"A new pony?"
"A new pony!"
"Oh my gosh! What's her name?"
"Is she staying permanently?"
"Is she selling anything?"
"Is she working at Cloudsdale?"
"What's her talent?"
"What's her cutie mark?"
"Does she have a pet?"
The news of a new pony - a mare pegasus, to be exact - was to be arriving at Ponyville tomorrow was sending the local residents in a fit of excitement. Everywhere Twilight Sparkle looked, there were ponies chatting non-stop about the new arrival. Rainbow Dash was practicing her awesome aerial moves more than ever in order to impress the newcomer. Rarity had prepared over a dozen new dresses. Applejack had bucked all of the apples at Sweet Apple Acres and had baked them into foods ranging from apple pie to apple fritters. Fluttershy was quietly preparing the animals for the newcomer. Pinkie Pie was over the moon about the new arrival and was working her hooves off preparing her party. Spike, however, was indignant at this.
"Look at them!" exclaimed the dragon, indicating Bon Bon and Lyra nervously straightening their manes and worrying over their coats. "Why weren't you given that kind of anticipation when you came to Ponyville, huh?"
"Spike, you obviously haven't been listening to the conversation," said Twilight patiently. "This pony is rumoured to be on excellent terms with Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts. Princess Celestia has even been to her personally to request help. Nopony can ignore somepony like that!"
"Yeah, but you're Princess Celestia's student!" fumed Spike.
"Spike, I barely knew anypony from someplace else," sighed Twilight. "Nopony knew about me, either, not until I came to Ponyville!"
"Still," muttered Spike.
"Come on," said Twilight, with a smile. "Let's go visit Rainbow. Maybe she knows something about this 'new arrival'!"
As it turned out, Rainbow knew quite a lot about the new pony. However, Twilight still had to stop her with magic in the middle of a close-ground mid-air nose-dive. Struggling in the grasp of Twilight's magic, Rainbow beat her wings furiously as she tried to break free.
"Twilight!" grunted Rainbow. "I was practicing!"
"I know," said Twilight gently, "and you were doing amazing! We just want to know something about the new arrival. We overheard that her name was presumably... um... Emerald Feather?"
Rainbow froze. Beating her wings so as to be able to look at Twilight, her mouth fell open in something that was kind of like shock.
"Wha... how did you... only..."
"We overheard from Cloud Chaser and Flitter," interrupted Spike.
"Of course!" fumed Rainbow. "Those bigmuzzle fillies!"
"So, who exactly is Emerald Feather?" asked Twilight.
"Are you kidding?" exclaimed Rainbow. "I mean, I knew that only the pegasi were told about Emerald Feather was coming, but I would've figured that if a unicorn or earth pony were told, they'd at least know who Emerald Feather was! I mean, have you been living under a rock or something?"
"Just who is this 'Emerald Feather'?" asked Spike sceptically.
"She's one of the coolest, awesomest, most radical ponies in Equestria! She was asked to become a Wonderbolt, but declined," explained Rainbow. "She even raced Spitfire in front of the whole of Manehatten! Spitfire won only by a nose!"
"Really?" said Twilight. "Wow. That Emerald Feather must be some flyer!"
"I know, right!" grinned Rainbow. "She's been to Ponyville once before, a few months before you came. I tried to race her, but I was left in the dust!"
For some reason, this didn't unnerve or aggravate Rainbow at all.
"If being a Wonderbolt fails, I'm gonna get her to train me up to her level!" continued Rainbow, a spark in her eyes. "Then, when I'm the awesomest pony in Ponyville, me and Emerald'll make our own flying team: 'The Rainbow Emerald'! We'll tour Equestria!"
"That sounds... great!" said Twilight, in a falsy bright voice. "Um... me and Spike have to... rearrange the bookshelves! Yeah, that's it! Um... thanks for telling us about Emerald Feather!"
"No prob!" said Rainbow. "Gotta dash!"
As Rainbow flew out of sight, Twilight felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. How, in the name of Celestia, was she going to impress - or even appeal - to a pegasus like Emerald Feather?
Back at Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie was busy preparing the newcomer pony's party. As she hung up the streamers, she sang a song out loud to herself:
"Hanging up the streamers,
Balloons at the door.
Cupcakes and pies aplenty,
Plus a shiny new dance floor!
A new pony is coming to-morrow,
A new pony due in Ponyville soon.
A new pony is coming to-morrow,
Which is the twentieth of June!
Oh, oh, oh!
What will I bake now?
Pies? Cakes? Cookies?
Consult them with a frown!
Oh, details, details!
Ignore the silly things!
We'll throw 'em all into a bowl,
And mix them all right in!
A new pony is coming to-morrow,
A new pony due in Ponyville soon.
A new pony is coming to-morrow,
Which is the twentieth of June!"
Suddenly, Pinkie was interrupted by a knock at the door. She bounced over to the door, still humming under her breath, and opened it. There stood a purple unicorn, a baby dragon riding on her back.
"Hi, Twilight!" greeted Pinkie, waving a batter-stained hoof energetically. "Hi, Spike! What brings you to my Super-Duper-Pinkie-Pie-Welcome-To-Ponyville-Party-Preparations?"
"Um, hi Pinkie," said Twilight. "Can we come in?"
"Okie dokie lokie!" smiled Pinkie, and jumped inside. Spike shut the door behind them.
"Pinkie, do you know who's coming to Ponyville tomorrow?" asked Twilight.
"Nu-uh!" chirped Pinkie, stirring a bowl of cake batter enthusiastically.
"D'you wanna know?" asked Spike.
"Oh, I wanna know!" said Pinkie happily. "But I'm not gonna find out until tomorrow! Y'see, if I knew who was coming, that would totally spoil the surprise! And I love surprises!"
"Yes, we know," said Twilight. "But just say - "
"Does this punch taste sour to you?" demanded Pinkie, and pushed some punch in a coconut cup towards Twilight. The unicorn sipped the punch, levitating it using magic. Once she was finished, she shook her head.
"Pinkie, it tastes fine - " she began, but Pinkie interrupted her again.
"I knew it!" sighed Pinkie. "Sour, sour, sour! Ack! I'm just gonna have to start all over again!"
Suddenly, Gummy surfaced in the punch bowl. Pinkie saw him and giggled, scooping him out of the bowl with the empty coconut cup.
"Oh, silly me! It was just Gummy! The new pony won't mind a bit of alligator in her punch!"
"Pinkie - " started Twilight. But Pinkie had started singing again.
"Let's go," muttered Spike. "Before we catch the crazy-itis!"
"Oh, Spike, what if Emerald Feather doesn't like me?"
Grunt.
"What if she makes fun of my magic, like at magic kindergarden?"
Snore.
"What if she doesn't even realise I'm there?"
Grumble.
"Or worse... what if she makes fun of me in front of everypony, and they all start laughing at me?"
Mutter.
Twilight looked up from her pacing, and was surprised to find herself caught in a pacing-ditch once again. She had been pacing so fast, and so frantically, that she had actually worn into the floor. Again. Twilight used magic to raise the ditch floor to standard height, frowning at Spike, who was curled up, asleep, in his basket.
"SPIKE!" she yelled, and Spike gave a start as he fell out of his basket. "Why didn't you tell me I'd made another ditch? Were you even listening?"
"No," yawned Spike.
Twilight gave a great huff and stomped out of the library. She slammed the door shut behind her, ignoring Spike's apologectic shouts.
The next day at twelve o'clock, all of Ponyville was gathered in the town square, waiting expectantly for the newcomer... although only the pegasi, Twilight and Spike knew of her name.
"Whaddaya think she'll look like?" whispered Applejack. "D'ya think she'll like mah apples?"
"Nopony can resist your apples," grinned Spike, eying the basket of apples that the said pony had brought out.
"I'm sure that my dress will simply dazzle the new pony!" laughed Rarity. She was, indeed, wearing a new dress. It was pale gold, with a ruby necklace and matching earrings, not to mention the golden high-hooves (the pony equivalent to high-heels).
"Angel and I are so excited," said Fluttershy. "Aren't we, Angel?"
The white bunny on Fluttershy's head nodded frantically.
"Where's Pinkie Pie?" asked Twilight, looking around for the poofy-maned pink pony.
"Here I am!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, suddenly appearing at Twilight's side, and making the said unicorn yell in shock.
"Where is she...?" muttered Rainbow, flying over the crowd and gazing at the sky.
"Ooh, ooh!" squealed Pinkie, pointing in the distance. "I see something!"
The ponies squinted in that direction, and sure enough, they saw the glint of golden steel. There were murmurs in the crowd: excited murmurs.
"She's being escorted by Princess Celestia's royal pegasi guards!" gasped Twilight.
"Well, ain't that fancy-pants," said Applejack.
"How sophisticated!" exclaimed Rarity. "How ladylike!"
"How stuck-up," muttered Spike.
Twilight growled at him.
"Ooh! She's here! I can see her!"
Rainbow landed and started fidgeting excitedly. "I can't wait!"
Soon, the Princess's guards had landed. They neighed and snorted.
"Thank you, gentlecolts," said a voice from the golden cart.
The guards smiled and puffed out their chests.
There was a collective gasp from the crowd as the mystery pony stepped forward. A pony up front said, "It can't be Emerald Feather?"
"Emerald Feather?" repeated Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity disbelievingly.
Fortunately, the seven of them were near the front, so they could easily see Emerald's profile. She was a pegasus, and had an emerald-green coat, like her name suggested, and a jet-black mane similar to Spitfire's. Her tail was the same length as Rarity's, but couldn't be more different. Instead of elaborate curls, her tail was... well, simple. It was just a tail. Her eyes were dark-blue, and her eyelashes were straight. Her cutie mark was that of two green feathers, crossed.
"Emerald Feather is back in town!" grinned the pegasus.
Eight hours later, Twilight was sitting in her library, studying. Spike had gone to "hunt down"... ahem. I mean "impress" Rarity. Rainbow was out clearing the sky, but grudgingly. Applejack was trying to find Emerald Feather in order to sell her apples to her, despite the time. Fluttershy was too shy to approach the green pegasus, and was tending to her animals. Rarity was among the large crowd of ponies trying to sell to, or at least talk to, Emerald. Twilight figured that nopony would come to call.
And so, she was very surprised when there came a frantic knocking sound on the door.
"Who would be calling at eight o'clock at night?" she said to herself, as she opened the door with magic.
Emerald Feather stumbled in, and slammed the door behind her. Everywhere outside, there was the sound of pony hooves and yelling.
"C-close the windows!" she gasped, soaring to the said windows and slamming them shut. "L-lock the doors?"
"What's the matter?" asked Twilight, as Emerald locked the door and leant against it, puffing hard.
"Those crazy ponies are clamouring for my autograph," sighed Emerald. She then looked at Twilight and smiled apologectically.
"Sorry," she said, more calmly. "I was super-rude, acting as though I lived here."
"Oh, it's okay," smiled Twilight. Emerald grinned weakly at her, then looked around the place.
"Nice library you've got here," commented the pegasus.
"Oh, it's nothing," said Twilight. "Princess Celestia offered it to me, and I couldn't decline. I love reading!"
"So you're the Princess's student?" asked Emerald interestedly.
"Um, yes."
"Wow! I heard all about you from the Princess! You and you're friends, the Elements of Harmony, even your dragon assistant Spike!" Emerald looked very enthusiastic as she gazed around the room.
Suddenly, there was a "hoo", and Owlicious emerged from Twilight's room.
"Owlicious!" sighed Twilight. She turned to Emerald.
"Sorry about this," she said. "This is my pet owl - Owlicious."
"AWESOME!" yelled Emerald ecstatically. "I've never had a pet before! I've asked Fluttershy, but I'm way too busy with flight stuff!"
"Really?" said Twilight, smiling. "That's nice."
"Yeah." Emerald continued to stare around the library in awe. Her eyes sparkled enthusiastically.
Suddenly, Twilight was hit with something. Not literally, of course. She was hit with a thought.
"Hey, Emerald," she began, "why don't you come with me to Sugar Cube Corner? I think Pinkie Pie wanted to give you something..."
"Pinkie Pie?" laughed Emerald. "I know her! She's planning to throw me another party again, huh?"
Twilight was stunned for a second. Then, she remembered that Emerald came here every five years. Of course she would know all about Pinkie's parties!
"Erm, yes," said Twilight, deciding on the truth.
"I'd love to, but how can we get there with all those ponies waiting outside?" asked Emerald, indicating outside with a nudge of her head.
"Don't worry," said Twilight, and instantly teleported her and Emerald to Sugar Cube Corner.
"Woah!" exclaimed Emerald, realising that Sugar Cube Corner was right in front of her. "How did that happen?"
"It's just unicorn magic," said Twilight modestly.
"That's AWESOME magic!" grinned Emerald, her wings flying open excitedly.
"Come on," smiled Twilight. "Don't wanna keep Pinkie waiting!"
And she swung open the door.
"SURPRISE!"
The place was as lavishly decorated as the time Twilight had been thrown her own party. Streamers streaked across the ceiling and lights. Balloons bobbed in every free space. Confetti was sprinkled along the shiny dance floor like sprinkles on a cupcake. Vinyl Scratch was there, grinning. There were two of the biggest speakers Twilight had ever seen before in her life, as well as the majority of Ponyville, including Twilight's friends.
"D'you like it, d'you like it?" gabbled Pinkie, bounding over to Emerald eagerly.
"This is awesome!" grinned Emerald. "Better than the last few years'!"
"I KNEW IT!" screamed Pinkie excitedly.
"Heya, sugarcube," greeted Applejack, handing Emerald an apple fritter. "Here's just a wee little gift for ya!"
"Thanks, AJ!" said Emerald, popping the fritter into her mouth and chewing energectically. When she had swallowed it, she grinned even wider. "I could go for a few more dozen!"
"Um, hello Emerald," muttered Fluttershy, staring at the ground. "Um, I just want to say 'hi', so..."
"Hey, Fluttershy!" smiled Emerald, lowering her voice. "Animals doing good?"
"Oh yes!" said Fluttershy. "There are some new-born swallows, and Angel's attitude has improved so much, and the squirrels are finding nuts left, right and centre, and the chickens are laying eggs at a wonderful pace, and - "
"Sounds good!" laughed Emerald.
"Why, hello, Emerald dear," gushed Rarity, who was still in her dress. "Did you hear about us and Discord? And why in Equestria weren't you at the Grand Galloping Gala?"
"I was busy hanging out with my other friends," explained Emerald. "Sorry, Rarity - "
"Hey, Emerald!" burst out Rainbow, suddenly appearing. "Omigoshomigoshomigosh... it's been so long! How's the Wonderbolts? Didja hear about my Sonic Rainboom? Can you do a Sonic Rainboom? Is Spitfire - "
Laughing, Emerald began to reply, but Twilight didn't catch it. She was too busy attempting to make herself as small as possible.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The scream rent the happy-go-lucky atmosphere of the party in ten seconds flat. Not even. Looking up fearfully, Emerald cantered for the door, the others close behind. Twilight, gathering her courage, raced after them.
They soon found out what the problem was. The seven ponies galloped to Everfree Forest and right towards Froggy Bottom Bog, the screams growing louder and louder. Once they reached the source of the noise, they stopped dead. One of Mr and Mrs Cake's foal, Pumpkin Cake, was hanging off the edge of a cliff... overhanging Froggy Bottom Bog. Pound Cake was trying to lift his sister up, but what chance did he have?
"Hang on there, buddy!" yelled Rainbow, flying towards Pumpkin. However, right before she could grab her, the spectrum-maned mare was blown off-course and into a tree.
"My turn!" shouted Emerald, copying what Rainbow had done. However, the black-maned mare had to dodge around the air currents. No matter what she did, the only pony she managed to get was Pound Cake, who was crying for his sister.
"Don't worry, you cute little foal!" screamed Rarity. "I'll get you down!"
Pumpkin Cake was immediately surrounded by Rarity's magic. Suddenly, Pumpkin's horn glowed, and Rarity's magic was cut off immediately.
"It's no use!" sobbed Fluttershy. "Oh, no! Pumpkin!"
"The Cakes are gonna KILL ME!" yelled Pinkie.
"Twilight!" bellowed Rainbow from the tree, attempting to untangle herself while yelling. "You're the only pony who can save Pumpkin!"
"Wh-what?" stammered Twilight.
"YOU'RE MAGIC!" roared the pegasus. "USE IT!"
"B-but," gabbled Twilight, glancing nervously at Emerald. The pegasus was staring up at Pumpkin, her eyes narrowed against the wind, her mane and tail whipped back.
"You're gonna have to save her, Twi," said the mare.
Her horn glowing a sparkling lavender, a thin beam of unicorn magic shot out from the tip of Twilight's horn. It cut through the wind like a laser, and connected with Pumpkin instantly. Pumpkin bawled louder, and her hooves slipped a few terrifying inches, so that a few milllimetres were the only thing saving Pumpkin from death. Concentrating her mind, Twilight made the laser beam spread out like a wave, covering Pumpkin slowly.
Suddenly, Pumpkin's horn lit up. The blue collided with the purple, and attempted to push back. All the while, Pumpkin slowly descended.
"NO!" screamed Twilight, straining all her willpower into mastering the magic, in surrounding Pumpkin in magic, in slowly hovering Pumpkin up like a dead weight, and descending Pumpkin safely.
"Pumpkin!" chirped Pound, running to hug his sister.
"Pound!" sighed Pumpkin, gazing up at Twilight.
"Oh, our foals!"
"My little filly! My little colt! Are they safe?"
"They're safe, Cake couple!" replied Emerald.
"Oh, thank Celestia!" breathed Mrs Cake, paling.
"Actually," said a voice, "thank Twilight."
"You saw it all from Canterlot Castle?" said Emerald, not daring to believe it.
"Yes," said Celestia, "I did."
"But'cha didn' lift a hoof to help Twi here!" snapped Applejack indignantly.
"I had complete faith in my student's abilities," smiled the Princess.
"We cannot thank you enough, Twilight Sparkle!" gasped Mr Cake happily, tearfully hugging his son.
"We're the worst parents in Equestria," muttered Mrs Cake.
"No!" yelled Pound unexpectedly.
"Good mummy!" added Pumpkin. "Good daddy!"
"Awww," smiled the others.
"So, my faithful student," said Celestia softly, "what did you learn today?"
Clearing her throat, Twilight looked around at her friends, at the happy reunited Cake family, and at Emerald Feather. "Today I learnt the importance of judgement. You cannot simply judge somepony if you've never even met them. You simply have to be yourself, and meet them, and get to know them, and then you'll be fine."
"And excellent lesson, Twilight," complimented Princess Celestia.
"So, Em!" grinned Rainbow. "Are ya goin' back to Canterlot?"
"Naw," said Emerald, much to the surprise of everypony. "I'm stayin' here, in Ponyville. I've made friends, witnessed sheer awesomeness,AND seen an owl. How could I turn this place down?"
"Didn't you mention some of your pony friends?" asked Rarity.
"I'm sure Midnight Streak and Russet Glow would love to come and look around," said Celestia, winking.
And that proved quite true.