Princess Pipp Petals looked out the window and sighed. Centuries ago, the Pegasi had made their home in the very clouds themselves. At least according to the legends. Still, she’d read the ancient history tomes, and everything else was accurate, so there was no reason to doubt that there had once been mighty cities in the sky.
Pegasi still loved being as high as possible, and it was why they built skyscrapers that put the tallest Unicorn and Earth Pony structures to shame. The palace was the tallest of the buildings, of course, giving her the ability to gaze down upon her domain when she so desired. She turned away from the window – that desire was gone.
Pegasus history was complicated. Prior to the first unification, they were a militaristic tribe, ruled over by a series of commanders, the last of which was Hurricane. After the Big Split, overseen by her own great-great-great-however many times-grandmother, the Pegasi had once more returned to their roots. At first, they were ruled by Empress Cozy Glow. Her son, Ominous Glow, chose the moniker ‘commander’ to pay homage to the tribe’s roots, then later changed it to ‘king’ because his daughter insisted she wanted to be a princess. Their lineage had continued using the title in the ensuing centuries.
She strolled through the Hall of Ancients, gazing upon the portraits and stained glass windows of her ancestors. There were no statues to be seen. That had been one of Empress Cozy Glow’s first decrees, and her lineage had continued the tradition. Cozy Glow had been a great mare, picking up the pieces of Equestria and showing that only through the rejection of friendship could the tribes continue forward. She could’ve had all of Equestria, but chose to only take a third of it.
Pipp sometimes wondered what the Unicorns and Earth Ponies were up to, but if her parents didn’t concern themselves with them, why should she? If they didn’t bother the great cities of the Pegasi, then the Pegasi wouldn’t bother them. That was the way it had been for centuries. There was peace, because they didn’t associate with the other tribes of ponies, or other creatures.
Sadly, the wisdom of the ancients had died with them, and she felt no smarter standing in the hall dedicated to their accomplishments. She once more turned to look out the window. But instead of gazing down, she looked up, trying to picture a city in the clouds. The pictures of Cloudsdale showed it as a classically-styled city, with mighty cloud columns decorating the largest and most important buildings.
“Someday.” She already planned that when it was time for her reign, she would allocate the resources necessary to colonize the sky for real. They might not be able to walk on clouds like their ancestors, but Pegasi were industrious. She had faith a hovering city could be constructed. And then the Pegasi could truly leave the other pony tribes and other creatures behind once and for all.
It would be for the best. Though, before the time came, she hoped she could at least meet a representative of each of the other tribes. It would be interesting to meet ponies without wings.
Magic must’ve been nice, but she didn’t envy those ponies in the least. Technology could replicate anything magic could do – and more! Except cutie marks. Of course, if somepony really wants a cutie mark, they can just get a tattoo on their flank.
She trotted out of the room and her guard detail materialized around her. It was so nice of her parents to surround her with hunky young studs. It was a shame she was off limits to them, but that never stopped her from flirting with them.
She brushed a wing over one of her guards, flipping open his saddlebag in the process. A green sphere immediately drew her attention. “Why do you have a tennis ball in your saddlebags?”
“That’s not a tennis ball, ma’am, um, miss, er, princess… your highness.”
Pipp grinned. Teasing the colts below her station was one of her favorite perks of being a princess. “She grabbed the ball from the guard’s bag. “Looks like a tennis ball. Feels like a tennis ball.”
“It’s an anti-pointiness device. For Unicorn prisoners. That way nopony gets an eye poked out.”
“Bounces like a tennis ball…” She gave it a whack with a hoof and the ball anti-pointiness device shattered a vase in the next room. “…Breaks valuable heirlooms like a tennis ball. Are you sure this is safer than just leaving any theoretical Unicorn visitor’s horn unadorned?”
“It’s official policy.”
“Do we get many Unicorn prisoners?”
“No, Princess!” He saluted. “But there’s always a first time for everything.”
“You call me the instant you take a Unicorn into custody.”
“No can do! Unicorns are too dangerous, ma’am, I mean princess. Per your father’s orders, you’re to be kept far from any captives we might take.”
Pipp slid a wing over the guard’s withers and whispered into his ear. “But if you don’t come and get me, how can I see this amazing anti-pointiness device in action? Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll just have to assume that it really is just a tennis ball, and you’ve been slacking. Besides, with a big, strong guard like you around, no hornhead would dare attack me.”
Pipp could see the beads of sweat on the guard’s face as he struggled to keep his composure. “Typical colt. Leaving his toys out where somepony could slip on them. Are you just going to leave your anti-pointiness device on the floor?”
“No princess!” The guard saluted and retrieved his ball anti-pointiness device from the remains of the vase.
“And next time be more careful. I’ll smooth things over with my parents, but the next time your anti-pointiness device breaks something, it’s coming out of your salary. Now be a good boy and fetch a maid to clean up this mess.”
“Yes, princess!” He saluted and ran off.