//------------------------------// // Ch.5: From Dawn ‘till Dusk // Story: A Hairier Problem: Rise of the Furball // by BlueBastard //------------------------------// Rise of the Furball Chapter 5: “From Dawn ‘till Dusk” As the alarm clock rang, a very unsteady white hoof emerged from the bed to try and silence it. Unfortunately, the first few attempts were misses and just slammed the bedside table, and on try seven the only thing that was accomplished was knocking the alarm clock onto the floor. With a heavy sigh, Sweetie drudged herself up and out of bed to silence the bells once and for all. Now that she was up, she lazily made her way to the bathroom to prepare for the day. While she did have an excuse to miss out of school on this morning, having cited the trip to the Whitetail Woods having somehow made her violently ill, to do so would mean she would not be able to go hang out with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom later, and with the added concern of just what the latter filly had become two nights ago, Sweetie couldn’t let the earth pony out of her sights if she could help it. Tidied up and ready to go, Sweetie descended the steps with her saddlebags, ready for school…once she picked up breakfast. To her surprise, Rarity was already downstairs and talking with somepony the filly had never seen before. The unfamiliar unicorn mare was raspberry in color, with a mane of sky blue and light purple streaks, and eyes of a deep maroon. There was something that seemed a bit odd about the streaks, but Sweetie ignored it and chalked it up to still being somewhat sleepy. The mare’s cutie mark caught Sweetie’s eye next; it was a baby blue heart gem with three other colors of gems radiating away from it on either side. Then the filly saw the phoenix sitting on top of a dress-form mannequin. She’d certainly seen Celestia’s pet phoenix, Philomena, before...but this one was clearly different. Instead of the usual coloration, this fiery bird, clearly a male by his mannerisms, was coated in a brilliant mix of gold and green. He was also much smaller than Philomena, possibly not having even gone through his first reincarnation cycle, but certainly well beyond having just hatched from an egg. “Wow, I’ve never seen a Phoenix like that before!” shouted Sweetie, demonstrating her complete ignorance of the conversation in the same room. The bird was startled, jumping up from its perch on one of Rarity’s hollow helpers and rapidly flying over to perch on the horn of the raspberry unicorn, presumably the owner of the phoenix. “Sweetie Belle!” chided Rarity, “I know I’ve told you before about how rude it is to both yell around other ponies who are talking and when you’re near easily startled pets!” She glanced over at Opal, who was hissing at the youngest unicorn from under the sewing machine table. “Sorry…” apologized the downcast filly, before perking right back up. “Who’s your friend?” “Oh, um, don’t mind me…” said the still-unnamed unicorn, an embarrassed blush visible even through her coat. Sweetie immediately thought of Fluttershy doing the same thing, even letting a bird perch on her horn…if she’d been a unicorn and not a Pegasus. “Now, now, darling, it’s just my sister,” Rarity explained. “Sweetie Belle, this is Raspberry Beryl. She’s a gemologist by trade and has been absolutely invaluable to me as of late in finding the exact kind of precious gems I need.” Raspberry blushed harder at the compliment. “It’s just what I’m good at, really, I’m just glad I can be of use.” Sweetie, deciding to apply ‘dealing with Fluttershy’ tactics, changed the topic to animals. “Is that phoenix your pet?” “Uh-huh. His name is Heliodor. Say hello, Heeleee.” The Phoenix cooed a hello cautiously, wary of the filly that had just scared him. “Sweetie, don’t you have some breakfast to get?” interrupted Rarity, “I know you said you were feeling sick after the camping trip yesterday, but you look healthy enough to resume your education, and school is in thirty minutes.” “Alright!” chirped Sweetie, trotting off to the kitchen. There was a momentary silence before Raspberry spoke up. “So, that’s your little sister?” “Oh yes. She can be quite a handful, but I do manage to find ways of making the most of the time she is with me.” “With you? I don’t understand, you mean she goes to other places?” “Well, my parents just live on the other side of town and are her legal guardians. They just leave her here with me often because I should be an influence on her life. Although at this point I have to say I’ve spent more time with her than our parents.” Raspberry looked downcast suddenly. “I…see. At least you have a family. My mother died giving birth to me, her only child, and Dad…” Rarity immediately detected something was amiss. “Raspberry, is something the matter? You can always talk to me about anything, anything at all.” An explosion promptly came from the kitchen. “Sorry! Just making toast!” said the disembodied voice of Sweetie Belle. The red unicorn’s eyes suddenly went wide as she raised her head, Heliodor taking flight as if it was a practiced maneuver. “Oh, no! I just remembered someplace I need to be! We’ll talk next time I’m delivering an order to you, but I really need to go!” And with that Raspberry was out the door with Heliodor in tow, leaving a perplexed fashionista wondering just what the matter was, before remembering herself that Sweetie might have just destroyed her kitchen. Her recently - and expensively - remodeled kitchen. Rarity just sighed. This was going to be a long, long day. Sandalwood may as well have been standing on white-hot coals, she was so fidgety. Zecora had sent a message that she’d have to reschedule when she could do an aromatherapy session due to the sudden need to repair a trail protection totem. As it had so happened, Sunday would have been the perfect day for giving Zecora the aromatherapy as Lotus and Aloe hadn’t been able to be at the spa. Now it was Monday, the stock of materials Sandalwood used were lower than she’d initially thought, the spa twins were at the spa today, and the poor tan pony had just told them about what was going to happen. “Free aromatherapy? Are you trying to pull something here?” inquired an irate Lotus. “You just told us that the price of materials as footed by this business had gone up, and now you’re essentially wasting our revenue?” If there was one thing Sandalwood absolutely hated about her job, it was that Lotus and Aloe took a lot of convincing to see beyond their point of view. “Honestly, with the way you’ve been acting lately, how do we know you didn’t already reduce your materials yesterday when we weren’t here?” accused Aloe, just as antagonistic as her twin. Because that’s exactly what I wanted to do, in order to avoid this very conversation thought Sandalwood, doing her best to not show how pissed off she was getting. “Lotus, Aloe, I told you, this is for somepony who says she can help get me what I need at a lower cost, but-“ “And you didn’t run it by us first?” both twins said at once. “I tried to, but you weren’t here yesterday, so this is me running it by you now because this is the first time I’ve seen you two since Friday!” “I hope I’m not interrupting a deed,” said Zecora, who had appeared without warning at the service window. “But I’m here on time, as we agreed.” “Oh, Mrs. Zecora, we weren’t expecting you!” the twins said in somewhat creepy unison. Lotus then turned back to Sandalwood. “Why didn’t you tell us you were doing the free thing for her?” “What do you think I’ve been trying to do this entire time!?” argued Sandalwood, exasperated from the ditziness of her employers. “Oh…well, our mistake then!” pseudo-apologized Lotus. Sandalwood just sighed before exiting the front office, knowing trying to get a real apology out of either of them would be an exercise in frustration. “Whatever. I just want to get to making sure I still can do my job with the proper materials. Zecora, if you could come with me?” Sandalwood led her Zebra client into a room in the back, which to the customer was meant to look like a luxury beach house porch on the coast of some tropical location such as Hoofalulu. After helping Zecora get onto the massage table, the aromatherapist quickly darted into a hidden back room where her various oils, diffusers, and other materials were stored without having to clutter up the main massage area and ruin the desired effect. “Now, if at any point you don’t feel comfortable, just let me know, okay?” “If you’re as good as advertised, then I’ve no worries to disguise.  You seem in tune with your vocations, and I look forward to your creations.” Relieved, Sandalwood set to work. Aromatherapy in general is really just a massage but enhanced in various ways by the scented oils and things that were supposedly worked into the skin by the practitioner’s hooves. Normally, Sandalwood offered various different types of sessions at different prices depending on what the customer wanted, the price being higher for the more things requested of Sandalwood. Of course, due to the situation at hoof, Sandalwood was giving Zecora her most expensive session, which was basically everything Aromatherapy could provide, free of charge. Ironically, while the basic thing aromatherapy was supposed to provide was stress relief through the massage itself, Sandalwood was becoming more stressed as she watched her already limited supplies dwindle, some of them even being completely used up on Zecora. If the zebra couldn’t replicate those, it was going to be big chunk of the tan pony’s salary down the drain. Ninety minutes later, Sandalwood was finished with her expensive demonstration. “I feel as though I’ve been reborn,” said Zecora, smiling and feeling better than she had in years.  “As fresh as new dew at first light of morn.” “Great! I gave you the complete works, so I appreciate the feedback!” replied Sandalwood, happy at having another satisfied customer but also more than a little worried about the state of the real reason for having done all this. Sensing the other pony’s desperation, Zecora just chuckled. “Worry not, I’ll provide what you require.  I’d hate to see you in straits so dire.” “Really?!” Sandalwood’s tired smile was rivaling a Pinkie Pie grin at this point. The zebra nodded.  “I’ll need small samples to test against, to ensure the closest matching scent.  But all will be well, I promise you - there’s no need to be worried or blue.  Besides, that countenance ill suits you.” “You have a point there,” agreed the embarrassed aromatherapist . Inside, however, she was jumping for joy. She’d get the things she needed locally, and whatever leverage Zecora had on the twins might also prove helpful later on. Right now, however, Sandalwood was thinking about taking a much needed break from work for all of next week. As Royal Guard Private Flash Sentry stood guard in front of a vault door deep beneath the Crystal Castle, he had to wonder why life as a guard had seemed so appealing. Sure, it had been pretty good when he’d enlisted, but by the time he was allowed to actually be a part of the detail stationed at the castle, all the exciting stuff had already been over and all he’d really gotten to do is announce the arrival of Princess Twilight Sparkle. He’d run into her a few times, probably would have asked her out on a date had she not been, well, a newly crowned royal who was caught up trying to reclaim a crown that was stolen right under everypony’s noses. The name of the culprit; Sunset Shimmer, seemed vaguely familiar somehow, but Flash didn’t put too much stock in it. Probably some pony he’d once known as a classmate years ago. What he should have put more thought into was that drunken bet he’d made last night on challenging any other guard pony on Royal Protection Detail to a drinking contest. Especially about backing out when none other than Princess Cadence herself showed up to answer the challenge (how she’d gotten away with that he’d never figure out) and promptly humiliated him by winning. She then punished him for being so stupid by assigning him to guard some random vault in the basement, the worst assignment possible. Yet, he resolved to make up for his deficiency and would guard this door with his life. Fate was at least kind to him in that he’d never know he’d already failed in his duty as a ghostly figure leaped through the walls into the vault when his head was turned the other way. Too easy she thought, moving towards the one thing in the magically sealed room. It was lined on all sides with every kind of magic failsafe imaginable, but they only worked on living ponies, not ghosts. In the center of the room was the strangest thing of all, though, the thing all the traps were meant to prevent from ever leaving. The stuffed body of Sable Loam, forever frozen in a  “dramatic” pose of him mid-attack, as imagined by the common pony. The sacrilege of the once-feared werewolf angered the spirit. He shouldn’t ever have had to be brought down to this level of humiliation, especially when it was certain the majority of ponies would only come to know werewolves as having finally been killed off. The fact there was at least one more whose very existence ruined that claim brought a smile to her face, a small solace but she would take her pleasures where she could. “Oh, Sable, what did they do to you…” she said to the pony who had stolen her heart. “It probably won’t make a difference now, since we’re both dead, but I know now trying to turn those farmers into werewolves was a terrible mistake. Except, here I am, returned from the dead, while you remain frozen in time, locked away beneath the surface, but only because they fear you. Even in death, they don’t know what might happen, they might even think you could come back to life like nothing happened. “Heh. But they don’t know about me. As far as anypony is concerned, I’ve been dead for centuries, they apparently even thought I was you, or at least I know that stupid sun princess did when she vaporized me. However, while I don’t know who or what has brought me back, I will avenge you, my love, and if the legacy of werewolves is to end, then I will forever engrave it into history that our kind was the strongest, most feared creature on the face of this earth.” She then reared up, deeply kissing the inanimate stallion. “Goodbye, my love. May the next time we meet be in the afterlife, where I will forever be by your side once more.” With that, Fair Vista turned away from Sable Loam and left the vault. She didn’t know if that idiot guard saw her that time, but it was no matter to her. There was nothing in the Crystal Empire she needed, her only focus was on the town of Ponyville. Where everything had gone wrong, but could possibly still be made right. Back at CMC Headquarters, the trio was back to the usual; trying everything imaginable to earn their cutie marks. “So, what should we do next?” asked a pumped up Scootaloo, eager and willing with the knowledge that THIS was the day she would get her cutie mark, if not all of them. In her hooves was a sheet of parchment and a pencil, for writing down ideas. “Uh…Matchmaking?” suggested Sweetie. “Sweetie Belle, in all honesty you can’t do that with yourself. Need I remind you of Button Mash?” “Don’t.” sternly replied the tiny unicorn. Button Mash, one of the classmates of the CMC, had been the subject of Sweetie Belle’s affections for the longest time. Only problem was that, when they had actually tried to simply have milkshakes together, she found multiple reasons to re-evaluate her opinion of the beanie-wearing Button. “Yep, matchmaking is off the list. Apple Bloom, you got any ideas?” When several seconds passed without response, Scootaloo looked up from her list. “Did you hear me Apple Bloom?” The filly in question jumped as if startled. “Wha? Oh, sorry, kinda stared off into space there.” “Are you sure you’re alright, AB?” asked the Pegasus, writing instruments put aside, “You’ve been sort of melancholy like this all day, you’re not even eager as you usually are for trying to get your cutie mark. Is this something about the whole werewolf thing that you didn’t mention?” The little Apple sighed. “Kinda. Ah don’t know if either of you noticed, but during the time mah sister was a werewolf, her cutie mark had been fadin’ until it was barely even visible. Gettin’ cured restored it to normal, but…what about me? Ah don’t have mah cutie mark, but Ah’m afraid that because of that Ah may not even get it at all now since Ah’m not a full pony anymore.” “Yeah, I was sort of wondering about that.” Commented Sweetie. “But it didn’t go away completely, now did it?” “Uh…no, Ah think it just faded to where it was almost not visible, but even that Sable Loam pony had his cutie mark, and he’d been around almost as long as both Princess Celestia and Luna.” “Then, what if you just need to try harder for your cutie mark to appear?” “Ah hadn’t thought of that.” Energy seemed to come back to the filly as the prospect of finding her calling suddenly became visible again. “There’s the Apple Bloom we know!” smiled Scootaloo, who had sat back down and made to start writing things down again. “Now, back to where we were; what to do for our cutie marks?” “Ooh! Ooh! I know!” squeaked Sweetie, “What about we try being fitness trainers?” “Seriously?” asked Apple Bloom with her eyebrow raised. “Knowin’ our track record, we’ll be tryin’ to train Snips and Snails to be competitive ice cream eaters eventually.” “Competitive…Ice…Cream…Eating…” mumbled Scootaloo as she wrote the idea down. “Well, what about we try and train you, Apple Bloom?” suggested the unicorn. “Me? Why me? Ah’d say Ah’m already pretty fit due to workin’ on the farm, an’ AJ’s a national competitor in the Equestriani Rodeo. Ah don’t see the need-“ “You’re forgetting the part where you’re a werewolf!” Apple Bloom wasn’t following. “Yes, Ah’m aware that Ah’m a freak of nature now. Thank you fer remindin’ me of that. Ah still don’t get what-“ Sweetie shook her head back and forth. “No no no! I mean, we train you so you’re the best werewolf you can be!” “Why would Ah want to be the best werewolf Ah can be? Ah don’t want to be a werewolf, that’s somethin’ Ah’m pretty sure Ah made clear two nights ago.” “Do have any idea how you’re going to cure yourself?” “…Not yet, no…” “That’s why I’m saying we should train you to be the best you can be! It’s obvious you might be a werewolf for a while, so might as well make the best of it, right?” “Ah guess so. Probably would help with the urges to turn into a critter at any rate.” “I gotta say, that sounds pretty cool, actually,” Scoot chimed in.  “If you get good enough, maybe you can even scare Diamond Tiara at her own bedroom window!” “Okay, now that idea Ah can get behind!” agreed Apple Bloom, flashing an evil smile that contained teeth slightly sharper than normal pony teeth. “We’ll need to figure out how y’all are supposed to train me for somethin’ like that, though, since Ah’m tryin’ to still keep the whole werewolf thing secret.” “Right!” agreed Scoot and Sweetie. So, with the plan settled, the three agreed to figure out a regimen on how to make an adolescent werewolf the absolute worst nightmare that ever came to life. Diamond Tiara was going to learn that karma had a name, and that name was Apple Bloom. Later that day, after the Crusaders had adjourned and gone home for dinner, a royal carriage descended from the sky above Ponyville. Pulled by two Guard Pegasi in special armor emblazoned with a star instead of the usual sun, the chariot was taken over the town and landed right in front of Carousel Boutique. Rarity had just served up dinner for herself and Sweetie, who was once again spending the week there thanks to their parents going off to attend some old family friend’s wedding or something, when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” said the elder unicorn as she made for the door. Opening it revealed a pretty princess on the other side. “Twilight! What a wonderful surprise! I thought you said your next time off from, er, ‘Princess Lessons’ was next week, if you’d let me known earlier I would have made more supper.” “That’s alright, Rarity,” replied the purple alicorn. “And no, don’t offer me your dinner, either, I actually ate before coming here since I can’t stay long.” “Oh, if that’s the case, what can I do for you, your majesty?” While it was addressing Twilight by her new status, the honorific was made more to tease the young princess, who preferred her friends not treat her as such just so they always remembered she was the same Twilight, only now with wings. “I was wondering if you had that commission from me ready, the saddle blanket for my brother? It’s his birthday a week from tomorrow and I want to make sure I have it ready.” “But of course! Just give me a moment; I think I must have put it in with some of my other orders upstairs.” Rarity left to find the saddle blanket, leaving Twilight and Sweetie alone in the room. “So how’s school been?” asked Twilight, a question Sweetie knew was coming from a mile away. “It’s been alright. We went on a field trip last weekend to see a Screaming Mynah, which was pretty interesting.” “Really? I wasn’t aware that they were native to this area.” “They’re not. Ms. Cheerilee said they’re only around here every couple of years or so.” Sweetie then perked up when she remembered the even cooler bird she’d encountered earlier. “But I saw something even rarer today: a green-and-yellow phoenix!” “A what?” Twilight was skeptical at that. Such a melanistic variance in phoenix genetics would be extremely rare, plus the proud creatures normally only lived towards the more arid parts of the country, near the volcanoes the dragons migrated to every century. “Where did you see it?” “One of Rarity’s business partners had it, she said it was her pet I think. Its name was Heli…something, I don’t remember. He like to perch on his owner’s horn, too, which I don’t think even Celestia allows Philomena to do." Twilight tried to not show her extreme skepticism at this information. A phoenix of non-red coloration alone would warrant it, but the fact it was a unicorn’s pet and could sit on her horn… Twilight really found it too much to believe. While pony horns were naturally tough, being mostly a bone extrusion from the skull with a direct connection to the brain, to allow a bird to sit on it would not only disrupt any magic the user tried to cast but the bird’s weight itself would be pushing down on the horn. It would be as if a metal rod was attached to one’s skull and somepony was pulling the stick down while simultaneously using the neck as the hinge. At least, that’s what Celestia had said about the one time she’d let Philomena sit on her horn while trying to raise the sun. The idea a normal unicorn could do what Princess Celestia could not…it was just too outrageous. “Ah, here it is!” said Rarity, bringing down a neatly folded saddle blanket in her telekinesis. The aura around the blanket shifted from blue to purple as it was magically handed off. “Thanks, Rarity. Oh, just curious, but what is this about a green phoenix and it perching on its owner’s horn?” “Oh, that, it’s just the antics of my friend Raspberry Beryl and her pet bird Heliodor.” “Who?” “Raspberry is my main gem finder. I know, I can do it myself, it’s not like my flank doesn’t remind me of that every day, but with my workload having increased it’s just been easier to have another pony do it for me. She’s always able to find just the gems I need, it’s just the poor thing is so timid that she’d probably be scared of Fluttershy talking to her.” “And this…Heliodor, who I’m guessing is a green-and-gold phoenix?” “Ah, yes, him. Very well behaved bird, although he loves attention. Honestly, between you and me, I think Raspberry got tricked into thinking he’s a phoenix. He looks the part, but he’s far too small and the way he perches on her horn…no way he’s the real deal. However, she loves him as a companion so I don’t have the heart to break it to her. Although, do phoenixes even come in green?” “They don’t, which only fuels my suspicions it’s a smaller bird enchanted to look like a unique phoenix. As long as she doesn’t do anything bad with it, I think we can let it slide, especially if she genuinely believes he’s a phoenix.” “Agreed. I guess it’s back to Canterlot with you, then?” “Yep. Going to have night lessons with Princess Luna tonight, although with all this work it will be a challenge to not fall asleep!” The two friends shared a laugh before parting ways. Minutes later, as Twilight sat in her chariot, the blanket safely stowed under her rump, her thoughts went to Sweetie talking about that green phoenix and its owner. I wonder why whoever enchanted that bird made it green instead of red pondered the princess. Even considering how rare phoenixes are as pets, there’s no way some timid gem finder in Ponyville could get their hands on something like that unless they themselves enchanted it or had it enchanted. But I guess the question is why there is a mare going around Ponyville with a fake phoenix and offering her services as a gem pedler? The question would go on unanswered right up to the point Twilight met with the Princess of the Night. “Good evening, Princess Twilight,” greeted the dusky alicorn. “Good evening, Princess Luna. Before we begin tonight, I have to ask something that may seem somewhat random.” “Is it about my…other self?” Luna seemed to tense up at the idea this would be about Nightmare Moon. “Not at all.” “Then ask away, Twilight.” The tension disappeared, replaced by Luna’s relieved expression. Twilight cleared her throat. “Princess Luna, have you ever heard of, or even seen, a green-and-gold phoenix?” “An odd question, to be sure, but I have seen a green-and-gold phoenix.” Twilight was surprised. “Really? When? And where?” Luna smiled, “Believe it or not, it was one of the pets of Queen Faust, who I believe you met immediately following the death of Sable Loam. When she…left this world, her phoenix also left the castle, leaving behind a solitary egg.” Twilight knew whose egg that was. “So you’re saying Philomena’s mother was one of these green phoenixes?” “Indeed. That was a thousand years ago, so the idea that of what must be a few hundred of them currently today, there is at least one green-and-gold individual out there. However, I suspect the reason you are asking is because you heard a story of a pony who has a phoenix of that coloration appearing in some towns, is that right?” Twilight would have just been bowled over by Luna’s insight, but by this point the ascended unicorn knew better. “Yeah, somepony that Rarity contracted to help get gems for her dressmaking.” “That doesn’t surprise me. While phoenixes are known for being wild creatures who are impossible to tame, the green ones instead tend to find a companion, usually a pony, who they will stick with for the rest of their lives. When their pony companion dies, they will return to the wild and re-integrate with their kind. That is what my mother’s phoenix; Verna, did, and it is those same magical instincts that have made Philomena such a loyal pet to my sister even though she is outwardly no different from the common wild phoenixes.” Twilight was silent at this new information. The story had gone from being far fetched to almost completely true. The horn thing was still unanswered, but now that Twilight knew the general area of where to find this phoenix and its owner, the only possible course of action would be to find them and make some new discoveries. There would be time for that later, though. “Thank you, Princess. May we begin now?” “Yes, I believe we can.”