Twilight, Malibu and Spike both had packed up for their journey to Ponyville for the past couple days. Malibu himself was excited but nervous. He hoped the ponies there would be nice. Celestia had seen him feeling nervous.

"It is normal to feel nervous, my son. But we shall all be together again on the Summer Sun Celebration, I promise," she murmured gently. Malibu nodded at his mom, embracing her wing hug before eventually breaking apart to join Twilight at their carriage that would take them to the town.

Twilight's family was there to wish their daughter well on her journey. Twilight Velvet had even hugged Malibu too and asked him to take care of her little pony.

Twilight blushed. "Mom, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she said in an awkward voice. Malibu grinned, nudging her. "You know I will watch your back, Twi," he said. Twilight just rolled her eyes after another heartfelt goodbye with her brother.

The trio stepped into the carriage and the pegasi guards took off.

....

On their journey Spike read through a letter that Celestia had written down for them; but mostly to Twilight.

"And I have another important task for you to complete: Make some new friends!" Spike read with a grin. Twilight groaned in irritation from this. Malibu put a wing around her.

"Hey, don't think of it as a bad thing. It might be fun! Mali- I've wanted to meet other ponies since Canterlot," he assured. Twilight stomped her hoof, the carriage shaking a bit.

"Nightmare Moon is coming, Malibu! I shouldn't be wasting time with this nonsense!" She said heatedly. Malibu's ears fell. He was concerned now about Twilight's new behavior. She seemed different now than from before. Spike attempted to cheer up the atmosphere.

"Well look on the bright side, Twilight! The Princess arranged for you to stay in the Golden Oaks Library! Doesn't that make you happy?"

Then she perked up in just seconds. "Yes, yes it does. You two know why? Because I'm right! I'll just check on the preparations as fast as I can. Then get to the library to find some proof of Nightmare Moon's return!" Malibu frowned a little from this.

"But Twi, when will you try and make friends?" He asked. Spike nodded. Twilight rolled her eyes as they came closer. "Malibu, I understand you're worried about my social life, but I am Celestia's student, and I'll do my royal duty. But the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends," she finished right as they touched ground. The two guards whinnied upon landing. Malibu couldn't help but chuckle softly at that. He always liked horse noises upon discovering them with Maggie.

Twilight thanked them and the trio made their way through the streets. Malibu glanced about with a smile. Ponyville seemed like a quaint little town with happy looking ponies. He blinked a bit when he thought he recognized one but pressed on with his friends.

"Maybe the ponies in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about!" Spike then said, right as a pink pony with a frizzy mane and balloons for her cutie mark came, smiling.

Malibu nudged Twilight who looked unsure. "C'mon, Twi. Just say hi to start," he encouraged. Twilight smiled a bit at the teal alicorn and gulped, clearing her throat.

"Uh, hello?"

What happened next startled even Malibu and Spike. The pink pony gasped, jumping into the air then zipping away. Malibu just started thunderstruck. Spike scratched his head. Twilight just frowned.

"Well, that was interesting alright," she grumbled, walking away to their first destination. Spike rolled his eyes while Malibu just shrugged. "It was only one pony who ran away. I'm sure the others will be fine with talking to you," he said.

Eventually they arrived at their first stop: Sweet Apple Acres for checking on the food to eat at the celebration.

The trio walked through the gateway and Malibu heard someone let out a "Yee-haw!" He glanced about at the sight of an orange farm pony whose mane was in a ponytail (the irony), wearing a cowgirl hat and had three apples for her cutie mark.

With amazing strength she bucked the apple trees, making them all fall into the baskets perfectly. She stood there proudly. Malibu couldn't help but be impressed. Twilight sighed. "Huh, let's get this over with," she mumbled. Malibu smiled at the orange pony when Twilight introduced herself. She instantly grasped her hoof in an energetic hoofshake.

"Well, howdy doo miss, Twilight! A pleasure making your acquaintance! And you, you that alicorn I heard of, ain't ya?" She asked. He nodded. "Yeah, Malibu," he introduced. The former gargoyle clone ended up having his hooves shaken, too. "I'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends!"

Twilight winced. "Friends? Actually... we..." Applejack stopped shaking their hooves. "So, what can I do ya fer?" She asked. Malibu felt a little dizzy from the hoof shaking but shook himself out of it. Twilight kept on shaking her hoof until Spike stopped her, laughing.

Twilight had explained they were checking on the food for the Summer Sun Celebration. "So you're in charge?"Malibu asked. Applejack nodded. "We sure sugar are! You all care to sample some?" Malibu felt his stomach rumble when AJ brought forth all sorts of apple treats provided by her huge family, including Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith.

They ended up coaxing the three friends to have a taste test of the food which Malibu was happy to accept though Twilight wasn't thrilled. He sampled two apple pies and really enjoyed the taste of apple fritters and apple brown betties, which became his favorite, and downed it with sweet apple juice.

Twilight ended up eating more than him though and suffered a bloated belly on their way out. Applejack offered Malibu to come back anytime. He nodded.

"The food was great, thank you!" He called to them. The Apple family waved them goodbye. Twilight groaned.

"Didn't you enjoy the food?" Malibu asked. Twilight glanced at him. "Yeah, but had too much pie..." she mumbled. He nudged her. "Well you can walk it off now, I'm sure you'll be fine." She nodded, looking down. Spike read the checklist.

"Well, weather's next. There's supposed to be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds," Spike said, glancing up. Twilight did, too; frowning at all the clouds.

"She's not doing a very good job, isn't she?" She grumbled. Malibu spoke up. "I'm sure she'll do it, probably got dis—oof!"

What had happened was that a rainbow blur knocked straight into Twilight and Malibu, throwing them into the mud. Malibu looked upward to see a pretty mare's face plastered in mud as well lying on top of him. He felt his face turn red, grinning nervously. Rainbow Dash chuckled awkwardly, climbing off of him.

"Uh, excuse me? Let me help you two." She zipped off and came back with a raincloud, dousing them until they were all clean, but soaked.

"Guess I overdid it." She said. Malibu shrugged. "I can dry myself, mom showed me," he said, flapping his wings then twirling in the air, fanning himself dry, even flipping back his mane. He never put too much effort into it, anyway, since he never did it as a gargoyle clone. It looked frizzed but not too bad. Rainbow's eyes brightened. "Wow!" She exclaimed, looking to Twilight then did her own way to dry her. "Watch this! My very own official Rain-Blow Dry!"

She was a rainbow blur around Twilight and then finished in two seconds. Malibu nodded in thanks to Rainbow then noticed Twilight's frizzy mane, and her mad look. Rainbow Dash couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Malibu did his best not to laugh but it was kind of funny looking. Spike had collapsed on the ground like Rainbow did.

"Let me guess, you're Rainbow Dash," Twilight grumbled. Rainbow snapped from her laughter and stood proudly. Malibu kept smiling and his heart fluttered a bit. The only time he ever felt like this was around Delilah. She was pretty in his eyes and helped him pull free of Thailog's control when he claimed he would go with Delilah. But now he was miles away from her, and just seeing this daring pony in front of him, he couldn't describe how he was feeling now.

Rainbow nodded. "The one and only! Why? You've heard of me?" Twilight kept glaring. "I heard you were supposed to be keeping the sky clear!" She snapped. Malibu glared at her before doing the greetings.

"Uh, well, you met Twilight Sparkle, and I'm Malibu," he said nervously, turning red again. Rainbow Dash raised her brow a bit from his red cheeks but ignored it. "And we were sent by the Princess to check on the weather."

Rainbow now lay on a cloud. Malibu had once laid on a cloud too, which felt so soft and fluffy. He had been excited when Celestia brought him up to sit on the clouds with her.

Rainbow Dash claims she will do it after practicing. Malibu asked for what, and she pointed to a poster of proud looking pegasi. "The Wonderbolts! They're gonna be performing at the celebration tomorrow, and I'm gonna show em my stuff!" She said excitedly. That was one thing Malibu had yet to witness. With everything else he was learning he didn't have time to see an extreme sport event. When he had told Rainbow this she was shocked.

"You mean, you haven't gotten to go yet?" She gasped. Malibu shrugged. "Mom said I needed to learn up about culture more before taking me there so I'd be prepared. Rainbow facepalmed. "Seriously? All you gotta do is just go! It's worth it, trust me!" Twilight scoffed. "They wouldn't accept a Pegasus who can't keep the sky clear in one measly day!" This struck Rainbow. She claimed to be able to in 10 seconds and even proved it, clearing it up quickly.

Malibu had a big smile on his face, he couldn't keep his eyes off the performance. She truly was something. Maybe he could get her to teach him some flying tricks.

Rainbow snickered at the look of disbelief on Twilight's face, and just smiled at the look of admiration on Malibu's. "You should see the look on your faces! You're a laugh, Twilight Sparkle! Can't wait to hang out some more!" Twilight snapped from her trance upon hearing this.

The pegasus then punched Malibu lightly on the shoulder. "Hope you and I can get together again soon," she offered. Malibu just nodded, still smiling. Rolling her eyes and chuckling, Rainbow zoomed off.

Malibu sighed. "She's something..." he breathed, heart still fluttering. Sure, he still liked Delilah, but Rainbow had a strong personality and confidence surged in her body. Spike was giggling at Twilight's fluffed mane. She grumbled.

"Hey, it's kinda pretty once you get used to it!" He said in an attempt to cheer her up.

...

Eventually they met up with two other ponies for decorations and music; whose names were Rarity and Fluttershy. Rarity was a white unicorn with a fancy purple mane and diamonds for her cutie mark who oversaw the preparations for the Town Hall decor. Malibu liked her fine despite her being a bit too obsessed over fashion. But she was friendly enough. Spike had ended up getting the hots for her while Rarity made an attempt to groom Twilight's mane and give her an outfit.

When they mentioned they were from Canterlot while Rarity was adjusting a hat on Malibu, Rarity squealed.

"CANTERLOT?! Oh, the glamor, the sophistication! I always dreamed of living there, I can't wait to hear all about it! We're going to be such dear friends, I know it! Emerald? What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies! And your hat needs some sequence!"

Malibu attempted to say his hat was fine but coughed when the glitter was given to him. When she left to get the rubies Twilight escaped, taking Malibu and Spike with her.

Fluttershy, however, was a totally different character. They saw her conducting birds to a song for the ceremony, and got startled when they called up to her.

She flew down next to the trio and just pawed the ground, looking down. Malibu smiled when coming up to the yellow pegasus.

"Hi, we're friends," he greeted gently, holding out his hoof. She glanced at the former gargoyle with shyness. Twilight grinned awkwardly. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. This is Malibu. What's your name?"

Fluttershy trembled. "I-I'm fluttershy..." she said shakily. Malibu then decided to make it interesting for her since she seemed shy around other ponies. And since he himself wasn't really a pony by blood, it made sense to tell her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fluttershy. But did you know I'm not really an alicorn?" He asked gently. She looked up. "Really?" She asked in curiosity and there was a spark of excitement. He nodded. "I'm a gargoyle. A clone of one, to be precise."

Now that set off something he didn't expect; she gave a soft squeal of excitement and looked him over. His ears fell back.

"Uh..." he said awkwardly. "What happened? You were so..." Fluttershy blushed.

"Sorry, I have a great fondness for animals. And I never met a gargoyle before. I read about them. But you mentioned you were a clone. Of who?"

Malibu recalled his original doner. "His name was Brooklyn of the Manhattan Clan back on Earth. My master Thailog took his blood and created me and the other clones. But he programmed me to just obey Thailog, and that was all. But my mom Celestia found me when I was sent here and raised me to be independent," he said, feeling that guilt chewing back into him.

Suddenly he felt Fluttershy give him a hug. "I'm happy you came, Malibu, and that the Princess helped you." She said softly and kindly. Malibu felt himself smile, hugging her back. Twilight felt a bit impatient but allowed Malibu to have this moment.

She then got interested in Spike, too, and followed them to the library as Spike told his whole life story which Malibu felt a little unnecessary but interesting.

At last the library came into view, which looked welcoming. Malibu felt rather tired, but thought Twilight was a little rude when claiming that Spike was tired and slammed the door in her face.

Malibu gave Twilight a disapproving gaze. "Rude much?" Spike said, having his own glare. Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. But I have to convince the princess that Nightmare Moon is coming and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time!"

Malibu raised his voice in their defense. "But Twilight, they weren't mean, well, not so sure about the pink one, but the rest of them were at least welcoming us and Applejack didn't even charge us for her food. At least give them a chance!"

Twilight huffed. "That's the point, they distract me from getting things done! Now where's the light?"

That was when the lights turned on, revealing the entire town there, a party set up for them, startling the trio.

"SURPRISE!"

Malibu was completely startled by the appearance of the party but felt a bit of cheer from it. Twilight though just groaned in exasperation.