When the train came to a complete stop, the conductor returned and gestured to Grace.
“Miss, this is your stop. The princess has arranged for you to stay with somepony here in Ponyville.”
Grace looked up from her seat. “Aww, we’re here already? I’m in the middle of a really fun game.”
“Oh, that’s quite alright,” said the pony sitting across from her. “I think you beat me again anyway.” A small, yellow unicorn with glasses began levitating a set of colored figurines from the checkered board between them, into a box beside him. “I must say: It’s been a while since I met somepony who could give me enough of a challenge for it to be enjoyable, let alone beat me three times over.”
“Aww, it was nothing, really,” Grace replied. “I just used to play this game a lot with my boyfriend back home. He’s really bad at it too, so don’t feel bad.”
“Uh, huh.” The unicorn reached up and wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead.
Grace turned and trotted happily over to the conductor. He led her out onto the platform, whereupon she was flattened by something with thick, pink hair.
“Hi!” it said, climbing off of her. Grace looked up to see a small horse standing over her, but this one was bright pink, with even pinker curly hair. “I’m Pinkie Pie! You must be Grace. Twilight said you were coming but I didn’t think you would get here so soon, but I couldn’t miss you on the train so I came straight here to wait for you, and it’s a good thing I did because it’s only been an hour and you’re already here! I barely even had enough time to set up the party decorations and mail out the invitations!”
Grace’s eyes became super large, as well as shiny, and sparkly. “Hi, Pinkie Pie! Yes, my name’s Grace. I can’t wait to meet Twilight and the other girls. Thanks for coming to meet me at the train. This is so cool!” Pinkie climbed off of her long enough to be glomped in return. “And it’s so cool that you’re throwing me a party! YEEEEE!”
She Squeezed Pinkie Pie almost as tight as she’d ever hugged her boyfriend Tedd, but Pinkie Pie didn’t squirm. She returned the hug with equal tightness, wrapping her seemingly elastic appendages several times around the two of them.
“THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!” the two of them exclaimed together.
Grace laughed. “You’re way more fun than my friend Sarah back home. I can’t wait to play blast the turtle with you!”
Pinkie Pie frowned. “Why would you want to hurt a poor innocent turtle.”
Grace laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. It’s not a real turtle. I would never hurt my little woodland friends.” Sparkly eyes again.
Pinkie laughed and began hopping up and down in place. “Hee hee, you sound just like Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy, who’s that?”
Pinkie continued jumping up and down for a moment. “Oh, you’re going to love her. I hear she’s letting you stay in her cottage. That’s gonna be so cool, there’s all sorts of little critters and birdies that hang out there. But first we’ve gotta get you to this party!”
She grabbed Grace’s hoof and the pair sped off toward the library.
~ ~ ~
“And then we’re gonna play pin the tail on the pony...”
“Pinkie.”
“And throw confetti and streamers...”
“Pinkie!”
“And eat cake and candy and drink punch and sasparilla...”
“PINKIE!”
Pinkie’s rant ceased immediately. “Yes, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, and began to blink her eyes rapidly.
“You still haven’t told me who your friend is.” Twilight turned toward The unicorn Pinkie had brought with her. “I’m sorry, Miss. Pinkie gets a little overexcited sometimes. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Twilight!” Pinkie’s friend then tackle-glomped Twilight. “Pinkie mentioned you on the way over. I’m Grace. You’re the town librarian, right? And you live in this tree with a dragon named Spike who has a crush on you for some reason.”
Twilight stared, open mouthed, at Grace. “Huh?”
“Was I right?” Grace asked.
Twilight—whose face had suddenly turned pale green and begun to sweat—turned to Pinkie. “Why did you tell her Spike has a crush on me? I didn’t even know that.”
“Know what?”
They all turned to see Spike walk through a door underneath the staircase, carrying a small stack of books.
“That apparently you have a crush on me?” Twilight stepped forward with a questioning look.
“What?! No!” Spike dropped the books he was carrying as he stepped back, gagging once or twice. “Why would you think that, Twilight? I mean, come on, you’re almost like my big sister or something. Besides”—He motioned for her to move closer and whispered in her ear—“I like Rarity, remember?”
Twilight stepped back, her eyes wide as her entire face began to turn red. “Wait, but then... Pinkie!” Twilight turned to Pinkie, eyes narrowed. “Why did you tell Grace that Spike has a crush on me?!”
“I didn’t tell Grace Spike has a crush on you,” Pinkie replied, appearing as shocked as Twilight did.
“Oh, I guess that’s my fault, sorry.”
They all turned toward Grace, who was still standing in the middle of the room where they’d left her, and now wearing a very guilty-looking smile. She sat back on her hind legs, tapping her front hooves together in front of her. “Akiko said there was a dragon named Spike who was in love with a unicorn. I guess I kinda assumed she meant you.” With nothing left to say, Grace let out what could only be described as an adorable squeak.
There was a long awkward silence, during which Pinkie scurried out the door, mumbling something about party preparations. Finally, Spike said something.
“Who’s Akiko?”
(convenient scene break)
“So, let me see if I got this.” Twilight paced back and forth in front of Grace, who stood next to Pinkie and Spike in the middle of the library “You’re not a pony; you’re a part human, part”—she paused, trying to remember the word—“lespuko?” Grace nodded, so she went on. “Part lespuko, and part... sayoonowloo?”
“Actually, I’m not part seyunolu, it’s what I am. Seyunolu just means ‘greater chimaera’. I’m a mix of human, lespuko, and squirrel.”
“Uhuh. And what exactly are you doing in Equestria, again?” Twilight scribbled something on the scroll on her desk, taking notes on Grace’s story.
“Well, I don’t really know. Tedd just said he was trying out a new form on his TG ray gun, and he wanted me to research its abilities. Something about”—Grace rubbed her head with her hoof—“teleportation?”
Twilight zapped herself directly in front of Grace, grinning wide at the thought of a fellow jumper. “Teleportation?”
Grace leaned back a bit, letting out a small “meep!”
Twilight stepped back, her face relaxing a bit. “Sorry. Teleportation has always been one of my favorite abilities. It’s actually quite rare for someone to learn it. So, do you know how to teleport?” she asked, warping back to her desk with another pop.
“Actually, no,” Grace called from across the room. “Tedd had only just shot me with the gun when I got sucked into this weird vortex portal thing. I ended up in some courtyard somewhere and met a very grumpy guard. After that, Princess Tia sent me here to Ponyville.”
“Mhmm.” Twilight nodded, trotting back over to where Grace stood. That matched up with the letter she’d received from Celestia. “Well, given your lack of a cutie mark, that story almost makes sense, but it still doesn’t explain why you look like a pony if you aren’t one.” Twilight stopped, turning on her hoof to face Grace.
“Oh, that’s easy. The guard was freaking out, so I turned into my pony form to fit in. Do you like it?” Grace turned around in poses, showing off her hurry pony form.
“Ooh! Ooh! what else can you turn into?” Pinkie Pie burst out next to her. “A dragon? Maybe a lollipop? Oh, I know! you’re a werefrog, right?”
Grace’s eyebrows grew closer together and her mouth pressed into a tight loop as she stared at Pinkie Pie.
“Actually, I can only turn into forms I’ve logged with the TG gun, but I can do this.” She reared back onto her hind legs, which lengthened, and grew paw-like feet with fur and claws while the knees reversed themselves. The same thing happened to her front legs, and her tail grew thick and bushy. Her horn dissolved into her head, which was now covered in thick brown fur, and she stood erect on her hind legs without visible effort, indicating that this form normally stood that way.
Pinkie Pie squinted her eyes for a moment, before bursting out. “She looks like a giant squirrel!”
“Squirrel?” a soft voice called.
Twilight looked up, as the others turned around, to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway.