//------------------------------// // Chapter Sixteen: Idle Chatting // Story: Fate of the Lostbelt Kingdoms // by ElementBrigade //------------------------------// Fate of The Lostbelt Kingdoms Chapter Sixteen Idle Chatting “And that’s pretty much how the school of friendship was made,” Twilight said as she and the servants were currently making their way through the garden part of the school. For the past three hours, Twilight told the servants about her journey over the years. How she met her friends, the many adventures they went on, to villains they faced, and how the school of friendship was made. Though Ivan wasn’t that impressed by the alicorn’s tale, Anastasia on the other hand was mildly interested and a bit impressed by the tale. “...If I’m being honest. I’m not that impressed by your story.” Ivan said which caused Anastasia to jab her elbow into his leg. “I’m just being honest. Stuff like this would be heard in fairy tale books that you would read to children. While I will not discount that the trials you faced were challenging for your kind, this place wouldn’t last long if greater horrors were to come to this land and rampage through the lands.” “While you are entitled to your opinion, I believe we can face any foe that’ll come our way.” “You only manage to get this far because your opponents weren’t that smart, overconfident, or just underestimated you. While I will not discredit your efforts in defeating your foes, sooner or later, you will end up facing an opponent that will outmatch you in strength, wisdom, and even magic.” He said before looking up at the sky. “All kingdoms fall eventually. You best be prepared for the aftermath of what will come when it does end. Let's hope it won’t end in blood or with your head on a pike.” “Do you not have that much faith in us?” “No, I do not. There are a few things that I’m willing to change about myself to help better Russia. But the one thing I will hold is strength. Words are meaningless if you don’t have the strength to back them up.” “Much as I dislike how Ivan is putting things, I would have to agree with him on the whole strength behind your word deal thing.” Anastasia said, “Though, unlike Ivan, I do have a little bit of faith in these ponies given what happened back in Russia with the evacuation of the Yagas and from their fight with Minotaur.” “You may be convinced, but I’m not. Throughout their entire lives so far, they have fought against their kind, god-like beings, shapeshifting bug-pony species, a pony that wanted to take away ponies' cutie marks that were on equal footing with an alicorn and could time travel, a teenage girl turning into a demon and want to take over Equestria with an army of mind-controlled teenagers, and a small ragtag group of villains that were able almost brought chaos and separation between the three pony races. Yet in all the foes they fought, they’ve never killed them. While I am against killing teenagers and little children, you let your enemies live, seal them away, or reform them.” “While I can understand your point of view, surely even you spared or befriended your enemies, right?” Twilight asked as Ivan simply stared at her for a good few seconds before speaking. “My enemies are six feet under the ground. And that’s where they’ll stay.” “Along with innocent bystanders when your noble phantasm was activated,” Anastasia added as Ivan deadpans at her as she looks off to the side while whistling innocently. “My point is, they are weak in my book and I have less faith in her and her friends when we have to deal with killing the Minotaur. And unless I’m given a reason to place my faith in your kind, then I have less faith in you than I do with the princesses of the sun and moon.” He said before walking past Twilight and Anastasia. “Now, if you’re done talking, I believe you were going to show us more about this school of…friendship?” “Right…perhaps maybe introducing you to some of the students might help?” “There are students in this school?” “Well, it is a boarding school in a way. It’s mainly for those who are from different kingdoms. Makes it less time-consuming and less time for them to travel back home to their nations, right?” “I…suppose that is fair and understandable. But wouldn’t you have some kind of magical device that would allow you to teleport them from this school to their homelands?” “...What do you mean by that?” “What’s there to explain? If you can use magic to teleport, why not make a magical device that can allow those who can’t use magic to teleport from point A to point B?” he asked. “I mean it should be possible given the abundance of magic Equestria has. Gathering enough of it to make such a device shouldn’t be an issue for an alicorn such as yourself, no?” “Well…I mean it’s not a bad idea. But the amount of research and test run to make would be a problem. Not to mention the materials to make something like that would be required.” Twilight said as she started to ramble on about scientific methods and magical items. “You do realize that you just open up another can of worms for yourself, right?” Anastasia asked as Ivan turned his attention onto her. “It’s bad enough you’re going to have to explain the five different types of magic, but now you’re going to have to help her in testing out the new means of traveling via teleportation magic into a device.” She said which caused Ivan to stare at her for a few good seconds before noticing Twilight reaching into her saddle bag to pull out a piece of paper, an ink bottle, and a quill. The moment the mare pulled out the items, she began to write down some notes on the piece of paper. “...You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” “More than I should be, and I would make it even more enjoyable to see you suffer, but I think we shouldn’t linger on the subject of teleportation. At least not right now when the princess is giving us a tour around the school.” She said before sneaking over to Twilight from behind as the alicorn was busy writing. Once she was close, she leaned towards Twilight's neck and pointed a finger at it as a small mist of cold hit her. Twilight lets out a yelp as she shoots up into the air from the sudden sneak attack before falling face-first onto the ground. There was a moment of silence hanging in the air as the alicorn pulled herself up and deadpans at Anastasia. “Was that necessary?” “Yes, yes it was. Now I believe you wanted to show us how this school runs by introducing us to your students?” Anastasia asked as the alicorn brushed herself off and readjusted her mane a bit. “Yes…of course. Follow me please if you would.” Twilight said before taking the lead and motioning for them to follow after her. As they were making their way to another part of the school, the same pair of eyes just like before were currently watching them making their way to the classroom where the class was being held. The pair of eyes looked at each other for a moment before quickly darting off in the opposite direction of Twilight, Anastasia, and Ivan. Within a matter of a couple of minutes, the group would arrive at an occupied classroom with students and Applejack standing in front of the class To say that they were taken by surprise by seeing other species other than ponies is an understatement. It was said that mythical creatures used to live alongside humans during the age of the gods, but they eventually departed to the other side of the reverse world due to the advancement of human progression. Never have they ever thought that they would be in a world where mythical creatures could form civilization and form certain things that are similar to human society…well almost similar. The fact that they don’t have weapons of mass destruction is a godsend. Needless to say, Anastasia and Ivan were once again flabbergasted at not only does a school of friendship exist, but other mythical creatures with human intelligence exist as well in this world. The two servants stared at the class from the small little window that was on the door for a moment before looking over at Twilight. “It’s…I don’t even know how to put it into words.” Anastasia said before backing away from the window. “Creatures like them would only exist in fairy tale books or be summoned by a servant in the rider class like me. But never would I believe to see a dragon, hippogriff, and a griffon in a classroom studying the lessons of friendship…You would think we would be on the reverse side of the planet.” Ivan said before examining the students. “Reverse side of the planet?” Twilight asked as Ivan waved it off dismissively as a means of telling her he’ll explain what he meant later. “So there’s a yak, dragon, griffon, hippogriff, changeling, and pony. In a room together…there should be a joke in what I said, but I can’t think of one.” Anastasia said while examining the students. “I know I might be beating a dead horse on this, and no offense to the idiom I just said, but I still find the concept of a school of friendship…frightfully disturbing.” “Is the concept of teaching friendship to others too hard for you to understand?” “It’s not that we don’t understand the concept of friendship…it’s just that…well.” “Having a school base around that is the most ridiculous thing we have ever heard of,” Ivan said as he turned his attention to Twilight. “That would be like having a school in which you teach a person how to make butter or how to host a party…dear god, don’t tell me you have something like that in this town?” “What? Of course not. That would be ridiculous.” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle, though would notice Pinkie Pie behind Ivan and Anastasia making her way out of a classroom with her party cannon. The moment Pinkie Pie saw them she was about to say something to them but paused the moment Twilight secretly motioned for her to walk back inside. The pink earth pony nodded as she slowly walked back into the class and closed the door behind her. The moment the sound of a door being closed was heard by the servant, they quickly turned around to nothing before returning their attention to the alicorn with a raised eyebrow. “Like I said we don’t have a class like that.” “...I have a feeling that you’re lying about that,” Anastasia said as she noticed a nervous smile appear on Twilight’s face. “Why would I lie about something like that?” Twilight asked as she noticed Anastasia was about to say something but cut her off by speaking before her. “A-Anyway, why don’t we head inside so we can introduce you both to the children? Think of it as a cultural educational lesson for them.” She said as Ivan and Anastasia followed Twilight into the classroom. While they were following after Twilight, the same three figures from before were peering from around the corner of the hallway that they were hiding behind before secretly following Ivan, Anastasia, and Twilight. “Geez, looking at them from this much of a distance, I can see why they could be a threat to Equestria,” Scootaloo whispered. “You think they’re behind the whole magic being gone issue the unicorns are having?” “Given what I’ve overheard from Rarity, they came from where that giant flower was in the distance.” Sweetie Belle answered. “Y’all don’t think they're here to try and invade us, are they?” Apple Bloom asked as Scootaloo nodded. “Well duh, I mean look what happened to Rainbow Dash because of them? I bet they’re just holding Princess Twilight as their prisoner and she’s buying time by giving them a tour around the school just so the other could come and save her.” “I don’t know. Shouldn’t we go and ask Princess Twilight first and not assume that they’re trying to invade Equestria?” Apple Bloom asked as Scootaloo shook her head. “And risk blowing our cover and putting us in more danger. I think not.” The pegasus said before motioning for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to follow after Twilight and the others. “We can’t take any chances in this. We’ll try and make a distraction so that we can save the princess and Equestria.” “And how are we going to do that?” Sweetie Belle asked as she noticed a smirk appearing on the young pegasus’s face. “Pinkie Pie is teaching a class on how to make their very own party cannon, right?” She asked as her friends nodded. “Good, follow my lead and get ready to pull Twilight away the moment they’re outside.”