Daimon and Twilight were in a train directed to Canterlot. The human sat at the window and watched the scenery roll by. Twilight sat in front of him and seemed quite exited.

“So… Daimon, right?” Twilight started. “What are… well…”

“Listen here, you,” he turned to face the lavender pony in the eye. “I’m not here to enjoy this ride. I’m not a guy of many friends and I like being myself just the way I am. If you dare to change that, I’ll be sure that your horn stays in somewhere else in no time. Got it?”

Taken aback by the sudden assault at her, Twilight opened her wings as if preparing to fly, but haven’t took off. Inside a train’s cart, there’s not much height to help you stop a creature that walk on its hindlegs only to reach you. She managed to get a hold of herself and looked back at him.

“We never asked you to change,” she restarted, now trying to be a bit more careful on hear approach. “We only want you to learn what true friendship is.”

“Friendship… Wanna know what friendship is? It’s only a fancy and beautiful way to say ‘I will support you for the time being so I can have something in return in the long term’,” Daimon said a hit of fury and sadness in his eyes before he broke eye contact and returned his gaze to the scenery.

“And why would you think that?” Twilight asked innocently.

There was a pregnant pause. She even thought that Daimon wasn’t going to answer, but in the end he said, “My mother is an athlete. She competes in different sorts of games and she’s very good in all of them. However, she has a problem. She is a smart woman and all, but she doesn’t learn new things very fast, including the tricks they play on her for her money. No matter how much her supposed friends hurt her, she always forgives them. They got it easy on her for some time and then they restart, so she can forgive them again…” Twilight couldn’t help but notice a tear crossing his face when he said about his mother. “After my father’s death last year, both me and my sister come taking care of her… but my sister is only seven years old! She still believes that, in the end, everything ends in sunshine and rainbows, while I had seen the truth. The world only uses sunshine and rainbows so you look up to see them and that masks the true horrors that exist under them…” he stopped for a bit.

“And don’t come with that shit about your friends being different,” he continued before Twilight could say anything. “That damned blue princess of yours took me away from my mother and my sister… and none of them have really any conditions to look after themselves!” he then turned to Twilight, and she felt that same mix of fury and sadness. “I will make the friends you so much want. I learned to accept the consequences to each of my actions. But doesn’t hope for me to like it or ask for you to send me letters when I’m gone. As far as I know, you’ve kidnapped me and are trying to break my true self for your very selfish reasons.”

Wide eyed, Twilight only saw his gaze return to the rolling scenery and soon her gaze followed. She had planned a lot of sceneries, how to act in each of them, but she never foresaw the possibility that he had hardened himself not for selfishness, but for utter love and protection of those who couldn’t do that by themselves.

Even love can be corrupted, after all… Twilight thought. Seems like that his own virtue is what causes him to not trust anyone. The love, a feeling that born from trust and care, can also lead you to not trust anybody else…

***

“We’re almost at Ponyville,” Twilight warned him. “Just for the sake of introductions, my name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“Daimon Gryffin.”

“What?” Twilight’s left eyebrow lifted a little at the name. “Are you sure? You don’t look like a griffin…”

“It’s Gryffin, with a ‘y’ and not an ‘i’,” he explained. “I had half suspected you would have griffins there. All that magical nonsense…”

“That will case a lot of confusion until everypony get used…”

“Every… pony?” he looked curiously.

“Yes. They won’t understand before--”

“You mean everyone, right?”

Now it was Twilight’s time to get confuse, “Why would I want all the ones when I’m talking about the ponies?”

Daimon placed his hand in his face. This will be a very hard exile… he thought.

“Anyway--”

“Tell me about those friends of yours,” the human cut her again. “If I need to make friends, better that I find some common background with them already.”

“My friends… Hmmm, there is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie,” Twilight answered him and then quickly added, “Oh, and there’s Spike too!”

“Twilight… I’ll need more than just names if I am to see any common background…” he quietly remembered her. Daimon quickly thought that, if not for his intervention, she could name the whole town.

“Oh right… sorry… Well… Spike is my assistant, almost a son and a brother. We live together since he hatched. For a baby dragon he’s quite smart and has a talent to organizing books and documents.”

“A baby what now?”

“A baby dragon, you know; small, cute, breath fire… bipedal like you…”

Daimon shook his head, thinking: Great… it wasn’t enough to be ponies, but it also had to bring giant chickens and lizards…

“Continuing,” Twilight said. “Applejack. She’s one of the apple family residents on Ponyville and responsible for the Sweet Apple Acres, the farm that produces the best apples of all Equestria! She’s kind, strong, athletic and real honest. Whatever she says to you, you can be sure it’s the biggest truth ever.”

“I doubt that.”

“Well… yeah, she’s not perfect, but she used to represent the Element of Honesty…”

Turning to her, Daimon’s eyes were filled with pure curiosity, “Element of what now?”

“Don’t you know about the Elements of Harmony? The most powerful magical artifacts from…” then Twilight trilled off. “Of course not… You’re not from Equestria after all. There are six Elements known as Elements of Harmony. Each of these is a virtue of Ponykind. The six elements are Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter and Magic. I used to represent the Element of Magic and each of my friends one of the others. Applejack was the honesty.”

“I see…”

“Then there’s Rainbow Dash, a lover of speed and all kind of adventures. She can’t stay still for long, unless she’s being lazy, of course. Then she’ll do nothing the whole day. She represents the Element of Loyalty, which I guess says tons about her.”

After a small pause to see if he would say anything, she continued.

“Rarity is a wonderful dressmaker. She has a large creativity and really loves her work. A bit too much dramatic some times and others a bit too much worried about her own appearance, but all in all, a very good person and the pony which represented the Element of Generosity.

“Very timid around new people, Fluttershy has a talent to understand and to be understood by animals in ways that no other pony I know can. She’s gently and scares easily, but is a very good pony and represents the Element of Kindness.

“At least, Pinkie Pie. The most random of all ponies you will ever find. She’s always happy and making others happy. Seems to be everywhere at every time and finds pleasure in breaking all known basic laws of the universe. As the bearer of the Element of Laughter, she normally is preparing a party or another for the most random circumstances you can ever dream.”

“So, let see if I got it right…” Daimon called after she finished saying. “A baby dragon that is your assistant, a strong honest farmer, a loyal sloth adventurer, a generous dramatic dressmaker, a kind and timid animal tamer, and a random laughing party-maker? Those are your friends?”

“Well… there’s a few more around Ponyville, but these five are the main ones, I assume.”

“This is going to be great,” Daimon said with a bit of sarcasm, returning his gaze to the passing scenery.

“Doesn’t it?” Twilight, in her happiness, missed the sarcasm on his voice. “And you? What were your friends like?”

“I don’t have friends. Just some followers that are more afraid of me than they actually respect me,” Daimon said without looking at her. “I know that the day I appear to them sick and weak, they will attack me so that I can’t menace them again.”

“Your life must be lonely…”

“I’ve learned to enjoy it that way. It’s quiet and nobody bothers you,” he said.

Twilight gently touched his shoulder with a hoof. Daimon looked at her and saw a gently smile on the mare’s face, “Don’t worry, Daimon. You’ll know true friendship with us.”

***

As they saw the other ponies going their ways, Daimon turned to Twilight. He may not be friendly, but he was raised in a specific way and picked Twilight’s baggage. Twilight, surprised, turned to him.

“You know… You don’t have to do it…” she said.

“My father said that it’s a man’s job to assist women,” Daimon answered. “You may not be a woman, but you’re female still and I kinda feel in need to follow what my father taught me.”

Twilight felt a bit embarrassed but had a smile in her face anyway.

“Just one question, Twilight,” Daimon looked at her curiously. “Where I’m going to sleep?”

“Maybe you could--”

“LOOK OUT!” there was someone yelling, the voice somewhat distorted, probably by extreme speed and when Twilight and Daimon looked in the general direction, they noticed a rainbow streak coming straight at them. Before any of them could react, Daimon left out a loud ‘ufff’ and was flying back inside the train they had barely left, making Twilight’s luggage fall.

With quite a few of curious pony heads looking at him, Daimon himself decided to look at whatever had hit him. On his lap was a cyan pony with mane and tail colored as a rainbow. The pony in his lap shook her head and looked up at him.

“Oops… sorry…” she said somewhat embarrassed. Flapping her wings, the pony was just flying above him by now and extended a hoof at him. “There… let me help you.”

Mostly ignoring the hoof, Daimon placed his hands on the ground and got up. Accepting the hoof then, he shook it gently, “Don’t worry. I already took things worse than a headbutt to my belly. Am I right to assume you’re Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh, so my name is starting to spread through Equestria?”

“Err… not quite,” Daimon answered. “Twilight told me about you and a rainbow streak coming straight at me as fast as a train… well… Put two and two together…”

Rainbow Dahs got a bit more embarrassed at that. Only then he seemed to notice that it was not a pony she was talking to, “You’re… not from Equestria, are you?”

Daimon just shook his head, “I came from a bit further from the farthest place from your world.”

“Dash! Daimon! Are you two alright?” Twilight asked making her way back into the train.

“Yeah, we’re alright,” Daimon answered as they slowly walked outside, with Rainbow Dash flying behind them.

“Dash! You could have hurt somepony!” Twilight said at the light blue pegasus. Daimon registered the word. Somepony to someone, as everypony to everyone… he thought. Probably there are things like anypony and nopony as well…

“Well… I was trying to make a ground-side version of a Sonic Rainboom, so I got the Crusaders to help me get this high speed rotation and…”

After a small pause, Daimon looked at her, “And you decided to release your grip and be shot at three hundred kilometers per hour and straight in my belly.”

“All the hitting you thing was an accident actually, but… yeah… That’s what happened,” Rainbow Dash admitted.

With Twilight walking forward and opening their way, Rainbow Dash and Daimon looked at each other.

“May I know what are you?” Dash asked.

“I’m a human, my name is Daimon.”

“Daimon eh? You seem pretty tough,” the mare flying at his side noticed. “Probably as strong as Big Mac, don’t you think Twilight?”

Daimon just shook his head, “Yeah, I am quite tough. Had to be, after all,” Daimon said. “I’m just the usual troublemaker. The evil tough guy that uses his strength to make life of others as bad as his own…”

“That’s not a good thing, friend,” said another mare, this one bringing behind her a chart full with bright red apples. She was an orange pony with blond mane and tail both tied in… ponytails… and a cowboy hat on her head. Daimon closed his eyes. Yeah, this place would be lots of fun.

“Take it easy on him AJ!” Rainbow Dash called. “I’ve almost took the poor guy to hospital already. And he seems to know Twilight somehow!”

“Oh, so he’s that princess subject you had to go for?” the orange pony looked at Twilight.

“Yes. This is--”

“HI!” Daimon’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help but to fall down on his butt after that pink blur came out of nowhere from bellow him as if to hug him.

Looking at the newcomer from the ground, she now was back at her four hooves and looking at him expectantly, he noticed that this was a pink-on-pink pony with rather puffy mane and tail. She had a smile in her face that he usually called annoying, and this time was no different.

“Pinkie!” Twilight called the pink streak pony.

“What? I’m just saying ‘hi’! You know, it’s polite to answer back when somepony say ‘hi’ to you!” and then she looked back at him.

Deciding not to try and get any worse on any of the mare’s friends, he got up and said, “Hi. I guess you’re Pinkie Pie then…”

“Wow… He’s good…” Pinkie Pie said.

“Actually, I told him about all of you…” Twilight said. “Well, we’re heading to library now. If you go fetch Rarity and Fluttershy, we could introduce everyone to him at once.”

“On my way!” Rainbow Dash said and zoomed out.

“I’m going to Rarity!” and the pink pony went bouncing on all four legs in another direction, letting Daimon to wonder how that was ever possible.

“Ah have a few more business around there, Twi. But as soon as Ah’m free, Ah join ya,” the pony, which accent Daimon placed as the equivalent of southern American accent, not quite able to pinpoint a more exactly location though, answered.

“That’s okay, Applejack. See you soon.” Twilight said and resumed her walk to where Daimon assumed was the library.

“And may I know why we’re going to a library?” he asked.

“Because I live there, of course,” Twilight answered. “I’ll have to fetch for the extra mattress, though. It has been only spike and me there for so long…”

Daimon’s eyebrow lifted a bit, “You live in a library?”

“Yes, I do.”

The best exile ever, Daimon thought sarcastically. At least I will not have to walk too much when I learn about this world…

Then, on his walking and thinking, Daimon accidentally bumped into a unicorn mare, dropping a few scrolls and books she was bringing in a levitation magic field.

“Sorry, I was--”

“Oh! Sorry… I did--”

Their eyes met and they looked deep into each other’s for quite some time, before he broke eye contact and reached for the scrolls and books. Offering them back to her, which quickly lifted them, he gave a gently nod.

“Thank you,” the bright white, lightly yellow, unicorn mare with white slightly curly long white mane and tail left.

“Who’s she?” Daimon asked. “Not one of your friends?”

“Not actually,” Twilight answered. “She’s Romantic Lily, author of a moderate fame, known for some very lovely romance books. Besides, some say that something is blocking her creativity and she has problems writing recently.”

“And where’s her husband to help her?”

“As far as I know, she’s single,” Daimon looked at Twilight. “A few of her fans believe that this is her block. How can you possible write about romance when you don’t live one?”

Daimon nodded. It was like teaching how to fight without ever facing a fight before. There’s something on the practice that is a lot different from the theories and makes such a large difference in the final result.

“May I know why the interest?” Twilight asked.

“What? I have no interest on ponies at all. I’m just a bit curious,” was Daimon’s answer.

“Okay.”

They then resumed their interrupted walk to the library.

***

“No way!” Daimon said upon understanding that they were heading straight into the biggest tree in the whole town.

“Yes way. That tree is Ponyville’s Golden Oak Library,” Twilight answered as they approached.

Getting closer, Daimon could point windows and doors, as well as a balcony high into the tree. A whole library with a house attached to inside a big damn tree? It could only be a joke!

Daimon saw the door opening before he even managed to reach close to it and a small purple reptile creature with green spikes along its back exit and then rush to somewhere else, not paying them much attention. Twilight looked at that a bit surprised.

“Strange… Spike isn’t normally like that…”

“Oh… so that’s a dragon… I thought they would be a bit more… you know… dangerous looking and all…” Daimon commented.

Twilight only shot him a glance. “Spike is only a baby dragon, Daimon,” she started. “Once, he had grown a lot in so little time and let me say to you that he was very scary. Don’t ask to see an adult, or even a teen dragon. That could be the last thing you will do.”

Not quite trusting in Twilight, Daimon just decided play silent and follow her to the library. There he saw the amount of books properly placed in their shelves, ordered very carefully. Taking some time to look around, he just noticed another couple doors and a stair. If this was a house, probably there was a kitchen and a bathroom somewhere and, of course, a room.

“A bit bigger than I thought it would be inside a tree, actually,” Daimon commented.

“This library has a nice collection of books as well,” Twilight commented with a hint of pride in her voice.

“If you say so…” he said, looking around and quickly finding a book with tittle ‘Equestria’ in large golden and well-drawn letters, well curved. He then gently pointed at the book.

“This is The History of Equestria. This book brings all the most important moments of Equestria’s story, since its foundation,” Twilight said. “Go ahead, you’re welcome.”

Taking the book from the shelf, Daimon noticed that on its cover was a map of Equestria, on the left upper corner a sun and on the right a crescent moon. Opening the book, he saw the title ‘The History of Equestria’ in very big bold golden letters and the face of Celestia above and Luna under it.

Before he could be immersed in his reading though, the door opened again. Spike was entering, panting a little after what appeared to be a sprint.

“Twilight… Why haven’t you called me when I passed?” he asked.

“Sorry, Spike. But it seemed something important that you were going to,” Twilight answered.

“I was going to see what has happened to Rainbow Dash after Sweetie Belle and the others had tried to help her with some kind of new stunt and…” Spike then noticed the strange creature reading a book, sat at a corner. “And what is that?”

“We’re waiting the others for a single introduction,” Daimon said, not taking the eye from the book. “Can you wait for your friends?”

“For a quick short version, his name is Daimon and is here to learn about friendship,” Twilight said.

“An’ with that talk about bein’ the evil guy he’s not quite reachin’ his goal.” Applejack’s voice came from the door. She was then quickly followed by other four ponies, two of them being Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, the other two were a rather timid yellow pegasus with pink mane and tail and the other a white unicorn with long purple mane and tail.

“I never said I was,” Daimon said, closing the book he had barely finished the first page and placing it over the table. “That’s how I can be seen some times. My name is Daimon Gryffin.”

“Griffin? You’re not a griffin silly!” Pinkie Pie said. “Griffins have feathers beaks and talons! Besides you too have talons…”

“I prefer fingers, thank you. But no, I’m not a griffin, I am a human and my family’s name is Gryffin, with ‘y’ instead of ‘i’.”

There was a rather chorus for understanding.

“Well, Mister Gryffin,” the white unicorn said in a mostly gently voice. “I am--”

“Oh! No!” Pinkie Pie cut Rarity but jumping in front of her “Let’s see if he can say your name!”

Rolling his eyes, Daimon quickly pointed at the white unicorn. “The unicorn is Rarity and the pegasus is Fluttershy. The others we already met on my way there.”

“Told ya! He’s good!” Daimon just shook his head.

“So, Mister Gryffin, why would some people call you evil then?” Rarity continued from where she was interrupted.

“Because, for some personal reasons I’m not about to discuss right now, I had to put a hard face during my life,” Daimon answered. “I’m not a person of many friends and it’s not easy for me to place trust in anyone. I created a persona of a troublemaker guy at school so people won’t bother me at all and so I can scare those that keep insisting in using my family in a way or another. If you asked my sister, she would certainly say I’m something like a hero or the like.”

The mares looked from one another. “But why would you need to do som--”

“SHHH! Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie cut the timid pony. “He said he wasn’t going to talk about these personal matters!”

“I don’t know why yet, but Daimon had opened up to me a bit during the train trip,” Twilight said. “I will not say what he told me, but I can assure you that, if what he told me is true, he has a very good reason.”

“If what you told me before is any truth, you could always cast a spell of truth or something like that…” Daimon suggested.

“You’re right, I could. But I learned that it’s not just because I could do something that I should do that,” Twilight answered. “We’re trying to show you what true friendship is, and that starts with trusting.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said with a large smile. “If it was not for my friends, I wouldn’t be able to do a Sonic Rainboom as easy as I can nowadays! Friends are ponies you can support yourself when you’re feeling down!”

“Or that ya could expect help even if ya haven’t asked for…” Applejack said with a smile as well.

“They even can sacrifice the opportunity of something they would really love to do to help you!” Rarity continued.

“And remember that friends can also give you a confidence you don’t normally find in yourself,” Fluttershy said from behind Applejack.

“Also, parties are always better when you have friends!” Pinkie Pie grinned and hugged all the five mares in front of her. “Because without friends, you won’t have anyone to laugh, hug or have fun with!”

“I’m sorry to break your illusions of friendship, but I’m not falling for any of this,” Daimon said. “When you trust anyone, you create an opening to be stabbed by your back. Having others as support can have you falling when you need them the most. Expecting help of others instead of being able to do it yourself can grant your ultimate fail in whatever you’re doing. If they have to sacrifice anything for you, they will eventually demand something back. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, work yourself until you are confident. And having someone to hug, laugh or have fun with can lead you to putting masks so they can laugh and have a good time.”

Noticing their saddened faces, Daimon sat back at his corner and took his book, opening it again, “I’m not saying that you’re wrong. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t quite work this way where I come from. There is the law of the stronger; the one able to impose more fear and respect is the one who dictates the rules. People most of times doesn’t work as a group, but as a reunion of individuals. And as far as I know, there’s no changing that.”

Daimon never noticed the mares and the little dragon leaving the library as he resumed his reading.

***

“I guess we all agree that this will be a hard case?” Twilight asked as all the other five mares and spike nodded.

“But at least he’s honest,” Applejack commented. “He said how he see things, and never assumed it was always like it.”

“We’ll have a big task ahead of us then,” Fluttershy said.

“I’ll try talking to him later. From cool pegasus to cool human, our coolness can see about start breaking his shell!” Rainbow Dash said sure of her plan.

“OR I could throw a ‘welcome to Ponyville’ party mixed with a ‘don’t feel so grumpy’ party! And maybe even a ‘try making new friends’ party!” Pinkie Pie offered.

“Not that they are bad ideas, darling,” Rarity said looking at Pinkie Pie. “You know how much all of us enjoy your parties. But maybe we could try something that he likes first.”

“He did say he was a tough guy…” Rainbow Dash said and then an idea hit her and she grinned. “Why don’t call him and Big Mac to see who is the toughest of them? At one side an earth pony that worked on fields all his life, and at other a human that says he had to be the toughest and scariest figure he could!”

“And with that maybe they can break the ice!” Twilight said with a large smile. “Applejack! See if you can have Big Mac helps us with this!”

“No problem, Twi!” Applejack said with a large smile.

“And for the winner a ‘you’re the toughest of Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie pie said and just disappeared from view.

The others laughed at that. “It’s settled then,” Twilight said with a smile. “Let’s just hope that everything runs fine.” Next Chapter: Episode 03: The Challenge Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 52 Minutes