Chapter 2: Belonging
Moonstone didn't understand.
A pink, blue-haired pegasus with sharp, gleaming thunderbolts plastered on her hindquarters had just run away from him. Why? Did he do something wrong? He was about to run after her and ask, when she flew off. There was just no talking to some ponies.
He stood there a minute longer, before turning and heading east. He knew Dream Valley was the easternmost city of Ponyland, and he must be in Ponyland since he'd just seen a pony.
"Of course I'm in Ponyland. Where else would I live?" Moonstone chuckled to himself as he trotted along.
"Baby Moondancer's it!" Baby Glory yelled to the scattered group of baby unicorns. Several ponies screamed in reply, running in random directions and trying to wink left and right. Baby Moondancer scrambled after Baby Glory, giggling. Glory merely dashed to the right, calling out behind her, "Moondancer's it, tuck a fit, kiss a boy and marry it!"
"Alright, foals! It's getting dark, time for bed!" Sparkler called out to the baby ponies, who groaned collectively.
"But I was just gonna catch Baby Glory!" Baby Moondancer whined, stifling a yawn.
"C'mon. Maybe Fizzy will have a couple apples for you guys to enjoy as a bedtime snack," Sparkler coaxed, smiling winsomely at the foals. A few of them nodded sleepily to each other, obediently falling in step behind Sparkler. Baby Moondancer, however, still wanted to play. She dashed off into the tall grass of the Seadryn, unnoticed by the unicorns. Almost.
"Baby Moondancer.? Baby Moondancer, get back here! Oh, ponyfeathers. Stay here, foals. I'll be right back!" Sparkler trotted into the grass, following the soft rustle of parting flora.
The young unicorns all stared at each other for a moment, utterly silent. Finally, Baby Ribbon gleefully announced, "Baby Glory's it!"
Baby Moondancer squealed with delight as she pranced through the grass. This was fun! Sparkler was finally playing tag, but she'd never catch the Tag Queen. er, Princess. "Nothin' can stop me now, Twi-Oof!" Baby Moondancer suddenly collided with a large blue hoof. and it wasn't Sparkler's.
"Are you alright?" The stranger bent down to peer at the filly sprawled at his feet.
Baby Moondancer's first instinct was to scream. But she quickly changed her mind when she saw the strange unicorn's mane. "Ooooh. Your mane's pretty, mister. I like!"
"Baby Moondancer! That'd had better be one of the unicorns you're talking to!" Sparkler arrived on the scene, slightly out of breath.
"Er. yes, I am a unicorn. Why?" The stallion blinked at Sparkler blankly.
"Well then, who are you? I've never seen any unicorn with a mane that fancy," Sparkler eyed the blue stranger suspiciously, a note of jealousy in her voice.
"Um, Moonstone."
Baby Moondancer jumped in circles around Moonstone, yelling excitedly, "Wanna come live wiv' us, Moonstone? I heard Bouquet say we need more unicorns around since the trotters have got so many ponies in their herd and nobody has a mane that's pretty like yours and pleeeeease?"
Before Sparkler could protest, Moonstone nodded. "Certainly. Lead the way, er."
"Baby Moondancer! Hey, our named both start with moon! Isn't that neato? Baby Gusty's gonna be sooo jealous!" Baby Moondancer pranced off, followed by Moonstone.
Sparkler walked behind, sighing. "I hate my job."
Moonstone didn't understand.
A pink, blue-haired pegasus with sharp, gleaming thunderbolts plastered on her hindquarters had just run away from him. Why? Did he do something wrong? He was about to run after her and ask, when she flew off. There was just no talking to some ponies.
He stood there a minute longer, before turning and heading east. He knew Dream Valley was the easternmost city of Ponyland, and he must be in Ponyland since he'd just seen a pony.
"Of course I'm in Ponyland. Where else would I live?" Moonstone chuckled to himself as he trotted along.
"Baby Moondancer's it!" Baby Glory yelled to the scattered group of baby unicorns. Several ponies screamed in reply, running in random directions and trying to wink left and right. Baby Moondancer scrambled after Baby Glory, giggling. Glory merely dashed to the right, calling out behind her, "Moondancer's it, tuck a fit, kiss a boy and marry it!"
"Alright, foals! It's getting dark, time for bed!" Sparkler called out to the baby ponies, who groaned collectively.
"But I was just gonna catch Baby Glory!" Baby Moondancer whined, stifling a yawn.
"C'mon. Maybe Fizzy will have a couple apples for you guys to enjoy as a bedtime snack," Sparkler coaxed, smiling winsomely at the foals. A few of them nodded sleepily to each other, obediently falling in step behind Sparkler. Baby Moondancer, however, still wanted to play. She dashed off into the tall grass of the Seadryn, unnoticed by the unicorns. Almost.
"Baby Moondancer.? Baby Moondancer, get back here! Oh, ponyfeathers. Stay here, foals. I'll be right back!" Sparkler trotted into the grass, following the soft rustle of parting flora.
The young unicorns all stared at each other for a moment, utterly silent. Finally, Baby Ribbon gleefully announced, "Baby Glory's it!"
Baby Moondancer squealed with delight as she pranced through the grass. This was fun! Sparkler was finally playing tag, but she'd never catch the Tag Queen. er, Princess. "Nothin' can stop me now, Twi-Oof!" Baby Moondancer suddenly collided with a large blue hoof. and it wasn't Sparkler's.
"Are you alright?" The stranger bent down to peer at the filly sprawled at his feet.
Baby Moondancer's first instinct was to scream. But she quickly changed her mind when she saw the strange unicorn's mane. "Ooooh. Your mane's pretty, mister. I like!"
"Baby Moondancer! That'd had better be one of the unicorns you're talking to!" Sparkler arrived on the scene, slightly out of breath.
"Er. yes, I am a unicorn. Why?" The stallion blinked at Sparkler blankly.
"Well then, who are you? I've never seen any unicorn with a mane that fancy," Sparkler eyed the blue stranger suspiciously, a note of jealousy in her voice.
"Um, Moonstone."
Baby Moondancer jumped in circles around Moonstone, yelling excitedly, "Wanna come live wiv' us, Moonstone? I heard Bouquet say we need more unicorns around since the trotters have got so many ponies in their herd and nobody has a mane that's pretty like yours and pleeeeease?"
Before Sparkler could protest, Moonstone nodded. "Certainly. Lead the way, er."
"Baby Moondancer! Hey, our named both start with moon! Isn't that neato? Baby Gusty's gonna be sooo jealous!" Baby Moondancer pranced off, followed by Moonstone.
Sparkler walked behind, sighing. "I hate my job."