//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Unexpected Aftermath // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 12 ___________________________________________________________ We go back into the castle and I walk towards where I think the library is, Flash following behind, grumbling the whole time. We get in and I move over to one shelf, scanning the titles. “The hay is this mirror for?” I turn at the stallion’s words to see him standing by a very familiar mirror surrounded by equipment. He leans a hoof forward, a curious frown on his muzzle. The castle is filled with a very girly yelp as my magic yanks Flash back, the force being more than I intended, causing him to go flying and slam into the wall. “What the hay was that for?!” he demands, glaring at me. “Unless you wanna end up in a world you know dipshit about, flyboy, you’ll stay away from that mirror,” I point at the thing. His eyes narrow. “Is that a threat?” I roll my eyes. “Common sense. Sheesh, I’m glad not all pegasi are bird brains like you are.” I walk out, his sputtering following after me. If Twilight isn’t going to be here til tonight, there’s really no reason for me to hang around the. I’ll have to head back to the Empire long before then castle and the longer we’re here, the more likely Flash is going to do something stupid I’ll likely get the blame for. I’ll admit, much as I scolded Flash, I wouldn’t mind heading into the Equestria Girls world… but I’m already tempting fate by utilizing the loophole I am. I doubt going to another dimension counts in that and wouldn’t be as defendable. Besides, I need to prove I’m trustworthy and I doubt going into the EQG world when I’m pretty sure traveling between realities clearly violates the terms of agreement I’m currently bound by would help with that. “Not Cozy Glow?” The gruff voice makes me pause and I turn to see Yona, along with Sandbar and a pony who oddly looks a lot like the Youtuber Firebrand’s OC, only with blue eyes and a silver key for a Cutie Mark instead of yellow and a smiling flaming face. I blink, before shaking my head. “Autum, Yona. Call me Autum.” She blinks, before blushing slightly. “Oh. Right. Sorry.” “So, what’re you doing here in Ponyville?” Sandbar asks, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you, like, under house arrest and not allowed to leave the Crystal Empire?” I smirk, shaking my head and ignoring Flash as he comes back out the castle. “I’m only not allowed to leave Equestria or go into Canterlot. Everywhere else in Equestria is fair game… though I’m probably just gonna stick with Ponyville for now. Better safe than sorry.” “I… guess that makes sense,” Sandbar frowns. “Any who, I’m just gonna go to Sweet Apple Acres, then I think I might head back to the Empire,” I shrug. “I wanted to talk with Twilight about something Alicorn to Alicorn, but she won’t be back til tonight and I’ll need to have left before then.” “Makes sense,” Yona nods, before cocking her head. “Pony not want talk to Headmare Starlight or Counsellor Trixie?” I shake my head. Trixie Lulumoon as a counsellor. Not gonna lie, that is probably one of the strangest things MLP’s universe could’ve thrown my way. I bid the trio farewell and head off towards the Apple Family farm. ___________________________________________________________ Unbenownst to the ponies and yak, a figure stood by the window of the castle’s library, looking down at them. In particular the little Alicorn. They watched as the group chatted for a few moments, soon joined by the Pegasus whom was the Alicorn’s guard and clearly none too happy about it. They watched as the Alicorn bid the trio farewell, before turning and heading off back into town, to where, the figure did not know. They stood there, staring after the disappearing form of the princess for several moments, before a small sly smile crawled onto her lips. “Interesting,” they said, before turning and trotting back through the portal, no one even aware of her presence. ___________________________________________________________ On my way to the iconic farm, I pass by a few ponies who pause, puzzled looks on their faces, before they move on. Once we reach the gate, I hear a loud barking and Winona comes barrelling down the yard and leaps at me, licking my face. Guess she either never got a good whiff of Cozy to see her as an enemy or can just tell I’m not her. Animals are sensitive to those kinds of things sometimes. “Winona?” A gruff male voice says. “Where are ya, ya blasted pooch? I know ya aren’t used to me but…” Grand Pear pauses as he comes into view and sees us, the dog in question now getting belly rubs from me. “Whelp, this is a surprise,” the elderly stallion moves towards me, smiling. “Wasn’t expecting a royal visit.” “Eh, I was in the neighbourhood,” I shrug, grinning. We both have a light chuckle, while Flash stands there, glaring at me. Sheesh, lighten up, dude. “Autum?” I look passed the stallion to see a light-orange mare I know well. “Autum!” Pear Butter calls happily, coming over and giving me a big hug. “It’s so good t’ see you. How have ya been? Are ya gettin’ enough t’ eat in the Empire? Is it too cold?” She notices Flash giving me the stink eye and returns it to him. “Are the guards bein’ uptight?” I don’t answer at first, just enjoying the hug, before pulling back and shaking my head. “Nah. I’m doing okay. Most of the guards aren’t exactly friendly, but they courteous.” I glance over my shoulder and the Pegasus. “Well, most of them, anyway.” “We haven’t heard from ya since the princesses said ya had t’ stay there,” Pear pulls back, looking worried. “Is it okay fer ya t’ be here?” I nod. “I’m still in Equestria and not Canterlot, so it’s good.” “So, what brings the filly who reunited me with my daughter here to our home in li’le ol’ Ponyville?” Grand Pear asks as we all start off towards the farm. “Honesty?” I ask, before giving a loud, overly exaggerated groan. “I’m so bored! I’ve been stuck in the castle all the last three days. Sure, I could’ve gone out and explored the Empire a bit, but I only really learned that last night and, by then, I needed a change in scenery that wasn’t crystal! So, I came here.” “Well, if you wanna help out, Granny needs an extra pair of hooves in the apple orchards,” Grand Pear suggests. “Sugar Belle and Pear Butter have been helping me in the pear fields, so an extra set of Earth Pony hooves wouldn’t be unwanted.” “Alicorn, but technicalities,” I wave a hoof. “And sure. Anything is better than just plodding around the castle all day… again.” I get the directions and head into the apple orchards. Big Mac and Applejack are already there, bucking trees. Neither of them seems to have noticed me, so I just head over to an unoccupied tree and buck. A cascade of apples tumble down into the baskets awaiting below. I do this for several minutes. After filling about fifteen baskets, I glance back, noticing they still haven’t noticed me yet. Blinking, I get a sly grin and slink off, hiding within some bushes. “What in the hay?” I hear Applejack several moments later. “Big Mac, did ya’ll buck these trees?” “Enope?” the stallion replies, just as perplexed. “Dad’s in town at the stall, Ma and Sugar Belle are helpin’ Grand Pear an’ Apple Bloom’s off with her friends,” Applejack looks from group of full baskets to group of full baskets. “Who in the hay coulda done this?” I have to hold a hoof over my mouth to stifle my giggles. After a few moments, the two siblings wander back into the orchards to continue, though with very uncertain and confused expressions. Once I’m sure they’re far enough away, I burst out laughing. Oh, that was good. I needed a good laugh. “And just what is so funny?” And there goes my good mood. Getting up, I turn around to deadpan at Flash. “What, a harmless joke is against the law now or something?” At once, his eyes narrow. “Your idea of harmless jokes aren’t harmless!” I roll my eyes, facehoofing. “Of all the guards they could’ve sent with me, I had to get the dimmest, most brainless stallion out there, didn’t I?” I ignore his sputtering and head off, any future harmless pranks I was planning on the Apple Family forgotten as my mood for jokes is gone. I seriously need to see if I can get Cadance or Shining to reassign Flash to somewhere else in the Empire and not be my guard again at any point. I’m not evil like Cozy Glow, but having to deal with this numbnut for too long might very well set me on the path of evil if I have to spend too much time with him. God, and people dissed on EQG’s Flash for years. This is the ass they should’ve been ridiculing. I spend the next hour or so just walking around the town. Thankfully, it seems keeping my wings hidden and my new manestyle are enough that nopony really pays me any attention. The few who do I recognize as those Cozy had interacted with, most of them being School of Friendship students, likely on break and even then, they don’t seem to realize I’m physically the same filly as the mane and horn seem to be enough to make them shake their heads and move on. After congratulating Lyra and Bon Bon on their wedding, apparently they’d proposed to each other on the same day Big Mac proposed to Sugar Belle and would be having theirs in a few months, I decide I’ve had enough time in Ponyville (plus, the novelty died down pretty quickly thanks to Flash Killjoy Sentry) and head back to the train station. A few minutes later the train to the Empire arrives and I move to get on, when a load popping sound comes from behind me, I feel a weight suddenly land on my back and hear a familiar coo. Glancing back, I give a small smile to the only Alicorn in Equestria younger than me. “Hey, Flurry. Does your mother know you’re here?” I ask, giving a smirk. Flurry just giggles, clapping her hooves. “What’re you doing with the princess?!” Flash’s voice demands and I glance at him, deadpanning. “She teleported onto my back. How is that in any way something I could be doing wrong, you feather brained moron?” I ask, honestly sick of this now. He starts sputtering, which only intensifies with Flurry blows a raspberry at him, frowning. “Flurry doesn’t like you being mean to me either,” I smirk. “Regardless of your opinion of me, are you going to go against the daughter of your own Crystal Princess?” He just glares, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. My revelling in his being stumped is short lived, however, as Flurry’s horn glows and I feel her pulling me into a teleport. I deadpan. Here we go again. ___________________________________________________________ The teleport ends and I cry out in alarm as I realize there is no ground beneath my hooves before I fall, flopping down on a soft and bouncy surface. “Phew,” Shining’s voice says, sounding muffled. I look up from what I now realize is Cadance and Shining Armour wide purple bed in their person bed chambers as the door opens, the two ponies walking in. “Indeed. I never thought it’d be ponies being greedy and not the griffons…” Cadance trails off as she notices me, her husband quickly following suit. To their questioning looks, I deadpan and point up at the little ball of energy happily flying in circles above me and Cadance nods in understanding. Getting up, I hop down from the bed, grunting when Flurry glomps onto my back and I nod to the two adults before trotting out. “Those two sure seem close,” I hear Shining remark as I walk out the two. “You’re going to get me into so much trouble, aren’t you?” I ask the baby on my back as I walk down the halls, the first group of guards looking very puzzled as to why I was walking away from their Princess and Prince’s bedroom, of all places. I’m answered by a cooing laughing and Flurry nuzzling into my fur. I can’t help smiling. Damnit, you’re too cute. That amount of cuteness should be illegal. As I reach the main halls and two guards join me to escort me, I suddenly realize Flurry didn’t bring Flash with us, so as far as he’s aware, I just teleported away from Ponyville with the heir to the Empire, with none knowing where I’m going. I burst into laughter, causing the two guards with me to look confused and I explain, after which, they join in my laughter. Like I said before, most of the guards are courteous to me at least and they can enjoy a joke as much as I can. I can’t wait to hear Flash storm into the castle, yelling about my having “taken” Flurry Heart with their being no clue where I’ve stolen her away to. It’ll be even better if I’m with Cadance or Shining Armour with Flurry Heart at the time. Maybe that’ll finally shut him up, or at least make them decide to station him somewhere else in the Empire so I don’t have to deal with him too often. “And might I ask where you’ve been, young filly?” an eldery voices asks. I blink, registering it’s a jokingly stern tone and turn around to see Mistmane standing there. “Oh,” I blink. Wow. Now that I think about, I haven’t even seen Mistmane since I was hit with the Triple Rainbow Laser. “Mistmane. We… we haven’t really met yet, have we?” She shakes her head. “We haven’t. And I get the feeling you need somepony to talk to. One who can somewhat understand your situation better than most other ponies.” I cock an eyebrow. “True, I haven’t ever been forced into the body of another to be left dealing with the consequences of their own actions,” she says as we begin walking down the hall together, “but, I do understand what it feels like to enter a world not your own anymore. It’s true, my circumstances aren’t exactly the same as yours, but finding yourself a thousand years in the future does feel like entering a different world, wouldn’t you agree?” I nod. I remember the episode where Rockhoof was struggling to find a place to fit in a thousand years after his time. Frankly, though, like a lot of people who watched the episode, I wondered and still wonder why he didn’t just go into the Royal Guard. I mean, it’s not too different from The Mighty Helm and his abnormal strength would certainly be useful there. “Like you, I had to come to terms with being in a world no longer like that I grew up in,” Mistmane says, her voice sounding melancholy. “All my close friends aside from my fellow Pillars from back then are long gone and my home changed so much from what I knew. When I was offered a place in the Empire, I felt it was a good idea. After all, not too much here has changed.” I don’t respond to that, going over what she said. It’s true; she and I are in similar situations. I can’t speak with my friends and family anymore and neither can she. Neither can any of the Pillars, really. I think Starswirl might be the only one, with Celestia and Luna being the only real non-Pillar friends he has left and even they’ve changed from what he knew them as. I never thought about how the Pillars and I could have so much in common. I frown, glancing to Mistmane, a thought occurring. “Wait. You said close friends. Does that mean some of your friends are still around, here in the Empire?” She looks sad. “In a way… sort of. I had met one or two Crystal Ponies during their times visiting Canterlot to speak with the princesses on trade matters. I never did meet their princess, though. Sad, her fate.” I shiver. Yeah, the less I speculate on what could’ve actually happened to the previous Crystal Princess, the better. “And… those ponies you met are still around?” I ask, trying to change the subject back to something less uncomfortable to think about. She nods. “Emerald Glaze and Ruby Roundhouse. A diplomat and guard.” I can’t help cocking an eye. Ruby Roundhouse? Isn’t that the name of one of the characters in that Jumanji sequel? I blink, before inwardly cursing. Damn. I never got to check out that movie and see if it was any good before getting here. Damnit. I shake my head, looking to Mistmane. “So, we’re not so the same then. You still have someone from your past.” She shakes her head. “Sadly, no, child. I do not. It is true we knew each other, but we never knew each other, if you get what I mean. I am as much a stranger to them and them to me as you are.” I find myself nodding, agreeing with that term of thinking. I spend the rest of the day with Mistmane as she does her job as Royal Landscape Artist of the Crystal Empire. I have to admit, the beauty of her creations do help take my mind of the less than happy thoughts and Flurry’s reactions to the sparkly flowers certainly helps bring a smile to my face.