//------------------------------// // Welcome, Violette Rainbow! // Story: G5 Adventures in Air Buddies // by ponydog127 //------------------------------// It was a few weeks after the very successful Maretime Bay Summer Solstice Festival with Spike and the rest of the dragons from the Isle of Scaly, and needless to say, the dragons couldn't wait to come back next year. But only a week or two after the Mane 6 got back from their last Unity Quest, it was time for another mission… getting the Crystal Brighthouse ready for a very special guest of Izzy's, who was going to stay for an entire weekend for a special back-to-school sleepover. And who was that special guest, you may wonder? Violette Rainbow, Izzy Moonbow's personal crafting protégé. When Izzy first met Violette, she was totally ashamed by her vitiligo colored coat… she thought that since it was different, ponies wouldn't like her, but it was actually the opposite-- ponies actually appreciated her for the sweet mare she was on the inside. And now, she was going to make her mark on Maretime Bay as well. XXXXXXXX Violette was super excited as she trotted into Maretime Bay and toward the Crystal Brighthouse. The sleepover that she had been waiting for had finally arrived, and she couldn't wait for her moment to shine. She waved to the ponies on the street (some of them she recognized from Bridlewood, and some of them brand-new to her), before continuing on her way toward the Brighthouse. When she arrived, the first thing she saw was a bright colored banner that said 'Welcome, Violette Rainbow' in big, bright glittering letters, and the gesture warmed Violette's heart. “Aww, Izzy...” Violette smiled fondly. “They didn't have to make this much of a big deal for me...” She trotted up to the door with her small bag behind her, and knocked on the door for only a few seconds before it opened, causing her to stumble inside and be met with an energetic and familiar face. “Welcome welcome welcome to the Crystal Brighthouse, Violette!” Izzy said cheerfully as she spun Violette around and set her down on the floor in front of the Mane 6. “We're so excited that you're gonna be staying with us for an entire weekend before you go to school on Monday!” “Aww, thanks, Izzy!” giggled Violette. “My mom said to tell you guys hi, and thanks for looking after me while she went to Zephyr Heights for her business meeting.” “Hey, happy to lend a helping wing,” Zipp told the unicorn filly. “So, what do you wanna do first? Do some high-octane stunts?” “Zipp, don't be ridiculous!” Pipp scoffed. “She obviously wants a before-school makeover session!” “Or we could give her a complete tour of Maretime Bay, just in case she were to get lost while running errands around here,” Hitch said, wrapping a hoof around Violette. “Hey, guys, listen,” Sunny said, getting in the middle of the group. “I know you guys are trying to be super helpful, but maybe we should let Violette decide what she wants to do first. You know... since she is the guest here for the weekend.” “Ohhh... right. Sorry about that, Violette,” Misty said, a bit embarrassed by their behavior. “I guess we just got really excited.” “Anypony would be excited with as much fun as we're going to have,” said Violette with a giggle before humming in thought. That's when she gasped, figuring out the perfect activity to do first with her mentor and her friends. “Izzy... do you still have that old tea set that you and I made together?” “Sure I do! I'll go up and get it!” Izzy said before running up the stairs. “Sunny, do you have a recipe for mini cheesecakes and strawberry cookies?” Violette asked with a smile. “Sure! Misty and Pipp can totally help,” Sunny said, “but... what exactly do you want with them?” Violette only giggled. “We're gonna do something I love to do in Bridlewood... a good old-fashioned unicorn tea party!” XXXXXXXX The ponies and Sparky got all dolled up for the special tea party right after Sunny got to cooking the mini cheesecakes and cookies, and currently, they were all sitting around the table, sharing stories and having laughs like they had known one another all their lives. Violette stopped the laughter to ask a question. “Seriously? You ponies actually helped those three Warner siblings reclaim their birth rights?” “Yep! We think about the Warners every chance we get,” Misty nodded as she took a sip of glimmerberry tea. “That's the Unity Quest that started it all for us... and helped me get on a much better path, since I was serving Opaline for a long time before these quests got started.” “But I think we've told more than one Unity Quest story for one day,” Pipp said before turning to Violette again. “So... what are you most excited about when it comes to school next week?” “Well... I heard that they have an arts and crafts club after school, so I'm pretty excited about joining that when I get the chance. Not to mention, I'll get some really nice teachers and maybe even make some new friends while I'm there,” Violette said. Suddenly... her smile slowly faded into a frown. “But... I guess that's what's worrying me too. What if... what if ponies don't like me?” “Violette... there is no way that they won't like you,” Sunny said to the filly, trying to be comforting. “Your coat makes you extremely special, and as long as you don't forget that, you're gonna be just fine.” “But... even if I know that my coat is special and you know that it's special, what if others don't?” asked Violette. “And what if I get homesick from my mom? Leaving her is something I'm not really used to on a daily basis. She usually does all of her stuff in Bridlewood, or Maretime Bay, where I'm comfortable. But... in school, it'll be totally new, and I don't exactly do good in new places.” The Mane 6 knew exactly what Violette was going through... all of them had first day of school doubts at one point in time. All they had to do was figure out how to work through them. And if they could get through their first day of school doubts, then they were certain that Violette could too. It was all a matter of when and how. But before they could say anything else, they felt a familiar tingling, and they looked down to see their cutie marks glowing... and even Violette's cutie mark was glowing alongside theirs! “All right, this is perfect!” Zipp told the unicorn filly. “If you come with us and ace this Unity Quest, you'll be more than ready to conquer those doubts about school!” “You really think that I'm ready for this whole... Unity Quest thing?” Violette asked, looking at the Mane 6 with a concerned look. “I mean... other worlds are a long ways away, and I'm just worried I'm gonna mess up.” “That's exactly why this is gonna be a fun adventure! Trust me, V,” Izzy reassured her protégé. “This is gonna be fun! We can take our sleepover on the road!” “Well... okay. If you guys are sure about this,” Violette said before becoming a bit more confident, “then... I'm in!” “Everypony go and pack your stuff!” Sunny exclaimed. “Next stop, wherever the Unity Crystals take us!”