//------------------------------// // Chapter 17; Letter from the Fort // Story: Through the Looking Glass // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Through the Looking Glass Chapter 17: Letter from the fort Sunrise over Ponyville as the first train of the morning arrived from the south on route to Canterlot with the whistle sounding as it slows to a stop and ponies getting on and off with one Pony putting a mail bag off the train for ponies in Ponyville. Derpy Hooves arrived with her mail bag and hat on to pick up the mail that arrived to get it sorted at the post office, she takes the bag off the stallion that had place the mail bag down and took it to the post office to be sorted. “Wow it really light today there must be only a hoof full of letters today, this be perfect” she smiled as she flew with it held in her hooves. Twilight saw her fly over with a smile she continued to walk “At least it mail and not a moving truck” she recalled what happened with her following Pinkie Pie to understand the reason behind her Pinkie senses. Twilight noticed Applejack walking to the post office “Morning Applejack” “Morning Twil” Applejack saw Twilight and went over to her “ah am on the way to the post office to send these here letters off” she shows the bag full of letters “All to family and cousins for a family reunion” Twilight remember seeing them on her very first day at Ponyville “I remember them, they was all there to show off their food” “Yep and the first day we became friends, by the way sugarcube there was one cousin you didn’t meet there” Applejack spoke then continued to talk as they walked to the post office “Her name is Chestnut and she help run the wheat business of growing, harvest and all sorts at a town called Fort Hooves” Twilight remembered reading about it “The stone wall fort on the most southern tip of Equestria right?” Twilight seeing if she was right. “Yep that right and when the fort was made they had real dealings with dragons back then and they are all only Earth Ponies that live there, the weather is very unpredictable” Applejack spoke in reply seeing that Twilight had been reading up of Fort Hooves. “Guess ya knew that to right?” Twilight watching the skies for a second then spoke “Yeah and I bet Rainbow Dash would love it there since she would get all the time she needs to practice her moves” Twilight also recalled a historic find as well “Do you know anything about the Isle Kingdom?” Applejack thought about it moving her eyes to the left and right trying to recall it then spoke “Only once from Chestnut saying that their Marshal found it while moving a huge storm from the southern ocean away from Fort Hooves” “Moving? But I thought all of them was Earth Ponies” Twilight stopped and Applejack turn around. She smirked “Nope there a Marshal there by the name of Hurricane, Marshal Hurricane is the first and only Pegasi there and been keeping law, order and the weather perfect for the towns ponies whom voted him into Marshal for so long they don’t even bother now and let him stay hence his name being marked as Marshal Hurricane” Applejack explained about the Pegasi pony that marshals the town. Twilight now wanting to write this down “I am going to have to do research on him” she and Applejack laughed and continue to walk till they arrived at the post office to see Derpy giving the post bag to the head postal officer of Ponyville. Derpy saw Applejack and came over “Cool you knew I was going to be delivering this for you” Derpy pulled out a letter and gives it to Applejack “Time for me to do good things” she flies off instantly to take the mail to other ponies in Ponyville. “My it from Chestnut… now that is a surprise she usually never writes to any pony” Applejack opens it and look at the letter as she sat there. “Hey ya Cousin sorry about missing the last few family reunions but everytime you throw one it always when it the busiest time of the year for me and those at Fort Hooves, that not why I am writing this though, I been given word that Princess Celestia is going to visit our town by the end of the week and thinking how reliable and all good things I heard about your element and such I thought I ask if you and some of your friends could really help us out. It would be great and I wold be able to see one of my cousins once more. Yours truly Chestnut” Applejack finished reading it and Twilight eyes widen “Fort Hooves!? Whoa that would be really amazing to go there and help your cousin out too, it sounds like they never had a visit from the Princess” Applejack saw Twilight was excited by this “Well truth be told ah never heard once of the Princess visiting ah think the last time she did was about 30 odd years ago way before we was even around for the sun raise celebrations” Twilight recalled reading about that “I read about that once but why now?” Applejack thought about the ruins “Could the ruins of Isle Kingdom have something to do with it?” “I think so, I only know little about it as you do, legend goes it was the first kingdom that ponies of all three types was in union and when the Elements of Harmony was first formed over 6000 years ago but something happened to cause the islands of the Kingdom to sink and all was left was the castle. It very sketchy at best on the subject since there been no real proof of it location till recently as you said Marshal Hurricane finding it” Twilight spoke about what she knew and putting some of the pieces together from her facts and Applejack’s details of Marshal Hurricane finding the ruins. Applejack smiled “ah think ah might take her up on that offer then, also we could bring the other girls to” Twilight smiled back “Great idea, but what about Electuroo? I am sure he would love to come along” “Well ah am sure he would sugarcube but he and the rest of his family at Canterlot at the moment.” Applejack spoke in reply “Don’t say ya forgot” Twilight looked a little sheepish “Yeah it kind of slip my mind” she laughed a little “guess a bit of family time is what they need about now.” Rainbow Dash lands in front of them “Hey girls how things today?” “Oh hi Rainbow Dash we was just talking about going on a trip to Fort Hooves to help Applejack’s cousin, what are you up to?” Twilight replied and wondering what Rainbow Dash been doing this morning. She sighed and sat down with front hooves behind her head “Bored, since Electuroo went with his mum and sister to Canterlot I been doing the usually things as a weather pony does but other then that snoozing and about it, not been in the mood to do any real stunt practice” Applejack smirked “Sounds like ya really enjoy y'all free time with a certain colt” “Ye…” Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack instantly “Wait a horses minute! He got speed and a great training bud!” she snapped in defence of her reasons. “So he spiced things up a little since living here in Ponyville doesn’t mean something like what you thinking is happening” Applejack laughing a little “Wow ya sure tense up Dashie when that spoken, guess impressions are deceiving” Rainbow Dash just waved a hoof at that “well what ever AJ. So what is this about Fort Hooves?” “We about to go ask the other girls if they like to tag along to Fort Hooves, Princess Celestia is going to be there and we think there more to it than a visit” Twilight said to Rainbow Dash “Like what?” this got her attention. Applejack then answered this “Recently ruins on a southern coast was found with a set of islands believed to be the legendary Isle Kingdom from over 6000 years ago, ah am sure a novel would be made of that place specially a Daring-Do one” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up “Wow I would love to see ruins like that before even it was in a book” she thought how her own views could become part of a Daring-Do book. “I am in but why now?” “Oh sugarcube it my cousin Chestnut that ya got to thank, she sent this here letter to me about Princess Celestia and also word getting back about a Marshal Hurricane pony finding some ruins not to far from the town” Applejack explained Rainbow Dash heard the name and turn to her with hooves on her face “The Marshal Hurricane!? The one and only Pegasi in Fort Hooves that has one of the strongest wing powers around to move crazy storms paths!? That marshal!?” Applejack got herself out of the hold laughing “Sound like someone got a fan” she laughed “Yeah well he refused to join the Wonderbolts more then once, he some what of a Pegasi that is not only cool but has the same colour coat as me part from the rainbow of cause” she smirked Twilight shook her head “Sound like a serious pony then. I only seen one picture of him and he taller then the normal stallion pony, most likely to his living style at the southern parts” “Yeah well you got me in on this now, let get the others” “Alright lets” Applejack replied to Rainbow Dash and they set of to get Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Canterlot… The business part of the city was really busy as ponies went on with their day to day lives as Electuroo on the other hand was on a cloud above the busy streets lying there and reading a Daring-Do book after Rainbow Dash persuaded him to take one with him on the trip and now glad he did. “If it wasn’t for this book I be going a bit stur crazy by now with everything going so slow…” he whispered to himself turning a page reading the story in his head. At the tower where the telescope was Princess Luna had just about to settle down since her sister asked to keep things going since she had to prepare for Fort Hooves. “Tia put some much trust to we on this thou I think this is a trail to see how well we-I can cope” She noticed Electuroo on the cloud not to far just chilling out and reading. “Strange I thought he would be with his family since I heard they all came together for a stay at Canterlot” She thought about flying over but saw below in the market area Stardust and Angel walking down the streets and stopping at a shop. “I wonder where your brother gotten to, he usually would find something to do with his time” Stardust turn to Angel “He above us on that cloud” Angel points to a cloud seeing a wing peering over the edge. “I think he been reading that book Rainbow Dash gave to him” Stardust smiled a little “Normally that would be me reading a book, guess this world can easily change how others would fit in” she turn to Angel “Look how you two became since being in Ponyville, you’re a assistant to Rarity and Electuroo help with the weather two things I never thought of either of you would be doing” Angel laughed a little “Yeah and you working at Sweet Apple Acres” “Indeed but hard work is always been something that I always done” Stardust replied then raised her head calling up to the cloud “Son meet you back at the hotel later on ok? We got to get ready for that party we was invited to at the palace” Electuroo peered over the cloud looking down “Alright mum I’ll be there, no need to remind me” “Well you have a force of habit of forgetting” he smirked and waving a hoof went back to reading. “Sometimes I wonder about that boy of mine…” she laughed and they both set of to check another stall out to see what they selling. Electuroo sighed a little looking to the book pages “Going to the palace would be cool but why some boring top notch party with smooth music posh ponies talking about their rich life styles…”he said to himself with another sigh “Guess we lucky to be going to one anyhow” Not knowing it at the time as he read more of the story, the cloud was moved slowly with Luna’s magic towards her window and stopped it shy of it as he seem to be in a world of his own reading the story as Princess Luna looked over to the side of his head to see what he was reading “Ah the famed stories of Daring-Do” “Yeah it something that Rainbow Dash got me into…” he replied without taking any notice of whom he was speaking to making her laugh a little seeing how caught up he was in the book. For about an hour he continued to just read with Luna reading as well without him even realizing whom was reading it behind him the whole time. Wind Note was doing some last checks close by to plan out the flight routes for the Wonderbolts, wearing his new goggles, jacket, shirt and tie that was given by them to coordinate the routes and flight plan not only came true for him but found out it was Electuroo’s doing when Soarin told him of Wind Note’s dream. “Lets see the flight path should go through here and…” he paused seeing a cloud very close to the tower “That strange” he raised an eye and flew over to investigate but he saw Electuroo with a leg crossed of and his face in a book reading it. “Electuroo? What are you doing?” Electuroo raised his head a little seeing Wind Note “Hey you got your dream job from the look of that outfit” “Yeah I did but what are you doing?” Electuroo pulled up the book “Reading one of the Daring-Do series of course” then went back to reading. Wind Note facehoofed himself “You probably been caught up into that book to realise that cloud of yours drifted right next to one of the palace towers” Electuroo frown a little raising his eyes “If I did then wouldn’t there be guards telling me so?” he then went back to reading “If you don’t mind I got a book to finish” Wind Note was about to speak up about this when he heard laughter turning to the tower window he gasped “Pr-princ-princess-Princess Luna…” “Princess Luna?” Electuroo raise his head again “She not part of this story book not that Rainbow Dash told me anyhow” “No she right behind you!” he points hoof and Electuroo turn his head staring right into her eyes with a few blinks Luna smiled “Don’t worry I was the one that brought your cloud over thou it not usually something I did but you was so ingross in your book I had to see what you was reading and must say it something we-I Luna haven’t read before and interesting to know if there more of these series of Daring-Do” Princess Luna spoke softly to him with his mouth still hanging with shock and she closed it “Now shall you continue to read so I can see how it ends?” Now Wind Note was startled “Erm if that ok by you Princess” “Call me Luna young colt, I still remember that talk with that bold headed human General I believe they called him” Luna smirked Electuroo laughing a little “Oh General Ricks, he the ranking officer that was put in charge of the magic mirrors since he was there from the start of it all” Wind Note was listening to them just talk and shaking his head a little “Once I got this route planned out I got to lay down for a while this just getting a bit too over my head” he whispered to him and about to leave but Luna called out. “Wind Note how goes your new job?” He turned “Going well your highness I been just doing some last checks for the air show for the party tonight” he reported back to her. Princess Luna thought of an idea “Why don’t you take your good friend to show them practicing I am sure they wouldn’t mind” Wind Note wasn’t completely sure then nods “Why not, since I arrived I’ve almost spent no time with my pal Elecutroo” “Alright I am game, so Princess shall we finish this book later on?” Electuroo asked in a normal tone of voice. Wind Note was about to tell him to be formal to the princess since she a co-ruler but she smiled “Yes I wouldn’t mind young colt, in fact this book is what you would call… fun that it fun to read” Electuroo smiled and put the book away in his bag and got rid of the cloud. “All set to go Wind lead the way” Electuroo grinned Wind Note turn to Princess Luna and bows in mid-air “Alright follow me and keep up” “I think you need to keep up with me” Wind Note turn to see he wasn’t there and the voice came from behind him and saw Electuroo by the other tower “What? Why? How?” “It called practicing” Electuroo called out and flew off to the location of the Wonderbolts. Princess Luna smiled as she watched Wind Note dash off to catch up with him then she turn to see Celestia “Hi Tia I guess you be leaving soon for Fort Hooves?” “Not right away, I got to make a stop at Ponyville first but I will be heading there afterwards, be the way was that Electuroo on that cloud by this window moments ago?” Celestia spoke and notice what she saw before hand. “Yes it was, thou he seem to be unaware when caught up in that book of Daring-Do adventures” Princess Celestia laughed a little “I can see Daring-Do got another Princess to be her fan” Luna knew she was speaking of herself and smiled seeing her older sister seem to enjoy reading them too when she wasn’t to busy and Celestia leaves to get prepared to leave for Fort Hooves via Ponyville. Train on route to Fort Hooves… The Train had already left Ponyville and was on route to Fort Hooves which would arrive by the following day cause of the distance from Ponyville and Fort Hooves, the first and only other stop on that path was at Appleloosa that they came to a year ago and resolving a problem with the buffalos and ponies living there. Fluttershy sticking out her head from the window saw the town in the distance “Girls I can see Appleloosa” “Well that mean it won’t be too long now till we get to Fort Hooves and meet my cousin of mine” Applejack spoke and the others joining in on the talk as Rainbow Dash had her head in one of the Daring-Do books to pass the time. In one of the other train carriages two stallion ponies with golden coats saw them “Gold Horn do you see what I see?” “I do Gold Dust but remember what the Queen told us, no funny business while we on vacation” Gold Horn replied turning to his brother. “Still wonder why Gold Wing didn’t join us” “You know our brother vacations are a waste of time and doing the bidding for our Queen to conquer is what we do” Gold Dust said mocking his brother’s voice and they both laughing then heard another laughing turning their heads they saw Pinkie Pie. “Hi ya boys!” she spoke waving a hoof “So your not being big old meanie gold ponies but on vacation nice gold ponies huh?” She was right in their faces both looking very nervous at this and gulped hard. Gold Dust spoke “That right kid and if you notice we haven’t got our armour on, for once we going to somewhere out of the way and relax, it been over 3000 odd years since we had a break” Gold Dust just saw what he said and put a hoof in his mouth quickly seeing Gold Horn holding his head with his hoof shaking. “Whoa really you two are older then the Princess! How old are you really tell me! Please tell me!!!” she bouncing around them popping above and below them creeping them out a little. Gold Horn used his magic to stop her in her tracks “Only if you stop moving around so fast, I can’t keep up and your making me dizzy” “Ok deal” she saluted and gave huge puppy eyes Gold Horn sighed “the Queen might throw the book at us for saying this but since I am on vacation I don’t care. We been around since the first untied kingdom which was about 6000 odd years ago, us three including the soul head brother Gold Wing not here we are very much loyal to Queen Goldenmare and she used her magic to give us the life span of a Alicorn pony” “Wow that is really super dopper and cool! Come on and join my friends” Pinkie Pie pulled on his hoof and he didn’t move. Both turn to each other then back at her “Sorry but we can’t, you seem to be fine with us even who we work for but your friends would easily hoof us over to your Princess in a heart beat cause at the end of the day we both still loyal to our Queen and she is the villain to you afterall” She heard what they said and thought about it “You seem to be unsure to follow her now, you two seem to different then before” Gold Dust sighed “Maybe we just getting sick and tired of all this… things was better when she and her baby brother ruled the kingdom together… before that human wizard came” “Oooo I story I love stories” Pinkie Pie sat there to listen to them. Gold Horn turn to Gold Dust “Maybe she right about us being unsure to follow our queen, we been loyal to her for so long and she did do everything to protect us when that elemental blast almost turn us into gold statues forever” “Gold Wing does also seem to get more of the luxuries to us to” Gold Dust muttered a little “We triplets for Goldenmare’s sack we not underlings yet we have to say yes sir, right away sire” Gold Dust said with annoyance. Gold Horn turn to Pinkie Pie “You just made our day my pink friend and for that we will tell you the story of the ultimate betrayal and the kingdom of Atlantis” “And the day we made friends with such a lovely young mare whom was hyper leather and funny” Gold Dust chuckled and Pinkie Pie had stars in her eyes hearing them call her a friend and find her funny too this made her day a lot more better than it was already is.