The New Friend (Part 1 of a 2 part story)

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were walking to Sweet Apple Acres when they spotted the Cutie Mark Crusaders playing with a little colt. To Twilight's surprise, the colt was an alicorn.

"Hey, Twilight!" Apple Bloom called over to them. "This is Thunder Cracker!"

Twilight Sparkle and her friends walked over to them. The little colt looked up at them with bright yellow eyes. He had white fur, gray hooves, and a yellow, silver, and black lightning streaked mane and tail. He didn't have a cutie mark.

"Hi," the foal said.

"Hello, Thunder Cracker." Twilight said.

Before she could say more, an older colt trotted over. It was another alicorn! He had yellow eyes, a yellow lightning streaked mane and tail, light blue fur, and white hooves.

"Thunder Cracker, it looks like you made some new friends, huh?" the alicorn said, smiling warmly at Twilight and her friends. "I'm Lightning Strike."

"I am Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie." she said, introducing him to her friends.

Lightning Strike smiled at the cutie mark crusaders. "And what are your names?"

"I'm Apple Bloom, and this is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Applejack's my big sister. She's really nice! You should hang out sometime!" Apple Bloom told Lightning Strike, making Applejack blush and making the alicorn laugh.

"I'll consider that, Apple Bloom." he chuckled, gazing at Applejack.

"Um... Ya'll seem new 'round here. Would ya like to... I dunno.... hang out with us?" Applejack offered awkwardly, still blushing.

"Sure. If you don't mind."

"We wouldn't mind at all!" Twilight smiled. She liked the idea of making a new friend.

"Great! You coming, little brother?" Lightning Strike called to Thunder Cracker who galloped over with his new friends.

"Coming!"

The group of ponies walked to Sweet Apple Acres. When they arrived, they settled down under a big shady apple tree and started to talk.

"Lightning Strike, I'm an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader now!" Thunder Cracker announced proudly.

"Yeah? You're gonna get your cutie mark with your new pals?" Lightning Strike said, ruffling his little brother's mane with his hoof.

"Yup!" the foal said, scampering off to play.

Lightning Strike chuckled. "It sure is different here. I mean, compared to Canterlot..."

"Canterlot!?" Rarity exclaimed. "Y-you're from Canterlot?"

Lightning Strike nodded.

"Oh, I have always loved Canterlot! It is such a perfect place for a mare who wants to work in fashion, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah."

"What made you come here?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh... just, wanted to see different places, you know. I've been kinda busy in Canterlot."

"What d'ya do?" Applejack asked, bucking a nearby apple tree to gather some apples for them to share.

"Oh... well.... I...." Lightning Strike paused, unsure of what to say.

"A letter for a 'Princess Twilight Sparkle'." said a mailpony.

Twilight Sparkle took the letter and opened it. Her friends all waited for her to read it as they ate their apples. Twilight Sparkle was silent for a moment, then...

"Huh?" she frowned in confusion.

"Well?? What's it say?" Rainbow Dash prompted.

"It says that we're invited to Canterlot to meet a new princess."

"A new princess?"

Lightning Strike perked up. "Does it say a name?" he asked.

"Yeah. It says it's Rainbow Dawn Lightning. It's her coronation."

"Is it today?"

Twilight read through the letter again. "Yes, it is!"

"Then what're we waitin' for ya'll? Let's get to the train station!" Applejack exclaimed.

The group of friends galloped off to the train station. Before long, they were on the train, heading for Canterlot.

"Another princess, like me! I can't wait to meet her!" Twilight said, looking out the window.

"Yeah... I think you'll like her." Lightning Strike assured her with a knowing smile.

"Do you know her?"

"Of course I know her," Lightning Strike laughed. "She's my sister!"

"Really?"

Lightning Strike nodded.

"But wouldn't that make you a... "

"Prince?"

"Yeah,"

"Yup, I'm considered royalty. Princess Celestia adopted my sister, Thunder Cracker, and myself as her niece and nephews." Lightning told Twilight.

Twilight and her friends were amazed. They were going to be friends with a prince! The only prince she knew of was her brother.

"That's... amazing!"

"And, you're a princess, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm the princess of friendship." she confirmed.

"Geez... What else do you do?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well, I like to fly. And when I'm needed, I serve as the Lieutenant of the Royal Guard."

"T-the... Royal Guard? Lieutenant!?" Rarity gasped, looking like she was going to faint.

"And when I have free time, I like to read. It's kind of calming, you know?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. But Twilight Sparkle was immediately interested.

"Oh, I love to read! Maybe you can come over to my castle sometime to check out some books."

Lightning Strike smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice."

Twilight Sparkle and Lightning Strike were silent for awhile. Her friends were chatting with each other, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were talking excitedly to Thunder Cracker, who happened to be the first prince they had ever met that was their age.

Twilight found herself staring at Lightning Strike. Though she tried, she just couldn't take her eyes off of him. She felt like her stomach was full of butterflies. He was just so... attractive.

'Wait!' she thought to herself. 'He's just a friend! I just pretty much met him!'

But, still, she couldn't take her eyes off him.

'Come on, Twilight, get a hold of yourself!' she scolded herself mentally. But still, she stared. Everything about him was perfect. His mane, his voice, the way he moved.... and that breathtakingly charming smirk he was giving her as he looked at her with those warm yellow eyes.....

Wait... Looked at her?

Her heart skipped a beat and then went into overdrive.

'He's looking at me! He saw me staring at him! Oh, no, what do I do!?' was what she thought. But what she said was, "Uhh...."

Lightning Strike chuckled a little. "You're blushing," he told her.

Twilight felt her cheeks grow hot. "Umm.... uhh...." she muttered stupidly.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh! Um... y-yeah! I'm just..."

At that moment, the train arrived at Canterlot. The group of friends met Princess Celestia.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." the Princess told them.

"What?" Twilight asked.

"Due to some... inconvenience, we will have to postpone the coronation."

"Oh,"

"I'm sorry for the trouble." Celestia apologized.

"It's okay. We'll make sure to be ready next time!"

"But, you can all still meet her, if you'd like." Celestia told them.

A beautiful alicorn came trotting in, as if on cue. Her mane and tail had three streaks, one red, one yellow, and one blue. Her eyes were a bright, electric blue, and her fur was white. The feathers on the edges of her wings were light blue. Had Twilight not known that this mare was just going to become a princess, she would of swore that she was one already.

"Hey, Lightning! And, you must be Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes, I am." Twilight replied.

"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you guys. You were all so brave when you guys fought Tirek!" Rainbow Dawn told her.

"Thank you,"

"Now, we must go. We have much to do." Celestia said.

Twilight and her friends said goodbye to the princesses, during which Lightning Strike and Thunder Cracker hugged their sister. Then the group of friends left for Ponyville.

"She's really nice!" Twilight said to Lightning Strike.

"Yeah. See, I knew you'd like her!"

When they got back, it was getting late. Twilight's friends were tired, so they went home, but Lightning Strike stayed.

"So... Do you mind if I check out your library?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure. Come on!"

She led Lightning Strike and Thunder Cracker to her castle where Thunder Cracker got to read some Daring Do books, and Lightning Strike and Twilight Sparkle got to read a few books together.

The next day, Twilight and her friends, including Lightning Strike, had a little picnic in the park. Twilight was sure that her and Prince Lightning Strike were going to be good friends.