The Traveling Tutor and the Diplomat’s Daughter
Admiring Sparkles
There is great wisdom to be found in the study of the heavenly bodies.
— H. Hefner
Afternoon brought an activity Green Grass had not expected, as Twilight Velvet prepared a colt carrier and set off into the city to shop for a Father’s Day present for Night Light, Twilight Sparkle’s father. While he had planned for an outside diversion in the spring air such as one of Canterlot’s famous parks or waterfalls, the invitation from Twilight Velvet caught him still groggy and suggestible from his nap. Before he realized what was happening, he was wearing an occupied colt carrier with two hyperactive young unicorns trapped inside and a stuffed diaper bag on his back, while Sunny had decided to exchange transportation providers. Now she stood rather proudly on Twilight Velvet’s back, being very careful to keep her talons and claws in check as she bounced and pointed on their way through the open market.
It took considerable concentration from Green Grass to keep ahead of his own diminutive charges, for if he wandered too far to the right or left, tiny unicorn hooves would snatch at trinkets or baubles just as quickly as lightning. He had his own gift to buy, kind of a ‘Congratulations for going to the Crystal Empire and completing Celestia’s task’ award, which was always Hades’ own puzzle for his non-materialistic marefriend. He had gone the Silver Inkwell route for Hearts and Hooves day, the Enchanted Book Light for her birthday, and just plain books (with the receipt, in the probable case she already had a copy) for any other occasion that came up, but he was running out of ideas. A waffle iron, perhaps, or would that be considered more a ‘Spike’ gift? Maybe stationary, or an abacus.
“Oooo! I want! I want!” Sunny’s cry of joy would have been harder to ignore if it had not been about the seventh or eighth time he had heard it in the crowded collection of boutiques. Her additional altitude on the back of Twilight Velvet gave the little griffon a clear line of sight to the vast quantity of sparkly and glittery items scattered around the various booths and tables, but this time when he looked, it was worth drifting over to the item of interest.
“A snow globe?” he asked. “I would think you get enough snow in the Misty Mountains?”
“Not just a snow globe!” Sunny bounced off Twilight Velvet’s back and onto the shopkeeper’s table to grab the glass globe and vigorously shake it, watching the flakes of glitter float around with an appreciative, “Oooo. Sparkley.”
“Well, that’ll distract you for an hour,” he said with a smile before glancing sharply to one side. A similar-sized snowglobe contained a distant moon adorned with a familiar pattern of dark blotches, and a nondescript silhouette of a pony sitting in a snowbank, looking up at the lonely moon. It seemed somewhat out of place, and he peeked under the ‘Sale’ sticker for the original price.
“Twenty bits,” he said, contemplating the purchase. There was a sense of sorrow around the two figures trapped in their crystal shell: the distant moon with the shape of Nightmare Moon impressed upon it, and the lonely pony staring up into the night sky. It was impossible to get an idea of who the sitting pony was, or even if it was male or female, but he shook the sphere anyway to see the tiny flecks of white swirl around the two immobile figures in the same way Celestia had most probably sat many nights, looking at her sister imprisoned in the moon. It made him want to smash the thing to the ground right in front of his hooves and rejoin the sisters, but for the fact it was only glass and water, not Celestia and Luna. Still, it seemed the sitting pony looked up into the snowy sky with a sense of hope, not sorrow.
“How much?” he said in a voice just slightly rougher than the norm as he moved slightly to his right so Phobos would be unable to reach the unstable stack of glass globes he wanted.
“Fer you? Fifteen bits.” The shopkeeper eyed the two little unicorn colts on his back, considering the destruction of store merchandise that was just impatiently waiting to happen. “On sale this week for ten. It’s the last one of that model.”
Green Grass added a box with a Canterlot Castle glitter snow globe to his collection. “How much together?”
After paying for his purchase and escaping the store before either eager colt could trigger an expensive avalanche, he rejoined Twilight Velvet and Sunny for a quick gelato at a roadside vendor. Out of necessity, the little colts were fed first before he even got a bite, and he listened politely as Sunny bemoaned her lack of spending money while helping to feed Dusk and Dawn. It was probably by intent that her father had not passed along any funds for her purchases, although Green Grass was fairly sure there were not enough loose bits in all of Griffonstania for her to buy everything she wanted before they had to quit shopping. They were just getting packed back up to meet Twilight at the train station when his eyes brightened at the sight of Night Light’s dark blue coat wending through the crowds to their table.
“Night Light, sir,” he said with a short bow that bounced the two colts on his back with a delighted squeal. “Going to wait at the train station with us for Twily and the girls?”
“No,” he said brusquely, using his magic to lift the colt carrier off Green Grass’ back and settling it on his own. “The Wingmaster has declared negotiations to be over, and as soon as you get Sunny back to the castle, he will be returning to his aerie to discuss possible actions with his advisors.”
“That’s Great-Uncle Thunderclap and Great-Aunt Downdraft,” said Sunny with an effortless bound over to Green Grass’ recently-freed back. “Can’t I stay just a little longer?”
“I’d like to say yes,” started Green Grass with a pained wince, ignoring the stern look he got from Night Light. “But I’m running out of unpunctured skin on my back, and we really don’t want to keep him waiting. I would be honored to carry you back to the castle, Princess Sun Shines, so that I might meet your grandf—” The tutor came to an abrupt halt at Night Light’s look of muted fear, but was unable to think of anything to say before Sunny cheered, grabbed his mane, and began to steer.
“You can meet Grandfather! You’ll love him. Onward, my faithful steed. Bye Dawn! Bye Dusk! Bye Twilight! Bye Mister Twilight! I’ll come by next time my father visits Canterlot, and I’ll show you how I can fly!” To the cheers of the two little unicorns, Green Grass allowed himself to be steered in the direction of the castle, with Friday trotting along behind.
I’ve met three… no, four princesses now, and I’m on my way to meet a king. Admittedly, a king of only about a hundred griffons, but I still need to be on my best behavior for this meeting. The lives of hundreds of crystal ponies, as well as Shining Armor and Princess Cadence could be on the line. I just wish there was a place where I could throw up before the meeting.
* * *
“Where in Tartarus were you?!” bellowed the gigantic griffon, towering over Green Grass like an adult over a young colt. Sunny’s grandfather was one of the few griffons who not only could look Celestia in the eye, but was perfectly willing to go beak-to-nose with her. Despite his slightly larger than average build, a shorter earth pony like Green Grass had to look up at the fierce predator, and for the first time in many years, he was starting to wish he had a horn like his unicorn relatives. At least it would keep the griffon a few inches farther away.
“Your granddaughter and I were—”
“Corrupting my baby princess! She practically reeks of your filthy city! Had I known you were nothing but a dirt pony, I would have never—”
“Grand-père!” snapped the little griffon, rushing across the floor only to be held back by her father’s quickly-spread wings. Clearing his throat, Ambassador Sharp Feather stepped up to the Wingmaster’s side and addressed Green Grass formally in Equestrian.
“His Highness would like to express his gratitude for your service to the Misty Mountains Aerie, although he would have preferred you to keep Her Royal Highness, Princess Sun Shines, within the castle grounds.”
Green Grass carefully moved his gaze from the huge, angry griffon down to the calm-looking ambassador, trying not to think about just how quickly the bigger griffon’s razor-sharp beak could sever his spinal cord. “Thank you, Your Excellency,” he began in Equestrian, trying to watch Sunny’s father without looking up at her grandfather. “It was no problem at all. Your daughter is a paragon of politeness and joy, and her company is welcome at my portion of House Chrysanthemum at any time.”
The ambassador did not directly react, although his eyes did track down slightly as if to double-check that the griffon under his wing was indeed his own daughter, and there had not been a switch. Her grandfather had no such reluctance.
“My granddaughter will never visit your pestilent city again as long as I live. We have endured these prattling idiots long enough, let us be off. Begone, worm.” The huge griffon nodded at the door, and his son-in-law began to leave before Green Grass held up a hoof, feeling very unstable with only three hooves underneath him.
“Before you leave, I have a gift for the little princess.” He dug into his bags, producing the glittery snow globe and beginning to hoof it over before the Wingmaster darted forward much faster than his bulk would seem to allow.
“No pony is going to give my grandchild anything!” snapped the older griffon, striking out with a wing and knocking the snow globe into the wall in a splash of splintered glass and sparkling glitter.
He stood there in shock for a moment, seeing the small, terrified eyes of Sunny as she huddled under her father’s wing. It seemed as if she were hiding from Green Grass just as much as she was hiding from her own grandfather. The memories of this day would be carried by the young griffon through her entire life, no matter how long or short it was, and it burned at his heart to think of her remembering his hometown of Canterlot in fear.
“No,” he heard his voice say as Green Grass looked up into the eyes of the angry griffon towering over him. “Your granddaughter will take several important gifts home with her regardless of your wishes.” Despite the growing ruffle in the elderly griffon’s crest, Green Grass maintained his eye contact and continued. “She will remember her time spent with Princess Celestia, a wise and kind ruler who treats every creature she meets with respect. She will remember Princess Luna, who would not express her anger at your outrageous demands out of respect for you, but instead left to vent her anger elsewhere. She will remember her time spent with two small colts who saw her not as some predator, but as friends.” He stopped, staring into those huge amber eyes while trying not to think of fish.
“What about you?” growled the griffon, leaning forward so his beak touched Green Grass’ forehead and pushed his hat backwards.
“Me? I’m just a little nothing tutor, who makes his living teaching young unicorns how to create their first magic. Escorting your granddaughter was a great honor, sir. And I would be more than pleased to do it again on your next trip to Canterlot, or if I should happen to visit your nest.” Short gusts of air blew down his mane as the Wingmaster breathed, so close that it felt as if he could read his predator mind deciding if biting his furry green neck in half would be the most effective way of eliminating Green Grass, or if he were just to lunge forward and allow him to die of fright.
Finally the huge griffon turned to leave without a backwards glance, scooping up his granddaughter and dropping her on his back. Sunny looked backwards only once with an untranslatable expression on her feathered face as she passed beyond the doorway. Her father stayed behind a moment, perhaps to see if Green Grass were going to expire abruptly, causing some sort of minor diplomatic incident. With a quick check out the door to make sure the Wingmaster had taken his granddaughter out of earshot, Green Grass dug around in his bags and brought out the other snow globe he had bought earlier.
In Griffon, he squawked and chirped, “Ambassador How Sharp The Edge Of Slicing Feathers Are During A Dive Upon Prey, I would like to give you this as a gift to remember your visit to my beloved city. You may let your daughter look at it, but I ask that you not disobey the Wingmaster’s wishes by giving it to her in my stead.”
The griffon took the glass globe and shook it, looking at the swirling white flakes inside in a rather bored manner. “A twenty bit snowglobe? Not quite a gift for royalty, now is it? And please do not use our noble tongue in that manner. I am not some uncultured wild barbarian who has never left his mountain.”
“Ah,” said Green Grass, thankfully switching back to Equestrian. “You are correct. It is not a gift for royalty, and since you are not royalty, it is therefore appropriate. Princess Sun Shine’s mother, may she fly forever in the Eternal Peaks, was royalty, and her daughter has need of companionship far more than any material items.”
The ambassador’s eyes narrowed, and his talons tightened on the snow globe, but he did not respond.
Green Grass maintained eye contact as he continued bluntly, “She needs her father. She needs friends. Loneliness may be the curse of royalty, but you cannot evade the pain of loss you feel for her mother by avoiding your daughter. Think of that when you look on the snow globe, and take time for her.”
The griffon broke eye contact to shake the snow globe, watching the tiny flakes of white fall on the pony silhouette while the shadowed moon looked down from above. “If the only meaning of this gift is to remind me to spend time with my daughter, that is barely sufficient to be accepted. There is no depth of meaning in this other than glass and cheap flakes.”
“Ambassador, the meaning behind your gift is not merely a material reminder of your parental duty, but a spiritual wisdom to all griffons that can save many lives. The moon signifies the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon when she threatened the ponies of Equestria. Princess Celestia loved her ponies so much that she placed her own sister within the moon to protect them.”
“Very well, then.” The middle-aged griffon tapped the glass globe with one immaculately groomed talon. “What about the pony who sits on the grass and stares up at the moon?”
“That represents Princess Celestia, who loved her sister so much that she waited a thousand years for her return. And when the Elements of Harmony cleansed Luna of Nightmare Moon’s taint, Celestia’s first action was to beg forgiveness from her sister for her actions. You will never go wrong if you can truly understand the love our princesses have for each other and their ponies. We know it, and that is why we love them both so much in return.”
“Hmmm.” The griffon played with the globe before tucking it under one wing and bowing fractionally at Green Grass. “Good day, Lord Green Grass. May your wings never falter.”
“Good day, Ambassador. May your horn never bend or break, and have a pleasant and peaceful trip home.”
Green Grass remained standing without fainting as the ambassador departed, headed out the door and back to their ambassadorial quarters where they would soon return to their mountain home. The light tread of hoofsteps behind him was a relief, for Friday Haystings had stayed out of the room during the confrontation at his request, and certainly would have a few pithy words of criticism about his master’s suicidal behavior.
“Well, Friday,” he started with a sigh, still unwilling to turn around for fear his legs would collapse. “Do you think my father would have been proud of the way I comported myself around the ambassador? He has always said I should have more experience with royalty, but I’m not quite sure that is what he meant.”
“We think thou hast done just fine,” said a soft voice behind him that most certainly was not Friday, unless he had recently changed genders, grown wings and decided to take up a hobby of raising the moon. Princess Luna stepped lightly around his side, giving his flank an uncomfortably long look as she circled around him. It only took two circles around the tutor before his nerve broke and he asked, “What did— I mean, how may I be of service to you this evening, Princess Luna?”
“You are not the young colt we spoke with over a year ago now,” started Luna, still circling Green Grass in a shark-like fashion. “Canst thou remember our words from then?”
“Y-you asked what insights I had into what you had told me.” All too late, Green Grass remembered how protocol demanded he sink to his knees in the presence of his princess, but with the current state of his knees, he wasn’t sure they would hold him for anything less than a full face-plant onto the cold marble tiles. He decided to remain standing instead, just as long as his legs held out.
“And have you any new revelations as to the motivations of my sister and myself?”
“N-no.” After some thought and one more circle around him from the Princess of the Moon, Green Grass reconsidered. “Actually two. Your sister said she enjoyed it when ponies achieved their full potential, and she seemed more upset than I realized after our little escapade with sign-painting.” With a deep breath to gather some small shreds of courage that made his shaking knees stabilize, he said, “You desire our trust, and you want us to succeed. In getting better. That is, becoming what we think we can become. Or what we should be able to… Growth!”
The slow tap of shod hooves faded and grew in his hearing, and he swore he could feel the individual hairs of his winter coat begin to detach and fall to the floor. The hoofsteps circled around his right side again, but when he looked, it was only Friday.
“May I help you, sir?
A quick glance around showed no Princess of the Night, only a suspiciously open doorway behind him and the horrible itching in his mind as he tried to figure out if he had ever seen Princess Luna and Friday Haystings at the same time. Taking a deep breath, he addressed his solemn-looking valet with the most important issues first.
“Actually, yes. I have a few things. Did you get the Observatory reserved for this evening?”
“Yes, sir. Princess Luna sends her thanks.”
“I bet she does. Second, could you pack a dinner for two, bottle of wine, some desserts, and a selection of combs. It’s going to be a long night, with or without her.”
“Actually the young miss has just recently arrived with her friends, and should be at the castle shortly. Will you be attending the reception and musical number?”
“She made it back?” Resisting the urge to look out the window to check for an incoming changeling invasion or attacking dragon, Green Grass sucked on his bottom lip in thought. “Friday, may I ask you a question?”
“You just did, sir.”
“Right.” Making a mental note that being more specific with his responses to Luna also counted towards certain sarcastic servants who shared her sense of humor, he tried again. “In your personal, not professional opinion, would my presence at Twilight’s return to Princess Celestia be a benefit to her, or a detriment?”
Friday made to answer and paused with his mouth partially open, the most taken aback Green Grass had ever seen the elderly servant. After nearly a minute of uncomfortable thoughtful expressions and more than a few eye-rolls, he sighed and responded, “Perhaps it would be for the best if you were to miss this one, sir. She was reportedly quite stressed when the Princess gave her the assignment, to the point of a spontaneous duet that broke out on the southwestern wall of the palace.”
“Really?”
“Yes, sir. Her Highness’ reception is expected to be the reprise, with the final refrain to be performed on the train back to Ponyville.”
“A three-parter, hmm. Ambitious. Even if she wasn’t stressed as tightly as you said, I probably need more practice before trying anything that complex.”
“True, sir. I do believe a few more hours at voice lessons would not be remiss either.”
“Thank you, Friday.”
“And some choreography lessons.”
“Thank you, Friday.”
“Perhaps if you were to practice an etude or two as your music instructors had suggested—”
“Friday?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Lastly, I’m going to need your help getting upstairs to my room. Because the minute I move one hoof, I’m going to fall over.
“Right you are, sir. Just lean on me and pretend you have heavily imbibed.”
“Just stress poisons, worry, and tea, Friday.”
“Capital idea, sir. I shall have a tea service placed within the Observatory for your convenience this evening, sir. As well as ice cubes, for your barbaric practices with the noble beverage.”