//------------------------------// // Chapter 1- A Party with a Twist // Story: The Comet and The Rainbow // by Pyrefly_91 //------------------------------// The Comet and the Rainbow A Party with a Twist “Pyrefly! Big brother! You need to wake up. We need to get ready. Wake up!” ‘Why is she yelling?’ I thought, my head swimming as I opened my eyes. “Why are you being so loud, you’re acting like it’s after noon!” I called out through my bedroom door. “That’s just it, look at the time.” She replied. So, while still wrapped up in the grip of sleep, I glanced at my clock that was on the nightstand next to my bed. When my eyes finally focused, I shot out of bed with a start. “What the?” I cried out. “Why did you let me sleep till 1:30 in the afternoon? You know what, don’t answer that. When is the party?” “2:15” she called out. “And where is it taking place?” “Some place called Sugar Cube Corner.” Man, how could this happen, we’re gonna be late for our own party. We have only been in Ponyville a week and already things are going wrong. ‘Why did that wacky pink pony have to go and throw us a party anyways? We’re no one special,’ I thought to myself. We had just moved into town after leaving our home in Coltston when a bouncy, crazy, pink pony assaulted us. Then, out of nowhere, she tells us that she’s gonna throw us a big welcoming party. “Pyrefly! Its quarter of! Get your flank in motion!” “Alright sis, geez. Just let me stretch my wings out a little more. Then we can go.” Ice Dancer, my little sister, is a baby blue unicorn. Her mane and tail stuck out like icicles. I, on the other hand, am a beige colored pegasus with a flowing mane that spiked down in front of my face. My tail looked pretty close to a roaring flame, and both had black tips at each point. Our cutie marks couldn’t be more different either. Her’s was three glimmering snowflakes, whereas mine was a flame wings sprouting from it. “Alright,” I called out as I give one last glance at the clock, now reading ten of two. “Let’s get this over with.” “Yay! Party time!” Ice Dancer squealed, jumping up and down. “Why are you so happy?” “Just think of all the ponies we’re gonna meet, or all the new friends we’ll make! Why are you not excited?” “Who would really want to be friends with the new ponies in town? The only reason we’re getting this party in first place is because of that crazy pony we got ambushed by.” “It doesn’t matter how the party was conceived, or by who. It’s a welcoming party for us and that’s all that matters.” Ice Dancer said.As she was talking, I noticed an all too familiar tone of irritation creep into her voice. ‘Crap,’ I thought, ‘I know that tone. Best shut my muzzle before she gets angrier.’ “Alright,” I conceded, “you win, let’s go so YOU can have fun.” In the week since arriving in Ponyville, Ice Dancer and I only walked to the market place to buy some groceries. The unfamiliar streets threatened to get us lost if we made a wrong turn. Yet for some reason, now, of all the times we were out of the house, I was actually becoming more comfortable with my new surroundings. Everywhere we turned, there was another friendly face, guiding us toward Sugar Cube Corner. Even Ice Dancer was enjoying the scenery. As we walked, I felt more and more at home in this new town. Luckily, it only took us ten minutes to reach the location of our party. “Perfect,” I said aloud, glancing up at a building bearing a giant clock face, which read out as being 2:00. “Ten minutes to get here from our place.” “What do you mean ‘Perfect’? What if it’s a surprise party? Being early would ruin the idea of it.” Whispered Ice Dancer, fearful someone may hear her. “It’ll be fine, besides, it can’t be a surprise party cause we already knew about it.” I said confidently. “Besides, it’s not like there’s gonna be that many ponies in there anyways. We’re no one special. If anypony did end up coming, there’s only gonna be like five or six ponies. Also, if you can’t be early, you’ll never get some place on time.” “Whatever you say big brother. Let’s just see who’s right and who’s wrong,” she said as she trotted up to the door. “Now get up here, so that when they yell out ‘Surprise,’ it’s for both of us and not just me.” “Alright,” I said, once again giving up before she blew a gasket. When I came to stand by my sister, we slowly pushed open the door together, and low and behold, I was wrong. Dead wrong. “SURPRISE!” yelled out a room full of ponies. “Yay!” Shouted my sister, bouncing up and down around beside me. ‘I really hate it when she’s right’ I thought. “Um,” I started, speechless. “Wow, never thought the whole town would come out to welcome my sister and me,” I said in disbelief. “Of course we would silly!” said somepony that somehow managed to come up behind me. I turned around to be startled by the face of the very pink pony that decided to throw this party for us in the first place. “Oh, I totally forgot to introduce myself the other day, I was just so excited to be the very first pony to meet the new character to our universe.” ‘What did she mean by that?’ I asked myself. “Anyways, I’m Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville!” “Pinkie Pie, alright,” I stammered. “Pleasure to meet you.” “Don’t just say hi to me, you coo coo head. Say hi to everypony.” Pinkie shouted, stirring the crowed room into an uproar of agreement. I was starting to get that feeling of discomfort when Ice Dance squeaked beside me. “Alright!” she responded, and with that, she hoped up onto a table and said in a loud, giddy voice, “ Hi everypony, my name is Ice Dancer. As you can see, I’m a unicorn. I love to ice skate, and so I use my magic to create ice to practice on year round. And when I’m done, I just make it disappear again!” Murmurs of approval rose from the party guests. “Ok big brother, your turn.” Chirped Ice Dancer. “Yeah, ‘big brother!’ Intro! Intro!” Mocked Pinkie Pie, followed by the entire crowd. My sister hoped off the tabletop and as she pasted me, gave me a little tap and a nod toward her podium. “Go on.” She said. The crowd’s chanting had become deafening at this point. I walked up to the table, flourished my wings for a slight lift onto it, and cleared my throat. All at once, the party fell silent. “Um,” I began nervously. “My name is Pyrefly, and I’m Ice Dancer’s older brother. We’re from Coltston, a city northeast of here.” All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed with confidence. “I’m a high-flying, daredevil, of a racer that was crowned…” “Fastest Flier on the East Coast, right?” finished a loud, cocky, condescending voice that broke the silence of the crowd of ponies that stood before me. “Several years in a row, in fact.” I couldn’t believe I was actually boasting about my title. A title I wanted to leave behind in Coltston. ‘Where did this bravado and confidence come from?’ I thought to myself. “It seems my reputation precedes me, as much as I wish it didn’t” Then, from the back of the crowd, a cyan colored pegasus mare fluttered into the air above the crowd. My jaw almost hit the floor as I watched her fly up to me and land on a table in front of me. ‘Oh dear Celestia, she is hot,’ I immediately thought. I’ve seen a lot of good looking mares between the time me and my sister left Coltston. From back home, to the train here, even in this very room. But none of them stuck out to me like the one standing before me now. She had a certain air about her. Then I noticed the rest of her. Her sleek, tone physic, the flowing rainbow colored mane and tail. And her cutie mark brought it all together. That rainbow colored lightning bolt. ‘Oh my gosh,'I thought, ‘it’s Rainbow Dash! She’s the current holder of the Best Young Flyer crown, as well as the unknowing envy of so many other pegasi.’ I was starting to have a mental meltdown. ‘Pull yourself together. Play it cool. If she finds out you know about her, you’ll never be able to live in peace.’ I was suddenly brought back to reality by Rainbow tapping me on the forehead with one of her hooves. “Hello, anypony in there?” she asked. “Sorry,” I said, snapping back into my mind, “I was just lost in my awesomeness.” “Ha! I’m 20% more awesome than you’ll ever be.” Rainbow retorted. “I don’t know about that, but would you care to introduce yourself, since you clearly already know who I am.” “I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest pony in Ponyville, both on the ground and in the sky.” “Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you, RD!” “Only my friends can call me that!” Dash snapped at me. Out of nowhere I felt a tap on my leg. I look down and see Ice Dancer standing below me with a look of disdain on her face. “What’s up sis?” I asked. “What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” She asked me coldly. “What do you mean? I’m just enjoying myself. This is nothing more that friendly banter between an accomplished racer and his adoring fan. Isn’t that right RD?” “I’m not a fan, or your friend. And stop calling me RD!” I could see messing with her was working as I planned, completely throwing her for a loop, as to distract her from a few moments ago when I went slack jawed over her. Plus, I was having fun and getting a good laugh out of it too. I swear I saw her face turn red in frustration. But then, she suddenly regained her composure, and threw me and everypony in the room into complete shock. “Well then, ‘Mr. Hotshot Flier’,” Rainbow said calmly. “Lets have a race to see if you’re really as good as you claim to be.” “What?” I asked in disbelief. ‘She knows who I am, and she wants to challenge me to a race? Is she out of her mind?’ I thought in awe of her tenacity. “That’s right. I challenge you to a race. Time to put up or shut up,” She jabbed. “Rainbow, what are you doing!” asked a purple unicorn mare that had just pushed her was to the front of the crowd, flanked by three other mares. “Indeed, Rainbow darling, this is a party. Not one of your barbaric competitions.” Added another unicorn, this one being white with a purple mane done up all fancy like. “Now listen here sugar cube, why don’t you wait a week or so before challenging the pegasus in town to any races, ya hear?” finished a very country looking earth pony mare. “Well, that’s three opposed to this idea. Anypony else wanna weigh in on this?” I asked. “Umm, I’d like to say something to Rainbow Dash, if that’s alright.” Taken aback by the sudden hushed request, looked around to find the source of the question. Then I noticed the shy looking cream-colored pegasus hiding behind the other three that had spoken up. “Go right ahead,” I said kindly and softly, trying not to scare her. “no one said you had to ask. Say what you like.” “Thank you, Mr. Pyrefly.” She said timidly. “Please, Pyrefly is fine.” “Oh, ok. Well, I think Rainbow Dash Should race you. I see that see feels that she has something to prove to herself. Though she would never admit it. And, also that she certainly sees you as an idol because of your accomplishments. I I think you two should race, if that's ok?” “The shy one has spoken.” I proclaimed. “What’s it gonna be, RD? You wanna do this?” It seemed as the shy pegasus’ words help some weight to them because the three ponies that were just opposed to the whole idea were suddenly agreeing with it. “We can have it run from Futtershy’s cottage all the way to the last row of apple tree at Sweet Apple Acres,” suggested the cowmare. “I’ll whip up some victors cloaks for whoever wins!” The posh unicorn added. “And I’ll study how to officiate a race organize everything’” continued the purple unicorn. “And I’ll throw a party for the winner and a ‘Better Luck Next Time’ party for the loser!” yelled Pinkie Pie, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Suddenly, the room grew cold and frigid. That’s when I realized there was still one pony opposed to the race. “Ice Dancer,” I said sternly, “stop making it so cold in here.” “No,” she protested, “I’m not gonna let you make everypony hate us. I want to make friends, not become the town pariah!” At that, the country mare walked up and whispered something into my sister’s ear. Whatever it was, she laughed and returned the room to its normal temperature. “I can live with that,” she chuckled. “The race is on!” “Sweet,” I cheered. “So will this be round trip, or one way?” “Round trip.” Rainbow answered. “Fine, let’s do it tomorrow morning, I’ll need to go over the course first. Anypony willing to take me on the tour?” “I will,” volunteered Dash. “Ok then, shall we?” I asked motioning for the door. “Let’s.” She answered.