In which Sour Note, Berry Buzz, and Petrichor find their place in Ponyville.
Twilight stood stunned. In moments, the castle was clear, except for Spike, Sour Note, and herself. She stared at the pale unicorn, who, shy-looking as she was, couldn't very well blend into the background - not with that bright blue flyaway mane, not to mention the violet scarf. Yet it was as if her name had meant nothing to Crimson. Petrichor, on the other hand...
"Uh, Twilight?"
The princess snapped out of her thoughts to tend to her dragon. Spike was standing in front of Sour Note with his claw extended to shake, while the unicorn, more than three times his size, curled into a tighter ball and shook visibly.
With a reassuring smile, Twilight approached her. "Spike's not going to hurt you, Sour Note. He's friendly."
Sour Note's wide violet eyes looked shyly into Spike's slit pupils; he tried to look even less menacing than usual, which was only debatably possible.
"Are you okay, Sour Note?"
The stranger pony gulped. "No, ma'am - I mean - yes, ma'am. Your Highness."
"'Twilight' is fine."
"Twilight, ma'am. I'm just surprised you addressed me, is all. Um...I'm not used to being addressed."
"I can see that," said Twilight, frowning, and thinking of Crimson Lance. "Do you mind telling me why? I mean, they acted like you didn't exist."
The unicorn stared at the ground.
Twilight switched tactics. She turned sideways, facing the door, one wing raised. "C'mon. You can tell me all about it on the way to the library. I have a magic lesson with my friend Starlight."
Sour Note's face lit up in poorly-concealed excitement. "May I watch, Your - uh - Twilight?"
"Watch? Of course you can. I'd love you to! But first you have to tell me what's going on. I have a feeling it may be important." Six hovering cutie marks reflected in the crystal pillars.
"I seriously doubt that," said Sour Note.
Starlight Glimmer looked concerned when Twilight came through the library door. She stepped down from her stool and laid aside the spellbook she was reading. "Twilight? I heard the Cutie Map called you! Thought maybe you wouldn't be able to make it."
"Of course I made it, Starlight. I'd never miss one of our lessons! Sour Note, this is Starlight - my friend and student." Sour Note waved a shy hello from behind Twilight's dark tail. "Starlight, this is---"
"But where did you go? You were only gone a few minutes! Did you solve your friendship problem already? What---"
"Starlight!" Twilight almost shouted.
Starlight's ears dropped and she fell silent. "What?"
"I introduced someone to you," the princess said, sorry but meaningful. "A new friend - Sour Note."
"Oh, ehem, hi there," said Starlight, the tiniest bit ashamed at herself.
Sour Note trotted into the library. "Hello, um, Starlight. Princess Twilight says you're...almost as good with magic...as she is." She looked admiringly at Twilight, thinking of all that had been discussed in that labyrinth of hallways - questions about Twilight's exploits, the most trivial minutiae of alicorn magic - being answered when she spoke - a luxury she wasn't sure she ever wanted to lose again.
"Sour Note is going to study magic with us!" Twilight prompted. "She's from beyond the Everfree Forest, and...she'd love to learn what we have to teach her." She waited for this tiny bit of flattery to kick in, and it did. Starlight beamed.
"Really? That's wonderful! Are you really from beyond the Everfree Forest? I bet you know all sorts of spells we haven't discovered yet."
"Oh," Sour Note laughed nervously. She kicked at the corner of her square scarf, which was a lot bigger than it had seemed at first and was now being worn as a cape covering her blank flank. That was Twilight's idea - so as to keep questions to a minimum as long as possible. "M-Maybe." She scanned the room nervously. I know where this is going, she thought.
"Well, I'd be happy to exchange knowledge with you, er…ah! Sour Note. Right now," Starlight began excitedly, her voice almost a whisper as if she were keeping a secret from Twilight, "I'm working on something I found in the Crystal Empire's library. It's very difficult. Want to see?"
Sour Note nodded enthusiastically. Encouraged, Starlight began, taking up her spellbook in a glow of teal magic.
Twilight took a wary step back, considering the fact that even Starlight had never gotten this spell to work correctly once, but there was no fear in Sour Note, eagerly edging closer. Starlight grinned keenly, and the book clattered to the floor. A turquoise flame enveloped her horn. She rose into the air, an invisible blast of wind blowing papers off the tables and pushing open the windows. Wings of blue fire appeared at her sides - her mane went up in flames, her body turning a crystalline teal, and then - then she lost control, the magic aura disappeared, and Starlight tumbled to the ground, with her tail still on fire, while Sour Note clapped vivaciously.
"Gah!" Twilight summoned a bucket of water, and the party was plus one drenched Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight laughed sheepishly. "It's called Phoinix Arma. It's supposed to grant flight and elemental protection to the user. Maybe you can do it - here."
She offered the book. Sour Note backed away nervously. "Go on, take it," insisted Starlight.
Shivering, Sour Note closed her eyes tight and focused. A thin, pale violet light wrapped feebly around the spellbook; Starlight let go, and the greenish unicorn held on for a moment - but her magic flickered out. The book fell open on the tiled floor. Sour Note was panting.
Twilight stepped forward. "I was thinking we'd start with the basics."
"Oh," said Starlight.
She looked disappointed; then, catching the ashamed look on the unicorn's face, corrected this, and smiled generously. "No problem," she grinned.
"G'bye, Governor Ma'am!" hollered Applejack over the fence of Sweet Apple Acres. Berry Buzz hooked her forelegs over the wooden beams as Crimson, Petrichor, and Rainbow Dash walked farther and farther down the dirt road. The earth pony was breathless at the vast expanse of orchard before her. Every single tree, she thought, was laden with the most delicious apples of all vibrant hues, of candy-sweet reds and bright, tart greens, and all because of this country pony and her family this town had no chance of going hungry. Going hungry! Berry's stomach gave an annoyed growl, as it had been doing for exactly as long as she could remember. She crossed her legs, embarrassed, and Applejack, noticing, bucked a golden-delicious apple from a nearby cart in her direction. Berry took it in nearly one bite.
Applejack laughed heartily. "I love to see ponies enjoyin' our apples! Yeah," she continued, joining Berry at the south fence, "this here's Sweet Apple Acres, and we're mighty proud of our farmin'. You're welcome to go anywhere ya like here. But I don't think you'll find it all that interesting. I mean, I don't suppose you grow apples back in Pomphay, do ya?" she winked, nudging Berry to show she was telling a joke.
Berry looked around. "We grow those," she said, pointing with her hoof.
The farm's grove of prize zap-apple trees lay in the distance. "They're the most colorful thing in Pomphay, when they appear. But that isn't very much. I'm sure you know how they work - every so often they just start blooming! What Pomphay needs is a reliable food source. Not these expensive, rare luxuries, relics of a time when food was abundant and the wealthy among us could fritter away resources on such trifles---oh!" She clapped her hooves to her mouth. "I'm sorry." Applejack was looking very confused. "I'm beginning to sound like Red River. She's in charge of us earth ponies. She pushes us to work hard - just like Crimson Lance with her unicorns, and Sun Chaser with the pegasi…"
"Yeah, about that," Applejack drawled amiably. "I was wondering. Have you ever done anything other than farm work?"
Berry shook her head.
"Wow." A thought suddenly crossed Applejack's mind. "Well, uh..." She looked apprehensive. Berry was waiting expectantly. "Ah...as a matter of fact, we won't feel so good about askin' you to help us. We don't really need much help around here. Yeah, uh, the way the, er, soil is, we...hardly-hafta-do-anything-at-all."
"Really?"
"Sure," Applejack lied incompetently, looking everywhere except at the oblivious Berry. "As a matter of fact, we were...just goin'a take today off!"
Berry beamed. "That's incredible! I've never had a day off."
"WELL then!" said Applejack, relieved at how quickly she got out of it. "Tell ya what. Why don't you drop your belongin's off in the barn, and Ah'll walk ya downtown. Pinkie'd love to show you around."
The purple pony jumped for joy; then she bounded off to the barn with a small set of saddlebags over her shoulders, as Applejack tried to convince herself that this was worth the half lies. As much work as Sweet Apple Acres could be, it must seem easy compared to what Pomphay had to deal with. And she most certainly would feel bad if she asked this pony to work more. She smiled off in Ponyville's direction. Yes, thought Applejack, Pinkie was the pony for the job.
She heard a delighted noise behind her, and looked around to find Applebloom grinning up at her big sister.
"We're gettin' a day off? Whoo-wee! Ah better get to the clubhouse, pronto!"
"Oh, no, you don't!" interrupted Applejack, stepping in front of the yellow filly. "There ain' no days off comin' anytime soon! You best just wait here, 'til I get back. Then we'll get workin' again."
Applebloom looked disappointed, which she was. "Aw, Applejack! Ah jus' wanted to get workin' on more cutie mark probl'ms with the C-M-C." But her few short years at Sweet Apple Acres had taught her when to quit arguing, if little else, and she slunk back toward the farmhouse.
Suddenly, Applejack got another idea. This seemed to be a particularly good day for getting ideas.
"Uh, on second thought, Applebloom, maybe you oughta come with. You an' your friends might be able to help solve the Ambassadors'…er…cutie mark problem."
Applebloom's eyes grew very wide, and she stared at her sister in joyful astonishment. "Really? Ya mean it? Wow! Ambassadors! That's like solvin' cutie mark problems f'r royalty, almost!"
"Actually, it's nothing like that," Applejack began.
But Applebloom was already bounding down the path, shouting, "Wait'll Ah tell Sweetie Belle an' Scootaloo!"
Rainbow Dash was flying well under the speed limit. As a matter of fact, she wasn't sure the airspace over Ponyville had a speed limit, but she did know one thing: Petrichor was strictly obeying it, whether it existed or not. The slate-blue pegasus was infuriatingly slow. She didn't seem to put any effort into keeping up with her guide and the pony who'd (reluctantly) opened up her home, but flapped along at a leisurely pace, yellow eyes roving about, scanning the skies in a lazy, almost instinctual way.
Too slow. Rainbow groaned at her misfortune. Four ambassadors from the same place show up in Ponyville, and here she gets to share her room with the lamest of the lot. The two swept low over a dark heavy storm cloud crackling with electricity, making Rainbow's mane stand on end. Petrichor's stout, proper blue-on-blue braids defied such silliness. She seemed unimpressed.
For a moment, Rainbow had half a mind to tell her off, send her to go live with Fluttershy, maybe. Then she softened. Maybe there was more to Petrichor?
Petrichor?
The ambassador was slowly circling the lightning cloud. She inspected every inch of its murky surface. She breathed its electrified air. Then, very quietly, she reached out with one hoof, and tapped it. The cloud dissipated.
She looked contented. Rainbow's ears perked up. Of course! The weather! Every pegasus could talk about the weather. Here was something they had to have in common! She swooped down to the ambassador, donning a proud yet playful grin.
"Hey!" she called.
Petrichor looked up.
Rainbow fell back to fly beside her. "So…you're on weather duty back in Pomphay, right?"
"Of course," Petrichor said all of a sudden.
Hearing her voice was a bit of a shock - it was a fairly normal voice, but an unexpected one - but Rainbow continued.
"Well, you know, I happen to be a champion cloud-clearer myself!" She waited a moment for this to sink in. "Watch!"
All that was left of Rainbow Dash was a trail of all the most vibrant colors, that swerved and zigzagged through the sky as she knocked out clouds left and right. Her wings sliced cumulonimbus clusters clean through. She could no longer see her companion's expression, but was sure she was in top form. She pulled straight up, then bent sharply into a nosedive, pulling a trail of clouds in the wake of her half-made sonic boom; at the last second, she snapped out of her path, letting the clouds pummel themselves into nonexistence against the countryside.
"Pretty cool, right!" she shouted on her return.
Results were, somehow, less than satisfactory. Petrichor looked impressed, true - but she didn't look very impressed, did she, hovering patiently in place while the great Rainbow Dash made a total mule of herself showing off. Rainbow's blue cheeks flushed pink.
"Very impressive," Petrichor said unimpressedly.
"Well---well---" Rainbow stammered. "Well---you think you can do faster?!"
"Of…course not," said Petrichor. "You were…faster than any pony I've ever seen."
Rainbow's personal cloud home drifted into view, and Petrichor seemed to expend a little effort to get there quicker, as if she didn't want to continue on the subject.
"Then what is your PROBLEM?" snapped Rainbow Dash. "What are you so bored about? Flying is FUN!"
She touched down on her patio. Rainbow's house was an eccentric, reckless collection of white clouds, rainbows flowing like water over its banks and shelves. Petrichor dropped heavily onto it. "Not where I'm from," she said quietly.
"In Pomphay, clouds don't disappear at a kick of your hoof. They know what they're doing, and they fight to stay the way they are. It takes a tremendous amount of strength to stop our clouds," she said, folding her wings with a military snap. "Speed is NOT key."
There was a long, rather tense pause. Petrichor looked at her host sideways, and let her ears fall quietly. "That's why I never learned to fly very fast," she whispered.
She began stepping awkwardly to the part of the cloud that had walls and a roof. Rainbow suddenly felt a sort of pity for her. She flapped to her side in an instant. "Never too late to learn," she said. "Um…it's nice to have you staying with me," she lied through her teeth.
Petrichor looked up, and suddenly her piercing gaze ran through Rainbow's body.
"No it isn't," she said. "This wasn't your idea, and you were never pleased about it. You are letting me stay here with you because your princess ordered it." Rainbow blushed ashamedly. "And…and I can respect that, Rainbow Dash. I respect such obedience. I think…I think we are not so different, you and I. Although," she trailed off, "you are the better flier."
A look of near triumph spread across Rainbow's blue face. "Well, I am a Wonderbolt," she replied proudly.
"You know, I know flying - and you may not fly so fast now, but you've got potential, Petrichor. What say I show you the highlights of the Ponyville sky - where the clouds don't try to kill you?"
Petrichor considered this. Then, she smiled, slowly.
"Petri, please, Rainbow Dash. I'd like that very much."
"Now," said Twilight, "remember what we talked about. Body relaxed. Hooves apart. Close your eyes - picture the shelf in your mind."
Sour Note did as she was told, her ears flicking back and forth as Starlight paced around the room. "Now, all you have to do is make it move."
A heavy-looking book called 101 Mane Charms slowly inched its way off the bookshelf where it had sat for a good few moons. Sour Note's body quivered as its corner slipped off the support of the case, but she kept control. Grinning triumphantly, she handed the book to Twilight.
"Excellent!" cheered the princess. She deftly replaced the dusty tome and selected another: The Principles of Magic. And she was just trotting back to her two friends when a tall, porcelain pony figure peered through the door.
"Good evening, Princess," said Governor Crimson Lance.
"Hello, Governor," said Starlight. Twilight looked at her confusedly, and she shrugged. "Had to be her," she said.
Sour Note stared at the governor wide-eyed, knowing well she could go unnoticed. "I'm just turning in for the night," said Crimson. "Good night, you two." With that, she trotted away.
Starlight snorted. "'You two?' What?"
"Never mind," interjected Twilight. "Here, try casting this spell, Sour." She held the book open for the little unicorn.
Sour Note focused, and a few sparks fell from her horn, but nothing happened. "Er, Twilight, what is this meant to do?"
"It's a simple growth spell. See this little branch? That spell will make it grow longer," the princess said. Starlight was holding a twig snapped off an outside tree.
The ambassador looked terribly daunted.
"Growth spell?" boomed a voice - a male voice. "WHY, THAT'S EASY!" There was a sharp snap, and the branch burst into an enormous and dazzling bouquet of flowers, which promptly leapt out of Starlight's telekinetic field and ran out the door, past the tall, serpentine figure that stood in the very last glow of the setting sun.