//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: The True Story of Vanilla Beam // by VanillaBeam //------------------------------// Chapter 13 The ride to the castle was........... pleasent to say the least. "SO, EH, VANILLA IS IT?" she asked. "YES, THAT'S MY NAME." "SO ANYWAY, YOU SAY A WIZARD SHRUNK YOU, RIGHT? AND HIS NAME WAS "HEXYL"?" "YES. I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT NAME AS LONG AS I LIVE. EVEN IF I DO GET FIXED." "I BET IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL TO BE TEENY TINY. YOU KNOW, MY FRIEND APPLEJACK WAS NOT REALLY AS SMALL AS YOU, BUT SHE WAS SHRUNK. BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF POISON JOKE, NOT MAGIC." I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment, or just a sarcastic remark. "YEAH, I GUESS SO." "HEY, WHAT IS YOUR DEAL? I MEAN, EVER SINCE I FIRST SAW YOU, YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT TESTY. WHAT'S EATING YOU?" I tried hard not to lose it. "WELL, HOPEFULLY NO BUGS OR OTHER PONIES. I HAVE HAD TO LIVE MY LIFE FOR FIVE MONTHS AS A MICRO PONY. AND I'VE ALSO HAD TO LIVE MY LIFE ALONE LONGER THAN THAT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ALONE, BUT YET BE SURROUNDED BY PONIES NOT WILLING TO BE YOUR FRIENDS FOR SO LONG, TO COMFORT YOU WHEN YOU ARE ALMOST GUZZLED AND KILLED. I'VE BEEN SO SCARED FOR A LONG TIME, AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS CRACK JOKES AT ME." "WOW........ JUST WOW." We fell silent for the rest of the trip. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We flew through the massive doors of the castle. I was thunderstruck at the sight I saw. It looked like the place my parents would always tell me stories about. And it was even better than I ever dreamed of. It was so huge, and colorful, I could almost cry at the awe inspiring sight. I even compared it to Dash's mane, which I can admit, is very beautiful as well. And then.......... I saw her. Her royal highness herself, the princess of the sun, Princess Celestia. She looked down on both of us with such regal and poise. Dash and I both bowed in her pressence. "GREETINGS RAINBOW DASH." she said so boomingly, but it would fit me even if I wasn't small. She practically was a god here, same as her sister. But Celestia was infront of me now, and what's even better, she wished to see ME! I was so honored, but yet so unworthy of seeing her. I was not special in any way. "I WISH TO SEE THE SMALLER PONY. THE ONE KNOWN AS VANILLA BEAM." "HE'S ON MY BACK, PRINCESS." Dash replied. Celestia trotted over with hooves sounding like thunder toward me. I looked up at her, shaking in my legs. I was so intimidated by her size, especially being she was bigger than regular ponies themselves. She saw this some way, and smiled gingerly. "DON'T BE AFRAID LITTLE ONE. I SHALL NOT HARM YOU." Hearing how gently she spoke to me, I knew I could trust her not to harm me. "I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE SHRUNKEN BY AN EVIL WIZARD BY THE NAME OF HEXYL?" "YES YOUR MAJESTY. HE DID THIS ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME RETURN TO NORMAL?" Her expression soon changed, from welcoming, to a bit of sorrow. "I AM SORRY VANILLA. IT IS ALL MY FAULT. I'M AFRAID......... YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO NORMAL." My jaw dropped. Dash I could even tell let out a slight gasp. "Wh........ What do you mean, "I can't return to normal"?" "WHEN HEXYL MADE GOOD ON HIS PROMISE, AND TRIED TO TAKE OVER PONYVILLE, I HAD TO HAVE MY LOYAL STUDENTS USE THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY TO STOP HIM. IN THE MIST OF THE AFTERMATH, HE LIVED, BUT WE MADE HIM FIX ALL THE DAMAGE HE DID HERE. HE NEVER MENTIONED YOU WHEN HE WAS FIXING EVERYTHING. AFTER HE FIXED HIS MISTAKES, I WIPED HIS MEMORIES, AND BURNED HIS SPELLS, SO THAT WAY NO ONE ELSE COULD COPY HIS WORK." "C-Can't you just restore his memory? Please, I can't live like this." "ONCE A MEMORY IS ERASED, IT CANNOT BE UNDONE. AND I NOR ANYPONY ELSE CAN RESTORE YOU BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T THE ONES WHO SHRUNK YOU. I'M TERRIBLY SORRY." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was forced to be small, forever. My heart completely sank, but I didn't wish to cry infront of the princess. "NOW WHAT I CAN DO, IS ADVISE MY STUDENTS TO LOOK AFTER YOU. IT IS THE LEAST THEY CAN DO, BEING I CAUSED THIS. IS THAT ALRIGHT WITH YOU?" I didn't answer her at first. "IS IT?" Rainbow Dash then asked as well. "YES, YES IT IS." "VERY WELL. TWILIGHT SPARKLE HAS ALREADY INFORMED YOUR FRIENDS BY NOW, AND THEY ALL KNOW WHAT THEY MUST DO. YOU AS WELL RAINBOW DASH." "UNDERSTOOD PRINCESS." Dash said. "NOW BE OFF YOU TWO. AND PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH HIM." Dash nodded, and we flew off back to Ponyville, neither of us saying a word.