//------------------------------//
// Look Out, Ponyville 
// Story: "What's it to You?!" 
// by Sleepy_The_Zebra 
//------------------------------//

After about six hours staring out the window, ignoring Mom's attempts at traveling games (which would only be fun if I was in primary school), and wishing I'd packed more books in my carry-on, I've come to the conclusion that train rides are extremely boring. It would be a bit more interesting if there was something other than sand and the occasional parched-looking bush outside, or if Chrissie or Nighty were here, but as it is, the train ride so far has been absolutely mind-numbing. Mom is attempting to entertain herself by prattling on about the town we're moving to (Hometown of the Elements of Harmony! Great tourist destination! Best baked goods this side of the Griffin Kingdoms!), but Dad's clearly more interested in the 'Help Wanted' section of the local paper -- the sooner he finds a job, the better, I understand and respect that -- and I couldn't care less about Ponyville, as long as it has basic amenities and isn't secretly the lair of a crazy murderous cult or something. (Technically, I shouldn't have watched that movie at my age, but it was definitely worth it. Fun, and harmless as long as you have a firm grip on the difference between fiction and reality. Besides, seeing Chrissie jumping at small noises for the rest of the week was worth any nightmares.) Since it obviously won't be some kind of horror movie nightmare and seems advanced enough to at least have working plumbing and a farmers market, I don't need to know anything about Ponyville. I'll be fine as I am.


.: • .:. • :.


It feels like days, but it really only takes another hour or so before the train pulls into Ponyville Station. So far, Ponyville seems bigger than I expected, but rather small for all the important things Mom was saying about it -- hay, it seems too small to have its own station. At least the map I grabbed at the station says Ponyville has a library (marked by a tree, for some reason) and a few restaurants (most of them weirdly fancy-sounding), so I'll be able to do stuff outside of the house. One thing it doesn't seem to have much of is Trade Schools (actually, it seems to be short on schools in general: there's only one school building on the map, labeled as the campus for primary and secondary school) but that's normal for smaller towns, and there's likely a lot of businesses offering apprenticeships. When it's time for me to get a job, I'll have no shortage of options. I just have to make sure Mom doesn't sign me up for something without my knowledge, as that's a trick that she's done at least twice before, always with something I hated (although I admit the signed-up-against-my-will bit might have contributed to my dislike of the things in question). Hopefully getting situated will distract her from messing with my life for a while.
When you're an Earth Pony, walking and reading something is close to impossible, so I'd had to stop while looking at the map, and then trot to get back to the rest of my family. Mom had, fortunately, not noticed my absence (getting yelled at for wandering is not my idea of a good way to arrive at a new place), as she has her nose stuck in her own map. Dad’s making sure she didn't bump into anypony while she, presumably, looks for our new home. 
"So," I ask Dad, trotting up on his left, "Do you have any idea what our new place is like?"
Dad sighs at the question. "Cheap," he answers, "but it seems nice enough, from what we saw of it. Insurance was Tartarus-cursed expensive, though."
I look at him for a second as he pulls Mom out of the way of an apple cart. When she's no longer in danger of being run over, he looks back and continues. "Honestly, it looks too nice for the price we got it. I'd bet a bushel of apples something's wrong with it when we get there."
Mom looks up from her map to give him a Look, then looks back down. "Now, dear, it doesn't do any good to expect the worst. I'm sure our new house is wonderful."
Dad smiles tiredly and nuzzles Mom. "I'm sure, dear."
Mom nuzzles back and smiles at him; I pretend to gag. It's nice that they like each other, and I've seen much worse, but it's more gross when it's your parents are doing it. Besides, it's kind of gross anyway.
Mom smiles indulgently at me, then looks ahead. While we were talking, we'd walked up to a house. "We're home!" she exclaims.
"Right," I reply sarcastically, rolling my eyes. It's actually a nice house, pale blue with a roof that looks like thatch -- although there's probably shingles underneath -- and a generally... homey feeling, for lack of a better word. The door is the same bright white as the window boxes -- yeah, actual window boxes, with daisies in them and everything -- and the window frames, and from what I can see the curtains are the exact same blue as the house. There's even a white picket fence around the lawn, and a few nice yellow flowers that I don't know the name of planted close to the house. It looks like someone had been trying to make the house look as much like a perfect home as possible. 
Mom trots up to the door and unlocks it with a key from one of her saddlebags. "Come in, both of you. Our things should arrive later today; until then, let's go look around. Your room should be upstairs, sweetie, why don't you see how it looks?"
I nod and trot in after her and Dad, then climb up the stairs to my new room. Right now it looks empty. There's a bed, of course, but it has nothing except a mattress on it. Aside from that, there's a white bedside table with nothing on it either, and pretty much nothing else. The walls are painted a deep ocean-y blue that looks very nice but clashes with pretty much everything I own, and the closet door and the door to my room are both painted white. The room is big enough, and just having a closet is pretty cool, but it'll need a lot of work before I can call it my room. Until then, or at least until our stuff gets here, there's pretty much nothing to do in here, so I have no reason to stay.
After tossing my saddlebags onto the mattress and double-checking the map I got, I leave the room. (Somewhat) carefully bucking the door closed behind me, I trot down the stairs and out the door, yelling "I'm going out!" behind me. 
"Come back before it gets dark!" Mom shouts in reply.
I don't reply to that. I don't need to; I'm 90 percent sure Mom just says that out of habit. Mom had already pulled the door closed behind me, which was nice of her, so I just set off down the street in the direction the map had said the library was. 


.: • .:. • :.


About 5 minutes later, I know why the map marked 'Golden Oak Library' with a tree. Mainly, it actually is a tree, with a red door and, like, 10 windows and even a balcony with a telescope on it. I stand and gape for a second, probably looking extremely touristy, before shrugging inwardly and pushing the door open. It's just a library, and probably a tourist attraction too, which is cool. Doesn't really matter as long as it's a quality library.
It's actually smaller than the library back home, which I guess is probably a problem with making your library a tree, but it's nice and well lit, and not super full. Actually, the only ones inside are a delighted-looking purple unicorn and some kind of dragon, maybe? Both of them look like they work here. 
"Hello," the unicorn exclaims, "My name's Twilight, and this is Spike. How may we help you?"
"By leaving me alone. I can handle myself." I reply, scanning the books on the shelves. Twilight looks somewhat disappointed, but she doesn't continue trying to 'help', which is more than I could say for the children's librarian at the library I used to go to. That old pegasus just couldn't leave well enough alone. 
As I look around, it becomes increasingly apparent that this place is made for unicorns, or pegasi, maybe, although I'd heard from Nighty that flying up to get stuff is tiresome and annoying. I can't reach the higher shelves, and can't even look at the books on the top shelf. At least the stuff on the lower shelves is interesting. Eventually, I choose a book called Jobs for Ponies of Unusual Talent. I might as well see if there are any jobs for ponies like me, and even if there aren't (or they aren't in this book), which I highly expect what with the Cutie-Marks-for-things-like-arguing-are-literally-impossible thing, the book promises to be a good read.
I trot up to where Twilight is dusting and clear my throat. "Miss Twilight? Can anyone check out books here?"
Twilight spins around, smiling again. "Of course! Right this way."
I follow Twilight to the table in the center with the bust of a horse on it, where she levitates a library card and a stamp out from some compartment. "Okay. First, we have to get you signed up..."


.: • .:. • :.


A few minutes later, I walk out of the library with my new library card stuck into Jobs for Ponies of Unusual Talent, which is balanced on my back. I'm walking back home much more carefully than I had trotted out, in order to keep from dropping my load, but as long as there are no surprises, I should be able to get home no problem.
As soon as I think that, a pink blur rushes straight at me with a giant gasp. "Sweet cakes in Tartarus!" I exclaim, rearing up and batting at the pink missile with my forelegs. 
The blur, which has resolved itself into an achingly pink earth pony mare, grins at me, her eyes going wide with delight. "Ooooh! That sounds great! Do you think there actually are sweet cakes in Tartarus? How amazing would that be?!? But it doesn't matter right now. I'm not a Cake, silly, I'm a Pie! And this is Ponyville, obviously. Tartarus is all dark and sad looking, and here isn't like that at all!"
I fall back onto my forelegs, staring at her in confusion. "...huh?" I manage after a second.
The pink mare gasps again, bringing her front hooves to her mouth in exaggerated horror. "Oh no! I completely forgot to introduce myself! How awful! Let's start again; Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, and I'm super duper looper happy to meet you! You know why?"
"Why?" I ask, ears going back in case she starts shouting or something. Honestly, the way this is going, I wouldn't be surprised if she starts singing out of nowhere.
Thankfully, or not, she just grins wider and grabs my head with her hooves. "Because I've never met you before, and I know everyone in Ponyville, so if I don't know you, that means you're new! And if you're new, that means you haven't met anyone yet! And that means I can throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!!!"
"...Uh, you’ll have to check with my parents first. Pale blue house on Thistle Lane? I'm going over there right now if you want to ask them." I respond. Actually, a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party sounds cool, and watching Mom deal with this overexcited pink mare would be fun by itself.
Pinkie Pie gasps, actually seeming to lift off the lift off the ground with surprise. "More new ponies!?!?" she exclaims breathlessly, before turning in midair toward my house. I have a second to wonder whether it was such a good idea to give this mare my address before she explodes off in the direction of my house, leaving a boom and a rush of air in her wake. 
After staring after her for a second, I turn and pick Jobs for Ponies up off the road and brush it off. Placing it back on my back and swallowing a few times to get the taste out of my mouth, I set off slowly toward the house. I stop for a second to admire the sunset; it's just as bright as it was at home. Also, I must have spent more time in the library than I thought, as it was just about midday when I left. Great, that means our stuff must have came. 
I start moving again, slightly faster now. Usually I'm a bit of a night owl, but today all I want to do is get my room close to how I like it and fall asleep.