//------------------------------// // A pony, a pony, my kingdom for a pony. (6-29-15) // Story: The Magic of the Flutter Ponies // by ladyarcana //------------------------------// Chapter 1 “Knock, knock… Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity sang just as she entered her BPFF’s bedroom. “The beauty of the day will only match the graciousness of your reign, and I simply must’ start work on designing your new wardrobe! One truly worthy of newly crowned princess. Those old rags from last year simply will not do.” Briefly looking up from her desk, Twilight glanced at Rarity. “But Rarity you made-” “Nevertheless,” Rarity interrupted while she pushed open the long drapes. “It simply can not be put off for a moment long-“ Rarity trailed off as she realized that not only was Twilight already awake, but had a mountain of books haphazardly piled beside the desk. While the bedside table was overloaded with scrolls covered in an inch of dust. *cough* *cough* “My dear Twilight WHY are you playing around with these dusty old scrolls? After last night’s party I was expecting a sleepy head desperately in need of her morning tea,” she cried out in despair. Rarity gestured wildly at the dusty mess of books and scrolls surrounding the purple pony. “Not this scholarly mess!” Then began to magically swing a feather duster to brush away dust bunnies the size of Angel Bunny. During the ranting of the distraught white and purple pony, Twilight was trying hard to understand the faded flowing script of ancient Equin of one of said dusty scrolls. After a few moments of trying to decipher the text, she looked up at the exasperated unicorn. Twilight smiled as she got up and hugged Rarity. She asked, “Umm, don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here? It’s wa-ay too early for you to be up.” Then she looked back at the mess of books and scrolls, sighing, “What can I help you with Rarity?” She tried to fix the mess of paper on her work desk. “Twilight…” Shaking her head, Rarity nudged Twilight aside. Using her magic to properly clean the mess that Twilight was only making worse. “Really, Twilight. This penchant for studying at all hours of the night… When will you ever get the beauty sleep a princess needs?” After properly stacking the scrolls and books by size, she began looking around, “And where is poor Spike, shouldn’t he be helping you with all this?” “I’m sorry Rarity. I couldn’t seem to help myself, and since Spike was still tired from the party last night, I couldn’t bring myself to wake him.” Then Twilight pulled back the curtain revealing a purple sleeping dragon tiredly waving his little arms, fighting the rays of sunlight shining on his face. “No more pony apple berry punch, I’m full…” “Ahh, poor Spikey Wikey... He really tuckered himself out, didn’t he?” Rarity asked. “He did. You can understand why I was reluctant to wake him and ask for help.” Twilight replied, as the curtain fell back into place. “Especially after all the chaos of the last few days, and there was the preparations for the coronation ceremony as well.” “Twilight, I still can’t figure out what in the world drove you to wake up so early in the first place. You usually reserve your studying for the evening hours.” “But look right here.” Running over to grab one of the scrolls Rarity just stacked, Twilight opened it up to show a pencil drawing of the original palace of the alicorn sisters, ignoring the sound of all the other scrolls falling to the ground. Rarity winced at the mess her friend just created. Then she dutifully began restacking the fallen scrolls, all over again, before looking at the picture Twilight unrolled. “Why Twilight! This place is absolutely stunning. What ever is it?” “This-“ Bang! The doors of Twilight’s bedroom slammed open. “Rise and shine! Sleepy head!” Applejack announced, as she entered the room. Applejack stopped herself, as she noticed that not only was Twilight already up, but that Rarity was there as well. “Huh? Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! What in Equestria is going on here?” Twilight and Rarity both looked at each other, briefly, before they both began to speak. It came out so garbled that Applejack quickly interrupted them both. “One at a time please. Ya’all are reminding me of Apple Bloom and her friends. Now I know what Twilight’s doing. Ya got some hare brained idea that couldn’t be shaken loose. But Rarity doesn’t usually wake up ‘fore the crack o’noon.” That got Twilight’s attention. “Yeah, what are you doing up? You never did tell me.” She asked Rarity. Facehoofing, as a single purple hair popped out of place from Rarity’s perfect mane, “I already told you Twilight, when I came into your room, to wake you up. I wanted to get an early start on your new royal gowns. The ones you need for all your new royal responsibilities. And yes, before you ask, they are Completely necessary. But the fact that you were practically rolling around these dusty old books… Well, anypony could see you didn’t have your mind on anything, but what you’re looking for.” Shamed, Twilight responded. “Oh. Sorry Rarity, it’s just that last night, before I went to sleep. Princess Luna gave me my first responsibility as a Princess!” A look of understanding crossed both Applejack’s and Rarity’s faces. “Well Goll-ly! You just can’t seem to catch a break can ya? First a spell gone awry, then you turn into an Alicorn, have your coronation, and after all that, before you can even lasso some Z’s, Princess Luna gives you a new quest ta go on.” “Well, I don’t think I’d put it quite that way Applejack. But, you could possibly say that.” Twilight relented, before using her magic to show both of her friends the picture she found. “Princess Luna talked to me about an old mentor of hers and Celestia’s. This pony lived in the old palace. Then Luna asked me if I could find out what happened. I tried to find out more but then she got this really sad look in her eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to ask for more information.” “Oh my!” Rarity gasped. “Wait a sec, ain’t that in the heart of Everfree Forest? Where we all found the Elements of Harmony in the first place?” Applejack asked. “Yes, but some of these books mentioned, it was the heart of Equestria; long before Princess Celestia moved to Canterlot. Look here,” Twilight pointed to a detailed black and white drawing, “this is an artist’s rendering of what it looked like before it fell into ruin. Before the Elements of Harmony were used to seal away Nightmare Moon.” Twilight tried to explain. “Okay, okay Twilight I see what you mean. But that still doesn’t explain why you’re so all fired up to haul hoofs get there.” Applejack responded. “After all, we all seen it with our own eyes. It’s just a pile of moldy old rocks now. Forgettin’ ‘bout the scary place around it, tain’t no place to live. No way ya gonna find out what happened.” “Goo-ood Mor-r-rning Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Rainbow Dash announced as she flew in through an open skylight. Pulling up short when she saw Rarity and Applejack had already arrived. “Huh? Why are you already up? What’s with the big pile of books? And why- how did Rarity wake up before me?” “Hi Rainbow.” Twilight said as she waved the cyan pony to join her. “I’ve actually been up for a while now. Princess Luna asked me to find somepony from her past, and I’ve been doing research all morning finding out what I can before seeking an audience with Princess Celestia.” Twilight unrolled another scroll atop the others. This is a list of all famous ponies known to exist before the time of ‘The Mare In The Moon.’ I’m sure it has to be one of them.” “Uh Twi,” Applejack said after glancing at the list. “I think you should Eliminate Puddinghead, Princess Platinum, and General Thunderhead. All of equestria knows what happened to them, and I’m pretty sure they all died before the princesses took the throne.” “I concur with Applejack, Twilight.” Rarity commented, as she also perused the paper. “They certainly couldn’t be the pony Princess Luna is looking for, you may have to look some place else.” Smacking her hoof at her forehead, Rainbow Dash’s face went deadpan. “Oh yeah! Twilight, I just remembered, I flew into Princess Celestia this morning during my pre-warm up, warm up flight. She told me to tell you, that she was going to be too busy with press conferences and stuff like that to help out. Just before she flew off.” Rainbow Dash flew around the room trying to copy how Celestia flew away. “So that’s why you know, I’m here. But what the hay are you guys doing?” Applejack decided at that moment to be very diplomatic. “No offense Rainbow Dash, but we’ve already done the ‘Why’re you here’s’ once before. So’s I’m thinking we just wait all patient like for everyone to get here. We all can discuss what’s going on then.” Pausing to look at everyone, Applejack waited for objections to her idea. “Well what do ya’ll think of the plan?” Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow all agreed, that the best thing to do was to wait for Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Spike (asleep behind the curtain). Meanwhile Twilight went back to studying, Rarity began holding up special jewel encrusted fabrics, against Twilight’s new wings. Applejack and Rainbow Dash went outside to race, while waiting for the others to arrive. It didn’t take long for Pinkie to arrive. She parties hard but is always ready for more fun, no matter what. It’s just that she had so many more new friends to greet on her way to congratulate Twilight on her first day of Princess duties. Fluttershy was the last to arrive because her animal friends just couldn’t seem to wake her up. Simply put, she was exhausted from the party last night. “Hi everyone.” Fluttershy whispered, when she came into Twilight’s room. “Oh my, I didn’t think I’d be interrupting anything, you all look so busy. I’ll just come back later.” Then she started to leave. Rainbow Dash anticipated this when she saw her old friend from Cloudsdale arrive, and quickly moved behind the timid pony to push her inside. Before slamming the door closed with a single hoof. “I’ve been waiting a whole hour, Fluttershy! No pony would tell me anything about what’s going on until every pony arrived.” Rainbow complained. “Not including Spike, who somehow managed to sleep though all this noise, you are the last to arrive. So now, I want somepony, please, spill, tell me what’s going on.” Twilight Sparkle continued to pull books on historical ponies out. This time focusing on those known to have lived in Canterlot when it was first built. All the while telling everypony about her first duty as the Princess of Friendship; finding out what happened to an old friend of Princess Luna. Rainbow Dash was overjoyed about a new adventure, even if it was into the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy tried to find a place to hide, while she declined to go. Pinkie just asked when they leave so she can plan the going away party and the follow up “Hooray We Survived the Everfree Forest Bash”. Spike kept sleeping. “There’s just a few problems.” Twilight said, after a moment. Rainbow Dash laughed out loud in hysterical guffaws. “More like a gazillion!” She replied, when she got her laughter under control. “Like the fact ya wanna find clues to this pony in the Everfree Forest! I mean think about that. Everytime we go there somethin’ bad happens, even when we hang out with Zecora, we run into trouble.” Applejack nodded in agreement. “I have to agree with Dash on this one. Other than us, and Zecora, no pony really goes into those woods. Well, Apple Bloom goes in there too, but jus to go visit Zecora. And Zecora always walks ma’ sister back out of there. It’s not only a scary place, but that forest has got tons o’ dangers we don’t even know about. Probably never know.” “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, I know there are many dangers in that forest, but one of the scrolls I found made an odd reference. Well, not really odd, but simply more obscure than the origin of Nightmare Moon. In fact it might be said it’s a non reference about a tribe of flying ponies. There’s even a picture.” Twilight responded, just before running over to get that particular scroll. Fluttershy peered at the image. “Twilight, that’s a beezy.” “Here, see. ‘The castle’s sparkling stone was gifted to the young Princesses, not by their loving subjects; but by a crownless Queen of Fluttering Whispers.’ This passage is obviously referring to who or what helped Princess Celestia and Luna build the palace.. but it doesn’t appear in any other book or scroll. But as we know there’s no other Queen in Equestria except for Crystalis. It’s possible there could have been a pony called Fluttering Whispers, but I’m pretty sure there’s never been a Queen Fluttering Whispers. Hmm... not a pony, it could be referring to a Gryphonian ambassador, a Zebrican, or perhaps a dragon. Other than the Breezies, which haven’t been studied that much. There is no subspecies of flutter pegasi.” “Hmm, unless that was the ruler of the crystal ponies? It’s possible, I’ll have to ask Cadence and Shining Armor.” “Um, I really dislike to point this out..” Fluttershy began only to cringe when everyone turned to look right at her. Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Well- um, Twilight, it’s just that, it says here, the ‘Queen of Fluttering Whispers’ gave the princesses the stone.” Then backed up away in case any one got upset about what she said. “The- um, the passage, doesn’t really say anything about breezies. And um, I’m not sure how to um, but well breezies don’t build things out of stone, not even with pebbles, they just too fragile to use them. So umm maybe, perhaps Fluttering Whispers isn’t all, um maybe you should stop… that is, you could be looking too far into that.” Twilight re-examined the scroll. “You’re right Fluttershy. It doesn’t say anything about where the stone came from. In any case this has to be a pony that knew Celestia and Luna, wasn’t documented too well.” She then face hoofed. “What am I thinking. If she was from the Crystal Kingdom, then Cadence would do far better than I. Luna wouldn’t need me.” Twilight Sparkle then began to pace. “The best thing to do is to search the old castle. Who knows maybe some books still survived.” “Right! All we have to do is find the current Queen of Flutters. Simple.” Rainbow Dash interrupted with bright enthusiasm, hoof bumping the air and flying off to pack for the trip home. Shaking her head, Applejack smiled self-consciously. “Well I reckon that is just about that. Rainbow Dash may be a little quick on the draw, but she’s right we need to hoof it on outta here and get home. So I’ll just meet ya’ll at the library in Ponyville.” “I can see no way out of this.” Rarity sighed. “I can’t believe we’re making another trip into that damp, dreary, dirty forest. Well, I’ll just have to console myself with designing the new banners, flags, tapestries and carpets you’re going to need, after all there’s no reason to stop that.” “Well I’m just excited to go on another adventure. Hehe! It’s gonna be another fun time in the Everfree forest! Looking for clues in the case of ‘the missing friend!’ Yay!” Pinkie yelled out, while backflipping and twirling on one hoof, before falling in a dizzy heap on the floor. The others left with little fanfare. Each planning for the trip home, while Twilight Sparkle kept trying to find blueprints of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s old home. As well as trying to find more references about the Queen of Flutters. ============================================ Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna, I am happy to report that I have made progress into the latest assignment you have placed in my hooves. I hope to send you my next report when I reach the Palace in the Everfree Forest. In the process of my investigation of the history of the old palace, a reference to somepony or something called “Queen of Fluttering Whispers”. If you could find the time, please try and remember who or what that is, I’d be very grateful. If this is a pony, then I plan to locate her descendants and find any records that will help me and my friends to explore the ruins. I anticipate this will take some time to accomplish, but I feel confident that I will find something aide me in this endeavor. I know you both have a lot to do, so anything you can remember would be of tremendous help. Your devoted student, Princess Twilight Sparkle