As I landed with a soft thump I began to look around what would soon, hopefully, be my new home. I was wearing my usual affair for going out in public. My dark brown trench coat with a hood that successfully covered most of my wolven traits. If you were to pass me by on the street with a glance you might mistake me for a pony, without my coat on, but a second glance you would guess that I'm not just a dark navy-blue pegasus. My usually somewhat messy brown hair with a single red fleck behind my left eye was in complete disarray. I looked over my shoulder to find my dark navy-blue tail in the same condition. I passed a paw over both to, hopefully, tidy them up a bit. Unfortunately, I couldn't hide what usually freaked out everypony else around me so badly since I was a pup, my teeth. I had Inherited my mothers wolven teeth, sharp canine teeth for eating meat in front and pony-like flat teeth in the back. My ears twitched to the left as I detected a prancing pink pony, I immediately identified the pony . I had done my research prior to coming to Ponyville, and learned who to avoid for a while. That is until I had my name in a positive light, in someponys eyes. No need to have a repeat of Cloudsdale. I grimaced in memory of how I was treated in the floating city, full of proud pegasi.
The pony in question was Pinkemina Diane Pie, more informally known as Pinkie Pie. As quick as I could without drawing attention to myself I slipped into the nearest ally and waited for her to pass. The strangest thing happened, though. As she was about to pass me she paused and looked down the ally where I was hiding behind a couple of barrels and smiled knowingly. Trying to hide even further I fully sunk behind them, which was made no easier due to my unusually tall stature. No longer peeking over. I waited a few seconds to be sure I had hopefully lost her before I look over the barrels to see no sign of her. "Whew that was too bucking close for my tastes," I said as I slunk back down behind the barrel, closed my eyes and prayed to Celestia and Luna that I kept hidden until I met Twilight.
"What was too close?" Asked a far too cheerful voice to be anyone but the famous party planner, Pinkie Pie.
"Waaaaah!" I jump back in surprise knocking over a few barrels in the process. Looking behind me I saw that she was directly behind me standing a little less than two heads shorter than me. Dammit it all to Tartarus. I had heard of her seemingly ability to teleport, even though she was an earth pony, but hearing about it was entirely different from experiencing it in the flesh.
"Ooooh you look new, have I seen you around town before? If you're new to town then I've gotta throw a 'welcome to Ponyville ... um what was your name again?" She said with as much enthusiasm as I had expected and more, but her face fell a little at the end when she realized she didn't know my name.
Realizing that she was expecting a response I quickly got to my paws and brushed off my cloak to hide my embarrassment. Best to answer honestly. "Yes Miss Pie, I am new to Ponyville. But, I would rather keep my arrival secret and not make it a public affair. My name, by the way, is Shadow, Shadow Ironsword." I said with a bit of pride. My family name, Ironsword, was well known throughout all of Equus as the best forgers of weaponry there was.
"Oooh so you're the wolven slash pegasus that Twilight mentioned was coming!" She seemed to bounce in a circle before she continued, just as happily. "Twilight told me to keep an eye out for a wolven-pony. But I wouldn't have seen you if you hadn't tried hiding like a silly pony. And Pinkie is just fine, none of that 'Miss Pie' stuff." She made a funny face that seemed an attempt at a grimace.
I stared at her in shock, as I realized that Twilight had broken her promise to me, in our letter, to keep my arrival a secret until I was ready to make it public. But of course Pinkie was one of her best friends, why wouldn't she tell her about it?
Pinkie's seemingly perpetual smile fell slightly as she said. "Did I say something wrong? Did I offend you?"
"Hmm? Oh no Miss- I mean Pinkie. I was just thinking about something else, pay me no mind right now. Still a bit tired after flying here from Cloudsdale." So much for honesty, I chastised myself.
"Must have been something real sad, your face went all mopey dopey for a second." Her face brightened once again as she giggled.
There was something about her giggle that made it infectious. I felt myself begin to chuckle myself all the while asking, "And what may I ask is so funny?"
"Your face when I said 'mopey dopey'!" She began to burst even further into a fit of giggles of which there seemed to be no end coming any time soon. I likewise began to devolve into a hearty chuckle. Its been too long since I've laughed like this. It didn't feel forced, it felt so natural to just laugh that I couldn't help it.
Pinkie stopped laughing and gasped very audibly . "What's wrong, Miss Pie?" I asked a little worry slipping into my normally calm voice.
"Oh nothing important." She gave a forced chuckle and then glanced at my muzzle, a flash of something that resembled fear in her eyes before she moved on. "So, I assume you want to go meet Twilight, right?" She said already starting to walk to the street.
I still had a slightly confused and worried look on my face before I connected the dots. My hood had come off and when I had started laughing and she had seen my teeth. And now she's going to go and tell everyone what a monster I am. I sighed audibly and said, "Sure I guess I had better meet her." I said halfheartedly. I had been sending letters to Twilight for almost two months now, asking for advice as to how to make new friends. I had, of course, kept my identity and race secret for the first couple of letters. But, eventually, I had opened up to her, she just seemed so...honest and trustworthy. I had been to afraid sending that letter with my confession, scared that she would no longer want to speak to me purely because of what I was. My fears were, of course, unfounded and foalish. She had actually proposed that I move to Ponyville, so she could help me face to face.
Pinkie seemed to have realized that I had made the connection to her surprise. "Look, I'm sor-"
"No its fine, really. I'm used to it." I cut her off. "Lets just get to the castle, that is where she is right?"
Pinkie seemed to have deflated slightly but responded,"Yeah she's at the castle, I have to be somewhere right now. Can you find your way there?"
"Yeah I can find my way there." I gave a slight smirk, the corner of my mouth twitching upwards, in a ghost of a smile, as I continued, "Kinda hard to miss the giant crystal building among the normal buildings of Ponyville."
Pinkie seemed to brighten up a bit as she said, "Alright I'll talk to you later?"
I started, I had not been used to ponies or wolven wanting to meet with me again after our first encounter, at least unless it was necessary or they were family. I quickly recovered,"Yeah, definitely." Pinkie pranced off down the street. I pulled my hood and started towards the castle of Twilight Sparkle.