//------------------------------// // Book 1: Friendship – Chapter 2: Captain // Story: The Alicorn of Canterlot // by JustNewHere //------------------------------// “We’re lost,” a demure voice uttered, making a small bunny glance up at the Pegasus pony. The mare’s cloak hid most of her body, not touching the cobbled steps of the early afternoon bustling of Canterlot City. She eyed the banners and decorations in wonder. She was often not able to attend these kinds of events but perhaps this time around she could indulge, after she found her destination that is. As they narrowly avoided a busy baker looking to be in a hurry, the bunny muttered something in squeaks and the pony seemed to have understood the message as she replied, “Yes, I checked the map, but I think they’ve changed a few things compared to the last time I visited.” Another series of squeaks. “Okay, a lot of things changed.” Silence before another long squeak. “You know I can’t fly that high, the buildings had gotten tall enough outside my ‘Safety Range.’” The bunny huffed before climbing on top of the pony, deciding to rest for now. The pink haired pony patted her companion’s head and trotted further, passing by an apothecary. She debated asking the bored looking shop owner about directions. “In the white light…” Flicking an ear up, the mare diverted her attention away from the establishment and towards an alley, following the resonance of the heavenly voice that graced her sense of hearing. Growing interested, she walked down the path before she raised an amused brow at the assembled crowd that gathered upon reaching the end of the alleyway. The small district of merchants and the like encompassed the area, seemingly busier than the main district she passed on her way here. She luckily ducked out of the way from a moving wagon, stared after the pony’s back in annoyance, before returning her sight on the commotion further down the road. When she reached the crowd, the heavenly music and singing seemed to be at the center of the makeshift stage. Few ponies paused in their trek to listen to the tune before they continued to walk by to place a few Bits on a small tin. As the yellow pegasus trotted forward and past the ponies with murmured apologies, her sight was bestowed by an angelic being. An amber coated unicorn sat, playing on her violin with her eyes closed and singing the last verse of her song softly. Many who noticed the horn stared wordlessly as they did not see any tell-tale signs of it being used, which could only mean that the unicorn was playing the instrument like an Earth pony would. That fact deepened the awe in the town ponies. After all, it was a rare sight to see a unicorn not using their horn. “…lost in thoughts, all alone.” With the fading notes dying down to a calm lull, the loud cheers of the ponies replaced the momentary silence as well as the sound of bits hitting the floor of the makeshift stage. The mare glanced at the ponies that stayed to watch and smile at the end of her performance before she bowed to her audience with a satisfied grin. The pegasus pony used her wings to join the clapping, eyes shining in admiration at the feat she had seen. It was uncommon, after all, to find a non-Earth pony that can play as good as a regular earth pony, albeit better even. The fiery haired pony retained her smile once the crowd dispersed, going down the small stage and picking up her earnings. The pegasus mare was about to join her, prepared to compliment the unicorn personally for the fantastic performance until a guard beat her to it and something told her they weren’t planning to talk about the amber pony’s presentation. “What do we have here?” the mint green guard pony whose eyes were obscured by a helmet began as she sneered at the performer. “Did the unicorn steal another round of bits?” The amber pony huffed, blowing a red bang away from her eyes as she packed up her things. “None of your business, Lightning.” She pushed past the guard with a scowl. Thud! Multiple eyes stared as the guardspony grinned salaciously, eyeing the unicorn now on the ground laying on an embarrassing position with her rear up. The mint grin pony clicked her tongue in disgust. “Didn’t know you were desperate enough for coin that you would willingly present yourself of all things.” She licked her lips after a beat, “Not that I, a true pegasus, wouldn’t take you up on that if you’re offering.” The more built and stronger pony flicked her tail on the two- toned sun cutie mark, drawing a squeak of surprise from the blushing mare at the abrupt sting. The yellow pegasus, known by her comrades as Captain Fluttershy, scowled at the display in front of her. She was ready to pounce on the meanie when a hoof halted her pace, making her glare at the pony, a baker, who merely shook their head and gestured for the mare to just watch. Fluttershy withheld the unflattering words deep in her throat. Just how could they stomach this display, let alone not do anything about it? Watching with narrowed eyes, then raising her brows with a hint of confusion, Fluttershy gaped as the amber pony calmly stood up, turned to the rude pony, and batted her eyes. The unicorn even jutted her lip out in a pout before taking on an exaggerated innocent voice. “Did anyone ever tell you that when a mare said no for the eighth time, then it means that she’ll still reject you at the ninth?” The crowd ‘ooed’ and jeered at the statement, making the pegasus look affronted and face red as the unicorn’s mane. “And like a ‘true’ pegasus pony, wouldn’t one just do me,” the unicorn bowed submissively, earning another blush (both from the guard and Fluttershy watching with the audience), and stared with half-lidded eyes, “than say they will?” The pegasi in the audience and Fluttershy all unconsciously winced at the jab. The winged ponies of Equestria were commonly known for something else aside from their speed and ability to fly and that was their inner most sense of warrior-like pride. What this unicorn did, in front of an audience even, had not only proclaimed the number of times this guard pony was rejected but had also called in the pegasus’ bluff. To the pegasus pony culture, this guard pony could be deemed impotent to satisfy a mate and that was an arrow-like insult straight to the self-respect. The mint green pony sputtered out a retort but there was nothing to respond to as she continued to gape like a fish. Snickering erupted from the crowd, those made louder by the ones aware of how deep that insult had cut. Throughout it all, the unicorn merely blinked innocently. Redness now reaching the tips of her ears, the guard pony snarled before flying away from the scene. The crowd cheered and hollered, causing the unicorn to bow once more but in a playful manner. All Fluttershy did throughout all this was stare slack jawed while the baker pony chuckled and patted the dumbfounded mare on the back. “W-Wha-How did she?” “Little bit of advice for ya feathered one,” the baker began as he joined in the clapping. “This one? This feisty unicorn? Don’t be fooled by the doe-eyed act, coz once she feels like it, she’ll ensnare ya like a cobra does a rat.” He let out a good-natured laugh escape him once more. “In these parts, we call that one ‘The Unconquered Deer’, down the fishing district ‘Siren’s Song’, but most of us Canterlot folks could agree that that one could be the ‘Sun Incarnate’ for all we know.” He turned to look at Fluttershy with a grave look, “and ya know that story about that old Pegasus tale, ‘Idioticus Hubris’, right?” He watched the mare nod her head. He laughed once more as he started trotting back to his shop. “Ya fly too close, ya get yourself burned crisp, and now ya fried chicken.” Cozy Glow took in a deep breath, savoring the pleasant afternoon air from her high balcony. Scarlet eyes flashed open, narrowed as they swept over the hustle and bustle of her domain. She could just picture her happy citizens going about their day, preparations for the festival and costumes to wear were practically all in their minds. A servant stood to the side, acting immediately when the ruler raised her cup before proceeding to pour more tea and then going over to the side when her task was done. The Empress of Canterlot took a contemplative sip yet the piping hot liquid did nothing to quell the burning fire deep within her. She thought after all these years she would feel something that could be called fondness, or at least indifference, every time she visited her ward but there was simply no other emotion that fueled her other than raw hatred and disgust. “I tried to love her as my own but for all my talents, I just could not,” She muttered. “The very sight of her just makes my skin crawl…or trigger my rage.” Cozy looked to the sky, finding a cloudless weather as she gazed upon the calming blue. She shook her head in disappointment. “Twilight is simply a living insult to Order, I should have disposed of her years ago.” “Just what do you have in store for me, Fate?” Cozy begged to the empty sky yet found no reply. She scowled at nothing before raising her cup once more, taking a sip when it was refilled. There was a silence that permitted on the balcony of Canterlot Castle as Empress Cozy Glow tried to enjoy a relaxing time with tea and a view of her empire, but she was simply restless. She stared at the book laying open on the desk beside her recliner, where multiple marked lines painted the old tome. The curly haired pony did hate to sully such books, but it was a necessary sacrifice if she would be successful in finding out a mystery that her family had never came close to uncovering. The book had been passed down for generations, signifying its experience with time by its worn-out pages and littered markings. The battered cover of the book had made the title indistinguishable, making no clear evidence of what it was or who wrote it. Nothing too interesting for all Cozy Glow cared to admit but she found what her ancestors had considered a reason important enough to preserve and pass down a weathered old tome stolen from their enemies; the insignia of the book that remained untarnished. It baffled the empress to see the spotless image of the sun looked entirely out of place amidst the fading dried leather at the day of her coronation. At that important moment in her life, Cozy vowed to unlock its secrets yet still after all these years she fared no worse than her ancestors had attempted. Scarlet eyes scanned the page she had left open, sighing in frustration once again as she tapped her hoof on a symbol. “Just what does it mean exactly?” The empress set aside her tea cup before she gripped the tome on both hooves, scowling at it like it would give her the answers she sought. “For decades my family had this book, never even coming close to unlocking its secrets even with all the knowledge and resources at our disposal.” She lazily flipped to the first page, staring at a picture of a sun. “Just what power does it hide that it was valuable enough for my ancestors to take from the unicorn trespassers?” She flipped to the next, eyeing the picture of a crescent moon encased by a black blotch of something that Cozy guessed was a liquid stain. “It’s nothing but odd images and symbols that have no meaning.” She stopped at the last one that was also marked in red, a heart with curved lines on each side. Cozy let out an exasperated sigh, leaning against her hoof, as she reread the barely comprehensible scrawl for the nth time. “’As the sun rises, so does the moon and as love finds a place in every heart,’” she shook her head as the passage ended there. “What were my ancestors thinking by keeping this useless relic around?” The empress leaned against her chair. “It doesn’t make any sense. It must be some prank made by these unicorns. A practical joke in their twisted games.” She shook her head once more before setting the tome on the table again. She managed to finish her drink just as the echo of faint clip clopping of hooves sounded louder as they neared the ruler. Scarlet eyes turned to the blue pony servant a pace far back before Cozy, head bowed in reverence as she uttered, “My liege, Captain Fluttershy has arrived. She’s waiting in the throne room.” The empress nodded, a pleased grin on her features as she replied, “Thank you Starless Night. Have the rest of the servants, along with yourself, take the time off to prepare for the festival.” Cozy then nodded to the pony who served her tea, “That goes for you too Sunny Skies, thank you for the tea and company.” As the servants wordlessly took their leave, the ruler of Canterlot composed herself and went to her throne room. Wings unfurled behind her alongside her raised head, Cozy mustered a friendly smile as her guards opened the door for her. She watched her guest take a bow upon seeing the empress, a silent message of acknowledgement to the smaller pegasus’ status, before Cozy nodded as a gesture of acceptance of the other’s and raised a hoof. “You may stand, Captain Fluttershy.” The captain raised her head, nodding before uttering a demure, “Thank you.” Cozy Glow fought the urge to raise a brow. This…new captain was not what she was expecting when she contacted the general of Cloudsdale while looking for another to fill the open position in her guard. Granted she did not reply to the general’s question of “I thought you have one already, what happened with that one?” with a specific answer but she thought it was implied that her last captain was no longer able to fulfill his job and the position now needed another more suitable, one where they won’t end up suffering in treachery down in her dungeons. Pulling away from her thoughts, Cozy might as well deal with what she was given. General Rainbow Dash was not known for keeping incapable pegasi after all. “Welcome to Canterlot, Captain Fluttershy. I hope your journey was not an entirely pleasant one?” The empress said as she trotted down her throne. It was simply there for a show after all. She knew her true power was in her ability to stand alongside her fellow ponies yet still remain leagues beyond them. Order was very kind to her. Captain Fluttershy simply nodded. “It was no trouble at all, except for the shameful display of one of the guards under your command.” Cozy raised a brow. While she encouraged her fellow ponies to voice out their thoughts and opinions, there was also an unspoken rule that one shouldn’t outright voice their thoughts immediately after meeting with her. Nevertheless, the mare did not break any law relating to this. Cozy’s interest was piqued. “Intriguing news. Shall we discuss this further as we take a relaxing trot? I’m not up to talking about matters in my throne room just yet. Keeping my afternoons stress free, you see." “To be expected, I am honored.” The pink maned pony bowed before going over to the ruler’s side. Cozy fought the rising urge to smirk, knowing and even thinking that the mare was aware of the second unspoken rule that she just broke by walking alongside the empress. “Quiet and demure but a fighter and hidden rebel? Interesting pick General Rainbow Dash,” Cozy thought as they exited the room. The empress nodded to her guards as they saluted immediately. “I just hope this captain of yours won’t try to poison my meal this time.” The two ponies stopped by the ruler’s grand balcony. “It would be a shame to add this one as another evidence to your disloyalty.”