//------------------------------// // Making the mark // Story: House of the Rising Sunflower // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// “Why, Sundance, I do think you have a graffiti problem.” Thinking of the occasional lewd graffiti that could be found, Sundance smiled in response and told Princess Celestia, “Look closer.” Casually pushing Commander Humblewood aside, the big mare leaned in, squinted, and had herself a better look at the gatehouse walls. Her squinty, somewhat wrinkly expression turned into one of smooth-faced surprise, and her eyes widened whilst her ears pricked so hard that the tips almost touched her horn. Sundance heard her wicker, and this was followed up by a deep-throated bellow as the princess began to read. The pasties from lunch were now leaden cannonballs in Sundance’s stomach, and he wondered if it was equinely possible to even digest them. He’d eaten a total of six with his meal, and had done so at Princess Luna’s insistence, with her patting him on the cheek while telling him that consuming them would turn him into a soldier with a cast iron stomach. So far, the transformation process left him feeling sweaty, bloated, and in need of a nap, but he had to follow Princess Celestia around as she completed her formal inspection. He suspected that the afternoon would be a long one. “I enlisted because I was told that there were hot fillies who liked enlistees,” Princess Celestia read aloud. Hearing this caused Sundance’s cheeks to draw tight, and his teeth clicked together. He hadn’t actually read all of the messages, just some of them, and he contemplated what wonderful words of inspiration had been engraved into the stone of the structure he now called home. As he stood there, with his cheeks tight and his guts struggling to digest the indigestible, he just so happened to glance over at Commander Humblewood, because muffled snickering could be heard. Princess Celestia continued reading, and nopony dared to interrupt. Nuance shuffled around, distracted, fidgety, and anxious, while Commander Humblewood stood at ease. As for Sundance, he could feel his digestive juices squishing, squirting, and squelching, and he hoped that the fight was going well, because losing meant having his plumbing get backed up. Then, quite suddenly, Nuance looked up at Sundance and said, “You look like how I feel right now.” If only the colt knew, Sundance thought to himself. “Father Goose told me that nothing lifts tail like golden armor, so I enlisted,” Princess Celestia said as she continued reading. The alabaster behemoth sighed, a variable windstorm ensued, and rolling her eyes, she shook her head from side to side. “Hmm, I wonder if Quiet would like to see me in—” “Nuance, if you finish that statement, you will be grounded—” “Mom—” “For life, Nuance. For life.” The big mare peeled her eyes away from the inspirational messages and peered down at her son with a bizarre smile that betrayed her serious tone. “But... Mom—” “Nuance, I can’t believe that you did all of this,” Princess Celestia said, changing the subject. Right before Sundance’s eyes, poor Nuance seemed to shrink, and he shied away from his mother. It was heartbreaking to watch, and he heard the colt say, “Mother… do you doubt me?” As was so often the case, Princess Celestia’s demeanour suffered rapid change. At first, Sundance saw shock, but this turned to pain, then guilt, back to pain, and then a whole avalanche of emotions that he couldn’t keep up with. He felt his own emotions struggling to keep up. For some reason, his vision blurred over and his eyes stung. Was the pollen that bad? “Nuance… no… no…” Princess Celestia lowered her head so that she could be down at eye level with her son, and using her wing, she lifted his head so that she could look him in the eye. “It is not doubt, my son, but surprise. You have surprised me. Nuance, you hated your lessons in fortifications and architecture.” Almost sniffling, Nuance replied, “I never thought they would have practical use. Learning that stuff felt like a waste of time. It seemed so pointless. Mother, I’m really confused right now.” “Nuance, son of mine, you and I have hit a new stage in our relationship. Obviously, you’re not used to surprising me, and I’m not used to being surprised. At least, not in this way. Please, do not assume the worst of me during this time when we try to figure one another out. You have done something extraordinary, and I must confess, I am at a loss for how to react.” Eyes stinging, his vision now too blurred to see, Sundance turned his head away so that he could wipe his eyes with his wing. There was pollen, or dust, or something in the air that was really messing with him. Not only were his eyes watery, but his nose felt sniffly too. Each breath was almost a shudder, his barrel felt tight, and for some reason that he could not explain, he really wanted to be with his mother. “All of your brother’s many successes come from the fact that he is utterly unable to fail, at least in regards to his talent. Radiance is successful without effort, without trying. You, Nuance… look at what you’ve done. You did this by applying yourself and working hard. This was accomplished with effort. Nuance, you’ve done something that I suspect that your brother will never do… and while that doesn’t make you better than him, it is my most sincere desire that you learn that anything is possible with hard work.” Then, after a deep breath, she added, “Son of mine, will you give me a tour? How did you utilise the space you had to work with?” Sundance, his eyes squeezed shut, tried to get the annoying stinging to go away. “I kept it simple, Mother. Considering the location, I used Expansionist Era architecture, when Equestria’s new settlements were forts, bunkhouses, and communal kitchens. So this is just bedrooms and a few large, open areas that can be used for just about any purpose.” “The Age of Optimism, when Equestria dared to dream. I do miss that era. After that, once we had secured both coasts, and we had a well-defined northern and southern border, things grew so much easier. But I couldn't help but feel that something was lost in the eras that followed. Things were easier, we struggled less, and… something changed. We were no longer the nation we once were, but we became something else.” There was a pause and the princess went silent for a time, until she continued, “I guess we settled in to become average, normal ponies. Exceptional types seemed rarer. Fewer. Without such adversity, so few were tested… forgive me, Nuance, I seem to have gotten lost in reminiscing.” “It’s alright, Mom.” “Equestria became a pastoral paradise, a great, green land that was secure and safe. At least in comparison to the rest of the world. So many came to our shores, seeking safety and a new life.” Princess Celestia bit her lip, chewed it thoughtfully, lifted her head up high, and then tilting her head, she glanced upwards in the direction of the belltower. “Sure are a lot of owls up there. That… that is a whole lot of hooters!” “Mother, I feel funny—” “Nuance, I told you not to eat so many pasties. You do not have the constitution of your siblings, son of mine.” “No, Mom, I feel… weird.” Sundance peeled his eyes open, and the world was a blurry, blurry place. “Nuance!” Princess Celestia’s voice was shrill with… glee? Blinking, Sundance tried to clear his vision and as he did so, his stomach rumbled as if to suggest that he too, lacked the constitution required to digest the deep fried bricks that he’d eaten. He heard the flutter of wings, the rustle of feathers, and the sound unique to winged ponies as feathers slid against a smooth, silken pelt. “What does it mean, Mother?” the colt asked. Finally able to focus, Sundance looked around, still blinking rapidly, and he brought his gaze to bear upon Nuance—only to see that Nuance had undergone a profound change. The colt was trotting about in circles, round and round he went, all while his mother made exasperated mom-whinnies because she was trying to have a better look. “Hold still, Nuance… why must you always fidget so?” “I can’t make my legs stop,” the colt replied. “Nervous energy!” “You just got a cutie mark, Nuance. There’s nothing to be nervous about. Now hold still so I can have a better look!” When Nuance failed to hold still, Princess Celestia lifted him, held him aloft, and had herself a better look. After a cursory examination she said, “It’s a mason’s calipers, a scroll, and a quill. How curious—” “But what does it mean!” Nuance whined. “Summon Sunburst at once! He’ll know!” “Nuance—” “Mom, I don’t want to be an architect, I still hate studying fortifications! I hate studying! I hate having to hold still! Don’t make me study fortifications, please!” “Nuance!” Princess Celestia’s tone of command silenced her wiggling, struggling son. “We’ll discern the nature of what this means later. Now… calm down before you have a nosebleed. Calm… think calm thoughts… focus. Good air in, bad air out. Good air in—” “Bad air out,” the colt said, exhaling. “Good. Since you can’t seem to hold still, you're going to give me a tour. A calm, quiet tour. You will be collected. Cool. You will be cool.” She clucked her tongue in the way of mothers everywhere when trying to establish control. “Now, please… show me around so I can continue my inspection.” The gallery, which Sundance had once felt was rather large, now felt smaller somehow, and more cramped as Princess Celestia paced the length of the floor. It was a tall room though, and the princess had plenty of room to hold her head high. Nuance followed along, trailing just behind her, clearly struggling to keep up with his mother. “I once ruled Equestria from a room similar to this one,” she remarked as she turned about rather suddenly. “Only there were no steel girders for the rafters, but rough-hewn timber. I too, lived in a gatehouse. This design is timeless… classic, and it fills me with nostalgia.” “Mother, I had help. There was lots of collaboration, and I listened to what others had to say.” Nuance came to a halt near his mother’s left foreleg. “We decided to mix new and old. Like the skylight in the other room with the protective steel plate. Do you approve?” Lost in thought, Princess Celestia did not answer right away, but her head turned this way, and that way, until at last she said, “This is commendable.” The moment the words left her mouth, Nuance heaved a sigh of relief, and then almost fell over. Commander Humblewood smiled, held his head high, and struck a proud pose. His drooping handlebar mustache framed his tight-lipped smile. Everything about his martial bearing suggested that he was quite pleased with his victory. “This place will need some furnishings,” the princess said as she began to pace once more. She did not stop when she reached the door, but continued into the parlour, the room with the massive skylight and the fireplace. Sundance, his hooves clopping against the floor, hurried to follow her, and was joined by both Commander Humblewood and Nuance. When Sundance passed through the door, he saw the princess standing in front of the fireplace, gazing into it, as if staring at a fire that wasn’t there. It was an enormous fireplace, but the tall princess somehow made it look quite small. Extending her wing, she said, “What we have here is art. This is no necessary construction—” “Mother, I’m sorry.” “No, Nuance… please, let me finish.” She cleared her throat. “This is art. It wasn’t necessary to make this, a simple fireplace could have been constructed. But this… this allowed somepony to gain skill, to grow and advance. It adds a level of beauty that goes beyond mere functionality. Guests will come here, Sundance will entertain them, and they will remember this fireplace. The fireplace is what makes all of this go from remarkable to exceptional. In the future, Nuance”—here, the mare’s tone changed to something that sounded more warm and educational—“you would do well to add these exceptional flourishes to your projects. They will serve your reputation and give you distinction.” Then, with a gasp, Nuance fainted. Though quite alarmed himself, Sundance saw that Princess Celestia didn’t seem overly concerned that her son had just keeled over and fainted dead away. She sighed, a resigned sound, and then, using her magic, she lifted her son up from the floor. A tender expression could be seen on her face, and her sides heaved when she sighed again. “So high strung, this one. Such a desire to prove himself, while also suffering from such a dreadful fear of failure. At the first sign of trouble, he quits, or runs away, rather than allow failure to happen. Poor dear… he’s run away from failure for so long… and he has no idea how to deal with success.” She sighed yet again, then added, “It’s been a while since he’s fainted.” Commander Humblewood cleared his throat, but said nothing. “Excuse me, but a little time is needed so that my son might recover. We shall continue this inspection after he is roused and I am convinced that he is okay.”