//------------------------------//
// Three 
// Story: A Pretty Little Dime 
// by Plumage 
//------------------------------//

There was silence, absolute nothing in the forest.
It was what made her queasy.
She couldn't take it.
"WHO ARE YOU!?" she screamed into the night. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
No awnser.
She was afraid. Not just that. She was scared out of her wits.
"Hello?" she called weakly.
hellohellohellohello? said the echoes.
She heard something. A breath.
Whipping around, she saw nothing. She must have been imagining things.
She huffed a sigh of relief. She bit her lip. It must have been a joke after all. Just an urban legend....just a legend....
She turned around in the direction of home, and saw a white something that looked like a face.
But there was nothing on it.
She screamed, turned to run. But it was too late.
"Miss..."
I close the book slowly, knowing I'm finished with it anyway.
"Yes?"
It's my Maiden of the Hoof, Golden Sparkles. At least that is what it sounds like in this language. She's a light bluish violet with a purple and violet tail in need of a brush. Her eyes are yellowy.
She looks up at me. She's shy, so I do my best to be gentle with her when I do see her.
"I...I have been told by your personal Pony of the Jesting he would prefer to have his Jesting session next Sunday,"
"That's fine," I say gently.
"O-okay," she stammers. "I...I guess I'll go..."
She turns to leave, but I call back to her.
"Hey-wait-!"
She turns back, but she looks afraid.
"Wanna come help me shape some metal? I can show you how?"
I knew ponies didn't like spending time with the Queen but I was sick to death of just sitting here reading.
"Uhh....okay,"

She still looks cautious, so I stand and walk towards the door. "Are you coming with me?"
"Oh...yes?"
I smile, open the door with magic.
She trots outside, and I close the door behind me.
"Let's go. The metalworking room is just down the hall."
There is a door at the end of the hall. It's made of a rare and sturdy metal from this planet: Sāmerîum. Named for the Pegicorn who discovered most of the elements on the planet, Sāmerîus.
I open the door and Golden Sparkles gasps. I can see why.
The metalworking room is my pride and joy. Because I spend most of my non-regal time in here it has to be perfect for me. So that's what I did.
First of all I used the beautiful crystal Qurëlîum. It shines and sparkles, it changes colours when the light refracts off it, and is the hardest substance on the planet.
I used Geïlå for the tables; it's strong but it has a reaction to the rain here that causes it to crumble into red dust.
And the metals, the metals!
All the rarest, most beautiful, most powerful, most expensive metals are sent to the Queen. I send them back to the finders, but I make them into art before I do. Like the child who'd found a portion of Qurëlîum. I made her a tiny, unbreakable Crystal Pony. It sparkled, it was wonderful.
But I had to send it away.
"What do you think?" I say.
Golden Sparkles is still speechless. "I-Is this-?"
"Golden Sparkles, please. Can we not just start?"
She smiles. "Sure..."
I use my magic to take a small chunk of spare Geïlå (one of the easiest metals to shape) off one of the shelves. "Here."
She takes it with surprisingly strong magic.
I take some Yvõrūm (an orange gem with healing powers) and put that on the table next to hers.
"Alright, let's start. Put your horn on the metal."
I never had to do that, but I found ponies trying to replicate my magic did better having the point their magic was channeled through put in contact with the object.
I put my horn close enough to the Yvõrūm to make it seem like it's touching, then say, "Now, concentrate as hard as you can on the metal. Feel it. Feel the molten inside of the metal trying to get out and move."
Golden Sparkle closes her eyes. The Geïlå looks slightly warmer.
"Now, let it get out! Let it break through and move to your will."
The Yvõrūm is flying around my head in circles, my eyes following it lazily.
"I...can't!"
"You can," I reply, knowing shouting would be a bad idea for this Pegicorn.
The Yvõrūm is pooling at my feet.
It jumps up onto the table and forms a tiny pony. The little Yvõrūm pony spreads its wings and flies around the room, doing tricks and spinning around.
Golden Sparkle's Geïlå looks on the verge of melting...but then she gasps and looks up.
"I can't do it," she says.
"I'm sure you can."
"I...can't. I need to leave for flying lessons."
She trots out the door.
The orange Yvõrūm pony lands on the table as the Geïlå takes shape to form a little greyish pony that takes off and lands on Golden Sparkle's back.
The little orange pony sits down, obviously sad.
She forms that pose now as my magic loses effect.
I sigh. I levitate the pony towards me.
"I know that feeling," I say to it.
Maybe its healing powers can fix my heart.







A/N
Another quiz: who is Celestia's other sister?