//------------------------------// // New Day, New World // Story: My Little Background Pony: Friendship is Magic // by comicfan616 //------------------------------// My Little Background Pony Friendship is Magic Afternoon was just settling in around Ponyville. In the fields outside of town, a pegasus mare was floating along the wind, staying less than a meter above the sparsely populated wildflowers. Her blonde mane was caught in the currents of air she was making in her flight. After a while, she landed and knelt down to feel the wind’s gentle caress. She had just finished her daily rounds as a mailmare and wanted to relax after a hard day’s work. She had her eyes closed, preferring to listen to the sounds of nature: the wind, the birds, that strange whirring sound… The mare’s eyes shot open, revealing golden irises that faced different directions. The mare looked around for the source of this unusual noise. It was rhythmic and unnatural, both as a sound she never had heard before and as something that sounded out of place outside a city like Manehattan. The sound started becoming clearer and she could make out a form appearing in the distance. She flapped her wings, lifting her off the ground, and slowly flew towards it. The object was shifting between visible and invisible almost as rhythmically as the sound it was making until it finally took solid shape: a large, blue box. It was easily five ponies tall, if not taller. She noticed there had been a light coming from the top as it was phasing in and out of existence. A black band across the top read “Police Public Call Box.” One side of the box had large doors; the mare was debating whether to try to open them or not. After a few minutes of looking around the box, she heard a clicking sound and one of the doors slowly opened. The mare, already shocked by what she was seeing, broke into a gallop that turned into a glide, speeding away from the box; its sudden appearance had been strange enough, and she wasn’t in the mood to see what was coming out of it. If she had stayed, though, she would have seen a brown earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie mark coming out. The Doctor stepped outside and looked around. “Not the worst place we could have ended up,” he said to himself. He looked at his saddlebags. “Let’s see: psychic paper, check; sonic screwdriver, check; Equestrian bits, can’t say they’ll last, but they should get me a couple days’ worth of food. Hopefully, I’ll find a way to support myself by then.” He turned around and closed the door. “I’ll be back later,” he said as if to the box. He turned again and began walking to the nearby town. The sign leading into it said, “Welcome to Ponyville.” He scanned the area; the town was simple enough to live in, with a few unpaved roads and unextravagant houses. The town seemed to be bustling with activity, yet everything seemed so calm. “Like I said,” the Doctor mused, “not the worst place. And it has the advantage of being the least likely place for bad things to happen.” He walked into the town center and considered the buildings. One in particular that grabbed his attention appeared to be made of candy, pastries, and a variety of other sweets. “Doesn’t seem the most healthful,” he said to himself. Just then, he felt a rumbling from his stomach. “But beggars can’t be choosers.” He walked toward the building and opened the door. The inside looked like a standard café. There were a few small tables in the main room, and several food items were on display near the service counter. “Hello, welcome to Sugar Cube Corner,” a voice said. The Doctor turned and saw an earth pony mare behind the counter. Her coat was cream-colored and her mane and tail were blue with pink highlights. Her cutie mark was a set of three candies. Her face had a smile that was warm and welcoming. Definitely worse places to end up, the Doctor thought. “Good day, my good mare,” he said. He walked up to the service counter. “What can I get for you?” the mare asked. The Doctor perused the selection in front of him. As he thought, a lot of the food was of the sweet variety. While he was tempted to try just about everything, he remembered that he was on a budget for the time being. His eye finally stopped on a particularly promising choice. “I’ll have the banana bread muffin, please,” he said. “Yes, sir,” the mare said. As she put her hoof in a sheet of tissue paper to grab one of the muffins, she asked, “Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” “Oh, uh, yes,” the Doctor replied, “the name’s Time Turner.” This name was one he had used whenever he needed to be discreet, and right now, the situation called for it more than ever before. “I’ve been traveling for a long time now, seeing the world, taking in new cultures. But I think it’s time I settled down and rested my hooves a bit.” “You couldn’t have come at a better time,” the mare said as she handed him the muffin. “This year, Princess Celestia is going to be in here Ponyville.” “Really? Why’s that?” “Wow, you have been travelling a while, haven’t you? Did you forget what day it is?” The Doctor chuckled. “Well, when you’re on the road for as long as I was, time starts to lose all meaning.” “Tomorrow’s the Summer Sun Celebration, and the princess has chosen Ponyville this year. Everypony’s very excited.” Summer Sun Celebration, let me think, the Doctor thought out. Oh, now I remember; the yearly event celebrating the planet’s summer solstice. And the reigning monarch is supposed to show the citizens of one settlement the magic of the sunrise. That explains the activity for such a small town. “In fact,” the mare continued, “my bosses, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, have been working in the back for hours getting the catering ready.” “Oh, so you’re taking over until the celebration is done with?” “Pretty much, yeah. Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself. I’m Bon Bon.” She held a hoof over the counter. “Nice to meet you, Bon Bon.” The Doctor extended his hoof and shook hers. “Hey, before you go,” Bon Bon said, “I was hoping you might want to try a free sample.” “Of what?” “I’m working on, well, let’s call it an experiment,” she explained. “You see, making candy is my passion, and I’m working on a new kind of flavor: strong as peppermint yet sweet as sugar. I just want to get some feedback before I do anything with it.” “Well, I don’t see anything wrong in trying a new recipe,” the Doctor replied. Bon Bon smiled and reached into a bowl on her side of the counter. She threw him a small, wrapped candy. The Doctor unwrapped the candy and examined it: it looked like a traditional peppermint, but instead of red and white stripes, it was red and pink. He popped it in his mouth and started sucking on it. “So, what do you think?” Bon Bon asked. The Doctor moved the candy around in his mouth for a few seconds before answering. “It’s too soon to say. Mind if I get back to you?” “Sure thing. Have a nice day!” The Doctor put the muffin in his saddlebag, threw some bits on the counter, and started toward the door. He was stopped however, by another mare coming in. She was an earth pony with a gray coat and an even darker mane and tail. Her flank bore a treble clef and she was wearing a collar and bowtie. She walked by the Doctor without taking notice. “Oh, hey, Octavia!” Bon Bon said. “What’s up?” “Good afternoon, Bon Bon,” the other replied. Her voice seemed to have an air of class and sophistication. “Have you seen Vinyl and Lyra?” “Sorry,” Bon Bon replied. “Last time I saw Lyra was this morning before I came to work. Vinyl I’m even less sure of.” “Oh, darn,” Octavia sighed. “I told them our rehearsal would be at three o’clock today and it’s now 3:30. I was just on my way to Vinyl’s house, but I was hoping you might have seen them. Thanks anyway.” She turned to leave. “Mind if I help?” the Doctor suddenly said. Octavia turned and looked at him like she was unaware of his presence until now. “And who might you be?” she asked. “Time Turner. Just got here. I was hoping to see more of the town anyway, and you look like you could use some help finding your friends.” Octavia thought for a moment. “Well, on the one hoof, you say you ‘just got here.’ Not sure how much help you can be in that regard. However, with Vinyl’s home, I may need all the help I can get. Very well, Mr. Turner, follow me.”