“Clearly she was expected to say something, but panic at having to speak stole the thoughts from her head.”
― Shannon Hale, The Goose Girl
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"No no no no no no no no no no!" Lampent quietly screamed repeatedly as Twilight dragged him, "For the last time no! I do not want to be center of attention to a large group!"
"What’s the big deal?" Twilight asked, "It is just some ponies who want to welcome you to town."
Lampent dug his metal arms already an inch into the ground even deeper in, resulting in a trench right for planting being left in two rows as Twilight dragged the resisting Lamp towards Sugar Cube corner. "Crowds and me don't mix!" Soul Light stated his voice managing to raise an octave in tone but not loudness, "Not good, not good at all!"
Twilight sighed oblivious to his complaints, "Listen, do you want friends or not? This party is an opportunity for you to make friends."
Soul light went quiet for a few minutes as Twilight continued to drag him closer to sugarcube corner. Well.... Soul considered, there can't be THAT many ponies in that building...right? His mind had no response to that. Sighing aloud Soul let go and without the expected force of resistance was launched right past Twilight and into a street Lamp, bouncing off of it and coming to a halt less than three feet from Sugar Cube Corner....Upside-down.
Twilight trotted up to him, "You alright? Didn't mean to throw you like that, it was an accident. Sorry."
Wordlessly Soul flipped back over, looked at Twilight, then at the hole in the ground where his frame had impacted, "No harm done it seems... No harm no foul..."
Twilight brushed a bit of dirt stuck to Soul's frame off and apologized again, Soul shrugged it off stating that he had worse things happen on accident and this wasn't nearly as bad. Eventually they both recomposed themselves and went into Sugar Cube Corner.
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Pinkie pie had successfully invited over three quarters of PonyVilles population into the welcoming party. How all of them had fit into the small store was anyponies guess. All of these buildings seemed bigger on the inside anyway. She had gotten everypony who came into the plan of surprising the misfortunate Lampent named Soul Light. What Pinkie didn't expect was the reaction it would draw out of Soul Light.
As Twilight and Soul came in, the room was pitch black yet Soul's flame lit up enough to be able to see the ground nearby and the dim outline of Twilight. Nervously Soul spoke, "It s-seems nopony is here..."
It couldn't be farther from the truth, at the moment soul began to turn around he saw a creepy smiling face an inch from his causing him to leap back in fright falling over backwards as the light flicked on revealing dozens of ponies crowded into the room. Soul Light felt like that if he had a heart, it would stop. So many... his pupil-less eyes widened, Pure panic began to overtake him as several ponies looked at him slightly confused. Pinkie pie looked from the ponies to Soul Light somewhat oblivious to the impromptu awkward standoff she had created; Twilight was in similar disposition but for different reasons.
Soul Light knew he had to say something, but his mind was devoid of words besides the rather strong want and need of fear and paranoia shoving unpleasant images into his mind. He took a deep breath in, involuntarily flinching as several of the front row did the same before stating barely within hearing range of everypony in the room, "H-Hi...?"
A majority of the faces he saw smiled and with a blast before his eyes the party was back in full swing. Ponies were talking animatedly with each other and Pinkie and Twilight approached him. Twilight smiled, "Now that wasn't so bad was it?"
Soul stared at her. A single stare that showed how terrified he was and Twilight was blind to it. Pinkie grabbed him by his arm, "Let's introduce you to everypony!"
His mind let out a small internal scream as he was dragged at inhumane speed into a group of bright contrasting ponies as Pinkie pie pointed at each and every pony; momentarily catching their attention as she stated their names and offering various forms of greeting from a wave to a hello, "Lyra, Bon-Bon, Mr. Cake, Ms. Cake, Ditzy Doo," Ditzy waved her other foreleg around a brown stallion with a hour glass symbol on his flank, "Doctor Whooves, no he isn't a real doctor he is just called that, Rose Luck, Thunder Lane, Twilight Sparkle," Twilight face-hoofed, "Gummy, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Author, Sweetie bell, Scootaloo, Apple bloom, Reader, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Feather Weight, and berry punch!"
Pinkie pie lost grip on him as he phased though it managing to escape to under a nearby table in a corner of the room. This was way too much information for him at one time, and he was still completely stunned with a mix of fear and paranoia at the same time going on. As he floated in reverse under the table keeping an eye out for any more unwanted attention he felt something soft brush into his arm. Followed by both him and whoever it was under the table with him to let out a terrified Squeak and leap up... Into the table above them causing them both to fall back down groaning and the heavy punchbowl on the table to rock its contents back and forth a few times, him in an groans as the tip of his hat like top had bent slightly and the pony he had startled from the minor headache impact had induced.
After a small bit of groaning he looked at what he had brushed against, it was the same bright yellow pony with the Pink mane and a trio of butterflies as a mark on her flank. Mentally he noted to ask Twilight about the marks but before he could do anything the quiet Pegasus in front of him stated as quietly as he had been talking also scared but with eyes that spoke volumes, "H-hi..."
"Hi..." he replied quietly back," Sorry about startling you, didn't see you there..."
"It's fine..." Fluttershy began her eyes subtly taking in the shape of the figure before her, "H-hey we met this morning...."
She must be referencing when he ran away after her Bunny had noticed him, "Y-ya sorry about that, a bit paranoid... W-where I come from p-people aren't exactly welcoming due to misunderstandings..."
Soul Light saw a motherly face take form on the Pegasus’s face, before he could speak he was wrapped up into a hug, "W-wha-"be began before being cut off by the pony the same type of tone taking form in her voice, "Oh you poor dear, I'm Fluttershy... “She let go of him, blushing crimson red momentarily before hiding behind her mane again, "Um... No offence, but um... what are you? I haven't seen that type of body from any of the creatures I've seen over the years."
Soul Light was starting to cheer up, his first hug and all, "I'm a Lampent, a Pokemon, or creature with 'elemental abilities' if you will. I take it you like...Um.. Animals correct?"
"Oh yes, I love animals. I actually take care of them in my house that you saw."
"Oh? How so?" Soul asked, wondering if this was going to at all be similar to how the trainers trained their pokemon.
Fluttershy cheered up talking now at almost half speaking volume, "well I take care of them when they are sick, tend to them when they are injured. Comfort them when they are confused and well feed and house many of my animal friends."
"Oh..." Soul was reminded of Nurse Joy, in fact, now that he thought about it they did share similar hair colors though Nurse Joy wasn't one to be keeping a large amount of pokemon besides the odd hard worker, "Do you have a sister perchance with a similar interest?" he mentally slapped himself for speaking that impulse.
"No...Why?" Fluttershy asked looking curious and confused at the same time; still adorable.
"Just reminded me of someone, well lots of someone’s from where I came from..."
"Go on." Fluttershy urged him quietly.
Soul sighed, "Where I came from there was a family called the Joy family, they have a set of oddly identical sisters, one at least for every town, and they took care of trainers pokemon in mass numbers similar to how your taking care of animals." Soul took a deep breath back in as he thought to himself, Not that it helped when they dislike you prematurely killing off their unrecoverable death bed patients by sending their souls off for judgment...
He felt himself being dragged, he looked around and saw a pair of pink hooves grabbing around his arms pulling him out from under the table, Oh Arceus!
Soul waved goodbye to Fluttershy as he was dragged out from under the table and she waved back quietly saying, "See you around," before resuming her watch over the crowd.
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The next few hours passed by in a blur of activity as Pinkie pie continued her long introduction of the Lampent to the various equestrian citizens. It wasn't until everypony was starting to leave that he met Rarity. Immediately he could see that she was a true Noble among ponies from the way she carried herself. Gracefully parting through the crowds. If Soul had a jaw it would have dropped. As is, he simply stared. He was still staring as she asked Pinkie pie and Twilight, "Who's this simply gothic creature? He Looks...Commendable in the creepy sort of way."
Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friends less-than-subtle approach at commenting on Soul's body, "His name is Soul Light and he is a creature called a Lampent."
"A what?"
"Lampent!" Pinkie sang out, "Lamp-Lampy Lampent!"
"Eh?" Soul finally managed to reply snapping out of his trance to stare at the party pony.
"That sounds kinda...Tacky, no offense."
"As if were ones to talk." Pinkie stated while bouncing up and down around them, "Unicorns, Earth ponies, Pegasai, only Pegasus is original. I mean seriously Earth ponies? Who the hay came up with that? Just because most of us are ground bound doesn’t mean we live in the ground! Not to mention Uni-CORNS. How does corn even relate to that particular species? Nothing! It would be better just to say Uni-HORNS and surface ponies, but then it would suggest that there are some underground ponies as well! Twilight is there such thing as ponies that live under the ground purely? Like moles perhaps?"
She stopped, noticing all three of them were staring at her as well as several of the remaining guests, "heh... EVERYPONY look a Pie throwing machine!" as if on Cue a pie impacted on a nearby stallions head as one of pinkies traps went off, Soon it was an all-out food fight and chaos ensured, Rarity had gone into rage from pie ruining her hair and was now taking vengeance using more pies as a weapon on unsuspecting stallions and mares in the room, quietly Soul and Twilight left the building to the party chaos and trotted towards the library, halfway there Soul thought of an excuse to leave, "Fun party...and all... Well if you excuse me Twilight, I have to go for rest."
Twilight looked at him, "See you tomorrow?"
Soul thought, it had sure been a hectic day today, and he was met with mostly warm welcome, His mind tried to slap him before he made another mistake that could be fatal but his gut, if he could call it that, said otherwise. He went with his gut, "Sure, though don't wait on my account. I might...explore a bit beforehand." He waved goodbye and floated off as quietly as a calm breeze into the night. Only to get hit by a Blur of bright blue that had a very short colorful trail behind it; this time he crashed into a wall on impact hurt enough to quickly fall unconscious.
"RAINBOW!" he heard Twilight shout as he lost consciousness and fell into the black comfort of his dreams and the ability use, Rest.