//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Ponyville Incident // by grahmcracker //------------------------------// Chapter 1 The train raced down the tracks away from Canterlot inside one of the cars sat an aging gray Pegasus his mane, tail and beard peppered grey. A picture of a blue snowflake was positioned on his flank. He was asleep leaning against the window. The train car suddenly shook waking the Pegasus. He sat up and twisted cracking his back. He looked around the car, it was mostly empty save for a few ponies sitting towards the front. The door in the back of the car slide open and walked in a pony in a blue conductor uniform. The pony looked at his watch and loudly pronounced “ARRIVAL TO PONYVILLE STATION IN FIVE MINUTES!” the conductor pony pocketed his watch and moved towards the next car. A few minutes later the train pulled into the little station. The gray Pegasus walked out onto the platform towards the small pile of bags and luggage placed nearby. He quickly found his bags and dragged them over to a brown earth pony standing next to several wagons. A sign that read “Wagons for Rent” was pounded into the ground. The gray Pegasus dug into a one of his bags and pulled out a few bits tossing them to the brown pony. He loaded up a wagon and started pulling it towards the center of town. The town was full of ponies going about their daily lives. An orange pony was selling apples from a cart while a group of fillies played nearby. He continued walking passing a building designed as a carousel then a library built out of a tree. He stopped in front of a building that looked as if it was built out of cakes and deserts. He looked around at the streets signs trying to figure out where he was. He pulled out an old envelope and read the return address. That’s when a pink pony with a cotton candy mane bounced out of the cake building frosting smeared across her face. “Uhm excuse me miss!” the Pegasus called out to the pink pony. “can you tell me where 472 birchwood lane is?” he asked. “Well sure mister what you’re going to go down this street and take a right, then another, right again then your next right go down two blocks and take a left.” She said frantically pointing. “Hey your new here aren’t you. My name is Pinkie Pie what’s yours?” “My name is Gray Wing, and it was nice to meet you but I should get going.” He said walking down the street. Pinkie Pie bounced along beside him. “You have a lot of stuff there are moving to ponyville?” she asked. “No I’m just here to visit somepony.” He said as he read the return address on the envelope. “Oh you must be here to visit you’re niece then.” She said happily as she bounced circles around the old Pegasus. Gray wing stopped In his tracks and watched the pink pony jump around him. “How did you know I was here to visit my niece?” he asked suspiciously. “Cause silly I know everything about everypony in town. Which reminds me I better go say happy half birthday to cranky,” the pink pony said before bouncing away. She stopped and quickly turned around “come to sugar cube corners later and I will give you a welcome to ponyville cupcake.” She said before disappearing around a corner. Gray Wing followed the pinkie pie’s directions deciding to skip the three rights turns. When he finally reached the address written on the envelope he was standing in front of a small candy shop. He unhooked himself from the cart and pushed open the front door. A bell rung as he opened the door, a very bored looking cream coated mare with a blue mane and tail with a pink streak running down the middle of both was sitting behind a counter. The bored mare sat up and cheerfully greeted Gray Wing. “Welcome to truffle and torts what can I get for you? Maybe some fudge made fresh daily or perhaps some of my world famous taffy?” she said pointing to the glass cases filled with candies and treats. “Uhm I’m sorry I must be in the wrong place I’m looking for somepony.” Gray Wing said apologetically. “Oh well that’s okay,” she said slightly disappointed. “Who are you looking for?” “My niece, I got a letter from this address a little while ago. Maybe she moved since then.” He said as he laid the envelope down for the shop owner to look at. The cream colored pony read the name on the letter then eyed Gray Wing up and down before shouting through an open door behind her.“Lyra there’s some pony here saying he’s your uncle.” The sounds of hoofs hitting against hardwood floors was heard above them and the sound made its way down a flight of stairs. Gray Wing watched as he saw a mint colored unicorn walk down the stairs. The mint colored unicorn saw Gray Wing and her eyes light up. “Uncle Gray Wing.” She said joyfully running to the aging Pegasus embracing him in a hug. “What are you doing here, why didn't you tell me you were coming?” “I wanted to surprise you, how have you been?” Gray Wing asked happily. “I’ve been good, oh it’s so good to see you uncle Gray.” she said giving him another hug. The cream colored pony cleared her throat loudly. “Oh i'm sorry Bon-Bon this is my uncle Gray Wing, Uncle this is my friend Bon Bon.” Lyra said letting go of Gray wing. “Nice to meet you.” Gray Wing said outstretching his hoof towards Bon-Bon. Bon-Bon reached out and shook his hoof. “Pleasures all mine.” She said unauthentically. “What are you doing here are you working in the area?” Lyra asked. “No I am actually retired now. I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with my favorite niece.” Gray wing explained. “What since when well we should celebrate. Lets go out to dinner tonight the three of us,” she said waving a foreleg over Bon-Bon and Gray Wing. “I know the perfect place. Oh where are you staying?” “Actually I don’t know I was just going to find an inn to stay at.” He said. “What no! You can stay here with Bon-Bon and I that wouldn't be a problem would it?” She asked. “No, no trouble at all.” Bon-Bon said as she stared at Gray Wing. “Wonderful. Do you have any bags?” lyra asked. “Just a few in the cart out front.” Gray wing said gesturing to outside. “Well let’s bring them inside. You can stay in the spare room.” Lyra and Gray Wing went outside and grab all the bags. Lyra was able to magically levitate the bags and luggage into the shop and through the door up the stairs and set them in a small room with a couch a writing desk and a nearly empty bookcase. Gray Wing started unpacking with Lyra’s help while Bon-Bon stayed down downstairs watching the store. After all the unpacking was done Lyra lead Gray wing and Bon-Bon through the streets of Ponyville pointing out different landmarks and buildings. “That’s the town hall, over there is the sofa and quill store, down that road is library. And here is where we will be eating.” She said stopping in front of a small café. A waiter in a vest greeted them and showed them to a table and took their drink orders. “This place is my favorite this was the first place Bon-Bon took me when I first got to ponyville. Remember Bon-Bon?” “Of course I remember it’s my favorite thing about this place.” Bon-bon said sweetly causing Lyra to blush slightly. “Anyways uncle, your retirement did they do anything special for your last day?” Lyra asked quickly changing the subject. “nothing much they threw me a little party and gave me a gold watch as a farewell present.” Gray Wing said as the waiter returned with two glasses of wine and a bottle of hard cider. “Where was it that you worked?” Bon-Bon asked taking a sip of wine. “I worked for the Equestrian Weather Bureau out of Cloudsdale.” Gray Wing said taking a swig of hard cider. “What is it that you did there?” “I mostly traveled to the larger cities like Las Pegasus, or Winneapolis to make sure they where sticking to the proper seasonal conditions.” Gray Wing explained. “So you got to travel a lot then?” “Yeah but like I said mostly to the larger cities and weather hubs.” “That’s why he never came to ponyville before.” Lyra said as she sipped the last of the wine in her glass. They waiter came and took their order and refilled their glasses coming back with their food prepared. They talked all through the dinner and stayed late in the night drinking and relaxing. After a while Lyra stood up and said “Excuse me but I’ve got to visit the little mare’s room.” She walked into the restaurant swaying as she walked. “So how is it I have never met you before?” Bon-Bon asked. “What?” Gray Wing asked taken aback by the sudden question. “How come I have never met you before? I’ve met Lyra’s family multiple times how come I have never seen you before?” “Ahh, well that’s because I don’t really get along with the rest of the family. As you know Lyra comes from a family of unicorns as you can see I’m a Pegasus.” he said slightly spreading his wings. “I’ve met them they don’t seem like the kind of ponies to care about something like that.” “They don’t it just kind of set me up for the real reason. Lyra and I come from a family of musicians. Her father my brother is a great pianist, my sister amazing flute player, our parents her grandparents one is a famous composer while the other was first chair cellist for Princess Celestia’s private orchestra.” Gray Wing said draining his glass. “I’ve met musical Pegasus, some were really good.” Bon-Bon pointed out. “True but not a lot, but it’s mostly because I don’t have an ear for music.” He said chuckling. “I swear they got me to try and play every musical instrument but to no success. It’s been rough since then. But thing got really bad when I got my cutie mark in weather. I was a disappointment to the old buck and to mom. I left soon after to go to find work in Cloudsdale. Lost contact with them till Lyra was born.” Said Gray Wing as he stared into the empty glass. “What’s everypony talking about?” Lyra said coming back to the table. “Just boring Bon-Bon with stories of my life.” Gray Wing said. “Well I don’t know about you two but I think im just about ready to go home.” Said Lyra yawning. “Sounds good, it is getting pretty late.” Bon-Bon said. The trio got up and left the restaurant making their way back to Bon-Bon’s candy shop. When they returned Lyra and Bon-Bon wished Gray Wing good night and walked into a room together. Gray Wing went into his own room and walked towards an old battered steamer trunk sitting in a corner. He unlatched the top and lifted the lid. He pulled out a picture frame and carried it to the bed. He sat down on the bed his legs overhanging the side and stared at the picture and said out loud. “I’ve finally retired. I’m in Ponyville now visiting my niece Lyra. I’ve told you about her I think you would have loved her. I think she would have loved you too, I wish you got the chance to meet her. I think Smithy lives around here somewhere, I’m going to go see her tomorrow. I haven’t seen her in what ten, fifteen years. Anyways I look forward to finally relaxing. I miss you, A lot.” He kissed the picture and set it down on the table next to the bed and laid down to sleep.