//------------------------------//
// Meeting with the Princess 
// Story: The Manehattan Crusaders 
// by Soprano Beat 
//------------------------------//

"Where are we?" Sky asked. They had gone back into town and it looked to him like Apple Bloom was leading him right towards a tree made of crystal. As they got closer, he noticed it had doors and windows and also that there were lights on inside.
"At Princess Twilight's castle," Apple Bloom answered.
"P-P-Princess Twilight?!"
"Don't worry. Twilight's the princess of friendship, and she's real nice. She might be able to help."
"Okay..." Sky was really nervous. He got nervous enough in front of regular ponies he didn't know, and the thought of meeting a princess that he had only heard about made him so nervous he could barely stand.
Apple Bloom knocked on the castle door, and, within seconds, a small, purple dragon appeared at the door. "Hiya, Spike! We're here to see Twilight. Is she home?"
"Yeah, she's in her room. Come on in." Spike answered, leading the ponies inside. "I'll let her know you're here."
As Spike left, Apple Bloom noticed that Sky seemed exceptionally nervous. His breathing was heavier, and he looked a little pale. "Hey, are you okay?" Apple Bloom asked.
Sky was starting to get a little dizzy. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said, though he knew he wasn't.
"Do ya wanna sit down?" asked Apple Bloom gently.
Sky felt his heart racing and his breathing getting heavier. He nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."
Apple Bloom helped Sky to a couch near the castle entrance and they both sat down. "Are ya sure you're okay?" she asked. "Ya don't look so good."
"I'm fine," Sky answered. "Just a little nervous. I've never met a princess before."
"Is that all?" Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought somethin' else might be wrong."
"Yeah, that's all it is, but it's still making me really nervous."
"Aw, you'll be fine. Princess Twilight's-"
"-Here!" Sky yelped as the princess came in. He jumped behind the couch. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes before giving a small smile and grabbing his tail between her teeth to drag him out.
"Hi, Apple Bloom! What's up?" Twilight asked.
"Hey, Twilight," Apple Bloom said through her teeth, which still held her friend's tail. "My friend Sky Dusk here could use you're help," she said once Sky was out from behind the couch.
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Apple Bloom turned to her friend. "Sky, meet Princess Twilight!"
Sky swayed back and forth until he finally fainted right then and there.
"Oh my gosh! Apple Bloom, what just happened?" the princess asked.
"I... I dunno! I guess he got so nervous that-" Apple Bloom started.
"Why was he so nervous?" asked Twilight, who was now much calmer.
"He's really shy and get's nervous around new ponies, so when he met, not only a new pony, but a princess! I guess he just couldn't take it."
"Well we better take him upstairs." Twilight used her magic to set the colt on her back and held him in place with her wings. "Come on," she said as she lead the little, yellow pony up the stairs.


Sky woke up on a plush couch in a room with crystalized walls lined with bookshelves. He looked around, but didn't see anypony and started to panic.
"Where am I?" he asked no pony in particular.
"You're still at Twilight's castle," Apple Bloom said as she followed the princess into the room.
Sky's eyes opened wide. "W-What?!"
"It's okay, Sky." Twilight spoke with a gentle tone meant to calm the little colt. "You fainted after Apple Bloom introduced you to me, so we took you up here to my study. I laid you on the couch and covered you with a blanket Apple Bloom found in the corner."
At this, Sky noticed for the first time the blanket surrounding him. After hearing what happened to him, all he wanted to do was take that blanket into a corner and use it to hide himself. I can't believe I fainted right in front of a princess he thought. He pulled the blanket over his head, his face bright red. He let out a quiet moan.
"Aw, Sky, it's okay. I talked to Twilight about it and she understands," Apple Bloom told her friend.
Sky pulled the blanket even further over him. A princess had not only witnessed him fainting in front of her, but now also knew why.  He was more embarrassed than ever.
Twilight saw he was embarrassed and put a hoof in front of Apple Bloom to keep her from talking. "I think we're embarrassing him," she whispered.
"Well, what do we do now?"
Twilight pulled the blanket off Sky's head, who, in return, buried his face in the couch to try to hide it. "Sky?" she asked the small colt.
Sky lifted his head slightly so he could see the princess. "Yes, Princess?" he replied quietly.
"Would you mind telling me a little about you and your shyness? If you're not comfortable talking about it that's fine. I'm just trying to help, but I need to know a little more than what Apple Bloom told me in order to do so."
Sky buried his head back into the couch, and, after a long pause, gave a small nod. Twilight smiled and said, "Good. Now, why don't you sit up so we can have a proper talk?"
Sky sat up slowly wouldn't look up. He kept staring at his hooves, as he was still embarrassed. Apple Bloom noticed what was going on. She hopped onto the couch lightly and sat down next to him. Sky looked over at her, giving her a grateful smile. The yellow filly smiled back and gave a small nod towards the princess, who was levitating a small cushion towards herself to use as a seat.
Sky finally looked at Twilight, though she didn't really look like a princess to him despite her wings, as she was not wearing a crown or any royal attire.
Twilight noticed that he still seemed slightly uncomfortable, so she asked him, "Would you mind me introducing myself a little better?" Sky nodded, and she continued, "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, Twilight to most ponies. Before the Elements of Harmony had to be returned to the Tree of Harmony in order to save Ponyville, I was the holder of the element of magic. I grew up in Canterlot studying as Princess Celestia's protege thinking friendship wasn't important, but, when Celestia sent me to Ponyville to check up on the preparations, Nightmare Moon came, shrouding Equestria in eternal night! I was about to go into the Everfree Forest alone to stop her, despite the offer from five other ponies, whom I had met while checking on the preparations, to come help. When I said that I wanted to do it alone, they said that they weren't going to let their friend go into the forest alone."
As Twilight told the story about Nightmare Moon's defeat, Sky listened intently, getting more comfortable as he got to know the pony he was talking to better. Twilight soon finished telling the tale of Nightmare Moon's return and started telling them about how she became an alicorn.
"When I reached the ground, I spread out my newly-received wings, amazing my friends," she said. Twilight went on, telling the story of how she got the castle. "Discord gave me the pendant he received from Tirek, and Applejack said, "Think that's the last one we need?" We raced back to the chest, and, as I held the medallion to it, it transformed into the last key and slowly levitated into the remaining, empty keyhole. I said that we should turn them together, and, when we did, the chest opened, and we received a new power which we were able to use to defeat Tirek."
Sky looked over at Apple Bloom, whose eyes were wide open. "Didn't you know this already?" he whispered in her ear.
Apple Bloom shook her head. "I knew she became a princess and had a castle here in town, but I never knew what exactly happened," she whispered back.
Twilight was just finishing up the story of where the castle came from. "Princess Celestia asked me if I knew what my purpose in Equestria was, and, this time, I knew the answer. It was to spread the power of friendship across Equestria with the help of my friends."
Sky was speechless. He looked over at Apple Bloom only to see she was just as stunned. Sky turned back to the princess, putting his ears back and crouched down to try to hide. Twilight saw this and said, "So, now that you know a little more about me, Sky, do you think you're a little more comfortable telling me about yourself?"
The small, blue colt slowly sat up again, saying quietly, "Yeah, I guess so..."
Twilight smiled and turned to Apple Bloom. "You can talk now, Apple Bloom," she said with a small laugh. Sky turned to his friend and saw that her mouth was still wide open. He muffled a small laugh before giving Apple Bloom a small nudge.
Apple Bloom shook her head wildly for a moment and said, "Huh?"
Twilight giggled and turned back to Sky. "So, you were saying?"
Now it was Sky's turn to be speechless. "I... um..."
Apple Bloom stepped in to help. "This is Sky Dusk. He came with Babs and Lily Grace on Babs' trip here. He's really shy, and we were hoping you could help him make friends and not get so nervous around new ponies even if he's shy."
"Oh, well could you explain to me why you're so shy, Sky?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know..." he said quietly.
Apple Bloom leaned over to him and whispered, "Just tell her what ya told me."
Sky nodded and tried to remember what he told her. Once he did, he told Twilight. He explained to her as best he could as to why he was shy, as well as how he met Babs and Lily.
"Hmm..." Twilight said when he finished. "Well, I honestly don't know much about being shy, as I was never all that shy, but I may know somepony who might."
"Who?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Just come with me." Twilight stood up and started towards the door. She turned back to see if they were coming. Apple Bloom was already up and off the couch and was helping Sky stand, whose legs were shaking from sitting so long after having fainted. Twilight picked up Sky with her magic and set him on her back, holding him in place with her wings just as she did after he fainted. Twilight gave him a kind smile, and Sky blushed. Apple Bloom trotted over, and Twilight led them out of the castle.