//------------------------------// // Castle Tour Part Two // Story: Pony and the Yak // by Majestical4729 //------------------------------// "Welcome your majesty and your guest Sandbar!" the changelings greeted Yona and Sandbar, causing the earth pony to giggle. "Nice to meet you, but please don't get too carried away. I'm not really that important." "A very modest pony I see," a changeling commented. "Making you even worthier to see a spectacular performance by us changelings!" another changeling announced. "As you know, we changelings can change into anything we will like to be, and back!" OCellus began. "Sure do," Sandbar replied. "So we're going to change and change many times throughout this performance!" Ocellus' mother said. "Please sit back and be our guest!" Ocellus' father instructed. The changelings then transformed into various living objects (like the ones from Disney's Beauty and the Beast). "Be our guest! Put our service to the test Tie your napkin 'round your neck, chérie And we'll provide the rest Soupe du jour Hot hors-d'œuvres Why, we only live to serve Try the grey stuff It's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes They can sing! They can dance! After all, Miss, this is France! And the dinner here is never second best! Go on, unfold your menu Take a glance and then you'll Be our guest Oui, our guest Be our guest You're alone And you're scared But the banquet's all prepared No one's gloomy or complaining While the flatware's entertaining We tell jokes, I do tricks! With my fellow candlesticks And it's all in perfect taste That you can bet Come on and lift your glass You've won your own free pass To be our guest If you're stressed It's fine dining we suggest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Life is so unnerving For a servant who's not serving He's not whole without a soul to wait upon Ah, those good old days when we were useful Suddenly those good old days are gone For long we've been rusting Needing so much more than dusting Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills! Most days we just lay around the castle Flabby, fat and lazy You walked in, and oops-a-daisy! Be our guest Be our guest Our command is your request It's been years since we've had anybody here And we're obsessed With your meal With your ease Yes, indeed, we aim to please While the candlelight's still glowing Let us help you We'll keep going Course by course! One by one! 'Til you shout... Enough! I'm done! Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest Tonight you'll prop your feet up But for now, let's eat up Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Please, be our guest!" "Bravo!" Sandbar clapped as he praised and giggled, "That's the most extraordinary performance I've ever seen!" "Glad you liked it, Sandbar." Ocellus replied. "Your majesty, you really are lucky to have these creatures as your servants...cursed or not." Sandbar told Yona. "Glad Sandbar thinks so...Yona herself never did..." Yona looked down as she said. "Come on, dinner's served! Better eat before it gets cold!" Ocellus' mother told the guests. "Sure thing!" Sandbar replied, before signalling Yona, "Your majesty?" "Oh, right, Sandbar. Dinner's served. Let's eat!" Yona then started gobbling down her food messily, to every creature's disgust. Seeing Sandbar shocked caused Yona to stop her rude behaviour and smile nervously. Sandbar then showed Yona how to eat politely with a fork and spoon, which she quickly learned from. After dinner was finished, Yona led Sandbar out of the changelings' part of the castle. "Thanks for the performance and dinner, they were the best!" Sandbar told the changelings as he left. "Thanks for the compliments!" the changelings replied. "Alright Sandbar, final stop is former earth ponies, the buffalos' place in the castle! Before we go out for a swim!" Yona declare. "Of course, your majesty." Sandbar replied. "Of course you can meet us anytime you like, your majesty and Sandbar!" a young buffalo told the stallion and the yak. "Thanks...buffalos." Sandbar replied, hesitating for a while due to not knowing the buffalos' name. "I'm Little Strongheart," the young buffalo introduced, "All the buffalos and I were once earth ponies. But..." "But what?" Sandbar asked. Little Strongheart then asked Yona, "Your majesty? Should I tell him about...you?" Yona was silent for awhile, as she expressed a frown. She may only know Sandbar for less than half a week, but she felt that she could not hide a certain truth from him any longer. "No, Yona should tell Sandbar that." Yona responded. "Tell me what?" Sandbar asked. "Sandbar..." Yona began, "Yona...Yona was once a pony, too." "That's what Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder and Ocellus told me!" Sandbar replied. "There's more than that!" Yona insisted, "Yona...was once...an earth pony." "You were?!" Sandbar gasped, not being able to believe that the first creature he met in the castle was an earth pony the whole time. "Yes...she's the only earth pony that did not become a buffalo...instead...she became a yak." Yona lowered her head in shame, looking down at the ground. "Yona, I mean...your majesty...yak, buffalo or earth pony doesn't matter. Who you are is what does. As in, what you will do, what you like, what you love...that's what truly makes you you!" Sandbar told her. "Thank you, Sandbar." Yona thanked. "Anytime, Yona...I mean, your majesty." Sandbar shook his head upon making a mistake before he bowed politely. "Sandbar, from now on, just call Yona, Yona." Yona informed. "Sure thing, Yona." Sandbar smiled. The buffalos all smiled to see that Yona and Sandbar were smiling warmly at each other. "Look at those two," Little Strongheart told the others, "Pony and the yak."