those monsters. Are you sure you're the answer."

Feeling she was insulted, Hope narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'll have you know that I am more than capable of handling a few monsters. My papa had trained me to fight since I was little. I can prove it if you like."

Twilight was startled by Hope's protest, but Rainbow Dash grinned and chuckled.

"Ha-ha! You got spunk, kid. But~ let's see what you got."

Before Twilight could tell Rainbow to stop, the fast Pegasus charged at Hope, only to miss as Hope moved to the right with a sideways turn. Rainbow Dash hovered to a sudden stop as she tried to charge Hope again. The Earthmate once again moved with a sideways turn to the left. She ducked and jumped when Rainbow tried to go after her feet and head before Hope grabbed a rope from nearby and used it as a lasso to tie up Rainbow Dash's wings and another to have at her hooves.

Rainbow blinked a few times before she realized what happened.

"Hey! What the-? How did you-?"

Hope smiled at the flummoxed pony athlete.

"Told you. I wouldn't have come to this world if I didn't know how to fight."

Twilight was shocked. She had never seen Hope in combat before. She was worried that this would affect Hope's current status negatively, but became even more stunned as Rainbow Dash began to laugh.

"Ha-Ha! That was awesome! You're alright, Hope. Now, can you untie me?"

Hope smiled as she freed Rainbow Dash from the ropes she tied her up with. Once she was free, Rainbow shook herself to relax her muscles. Once done, she hovered in the air.

"I'll be looking forward for a few matches, kid."

Hope smiled on as Rainbow Dash flew off.

She then blushed as she noticed that Twilight was staring at her.

"Uh…Sorry about that."

Twilight shook her head to straighten her thoughts and spoke.

"I-It's alright. It's just that I never expected that you the fighter, what with you being so shy and all."

Hope scratched her head as she chuckled sheepishly.

"He-he. Well, I've only been here for an hour. Surely you knew that there would be a few surprises."

That sentence made Twilight laugh at herself. She did know that there must be more to Hope than meets the eye. She just wasn't expecting the girl to be such a combatant. "You're right. But anyway, let's continue the tour. I'm pretty sure Rarity will be surprised at a new customer." Hope walked with Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "Rarity?"

Twilight answered her.

"Oh. She's the town's fashionista and a great seamstress. She's volunteered to make you new clothes as soon as she gets your measurements."

This interested Hope. She wasn't much of a girly-girl, but she did like new clothing. And she wondered what this Rarity made. She found out once she entered a unique-looking shop in the outer ring of the town.

Inside were the loveliest dresses Hope had ever seen. All of them were clearly created for the ponies of Ponyville, but each one was of a different beautiful design in various colors. Some of them even had actual gemstones embroided on them, giving them a glistening shine. Hope was marveled at this and wondered what kind of clothing this Rarity was going to make for her.

Twilight lead Hope to a room on an upper level of the shop which, after seeing the various fabrics and other material in it, was the sewing room. And working with a piece of pink fabric on a sewing machine was a pretty grey-white unicorn with a curly violet main and tail. Her mark on her flank was an image of three diamonds. She was also wearing red-rimmed glasses as she concentrated on her work.

The lavender alicorn cleared her throat, getting the grey-white unicorn's attention, though it wasn't shown as she still had her eyes on the fabric in front of her.

"Yes?" "Rarity. It's me. Twilight. I've brought the Earthmate here like you asked."

Hearing that the Earthmate was in her shop, Rarity stopped her sewing and removed her glasses from her sapphire eyes.

"Oh! My apologies, you two. I've been so busy with an important order I need to fill before the end of tomorrow. But I can stop for a few minutes to—oh! My heavens!"

Hope flinched at Rarity's reaction to seeing a non-pony in her shop. But she was soon surprised at what the alicorn said next.

"My dear. What happened to you? Forgive me, but you look like you were in quite a scuffle."

Hope blinked a few times in confusion before looking down at her outfit and realized what Rarity was talking about. Her challenge with Rainbow Dash had gotten her and her cloths dirty and she was a mess. She didn't even want to know what her blond hair looked like.

Embarrassed, Hope smiled sheepishly as she answered the unicorn.

"He-he. Sorry about my appearance. I was in a spar with a pony named Rainbow Dash a few minutes ago."

As Hope left the room to brush herself off, Twilight explained to Rarity about what had been happening since Hope arrived in Equestria. By the time Hope finished dusting herself, Twilight had finished the tale. Rarity approached Hope with somewhat of a motherly look.

"My word. You've really had quite the day, Hope. Let me take your measurements and draw out your body sculpture and as soon as I am finished with my order, I will get to work on your new wardrobe immediately."

Shaking her hands in defense, Hope spoke as Rarity used her magic to levitate a measuring tape to take her measurements.

"N-no, Rarity. I don't want to keep you from your work."

But Rarity just smiled as she gave a good-natured scoff.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, darling. I've already got two-thirds of the order done. Besides. I did promise to provide you with new clothing for all occasions and I intend on keeping that promise."

Once Rarity had taken Hope's measurements and drew out her body structure for a new mannequin, the Earthmate was free and left with Twilight.

"Well. That was interesting."

Twilight understood Hope's confusion and chuckled.

"That's Rarity for you. Always the generous one. I, for one, can't wait to see what she's going to make. You've probably gave her a project she was looking for so long."

Now Hope was really interested in Rarity's future creations.

The entire day was spent touring around Ponyville and introducing Hope to each pony. By the end of the day, Hope and Twilight were exhausted. But there was one pony Twilight was unable to show. A certain hyperactive pink pony. But knowing her, Twilight knew that she would be at Hope's farm with her greetings ready to go.

"That should be just about everyone. Let's head back to your farm."

It was then that Twilight thought of something of interest. Turning to Hope, Twilight asked her question.

"That reminds me. What are you going to call your farm?"

It was an easy question for Hope. She had the name picked out long before she met Princess Luna.

"I'm thinking of calling it 'Blossom Farm.' What do you think?"

Twilight smiled as she answered.

"I think it's a great name. That area is known to having some of the most beautiful flowers in Ponyville during the springtime."

Hope smiled at Twilight's approval of her farm's name as they entered the farmland, the time being dusk.

What they didn't expect was the place becoming crowded with most of the citizens of Ponyville and the area all decked out for a party. Chinese lanterns were hung from the tree to the barn and along the outer trees and some posts, there were various tables with foods that Hope had never seen before with one table filled with little bags of party favors. There was a banner that said 'Welcome to Ponyville' in pink glitter with glittery blue curls around the words.

Hope was absolutely speechless as a pink pony with a wild and curly mane and tail 'bounce' towards her and Twilight. She had three balloons on her flank.

"Twilight! You made it! After I heard about the Earthmate's arrival, I decided to throw a party to greet her!" The pink pony spoke rapidly.

She then took Hope's hand and shook it faster than Applejack's hoofshake.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Pinkie Pie. Welcome to Equestria and to Ponyville! Hey! Do you like sweets? I like—"

Twilight placed a hoof over Pinkie Pie's mouth to stop her from talking.

"Breathe, Pinkie Pie, breathe."

As Pinkie Pie calmed down, Twilight introduced her and Hope to each other. As soon as Pinkie Pie left to tend to the party, Hope looked to Twilight.

"I take it that her specialty is partying?"

Twilight chuckled sheepishly, confirming Hope's question as they joined the party.

As the party went on, Hope couldn't help but feel extremely welcomed as she chatted with the ponies and checked on Soren, who was sleeping in his monster hut. She learned more about the other ponies and hung out with her neighbors. She learned from Spike that the dragons here eat gemstones instead of meat, like what she was used to. She also found out that Spike had a crush on Rarity, which Hope thought was cute.

But suddenly, she felt a familiar tingling sensation within her nose. Her eyes widen with fear.

"Oh no! Not now!"

Knowing what was going to happen, Hope started to creep away to the woods behind the tree. But Twilight and her five friends saw this and began to worry.

"What's with the kid?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Maybe she's super happy about the party that she needed a cry." Pinkie Pie inquired.

But the other knew that something wasn't right.

"Come on. Let's see what's up." Twilight spoke.

They just entered the woods when they saw Hope sneeze.

"Ah-achoo!"

Just then there was a flash of gold light and when the light dimmed, a golden colored Wooly with multi-colored feathers amongst the wool, two blue rose barrettes in her wool at the top of her head, and wearing a smaller version of Hope's outfit took the Earthmate's place. The Wooly wiggled its nose in response to the sneeze.

"I hope no one's noticed I've crept away." The Wooly muttered in Hope's voice.

But when she looked up, the Wooly saw the Mane Six gawking at her.

Twilight was the first to speak.

"Hope. Y-you're—"

But she was cut off by Pinkie Pie, who squealed with delight.

"Ohmygosh! Hope's turned into a cute little golden sheep! Isn't she just cute?!"

Though cautious, Rarity agreed.

"I must say. That golden wool looks absolutely stunning. And those feathers. Gorgeous."

Hope blinked in confusion as Rarity examined her feathers and wool. It was Applejack who asked the question.

"Hope? What are you?"

Gulping down her nerves, Hoped looked down and answered them.

"W-well, you see…I'm…half-monster."

It was the Six's turn to blink in confusion.

"Half-monster? How can someone be half-monster?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Hope answered her.

"Well. The thing… My papa and my mama were both half-monsters. Papa is where I got my Wooly looks. The feathers belonged to my Mama, who was a phoenix-type half-monster."

Fluttershy noticed the word pattern the half-monster Earthmate spoke.

"Was? Is your mother no longer half-monster?"

Hope shook her head sadly.

"No. She…she passed away when I was little."

The words stung the six like a million bees. Fluttershy apologized greatly, but Hope raised her paw to stop her.

"It's ok. It happened a long time ago."

"But why didn't you tell us that you were half-monster? Do the princesses know?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders at that answer.

"I'm not sure. But I do have a reason for why I didn't say anything."

The six listened in.

"With what I've heard about what's been going on here, I felt that everyone would be too frightened of me if I had revealed my monster-half. So I decided to wait until everyone got to know me a little more before I showed this form. But…there's one problem."

"Problem?" Twilight asked.

The Wooly/Phoenix nodded.

"I don't have full control of my transformation abilities yet, so every time I sneeze, I lose the control I have and 'poof', instant monster. That's why I came out here. I felt that I was going to sneeze and I didn't want to do it in front of every pony at the party. I was just going to sneeze, transform back, and return to the party. I didn't expect any of you to follow me. Please don't be scared."

It was then that Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy both gave Hope a tight bear hug, surprising the half-monster.

"Aww. Why would we be scared of someone as cute as you?" Said Fluttershy.

"And who cares if you're part monster. That just makes you ten times cooler!"

Rarity spoke up as well, still eyeing the wool and the feathers.

"I agree. And your wool and feathers have given me many new fashion ideas. I couldn't thank you enough, darling."

Rainbow Dash gave a smirk as she hovered over the group.

"Well I agree with Pinkie that it makes you cool. Not as cool as me, but cool."

"And don't you worry about me. I'm purdy much ok with this." Applejack spoke.

Seeing how her friends had changed since the Zecora incident, Twilight couldn't help but smile at her friends.

"And we'll keep this a secret until you're ready to tell, Hope."

Hope couldn't help but happily smile as her new friends accepted her despite one major flaw. And so, Hope returned to her human form and returned to the party with her friends.

This was going to be great.

Chapter 4: The Invitation

Chapter 4

Invitation

It was a week after Hope arrived in Equestria and things have moved along smoothly. After cleaning up her welcoming party and a good night's sleep, Hope got to work to till the fields on her farm. Since it was spring, she planted Pink Turnips, Toyherbs, Moondrop Flowers, Strawberries, Pink Cat Flowers, Pink Melons, Cabbages and Onions. Hope collected the seeds a while before Princess Luna came to her and the Earthmate had packed them before she left.

After the fields were taken care of, Hope did some odd jobs around town so that she could at least have a bed. Sleeping in a sleeping bag can be troublesome for your back. And of course, Hope made frequent trips to the Everfree Forest to either tame or defeat monsters before they could come into town. So far, she acquired six Woolys, a dozen Cluckadoodles, eight Buffamoo, four Bees, and some Ants to help with the harvesting. She even acquired a pair of Elephants to help with the watering.

And her actions didn't go unnoticed. Every pony in Ponyville was curious as to what Hope did in the Everfree Forest as well as her acquisition of farm monsters. But the ponies Hope saw the most were Twilight Sparkle and her friends. The alicorn was very curious about the various types of monsters and began cataloguing them with Hope's help.

Since she was her neighbor, Hope was often visited by Applejack and her family, particularly her sister, Apple Bloom. While she exchanged farming tips with Applejack, Hope learned about Cutie Marks and that Apple Bloom was also a part of a trio of fillies that had not gotten their marks called "The Cutie Mark Crusaders" whose main goal is to earn their Cutie Marks.

Each time Twilight came over to check on Hope's progress and continue to record the monsters Hope acquires, Fluttershy followed along to adjust to the various unknown monsters that kept coming from the Everfree Forest by acquainting herself with Blossom Farms' monsters. With Hope's help, Fluttershy's anxiety decreased and enjoys the monsters company.

Rainbow Dash visited Hope frequently and continuously challenged Hope to various athletic competitions and sparring sessions. While Hope wasn't as fast as Rainbow Dash, she was clever and used her experience to win several contests. All in all, the Earthmate and Pegasus grew into their friendly rivalry.

It didn't take long for Rarity to create the first batch of clothing for Hope's new wardrobe. In fact, she was creating more and more designs for the biped. Twilight was right. Hope was a challenge that Rarity was looking for. Not only did she make formal wear, but casual wear as well.

And of course, we cannot forget Pinkie Pie. The energetic pony visited Hope every day and she also made her come visit the sweet shop she worked at: Sugercube Corner. She introduced the Earthmate to the shop owners, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, as well as their twin ponies, Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake. And after Hope acquired her Bees, she agreed to sell the Cakes the honey she would collect every week along with the eggs and milk from her Cluckadoodles and Buffalos after they sampled some honey she had brought as a greeting present, which they found quite tasty.

Yes, things were looking quite well for Hope, even if the ponies were still getting used to her.

One day, Twilight and her friends decided to visit Hope all together to see how she was doing, aside from some business a few of them needed to attend to. Pinkie Pie was going to get the baking items Hope was to collect that day for the shop, Rarity was delivering more cloths and got Applejack to pull the small cart for her, and Twilight received something from Princess Celestia concerning the young Earthmate.

As they walked down the path that lead to Blossom Farm, they began to converse amongst themselves.

"So what does the princess want with Hope anyway, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'll tell you when we get there, Rainbow Dash. I want to get to the farm first."

"And I would like to observe her to come up with more ideas for her clothing." Rarity spoke.

"But haven't you made enough cloths for her, Rarity? I mean, you've made so many." Fluttershy quietly spoke.

The unicorn laughed.

"When it comes to fashion, Fluttershy, one can NEVER have too many outfits."

But as the others were about to speak, a strange sound filled the air. A song. As the six ponies heard this, wonder began to fill their minds.

"Uh…Ya'll hear what I'm hearin'?" Applejack asked.

"It sounds like…singing. And a beautiful song at that." Rarity answered.

Twilight pinpointed the source of the song.

"It's coming from the farm!"

At that moment, the ponies galloped (or flew in Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's cases) towards the singing.

Looking over the hill and into the farm, they found out who was singing: Hope. The Earthmate was singing while she tilling her fields for new seeds, a small cart of Pink Turnips sitting in the sunlight.

At the beat of her hoe, Hope went through the first verse as the ponies walked in with awe.

There's a spark inside us

that we can all ignite~

And all that's dark inside us

will flicker into light~

After the last of the land was tilled, Hope returned to the cart, completely unaware of the ponies' presence as she brought forth a bag of seeds and began to plant.

There's a power in every breath~

There's a power in every note~

A power that starts within the heart

A power that rises through the throat~

After the seeds were place, Hope gathered a tin watering pot and danced to her song while watering the plants and the seeds.

And when it sails up through the air~

More beautiful than any prayer~

This power could right all wrong~

She then headed over to the barn and began to feed the monsters, who were also enjoying the melody.

And it will always thrill the ear

of those who have the power to hear~

The ponies found themselves under the same spell as they bobbed their heads to the tune, keeping silent so as not to interrupt.

The magic of the song~

Hope then began to hammer away at some rocks that were in a farther end of the field as she sang the last verse.

All that's strong inside us,

that tells us wrong from right~

Becomes a song inside us,

To chase away the night~

As Hope fell silent, the sudden sound of hooves stomping the ground and laughter caused the Earthmate to freeze mid-hammer and turn around. She found the source of the sounds was from her new friends 'applauding' from the edge of the field. Red flared up in her cheeks as she nearly fell backwards at the hammer's weight, recovering just in time as she used the force to strike a small rock into pieces.

Letting go of her hammer, Hope turned to the ponies again, the blush still tinting her face. Scratching her head, Hope approached her friends, who were beginning to settle down.

"H-how much did you hear?" She asked nervously.

"We've heard the full song, partner." Applejack answered.

"Yes and let me tell you, dear. You have a lovely voice." Rarity spoke.

Hope's blush turned an even deeper red as she heard theses compliments. Clearing her throat, Hope regained her hammer and began to swing at the rocks again. As she did, she spoke.

"So, uh…What brings you all out here?"

Remembering why they were there, Twilight approached the working girl and used her magic to lift a small piece of parchment towards Hope. Seeing this object, Hope stopped working again and took the parchment. As she read it, her eyes widen with confusion. Seeing her expression, Rainbow Dash spoke.

"Well? What's it say?"

"It says that we are all invited to a debutante ball in a place called Canterlot." Hope replied.

Rarity was ecstatic.

"A debutante ball?! How wonderful! I have always wanted to attend a debutante ball in Canterlot. The fashion, the nobility, the Fashion! Oh this will do wonders for my career!"

"Uh…what's a de-buu-tant ball?" Applejack asked as she struggled to pronounce the word 'debutante'.

Twilight gave an answer before Rarity could become overdramatic, again.

"A debutante ball is a special party for fillies of Upper Class society. Originally, it meant the young fillies were eligible to marry, and part of the purpose was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select upper class circle. Nowadays, it's more of an introduction of fillies into the Upper Class than to announce that they are able to marry."

"That's right. And it is quite the festivity." Rarity spoke.

She then looked to Hope, who still had a confused look on her face.

"Tell me, Hope. Who's the lucky filly?"

After a few seconds of silence, Hope answered.

"Me."

Everypony but Pinky Pie (for obvious reasons) and Twilight, gasped.

"What? Why are the princesses throwing a fancy-shmancy party just for you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight stepped forward so that everypony could look at her.

"I believe I have an answer for that. With all the work Hope has been doing with the monster crisis, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have decided to show how important Hope is to the Upper Class of Equestria. They've also invited Princess Cadance and Shining Armor to attend. I have received a letter from the princesses asking us to prepare Hope for the ball, which is tonight."

"Tonight?!" The ponies and the Earthmate gasped, but none more so than Rarity.

"Why didn't you say so at the beginning? I would've been working on our dresses right now! Oh! That reminds me!"

The unicorn then galloped to Hope and spoke.

"Hope, you must come with me to my shop. As the Guest of Honor, you must look extremely presentable."

"But what about my chores? I still have to finish hammering the rock in the field, till the soil underneath, clean my house…"

"We'll handle that, Sugar Cube. Rarity can be as stubborn as a mule when it comes to things like this." Applejack spoke.

Without being given a chance to protest, Hope was ushered to Rarity's shop while Twilight and her friends finish Hope's chores.

After arriving at the shop, Rarity began to work on the designs of Hope's dress as well as that of her friends and herself.

"Now, it is a custom for a debutante to wear white at their ball. And I may just have an old idea that might work."

Rarity looked to some designs she had drawn in the past until she came to one that she had been thinking about. While she took Hope's measurements again, she worked on the drawing, both being done by magic.

"Now, we have little time to teach you proper mannerism, but maybe it can be done while I work on the dresses."

But Hope had different answers.

"Actually, I already know how to behave at a debutante ball."

Rarity looked at Hope in surprise.

"You have? But how?"

Hope gave her answer.

"In my hometown of Sharance, we have a wealthy family living in the town. The two daughters of the head of the family had given their daughters of their own debutante balls and since family is friends with my papa, they in turn had taught me how to act."

This amazed Rarity and gave her some relief.

"Well, that's one problem we won't have to worry about. Now we need to figure out what to do with your hair. But let's save that until after I make the dress. Then I'll have to get to work on Twilight's dress immediately. After all, she is a princess."

Hearing this for the first time, Hope gaped.

"What?! Twilight's a princess?"

That night...

After a long carriage ride to Canterlot, each of the ponies were eager to step out and straighten out their dresses. Pinkie Pie's dress was, as always, pink. The trimmings of the dress were covered in fake sprinkles while a small trail of brown representing chocolate fudge dripped from the back of the torso to the end of the skirt. The torso of the dress was mostly Robin's egg blue and the shoulder caps looked like candy wrappers. Dripped all over her dress were confections of every shape and color. Her mane was adorned with candy-shaped barrettes and a small hat with a pink and blue lollipop on it like a feather. On her hooves were powder blue shoes with candy bows.

Being a pony that was uncomfortable in fancy duds, Applejack's dress was designed more for advertisement for Sweet Apple Acres more than just for a fine occasion. It was a green dress with brown trimmings and apple décor on the waist and trim of the dress. Around Applejack's neck was the apple bolo tie she wore to the Grand Galloping Gala and she wore the boots that went with it. Like always, she had her hat on, though her mane and tail were braided.

Rainbow Dash's dress was…well…a rainbow. It was in a Grecian-style dress and had gold ribbons around the bodice. On her hooves were gold shoes and on her head was a gold laurel circlet like the one she wore at the gala, only it went all the way around her head. Like Applejack, Rainbow Dash wasn't much of a fancy-shmancy pony.

Fluttershy's dress was a marine blue with a green skirt, dotted with pink flowers and in her main and tail were blue flowers and pink butterflies. On her hooves were blue shoes. Like Rainbow Dash's and Applejack's dresses, Fluttershy's dress was similar to what she wore to the gala.

Being the most fashionable, Rarity wore a beautiful amethyst and white dress the practically dripped with crystals. In the middle of the shoulder wrap that held up her dress was a large diamond Hope had found while mining in the Everfree Forest. She had her hair up in the style from the Crystal Empire and had the bands imbedded with crystals. She also had plum shoes on her feet.

Being a princess, Twilight was in a dress far more gorgeous than Rarity's. Her dress was a Catalina Blue with Plum trimmings. Rarity had to use up every gem in her studio to give the dress a brilliant sparkle, amethysts and sapphires dotted the dress like stars. Her mane was in the style she wore at her coronation and she wore her crown on top of that. Around her neck was a beautiful emerald pendent on a gold chain. It was in the shape of a starburst. Her shoes were crystal.

The last to get out of the carriage was Hope, her appearance hidden by a large, dark cloak.

"I still don't see why you have Hope wear that cloak, Rarity. She's going to a ball, not into hiding." Rainbow Dash spoke.

Rarity answered her with some drama in her voice.

"Come now, Rainbow Dash. Don't you know that first impressions are very important? By the time I was finished with her, I had never been so dazzled in all my life. So like a flower ready to bloom, I am keeping Hope in that cloak until she is announced by the princesses."

Hope could only blush in embarrassment. She was a farmer, not a noble. She felt like she was going to her own funeral than a ball. How she longed to be back on the farm, continuing her work as a farmer and trying to figure out how the monsters were coming into Equestria.

Chapter 5: The Ball

Chapter 5

The Ball

Tugging her cloak closed, Hope followed the ponies toward a secondary entrance of the castle, where the princesses Celestia and Luna greeted them. The elder of the princesses greeted them with a warm smile.

"Welcome, my little ponies. And to you too, Hope. Welcome to Canterlot."

Hope curtsied in respect as she spoke.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

But Hope still thought that the princesses shouldn't had gone through the trouble of arranging this ball just for her.

Rarity then ushers her friends in, save for Hope.

"Now go and get yourselves settled in. Hope's unveiling should be soon and I want to touch up on some things before she is shown."

The princesses smiled in amusement as the five friends made their way to the ballroom, with the two co-rulers following them as Rarity worked on some final touches.

The ballroom was as magnificent as it was during the Grand Galloping Gala, only the theme was flowers and crystals. Ponies from High Society talked amongst themselves, enjoy the food, or slow dance with their chosen partners. Amongst the crowd, Twilight saw a few familiar faces. "

Shining Armor! Cadence!"

Twilight hustled over to greet her elder brother and sister-in-law, who were just as happy to see her. Shining Armor, the white and blue unicorn with a shield for a Cutie Mark, hugged his little sister.

"Twili! It's been a while, Sis."

"Too long, BBBBF." Twilight told her brother.

Cadence, the pink alicorn with the tri-color mane and tail also greeted.

"It's good to see you, Twilight."

She then turned her head the other way. "

You're not going to believe who we ran into. It's Romano, your old classmate."

Twilight's eyes widened with surprise. "

No way! Romano's here? I thought he'd be busy helping out his family's company."

Cadence spoke to her sister-in-law again. "

In a way, he is. His family suggested that he should speak to ponies here in hopes that the company would gain valuable customers. But I think he thinks otherwise."

Twilight knew what Cadence meant. As a colt of a well-reputed family mixed of nobility and industry, Romano was often subjugated to his family's business practices, but Romano had little wish to run the company with his brothers. Romano was considered an oddball to his family, having taken up various hobbies and studies that his relatives would not approve of. In fact, it was Romano that told her of the "Mare in the Moon" story the day before she arrived in Ponyville. Even though she never made many friends in Canterlot, Romano was considered a good guy and Twilight was eager to see him.

She looked around until she saw a medium-built unicorn stallion with a white coat, a dark brown mane and tail, and his cutie mark was a set of golden scales and a ruby-red rose coiling around the stand upward. His mane was medium-length and flowed elegantly down his shoulder. He was dressed in a tuxedo and was admiring some of the castle's artwork.

With a smile, Twilight approached the stallion as she spoke.

"That tapestry is from the Equestrian Renaissance. Ponicelli's 'The Birth of Epona,' I believe."

The stallion jumped around in surprise, then gave a laugh.

"Twilight Sparkle. I should've known you'd sneak up on me with that encyclopedic brain of yours."

Twilight laughed.

"Sorry, Romano. I couldn't help it. You're almost always off in your own world when you focus."

"The same goes for you too. Congratulations on becoming princess, by the way. I knew you had potential from the moment I met you."

Romano smiled.

"Thank you, Romano. How's your family doing?" Twilight asked.

Romano groaned.

"Ugh! They never stop thinking about money. You're not gonna believe this, but my parents are actually considering an arranged marriage for me."

Twilight gaped.

"No way! But isn't the practice of arranged marriages outdated?"

"When it comes to money and reputation, everything's in season for my parents. I just wish it was Oro or Platino they were thinking about." Romano lamented.

He then remembered something and spoke to Twilight.

"If I remember correctly, isn't it the anniversary of…you know."

It took Twilight a second to realize what Romano was talking about. Her ears lowered as she answered him.

"Yes. To be honest, with what's been happening, I had just about forgotten."

"My condolences, Twilight. I didn't mean to bring back such sad memories. Even after ten years I bet the wound still hurts." Romano apologized.

Twilight shook her head.

"No, Romano. If anything, I should be thanking you. I would feel just terrible if I remember a few days later and I am back in Ponyville. So I'm really glad you told me."

Romano was about to speak when the crowd suddenly fell silent as the lights dimmed. A spotlight shined onto the top of a tall staircase and at its top were princesses Celestia and Luna.

"Welcome, fillies and gentlecolts, to the debutante ball of Equestria's Earthmate: Hope of Rune. As you all know, the monster epidemic has been a problem for a while. Thanks to our Guest of Honor, we have a hoof-hold on the situation. She has even asked us if she could teach the local farmers on how to tame these monsters and have them help on their farms. We believe that this is an excellent course of action. But right now, allow us to introduce tonight's debutante: Hope."

On the floor, the entire room gasped, mostly because of the appearance of the creature behind a set of velvet curtains behind the princesses.

Amongst the ponies, the Mane Six and those associated with them, were amazed at the job Rarity did on Hope. The Earthmate wore a white empire-waist dress, the waist decorated with diamonds. The shoulder wrap of the dress was composed of white feathers and the bottom of the dress was embroidered in a flowery rosemaling design with diamonds of both white and pink. Hope's short hair was tied in a low knot with a pink cherry blossom comb for decoration. She also wore tiny pink diamond hair pins on her scalp for extra elegance. The only other jewelry she wore composed of a diamond and silver choker with matching bracelets. There was only a hint of make-up on her face, mostly a light pink lipstick.

Twilight and her friends were absolutely impressed at Hope's appearance. Rarity, who appeared seconds before Hope was revealed, took pride in her work. Hope, on the other hand, was extremely nervous but maintained her composure. She curtsied, bowing lightly as she was taught.

As the world resumed, Twilight turned to Rarity and spoke.

"Rarity. I am without question impressed! Hope looks absolutely beautiful tonight!"

Rarity basked in the praise as she answered Twilight.

"Isn't she? The dress compliments her sweet personality and the accessories were Hope's craft, including the comb and the hairpins."

Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes widened with this new information. "Hope made those?"

Rarity turned her gaze to Hope, who was calmly greeting the various ponies that came to her, and continued to speak.

"Yes. She told me that her father taught her how to make accessories amongst other things. Fortunately for us, those accessories were made before Hope came to Equestria, but Hope and I agreed to do business together once she is able to set up a workshop."

Twilight was about to speak when she felt a nudge on her shoulder. Turning her head, she found that the touch belonged to Romano, who was staring at Hope in awe.

"Twilight. Who is that marvelous creature? Is she really the Earthmate?"

Twilight stifled a laugh at Romano's reaction. It reminded her of a certain purple and green dragon, who was at the snack table for the moment.

"It is, Romano. Do you want me to introduce you?"

Romano nodded, not taking his eyes off the Guest of Honor.

"I-if you please?"

With a minor shove, Twilight led Romano past the crowd and approached Hope.

"How are you doing?"

Even though she was only just introduced, Hope was exhausted thanks to her nerves, but manages to put on a smile for Twilight.

"I'm holding up."

She then turned her notice to Romano, prompting Twilight to introduce the two.

"Hope. This is Romano, an old classmate of mine. Romano, this is Hope, the Earthmate."

Hope curtsied while Romano bowed to her as he spoke. "It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Hope." He then made a bold move on his part.

"May I have the honor of dancing with you?"

Polite, but oblivious to Romano's current feelings, Hope nodded.

"You may."

With a smile, Romano led her to the ballroom floor.

Because of the differences in height and body structure, Hope and Romano were forced to waltz without touching each other, which was expected by most. Watching the two dance, the Mane Six spoke amongst themselves with smirks on their faces.

"Looks like your old classmate has a crush on our resident Earthmate." Rainbow Dash spoke slyly.

Twilight could only giggle as she watch the mismatched pair dance, both struggling to match their steps.

"Well, Romano has been into the strange and unusual. I'd figure he'd take at least an intellectual interest in Hope. But I've never imagined that he would be bewitched by her."

"Nor do I, Princess Twilight. Nor do I." A mischievous voice spoke out.

It was loud enough for the Mane Six to hear, but not enough to gain attention of the rest of the guests, Guest of Honor included. Four out of the Mane Six narrowed their eyes as they recognized the voice.

"Alright. Where are you, Discord?" Twilight beckoned.

In a poof of light, the infamous Lord of Chaos appeared before the Mane Six, although he was miniature at the moment.

"Why, right here, of course. You can't expect a big party going on expect me to miss it, did you?"

"Although it would be a pleasant dream come true." The four of the Six thought.

"Speaking of which, where is the Guest of Honor I have been hearing so much about?" Discord asked as he poofed onto Applejack's hat and began looking through a telescope that magically appeared in his eagle claw.

"Why do you want to know?" Applejack sourly asked as she shook her head to rid herself of the Draconequus.

Discord poofed off of Applejack and floated mid-air as he spoke.

"Why, all of Equestria is in an uproar about the Earthmate and the monster crisis, so I just had to meet her."

But then, to the Mane Six's surprise, Discord found himself in deep thought with a very serious look on his face.

"You know. Come to think of it. This monster crisis is exactly what my brother would do for a small parlor game."

The Mane Six nearly gasped out loud as Rainbow Dash spoke in shock.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What a minute. You… have a brother?!"

Discord sighed in contempt.

"Yes, I had an older brother. But it wasn't like we were friends or anything. So don't worry about meeting him anytime soon."

Giving out a sigh, Applejack whispered to Twilight.

"Whew. Good. I'd hate to find out if we had to deal with two Discords in the same day."

But Discord heard her and cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"I'll have you know that you six would have a much easier time battling Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Tirek, and of course, yours truly, at the same time than you would have fighting my brother alone. And I am not joking. He would tear you apart in much crueler fashions than I could even want to explain."

Seeing the seriousness, Fluttershy gulped.

"Is he really…that bad?"

Discord nodded.

"You're lucky I took care of him when I did. I was lucky myself to even survive when I overthrew him."

But he then changed the mood as he found Hope amongst the crowd.

"But enough of the past. Now if you excuse me, ladies, I shall go introduce myself to your Earthmate friend."

As Discord poofed away, the majority of the Mane Six hurried to the dance floor to stop him. The only who didn't move from her place was Twilight, who frowned sadly as she found herself in deep thought. Even though he didn't know it, Discord had struck a very sensitive nerve that Romano had done a little while ago. Now, she couldn't stay at the ball anymore.

She had to perform her annual errand.

Twilight pulled away from the crowd and approached the princesses and Shining Armor, all four of them noticing the saddened look on her face.

"Is everything alright, Twilight?" Celestia asked.

As much as Twilight wanted to say she was fine, she couldn't keep her feelings in.

"Princess. Since this is the anniversary, I have to go…see him."

"Him?" Luna asked, confused.

But Celestia, Cadence, and Shining Armor realized what Twilight was talking about and in order, they spoke.

"Of course, Twilight. How could I have forgotten? Please forgive me." Celesta apologized.

Twilight shook her head.

"It's alright. I had forgotten myself until Romano reminded me."

Cadence embraced her sister-in-law as she spoke.

"Go on. If anyone asks, we'll tell them you wished for some fresh air."

Shining Armor then pulled his sister in an ever tighter embrace as he whispered to her.

"Tell him I send my love, too."

Twilight wanted to cry right then and there, but she didn't want to cause a scene. Instead, she thanked them as she left the ball, only Luna was lost in the conversation between the royals.

"Would somepony mind telling me what is going on?"

Knowing her sister needed to know, Celestia looked to Cadence and Shining Armor.

"Could you look after things for me? I have to tell her."

The royal couple nodded as the two sisters left the room to speak.

It was only a few minutes afterwards did Hope finally got some time to rest. Romano wanted to dance every dance with her and there was a possibility they would have had not this strange creature decided he should cut in. Strangely enough, her friends from Ponyville knew him and it was Fluttershy who told her to rest while they dealt with the strange creature, leaving Hope with both relief and questions.

But as she took off her shoes, she saw from the shadows Twilight walking out the castle garden and out into Canterlot.

"Now where is she going?" Hope muttered to herself as she cast the shoes aside and followed Twilight in the shadows.

At first, she thought Twilight was going for a walk until they had reached the gates of Canterlot. Upon passing the gates, Hope became concerned for her friend and continued to follow. Once they were far enough from prying eyes, Hope decided to turn into her Wooly self and continue on, her dress changing so that it fit her fuzzy body.

Keeping to the shadows again, Hope continued to follow Twilight to a nearby forest that was much more friendly-looking than the Everfree Forest. They walked for what seemed to be a couple of miles into the forest when Twilight slowed her gait, prompting Hope to do the same thing as they approached a clearing.

The clearing was about the circumference of Twilight's old library if not twice as big. The grass covered the forest floor like a large rug and at the end of the clearing was a cave with a broken statue inside, faintly seen in the moonlight. At the center of the clearing was a single stone, but when Hope squinted her eyes, she saw that it had writing on it.

It was a tombstone.

Twilight smiled sadly as she knelt down onto her stomach in front of the stone.

"Hello, Dusk Shine. Sorry that I hadn't visited you in a while. Things had been pretty crazy. But guess what? I'm a princess now. And Shining Armor's married to Princess Cadence and are ruling the Crystal Empire together. But most of all, I have friends. I'm pretty sure that if you were here, you'd love them just as much as I do."

Hope remained silent, making sure Twilight didn't hear her.

But who was this mysterious Dusk Shine? Was he someone Twilight knew very well? But before Hope could think, Twilight began to sing to the stone.

never thought this day would come

When I have made proud both Dad and Mom,

When I have become a princess

I never thought I'd pass the test,

But when I should be happy

I am, in truth, so sad,

Because there is one who had died

To have seen how hard I tried…

(Chorus)

It was you that encouraged me

To follow my dreams, to make them be~,

It was you who made me persevere

Every time I had shed a tear~,

If there is anyone I'm thankful for this win

It is you, my beloved twin~,

Hope's eyes widened as she realized what Twilight was doing. She was singing a sort of prayer to this "Dusk Shine" pony. The Earthmate remained silent as Twilight sang more.

I know that Shining Armor is proud

And my friends feel like clouds

All so light with glee

As proud as they could be,

But on-ly I would know~

Just how proud you would be~…

You have been with me since we began

We were each other's biggest fan,

When I fell, you'd helped me up

When you were sad, I cheered you up,

(Chorus)

It was you that encouraged me

To follow my dreams, to make them be~,

It was you who made me persevere

Every time I had shed a tear~,

If there is anyone I thankful for this win

It is you, my beloved twin~,

(Instrumental solo with Twilight speaking to the grave)

Twilight sighed as she looked at the grave, tears falling form her eyes.

"I wish you were still with us, Dusk. I just know that you would be proud of me and Shining Armor."

She then continued to sing.

(Chorus)

It was you that encouraged me

To follow my dreams, to make them be~,

It was you who made me persevere

Every time I had shed a tear~,

If there is anyone I thankful for this win

It is you, my beloved twin~,

(Chorus)

It was you that encouraged me

To follow my dreams, to make them be~,

It was you who made me persevere

Every time I had shed a tear~,

If there is anyone I thankful for this win

It is you, my beloved...twin~~~

The sound of clapping surprise caused Twilight to jump. Turning around, she found that the source of the clapping was a Wooly. A golden Wooly.

"Hope?! What are you doing here?"

The Wooly answered the princess.

"I was outside the castle, taking a breather, when I saw you walk out of the gardens. I became curious and followed. When you left Canterlot, I had become worried and snuck away to see if you were alright."

She then bowed as low as she could as a Wooly.

"I'm sorry."

While Twilight was surprised that she was followed, she was touched at Hope's worry. She shook her hoof off at the Earthmate.

"I-it's ok, Hope. I was just surprised. Thank you for your concern, though."

She then turned to the tombstone as Hope reverted to her human form.

"I was speaking with my brother."

Hope raised an eyebrow out of confusion.

"Your brother?"

Twilight nodded as she gazed at the tombstone.

"I have two brothers. One is my older brother, Shining Armor. He's attending the ball as we speak."

Her voice got lower as she continued.

"…and the other…was my twin brother, Dusk Shine."

Twilight's Narration

I wasn't always a loner. If there was one pony I was rarely apart from, it was Dusk Shine. The two of us did everything together. We played together. We sang together. We laughed together. And we cried together. He was even there with me when I witnessed my first Summer Sun Celebration that inspired me to take up magic and had the same interest.

The two of us studied magic, encouraging each other to work hard and do our best. When we signed up for our entrance exams, we scheduled them on the same day, just at different times. But when my magic went out of control during my exam, Dusk tried to help me, but he went out of control, too, until Princess Celestia calmed us.

That was how we got our Cutie Marks. They looked the same, but while I had a magenta star, he had an emerald star.

We both became Celestia's protégé's together. This clearing we are in was my brother's favorite spot. We used to come here every day after our lessons to do our homework and experiment with our magic.

But one day, I got too ambitious and decided to try a very difficult spell. Dusk tried to warn me not to perform it, but I didn't listen. I just wanted to become better. But when I performed it, I found myself out of control once again.

I don't remember much about what happened, but I do remember that Dusk Shine saved me by "taking" the spell from me and allowed the light from the spell consume us. When I came to, my twin was nowhere to be found.

Celestia, my family, and I searched all over the clearing and the forest for any sign of him. But the only thing we found…was a singed locket that I gave him on our birthday.

Third Person POV

"…And so…we assumed…that…"

Twilight's voice broke into a sob as Hope was able to piece together on what happened. With a saddened look in her eyes, she placed a comforting hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I can't imagine losing a loved one in such a way. Not even when my mother died."

The half-monster then gave a small smile.

"I may not have known him, but I'm certain that he'd be so proud of you. From what of the stories you have told me, I can only imaging his reaction and that he'd want you to continue to move forward. Yes, the past hurts. But with every pain we take in, we can move better for the future."

Twilight just broke down and buried her head into Hope's shoulder, tears staining the white dress. Hope wasn't that surprised. At times, she broke down into tears whenever she thought about her mother. So she let Twilight cry on. It was a cry she needed.

"Let it all out. Don't hold back. Let every drop fall until there is no more." Hope whispered, comforting the princess as she cried.

Meanwhile…

A dark cackle echoed through a dark place as its owner watched the scene in a large crystal sphere that was placated in the maw of a gold snake.

"How amusing. To think that the Element of Magic has a very strong weakness. I cannot wait until dawn. I'll reveal myself to her and that pest on WHO is the true ruler of Equestria!"

The figure cackled darkly into the night as a pair of eyes glowed a neon green so wickedly.

Chapter 1: A Little Hope

Chapter 1

A Little Hope

It has been a difficult time in Equestria lately. In the Everfree Forest, strange creatures began to appear. It didn't seem to be a problem at first, but when the ponies of Equestria tried to speak to them when a small group was blocking a trade route, the creatures attacked. Since then, whenever the ponies and the "monsters" got close, the monsters would attack, leaving a pony or three injured.

With the fear of the monsters growing, trade between cities and towns began to cease, leaving the ponies in each community with little resources. This problem eventually reached the kingdom's rulers: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Ever since the panic began, the two princesses had combed the Royal Library to find a solution.

They've searched deep into the vast corridors of the library from top to bottom, but have found no records of these strange beasts. That is…until one night, when the younger of the two sisters, the Mare of the Night: Princess Luna spotted a small group of the creatures just outside of the Everfree forest. They were small and wooly, resembling bipedal sheep. Even she thought these creatures were cute, but she also knew that appearances can be deceiving.

Luna returned to the library later that night to continue the search that she and her sister had started. After several books, she came across a book called "Encyclopedia of the First Forest." Luna's interest peaked as she opened the unfamiliar tome. She didn't need to go through fifty pages to find all of the monsters that had appeared in Equestria lately in the book, including the bipedal sheep, which were called "Woolys."

As she read, Luna learned something interesting. The creatures, including the Woolys, can be used not only as livestock, but they could also help out with the farm work on certain farms in a world that the encyclopedia kept mentioning: Rune. She also read that the best people to tame such monsters are a kind of human known as Earthmates, who are well known not only for taming and befriending monsters, but the majority of Earthmates are gifted farmers, growing high quality crops with the aid of monsters.

As Luna read on, she realized that the best answer for the crisis in Equestria was to find an Earthmate and have them control the mass of free-ranged monsters until their origin in the Everfree Forest is discovered. And so that the Earthmate wouldn't be lonely, from time to time, she will bring a human or two to live in Equestria.

Taking the encyclopedia with her, Luna raced off to the study, where her sister was. She found Celestia concluded reading a letter from her protégé in Ponyville by the fire. The elder of the two sisters looked at Luna with concern.

"Luna. What is the matter?"

"Sister, I believe I have found the answer to the crisis at hand."

Luna explained what she had found in the library and explained her plan to Celestia. The elder princess gave this some critical thought. If these creatures were common in the world of Rune, then the perfect Earthmate for this predicament must be there as well. But…in order to find the Earthmate, they must cross the borders between the worlds. A dangerous tactic.

As Luna finished, Celestia then inquired her sister.

"Are you certain that this plan of yours will work?"

Luna then answered, her face saddened.

"In honesty, I am unsure. But I see that there's no other way. I know that crossing the borders between worlds is a dangerous task, but it's our only hope…" She then looked on at her sister. "…and my redemption."

Celestia frowned at her words. Even when her protégé, Twilight Sparkle, helped Luna adjust to the new era and helped the other ponies see that she had changed, the younger sister still felt that her actions as the villainous Nightmare Moon was far from forgiven. Now, Celestia sees that Luna really wanted to do this. Not just for Equestria, but for herself as well.

Sighing, Celestia gave her answer.

"Very well, Luna. Use the crystal to find the right Earthmate. One with not only in tune with nature, but has a pure heart as well."

Luna smiled gratefully at her sister and left for the Scrying Chamber, where the Dimensional Crystal was kept. While Celestia began preparations for the Earthmate's arrival.

Three days passed, and there were still no signs of the perfect Earthmate. Luna's search seemed to be hopeless as she looked on an on at the crystal. But, as she began to think that this was the end, her search bore fruit. With a hopeful smile, Luna used her magic to pick up the crystal and went off in search of her sister. When Celestia heard the news, she readied the spell.

Meanwhile, on a farm in the world of Rune…

A human girl of sixteen was finishing up with her chores as the last of her family's monsters were entering the Monster Huts for the day. After watering the last of the crops, the girl wiped the sweat off her brow, moving her blond bangs aside.

As she put her tools away, she called out to her father, who was going inside their house, which was carved into a giant Sharance Tree.

"I'm going out for a walk, Papa."

"Alright. Just be back before dark, Hope."

With a smile and an "I will" called out, the girl, who was called Hope, left the farm and began to walk on the path that was next to the farm, unaware of the winds of destiny that were blowing.

As Hope walked down the path, she began to think of her future. Having being born and raised on a farm, she was the kind of girl who wanted to start a farm on her own, have one of the best crops in the kingdom, and start a family. But even with her big dreams, she still worried about her father. After her mother died when she was young, it had been her and her father for ten years. Now, with the next stage of her life approaching as well as her father's, Hope began to think that maybe having her dream farm nearby so that she could help her father when he needed it.

But little did she know that her destiny lied farther away than she knew.

As she had turned back to head home, a fierce gale caused Hope to stop walking, bracing herself against the fierce wind.

"Ugh! Must be a storm coming. There's no other explanation why the wind is strong today."

"True, young Earthmate. But I am not a storm."

In an instant, Hope turned on her heel gaped in shock as she came across a creature she had never seen before.

It was none other than Princess Luna. But she didn't even know who or what the creature is, readers. All Hope thought she was a type of undiscovered monster and was nervous. Luna saw this and understood why the Earthmate feared her.

"Do not be afraid, young one. I am not your enemy."

Luna's reassurance managed to calm Hope down a little, but she was still nervous.

"Wh-who are you? What are you?"

"I am Princess Luna. One of the two rulers of Equestria and I am a pony. And I have come to ask for your aid."

This only confused the girl as she was still trying to figure out what on Rune was going on.

"What do you mean by 'needing my aid'? And what is Equestria?"

Luna, knowing how confused the girl was, explained.

"Equestria is a land of magic that mainly consists of three types of ponies: the Earth Ponies, who tend to the land and provide food for the land; the Pegasai, who see to the skies and the weather; and the Unicorns, who are skilled in magic. We have been a peaceful kingdom mostly, with only a few incidences, but that changed when unusual creatures began to appear in a specific location rarely anypony visits: The Everfree Forest. My sister, Princess Celestia, and I combed our libraries for a way to control the ever-growing chaos when I found a book about your world. That is where I learned that the best way to change the tides in this crisis is by having an Earthmate come to Equestria and start a farm in a town that is nearest to the Everfree Forest. He or she can use their power to stop them."

Luna then answered Hope's internal question.

"And the Earthmate my sister and I have chosen…is you."

Hope was in shock at the princess' story and reason for meeting her. Hope was an intelligent girl and it didn't take much for her to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"S-so you're saying that…I have to come with you to this Equestria, start a farm, and control the monster population until the matter is solved?"

Luna nodded. She was impressed by the girl's intellect, but she was concerned on her willingness. She needed to get the girl to Equestria as soon as possible, but she wanted the girl to go on her own free will.

"I know it seems to be overwhelming, so I will give you a day to think it over. I will not force you to come to Equestria, but many ponies have been hurt because of those monsters. And if you are pure of heart and we figured, you'll know what to do."

Back on the Farm...

When Hope got home, she met up with her father inside their house, where he was cooking dinner with some of the produce the two of them had collected that day. Hope's father, Micah, spotted his daughter coming inside with a pondering look on her face, which caused him concern as well.

"Hope? You ok, sweetie?"

Hope sat down at the dining table as she began to dish up dinner.

"Sort of."

She then looked at her father.

"Papa? What would you think of me moving and starting my own farm?"

Micah was confused at what his daughter was saying.

"Well, whatever you want to do is fine by me. But what's the story behind this?"

Hope told her father about Luna and what she had said. Everything from Equestria to its crisis.

"Then, she told me that I was Equestria's last hope against the monsters because I'm an Earthmate. She told me if I accepted, then I would have my own farm near a town in Equestria, but that meant leaving here. Right now, I don't know what to think."

Micah could see the conflict in his daughter's eyes.

"You want to help them, but don't want to be far from home."

He then placed a hand on Hope's shoulder.

"Do what your heart says. If you want to go to this other world, then do so. Don't worry about me. I can take care of everything and if I need help, I can ask one of the villagers. Don't let me be the anchor on your ship of life."

His words managed to make Hope smile. Even though she didn't want to leave, he was encouraging her to go.

"Thanks, Papa."

She then got up and put her empty plate in the sink.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna tell the princess that I'm going."

Micah smiled as he spoke.

"Alright. I'll get your things together. See you later, Sweet Pea."

Hope ran out of the house and made her way to the tool shed, where she grabbed her sword. Just in case. She then got a lantern, lit it, and ran down the path until she was at the spot where she met Luna. Once there, she called out her name.

"Princess Luna? It's me, Hope. I've made my decision and decided to help you and settle in Equestria."

Hope was half expecting to hear Luna's voice, but was startled when she heard a new, serene voice speak to her.

"We are pleased that you agreed to come on your own free will, young Earthmate. But my sister is tending to the night in Equestria as we speak." It was then that another alicorn appeared, a different one compared to Luna. From the description that Luna had given her, Hope got down on one knee.

"You are Princess Celestia?"

Celestia smiled as she motioned the girl to rise.

"I am. And I have heard plenty about you, Hope. I cannot tell you how grateful Luna and I are in your coming to Equestria. The crisis has escalated since my sister's visit here and I am unsure of how long we can hold the creatures back."

"What do I need to do to get started?" Hope asked, eager to get started.

Celestia smiled at this young Earthmate's courage to do the right thing and explained.

"Very well. I will let you and your father pack and give you time to say your good-byes to him and to your village. Luna will return in the morning and will take you to your farm near Ponyville, since that is where the creatures are most frequent. After you get settled in, I will have my student, Twilight Sparkle, and her assistant, Spike, give you a tour of Ponyville. It may be a little rough at first, but Luna and I have faith that you can do it."

Hope smiled as she thanked Celestia before the princess returned to her kingdom. As Hope made her way back home, she looked up into the starry night sky and sighed.

"This is it. I'm really doing it. I'll miss Rune, but I have no doubt that I will make myself at home in Equestria just fine."

Credits

Tara Strong…..…Twilight Sparkle

Ashleigh Ball…..…Applejack and Rainbow Dash

Andrea Libman…..…Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie

Tabitha St. Germian…...…Rarity and Princess Luna

Cathy Wesluck….….Spike

Nicole Oliver….….Princess Celestia

Britt McKillip…Princess Cadance

Andrew Francis…..Shining Armor

John de Lancie…...Discord

Laura Bailey…..…Hope

Vic Mignogna….…..Romano

Neil Patrick Harris…Dusk Shine/Serpentine

Simon Templeman…...Vipiro

Chapter 2: Welcome to Ponyville: Part 1

Chapter 2

Welcome to Ponyville

Part 1

The next morning, Hope got ready for the journey that the day was bringing. She chose to where a blue overall-dress that went to her knees with a pink shirt under it. It was easy for her to tie her new boots with her blond hair tied in a side ponytail, pink flowers covering the band. Even though it seemed a little unnecessary to her, she wanted to make a good impression at her new home.

After saying good-bye to her hometown and father, Hope, fully packed with the necessities needed to start her new life, arrived at the path where she met the princess and found Princess Luna waiting for her.

"My sister told me that you have agreed to come to Equestria. I, and everypony in Equestria, am eternally grateful. Now, are you ready to go? Once I use the spell, it will be some time before you could see your father again. It takes a lot of magical energy to teleport and it would take some time for that energy to recover."

Hope looked back at her father's farm one last time before turning toward the princess once more. Taking in a deep breath, she answered her.

"I'm ready."

With the Earthmate's permission, Luna focused her magic on the spell, her horn glowing bright. A flash of light blinded Hope, causing her to cover her eyes to keep the blindness from becoming permanent. The bright light stayed for a few minutes before Hope could sense it dimming.

Finally, the light completely faded and Hope uncovered her eyes to see an amazing sight. She was on a hill with a path that leads to a quaint town at the bottom of the hill. Next to the town was a dark forest and behind the town was a mountain with a castle protruding from the side of the mountain's peak. Walking around in the town were various, smaller ponies of every shape, size, and color.

Hope was fascinated at the sight, but soon felt intimidated at the thought of being the only human in all of Equestria, much less the town ahead of her. Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head.

"Get a grip, Hope. You may be the only human in this world, but that doesn't mean you should be nervous."

Hope jumped when she heard a person talking to someone. She hid behind a tree and watched as a lavender alicorn walked up the path from the town. She wasn't as tall as the princesses, but she was just tall enough to reach her shoulders. She had a navy mane and tail with a pink strip on both. She also had a magenta starburst mark on her flank with small, white stars surrounding it. On the alicorn's back was a purple and green wingless dragon that was the size of a sack of potatoes.

"Are you sure this 'Earthmate,' is supposed to me here? I don't see her anywhere." The dragon asked, looking around.

"The letter that Princess Celestia sent said that Princess Luna would send the Earthmate to Moonlight Hill. We should know it's her because she is not a pony." The alicorn explained.

Realizing they were talking about her, Hope cleared her throat, accidentally startling the pair in the process. She left her hiding place and voiced to the pair.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Are one of you, by any chance, Twilight Sparkle?"

Recovering from the shocks that startled the pony, the alicorn cleared her throat and introduced herself.

"It's alright. And yes. I am Twilight Sparkle." She then gestured to the dragon, which fell from her back. "And this is my assistant, Spike. I take it that you are the Earthmate that the princesses told me about?"

Hope nodded.

"Yes. My name's Hope. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Spike cocked his head and asked a question.

"What are you?"

"Spike! That's rude!" Twilight scolded the dragon.

"I was just curious." The dragon protested.

Hope waved her hands in defense, hoping to prevent a fight.

"No-no. It's alright. I was expecting questions like that."

She then looked toward Spike, placing a hand on her chest.

"My general species are known as humans. Earthmates are a special kind of humans that great in farming and taming monsters."

This amazed the young dragon and brought an interest to the alicorn. But the sound of the town below brought Twilight back to reality, enabling her to remember what she was here for.

"Sounds interesting. I'd love to see how an Earthmate is able to tame monsters, but we have to get moving. Spike and I are supposed to take you to your farm and show you around Ponyville."

Hope silently gulped as she followed Twilight and Spike around the outskirts of town to make their way to her farm before introducing the newest resident to the denizens of Ponyville. But as they were halfway there, a scream, though soft, reached the ears of the trio. Spike and Twilight recognized the owner of the voice.

"Fluttershy!"

Hope ran behind Twilight as she and Spike made their way to a pasture to find a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane and tail with three pink butterflies on her flank up in a tree. Upon seeing Twilight and Spike, she called out in a soft voice to them.

"Twilight! Spike! Stay back or it will get you!"

"What?" The alicorn asked. The Pegasus, whom Hope identified as Fluttershy, pointed down to a large wolf, the size of a small cow, growling.

Hope immediately recognized the creature. She slowly set her pack down as she whispered to Twilight and Spike.

"Twilight. Spike. Leave this to me."

"Hope. What are you gonna do?" Twilight asked.

"Just watch." Hope whispered back.

Slowly, Hope reached into the bag and felt around until she felt the familiar feeling of feed.

"Hah. I knew it were here."

She then pulled out a small handful of monster feed that she packed just in case. Then, she slowly got up and made her way to the creature.

The creature spotted her and growled in a defensive stance at her. Hope cooed to it.

"Shh. Easy, boy. I'm not gonna hurt you."

The two ponies and the dragon watched with fear and concern for the girl. Hope stopped and slowly continued toward the creature until she was able to touch the creature on the forehead with her empty hand while feeding it the feed from the other hand.

The trio of onlookers watched in amazement as, after a few strokes, the creature's demeanor changed from frightening beast to gentle creature. Hope spoke softly to the creature.

"There, there. There's no need to be afraid. How would you like to be part of my farm? You'll have food and board in exchange for using your talents to help me with the farm and any other tasks needed, but what do you think?"

The creature thought about the idea for a moment before nodding in agreement. Hope smiled as she hugged the neck of her first monster for her farm.

"Great. How about 'Soren' for a name?"

The creature snorted in agreement as Hope stood up and waved to the Pegasus.

"It's ok, now. Soren was just disoriented, that's all."

The Pegasus slowly hovered to the ground as Twilight went to check up on her.

"Fluttershy! Are you ok? What happened?"

As Spike spoke to Hope in utter amazement at her ability to tame such a fearsome creature, Fluttershy told Twilight what happened.

"Well, I was checking up on the creatures here at the pasture because of the monster sightings when that monster came out of the Everfree Forest. It was thrashing about, so I decided to see how it was. That was when it chased me up the tree."

"What about your wings? Couldn't you fly away?"

The blush on Fluttershy's face told Twilight that she forgot with the events that had been happening. Sighing, Twilight spoke to her friend.

"Anyway, it's a good thing me and Spike were leading Hope this way to get to her farm."

She then looked at the Earthmate, who was petting her newly acquired monster as Spike was asking questions rapidly that Hope couldn't answer them at all.

After some coaxing on Twilight's part, Fluttershy approached the Earthmate and the monster that frightened her. Looking at the girl, Fluttershy spoke.

"Th-thank you f-for saving m-me. T-Twilight said that y-you are the Earthmate that the princesses said was coming."

Hope nodded.

"Yes. I am. My name is Hope." She then looked at Soren. "I suggest that you apologize to her, Soren. After all, we're all going to be neighbors."

Soren did as he was told, though he tried to act tough around the others. He looked at Fluttershy and lowered his head in apology. Once the apology was taken care of, Hope gathered her items and spoke.

"Well? Shall we move on? I'm sure Soren is looking forward to a good rest."

Soren nodded in agreement as he joined up with Hope.

But Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike stopped her.

"But wait! How did you tame that mon…Soren?"

"You've calmed him faster than I could."

"That was amazing!"

Hope rubbed the back of her head, not familiar with this much praise.

'I wonder if this is how Papa felt when he tamed Woolt."

Woolt was a Wooly on her father's farm and the first monster tamed by him. She was told that he got a lot of praise when he tamed the sheep-like monster.

Seeing that the two ponies and the dragon were looking at her hand, Hope decided it was best to explain as Twilight led them to her farm, pointing to the glove that was still on her hand.

"In Rune, beginner farmers have special gloves called Friendship Gloves. When a person with a Friendship Glove pets a wild monster a few times, a mental link is made. That link enables the person to easily communicate with the wild monster without worry of attack. Once the monster is calm, the person asks them if they would like to join them or not. We keep the glove until we get good enough that we don't need them. You can thank my papa for that."

"Wow!" Spike exclaimed as the two ponies expressed amazement.

"That's incredible. So this Friendship Glove helps to calm the monster down so that you can ask." Fluttershy spoke.

"I must admit, that sounds interesting. I still need to learn more, but this time, your explanation will do." Twilight spoke.

It was then that Fluttershy remembered something.

"Oh! I have to go. I need to feed Angel and her friends. But it was nice meeting you, Hope. You too, Soren."

Hope and the others watched as Fluttershy took off before they continued.

Several minutes later, Hope slowed down as Twilight did near what appeared to be an apple farm.

"This is Sweet Apple Acres. The largest apple farm in all of Ponyville. Your farm is just past here, so the ponies that live here will be your neighbors."

"Really?"

Twilight nodded.

"Yes. Though you might have some competition if you're thinking of growing apples."

But before Hope could reply, the sound of someone hitting a tree followed by a thundering noise caught her ear.

"Did you hear that?"

Twilight and Spike took a moment to listen into the silence for a moment before the sound came again. Neither dragon nor alicorn could mistake that familiar sound.

"Oh, that's just another one of my friends harvesting the apples. How about we meet her?"

Curious as to what was making that sound and who her new neighbors were, Hope nodded in agreement as she told Soren to go on ahead. Once the wolf left in the direction of the new farm, Twilight and Spike lead Hope onto the Sweet Apple Acres farmland.

After passing the barn and house on the land, the trio came across a tan pony with green eyes, a blond mane and tail, both tied at the end. She was wearing a brown cowboy hat and had three red apples for a Cutie Mark. The pony was bucking one apple tree at a time, causing the falling apples to land in the large baskets below. To Hope's surprise, none of the apples have landed on the ground.

"Whoa. Talk about your precise accuracy."

That sentence caught the attention of the tan pony.

"Who said that?"

The tan pony looked up to find the three travelers at the edge of the orchard. She recognized the alicorn and the dragon. She spoke with a western accent.

"Why howdy, Twilight and Spike. What brings y'all to this neck of the pasture?"

Twilight gestured to Hope, who was standing at attention.

"Applejack, this is Hope. She's the Earthmate that the princesses sent and your new neighbor."

Hope gave a gentle wave as she smiled nervously.

"Hello. Nice to meet you-u-u-u-u—u!"

But Applejack took Hope's hand with a hoof and shook it like mad, smiling happily as she greeted her new neighbor, not caring what she looked like.

"Well howdy, neighbor! Welcome to Equestria, Ponyville, and Sweet Apple Acres. I'm Applejack. My kin and I own this here farm. We provide the majority of apples in Ponyville. I heard that y'all be taking over the farm at the edge of the Everfree Forest to deal with them nasty critters. Well, if you need a helping hoof, feel free to ask me and I'll be a comin'."

As soon as Applejack released her hand, Hope spoke while rubbing her arm.

"Uh…Thanks, neighbor."

Spike then jumped off of Twilight and, with excitement and free apples from Applejack to the rest, told the farmhorse about what happened to Fluttershy and what Hope did to help her. Applejack was amazed.

"Well color me surprised and call me Shocked. That's some technique you did. I might have to learn a thing or two from you to handle them critters. If what you've said about monsters being tamed is true, then me and my kin are sure happy to have you as a neighbor."

Hope scratched the back of her head with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm glad were gonna be good neighbors, too."

It was then that Twilight spoke.

"We've gotta go, Applejack. We've still have to get Hope to her farm and show her around Ponyville."

Understanding, Applejack nodded.

"Well alright! Y'all come back now, ya hear."

Applejack wave goodbye as the trio left for the farm.