//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Foals in the Castle // Story: Our Little Brother, Spike // by Hope Caster //------------------------------// Twilight couldn’t decide which was worse. The fact that summer vacation had arrived two weeks early for no apparent reason, or that Princess Celestia had to leave and take care of more princess business. Likely the latter, since Celestia usually returned home sad when she went on princess business. If Twilight really wanted to go on learning, she could always sneak into summer school once it started, and make up for the lost study time that was so cruelly taken away from her. That is, if summer school ever got started. Twilight couldn’t tell why, but Canterlot was different. Armored guards had been stationed all around the city. Pegasi patrolling the sky, unicorns manning the towers and battlements, earth ponies marching through the streets. In the face of this, many ponies had decided it would be a good idea to leave on an early vacation to the countryside for a couple of weeks. At least Twilight didn’t have too much to fear from her parents on that score. While maybe her mother thought that Hoofsbury Publishing House could make do without an extra editor during the warm months, her father would never leave the Academy unless the whole city was already ablaze – and even then, he’d have saved all the books he could first. However, Prince Blueblood had gone the opposite route, and actually deemed it better to bring ponies to Canterlot Palace. She had hid under the grand curving staircase of the Palace’s entrance hall, where she’d kept watch for Celestia’s return every morning. She couldn’t bear to be spotted by the gaggle she saw enter through the front door, led by Blueblood. Much to Twilight’s shock, Apple Jewel was real. The earthpony filly was about her age, perhaps a year younger. She had golden hair lazily tied at the end of a ponytail, a bright orange coat, and deep green eyes. She also wore a stetson hat, something that Blueblood should have found hideous for its “rustic” style. Worse, the filly had siblings. Worse than that, Blueblood had invited them to the castle as well. “This is amazing! Ah ain’t never been inside a castle!” squeaked an annoyingly grating, high-pitched voice as the clattering of hooves echoed through the halls; the younger filly speaking had to be three, four years old at most. “Does this mean we get to eat tiny fancy food? Oh, oh, how bouncy are the beds? Can Ah play in the gardens? Can Ah have butlers bringin’ me some apples whenever I want ‘em? Do Ah get endless dessert?” “It's nice an’ all, but it don’t beat the farm,” rumbled an abnormally deep voice, a large red stallion’s. “We shouldn’t even be here, not with the harvest startin’. We should still be there helping Granny, not lazing about like some snob with a silver spoon shoved down his throat.”  Hidden as she was, Twilight could practically hear the glare he must have shot Blueblood. “Ah hush it, Mac,” said Apple Jewel. “It’s only three weeks, try an’ have some fun. If you have trouble killin’ time, maybe you can help the gardeners. Ah’m sure you could teach ‘em a thing or two.” “Indeed he could,” Blueblood said smoothly. “Now then. I can give you all a tour if you want. Why don’t we start with the safe rooms?” Twilight bristled at the words. Blueblood had to be doing this to spite her. Just a few days ago, Twilight’s parents had announced she and her brother would be staying in the castle for a few weeks, on the condition that Shining Armor was to mind his sister no matter what. So, when they’d set off, Twilight had made sure to pack extra food and a few lightbulbs for Star Lizard the Bearded, her pogona lizard, more commonly known as a bearded dragon.  She remembered that when Cadance had led the siblings to their room, which was a stone’s throw away from Princess Celestia’s personal bedroom, she’d overheard her foalsitter assure her parents it was also right next to something called a “safe” room. Apparently, not even a fully-grown dragon could get into one of those, and even if they could, there was a teleportation circle ready to whisk them away to some far-off part of Equestria. What a nifty room to have. Twilight wished she could dive into one right now and perhaps be whisked away to the National Archives in Manehattan. The days at Canterlot Palace were divided into slots, courtesy of shared planning between Princess Cadance and the castle’s butler, Kibitz. Normally, such regimented scheduling suited Twilight just fine. The problem was that, in mapping out the days, Cadance had very deliberately left large open slots labeled as ‘anything but work’. Staying at the castle would have been a better surprise for Twilight if only Celestia were around. Or if Timber and Flash hadn’t also been invited. probably a special favor called in by their families. Flash came from a long line of guards, while Timber’s family tended to the gardens. His great-grandfather was still the groundskeeper, and particularly enjoyed the animal sanctuary. She’d been instructed to heed Cadance as she’d heed her mother, so the moment Twilight had retreated into her bedroom, what did her babysitter do with that authority? She betrayed her.  “No studying until the afternoon, Twilight,” Cadance was saying sternly, standing with her frame and wings raised to block off access to the desk, littered as it was with all the papers and scrolls planned for this week’s studies. “You have to play with Flash and Timber, and have fun.” Twilight groaned, remembering what her mother had said, but Shining voiced his concerns while holding Twilight back. “Cadance, don’t you think we should respect Twilight’s wants?” Shining suggested. “I mean, maybe we could try introducing her to that filly your cousin invited, but Flash and Timber? Really?” Cadance sighed theatrically. “Maybe you’re right, Shining. I guess she doesn’t have to play with them. Oh, but I had so many days planned! What to do in the meantime? I guess I could go introduce myself to that handsome stallion Blueblood’s friend brought. There’s something about strong, muscular, silent farmboys that just–” The pink alicorn fell silent, biting her lower lip as she fanned herself furiously. Instantly, Shining changed his tune. “Twilight, Cadance put a lot of work into planning this vacation for us, and you are being rude by refusing! You’re going to play with Flash and Timber.” Part of Twilight wished there was someone else to play with, but it was for naught. The girls at school had all gone on vacation, leaving her behind. And it wasn’t even as if either Timber Spruce and Flash Sentry actually liked her. This was all their families’ idea. Or at least, Flash staying over was Blade Sentry’s idea, from what she understood. Timber was more of a charity case. Cadance had explained that since his family couldn’t afford to take him on vacation, he’d be staying in the castle with the rest of them, something she suggested might be fun. Twilight had assured her it wouldn’t be. The first slot of the day consisted of Cadance’s planned activities. Mostly board games, arts-and-crafts, or exploring the city, but not too far into the city. With a summer rain shower scheduled by the weather corps later that day, nobody felt much like going on a walk, so the company retreated to Princess Celestia’s tea-room, converted for the occasion into a makeshift playroom. Shining Armor was making use of his leisure time for a three-hour session of Ogres & Oubliettes. Naturally, the children were all invited to partake foremost, but anyone was welcome who held even a cursory interest in the intricately-crafted and decades-spanning complexity of the venerable game. Out of consideration for the uninitiated, however, Shining had previously conceded they needn’t dive head-first into one of the classic campaign settings such as Misbegotten Planes or Tartarron. And Dragonspear, for obvious reasons that were kept from most of the foals, was feeling kind of taboo to him right now. So, they’d be starting from scratch on this campaign. And while playing with novices meant having to find the right balance between hooves-on guidance and letting them discover the game for themselves, Shining had a hidden back-up reason for playing Oubliette Master on this one. He reckoned that how he handled the group’s dynamics was good practice if he wanted to make officer in the Guard, someday. Shining was a mighty Wizard, Fidchel. Flash was a conniving Rogue, Skeith. Timber had chosen to be a dutiful Paladin, Magus. And the big red stallion, who upon hearing about the game had opted to leave Blueblood’s group and join them, was a savage Fighter-Warlock by the name of McBiggen, servant of the dark dragon Tiamat, archnemesis of Prince Blueballs, the Sister Defiler, who’d deceived his dear little sister and now kept her locked away in a tower, to inflict vile depravities upon her at a later date. This got Shining to declare him ‘a kindred spirit’ and ‘a brother in arms’, while then glaring at Flash and Timber, who were paying Twilight no heed and bashing their character tokens against one another, laughing jovially as they did.  Cadance, who had joined them after checking in with Blueblood’s group, was heard to groan throughout the red stallion’s backstory. Shining himself glanced to see what they were up to. Any guilt he might have felt that they’d been left out was rapidly assuaged, however. Arts-and-crafts was their chosen activity, by the look of things. For all his faults, Blueblood was a skilled navigator and mapmaker. It seemed he and the two Apples had found a way to combine interests, because the sisters were showing him how thin slices of apple, carefully varnished so they wouldn’t rot, could be laid out into the shapes of continents on a big sheet of paper – Apple Jewel holding the paper down, Apple Bloom applying varnish and glue and glitter. Back in Shining’s own game, Twilight was a Warlock named Innus, meaning that she’d made a deal with mystic forces to obtain magical powers. She decided that she’d make a deal with Celestia, but upon hearing she was unable to use Celestia, she opted to serve a being known as Telestia, Entity of the Sun. In the end, Shining was unable to tell her ‘no’. Cadance had decided to be a wandering Bard, May Dance, the  spreading love, music, and joy wherever she went. The more she heard Macintosh, or Mcbiggen “Alright,” said Shining, as he set up the Oubliette Master screen, “if everyone’s got their character sheets noted down, we can get started.” The beauty of Ogres & Oubliettes was always the enormous amount of freedom it granted, with very little restriction by an “official” background setting in the rulebook. Even so, Shining felt it’d be a good idea to draw from a couple of beginner’s campaigns for this, freely adapting story elements if necessary to keep the narrative on track. ‘The Curse of The Statuettes’ and ‘The Festival of Lights’, from the Tails of Equestria guidebook. Fine stuff. He couldn’t wait to see how Twilight reacted to a creature like the bookwyrm, with its ridged spines made of book bindings and scales of paper scrolls. It ate the writing in books to survive. “You start in the Agaricus Forest,” Shining narrated to the group, “beyond which, sealed away from Equestria for nigh on a thousand years, lies the hidden city of Umberfoal-” At the back of his mind, Shining wondered if it was possible the writers had been inspired by the real-life tale of the Crystal Empire, a city lost in the north, or so the legend went. Legend also said that sealed beneath the Empire rested a race of soulless, malevolent creatures called Umbrum, or as some called them, the Shadow of Concordia. In the game, they were simply called Shades. Funny how myth, legends and other silly stories could shape a game. It was said that the creator of the game modeled the main pantheon after stories that he’d heard from actual living dragons, who were more than happy to share their knowledge with him. They even urged him to add the gods of their faith to the book. Asgorath and Bahamut were one of the most widely used gods for Clerics and Paladins, while Tiamat was used for Warlocks. There were entire campaigns written around Tiamat. It sometimes felt like the five-headed dragon was almost the face of the game. Though most couldn’t name her, they knew where she was from. There were three more dragon gods, but the information for them was scarce. In fact, there were rumors that the only reason they were included was because the dragons who spoke with the creator were adamant that all their gods be included, even if it was nothing more than a paragraph of information, a picture and a name. As for today’s game, ot went simply enough. Typical for a Rogue, Flash pilfered anything not nailed down that had value. Timber explored the ruins seeking things to fight, with Twilight not too far behind. “My armor class stinks,” Twilight noted, “and most of my attacks are long ranged. I'm staying behind the guy with plate mail, a magic shield, and a cloak of protection.” It took her less than an hour to learn the rules and memorize the monster manual. He could already feel that his sister was going to create a powerhouse of a character if given the chance, meaning he needed to limit multi-classing. No more than two classes per character. Cadance was following Mac about the ruined city. There had been a few encounters, but the party managed to handle them well. Mac was the worst, Shining found himself thinking. Not because he was a bad player, far from it. He was one of the best, and the dice seemed to love him – no, the dice were throwing themselves at him. His typical rolls never went below a ten, rolls against him seemed to always be low, and damage? It was as if fate wanted him to succeed. After every battle he seemed to recite an oath to Tiamat. At one point, Timber openly asked whether he should attack considering that their gods opposed one another , but Shining said that unless Mac went against the party, it was not allowed. Timber’s unusually good armor set? Goodies meant to be found after discovering clues and fighting tough enemies. Mac’s rolls made quick work of his hidden troves and his sub-bosses, while Twilight’s intellect took care of everything else. “Alright,” Shining narrated, “you come to the top of the Arcane Tower, before you all lies the hideous and monstrous Prince. He cackles maniacally, as the spell to undo the seal keeping the Umbrum contained is slowly being completed. A bound Applegem rests not too far from him-” “Yes, the evil fiend,” Cadance said wryly. “What was it you named my cousin, Mac? Blueballs? Lovely.” She jerked her head towards the foals while giving him a disapproving glare. “So, for my turn…” She brought the two stallions in close and gently whispered. “... I plead with my cousin to leave his evil ways, before I seduce McBiggen’s sister. We’re doing things that are rated-X or worse.” Cadence shot Mac a smirk and rolled her dice. “Ooh, I rolled two twenties! Plus five because my charisma is so high, add another few dice due to Timber’s Bless and my Bardic inspiration. That’s over thirty for the first and twenty-nine for the second.” Unable to argue with a Natural 20, nor her high rolls, Shining confirmed that May Dance the Friendly had not only convinced Blueballs to change his ways, but she had also seduced McBiggen’s beloved sister.  Shining let out a despondent sigh. “So, despite kidnapping young sweet Apple Gem, and declaring that he would unleash an era of darkness to cover the land, Bluebl– Blueballs changes his ways and stops the spell because May Dance basically told him to stop being mean…” He saw Cadance wriggle her eyebrows, looking suggestive. “... And something else also happens we won’t get into.” “Come on, that’s so lame!” Flash huffed. “I wanted to backstab him.” “Yeah, I can’t let evil go unpunished!” Timber added. “He will burn in the fires of the sun!” Twilight barked. “Besides, I want to know what happens next!” Shining was not going to tell them what happened next. His parents, Blade Sentry, and Gloriosa would find him and kill him. Fortunately, there was one thing he could lean on to distract them, bribery.  “Blueballs is giving you all magic items. A Dragon's Wrath Longsword, one that is stirring. It has a radiance sub-damage type for Timber. There is a Cloak of Abysiana for Flash, which gives him advantage on stealth checks, and a Rod of the Pact Keeper + 2 for Twilight.” “I forgive him!” Flash said. “Yeah, it’s not like Mcbiggen’s sister is dead,” Timber agreed. “And the seal keeping the Shades from getting out should still be intact. No harm no foul.” “I will accept his gift, thank him, and use it to decimate my enemies in the name of Telestia!” Twilight said with a smile. Mac wrote a message to Shining on a piece of paper. ‘I try and convince my sister to stay chaste.’ Shining nodded, and Mac rolled his dice.  It was the first natural one Mac had ever rolled.  Shining sadly had to tell Mac that not only had his words failed to reach his sister, she was so offended by him trying to control her, that she invited Blueballs to join her and Cadance. With that, the quest ended in victory for the party, but in utter defeat of Mac. And by the time the party was leaving the tower, and began the journey back to their keep, one more newcomer approached their table. “Can Ah play with y’all too?” Apple Bloom asked with the widest eyes, and the sweetest little smile. “Oh, of course you can!” Cadance said, almost squealing at the sight of the precious filly. After that first interaction, Cadance glommed onto Apple Bloom, answering each and any of the questions spewed at the alicorn. Once the game ended, there came the time for lunch, to be followed by playing in the gardens as per Flash and Timber’s joint request.  They would soon be joined by the little filly, but in the interim, the hour after lunch was meant to be Apple Bloom’s naptime, and Cadance, who was alternately sharing care duties with Apple Bloom’s brother and sister or relieving them of it so they could enjoy more free time, proved especially skilled at putting her down for sleep. Between the socializing, and being sequestered from her books, Twilight would be in agony until the clock finally struck two, when it was finally Twilight’s turn to decide what her group was doing. There was only one place she wanted to go. The Archives. Before she left, Celestia had given her near-unlimited access to the Archives. Although Twilight chose where it was they went, the two colts accompanying her were given free reign to read their own articles. Timber typically defaulted towards more cultural records, wondering what type of food they ate and how they made it, or looking up legends that came accompanied with cool pictures, and even the games that would typically be played in the olden days. Twilight had to admit that, privately, she was impressed by his selection, but she preferred the notes of Star Swirl the Bearded and his many, many spells that she was actually allowed to read. Unfortunately, there was one impassable obstacle that kept her from reaching the more advanced spells. A sign that read; No Foals Allowed Beyond This Point (That Includes You, Twilight Sparkle) ~ Love, Princess Celestia It was her one weakness. Rules. Flash was interested in historical documents pertaining to a pegasus. His namesake, to be exact. Flash Magnus. The little colt quickly got Twilight to explain the sorting system that the archives used, and dashed off once he had the information he needed. When he was unable to grasp the workings, however, he had Twilight take him to the correct section. There he found the last journal Flash Magnus had ever written before he vanished. In the meantime, Twilight, despite getting hampered by the forbiddance sign, had found herself other books she could pour over. Primarily spellbooks, of course. Sat at a reading table, she was leafing through the pages for about half an hour, until one particular page caught her eye. “The Facial Hair Charm,” Twilight read aloud. “Gives a stallion magnificent facial hair.” It was a very tempting spell, one that had the Starswirl Seal of Approval. It didn’t require a large area like some, or a practice dummy in case things went wrong during casting. The only question was who to try it on? Flash was reading historical documents, while Timber was focusing on Maps and other nations. Timber had better grades than Flash this year, so it stood to reason that he could be her guinea pig. Flash needed time to study after the horrendous grade he’d got on his End of Year Test. “Timber,” said Twilight, walking over to the colt showing him the spell scroll, “can I try something on you?” The colt looked up. “What is it?” “It’s a facial hair spell. It specifies that I need a colt.” “Get Flash! Last time you cast a spell on me, I was suspended in the air for an hour and the Princess had to get me down!” “He’s studying! Just stand still.”  As Twilight readied the spell, Flash’s voice carried from across the archives. “Hey, Twilight, do you know who Prince Solaris was?” “Celestia’s dad!” she shouted back. This was something Twilight had learned at her local library, and something Flash should have learned in History. While both provided general information, Celestia had told her more personal stories. Once Equestria had been formed, someone had needed to take charge after Gusty the Great’s departure. That pony was Princess Nebula, an alicorn who led a moderately-sized village which Gorgar had been unable to conquer, likely because she herself had stood in his way alongside many other unicorns. Her reign lasted a few decades, before finally passing on her title to her son, Solaris, and returning to her village. Solaris’ reign lasted centuries. He was a good monarch and according to Celestia, an even better father. He solved most issues diplomatically, despite building up one of the most powerful nations in the world. ‘Never only rely on words,’ he would say. It was he that called upon Starswirl the Bearded to teach Celestia when she was a filly, and he who’d taught her to move the sun and moon. When Twilight had asked Celestia if he was also super amazing at magic, she’d smiled blissfully and told her there was no one better. He also had a very thick beard that tickled Celestia’s cheeks whenever he kissed her goodnight. “Celestia has a dad?” Flash asked. “I thought she hatched out of the sun or something.” “Why does everyone think that the princess– All ponies have a mom and dad, Flash! It’s basic biology! Hey, I said stand still, Timber! I need practice!” Twilight’s horn lit up and Timber was pulled by his tail towards her. “I still don’t get what’s in it for me,” Timber grumbled. “If I do it right, you should have a cool mustache, that’s what’s in it for you.” “I guess, I can name better stuff. We’re having cookies after dinner tonight.” Twilight’s face fell flat. She liked cookies, but she also liked practicing magic. “Half my cookies, and I get to practice this spell on you, and another one.” “Deal,” Timber affirmed. “Twilight, I won’t get kidnapped for knowing Celestia has a dad, will I?” Flash asked nervously. “This is something you can learn at the library!” Twilight shouted in frustration. “It was also on our last history test,” Timber added. “Yeah, but history sucks!” Flash groaned, finally joining his friends. He plopped down the journal that he’d been reading. “This is actually cool. Did you know there was a dragon war? Flash Magnus and a bunch of ponies were trapped in the Dragon Kingdom–” “By Equestrian standards, that wasn’t war,” Twilight interrupted. “Prince Solaris never declared war on the dragons, nor did he even know what was happening until after it was over. What happened would be better defined as an incursion.” “Whatever! Flash Magnus fought these dragons with super strong scales while unicorns took down these huge towering dragons and–” “He fought Mystic-Scaled Dragons,” Twilight said. “Said to be the most dangerous dragons in the world. Most of them were wiped out in the incursion, and not without reason. Not only were they the greatest obstacle to the legion returning home, they were brutal on the battlefield. Some even ate ponies whether they were alive or dead. Few were named, but those that were had a significant body count.” “Mystic-Scaled Dragons?” Flash repeated. “That’s not what the books called them.” “Well, it’s more of a colloquialism,” Twilight hurriedly explained. “Most accounts note that they called themselves Iron-Scaled, but many unicorns during that time saw that they had high magic resistance, some even theorized that they were immune to magic altogether. So later documents gave them a new name to denote that fact. Considering that dragons can’t do magic, I don’t think the dragons even know about their own resistance.” “Well did you know that their one weakness is–” “Mithril, a metal found only in the Dragonlands, or with dragons,” Twilight cut across him, barely pausing to take a deep breath, as she felt herself enter lecture mode. “Non-reactive, and stronger than any metal in the world, including any alloys not containing mithril itself. Due to its rarity and multiple useful properties, it’s extremely expensive and in very high demand by many industries. The crown typically uses it for military applications, though ponies use it to hedge against inflation, if not to flaunt their wealth by wearing it as jewelry. It can also be used as a magical conduit to enhance spell casting as well. This was discovered near the end of the incursion, and something that was made illegal to civilians unless permitted by the Crown. Of course, the difficulty in making these charms and the high price point means that typically only the wealthy or talented have access to them.” Flash’s eyes might have glazed over somewhere in the middle of her speech, even though he’d listened with rapt attention when her brother explained the rules of Ogres & Oubliettes. Yet he came back to life in time to seize upon one detail she’d mentioned. “Hey,” Flash interjected, “my brother knows lots of unicorns with spell power-up rings.” “Nothing we make on our own can come close to what mithril can do to a spell,” Twilight explained. “It can turn a simple stun spell into something incredibly lethal. Many scholars can only imagine what a lethal spell would become when using it against non-dragons.” Flash frowned at her. “When did we go over this in school? I would have paid attention if we did.” “It’s not taught in school, I learned it from Princess Celestia, and she never liked talking about it,” Twilight told him quietly. “She said it was one of the biggest… fudge-ups in all of history. She still doesn’t know which side bleeped-up more. Apparently the incursion started because two ponies were dumb enough to touch a dragon’s hoard, not even steal anything, and the dragon nobles that owned it couldn’t let it go. It just spiraled from there.” “Why are you saying fudge? Just say ‘fuck’. Who’s going to hear you?” Flash asked. “I would hear you, and I do not like it when foals curse.” A chill ran up Flash’s spine as he turned his head to see Cadance glaring down at him. “Ah, fudge.” Playing O&O may have taken the edge off Shining’s concerns, but Twilight wasn’t the only one of their family who rarely had Princess Celestia’s well-being far from their minds. After tabletop gaming, followed by lunch, had brought down the knot inside his gut, Shining was soon looking elsewhere to curb the nervousness he’d been concealing. Namely, a drink. But he’d also wanted someone to drink with. Happily, there was someone available. Less happily, Shining’s afternoon was almost wrecked as a result. When the guards caught him and Mac sneaking a six-pack of cider, he felt convinced he’d be dragged through the training grounds and flogged while Mac got dragged into the dungeon. Instead, the guards merely teased them for choice in drink. Even the Captain of the Guard, Steelwall, chided them gently. “Don’t give me that look,” said the Captain. “We were stupid teenagers once upon a time. Just don’t make it a habit.” One guard even promised to get them a can of beer each if they wanted it. They declined, and rushed back to the Apple stallion’s bedroom, a more private space than Shining’s spot in the barracks. The two of them had discovered they shared some very similar interests. HyperSpace HyperWars being one of them, along with a few trading card games. Besides their shared hobbies, they both loved their little sisters. Unfortunately, they both also still saw the girls as the tiny foals that their parents had just brought home from the hospital. Tiny foals who needed to be protected from the harsh and dangerous world. “What do you think of the Prince?” Mac asked as he looked out his window, seeing his sister taking a leisurely stroll with Blueblood, having just finished a golden apple. Mac felt irked at the sight.  “Me personally? Ponce. But relative to the other irritants in my life? He’s a mild annoyance at his worst. Helped me out on a date or two, and those were the dates Cadance liked more than usual. But then there are the snide remarks about my hobbies. From what I’ve seen with your sister though? He’s nice. Don’t think it really means anything, they get along because she’s not throwing herself at him. Blueblood is a stallion that routinely gets swarmed, but Cadance says he’s not really seen.” “Like that makes sense,” Mac said as he took a sip of cider. “She doesn't seem to like me much.” “When you insinuate her cousin is someone looking to force himself on your sister, yeah, you’re not going to be her best friend. Apple Bloom, though, she seems to l–” “Don’t, Ah get jealous.” “I get that, I get that. But consider it a blessing in disguise! There’s nowhere safer if–” Shining paused and looked down at his bottle. The news he’d heard came flooding back to him. “Mac, you do know why we’re all here, right?” “Mah Granny told me after His Royal Pompousness came by and offered to house us for a few weeks,” Big Mac said, his voice grave and his face dark. “Damn lizards have everyone lookin’ over their shoulders. Granny couldn’t come, not with the harvest.” “Is she working the farm alone?” Shining asked. “Nah,” said Big Mac, shaking his head. “Some of mah Pa’s family came by ta help. Ah thought they’d set Granny straight, but they couldn't wait to send us off. Apple Bloom and Applejack are in the dark. Better that way.” “Same with Twilight and her two stalkers,” Shining agreed. “So, knowing giant engines of fire and death could attack us at any moment, if you had to choose between me, you, and the alicorn princess who might be a demi-god, who would you want to have Apple Bloom be with?” “Point taken. Wish Applejack could spend more time with her though, ‘stead of with the Prince.” “Well, the guy is Celestia’s nephew. If the guards are protecting anyone, he’ll be near the top, so by extent, they’ll protect your sister too,” Shining pointed out. “Chin up. We can have a real guys night! No parents, no sisters, no girlfriends. Come on, I’ve got the latest expansion of HyperSpace HyperWars!” Mac couldn’t resist playing after hearing that. For the first time in days, the stallions forgot their worries. Elsewhere in the Palace, two other ponies weren’t as carefree as Shining and Big Mac had supposed. Shortly after exiting the gardens, which had required much coaxing on his part for a calming stroll, Blueblood was dragging Apple Jewel by her tail, ignoring her thrashing and cursing as they traveled through the castle halls. The assorted staff and guards all seemed apathetic to the farmgirl’s plight, not because they were uninterested or uncaring, but rather because they heard her reservations and knew that she worried for naught. “Ah don’t wanta meet any more snobby unicorns, Larry!” Apple Jewel cried out, scrabbling at the tiled floor with all her earthpony strength, which was leaving a mark. The magic of Blueblood’s horn was equal to her raw horsepower, yet it was only narrowly winning out. Every step backwards he took to drag her along was a hard-earned victory, and only Blueblood’s natural impeccability kept him from showing visible perspiration. “Apple… Jewel…” Blueblood huffed and wheezed. “Miss Sparkle may attend a very wealthy school, in a very wealthy city… Ungh. But trust me when I say she’s far from snobbish. She just won’t initiate conversation with anyone because she’s allergic to social situations…” He paused to catch his breath. “But you… My dearest Apple Jewel, you’ve rarely been one to shy away from talking to new ponies… Why start now?” Still lying on the floor, Apple Jewel craned her neck around to face him. “You never got made fun of fer an accent for a year an’ a half, Larry,” the farmgirl said with a glare. “And will ya stop calling me Apple Jewel? You know Ah hate that name. It’s too gaudy.” “It’s why I use it,” Blueblood chortled. “Last I checked, I’m not too fond of your little pet name for me, so I refuse to use that dreadful nickname of yours.” “Please, ‘Larry’ ain’t no pet name. It’s a nickname. Big difference.” Apple Jewel harrumphed, tapping both forehooves on the floor. “And if my Pa had his way, it would have been my name. Ma picked Apple Jewel cause she found out we’re nobles after Mac was born an’ named. Thought the daughter of a baron needed a name to go with their high status. Speaking of, what if Mac catches you literally draggin’ me by my tail? He’s just waiting fer an excuse to whoop ya, can’t imagine this will go over well.” “True,” Blueblood conceded, his face all innocence, “but if he so much as lays a hoof on me, the guards will swarm him and throw him in the dungeon for a night. But ignoring that, I must ask one question, Apple Jewel. Do you trust me?” “Course, why?” “You trust me to not put you in a situation where you’ll be mocked, correct? And if I do, you can at least expect me to put an end to it before it goes past the first insult?” “Yeah,” Apple Jewel nodded. “You did it a lot in school.” “Then, you know it’s safe when I ask you to just try and engage Miss Sparkle. For me?” “Ah’m going ta get you back for pulling this ‘for me’ nonsense!” Apple Jewel huffed. “But fine, Ah’ll give her a chance. The first insult Ah hear, Ah’m giving her a punch. Shoulda gave one to those hussies in Manehattan.” “I would advise against punching her,” Blueblood said calmly. “My aunt’s protection aside, I assure you, the first crack she makes, my cousin will take care of it, if not me. And why hurt your beautiful hooves punching a pony? When you think of the Academy or any noble who considers you below them, know you're already getting the sweetest revenge there is.” His aura vanished from Apple Jewel’s tail, allowing her to stand. “While they will have their little cliques, which will be empty and meaningless, you will forever be friends with the illustrious, handsome, charismatic, brilliant and talented Prince Astron III Vladimir Blueblood!” He bowed deeply to the farmgirl. “You forgot to add humble,” she snarked. “My dear, dear Apple Jewel, it wouldn’t be very humble to draw attention to it! And if not Celestia’s nephew, who else is as worthy to be in the presence of the breathtaking Apple Jewel?”   “Oh, this oughta be good.” Apple Jewel rolled her eyes, as Blueblood got down on a knee, and took her forehoof in his. Typically when Blueblood went ‘Fairytale Prince & Romance Novel Casanova’, it was Blueblood-speak for, ‘I’m going to annoy you until you do what I want’. “The literal tons of products countless trollops cake themselves with, cannot make them as beautiful as the filly I see before me. My heart yearns for your hoof in marriage, fair maiden.” “Spare me,” Apple Jewel groaned. Marriage, how original. And who was he calling filly? While she’d never asked him his age, Blueblood was only two or three years older than she. Despite him being a bulky colt, the age difference between them had to be smaller than between Twilight Sparkle and that big brother Royal Guard cadet of hers, let alone she and Big Mac.  Funnily enough, Blueblood had told her it was Princess Cadance who’d only recently got a growth spurt, even with her being an alicorn, when for a long time people had thought Cadance was younger than he because she was so short. In any case, Apple Jewel could imagine the fillies that would have their knees buckle if they heard Prince Blueblood use the word ‘marriage’. Most of them turned to jelly from him just glancing at them. That was what made her so special. All she heard was ‘I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!’ as Blueblood kept his forehoof a fraction of an inch away from her face. “I shan’t, nor could I! Wit as sharp as their spears of old. Accent as pure and rare as a glistening diamond. Hair more golden than the finest crown my aunt has. Eyes as luminous and shimmering as an emerald, a coat as radiant as the setting sun-” A spare forehoof quickly covered his mouth. “If it shuts you up,” said Apple Jewel, “I will try to talk with the filly tomorrow, cos’ any insult she hurls at me will be less painful than you spewing that mushy garbage.” “Thank you!” Blueblood joyously sang once her forehoof left his lips. “I didn’t mean a word of it! Well, except for the ah-ccent,” he added mischievously, conspiratorially. “Cross my heart. You really shouldn’t worry about the accent. You should’ve heard Candy’s accent when she first came to stay. Took her a while to shed that Oleandrite tinge when speaking Ponish.” “Ah know you didn’t mean it,” Apple Jewel chuckled. “But thanks anyway.” It was true, the eldest Apple daughter did not have much in the way of vanity, being a practical soul through-and-through, the very earthpony salt-of-the-land, which set her worlds apart from a Canterlot unicorn noble like Blueblood. Still, it was nice to get a compliment every once in a while. Later in the evening, everyone gathered in the dining hall for the greatest of all meals. Pizza. Apple Jewel was finding that her worries about socializing with Twilight had been pointless. The filly in question didn’t seem interested in conversing with her during dinner. Miss Sparkle was more intent on planning a wedding.  Like all things, it all started with Apple Bloom.  “You like that stallion over there a lot,” the tiny filly remarked to Princess Cadance, after swallowing the last of her stuffed crust, which according to her was the best kind of crust to ever be made. “Are you two getting married when ya’ll are older?” If Shining Armor had been drinking something, he would have spat it out right then and there.  “We-It’s a bit early to talk about that, don’t you think, Cadance?” “Oh, hush, it’s never too early, dear! Maybe someday, Apple Bloom,” Cadance told the filly. She turned to give Shining a sly wink, while slightly sticking her tongue out. “When you two do get married, can Ah be the flower filly? Please?” Apple Bloom gave the alicorn that adorable look again, earning another squee. “Of course you can!” said Cadance. “And I’ll make sure you have the cutest little dress to wear! Shining, won’t she be adorable?” “S-sure,” he said, horrified. Mac simply chuckled at Shining’s misfortune. It must have been horrible thinking about marrying someone as beautiful, kind and powerful as Cadance. His heart truly bled for his new friend. “Could I plan it?” Twilight asked. “Twily–” “Of course, Twilight!” Cadance said brightly. “Great!” Twilight beamed. “I’m already half-way done!” The filly made a large binder appear with several files and pictures shoved in it. She began detailing the perfect wedding, sighting statistics and Cadance’s personal tastes as well as a bachelor party for Shining. “Larry, I tried my best, but I don’t think I can get a word in with that filly yapping like she is,” Apple Jewel whispered to Blueblood. “Miss Sparkle gets like that at times. This is what we affectionately call lecture mode. By the intensity she is tackling the subject, she’s likely been planning the wedding for months. You should have seen her when my aunt insisted her nose was called a boop-button.” Apple Jewel’s own nose twitched. She remembered when her Pa would poke her boop-button, annoying her greatly. “Say, what’s the story between the Princess and that there unicorn hunk, anyway?” “Oh, Shining Armor? Well, you see, Apple Jewel, Cadance lacked a base amount of standards when choosing a partner to share a dalliance with, so she got something of a colt in a stallion’s body. I won’t judge if a hobby involves that dice game, but between that, the toys, and the trading cards, what’s next? And now It’s snowballed to poor sweet Apple Bloom thinking they’re meant to be, with poor Miss Sparkle planning a wedding! My cousin can do so much better.” “Really,” Apple Jewel said with her eyebrow raised and hooves crossing. “Mister Bigshot too good for the common ponies now? An’ what’s your excuse for spending time with me? No standards either? Makin’ fun of this Southerner’s dulcet tones behind her back, or maybe you want to see what it’s like ta kiss a farmer fore’ braggin’ to yer entourage?” “I would recall my speech in the halls before asking such questions, my lovely Apple Jewel,” Blueblood playfully warned. He picked up her hoof and gave it a quick, gentle kiss when Mac had his head turned. Apple Jewel pretended to gag. “But, joking aside, you are a hardworking, tenacious young mare that understands these things called boundaries, and treats me like I exist. You don’t try to club me over the head and drag me to the nearest altar. You don’t see me like some giant diamond ring, or a way to fulfill your dreams. I am your friend, and I treasure that. Besides, your snacks are to die for.” Apple Jewel let out a playful gasp. “Your Highness, you’d stoop to letting your fancy royal lips touch common carnival fare?” “Your common carnival fare? I would never refuse it.” “Really now? Upper Crust manages you to snag ya for an outin’,” Apple Jewel countered. “Ah give you a fritter during that date. What do you do after the first bite?” “Why must you pose such awful scenarios, Apple Jewel? They hurt me so.” Blueblood put his hooves on his heart, whimpering. “Regrettably, I wouldn’t be able to stomach it, and after making the grandest show denouncing it, the refuse I eject from my maw would no doubt find its way onto her.” “Really? You wouldn’t eat it? Not even for me?” she whispered, frowning and giving the Prince puppy-dog eyes. “On an outing with Upper Crust? Never. Your cooking is too good for something as nightmarish as that. Besides, I believe the insult she employed was ‘Interloping Yokel Skank’. And I, for one, can name worse things that she deserves.” Apple Jewel smiled. “Yer a pal, Larry.” As the evening came to a close, Cadance took a stroll through the gardens, her customary activity to greet the night at Canterlot Palace. While she may have traversed these gardens several times today, the refreshment it brought to her senses never failed. The hour of moonrise, specifically, was her personal magic hour. And these being Palace gardens, there never lacked for space to visit which had gone unseen in a long, long while, some favorite corner where she could allow the night air to caress her feathers, upon wings which had first taken flight when she learned her destiny lay in Equestria. Cadance had no preference as to whether she liked to wander the garden path alone or in company. Nevertheless, she’d stated that a last stroll was healthy before bedtime, not least after feasting on such a heavy meal as pizza. She wasn’t too greatly surprised that Flash and Timber had disregarded her advice to retreat into the bedroom they shared, no doubt to pursue illicit night-time activity when they should really be in bed already. The two girls amongst the foals had proven more sensible than the boys. Cadance was accompanied by Twilight, whose muzzle was buried in a book, and Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom remained respectfully quiet for an unusual amount of time, perhaps feeling tired, but a new question eventually passed her lips. “Ah saw you washing Flash’s mouth out with soap. Did he use a bad word?” “He did,” Cadance said, though she smiled. “I suppose that your grandmother does the same to Mac?” “Yup, and my cousin, Braeburn, and a whole lot of other stallions in the family. Do you have a family that’s big?” Innocent as the question was, Cadance felt her smile weaken. “Not really… Just my Aunt Celestia and Blueblood.” She hoped that in the moonlight, a wet gleam didn’t show in her eyes. “Wait,” said Apple Bloom, tilting her head. “Shouldn’t you be Celestia’s daughter? You’re an alicorn.” “Well, actually I started out as a pegasus,” Cadance said quietly. “I was raised in an earthpony village, over in the far-off country of Oleander, before earning my horn and coming to Canterlot.”  “You became an alicorn? Do you think Ah could be an alicorn?” Apple Bloom asked, excitement raising in her voice. Cadance loved the look of admiration the little filly gave her. Her bout of sadness was passing. “It is possible, certainly. But it’s very, very rare. Besides, I don't see why you'd want to,” she noted, her heart filled with sincerity. “If you ask me, I think earth ponies are the greatest.”  “How did you become an alicorn anyway?” “Magic,” Cadance said with a wink. She could share that story another time. The story of childhood that culminated in the fateful day she’d earned a horn, fully-fledged wings and her cutie mark. However, Twilight slammed her book shut. At least, she wanted to, but was too frightened that she might actually damage it. No book deserved to be damaged. “Apple Bloom,” exclaimed Twilight. “If you want I can tell you how she became an alicorn, it’s actually really cool! There was a sorceress and everything!” Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide and she gravitated towards Twilight. Cadance was about to speak up, but then stopped. Twilight was willing to socialize with a filly. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was better to let them have their little story. There was a stone bench nearby. Cadance indicated they could all sit down, the time it would take. “Alright,” Cadance smiled easily, patting the bench to show they could scoot closer to her. “But get too many details wrong and I will take over. And Apple Bloom, sweetie, you’ve got to promise, no questions until after the story is over. Deal?” Huddled up on either side of her, the fillies agreed without hesitation. “Okay.” Twilight cleared her throat, readying herself to deliver what was kind of a lecture, and yet completely different from a lecture at the same time. Rather like those storybooks Cadance or her mother would read to her, countless copies of which she’d seen stored in Celestia’s private library. “It all began in a little village called Florentina, which some call the Village of Flowers…” Once back in her bedroom, having told her own bedtime story, Twilight Sparkle still had someone left in her circle to attend to. “Good night, Star,” Twilight said, turning off her pogona lizard's lamp as she dropped the fattest, juiciest, hornworm into his case. The lizard let out a joyful noise towards Twilight before devouring his treat. At the doorway, Shining was keeping watch over her. “You know, Twily,” her big brother grinned, “I’m proud of you. You really engaged with Apple Bloom tonight. I didn’t like the subject matter, but you were thorough. Horrifyingly thorough.” “It wasn't that big of a deal,” Twilight shrugged as she climbed into the bed, snuggled against her brother when he came to lie atop the bedsheets. “Shiney, if you told the Princess, do you think she’d be happy?” “I’m sure she’d be thrilled,” Shining replied, tickling her ear. “I’m sure she would.” “And the fact I’m playing with Flash and Timber? Like, really playing with them and not sneaking off to the library?” “Yeah, I guess. Can I ask why you’re so worried?” Twilight gazed up at him, with big eyes. “The last time she went to take care of Princess Business she was really sad, and got sadder for a whole week. I don’t want her to be sad again.” Shining kept his heart close to his chest, so to speak, not wanting Twilight to hear it beating. He knew why Princess Celestia had gone on ‘princess business’. Or, as he preferred to call it, ensuring no dragons were about to raze the country to the ground. A fat lot of good that did them, all things considered. While Cadance was a kind, easy-going and beautiful mare, she was also a gossip. If there was one mare he would never trust a secret to, it was the love of his life. He didn’t know what Princess Celestia was going to do with the dragons, but he prayed that it kept them far away from Equestria. “There’s not a lot you can tell you, Twily,” Shining told his baby sister. “I can tell you that I’m sure she’d tell you to let her worry about her princess business, and for you to just be a little filly. If she does need cheering up, I’m sure a hug from you wouldn’t hurt one bit.” Twilight would be sure to give her one.