A Clumsy Arrival

The cheerful tunes of songbirds greeted Bright Eyes upon her arrival to Ponyville. The journey from Trottingham hadn't seem as long as the others claimed, and she had enjoyed the scenery the entire trip. Her smile stretched almost from ear to ear when she saw the town for the very first time, bustling with life already that morning. There was no one there to meet the new arrival, no one aware of her existence, but this didn’t make the unicorn mare feel nervous. On the contrary, it only added to the adventure of the day. She had not even found a new home to live in yet, but she was confident that everything would work out.

This was her dream, after all – how could it possibly go wrong?

As she passed other ponies along the road, she offered wide, toothy smiles and a friendly nod of hello. The sun was shining and the moment was nearly perfect as her hooves tapped a steady rhythm against the cobblestone. A bluebird swooped over her head, a symbol of happiness and good fortune, and Bright Eyes failed to see the rock in her path. Before she could think twice, her right front hoof tripped over the stone, sending her pale blue form toppling. She tumbled once, twice, three times before finally she came to a stop in a dazed heap.

Rising back to her hooves, Bright Eyes glanced about to see if anyone had noticed her spill, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. A complete lack of grace was not the best way to start her first day in Ponyville, and the mare heaved a sigh. She brushed the dust from her coat, humming quietly to herself. The birds were still singing away. Oh well, she thought to herself. I'm pretty sure no one noticed, anyway. With her head ducked, she turned to continue along her way, peeking curiously into shop windows.

(Welcome to the forum!)

Calla Lily watched a mare take a spill from her front yard, and she hid her laughter behind her hooves. Laughing at the misfortune of others was rude, and it was something Calla should know, after living in Canterlot for some time as a filly.

The unicorn followed the mare with curious eyes. A new muzzle in Ponyville was not uncommon, but this one seemed pretty interesting, and unicorns were uncommon on the little town.

Eventually, curiosity won, and Calla left her little garden, which was attached to her house, which happened to be in the center of town.

"Hello," she said to the other blue unicorn. "You seem pretty new to Ponyville, and I just wanted to give you a greeting, as it seems like nopony else has. So, hi! My name is Calla Lily."

Bright Eyes hadn’t gone far when she caught movement from the corner of her eye, and saw another unicorn approaching – another mare, but a few shades darker than Bright Eyes herself. The friendly mare greeted the newcomer, who offered a sheepish grin.

She suspected Calla Lily had seen her tumble, but the other was polite enough not to mention it. Bright Eyes was silently grateful for this. ”Yep, I just arrived from Trottingham! I’m Bright Eyes. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a genuine smile accompanied by a nod.

Her eyes shifted to the other’s flank to see what the mark there would say about the mare, but the symbol was foreign to Bright Eyes. She blinked as she looked back to Calla, trying her best to mask her confusion, but Bright Eyes was not a pony skilled at hiding her feelings – usually, her thoughts were written clearly across her features, obscured only by her glasses.

Except – now she wasn’t wearing any glasses. ”Oh no! My glasses!” Worry crept into her eyes as her vision blurred. Thankfully, she had not traveled far from the scene of the incident.