Ponies meet Boy Part 1
By Stoltzy
All was as it usually was at peace in Equestria. Discord had been stopped and recovery was coming along nicely as what had happened that day had only become some bad memories. What was different this day however was that the residents of Ponyville were to have a new Pony among them. A few miles away from ponyville there was a slow moving wagon making its way down the road. It was an old looking but stable wagon that sort of looked like a moving carriage. This pony was fairly large, only slightly shorter then the likes of Big Macintosh, he wasn't particularly muscular more along the lines of slightly heavy. Even so, this pony was strong enough to pull that big thing all by himself. The pony was a deep dark blue from his head down to his hooves, his mane was brown, short and kinda messy. His cutie mark was an open book being written with a quill. On his face he wore a pair of glasses which along with his deep blue eyes portrayed a neutral look on his face while he just looked straight ahead of him.
"I hope I can find the right place." The pony thought to himself, "I hope it ain't too far away either, this thing is a royal pain in the ass to pull." He tilted his head back and forth making barely audible cracking noises. He had been pulling that cart for a long time and he was getting tired.
Awhile later as he still walked he looked around at the scenery. It was very nice to see. Beautiful landscape and hills, birds cherping, a clear and sunny sky, and little crooks and rivers here and there. He smiled alittle seeing it all. Appreciating the scenery was basically all he could do as he pulled that big cart behind him. In the distance he began to see a large barn. At first he didn't pay that much attention to it. This pony was quite used to seeing barns along the roads he traveled. As he got closer though he noticed something different about it.
"An apple farm?" He thought out loud. "Sweet Apple Acres............Interesting........... Never saw an apple farm before." He had stopped to look at the farm alittle when he came to where the road branched off leading to it. Never having seen one before it interested him alittle. As he looked some gurgling had begun to erupt.
"Oh bloody hell." He said outloud.
"You hungry partner?"
"WHAT THE HELL!?" He jumped as he heard the voice. He did NOT expect anyone around. He looked around trying to find the source of the voice.
"I didn't spook ya did I?" He looked towards the farm and saw an orange blond pony approach him from down the road.
The male pony sighed with a hint of annoyance. "You certainly did."
"Mighty sorry about that. I couldn't help but ask since I could year yur tummy all the way from here." She said in a country accent as she walked closer to him pulling a cart of her own.
"I see." said the male pony
"You new round these parts? I've never seen you here before." she asked.
"Why yes I am." the pony responded with his low masculine voice. "I am just coming to move in today actually."
"Well howdy then stranger." she pulled her cart so she was right next to the blue pony. She extended a hoof towards him. "Name's Applejack. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The male pony proceeded to shake her hoof. "Blueben, nice to meet you to."
"Are you really just moving in today?"
"Yep, why do you think I have the huge freaking cart behind me?" He said motioning towards his load.
They both then started walking towards Ponyville all the while chatting and getting to know eachother.
"Where are you from anyway?" Applejack asked him.
"I am from somewhere in The Midwest. A tiny town called Waterbridge."
"I never heard of that town before."
"I would have been suprised if you did." he replied chuckling
"What do ya do for a livin?" She asked looking at his cutie mark.
"I'm a writer."
"Nice, what all have you written?"
"Some short stories, some poetry, something out of the ordinary here and there. I AM however thinking about writing a novel. I just haven't had the time to get to it lately."
Applejack laughed alittle, "I know a certain who probably wouldn't mind readin' it."
"And who would that be?" Blueben asked.
"A friend of mine named Twilight Sparkle." Applejack responded. "TOTAL bookworm. I have a safe feeling she would be interested to see what all you've got."
"I think I have most of what I have written in my cart." He looks at the smaller cart Applejack is pulling. "What is your cart for? What do you do for a living?"
"Didn't that farm give it away smartguy? My family grows apples on that farm. I am taking this into town to sell some apples. That's why I asked if you were hungry earlier. Your stomach rumbled pretty loudly."
The male pony shrugged. "I haven't eaten in awhile is all. I have been pulling this bloody thing all day."
He looked at her cart more closely seeing all the apples and apple like things painted all over it. "Do you sell JUST apples?"
"Anything you can think that's made from apples I've got. Would you like to try somethin? An apple friter or a piece of apple pie?"
"Just a regular apple will do me just fine." He detaches him self from the front of his cart and starts to open the side door into it. "Just give me a second and I'll find some money to pay you with."
"No need to do that Blueben." Applejack said waving her hoof dismissingly. "Since your new in town I'll let you have your first few apples for free."
"You sure about that?" Blueben asked. "I don't wanna be a free loader."
"No worries partner." She said tossing Blueben a big and juicy red apple. "Consider it my welcome to you from Ponyville."
"Thanks." He said as he started reattaching himself to the cart. Before long the two were entering into the streets of Ponyville. It was alive with various ponys of many colors going about their daily business and routine happy as can be. Blueben looked around at all the buildings and shops he saw. He shook his head alittle when he saw a store that sold ONLY quils and couches.He didn't see much of a point in that.
When they reached the square Applejack started to get her stand set up. "This is where I stop partner. You interested in any more apples?"
"Nah Applejack. I'm good." Blueben replied shaking his head slightly.
"What all you plan on doin today?"
"Getting moved in if that wasn't obvious. I have a house on other side of town. I've got alot of work to do. What about you?"
"Just workin at my stand here. If you like I can help you get settled in after I'm done for the day."
"That'd be great thanks."
"What house are you moving into?"
A big blue two-story house. You can't miss it.
"Alright. See ya later partner."
"Bye Applejack." With that Blueben resumed pulling his cart towards the other edge of town just as he was doing before. A block or so down the street he saw what looked like a building made entirely of sweets. It was pretty obvious what kind of business THIS was. Blueben's stomach growled alittle again. He had finished off the apple that Applejack gave him earlier but was sill hungry.
"I wonder what they all have in here." Blueben said to himself with a smile on his face as he entered the Bakery. He approached the counter and began looking at all the sweets behind the counter window. He had a wide smile on his face as he eyed all the cupcakes, muffins, and many other sweet delicacies that lined the shelves behind the window.
"Welcome to Sugarcube Corner sir." Blueben was greeted by a tall and kinda skinny stallion wearing a red and white stripped bow-tie, a baker's hat (?), and an apron. "What can I do for you?"
"This all looks so good...... It's difficult to choose." Blueben started thinking for a minute. "Do you have any doughnuts?"
"I think we have a batch being made right now. Let me check if they are ready for you." The orange stallion went to the doors next to the counter leading to the kitchen. "Pinkie Pie! Are those doughnuts ready to be set out yet"
"I just got them out Mr. Cake." A girly voice from the kitchen yelled back.
"We have a customer who just asked for them. Wait for a bit before you get them ready." Mr. Cake yelled again." "They just got done sir." Mr. Cake said turning towards Blueben. "What kind would you like?"
"I would like a whole dozen please. Half of them vanilla the other half chocolate."
"Half a batch white and half chocolate. Could yo get those frosted up while I ring him up please?" He yelled again towards the kitchen.
"Okie-dokie-loki!" The girly voice yelled back.
"That will be 12 bits please."
"Alright." Blueben then pulled out twelve bits and set them on the counter.
"This your first time here?" Asked Mr. Cake as he took the coins.
"Sure is. I am actually moving into town today."
"Well welcome to Ponyville sir!" He exclaimed as he shook Blueben's hoof.
"Oh wait! That reminds me. Can I get those doughnuts to go?"
"Sure you can." He turned towards the kitchen again. "Put those doughnut in a to go box Pinkie Pie!"
"Got it!" The girly voice yelled.
"I gotta say. This building is very well designed. Especially the sweets look outside. How did you do it?" Blueben inquired.
"We had some help from a few unicorns and some good old hard work. It took us awhile but we got it to work." Mr. Cake responded proudly.
"I see I see. Very interesting." Blueben said nodding inquisitively.
"Here are those doughnuts." said a certain pink pony as she set the box of doughnuts on the counter.
"Thank ya kindly." Blueben said taking the box and putting it inside a back pack slung to his side. He then turned back towards the counter and noticed that the pink pony was looking at him closely with narrow eyes.
"Hmmmmmmmm." she said as she stroked her chin with her hoof.
"Uhhhh........... hi there...... I'm Blueben....... " He said with a nervous smile.
Suddenly she gasped very loudly and ran up the nearby stairs.
Both Blueben and Mr. Cake just stared at the stairs for a few minutes.
"What the hay was that all about?" asked Blueben.
"I honestly couldn't tell you." he responded shrugging alittle. "Pinkie Pie is a bit of a wild child. You never knew what she is up to."
"O........k....... Well I better go. I got alot of moving in to do. Thank you for the doughnuts."
"You're welcome sir. Please come again soon."
Blueben then walked out of the bakery and continued making his way to his soon-to-be home.
**********
Hours later Applejack was making her way into town again with no cart to slow her down this time.
"Hey Applejack." a voice called.
"Oh, hello Twilight." responded Applejack after coming to a stop.
"What are you doing back in Ponyville? I though you closed your cart for the day."
"I did. I came back into town to help somepony."
"Who?"
"A new pony in town named Blueben. I met him this morning while I was bringing the stand into town. I agreed to help him move in since he didn't have any pony with him."
"You mean he's here by himself?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah. He was pullin this really big carriage all by himself but he didn't look like he was havin trouble with it. He's almost as big as Big Macintosh."
"Where does he live?"
"He said in a big blue house on the other end of town. Said I couldn't miss it."
Suddenly a huge flash of pink came into their view. It stopped BARELY soon enough to keep from running into them.
"Hey guys! Guys! Did you see the new pony in town? Did ya? Did ya huh? Did you see him?" shouted Pinkie Pie in her high pitched hyperactive voice.
"I did." Responded Applejack. "I met him on the road on my way into town this morning. Where did you see him?"
"He came into Sugarcube Corner today. Asked for a whole DOZEN of doughnuts. He talked with Mr. Cake a bit and then he left."
"A whole dozen huh? He must have been REALLY hungry then. I saw him passin by the farm and I could hear his stomach growlin from halfway down the road."
"He must have quite the sweet tooth aswell." chimed in Twilight.
"You guys wanna come with me to find his place? I'm sure he could use all the help he can get."
"Sure. I guess." Shrugged Twilight.
"Ooooooooo oooo! Then we could trow him big party for him! Help him get to know everypony in Ponyville, play some games, eat some cupcakes, SUPER PARTY!" Pinkie said jumping as the walked in the afternoon sun.
"It might be little early for that Sugarcube. He's only just moving in today. Plus I don't think he would want all of his stuff messed up."
"Why not?" Twilight asked.
"He mentioned that he was a writer while we were walkin into town. Said he was workin on writin' a new book."
"That's actually kinda cool." Said Twilight with a smile. "What all has he written so far?"
"He didn't say how far he was with that book. He just said that he wrote some poems and short stories."
"Well, if we're not gonna give him a party then what are we doin?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"I think we should just get to know him first, besides we can always have a party and introduce him to everypony later." Twilight told Pinkie.
Meanwhile, at his house Blueben already had alot his moving done. Stack after stack of boxes lined the walls of his living room. Small and medium sized furniture was also arranged so all that was left to do was bring in the big furniture and unpack. "Phew." said Blueben. "I think I am gonna take a break for a bit." With that he laid himself down onto his couch and placed large book called, "The Encyclopedia of Mythology" in front of him and started reading peacefully. After a few minutes of reading silently his break was interrupted with a knock at the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" Blueben yelled from his couch.
"It's Applejack. Is the door locked?" She shouted back.
"No, you can come in." Blueben yelled still reading his book.
The door opened with Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie entering the room.
"Howdy partner." Applejack said waving her hoof towards Blueben.
"Hello again Applejack. How did your stand do today?" Blueben asked.
"It went alright. More importantly though let me introduce you to two wonderful friends of mine, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle."
"Nice to meet you Blueben." The purple unicorn extended her hoof.
Blueben shook hooves with Twilight. "A pleasure Ms. Sparkle."
"Hi again Blueben! You remember me right? Do ya? Huh?" She asked as she got her face mere inches from his jumping all the while.
"How could I forget the pony who gasped the minute I said hi to her?" Blueben said with a mix of nervousness and sarcasm.
"Well I had never seen you before so I looked at you and thought and thought and thought and then I realised you were new. I know EVERPONY in Ponyville and when I realised you were new I went GASP because I wanted so throw you an awesome supermega party and invite everpony in Ponyville since you you be new and would have no friends making you lonely and seeing you lonely would make me so sad, and at the party we would hang out, dance some kickin music, introduce you to Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, and Spike. Oh! You'd love Spike! He's been goin on and on about having no guy ponies to hang with but now that you're here he'd be exstatic!" These words came out at a rapid fire pace. Blueben's brain had a hard time keeping up but he still understood what she said. Suddenly she pounced onto Blueben hugging him tightly nearly making the couch fall backwards from the impact. "We're gonna be such AWESOME palls!"
Blueben's face was beat red at that point having the pink filly on top of him like that.
"Pinkie Pie!" scolded Twilight.
"No no,it's alright." Said Blueben timidly. "It's completely fine......... hehe." He slowly wrapped his front legs around her hugging her back lightly and patting her back.
"That's enough sugarcube. I think yur scarin 'im." Applejack said laughing alittle.
Pinkie Pie then got off from Blueben and stood back next to the others giving Blueben a sweet toothed smile.
Blueben still blushing smiled nervously back.
"How much have you gotten done with movin' in?" asked Applejack.
"I got alot of my stuff in already." Blueben responded. "All that I have left to do is get the big stuff brought in here and unpack everything. I was just about to take a break actually. You guys can hang out if you like before I get back to work. "
"Sure." Applejack said as she started looking what all was brought in already.
Blueben then continued silently reading his book turning the page w his hoof every few seconds.
"What book are you reading?" Twilight asked.
Blueben then closed he book, put it on the floor a slid it towards Twilight. "It's called the Encyclopedia of Mythology." Blueben explained. " It's a good book. If you're curious you can go right ahead and take a look at it."
"Oh no I don't wan to intteruppt your reading." Twilight said politely.
"No no go ahead. I've ad that book for years. I've read through of it more times than I can count."
"Ok." Twilight then laid herself on the floor, opened the large tome with her magic, and started reading.
"Oh! That reminds me. I'll be right back." Blueben said as he started making his towards the kitchen.
Pinkie Pie started scratching her head with her hoof and started scanning the room. he so wanted some thing to do since it had become so quite so quickly. She then felt something poking her back. She turned towards the poking was.
"Want some doughnuts?" Blueben asked with his words partially muffled by the box of doughnuts he was trying to hold in his mouth.
"Do I!?" She exclaimed.
After Blueben opened the box for her before she went and swiped two from the box eat them both instantaneously. He slide the box towards Twilight. "Want one?"
"Sure. Thank you." Twilight said as she used her magic to bring the treat to her mouth as still reading reading the book.
Blueben tapped Applejack on the shoulder. "Have a doughnut. Consider it my payment for that apple you gave earlier today."
"Don't mind if I do." She responded taking the doughnut from Blueben's hoof.
After he saw that all his guests had received some doughnuts he sat on the couch again. He set the box on the ground next to him, took few of the white frosted ones from the box and started eating them. While he was eating he looked out of the nearest window. He just stared silently out the window admiring how nice day it was. As looked at all the nearby houses and building studying them carefully. After only few seconds into his thoughts a strange sensation went up the young pony's spine. He turned slowly toward the others seeing only a pink face in his view. Pinkie Pie was still looking at him. Her face wasn't devious or particularly creepy..... just an innocent inquizitive look.
"You know Blueben." she said while chewing her food still. "You are REALLY quite."
"Yeah............. I just don't usually have a whole lot to say." Blueben responded. "I DO like to chat.....it's just........ I normally don't have that much talk about. I am sorry if I am boring you guys."
"Oh it's no trouble at all." Said Applejack walking towards him. "It's actually pretty nice to see a friendly face around here........." she hesitated for a second or two. "Especially after.......... what happened ten days ago."
"What happened ten days ago?" Blueben asked.
"Well......... I would have alot of trouble describin' it." Applejack said with a slightly scared look on her face.
"Yeah, it was REALLY crazy. Everypony was gathered in that big building in the town square right. We all just in there minding our own business when there was a loud rattling, a crash, smash and bang! Ponies gasped and......"
"I'll tell the story." Twilight said cutting Pinkie off mid sentence. "Like Pinkie said.........
*************
10 Days earlier.....
Everypony was gathered inside the town hall in the main square. They were all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Princess Celestia along with her sister Princess Luna, the later having not been seen since she was freed of the dark magic.
"I wonder what Luna will be like." Said a yellow pink maned pony, "I can only imagine being trapped on the moon for 1000 years. It must have been awful."
"I am sure she will ALOT better than when she was the last time we saw her." Responded Twilight. "The only thing I really hope for Fluttershy is that this goes better than the last time we tried holding a festival for Princes Celestia."
"Fillies and gentlecolts." Shouted the tan colored mayor pony. "It is my great honor and privilege to introduce to you our wonderful ruler Princess Celestia and the newly redeemed Princess Luna!"
The curtain on the very top balcony opened revealing the two alicorns to their subjects. The tall white rainbow maned Celestia stood waving her hoof alongside her younger indigo colored sister Luna who also waved.
The crowd cheered and clapped their hooves on the ground welcoming the pair in what many hoped to be a great celebration.
"Thank you Mayor." Celestia said with a grateful tune. A hush fell over crowd as she spoke "Thank you all for hosting this new celebration not only to commemorate the defeat of Discord but also the return of my dear sister Luna." The look on her face changed from one of happiness to one of stern determination. "I know alot has happened since the incident with Nightmare Moon and how much damage has been wrought from Discord's rampage, but I know for a FACT that with the cooperation of everypony here and ponies from ALL OVER Equestria that we will go forward better and stronger an before. Let not let this celebration be one of sadness and long faces but one of happiness and thankfulness for all the good times and memories this town has shared and the ones that will be made for the future!"
When her speech ended the crowd once again went wild cheering as loud as ever. Celestia's smile returned as she smiled at her sister. Luna with a single tear in her eye smiled back at Celestia.
"EVERPONY MAKE WAY!!" A voice shouted.
"Please move!!" a second had yelled.
As the crowd split in two, two guard ponies were frantically galloping into the hall.
"What is the meaning of this?" Luna yelled to the guards.
They both screetched to a sliding stop in front the balcony the royal sisters.
"F-f-f-f-f-.............. fo fo fo forgive me y-y-y-y-your highness." One of the guards stuttered."B-b-b-b-b-but......t-t-t-th.....t-t-t-here....." the guard continued to stutter uncontrollably without stopping. His face was drenched with sweat. His mouth quivered making his stuttering all the worse. He was in great terror.
"What is it?" Celestia asked with a calming tone. "What is it that has you two so terrified?"
"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-wee-e-e-ll-l-l-l....." the second guard's stuttering was worse than that of his companion. "Th-th -th -there........is..." The guard tried to speak but suddenly found himself unable to speak at all. He tried as hard as he could to say more but all that came out was tiny squeeks.
"Wow....... talk about hardcore." said a certain light blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane. "I couldn't even get those guys to move let alone say anything.......What could have done that to them?"
"I don't know Rainbow Dash." responded Twilight. "I don't think ANYPONY has seen royal guard this scared before."
"For God sake GET ON WITH IT YOU MUMBLING IDIOTS!!" roared a voice from outside overflowing with rage. Suddenly a loud slam was heard as the doors violently flew in from towards the entrance. All of ponies in the hall dove for the ground as the doors shattered into tiny splinters against the pillars beneath the balcony. Everypony started screaming and clattering wondering what was going on.
"What in tarnation!!" yelled Applejack as she raised her head back up.
All went silent again as they all heard something slam their foot onto the tiled floor. They all looked towards the entrance. Time seemed to go excrutiatingly slow as a figure of unfamiliar shape raised its foot from where it stomped a small crater. The figure walked slowly into the light. It stood on two legs, was about 6 feet tall, broad shouldered, and was covered head to toe in black. His face was shrouded under a black cloth hood. The torso of his jacket was black jeans with long cloth sleeves that was loose around the arms but tight around the wrists. The figure also wore black jean pants with pitch dark shoes. The strangest part of all though was what was attatched to his hands, wrists, and back. On all ten of his fingers he wore rings bearing strange symbols all of them colored either red, black, or yellow. Around each of his wrists were loose metal rings. Attatched to each of those were five chains. All of them hung and swayed behind his arms whereas there opposite ends were....... somehow someway IN his back. He continued slowly walking to the balcony. Eventhough the room was full of light not a single pony in the room could see most of his face. All that COULD be seen was from below the top of his nose. He had what looked like a stream of blood trickling from his mouth and dripping onto the floor from his chin.
Most of the ponies in the room backed themselves as far as they could away from the figure. Twilight and her friends just stared at him as he walked by. The only sounds in the room that could be heard was his footsteps. Other than that it was as silent as death.
When the terrible figure felt he was close enough to the balcony he stopped and looked upward towards the stern looking princesses.
"Sorry about the door." The figure said with a sarcastic and disrepectful tone. "I WOULD have these cowardly fools you call guards say this for me but since they can't control their own fear I thought I might aswell say it myself."
"What do you want?" asked Celestia with an eyebrow raised.
"I simply wish to have a private audience with you." the figured replied, "I wish to discuss the possibility of you alowing me to temporarily reside in this beautiful world of yours. I want to discuss details and terms with you two alone."
"Is that ALL you came here for?" asked Luna angrily "Is that the only reason you just HAD to interrupt our festival so rudely?"
"Well, I WOULD have had the guards say it more politely for me but as I already pointed out....." he said motioning towards the cowering guards. "They are soooooooo incompetant."
The two sisters looked at eachother for awhile before nodding in agreement.
"If that is all you ask then we will meet with you when the festivities are over and not a second before then." Celestia said while she trotted closer to the railing of the balcony. "And next time. If you wish to speak with us you ask WITHOUT terrifieing my subjects."
"Of course dear princesses." Then the figure bowed mockingly and spit a decent sized splatter of the red liquid onto the ground infront of the balcony. He turned around and began to walk away but he turned his head towards the guards once again. He looked briefly at the floor near them.
"Tsk tsk tsk." The figure said waving his finger at the guards before loudly saying, "Look what you two have done to this BEAUTIFUL floor!" He pointed at the yellow puddle that had formed under the guards who were still shaking and quivering. When he saw all the ponies looking in the guards' direction he laughed. It has a high pitched insane laugh that disurbed just about everyone who heard it. "I am going to have so much fun here! You equines REALLY know how to treat guests and make them smile." The figure smiled a wide and evil grin towards the crowd making them shake even more.
"That's enough you bully!" Rainbow Dash shouted flapping her wings making her float towards the figure.
"Rainbow Dash please don't do it....." whispered Flutterhy.
She planted herself onto the ground about 5 feet from the figure.
"You come and stroll in here like you own the whole place like a jerk and expect us to welcome you!? What in the HAY gives you the right to......"
A loud CLANG echoed through the room. Rainbow dash found herself a few steps farther from him then she remembered standing. She looked towards the ground and jumped at what she saw. There was a dagger with its blade sticking into the ground. It had BARELY missed her chest and landed right under her four legs.
"Nobody gives me the right....." he muttered his arm still extended from when he threw the dagger. "I........... take it."