From then on, Luster was back in her hometown of Ponyville. She’d been so blind before, but now it felt as though she looked with open eyes at the magic of friendship. Everywhere she looked she saw happiness in some form or another. Ponyville was full of friendship and bonds of all kinds, foals playing in the background and teenage ponies hanging out with their friends. Even her mother and father’s love had blossomed from friendship.
Luster sat in the castle kitchen with her parents and Trixie.
“So, Luster, what are you and your friends going to do today?” Starlight asked.
Luster shrugged. “I’m not really sure, Mom. We didn’t talk about a plan for today.”
“Eh, it's always nice to just hang out with friends,” Sunburst said. “Having plans is nice too.”
“But sometimes, it's fun when things are a little spontaneous and unpredictable!” Trixie said.
“Trixie’s right. Take Pinkie, for example. She was full of unpredictability, kind of like your friend River Song. In fact, I would say River is almost like a Kirin Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said.
Suddenly there was a beeping sound from Starlight’s wrist. She looked at it and saw the magic band she’d enchanted to act as an alarm.
“Somepony’s at the door!” she said before looking at Luster. “Must be your friends!”
Luster grinned and swallowed the last of her breakfast before walking to the door. Since she’d made her new friends, they would come to the Castle of Friendship almost every day, asking her to hang out. Whenever she exited the castle doors after breakfast, Luster found them all waiting outside with a bright smile. River Song tapped her hooves excitedly as Luster came down the short pathway from the castle to them.
“Luster’s coming! Luster’s coming!” River Song sang.
She suddenly ran up and tackled Luster to the ground. The pink pony grunted as the Kirin knocked her on her back.
“River!” she said. “Do you have to do that every time I come out to see you all?”
“Sorry, I’m just so excited to have a new friend in my group here!” River Song said. “It's been so much fun, and we’ve only known each other for a week!”
Luster smiled up at her Kirin friend. It was true, the week that rolled by had certainly gone fast - as they say, time flies when you're having fun. Behind her, Starlight suddenly laughed.
“What’s so funny, Mom?” Luster asked as River got off of her.
“I remember when I was tackled to the ground like that by Pinkie after I… became Twilight’s student,” Starlight said, smiling at the memory.
Trixie giggled. “You mean after she defeated you and turned you from being a bad pony to a great and good one!”
Starlight frowned at her. “Trixie!”
“What? It’s the truth!” Trixie said. “Come on. That all happened a long time ago, and you’re a different pony now!”
“We all are,” Sunburst agreed with a grin. “Time can really change a pony.”
Luster nodded. Just a week had passed since she’d been summoned to Princess Twilight’s throne room and gained a new perspective on friendship. She had always been annoyed with the topic since it popped up everywhere since she’d been a filly. Now she saw it as a lovely thing rather than a waste of time.
She looked around her at her new friends. Gallop gave her a wide grin. Yelena and Georgia also grew small smiles which Luster returned.
“See you later,” she said to her family and waved goodbye just like she had a few days ago to the Princess.
Twilight had returned to Canterlot after Luster made her new friends with the help of the Friendship Council. She would be expecting Luster’s first letter tonight on what she learned about it, and Luster wasn’t even sure where to begin. There was so much to tell.
“So anypony… or creature… come up with a plan for today?” Luster asked.
River Song giggled. “Of course, we have a plan! It's fun! Duh!”
“But wouldn’t it be better to think of something to do?” Luster asked. “Some place to go to or some activity to do?”
Gallop laughed. “With how fast I can run, why not go everywhere?”
They all shot him strange looks, and he chuckled. “Just pulling your hooves… or claws! I know we could never go everywhere in one day! At least you guys couldn’t! After all, I’m the three-year winner of first place for the Running of the Leaves!”
“Careful there, Fry,” Georgia said, as she flew next to the rest of them. “You keep bragging like that you could bite off more than you can chew someday. But seriously, where are we going?”
“There’s a lot of places around Ponyville!” River Song said and began to hum...
So many places in this little village of ponies
Not unlike my own village back home
I do miss that a bit
Since the Kirin sent me as the first of my kind
To attend the School of Friendship
But there is so very much more to see here!
Stores to shop in, buy fancy clothes
She led them into Rarity’s Boutique where Sandbar and Yona put her into a navy-blue dress.
Or tasty sweets.
Sugarcube corner, River Song passed each of her friends a cupcake.
Just so many places to go, how can any creature
Make up their minds?
Just take our time
Go through the windy roads
Find something fun!
Yes, so many places
In this pony village
How can any creature
Make up their mind
When there are so many places?
Just so many places?
If Kirins had cutie marks, Luster had little doubt that River Song would have had one about singing. The Kirin was so cheerful and loved to make music as well as swim. But she was right, there were a lot of places in Ponyville for the Future Five to choose from.
“Maybe we could do some reading?” Luster asked.
Gallop scoffed. “How about we do something all of us can have fun doing? I want to run around a bit!”
He flailed his hooves.
“How about the Buckball field?” Yelena suggested.
“Works for me!” River Song said. “After that, we can go swimming!”
“How about it, Luster?” Yelena asked.
Luster hesitated. “Well, I’ve never played Buckball before… but hey, just a week ago, I thought friendship was a waste of time. Sure, I guess I’ll try it.”
“Great!” River Song said.
They headed to one of the Buckball fields in Ponyville Park, where groups of friends played sports. Traditionally, Buckball would be played with a Unicorn, Pegasi, and Earth pony. But their group wasn’t made of all ponies, and they were an odd number.
“Uh-oh. Yelena see a problem!” Yelena said. “There five of us now!”
“Oh yeah, since Luster’s with us now, we won’t have even numbers anymore,” Gallop said. “Ah, well that makes things easier for me to win with her on and River’s and my team!”
“What do you mean your team?” Georgia said.
“Yeah, you already have one magic-user on your team!” Yelena said, pointing to River Song. “Luster should be on our team!”
“No! Luster goes with me because I’m the first to always hug her!” River Song said, putting a hoof around Luster.
“Hey, does that mean you’re going against me?” Gallop asked.
“Yeah! I think it’s time for a magic duo round! Let's see what you guys can do when you face a unicorn from the School for Gifted ones and her Kirin sidekick!” River Song said. “Ha, and I just made sure Luster would take me! Because she’ll be in charge!”
“Ah, come on, Luster! With your magic and Yelena’s strength, we’d be unstoppable!” Yelena said.
“My speed is better than her strength!” Gallop objected.
“I can fly!” Georgia said, spreading her wings.
“Luster goes with me!”
“No, me!”
“Yelena!”
As her friends began fighting over her, Luster’s eagerness for the game suddenly turned into nervousness. The voices made her feel like the world was closing in on her. Her eyes closed as her heart began to beat rapidly.
“Quiet!” she screamed. “You expect me to choose one of you? How can I? You’re all my friends!”
There was silence as her friends' faces filled with remorse. They looked down at the ground.
“Sorry, Luster,” River Song said.
“Yeah, sorry. Didn’t mean to put pressure on you,” Gallop apologized.
“Yelena sorry!”
“I’m sorry, it wasn’t nice for me to try and fight friends over another friend,” Georgia said.
“So, what do we do about this odd number and which team Luster plays on?” River Song asked, looking around.
The Future Five were silent for a moment. Luster put a hoof to her chin. Then gasped as a solution came to her.
“How about we all take turns playing each other with me on each team? One of us can sit out so that it's fair, and one team doesn’t outnumber the other.”
“Yelena thinks that a great idea! That way it's fair for all of us!” Yelena said.
Every other creature nodded.
“So, who are you going to team up with first?” River Song asked. “Please be me! Please be me!”
Luster grinned sheepishly.
“Oh, alright, since you’re the most eager!”
“Yay!” River Song hugged her again.
“Well, if it’s a magic team first, let’s go get 'em with speed and strength, Yelena!” Gallop suggested.
“Yelena with Gallop!” the yak said high-hoofing the fast-food pony.
Georgia flew off to the side and rested on the grass to watch the first round of the Magic vs. Earth Buckball game. In old-style Buckball, there were three players of Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns. But the game had evolved to fit certain other styles in recent years. Luster took the front position for offense while River Song hung back, levitating the bucket for the ball to be thrown in by the opposing team. On the other side, Gallop took the front while Yelena held the bucket in her hooves. Luster would use her magic to levitate the ball, while Gallop would try and use his hooves. While there was no other Earth Pony player on her team, Luster would have to use her own hooves and not magic when the ball was in Gallop's possession. She could only use her magic if she got the ball from him.
Luster and Gallop walked up to the middle of the field where they placed the ball. Luster had seen how fast Gallop moved. If he got past her, there was no way she would be able to keep up. She was not athletic like the Earth Pony was.
“Hey,” Gallop said. “Even if I totally knock your tail today, just try and enjoy it. That’s more important to me than winning.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He seemed to blush slightly. “I’ll go easy on you too; I know you aren’t as fast. It wouldn’t be fun if I won too easily.”
They assumed ready stances. Gallop kicked the ball toward River Song’s side of the field. Luster dashed in that direction, and Gallop hung back a moment, letting her get a few seconds head start before charging out. Luster just managed to make it, before she looked back and saw him coming. Quickly taking the ball with her magic, she ran in the other direction. Gallop dove for the ball, but Luster managed to get it out of his path and run past him. He turned around just as she threw it with great precision into the bucket Yelena held.
“One point to Luster and River Song!” Georgia called out.
“Nice one, Luster!” Gallop said, giving her a high hoof, which she accepted.
Yelena took the ball out of the bucket and shouted, “My turn!”
She kicked it with the strong force of a yak. It came at Luster like a meteor and hit her. Luster let out a grunt and hit the ground with a soft thud.
“Ow!” she said.
“Luster!” River Song called.
All of Luster’s friends gathered around her.
“Yelena sorry, Luster!” Yelena said. “I didn’t mean to hit you that hard! Or at all! We yaks sometimes too strong for pony friends.”
“Are you hurt badly?” Georgia asked, putting a caring claw on Luster.
Luster took a deep breath.
“It’s okay! I’ll be fine!”
She got up on her hooves. The pain lasted for a few minutes but soon began to fade. If that had been a harder object it might have bruised, but a rubber ball was nothing. They continued their games with Luster rotating between her friends as they did so. They played five rounds each to see who could get the best three out of five.
When Georgia switched with Gallop, Luster used her magic to fly just like she had during the trip to Cloudsdale, holding the ball in her hooves before getting close enough to throw it into the bucket. They continued to play till lunchtime. Gallop had packed them all hayburgers, which they ate with pleasure. Luster’s mane was now messed up and ruffled, her body sweating and dirty along with the others.
“Whoo! That was fun!” she said. “Too bad we don’t have another player that can fly. We could play a traditional game of Buckball then. Or close to it.”
“Maybe we could invite some other creatures to play!” River Song suggested.
The Kirin looked around and spotted a pair of ponies, a white earth pony and a purple pegasus.
“Hey there!” River Song waved. “You want to join a Buckball Game?”
The pair looked over, and Luster recognized them from when she’d come back to Ponyville.
“Sure! I’m always up for some sorta sport even if it's not rollerskating!” the Earth Pony said.
“Always nice to have fun!” the pegasus agreed. She then noticed Luster. “Hey, we met last week! Luster Dawn, right?”
The unicorn nodded.
“That’s right, you guys are Rollerblade and Flapflower?” she guessed.
“Bladerunner and Honeytart!” they corrected.
Luster grinned nervously. “Sorry. I’ll get it right next time. So, you want to play Buckball?”
They nodded. The Future Five looked around at their members. Now that there were seven of them, they could get a pretty decent game going.
“How about a pony team versus other creatures team?” Honeytart suggested. “Blade, Luster, and me on one team and the rest of you on the other?”
“Works for me!” Blade agreed.
Luster looked at her friends uncertainly. She wasn’t going to be playing on the same team as any of them this time.
“It's okay, Luster. We’re all just having fun here!” River said with a smile. “And now you can get a full Buckball game. It's just like a regular one, with an Earth Pony, Pegasi and Unicorn. The same thing goes for us, somewhat. A Kirin, Yak, and Griffon. We have magic, can fly, or neither.”
“We’re not the same species, but our abilities are the same,” Georgia pointed out.
Luster hesitated. She was a little shy being on the team with two less familiar teammates. But she took a breath and nodded.
“Okay, Bladerunner, Honeytart? You ready?”
“Let's get this board rolling!” Blade said.
Honeytart looked at Georgia with a mischievous grin as she flew into the air. “We’ll see who flies better today, griffon.”
Georgia merely smiled in return. “Indeed, we shall see.”
The old-style buck ball game ensued. Luster and River Song levitated buckets with their magic, trying to use them to catch the ball. Bladerunner and Gallop stood in the center to kick it up when Yelena threw it behind them. When the Yak released the ball, Gallop kicked it toward Luster. Honeytart dove to catch it but missed. Thankfully, Luster managed to make a bucket, earning them a point.
“Nice catch there, Luster!” Honeytart said. “Very graceful.”
“Thank you,” the unicorn said with a smile.
She levitated the ball back to Yelena. They played for several more rounds, Georgia stopped many of Bladerunner’s kicked balls, while Luster did the same on their team. Honeytart and River Song weren’t as accurate on their defense, so they were reasonably well matched.
“After this is done you want to hang out with me and Bladerunner, Luster?” Honeytart asked. “We could-”
“Luster is hanging out with us!” River Song objected. “We’re her best friends!”
“So? Doesn’t mean she can’t hang out with other ponies!” Honeytart said. “In fact, from the looks of you creatures she could use a few more pony friends as well!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Georgia asked. “You don’t think being friends with other creatures is a good idea?”
“No, I’m just saying that she could maybe use some more friends that are ponies like her,” Honeytart said.
“Being different creatures doesn’t matter long as you’re friends!” River Song countered.
“This is Ponyville! We have a lot more ponies here than any other creature. Canterlot may have a lot more diversity, but the pony in Ponyville is still dominant! Luster should hang out with us!” Honeytart said.
“She’s staying with us!” Gallop shot up.
“Guys…” Luster tried to say something.
“How about this?” Bladerunner said. “Whoever wins this last Buckball game gets to hang with Luster for the rest of the day!”
Luster felt her tongue twist. They were bucking over her?
“Guys…” Luster repeated.
“Fine by me! But you’ll have to go up against somecreature else!” Gallop said. “Yelena! Let’s give them some of your yak strength!”
Yelena nodded and took Gallop’s place. Bladerunner looked a little nervous as the Yak was quite a bit bigger than him.
“Okay last game, and whoever wins gets to hang with Luster for the rest of the day! Give it all you got Yelena!” Gallop stated.
The Yak nodded.
Luster however, cringed. “Uh, can’t we just-”
Gallop threw the ball and Yelena hit it with the full force of her Yak hind legs. It flung high into the air, far out of bounds of the Buckball field… toward the window of a house.
Crash!
The window broke as the ball hit it. For a moment the Future Five as well as their two visitors stood in silence. Then a pony looked out the broken window.
“Hey!” he called in a harsh male voice.
“Uh oh! Time to run!” River Song said as she took off into a sprint.
“I’m with you!” Gallop said as he overtook her.
“Guys, maybe we should-”
Luster was about to say take responsibility for this… but the pony who lived in the house with the window they’d just broken came out. He was frowning with his horn glowing brightly. Luster had heard of angry unicorn syndrome, which made their magic much more powerful when they were angry. This one looked ready to explode!
Luster’s thoughts of taking responsibility for her mistake were quickly overridden by her sudden fear and she ran with her friends.
“I’ll get you little urchins for this! You ever come back to that ballfield again I’ll know who to zap!”
Luster ran and found her friends in the middle of town along with the other two. She frowned at them.
“Really, you actually put me up like some sort of prize?” she asked agitatedly.
“Sorry! We just didn’t want to lose our time with you!” River Song said.
“But yeah, challenging somepony for it wasn’t the right call,” Gallop said. “I guess I just got caught up in the game.”
“I just wanted a chance to hang out with you and get to know you better,” Honeytart said.
Finally, Luster collapsed. She was covered in sweat from the heat, game and running away.
“I appreciate you all wanting to hang out with me. But I don’t like seeing ponies… or any other creatures fighting over me!”
“Sorry Luster,” Yelena said. “Yelena shouldn’t have gotten worked up. It was our fault. If Yelena hadn’t kicked that ball so hard we wouldn’t have broken the window. Now that pony mad at us, and rightfully so.”
Luster sighed. “I’ll speak to my mother, I’m sure she can cover the damage,” she then looked over herself. “I could use a bit of a clean-up.”
“We all could!” River Song added. “How about we go swimming in the river now?”
“Sounds like a good idea!” Gallop agreed.
“Always nice to refresh in the water,” Bladerunner said.
The seven of them headed for the river that ran through Ponyville and jumped in. The summer day ensured it had a good temperature. They swam around and splashed each other, laughing. Luster soon climbed out and shook.
“This was so much fun today, guys! Even though you fought over me.” she said.
“You’re not mad at us?” River asked. “We probably cost your mother at least three hundred bits for that window!”
“It shouldn’t be too much of a problem, she is the stewardess of the Castle of Friendship after all and get a share of the taxes from Ponyville,” Luster said. “Besides, I’ve never had more fun than today! Having creatures want you is a nice feeling… just don’t go fighting over me again.”
“Got it,” They all said to her. “Sorry.”
“It’s probably getting close to noon,” Gallop said. “I have to get to work at the Hayburger Delivery!”
“That means Yelena got to go too!” the Yak said.
“I think we all should head home!” Georgia said.
River looked at Luster. “Well, you want to come see our dorm room at the school?”
Luster shook her head. “I wish I could but I need to get home so I can send Princess Twilight my first friendship report. But I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay!” River Song agreed.
Her main group of new friends hugged her before leaving. Luster looked at Honey and Blade; they didn’t join in the hug but smiled at her.
“That was fun,” Honeytart said. “I’m sorry for causing all that ruckus, Luster. I just hope that you’ll come hang out with me and Blade sometime?”
“Maybe you could join us roller skating?” Blade asked with a wink.
Luster nodded. “Sure, I’d like to give that a try some time!”
She made her way back to the Castle of Friendship. Starlight was in the living room with Sunburst, they were kissing and holding each other lovingly. Luster smiled at her parents. Sunburst opened his eyes and broke the kiss once he saw his daughter.
“Oh, how was your day, Luster?” Starlight asked, with what looked like a nervous expression.
“It was fun!” Luster said. “We played a game of Buckball and then went swimming!”
“You enjoyed it, then?” Starlight asked.
Luster nodded. “Yes, but Yelena kind of accidentally broke someponies window.”
“She what?” Starlight exclaimed.
“It was an accident!” Luster said.
“Wow, my daughter is getting popular,” Starlight remarked.
“I think I’m ready to send a letter to Princess Twilight. Do you want to hear it?”
“Of course,” Sunburst said.
Luster took a sheet of paper and quill with her magic before beginning the letter.
Dear Princess Twilight,
This first week back in Ponyville has opened up my eyes to many things I was too blind to see before. The thought of friendship used to annoy me, but now that I actually have four real friends… I feel my heart fill with more joy than all that time I spent reading books. We played Buckball today, and all of my friends wanted me on their team. It felt good to have somepony… or creature… want me. I also learned that friendship can sometimes be a little painful, got hit by a ball thrown by my Yak friend Yelena… boy she packs a punch! But still, I see that the Magic of Friendship is a powerful thing and can’t wait to learn more about it.
Your faithful student,
Luster Dawn.
“Lovely, Luster,” Sunburst said.
Luster cast a spell on the paper, sending it to the princess. In Canterlot, Twilight opened it with a smile just as Celestia had done for her back in the day.
“Sounds like my student had a good day,” Twilight said after she read it.
She looked out the window of her tower, admiring the peace Canterlot seemed to be enduring. Everything was calm right now. But little did Twilight know that soon a storm would be forming.