Chaser

by sslacyhadals

Introductions on Trains

The train ride took a whole day and night. I tried to watch the scenery for a while, but after leaving the stop at Trottingham, it devolved into an endless sea of grain fields, and I lost interest. I’m no good at small talk, so trying to start up a conversation with the other riders was out, and I hadn’t really brought anything to do. I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I know it was well before dark. I awoke to the sound of the train whistle sounding off, probably to scare off some wandering animals as we ran past a thick, murky forest. All I could see out the window was the black outline of dense trees against the slowly lightening sky.

As we carried on, I watched through the window as dawn crept its way over the horizon. Snowfall is built into the south side of Mount Whitpeak, so I’ve seen lots of sunrises. Even so, I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation. I let out a long, slow exhale.

It was as though Celestia had been waiting for me to breathe. The first rays of sunlight streaked across the ground like fresh paint on Broad Strokes’ canvas. Being surrounded by snow all the time is nice, but the color palette leaves something to be desired. This was almost too much. The light proceeded to spread the most beautiful colors into view, hues of brown and green and gold as I had never witnessed before. I felt like a foal again. I pressed my face against the window glass like an over-excited colt in my attempt to take it all in. It was absolutely breathtaking.

“Maybe I will find my destiny here.”

Well, that was what I meant to say. I was still half-asleep, and with my mouth firmly against the glass, it came out as, “Maymeeillrinemidelineher.”

It was around this point that I began to feel a rather familiar sensation. Turning around slowly, I discovered the family of three unicorns seated across the aisle from me were all staring oddly. I mulled this over for a moment, and then I looked back at the glass and saw my reflection; I had drool crusted on my cheek, my cloak had twisted up and fallen askew, and my mane was a mess. I had been plastered to the window so hard I looked as though I might push it right out of its frame, and I was mumbling incoherently. I would have stared, too.

I tried to smile disarmingly. From the way the Mare pulled her fillies closer, I was fairly sure that I had failed to comfort them as to my mental status. I pulled away from the window and mumbled a half-hearted comment about it being a nice day, and tried very hard to make a hole through the floor with my eyes. The stares continued for several more seconds, and then someone coughed, and the spell was broken. The ponies looked about and discovered other, less peculiar things to focus on. The moment of lunacy had come and gone, leaving me to myself once again.

An hour later, I was still berating myself for my childishness. I vowed to pay more attention to myself in the future. I wasn’t a social pony, but I was determined that any impression I made to anypony in this village would be a good one. I was tired of being an outcast. I was going to make friends and influence ponies if it killed me.

I’d gone back to window-watching shortly afterwards, although this time I made sure to keep my distance from the glass. We passed by sprawling fields of flowers in every shade of the rainbow, then a large apple farm, and then a beautiful lake. Finally, the town proper came into view. It was so colorful and cheery. It was bigger than I had expected. Snowfall is large, of course, but it’s also more spread out, and it has a lot of hilly surfaces from being carved into the rock face over the years. This place looked simpler and friendlier than my hometown, and I began to feel butterflies in my stomach as I tried not to think about what lay ahead.

As we pulled in, I began to feel my sour disposition lighten. In its place there came a nervous excitement, as the reality of my spur-of-the-moment journey finally began to set in. I was all on my own, now. In Ponyville, I knew exactly zero ponies, I hadn’t made arrangements, and I’d never been here before. I was alone. The thought was both invigorating, and sad. Other ponies would be arriving with their friends and families, or have someone at the station waiting to see them.

So be it, I told myself. After all, a pony has to discover himself for himself. I didn’t need a welcome party or entourage to help me do that.

The train finally ground to a stop, and I could hear steam issuing out of the engine as everypony around me began gathering their things. I, too, placed my meager belongings in my bag, although I decided to wait until everypony else had disembarked before I got up. No sense in making two scenes on the same train, after all.

I left the train, bag in mouth, and stepped into the village. I took a breath of the clean valley air. It was wonderful, and I smiled as I caught the scent of fresh apples and wild flowers. And something else. Cake, maybe? I went to take my first steps into town -

“Hiya!”

“Aah!” There was a flash of pink, a thud, and I found myself perched on top of the train car I had just left, looking down at the saccharine smile of the cheery pony that had startled me. My heart was suddenly heavy in my chest, and my wings were flapping nervously, as though trying to warn me I had not gotten high enough. I felt my face growing warm as I realized what had just happened. How foolish I must look, screaming like a filly and jumping away from- “Huh?” - There was nopony on the platform. The pink pony had vanished. I’d only looked away for an instant...

“Wow, that was really neat!”

My head whipped to the right, and there she was, clear as a bell, on top of the train with me. “Wha? Haw?”

She hopped- no, she bounced -about me as she spoke. “I mean, I’ve seen Rainbow Dash jump pretty fast, but that was really fast! You were like a cannon! Or, no, a rocket! Woooosh!”

“Uh, thank you?” Rainbow who? Who was this crazy pony? And was she complimenting me on how easily I startle?

“You’re welcome!” She replied cheerily, and then she stopped (I swear by Luna’s flowing starry mane) in mid-air, pondering something. I was starting to wonder if time had stopped, when she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, right! Welcome!” and fell back to the roof of the train as though nothing had happened. Grinning up at me, she bowed, and began to speak. “As Primary Party Planner and Purveyor of Pleasing Pastimes, I’m present to placate your passage through our principal precinct of perching ponies!” She finished the tongue twister with a large intake of breath. “So,“ She held out a hoof in greeting, the smile never leaving her face, “hiya!”

“Chief planny porty whata huh?” My hoof was moving. I didn’t remember deciding to shake her hoof, but I was too busy trying to unravel the rapid cascade of words she’d just unloaded on me to really care one way or the other.

She giggled. “I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m here to welcome you to Ponyville!”

“... Oh! Well, Thanks... Pinkie Pie?”

“Yep, that’s me! Wait-” She froze again. Her eyes shrank to slits, and her smile vanished. “-How did you know my name?”

“Because... you... just told it to me?”

The gaze faded back into a comfortable grin. “Oh, ok!”

“W-wait a minute! How did you know I’d be here? You know who I am?”

“Ooh, a guessing game. I love guessing games!” This pony had had about 3 times the lethal limit of sugar this morning, I guessed. She smelled like frosting and... something I couldn’t quite identify. She peered at me from multiple angles. “Green Eyes? Tussle? Sapphire Cape? Are you Sapphire Cape?”

“Uh, no. My name is-”

“Wait! Don’t tell me, I have to guess. Hmm. Ooh, High Jumper. High Flyer! High Wire. High wire act. Or maybe the trapeze, oh, oh, at the circus! Circus... Circuses. Bread! Sourdough. Baking. Cupcakes! That’s what we need! Cupcakes!”

“… What just happened?”

“Oh, no! I need to get started now, or the cupcakes won’t be ready in time. Wait here, okay?” And without so much as a how-do-you-do, she was off, bouncing her way towards town like a maniac.

“W-wait!”

She put down her hooves, and I swear I heard screeching. “Did I forget something?”

“Yes! I mean, No! What’s going on? Who are you, and why do you need cupcakes?”

“Silly, I told you, I’m Pinkie Pie! And I need cupcakes for your party!”

This had to be a dream. “What party?”

“Your welcome party, of course! I gotta go tell everyone. See you soon!” And with that, she was gone.

I stood there for a very long while, stunned. What in Equestria had just happened? Was any of that real? Did she maybe think I was somepony else?

I heard a noise below, and glanced down to see the ticket master staring up at me. “Excuse me, sir, but is this yours?” He pointed a hoof at the bag I’d left below when I jumped.

“Oh, uh, yes.” I blushed furiously as I hopped from the roof of the train. “Sorry. Just... uh, trying to get a better view of town?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Next time, please use something other than the train.”

“Of course. Sorry.” I leaned down and retrieved my bag. The ticket master was trotting away, mumbling something I couldn’t hear. He and I were the only ones left on the platform. No one had seen the exchange I had just had with Pinkie Pie. Talk about an introduction.

Maybe being an outcast wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

I sighed, chuckled, and shook my head. As I began the lonely trek into town, I said to myself, “At least it can’t get any stranger.”

Author's Note:

Here's part two! I hope you enjoy reading it at least as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Comments

[Snowfyre]

heh it going to get a lot more stranger than that i bet

[Herculean]

Previously I said these kind of stories hit several cliche's, and meeting Pinkie Pie in order to be suddenly invited to a welcome party is one of them. Quite frankly, I never get tired of this cliche.

Well done, sir. At this point I'm perfectly content to send you on your merry writing way with no more than an encouraging smack on the hindquarters.

[moguera]

2296077 Meeting Pinkie Pie in Ponyville isn't so much a cliche as it is a law of Equestrian physics.

That said, this has to be one of the best "meet Pinkie Pie" moments I've seen in a while. You get her character down perfectly.

Also, things getting stranger is also probably a law of Equestrian physics. You're in Ponyville now Chaser. Places don't get much stranger.

[Sendor]

I had to move a table so I could roll on the floor in laughter. I love Pinkie Pie. She is my favorite and this is probably the best introduction of her I've seen in a while. I hope you continue this regularly. I can only see it getting better.

[Plot Connoisseur]

The next chapter came out and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint.

I very much did enjoy reading and I'm still wondering about that mare who was sweet on him back in Snowfall (probably bashing her head in frustration as it is). I wouldn't mind seeing a small excerpt on her point of view some time.

I hope this will be the regular schedule for you (though I wouldn't be adverse to a more frequent update ).