The Third Generation

[RainbowDash7432 97]

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

A cerulean coated pony with a rainbow-colored mane trotted through the streets of this strange new town, taking in the unfamiliar surrounding and the ponies that resided in it. She was glad to have found some form of civilization after hours of aimless wander, but these ponies looked very strange to her eyes. And the fact that some of them would wave at her, casually calling out her name as they passed, was even stranger. At first she had been too surprised to respond to such calls, but she knew she couldn’t avoid interaction much longer. She needed to find out where she was, if she were ever to find a way home.

 

In the corner of her eye, she saw a lavender unicorn pony leaving a building she surmised from the exterior was a bakery. Their eyes met, and the stranger’s eyes lit up; this was as good an opportunity as any.

 

“Excuse me, darling,” spoke the cerulean pony. “My name is Rainbow Dash, and I seem to have gotten myself lost. I was wondering if you could be so kind as to tell me where I am.”

 

The stranger looked at her questioningly, and Rainbow Dash only now noticed her bipedal companion, a small light-purple creature she could not identify, that looked as though it was about to burst out laughing. Which it did. “Good one, Dash! Is this for the theater performance next week, The Wandering Beauty? I thought you wanted to be the troll.”

 

“I, for one, think you look gorgeous,” said the lavender unicorn, expression softening. Then added, “Did you lose a bet again?”

 

Rainbow Dash was quite at a loss for words. A theater performance? After a few moments, she managed, “You must be mistaking me for someone else, darlings. I only came to this town just now. Just a few hours ago I was having a tea party with my friends, and then next thing I knew, I was on a field, far from my village. It’s a small miracle I even found this place.”

 

The creature and the lavender pony exchanged looks, whereas they eyed Rainbow Dash again. “If she’s acting,” remarked the creature, “she’s freakishly good.”

 

“No Spike, look,” the lavender pony pointed a hoof. “She’s got no wings! And her cutie mark is different!”

 

“Hey, you’re right!” noted the creature named Spike. Were they referring to the rainbow mark on her flank? A cutie mark? And did she just call him Spike? “Come to think of it, Rainbow Dash would never keep her mane this styled long enough for other ponies to see.”

 

“We’re sorry,” the lavender pony addressed Rainbow Dash. “It’s just that a friend of ours is also called Rainbow Dash, and she looks very… actually, almost identical… to you.”

 

“Plus, she wouldn’t be caught dead using the word ‘darling’,” remarked Spike.

 

Rainbow Dash let out a small laugh. “That’s okay, darlings. This certainly explained why people were waving at me. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it.”

 

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistant Spike,” she introduced. “He’s a baby dragon. As for where you are, this is Ponyville.”

 

“Ponyville?” gasped Rainbow Dash. “But darling, I