Chapter 2: Your Castle has Another Princess
I want to thank everyone who has been following my progress. I intended to get this chapter up sooner, but got caught up in February's competition. Once again, this was written on my iPad which has proven both wonderful and frustrating (that darn autocorrect feature can be a pain sometimes), so please feel free to point out any errors that you find. That said, let me apologize in advance as this and the next couple of chapters are going to be mostly exposition, which I tend to execute in the form of gratuitous info-dumping. So if anyone is frustrated with that, I ask that you bear with me as I promise that the story will be picking up soon. I would also like to apologize if anyone has any problems with my rendition of the Apple Family dialect (dialect has never been one of my strong suits).
Twilight Sparkle blinked in shock at the stallion's words. He wouldn't budge, even at Princess Celestia's orders. Even more shocking was his vehemence at the idea and his insistence that the only pony whose orders he would listen to was...
"You. Mean, Princess Luna!"
Far Treader nodded silently as he surveyed the assembled ponies. It was Applejack who spoke next. "Now hold on now!" she exclaimed loudly, "Ah like Princess Luna as much as the next pony, but we were the ones that brought her back after the whole Nightmare Moon deal. Ah would think that entitles us to some explainin'."
"You would think wrong then," replied Far mulishly.
"Why Ah outta..."
"That's enough!" exclaimed Fluttershy, "I understand that you and Twilight are frustrated, but that doesn't change the fact that this stallion saved our lives and maybe all of Ponyville. And now he's hurt because of that."
Big Macintosh nodded in agreement. "Ah think ya might be jumpin' the gun sis. Ah'm sure y'all are mighty curious about this whole affair. Ah reckon Ah am too. But first things first. We may have gotten the first aid done, but that ain't no replacement for real care. Right now, the most important thing is to get this feller to the hospital and get him treated right."
"That sounds like an excellent idea.". All the ponies (and dragon) jumped at the sound of Silverbrook's voice as he trotted up to join them. They had been so focused on questioning Far Treader that they had briefly forgotten about his companion and only now remembered his presence as he joined them in the orchard. Silverbrook's strange, liquid weapon was nowhere to be seen. He had apparently stowed it back away.
"It's done then?" asked Far quietly.
Silverbrook nodded without saying a thing, prompting a sigh from the other stallion. "I hate the idea of being laid up in a hospital though. Would you mind taking care of this here?" Far Treader jerked his muzzle to indicate his bandaged wounds.
"You can't be serious," said Twilight, "Are you saying you'd rather have your injuries treated out here than in a real hospital."
Silverbrook shrugged impassively. "That is how we are used to doing things. However..." he turned his attention to Far Treader, "...Since affairs have conspired to arrange things for us like this, I think you would be better off accepting the hospital. It's not as though you didn't earn it. You would be a fool to turn down treatment of this caliber when you can have it."
"That's right!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she bounced her way into the conversation, "You never know, your injuries might be worse than you think they are so you should really see the doctor when you have a chance."
"And what pony in his right mind would treat a greencloak?". Far raised an incredulous eyebrow.
To his surprise, Pinkie simply giggled cheerfully. "Don't be a silly McSillypants! Doctors are better ponies than that. Besides..." she reached down and picked up a ragged piece of green cloth, all that remained of Far's green cloak, "...You got so wrapped up in that really amazing battle that your silly cloak got all torn up without you noticing it. Now you have the perfect excuse to stay in the hospital long enough for us to get more exposition. Oh and I have to have time to plan a really awesome party for you guys. I mean, first there's the welcome to Ponyville party for every new pony. On top of that is also gets to be a 'Thank You for Saving Us From the Scary Monster' party and it can also be a 'Get Well Soon' party for you just because you got hurt. It's not very often that I get to throw two parties at once, much less three. This is totally awesome, not too mentionthatthistotallymakesupforthelackofdialogueI'vehadforthelastfewpagesandthereareallkindsofawesomegamesIgettocomeupwithandthisisgonnabrsogreatIreallycan'twaittogetstartedandIthinkI'lllgoandgetstartedrightnow!" Pinkie bounced in a circle around Far as she talked, each lap getting faster and faster as her excitement gained momentum.
Pinkie was abruptly cut off as Twilight used her magic to literally zip Pinkie's mouth shut. "Calm down Pinkie, one thing at a time."
Both Far Treader and Silverbrook were flummoxed by the Pink Pony. Far was dreading the things Pinkie Pie was suggesting, while Silverbrook was fairly certain that he had heard a couple things that shouldn't be said by any reasonable pony in that strange mess of statements.
"A party is out of the question," snapped Far after coming back to his senses, "We have no time for such foolishness and you definitely can't go around telling the town about that monster. This is top secret information!"
Pinkie managed to unzip her mouth. However, she was now aghast at what Far Treader had just said. "No party!" she exclaimed, as though such a notion was beyond her comprehension, "But I throw really good parties so that everypony can have lots of fun. Don't you want to have fun?"
"I am perfectly happy and have my own ideas of 'fun.' And they do not include parties," said Far loftily as he turned his nose up at the pink pony.
"Please don't be upset," requested Fluttershy softly as she came to stand next to her normally exuberant friend, "We just want to show you our gratitude and wish you well. You understand, don't you.". The gray Earth Pony was beginning to look a little panicked at all the pressure.
Far Treader sighed yet again. "Look, I know you mean well. But I am not one for parties..."
"Nor I," interjected Silverbrook quietly.
"I'll listen to your request and go to the hospital. But please, I would much prefer to be left alone."
Pinkie let out a sound like a deflating balloon, her mass of pink curls sagging. But she met Far Treader's eyes forlornly. "Okay," she said quietly.
Big Mac sighed at the depressing turn the conversation had taken. "Eeyup, now that that's settled, let's get ya on over to the hospital." With a swift motion, he hoisted Far Treader onto his back and carried the wounded pony toward the exit of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, Fluttershy and Silverbrook followed along, but Twilight stayed when she noticed that Pinkie remained unmoving, her eyes staring off sadly into space.
"Pinkie?" she asked softly as Spike looked on from his place on Twilight's back.
"He didn't like my parties," said Pinkie, sounding like she was on the verge of crying, "I didn't get to even throw them and he already didn't like them."
"That's not your fault," said Twilight quickly.
"Yeah, that guy's just a party pooper," added Spike, glaring in the direction the others had gone, "You don't need to get all worked up over him. You throw great parties, Pinkie."
"B-but," said Pinkie, her lower lip trembling, "My parties are supposed to make ponies happy."
Twilight nudged her friend into a walk as she led the way to the gate of the farm. "It's not your fault Pinkie. Some ponies are just like that. They don't really feel comfortable around a lot of other ponies and hate being at the center of attention."
Pinkie turned her glistening eyes to Twilight. "But you weren't like that Twilight. You didn't like being around other ponies either, but now you love my parties and you love being with everypony. What makes him so different?"
Twilight sighed. "That's because I was wrong about who I was. I was so caught up in my studies and my role as Princess Celestia's student when I first came to Ponyville that I didn't even know what real friendship was. I've never been so happy to be wrong.
"But that pony is different. That wound was severe. It's going to take several stitches at the very least. If he had his way and if we hadn't pushed him, he would have simply treated it out here, with no painkillers or anything just so he wouldn't have to interact with other ponies. A pony like that is naturally more comfortable with his own company. I know it may not make sense to you, but ponies like that aren't the sort that do well at parties. It doesn't make you wrong, it just means that parties aren't the way to make him happy."
"But I..." Pinkie wavered uncertainly.
Twilight sighed and smiled at her friend. "Listen Pinkie, I know how much you love making other ponies happy. Why don't you look for a different way to thank him. It doesn't always have to be a party you know."
Pinkie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay." She smiled over at Twilight, who smiled back and gave her dear friend an encouraging nuzzle.
"Come on Pinkie," she said, "Let's go home."
"To be honest, I'm shocked." The doctor examined the x-rays and reports detailing the nature of Far Treader's injuries. "I'm more than a little worried about what gave you those lacerations, but even more amazing is what I've seen. I've never seen a stallion with so many old injuries. You, my friend have lived a very rough life."
Far Treader smiled wryly. "So I've been told before."
"Well this time you got it from an expert. I used to work in Canterlot and I've examined members of the Royal Guard who had been on some of the most hazardous assignments that this kingdom has had to offer. Some of them were easily twice your age and didn't have even half the scars and old traces that you carry.". The doctor frowned.
Far Treader shrugged. "They probably lived so long by being prudent enough not to get injured so many times." The doctor raised an incredulous eyebrow at the stallion.
The rest of Far Treader's companions were arrayed around the hospital room. Silverbrook had wisely stowed his own green cloak, leaving his unique color scheme and his test tube and beaker cutie mark visible for all to see. Fortunately, even though he had a very distinctive appearance, he had the dual advantages of not having traveled near the hospital during his run through town and almost everypony he had run past being too distract by hiding from him or the cloak itself to notice his features. Unrecognized then, he now sat in the room with Applejack, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh. Twilight, Pinkie and Spike had separated from the group, with Twilight quietly explaining to her friends that Pinkie needed some time to calm down after Far's unilateral rejection of her party ideas.
"Now then," declared the doctor, setting aside his clipboard with Far's diagnosis, "I'm afraid you're going to need a few days of rest for those injuries to heal. Unfortunately the parts you managed to get all torn up are the parts that move around a lot when you walk, so you need to stay off your feet for a while."
Far Treader nodded, through reluctantly. Once the doctor left, he turned his eyes to Silverbrook. "Can you report this to The Order."
Silverbrook smiled. "I already sent the report to the Archmage, so things should be taken care of. I expect to hear back from him later today."
Far Treader groaned. "I'm grateful. I'd rather not deal with that madpony if I can help it."
"Well then, good luck with your recovery," said Silverbrook curtly as he turned around and left the room.
Big Macintosh smiled at the bedridden stallion. "Now Ah know ya ain't one fer hangin' around other ponies, but Ah want ya to know that Ah'm mighty grateful for what ya did up there on the farm today. Ya might not think much of it, but y'all saved mah life and ya saved Miss Fluttershy's too. And from what I've heard ya saved quite a few other lives too in the long run, right sis..."
Big Macintosh elbowed Applejack in the ribs, prompting a glare from his younger sister. However, she did take off her hat and looked solemnly at Far Treader. "Ya did do a big service to mah family today and ya saved one of mah best friends to boot. So in the future, our house is always open to ya."
"Eeyup," agreed Big Mac, "And we Apples always stand by our word, so if ya need a favor in the future, don't hesitate to ask."
Fluttershy spoke last. "Thank you," she said, in her usual whispery voice, "For everything."
The three of them left. Finally alone, Far Treader let out a sigh of relief and settled down for a nap.
Twilight sighed as she placed another book on the shelf; yet another dead end. Since taking Pinkie back to her home at the Sugarcube Corner, Twilight had returned to the library and had immediately drafted and sent a letter to Princess Celestia for more information regarding this mysterious group of ponies that Far Treader and Silverbrook were a part of. While she waited for the princess's answer, she turned to the best activity she knew of in order to pass the time, research. She had gone through two different tomes on Equestrian history, looking for some indicator about an organization sworn to Princess Luna, but had come up empty hooved every time.
Twilight was just cracking open the cover to her third book when, with an almighty belch, Spike burped up a cloud of flames that then deposited Celestia's return letter onto a desk for Twilight to read. The Unicorn quickly unrolled the scroll and perused its contents.
My most faithful student,
I do indeed know about the group of which you speak. However, I am not in a position to answer your question. What this Far Treader pony told you is quite true. It is not my place to give you this information. I have, however, informed Luna of your curiosity on the matter. I have left it up to her, as to whether or not she should answer her question. Whatever her decision is, my dear student, you will have to accept it, even if you do not want to. This matter is very important to Luna and is something that can be addressed only by her. So if she decides to not give you the answers that you seek, I request as strongly as I can that you do not press the matter.
Yours in friendship:
Celestia
Twilight frowned at the letter. That was not the answer that she had been hoping for. What if Luna decides not to tell me? Oh I don't think I can stand not knowing! Twilight's train of thought was abruptly interrupted by another belch from Spike, depositing another letter onto her desk. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise when she saw that this letter was from Luna.
My friend, Twilight Sparkle,
I was a little surprised to find out from my sister about your curiosity regarding my Rangers. I have actually been debating for some time about whether or not to inform you about them. I am already aware of your boundless curiosity and appreciate my sister's willingness to abide by my decision on the matter for better or for worse.
I have decided to provide you with the information at you seek. However, for certain reasons I will not disclose any of this information to you right now. First off, it is a rather long story and while I know you are not adverse to lengthy reads, I suspect that your friends (whom you undoubtedly also want to have brought up to speed on the topic) would not cope as well. Secondly, I do not want to leave a written record of this information, even briefly, as it is an extremely sensitive matter. To that end, I have asked another of my Rangers to meet you in Ponyville in order to provide you with the information you seek.
Please wait for him in the meantime and please do not pressure Far Treader or Silverbrook for further information on the topic as I am sure that you are aware that they do not deal very well with other ponies. My chosen messenger is much better suited for this kind of task. On top of that, he has informed me that he is actually an old acquaintance of yours and apparently looks forward to seeing you. I hope this response satisfies you for now.
Your friend;
Luna
Twilight sighed in relief, happy that Princess Luna had agreed to provide her with the information that she sought. After scanning the letter again, her smile turned into a bemused frown. Apparently the pony Luna had chosen to inform her and the other Bearers was an old acquaintance of hers. Having not made many friends to speak of before she came to Ponyville, Twilight found herself lost in her thoughts. She wondered who it could be.
Rarity listened in stunned silence as Fluttershy related the events of the previous day. It was early in the afternoon and the quiet Pegasus had sought out her fashionable friend at the Carouzel Boutique. Obliging her dear friend, the white Unicorn made the decision to close down the shop for the day (it had been a slow business day anyway) so that she could listen to Flutershy's story without interruption.
"Oh you poor dear!" exclaimed Rarity when she heard what had happened, "That must have been a simply horrid experience for you, nearly being mauled to death by that beast. But to think, the ones who saved you were greencloaks of all things. I would have never expected that."
Fluttershy nodded. "It was really surprising."
"Oh this calls for an afternoon at the spa," declared Rarity in all her drama, " After that experience you more than deserve a good pampering. You deserve to relax after such an ordeal."
Not one to refuse such a gracious offer, Fluttershy nodded again. The two of them set out for the spa, their route taking them along Ponyville's main street. They had only traveled a few steps when somepony called out to them.
"Excuse me, ladies."
Rarity and Fluttershy turned to regard the stranger that approached them. The speaker was a Unicorn stallion with a robin's egg-blue coat and a royal-blue mane. He approached them with a pleasant smile. "Can we help you?" asked Rarity, before noticing that Fluttershy in her usual manner had crouched behind Rarity to avoid the stranger. "Can I help you?" she amended.
The Unicorn nodded. "I'm looking for Miss Twilight Sparkle. She's an old friend of mine and I was hoping to catch up with her while I was in the neighborhood."
"Oh my! An old friend of Twilight's. That's simply wonderful to hear. Twilight Sparkle happens to be a very dear friend of ours." Rarity pointed down the street towards the library. "Twilight lives in the library over there. Oh I do hope you stay for a little while, I would very much like to meet one of Twilight's old friends."
"I'm certain that we will get to speak again Miss..."
"Rarity darling. And this dear here..." she gestured to the canary-colored Pegasus hiding behind her, "...is Fluttershy."
The Unicorn nodded to Rarity politely. "Thank you very much for your help Miss Rarity. I look forward to meeting you and the others again soon."
He turned about and trotted off in the direction of the library. Rarity smiled as she watched him go. Then what he said registered in her mind. "The others? Why, whatever did he mean by that?"
Twilight smiled as she levitated another book into its proper place on the shelf. She had been doing more research while she waited for Princess Luna's messenger arrived. As she slid the book away, she heard a knocking on the door. "Come in," she shouted, "We're open."
the door swung open to admit greenish-blue Unicorn. Looking him over, Twilight frowned. There was something familiar about him that she just couldn't place. She looked over the stallion carefully, trying to figure out just what she was missing. She was fairly certain she remembered his coloring from somewhere. She certainly didn't remember his cutie mark, a cluster of eight orbs that looked something like pearls.
The other Unicorn was currently staring at her disconcertingly. Twilight briefly saw something that looked like a blush flit across his features. Finally, the Unicorn opened his mouth. "Well, I know I haven't seen you in a very long time, but I must admit that you've grown into quite the beauty."
It was now Twilight's turn to blush slightly at the unexpected compliment. "Do I know you?" she asked, scrunching up her face as she desperately tried to recall something.
The other Unicorn smiled ruefully. "Well, I suppose it was a bit much for you to recall instantly, we were just foals after all."
That made Twilight blink. Foals? She struggled to reach as far back in her memory as she could. That would mean he was somepony she had seen before she had entered Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. That was probably why she couldn't place his cutie mark. They had met before either of them had gotten their cutie marks. Thinking back as hard as she could, she could vaguely recall that among the other foals she used to play with before she had gotten completely absorbed in her studies, there was indeed a fellow Unicorn, with a coat of eggshell blue and a mane and tail of royal-blue. She even recalled those solemn, gray eyes that now stared at her in quiet anticipation.
"I think I do remember you," she said with some difficulty, suddenly aware of the fact that they had been spending the past few minutes in a somewhat awkward silence. "What was your name again?"
The Unicorn smiled. "Oceanus. Remember, you and the others used to call me Ocean because that was easier to say."
Twilight blinked, her eyes widening in shock as the last piece of the puzzle. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, "I remember you now. I can't believe I didn't recognize you Ocean!"
Oceanus let out a laugh. "I can! We were just foalhood playmates after all. I understand that you've made a fair number of very good friends in the years since we last met."
Twilight nodded and gave him a sheepish smile. "I did, but it took me a while. After I got into the Princess's school, I kind of got wrapped up in my studies. It literally took Nightmare Moon coming back after a thousand years to get me to actually make some friends."
Oceanus chuckled at that. "I remember that after you saw the Princess raise the sun that one time, you hardly ever came out to play with us anymore."
"Yeah," agreed Twilight, before frowning in confusion, "But I remember that not long after that I didn't see you even when I did come out to play. What happened to you?"
"That's bit of a long story," said Oceanus before straightening a little, "But we should probably take care of business first."
"Business," Twilight frowned before it clicked in her head, an old acquaintance coming to look for her, "You're working for Princess Luna now aren't you? You're the one she told me was coming."
Oceanus nodded in agreement. "Yes, the Princess asked me to come to Ponyville to brief you and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony on the situation. Speaking of this, I ran into two of the others on the way here."
Twilight blinked. "You did?"
"Yes. Miss Rarity was kind enough to give me directions to the library. I don't think that she or Miss Flutershy realized who I was, although I did tell them I was an old friend of yours."
"Uh, that's my fault," Twilight admitted sheepishly, "I only got Luna's letter last night and I haven't gotten a chance to tell them that you were coming yet."
"That's perfectly understandable. I admit that it was something of short notice. I'm afraid that you'll have to forgive us for that. We are used to doing things in a hurry, so when I received Princess Luna's instructions, I proceeded here with all haste. And it is certainly no fault of your friends for not recognizing me, I very well couldn't have waltzed into town with a green cloak on, now could I?"
Twilight blinked in surprise. "I'd almost forgotten that part," she said.
Oceanus laughed. "I understand. Allow me to introduce myself formally then." He coughed with feigned importance. "I am Oceanus Regulus of the Order of Rangers in service to her Divine Majesty of the Starlit Night: Princess Luna." Oceanus bowed politely to her.
Twilight found herself smiling at him. Barely able to contain the urge to laugh, she bowed back. "And I am Twilight Sparkle, personal student to her Majesty, Princess Celestia and the Bearer of the Element of Magic. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. "I have to say," remarked Twilight, wiling a tear from her eye, "You're different from what I expected."
"You were expecting somepony like Far or Silverbrook?"
Twilight nodded. "Well, yes."
Oceanus chuckled. " Well, it is true that most of the members of the Order are like those two. I'm one of the few exceptions, which is why I get saddled with the jobs that require dealing with other ponies."
Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "Why is that?"
"That will require a bit of explaining. I should go ahead and give you the full story, only..."
"Only what?"
"Should we try to get the other Bearers together to that they can all hear this, or would you like me to explain it to them later?"
Twilight frowned. Her inner student (or rather as Rainbow Dash might say, her inner egghead), wanted Oceanus to go ahead and start talking. The thought of learning something new, something that might give a completely new insight into a heretofore unknown chapter of Equestrian history was incredibly tempting. However, she knew her friends also deserved to hear this. It would be more polite of her to arrange things so that Oceanus only had to explain himself once.
"I'll go round up the others," said Twilight, "Should I tell them to come right away?"
Oceanus smiled and shook his head. "In spite of my haste in getting here, there is no need to hurry. Princess Luna was quite generous in the amount of time she allotted me to complete this assignment. Besides, I have an errand of my own to run besides this. So take your time."
"Okay. Maybe we should plan to do this over dinner then. That would be the best time to try and get everypony together."
Oceanus nodded. "That would certainly work. I'll see you then." He turned and headed for the door.
Twilight also nodded. "Yeah, and Ocean..." Oceanus paused and looked back over his shoulder. "It's nice to see you again, even if I don't remember you that well."
Oceanus smiled back at her. "Even if you don't, it was certainly worth it." He headed out the door, leaving Twilight in stunned silence for a moment as another blush crept up her cheeks. She took a second to shake it off before turning and heading upstairs into the bedroom. There, Spike was laying, curled up in his little basket, taking an afternoon nap. He had been working hard all morning and had only settled down just an hour ago. He's still a baby after all, Twilight reminded herself, I hope he's okay with me waking him up.
Leaning down, Twilight gently nuzzled the little dragon. "Spike," she said gently, "Can you wake up please?"
It took a few repetitions, but Spike eventually forced his eyes open and gazed blearily up at his caretaker. "Huh? Twilight? What's up?"
"Listen Spike, Luna's messenger just arrived here. He's going to be explaining some things, but I need to get everyone together so that he can tell us all at once. So, we decided to have him talk during dinner."
"And..." the little dragon prompted sleepily.
"And I was wondering if you felt up to cooking dinner for everyone tonight," said Twilight gently, "I know you're tired and probably don't want to cook for seven ponies, so we can eat out if you don't feel up to it."
Spike's eyes blinked lazily as his sleep addled mind turned over Twilight's request. "Yeah, I don't really feel up to cooking for seven...Wait! Seven?"
Twilight drew back at the dragon's sudden burst of lucidity. "Yes...?"
"So that means that Rarity will be coming, right?"
Twilight had to work hard to suppress the burst of laughter that was trying to fight its way out of her throat. That would get his attention. "Yes, that's right," she said, trying her hardest to remain in control.
Spike practically shot straight up from under the covers and nearly hit the ceiling in his excitement. "Holy guacamole! I gotta go get groceries! No wait, I've got to come up with a menu first! Oh man! How many courses should I make?"
Twilight couldn't contain herself anymore and collapsed, laughing until tears streamed out of her eyes at her dragon's antics. After a few more minutes of uninterrupted laughter, she became aware of the fact that Spike was glaring at her. Getting herself back together, Twilight finally managed to get back onto her hooves. "I'm sorry, Spike. Listen, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Keep it simple and just do your best and I'm sure that Rarity will be delighted with you, okay."
Spike managed to calm down a little and nodded fervently at Twilight's instructions. Twilight leaned down and nuzzled her little assistant once again. "Why don't you go ahead and plan out what you want to make and write up a grocery list. Remember, you're cooking for seven of us, so don't go overboard."
Spike nodded again and zipped out of the bedroom at a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash. Feeling pleased and relaxed that she could entrust the meal to her Number 1 Assistant, Twilight headed out to find the rest of her friends.
"Another new pony, really!" Pinkie Pie nearly jumped out of her skin in her excitement. Twilight winced and braced for the explosion of words that she was certain was about to erupt from the pink pony's mouth. Not being entirely sure of where all her friends might be, Twilight had sought out Pinkie first at the Sugar-cube Corner. If anypony was going to be able to find all the others on short notice, it would be Pinkie. Twilight sometimes wondered if Pinkie's real special talent was knowing where to find her friends, no matter how well they may be hidden.
However, Pinkie stopped abruptly in mid-jump, something that Twilight was sure violated the laws of physics. As she settled back onto the floor, Twilight could see Pinkie's excitement visibly deflating like the air being let out of a balloon. "Pinkie?"
"If he's a greencloak like Far or Brookie then that's means he probably doesn't like parties either." Pinkie looked down, tears in her eyes.
Twilight sighed and with a reassuring smile, pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Listen to me, okay Pinkie?"
As Twilight pulled away, Pinkie sniffed and nodded, sitting down as Twilight looked into her eyes.
"You don't have to worry so much. Ocean is a good bit different from Far Treader and Silverbrook. From what I've seen, he gets along with other ponies just fine. That said, we should probably keep it between just him and the six of us...and Spike, of course.
"So why don't you go and help Spike with dinner and you can make it into a dinner party. Does that sound alright."
Pinkie nodded again. "But what about all the games and the streamers and the decorations and the...?"
Twilight cut her off. "Not this time I'm afraid Pinkie. You need to listen to me. There isn't just one way to have a party you know. As Ponyville's number one Party Pony, you should be well aware of that. Not everypony has the same ideas about what's fun as you do and you know that too. Would you go throw a really loud party full of pranks for a pony like Fluttershy?"
Pinkie shook her head vigorously, "Nononononono! That would really scare her and hurt her feelings. I would never do something like that to her!"
Twilight nodded. "That's right. Now, I couldn't tell you the kind of things that Ocean likes, but it wouldn't be bad for you to come up with something nice and easy while he got to know us. Is that alright?"
Pinkie looked thoughtful for a long moment, so Twilight gave her another prod. "Even if it's not the kind of party you normally throw, it's still a party, just a different kind of party."
Pinkie's eyes lit up and her smile returned. "Okay, I get it now! Oh boy, I get to throw a kind of party I've never thrown before! That's so exciting I can't wait to find out what ideas I come up with!"
Twilight nodded enthusiastically before deciding to put a stop to Pinkie Pie's tirade so that she could get back to her original request. "Before you go and help Spike set up, why don't you go and find the others and let them know, okay?"
Pinkie was nodding so fast her head was a two-toned pink blur. "Okay!Gottago!Bye!" And just like that, she was gone.
Twilight laughed and nodded to herself as she headed out of the bakery. No matter what, Pinkie would still be Pinkie.
"Well, you certainly made a mess of yourself this time," remarked Oceanus with an amused tone as he looked down on Far Treader.
Far let out a gusty sigh. "I could have simply had Silverbrook handle the treatment without having to deal with this, you know."
"Yes, but you should take advantage of the opportunity to rest up while you have a chance."
"Rest!" snapped Far, "In this place. This place is too sterile and dead! How in Luna's name do you expect me to get any rest here! I can't even see the sky."
Oceanus laughed lightly. "You are indeed a Ranger to the core." A grin spread across his face as he used his magic to open one of his saddlebags. "Fortunately for you, I didn't come here just to lay on a few taunts. Princess Luna sent me this along with her orders." He pulled out a folded mass of dark green cloth. "I suggest you keep this concealed until you're discharged."
Far accepted the cloth with a grateful nod before stowing it away in his own saddlebags, which lay on the table next to his bed. As he did so, he shot a long look at the Unicorn. "So Princess Luna is having you explain things to the Bearers?"
"Yes," replied Oceanus, "She's actually been engaged in a vigorous correspondence with Miss Sparkle for quite some time now. She didn't want to put you or Silverbrook under any extra pressure, so she sent me down to manage things."
"Most gracious of her. By the way, where is Silverbrook?"
"He already received his next assignment from the Archmage. It appears that that new weapon of his is going to up the demand for him in the future. The poor fellow is going to be quite busy for some time."
Twilight returned to the library to find that Spike and Pinkie had already started preparations for the festivities. She was surprised. Every surface was gleaming. All the books had been organized and put away. Spike and Pinkie had already set out a large round table with seven seats around it for all the participants. She couldn't help smiling to herself. It seemed a little much for just dinner and a visitor (who was admittedly an old friend), but she was glad Pinkie had found some outlet for her partying inclinations.
"Oh my, I don't go much for formal events, but I'll try my best."
Twilight spun around to see that Oceanus had come in behind her, apparently having finished his errand. She smiled encouragingly at him. "Don't worry, it's not going to be anything stiff like that. Pinkie just wanted to throw a party, so I told her that she should throw it in a way that would probably make you comfortable. I mean, you may not be like Far Treader, but you probably don't go for all the loud noises and activities that make up a typical Pinkie Pie Party."
Oceanus stifled a laugh. "That is certainly true. While I wouldn't be adverse to one of those parties if you were just introducing me as a friend, this is certainly not the situation for a louder party."
Twilight nodded as she turned her eyes back onto the table. She decided to resume a thread of the previous conversation she'd had with the other Unicorn. "So what did happen to you? I remember that you were gone before I entered school."
"I'm a year older than you, so I was supposed to go to Magic School as well. However..."
"What?" Twilight raised her eyebrows at the strange tone in the stallion's voice.
"My performance on the exams was not good enough for regular Magic School, much less the School for Gifted Unicorns. My parents weren't too happy with me. However, I was offered a unique opportunity by a visitor from outside of Equestria to study abroad."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Who was it? Where did you go?"
"My master was one of the Lung Dragons that dwell in their heavenly kingdoms to the Far East. He taught me their brand of magic, which I'm told is a rare thing for a pony to have an aptitude for. Their magic is distinct from the kind that Unicorns use. It was a surprise that I was capable of it at all."
There was a clattering sound from the kitchen. Spike leaned out and stared at Oceanus with wide eyes. "You learned dragon magic!" he exclaimed.
Oceanus chuckled at Spike's obvious enthusiasm. "You could say that. But Lungs are far removed from the other breeds of dragon, including your own. I'm not entirely certain that you could learn such magic."
Spike frowned, looking a little upset at having his question being answered before he could even ask it. Oceanus's eyes narrowed as he looked at the little creature. Suddenly, he asked, "You were hatched by magic, weren't you?"
"Well yeah, Twilight's the one who hatched me."
Oceanus drew back in surprise and looked back at Twilight, who blushed slightly at his attention. "That was my entrance exam," she explained weakly.
The Ranger took a moment to mull over this. He appeared to be thinking carefully. After a moment. He turned back to look at Spike. "I may have been premature," he said, "You might be capable of learning Lung magic after all."
"Really!" exclaimed Spike, his voice quaking.
Oceanus nodded solemnly. "I should warn you that I may not have the time to oversee your instruction, so it may be a difficult and lengthy task for you."
"That's totally okay!" exclaimed Spike as he pulled himself back into the kitchen and got back to work preparing dinner.
"Thank you for that," said Twilight as she smiled sweetly at him.
It was now Oceanus's turn to blush. Twilight waited a moment before deciding to get their conversation back on task. "So you studied with the dragons for a while..."
"Yes. I only returned to Equestria a couple of years ago. That was when I was scouted by the Archmage to join the Rangers. As for what I've been doing since then, well that will have to wait until dinner."
A frustrated huff escaped Twilight's mouth. Once again, her inner egghead desperately wanted more information. But she knew better than to press at this point. It was clear that any further questions along this track would be met by evasive and meaningless answers. She decided to talk about something else. "Can you at least tell me what this whole green cloak business is. One of your fellow Rangers shut down all of Ponyville when he came into town. But you strolled in here without a problem.
The flap on one of Oceanus's saddlebags flew open and he telekinetically pulled out a flowing cloak made of the same dark green fabric as that which had been worn by the other Rangers. In a graceful movement, he swept it over his shoulders and closed the clasp around his neck so that the cloak's hood was pulled back from his head. As he did this, Twilight was shocked to note that there wasn't the barest glimmer from Oceanus's horn, even though he was clearly doing magic.
"A rather elegant solution, don't you think?" he asked wryly.
"What do you mean?"
"As you've already been told, secrecy is of the utmost importance to our work. It is essential that we keep other ponies away when we are on the job or they would be caught up in the very hazards we sought to protect them from. The fact that most ponies will flee from the very sight of our cloaks ensures that they aren't in the way when we're working.
"On the other hoof, when we need to move among other ponies without clearing out entire towns with our very presence..." Oceanus whipped off his cloak, "This is all that is necessary."
"Wait, that's it?" Twilight found herself blinking in confusion.
"That's the elegance of it," explained Oceanus, fastening his cloak around his shoulders once again, "We are called greencloaks by the masses because the only thing that really stands out about us is our cloaks. Their attention is taken entirely by the cloak itself and most ponies don't bother to take note of the characteristics of the pony under it. As such, when we wear the cloaks, we sweep aside ponies that would otherwise be troublesome obstacles and without them, we are just other citizens of Equestria."
"That's amazing!" exclaimed Twilight. It explained so many things and answered so any questions. That was why the Rangers allowed themselves to be feared so easily. That fear was attached to the cloaks they wore so that they could invoke it or avoid it at will. It was a brilliant concept that utilized typical pony psychology to their advantage.
As Twilight pondered this, she became aware of a low whining sound that was gradually increasing in volume. She felt her body go tense and she realized that she knew this sound quite well. It was the sound of a flying object approaching at ridiculously high speeds.
"Um," said Twilight in an uncertain tone, "You might want to put that cloak away. It sounds like one of my friends is coming and she might get the wrong idea if you don't get the chance to explain yourself."
Realizing what she was talking about, Oceanus looked up, his gaze going out through the large window set high up in the library wall. He blinked once and gulped nervously. "From the look of things, your warning might be a little too late. I believe your friend has already spotted me and doesn't look inclined to allow me to explain myself."
Even as Twilight pressed a hoof between her eyes and groaned, the window into her library shattered as a sky-blue Pegasus plowed right through it with a ringing battle cry. Oceanus only barely had the time to blurt out "Oh this is going to smart," before the rainbow-lined blur slammed into him hard enough for the two of them to go flying all the way to the other end of the library. The impact of them slamming into the wall knocked all the books off the shelf above the two struggling ponies and buried them under an avalanche of paper and bindings.
"Twilight!" shouted Spike, rushing out of the kitchen, "What in Celestia's name was that?"
A beleaguered Oceanus managed to wriggle his way out from under the pile of books. But before he could get his hooves back underneath him, the blue Pegasus with a brilliant rainbow mane burst out of the pile and planted all four feet on him, using her right forehoof to keep his head pressed to the floor.
"I've got you now, jerk!" snarled Rainbow Dash, "Now you'd better explain what you were trying to do with Twilight before I really make you sorry!"