//------------------------------//
// Arc 10-2: The Tale of Holly the Toy Maker Part 1 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Trials of Friendship" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


The Tale of Holly the Toy Maker Part 1




In the magical land of Harmonia, lies a small town called Joy, located on the outskirts of the city.  The ponies who live there were among the happiest of the bunch.   Some say it’s because they were rich in wealth, or the fact that they were in great health.  But what makes them stand out was because of one little thing: Toys.
The colts and fillies loved their toys.  Some played with figures that resembled animals.  Some made buildings out of pieces and logs.  Some played pretend as a doctor, a guard, a grocer, a baker, a candlestick maker, or even a farmer.  Some even played house as if they were living out a different life.  Some rode on wagons, bounced on pogo-sticks, or even flew kites.  And some made music, much to the joy of the grown ups.
But where did they come from?  Where could something that brings so much joy originate from?  That, my friends, comes from a mare on the hill named Holly.
Holly was a master when it came to making toys.  With her tools and either wood, metal, cloth or other materials, Holly crafted these toys.  She could create wonders with the tools at her disposal.  She could craft wooden ducks on wheels without breaking a sweat.  She could carve out a doll with ease and have time to complete the dress.  She could fix together a small dollhouse in a quarter of a day.  A toy pony soldier would be dressed up for battle in little-to-no time at all.
But where does she get the material?  Holly was not only a professional wood-cutter when it came to toys, she could acquire wood needed from the nearby forest.  The paint she bought with her own money along with any nails or glue.  But in recent times, ponies from town began donating their own materials to her: wood, metal, cloth, glue, paint, nails, spare tools, and even pieces of gold and silver.  
When she first realized that, she was surprised.  No one has donated a mountain of supplies and money to her.  She approached the townsfolk, eager to find out why.
“I thank you all for what you have done,” Holly said.  “But, I can’t accept this.  It feels against my own nature to take it as a gesture of goodwill.”
But the Mayor approached her and said “This is for you because of the joy you bring to the town of Joy.  The joy you bring to the colts and fillies with your toys.  You have done a lot for us, and I believe that when one pony brings you joy, give them as much joy of your own as possible.  But also because you wish to spread that joy to the rest of Harmonia.  So take it, so you can realize your own dream.”
Holly was touched by the Mayor’s words.  She knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and so she said “Thank you.  I will take what you gave me and I will make the best toys so that every colt and filly will know that same joy.”
And the ponies of the Town of Joy cheered.  They knew that the joy they felt here could spread across Harmonia, and so did Holly.  While she was a humble pony, Holly dreamt that one day, every Colt and Filly across Harmonia would be filled with joy by the craft of her toy.

But the joy she saw in the Town of Joy was the only thing in her life.  Believe it not, she adopted two orphan fillies to look after while she makes her joy.  Their names are Sundrop and Moonrain.  It is unclear where they came from as they were found in front of her house while they were foals.  But regardless, Folly sees Sundrop and Moonrain as the joy of her life.  For you see, Holly also makes toys for her adopted daughters, so that they could experience the joy as well.
The one day while Holly was painting some new toys, she turned to face her daughters, who were enjoying the toys that she made for them.  Sundrop enjoyed playing with figures that resembled the soldiers while Moonrain was enjoying the figures based on the animals.
“Do not worry, animals of Harmonia,” Sundrop said, playing with her soldier figures.  “I will defend you from the evil that desires to capture you.”
“Oh thank you, brave warrior,” Moonrain said, playing with her various animal figures.  “We will never forget your kindness.”
But as Sundrop and Moonrain continued to play together, Holly watched from her worktable, and just laughed.  She laughed because she enjoyed seeing her daughters play with her toy.  And she imagined the many ponies who enjoyed playing with her toys, and she smiled some more, knowing that they would enjoy the toys that she made.

But her work did not go unnoticed.  One day, she was brought to the central kingdom to meet the two queens who ruled with a warm heart: The Queen of the North and the Queen of the South.  The queens had taken an interest in Holly’s skills as a toymaker after word got out about how her toys brought colts and fillies joy.  So one day, Holly was called to the throne room of Castle Harmonia, so that she may address the queens.
“We have heard stories about how your toys have brought the fillies and colts joy,” The Queen of the North said.  
“But we believe that your potential is being held back by the fact that you work alone,” The Queen of the South said.
“So,” The Queen of the North stated. “We proposed to hire some workers to help you with your workload, and will also cover their expenses so you don’t have to.”
“You can help provide the details on how your toys are made,” The Queen of the South said.  “And they can help build them for you.  And through your quality control, you can create more toys for the ponies of Harmonia.”
But it didn’t take long for Holly to make her decision.  And hers was one that stood grounded in her belief.
“I appreciate your help, Your Majesties,” Holly said. “But I do not wish to burden anyone into helping build my toys, out of fear that I may end up a selfish pony.  Therefore, I must decline your proposition.  I am terribly sorry.”
The two Queens were discouraged.  But they knew Holly’s words rang true to her selfless character.
“We understand,” The Queen of the North said. “And we will abide by your words.”
“If ever you change your mind,” The Queen of the South said.  “Let us know.”
With that, Holly departed the castle in peace, returning to her workshop, greeted her daughters, and went back to work.

For a time, Harmonia has seen happiness flow throughout the land.  But in a distant area of the Kingdom lay a town of Auric.  Despite its name and its vast wealth, the ponies of Auric lived in depressing times.  Many could not afford basic necessities like food, medicine, or clothes, let alone the donation of a single toy.  Travel between Auric and the rest of the Kingdom lay bare due to the taxes levied on traveling merchants.  There was no joy, no harmony, in this facade of a town.
In the manor of Auric, the greedy Duchess of Auric stood down at her people with a scorn on her face.  Next to her were mountains and mountains of gold piled up.  Her furniture was some of the most exquisite in the land.  But despite all that wealth, the Duchess was not happy.  Her attention turned towards the central city of Harmonia, the capital of the Kingdom.
“All this gold in Auric,” she snarled.  “And yet my hunger still remains.”
She closed the curtains in a huff before marching towards her gold and laying onto it.
“Count,” the Duchess yelled.  “Come here.”
From another hallway came the Count of Auric, approaching the Duchess without a shred of emotion.  While the Duchess appeared mighty and proud, the Count was a humble pony with a stern look on his face.  
“You call, Duchess?” The Count asked.
“As long as the two Queens rule over Harmony,” The Duchess said.  “I will never be satisfied.  All this gold in Auric, and all it has led to is a dissatisfied and bored life.”
“Perhaps if you had a bit of joy in your life,” The Count said.
“If you’re talking about toys, forget it,” The Duchess said.  “These despicable objects, along with the very younglings who play with them, are the bane of the financial system.   All those younglings do is to play with those stupid toys, thinking they’re something that they shouldn’t be.”  She pounded the gold with her hoof and added “They should be working like every pony in this land.  They should be taught to work, work, work.  No time for fun, and no time for pointless lessons from school.  They should be serving food in the restaurants, cleaning wagons for the adults, and scrubbing soot from the chimneys”
“My Duchess,” The Count.  “Younglings should be younglings, not emotionless servants.”
“I don’t care,” The Duchess yelled before throwing a gold goblet in frustration.  “I want control of the kingdom so that I may teach the younglings a lesson they will never forget.”
“Your obsession with children disturbs me, Duchess,” The Count said.  “It makes me wonder why the Queens haven’t looked into your activities, considering the fact that they will be leaving to meet with the Kirin across the sea.”
Those words caught the Duchess off guard, and her frown flipped into a smile.  She got an awful idea that she just had to let it out.
“Count,” The Duchess said.  “You did say that the Queens were leaving to meet the Kirin.”
“I did,” The Count said.  “For about a month.”
The Duchess reclined back and said with a sinister smile “Excellent.  It would be a shame if we were to lose our poor, poor Queens.”

The words that came from the Duchess did cause concern for the Count.  But regardless, the Queens had departed Harmonia for the Kirin Kingdom to expand their friendship.  But over a month later, their ships had yet to return.   What had happened to the Queens?  And why has no letter arrived to the Kingdom on what’s going on at the Kirin Kingdom?  For the many citizens, it was a major cause for concern.  But for the Duchess of Auric, she wasted no time seizing the throne and declaring herself acting ruler.  Soon, she occupied the throne of the Queen of the North while tossing the throne of the South aside.
“As your acting ruler of Harmonia,” The Duchess proclaimed.  “I hereby enact a new law that goes into effect today.  Immediately, all toys are banned throughout the kingdom.  They are not to be played with, enjoyed, or even observed on a shelf.  I will send the guards to take the troublesome toys away.  Anyone who resists in surrendering their toys will face the consequences of their actions.  So says I.”
And with that, the soldiers of Harmonia marched across the land.  In each town, they entered every citizen’s house, and demanded every toy, be it a vehicle, an animal, a soldier, a kite, a doll, a yo-yo, a puzzle, building logs, or even play tools.  The toys were loaded up in a wagon and taken to the central castle, where the Duchess ordered them burned to ash.
But the actions of the soldiers caused despair among the younglings.  They saw the little colts and fillies cry.  They knew that what they were doing was wrong.  But the law had to be obeyed, and if they questioned it, they could lose their rank or even be thrown in the dungeon.

It was that evening at the house in the outskirts of the Town of Joy.  Holly had observed a number of royal troops take the toys away from the colts and fillies of the town, and she felt awful.
“Why are they doing this?” Holly said.  “Why are the guards taking toys away from the children?  Why also take away their joy?  Their happiness?”
But Holly quickly pulled her head back in and shut the windows.  Then she said to Sundrop and Moonrain “They’re coming.  The royal troops are coming this way.”  And she was right.  A battalion of troops marched towards her house with the Duchess leading the pack.  Holly moved her daughters under the table and placed a tablecloth atop so that they may be safe.  But no sooner did she do so, the front door slammed open, and the Duchess of Auric stepped in.
“What’s going on here?” Holly asked.  “Why are colts and fillies losing their toys?”
“Because it is the law now, toymaker,” The Duchess said before stomping her hoof on the floor.
The guards wasted no time marching into Holly’s workshop, and seizing everything from her, not the just toys that she made, but also the materials and her tools.  Holly was appalled by the royal troops’ actions.
“As of now,” The Duchess said. “I hereby declare this house to be under the property of the crown.  And as such, you will abandon your status as toymaker and dedicate yourself to tax collecting.”
“Tax collecting?” Holly screamed.  “That is ridiculous.”
The Duchess just laughed as she walked up to the table that was next to Holly.  She looked at the table and said “You will do it for the sake of your own brats.”
With that, The Duchess yanked the tablecloth off the table, exposing both Sundrop and Moonrain from underneath.  The Duchess lowered herself down and smiled with a despicable grin, all while Sundrop held Moonrain in fear.
“Holly you naughty outlaw,” The Duchess said.  “I will give you one week to convert your house into a haven for tax collection, and to dedicate yourself to collecting taxes from the Town of No Joy.”
“And what if I don’t?” Holly asked.
“Then,” The Duchess said.  “I will have to take your delinquents away and lock you in the dungeon for the rest of your life.  And don’t count on the Queens to save you: They’re gone, and they will never come back.”
The Duchess laughed as she walked out of the house, leaving it a barren abode.  Many of the guards stepped out, following the Duchess, except one: The Captain of the Guards Silversword.  He felt a shred of guilt inside his body despite having helped remove every toy, material and tool from Holly’s house.
“I wish I didn’t have to do what I did,” Captain Silversword said.  “But the Duchess is the acting ruler, and going against her wishes would result in treason.”
With that, Captain Silversword stepped out of the house, leaving Holly in despair, and both Sundrop and Moonrain in tears.  Holly looked down and hugged both of her daughters.
“It’s okay,” Holly said.  “As long as I am by your side, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

Back at the palace, The Duchess stood on the balcony, satisfied with her decree and the results.  She watched from afar as on the streets of the central city, a mountain of toys were set ablaze by the fire set by a member of the royal guard.  No one in the vicinity was happy, not even the guard who had to set fire to what was once pure joy.
“Nothing like seeing joy itself crumble into ashes,” The Duchess said as she turned around and walked into the castle.  “They will feel despair like how it was meant to be.”
The Duchess walked up to the throne of the North and sat down, still smug from her actions.  She dreamt up dangerous thoughts, salivating at what she would do next.  The deeper her thoughts, the more sinister her smile was.
“Duchess,” The Count of Auric said, stepping into the throne room.  “Are you sure that was a good idea?  To deprive Harmonia of its joy?”
“Of course it was,” The Duchess said.  “Joy and happiness are the very plagues that poison the minds of these fools.  Their minds must be focused on three things: Work, work, work.  And they have to be miserable about it.”
“Reconsider,” The Count said.  “The Queens saw their joy as the strength of Harmonia, not the weakness.”
“It was their idea of strength that led to their demise,” The Duchess said.  “That individuals could have joy in their hearts, and happiness in their souls.  They were naive about it, and it cost them dearly.”
The Count was discouraged.  He turned around and walked towards the entrance.  While the Duchess would be satisfied with her results, it seems her ego couldn’t let her hold back.  And so she jumped out of her seat and walked up to the Count.
“Oh and by the way,” The Duchess whispered.  “About the ultimatum I gave to Holly?  I lied.”
“You what?” The Count said as he came to a stop and turned his head towards the Duchess.
“I never intended on holding my end of the bargain,” The Duchess said.  “I only forced her into becoming a tax collector for my own personal entertainment.  Once that week is up, I intend on taking her brats away and locking her in the dungeon.  Such a fool this Holly is.”
WIth that, the Count walked away no longer in a slump, but now completely disturbed by the Duchess’s words, who laughed loudly at the Count’s expense.

Later that night, the Count held a lantern as he walked into the barracks of the kingdom and approached Silvershield.   Judging by the despair on the Count’s face, Silvershield was worried.
“I’m afraid to ask what’s going on,” Silvershield said.  “But what happened?”
“I’m afraid it’s Holly,” The Count said.  “You remember those words that the Duchess said to her that afternoon.”
“Yeah,” Silvershield replied.  “She has one week to dedicate her house to collecting taxes.  And if she fails, she will have her younglings taken away and she will be thrown in the dungeon.”
“Then I must relay this bad news to you,” the Count said.  “She lied.  She never cared about fulfilling her promise.  As a matter of fact, she plans on waiting till the last minute, and will order you to take her daughters away, and to arrest her and throw her in the dungeon.  She even went as far as to refer to Holly as foolish.”
Silversword was beyond pale.  The words from the Count of Auric haunted every inch of his body.  Silversword was able to muster up the energy to say “I don’t believe it.  The Duchess lied to us about Holly?  What am I supposed to do?”
“Find Holly, get her and her younglings to safety,” The Count said.  “I will distract the Duchess as much as I can until the Queens return.”
“Understood,” Silversword said with a nod before he signaled to two of his fellow guards and made his way out of the barracks.

Later that night, many of the citizens of the Town of Joy are anything but.  Mothers and Fathers held their younglings close as they cried into their chests.  Some felt saddened by the loss of the very toys that Holly gave them.  Many tried to hold in their hooves what they imagined to be their toys, only to slump down in failure.  There was no joy to be found from every pony in the Town of Joy.
And in the outskirts of Joy, Holly prepared a nice bit of food for her daughters Sundrop and Moonrain.  Despite how scrumptious dinner was, the two fillies were depressed.
“I know it’s going to be hard to be in a house without any toys,” Holly said.  “But I promise I will do what I can to keep you both happy.”
“But it’s no fun without a single toy,” Sundrop said.
“Yeah,” Moonrain said.  “The law is wrong.  Why do we have to suffer just for the sake of the Duchess?  And where are the Queens?”
“I wish I could help you out,” Holly thought to herself.  “But I’m afraid you’re right.  As long as the Duchess is in charge, the only thing I can do is abide by her law and convert this place into a service for tax collecting.  I only hope she can uphold her end of the bargain.”
And suddenly, there was a knock at the door, catching Holly’s curiosity.  She walked up to the door and opened it.  Outside, Captain Silversword and a couple of guards stood at the entrance.  But Holly was not in a merry mood.
“You have a lot of nerve to come here after what you did this afternoon,” Holly said.  “Now there is no joy to be had in the Town of Joy, or even in this house.”
“And I’m afraid it’s going to get worse,” Silversword said.
Holly was not convinced by Silversword’s words.  But there was a bit of patience within the toymaker.
“I’m all ears,” Holly said.  “So tell me why you came all the way here.”
“Do you remember the warning that the Duchess gave to you after we had to seize your toys and the rest of your workshop?” Silversword asked.
“How can I forget,” Holly replied.  “When it has traumatized Sundrop and Moonrain?”
“Because the Duchess never intended on fulfilling her part of the bargain,” Silversword said.  “Even if you fulfill your obligations into becoming a tax collector, the Duchess will take your youngling away, and lock you in the dungeon for her own amusement.”
Holly’s anger melted away into sorrow.  She slumped back to the table and sat down, staring at her uneaten food.  All Sundrop and Moonrain could do is look at their adopted mother, concerned for her well-being.
“Mother?” Sundrop asked.  “Are you alright?”
“No,” Holly said as a tear fell from her eye.  “They’re going to take you away, regardless if I dedicated myself to tax collecting, and they’re going to lock me away in the dungeon.”
“I don’t believe it,” Moonrain said as she was about to cry.  “We’re going to be separated from you after all?”
And thus, Sundrop and Moonrain burst out in tears, crying loudly.  Their sad song filled the house, much to the despair of Holly, and much to the concern of Captain Silversword and the guards.
“Holly.” Silversword said.  “May I make a suggestion?”
Holly let out a sigh and said “Let’s hear it.”
“I wish to move you away from this place and into a safe spot so you and your daughters can hide from the Duchess,” Silversword said.
Holly looked up at Silversword and said “What good would it do, knowing that I will now be a fugitive on the run from the law?”
But to Holly’s surprise, Silversword pulled out a few tools from his knapsack and placed it down on the table.  Her face beamed over seeing her old tools again.
“Because those who once enforced the law have chosen to go against it,” Silversword said.  “I was able to recover those before they were burned, and I wanted you to have them again.  They mean a whole lot to you.”
Holly grabbed the tools and held them close to her heart.  Her eyes cried not of sorrow, but of joy once more.  But she looked up at Silversword, whose sorrow never left his face.
“What do you mean you have chosen to go up against the law?” Holly said.  “Does that mean you have stepped down from your position just to help me?”
“I didn’t step down,” Captain Silversword said as he stepped aside.  “We all chose to leave the Duchess.”
Holly got up from her table and stepped outside of the house.  To her surprise, a number of royal guards stood tall, saluting Holly with pride.
“Toymaker Holly,” The guards said.  “We will now follow you to the ends of the earth so that you may be protected from the Duchess.”
Holly’s smile deepened.  She wiped away the tears from her eyes before turning to her younglings.  Their faces were also optimistic, judging by their adopted mother’s new found joy.
“Mommy,” Moonrain said.  “Is that what I think it is?”
“It’s true,” Holly said.  “Pack your things.  We’re going to a new location, and we’re going to build toys in defiance of the law.”
The two fillies cheered with excitement as Holly and Silversword danced together.  The now-renegade guards stomped their hooves in celebration as the two danced together like a rodeo of some sort.  But suddenly, Silversword came to a stop.
“Hold it,” Silversword said.  “There is one last thing you forgot.”
“And what’s that?” Holly asked.
“Your meal,” Silversword said.  “You should finish it.”
Holly, Sundrop and Moonrain blushed embarrassingly as they returned to the table and began to eat their food.  They couldn’t stop.  They enjoyed every bite from their plate until there was nothing left.  Well except for Holly, who had a small portion remaining.
“Aren’t you going to finish that?” Silversword asked.
But Holly handed the plate to him and said “This is for helping me out.  It’s yours.”
Silversword looked like he was on the verge of tears.  He accepted the plate and took a bite from the food and chewed with delight.  His face cried tears of joy over the taste of food.
“This is the best meal I have ever had,” Silversword said.  “I will never forget this moment, Holly.  You have my thanks.”
And with that, Holly, Sundrop and Moonrain gathered as much as they could before emerging from the house.  But they were amazed at how large the crowd had gotten.  Before, it was nothing more than rogue guards.  Now the citizens of the Town of Joy stood by, cheering Holly on.
“This,” Holly said.  “This is what I think it is?”
“It’s called altruism,” The Mayor of Joy said, emerging from the crowd.  “We care for the well-being of our fellow townsfolk, and that includes you, Holly.  I know you didn’t want any help.  But we’re all here.  We’re all here to help protect you from the Duchess of Auric.  And you can thank the guards for alerting us on what she will do to you.”
“Thank you, everyone,” Holly said.  “I will never forget this.”
And with that, Holly, Sundrop and Moonrain left the house for the last time, walking with Captain Silversword and the royal guards, along with the citizens of Joy.   Soon, not a soul remained at the house, nor at the Town itself.  Though Joy was now a hollow shell of its former self, the citizens were bound to find happiness once more.

But the next day, the Duchess was in a foul mood. She threw objects all around the room in a fit of rage, from goblets to furniture to priceless pieces of art.  And all the Count could do was hide.
“What do you mean the guards have gone renegade?” The Duchess yelled.  “They’re my soldiers, and they have to do what I tell them.”
“I’m sorry, Duchess,” The Count said.  “One of them must have been eavesdropping on our conversation last night and relayed it to the rest of the troops, and now they’ve deserted us.”
“Well two can play at that game,” The Duchess commanded.  “Take down a note, and make sure it is clear.”
Without any hesitation, the Count pulled out a quill and dipped it in ink before putting it to a blank parchment.
“As your ruler,” The Duchess stated as the Count began to write.  “It has come to my attention that the royal guard has chosen treason over loyalty.  They have chosen to desert all of you for their own gain, all just to violate the law.  Effective immediately, every member of the Royal Guard is now a wanted criminal.  They are to be arrested and thrown in the dungeon, no trial.  Furthermore, I will be hiring mercenaries and bandits to become our new Royal Guard.  One that will ensure loyalty to the crown compared to the traitors.  So says I, the Duchess of Auric.”
“Mercenaries and bandits?” The Count said.  “To resort to low lifes to enforce the rules?”
“And there will be a handsome pay for anyone who wishes to sign up,” The Duchess said.  
The Count wrote into the parchment, copying everything that the Duchess said.  The Duchess looked over at the parchment, and smiled with a devilish grin.
“Excellent,” the Duchess said.  “Now announce it to the ponies of Harmonia.  It is time for a new era of Law and Order.”
“As you wish,” The Count said hesitantly before departing from the throne room, leaving the Duchess all alone by herself.
“Make a fool out of me, will ya Ex-Captain?” The Duchess said.  “Well how will you like it when you all rot in the dungeon for your treason?  And make no mistake: Your Queens will never return, because I left them for dead.  I blackmailed the captain of that ship to strand the Queens at the Kirin Kingdom and to declare that no one there is allowed to step hoof here.  Soon, they won’t refer to me as Queen Auric, but rather Empress Auric, the ruler of the newly crowned Auric Empire.”
And with that, The Duchess laughed loudly, releasing a negative vibe into the air that would plunge all of Harmonia into further despair.  But what would be of Holly, her younglings, the renegade guards, and the citizens of Joy now that they are wanted criminals?


	To Be Continued in…


	The Tale of Holly the Toy Maker Part 2