Before they had left, Twilight had done as much research as she felt was needed on the place they were supposed to go too. According to Celestia, where they were supposed to go was a city, large and populace, by the name of Stalliongrad. Yet they had arrived in a depot town. Maybe this was a city by local standards and their information was wrong. Koltsovo, isolated as it was, maintains a more isolationist policy toward external diplomacy. Particularly as the need to contact the outside world isn't really necessary when a region is building its self up. Fact's they learned of in the short briefing they finished not that long ago.
Another thing that they had learned was that there wasn't much known about them in the first place. And even what is known is either from what little was said by the colonial examiners, or has traveled back with travelers through the region and is little more than hearsay. It is known they are advanced in some respects, highly intelligent, capable of sophisticated technology and possessing amazing survival skills. Exactly to what extent these rumors are true is as yet not known. It is also said that the ponies there have digressed in some ways. In what ways is, also, not known. They are known to have the same language spoken as Equestria and the native dialects of the local ponies of the region spoken just as frequently. The divergence of their tongue from the original isn't known. Their culture and customs are all obviously based on Equestrian ways. But any changes in these ways is not entirely known. In short, they have no idea what they're walking into. But honestly, that makes things a bit more interesting.
So it was that when the train pulled into the station, an elevated rail-line that was little more than a platform with a bench, a couple of over head lamps and a hut to stay warm, Twilight and her friends were rather surprised to find the town they arrived at to be so small. That's not to say this town was small. Quite the contrary, it was a rather sizable settlement. Large buildings could be seen from the platform, rising above most of the other buildings. Stark, artificial, generic, they seemed quite plain compared to the ones back home. They had faded green, red, and purple signs everywhere indicating which was which and yellow ones indicating streets. Ponies could be seen going about their business and work in the nearby streets. All in all, they seem to be fairing well here. The sun is setting on the horizon, and the temperature was starting to drop, so now was the time to meet their host and go to their lodgings.
The six of them filed off the train, ready and determined to succeed.
"Alright," Twilight began, "according to- Whoa it's cold here!" They all wore jackets, hats, scarfs, anything needed to stay warm, but they still felt the biting cold through their clothes nonetheless. It was the kind of cold you could feel in your very bones.
"Oh my goodness! How c-can ponies survive u-up here?" said a shivering Rarity.
"I know, r-right?" replied Rainbow Dash.
Twilight, like her friends also vigorously shivered when she stepped off the train. "According to Celestia, we should be greeted by our host while we're here." She looked up and down the platform. There wasn't anypony around, except for a few ponies unloading their bags using magic. They were the conductor and the crew who operated and powered the train.
"Sssoo isn't the pony we're supposed to meet supposed to be here? Like, now-ish? Cause he ain't here." asked Rainbow Dash.
Twilight looked around one more time then looked to her friends. "Well.. It's probably for a good reason." she replied, 'That isn't a good sign.' she thought. "We should probab-" she began as she turned to find a grey-blue pegasus standing in front of her.
"WHOA!" She screamed as she fell backwards in startled surprise.
"Hello ma'am." He said to her, sounding tired and bored, and lightly nodded his head. "How may I be of service?"
When she stood back up, Twilight noticed that he was a bit shorter than her. His eye level would come up to her nose. He had short burgundy hair, notable eyebrows and deep violet eyes. He had a simple yellow (Rarity'd say marigold) porter's uniform, a hat, a vest and an under shirt, along with a small looking plaid scarf. He looked young like them, but skinny, almost gaunt. Was he well?
"Uh, hello." She started, still a bit shaken. She decided to take the 'title' approach out for a spin. See how it works out. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic."
He raised and eye brow.
'Ok then.' "Uh, these are my friend's, and fellow embodiments of the Elements of Harmony." She swept her arm to her friend's. "Rarity, the Element of Generosity, Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, Applejack, the Element of Honesty, Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness and Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty."
He just kept staring with his eyebrow still raised, making the silence feel a bit awkward and a bit more uncomfortable.
"Right, title approach, wrong way to go." She said under her breath. "*ahem* So, What's your name?"
He lowered his eyebrow, then replied, "Callused Wing, ma'am.", in the same bored tone.
"Well, nice to meet you Callused Wing." Twilight said. "Are you the one we were told to meet?"
He raised an eyebrow again. "I wouldn't know about that ma'am."
"Huh?" Twilight said in surprise, "But, we were told that somepony was to be here waiting to greet us as our host."
He was about to respond, but then thought a moment. "Oh, actually, I believe I know something about that. I think he was told you'd be arriving tomorrow morning actually."
"Wait what?" She said, confused.
"There was reported to be a storm heading in earlier and delay you another 12 hours."
"Really?" She replied, a bit skeptical.
"Meh, it happens ma'am. You don't know how unreliable the weather prediction services are around here."
" Weather.. prediction?" Twilight asked, a bit perplexed. 'Don't they have weather control like we do back home?' "What-"
"Honestly, it's 'bout as reliable as the colonial government. Heheh." he joked with a light smirk. Then he went back to his bored tone. "Shall I get your's and your friends luggage ma'am?"
"Uh, s-sure. That sounds good."
He trotted off to get their things, leaving Twilight and her friends still a bit perplexed.
'Well, this'll be interesting.'
There is no beauty without some strangeness.
-Edgar Allen Poe