My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Friends from Unexpected Places

Chapter 16

Welcome

The train pulled into FeatherTop, the Gryphon Capital City, and hissed as it stopped. The main passenger cars opened up as it’s passengers departed onto the station.

One of the doors on the freight cars opened on the other side. A grey Pegasus and a dragon flew out of it and out though a open window.

“so this is the Gryphon Capital City. Impressive.” eTu`nes said in awe as he looked up at the massive tower that stretched up before him from the center of the city.

“I know. I’m surprised too. I didn’t expect it to look like this.” Derpy said. They both flew down and landed in the middle of a park. “This will be a great place for us to start a new life. We won’t have to worry about bullies torturing us or beating us to near-death…”

“right. Nobody here knows us. It’ll be difficult fitting in…” eTu`nes face-palmed. “and I just spotted the first error in your plan, Derpy.” Derpy looked back at him. “for starters, how are we gonna get jobs? We’re both underage.”

“you clearly never been to Ponyville.” Derpy snickered.

“okay. Maybe I’m wrong on the underage thing back it EQUESTRIA but this is the Gryphon Kingdom. There’s gotta be a completely different set of rules…” Derpy started groaning, hearing the truth in his words. “…and also, where are we gonna live? You have a uncle or grandpa living here or something?”

Derpy hit her head against a tree. “I’m starting to think coming here was a ba--” something fell out of the tree and landed right on top of Derpy.

“ow…” both Derpy and the Pegasus who fell out of the tree moaned. The Cyan colored Pegasus got up and rubbed her head. “Watch where you’re hitting!” the Rainbow Mane Pegasus groaned.

“sorry.” Derpy moaned. eTu`nes helped Derpy up, leaving the other Pegasus a bit confused. “wait… you own a dragon?”

“what?” eTu`nes and Derpy looked at each other for a moment. “oh, no. no no no. we’re friends. We came here to… get away from some bad people.” Derpy explained.

The cyan Pegasus scratched her cheek in confusion. “if you say so. So, I take it that means you’re new in town?”

“you take it correct. We‘re from Ponyville.” eTu`nes confirmed. “my name is eTu`nes, and this is… Ditzy.” Derpy raised a eyebrow in confusion as she looked up at him. “what’s yours?”

“name’s Rainbow. Rainbow Dash. FeatherTop born and raised.” R.D. replied. “so, where are your parents?”

Derpy’s ears dropped as eTu`nes quickly came up with a lie. “we’re orphans. We lost our parents to those bad people we mentioned; they hunted my parents down and for Ditzy… she lost hers in a accident..”

“oh. Sorry.” a sad Dash replied. “wait, does that mean you don’t have a place to sleep?”

“un… no. you happen to have any spare cardboard boxes? We can sleep out here.” Derpy said.

“What? No. no no no.” Dash flew behind them and pushed them. “you’re coming with me.” she said as she pushed them.

“Guess we’re going with her.” both Derpy and eTu`nes said as they were pushed who knows where.

Dash pushed them out of the park and into a fancy part of the city, where she then pushed them up the walk-way of a swank house as the sun began to set behind it.

Inside, Dash’s mother was in the kitchen when she heard the door close. “I’m home mom!” Dash called out.

“I’m in the kitchen, dear!” her mother replied. She heard footsteps approach here, as well as… claws?

“un… mom. I gotta talk to you about something.” Dash nervously said.

“About what, dear?” Mom said as she turned around. She noticed Derpy and eTu`nes and almost blew a gasket. “oh, no. Dash, for the last time, you can’t have a dragon as a pet.”

Dash turned red in embarrassment. “mom. It’s not like that.”

“my name is eTu`nes, ma’am. And this is my friend Ditzy. We just arrived in town when we ran into your daughter.” he explained.

“by yourselves?” Mom wondered. “Where are your parents?”

“they don’t have any, mom. They said their parents were killed.”

“oh. Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“it’s okay.” Ditzy said.

“well, do you have a place to stay?”

“That’s the thing mom. They were gonna live out in the park in Cardboard Boxes.” Dash’s mother frowned sadly for a moment. “so, can they stay here?”

Dash’s mother blathered a bit. “what? Here? We barely know them.”

“come on, Mom. You yourself said I should try to make more friends. And these 2 need help. Just look at Ditzy’s eyes.” Derpy gave a Dash a mean leer but she just shoved her away. “Please, mom.”

Mom gave a exasperated sigh. “fine. But just for one night. okay?”

Dash happily hugged her mother. “oh, thank you mom.” eTu`nes and Derpy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Dash ran past them and out the kitchen door. “I’ll show them to the guest room, mom.” Dash grabbed them and pulled them out.

Dash’s mother stood there with crossed hooves across her chest. “they’re lying about something. I’m not sure what but they are.” she muttered.

Dash opened the door to the guest room and showed eTu`nes and Derpy in. “you’ll stay in here.” she said as both dragon and Pegasus walked in and looked around the bland room. “my rooms across the hall.” Dash said, pointing behind her. “Dinner’s in a hour. See you then.” Dash walked on out and down the hall.

eTu`nes and Derpy looked around the room. “well, beats sleeping in the cold park.” the dragon said.

“yep.” Derpy glanced over at him. “Why’d you call me Ditzy again?”

eTu`nes stopped what he was doing and quickly thought of why he did do it. “well, maybe word of your disappearance made it here someway and maybe someone will turn you in for a reward or something, then you’ll go back to those mean bullies and…”

“okay, okay. I get the picture.” Derpy climbed on the bed. “well, at least ‘Ditzy Doo’ sounds better then ‘Derpy Doo.’”

eTu`nes mouthed ‘wow’ at the name. “no argument from me, Der-- I mean, Ditzy.”

20 Years Later…

Req yawned as she woke up. She stretched but ran into resistance. “what the…” she saw that she was under a pile of books.

“just once I would like to wake up without a mountain of paper over me!” Req tiredly exclaimed before using her magic to blast them off. One fell back onto her and landed on her face. Req moaned before taking it off. When she saw the title, she was surprised. “how to be a single mother? She’s really going though with this?” Req muttered.

She heard commotion to her left. She looked to see Twilight reading books all about raising kids and pregnancy as fast as she could. “Twilight? What are you doing up? It’s only…” she grabbed her alarm clock. “6 in the morning?”

Twi momentarily stopped what she was doing. “it’s 6? Man, time did fly.”

Req rolled out of her bed and cracked her back. “man that bed is stiff.” Req silently gruffed. “so… what are you doing up this early?”

“I’ve been looking though all the books I have about pregnancy, raising foals… you know… things of that nature.”

Req picked up one such book and flipped though it. “guess that means you’re going to go though with it?”

Twi softly closed a book and set it down. “yeah. It took some convincing from Celestia but I am.”

“Celestia? Applejack didn’t convince you?”

“kind of. I did take what she said about how my raising him or her can give it a personality that’s not it’s father’s but I was, AM, still afraid. Then Celestia told me that she went though the same thing when she was my age.”

“really? She was raped and got knocked up?”

“not how I would have put it but yeah. Like me, she was deathly afraid, but when she had her daughter Erys… it turned out the be the best time of her life. So… I figure that if the Princess, one of the most powerful beings on the planet, can see the silver lining in this, I guess I can too.”

Req looked the camera and shrugged. “if you say so.”

Twi picked her book back up. “so I’m gonna be the best mother I can be. And my son or daughter; hopefully they won’t turn out nothing like their father.”

Req chuckled, seeing someone familiar in Twi right now. “if you say so, Jessica.”

Twi glanced up at Req. “who?”

Req grabbed a book and sat down next to Twi. “Jess. Aura’s little sister. 2 years younger then him. Like you and Celestia, she was also used and impregnated.”

“it’s a flipping pattern.” Twi laughed.

“yeah. But Jess was strong willed about her situation. Unlike you and Celestia, she came to the same conclusion about the personality of the father not transferring over and raising the kid as best you can, all right at the beginning.”

“wow. Strong girl.” Twi said with awe.

“yeah. Stronger then me at that time.” Req chuckled.

“huh?”

“forget about it. Let’s focus on the topic at hand… MOM.” Req snickered as she read though a book of baby names. Twi chuckled at that. That was gonna take some getting used to.

Fluttershy yawned as she woke up after a long night. After the party, she and Bahamut returned home. She plopped down on her sofa and Bahamut just fell onto the floor, both falling asleep instantly. ‘Shy rubbed her eyes as she got up. They were watery for some reason.

Bahamut tiredly opened his eyes, stretched and yawned, and smacked his lips. That’s when he smelled something… off. “you smell smoke?” he asked.

“mmm… yeah. You lit the fireplace?” a sleepy Fluttershy asked.

“no.”

Tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick DING!

“FIRE!” they both yelled.

Smoke hissed out of the kitchen. Both flyers flew in, carrying buckets of water to put the fire out. What they saw surprised them a lot.

A grease fire from a pan was extinguished by Edge, who was wearing a chef’s hat. “dang. *cough* guess olive oil is very flammable.” Edge coughed.

“Edge?” both Fluttershy and Bahamut asked in surprise.

Edge noticed them but didn’t take his eyes off of the pan. “oh. Hey, you 2. Un…” the fire kicked back up and his instantly put it out with the extinguisher. “I didn’t expect you 2 to be up so soon. I un… I hope you like burnt pancakes.”

“you’re making us breakfast?” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

“trying would be a better word for that.” Edge chuckled. He put the extinguisher down to have it go off on his face. He kicked it down which sent it flying out the window.

“but… why are you making us flapjacks?” Bahamut asked.

“well… mostly to thank you for healing me. No pony would do that for us. Not after what we did.”

“well, most ponies aren’t me.” ‘Shy smiled. “I always show everyone kindness.”

“yeah, I could tell that.” Edge sarcastically retorted. The pancakes budged up and splattered, hitting Fluttershy on the face. “okay, how about we go out to eat?” Edge quickly said.

“but you’re a Changeling. Last I heard, you aren’t exactly popular among the masses.” Bahamut said.

“un, hello? What’s in my name?” one flash of green fire and Edge looked like ‘Shy. “I can look like someone else. If you can show me pictures of all the stallions in town, I can make a new look that doesn’t resemble any of them.”

“un… okay.” ‘Shy chuckled. “um… just let me go wash this off, okay?” she asked before flying off for the upstairs.

Edge grabbed the pan, opened a window, and tossed out the burnt pancakes. He turned to head to the living room when Bahamut cut in front of him. “why’d you come back?”

Edge raised a eyebrow in playful confusion. “come back? What are you talking about?”

“I was still partially up last night when you came back. I heard the door close, saw you walk in, and saw you head upstairs. So I repeat, where’d you go?”

Edge just stood there with a blank expression. “un…”

5 hours earlier…

Edge flew though the Everfree Forest for the second time, this time hoping to leave. “with those guys coming back, I don’t have to worry about Dinky going all ‘Chrysalis’ on me this time. And goodbye, Flutters--” he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Again, like before, the guilty feeling came back.

“Damn it. Why does this keep coming back?” he snarled. He landed and kicked a rock.

A certain zebra walked by and noticed him. “Ah. A Changeling in Everfree. Something that is very rarely seen.”

Edge looked to his left to see said zebra looking at him with a basket of weeds. “a Zebra? Here?” he thought for a moment. “oh. You must be Zecora.”

“indeed I am, young Changeling. And I must ask, why do you look so grim?”

Edge gave a exasperated sigh. “I’m certain you know Fluttershy, right?” Zecora nodded in confirmation. “well… she’s been taking care of me ever since I was critically-injured. If it wasn’t for her, I would be dead and, well, for the past 2 days… I’ve been trying to leave, but I kept getting this guilty feeling that’s been hampering me. And I don’t know why.”

Zecora chuckled. “I do believe I know.” Edge gave her a curious look. “you’ve been cared for by Fluttershy, who’s been kind and helpful to a changeling spy.”

“spy? Pbbt, I’m just a drone.”

Zecora shushed him. “just making sure.” she chuckled. Edge nervously chuckled back. “as I was saying, you have been cared for by Fluttershy, am I right little Changeling?” Edge nodded. “Fluttershy is a loving pony; she never sees good or evil as others do. In her loving eyes, all she sees is another being. When she took care of you, didn’t you feel something different; something that was never with you before?”

Edge closed his eyes as he looked back over the last few weeks. “yeah. This warm feeling in my chest. Started even since I saw her helping me. But… I’m not sure why.”

“It is simple, Mirror’s Edge. Fluttershy openly gives her love to everyone and everything. You may be feeling excess love given by the pony, little Changeling.”

Edge couldn’t help but smile. “so this is what love feels like. It’s a nice feeling; I can see why Chrysalis wanted it. But… why would Fluttershy love me?”

“didn’t you hear me? Regardless of who they are, Fluttershy loves every being.”

“well… she is a good friend. And I can see why I would feel guilty for leaving without saying anything. I think maybe I‘ll…” Edge’s wings fluttered, making him hover. “I’m gonna head back. Thanks for the talk, Zecora.” he flew back the way he came. Zecora smiled before walking off.

Present time…

Edge stood there with a blank expression while Bahamut grilled him.

“Well? Why’d you leave?” Bahamut asked.

“un… just needed some fresh air, is all.” Edge lied. “being cooped up in a house for 3 weeks would make anyone go loony, right?” Edge’s wings fluttered as he took to the air. “now come on. We gotta think of a good disguise for me if I’m going out in to town.” he flew into the living room, leaving behind a suspicious Bahamut.

Glasses of fruit punch clinked together as the gang gathered beneath the shadow of Orion, celebrating Twilight’s life-changing decision.

“here’s to Twilight; a brave mare who’s gonna do the near impossible challenge of raising a foal all by herself.” Zilver announced. “Twi, here’s to you and your insane little mind.”

Twilight playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head. “couldn’t have put it better myself, Zilver.” she sarcastically replied.

“and you do know you have us to help you, right?” Rarity asked.

“Guys, relax.” Twi sighed. “The baby won’t be here for 10 months and 3 weeks. Then you can start being worry-worts.”

“they’re just worried, Twilight. You can’t really blame them.” Ash said as he took a drink of his apple juice.

“I know. And I am too. But it’s good to know I got friends willing to help. So, this toast ain’t for me, it’s for my best friends who I wouldn’t give up for anything.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Lyra and Berry said. Everyone raised their glasses and chugged on down their drinks.

“oh, that reminds me.” Rarity said. She used her magic to summon a box. “I finished this up just last night. Hope you’ll like it.”

“a little early for baby clothes, ain’t it Rarity?” Trixie asked.

“this isn’t for Twilight but for you, Trixie.”

“me?” Trixie curiously took it and opened it up. She gasped when she saw that her old sorcerer’s hat and cape was in it, and completely restored.

“wha… how…”

“Twilight brought it in not long after your caravan was… *ahem* crushed to death. She wanted it fixed ASAP, said she made a horrible mistake. Guess it was her being mean to you was the mistake.”

Tears welled up in Trixie’s eyes as she looked to Twi. “Thanks.”

“what are friends for?” Twi smiled. “Consider it my way of saying I’m sorry and saying Welcome to the Group.”

Trixie tearfully smiled back as she wiped her eyes. “thank you so much, Twilight.”

“oh, I’m touched, but why does she get a ‘welcome to the group’ party and not me?” someone said behind them. They all looked to see a unfamiliar pony walking up to them. Fluttershy and Bahamut flew over and landed next to the group. “I mean, come on. I’ve been in town longer then her.”

“un… who are you?” Applebloom asked.

Bahamut cleared his throat. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the mysterious and, until now, unseen Mirror’s Edge.”

“hiya.” the brown Pegasus with a red mane and mirror cutie mark said.

“Edge!?” the CMC, plus Dinky and Pinkie, exclaimed in surprise.

“why are you guys so surprised? You helped heal him, didn’t you?” Satoshi asked.

“well… yeah, but he looks… different now.” Pinkie said. “Guess those bandages covered you up good.”

“guess they did. So, this little get-together is celebrating this Unicorn’s coming into your little group?”

“well, actually, it was Twilight’s congratulations picnic on her being pregnant.” Whooves explained.

“oh, I love babies. Congrats.” Edge happily said. Bahamut and Pinkie looked at each other with nervous expressions when he said that.

“well, we were gonna throw a ‘welcome back from unconsciousland’ party when you woke up. Guess this is.” Sora said.

“unconciousland?”

“her idea.” the ponies all said, pointing to Pinkie.

“and if my memories going on the fritz, I seem to remember her combining it with a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party for us.” Shadow said, gesturing to him, Halo, Zilver, and Marble.

“well, can’t think of a better way to do it then with a picnic.” A.J. said. “pop a squat, Edge.” she said, gesturing to a empty spot near here. Edge shrugged and did just that.

“wow. 4 parties in 1 picnic. That’s a new world record.” Dash snickered.

“world record? Galaxy at least.” Req retorted.

Edge rolled his eyes at it. “so… other then the purple unicorn there being Preggers, what did I miss?”

“well…”

The group began to explain everything that transpired to him. Fluttershy, Bahamut, Dinky, and the CMC all breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the disguise was working and everyone was getting along swimmingly with Edge.

The only ones who felt that something was off was Armor and Cadence.

“Armor, does something feel… familiar about him?” Cadence asked.

“now that you mention it, yeah. It does feel like we met him before. Could he have been the one that… you know…”

“nope.” Before Armor could asked, she gave the reason why. “look at Twi. She said that she would recognize the voice if it was the one that used her. And she ain’t reacting to Edge. So I think it’s safe to say that Edge wasn’t the one who used her.”

“Right. But still… I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something familiar about him.” he looked at Edge as he tried to piece it together. “where do I know him from?”