A New Town, a New Start

Chapters

Moving In
Pretty Powerful Party Ponies
Kindness in Bounds

Moving In

The gentle spring breeze rustles the leaves above causing the shadows to dance about in a lazy ripple. My mane gently sways in the wind, cooling my forehead from the warm sun making its path through the wispy cirrus clouds up high. This season surely is a sight as I take it all in. The morning dew still glistening on the tips of grass blades, sparkling like miniature diamonds. The pungent yet still soothing aroma of the many wildflowers growing by the dirt road. The tall oaks shading the path in sparse patches giving momentary relief from the heat. It was the middle of April and the scent of the petrichor wafted up as the road dried from the previous nights drizzle. It was quite the delightful morning, with the exception of the wagon harnessed to me. It wasn't overly heavy, just personal items from home, haphazardly tied down. Still, the weather could have definitely been appreciated further without it.

I pull out my map to see where I am as I pass by an oddly shaped, very large tree that looks to be a landmark. Sure enough, this tree was on the map indicating that my destination, Ponyville, was just over the next hill. I sped up slightly at the thought of at last arriving at my potential new hometown, not to mention a cafe with some refreshing iced lemonade. The top of a large spire peeked over the crest of the hill like a sun rise and slowly gained height as I trudged on. Taking the last step over the ridge revealed to me a small and quaint looking village of thatched roofed cottages and an assortment of varied shops. In the center of town was what appeared to be town hall, the spire that I had seen previously proudly protruding above all others. That was to be my second stop once within city limits. First things first, a refreshment.

"Welp," I proclaimed to the air, "here I am at last."

Walking through town, few ponies payed me much mind aside from a kind smile or wave. I was liking this place already with such friendly ponies wandering the streets. Passing through this small residential segment of town I came upon the more commercial area with all the diverse shops and restaurants. I wasn't particularly picky about where I stopped, so I just picked the closest cafe and unharnessed myself from my burden. Walking towards the entrance, I was greeted by a pretty mare with a snow white coat, dark purple curly hair, a wide brimmed sun hat, and three diamonds for a cutie mark who was sitting at a nearby table.

"Why, hello there!" the mare greeted merrily. "I say dear, are you new around here? I don't believe I've seen you around before."

I didn't want to be rude so I stopped and turned to face her fully. She had incredible sapphire blue eyes with long eyelashes and an obvious interest in who I might be. Her hair was coiffed in such a way that clearly showed she knew her way around fashion. The sun hat positioned upon her head only reinforced that thought. It was an eggshell blue with a canary yellow ribbon. I hesitated for only a moment while analysing these things before responding.

"Oh, yes, well I am new in town. Just arrived, actually, and figured I could stop to get something to quench my thirst." I responded.

"Well, it's always a pleasure to meet new ponies. I know! Why don't you join me this lovely morning? It's always better to share such splendid weather with nice ponies don't you think?" she grinned at me, fluttering her luscious lashes. I couldn't quite tell if it was flirtatious or not, but either way she seemed like a kind pony.

"Sure! Always better to make friends early on rather than later." I proclaim drawing back a chair with my wing and sitting down across from her.

"Well, how can I be your friend if I don't even know your name yet, hm?" she playfully inquires.

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Dusty. Dusty Tome. What's yours?" I ask in response.

"Dusty? What a lovely name! So unique! My name is Rarity, and I am the proud owner of Carousel Boutique, a dress shop just up the road." she proclaims rather happily. Clearly she takes much pride in her business. I made a mental note to check it out at a later time.

"Well, it's a pleasure making your acquaintance Miss Rarity. I actually plan on opening my own store once I settle in and find a place to rent." I offer up as conversation just as our waitress arrives with a small pad of paper and a pen.

"What can I get you two?" she brightly says with a smile.

"I would like a nice cinnamon and chai tea please. Iced this time. It's a rather warm day today." Rarity replies without hesitation. She has the menu memorized I assume and clearly knows this mare.

"And what for the stallion?" she asks turning to face me with her joyous grin.

"A simple iced lemonade please." I say in turn.

She nods briskly and trots inside. I turn to face Rarity to see that she is studying me.

"So, where are you from?" she asks, clearly interested.

"I'm from Fort Vandercolt up north." I inform her.

"Ooh! I've not met many ponies from Vandercolt. I imagine it's much chillier there than temperate Ponyville?" she inches a little closer to the table, her elbows propped up.

"Oh definitely. I think the snow would be just now melting at home." I respond.

"I'm not sure I would like that much snow and ice." she says with a small frown.

"Oh it's not all that bad, but that's probably a biased opinion seeing as I grew up there," I lightly chuckle.

"Well, I was born and raised here in this very town," she proclaims gesturing to the open road. "I've always admired the high society of Canterlot and Manehattan though." she states, lighting up.

"I'm not much of a fan of the hustle and bustle." I confessed with a sheepish grin.

"Oh well, that life is not for everypony," she waves dismissively just as the waitress comes back with a tray and two drinks.

"Here we are!" our waitress proclaims lowering the drinks on the table. "That's one bit a piece," she relays.

Just as I'm about to pull out my coin bag, Rarity puts a hoof on my own and stops me in my tracks.

"Do not worry darling, I'll handle this," she assured. I tried to protest but she had already placed the bits in the waitresses waiting hoof who sauntered off.

"I certainly could have payed myself, Rarity," I protest sincerely.

"Now, now. You have done me the favor of sitting with me and conversing which is more than I thought I was getting today, darling," she counters after taking a small sip of her iced tea. "It is my pleasure!"

Seeing the determination and certainty in her eyes I concede defeat. "Well that's very generous of you Rarity, thank you."

We both take drinks of our respective beverages and continue where we left off. "So," Rarity starts. "What made you decide to move to Ponyville? Change in scenery perhaps?"

"Well I just recently finished college and decided to settle down somewhere. Ponyville seemed like a very quiet and lovely place to live, and might I add that the residents are even better than I imagined." I wink at her jokingly. She giggles at this which makes me wonder if she saw the 'joke' in the wink. Oh well.

"Well Ponyville is normally a very docile place but it has been known to be...turned upside down, for lack of a better term." she admitted. "It's not an everyday occurrence though, dear," she comforts me having seen the slight worry in my eyes.

"That's the reason I moved here is the peace and quiet this place exudes," I clarified.

"Than your stay will surely be pleasant!" she beams. "Maybe we can have these talks more often then." she winks at me over the rim of her tea glass as she takes another sip.

The clock tower at the far end of the road strikes eleven and Rarity starts at the bell's great ring. "My my my! Time flies when one is having fun," she frets glancing at the clock. "Well it has been an absolute delight to meet you Dusty and I hope to see you again very soon, but I must get back to work. Many things to sew," she nodded, giving me a quick smile before heading off in the direction of her boutique. Still unsure of the nature of the smile, I quickly down the remainder of the lemonade and reharness myself to the wagon. I decide now is a good time to head off towards Town Hall. It is one of the taller buildings of Ponyville with a wrap-around porch, intervaled windows, and two story high, cream colored walls. The velvet roof of Town Hall is curved into a tall spire with a flag waving lazily in the gentle breeze. Parking the wagon in front, I approach the large red double doors and peek through to the inside. The main foyer is mostly barren save for the single desk directly to the left with a receptionist scribbling on parchment. More curtained doors spread out around the room. Deciding it best to talk to the receptionist, I approached the desk and cleared my throat.

"Um, hello there, I just arrived here in Ponyville," I manage to come up with. Not the most eloquent but hey. "I have a deposit on a new home here in town and was wondering if you could help me locate it and the landlord."

She glances up from her furious scratching and looks me up and down. "You the one with the two story in the market district?" she chimed at me before looking back down on her prey. The scribbles only picked up in speed which made me wonder how late she must be with that form.

"Yes ma'am, I am." I confirmed, fascinated by the ferocity in her eyes as the quill blurred over the paper. She suddenly and abruptly stopped and looked at her work in a calculating fashion. With a slight nod she held it up for all to see. 'All' being myself at the present moment. It was in fact not paperwork, but a sketch of what looked like a manticore in a regal and proud pose. It was indeed very well drawn and it was apparent she was quite proud of it herself. I guess the day had been running slow and she had found a hobby to indulge in in the passing time.

"Well," she huffed, "Now that that's out of the way." She casually tossed the art piece aside like it was a dime a dozen and focused on me, who was still entranced by the sketch. Snapping back to reality I tried to regain my composure.

"Well yes, umm..." was all I managed before she brightened up.

"Oh yes, the key to the residence. It's right here," she produced the key and offered it to me. It seemed like any other key.

"Thanks," I replied, not quite sure what to say next. "You wouldn't happen to have a map of town would you? I just arrived so I don't know my way around just yet."

She gestured to the small end table next to one of the two purple chairs in front of her desk and said, "Right on that table there are some maps. Need anything else?"

"Um, no. Thank you for your help though!" I exclaimed over my shoulder as I headed towards the exit with my new map. She simply waved a hoof before procuring another fresh piece of paper and started to draw once more. Part of me wondered what she would produce next.

Standing on the porch once again, I scanned the map for the street my new residence would be. It seemed to be on the same street as the Golden Oaks Library, which snagged my attention. A library. Well, the more the merrier in the book business. I'll have to check it out once I'm all set up. Hooking the wagon on once again, I started off in the direction of the library. Using the map as guidance I only managed to make one wrong turn but eventually found the correct street. What I wasn't prepared for was the library itself. It was a burnt hole in the ground. There was no library at all, just a sign that said Golden Oaks Library and a hole in the ground where something obviously used to be. Very confused and a little sad that it was destroyed, I turned to walk towards my home to see an even bigger shock above the rooftops. Down the street, towering above every other building in town, was a humongous, crystal, tree house castle. It rang a few bells in the back of my head but the rest were a little occupied trying to get over the shock. How could I have missed this?! WHAT is this? WHO'S was it? And that's when it all clicked. A facehoof was definitely in the works for this one. Ponyville. Duh.

"How in Equestria did I forget this! It's a princess' castle, who forgets that?" I mutter to myself, picking my jaw off the ground.

This was Princess Twilight's castle, in her home in Ponyville. I knew this, yet somehow forgot when I decided to move here. What a pleasant self surprise. Well if Princess Twilight is here that also means the other Elements of Harmony are here too. What were their names again? Eh, I'm sure I'll remember later. Now though is the time to settle in, then sort this out later.

Doing my best to ignore the sparkling castle above, I continued on looking at the mailboxes for the house numbers. 306, 308, 310, 312. Here we are! 314, my new home here in Ponyville. It didn't seem all too special in comparison to the other houses on the street aside from one minor detail. Directly next door was the short path to the castle.

"What are the chances?" I sigh in resignation. Oh well, at least I can say my neighbors are a gem.

The house itself was standard cream colored with a thatched roof, two stories tall. The bottom floor had a wooden door and two-foot by four-foot window with a display. Perfect! There was a short cobble path from the front steps to the street with small azaleas lining it. Cozy was the word I'd use to describe it. Leaving the cart outside, I unlock the door and peek inside. The sunlight coming through the window illuminates the whole first floor providing an adequate view of the groundwork. It's a fairly spacious area with a sectioned off counter area to the side. Clearly the ponies who owned this place previously had a shop of their own. There was a storage room in the far back corner next to the counter which had empty shelves from the floor to the ceiling. Also perfect. Aside from that the first floor was completely barren, which was alright with me. Less to clean and organize. I headed up the stairs to the second floor which had many more rooms than the first floor. The stairs led up to a hallway with a room to both sides. The room on the left was the bathroom which just had standard arrangements: Tub, sink, mirror, toilet. It had checkered tile floors instead of wooden floors like the rest of the building so far. Moving across the hallway I entered the next room to see it was empty, aside from a small wooden desk in one corner and a bookshelf in another. Both were in great condition with little to no wear. There didn't appear to be any closets, it was just an extra room. I decided then it probably would become my study. Moving on down the hallway there was one final door. Pushing the door open with a creak I peered inside into what I could only assume was the bedroom. Lo and behold, it was in fact the bedroom, complete with closet. There was a large window on the wall opposite the door with lavender curtains pulled to the side to let in sunlight. There was a large ovular purple rug with stars along the circumference which reminded me of Starswirl the Bearded's cloak. There was no furniture in the room which I have to admit I was a little disappointed about. Who doesn't like free stuff? Satisfied with the setup, I headed back downstairs only to nearly stumble down as I looked over the railing to see a pink mare with a slightly darker pink, curly and unruly mane studying the room. She had three blue and yellow balloons for a cutie mark and was giggling to herself like she had just told a joke to somepony.

"Uh..." was all I managed to say as I came down the last couple steps. "Who are you, may I ask?" I compose myself. She turned around to look at me and smiled a huge smile. Her blue eyes lit up as she took in a breath.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I'm sorry if I just walked in unannounced like this but I saw a wagon outside and I thought to myself, 'There hasn't been anypony living in here has there? No there hasn't,' and I figured if there was a wagon it meant there was a new pony in town and I just had to come in and welcome you to Ponyville because you're new and if you're new that means you could use a friend! I'm friends with just about everypony in town and I make it my own pinkie promise to always greet newcomers to Ponyville. So, hi! Welcome to Ponyville!" All of this came spewing out of her like a valve had been opened and the floodwaters were let loose. Being an avid reader I was used to reading fast and fast talking wasn't all too different, so I picked up everything she spouted, thankfully.

"Hello. I'm Dusty Tome and yes, I am new in town. How are you?" I replied, a little flustered she had just walked in and made herself at home so quickly.

"I'm doing super duper mister! Would you like some help with your stuff?" she pointed outside to my belongings.

"Oh no I'm fine, thank you for asking though," was my reply but she had already dashed outside and was balancing boxes on her back, walking back inside. Oh well, it is nice to have help. Me and Pinkie made record time hauling all the boxes inside the main room. I was a tad tired but Pinkie looked like she could run a marathon and still have energy to spare. I blame that on the traveling. She started sifting through a box that had knick knacks in it and pulled out a snow globe that read Fort Vandercolt on the bottom.

"Ooh! You've been to Fort Vandercolt? That's so cool! I've never been there before. Is it fun? Did you go ice skating?" She grinned as she shook the snow globe making a miniature snowstorm in the tiny town.

"Actually, Pinkie, that's where I'm from, and to answer your question, yes. I did ice skate and it was a very fun sport." I admitted. I began pulling other trinkets out that I would want to use on the bottom floor.

"What other cool things have you got?" she probed, peeking into the box once more. She procured a small wooden figure of a military pony in a captain's uniform.

"Careful with that one please," I instructed,"That's a model of my father that my mother made. He was a captain in Celestia's royal guard back in his time. He's retired now though."

She carefully placed it back in the box before turning to me with another bounce.

"You know, one of my bestest friends' brother is a captain of the royal guard!" she offered, before suddenly stopping in place.

"Oh! I almost forgot. We have to throw you a party! A welcome to Ponyville party! I'll invite my friends over and we can have cake and ice cream and punch!" she exuded getting more and more excited as she went on with the list. Any more and I was afraid she may just simply burst in a cloud of confetti and streamers.

"Oh well I don't mean to impose, Pinkie. You barely even know me. I haven't done anything to deserve a party," I objected.

"Well, what better reason to have a party! It's not every day somepony new moves into Ponyville, so I love it when we can have a party to celebrate such an occasion," she interjected. Can't argue with that logic.

"Well, ok then if you really want to. When will it be?" I asked.

"Tonight silly. You won't be moving in tomorrow if you move in today will you? When else would we do it?" she questioned like it was an obvious answer. How she was going to plan and throw a party in just a few hours I did not know but she clearly seemed to know what she was doing.

"Alrighty then, if you say so." I relinquished over to Pinkie Pie. She screamed in delight before taking off out the door. What kind of party would that pony throw?

Giving a slight chuckle I returned to my unpacking. A large portion of my belongings were books, which were carefully placed on the shelves along the walls. I decided not to worry about organizing just yet so they were haphazardly bundled onto whichever shelf was closest. By the time I had removed all the books from my wagon there was only a few things left to unbox. I put the rest of my stuff in the bedroom to be sorted through later. Well now I just needed some furniture. Heading outside I pulled out the town map to see that the nearest furniture store was Quills and Sofas just a few blocks down. I trotted in that direction and met a pair of mares just outside the establishment. One was a unicorn and had mint green fur and a green and white mane with a lyre for a cutie mark. The other was an earth pony and had cream colored fur with a purple and magenta mane and three candies for a cutie mark. Both looked my way and smiled.

"Oh hi!" said the green mare,"are you new in town? I don't think I've seen you around." She seemed like a very perky individual with a genuine smile.

"Yes I am, nice to meet you. I'm Dusty Tome." I replied with earnest. "What're your names?"

"I'm Lyra Heartstrings!"

"I'm Bon Bon!"

They said this in unison and giggled at each other. They seemed to be very close friends.

"Well I'm just getting some furniture since I've got a new house." I say after their laughter subsides.

"Oh! Would you like some help?" Lyra says lifting a hoof up.

"Well I don't want to impose..."

"Nonsense! Having a unicorn around is very handy with large lifting and I happen to be one of those," Lyra says proudly. While I don't want to have a mare do my work for me she does make a very valid point. Magic is extremely handy at times. Darn logic getting in the way of my moralities.

Well after a few minutes browsing I made my purchases of various household furniture and together we all, with the help of one of the employees, moved all of it to my place. Lyra made quick work with getting everything inside and after much pleading from me accepted payment for her help in the form of a book over primates. She seemed to have a fascination with them. Said they were very intelligent creatures.

There were now a few more shelves in the middle of the ground floor and a lounge area on the opposite side of the room from the counter. There was a blue oval rug with a couch and few armchairs around it, with a lamp on an end table between them. My study now had the oak desk that was already there now complete with chair and kerosene lamp. There was only a few books on the shelf in here. My personal collection of Predictions and Prophecies, Magic for the Non-magic Users, the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy, and many other classics. My bedroom now had a queen sized bed and trunk at the base. What? I like my sleeping space. Don't judge. There was also a bedside table with a picture of my family and a candlestick on it. My closet, however, remained barren since I didn't bring any clothing articles with me. Maybe I'll pay Carousel Boutique a visit later some time.

Suddenly there was a knock on my door followed by the sound of the mail slot clanking. Mail? I just moved in, who could possibly be sending me mail already? Trotting down the stairs I looked to the door and sure enough there was a pink envelope on the welcome mat.

"But who..?" I muttered to myself while lifting the letter. When I opened the seal confetti popped out, startling me into taking a step back. Recovering from the initial shock I pulled out the parchment and unfolded it to read it.

Hi! It's me again Pinkie Pie! This is your official invitation to your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party! This party will be hosted at Sugarcube Corner by none other than me at 6:00 this afternoon this afternoon. There's gonna be games and cakes and balloons and punch! Also I've invited my bestest of friends to come and help me welcome you! See you soon!

Your friend,

Pinkie Pie

Well apparently it is possible to plan a party in just a few hours. Now that I'm done with the furniture I guess I could find Sugarcube Corner a little early. It's only 5:45 but hey, better to get there early than to get lost and not show up for my own party. Talk about being a buzzkill.

After much searching and the eventual assistance from a wall-eyed gray mare, who just so happened to be the mail-mare that delivered the letter, who kindly assisted me in directions, I arrived at Sugarcube Corner at 5:58. Threaded the needle on that one.

I hadn't gotten more than one hoof through the doorway before there was a great pair of blue eyes in my field of vision.

"You're here! Now we can finally start the party!" Pinkie exclaimed as she hopped in place with exuberance. "I'll introduce you to everypony!" she said while dragging me stumbling across the floor.

Author's Note

Well, so it begins. I would like to say thanks to anyone who got this far. Seriously, I never would guess anyone would want to read this, but if you are thank you.

Pretty Powerful Party Ponies

"Pinkie, please! I can walk myself you know," I protested to her vigorous pulling.

The inside of Sugarcube Corner was quite similar to the outside, in that it was very reminiscent of a gingerbread house. The outside was almost a perfect scale model of your run of the mill gingerbread house, even topped with a cupcake tower with a circular window and three candles on top. The roof looked like it was made of chocolate shingles lined with white icing, almost giving the impression that it had recently snowed. The walls were cream colored with brown trimming and the windows were tinted pink with darker pink shutters. The door was pink and divided into three different pieces, a bottom half and an almost saloon style top half. Once inside, the general design remains the same. Cream colored walls, brown trim, and candy cane pillars. The floor was a teal wooden design that was a nice complement to all the brightness going on everywhere. There were several shelves and displays with all kinds of pastries and delights. Off to one side was a set of actual saloon doors leading into a kitchen area, and on the other side was a staircase leading up to the second floor. The main space of the bottom floor was mostly open, save for a few tables stocked up with all kinds of goodies. Savory cakes, cupcakes, muffins, scones, danishes, eclairs, fritters, and many other tasty treats. A punch bowl with a pink concoction was placed on a separate table with several glasses already filled for convenience. Another table off in the corner, almost as if it was meant to be hidden, was housing a small pile of presents all wrapped in various ways. Balloons, confetti, and streamers littered every other available space they could fit in. Ponies were chatting and milling about in sparse groups all throughout this contained mess, many more than I had thought would show. Some were giggling around the punch bowl, some were playing pin the tail on the pony, and some were just enjoying the many confections that were provided. All in all it seemed like one heck of a party.

"Oh sorry, I'm just so eager to make sure you get a chance to meet everypony here!" she said, finally relinquishing her firm hold on my foreleg. "So! Who do you want to meet first?" she grinned, bouncing up and down in place.

"Um," I stalled, not really sure what to say in reply to that as I scanned the ponies mingling around the room. There were actually a few ponies I had met already, including Lyra and Bon Bon. I just simply smiled and gave a wave at them as they glanced towards me. They smiled and gestured in return before returning to their conversation.

"Already met Lyra and Bon Bon, huh? Great! That means you're doing great already!" she exclaimed at our gestures. "I guess we should start with somepony else then since we have so many ponies for you to meet."

"Ok then, lead the way," I replied, readying myself for a first impression.

Pinkie suddenly bounced toward a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. She had a multicolored lightning bolt coming out of a cloud as her cutie mark and rose colored eyes. All the colors definitely demanded attention from my eyes, as I had seen her coming in. She was making casual conversation with an orange filly with a purple, shortly cut mane and a multicolor shield as a cutie mark. The filly seemed quite entrapped in whatever the blue mare was saying, soaking in every word.

"Dashie! Come say 'Hi' to the new pony in town!" Pinkie gestured her hoof towards me as she said this, putting me on the spot.

"Um, salutations!" I offered with an awkward smile. Salutations? Good one Dusty.

"Um, hi there," she sniggered at my greeting. "I'm Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt extraordinaire and the fastest pony in Equestria!" she puffed her chest out at this declaration with a confident grin. The little filly beside her started grinning from ear to ear, almost as if she were the one who was a Wonderbolt. If her purple eyes had gotten any bigger I'd be willing to bet they'd just fall right off her face.

"Oh wow, are you serious? A Wonderbolt? That's awesome!" I replied with earnest, genuinely impressed, provided it was true and not just a tall tale. "What's it like being a Wonderbolt? I assume it's pretty great."

"It's awesome! It can be a lot of work sometimes though, uh...what was your name again?" she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is Dusty Tome, nice to make your acquaintance," I sheepishly offered to her. I just can't seem to nail conversations today, can I?

"Dusty, huh? I like it. Nice and stately. But yeah, it can be a lot of work sometimes being on call all the time. How about you? You ever tried to become a Wonderbolt?" she asked me with a twinge of what sounded like a challenge, but I wasn't too sure.

"Well naturally when I was a young colt I dreamed of maybe one day flying with the Wonderbolts just like everypony else, but I've never been the fastest of flyers. I am pretty good at long distance flying and weather manipulation though, so there's that I suppose," I answered. "I did get first place in our little town mareathon race, but I only won thanks to my endurance. For the majority of the race I was pretty far behind but the others were speedsters and couldn't last that long without a break. It was a matter of just simply passing them up shortly before the finish line."

She gave me a downtrodden yet interested look. "Aw, that's too bad, I was really hoping for a challenge out of you. I'd like to see this famed stamina later, huh? Well, I am Ponyville's resident weather captain so if you ever need a little bit of work, just hit me up!" she offered with a little more pep in her step.

"Ya hasslin' the new guy, Rainbow?"

I jumped at the sudden voice over my shoulder and whipped my head around to see that an orange earth pony with a tousled blonde ponytail and a stetson was standing behind me smirking at Rainbow Dash. She had a thick southern accent and exuded an aura of strength and a general sense of being down to earth. Her emerald eyes sparkled with mischief, like Rainbow and her were always picking on each other. She had three apples on her flank which vaguely reminded me of something I had seen before but couldn't quite recall. Behind her was a cream colored filly with a red mane and an absolutely ginormous pink bow. The bow was almost the same size as her head, the poor thing. She had a multicolor shield as her cutie mark as well, which really threw me for a loop. Upon closer inspection of both cutie marks I noticed that the little orange pegasus had a feather and lightning bolt inside her shield, and the little yellow filly had an apple inside a heart. So they were different after all, but only slightly so. Intriguing, to say the least.

"What?! I was just asking about his hobbies, not interrogating him," she protested to the mare's question with a scowl. Pinkie merely giggled and snorted at Rainbow.

"Yer always lookin' for a race out o' everypony, Rainbow. Can't you think bout nothin' else?" she said with smirk. Turning towards me she smiled a large, genuine smile and took my foreleg in hers and started shaking my hoof and said, "Well, welcome to Ponyville. My name's Applejack. I run Sweet Apple Acres just outside o' town with my brother Big Mac and Granny Smith."

Again, something was ringing bells in my head about this mare and especially the name Sweet Apple Acres. Maybe they sold something I'd seen before? I decided to ask as soon as we finished introductions.

She let go of my hoof and continued on, gesturing towards the filly behind her, "This here is my little sis, Applebloom." The filly merely waved a disinterested hoof before trotting over to the little pegasus and started an eager conversation. "She's never been the best at manners, 'specially when her mind's set on an adventure with her little friends," she said with a huff. "So, what 'bout you?" she asked, seemingly fine with just letting her sister go.

"Well, my name's Dusty Tome and I just moved here from Fort Vandercolt up north for a change in scenery, and so I could open up my bookshop," I introduced.

"Yeah! I've already seen the shop, it's very homey," Pinkie added in with a hop. She had wandered off sometime during mine and Rainbow's conversation, and was making rounds around the whole room. She didn't even stop to say it, she just hopped on by adding in her two bits.

"Tryin' to open up a business here in Ponyville, huh? More power to ya, sugarcube. We got our own little economy here in Ponyville, it really is a great place to settle. Ya know, my Granny founded this place with a lil' help from her famous zap apple jam, and Stinkin Rich's shop too I suppose," she said with a grin. Zap apple jam! That's it! I'd had a jar of zap apple jam one time when I was a foal for my fifth birthday party. It was one of the best things I had ever eaten! That's why her mark and home was so familiar. I'd seen them on the jar's label.

"Oh wow, really? I've had your zap apple jam once before. They really are some amazing fruits, zap apples. Do you think maybe you could show me the trees some time?" I asked with admittedly a little too much childlike enthusiasm. What can I say, I like to see the way things are done.

She merely chuckled at my outburst and nodded, "I reckon so, that is, when they bloom next season. It's still a few months away from zap apple harvest, so you'll have to wait a bit."

That was a shame but I was content with waiting a while. I was going to be living here after all, I wasn't going anywhere. "Sure thing Applejack, just let me know and I'll be ready."

"So what did you do back home? Did you always run a store?" she inquired as she shifted her weight to one side and crossed over her legs. Well she certainly wasted no time in getting comfortable and casual. It was nice, seeing a mare with that much confidence and still being humble and casual about things.

"Well for the most part I was a student at Draft's School learning about business and general sciences, but when I wasn't studying I would either help my father with his job on the weather or my mother with her farm on the back land. She always enjoyed a good home cooked meal. I would always be there to help with the more higher up chores, since she was an earth pony. She would always tell me that was the reason she let me be a pegasus, like it was her choice. She likes to poke fun at me, just like every other mom I suppose. So, no I haven't ever run a business, just a farm with my mom but that only adds to my excitement of being independent."

Applejack was a great listener, she hardly ever broke eye contact and would nod or smile from time to time. Not much the same could be said about Rainbow once I got around to the farming business. She seemed a little distracted, off in her own thoughts. She had her head in the clouds, so to speak.

"Well ain't that just swell? Got another farmer in town too, Rainbow," she said with a slightly raised voice directed at Rainbow, jarring her back to reality.

"Wha- oh, yeah! That's pretty cool I guess. Seems like you and Dusty here have a lot in common. So I'll uh, just leave you guys to it and uh, be seeing you," she said as she started meandering towards the snack table, her stomach giving a rumble in earnest. Guess she was just thinking about food. That's alright I guess, I do understand the many pleasures and wonders of good food.

Applejack just merely rolled her eyes and addressed me, "Don'tchu mind her none. She's a good friend who'll be there when you need her, just maybe not when you want her." She chuckled good-naturedly. "So, what all did you and your mom grow in y'all's farm?"

"Well..." was all I got out before there was a sudden explosion of confetti followed by a sudden fanfare of trumpets at the door. I jumped at the sudden noise and turned to see what in Equestria was going on and I was completely dumbstruck. There, flying just in the doorway with his arms in the air, a big grin on his face, velvet robe and jeweled, golden crown atop his head, was Discord himself. He was even more interesting to look at than I'd previously thought he'd ever be. His head was the only part of him even vaguely pony. He had a lizard leg and a goat leg, a red, scaly tail ending in a white tuft of fur, a lion's forepaw and an eagle's claw, a bat wing and a blue feathered wing, a white antler and a baby blue horn similar to that of a ram. Needless to say he was by far the strangest creature I'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. I was completely speechless.

"Ta-da! The party has arrived!" he announced to the room as a red carpet materialized and rolled out in front of him. He strutted forward into the room and stopped in the middle before turning around to face the door. A yellow pegasus tip-toed into the building, hiding her face in her generously long pink mane.

"Why does he always feel the need..." she muttered to herself as she trotted up to catch up with him. "Discord, I thought we agreed, 'No giant flares, explosions or parades when entering a building'," she chided him with a pout.

"Oh, but where's the fun in that Fluttershy? Everypony came here for a party and I'm bringing it!" he dismissed her as he turned to the rest of the room eyeing up the partygoers. "So! Who's the lucky mare?" he said with a toothy smile.

"Discord, you silly-billy!" Pinky hopped up to him with a giggle, "This isn't a baby shower, it's a Welcome to Ponyville party for Ponyville's newest stallion!"

"Oh how silly of me, of course." he cleared his throat. "So, who's the lucky mare?" he said once again with a mischievous smile.

Pinkie merely giggled some more before shockingly replying, "Guess we'll have to wait and see!" before motioning towards me and Applejack in the corner with a smile. "This is Dusty Tome. He's the new pony in town."

My heart skipped a beat. Maybe even two.

Discord turned towards me and bowed his head whilst pulling a newly materialized top hat off of it and twirling it in his claw, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Discord, Spirit of Chaos, Disharmony and Good Times."

"Uhh...hi?" was all I could manage to spit out in my confused and jumbled thoughts. I now realize how rude it was but give me a break. I was not prepared for this. Or what else was to come.

With a sudden pop Discord disappeared and reappeared just beside me with a magnifying glass in his claw and a hat very similar to Sherclop Pones. He walked around me like I was some sort of specimen to be studied, looking me over with a scrutinizing eye. I was still in somewhat of a state of disbelief so I made no cry of discomfort. There was a few snickers in the crowd, but I was a little more concerned with Discord's antics than their amusement.

With a heavy Trottingham accent he proclaimed,"Yes, he will do nicely. I believe this pony shall be fit for any town." Another hat popped up on top of Applejack's stetson, a black bowler hat, and a pad and quill floated in front of her muzzle. "Trotson, my dear colleague, will you make a note of this fine gentle pony?" he inquired to Applejack. She merely frowned and removed the bowler hat. Clearly she had dealt with Discord's antics before and was not a fan.

The pegasus named Fluttershy piped up, "Discord I think that's enough for now, don't you?" She said this with a small hint of authority and Discord merely groaned in response before snapping his claw, making all the additions to the party disappear.

"Dearest Fluttershy some day you will come to understand my hilarious jokes," he offered as he joined her side once again.

Just as I thought I might get a breather there was another ring of the doorbell as two royal guards ponies marched into the room before taking positions on either side of the door. What in Equestria could they possibly be here for, except maybe Discord, but he was reformed now, right? I got my answer mere moments later when the tall and regal figure of Princess Celestia herself walked into the room followed by Princess Twilight. Now I was fairly certain I may have a breakdown.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay but college and work can do that to you. Thanks as always for reading, every view matters to me.

Kindness in Bounds

Clearly I was not prepared for today. I almost considered just passing out to not have to deal with what I was currently seeing, but that might have come off as a little bit rude. So instead of that I merely put my muzzle to the floor and kneeled down to bow. That is what you're supposed to do when in front of the Princess, right? Now that I come to think of it, that was never something taught by either the schools or my family. What to do in case a princess crashes your party. Actually two princesses, seeing as Princess Twilight was hot on Princess Celestia's left wing. However upon looking around the room I realized nopony else was kneeling to the floor like I was. They all simply bowed their heads down for a moment before relaxing to a normal position. Clearly they either have had Princesses crashing parties often or were simply in the know on 'proper princess presence performance'. Needless to say, I quickly realized how ridiculous I looked smelling the floorboards, so I snapped my head back up and tried to pretend it didn't happen. Most ponies noticed and were grinning with an expression of, "Newbie."

"Good evening, my little ponies! I hope all of you are having a pleasant time?" Celestia inquired while scanning the room. She had a small smirk upon seeing Discord with Fluttershy. "Oh! Why hello Discord, how have you been?"

Discord teleported to right next to Celestia, draping her wing over his shoulders like a fancy scarf much to a disgruntled Princess Twilight and an amused Princess Celestia. "Oh I've been simply lovely KK, thanks SO much for asking. I actually was trying to decide if I should get a new rug in my living room and would really appreciate it if you would accompany me to the department store later this evening to help me pick one. As I'm sure you're well aware, my other rug is simply drab and needs to be dealt with," he chimed while pulling her towards the punch bowl. Celestia seemed perfectly okay with Discord's kooky ways, even smiling it seemed.

"Of course Discord, I'd be delighted. And I do agree, that old rug is simply dreadful," she answered while pouring herself a glass of punch.

I still wasn't quite sure what was going on to be honest. Nopony else did either it seemed which at least was a relief to me.

Applejack cleared her throat and piped up while waving her hoof, "Twilight, over here!"

Wait. What.

"Oh Applejack, it's nice to see you again. That delegation in Prance was a little boring," she shook her head while trotting towards us. "We didn't even have time to see any sights, or do anything else for that matter. It was all work and no play for almost a week."

"Ah know how that can be," she replied with a chuckle. She motioned towards me with her forelock, "This here's the new guy in town."

Oh boy here we go again, and this time with a princess.

"Hello princess, my name is Dusty Tome. As Applejack here has stated, I have indeed just moved here from my hometown of Fort Vandercolt," I offered with a smile. Nailed it.

"Ooh, from the north, huh? You do seem to have a more structured way of speaking. Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle, but I assume you already knew that," she replied as she held her hoof up in front of me. I then proceeded to hold it and kissed her hoof. My mother told me that's what you should do to any princess. However it didn't seem to be the correct thing to do as Twilight was a bright shade of red, and Applejack snickered at my actions. So much for the perfect intro.

I quickly let go of her hoof and muttered with a blush of my own, "Sorry..." I'll be sure to give my mother a what-for next time I see her.

Twilight however did a decent job of recomposing herself, despite still being slightly pink and almost cradling her hoof. "Um, n-no worries. It's fine," she stammered out. There was an echo of laughter from Discord and Celestia over by the punch bowl like some ironic laugh track. Well at least someone is having fun.

"Alrighty then, now that that's over with," Applejack cut the tension with a grin, "Dusty here was actually opening a shop here in town, guess what kind?"

"A bakery?" she offered with interest towards me, "A woodshop? Blacksmith? Ooh, a Reliquary?" she added getting kind of excited on that last one.

"A bookstore actually."

She let out a small squee, very much not like a princess but it was quite adorable nonetheless. "Oh this is wonderful! You've got to show me sometime! What kind of books? Poetry? Adventure? Mystery? Dictionaries?" she listed off.

"A little bit of everything was the plan, actually," I said while Applejack just shook her head with a smile. This level of interest in literature was apparently common with the purple alicorn.

"Well you are always welcome to come to my castle and check out my extensive collection. I have many books directly from the Canterlot Archives. Surely something will interest you. I'd love to see if you have anything new though," she offered up. Oh man, a royal library. Now that's definitely cool. I had one more question though that I really wanted to know though.

"Pardon my forwardness princess, but could I ask who the other Elements of Harmony are? I've been very interested in meeting them. I lived in a somewhat news deprived area, so the most I ever got was your coronation and that the Elements existed." I inquired with a sheepish grin.

Applejack and the princess started having a giggling fit, much to my confusion. What was so funny?

"Sugarcube, I hate to break it to ya, but you're lookin' at one," she said through her chuckles.

"Oh..."

"The other's are Fluttershy over there," she waved her hoof at the demure yellow pegasus from earlier. What, her? But she was so cute and quiet. "Pinkie over there is another," she then pointed to the pink bouncing mare laughing at Discord's newly acquired monocle. Seriously? "Dash is one too," she nodded towards the Wonderbolt at the snack bar. Well I guess I could see that one just fine. "The last one is a unicorn friend of ours named Rarity." she finally finished.

"Oh, I actually met Rarity when I first came into Ponyville, funnily enough..." I was simply taken aback by this sudden revelation. I'd already met them all and had no idea at the time. Just goes to show that anyone can achieve greatness. Guess that's encouraging, huh?

"Really now? Well ah guess you got your wish then, huh?" she merely smirked at me. "Are we all ya thought we'd be?"

"I don't know what I was expecting to be honest..." Now I felt bad for being surprised. I suppose friendship knows no boundaries, which in hindsight is pretty obviously going to lead to a diverse set of elements.

"MAY I HAVE EVERYPONIES' ATTENTION!" Pinkie hollered above the conversations. The room went quiet as everypony turned to hear what she had to say. "I think it's time to officially get the introduction underway. Dusty!"

Here we go let's try to get this one on the first try. I trotted over to Pinkie and she stuck a purple and white striped party hat atop my head. I have no idea where she got one, she clearly didn't have it literally two seconds ago. "Hey everypony, as you may already know my name is Dusty Tome. I just moved here from Fort Vandercolt and I have to say, this is already one of the friendliest, most welcoming places I've ever visited. I'll admit a bit more exciting than I thought it would be but adventure is fun, especially with ponies who have your back, and I feel like a member of the community already. Pinkie, I want to thank you for this awesome party. It's more than I could have ever asked for." Everypony in the room was giving me a reassuring nod or a smile or some form of thanks and encouragement.

Pinkie grinned from ear to ear and started hopping up and down, "Oh silly-billy, of course! Everypony deserves a fun party when they first get to Ponyville! Who wouldn't?"

"Nopony I know," I chuckled. Pinkie then turned to everypony else.

"I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, do hereby declare this party, a success! Now, time for some presents!" She jumped over to the small table piled high with all different colored and sized presents.

"Wait, are those for me?" I asked with hesitation. I barely even met these ponies, some I haven't even properly been introduced to, and they all got me presents?

"Of course! Who did you think they were for?" she said this like it was something I should have known already. She then held out one with a tag on it that said, 'Lyra and Bon Bon'.

"Oh wow, really Lyra? You didn't have to get me anything your help earlier today was plenty."

She merely shrugged her shoulders with a small grin, "It's more from Bon Bon than me anyway if that makes you feel any better." Bon Bon beside her nodded her head in agreement.

I tore open the paper to find a box of multiple different flavored hard candies, all tied in individual wrappers. "Thanks Bon Bon!"

"Candies are my specialty. They sell them here at Sugarcube Corner if you ever want more," she offered up. Hmm, I could use these as a 'welcome' bowl in my store. That would definitely be nice.

"Next!" Pinkie tossed another present to me. This one was wrapped in simple brown paper with a gray bow. The tag read 'Derpy and Doc'.

A cute gray pegasus mare with a tousled blonde mane, the very same one who delivered the mail, came up with a smile, "The Doc couldn't be here, something about one of his Wimey devices or something going wrong, but he sends his best wishes!" She had such a cute voice and had bubbles as a cutie mark, though she did have some kind of problem with her eyes that became apparent as she blinked. I had never seen such a thing before in person aside from when I first saw her, and it actually kind of increased her cuteness by tenfold so I didn't really see the problem with it. It apparently made no difference to her, either way. It was endearing.

I ripped open the paper to find a really intricate hourglass with blue sand trickling through, in the box. "Oh wow! This is so cool! Send him my thanks, this is amazing!" I said while looking at all the swirling designs and circles on the golden frame.

"Yay! I knew you'd like it! The Doc made it himself you know," she said with a clap of her hooves. How in Equestria did he make this himself in a single evening? He would never have had the time. She then backed up to let Pinkie back in with yet another gift. It was a little overwhelming to be totally honest.

This one was wrapped in green paper and was extremely flat compared to the other ones. There wasn't a tag on this one, though once I had taken the paper off I could see that it was a tupperware with a bunch of apple fritters inside. Applejack then spoke up with a wink, "It's from me and the family. Figured you should get to know some of granny's cooking." Aw yeah, more food.

Pinkie then tossed another present my way like a basketball. Luckily it wasn't too heavy or I may have dropped it from that height. This one was pink with little blue butterflies on it. The tag was written in two different hoof writings, a small yet elegant writing and a large and messy one. It said 'Fluttershy and Discord' on it. Oh boy a gift from Discord. This should be interesting. I tore off the paper and in the box was a small discord statue with comically large hands, one of which was extended up and out in a circle, almost like he was holding something.

"Oh ho! I see you've gotten to the most artistically inclined present," Discord suddenly popped up next to me, nearly giving me cardiac arrest. "As you can plainly see it's a cup holder," he motioned to the extended arm. "Of course, it could also hold other things, like a candle or a flower or your keys or even your hats! You see, he's a special little guy. He can change his size and hand to hold anything you like!" he then proceeded to try out everything he mentioned before, even stuck Pinkie in its arms much to her amusement. Sure enough, it would shrink or grow to meet its purpose. In order to hold Pinkie it was almost the same size as Discord himself. "This handsome guy is going to be keeping you company from now on, courtesy of me!" he then got a concerned look on his face all of a sudden and turned around to where Fluttershy was looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "Of course it was all Fluttershy's idea, I just made it happen," he said with an apologetic smile.

"I think he get's the idea Discord," she responded with an accepting smile to his giving her credit. He then popped over to next to her and Pinkie hopped down from the statue's arms and it shrinked back down to its original size. Convenient! Pinkie then handed me more presents. Most of the other one's were from the other ponies I hadn't quite met yet including Amethyst, Carrot Top, Rose, Caramel, Berry Punch, and Ms. Cheerilee. I have no idea if her actual name is Ms. since everypony always includes it when they say her name but she is a school teacher so I'm not sure. Most of their presents were convenient things any new homeowner could need ranging from a welcome mat, to some flower vases to some new dishes even. Rainbow had gotten me a Wonderbolt poster with her signature on it, which was pretty neat. Maybe I'll hang it in the shop. Just as I was about to open up the last present from Pinkie and Mr. and Mrs. Cake somepony came rushing in the door.

"Everypony stop!" It was Rarity and she looked like she had just rushed here like something was after her. Nothing came rushing in after, though she did have a very neatly wrapped present with white paper and a gem encrusted purple bow. "Oh, darling I'm so sorry I'm late," she said while trotting over to me, "I just simply took longer than I thought making this for you and it had to be perfect!" She then presented the present to me in all its glory.

I took it from her and replied, "You know you didn't have to stress yourself out over me? I just barely got here what could you have been working on so hard?" I then tore off the wrapper and in the box was a striped scarf with a monogrammed D.T. on both ends. It was dark gray and gold stripes, just like my coat and eyes respectively. It was perfect. "Oh Rarity it's wonderful! You shouldn't have," I said while wrapping it around my neck.

She merely flipped her hair and replied, "Darling I wanted to. You being from Fort Vandercolt I simply had to make you something for whenever you go home. Think nothing of it."

"Alrighty then, last present!" Pinkie chirped with the last one, a pink striped present with balloons. It was fairly heavy and thin, it very much resembled a large book. Upon tearing off the paper I could see that it was indeed a book, a thick book with a wooden spoon and spatula on the cover.

"A cookbook?" I said, turning to Pinkie.

"Yup! It has all the recipes you could want! Well aside from the secret ones of course, cause then they wouldn't be secrets anymore," she said with a thoughtful look.

"Thanks so much Pinkie! Now I won't ever have to bother my mother anytime I forget how many cups of sugar to add to my pancakes in the morning," I laughed. "Maybe I could share some of her secret recipes for some of yours, huh?" I said with a sly grin.

"Mayyyybeee," she said with a scrunched face, "but probably not."

I turned to address everypony in the room, "Thanks so much everypony for all your wonderful gifts. This has all been so much more than I could have ever asked for from anypony. Really I appreciate this from the bottom of my heart, and to those who didn't bring gifts simply being here and being friends is a great welcome in it of itself."

There was a collective murmur of replies all around the room with all the accompanying smiles. This truly is the friendliest place in all Equestria. Just then one of Celestia's guards came in the door and whispered something into Celestia's ear. She had a tiny frown for a moment before smiling and announcing to the room "Thank you all for this wonderful evening and to you Dusty I wish the best in your settling, but if you will excuse me some urgent business has come to my attention and I must be off." she then trotted out the door with the guards in tow. Well can't have expected her to stay for too long after all.

The rest of the evening was spent chatting with all the citizens of Ponyville, getting to know them better and have a general good time thanks to Pinkie's party games. Discord was quite the spectacle too for a majority of the party as well as he himself was an entire party just waiting to happen. More than once he would try to bring me into his escapades much to my chagrine. He would always be stopped by Fluttershy anytime he got a little too out of hoof thankfully.

The sun had long since set by the time I finally left Sugar Cube Corner. Most guests had already left a little earlier but the princess and Pinkie were still there cleaning everything. They had refused my help in cleaning insisting that they had it covered, which I finally accepted after the princess merely magiced everything away in a matter of seconds. Guess that's definitely more efficient. I made my way home then, only getting slightly lost once.

I pushed through my new front door with presents in tow with a yawn creeping out of my muzzle. The party was quite the energy drainer, not to mention how late it was. I merely just left the items on the ground floor, locked the door and mosied up the stairs to my new bathroom in order to get ready for bed. A quick shower and teeth brushing session later I slipped into bed for a good night's sleep. Dream's were always an excellent escape from a tiring day. Here's to hoping I get some work done on the shop tomorrow.

Author's Note

Yeah this is definitely late. I have some excuses thankfully and I'm not entirely a lazy potato. Finishing up the college semester and finals took all of my free time for the past few months and then when I finally finished that up I was out of town for over a week. I realise the fastest way to lose any and all followings is by not being consistent in updates but since this is my first story I'm not too bothered. If you are reading this then that means you are number one in my book. :twilightsmile: Thanks for all patience to anyone who was waiting for this. Any and all criticisms and ideas are welcome and appreciated. Constructive criticisms anyway. Okay that's all, thanks, bye. :moustache: