Her Parents
The Twelve Brothers; A Story For a Frightful Filly
MLPFIM
I had been asked to help many denizens of this land. I've been call to do so many jobs, nothing illegal or wrong, just different I think I was playing out some of sort of fantasy for some of them. There have been some strange jobs thought, then there was just this job. I received a request from Ms. Cheerilee, the school teacher, she wanted me to come to Ponyville School House after the school let out. It was the end of the week and my work load was light, and helping kids were something I liked to do, so I excepted.
That afternoon the school bell rang, telling the foals family it was time to pick them up. I made my way there a leisurely pace I could see all the different families passing me by.
One such family was an older earthbound Stallion in a business suit and had a slick black and gray mane. A pink filly in tow with a dismayed look on her face. "Diamond Tiara, I am very, very, very. Displeased with you." He scolded the filly.
"But daddy..." She whined.
"Don't but daddy me." He said to her flatly
That's when I saw Ms. Cheerilee next to her was a familiar little filly. She was gray with horn rim glass, a white mane and tail. It was Diamond friend Silver Spoon, she had her head hung low more likely she was waiting for her parents to pick her up, but that still didn't explain why Ms. Cheerilee needed me here at this time.
"Thank Celestia you're here." She sighed.
"What's wrong? I asked the school mare."
"Normal I would do this myself..." She paused and looked around. "This will take some explaining. You know how Scootaloo's parents live so far out of town that their home is technically in Hoofshire?"
"Well, they live just outside of town there postal code is in Hoofshire." I corrected her. "But I do know what you are talking about." I told her.
"Well we kind of have a situation like that here, Silver Spoon's parents don't live in Ponyville. They send their daughter here because they wanted her to get a good education, but also to get her away form..." She rolled her hoof around and tried to think of the right words. "Negative influences, as well as have her learn and form a strong senses of community. You know being one part of a greater whole."
I shook my head. "Negative influences?"
She nodded. "Yes I get it. But she stays here until the summer and goes home during the holidays and the weekend of every third week of every other month. Her parents a very private ponies, yes they do also happen to be rich and they normally only want me to be the one to escort her home. Something's come up." She let out a sigh. "My brother was in an accident in Manhattan and I have to go. Could you take my place and bring Silver Spoon home? You were the only one I could think of." She finished.
"Me," I asked. "The only one?"
"Well, not exactly. You are the better choice, I know you don't like foals getting hurt and you are big and intimidating. So I think you would be a good choice. Plus, you're the only one I truly trust with something like this." She finished.
I sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right. What do I need me to do?"
"Nothing I have the tickets and directions here." Cheerilee produced the tickets and a
piece of paper. "You should be going, the train will be leaving soon," She looked at Silver Spoon. "Follow him and listen him as if he was me." She put emphases on the last word.
"Yes ma'am" She replied.
We got on the train with no problem and were in are seat comfortable. We sat in silences for a long time. The refreshment cart came the mare pushed it up and stopped at our seat. "Would you like anything?" Cart attendant asked sweetly.
I looked over at Silver Spoon. "Would you like anything?"
She nodded. "Grape Juice and sandwich cookies..." The cart attendant nodded and gave her what she asked for, Silver Spoon handed the cart attendant some bits. I made my own choices and paid the cart attendant
When the food cart left I asked Silver Spoon aloud. "So, what happened?"
"You like the Cutie Mark Crusaders..." She started.
I raised an eyebrow. "You were teasing them?"
"Yes, I teased them but Diamond took it a little further today..." She sipped her juice. "I'm not innocent in this but she..."
"Did she do something worse?" I probed a little more.
"We started to tease them but then she told me to take Scootaloo's scooter and Apple Bloom's bow. When we had them Diamond broke them. Then she hurt Sweetie Belle by pushing her down hill and into a tree." She sighed. "I'm the one that told Ms.Cheerilee,. Diamond hates me and Ms.Cheerilee angry at me. mom and dad will be ferrous at me they told me to be my own mare but Diamond is my only friend..." The little filly looked at me she was still a little blue about it.
"I hate to say it but I figured something like this was going to happen. You seem more like the follow then the leader."
"She wasn't always like that she was different a long time ago. But she suddenly changed it started the day after she got her cutie mark. Now, if I don't play along then I'm the target, but she's still my friend." Silver Spoon told me.
I nodded. "I see, I also know that maybe you need to leave her behind, so that maybe she would come back to you.” I looked out the window we still had a way to go. “Why don't we switch our topic. How about I tell you a story, a sad one at that. It's called Twelve Brother;"
Once upon a time a king and a queen who had twelve children, all boy. One day the king said to his wife, "If our thirteenth child is a girl, all her twelve brothers must die, so that the kingdom may be hers alone."
Then he ordered twelve coffins to be made and put them in an empty room and gave the key to his wife but forbid her to tell anyone about his plains.
The Queen grieved and refused comforted in any form until one day the youngest Benjamin asked her "Dear Mother, why are you so sad?"
"My child," She answered "I cannot tell you."
But Benjamin persisted until she finally to tell him. She led the youngest to the room and showed him the twelve little coffins sadly she explained everything. His mother wept bitterly but her son comforted her and said, "Don't cry, dear Mother, we'll escape somehow."
"Yes," replied his mother, "That is what you must do, go with your brothers out into the woods. Let one of you always sit on the highest tree you can find, keep watch on the tower of the castle. If I give birth to a little son I will wave a white flag, and then you may safely return; but if I give birth to a little daughter I will wave a red flag, which will warn you to fly away quickly as you can. Every night I will get up and pray for you."
Then she blessed her sons and they set out into the wood. They found a very high Oak tree, and there they sat, keeping their eyes always fixed on the castle tower. On the twelfth day, when Benjamin's turn came he noticed a flag waving in the air, it was Red. It was the sign that told them they must die. When the brothers heard this they were very angry, "We shall suffer death for the sake of a wretched girl? Let us vow that whenever and wherever we meet a female, she shall die at our hands."
Then they went their way deeper into the woods and in the middle of it, where it was thickest and darkest, they came upon a little enchanted house that stood empty.
"Here," They said, "Lets stay here and Benjamin, you shall stay at home and keep the house. We will go out to fetch food." So Benjamin brothers went into the forest to hunt and forage for food. So, for the next ten years in that little house time slipped away.
Our train stopped “Were here.” Silver Spoon interrupted me.
I looked out the window we were in a very mountainous region of Equestrian. Large, gray, craggy, spires where dotting the landscape. The city connected to the side of the mountain just like Canterlot. Unlike Canterlot the city was broken up into smaller parts each connected by stone bridges, metal walkways and rope bridges. I could see that there were many airship docks and even some cloud houses.
“This is where sky ships are built.” Silver Spoon clarified.
“Is that what your fathers and mother do?” I asked her.
“My father owns the company that builds them, well he owns a lot of other companies, but since most of his clients are in Canterlot his office is there. My mother is a model that also works in Canterlot but they don’t like all the nobles and rich ponies so the commute to Canterlot and live here. I go to school in ponyville.”
“Yeah, Ms. Cheerilee told me that.” I told her. "So how did you end up with Diamond tiara end up as friends?"
"I was new and Diamond didn't have any friend she picked up on the fact that I came from money so it was easy for us to find common ground."
"I see, and when did she change?" I asked.
"The Night her mother left."
"You told me on the train it was day after she got her cutie mark, which one is it?"
Silver Spoon looked down at the ground. "Both." We both stayed quiet for a long time.
Silver Spoon lead me to an enormous mansions. “This is my home.” She stated.
The door opened and a maid pony. “Welcome home little Ms. I see that you will be in trouble again... Your parents aren’t here right now. Why not wait for your parents in the parlor.” She looked up at me. “Who are you?”
“He’s may chaperon.” Silver Spoon told her.
“Then I think it’s best he stay here with you. I have to go to the market and the other are delivering messages. She’s all alone right now could you watch her?” The maid asked.
I nodded. “Of course.”
We took our seats and waited for her parents in the parlor. The little filly still looked like she was down. “Do you want me to continue the story.”
“Why are you being so kind?” Silver Spoon asked.
“Because, I feel responsible for all filly and colt, you may be a bully and I don’t like that but your still a filly. Now, we still have some time would you like me to continue?” She nodded.
Mean time, their little sister grew up kindhearted and of a fair countenance, with a gold star right in the middle of her forehead. One day the girl looked down from her window and saw twelve men's shirts hanging on the washing line to dry and so she asked her mother; "Who do these shirts belong to?" Surely they are far too small for my father?"
And the queen answered sadly, "Dear Child, they belong to your twelve brothers."
"But where are my twelve brother?" said the girl. "I have never even heard of them."
"Heaven only knows!" replied her mother. Then she took the girl to the locked room where the twelve coffins were stored.
The queen told her all about what had happened and as the queen broke down yet again Comfort her mother the young princess said. "Do not cry dearest Mother. I will go and seek my brothers till I find them."
So the young princess took the twelve shirts and went straight into the middle of the woods. She walked all day long, and came in the evening to the little enchanted house. She stepped in and found a young man who, marveling at her beauty, at the royal robes she wore, and at the golden star on her forehead. He asked her where she came from and where she was going.
"I am a Princess," She answered, "and I am seeking my twelve brothers. I mean to wander as far as the blue sky stretches over the earth till I find them."
Then she show him the twelve shirts that she had taken and Benjamin saw that it must be his sister, and said, "I am your youngest brother."
So they wept for joy and hugged each other. But Benjamin knew there was still a problem. "Dear sister, there is still a problem, for we had all agreed that any girl we meet should die at our hands, because it was for the sake of a girl that we had to leave our home. Go and hide under the wash tub till our eleven brothers come in, I'll make matters right with them."
The Princess did as she was told and waited until the rest of her brothers return home. When the brother came home from chasing down supper Benjamin met them. "Brothers you've been out in the woods all day and I've stayed home but I have exciting news!"
"Then tell us," They all cried.
"On one condition that the first girl we meet will be spared." His brothers promised.
"Now tell us the news!" The demeaned.
"Our sister is here!" Benjamin said and lifted the tub, the Princess stepped forward with her royal robes and with a golden star on her forehead, she looked so lovely, sweet and charming that they all loved her on the spot.
They arranged that she should stay at home with Benjamin and help him with the housework, while the rest of the brothers went out into the woods to forage and hunt. The Princess made herself so generally useful that her brother were delighted, and they all lived happily together.
I heard the door open and then slowly close, her parents where coming into the parlor. What I saw was surprising to say the least, I suspected to see at least one Earth bound parent but no. There were two white unicorns one with hot pink mane another with a deep indigo mane. Both were more muscular and shaped differently than most unicorns. They were not just any two unicorns, Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis.
Fancy saw his daughter and took his monocle with his magic placing it in his shirt pocket he let out a sigh. “I see you got in trouble again young filly.” He said flatly.
Silver Spoon nodded. “Yes sir.”
Fleur looked upset and with a voice that was holding back her anger. “You know your punishment, little filly.”
Silver Spoon nodded again. “Yes ma’am.”
“What are we going to do with you,” Fancy sighed. "You are quickly working on our last nerves..."
Normally I would not like to get involved but I could see that this problem was not simple, there was more to this then Silver Spoon and I were seeing and it could become a problem. "Excuse me sir." I broke in.
"Oh, I'm sorry for ignoring you. Who are you by the way?" Fancy asked me.
"Ms. Cheerilee asked me to escort your daughter home because she had to help her brother, he was in an accident."
"Thank you for that." Fleur told me.
"I know she has to be punished but can I finish my story I started?" I asked.
"Story?" They both asked.
"He was telling me a story and he was almost done, I know I'm in trouble but can he finish first?"
They both looked at each other, then Silver Spoon and then me. "I suppose that we could, it is a shame to leave a story unfinished." Fleur said aloud.
"Agreed," Fancy said aloud. "If you would be so kind?" With that I continued my story.
One day Benjamin and the Princess where at home preparing a fine feast, and when they were all assembled they sat down and ate and drank and made merry. Now there was a little garden around the enchanted house, in which grew twelve tall lilies. The girl, wishing to please her brothers, she plucked the twelve flowers, intending them to be presents to her brother. Suddenly he twelve brothers turned into twelve ravens and flew away into the woods. As the crows took flight the house and garden vanished leaving the poor girl alone in the woods.
"My child what have you done?" Cried an old woman that was now standing close by. "Why didn't you leave the flowers alone? Now your brothers are changed into ravens forever."
"Is there no means of setting them free?" Asked the young princess.
"There is only one way," said the old woman. "It is so difficult that you won't free them by it, for you will have can not laugh and you must be dumb for seven years. If you speak a single word it would slay them." The old woman then instructed her to got to the highest tree and spin thread.
The princess said to herself. "If that is all, I shall free my brothers." So she search for the highest tree and climbed it, when there she started to spin thread. All day long never laughing nor speaking she just spun thread.
Now one day a king who was out hunting with his greyhound he happened upon the tree. The greyhound sniffed, barked and ran around it yelping. When the king looked up and beheld a beautiful girl, it was the princess but the king did not know that. He was so enchanted by the girl that he asked her to be her wife. She gave no answer, but nodded slightly. The king climbed up the tree and brought the girl down and too his home. The marriage was celebrated with much ceremony but the bride neither spoke nor laughed.
They lived happily for many years but the king's mother was a wicked woman. This wicked woman began to speak ill of the young queen accusing her of many evils. Of course the young queen could not speak in her defense and eventually the king let himself be talked into condemning his beautiful wife to death.
The young queen was to be put to death by being burned. A great blaze was lit in the courtyard of the palace to burn her alive. The King watched from an upper window and cried bitterly for he still loved his wife dearly. But just as the flames were licking her garments, the very last moment of the seven years came. Then a sudden rushing sound was heard and twelve ravens swooped downward. As soon as they touched the ground they turned into her twelve brothers, she knew that she had freed them. They quenched the flames and untied their dear sister from the stake. Now that she was able to speak, she told the king why she had been dumb and not able to laugh.
The king rejoiced greatly when he heard she was innocent, and they all lived happily ever after.
With my tale finished Silver Spoon went to her room leaving me with her parents.
"Thank you for your help," Fancy told me. "Thank you for calming me down, I am afraid I was going to say something wrong."
"My pleasure, I wish some time my folks would have calmed down before they spoke some times." Fancy looked at Silver Spoon. "As for you little filly, you are ban from the Silver works' shops and your smiting lessons as well. Until further notice you are to stay away from Diamond Tiara."
"Yes sir."
"Now off to be with you," Fleur shooed her off. "You are going to be grounded until future notice as well."
"Yes ma'am." She left the parlor and went to her room.
When she was gone I a said aloud. "I never could have guess Silver Spoon was born to a couple of unicorns."
"I assure you, she is our daughter. I worked my flank off to regain my figure." Fleur said defensively.
"It was certainly a surprise to me when I saw you both."
"Yes, quite surprised that she was an Earth bound, I thought she would have the same count, but she was silver-gray. It was quite a surprise in any case, both of our families being unicorns all the way down." Fancy said aloud
"Are you say..."
I raided my hands defensively, stopping Fleur rant. "I'm not saying anything is wrong. In fact there is a family in Ponyville they were both Earth bounds and they had a set of twins, a Pegasus colt, and a unicorn filly."
"Sorry about that we are both a little sore about that subject. Too many accusations and nay sayers but I have never and will never, cheat on Fancy. We love our little filly and she is talented with crafting silver, that's what she has her cutie mark in."
"Everything is complicated," He sighed. "This situation is problematic. While our little filly didn't cause the problem she did participate in it and other factors do not make this any easier." Fancy Pants told me.
"Lets just say there is enough blame to go around for every pony. Our daughter, Our part, Filthy Rich, his daughter and that horrible wife of his. Filthy's wife is the biggest reason Diamond Tiara acts like she does."
"I believe there is more to this situation my dear, Filthy's wife is just on part of the puzzle."
I raised my hand like a kid in school. "I may not have any say in this matter but, why not move to Ponyville? Your commute would be shorter and you could have more time with daughter."
The weekend ended and Ponyville find some new residents to Ponyville. I was particularly happy because I was the one to help them move. It felt good that I was able to help others find their home just like was helped. I watched as the school bell rang and the kids came running to their school house, Ms. Cheerilee was waiting. Many of the resident looked stunned as a set of unicorns came walking down with their daughter in tow. I could here the other parents murmured. "Is that Fleur De Lis and Fancy Pants? How's the filly with them? Why are they here?"
The two came up to Ms. Cheerilee. "Hello Ms. Cheerilee, I hope we're not late." Fleur said.
"Not at all Ms. Lis, what are you doing here?"
"We live here now," Fancy told her. "So from now on you can get a hold of us at our Ponyville resident.
"That's good." The school mare said with a smile.
I saw Filthy Rich and his daughter come up to the school. Diamond Tiara was stunned to see who Silver Spoons parents were to say the least. Fancy nudged his daughter and Fleur prompted her. "Go on tell her."
Silver walked up to her friend. "Diamond, I'm sorry but I'm grounded and I wont be able to hang out with you until further notice."
"Are you serious!" The little filly roared.
"If I don't then I may lose my privileges in the workshop, I just can't." Silver Spoon shook her head. "I'm sorry." The silver filly turned around and went into school.
Filthy nodded. "That's right Diamond you have to make up for what you did. Now get to class. " He pushed his daughter to the go inside the school house.
Fancy walked up to the Ponyville business pony. "I also hope she'll reform, she is my daughter's closet friend. But if she hasn't learned her lesson yet I think I remember an old spell of my great grandmother that you could use. We just need a strong unicorn to use it."
Filthy just smiled. "I think Ms. Sparkles would be able to help us with that
I walked away from the school and I like to say that I was feeling proud of myself. Hopefully everything was going to work out. A familiar pink pony came bouncing up to me. I cracked a smile. "Hey Pinkie, you'll find the new Ponies at the school dropping their daughter off." I told her.
"Thank, there's going to be a party to night I wonder what Rarity is going to say when she finds out."
"Don't know," I shrugged. "I wonder what the story is with Diamond Tiara's mother?"
"Don't you worry you'll find out," Pinkie told me with a smile. "But only when it's time for The Rose Tree, or was that that The Snow Queen?" Pinkie pogo away.
I blinked a few times in surprise. "How does she know about those stories?"