//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15 
// Story: Tall Tale of Sweet Sauce 
// by Starscribe 
//------------------------------//

Sweet Sauce could hardly believe his luck.

With barely any work on his part, other than attending a social function he had planned on going to anyway—Sweet Sauce had achieved far more than he could've done simply by stealing a train ticket. After all, just arriving in the city would be the first step. He wouldn't know the location, and the closer he got to the princess the more resistance would rise up in his path. A random foal would not be allowed anywhere near her, even if it was just long enough to ask a few questions. 

His next few days passed in a blur from then on. Not just because he was getting used to living in Ponyville, but mainly because there was an end in mind. I didn't make it back to Equestria to build my own tower somewhere, and start designing my next body. I'm putting an end to this.

That didn't make the burden of his stupid dirthorse education any less tedious. But being a beast of burden in a farming town whose creatures would never amount to anything, class continued for only a few hours a day. There were no advanced skills for him to learn, just glorified babysitting and occasional lessons about friendship, solving problems, and local history. Those last lessons at least served some purpose for him, though he wouldn't admit it.

He'd been wrong to assume, for example, that Equestria faced no genuine threats during his absence. These last few years had nearly brought an end to the nation more than once, as ancient and novel threats alike assailed them from all sides. By coincidence or fate, many of these threats arrived at Ponyville or Canterlot, meaning the locals often had personal experiences surviving them.

Even Dinky had a story, about hiding in the schoolhouse with a few of her friends, burning a candle to keep the lights on when the sun didn't rise. 

"I don't remember nothin'," Pipsqueak proclaimed, almost proud. They were in their usual spot in one corner of the playground, though Sweet had since learned that Pipsqueak didn't have to hide. Far from being a loser with no social standing, the tiniest colt in the world was actually the class president. Sweet Sauce didn't know or care what that meant, but in practical terms he knew everypony and stuck around Dinky because he liked her.

Probably not in that way, but Sweet still couldn't be sure. It would explain why he'd been willing to follow them into the Everfree, even though he'd been opposed to the expedition from the very beginning. "Parents talk about it often enough, but I don't remember anything."

"Good," Dinky said. "It was scary. Probably the worst thing ever, except Tirek. You don't know how bad you're gonna miss having magic until it's gone. And I couldn't even use it back then..."

She tossed a few nearby stones up into the air, catching each one in a neat stack. She balanced them on the edge of an overturned bottle, and when they stopped glowing, nothing fell. Phenomenal growth with dexterity over such a short period. A few more weeks of practice like that, and she would probably be ready to move on to more advanced spellcasting.

"It's hard for me to imagine anything that would... provoke Luna into behaving that way." Sweet started pacing—in part to help him think, and in part because he was sure recess would be over soon and they'd be forced back inside. "She was always so level-headed. One of the only ponies who noticed how hard life could really be out in the villages. She was there to be an advocate for the thestrals when no other creatures would talk for them."

"I thought you didn't know anything about history," Pipsqueak said, indignant. "How good are you at making things up?"

"Terrible. But I'm excellent at fabricating connections that were never there and convincing myself the past was different than it was. Not this time though. I can't imagine what would make her turn against Equestria like that." Unless it was me.

He could still remember that final night together. She hadn't been there for his banishment. Maybe something he'd said left the seeds of doubt in her mind, enough that she stood up to Celestia at last. Or maybe it was completely unrelated. Celestia can't be mad with power, or she never would've allowed two more Alicorns to rise in modern day. Even the grade-schoolers knew that Twilight was Princess Celestia's apprentice. All she had to do was ignore that family, and she would have no rival. 

The answer to that might not matter for him soon, depending on what Celestia judged. He would still be there to submit to that judgement, and suffer whatever consequences it brought. I need to make sure Dinky gets all the training she might need. It would be a shame for me to get executed and her not to develop her talents.

"Did you get permission yet?" he asked, finally stopping in front of Dinky. "You know it's gonna be awesome. Nightmare Night wasn't a thing last time I was here, but it seems like an amazing holiday and you shouldn't miss out."

Just so long as you don't follow me over to the princess when the time comes. You don't need to see what happens if it goes badly.

"Oh, yeah. I'll be there with my mom. She was already invited because of... something. A stallion she's with got invited because of something or other. Boring grownup stuff. But I'm going!"

Pipsqueak's face suddenly became confused. He flicked his tail nervously back and forth, ears flattening. "You're actually going?" He looked from Dinky to Sweet, then back again. "I'll have to ask again. My dad didn't want me going, not after I said who invited me. You did get us lost in the Everfree."

Sweet clutched at his chest with one hoof, indignant. "Get you lost in the... how dare you! I took us directly to the castle. It just so happens that my information was over a millennium out of date, and there was no longer anypony living there. A tragic mistake I will not repeat."

"Back inside, everypony!" came Cheerilee's voice, shouting from the open doorway. Sweet shuffled along behind the others, among the last to finally make his way into the classroom. Maybe Pipsqueak wouldn't be able to go, that was a shame. 

He couldn't be sad about it, that would mean admitting they were friends. He couldn't admit to making friends with ponies so young, or else admit that they had interesting things to say. He was older and more important than anything they could do together. Obviously.

That day brought something unexpected on the way back from school. 

He walked with Dinky most of the way—now that he made the trips reliably, his adoptive guardians no longer insisted on accompanying him. That was fine, they always made sure he had a few bits in case he wanted to stop for sweets. But he didn't get a chance this time, because Princess Twilight stopped him again.

The Alicorn wasn't looking for him, at least. She hadn't come into his class and drawn attention to him. She was distracted, walking another direction with her friends. But once she saw him, she stopped, waving for them to keep going.

"Sweet Sauce, do you have a moment? This won't take long."

He nodded, but even that was too much for Dinky. She muttered some excuse, then vanished down the street as fast as she could.

The Alicorn watched Dinky's retreat in silence, at least until she was gone. "I suppose that answers that. This only concerns you, Sweet."

He settled onto his haunches, looking as distracted as he could manage. That wasn't hard, since she'd stopped him in the center of Ponyville. There were so many interesting creatures here, so many diverse smells and sounds vying for his attention. "What?"

She glanced once to either direction, but there was nopony nearby. Traffic went well out of its way to avoid them, even if that meant crossing to the other side of the street and back again. Twilight didn't seem to notice the effect she had on ponies. You just haven't been an Alicorn for that long, have you?

"I spoke to Princess Celestia. I delivered your message."

With those simple words, everything around them seemed to fade away. The colors fled, the carts and wind and birds and whispered conversation—none of it mattered. "What did she say?"

Twilight dropped down to one knee in front of him, resting one leg on his shoulder. She spoke quietly and calmly, the way anypony might talk to a child that might be too sensitive to handle what they were being told.

Sweet Sauce tensed, preparing for some final, terrible revelation. He was lying to himself if he thought he was ready for anything. He didn't want to be executed. Being in Equestria was too good to give it up so soon.

"She didn't know who you were, Sweet," she said. Each word was another blow, striking into him with terrible force. "She didn't know your name. I told her about some of what you said, and she was completely oblivious."

Sweet twitched once. "Impossible. You must've told her the wrong name. Celestia and I... she would remember. She knows me. We grew up together!"

Twilight held his shoulder so he couldn’t look away. She shook her head once. "No, you didn't. Sweet, you've never met her. You're not old enough you have been around for any of the events you spoke about. And she doesn't know your name. The princess has one of the best memories I've ever known—it comes with being an Alicorn. She does not know you."

She stood up then, releasing his shoulder with one hoof. "I'm not sure why you would be so insistent on that question. But I hope now that I've asked on your behalf you can focus on the life in front of you. You're doing much better in Ponyville, or so I've heard. Make it your home. I'm sure if you do ever meet the princess, she'll tell you how proud she is. She loves to see her little ponies grow."

Sweet should've argued with her. Something was very wrong here, either what the princess had said, or what Twilight had told her. There were pieces missing, so critical that Celestia had somehow failed to...

Twilight was right about one thing: Alicorns wouldn't forget important things, even if many years passed. Immortality was a pointless gift if continuity of experience couldn't be relied on.

"She wouldn't forget me," he whispered. But the princess was already gone, and she had no reason to believe him anymore. 

Then like a ray of light, a single thought. Celestia didn't want her to know.

In that context, everything fell into place. Princess Celestia wasn't proud of what she'd done to him, and she had obviously gone to great lengths to erase his legacy. She'd done the same thing to "Nightmare Moon," such that all he could find about her was obscure references mythologizing her jealousy over the stupid sun.

She won't let me use a messenger. I have to go to her myself.

Sweet Sauce gritted his teeth, and set off through Ponyville at a brisk trot. As before, those who had been nearby when Twilight talked to him scattered before him. Maybe they were afraid his encounter with the princess would somehow put them in danger too.

Sweet skipped the sweets and went straight home. He would need to plan the upcoming Nightmare Night perfectly. There were still a few more weeks, maybe he could fit in a little more “magic practice” for Dinky Doo. If that meant “accidentally” creating some enchantments he could use to sneak off and find the princess, well... that would be a tragic shame.