“Now arriving in Ponyville, all passengers for Ponyville please prepare to disembark” The train conductor said to every pony in the train car. I rose from my seat and grabbed my saddlebags from the overhead compartment. As I tied them on my back my mind raced with thoughts and memories of the last time I had come to this town; it was years ago while I was still a foal spending time on my grandparents farm. That seemed like a lifetime ago considering all that had happened in my life since; both the good and the bad.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the train start slowing down. I shook the memories from my mind and started to head for the door to the car. Once the train had stopped I disembarked onto the platform. It was a nice spring day, the sun warmed my fur; feeling a bit stiff I closed my eyes and soaked up the sun for a moment, stretching my wings to get them flexible. I breathed in heavily and exhaled, the air had a sweet taste to it.

I moved to get off the platform taking in the sight of the town for the first time in years. First thing I noticed was the GIANT crystal tree on the edge of the town; pretty hard to miss and also sure that wasn't there the last time I visited as I would have noticed. I just stared for a moment or two as it really was a sight to behold, there was a bucking castle in its branches. I heard some pony laugh off to my side, I turned to see some of the town ponies watching me and giggling.

“What's wrong never seen Princess Twilight's castle before?” one of them; a pegasus mare asked. I shook my head no she grinned, “Thought so, most newcomers are surprised by it.” She then turned back to her friend and began talking about weather duty. I turned from the mare and started down the stairs off the platform.

“Welcome back, Sage Nights” some pony to my left said to me. I turned to the direction of the voice to see a mare with silver mane and glasses trotting up to me.

“Hello, Mayor nice to see you again after so long” I said to the mare. She has been mayor of Ponyville for a long time even being in office the last time I visited my grandparents farm. She beamed at me with a sincere smile.

“I heard you were coming to Ponyville, so I thought I would come out to meet you.” She said. Her face than changed to a more somber expression, “The paperwork has already been taken care of, do you want to head to the farm?” I was silent for a moment; this is the moment of truth and I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

“Yes”

We got to the farm of my grandparents, the house was old and well worn with the paint having faded. The field though was another story; weeds and bushes had over taken most of the land. The entire property was in a state of disrepair and neglect.

“Sorry for the condition, no pony has really come here since...” She trailed off. I could see sadness in her eyes; the same sadness I could feel inside me. The mayor and my grandparents were good friends. Their passing must have devastated her just as much as my parents and I. She regained her composure after a moment, “The house is still intact and there is no major damage. The field will be a challenge to bring back into shape; I recommend asking some of the local farm ponies for advice” I nodded and moved to enter the old house, “Are you going to be alright?” She asked, I could hear the concern in her voice.

“Yea,” I said simply “I just... want to be alone for now” She nodded and turned to head back to town as I entered the house. The inside was caked with dust, everything that belonged to my grandparents was still inside. When they passed, no pony had the heart to visit the farm again but at the same time the farm belongs to the family; we couldn't just sell it. After I became a full grown stallion I decided to try and work the farm; I felt like I owed it to grandma and grandpa to give it my best effort. As I moved to empty my saddlebags something caught the corner of my eye. I turned to find a picture... a picture of me as a foal with grandma and grandpa. I grabbed the picture and wiped the dust from the image; the sadness from inside me grew stronger and I could feel tears well up in my eyes, “I'll make you both proud”

Morning of the next day came faster than usual it seemed. I spent the rest of yesterday cleaning and straitening up the house; I wasn't exaggerating when I said no pony had been in the house in a few years, dust covered everything and all the food in the refrigerator had spoiled leaving a VERY fowl smell behind. I cleaned up as best I could and ate some canned food I brought with me for dinner then went to bed so I could get started bright and early. It felt weird to sleep in the same bed my grandparents did; the ache of missing them seems like it's going to be a constant thing.

After a quick breakfast of beans I made a small list of items I needed from the market. I had some bits saved but it would be in my best interest to be as cheep as possible so I could have some money in case of an emergency. I left the house with my saddlebags on when I saw the mayor walking up to me.

“Morning” she said with a smile

“Morning” I replied, “What brings you here this early in the morning?”

“I thought that since it's been awhile and Ponyville has changed over the years that I would show you around town, if that's okay with you?”

It had been awhile since I was here and if the new castle was an indication a lot has probably changed, “Sure, I would like that”

The mayor's tour showed me all the big places in Ponyville; there's the town square where town hall is located, there is market street where businesses like the bakery Sugar Cube Corner operates, there is the farmer's market where many local ponies sell their goods in outdoor stands and the fashion shop Carousel Boutique. On the edge of town was Sweet apple Acres another farm the mayor suggested I visit to buy seeds from or any advice, a cottage where the resident animal expert lives, and last the castle I saw coming into town which is the home of the new princess Twilight Sparkle.

“That's all the major areas of town” The mayor said as we entered the park, “If you have any questions feel free to ask”

I decided to take her up on the offer, “I need to do some grocery shopping, where is the cheapest place to go?”

She pointed her hoof toward the farmer's market, “The outdoor stands of the market are good for produce and some other things. If you can't find something your looking for there,” she shifted her hoof towards Market Street, “try Barnyard Bargains though there a little more expensive”

I thanked the mayor for everything and headed to the Farmer's Market. They had stalls everywhere selling all sorts of things and I managed to find all the food items on my list relatively easy. While I was getting some Bell Peppers I accidentally bumped into some pony, “Oops, sorry. My fault”

The pony in question was a pale yellow earth pony mare with red mane, “It's okay, no harm done” She said straightening a green neckerchief she wore. She looked me over quietly for a moment, “Are you new to town?”

“Yes” I admitted, “I just arrived yesterday and am leaning the lay of the town”

She chuckled, “If your new than I see a party in your future”

I was going to ask her to clarify when a bright pink earth pony mare came quite literally out of nowhere, “Did some pony say party?!” I'm not gonna lie, all ponies have a fight or flight reflex but for us pegasi we literally take flight when startled or scared. I was reminded of this as I looked down from ten feet in the air having shot straight up into the sky. The mare I was talking to held a hoof to her mouth trying to hold back a laugh while the new pony kept a cheerful look but lost a bit of her enthusiasm, “Sorry”

“Don't worry about it” I said landing back on the ground, my face a bit red.

The pink pony regained some of her energy, “So, your a new pony to Ponyville? We so need to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville Party'. With cake and balloons and streamers and confetti and ice cream with lots of ponies, won't that be fun? I have to go prepare!!” She ran off before a I could reply.

I glanced at the yellow mare I was talking to; she just shrugged, “That's Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident party planner” She glanced off in the direction Pinkie went in, “You get use to her after awhile”

I said good-bye to the mare and returned to my shopping. By the time I had finished browsing the Farmer's Market I had all the food items I needed and even managed to get some cleaning things so I could better clean the farm house. I couldn't find that many non-edible items at the market so I went to the Barnyard Bargain store the mayor mentioned.

Once inside the store I felt right at home with its familiarity; it was smaller than the one back in Baltimare but it's layout was near identical. I found what I needed with ease and went to the cashier; as I approached the clerk a yellow pegasus mare seemed to do the same.

She saw me and bowed her head as if to make herself smaller, “I'm sorry, you can go first” She said in a whisper.

I bowed my head and held my hoof out toward the cashier, “By all means, ladies first”

She smiled timidly and approached the counter, “Thank you” she said in a hushed whisper. As the sells pony began to ring up her items, neither of us spoke. She carefully glanced at me, “Umm... I don't think I've seen you before”

I nodded, “My name is Sage Nights and I'm new to town.” I said.

“Oh, that's nice. Are you here by yourself?”

“Yea, my parents are in Baltimare. It's just me at my grandparent's farm” I still think of it as my grandparent's place even though they have been gone for a few years now.

The mare picked up on the reason I wold be alone at my grandparent's place and quickly deflated, “Oh, I'm sorry” she whimpered.

“For what?” I asked as the clerk finished ringing up her items; She managed to regain some of her composure when she saw I wasn't upset, “I plan to get a pet soon so I wont be by myself for long”

At the mention of me getting a pet her face lit up, “Oh! I have a lot of animals at my cottage that would just love to have a home” she said smiling.

“Cottage? Oh, you must be Fluttershy, the animal expert the mayor mentioned”

She blushed a bit, “I'm not really an expert, I just know how to work with animals; it is my special talent. If your serious about a pet I can help you find one after here”

After finishing at the store, Fluttershy led me to her cottage at the edge of town, “What kind of pet did you have in mind?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Don't know really. Guess I'll know when I see it”

Once at her cottage she showed me her backyard which was so full of animals it could pass for a zoo, “Now, Sage Nights we're here and I cannot express my delight. It's abundantly clear that somewhere out here is the pet that will suit you just right” She sang.

I chuckled, “Lead the way”

She showed me several different animals; cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, seals, bugs and birds just to name some. I gave them all the once over but none of them really stuck out to me. We must have been looking for a few hours as the sun was starting to set. After showing me a porcupine I decided that we might have to continue this later some other day.

“It's getting late and I have to get these groceries home. Can we pick this up tomorrow maybe?” I asked.

Fluttershy deflated a little, “Oh, okay. I'm sorry we could find the special pet for you”

I was going to reassure her it was okay when something caught my attention. Sitting a little ways from me was a little white and black spotted piglet. It looked at me with beady little eyes and wiggled its nose as it grunted. I approached the little pig; next to me it was as big as a small dog, “Oh, that's a miniature pig, he won't get any bigger than he already is” I heard Fluttershy say over my shoulder. I looked down at him while he looked up at me; he snorted and wiggled his nose again.

My heart just melted, “I'm gonna call you Pepper” I said as I rubbed under his chin. He squeaked in approval.

With Pepper the pig riding on my back I thanked Fluttershy for her help and headed back to my farm; The sun was nearly under the horizon by the time we got there. I reached the door to the farmhouse, “Welcome to your new home, Pepper” I said to the piglet; Pepper squeaked in contentment. I opened the door and entered into the house which was pitch black inside due to the setting sun. As I moved to find a light to turn on I heard something shift in the darkness.

“Surprise!!” Came a chorus of voices as the lights came on. I jumped a bit and I could feel that Pepper did too. I saw a lot of ponies in my place with balloons and streamers everywhere; plates of cup cakes and bottles of cider on the table.

The pink pony from the market came out of the crowd, “Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie and this is that party I was talking about earlier. Were you surprised? Huh, were you?” She asked energetically.

I nodded, “Very.” I looked at all the ponies there. I noticed Fluttershy who wilted a bit when she saw me looking at her.

“Please don't be upset, Pinkie made me promise not to tell” I patted her on the shoulder and smiled to let he know everything was okay.

I quickly put my groceries up and joined my guests at this party thrown for me. A few of the ponies were fawning over Pepper; his nose wiggling and snorting having the same affect on them it had on me. He didn't seem to mind the attention. I looked around and noticed the light yellow pony with the neckerchief from earlier, “Hey”

She glanced my direction, “Hello...” she paused, making both of us realize we never got each others name.

I blushed a bit at my lack of manners, “Sorry, I'm Sage Nights; a city pony trying his hoof at farming”

“I'm Apple Bumpkin, I help my cousin Applejack with her farm” She introduced herself, “Enjoying your party?”

I glanced around, “Yes but it's kinda awkward as I don't know that many ponies here”

She glanced around as well and nodded her head, “I can fix that. Come on then, I'll introduce you to my friends”

I followed her through the crowd to a light lavender pegasus with a blond mane, “This is Cloud Kicker, one of the pegasi in charge of Ponyville's weather” Cloud Kicker turned to Apple bumpkin at the mention of her name, “Cloud this is Sage Nights, the new resident”

Cloud Kicker eyed me over as if she was appraising something, than she gave a smile like a tiger would give it's pray, “So this is the new pony you mentioned earlier, you didn't say he was so hansom” I felt my face go red at the compliment.

Apple bumpkin just rolled her eyes, “She is also the towns shameless flirt so expect that from her” Cloud blew a small raspberry at her friends words.

“I'm just a mare who likes to make other ponies feel welcome” Cloud said winking at me; I felt my face get hotter.

“Are you done embarrassing the new guy yet?” Some pony else said drawing all three of us to to turn to the new voice. It belonged to a pale teal colored pegasus with a yellowish mane, “You'll have to excuse my weather team member, She doesn't know how to behave herself most of the time” She said to me as she approached us.

“It's just par for the course when it comes to Cloud” Bumpkin said, then she nodded to me, “Sage this is Helia; she's another member of Ponyville's weather team but can often be found doing flight exercises in her off time”

Helia nodded in my direction, “Pleasure to meet you”

“Likewise” I said

Cloud rolled her eyes at Helia, “For your information I wasn't trying to embarrass him. I just wanted him to feel at ease” Cloud than took a step toward me getting a bit too close, “Maybe sometime after you get settled in I can show you the night life here in Ponyville” I felt the heat on my face return as Cloud walked of into the crowd; stopping only long enough to look back over her shoulder, something I'm sure she did on purpose just to show off her hind quarters. She playfully stuck out her tongue and winked at me before continuing on.

Helia sighed, “That pony, I swear. If she spent as much time working as she does flirting she would be the richest pony in town” She glanced at me, “Sorry if she made you feel a bit uncomfortable. She can be a bit over bearing at times”

“No worries” I said then decided to change the subject, “So you exercise in your off time?”

“Helia is a health nut” Bumpkin said, “She spends most of her off time training. She even managed to take the gold at air sprinting during the last Equestria Games”

Helia beamed, “It was close, I only won by 0.079 seconds”

“That was a close one, congrats on winning though” I said

Bumpkin motioned to another part of the room, “I think I see another one of my friends, come on Sage” She turned to Helia, “Catch up with you later Helia” She then led me to a magenta earth pony with a purple mane, “Sage, this is Berry Punch; she is a local vintner who specializes in a type of drink she calls 'Berryshine'” She glanced at her friend, “Hi Berry, this is Sage”

Berry Punch cupped her hooves over her ears, “Do you have to be so loud?” she whimpered to us.

Bumpkin gave her friend a quick once over, “Been sampling too much of your brews again, huh Berry?” she asked causing her friend to moan and rub the sides of her head. “You should really take better care of yourself”

Berry waved her away, “Its just a slight headache. It will pass; till then I gonna go find a nice shadow to sit in” She glanced at me, “It is nice to meet you but I'm not really in much of a talking mood right now, sorry”

Bumpkin and I watched as Berry trotted off, once she was out of ear shot Bumpkin sighed. “That pony is as much a workaholic as she is an alcoholic”

I glanced at her, “Dedicated to her craft?”

She rolled her eyes, “You have no idea”

The next pony Bumpkin introduced me to was a brown unicorn with a white mane,” This is Silver Spanner; Ponyville's resident fix-it pony”

Spanner took my hoof and gave me a hearty hoof shake,”Nice to meet'cha! How are you doing this evening?”

I smiled, “Nice to meet you too, and I'm doing well. Bumpkin is introducing me to some of her friends so I don't feel awkward not knowing any pony”

Spanner pulled me into a hug, “Well I'm glad she did cause now you got me as a friend! I hope this farm of your takes off real nice but if you ever need anything around here fixed, let me know” She beamed at me.

“Sure” I agreed. Spanner smiled than excused herself so she could get another cup cake.

Bumpkin lead me toward another friend of hers, “Spanner means well but that pony has energy to burn” She said with a chuckle. The last pony Bumpkin introduced me to was a coral pink pony with a blue mane, “Sage this is Sea Swirl, she is a forest ranger; it's her job to keep the surrounding areas clean”

Sea Swirl glanced at us, her face one of unamusedment. She looked at Bumpkin than me, “Hi” she said than turned and walked back into the crowd.

That was odd, “Is she shy?” I asked

Bumpkin shook her head, “Not really, she just takes a while to open up to ponies she doesn't know. Shes actually one of the most dependable ponies I know”

After meeting Bumpkin's friends I decided to enjoy the party some and soon it was late at night when it ended, all the ponies had gone home leaving just me and Pepper in the house. I said good bye to every pony and thanked them for coming; especially Apple Bumpkin and her friends. After making sure Pepper was set up for the night I crawled into bed with the decision to plan all the farm stuff tomorrow; my career as a farmer starts then.

Author's Note

My first story, hope it doesn't show too bad.