The Royal Foal-Hood Chapter 2
Uke-Joe
Time passed quickly for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Tate now included. They had gone all around Ponyville everyday after school, trying new things, but none of them had found their cutie marks. A few weeks after winter wrap up, they were sitting in the clubhouse, tossing a bouncy ball around and trying to figure out what to do that day.
“I'm so bored”, Sweetie Belle sighed, bouncing the ball to Scootaloo.
“Join the club”, said Scootaloo, tossing the ball to Applebloom.
“What club? Is there a club for being bored? Sounds awful if ya ask me”, said Applebloom, who bounced the ball to Tate, who wasn't paying attention when the ball hit him and bounced out the window.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders collectively sighed, when Scootaloo gasped.
“I know what we're doing wrong, everypony!”, she blurted out, met with curious stares. She continued, “we're only searching for our Cutie Marks inside of Ponyville! What if we go somewhere else?”
“Ah dunno Scootaloo, Applejack says Ah can't go to any place outside of Ponyville, at least not by myself”. Tate and Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. Tate knew that Luna and Celestia wouldn't want him going anywhere without at least asking them first.
“Well what about... Zecora's?” asked Scootaloo, “She isn't even that far from Ponyville, and I know Fluttershy and Twilight visit her all the time!”
Tate thought about it. He had heard of the Zebra that lived just outside of Ponyville, but never visited her before. Seeing as Luna and Celestia didn't expect him back at the Town Hall until at least supper time, he agreed to the idea.
“Awesome! That's two of us coming. Now what about you two- or are you both chicken?”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said yes finally, and the Crusaders set off to Zecora's house.
“So, what are we going to learn from Zecora anyways?” asked Tate
“Maybe she will let us make some potions or something!” offered Sweetie Belle
“Ah don't think so, ah may not have made such a great first impression with her...” said Applebloom.
Tate threw her a questioning glance. Catching this, she sighed and told him the story of how she caught the Cutie Pox from stealing some materials from Zecora. Having the reasons why Zecora probably wouldn't show them how to make any potions explained, they tried coming up with something to ask her to teach them.
“How about how to be a Zebra?” said Applebloom excitedly.
“You can't just be a Zebra, Applebloom!” said Sweetie Belle, “It's not like you can teach it to anypony.”
“Even I knew that, Applebloom”, said Scootaloo. Applebloom looked disappointed.
Tate came up with an idea, “How about she teaches us Zebraic?”
The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked excited at this idea, except for Scootaloo, who looked horrified that Tate would even think of that.
“A new language? Come ON, Tate, I wanna have my Cutie Mark be something cool”, Scootaloo groaned. “Besides, that’s like, a LOT of work”.
“Ah think its a great idea! We could be... hmmm...” Sweetie Belle picked up were Applebloom left off, “ Cutie Mark Crusader TRANSLATORS! YAY!” Tate, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom all joined in the traditional hoof-bumping ceremony.
Scootaloo, seeing she was outnumbered, reluctantly agreed as the Crusaders trotted towards Zecora's house. Upon arrival, They jumped and knocked on the door.
“Hello there, young Crusaders, I assume you're here to be my aiders?” greeted Zecora.
“Actually, Zecora, we were wondering about some thing different.” said Applebloom
“Could you maybe teach us how to speak Zebraic?” asked Sweetie Belle, eyes on full cute mode.
“Why, of course, my little one; consider our session already begun!”
The Crusaders walked inside, taking a seat around a table, where Zecora had set out some water and glasses. But not water in the glasses?
“Zebraic is an easy language to learn, you are assured to be fluent once you return”, the Zebra continued, “simply rhyme the two words at the middle and end of a saying, and soon a zebraic message you will be conveying.”
“Rainbow Dash is very cool, because... uhhh”, Scootaloo thought for a minute, “her speed can make a whirlpool?”
“Almost there young Scootaloo, the rest of you give it a try too.”
“Eating apples is very great, because you don't have to use a plate?”
“My sister's name is Rarity, but I wish she didn't yell at me?”
“My sisters brought me to the Gala, but it was even less fun than having pneumonia.”
The Zebra smiled and urged them all to continue, and before long they were all speaking fluent Zebraic to each other, with Zecora only participating in the conversation, not leading it.
“Hey guys, did anyone notice it's pretty dark?”, started Scootaloo, looking outside. “Oh! And did anyone find their cutie mark?”
They all checked their flanks, but found that they were all as blank as before. Seeing that the young ponies looked saddened, their zebra friend spoke up.
“You may not have found your cutie mark, but on your excellent progress, I must remark.”
They cheered up somewhat at this, “Ah suppose we did learn a lot today, and Ah did have lots of fun here anyway!” Applebloom said. The Crusaders had to agree, it had been a good time with Zecora that day.
“We probably have to get back to town, before Celestia calls the Royal guard down”, said Tate.
The Zebra smiled as the young ponies walked away, happily conversing in Zebraic to each other. She shut the door as the last of them said their goodbyes.
Tate knew Luna and Celestia had wanted him back earlier, plus he was hungry, so he flew straight home as soon as he left the rest of the Crusaders. His flying wasn't great, but it got him from point A to point B without many difficulties, although he had been caught in the path between Sugarcube Corner and a muffin craving pegasus once since he learned to fly. He landed at the Town hall and walked inside.
“Evening, Tate” said Luna, sitting down at their main table eating a hay sandwich.
“Tate! Wherever did you run off to?” asked Celestia.
“If there's some more of that hay, I'd surely be glad to say”, replied the hungry young Prince.
Luna slid Celestia's sandwich across the table to Tate, just as Celestia had begun reaching for it. Celestia shot daggers at her sister, who in return stuck out her tongue at her. Celestia stood up and walked over to get another sandwich. Tate took a big bite of the sandwich and swallowed before continuing.
Tate recalled the events of the day, all in Zebraic of course, to the Princesses, who seemed rather impressed with his quick mastery of the language.
“It's been awhile since I've practiced my Zebraic” said Luna, “hmmmm... lets see... The other day I thought I saw a massive balloon, when I realized it was Celestia, flying to the moon.”
“You want to see flying to the moon... little sister?”, Celestia responded, putting emphasis on little. Luna scowled, as the elements of harmony which had restored her from her Nightmare Moon state canceled out 1000 years worth of growth and had taken at least a hoof off her height.
Before the hooves and the chance to start flying, Tate spoke up, “Before you two start throwing all the food at each other again, I was wondering if one of you or both of you could come to school with me sometime this upcoming week for family appreciation day”.
The sisters thought about this. It was a quiet time in the year for the princesses, and they were both free all that week, so they supposed that both of them could go.
“Alright, we're both free tomorrow, if that works”, said Celestia.
“But Celly- mfph!”, Luna started to complain, only to find a hay sandwich shoved in her mouth by Celestia, who silently cursed herself for wasting a perfectly good sandwich that she was going to eat.
Tate smiled to them and said thanks before trotting off to his bed. The Princesses smiled back at him, as best as Luna could with a mouthful of sandwich. Once he was gone Luna took a big gulp of water and washed down the sandwich.
“Celly! Why did thou sign us up for such an event?!?”, Luna spoke, deciding that the situation called for the royal Canterlot voice.
“Well you aren't doing anything, are you sister?”
“Well... no. But are you sure we are the appropriate ponies to come for his family appreciation day?”
Celestia sighed, “If you recall Luna, we met under similar circumstances. You were brought to me by one of my most trusted friends when I was still just a young ruler. Nopony claimed you, so you stayed with me, eventually controlling the night and getting every star in the sky to stand out in beautiful form at night, a thousand times better than I could ever do it. The point is, one day Tate is going to grow up and have his own special talent, or his own force to control for the rest of his very, very long life. He's as much our little brother as you are my little sister” said Celestia, nuzzling her sister. “My very little sister”, she added with a wink.
Luna's smile shrunk a little at that, but only a little. She laughed and turned around to face out the window. “Very well sister. I guess it can't be that bad. How long could it take to tell Tate's class about how I put the moon up at night, and bring it down in the morning?”
Celestia laughed, “I'm glad you see it my way” she said as she began her way up the stairs, “Night Lu-Lu”.
“Night Celly”, Luna spoke as she quickly re-arranged some stars in the night sky, waiting to hear the shrieking from upstairs.
***
Applebloom stared out her window, as she couldn't get to sleep. “Ah wonder who Celly is”, she said to herself. “And why does it matter if her flanks are as big as the...” she paused, wondering what that arrow of stars was pointing to? The moon maybe?
She shook her head. It was probably was just some foalish little unicorn getting some immature revenge on her sister or something like that.
Applebloom had ran straight home after saying goodbye to Zecora and walking a bit with Tate before he flew off. She was glad he had been in Ms. Cheerilee's class, and not still in Canterlot. He was an important part of the Crusaders now, and when he had learned to fly, they threw him a surprise party at Sugarcube Corner. They had a good time that day, with plenty of cake and sweets followed by plenty of crusading.
“Of course, every day spent with Tate is a good day” she thought to herself, “Ah mean, spent with Tate AND Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo of course” She corrected herself.
She yawned, “Ah guess Ah am tired” she said, walking back to her bed. She pet Winona, who was laying at the foot of her bed. “Goodnight y'all”, she called, before turning off her light and pulling her covers over her.