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// Stella, The Foreign Exchange Worker. 
// Story: Discord Writes a Ship Fic 
// by Phoenix Quill 
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This is a somewhat unique story, and requires a different kind of introduction. Below these words, as you may recognize are several more words. Strung together to make several sentences and phrases.Even now you are reading these words, that's the blog post up ahead, your next stop, The Random Zone...

Stella was swam through the warm waters off the shores of Saddle Arabia. Her talons before her as she used her powerful wings to fly through the water. She was trapped in a sense of pure bliss as the sun shone down from high above the water's surface. 

She dove deeper still to get a closer look at the fish that swam in the shallow water, when she noticed a dim shadow pass overhead. A small vessel had managed to find it's way through the dangerous coral reef. No doubt on it's way to one of the more touristy islands.

The gryphon rolled her eyes and took a deep breath from her oxygen tank. Another thrust of her wings and she jetted away to another cluster of life. The colors were a lush mix of reds, greens, and yellows as the tiny fish darted about. Trying to survive the only way that they could. Darting from one cluster to the next in search of food, while trying to avoid being on another fish's menu.

Stella took another breath as she slowly swam over the coral reef, and slowly felt a cool calm come over her. This is nice... Her thoughts were interrupted as another shadow passed over her, this time accompanied by the sound of alarms. 

Panic filled her heart as her breathing became erratic, and the sea chrurned about her. She was drowning, suffocating. What's going on?

Stella fell out of her hammock, her head landing with a hard thump. Her blankets had managed to twist around her just enough to bind all her limbs to her body, yet one end was still clinging to her hanging bed. "Ugh, not again," she moaned before looking up at the dresser above her. The alarm clock on it was still ringing like mad, and dancing it's way to the edge. "No..." Thus began what turned out to be one of her worst mornings ever.

Once she was clean, and had her feathers and fur adjusted, she still was feeling rather crumby. But, there was always breakfast to look forward to. She smiled at herself in the mirror, and gave the feathers on her head another adjustment to make sure she was truly presentable before finally heading out the door. 

Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten several facts before heading out the door. Fact one was that she no longer lived with her parents in Gryphonia, as such she didn't have to take off flying the moment she reached her front stoop. Fact number two that she forgot was that she didn't have a front stoop at all, but rather a long and bland hallway that was indoors. Okay, she thought with her head jammed in the ceiling. This hurts.

Canterlot was not exactly her cup of tea. To tell the truth, she preferred coffee anyway. Sure, the climate was cool and comfortable, unlike the freezing part of the island kingdom she grew up in. But there was a different coldness here compared to her home. 

As she walked her way to the front door of the apartment building, she saw the door pony holding it open for her. She smiled brightly at him and sped up, to reach the door. As she did, that was when she noticed that two ponies were coming inside. She quickly brought herself to a halt, and stood aside for the two well dressed unicorns. As they walked by with their muzzles in the air and eyes closed, she offhandedly wondered to herself, How do they know where they are going if they go everywhere like that?

She shook the thought out of her head as she headed back to the glass double doors, only to find that the door pony had shut them again. "Ow, ow ow ow..." She quickly grabbed her beak in one of her talons, feeling to make sure she didn't crack it. The doors opened again, and Stella was soon looking at the face of the door pony as he passed her a paper napkin.  "Thank you," she said without even thinking.

"Miss, if you would be so kind as to clean the mess you made on the glass I would appreciate it," he said in a nasally voice.

Stella looked at him with a look of utter heartbreak as the first ray of goodness in her day shattered like a stained glass window. "Sure, sorry," she mumbled before wiping the small spots of spit and blood from the glass. Even though she was cleaning the glass, she still held her beak with her left talons where the blood was finally stopping. She looked over at the door pony and the now clean glass and said, "Ish dat goot?" 

The pony snickered slightly before rolling his eyes, and saying, "Ja, dat ish goot," in a horrible Germane accent. "Seriously, where did you learn to speak Equestrian? Night classes in Draconia?"

Stella now could feel heat coming to her face as she held the door open and walked out. "I don' haff an accshent ju baffoon! I haff a bloody beak!"

"I see you have a bloody beak! But that doesn't restrict you from enunciating," He said with a mocking smile.

Stella looked at the door pony as if he had grown a second head as she reveled in the new realm of stupidity his mind had just entered. Finally sick of him, and his smug, dopey face, she grabbed his uniform jacket and wiped the blood off her beak onto it. He stood there dumbfounded for a second or two as she casually walked off before shouting, "HEY! You're gonna have to pay for that!"

She opened her wings for take off and shot him her own smug grin. "Send the bill to Canterlot Castle," and was gone before he could even reply.





The sun was shining brightly through the windows of the throne room as Princess Celestia listened to the pony speaking. "See it's like this, I mean, that is to say, I believe that with a proper investment from Princess Luna's personal, ah, let's call them savings, we could potentially rebuild the lightning business from the ground up. Or, from the sky down as it were." He then gave a snort of laughter at his attempt at humor.

Celestia tried her best to keep a neutral face. She knew that if her real emotions showed, she would probably come off as cruel. Hmm, I don't need to frown, I don't think. Do that and I'm sure that he'll think that I'm going to deny it immediately. She shifted to her right slightly, and the pony before her continued speaking. She gave a serene smile as she closed her eyes. I am going to deny him of course. It's not my business what Luna wants to do with her money. She nodded politely when the proposer brought up the fact that many ponies are now becoming more dependent on electric energy, but still kept her eyes closed. I wonder if he'd notice if I fell asleep right now. Probably not. Unless I snore, do I snore? I think it's just dawned on me that in all my years I never found out if I snore.

"-And that's what the bits would go into. And, in three years time, it would be given back with a three percent interest rate!" He stood proudly and smiled widely as he waited for Princess Celestia to say something. Instead, she simply sat silent for nearly a full minute without any response at all. "Your highness? Are you offended by my suggestion?"

Celestia opened her eyes and gave him a very gentle look. But to anypony that knew her better, they could see traces of laughter and mischief behind her eyes. "Oh yes, I did hear everything, and it sounds like you have thought hard about everything you said today." She paused and looked to her left and saw her ministers were waiting for her. Waiting for either a yes, no, or for her to send it to them to decide. She smiled at them before turning back to the pony before her. "But why are you asking me for Luna's money?"

The stallion's ears lowered as he took a step back from the throne. He started to stutter, but before words could come out, Celestia continued. "Tell me, do you often ask the baker for a loan from the bank of Equestria? Or the apothecary if you can borrow your neighbors hedge clippers?" She waited as he stood stock still, not answering, and growing more nervous by the second. "I will not fund this proposal with my sisters bits, but I won't outright deny you. Request an audience with my sister and see what she has to say about your idea. Not me."

The stallion bowed before grabbing his simple pie chart and making a bee line for the door. Celestia sighed as the doors shut behind him and she slumped low on the throne. "Tell me there's no more. Please, tell me that there's no more ponies asking for favors right now."

Kibitz looked at his list before shaking his head. "No your majesty, there's no more requests." Celestia smiled, and was just about to get off her throne when he continued speaking. "You do however, have an appointment with a miss Stella Naranbaatar of Gryphonia."

Celestia's ears perked up slightly in curriousity at the name before looking back at her ministers. Everyone seemed curious at best, but Nickolas seemed invested, and almost fearful. "Is this someone you would happen to know by chance?" she said in curriousity.

"Nein," Nickolas said with a frown. "I do not know this chick anymore than you do. The sire name though..." He trailed off suddenly, realizing he may have said too much and instead folded his arms across his chest. 

This act didn't go unnoticed however, and even as the minister of war tried to act casual, the other ministers already began to feel suspicious, and Discord felt a shot of glee enter his heart. Celestia however wore her mask of serenity well, and simply nodded at Kibitz. "Very well, let her in."

The great doors glowed briefly, but rather than opening them, a smaller door built into the left door opened, allowing Stella into the room. She kept her head forward, and stepped with a well practiced gait, showing herself off as someone of importance to everyone else in the room. Despite the fact that her eyes were looking everywhere to take everything in. She reached the end of the long walk, and bowed before the Dias, spreading her wings out on the floor in presentation before Celestia. "I am humbled to stand before you Princess Celestia, Sol Invictus."

A smirk couldn't help but cross Celestia's features when the archaic title was spoken. "Your display pleases me Stella from the house of Naranbaatar," she looked down with a gentle smile. Celestia knew these traditions well, and while not used for almost five hundred years, knew what was to be said next. "Stead your wings well, I shall not crush them underhoof today. Now speak with me, least I turn a deaf ear to your request."

Stella rose up from her bow and gave the princess a polite smile. "Your majesty, I have traveled far to meet with you. After many years of training, I have come to Equestria in good faith on behalf of my family, as your servant to use in any matter you see fit."

A murmur ran through the room so fast, that Discord was almost sure that he should have been able to spot it. He smirked widely at what had just happened, reveling in the confusion that one lone gryphon had managed to lay across the entire Equestrian government's day shift. "Well, what do you think Nick?" he said to the gryphon next to him, only to see that the Minister of War was slowly shaking his head and muttering something under his breath.

Celestia tapped her hoof on the dais to quiet everyone in the room. "Silence please, or I will send everyone of you away to discuss things in private with miss Naranbaatar."  It took only a few moments, but silence did win over as Celestia looked down at the gryphon before her. "Such an offer is unprecedented, and frankly without purpose. Enlighten me please, why would you offer such things?"

Stella was on edge instantly, and a million thoughts seemed to ring through her head as her smile began to crack. Pinion feathers! What do I say to that? This isn't how things were supposed to go, come on... what did your parents say? Think?! "I... my family, they groomed me in many skills that could be beneficial to you Princess. My whole life's work is to make you happy. Please don't send me away, it would be an insult to my honor! Is there not anything you could wish of me?"

Celestia looked over the room. The ministers of course all sat in silence, but it didn't take words to know that she knew what they were thinking. She looked at her guards and gave a mental shake of her head at the thought before looking at the servants for the castle. No, no, I doubt that would be a good idea. I don't think she would want those kind of tasks. Suddenly, a smile spread across Celestia's lips. "I do not wish to insult you, and understand you may have gone through quite the education to even know my full title."

Stella couldn't help but puff up with pride at the statement. She was right of course. Celestia was always right. She was after all Sol Invictus. "And while I do not wish to insult you, I severely doubt you are truly able to help me, my sister, or my protege with any task that you would deem worth while." 

Just like that, Stella's pride deflated like a popped balloon. She wanted to protest, she had to protest. But she couldn't, it was wrong to protest. It was practically sacrilege to even think of doing so. And yet, one word escaped from her beak. "But.." 

Celestia raised a hoof, and frowned. "Let me ask you something before you continue," she said with a frown. "What is the estimated population of Equestria?" 

Stella started to answer, only for her mind to draw a blank. Finally, all she could answer was, "I don't know."

"Alright," Celestia said as she pointed to the ministers to her left. "Without looking, how many ministers are in my cabinet, and what do they each preside over?"

Again she stumbled, and tried not to look to her right before answering. "Um, I believe that there are thirty three members of the cabinet, and they each preside over different ministrations that represent the needs of this country." She couldn't help but smile as she finished her explanation, knowing she had aced the question.

"Hmm, a good guess, but there's actually forty members of my cabinet, and you did not mention that in fact, some of the ministers are also members of the ancient ruling class. For example, Prince Blueblood there is the minister of alcohol and other controlled substances, but also the ruler that represents the unicorn tribe." Celestia then shook her head and frowned. "No, you are not ready yet for something as glorious as you expected. But there's hope for you I think."

Celestia arose from her seat and walked down the dais, causing Stella to bow once again. "I am humbled your highness, that you would be willing to give me a chance at all."

"A chance is what you have, one to prove yourself in." She walked over to the ministers and waved a hoof over them with a smile. "Here you see everyone of my ministers, each with different tasks that need to be filled and each can offer you a unique perspective of this fair land. Choose wisely, will it be the ministry of war? The ministry of controlled substances? Or perhaps the ministry of city planning?" Any one of them at all, and you can start your journey."

Stella thought she was prepared for this day, she expected things to go smoothly and would become one of her advisers, or perhaps a member of the guard. Something, anything to let her be close to Celestia. But everything had gone wrong. From the moment she woke up, to the very moment she was in, nothing was right. Chose... chose, I have no idea who I should go with. She walked down the line, eyeing the ponies carefully before she stopped at a grey mare. "Your honor, if you don't mind, would you please tell me what ministry you run?"

"For sure," she said with a laid back voice. "I'm in charge of the ministry of music. We issue permits for shows, have a library of written and recorded songs, a generous group of talented agents to keep musical progress in action, and we also register every spontaneous musical moment that breaks out in this country."

Stella nodded in thanks before looking further down the line, only for one figure to stand out to her. "Him, I will work for him."

It came as a surprise to everyone except for Celestia and Discord himself that she chose to work for him. After all, gryphons practically worship Discord and Rhyme for what they've done in the past. Not that he blamed them. "I'd be honored to have you little gryphon..."