Sweetie Belle stomped her hoof on the concrete with a snort.
Her mothers had moved her to Ponyville. Sweetie didn’t know why. Her best friend Rarity was in Unicornia; Ice Scoop and Lulabelle had jobs in Unicornia; they had a nice home in Unicornia. Sweetie thought about why they were moving for the time they were in the balloon, and could not piece any reason why her parents wanted to move there together.
Sweetie didn’t like Ponyville. Her mothers were gazing at a map in an attempt to get to the town, but Sweetie sat on her flanks and gazed around. No ponies milled around them. The only landscape around were empty and bleak hills against a crisp blue sky.
The filly snorted. It was prettier in Unicornia.
“Come now, Sweetie.”
Sweetie snorted, clopped her hooves angrily, and snorted once more for good measure. Ice Scoop shook her mane.
“Don’t be so upset,” stated the unicorn. The herd trotted through the lot and soon were all on top the cobblestone roads. Sweetie Belle stared at her feet, not wanting to be scolded. She could give Ponyville one thing. At least their roads were familiar, and professionally done.
Sweetie Belle figured that she and her parents had walked a mile before they came across a castle. Sweetie looked at it scornfully through the tops of her eyes.
“See, Sweetie?” asked Lulabelle, “It’s not that different from Unicornia.”
Sweetie swallowed back another indignant snort. It wasn’t half as big as the Crystal Rainbow Castle in Unicornia. It hardly looked like a castle, either. The building looked more like a two-story schoolhouse with turrets slapped on its corners. That would never do to suit the Queens. Or the Princesses, Sweetie thought sadly.
She would never see her best friend Rarity again! Countess Cheerilee hardly let the foals out of her sight. Princess Rarity couldn’t come to Ponyville, and Sweetie Belle couldn’t return to Unicornia. Sweetie sighed sadly and hung her head even lower. The half-heart locket around her neck wouldn’t never click again. The BE FRIE would never be completed, and never be able to light up bright pink anymore.
“Hi there!” came a very bouncy voice. Sweetie Belle looked up from her moping.
In front of herself and her parents stood for mares. One looked to be a yearling, like Sweetie was. Another looked like no pony Sweetie had ever seen before. Her colors were rather standard, but she had long and flowing fetlocks, a wide and muscular body, hair that seemed soft as clouds, and towered several horseshoes over the other ponies.
The large pony had a coat of pastel pink, splashed with white. “Are you here to visit Ponyville?” asked the bouncy-voiced horse.
Ice Scoop nickered and stepped forward. “No, we’re moving here to Ponyville.”
The yellow and blue mares eyes lit up as Ice Scoop stated the cursed fact. The indigo foal shot under the blue pony’s stomach
“Do you have a building- er, place- er, home yet?” asked the yellow pony. Her voice was high-pitched, and she spoke rather quickly. “Oh! Let me tell you my credentials- er, name. I’m Flitter Flutter.”
The blue mare cut her off just as she took another breath. “She’s the mayor of Ponyville,” she explained. Her voice was rather soft and monotoned. “And I’m her secretary, Mish Mash Mee. And this is my daughter…” Mish Mash Mee introduced with a swish of her tail, “Bashful Bonnet.”
Bashful Bonnet weakly looked between her mother’s legs. She squeaked at the sight of the newcomers.
“And I’m Pinkie Pie!” introduced the large pink mare. “And I know Ponyville like my own frogs! I’ll be happy to lead you to your address.”
Lulabelle nodded and told the large mare the information. Pinkie nodded and whinnied excitedly. “107 Wood Road?” Pinkie repeated, “Can do! Come along with me!”
The large mare trotted off. Sweetie didn’t want to trot, but she even less wanted to be alone, without her parents, with strangers, in a new town.
“Enjoy your stay in Ponyville!” called Mayor Flitter Flutter as the string rushed off.
A few days had passed since Sweetie and her parents had moved. Lulabelle and Ice Scoop had unpackaged their goods and lightly decorated the home. Sweetie hadn’t. She still wasn’t sure about this place, or this home. To make matters worse, it was Monday. Sweetie would be going to a new school today, and she felt terribly nauseous.
“It’s just because we’ve moved and you’re not used to things yet,” said Lulabelle. She placed a brown paper bag into Sweetie’s saddlebag before closing it.
“Yeah, it’ll all be alright, Sweetie,” replied Ice Scoop. “Come on, now. I’ll walk you to school.”
Lulabelle nuzzled her daughter. Sweetie hung her head and followed the blue mare out of the door. Soon enough, the two were cantering down the lane. Sweetie didn’t bother to look up at the shops of Main Street. It was so she wouldn’t get motion sick, she told herself, but inwardly she felt as if she hated the stores already.
On one side of their path was a tall, yellow building. In front of it was a large patch of grass. In the patch of grass sat a large sign. On it read Flower Garland School. The sun sparkled on the dew of the autumn grass and criss-crossed through the mist. A chilly breeze blew through Sweetie’s mane. She was very glad to be wearing a blanket.
“Here it is!” announced Ice Scoop. She led Sweetie onto a cobble quad with a few spaces of grass. Sweetie assumed that some of the taller stalks were flowers, but hadn’t bloomed in the autumn weather yet.
Sweetie followed her mother down a cobble path and up a set of stairs. The two stood under a brown roof, surrounded by white, wooden fencing. The young unicorn had to admit that the school looked nice enough. It looked like the school in Unicornia.
The door in front of them opened. Out stepped a mare, the same size as Ice Scoop. Her coat was a dark raspberry, and her mane was several shades of pink.
“Hi there,” greeted Ice Scoop, “Sorry we’re late.”
“You’re fine,” laughed the mare. She looked at Sweetie Belle. “And this is your daughter, Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie nodded.
“My name is Cherry Blossom,” she stated. Her voice was extremely calming. Sweetie felt just the tiniest bit safer. “I’ll serve as your principal and language arts teacher. I have your schedule just inside, I will give it to you and give you a small tour of our school if you’ll so kindly follow me.”
Sweetie looked nervously up at her mother. Ice Scoop whinnied kindly and nuzzled her head. “You’ll do great. Mind your teacher, Sweetie. Lula will pick you up at three.” Ice Scoop then nudged Sweetie’s withers so she would follow Miss Blossom. Sweetie complied, and nervously stepped into the tile floors of the school building.
“This is my office,” Miss Blossom explained, swishing her tail in the direction of a desk under a stairwell. There wasn't any entrance to it, just a desk in open air. Miss Blossom continued to lead Sweetie around.
Next to her office was the cafeteria. Up the stairs was the reading classroom. Down the hall was the math room on one side, and the other contained two rooms put together. They were the art and history rooms. On the other side of the small building was another stairwell, where the science room was. Outdoors on that side contained the place where gym and home economics would be held.
Miss Blossom took Sweetie back to her desk and gave her a piece of paper. Sweetie glanced over it. Science, Art, Reading, Lunch, Recess, Math, Gym, History. Sweetie folded the paper with her magic and slipped it in her saddlebag.
“Let me walk you to your first class,” stated Miss Blossom.
Sweetie didn't object. She trotted through the hallway. At the stairs, she took a deep breath in and out. This was her life now, Sweetie concluded, and she had to deal with it if she liked it or not. The two trotted up the stairs. Miss Blossom knocked on the door before tilting the knob and slowly walking in.
A wave of fear overcame Sweetie as everypony’s eyes met her own. At one table, one pony was yellow with purple and pink hair; another cream and rainbow; one blue with long white hair. At the other table, one pony was purple and pink; the other was pink with white stockings and rainbow colored-hair. Sweetie assumed she would be sitting at the emptier table.
“Why, hello there!” called the teacher. “Welcome to my little class. Is this our new student, Miss Blossom?”
The teacher was a kindly-looking pegasus. Her wings seemed small and notably non-muscular. Colorful bandages sprayed across them. Her coat was a magenta-purple color, and her mane was split with pink and blue.
“It is!” Miss Blossom replied. “Sweetie, this is Miss Flight. Mind her and your other students.”
Sweetie Belle trotted forward and soon stood by Miss Flight’s side. Miss Blossom glanced around the room before shutting the door.
“This, class is our newest student!” Miss Flight announced she lowered her voice to the foal. “What's your name, sweetie?”
“U-um,” Sweetie stuttered. She raised her voice a bit louder so everyone could hear, “I’m Sweetie Belle.”
“A wonderful name, Miss Belle,” Miss Flight complimented. She faced her class. “Now, I'd like everyone to give one fun fact about themselves and state their names, so that Sweetie Belle will know who you are.”
Miss Flight called on each student with a nod of her head. The yellow pony was Apple Spice, and her grandmothers owned the Apple Cinnamon Bakery (whatever that was). The cream pony was Pastern Paints, and she said that Toola Roola was her best friend. Toola Roola, the pink pony, stated that Pastern was her best friend, too! The blue pony was named Bellaluna, and her fact was that she was a member of Stablemate Yearlings Troop 2003! Sweetie held a small smile. She, too, was a member of the Yearlings back in Unicornia, troop 2007. Finally, the last pony was Starsong, who proudly announced that she was a Starjumper Pegasus (whatever that was).
Miss Flight thanked her students and asked Sweetie to come to her desk. The pegasus mare handed her two slips of paper. One was a crossword, and the other was a decorative piece of paper full of blanks for Sweetie to list her interests.
“Just fill out the second sheet when you find the time,” Miss Flight said. “Do you know anything about the water cycle?”
Sweetie nodded. She was top of her class in Unicornia, and her old school was far ahead of that subject.
“You're awesome!” stated Miss Flight. “But feel free to ask me or your tablemates if you need any help, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Sweetie.
“I'd like you to sit with Starsong and Toola Roola, please. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” replied Sweetie meekly. Without another word, the unicorn quietly sat on the purple pillow across from the pink and purple ponies. She slipped her saddlebag from her back and rustled around for a pencil.
Up close, Toola looked a bit more like a mule than an alluvium. Starsong’s hooves, wings, and the bridge of her muzzle were covered in bright sparkles, too.
“I- um-- guess you're called Starjumper Pegasi for a reason?” Sweetie meekly asked.
Starsong brayed loudly in a laugh. “Yeah! And you should see my jumping, too!” She stated. Starsong had a bit of an accent, Sweetie noted. Her T and H sounds came out much harder that Sweetie’s did, and her vowels were less prominent on some words.
“Do you know anything about science, Sweetie Belle?” Toola Roola asked. Her voice was a bit lispy, but still understandable.
“Uum, yeah, I like science,” Sweetie answered. She looked over the crossword clues. They seemed easy enough, for Sweetie, anyway.
“Good,” Toola said, “Do you know what four down could be? Starsong and I are both stumped.”
“Oh, are you--” Sweetie started to ask, “We can work together?”
“Sure we can!” said Starsong. “I'll give you my answers if you tell us four.”
“We don't have many,” Toola added, “We just got it not too long ago.”
Sweetie looked down at number four down. I am rain, sleet, snow or hail. Sweetie smiled and held her pencil with her magic. “Pre-cip-i-tation.”
“Oooooh,” sounded Starsong and Toola in unison. As soon as Starsong finished writing, she started to list her two other answers. Sweetie knew she could answer them both herself, but she thought it would be rude to say otherwise.
Sweetie sat quietly on her side of the desk the rest of class while Starsong and Toola worked quietly. Sweetie was the first student to turn in her paper to Miss Flight, and started work on her other assignment.
Things weren't much different in her other classes. It seemed that Toola and Starsong sat with her in every class except for Music and Math. In music, there were no desks and everyone sat together. In math, she sat with Bellaluna and Pastern Paints. Bellaluna seemed remarkable at math and willing to help both Pastern and Sweetie when they needed it. Math was neither of their strong suits, it seemed.
Eventually, lunch came around. The cafeteria was packed. Several foals who weren't in Sweetie’s class sat and milled around.
“You weren't ever told how many kids were here, huh?” asked Starsong.
“N-no, I wasn't.”
Starsong motioned with one wing to the emptier side of the cafeteria. “Those are the other elementary kids, like us. And those kids over there are the middle school kids. We’re in the same building.”
“Oh,” Sweetie replied. She wasn't sure how to feel about being in the same place as students so much older than her.
“You should sit with us,” said Toola, sneaking up on Sweetie’s other side. She jumped, not expecting the large mare. Toola swirled her ears and said, “Sorry.”
“Yes! I'll meet you there!” said Starsong, dashing off to the front of the cafeteria. Toola Roola sat across from Sweetie Belle and beside two ponies near the end of the table. One was the indigo mare that Sweetie had met when she first arrived in Ponyville. The other was a white pony with pink and yellow hair.
“Hi, Toola!” greeted the white mare. “What did your mom teach today?”
“Not much, Dance Around!” replied the pink donkey. “She taught us all the music volumes and how to sing them.” She faced Sweetie then, “Miss Matazz is my mother.”
“Are you the new student?” asked Dance Around. Sweetie nodded. “That's really cool! Toola told me in the hallway that you completed your science assignment in ten minutes! I thought that was pretty cool of you.”
Sweetie blushed and stuttered out a thanks. At that moment, Starsong slapped a tray of food down beside Toola. Immediately, she yelled down the table.
“HEY, SPICE!”
The yellow mule, Apple Spice, looked at her from two ponies down. “Yeah?” she called back.
“You got any of those spice cakepops today?” she asked.
Spice shook her head and replied, “My mom wouldn't let me bring any! We still got em at the shop, though.”
Starsong beamed. She looked to Toola and Sweetie. “Do you guys want to go to the Apple Cinnamon Bakery with me after school?”
Toola nodded excitedly. Sweetie stammered out a hasty agreement, though was a bit nervous on how to go about it. Very sparingly had her mother's let her out on her own. She was nervous about both their reaction, and the sweets, to say the least. Sweetie didn't care much for spicy things.
“U-um, mom?”
Sweetie trotted up to her mother in the cobble quad. The sun shone brightly down onto the world. The mist had cleared, and the grass was crunchy as everywhere.
“Sweetie Belle! What is it, dear? Was your first day at a new school good?”
Sweetie wasn't sure how to answer. “Two of my classmates invited me to a bakery in town. Can I.. go?”
Lulabelle thought a moment. “Let me speak to their parents. Do you see them?”
Sweetie Belle glanced around. She soon spotted Toola Roola’s large stature and white stockings. Starsong’s pink wingtips stood beside her. They were accompanied by what Sweetie Belle guessed where their parents. The white Starjumper, Honoloo-lu, from another class, stood beside Starsong. Sweetie and her mother trotted over.
“Hi!” greeted Miss Mattazz. “I believe my daughter has asked yours to go to Apple Cinnamon with her. That is Sweetie, isn't it, luv?” she asked her daughter.
“Yeah,” said Toola, “Can you come, Sweetie? It's the best bakery ever!”
Lulabelle glanced between them. “Are you her mother?”
“Yes, I'm Jazz Mattazz.”
“Well, I'm Lulabelle. My wife, daughter and I have just moved her recently. I'm very glad to know she’s already making friends.”
“Tell my mom I'll be home later, okay, Aurora?” Starsong asked the large real pony above her. Sweetie was a bit confused at the idea that a pony who wasn’t Starsong’s parent was picking her up.
“Sure thing,” replied the mare.
“Can I come?” Lulu asked.
Starsong snorted and rolled her eyes, “We can go later.”
Lulu frowned. “We can go later tonight, Lulu,” said Miss Aurora. Lulu smiled once more and nodded.
Sweetie looked up at her mother as she started to speak to both Miss Mattazz and Miss Aurora.
Lulabelle thought a moment. “Sure, you can go, Sweetie. Just try to be back by four or four-thirty, okay?”
Sweetie’s eyes lit up. “COME ON!” exclaimed Starsong. She got a running start and leaped into the air. A small trail of sparkles seemed to flow right under her.
“Slow down, loser!” called Toola Roola, following and giggling. Sweetie couldn't help a smile splitting her face and a laugh tumbling out of her throat as she followed the two.
Maybe she was wrong, and Ponyville wasn't quite as she thought. The Apple Cinnamon Bakery wasn't as bad, either. The Spice Cakepops tasted much like pumpkin pie and a plain, vanilla cake.
“Mm!” stated Sweetie after swallowing her first bite.
“Have a bit of cider,” the owner, a green pony named Green Apple, offered. The three foals happily accepted the small cups of juice. It tasted much like apple juice, Sweetie thought, but even richer.
Starsong took a big swig before clearing her throat and smacking her hoof to the table.
“If you think this is good, Sweetie,” she said, “You should taste Dream Surpreme’s donuts!”
For the first time since she had arrived in Ponyville, Sweetie Belle felt excited.
