The Lost Swordsman

by Star Shadow

Ponyville's New Pony

In the town of Ponyville everypony could be seen dashing around and setting up decorations for their upcoming “Ponyville Day” celebration; all except for a pair of earth ponies that is. One was an elderly, lime green colored pony with grey hair that was up in a bun; while the other was a young, orange colored filly who had her long blonde mane and tail hair tied into ponytails with red scrunches and freckles doting her face. “My, it’s nice ta see everypony so eager for tomorrow” said the older pony.

“But why does everypony seem extra excited ‘bout this year Granny?” asked the filly.

“That’s cause the Princess herself is comin’ ta Ponyville ta celebrate with us this year, Applejack” answered Granny Smith.

“Really!” gasped the young cowpony. “Why’s she comin’ this year though? She’s hasn’t come around for any of ‘em before.”

“That’s cause this celebration is markin’ the hundredth year anniversary of when Ponyville was founded and since the Princess herself helped our family find it then she’s gonna come an’ celebrate it with us” explained the elderly pony.
Applejack smiled excitedly. “Ah can’t wait for tomorrow then, it’s gonna be so much fun! Can ah do anything ta help out Granny?” asked the filly with eager eyes.

Granny Smith; not wanting to disappoint her granddaughter, scratched her chin with her hoof and gazed around to see how the young filly could help out. She then spotted a young, white coated and purple maned filly who appeared to be elegantly redecorating the town hall. “Why don’t ya go an’ help that filly over there? She’s looks like she could use a hoof with those decorations” suggested the Apple family matriarch.

Applejack glanced over to filly then back to her granny and grinned happily. “Sure thing Granny!” said the young apple excitedly and trotted over to help.

“She’s gonna be a great apple farmer when she’s older. Might even leave ‘er the farm” thought Granny Smith aloud to herself as she slowly trotted off.

Meanwhile, the white coated filly was trying to redecorate Ponyville’s to make it looked much more “fabulous” for the Princess Celestia’s visit. Right now though she was trying to decide on what color streamer to use. “No, no, no, Celestia no!” exclaimed the unicorn as she came across a “horrendous” looking shade of yellow.

“Howdy!” yelled a voice from behind the purple maned filly; which caused her to leap up and squeal, and she turned around to see who it was. “Ya need any help there?” asked the orange earth filly.

Getting over her initial fright of being scolded for “ruining the decorations” the unicorn answered the blond in a dignified manner. “Well unless you have an acute sense of fashion and design;” she said before she looked over the other pony’s untamed hair, sweaty coat, and “too large for her head” stetson a top her head, “which you obviously don’t so I’m afraid that I have nothing for you.”

“Are ya all sayin’ that I ain’t got a good sense of dressin’?” asked Applejack; slightly miffed at how the other filly just assumed things about her.

“Well I apologize if my words have offended you uh. I’m sorry but I haven’t gotten your name” stated the unicorn.

“Name’s Applejack” said the farmer pony holding out a grimy hoof.

The other filly winced at the extended hoof and only proceeded to lightly touch and shake the upper part of the fore hoof; which was the cleanest part, in an awkward greeting. “R-Rarity and again I apologize if my words offended you but you’re not exactly the pic of style and finesse.”

“Well I’d rather be a hard worker who gets her hooves dirty than a prissy filly who is scared of dirt” said Applejack.

Rarity gasped at that. “I am NOT afraid of dirt! I simply believe that intentionally dirtying ones hooves in order to achieve ones dreams is unnecessary.”

Applejack laughed at hearing the other filly’s viewpoint. “Maybe for ah fancy unicorn like yerself but fer us Earth ponies gettin’ dirty is our way a life” stated Applejack.

“Well I suppose that is true” pondered Rarity. “Very well then, if you’re willing to do the work then who am I to deny an earth pony her life’s calling of dirt and labor.”

“Gee thanks” deadpanned Applejack. “Ah’ll try not ta dirty any of yer pretty decorations with ma hooves.”

“I would greatly appreciate that darling” said Rarity.

“Hey you two!” called a deep male’s voice behind the two fillies. When Applejack and Rarity turned around towards the new voice they saw a large, muscular, and scarred, dark green stallion coming towards them. His size alone caused Rarity to slightly whimper in fright but his firm voice and stern stare is what caused Applejack to step backwards. “Can either of you tell me where the hell I am? Everyone I talk to just cowers away” asked the stallion.

“Y-yo-you’re in P-Ponyville” stuttered Applejack.

“And where is that?” asked the stallion.

“Why it’s in Equestria young feller” answered an old voice. Everypony turned to see Granny Smith trotting slowly towards them with a teenage Big Macintosh right behind her. “Now could ya please stop scarin’ the young-uns”? The stallion looked confused for a second then; after glancing back towards the still frightening fillies, turned back towards the older pony. “So where’s Equestria then?”

“What d’ya mean where’s Equestria? Have you been livin’ under a rock fer the last thousands of years?” asked Granny Smith.

“I just woke up in a forest a couple of hours ago” stated the stallion. “You build your roads far away from your town by the way.”

“Far away? But we saw you at the creak right outside of Ponyville” said Mrs. Cup Cake as she trotted by the growing group of ponies with her newlywed husband, Mr. Carrot Cake.

“Then why did it take me hours to get here?” asked the green stallion.

“I honestly haven’t got a clue. You were headed straight towards Ponyville last time we saw you” said Mrs. Cup Cake. “You were even headed right down the forest path.”

“It disappeared on me” said the stallion.

“But we followed that road to get back and it was in great condition” stated Mr. Carrot Cake.

“Maybe yer sense a direction is off” suggested Granny Smith.

The stallion gritted his teeth at that then said. “Look we’re getting off topic is there anyone who can help me get back to my home?”

“‘Fraid that there’s no one in Ponyville who can help ya ta get out of Equestria. Can you think of anypony Big Macintosh?” asked Granny Smith.

“Nnope” said young red stallion.

The Apple matriarch rubbed her chin with her hoof as she thought. “Well maybe you can wait ‘til the Princess comes by tomorrow. If anypony’d be able ta help ya then she’d be it.”

The stallion groaned. “So I’ve got to wait until tomorrow to talk to this princess of yours then. Fine, do any of you know a hotel I can stay at?”

“’Fraid not, but if’n yer willin’ ta put in the work then I’m sure ya could stay at our farm fer the night” offered Granny Smith.

The stallion sighed looked at the old pony. “Fine, I guess working in a field could be good enough exercise.”

“Yer darn tootin’ it is!” hollered Granny Smith. “Now what’s yer name sonny?”

“Roronoa Zoro” answered the stallion, only to received odd stares from the surrounding ponies.

“Now that’s an’ odd name” stated Applejack.

“That we can agree on” said Rarity.

“Eeyup” drawled out Big Mac.

“Why? What’re your names?” asked Zoro.

“Well I’m Mrs. Cup Cake and this is my husband Mr. Carrot Cake” introduced the baker pony.

“Name’s Applejack! The red stallion is ma brother Big Macintosh and the older one is ma Granny Smith” said Applejack.

“And I’m Rarity” stated Rarity, who was still keeping her distance from the slightly less now intimidating strange green stallion.

‘These are some weird ass names’ thought Zoro. ‘I had better come up with a new one to seem less suspicious.”
“Well then ah better take ya back to the farm an’ show ya around” stated Granny Smith as she turned around and slowly lead the new stallion away from the group.

“I hope the princess will be able to help that poor dearie” said Mrs. Cup Cake, as she and her husband started to trot away.

“Of course she will honey pie. She is the princess after all” said Mr. Carrot Cake.

“But what if he has amnesia? Do you think the princess can-“

It was then that the couple was too far away to hear anymore and Rarity decided to use the opportunity to voice her opinion. “I hope that your grandmother will be alright. She seems far too trusting and that pony is very odd.”

“Ah’m sure she’ll be fine. Granny Smith has a good feel fer ponies; she wouldn’t ‘ve been so trustin’ if he was bad. Right Big Mac?” asked Applejack.

“Eeyup” answered Big Mac, before he started to head off.

“Thanks fer caring so much ‘bout ma Granny though Rare” said Applejack gratefully.

“You’re quite welcome. Now’s let’s get this town hall looking fabulous for the Princess, shall we.” With that the two ponies started their work, still wondering about the weird pony who they’d just met.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long update but I hope you enjoy it! Also the RD x _______ count so far is 1/Twilight and 1/Fluttershy. Zoro will not be paired with Rainbow and I already have a plan for Spike so sorry to those voters.

Comments

[ancientofstone]

hrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........................................................ why not? It's pretty well done and interesting so far... personally though, I am shipping zoro and fluttershy for the sheer irony, lets see where this goes

[LadyFacepalm]

4792066 another shipper of the two! nice to meet you!

[DragonKing]

Very nice chapter. It kinda make sense that it begins before the show.

[fasterninja]

RD would go best with pinkie pie
i think fluttershy could be good with zorro aswell

[Texus]

I love the thing with his sense of direction, always good.
I see what you have planned there, so you start in their young ages and maybe you planned to make little timeskips right? If Zorro get a child to i would love to know how he get it, i mean adoption or not. I remember he and Celestia could get one without an adoption but i would like a nice adoption.
Maybe he could get a child which is the opposite of his own Character, that would be probably the best choise.

[Cloverman The Purple]

RDxSombra.
Doesn't matter if he is in the story.

Some other options:
RDxGarble
RDx a cheating Carrot Cake
Rainbow Dash x Rainbow Blitz

[Mitsurugie]

To me it sounds as if AJ and Rarity is about the age the cmc's are in during the show and from there I can't see Twilight in this story, but jey meaby you find a way I'm just not seeing right now