Royal Call

Author's Note:

AN: Tagged as sad, nothing sad in the first chapter, expect more chapters to come with some sad & gory content.

She wished she had never accepted this quest, but when the very ruler of your land offers you a mission, you can't very well say no. The hot, burning Equestrian sun blazed through its shield of clouds proudly as Astral Dust shook her entire body, folded wings fluttering excitedly at her side. It was a day just destined for clearing the clouds, something the gray-maned pegasus mare absolutely loved to do - to feel the wind rush over her body as the clouds dissipated into thin air, feel the cool breeze combine with the blistering heat of the sun so pleasantly raised by her mentor. The purple equine stretched her legs, followed by her wings, then preparations to take off and glide amongst the birds that sang their sweet, melodic song, loud and proud, for the ponies of Ponyville to hear and enjoy as they went about their day. Astral jumped back onto her haunches, letting an excited laugh escape her throat as her entire body froze in shock upon hearing an unfamiliar voice just behind her. And it was deep, unlike anypony she had heard before. Dust resisted the urge to shriek.

"Miss Dust!" Boomed the stranger, casting his shadow to the ground in front of her. "As the leader of the Zebranian Plains, I demand you clear these clouds immediately! Being in close relations to your Princess Celestia, I can guarantee you that if you do not follow through with these simple orders, you will be exiled!" Astral felt the ground rumble with his powerful voice as she winced, nervously spinning around as she spoke.

"I was just getting to that, a-actually-" Her face turned stern upon seeing a certain prankster she had made friends with upon first arriving to the settlement; Shimmering Balloon. "Shimmer! You scared me half to death!" The blue prankster giggled a loud laugh.

"Heheee~! Sorry, Astral!" Shimmer bounced a circle around her pegasus friend as she removed a voice modifier from behind her ear, laughing with a snort, which caused her to laugh harder as she fell onto her back.

"Shimmer, you know I have to clear the clouds after a storm like last night's!" Dust rocked back onto her hind legs, shooting off into the air as she shook her head, continuing to clear the puffy clouds in peace.

The Everfree forest groaned with a mighty roar, the ground of Ponyville beginning to shake. Rubble flew from the dense collaboration of trees and swamp. Citizens shrieked in terror, a select number running to the sheltered safety of their homes, the others paralysed with shocking fear. Astral Dust rocked backwards, shooting into the sky at high speeds, landing on a grumbling rain cloud. The equine used her wings to shield her eyes, wincing and turning away as a stray piece of rubble near collided with Blossomforth's head.

"Blossom!" She had shouted, fear shaking her legs. Blossomforth's head sharply perked up as she realised the danger she was in, diving out of the way just in time.

"What in Equestria is going on, Astral?!" Yelled the white pegasus over the clatter of bricks and other assorted dangerous bits and pieces that had seemed to be raining from the sky.

"If I knew, I'd tell you-!" Dust whipped her head around, only to come face to face with a large chunk of what easily could have been a brick house flying at high velocities towards her. Out of panic, she jumped, near being hit by the charred rubble. "But if I know one thing, it's that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will know!" The purple pegasus rocked backwards, back onto her hind legs before shooting off into the air, stopping abruptly. "Keep the citizens safe for me!" As Astral shot off into the higher parts of Cloudsdale, she found herself making a sharp turn, directly to the Everfree. She knew exactly where she was to go, and made it in record time, almost knocking the door of a certain zebra's hut down. Zecora turned with a welcoming smile.

"Why hello there, miss Astral Dust. Do you need help - surely you must?" The witch doctor set down a pot of what Astral could only assume was herbs or some sort of rare flower, knowing her. Paranoid, Dust turned her head sharply as she heard a loud crash, even from all the way in the dense forestry. "Well now, I would hate to impose. How may I help you with your woes?" Astral's muscled stayed tense as she turned back to her friend.

"Zecora! What in the name of the sun is going on?!" Another crash sounded from Ponyville. "Rubble is just flying from the forest! Blossomforth was almost killed!" Astral Dust leaped forward, wings flared with a worried expression.

"I am afraid that this I do not know, but to your mentor you must go." Zecora spoke with her eyes closed, too calm for Astral's liking. She dashed off with a simple thanks, dodging masterfully more rubble as she did such. Her wings took her to the skies as the door slammed shut forcefully behind the purple pegasus, yanking a hard shudder from the zebra. Dust kept her eyes on Ponyville as she made a hard right to her home in the floating city of Cloudsdale. The pegasus swallowed the crippling fear and nervousness in her throat, landing forcefully on one of the moderate-sized cloud homes. In the minute it took Dust to rush to her desk, she had picked up a quill and was anxiously writing a letter to the one that had taught her what she knew.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It is with great worry that I write to you today, as Ponyville is currently being demolished by rubble and debris from the Everfree forest. As you may have guessed, this is not a letter on friendship. It is imperative that we speak as soon as possible. I do not want any harm to come to the civilians of Ponyville.

Your student,

Astral Dust

Mere minutes after sending her letter to the Princess, she was pacing around her work space uneasily. Astral paced right, left, right, left... Muttering to herself. It was as a flash of gold magic illuminated her desk that she ran over.

Astral Dust,

The crashing has been ricocheting throughout Canterlot as well, worrying our own citizens. It is of the essence that you arrive in Canterlot as soon as you can so we could discuss this growing issue.

Princess Celestia

Astral's eyes ran over the scripture in front of her, her mind racing. She jogged nervously on the spot before flying as fast as she could out the door.

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