//------------------------------//
// The Welcome Party 
// Story: The New Crusader 
// by Dayvanr 
//------------------------------//

	The act of ponies jumping out from behind the furniture was enough to send Gray Coat to the ceiling. Causing him to hit his head and come crashing back to the floor.
WHOOSH
“Are you alright?” spoke a strangely familiar voice.
Gray Coat shook his aching head, then looked up at the pony speaking to him. She was a pink earth pony with a puffy mane. It took a moment for him to recognize her, but that wasn't fast enough.
“Oh good,” she said. “We must have really surprised you, huh?” She paused to giggle.
“Yeah,” Gray  Coat replied, “almost jumped out of my skin. Um, Pinkie Pie right?” 
“Yep, that's me,” Pinkie said with a nod.
“Question. What is going on here?” he asked taking a look around the room. It had streamers everywhere, also a punch bowl, a cake, and some snacks. With another look around him, Gray Coat noticed something else. “Why are all of my students here? I feel like I'm missing a step.”
“This is your Welcome to Ponyville Party,” she answered. “As for the fillies and colts, why wouldn't they be here? You are their teacher, remember. They aren't the only ponies here though.”
He looked around again to confirm the new information, and it looked true enough. The ponies that were with Pinkie Pie had already started mingling and such.
“Okay, last question,” Gray Coat stated. “How did you all get in here?”
“What do you mean?” Pinkie Pie asked with a puzzled face.
“I have the key you see, and that's only one since I don't have a spare. Since I always lock the door, the only way you could have entered was if somepony inside-”
A look of realization came across Gray Coat's face as he spoke, for there was someone inside that could let them in. He put a hoof to his face and sighed.
“Spot let you in didn't he?” Gray Coat asked.  
“Yep,” Pinkie Pie answered, and trotted off to enjoy the party.
Gray Coat began to search the room around him for the cat in question. At first, he only saw the children and a few of their relatives. Eventually though, Gray Coat found the very cat he was looking for. 
Spot was basking in the attention of a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and butterflies for a cutie mark. He seemed to have her in his paw, and was getting a belly rub galore. Spot barley moved when Gray Coat walked up to him.
“Meow,” Spot greeted.
“ They already shouted 'surprise' Spot,” responded Gray Coat. “How long were you in on this party?”
“Meow?”
“Yes, you. You were the only one who could have let anypony in.”
“Meow.”
“That early in the morning!?” Gray Coat said stunned. “I would have just left for school by then.”
“Um, excuse me,” interjected a timid voice. Causing both Gray Coat and Spot to turn their heads to the yellow pegasus that had been there the whole time. “Is this little kitty in trouble for letting Pinkie and the rest of us in for the party?”
“No, no he isn't,” Gray Coat replied. “I just want to know how quickly this was all assembled. After all, I ran into Pinkie Pie only yesterday. On the other hoof, who might you be?”
“I'm Fluttershy,” she said quietly backing a way a little.
“I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.”
She took a deep breath and repeated louder, “I'm Fluttershy.”   
“Nice to meet you Fluttershy,” Gray Coat replied. “My name is Gray Coat, and this little attention hog-”
“Meow!” Spot meowed, a little offended, but not enough to care.
“- Is Spot,” Gray Coat finished with a grin.
“But he has stripes?” Fluttershy said puzzled. Making Spot a tad annoyed, and Gray Coat giggle.
“Exactly,” he said. “Also, if I were to describe his personality and hobbies, you might think he was a dog.”
This comment didn't bode well with the cat of discussion, who gave Gray Coat a glare and walked over to some of the other guests. Making Fluttershy a little unsure of the two's relationship with each other.
“Don't worry,” Gray Coat reassured, “he'll forget about it in about an hour, hour and a half. Spot doesn't like dogs all to much you see, yet he likes to be around them.”
“Why?” Fluttershy asked with a confused look.
“Well, he likes to chase them around. Kind of the normal dog and cat kind of thing, but in reverse.”       
“That little cutie chases dogs?” she asked.
“He isn't that little anymore,” Gray Coat replied, “and yes, Spot even really enjoys walks.” 
“What an interesting cat.”
“Hey, Mr. Gray Coat,” a familier voice called while running up to them. He turned to see who it was, and saw not one filly, but three. “Have you thought about our offer yet?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders stood in front of him, all with a little obvious anticipation. 
“As for the joining of your club,” Gray Coat responded, “or is there a party game you wanted to me to try?”
“For joining the Crusaders of course,” Applebloom answered. “Hi Fluttershy.”
“Oh, um, hello girls,” Fluttershy replied. “I have a question. Why do you want Gray Coat to join your club?”
“Because he doesn't have a cutie mark yet,” Scootaloo stated, turning the school teacher with Sweetie Belle for her to see.
“Oh my.”
“Well, I have thought about it,” Gray Coat finally added in. “Though I was more thinking about how you said you all knew were I live. That question has now been taken care of.” 
“And your answer is?” Sweetie Belle asked with a hopeful smile.
“I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try,” he said with a shrug.
“YOU REALLY MEAN IT?!” they all exclaimed.
“Yes,” Gray Coat answered, “but lets enjoy the party first, I could really use a cup of punch. If you want to find Spot I think he is over there, Fluttershy, hope you enjoy the party.”
With that the fillies ran off somewhere, and Gray Coat made way to the punch bowl. He hadn't had anything to drink in hours, and his throat was yearning for anything liquid. At the punch bowl was a unicorn mare, who greeted him when he got there. 
“Hi there,” she said. The mare had a lavender coat, a purple mane with pink stripe and a darker purple stripe, and a cutie mark that resembled a pink star.
“Hello,” Gray Coat said while pouring himself a glass of punch. “What is your opinion on this punch here?”
“Very delicious,” she replied. “I think Pinkie tried to go for a more citrus taste this time.”
Gray Coat took a sip of his beverage, and tried to analyze the ingredients that made it.
“Mango, orange, apple, and,” he stated as he took another sip, “lemon. What an interesting combination.”
“How did you figure that out,” She asked staring into her own cup.
“Elementary my dear, um. I believe we missed the introductions. I'm Gray Coat, and I just started teaching at the schoolhouse over there.”
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, I run the library here in town.”
“Any good chemistry textbooks?” Gray Coat asked. “ There doesn't seem to be a interesting ones I can use at the school, and mine are way to advanced.”
“Of course,” Twilight said, “well, most likely. I have the Chemists Guide, the Cause and Effects of Reactions, the Laws of Chemistry textbook, and some more that are probably too hard.”
“I have the cause and effects one and the laws one, so I'll have to take a look at the Chemists Guide. Besides, while those two are simplicity for me, they will stump any foal.”
“I wouldn't call those simple,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “They took me month's to get through.”
“Breezed each of them in a month,” Gray Coat replied a little cheeky.
“Oh really? Care to prove it?” she challenged, glaring at him with a smirk on her face.
“Bring it on,” he accepted, meeting her eyes and grinned confidentally. 
“Third law of motion.”
“Preschool question. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
“Correct.”
“Is there anypony here who can keep score,” Gray coat asked. Pinkie appeared out of nowhere with a chalkboard and put a tally under his name. “Right, carry on.”
“Name the three subatomic particles that make up the atom.” Twilight stated, having a hard time  making questions on the spot.
“These are getting easier, the proton, the neutron, and the electron.”
“Correct,” said Twilight. Pinkie put another tally for Gray Coat, and blew a whistle to signal to carry on. “Magnesium and oxygen make.” 
“Magnesium oxide. Um, ok do you want a book you can take a question from?” Gray Coat said walking to his bookshelf, a whistle from Pinkie signaled the next tally was marked. He skimmed through until he found the Cause and Effects of Reactions. “Try finding something out of this.”
“Fine,” Twilight responded before looking through some pages. “ Ammonium Dichromate plus Oxygen makes?” 
“You don't feel like leaving the easy stuff, it yields Chromium (III) Oxide, Nitrogen, and Water,” Gray Coat answered. 
Twilight nodded in response, mouth slightly agape, and Pinkie put one more tally for Gray Coat.
“I think that should be enough for now,” he said with a smile. “In the meantime, how about we all have some cake. I feel like I need a piece, since this is a party and all.” Gray Coat took the book from Twilight, put it back on the shelf, and followed a bouncing Pinkie to the cake.