The trot to Ponyville as always was interesting and colorful; ponies trotted from destination to destination, shopkeepers were opening up their stores. It was a bright and energetic day, and Fluttershy enjoyed the warm sun.
While she kept to herself most often, she still needed to come to town for supplies, food, and the occasional materials to build new homes for her animal friends.
Trotting down the busy streets of Ponyville, she looked down and saw Yibble staring back at her with its big black eyes.
“Don’t worry Yibble, we’ll get to my friend’s place soon,” said Fluttershy, making sure her hold on the pail is good.
“Who’re you talking to Fluttershy?”
“Eep!” Fluttershy dropped the pail, causing Yibbles to fall and turn to a puddle on the street. “Pinkie! Don’t do that; I thought we said to not do that?”
“Sorry, but I was wondering who your new friend is?” asked Pinkie. Pinkie smiled brightly, and brought her muzzle down seeing Yibble form to his original size. The pony and slime stared at each other unblinkingly.
Fluttershy watched with bated breath about what would happen, and luckily that the street they were at was empty so nopony noticed them. Pinkie kept staring and inching closer when Yibble placed a slimy tendril on her snout, and began purring. The vibration from Yibbles purring caused the pink mare to snort and laugh.
Soon Pinkie was enveloped by Yibbles sudden tickle attack, as she began rolling on the ground with the slime somewhat on top of her. “S-St-Stop! I’m-I’m tic-ticklish t-th-ther-aha-AHA HAHAHAAAAHH! STAHP EUP; MERCY MERCEEEIII!”
The laughing escalated until Fluttershy had to intervene by prodding Yibble on the top of his slimy head. “Now now Yibbles, you can stop.”
Yibbles obliged and moved away and return to the pail. Pinkie stood up and smiled brightly and played with Yibbles with her free hoof; interestingly enough, Pinkie wasn’t covered in slime, other than the fact that her fur and mane is somewhat frazzled.
“Fluttershy! Why didn’t you tell me you had a new friend?! He looks like he’d be fun to party with,” said Pinkie, making faces, playing with Yibble.
“Well… I met him when I was eating with my animal friends. He appeared from the Everfree when sort of scared all the wildlife.”
“Ohhhhh… so that’s why all the animals and beasts when bonkers. We were about to go to your place, but we had to stop the animal stampede. I was about to go see you, but since your here, you should come and show Twilight this cute little slime!”
“I was actually gonna take Yibble to Twilight if she could help know what he is… Wait, slime?” said Fluttershy, curious with the word.
“Yeah, slime; because his all slimy… so… Slime,” said Pinkie, bouncing away.
Fluttershy thought of this but agreed with the name of Yibble’s possible species. “Slime… I think that’s a perfect description; what do you think Yibble?” asked Fluttershy looking down at the slime.
“Gwaah, Yepsie!”
“You do like it, then I guess we solved some piece about you now.”
Pinkie and Fluttershy who was carrying Yibble headed to Golden Oaks Library; the place where Twilight Sparkle, the element of Magic lives. On the way there, Pinkie told Fluttershy that their other friends are there already and waiting for Twilight to finish sending a letter to Celestia.
“Let’s surprise everypony about Yibble; I bet yeah that Rarity will freeeak!” said Pinkie, giggling.
“Oh, I don’t want to scare anypony… Not that Yibble would scare anypony, his really sweet,” said Fluttershy. “Now aren’t you Yibble?”
Yibble answered Fluttershy’s question by reaching a slimy tendril and cuddling her muzzle. The feeling of the tendril on her muzzle was interesting as it didn’t leave any slimy substance and felt… soothing. Fluttershy smiled content with the feeling when she realized they finally reached the library.
“Here we are; welcome to Golden Oaks Library, Yibble my friend!” said Pinkie, opening the door. “GIRLS! I’M BAAAAACCK; AND I BROUGHT FLUTTERSHY!”
In each corner of the library, each of Twilight’s friends were busy distracting themselves. Rainbow was busily skimming through book after book, finding no interest in any of them. Applejack was currently reading a book on different apple recipes. With Rarity drink some recently made tea for herself, sipping the tea on a chair.
“Oh Fluttershy; are you okay my dear? After seeing that stampede coming from your cottage, I feared the worse,” said Rarity, standing up immediately.
“Now don’t worry Rares; Fluttershy here was going to be fine. I doubt a stampede of scared animals were to faze her. In all honesty, I thought she be the one running to calm and help the poor critters,” said Applejack, smiling.
“Your not wrong...” said Fluttershy, agreeing.
Rainbow was coming to join the conversation when she noticed the pail Fluttershy was holding. “Hey Flutters, what’s that you have with you?” asked Rainbow, inching closer.
Fluttershy put the pail down gently as Pinkie joined the rest of her friends. The three other friends neared the pail, when Yibble crawled out and reformed his true form.
Everypony’s reaction was… varying to say the least. “WHAT IN TARNATION!?”
“WATCH OUT FLUTTERSHY; ITS A MONSTER!”
“Oh my...”
“WHY ARE WE SCREAMING!?”
At that moment Rarity fainted, Rainbow was ready to knock anypony senselessly, Applejack was making sure Rarity was fine, while Pinkie… was currently shouting loudly. Coming down the steps was Twilight with Spike on her back, staring at their group of friends incredulously.
“Girls, girls! What’s happening?” asked Twilight. As Twilight made it to the bottom of the stairs, she backpedaled causing Spike to fall off, staring at Yibble with anxiety and caution. “Better question; what is that!?”
“Please everypony; inside voices. And if your wondering who this is, he… well, I’m not sure if its a male or female but; meet Yibble-Bibble… the Slime.” Fluttershy nudged Yibble a little for the small baby slime to say hello. “Say hi Yibble.”
The slime followed Fluttershy’s request, and turned to face the other ponies – and dragon – and made a cute garble. “Quallo!”
At that second… two ponies started freaking out. “IT CAN TALK!?” shouted both Twilight and Rarity; having woken from her faint.
“Didn’t see that coming...” said Spike, blandly.
In seconds Twilight rushed toward Yibble and began to examine every inch of the slime’s form – taking a sample of its slimy substance, checking its eyes, seeing any signs of any organs of any kind, and finally… its gender. Twilight tried picking up the strange creature only getting her hooves covered in slime – and causing a few of her friends to say “Ewww”.
“I guess it can’t be physically manipulated considering it has some sort of liquid-like substance to it… A sort of defense mechanism of sorts,” said Twilight, examining her slimy hooves.
The sudden contact toward Yibble caused the baby slime to crawl onto Twilight and on her back. Rainbow thought Yibble was harming Twilight and rammed herself toward the slime. “GET OFF OF HER!”
“Rainbow, no!” said Fluttershy, trying to stop Rainbow.
Yibble expanded itself and covered Rainbow in its slimy substance, trapping her as she tried to struggle out of the slimy hold. Rainbow started to shake and convulse after trying to free herself. Applejack responded to to help Rainbow out when…
“STOP STOP STOP! I GIVE! I GIVE!” shouted Rainbow, being tickled by Yibble.
“Urrr… Rainbow? You… you alright there?” asked Applejack, confused.
“Yibble; could you please stop tickling Rainbow… If you want...”
Everypony became confused by what Fluttershy had said what was happening to Rainbow when Yibble slipped off the rainbow-maned mare, and crawled back to the pail. Yibble giggled happily and did a cute jig, swinging tiny tendrils left and right, making the pail tip left and right.
“Wha… Wha-What happened… What did that, ‘thing’ do?” asked Rainbow, coming out of her daze.
Twilight examine Rainbow carefully and came to a revolution. “It appears… that Yibble was capable of removing any sign of aggression from you. Its possible that Yibble has the ability to change the emotional states of any living being alive.”
“So it can manipulate… ponies?” said Rarity, worried with that idea.
“Not manipulate, but suggest; what Yibble did was simply sent a telepathic message on repeat while it was… ‘tickling’ Rainbow. A message that it wasn’t a threat, over and over… Interesting,” said Twilight, taking a closer of Yibble.
The baby slime, moved a tendril toward Twilight and purred like a cat. She touched the tendril with her hoof and watched it snake and wrap itself around her hoof; she felt the telepathic message from Yibble… and surprisingly understood its meaning.
“When that stampede came by, I thought something bad was happening at the Everfree and sent a letter to Celestia… Maybe this isn’t so bad as I assumed, and that we could learn from… Yibble,” said Twilight, rubbing her other hoof on Yibble’s head.
A cough was heard as Spike approached the pail with Yibble inside, eying the slime with curiosity before turning to Twilight. “Then we should probably tell Princess Celestia, not to send a squadron of royal guards here about… this incident,” said Spike, with a raised brow.
Twilight gave a weak laugh before slipping from Yibble’s hold and coughed weakly into her free hoof. “I’ll be right back girls… I need to go send another letter to the Princess. You girls get to know Fluttershy’s new friend… I think we’re going to be seeing… ‘her’ for a while.”
“Wait? Its a girl,” said Rainbow, standing back up. “How could you tell, with it being all… well… you know?”
“I couldn’t… She told me,” said Twilight, trotting upstairs. Spike followed her as the two prepared to write a letter to Princess Celestia; the girls – while slowly – gotten more introduced to Yibble-Bibble… The female slime.
“When’s her birthday?” asked Pinkie, playing with Yibble.
“It’s actually today… I think,” said Fluttershy. “I just found her some time ago.”
“Then we can make her a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ and ‘Happy Being Born’ party! Oh! I’ll get the cake ready; what flavor does she like?”
Yibble touched Pinkie’s snout with a tendril, sending a telepathic message. After removing her tendril, Pinkie nodded in understanding. “Ohhhh… You like blueberries? Okie-dokie; one blueberry cake, coming right up. Meet you at the party in the evening girls; I got me a party to prepare!” With that Pinkie zoomed off, leaving the other girls alone with the baby slime.
“So… Fluttershy dear… What exactly is Yibble’s kind… if you know of course?” asked Rarity, taking her focus on Fluttershy.
Fluttershy rubbed her head in thought when she remembered what Pinkie said before they came in. “I think Pinkie suggested calling her kind… Slimes.”
“Slimes? Isn’t that a bit… simple,” said Applejack.
“Naw! I like it; cute guy is pretty slimy. A bit feisty too considering it stood one-on-one with me,” said Rainbow grinning.
“Rainbow dear, remember this is a girl… not a guy.”
“Yeah yeah… I should probably get cleaned up; meet you at the party!” Rainbow zoomed off, and soon Rarity and Applejack stayed to get acquainted with the slime and wait for Twilight to finish her letter.
Some distance from Ponyville, at Canterlot Castle; the princess of the sun was busy reading a recent letter from her student after receiving one just moments ago.
“Hmmmmm...”
A knock was heard on the door of the princess’s room; the first knock wasn’t answered, but the second and third knocks caught her highness’s attention. Putting the letter down with her magic, she made her way to the door, but standing some distance from handle-reach.
“Come in,” said her highness.
Coming inside Princess Celestia’s door, was nopony but her equal; Princess Luna – Princess of the Moon, and Protector of Dreams. Luna entered inside and while she was still smaller than Celestia, had some of her old coloration returning to her, with some patches of her fur still a light-hue of blue. The princess looked upset but had this sad-look to her at the same time.
“What is wrong Lulu-”
“DON’T… Don’t call me Lulu… I don’t deserve such a name...”
Celestia frowned and approached her sister with her wing, hugging her close. “If this is about your recent return, please… I forgive you Lulu… and I am sorry I neglected, and that I never noticed soon enough.”
“That is not why I am upset...” Celestia was now the one upset, because ever since Luna came back after a month of her return, she has become closed to herself. Most often, whenever she wished for something or spoke with her, she was… vague about things. Celestia wished for her to be more open and speak of every opinion she has for… everything.
I won’t make the same mistake… Not again. “Luna… remember, you can say whatever you wish; there’s no need to hold ba-”
“I brought them back...”
“...What are you talking about?”
Luna breathed a deep inhale, and exhaled slowly with deliberately slowness. She then stared back at Celestia for a short moment before staring of to the sky through an open window. “I almost brought back the V-Slimes during my rise as Nightmare Moon. I almost brought those carnivorous monstrosities to this world… after the two years we tried to extinct their kind, and I ALMOST revived them.”
“Luna; we talked about this. Whatever mistakes you made as Nightmare Moon wasn’t your fault-”
“BUT IT WAS!” shouted Luna, removing her contact with Celestia. “I DONE SO MANY HORRENDOUS THINGS DURING MY SHORT RULE OF EQUESTRIA AS THAT… that… ‘THING’! Trying to bring the sun down and keep the world in eternal darkness wasn’t the worse things I done; no… I murdered ponies, other beings from the nations I considered allies. Burned villages to the ground, gave curses to our loyalest of families, and… and… and...”
Luna was the near brink to tears, and Celestia tried to comfort her… when she exploded – emotionally.
“I KILLED STARSWIRL! I KILLED THE ONLY ADULT-FIGURE WHO TRULY BELIEVE IN US; IN ME! AND MURDERED HIM WITHOUT A HESITATION, AND I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT GUILT!” Luna fell to the ground wailing in tears, repeating forgiveness for a dead figure, respected by all historians, magical experts, and researchers across Equestria.
“I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRYYYYY!” said Luna, repeatedly.
Luna laid there in a fetal position, making a pool of her tears, and realizing it now… she was in a terrible condition. Her fur was filthy, and barely ate anything for weeks, and while Celestia saw Luna eat when they ate together sometimes, she always said she needed to go to the washroom. She was then later told that the royal lavatories were always clogged; now realizing that Luna has been throwing up the food on purpose… She was slowly killing herself, in the most painful way possible.
Celestia was saddened to see how much in pain her sister was – both physically, mentally, and emotionally. During the aftermath and pre-aftermath of Luna’s banishment, she was told she was only causing distractions to guard patrols by destroying the paths, killing fields of food, and the occasional messenger being longer than usual. However… these reports were explained in such ways that suspicion was not that high… but the personal reports from civilians, some of her own guard, and said messengers… that was when it finally hit her.
“Luna… Please… Don’t hate yourself for what you done...” said Celestia, knelling down toward Luna.
“How can’t I? I’ve done these horrible things to so many of our subjects… How can I be forgiven of them, when I; the monster, killed and destroyed the lives of so many.”
“Because your not the one who created that monster… I am...” Luna looked up and realized the pained look of Celestia; her features were contorted, and her eyes were a slit as they were watery from tears that were impossible to be on a face such as hers. “It is my fault and burden that I neglected you and those who considered themselves your followers. You and they were rediculed for your difference… and I watched it all… Arrogant of my self-praise and blindness of the masses… While you may be called a monster; I am a fool of a leader… and while many not see that, I will be known for my past mistakes – both known and unknown to the public… It should have been me to be banished, not you.”
“Oh… sister.”
The sweet moment lasted and ended with the two sisters embracing one another, until both their tears – tears they held for centuries, were finally drained of the two. Luna started gasping for air after crying for so long and hard, and breathed in deep.
“Thank you… sister… but this is not why I came here. You see… I have felt… something,” said Luna. “I am not sure what it was or what it may be, but its something I haven’t felt for a long time...”
“What was it Luna?” asked Celestia, having stopped her tears too.
Luna gave a pause before looking toward her sister. “I felt… a telepathic line; there is only one such creature with the physical ability to create such a powerful telepathic link...”
Celestia stood up, and used her telekinesis magic to grab the recent letter and the previous letter she received from Twilight. Reading both once more, she put together the information in the letters, her sister’s warning… and her own experience.
Dear Princess Celestia,
A strange incident has happened; a stampede of animals and beasts from the Everfree Forest have gone berserk and nearly rampaged through Ponyville, as a stampede came through the town.
Only few gotten some scratches and cuts, but were okay; luckily my friends and I were able to save, help, and guide any ponies during the stampede.
It was a valuable lesson that while sometimes friends don’t always go along, it was important that we may not share the same interests, but doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.
Other important information about the incident was that the creatures all came from the one specific part of the Everfree – Fluttersh’y cottage.
We are going to head to Fluttershy’s to make sure she’s okay after this letter is sent, but I am told by Rainbow Dash that she was okay, and has been through her fair share of animal attacks and stampedes whenever a thunder storm, or earthquake were to happen around her part of the forest. I was even told the number of injuries she received from trying to help a baby cub off a tree that was about to fall; the baby cub kept on scratching Fluttershy but… she ignored the pain and saved the cub and returned the baby to her mother.
While each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses… Fluttershy is probably the most bravest of us to do something like that; especially as her life’s job.
We hope she is alright.
From your student;
Twilight SparkleP.S. Could you send a royal guard squadron here in case more dangerous creatures are to come from the forest… please… and thank you.
After the first letter was finished being read, Celestia paid her attention to the other letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Um… to start things off; could you please cancel that request for the royal guard to come to town… We may have solved why the creatures of the Everfree freaked out.
You see, Pinkie found Fluttershy trotting through town after the incident, and when she came to my library… I heard some noise. This was during me writing the first letter, and when I reached downstairs… I saw Fluttershy with a pail… but it was what came out of that pail.
A strange slimy creature the size of a large dog began to curiously look around its surroundings and the girls. It had two pupilless eyes the size of hoof-sized rocks. The strange slimy substance it was made from was see-through – well barely – and was of a yellowish tint that seemed to gleam. The slime was sticky but I felt some sort of strange… ‘feeling’, almost it was alive of sorts. Any slime away from the… well, Slime (I am calling them that after hearing my friends calling it a Slime; Slimenus Globieus); continuing, any slime from it causes it to act or have the sentience feeling. To say the least, it looses its connection with the original within a certain distance, and this connection will get stronger as it grows and matures.
I have also learned that the Slime is a baby… approximately four to five hours old, meaning its a literal infant. This explains while its pretty big, it is still considered smaller than a pony… it was however capable of expanding its size by fitting the pail it was carried by Fluttershy, or expanding its form to cover Rainbow (Don’t worry, she’s fine).
It was also capable of creating these tendrils… as to their use, that is unknown but I discovered another use… It can use telepathy; the Slime has the capacity to use a high-level mark-01 spell that only… Well somepony with magic compared to yourself or magic like an experienced wizard like Starswirl the Bearded.
With this knowledge, I can predict that it is capable of using – maybe even absorb… Magic. Whether these species have already been discovered or are a new kind of creature is another mystery to be solved later… I believe we… my friend Fluttershy has discovered a new ally princess; new SENTIENT life!
With it being a simple orphan, we can teach her (Its a her by the way… she told me) so many things; our culture, science, magic, language, history, and SO MUCH MORE! We may have even made a new friend too; its extremely friendly by the fact how its acted toward Rainbow and has gain the trust of at least four out of six of us. The first being Fluttershy; FLUTTERSHY of all ponies.
All in all… I wish permission and your support in this new project. Now while this may not be related to my main goal of making friends and improving my relationship with the friends I have now… I believe “she” can improve our lives and this town, maybe even Equestria.
Sincerely your student;
Twilight SparkleP.S. The Slime… her name is Yibble-Bibble; interesting to say the least. I am not sure if Fluttershy gave her – The Slime – the name or she had that name from birth, but from noting that Yibble’s birth parents aren’t in the area; both Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, and the surrounding area… Yibble might be an orphan.
Celestia put both letters down; she rubbed her forehead and sighed deeply in frustration. It can’t be… it just can’t…
“Sister? What… What’s happening?”
Celestia looked up and gave a weak smile, before calming herself down to respond to Luna. “While I am not sure about what I am about to tell you… but I think...”
“Think what?”
“...The V-Slimes… The Carnivore Legion… They’ve returned.”
Luna’s eyes widened in fear, and sent an unintentional magical burst, causing the surrounding objects in the room to either float and drop, go into flames, or be flung to the walls. Celestia saw this coming and were able to grab anything breakable, and extinguish the flames.
“THE CARNIVORE LEGION; THEE CARNIVORE LEGION! I thought we destroyed all those abominations; how is it possible!? During the final days of the two year war, Discord was sent to the main nest to destroy not only the Legion’s strategists, but destroy future generations of their main force to be eliminated. Eggs smashed… dozens and dozens… We had…” Luna took a deep sobbing gasp, remembering the many innocents died, and soldiers killed. “...We… had to burn down future cities to the ground… Those who remained and stayed in those cities burned alive… Rather than them being slaughtered by the Legion… I watched… so many of the innocents’ families came to the throne… asking… for their family, friends… If we did not do what we had to do, those who died would become resources for the Legion...”
Luna looked up, fury re-enlightened like never before since her return… or that one incident with Blueblood. “I will not… NO! …I swear that I will never let this horror happen once more… To many died… so many generations… gone in a blink of an eye.”
“Luna please!” shouted Celestia, but recomposes herself from spooking her sister. “We are unclear if what Twilight has wrote, and what knowledge we known about the incident, all those centuries ago. The war took so many lives, and the Carnivore Legion are mindless beasts that followed orders of their smartest, strategical of their kind… From the letters sent by Twilight… it sounds as if the creature I am being told of… has intelligence, personality, emotion… That it is sentient.”
Luna’s shock and silence spoke volumes; she was unable to express which emotion to show. “Se… Sentience? ...You mean… This ‘thing’ can think?” said Luna, the shock slowly coming to her.
“Not thin k Luna… That it… ‘she’ may have evolved.”
“Evolved? The Carnivore Legion soldiers do not feel, nor are they possible to change from their given instincts. The possibility of such things are impossible; they were bred to being killing machines and loyal to their hive. One mind… a whole legion; we had zero incidents of a defect… with only the Smooze being the only one because of a unique difference.”
Celestia agreed to, but looked out the window and watched the far reaches of the nation she helped grow. “If there is one thing I have learned through the centuries of my rule alone… The impossible… is simply another word for prophecy; a few centuries after your… banishment. A mage who had the gift to see the future, saw a moment in time… of a being similar to the Alpha V-Slime; “The God of Change”. That mage sadly died to early after showing me that moment of time… and what I saw… was something that could change the reality of our world…”
Luna was afraid what she was about to hear, but was also anxious to hear that such… a creature – another one of its kind existed. While an Alpha V-Slime was as deadly when the sisters combined their powers together… it was also – in a word, “beautiful”. The Alpha was the only thing with sentience; a personality that… connected with Luna… while it has been a long time, the things… the two spoke… those memories would last for a long time. “You mean...”
“A new Alpha is being born… and if that is what’s happening in Ponyville, we need to keep a careful eye. Not only that, but… we may even convinced this new Alpha to be allies with us. The only reason the Carnivore Legion attacked us was because of the Alpha contacting us… they found it a threat to their leader… They saw us as if we were a virus… the Alpha was the brain, the soldiers the white cells, the workers and others the red cells… and the hive as a whole, were the body.”
“But if their Alpha was so important… Why would he come to us in the first place?”
“It was because of his uniqueness that he was alone… The need of more than one Alpha was unnecessary and took too many resources It caused the old Alpha… the last Alpha… he felt alone… and felt a connection with us… A want… I just wished his kind did not kill us all off.”
“...Me too...”
“That is why I will trust Twilight with this, and that she can give a new future for both our kind… A new beginning...”
“But… this new Alpha. What exactly so different about the old one?”
Celestia recollected the vision she saw; before the death of the mage… she was given the ability to see the future… this was her first vision… and it was the one vision she will make sure, never becomes real. “A being more powerful than anything I have ever or will ever see… Standing a top the defeated forms of the Elements, you and I… and all of Equestria. It shone brighter than the greatest jewel… standing tall on two legs, eyes lifeless but gleaming with a consuming abyss. The strongest noticeable thing… was that is almost resembled…
“It looked like Discord…” Celestia stared to the sky, not bothered by Luna’s sudden disgust at the Spirit of Chaos’s name being mentioned. What have you done Discord?
Within the garden of Canterlot Castle; a statue of a certain being.
Discord’s prison, turned to stone… a statue to stand for time… A certain laugh echoed across the garden unheard… as a deep distort voice spoke.
“I never keep promises Celestia… You should know me better… I have plans for that little slime… Soon… Soon...”