//------------------------------// // 26 The journey begins // Story: Crushed: The Beginnings // by Silent Wing //------------------------------// “May we assist you with your luggage?” A pair of Royal Guards asks as soon as we step out of the train that brought us from Ponyville to Canterlot. All three of us agree, with everypony keeping their own saddlebags. The offer to ride a carriage to the Castle is declined by us, since we agreed earlier to stop in town for some ice cream before we have to meet up with Princess Celestia. Honestly, I thought we were about to start a vacation, so why do we have to meet up with her? Surprisingly we don’t go towards the castle. No, it honestly looks more like we go further away from the castle. Still, I follow my mom’s without question, hoping all the way that they know what they are doing.  However, all my questions are getting answered once we get closer to the docks. I hop on mommy’s back to get a better look at what’s in front of me and am awestruck by the sight of all the different kinds of airships ahead of us.. There are small ones, touring between the valley below Canterlot and the docks, bigger ones for cargo transport and some even taking ponies to places no train can reach. Like Cloudsdale for example.  All this however doesn’t compare to the sight of the few military vessels at the far end of the docks. Even though there are only a few, they are the most impressive ones of all. “Why are we here mommy?” I ask confused, while I continue to stare at the airships. “You never said that we would take a tour of the harbor, before we go to the Castle.” “Why should we go to the castle?” She asks me in return, sounding a bit surprised. “Well, you said Princess Celestia wants to see us before we start our vacation.” “Ah, now I understand. You thought we would meet her at the castle.” She responds with a chuckle, like I just said something funny, when I tell her that this is exactly what I thought. “That’s because we are meeting with her over there.” She replies while pointing with a wing towards one of the bigger vessels and I can only look in awe at it. Wondering why that is the case. I just observe everything in silence until we reach the boarding ramp. There are already a few ponies standing and from the look of it, they are almost ready to leave. I jump down from mommy’s back and rush over to Rumble happy to see my friend again.  “It looks like somepony is very excited.” His mom replies after a moment, once I reached him holding him in a tight embrace. Not being able to see my friend for almost a week was very hard for me. “You bet.” I reply after a moment, letting go of him, before I address Princess Celestia. “But I still don’t know where we are going.” “Nopony told you?” She asks a bit surprised and I can only shake my head in denial, disappointed by the fact, but maybe I will finally be able to get some answers. “We are traveling to Griffinstone, where we will stay for two weeks, mostly enjoying our time.” “Mostly?” Rumble and I ask in sync, wondering what she could mean by that.  “There is a large banquet on the day of our arrival and I have to attend a few meetings with the king, but this shouldn’t take longer than two, maybe three days.” She explains to us and is about to tell us more, but something else catches her attention. However it doesn’t seem to be that important, since her gaze turns back to us after only a few moments. She then leads us aboard the airship and after a quick tour, leads us to a large community room that almost looks like a library. We enter and the three of us make ourself comfortable on some neatly arranged cushions.  We talk a bit about boring stuff like how interesting life in Ponyville had been since she was there for the last time, or how the royal baker tried to copy the cranky cake until my parents and surprisingly Princess Cadence show up. The next three hours are spent by Princess Celestia teaching us all about important Griffon customs, that we should always keep in mind once we reach our destination. She asks us a few questions at the end, to check if everypony paid close attention. “Lieutenant Mango, you are the commanding officer of the Ponyvile Guard post if I am not mistaken, correct?” She asks to my surprise once she is done with her lesson. While I have no clue why she is asking this, dad just nods his head, waiting for her to  continue. “Then can you please tell me why there was the armor of a Night Guard stored in Twilight's library the last time I visited her?” “That was probably Eve’s armor.” He replies after a moment of hesitation. “I mean corporal Evening Star, Princess.” He adds only moments later, once he notices the questioning look both Princess are giving him. "He and miss Sparkle became very close, since they met that first time.” “Are you implying that my student is in a romantic relationship with one of my sister’s Guards?” The solar princess asks. And while she looks somehow shocked by this, the look on Cadence face is more one of curiosity.  “I don’t know if I would call their relationship a romantic one, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into one.” Dad replies carefully, and I think he does good by this, since I know first hoof how protective Princess Celestia can be about those she cares a lot. “Are you by any chance able to tell us more about those two?” She wants to know, which honestly surprises me a bit, since I more expected Cadence to be the one to ask something along this line. “Of course princess, but maybe at a different time,” dad replies with a short glance at Rumble and me. Even if it was only for a short moment, Princess Celestia caught his look and nods in understanding, knowing that not everything should be heard by Rumble and me, since he considers us too young. Shortly after this, we have a delicious salad for an early dinner, before we separate for the day. While I don’t know what the three alicorns are up for, dad, mama D, mommy, and I go back to our own room and we end up playing a few rounds of UNO, before we go to bed. I woke up early the next day when it was still dark outside and as comfortable as it was to be squeezed so tightly between such amazing ponies, it made getting up without disturbing the others extremely difficult, especially when you are in a rush. Somehow, I managed to reach the place I was getting to in such a rush, I didn’t feel like going back to bed after I took care of my business. Since it was still dark outside, I went to the door out of the room and made my way to the top deck, wanting nothing more than to take a look at the night sky, before the stars disappeared for the morning. I knew there wasn’t much of the night left so I rushed over towards the railing and pulled myself up. Even at a full stretch, I was barely able to see over the top. I stood there, the tips of my hindhooves touching the ground, while my head rested between my forelegs on the railing. I enjoyed it for quite some time, before the stars started to vanish and the moon sunk behind the horizon. The sun began to rise shortly after this, bathing the sea in a beautiful mix of red, orange, and yellow. On the other hoof, the wild clouds* out here, made it look like the sky was on fire and I was unable to hold back a loud “WOW”, when I realized that this sunrise rivaled the most beautiful sunsets I ever saw. “That is one way to put it.” I hear a voice to my right side saying, and I flinch in shock at it, since I haven’t heard anypony approaching me. A bit shocked by this unexpected encounter, I let go of the railing and drop to the ground of the deck, so I can find out which pony sneaked up on me. Seeing the large form of princess Celestia isn’t as much of a surprise to me as it would be  for most ponies, but I still don’t like what she just did. “Was this really necessary?” “I am sorry Wingy, I never wanted to scare you.” She replies in her soft voice and just from the way she sounds, I know that she really means it. I try to reassure her that I am fine but I know that she doesn’t believe me. “Why don’t we go back in and you can tell me over some hot chocolate what is really bothering you.” The prospect of a hot drink is enough to convince me to head back in, since it’s really cold out here. How I didn’t notice this earlier is a mystery to me. Princess Celestia goes in front and leads me to the same room we met yesterday.  I look around and spot a stack of blankets that hadn't been there earlier and am quick to snatch one of them before I sit down on one of the bean bags and wrap myself tightly into the soft and fuzzy goddess.  Shortly after that, a maid brings us the promised beverage and I take a long sip of it, before I turn my focus back to the solar diarch. “It’s him,” I say after a moment of hesitation. “Can’t we just turn his statue into a fine gravel to make sure he doesn’t break free again?” Silence dominates the room for quite some time, in which princess Celestia thinks about my request, probably taking things into account I could never think of. “As much as I would love to be rid of one more danger to the wellbeing of my little ponies, I don’t believe that to be a good idea.” “Why do you think that princess? Wouldn’t the elements of harmony be able to turn him back to stone, should it only set him free.” “I am unsure if they would work on him, if we destroy his prison like that. And if that’s the case, there is no way to defeat him.” She replies with a heavy sigh. I understand her reasoning, I really do, but I still don’t like it. I drink the last of the hot chocolate and am about to get up and leave, when she asks me something, I should have seen coming. “Why do you want to do this?” I carefully place the empty mug on the floor and pull the blanket even tighter around me, before I look once around the room, to make sure nopony is overhearing what I am about to say. My search however comes up empty and I turn my focus on the sole pony in front of me. “On that day, he didn’t just make me see and hear all those things, no he also made me feel everything. Every hit, every strike, every punch, every thrust. Really everything and I just don’t want to have to go through that again.” I explain to her with a trembling voice, telling her something I haven't told anypony, before breaking out into tears when flashes of memories come back to the surface. It only takes a few moments before I feel myself being moved and a set of hooves pressing me tightly to a ponies chest. “Mommy is here my little angel, mommy is here.” I hear the comforting voice I love so much whispering in my ear. How she made it here so fast is a mystery to me, a riddle I don’t plan to solve, since I am happy that she is here when I need her the most. A few moments earlier: I was shocked beyond belief, when I stepped into the library and saw my little filly starting to cry, right in front of Princess Celestia. Trully, that isn’t how I expected my search for her to end after I realized that she had gone missing. I quickly rush over to her and pick her up in my hooves, trying my best to help her calm down. Now fifteen minutes later and with her asleep in my hooves again, there is only one thing for me to do. “What did you do?” I demanded to know from the alicorn in front of me, slightly surprised to see her flinch under my gaze for a brief moment. Princess Celestia however recovers quickly from the shock and tells me everything that happened from when she saw her watching the sunrise until Wingy broke out in tears. What I learn in these few minutes is shocking to me, and it brings something back to my mind, that I asked Wingy already once. “Princess, do you think it would be a good idea to erase these horrible memories from her? At least those from her encounter with Discord.” It doesn’t take long for her to reply, and since I expected her to dismiss this idea directly, her answer takes me by surprise. “Do you know the risks of mind magic on such a high scale?” “I do.” I reply honestly, thinking back on all the time I spent researching about it with the help of Twilight Sparkle, from when I had this idea for the first time. “Then I will talk with my sister about it, she is the expert on mind magic after all, and you will do the same with your herd.” She declares in a tone that makes absolutely clear that this isn’t a request, but also that this topic won't come up today again. Once I made clear to her that I understand her point, Princess Celestia is quick to leave, leave me and Wingy alone. I think for a moment if I should carry her back to bed, since it is still very early, but decide against it and instead join her right here in Luna’s realm for one or two more hours.