My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Season "G"
All the characters and places in this novel except for Glider are owned by Hasbro
Original story by ZooManiac
Prologue
It was a warm evening. In fact, it was the warmest it would be all year, for tonight was the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, the longest day of the year. It won't be long before Princess Celestia performs her royal duty and raise the sun, bringing light and warmth to the land of Equestria. This year would be the 1,001st year of her raising the sun each day. It used to be that she would also raise the moon each night; however her sister, Princess Luna, had come out of seemingly nowhere, and took over that responsibility. It was still a dark night, and the moonlight was all the ponies of Equestria could see by, aside from the many lanterns they carried to celebrate. Most all of them were waiting in the town square of Canterlot, celebrating the night away with parties and games.
Princess Celestia was riding in her well-lit carriage, on her way to perform her royal duty at the Summer Sun Celebration in the Canterlot town square, when on the side of the street she saw a lone colt, walking alone on the sidewalk. He had a deep blue cobalt coat and wore a brown vest. Even in the dark of night, she could see his hair almost shine from the light of the carriage. It was a brilliant white and very messy. He had a matching tail that looked like a cloud was trailing behind him. On his flank was a cutie mark of a white wing, although no other wings could be found on him. He was clearly an Earth Pony. He was staring at his hooves as he walked, and he wore a sad expression on his young, white-freckled face. The princess called the carriage to a halt, and stepped off to approach her subject.
"Why aren't you at the festival celebrating with your friends?" she asked the young colt.
He spun around, and then stared in disbelief. There, standing before him, lit by the carriage light behind her, was a large alicorn, with great big wings, and a long horn. She had a pure white coat, and a long, flowing mane that seemed to shimmer in different hues, and a matching tail. She wore an ornate tiara, and matching necklace, and held with her an air of royalty. The unmistakable sun shaped cutie mark on her flank told him that it was Princess Celestia herself! He took a moment to recall the Princess' question.
"I-I don't have any friends," he answered.
The princess gave him a puzzled look. "You don't have any friends?"
She took a moment's pause, and instead asked, "What's your name, young one?"
For a while, he just stood there. He was flabbergasted. The princess was patient with him, however, and simply waited for his answer. When he came to his senses, he answered, "My name is Glider."
The princess closed her eyes and nodded her head, smiling thoughtfully.
"Glider; such a wonderful name," she said. She opened her eyes again, still looking at Glider, and said, "Tell me, Glider: Why don't you have any friends?"
It was then that the entirety of the situation seemed to catch up with Glider.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Summer Sun Festival to raise the sun?" he asked.
She gave him a big smile, and said, "I have a little bit of time."
"It's a long story."
"Then I have a lot of time," she replied, giving him a wink. She didn't miss a beat.
Glider looked down thoughtfully. After a short pause, he looked up again. Tears were beginning to fill his eyes as he began to tell his story to her. The princess was silent while he told it, listening, making sure she caught every word he spoke.
As a young foal, his family owned a small business, almost too small to belong in Canterlot. The other fillies around him were raised to pay no attention to unimportant ponies, and Glider was a very unimportant pony. As a result, no pony bothered trying to be friends with him. Things only grew worse as he grew older. When he finally earned his cutie mark, which was nearly two years after all the other young fillies, it was unusual. As an Earth Pony, Glider's special talent was making, and flying with his own wings. This alienated most pegasi, and the fillies it didn't alienate wanted to try flying themselves. However it is difficult to learn how to fly if you aren't born to, and most fillies ended up getting hurt, only to blame their injuries on Glider. After a few of these incidents, rumor began to spread that Glider only wanted to hurt those around him. As the family business continued to grow at an alarmingly fast rate, Glider's father realized he would need an heir to take over the family business. Up until this point, Glider was left to grow up on his own, and was given much freedom to do what he pleases. With the rising popularity of his father's business, his classmates began to show interest in Glider. But he knew this interest was faked. To make matters worse, his father began grooming Glider for taking over the industry, but Glider's years of freedom left him unaccustomed to the sudden expectations set by his parents. As a result, Glider grew very uncomfortable with himself, and his family. At the moment, Glider is trying to educate himself further, by going to Canterlot University. However, he is graduating soon, and is afraid of what will happen next.
When Glider was finished with his story, he was looking down, and his tears were flowing freely. Princess Celestia was still standing over him, still listening intently to his sobs. She closed her eyes for a moment, only to open them again with a smile. She leaned her head in, and lifted Glider's, and said, "I understand. And I'm going to help you."
However, the princess was busy today, and would need to think quickly. "Perhaps what you need is a change in scenery. You're going to Canterlot University you said? Maybe you should transfer to Ponyville University. It may not be as prestigious, but there you may find a more welcoming environment for a pony such as yourself."
Princess Celestia had a sudden thought, and came up with a brilliant idea. "And while you're there you should find a student of mine by the name of Twilight Sparkle. I have her studying the magic of friendship with her friends. I'm sure she could help you make new ones, if not be friends with you herself."
"Are you sure?" Glider asked.
"It will ultimately be your decision to make, should you go, but I do recommend it," she replied. She began to turn around, and was heading for her carriage. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. You were right; I do have business to do today, so I must leave you for now. I'm sure we'll speak again soon." She then stepped up onto her carriage again, and rode away, taking the light of her lanterns with her.
Glider continued to sit there on the side of the street. He simply couldn't believe it. Glider couldn't even dream of something like this happening, and even if he could, he knew this was real.
Glider sat there in the dark for quite some time, wondering if he should take up the princess' offer and transfer to Ponyville University. When the sun finally rose, Glider looked up. The longest day of the year—over a thousand years of Princess Celestia raising the sun every day to shine all across Equestria. Glider never saw it as anything more than that. But now, as he felt the warmth of the sun on his face, he realized it meant much more than sun raising festival. It was a symbol. A symbol of how much the Princess cares for her subjects, and how she wishes to bring warmth to their hearts; to all of their hearts. Even Glider's.
Glider decided to go. There wasn't much packing that needed to be done, but he would need a few necessities if he was to make the journey to Ponyville. Today is a brand new day, and Glider was going to change his life forever.
Chapter 1
"Ah, just another day in Ponyville." The skies were covered in clouds. It wasn't overcast, but it certainly wasn't a clear day.
High up, resting in the clouds was a pegasus-mare. She had a cerulean blue coat, and a wind-swept rainbow colored mane, and matching tail. On her flank was a cutie mark of a rainbow bolt striking from a cloud. This is Rainbow Dash. The pegasus built for speed and agility. She is easily the fastest flyer in Ponyville, and arguably in all of Equestria.
Around her was an endless sea of clouds. In all directions, it was nothing but more clouds for her to rest on. Looking up, she could see nothing but the bright sun and blue sky, a sight only other pegasi like her could see on a day like this. If she rolled over to the edge of her cloud, she could look down and see nothing but the green of the Everfree Forest below. From up here it all just looked like green bushes, but she knew beneath those trees were all sorts of wild and plant life that could be dangerous. Not like she was afraid or anything.
Above her, a stretch of blue sky; below, a sea of green life. The clouds she rested on were sandwiched between two beautiful sceneries.
"I love cloudy days like this. I get to sit back and do nothing all day," she said with a sigh. She pulled her hooves behind her head and lay back in her cloud, watching the clouds all around her. Just as she was about to shut her eyes and take a nap, a blinding flash caught her attention.
"What the..? Who flies around with mirrors?" She sat up to look for the source of the flare, and off in the distance, she could see it was the goggles of another colt, flying through the sky. She didn't recognize him, and couldn't get a good look from this distance. The most she could tell was that he was flying fast.
"Looks like we got a new flyer in town. Let's see if he likes to race!"
Rainbow Dash bolted from the cloud, destroying it behind her. She's been itching for a race for a while now. There isn't a single pony in Ponyville who can keep up with her. It's likely this newcomer won't be able to either, but at least he has the chance to show her some new tricks.
Along the way, she took a moment to feel the wind in her mane. She couldn't help but to do a few barrel rolls. In her rolling, she could feel the wind against her coat, brushing it aside, and further encouraging her to fly faster. The wind pushed up against her wings, helping her to soar higher and farther. On occasion Rainbow Dash would flap her wings to get a little more speed with each push of her wings, quickly catching up with the mysterious flyer ahead of her.
Rainbow Dash flew right up alongside this new flyer. As much as she liked cloudy days, the clouds were making it hard for her to see what this new pony looked like. All she could see was the silhouette of a pegasus flying through the clouds. Occasionally there'd be a break in the clouds. But all she could see was that he had a blue coat, and wore a brown vest. She thought she could see a white mane but it blended in with the clouds behind him. It was like there was a wall of impassable clouds between her and the other pegasus.
"Hey there, Stranger, you up for a race?" she called out to him. She could see his shadow glance around until he looked this way.
Then she heard him say, "If you're up for it!"
This was amazing! Too excited to contain herself, she sped past him to take the lead. This was going to be so awesome! Finally a chance to push her limits! She wasn't about to go easy on him! She easily pushed past him, gaining an early lead.
Flying as fast as she could was surprisingly difficult. With so many clouds in the sky, she had to dodge and weave her way through the clouds. It made for a more interesting race, even if there wasn't a destination. Rainbow Dash had to be careful not to let her wings glance against any of the clouds, or else she'll spin out and lose control. When the clouds were this thick, they could stop a pegasus dead in their tracks. When she had the chance she would take quick glances behind her. He was well behind her, and she couldn't get a clear look at his appearance. The most she saw was the goggles he wore, which did more than an excellent job at hiding his features. Each time she looked behind her he seemed just a little closer.
So he was gaining on her!
This wasn't going to do. Rainbow Dash hated losing, and losing to a stranger would be no better. She looked below herself to see the tree tops of the Everfree Forest. A plan began formulating in her head.
"Let's see if you can handle this!" she called out behind her.
She made a dive for the forest tops. She had done this before. It was going to be a snap to get farther ahead through the trees. Plus it got her out of the clouds for a moment.
She didn't look back; couldn't afford to. She needed every ounce of concentration to not run into any tree branches. The last part was the trickiest. There was only a narrow opening to squeeze through to get out of the forest, and to get through it she would have to tuck her wings in mid-flight. It wasn't hard of course; just something she had to keep in mind. She burst through the forest and began to soar back into the clouds. She looked behind her. But she saw nothing.
She paused for a moment, and realized that she didn't even check to see if he dove into the forest after her.
"Ugh, just when the race was getting good," she told herself. She drooped in the air with disappointment, and reluctantly began to fly back to Ponyville; looks like the race was over.
Chapter 2
Angel the bunny was bouncing around the meadows with his owner, Fluttershy. She was a beautiful Pegasus with a yellow coat and a long and flowing pink mane and tail. If you listened closely, you could hear her hum a soft tune. On her flank was a cutie mark of three butterflies, representing her uncanny ability to communicate with animals. In fact, that was what she was doing right now. She was singing to her birds in the meadow, which extended with a wide variety of flowers and fauna. Angel was especially happy today, bouncing around with delight over the ease he could tell was in his owner's heart. It seemed to both Fluttershy and Angel that nothing could go wrong today.
CRASH!
The sudden crash made Fluttershy and all the other animals around her jump, squeaks and squeals escaping most of their mouths. Most of the animals and birds ran away immediately, but for a moment Fluttershy looked in the direction of the crash, which occurred near the edge of the Everfree Forest. She hesitated there, weighing the dangers of the forest with her concern for the animals that could have been injured in whatever that crash was…
She could suddenly see movement behind the trees, and her fear gave out. Whatever she saw, it wasn't a small animal, so she figured it didn't need help. She turned and fled for her cottage, the rest of the animals following her. She galloped across the meadows and up the hill until she reached her back door. She swiftly threw herself inside and shut the door behind her. The other animals and birds parted ways by the time they reached her house. Many birds took perch on her roof, watching the scene with safety. The smaller critters took shelter underneath her cottage in small nooks and crannies.
Angel however, sensed his owner's distress, and turned to face the mysterious invader from the forest.
Fluttershy peeked out of her window, to see what was going on. What she saw was Angel standing halfway up the hill, staring down at a figure. It was another pony; a stallion with a blue coat and a white mane. Not much else could be had out besides the fact that he was wearing a brown vest and a pair of goggles. If he had wings, she couldn't see them. Angel was clearly unhappy with this visitor. Knowing the instincts of animals, she could sense something unnatural about him, and thought to keep her distance. She wouldn't dare think to what would happen to Angel. She knew he was quick though, and in a pinch, she could bring him to safety. She decided to watch from a distance to see what happens.
When he finally approached Angel, he stopped. He talked for a little bit, and at one point drew a smile. With the goggles over his head, she couldn't tell what his eyes could have expressed. In her mind, she imagined it to be sinister, but she threw that aside, realizing it was nothing more than a sincere and uplifting smile. For the next few words he spoke, it seemed time had slowed down. His words seemed careful and especially deliberate, aimed directly at Angel.
Whatever he said obviously struck Angel's heartstrings. He stood there dumbfounded, and somewhat touched. It was incredible, even to Fluttershy—Angel was one of the most stubborn animals she had ever met, and here and now, this stranger who had only just arrived, already won him over with a single sentence. What could he have possibly said?
He spoke a little more, clearly trying to wrap things up, as his words grew in pace, and he began to shift stances. He then turned his head to grab something on his back, and picked up a small baby bird with a mended wing. It was tiny; no more than a few months old. It should barely be able to fly if at all. He set the bird down into Angel's arms, and began to speak again. It was again, very quick. Almost immediately afterwards, he began to turn around and walk the pathway to town.
Fluttershy, still watching from the safety of her cottage, witnessed the baby bird be set gently down towards the ground, immediately stood up and rushed out the door towards Angel and the bird. Her drive to take care of small animals pushed her forward with amazing speed and agility. A few of her bird friends flew in to join her, some taking perch in the scenery around her. She approached the baby bird carefully, and picked it up in her hooves. One of its wings was wrapped tightly in a bandage, although beyond that she could not see if anything else was wrong with it. She was right that it was young, but what she didn't expect was how tiny it was. It easily fit into a single hoof, although she still gingerly carried it with two.
"Oh dear, what do I do?" Fluttershy spoke with a hint of panic in her soft voice. "Angel, what did he say? What's wrong with this little birdie?"
She looked at Angel, and saw him still staring after the visitor. She looked up, realizing she could ask all these questions to him instead, but all she saw was the end of his white tail, disappearing around the corner. It was too late to chase after him now.
Watching him walk away with such calm helped Fluttershy to calm down too. It seemed that he was no longer concerned for the fate of this bird. It mustn't be anything too serious than. Fluttershy carefully set the baby bird on her back, and began to walk back to her cottage and examine the damage underneath the bandaged wing.
Chapter 3
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
It was the same Combo all morning.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
It was telling her that somepony new was coming to town. The last time she had a Combo like this was when she met Cranky Doodle Donkey. However, it went off only once in the morning, and she only had a vague idea that he was coming and of where he would be coming from. Today, her Combo had been going off all morning, and they all seemed to point to one location.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
Knowing somepony new was coming today, and her Pinkie Sense not letting her ignore it for even a moment, she brought out the Welcome Wagon early. There, standing at the edge of town, was a pink mare. She was an Earth Pony, with a large poofy mane and tail that was a darker shade of pink than her coat. She was smiling with a wide grin that stretched across both cheeks, and was bouncing in place with an overabundance of energy. On her flank was her cutie mark of three balloons, two blue, and one yellow, expressing how much she loved to party. She was strapped to a bright and colorful wagon that she brought out herself. On the wagon's side was a big red button, although there was no indication as to what the button will do.
She had well-defined dimples, which told you that today wasn't just a good day, but that this pony liked to smile; a lot. It was her simple dream to have her and those around her smiling forever, being as happy as anypony can be.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
Pinkie Pie couldn't contain her excitement. If her Combo was going off this much over one visitor, this stranger must be somepony really important. She was anxiously waiting, scanning the town gate for anypony she didn't recognize. Several times her heart jumped at the sight of somepony, but it sank a little each time she realized it was already someone she knew. Her eyes found Lyra several times, each time mistaking her for the newcomer.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitchy tail.
Itchy nose, floppy ears, twitch—
Pinkie Pie froze. Her Pinkie Sense had stopped suddenly, for there, entering at the edge of town, was a new stallion she had never seen before. He had a deep blue cobalt coat, with a white mane and tail that seemed to resemble the clouds; not poofy like hers, but it rolled off of his head in waves. He wore a very worn brown vest, which was torn underneath one of his legs. He also wore a pair of goggles, the kind pegasi use during their flights. They looked pretty good on him, but it made it much harder to see his eyes. He stopped at the edge of town and began looking around. It was clear he was new to the town.
Pinkie Pie couldn't contain herself any longer. She just had to go over there and become friends with him. She began pulling her wagon towards him, excitedly bouncing up and down. She wanted to run at a full gallop to him, but was too excited to even do that. As she got closer, she was able to notice some finer details about him. He had white freckles on his nose, which meant he must still be pretty young. He could have been about her age. She also noticed the most unusual cutie mark on his flank. It looked like a white wing. He didn't have any other wings on him though, he was clearly and Earth Pony, like her. Maybe someday she could ask him about it.
She was able to get really close without his notice. On the way, she saw him smiling. As if by simply approaching his mood was brightened. It certainly made her heart soar, since it meant she didn't have to work very hard to get him to smile. Her smile being even bigger than before, which seemed nearly impossible, she continued her approach.
"Hi there!" Pinkie Pie began excitedly. He turned his head, startled at her sudden appearance. "You must be new in town. I know, because I know everypony in Ponyville, and I've never seen you before, so that must mean you're new! I just knew you were coming to town today! Do you want to know how I know? Oh, but wait! Before I forget I have to show you something! I brought my Welcome Wagon today so I could meet you! Here, watch!"
The new visitor didn't even have a chance to respond. Pinkie spoke with a flurry of words, seeming unstoppable in vocal force. Pinkie quickly set up her wagon, positioning it long-ways, so that the new visitor could get a good look at the whole thing. She then pressed the big red button on the side.
The wagon opened up to reveal an oven, and a variety of instruments that immediately began playing music. Surrounding the wagon were several flags of different colors. There were also a few mysterious pillars that opened at the top which seemed ready to shoot anything into the sky.
Pinkie Pie began singing along to the instruments with a song.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome, a fine welcome to you!
"Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say how do you do?
"Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say HIP HIP HOORAY!
"Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville today!"
The wagon stopped playing its music, and Pinkie Pie had stopped dancing in front of the newcomer on her knees. The visitor obviously looked pleased, and was about to speak when Pinkie Pie interrupted him and said, "Wait for it!"
Ding!
The oven dinged, letting everypony know that whatever it was cooking was finished. It suddenly opened, shooting out a large amount of confetti into the face of the newcomer and on Pinkie's back. He looked a little confused, but Pinkie just looked up, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. The wagon's confetti cannons began shaking, and suddenly blew skywards with amazing force, shooting cake batter into the sky. The cannons were aimed perfectly, so that all the confetti would land over Pinkie and her guest, so both Pinkie and the stranger was covered from head to toe in cake batter. Pinkie was pretty sure he was glad he was still wearing his goggles. He began wiping the cake batter off of them.
Pinkie giggled, not knowing what else to do. "Whoops! I must have put the confetti in the oven and the cake in the confetti cannon—again! That's strange, though, I thought I made extra certain that I wouldn't do that this time."
"Really? Do you mind if I take a look at it?" The newcomer had spoken for the first time. Pinkie Pie was taken aback; not at his voice, but the fact that he responded. She realized that she spoke that last sentence aloud, which she didn't intend. It was one of those thoughts that she kept to herself. She wondered to herself why she would say it aloud now in front of a stranger.
"Not at all," she spoke, pleased. He had finished shaking off all the cake batter out of his coat, and reached for one of his vest pockets. He pulled out a wrench, and began moving towards the wagon.
"Great!" He got down onto the ground, and crawled underneath the wagon. Soon metallic noises were being made from underneath it. Pinkie was now just standing by her wagon, watching him work.
"You know, you're the first to want to get a closer look at my wagon. Most ponies I show it to just walk away," Pinkie spoke up, trying to keep the conversation going. This was an understatement: a lot of ponies ran away. The conversation starter worked, though because he responded.
"I can imagine why. Tell me, did you make this yourself?"
Pinkie Pie recalled to when she first made it. She was in Sugar Cube Corner and had just dropped a handful of instruments while she was moving in upstairs. They landed around a spare oven the Cakes had lying around. Her mind had begun spurring, and thus, the idea for the Welcome Wagon was born.
"Yup! I just saw a bunch of things and threw 'em all together and thought 'Fun!'"
"Well that's inspiration if I ever heard of it," he responded from underneath the wagon. She couldn't see it, but she just knew he was smiling. She was so happy in that moment, and at the same time honored. Never before has somepony fully accepted her right from the get-go.
It wasn't much longer before the pony underneath the wagon was done with his work.
"There, that should do it," he said confidently. "Although to be honest, I'm surprised it worked at all in the first place."
Pinkie gave a big smile. She was about ready to hug this stranger, whoever he was.
The stranger pulled himself up from underneath the cart, and was now standing next to Pinkie and the wagon. He had several grease spots on his coat from working on it. He put his wrench back in his vest and brushed himself off a little.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing excitedly. She wanted to know if his repairs actually worked. Not able to wait for even a moment, she pushed the button on the side of the wagon once. The wagon pulled itself in, drawing all of its flags and instruments into the heart of itself. The lid closed itself, and the wagon was primed and ready to start again. Pinkie pushed the button once more, and again, like before, the wagon came to life and began playing a familiar tune. Pinkie wasn't singing and dancing to it this time, however. She was too excited for that.
"Thanks so much for helping me Mister!" Pinkie Pie spoke with joy. She realized with a start that she didn't even know his name yet.
She didn't have much time to correct this though, for the stranger began speaking again. "My pleasure. Although, if it's too much to ask, my vest is torn, and I'd like that fixed as soon as possible, so if you could point me out to the nearest clothier, I would be very grateful."
"Sure! I have a friend who makes amazing dresses. You can find her at the Carousel Boutique," Pinkie chimed, pointing to one direction into town.
"Excellent! Thank you, and have a nice day!" The stranger began walking off, headed in the direction Pinkie pointed in.
Ding!
Pinkie Pie forgot her visitor for a moment and looked back at her wagon. The oven opened up and shot out a perfectly formed cake, decorated with pink frosting and birthday candles. The whole cake landed in Pinkie's face, covering it completely. She could hear the confetti cannons rumble and shoot confetti into the sky. The confetti gently floated down covering her and the floor around her in confetti. Pinkie's eyes poked out from the cake, only to close again while she gave a big smile.
Chapter 4
She was scrubbing furiously at the floor, trying to remove that one last spot to make her floor perfect throughout the boutique.
"Out, you stupid spot! Out, I say!" she exclaimed, using her magic to wipe away at the floor with a rag.
When she pulled the rag back, she saw a white unicorn, her horn still glowing with levitation magic from holding up the rag. Her eyes were a rich blue, and she had a beautiful set of eyelashes. The blue eye shadow accentuated her eyes perfectly, just as she intended. Her royal purple curls were styled flawlessly, making her the most beautiful mare in all of Ponyville. On her flank was her cutie mark of three diamond gems, showing off her love of beauty and fashion.
Rarity, satisfied with her work, magically set the rag down into a bucket off to the corner. She took another look around in her boutique. Everything was spotless and clean, the floor tiles being a spotless white, shining across the entire room. Around the room were several gowns of various designs. These were the unfinished dresses she was still working on, some of them redesigns of old models. As she looked towards the front entrance, she could see the small set of stairs that led to the main foyer. She could imagine the view from that room, including the large pedestal where most ponies would try on some of her gowns, or the large mirrors that circled the pedestal. She had already finished polishing those, so they would reflect even the smallest of details upon anypony's face. Surrounding the room were an arrangement of dresses; her complete models that she put on disply to show off her talents. The ceiling was draped with fuchsia silk curtains, giving her boutique a glow that no other could replicate. The now-sparkling floor reflected the color of the curtains, creating a lavender effect that was entirely unique. Her walls were decorated with paintings of famous models, including the famous Marelyn Monroe.
Rarity took great pride in her boutique. She built it from the ground up, in a town that didn't fancy fine dresses as much, and it still has grown to the popular business it is today.
Ding-ding-ding.
"Ah! Another customer!" Rarity exclaimed, excited. She leaped up and rushed towards the front of the shop to greet her customer.
"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique," Rarity began, as she descended the small set of stairs separating the front and back ends of her shop. She shut her eyes to clear her mind, and prepare herself for whatever this customer might throw at her. She had learned the hard way that some customers required patience and tact, and Rarity had to do her best to not lose confidence with her customers.
She continued to finish her boutique's motto. "Where everything is sheik, unique, and—" Rarity stopped halfway down the small steps to the front of the shop, to see a colt standing just in the entryway. He had a cobalt blue coat that held dirt patches in it as well as some other unknown substance that seemed to resemble cake batter. Whatever it was, it and the dirt were also stuck in places in his mane, which was a crisp white. The mane wasn't styled in anyway, and it seemed as though it hadn't been brushed for years. His messy mane and tail both shared the same cloud-like resemblance, appearing fluffy and wavy. He wore a pair of simple goggles, and a woolen vest. The vest was perhaps the worst part about him; it was very worn and dirty, and clearly wasn't washed often. It was a few years old and could use replacing, and even had a large tear in it underneath his right leg. It looked large, but despite that was a proper fit-had there been no tear. The vest now hung loose, and would require adjusting every now and then for it to rest properly on his shoulders. It currently wasn't, and was tilted slightly towards his right side. On his flank was a cutie mark of a white wing; something unheard of for an Earth Pony.
He was the messiest and dirtiest stallion she had ever seen.
Rarity was gaping for a moment as she assessed her newest customer. In that moment, he was immediately aware of her presence, and looked in her direction. After what Rarity could only imagine to be a quick assessment of her, he looked down at himself. He suddenly seemed to be aware of his own appearance.
Rarity, not wanting to waste another precious moment, finished stepping down into the main foyer, only to begin a full gallop towards her new customer. She already began planning in her head all the things she would need to do to fix him up. She would start with removing the hideous vest and goggles, and get him straight into a bath. Shortly afterwards she would start brushing his mane and tail and style it into something more suitable. Later she would begin showing him some of her outfits for him to wear. She was certain he would do well with a nice suit, though anything he wore would likely be covered in dirt and mud. The goggles prevented her from seeing his eyes, so she would need to see his eye color before she could start playing with colors against him.
As she was galloping towards him, she began calling out, "Oh my stars, darling! I simply must—" However, she was interrupted by his movements.
He looked back up at her, his expression hidden behind his goggles. He subtly shifted his stance. In his shift, his vest titled back properly on his chest, straightening out on its own. He then bowed very low to the floor, speaking very clearly, "Good day, Mademoiselle."
Rarity skidded to a halt a few feet short of her own entranceway, stunned by his manner. He spoke with a sharp inflection, and gave a bow only a gentlecolt could. His manner was a stark contrast to his appearance. While he appeared unrefined and uncouth, he acted everything like a gentlecolt would.
When he lifted his head, he wore a gentle smile, which further stunned Rarity. He was doing everything by the book, if there was such a book on the behavior of gentlecolts.
"One of your friends told me you make beautiful dresses, but by far the most beautiful thing in this shop is you," he spoke with a dignified tone. His words were sincere and very kind, making Rarity feel very honored.
"Oh, well…" Rarity let out, blushing brightly. Rarity was left speechless, and couldn't help but hide her face behind her hoof. She was used to such comments around Ponyville, but never before had it been said so well.
"Please excuse my unforgivable appearance today. I had a bit of a fall earlier this morning and haven't had a chance to clean myself up," he continued, with another small bow of the head.
This comment brought Rarity's attention back to his appearance. Surprisingly, he seemed much less dirty, and much more dignified. It was a peculiar transformation, one that Rarity did not expect to find in Ponyville. He mustn't be a local pony, because no one around town acted like that.
Now that she was closer however, she was able to notice finer details. He had white freckles on his nose, which meant he still must be pretty young. The vest wasn't just wool, but also contained a cross-weave of ramie, presumably to make it more durable in wet weather. It was indeed bulky, and looked much larger than it was supposed to, although it must be custom made, as it was a perfect fit for him, and the bulk seemed deliberate, although she couldn't imagine why.
She made certain not to have her eyes linger on his body for too long, and snapped her attention back to his face. "Would you like to wash up inside? It wouldn't be a bother…" Rarity offered, shifting her stance enough to show the back of the boutique. The moments seemed irrelevant now, and Rarity decided to take her time with this customer.
Paying close attention, she was certain she saw a pair of eyes quickly glance at the floor, as well as a mysterious expression flash across his face. She couldn't place what it was, however, as it was gone in an instant.
"Thank you for such a generous offer," he responded. "But I wouldn't want to impose." He gave another small bow of the head. He didn't just follow everything by the book; he made other gentlecolts jealous of his demeanor. He made her feel like such a lady in his presence.
Rarity decided to let it drop, not wanting to interrupt his impeccable behavior.
"However, I must ask you of something," he spoke up.
"Anything," Rarity replied, wanting to help in any way she could.
"It seems that in my fall, I have torn my favorite vest. Could you please repair it at your earliest convenience?"
Rarity held her horn forward, and asked, "May I?"
He responded with a simple nod, and then prepared himself for taking off the vest. The vest soon became enveloped in a blue aura, the same aura that now enveloped Rarity's horn. In a quick motion, she pulled the vest off of his chest careful not to pull against him as well. He cooperated, lifting his hooves to let the vest float out and away from his chest. The vest weighed much more than she was expecting. She couldn't exactly feel it, but she required a little more magic to lift it than she had expected. She could feel the rattling and shuffling of many things in its pockets, but she made sure to lift it carefully as to not make too much noise.
She took the opportunity to take a closer look at the rip, narrowing her eyes. It was difficult to create a tear in wool clothing, so the tear didn't grow very large. It should be an easy fix with the kind of talent she possessed. However, she was certain a replacement would do better for him.
She looked back at him with a cautious face. "Are you certain you don't want a new one? I could make another for you right quick," she spoke, careful to include a smile.
"No thank you. This vest has personal value." He was very quick to give a response.
Rarity took another look at the vest, a bit disappointed. She was hoping to make something far more fetching for him. It seemed inappropriate that his demeanor should be accompanied by such a worn and dirty vest. "Very well, I'll stitch it up in an instant," she responded, pleased to at least do something for him. She'll give it a thorough and proper washing while he's away. "It'll be ready for you by tomorrow morning," she chimed, levitating the vest away into a corner of her boutique, setting it down on a large red sofa. She was tired of having such an unsightly thing in her way.
"Excellent!" he cheered. "How much is that going to be?" he asked.
Rarity thought for a moment, recalling how his behavior made her feel so royal. She couldn't let him pay for acting so politely. Business may not be booming, but she won't mind the loss of a few bits to help a pony in need.
"In this instance I wouldn't ask you to pay even a bit," Rarity answered finally.
Now it was his turn to be speechless. He looked stunned, and slightly dumbfounded. It seems that whatever she said had surprised him greatly.
He finally regained his composure after a few moments, and asked, "A-are you certain? I wouldn't wish to be unfair…"
"I insist, darling! This is obviously important to you, and it would be unfair of me to make you pay for it," Rarity spoke confidently. These moments of generosity always made her feel much better. She would give all of her services out for free if she didn't need the bits to keep her business running.
Her customer considered her words for a moment. With a bow almost as low as when he first greeted her, he spoke, "Thank you kindly for your generosity. I anxiously await tomorrow when I may see you again. Have a wonderful day, Milady."
Rarity's next words were automatic in response to his gentlecoltly behavior. "Thank you, and I to you, good sir." Rarity soon began to regret saying these words, as it meant he was leaving. She wanted to spend more time and to get to know him, even if only to ask where he was from.
However, she had missed her opportunity, as he quickly turned around and headed out the way he came in. By speaking those last words, she had essentially given him permission to leave, and in fact, it would be rude of him to stay any longer after her goodbye. He had acted like any gentlecolt would; more so than most, in fact. As she turned around to attend to his vest, she realized she never even learned his name, or given hers, for that matter. She let this fact slide, as she knew he would come tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would be better prepared for his behavior, and she won't let him get away so easily.
Continuing determined, she decided to jump immediately onto his vest. She had other projects she was hoping to work on today, but she couldn't put him out of her mind, and decided to attend to his vest first. She would finish it by this afternoon.
Chapter 5
Sour apples.
"Get yer' sour apples here!" she called out.
Standing in what she could only hope was the busiest part of town was a mare with an orange coat and a blonde mane and tail. The mane was done up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face, while the tail was left to fly free in the gentle wind. She was very well built, hardened by years of apple bucking near daily. Still quite young however, as shown by the freckles on her cheeks. With no wings or horn, the most outstanding feature about her was the large country hat that she always wore. On her flank was her cutie mark, consisting of three red apples, showing how much she loves her family and her life on the Apple Farm.
She was standing behind her stall, which was decorated with apples. It's the end of the Green Apple Harvest, so the stand was filled to the brim with green apples, and there weren't any red apples to be had. This time of year, business was at its slowest, since there were very few ponies who enjoyed the sour taste of green apples.
And Applejack certainly wasn't one of them.
She learned to hate sour apples. It was always a bad time of year for her family, requiring the whole family to pool resources together just long enough to last until Applebuck Season. However, that wasn't enough. She also had to stand outside everyday selling the only kind of apples ready at this time of year: sour apples.
She didn't like how they tasted either.
Of course, she's still a hard worker, and won't abandon her job when her family needs her most. So she stands at her stall, calling out to passing ponies in the quickly setting sun, hoping at least a couple will come by and buy some of her apples.
"Fresh Granny Smith Apples, here!" she called out once more, directed at no pony in particular.
It seems she got someone's attention, however, as a mare with a wavy blue and pink mane and soft yellow coat came over to her stand. She had searching blue eyes, looking over Applejack's stand. She was carrying her saddle bags, obviously doing some shopping today. On her flank was a cutie mark of three pieces of candy.
"Howdy, Bon Bon," Applejack greeted her, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Anything Ah' can help you with?"
"Do you have any Red Delicious apples?" she asked, taking one last look at the stand before turning her attention to Applejack.
"Ah'm sorry, we won't have any Red Delicious until Applebuck Season, which won't be for a few more weeks," Applejack responded, knowing full well how much everypony else was looking forward to it. "If you'd like, I have some sour apples you could try," Applejack continued, hoping she'd buy some.
Bon Bon wouldn't bite, though, and her dissatisfaction clearly showed on her face. Applejack watched as she walked away in a huff.
Another unhappy customer, Applejack thought to herself. Nothing good ever came from sour apples. No pony seemed to like them, and as a result, Applejack was forced to sit out here in the open every day, not making hardly any money at all for the family.
Applejack began looking around, nervously. All she saw were a crowd of ponies, busy, and uninterested in her stand. Applejack let out a huge sigh, and looked down. At this rate she would have to skimp on Applebloom's school supplies again this year.
"Hi there."
Applejack looked up to see a blue colt standing before her, smiling. He had white freckles on his nose and wore a standard pair of aviator goggles. His white hair was slicked back; not by brush, but naturally, as if it solidified while the wind was blowing into it. His tailed appeared the same way, making him look like an Earth Pony in flight. He even had a cutie mark of a white wing. The sun shone in front of him, highlighting all of his colors at once, and even reflecting off of his goggles, completely obscuring his eyes.
She decided she spent enough time staring at her customer and straightened herself. When she did, the reflection on his goggles faded until there was no obstruction. She could now see into his eyes, though couldn't tell what color they were, and certainly couldn't read their expression.
She addressed her customer, "Ah'm sorry. Ah've just had a bad day today."
His smile faded slowly, but soon reappeared. He then opened his mouth to speak again, saying, "I think you can always find things to be glad for, like the sun, and the lovely weather." He spoke casually, easing into each individual word.
Applejack thought about this briefly, and soon cheered up. He was right; there were always things she could be happy for. She now spoke gleefully, and asked, "So what can Ah do ya for?"
"Actually, I was hoping to buy one of your green apples."
Applejack looked in surprise for a short moment, and gathered herself once more. "You—you actually like green apples?" She eyed him, not quite believing in what he just said.
"Sure, it's my favorite," he answered cheerfully.
Applejack grabbed one of the apples on her stand, and handed it over to the stranger, still surprised, but happy to hand it over. She had never met somepony who actually considered sour apples to be their favorite. Her spirits began rising, as she realized he might even help pay for at least some of the rest of the season.
He happily took the apple, and took a great big bite out of it. He chewed it slowly, humming with delight over its taste.
"Mmm!" He finished his bite, swallowed, and then opened his mouth to speak again. "So how much is that going to be?"
Applejack wondered for a moment how many bits she could get out of him. Realizing just one more bit wasn't going to pay for the whole season, she finally said, "That'll be two bits."
Her customer brought one hoof to his chest for some reason. It stopped in the air, a few inches from his coat, before he looked down, his hoof now frantically searching for something that obviously wasn't there. He looked worried, which was not a good sign.
"I-I'm sorry, really, but it seems I left all my bits in my vest." He looked up at her sheepishly.
Applejack's mood immediately soured. While there were always good things to think about, there were as many bad things, like sour apples. She frowned incredulously. The only customer to show an interest in purchasing her apples, and he turned out to be broke. Applejack didn't want to speak anymore, her mood hitting rock bottom for the afternoon.
"I swear I'll make this up to you," he began quickly. Whatever good mood he was in was fading fast too. "Tomorrow I'll come buy your stall and buy a whole barrel full of green apples, I promise!" He quickly began retreating backwards, wanting out of the now-awkward situation they were both in.
She didn't let herself feel better. She couldn't trust him to come back tomorrow. He could run off and get a free apple out of it. She took another look around the square, realizing the sun was nearly set, and everypony else had already gone home for the evening.
A full day, and not a single sale.
Sour apples.
Chapter 6
Twilight Sparkle looked out of her library window towards the setting sun. She watched as the final crest of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and as shades of orange turned to shades of purple, before settling on a black night sky. In a few moments the moon was going to rise with the help of Princess Luna's magic.
Twilight recalled to the events that occurred exactly one year ago, when she used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Luna's jealous persona: Nightmare Moon. Ever since, Twilight's been in Ponyville, studying the Magic of Friendship at Celestia's request with her new friends. The past year has been full of adventures and hardships, but in the end they were able to prove just how strong friendship can be. That's why tonight they were going to celebrate the first anniversary of their friendship by throwing a party in her library.
Twilight finally witnessed the moon rising from the horizon, demonstrating that the night had finally begun. It was almost time for the party.
Twilight leaped down from her window and landed on the ground. She looked around, realizing she was standing in a dark room. She had forgotten to light a few candles before the sun had set.
Calmly, Twilight began gathering magic from within her, focusing it all into her horn. In response, her horn began to glow a soft, pink light. From the dim light of her horn, Twilight could make out the rest of the room. Looking around, she spotted each candle she had hanging on the wall, and without wasting a moment, began refocusing her magic again. This time she focused over each candle wick, and in a short time, each wick burst to life with a small flame, lighting each of the candles in the room.
Standing in the now lit room was a lavender unicorn. She had navy blue hair that hung straight, ending just above her eyes. She had one streak of purple pink hair that ran all the way from the tip of her bangs to the end of her hair at her shoulders, and even seemed to continue running through from the base to the tip of her tail. On her flank was a pink star cutie mark, surrounded by smaller white stars. It meant she had a talent for magic, one so great that Princess Celestia, the most powerful alicorn in all of Equestria, made Twilight her pupil.
Twilight let the magic fade from her horn, carefully releasing the magic she had stored within herself.
She looked around the room, scanning the walls of books to make sure each book was in their proper place on the shelves, before she moved her attention to the table in the center. On it was a punch bowl, a ladle, several drinking cups, napkins, cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner, and…
Actually, that was it. It was missing the party hats and whistles that Spike was supposed to bring down earlier.
"Spike!" Twilight called towards upstairs sternly.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she heard a voice call back.
She began to hear the clatter of claws, and soon saw a small purple dragon with green spines barreling down the stairs, his arms full of party hats and whistles. He was rushing as fast as he could down the stairs, trying to make up for lost time. He soon lost his footing, and started tumbling out of control, all objects in his arms flying into the air.
Twilight reacted quickly, drawing her magic to her horn once more. She quickly caught every object, including Spike, with levitation magic, each object freezing in the air where they fell. Spike was a mere inches from the floor, and had covered his eyes with his claws in fear of the fall. Spike opened one of his eyes, realizing that he never hit the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Twilight used her magic to bring the hats and party whistles to the table in the center, while she up-righted Spike and set him down at the base of the stairs.
"Quit fooling around Spike, our friends are gonna be here any minute," Twilight said, turning her attention to the table. Everything was in place and organized now. Satisfied, Twilight looked back out her window, expecting to see her friends walking up to her door now.
Her friends had good timing, as she saw Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity walking up to her door. They seemed to be actively talking to each other over something. As they approached, Twilight opened the door to let them in, and could hear the tail-end of their conversation.
Rainbow Dash immediately flew in, flying upside down with her belly in the air. She had her eyes closed, probably day dreaming about being in the Wonderbolts again, as usual.
"So you're telling me that after he fixed your wagon, you sent him to my shop?" Rarity was asking Pinkie Pie.
"Yup!" she cheered. "I didn't get his name though."
Pinkie Pie and Rarity each entered through the door as Twilight greeted and welcomed them inside.
Fluttershy peeked her head around the corner of the door and looked at Twilight. "Oh, umm, I hope you don't mind Twilight," she asked softly. "I brought another friend to the party. Umm, if that's okay with you, that is…"
Twilight looked over Fluttershy's shoulder to find a small blue baby bird on her back. This must be the 'friend' she was referring to. The bird was bouncing excitedly on her back, chirping happily. A closer look revealed that the bird's wing was wrapped in a bandage, although that didn't seem to bother it.
"Oh my, what happened to it?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I'm not sure actually. A blue pony dropped him off at my cottage earlier today," Fluttershy answered. "He seems to be fine though; whatever that blue colt did seemed to work."
"Well it's completely fine by me," Twilight chimed. She took another look out the door, looking around for somepony else. When she didn't see anybody, she turned inside and closed the door. "Has anypony seen Applejack?" Twilight asked.
"Big Mac told me she was packing up the last of her apple stand," Rainbow Dash responded. "She should be here any minute now."
"If you ask me, I think she should have taken the day off. She's always working so hard," Rarity said. "I mean, this is the one year anniversary of our friendship. You'd think this was important!"
"I'm sure she had a good reason." There was another knock at the door. Twilight began moving towards it again as she continued. "Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't miss this party for the world."
Twilight opened the door to see Applejack on the other side, as Twilight expected.
"Sorry Ah'm late, girls," Applejack apologized. "Ah wouldn't miss this party for the world!"
Applejack entered the library, and Twilight closed the door behind her. Satisfied that everything was now in order, she walked over to the center table with all of the party items. Using her magic, she grabbed the punch ladle and began serving everyone a glass. When she had finished, she grabbed her own glass and cleared her throat.
"Now that everyone is here, I'd like to make an announcement," Twilight began, gathering everyone's attention. All of her friends began to gather around the table as the each grabbed their own glass of punch. They all looked upon her with big smiles, and open eyes.
"Today marks the One-Year Anniversary of our friendship. We have been through so much together, and you girls have helped me learn what it really means to have friends. I spent a lot of my time learning about magic, and studying my books, but since I have met all of you, I have had so many wonderful adventures, and memories that I will never forget.
"Tonight I propose a toast." Twilight raised her glass in the air. "To a friendship that may never change!"
"To Friendship!" all of her friends cheered, raising their own glass.
For a few minutes, everything in the world seemed right. All of Twilight's friends were happy and partying, and nothing worried her.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Twilight turned towards the front door. "I wonder who that could be."
She began moving towards the front, trying to get a look out the window. She had no luck however. Whoever he was, he was positioned just out of sight behind the door.
Opening the door, Twilight asked, "Hello? Can I help you?"
Standing in the doorway was an Earth Pony that everyone except for Spike and Twilight recognized. He had white wavy hair, and a deep blue coat. His tail was much like his mane, and on his flank was a cutie mark of a white wing, but much like before, no other wings could be found on him. He still wore his aviator goggles, so his eyes were still masked.
Overall, Twilight was unsure, and grew more uneasy when she realized that the whole room had gone quite. Even Pinkie Pie had stopped talking.
"Hi," he spoke. "Are you Twilight Sparkle?"
"Yes."
He took off his goggles, and for the first time, everyone saw his eyes. They were a bright and vibrant aqua marine, and shone with a brilliance that seemed vaguely familiar to Twilight.
"My name is Glider," he said, bowing his head to them all, holding one hoof out. "I grew up in Canterlot with my family. For a long time, I never had any luck making friends. Even today, I don't have any to speak of. Just last night, Princess Celestia told me about you and your task to study friendship, and I was hoping…" He paused. He looked at the ground, and began scraping at the dirt.
"Well I was hoping to ask if you'd be friends with me," he said finally. He looked up hopefully at Twilight.
"Princess Celestia sent you?" Twilight asked. "I didn't get any letters from her. I'm sure she would have told me…" she said doubtfully.
"Hold it," Rainbow Dash interjected. "You look like somebody I know. You wouldn't happen to have a twin Pegasus, would you?"
"Umm, no…"
"That's strange..." Rainbow pondered. "This morning I was racing a Pegasus who looked just like you."
"Wait," Glider said. "That was you I raced with this morning? That was some of the most amazing flying I've ever seen!" he chimed.
Rainbow Dash stared at him with disbelief. "You can fly? Without wings?"
"I have wings," Glider responded. "That's what my cutie mark is for. I make my own wings and fly with them."
Rainbow Dash blinked a few times before bursting into a roaring laughter. "An Earth Pony like you? Fly?" she chortled loudly. "No way, that's impossible!"
Glider began looking nervous.
"Ah find it hard ta believe that in all the time you were in Canterlot you didn't make a single friend," Applejack said, confronting Glider. "Not ta mention, Princess Celestia? Why would she talk ta you?"
"I—I don't know…" Glider said nervously.
"Ah'm startin' ta think that yer making it all up," Applejack stated flatly.
"What!? No!" Glider looked around in surprise. Fluttershy was looking down in her usual shy manner, and Rarity was looking upon him with concern. Pinkie Pie and Spike each seemed to be looking at everyone else, while Twilight just watched with a hoof to her chin, thinking intensely over the whole situation.
"I must say," Twilight began. "Your whole story doesn't seem to make much sense. Celestia wouldn't send someone to me without giving me notice, I'm sure. Spike and I haven't gotten a single letter all week, let alone last night."
"Besides, wouldn't she be busy with the Summer Sun Celebration?" Spike interjected.
"That's right," Twilight affirmed. "She shouldn't even have the time to stop and talk to you on one of the most important days of the year."
Glider continued to look nervous, and began glancing at each of the girls. When all he got were questioning stares and doubtful eyes, he began to slowly retreat backwards towards the door. After a minute, he turned and began running away, and out the door, barely looking back.
"Well that was weird," Twilight said as she closed the door behind him.
As if she finally gathered exactly what happened, Pinkie Pie began shouting. "That's it!?"
"Huh?"
"After all that you just let him leave!? Didn't you hear what he was asking for?" Pinkie Pie was serious. "He was asking to be friends, and you all just criticized him until he left!"
"His story was unbelievable," Applejack stated coldly. "Didn't you hear the crazy things he was spouting? Fer all we know, he coulda been lyin' to us the whole time."
"He said he could fly!" Rainbow Dash said doubtfully.
"So? He asked to be friends with us."
"Pinkie," Twilight began. "It's no good to lie, no matter what the reason."
"I thought that was the point of this party," Pinkie Pie stated. "To celebrate how great it is to have friends, and to be friends!"
Twilight thought about this for a moment. While something still seemed off about Glider, there was something familiar in his story.
"Listen Pinkie, tomorrow I can send a letter to Celestia and ask if she knows anything about this Glider," Twilight explained. "We can find him tomorrow and get this all sorted out. If what he says in the truth, than I'm sure we have no reason to distrust him, right girls?" She said, turning to everyone else in the room. They all nodded in agreement, except for Applejack, who seemed doubtful.
"Now let's get back to this party and do what we came here to do and celebrate," Twilight finished.
"Well…" Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin as she thought about this. "Okay!" she said, back to her normal, cheery self.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
"Oh, what is it now?" Twilight asked aloud to herself. She once more moved to open the door.
Behind it was a dark, cloaked figure, with a dark maroon coat, and a tattered brown cloak. He was tall, taller than all the girls in the room, and had his own horn and wings, although the wings looked more like bat wings than pony wings. He had a black, rugged mane and tail, and had red eyes. A deep and handsome voice spoke out from underneath the hood of the cloak.
"Hello, my name is Lucifer."