//------------------------------// // Then and Now // Story: Forgotten: The Crystal Princess // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// When Pipp got a text from Sunny that said Flurry Heart was thinking about asking about a phone, the social media magnate dropped what she was doing and was down out front by the time the pink alicorn had come up the path to the Brighthouse. "Good day, Miss Flurry Heart! Sunny tells me you're thinking about getting your first phone, and learning the ins and outs of it. I've cleared my schedule for the next couple hours if you want to head back into town and pick one out," Pipp offered. Flurry Heart's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, um, sure Pipp. Sorry, I guess I'm still not used to how fast news travels around here." With that, Pipp and Flurry walked side by side back towards Maretime Bay. "I've actually been wondering, Flurry. How was being a Princess back then? Compared to now?" Pipp asked. "Well that would certainly depend on which Princess you were talking to. Each had to face different challenges. Celestia's schedule was always very busy, making public appearances, mingling with Canterlot's most affluent citizens, things of that sort. Luna wasn't seen nearly as often, because almost all of her work was in the dream realm." "The dream realm?" Pipp asked. "Luna had the power to tap into the world of dreams. She'd help with the worst of nightmares, as that was usually a sign that a pony was having some kind of internal struggle. Diminishing the nightmares frequently turned into a magical battle of wits." "I see," Pipp said, trying to mentally follow along. It was a tradeoff; she was going to help Flurry adapt to modern times, and in return, she was going to hear about how near-mythical Flurry's time was. "Then there was my mom. The Princess of Love. She frequently complained about how 'predictable' life in the Crystal Empire was, and got away as often as she and my dad could; frequently down to Ponyville. The seclusion of the Empire also helped her mingle with all of her citizens more often, rather than spending most of her time with the most influential or affluent. It was something I really tried to emulate during my rule. Every year I would try to eat at every restaurant, patronize each business, and host several events in the castle where everypony was welcome." "Wow, when you put it like that, what I do kinda of well, pales in comparison," Pipp replied, her ears drooping a bit. "What do you mean? Sunny has told me nothing but good things about you. You constantly keep ponies everywhere updated on news, personal beauty tips, and you release a new song almost monthly. I imagine that you keep countless fans of yours inspired and entertained." Pipp smiled at the compliment. It was true; there were quite a few times that she got caught up in the amount of hooftaps she got on ClipTrot, but at the end of the day, she did everything she did for her fans, young and old. "Well, here we are. Z-Mobile Wireless' newest location," Pipp told Flurry as they came to the second corner on the coastal road, where the Zephyr Heights cell service provider had opened their Maretime Bay branch. They walked through the double glass doors, and were greeted with a tone that signaled their arrival to the salespony at the register. "Hello, and welcome to Z-Mobile. How may I— Ah, Princess Pipp! What an unexpected surprise! Come in, come in! How can I help the two of you today?" "Hello! We're here to get my friend Flurry here her first smartphone," Pipp replied. The salespony wasn't sure of what to make of the alicorn that stood a bit higher than Zephyr Heights' most popular influencer, but to him, a sale was a sale, and he had faith that Pipp was going to talk her into one of the unlimited plans that were popular with heavy users. "Of course, our latest flagship models are right over there. All you have to do is pick out one that fits your budget and the features you'd like, then a case that comfortably fits your hoof, and we'll get you set up," the salespony told them. Well aware of the layout of a Z-Mobile store, Pipp led Flurry over to the phones. "How am I supposed to know what I want? I'm not even sure what I'm going to use it for, aside from keeping in touch with all of you," Flurry confessed as she followed Pipp over to the display cases. "Well, it's far more than a phone. It can be a camera, a planner, discussion forums, journal, and more. Don't worry about budget for now, I've got it covered. Ponies have to think about screen size, battery life, storage space, and durability," Pipp told her. Even if it wasn't her bits, Flurry went for something middle-of-the-road between the lowest and highest tier phones. The salespony quickly went and got her selection from the inventory while Pipp took her over to another set of displays. "Now you need a case. It generally protects against drops and lets you hold it easier with one hoof and use your other for scrolling and pressing." Flurry went for one of the cases with the larger hoof grips. Since her plan was just being added on to Pipp's account for now, the rest of it wasn't really a hassle. Flurry was given a small card containing her phone number, along with the empty box for her phone, which contained the instruction manual which she made a mental note to flip through later, and the charging cable as well. Pipp quickly got the rubberized case around Flurry's new phone before offering it to the alicorn, who concentrated and took it in her horn's magical aura. "That phone should have enough charge to last you the rest of the day, Miss Flurry Heart. Thank you for coming in, and if there's anypony to show you every single facet of a new phone, believe me, it's Princess Pipp here," the salespony said. He waved the two mares farewell as they went to the exit and back out onto the streets of Maretime Bay. "Now, it's not quite time for lunch yet, so tell me Flurry, did you have a stylist up in the Crystal Empire?" Pipp asked. "Of course. For the big events, mostly. But even for some minor public appearances if I noticed that she didn't have enough clientele, or noticed that she was getting a bit bored," Flurry replied. "Well, other than content creation, let me show you another one of my passions. We're going to a little place called Mane Melody!"