A Sunday Afternoon...
Chapter One: Gentle Breeze's Surprise
Canterlot. A light unto the world. A shining city upon a hill. An enduring pillar of strength for society. A symbol of hope and all that is good in the land. A place where dreams come true.
But Canterlot is also a paradox, full of overlooked contradictions. A city built for two ruling royals, which for a thousand years served as the capital for a monarchy, now home to a diarchy of the sovereigns of day and night. A city securely anchored into the side of the mountain yet perilously cantilevered out into open sky, seeming to defy and flaunt gravity. A welcoming city that is also so hard to reach. A cosmopolitan city, yet one whose cuisine tasted all the same – bad. A capital city with a strong garrison that was somehow conquered on multiple occasions.
On this particular morning one of Canterlot’s greatest contradictions was on full display. Canterlot, the capital of a vast empire stretching from the blue Celestial Sea in the east to the sparkling Luna Ocean in the west and from the scorching Badlands in the south to the snow-capped Crystal Mountains in the north, was a sleepy small town on Sunday mornings. Court was not in session, allowing the princesses time to unwind from a busy workweek or, as was more often the case, a day to catch up on all the paperwork littering their desks. Businesses sat closed, save a few restaurants serving brunch. Most of the city’s residents preferred to sleep in late or spend a quiet morning at home, leaving only a few out on the streets. A Manehattanite or Fillydelphian, whose cities bustled no matter the hour or the day, would be shocked at the sight. But this suited a certain pegasus from Ponyville just fine....
Fluttershy walked down the street, enjoying the beautiful fall day. She breathed in the pleasantly crisp air, so sweet and fresh in the mountains. Meanwhile Celestia’s golden sun shone down, warming her feathers and fur. The broad avenue that meandered through the heart of the capital lay peaceful and quiet, with only a few ponies out for a morning stroll.
Fluttershy took note off her surroundings as she trotted along. Stores lined much of the street, their window displays enticing prospective customers with fabulous gowns and accessories, glittering jewelry, or mountains of shoes. One such store was Canterlot Carousel, the second location in her friend Rarity’s budding fashion empire. Other businesses were more to Pinkie Pie’s tastes, showcasing all sorts of delicious cakes, treats drizzled in chocolate, or a rainbow of mouth-watering sugary candies. Yet another business sat in a respectable brick building – Noble’s Bookstore. Whenever they came to Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle always ensured the trip included a stop at her favorite hangout and would often leave with a literal mountain of books to take home and read. As she passed through an intersection, Fluttershy glanced down a side street to see Restaurant Row, so recently liberated from the dominance of one Zesty Gourmand, now thankfully home to some of the best food in Equestria. The air filled with a bouquet of wonderful scents, everything from fresh-baked breads, waffles and pancakes, to omelets and other breakfast dishes.
Turning the corner, Fluttershy came upon her destination. Before her lay beautifully landscaped grounds filled with lush grass, expertly trimmed hedges, large towering trees, and lovely topiary gardens, dotted by fountains and small ponds. It rivaled the Royal Gardens a few blocks away. Sitting amongst this serene setting stood a large, inviting building. Several stories tall, it featured a front porch spanning its entire length, where a dozen ponies enjoyed the day from their rocking chairs.
Fluttershy walked through the wrought iron gate and along the stone path past the gardens, until she climbed the steps and entered the front door. Inside the quiet lobby she found a receptionist desk. Looking up at the guest, the red earth pony greeted, “Welcome to Golden Pastures Retirement Community. How may I help you?”
“Good Morning,” said Fluttershy. “I’m here to see my grandmare. Her name is Gentle Breeze.”
“Hmm.... Gentle Breeze... doesn’t ring a bell.”
Taken aback, Fluttershy pressed, “Oh, I know she lives here. Not for very long, she moved from Cloudsdale only a few months ago.”
“Let me take a look at our list of residents.” Taking out a thick book, she started going through the pages. “Oh, here she is – Gentle Breeze. You know, some of our members are so quiet that you hardly know that they’re here.”
“Oh, that sounds like her.”
“She lives in room 221B. Take a left, then the stairs to the second floor, then all the way to the end of the hall.”
“Thank you very much,” smiled Fluttershy.
“You’re welcome. Have a nice day.”
Fluttershy walked down the corridor, then up a flight of stairs, then down a quiet hallway until she reached her grandmare’s apartment. Lightly knocking, she stood back until hearing the thunk of the deadbolt unlocking. The door swung back to reveal an elderly pink pegasus. “Fluttershy!” she greeted in a sweet tone.
“Good morning Nana,” she replied.
“Come here and give your grandmare a hug.” The two shared a loving embrace. “It’s so good to see you. I haven’t seen you since the family reunion two months ago.”
Stepping back, Fluttershy said, “I know. My new animal sanctuary keeps me really busy.”
“You said so in your letters. I want to hear all about it,” she said, motioning motioning for Fluttershy to take a seat on the couch. “Could I get you some tea, dear?”
“Yes, that’d be lovely.”
After a few minutes in the kitchen, Gentle Breeze appeared with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. She listened as her granddaughter related all the challenges in establishing Sweet Feather Sanctuary. Then she related how her friends were doing, with Rainbow Dash joining the Wonderbolts, her adventure in Las Pegasus with Applejack, and how Discord nearly disappeared during a tea party.
After a natural pause, Gentle Breeze asked, “So dear, what brings you to see me today?”
“I came to celebrate your birthday.”
“Oh, my birthday isn’t until Tuesday.”
“I know, but I wanted to do something special for you.” Reaching into the saddlebag next to her, she drew forth a small envelope which she passed to her grandmare.
Looking at the contents, Gentle Breeze’s eyes went wide. “Fluttershy, you shouldn’t have.”
“Well, it’s not everyday you turn seventy-five. I know how much you love the Canterlot Royals, so I thought you’d enjoy seeing them play.”
“Yes, they’re playing the Fillydelphia Eagles. Oh, we will have to leave within the hour.”
“We? Isn’t there somepony you’d like to take with you?”
“You gave me these tickets dear. There’s nothing that would make me happier than to enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon with my favorite granddaughter.”