Changing Seasons

There was a chill on the breeze, a sure sign that the sweltering heat of summer was coming to its conclusion. Ominous clouds were beginning to gather on the eastern horizon, and Bright Eyes watched with interest from the edge of the forest, where the leaves were beginning to change from green to orange and scarlet. She had not seen another living soul that day, and it was already late afternoon. For months now, she had been a pony without a home, traveling from one region of Equestria to the next. She didn't know what she was searching for, but the restlessness had seized the young mare, pulling her closer to Ponyville. She trotted through the trees, hooves stepped over dried leaves noisily, taking in the scent of the forest with a smile, multi-colored tail streaming behind her like a flag. She had always loved the outdoors.

Suddenly, an unexpected sound caught her attention, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Both ears pricked forward curiously, blue eyes scanning the area for any sign of life, whether pony or otherwise.

"HIIIII!!" The energetic gold and white patched coated pegasus mare shouted as she popped out of a bush near Bright Eyes! She then pulled herself from the bush as it looked like she'd fallen from the few broken tree limbs above. She then jumped up and bounced around the new pony, green eyes wide with excitement of meeting a new pony! "Hiiiii Oh wow, that was some fall huh? My name's Doodle Bug!! It's so nice to meet you and *gasp* I'm sure we're gonna be the best of friends and have parties and cake and YIIIIII!!!" She then stopped dead center in front of the new blue pony and asked, "What's your name?" She smiled widely offering her hoof to the pony to shake.

"Are you new to Ponyville? Or *Gasp* I could show you around!! YIII IT'S GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!" Doodle then bounced high enough into the air unfurling her wings letting the simple downdraft catch her in a light hover.

The sudden greeting of the stranger startled Bright Eyes, and her expression betrayed her surprise - eyes widened as large as saucers, her black-framed glasses nearly flying from her face, and her mouth fell open.  It was a pegasus whose coat was patched ivory and gold, covered in branches and leaves.  The mare spoke so quickly, Bright Eyes didn't have an opportunity to interject, and after the initial surprise had worn off, her features melted into a friendly smile.  She raised a hoof to meet Doodle Bug properly, mouth parting to speak.  "I..."  but the words were cut off before utterance as the hyperactive pony continued.  A little giggle escaped the azure blue mare as the other's energy was becoming rather infectious.  "Yes, I am new to the area.  Or, rather, I am just passing through.  Or... Well, I'm not really sure yet.  My name is Bright Eyes.  It's lovely to meet you, Doodle Bug.  I take it you're from here?"

"Well, kinda! It's a long story but that's for another day! So, what brings you to Ponyville? And where are you originally from?? *GASP* Wait wait wait, let me guess... Is it Manehattan??? No? Appaloosa?? ... Are you secretly a fish!!" Doodle's eyes grew wide as she imagined Bright With a fish tail. Then busted out laughing saying that was impossible!

Bright Eyes shook her head in response.  She wasn't from either place, if her voice's subtle accent did not betray her origins.  It had been a while she had heard such unrestrained laughter, an unabashed joy that a pony didn't see every day - or at least, that Bright Eyes didn't see every day as she moved from one place to the next.  The pale blue mare couldn't help but smile.  "As fas as I know, I am all pony and no fish.  I'm from Trottingham.  I thought I would come to Ponyville for a while because..."  Well, she didn't have a conscious reason, and she offered a sheepish grin.  "I have nowhere in particular to go.  I've been traveling for a while on my own."

Doodle stopped dead in her tracks as she planted her hooves firmly against the ground with a startled jaw drop. "WHAAT?? NO HOME TO CALL YOUR OWN?? A PONY ON THE LAMB PERHAPS! No, you'd need a lamb... *Gasp* Well, I could defiantly show you around! It's no trouble at all!! It's gonna be so much fun fun fun!!" Doodle said as she jumped into the air and sailed up high then plopped back down to a gentle hover in front of Bright. "COME ON, THIS WAAY~!" She said bolting off towards town.

The ears of the pale mare folded back as the other expressed her surprise - quite loudly, which Bright Eyes was certainly not accustomed to. Still, she smiled. Doodle Bug was trying to be friendly, and Bright Eyes was in no position to turn down a friend. She had lived in Ponyville once before, but briefly, scarcely long enough to learn the names of stores or the ponies who operated them. Doodle's enthusiasm was rather infectious, anyway, and when the pegasus darted off, Bright Eyes followed at a quick pace - not as quick as the hyperactive mare, but it was fun to try to keep up, anyway. "How long have you lived here? If you don't mind me asking."

Doodle paused from the question silently pondering that herself... "Well, I was... I mean I've lived in White tail for longer than even I can remember alone. I remember I had to forage for food, make shelter and eventually fight off wild animals from my secret berry hiding tree! It was rough, but yeah, I then discovered there were other beings out there like me and curiosity got the better of me, I studied them and watched them from afar until I learned enough words to get on on my own! A few ponies found me, got me cleaned up and a job and boom! Next minute later I'm the talk of Ponyville!!" She then quickly dove behind next to Bright and whispered, "Don't trust Pinkie Pie, she's nuts!"

Bright Eyes nodded as the other mare gave a brief history.  She knew what it was like to be alone, but Doodle's story was a little puzzling, and Bright Eyes was simply too curious to keep her questions to herself.  "You were a filly out here, all alone?"  Had she been abandoned?  The thought was upsetting, and Doodle was only a stranger to her.  But Bright Eyes was an empathetic soul, and the notion of a mother leaving her foal alone in the woods was inconceivable to her.

"Well, I have no idea how I got out here but I've learned more about myself out here than I ever had in a pony culture! But yeah, I had to be conditioned to the culture and the speech and yeah! Here, everything seemed so easy, I'm not sure how I got there, but It did help me grow up learning how to fight and see every little positive thing in a whole bunch of negativity! Eventually I built a log cabin out here more like a large B&B for frightened ponies who get lost because it just felt more like home than the original smoothed together hay top houses!" Doodle then turned to Bright and asked, "So, you're from Trottingham? How was growing up there?"

((If this is still open I'd love to join, but I don't want to break up a good vibe, so just let me know ^^))

As she cast a quick locking spell on her waggon set in a shady spot on the edge of the woods, Knick Knack shuffled the saddle bags sitting over her hindquarters. Had she ever actually been to Ponyville? No... she didn't think so... This small town had been the home of some big adventures and yet she'd never paid it a visit. Would the ponies be friendly? Well, if the stories were anything to go by...

She was so lost in her own thoughts she didn't hear the approaching voices until they were almost upon her.

((Yes it is still open, welcome!!))

She listened silently as Doodle Bug told a brief history of her life, gaining new appreciation for the energetic Pegasus as she explained. Doodle certainly didn't look like a fighter, but was a perfect example of how one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Bright Eyes offered a kind smile. "I have no doubt that you have far greater self-awareness from your time spent alone than most ponies will ever possess." When asked about her own upbringing, Bright Eyes hesitated, feeling oddly guilty to have experienced such an ideal childhood, with two loving parents and a warm bed. "It's an old town, but not very large. My parents still live there, but many are set in their ways. I had to venture out to see who and what else existed beyond Trottingham."

As she turned to navigate around a tree, Bright Eyes came face to face with another mare, another stranger. Bright Eyes dug her hooves into the dirt to stop herself from colliding nose-first with the unknown pony, eyes wide with surprise. "Oh! Pardon me, miss!"

Doodle nodded at Bright's explanation of her past and parents. "A noble cause indeed, my friend!" She said suddenly saluting Bright. it was when she turned around that she almost bumped into another mare. Doodle's Excited gasp filled the air yet again as she replayed the steps upon meeting Bright and held out her hoof talking at the normal mile a minute. "*GASP* Oh my gosh!! Two new ponies in one day!!! THIS MUST BE MY LUCKY DAY YIIIII!" (If the mare shook her hoof or not is your call. If she shook the hoof, Doodle will shake it with her boundless energy, if not, she'd get bored of holding her hoof up for two seconds and just hop around the new mare attempting to pull both Bright and Knick Knack into a huge hug.) "Hiiii!! My name is Doodle Bug and *Gasp* I love your mane!! It's so Nice to meet you!! Have you been in Ponyville Long!! YIIII! What brings you to Whitetail wood?!??"

"Well hello," Knick Knack said, smiling through a slightly startled laugh as she had her hoof shaken enthusiastically and was assaulted by a barrage of comments.
"It's no trouble at all," she said, addressing the blue mare with a smile first before turning to the other patched pony. "Well Knick Knack is the name, and Collecting is the game- I hope I haven't parked my wagon in the way of anything, but it is my first time here so I wasn't quite sure... I'm just checking out the surrounds before heading into Ponyville proper... And oh, thank you, for your remarks on my mane... Where are two friends like yourselves headed? If you don't mind me asking."

She was rather surprised when she was pulled into the hug circle, but Bright Eyes laughed, for once not feeling entirely awkward. Her mouth opened to point out that she and Doodle Bug had only just met mere minutes earlier, but she stopped herself from making comment. Did it really matter if she knew someone years or minutes? A friend was too valuable a thing to squander, and Doodle seemed such a friendly pony that Bright Eyes could already consider her a friend. After the other mares had conversed, Bright Eyes added, "And my name is Bright Eyes, traveler and philosopher. It's lovely to meet you. We were heading into town for a tour, if you would like to join us?"

Doodle then gasped and dropped them suddenly upon hearing the word 'friends' and 'two' being said in the same sentence when clearly there were three ponies in the current vicinity!! "Two?!? I beg to differ, I thought three ponies were standing here! Why not make two three?" She shouted happily followed by giggles. "It's nice to meet you, Knicky! I can call you Knicky, can't I? *Gasp* Oooh, we're gonna have the best fun any three ponies could ever have!!" She then gave a shrill squee as she hopped around knick knack You're welcome to join us, but be warned, Ponyville has a deep dark secret..." She said as her voice suddenly dropped to a fiercely dark tone. It instantly picked back up as she giggled and hopped into the air to hover around while doing some weird air cartwheels and landed with a thump back on the ground.

"I'd love to join you both," Knick Knack announced as the trio began to walk in the direction of Ponyville. "Deep and dark, you say? Well, it can't possibly be that bad if it produces ponies like you." She threw a smile in the direction of Doodle.

Bright Eyes struggled to stay on her hooves when Doodle Bug released the group from the massive hug. Her wandering thoughts threatened to drag her away from the present moment. How long had it been since she had experienced any form of affection? In that moment, her heart ached for her mother and father back in Trottingham. The worst thing about traveling all the time, she decided, was missing a sense of closeness, that sense of intimacy that made a pony feel loved, appreciated. She was enjoying the presence of the other mares, but how long would this last? Would she ever see them again after this? What forces had drawn them together, if only for a day?

Blinking hard, Bright Eyes forced herself back to the present, and she offered her fellow unicorn a gentle laugh. "Actually, I am from the village of Trottingham, not Ponyville. I am only here to visit. Where are you from, miss?"

((If you saw Doodle's announcement, she said her RPs can go on without her for a little, so I guess we'll keep writing her into the background and continuing this lovely conversation?))

"Oh, well... Tiny little place on the outskirts of Fillydelphia was where I grew up, but since then? Let's just say I haven't been home in a while. I guess I got caught up in all this... Equestria's got a lot to offer for the travelling kind. I check in every so often, but my folks know I get restless after too long."
 How long had it been, exactly, since Knick Knack had a chance to talk about herself with other ponies? Most ponies buying cared more about the objects she had on offer, and of course, she was happy to oblige, but... it was a bit of a breath of fresh air. And, unfortunately, she was quickly remembering that talking to other ponies about herself made her get quite... well not afraid, no, that would be silly... but these two seemed friendly enough. Friendlier than most, so she let herself just enjoy the walk and the talk.

She glanced at Nicky with a renewed interest when she spoke of her former home on the outskirts of a big city, and how she traveled a lot. Certainly, Bright Eyes could relate, and she nodded knowingly. The life of a wanderer was a difficult one, and not meant for everyone, but she admired any pony strong enough to survive out there on their own. "What is it that you collect? Antiques, perhaps? I don't have money to buy anything," she admitted. "I have been traveling a long while, myself." Bright Eyes had always had an affinity for old things that others would find useless.

"Oh, anybody can appreciate a good antique," Knick Knack said with a smile. "And I do get them, from time to time, but I'm more interested in the rejects. The failed experiments, or rather, the one-of-a-kind. Little things have big personality, when you let them introduce themselves. For instance, I have a bracelet in at the moment- tremendously old– ugliest thing you've ever seen– but through some kind of lovely old spell it can match the temperature outside quite perfectly! Spells, those too, sometimes, when I can get a hold of them, you can find the most marvellous things in books out of print..." she realised she was rambling and finished with a small laugh. "Sorry, don't let me get carried away like that, I'm slipping into Salespony on you." She looked ahead, and smiled when she saw Ponyville come into view some ways up ahead.

Bright Eyes adored hearing ponies share their passions, that one topic that made them shine and gave them their cutie marks.  She could feel her smile growing wider across her face as she listened to Knick Knack.  There was admittedly something poetic about the way she spoke of making undesirable things into a treasure, something so unique that it was the only one of its kind in existence.  The pale blue unicorn mare nearly stopped in her tracks when she mentioned old, out of print books.  Already, she could imagine the old, worn pages, the lavish writing in ink dried long ago. Strange, ancient spells, a magic entirely new to Bright Eyes. "I would love to see that!" She blurted out, before looking down sheepishly.  "Sorry." Ponyville was just ahead, though Bright Eyes had no particular reason to visit other than to meet other ponies.

((I don't know what to do here without Doodle... She's our guide to Ponyville, after all, and if we go further this thread will probably wind up finished. If you like, we could pause this one to wait for her, open up another thread and say it happens after the three of them, I don't know, explore town and grab a bite at sugar cube corner? We could then justifiably part ways with her and Bright Eyes could come back with Knick Knack and check out the waggon if she actually had enough interest in that..))

((She is definitely interested in seeing Knick Knack's knick knacks! Maybe they could experiment with some old spells? I can start up a new thread for the two when I get home later, or you're welcome to begin if you have any starter ideas!))