Swift Wind
Swift Wind trotted off the train at Ponyville station. He was glad to be away from his home city of Fillydelphia and to explore the countryside town as he trotted away from the train. As the train left, Swift Wind turned and looked out toward the vast expanse of forest trees and flowery meadows that he could see. A cool, refreshing countryside breeze whipped through his short azure blue mane, his cream white fur coat and even ruffled quite a few feathers in his wings. Swift Wind enjoyed the sensation and noticed how the brightly lit, clear, sky blue day made the surrounding countryside look even more appealing. Swift Wind could already imagining himself rolling around in the long grass without care or just simply enjoying the feel of wide open spaces without the bustling crowds of ponies and dragons that sometimes made Fillydelphia feel very crowded.
As another breeze whipped through, Swift Wind noticed the weather for flying about in the gorgeous setting couldn’t be any better, but that was when glumness made its ugly return. Swift Wind looked down toward the platform and stood still for a moment as he started to remember why he wasn’t as keen of a flyer as he had been in his youth. The memories of the accusations of being a cheat after setting the fastest lap at Fillydelphia Stadium came flooding back. However, what was even more detrimental to his confidence in his flying abilities, the papers believed the allegations alleged and he was branded a cheater and the final destroyer of his youthful flying enjoyment was his Dad chose to believe the allegations above his own protests of innocence. However, just when glumness was about to become enough to make Swift whimper, another calming breeze came through and Swift lifted his head up and realised he couldn’t let himself be upset on such a beautiful day and trotted across the platform.
Upon reaching the end of the platform, Swift Wind was reminded of his new countryside town surroundings as he gazed at the houses he could see. He admired the rustic countryside houses and the fact some had hanging flower baskets outside the windows and flowers decorating the gardens. Swift Wind even admired a few errand leaves blowing up and down the dirt road leading further into Ponyville as it felt it reminded him of his new location and just how far he was removed from the busier streets of Fillydelphia. Swift was a little surprised to see the street completely empty of ponies however, but he judged maybe it was his own bad timing or ponies were elsewhere doing their jobs or perhaps attending an important event or something.
After trotting down the street for a bit, Swift Wind had noticed some of the houses had overhanging balconies or the top floor of a house overhung the bottom, but he was no architectural or building expert and it wasn’t his place to judge. It was just something he was noticing, but he noticed the hanging flower baskets and the gardens even more. Swift Wind thought the Ponyville ponies sure did care about how presentable their gardens looked or in the event the house didn’t have a front garden, the pony owning the house seemed to care about how the hanging flower baskets looked and every house seemed to have at least one flower pot decorating a window sill.
Swift Wind once again felt this was a reminder of a countryside town setting as it certainly wasn’t the case back in Fillydelphia that every pony cared about decorating their window sills with flowers or having a hanging flower basket outside their homes. That wasn’t to say that no pony cared, but Swift Wind was also noticing he hadn’t encountered a Ponyville local yet either.
Then, a pink pony with a pink fluffy mane and a pink coat with a pink fluffy and curly tail bounced toward him with a happy, friendly smile on her face. Swift Wind noticed she appeared happy to be enjoying the weather and bouncing up and down for fun. Swift Wind thought this slightly weird as certainly didn’t see Fillydelphia ponies bounce up and down for enjoyment or for any other reason for that matter, but decided to approach the local to see if she was friendly.
“Hi,” Swift Wind greeted in an attempt to say hello.
“Huh!?” The pink pony gasped in a huff and turned the focus of her two blue eyes onto him. Swift Wind noticed she appeared surprised.
“Oh, hi, my name is Pinkie Pie and I’m really, really glad to meet some pony new,” Pinkie introduced herself happily.
“And you must be some pony new because I know every pony in town and I’ve never seen you around before and that means you have to be new,” Pinkie said quickly and in one breath. Swift Wind didn’t quite catch what she said and was a bit puzzled.
“So, what’s your name?” Pinkie asked and glanced toward Swift Wind. Swift Wind looked back and noticed her smile appeared friendly, though he thought he could see mischief in it as well and her blue eyes were keen.
“I’m Swift Wind,” Swift Wind decided to say his name and stretch his left front leg out for Pinkie to shake.
“Glad to have met you,” Pinkie said happily and shook his leg with what Swift felt was quite a firm grip and with some speed too. However, after shaking his leg and letting go, Swift Wind noticed Pinkie was still wearing a friendly, happy smile.
“You want me to give you a tour of Ponyville, don’t you,” Pinkie said quickly before Swift Wind could say anything. Swift Wind was stunned as Pinkie had read his thoughts as he was thinking it would be easier for a local pony to show him around than to find his way around on his own.
“Yeah,” Swift Wind admitted with some hesitance as the apparent mind reading skill caused him a little concern.
“I knew you would ask, I have a Pinkie sense that can sometimes predict the future,” Pinkie said in a funny, yet slight spooky sounding tone. Pinkie even performed a little act of waving her front hooves around. Swift Wind noticed the act appeared to be in attempt to make him laugh though and Pinkie was smiling happily again afterwards.
“So, I can show around if you still want,” Pinkie said. Swift Wind decided to think about for a few seconds. It bothered him slightly Pinkie had read his mind, but he had noticed she appear friendly and she had offered to show him, but only if he wanted her to.
“Okay,” Swift Wind said as he deciding having a tour given to him by a local pony would still be easier than locating the shops and cafes and other interesting things himself.
“Then, follow me,” Pinkie chirped and then turned herself around. Swift Wind decided to follow after her and wondered where Pinkie would take him first. After a short while, Pinkie stopped in front of a boutique.
“This is my friend Rarity’s boutique, unfortunately she’s away in Canterlot today, but you can meet her tomorrow if you want,” Pinkie said. Swift Wind looked at the window display dresses and what he could see on the inside and had to admit he didn’t see anything that would attract a colt to the boutique. Plus, he wasn’t all that interested in fashion anyway.
“I’m not really all that enthusiastic about fashion,” Swift Wind decided to admit.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, my friend Rarity has a dress or an outfit for every customer that trots into her store,” Pinkie said. Swift Wind noticed this was twice Pinkie had said the store owner whose name he gathered was Rarity was her friend.
Swift Wind began to think since Pinkie was friendly, it was likely Rarity was too and it wouldn’t be all that bad to know a couple of Ponyville locals. Swift Wind even thought to himself it could prove an advantage if he came back someday.
“Ready to see more?” Pinkie asked enthusiastically and bounced up and down twice on the spot. Swift Wind nodded and thought the high amount of energy he could see in Pinkie was amusing.
“That over there is Quills and Sofa’s, you might meet my friend Princess Twilight there,” Pinkie said pointing over to another shop nearby, Swift Wind looked over to it and noticed the shop had a sign stating Quills and Sofas, but then noticed something else Pinkie said.
“Did you say Princess Twilight?” Swift Wind asked as the name appeared vaguely familiar as something he had read up in papers and had heard over rumours. However, after his confidence had fallen and his faith in newspaper reporting had been badly shaken by their ruthless accusations into the alleged cheating offences he had committed, Swift Wind was highly sceptical of anything written in them.
“Yep, she and I are best friends and I visit her castle quite often,” Pinkie said happily.
“Her castle?” Swift Wind questioned as he wasn’t familiar about any of this.
“Don’t you know? Princess Twilight is the Princess of Friendship, silly,” Pinkie mused. Swift Wind was shocked to have learned this. He thought back to some brief browsing of the newspapers back in Fillydelphia and remembered a few headlines being about a new Princess in Equestria and some of the things the headlines suggested she had done. Swift Wind had only ever given these headlines a brief browse and ignored them because of his own dealings with press ponies were negative.
“You look like you seriously don’t know,” Pinkie said.
“Then, the headlines were true,” Swift Wind gulped as he remembered just how many of them he had ignored.
“Yep, Princess Twilight is the Princess of Friendship, alright, I can show you to her castle if you want,” Pinkie offered. Swift Wind instantly decided he had to see real proof for himself and with his own eyes.
“Yes, please do that,” Swift Wind said.
“Okie dokie loki, follow me,” Pinkie said and turned left onto what looked like the main street and led him down it.
