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// Part One: welcome to Ponyville  
// Story: Cold Welcoming 
// by Zephyscribe 
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Part One: Welcome to Ponyville 
The gravel crunched and the mud squelched as the wheels of the chariot passed over, and grinded to a halt. A bright purple pony and her small dragon companion stepped out of the gilded golden chariot and on to the filthy mud laden streets of Ponyville. “ Is this really the right place.” Inquired the purple pony 
“Yes miss twilight, there is no doubt.” Briskly replied one of the proud guardsponies that pulled the fancy chariot. The guards pony seemed almost eager to fly off and leave the impoverished town of Ponyville far behind. 
“ I suppose the princess knows best.” Said twilight uncertainly. “Come now spike, we have work to do.” The pony set out into the town with the dragon following close behind. 
Spike was a baby dragon and his stout legs struggled to keep up with the lengthy stride of Twilight, his caretaker and friend. Clutching a parchment scroll to his chest, the dragon looked around at the sagging and rickety shacks that surrounded him. The buildings of Ponyville were in absolute shambles. The moldy-thatch-roofed houses were crooked and sagging from age and abuse. It was clear that these homes had once been a gleaming white, but over the years had faded to a dull gray. A shallow channel ran down the middle of the road carrying refuse and dung in a stream of putrid water. The little dragon pinched his nose to avoid the smell of decay and poverty. 
“Uhhg, Twilight lets just deliver the princess’s message and get out of this dump.” 
“Hush. Spike. Do not be so impolite, a local is coming this way.”  Spike looked down at his feet, embarrassed for being scolded in public. 
The approaching pony was of a bright pink color with balloons for a cutie mark and straight hair hanging like a wet towel on her head. “Um, hello. My name Twilight Sparkle, and I was sent by the princess to perform a census of Ponyville.” The pink pony seemed not to notice twilight and continued to drag her feet and look at her hooves as she passed. “Um, pardon me, but can you hear me…” inquired Twilight. 
The pink pony looked up and scanned Twilight and Spike with her vibrant blue eyes. “huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!” The pony suddenly exclaimed, and ran off into one of the winding alleyways, and out of sight. 
“Well that was interesting alright” said Twilight in disbelief. “ Um, well spike lets move on like that never happened.” The dragon nodded. “It says here that we need to go and talk to a pony by the name of Apple Jack because she is the newest mayor of ponyville” said Twilight as she studied a small sheet of paper in her hoof.”
The duo; Twilight and Spike, set off along the dirty trail toward Sweet Apple Acres, not knowing that they were heading toward the premature end of their happy lives.