//------------------------------//
// The Arrival Part 5 
// Story: How Do You Shoot a Gun With Hooves? 
// by defender2222 
//------------------------------//

"Ugh! Can we go now?" Rainbow Dash complained. She dragged herself across the floor, her wings limp and her head slumped as if she had her very essence drained by a non-sparkling vampires (Castle had been utterly amused to find out that even in Ponyville those books existed, much to Twilight Sparkles’ utter annoyance).

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a quivering stare. "We've only been here 3 minutes, sugarcube."

"...are you sure, it feels like 3 decades!"

Beckett and Castle merely chuckled at the flyer's antics. After their breakfast the girls had explained their plans: while they wanted to spend as much time as they could with the two new arrivals, all of the girls had jobs that they couldn't be away from for long periods of time. So, they had come up with a brilliant idea: They all had taken the day off to show them around Ponyville and get them acquainted with several important areas. Then, each of the girls would have Beckett and Castle for a day, showing them around their homes and their favorite spots, with Twilight following around to help ease the burden. She had explained that Spike could manage the library and that Twilight had taken it as a personal task from her mentor to help Castle and Beckett out. 

What Twilight didn't tell them was that she was being a bit greedy, wanting to spend more time with Kate, who she was rapidly coming to adore, and Richard, who amazed her at being a writer and had her wanting to pick his brain. She wanted to hang around the two new comers, learn all about them and, she hoped, develop an even stronger friendship.

The day's first stop had been Twilight's idea: the Ponyville Museum. 

"You guys really lucked out!" Twilight said as she made her way through the lobby, ignoring Rainbow Dash who was being shoved further inside by Applejack. "The museum is featuring a special exhibit of art based on the history of Equestria! I know Mr. Piles, the curator, from Canterlot, and he will be able to give you a great crash course on our history!" Twilight was nearly bouncing as much as Pinkie Pie.

"History is so boring though!" Rainbow Dash complained. "Wouldn't you guys rather be outside, enjoying the fresh air instead of being coped up in some stupid, smelly museum?”

Rarity sniffed. "There will be plenty of time to get dirty and dusty, Rainbow Dash. I personally think Twilight's idea is magnificent. We could all use a little more culture in our lives."

"Whadda mean?" Pinkie Pie said, sucking on the straws that led up to the beer helmet (though she was using it to slurp up chocolate milk) that was topped on her frizzle pink head. "We're-UUUURRRRPPPPP-cultured!"

"Just ignore her, Pinkie," Applejack said, still struggling to get Rainbow Dash across the lobby floor. "If you ain't talkin' like some big city big shot then Rarity thinks you're uncultured."

Castle leaned in towards Beckett. "We don't talk like big city big shots, do we?"

"Trust me, Castle...you are one of the last things people think of when they think 'refined'."

"...why so much anger, Beckett?"

Rarity leveled a cool glare at the apple farmer. "Well, I personally think there is nothing wrong with speaking properly and with dignity."

"Why, do you mean like this, darling?” Applejack said, a perfect Manehattan accent flowing from her mouth. Castle did a double take, for sure that his mother had possessed the apple farmer’s body.

Rarity's jaw dropped and she began to sputter.

"Everyone forgets I spent a few weeks up in Manehattan, back when I thought I wanted to be 'cultured' and 'refined'." 

"H...ha...how did...ah...how …" Rarity stammered.

Applejack stopped pushing Rainbow Dash long enough to playfully shut the designer's mouth with her hoof. "Come on there, Rarity, everyone knows ya don't keep her mouth agapin' like that." Applejack instantly switched to her refined accent. “A proper lady never lets her mouth hang open like some silly foal.”

The other ponies looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Rarity stared at them for a moment, fuming, before she realized just how silly it all was and joined in on the giggling.

"Ah, I see everyone is in good spirits," a gray pony said with what Beckett would call an English accent, walking up to them. His brown mane had begun to thin and lose its color but his dark eyes still gleamed brightly, even behind his glasses. He was wearing a tweed jacket which ended just before his cutie mark, which was a magnifying glass over a book.

"Mr. Piles!" Twilight said happily, hurrying over and placing her head against the museum curator's. Dusty Piles returned the gestured, though his was a bit more reserved.

"Ah, good to see you, Miss Sparkles." Piles’ accent would have been completely at home in London. Beckett stared at him, trying to picture him as a human and had a sudden vision of a British actor from that WB show that she would sometimes catch when she had a day off, back in early 2000s. She half expected him to whip off his glasses and begin polishing them. "I am glad you sent me your note; I don't get to discuss in great detail the history of Equestria all that often these days. Most ponies are more interested in running about getting dirty that educating themselves…unlike you eight."

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash grumbled.

Twilight turned back towards her friends, flashing them an excited grin. It was clear that they were in Twilight's zone on comfort. "Mr. Piles use to teach Equestria History in Canterlot before he was assigned by the Princess to start this mobile museum exhibit."

"Well, I for one can't wait ta see it," Applejack said. "Twilight has been gabbin' about it all day!"

Piles nodded. "That does not surprise me...you were always...how did the other students put it...rambling?" Twilight blushed. "Now, I believe introductions are in order..."

"Oooo, let me!" Pinkie said, hopping over to Piles and shaking his hoof, her beer hat nearly falling off with all her bouncing. "I'm Pinkie Pie! And this is Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight-but you already knew that so I don't have to tell you, even though I just did, so ignore that last part- Richard Castle and Kate Bucket!"

"Beckett," the detective stated.

"Are you sure?" Pinkie asked.

"Pretty sure," Beckett said with an eyeroll.

"Oh...okie dokie loki! Richard Castle and Bucket Beckett."

Beckett shot Castle a death glare, warning him of bodily harm if he so much as giggled over Pinkie's antics. The writer choked on the chuckles that were threatening to bubble forth but somehow found a way to keep them down. Instead, he focused on shaking Piles' hoof. The museum curator was staring at Twilight, an eyebrow raised.

"Your pink friend reminds me of Sunny Summers."

Twilight tilted her head to the side. "Huh, now that you mention it, she does kind use Sunny-speak."

Beckett, for her part, closed her eyes for a moment; if Piles began talking about anyone named 'Willow' or a pony whose last name was 'The Bloody' she was going to go running for the hills. There was only so much a human…pony…could take.

"Hello Ms. Beckett," Piles said, shaking her hoof. "Twilight tells me that you and your friend Mr. Castle are not from around here?"

"No...we aren't even from Equestria."

"Fascinating. I have always had an interest in the other lands outside of our own. I must discuss with you some of the aspects of your homelands before you leave Ponyville."

Castle chuckled as he nudged the door open for the girls to trot through. “Trust me, teach…you would not believe half the things we told you.”

Piles gave Castle a queer look but within moments forgot the comment as he slipped easily into the role of tour guide. The first room, which was labeled “The Founding”, was filled with pictures that reminded Beckett of the old oil canvases depicting the Revolutionary War and the Founding Fathers.

“Now, this might be a bit boring for you six,” Piles said to Twilight and her friends, “so, unless Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett have some objections, I will cover only the basics. Equestria was founded nearly 1,600 years ago by three tribes of ponies: The Pegesi, the Unicorns, and the Terra or ‘Earth’ Ponies.” He gestured to a painting, depicting the signing of the Equestria Treaty that brought peace to the three groups.  Castle and Beckett glanced several times at the 3 founders and their seconds, then at the 6 girls that stood behind them, before deciding that questioning why they looked like near clones of the founders was just asking for too much weirdness.

“For 100 years we ponies lived beside one another…but never was there a true government or ruler. Fights broke outand there were many tense moments that threatened to splinter the land.” Piles led them to a much bigger room, this one labeled ‘The Coming of the Princesses’.

However, anything he was about to say was drowned out by the gasps of the 8 ponies he was guiding. All of them stood in shock, staring at the centerpiece of the room.

It was a massive statue, nearly three times Castle’s height (and he was the largest of the ponies). It was made of shiny gray stone, polished to a near mirror finish, and brilliant emeralds. The statue was that of a fierce looking goat, with two long horns darting back from his head and a short beard  hanging from his chin. The eyes were made of onyx stones that seemed to suck in all light and the posture of the beast gave off the illusion of great strength.

Midway along the body the stone gave way to the emeralds, which were cut to appear like scales. They ran down the goat’s back legs and along his rump. Instead of his body ending where it should the beast sported a giant curved fish tail, the fan- like end of which appeared to be razor sharp. 

“What…what in tarnation is that?!” Applejack exclaimed.

“So primal…” Rarity whispered.

“It’s freaky looking,” Rainbow Dash complained.

Pinkie Pie slurped her drink. “Huh, it’s a goat fish thingie!”

“I’ve…I’ve never seen anything like this,” Twilight murmured in wonder.

“It’s a capricorn,” Fluttershy said.

She cringed when all eyes turned towards her.

“A what now, sugarcube?” Applejack said.

“A…a capricorn…I think. But I could be wrong…uh…”

“She’s right,” Beckett said, stepping forward. “It looks a bit different than the capricorns I’ve seen pictures off…but that’s what it is.”

Piles turned to the two. “And how did you know that, Ms. Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy ran her hoof along the floor. “Uh…my dad told me about them…” When the others looked to her for comments, Fluttershy merely drew into herself, going silent.

Piles smiled, taking back control of the tour. “The young mare is quite right. This is a statue depicting the legendary capricorn: half goat, half fish. It is said that thousands of years ago the capricorns roamed the oceans, battling any that dared to trespass into their waters.” Piles chuckled to himself. “Of course, that is just a fairy tale.”

Castle leaned in towards Beckett. “But flying ponies and unicorns…those are all logical.” Beckett rolled her eyes but favored him with a smirk.

“Why is the statue in here, though?” Twilight asked.

“Ah, I was getting to that.” Piles directed them towards one of the walls. “Around 1,500 years ago, an event that had never before been seen by pony kind occurred. Appearing from the shores of the Mareatine Sea,” Castle moaned at the new horse pun,  “came the first Unicorn ponies with wings…or Pegesi with horns. They were Celestia and Luna…the first Alicorns.”

Pinkie Pie bounced to the front of the group. “AAWWWWW! They are so cute!”

Beckett had to admit the picture was adorable. It depicted a winged, horned filly with white skin and a flowing blue/pink mane standing on the shores of some ocean. Behind her, sitting in the sand, was a pitch black baby pony, her hooves wrapped around the elder’s leg, the elder’s mane being gummed.

“Of course, this is merely an artist’s rendition…the Princesses have been very quiet about their past and we only have what few tidbits have been offered to go by.” Piles led them to another picture, depicting Celestia, now looking to be almost Twilight’s age and size, standing next to a gray unicorn with a huge beard who was, save for his head, hidden in a bush. “Celestia and Luna were trained in the art of magic by the one known as ‘The Teacher’.  It was this mysterious pony, whose very name is unknown to us, that taught the Princesses the skills that would aid them in helping guide every pony for many years to come. Now, over here…”

Twilight ignored Piles, staring at the photo. She had heard of ‘The Teacher’ all right and had been driven to near madness trying to learn more about him. His name, his looks, his spells…nothing was recorded about him. The unicorn only knew of him because Celestia every year took one day to be by herself. This day the sun would rise but for a few hours before night fell, and Celestia would stand on her balcony, staring off towards the sea. Those in Cantalot whispered that The Teacher had died protecting her and Celestia honored him that night every year. 

Twilight had only once worked up the nerve to ask her mentor and teacher about The Teacher; it was the only time Celestia had become truly cross with her. The Alicorn had told Twilight that it was not a simple tale and that even speaking her old teacher’s name brought pain to her heart. She made Twilight swear never to ask about The Teacher again…and the unicorn had reluctantly agreed.

“-doesn’t explain the dreadful statue, though!” Rarity complained, breaking Twilight out of her thoughts.

Piles smiled, walking up to the great statue. “I was just getting to that, Miss Rarity. This statue was discovered on the shores of the Mareatine Sea, and my research has shown it is 1,500 years old. I believe that Princess Celestia and Luna’s ancestors worshipped the capricorn as a kind of mythical god. We very well may be standing next to something that our dear Princesses gazed upon as children, never dreaming that one day they would replace this silly thing in the hearts and minds of their people.”

“And then Luke Skywalker took the One Ring to Narnia…” Castle muttered.

“So some respect,” Beckett whispered.

“Come on… it is a bit silly!”

“Castle…we…are…ponies. I think ‘silly’ flew out the window a day ago. On pegasus wings.”

Piles led the group to the next room, labeled ‘The Heroes and Villains of Equestria’

“Even with the coming of the alicorn princesses our lands have faced threats. Three of the most dangerous were Nightmare Moon,” he pointed to a painting that depicted the Mare in the Moon, “and-“

“She wasn’t that big!” Pinkie Pie said. “Or, I don’t think she was.” Pinkie looked at the painting, showing a cackling Nightmare Moon towering over the planet, then slowly raised her hoof over her head, measuring. “Nope…not unless the world was really small back then.”

“It…is an interpretation.”

“…okie dokie!”

Piles sighed. “As I was saying, the second threat was the Element of Disharmony and Chaos…Discord.”

Rarity leaned back in horror as she stared at the painting. “I am glad he didn’t look like THAT!” The painting was that of a truly monstrous chimera-like dragon.  The artist had gone out of his way to remove any sense of humor or silliness from Discord and make him look truly nightmarish. If every Beckett or Castle were looking for an example of what Satan might look like…

“And the Queen of Changelings.”

Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue in disgust at the painting of the Queen, which had her looking like she was rotting from the inside-out.

“Wait,” Castle said, confused. “You guys act like you’ve meet these three.” The 6 ponies looked at him, shuffling slightly. “You have met them?”

“Met them?” Piles said with a laugh, walking over to a covered frame that sat in the center of the room, near portraits of Starswirl the Bearded and Lackhorn the Gifted. “My dear boy…they defeated them.” He grabbed a hold of the cloth with his teeth and pulled, revealing a large painting depicting a fictional battle that pitted Nightmare Moon, Discord and the Queen against the 6 Elements of Harmony.

“Wow…” Beckett said, tilting her head. “It…kinda looks like you?”

The ponies depicting in the picture were…maybe the Elements of Harmony, assuming said elements had been drawn by, in Beckett’s opinion, anime artists. The girls were twice as big than they actually were and looked more like the paintings of Princess Celestia. They were also more mature looking and elegant…Beckett guessing this was the Ponyville equivalent to airbrushing. Their manes were longer, their muscles bigger, and every other aspect exaggerated to make them look more heroic.

“What the heck am I wearin’?” Applejack complained, staring at the armor her painting self wore. “And why am I swingin’ a chain?”

Fluttershy covered her eyes in utter terror at the sight of ‘her’ riding into battle on top of an Ursa Major, her eyes glaring at Discord as she led an army of Timber Wolves into battle. Rarity, meanwhile, was too busy insulting the dress the artist had drawn her in (which looked to be little more than straps of black fabric that had magical incantations written upon them).

“Hey, they got me right!” Rainbow Dash said, pointing to the mighty pony with flaming wings, muscles bulging as she attacked Nightmare Moon.  Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was trying to figure out why her confetti cannon was firing actual cannon balls…and why she was sporting a Mohawk.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “I…guess it is nice…” She looked at her heroic self, wielding powerful white magic. Twilight thought it looked like the artist had simply drawn Princess Celestia and then painted Twilight’s coloring over the princess and erased the wings.

“Well… at least you aren’t slutty,” Beckett commented, giving Castle a glare as she remembered some of the sample cover art he had gotten for the first Nikki Heat novel.

Piles looked at the painting and smiled. “It is a dramatic retelling, girls…of course the artist is going to embellish…”

“Embellish nothin’!” Applejack complained. “That there picture of me has more muscles than Big Macintosh!”

Twilight looked at Piles, chewing on her lip. “It’s…very nice…I just think none of us expected it. I mean…this is the heroes of Equestria section-“

“And you defeated Discord, The Queen of Changelings and Nightmare Moon. Twilight…you 6 are the greatest heroes!”

“Actually, it was Shining Armor and Princess Cadence that-“ Rarity began to point out, only to be silenced by Piles.

“Yes, yes…but everypony knows you are the 6 that did the most damage.”

“I-if you say so,” Fluttershy said meekly.

Castle decided to help the curator out. “Girls, it is fiction. Think of it like my books…yes, Filly Heat is based on Beckett, but she isn’t Filly. It is just me taking elements of her to create something new, something more dramatic. The same with these paints: they are just taking some of your greatest abilities and…adding onto them.”

“Exactly!” Piles said happily. “Now then-“

Any more arguments about the paintings and the girls’ depictions were cut off by a loud crash that rang through the quiet museum. All of the ponies stared at each other before racing back to the ‘Princesses’ Room. Piles looked about, trying to see if one of his paintings had fallen, only to shriek like a foal when he saw that a chunk of stone from the capricorn statue had fallen to the ground, shattering to pieces.

“No…no no no!” He hurried over, trying to delicately collect every little fragment. “No one move! I can fix this…”

“Mr. Piles…” Twilight said nervously, backing away. “I think we have bigger problems.”

Piles looked up, jaw nearly falling to the floor when he saw that the section of rock that had broken off had revealed living, breathing flesh underneath the stone.

“Hey…there is a pony inside there!” Pinkie said. “Just like there is cream in a donut!” Another chunk of rock fell, the onyx eye shattering as a real eye, just as black as the fake stone one, blinked before focusing on them. “Except…not as scary!”

“Rrrr….rrr……AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”  The statue exploding in a blast of dust, sending bits of rock and emerald shards flying all over. Twilight quickly summoned up a force field to protect her and her friends. From behind the semi-clear purple bubble they could only watch as the former statue shook the last bits of stone from its hide.

The capricorn was even more terrifying in the flesh than it had been as a statue. Every muscle twitched as he slowly shook himself free of rock fragments, his emerald tail swishing in annoyance. His dark eyes roamed about, locking on the ponies. He leapt from the pedestal, his hooves clanking on the floor as he shifted his body, working the kinks out of his muscles. The capricorn was just as big as Princess Celestia and looked down at the ponies with calculating eyes.

“How long have I slumbered?” he bellowed, nearly sending the ponies flying across the room.

“Uh…I don’t know…how long have you been asleep?” Pinkie Pie asked innocently.

The Capricorn leaned down, touching his nose to the force bubble. “You shield yourselves? And with such a flimsy spell…” the capricorn’s horns glowed, his green short-cropped hair standing on end for a moment, and Twilight watched as her bubble dissipated. She was left gaping, wondering how the heck the mysterious goat-fish creature could break through her protection spell with such ease. “Where am I?” The Capricorn pointed his hoof at Fluttershy. “You, the one that trembles before the might of Tydal…where am I?”

“Meep.”

Tydal frowned. “Speak up.”

“Meep,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Have you all forgotten how to converse? SPEAK UP!”

“YouareinthePonvilleMuseum,inPonyvilleinthelandofEquestria!” Fluttershy shot out.

Tydal observed her for a moment, touching his green beard with his hoof. “Ponyville…I have never heard of this place. Why was I brought here? Why have I been taken from the battle? I remember…I remember…” He closed his eyes, trying to work out his memories. He snapped his head towards Twilight. “Where is Celestia?”

“Celestia?” Twilight stammered.

“Yes, little one, Celestia!” Tydal’s booming voice sent Rarity and Applejack tumbling into a wall.

“She isn’t here,” Beckett said, swallowing what fear she had felt. She marched up to the capricorn and glared up at him. “So why don’t you back off?”

Tydal actually laughed at Beckett’s denouncement. “A fiery one…I am not used to you ponies showing such backbone…you are usually too busy whimpering in terror.” He turned his back to Beckett and the rest and marched away from them. “I do not have time to wait for Celestia to arrive. Inform her that I am headed to Bridle Bay and that I will return soon…with my army.”

“A-army?!” All the ponies exclaimed.

“Indeed.” Tydal’s horns glowed, a ball of water forming between them before he fired it into the wall, creating a hole big enough for him to exit through. He turned back to stare down the ponies, head held high. “Know this, my little ponies…when I return all that you have known will change. My army will remake this land…and all its people will know your names, for you are the ones responsible for my return…and the rewards I shall rain upon you.”

And with that, the Capricorn leapt away.

“…I’m guessing that’s not part of the normal tour…” Castle muttered.