//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Things Set in Motion // Story: Pink'tulu // by Scriber //------------------------------// The day had gone just as planned, Twilight Sparkle found. After some conversation with Pinkie Pie and Rarity, Twilight had managed her friends to travel along with her to Canterlot on such short notice. Pinkie Pie had assured Twilight that the Cakes were more than willing to grant the dedicated mare a few vacation days to help a friend, and Rarity was (expectedly) more than willing to go along for the sole purpose of simply being in Canterlot again. After informing Spike of her plans after he awoke around noon, he was more than willing to help the purple unicorn mare run through her checklists, packing all necessary items and making all of the necessary preparations. Before beginning packing in earnest, however, Twilight sent a letter to Princess Celestia, accepting her appointment to the research team with great zeal. She also informed the Princess that she would be joined by Spike, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, which she hoped would not be too much of a burden. Finally, she noted that she looked forward to tea. It would indeed be pleasant to catch up in person. As the late afternoon arrived, the sun continued its slow descent into the horizon, lower to the ground than usual because of the late season. The hour drew near for the Pegasus carriage from Canterlot castle to arrive. There was a knock at the door. Setting down the Archaeological manual Twilight was browsing, the purple unicorn mare trotted over to the door, swinging it open with a bit of magic. “Rarity, Pinkie Pie! Glad that you two could make it. Did you pack all of your things?” “Indeed we have, darling. Oh this is going to be so exciting!” Rarity gushed. “A week spent in Canterlot, mingling with some of the greatest academic minds in all of Equestria! Ooh! - Twilight, dear, will any experts on Geology be present? I’d ever so love to learn from them whatever I could to put into my latest designs, you know.” “I’m sure there will be representatives from pretty much every field imaginable,” Twilight replied. “So when do we get to throw a party for all the smarty-pants ponies, Twilight? Huh?” Pinkie Pie asked earnestly, looking for a response. “I, uh... perhaps you could arrange a little get-together after the introductions are made?” “Yeah... hey, yeah! A sorta classy, Canterlot kind of party!” “Why, Pinkie, I’m pleasantly surprised! It would seem as though you have learned from our... trying experiences at that Grand Galloping Gala so many years ago.” “Aw, it was only five years ago, Rarity! You’re making me sound like I’m all old and stuff!” Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity shared in a lighthearted laugh, making small talk while Spike arranged everypony’s luggage to be packed. Within a few moments of Pinkie and Rarity’s arrival, so too did the Pegasus carriage arrive - appearing as a speck on the horizon at first, the glimmering, gilded wooden carriage glinted in the afternoon’s light, signalling its approach. Two stark white pegasus stallions were reined into the carriage, their strong, broad wings slowing their descent as they honed in on Twilight’s library home. With little more than a barely heard thud! the carriage touched down on solid earth, its drivers snorting and taking deep breaths to quickly regain their composure. “Miss Twilight Sparkle and Friends, I presume?” one of them spoke in a gruff, yet not unkind voice. “Yes, indeed, good gentlecolts. I believe you already know my assistant, Spike-” “Sup, Steelwing!” “Sup, Spike.” “-right. And this is Miss Rarity and Miss Pinkie Pie, two of my friends and and fellow bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” The guard’s expressions flickered slightly at this. They were informed that Twilight Sparkle may have passengers in tow, but none so famous as the Bearers themselves. “It is our honour to meet and serve you, young mares,” the other pegasus stallion intoned. “Allow us to pack away your things, and we will be able to take off shortly.” “Very good, sirs. We’ll be just over here. Good to see you too again!” Twilight replied. “Good to see you too, Miss Sparkle,” one of the stallions spoke. “My, such gentlecolts!” Rarity practically swooned. “Got that right,” Thunderlane Sr. agreed. “We’ve been escorting Miss Sparkle here all across Equestria for the past fifteen years, give or take.” “Never gets boring, these personal escorts,” Steelwing added. “Hey Thunderlane - ‘member that one time on the way back from Seaddle? With all that fog?” “Oh, you know it!” The two continued in their excited conversation, acting as if... “My, it’s almost as if the two of them are young colts. They don’t look too terribly old... but aren’t the Princess’ royal pegasus guards all over the age of forty?” “Uhm... I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. When we first met, I asked them - without a trace of tact, given that I was still just a filly - how old they were, knowing of Princess Celestia’s enchantment... they just shrugged, saying something to the effect of ‘a couple of centuries, give or take.’” “My word, that’s incredible! To think, a spell that not only preserves a pony at his or her prime, but preserves the body as well!” Rarity said, her eyes growing large at the possibilities. “Just think of the poss-” “-don’t think of the possibilities,” Twilight interrupted. “That bit of information is not really common knowledge for a reason. The Princess tried formally introducing it into Renaissance Equestria... let’s just say that things didn’t quite work out the way she wanted them to. Can I trust you to keep it a secret, Rarity?” “A secret? Why... absolutely, darling. If one of my dearest friends wishes the issue to be moot, than it shall be so,” Rarity affirmed with a nod of her head. “Pinkie, feel free to Pinkie Promise if you feel the need to.” Pinkie Pie nodded her head, crossing her eyes in determination. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” she chanted as she went through the motions. Just for a brief moment - it was strange, really... Twilight thought she saw something. Felt something. Something raw, something incredibly powerful and incredibly close - something that she couldn’t possibly begin to fully understand, given the briefness of its flickering into existence. ------------------- From here, the five ponies plus dragon soon take off, headed for the capitol city of Canterlot, nestled in a mountain. A brilliant, majestic waterfall, one that had been flowing for millenia, spilled outward from the regal city, shivering shards of pale sunlight shining through the mist and the foam, giving the liquid congruence a rainbow-tinted sheen. The purple one sighed, taking in the scene before her - since leaving her home of Canterlot for Ponyville five years ago, many aspects of her life had changed: new town, new ponies, new friends, new adventures, new villians, new problems to solve and lessons to learn. It had been, so far, the most thrilling years of the mare’s life; thing were, however, about to pick up considerably. Twilight eyed her companions, chatting away happily as they too took in the scene around them, Rarity’s eyes practically sparkling, Pinkie’s lips stretched wide in a genuinely happy grin. Even Spike was looking nostalgic as a faint smirk danced across his face, half-remembered memories of times long gone playing out before his mind’s eye. The purple unicorn mare closed her eyes, allowing the whistling of the wind, the steady beat of the pegasus’ wings and the not-unpleasant chatter of some of her closest allies lull her into a state of calm.   Once the carriage arrived in the royal city, Twilight Sparkle bade her friends, assistant and escorts adieu for the time being. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike all made their way to the series of rooms they would be staying in, while Twilight made her way through the long, lonely corridors of the castle, still awed by the vastness and finality of the place. Her eyes flickered from painting to painting, mural to mural, tapestry to tapestry and the like. Truly, the entire history of Equestria was told here through many, many forms of artistic expression - one only needed the eye to see it. To appreciate it. Knowing the way by heart, Twilight trotted silently towards the sprawling, windowed doors that led into the Gardens. She nodded at the two guards stationed on either side of the entrance; with an nod back in unison, the unicorns encompassed each door with a different colour of magic, one blue and one a pale yellow. Already, Twilight could see the rulers of her realm, seated side-by-side at a grand marble table. They rested upon fine velvet cushions as they lifted their heads up, watching the young mare’s approach.