//------------------------------// // Chapter 3- Arrival in Ponyville // Story: My little Pony- Keeping Friendship is magic // by DreamWings //------------------------------// Chapter 3- Arrival in Ponyville After what seemed like an endless journey on the train, they finally arrived into the bustling Ponyville centre. Ponyville market was a hive of activity; cherries and tomato’s were being sold in the corner; ice-creams and cakes were being sold at the shops; waiters bustled round tables in the busy restaurant; and even the post mares were hastily going about their job, trying to pick up all the letters that a grey filly had dropped. Sour grimaced to himself; it was just as un-couf as he thought it was going to be. And yet again everypony seemed to be sporting the ugliest of mane-cuts and colours like he had seen on the train ride there. The thought of staying in this village was sickening to him. How could his Mother do this? After he had done nothing but... well ...he had done nothing period, so to him that would mean that he hadn’t done anything wrong; so he shouldn’t be there. Sour looked around him trying to find Dream Wings, the beautiful alicorn that had sat near to him for the whole of the journey. She didn’t seem to be anywhere. Had she even got off the train? No, it seemed that she had just gone without saying goodbye or thanking him. Sour pouted, he had wanted to see her before she left. He wanted to see where she would be staying in Ponyville and for how long. He felt that if he knew where she was then there would be at least one pony he could actually talk to without feeling angry or upset... or awkward. Although Sour would not admit it, he was quite fearful that other Ponies would not like him and so he didn’t usually attempt to try to talk to them. ‘Never mind,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’ll not be staying in this horrible place for long’. After this comforting thought he trotted off to try and find this monstrosity of a farm that his Mother had so rudely sent him to. -------------------------------------------- Apple Jack rushed around the farm trying to get all of the preparations completed before her cousin showed up. She had spent a whole tiring morning with her friends trying to herd a bunch of parasprites that had made their way into Ponyville again. Apple Jack had never played the recorder before but the Parasprites didn’t seem to mind, they had followed it anyway. The only problem was that as soon as she had got back to Sweet Apple Acres for a rest, Granny Smith had remembered that some cousin she had never met was coming to stay and work on the farm. Apple Jack was not exactly happy that she hadn’t been told beforehand but knew Granny Smith well enough to know that it wasn’t the eccentric mare’s fault, so Apple Jack had got to work to prepare straight away. Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh ran in and out of Apple Jack trying to get their preparation work done as well. “Do ya’ think we’re done yet?” asked Apple Bloom piteously. “Ah don’t know. What do you think Big Mac?” “Yup,” the older stallion told his younger sisters. “Is that ‘yup’ we’ve finished or ‘yup’ we’ve not?” Apple Jack stood confused wiping her brow. She took a quick glance around the farm; it seemed to look okay; well as okay as an orchard could ever look. She didn’t really understand the fuss Granny Smith was making about cleaning up the farm; this cousin was supposed to live on a farm himself so a clean farm would not be something he expected, right? Apple Jack could not believe how wrong she was. Sour Apple was just the type of pony that she, as an honest pony, could not stand. He was rude, un-grateful and worst of all would not even try to help on the farm. This was apparent to her when he showed up and screamed at the mud he had got on his hoof, he then proceeded to insult her hair, push Apple Bloom to the side, and demanded that Big Macintosh take his luggage up to his room that he was going to be staying in, in this ‘pigsty’ of a house. Apple Jack seriously considered making the stallion stay in the real pig sty, where he belonged, but decided against it. After all it would be unfair to the pigs. Sour stared around his room in disgust. There was dust in the corners, ugly pictures on the walls, and a distinct smell of utter repulsive odours. “Ah can’t smell anything,” Apple Jack argued. “Can you Big Mac?” “Nope,” her brother said, glaring at Sour while he did. Sour instantly glared back at his elder, not afraid of the clearly stronger stallion with the horrible ‘split ends’. Apple Jack yawned to herself. She felt too tired to argue with this prissy pony right now, she just wanted a bit of piece and quiet. “Dinner’ll be ready in an hour. Your choice whether to come.” And with that Apple Jack and Big Mac left the room, shutting the door behind them as they went. Sour sighed; this trip was not going well for him at all. He hated everything about this place, and he especially hated the country bumpkins with whom he had to acquaint himself with. He never had liked Apple Jack for stealing all the attention from the family with her precious element of harmony: he could be an element of harmony if he so wished. Sour shuddered looking at the dull curtains and dreary bedspread that he had been given. Thankfully he had planned ahead at home and brought some of his favourite fashion choices with him. He trotted over to his case and carefully unhooked the latch so he could see his beautiful clothes, and there on top of his silk pyjamas laid a letter. A letter from Dream Wings: Dear Sour, Sorry I couldn’t see you after the train ride but I needed to leave quickly. Thanks again for paying for my ticket, I really do owe you one. I’m sorry but I can’t tell you where I’ll be staying because I don’t know whether I’m able to stay yet. It was great to meet you anyway and good look with your fashion, Dream Wings Ω Ω Ω Sour smiled to himself and then hastily shook it off. “Wait” he thought “How did she know I liked fashion?” ---------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, on the other side of Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle was shuffling through old scrolls in her library, trying to correctly put them in order of age, category and colour. Spike was not enjoying helping his friend. He had had to re-order the scrolls they were putting away so many times that he had become really, really sleepy. It was too bad that Owloicious had gone hunting for food or he could have helped instead, but for now it was up to Spike. When Twilight had come in after going to deal with the parasprites pest problem she had been really tired, but unfortunately for Spike, Twilight didn’t let sleep get in the way of her organising time. It had to be done for her to be happy. “Now, should this go under Ancient Curses or Ancient Hexes?” Twilight muttered “Or should it go under Ancient spells? Oh no, this doesn’t belong on that pile, I’ll have to start all over again” Spike shook his head, was there no end to this boredom? As if to answer, somepony knocked on the Library door. Twilight didn’t move away from her job. The pony knocked on the door again. Twilight did not seem like she was going to make any attempt to move, so with a sigh, and pushing through all of the scrolls on the way, Spike went to answer it. But when he opened the door, the pony that had been knocking had vanished. Nothing was outside except the purple flowers, the doorstep and the bush with eyes. “Wait a minute,” Spike thought, “I thought our flowers were yellow.” The bush moved closer to the door and Spike jumped out of his scales. Twilight, on hearing the baby dragon’s cry, rushed outside to see a hiccup-driven Spike being comforted by a very upset looking mare with large blue eyes and beautiful locks of hair for a mane. “Dream Wings?” Twilight asked in shock. “Twilight, I think I need your help.”