//------------------------------//
// Prologue pt 2 
// Story: The Totally Tubular and Tremendously Tenacious and Turbulent Transplanted Teen 
// by Sparkle Fire 
//------------------------------//

Ryder’s Journal
June 6, 1988

I’ve been living here
in Canterlot
for the past year.

I’ve been a citizen
since last November.

I only need to remember
to keep renewing
my residency certificate
every November 1.

I’m sure you’re asking
the question,
“How do you even get by?”

That’s relatively easy
to answer…

While Kimberly went
to find work,
I used to scamper
around town,
offering to do odd jobs
for the local townspeople
on exchange for money.

The money from this
went towards
paying the rent,
paying for groceries,
and ensuring that our bills
were paid on time.

That was until
four months ago.
That was when
I got a job in town
working the registers
at a coffee shop.

It paid very well,
and my co-workers
were very nice to me.

In fact,
I’m on my lunch break
at the moment.

I’m at Trendy Tavern
on the East Side,
eating lunch with
a Cosararan immigrant
friend of mine,
discussing everything
from the meaning of life
to whether or not
aliens are making socks
disappear.

After twenty minutes,
he finished his sandwich
and walked out.


MEANWHILE
In the main gymnasium at Canterlot Junior High School


“... and congratulations again to the Class of 1988! May you go from this place and remember that your life does not follow any script; life should be soaked in and lived to the absolute fullest.”

With that, the mass of graduates rose from their seats as the band played them off, accompanied with thunderous applause. Once they cleared the entrance doors, they went around the front, down the side of the street, and made a right turn before popping into the courtyard, where a reception was being put on for the graduates.

There were tables with cookies of all sorts were laid out and a giant punch bowl sat nearby, filled to the brim. Over these sweets, the new alumni were clamoring over the talk of the town - the new guy.

“I heard there’s a Cosararan guy coming next year… is this true?” asked Shining Armor, a strong unicorn with a stark white coat, a messy blue mane, unshorn fetlocks, and blue eyes.

“Yes, it is, he moved here last year,” Diamond Rose, a grayish-white pegasus filly with a dark pink mane and blue eyes, replied. She was visibly anxious to meet the newcomer in person.

“Hold on - didn’t they just have a civil war over there?” Lemony Gems, a unicorn with a yellow coat, a bluish-green mane, and eyes as blue as the ocean, recalled.

“I talked to him a while back,” replied Gaffer, a young unicorn colt with an orange coat, green mane, and deep green eyes. “He works at the coffee shop across from my apartment building. He says that he fought in that war, but he didn’t exactly like how it turned out in the end… rumor is, the people that came to power after the war ended became attached at the hip to the Soviets.”

“So that’s why he came here?”

“I would say that’s the reason he jumped ship, so to speak.”

“I suggest that we go and meet him and see what he’s like!”

With that, the group that would soon meet Ryder finished off their punch and ate the last of their cookies and trotted off to the Trendy Tavern. The place wasn’t too far away, given that it was only ten blocks away from the school.

Once they parted the doors to go inside, they saw Ryder, a Cosararan immigrant with a head of wavy hair, tan skin, Italian complexion, and coffee-brown eyes sitting at the bar having a pint of lager.

Gaffer recognized him almost immediately and took a seat right next to him.

“Hey, mate, I know you,” Ryder lit up, a smile showing on his face. “And I see you’ve brought the whole gang with you! How many are there?”

“About twenty of us,” Gaffer said back. “If you like, you can sit here with us.”

“Sure!” Ryder pulled up a chair and joined the group.

“What’s your name, handsome?” Sweetcream Scoops, a unicorn with a green-apple color of coat, sharp blue eyes, and a prismatic raspberry-orange-amber mane, spoke up.

“My name’s Ryder,” he replied. “A pleasure to meet you…”

And thus started the introductions of nearly twenty of Ryder’s new bezzie mates: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (or Cadence, whichever you prefer), Lemony Gems, Diamond Rose, Moondancer, Lyra Heartstrings, Bonbon, Ivory, Minuette, Cheerilee, Shining Armor, Poindexter [Gizmo], 8-Bit, Gaffer, Soarin’, Goldengrape, Thunderlane, Caramel, Braeburn, Meadow Song, and a few others.

After all the formalities were well and truly out of the way, Ryder started to explain how he became involved in the revolutionary war and the protests, to his eventual dissatisfaction with the new government and his life-changing decision to leave. This led to some joking around at the Cosararan regime’s expense, of which Ryder gratuitously took part in, adding a few witty retorts of his own at times. Through this, the collusion of twenty or so ponies and a lone Cosararan revolutionary-war-veteran-become-immigrant became a tight-knit group of close friends.

“So, what are you doing over the summer?” Cadence asked.

Ryder mulled the thought for a short while before replying, “Other than fool around with my older brothers and sister, I dunno - maybe hang with you guys?”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Lyra added, happy with his response.

With that, they patted each others’ backs and called it a day.
....................

Ryder’s Journal
June 6, 1988
Late Evening.

I can hardly believe
what I’ve just
been through.

Not too long
after my friend
from work left,
Gaffer came by,
with twenty of
his bezzie mates
tagging along!

They were
so good to
get along with.

We all became acquainted
very easily, becoming
bezzies.

I think I’ll be
just fine here,
thank you very much.

I’ll be meeting them again
tomorrow afternoon
for lunch at the Tavern.

After that,
the possibilities
are endless.

But for now,
I’ll stop writing,
I must retire for the night.