"Waheeeey!"
"There, now you've got it!"
There was little conversation whilst eating. Lemon was greedily mashing his face into his lemon pie and Rainbow Dash was simply eating her rainbow doughnuts wile watching him curiously. It didn't take long for them to be done, and to leave, whereby Rainbow again tried to steer them into the right direction.
"So now that you've eaten, we should go find your friend. He's probably reading with Twilight. I know he said something about going to see her, and between you and me, I think he's kind of an egghead." she said, smirking.
"Now now, that's not fair. He can be fun too" Lemon responded defensively.
"Yeah whatever. Anyway let's go find him."
"Nah, he's probably still a little pissed at me, for last night. Hey how about we do something fun instead?"
"Like what?"
"Show me some cool flying tricks."
"How about I teach you some? Your friend told me about how you guys can't fly right so what if I got you both flying again?" said Rainbow, suddenly enthusiastic.
Immediately, she launched from the ground, and beckoned Lemon to follow her. To his credit, he tried, but still unsure of his feathered appendages, especially while hungover, he managed to amble up into the sky a few meters, and dared not move much from there, which elicited laughter from the rainbow flyer. Through a combination of encouragement and shoving, Rainbow Dash managed to get him higher still, much to his dismay, and his attitude soon made it clear to her he wasn't a fan of heights. Confronted with the notion of a pegasus with a fear of heights, this inspired her to push him further up, taking the 'tough love' approach to conquering fears.
Displaying aerial feats of agility and grace, rainbow set the precedent for Lemon to try and follow, and his attempts came out less graceful and more clumsy, as Rainbow silently thanked Celestia that the sky was fairly empty and not full of things for him to crash into, as her firsthand experience with crashing was not the most encouraging of experiences. She had also decided to subtly guide him towards Fluttershy's cottage, should the worst occur and Lemon needed medical attention. It may have been smarter to guide him toward the actual Hospital, but Rainbow wasn't the biggest fan of hospitals in the first place, and felt a gentle friend would do better for nursing crash-wounds.
It didn't take Lemon all too long to become accustomed to flying however, as, much to his own surprise, natural pegasus instincts began to take root, and he found himself swimming through the air comfortably, and soon enough he even managed to apply 'style' to his flight, though to his instructor he came off as flashy and soft. When she would take up speed and dive through impressive aerial maneuvers, he would simply glide along, and attempt to show himself off to the only observers around, that being Rainbow Dash and various confused birds.
It only took a few minutes however, for Rainbow Dash to get brash, and as she kept pushing him higher and higher, he noticed his height less and less, enamoured in the joy of flight, and more willing to try the exciting and fast moves Rainbow was showing him. As they reached a certain height, they took a moment to rest on a nearby cloud. Probably Rainbow's napping cloud.
"You wanna try something really fun?" she asked him, almost smugly.
"Like what?"
"A long dive. You heard about my sonic rainboom right? I'll bet you could pull off something similar from a dive."
"I dunno man, I mean I already ate dirt once today." he replied, tentatively.
"Oh come on. You've got much better control than only a few minutes ago, I'll bet you could pull of a dive and a recovery in 10 seconds flat!"
Lemon peered over the edge of the cloud, now taking in their actual height, and found himself suddenly nervous once more. He even took the time to observe the way that, at this height, the ground appeared to coming towards him. In fact, it was approaching quite rapidly, and as he attempted to pull back, he instead found his hooves stretching out infront of his face, and he realized he was falling.
She'd pushed him off. Like a bird.
Instead of the fear of the ground rushing towards him, Lemon found himself feeling the pump of adrenaline, and the instant he flared his wings the suddenly control was incredible.
"Oh christ he's doing something" muttered Zegram as he heard Lemon shouting. Immediately he began to jog towards the sound, dreading what level of destruction he'd find. What he found instead was the sight of something rushing down the street incredibly fast. His first assumption was that it might be Rainbow Dash, fleeing from the scene, but the lack of colours tipped him off. He craned his neck a little higher to see, as he jogged, and found simply that the object was growing. It took him all of a second to figure out it was headed toward him, and as it grew constantly larger, his heart raced as he felt he was about to be struck. Immediately he dipped his head down and flattened himself against the ground, as the green and yellow streak that was quite clearly Lemon rushed overhead at mach 7, almost tearing him from the ground in the wake.
"SMOKIN' JESUS TITTY CINNAMON!" he shouted, and found that as the second streak, this one more colourful rushed past his head aswell, barely brushing against his ears, his heart had stopped for a second. He managed to keep sight of the two, now a pair of small specks, as they rose up in the air again, and dove once more, and came again down the same street. Zegram ducked his head down again, as the two rushed overhead a second time, back in the direction they'd come, and began to follow after them, now running. He expected to hear the sounds of a horrific crash at any second, and when none came his mind raced as to what else could happen. here he was, just managing to sort their biggest problem, and now Lemon was off creating more havoc.
Without much thought as he ran, Zegram began to twitch his wings as he ran, and after a few more feet they opened up, lifting him off the ground. He barely noticed, as his legs kept kicking, tapping against the ground a few times before a single, instinctive flap hefted him higher up, and he began to pick up serious speed. It was only when he began to head over the tops of houses that he even noticed he was no longer running.
Hooo fuck, okay. Don't fall don't fall don't fall I'M FALLING I'M FALLING FLAP FLAP FLAP FLAP Okay, okay now we're clear
His speed picked up more, and he still kept the two dots in sight. He recognized the sight of Fluttershy's cottage as he passed over it, and the sight of the everfree closing in. The two dots that he was certain were still Rainbow and Lemon were still some distance ahead of him, though now close enough that he saw their colours.
I wonder why I'm not being assaulted in the face by her rainbow trail he thought, distracted for a moment. It took only a moment for him to come face to face with a world of colours, and the soft impact of his face on something plush and fuzzy. The accompanying "Hey!" was confusing, but as he came to a halt, his face lost contact and he discovered that he had effectively kissed two rumps in two days.
"Gee grum, I didn't think you liked her." laughed Lemon, followed by a blue hoof accosting him across the snout.
"We were going to come find you, you didn't have to chase us" she said to Zegram, still rubbing his nose. Atleast the impact had been soft, though now he had the smell of skittles stuck in his nose.
"Yeah so uh...were you two headed for the forest?" he asked.
"I...think so. I hadn't really noticed where we were going really." said Lemon.
The three were distracted however, by the distant sound of derisive cackling. They turned to it's source to find the slender form of Discord hovering not too far from them, laughing. He had managed to accomplish the feat of rolling around, in the air.
"And just what's so funny!?" demanded Rainbow, as was to be expected.
"Probably the sight of your butt getting kissed." said Lemon, starting to chuckle himself.
"Yeah so if you could just shut up right now, they might still find your corpse." grumbled Zegram to his giggling yellow friend, who couldn't help but respond "Taste the rainbow!" prompting them both and Discord, who aside from laughing his head off, literally, burst into a fit of heavy cackling. Even Rainbow was smiling, though she tried her hardest to appear unamused.
Discord then lazily flew over to them, and wrapped his arms around Lemon's and Zegram's necks.
"Oh you two are just too much! We really should hang out more often. I do love Fluttershy's company but she can scarcely be as much fun as you two are!" he gloated.
"Okay, enough fun" said Rainbow Dash, cutting in on the giggles. "We really should get you to Twilight."
"But I already saw her today" said Zegram
"That means you can come down and have some more fun!" came a cheery voice from down below. The four of them looked down to the sight of a little pink blob calling up to them, and as they descended to the ground Pinkie was bouncing around in circles, for no apparent reason.
"The pink one..." hissed Zegram, shifting behind Discord and pointing an accusing hoof at her from behind him. Obviously, this caused him to start laughing again.
"Hey Dashie!" she called, trotting up to her friend. "Twilight and the others have been looking for you! And you two!" she said, turning to Lemon and Zegram. Almost as if on cue, the other four element bearers arrived, seemingly from nowhere, all sporting saddlebags. Twilight had a letter held aloft with her magic, and she approached them all ahead of the others.
"The Princess wrote back to me!" she called out, before drawing near. "She says she wants to meet with you two. A very high honour. She says that she's even sent for a carriage to come and collect us all." she said, rather proudly. Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack where talking amongst themselves, and Pinkie and Rainbow were simply looking at the two as Twilight was. Only Discord seemed to have any actual feelings towards the proceedings, and he was clearly displeased. Unannounced, he made his exit in a simple poof of smoke. Only Lemon and Zegram seemed to notice, the latter because he was previously hid behind said dragonequus.
"So it begins." said Lemon, uncharacteristically solemnly.
"Gotta earn that adventure tag." muttered Zegram, in bitter defeat.
While Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow where occupied discussing the contents of the latter and their plans for their visit to Canterlot, Applejack approached the two, while Rarity and Fluttershy continued nattering about spa-days long past.
"Mr Lemon, ah done told Big Mac 'bout yer taste fer drinkin', since ah thought it was pretty funny how drunk ya got, an he reckons he'd like to challenge you to a drinkin' contest sometime. Hope yer up to it, 'cause ah reckon it'd be funnier'n anything." she said, shooting Lemon a smug smirk.
"I'LL DO IT!" he shouted, heroically, striking a pose.
"NO NO DONT DO THAT IT CAN ONLY END BADLY" Zegram interjected hastily, remembering the dampness on his face. It didn't dry up until morning, and left the fur on his face slightly matted. His only resolution had been to rub his face in the dirt in an effort to 'comb' it when he landed that morning. He didn't want to repeat that.
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle.
"Still sour 'bout yer muzzle there sugarcube? Ah thank he thought y'all were a mare. He was pretty hammered." she said, still chortling to herself.
"No." grumbled Zegram. "No he didn't."
Upon hearing this, Lemon adopted a prideful air. He damn sure didn't think that, no sir.
"Well I for one think you two make a lovely couple. You won't find Ponyville lagging behind with the times, er...much." said Rarity, who had approached the group with Fluttershy, who was refusing to say anything.
"HA HA NO" said Zegram, now irked.
"Girls? We'd best get ready for the carriage." said Twilight, as if trying to break up the future argument. "Did you two leave anything behind? Wouldn't want to forget your personal affects if you're going back home." she said to Lemon and Zegram.
"Aww! You're leaving? Already? We only got to have one party!" said Pinkie.
"Y'all didn't say you were leavin' today."
"It hardly seems fair dear. I didn't even get to treat you boys to a day of pampering."
"YEAH OKAY" barked Zegram, his ire only burning hotter when Lemon tried to whisper to him "Dude cool down"
"Anyway..." he continued. "Yes, we left our own saddlebags up at Rainbow Dash's place."
With that, Rainbow launched from the ground, and in a Rainbow streak flew off with speed.
"She'll be right back with them." said Twilight, depositing the letter she'd been holding aloft for a pointless length of time now, into her own saddlebag.
It was then that a carriage flew in from the sky above Ponyville, small in size and drawn by two solar guardsponies. Twilight appeared deflated, as if she had expected, or wanted, the princess to be present for the ride, but no such luck. As Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie boarded the carriage, all four barely fitting, Zegram was curious.
"Is there a second one? I mean that thing can't fit another one of us." he asked. Behind him, Rainbow Dash began to giggle.
"Uhm...well you're both pegasus right so uhm...we'll be flying behind the carriage, uhm, if that's-if that's okay with you that is." said Fluttershy quietly.
"That's right!" barked Rainbow. "Lemon here is a decent flyer, and if my flank has any say on it, so are you."
Zegram simply huffed. He felt nervous about the prospect of flying any distance, but he had to admit that, save for a collision with a rump, he had rather enjoyed the surprising ease with which he'd taken flight. He mused for a moment how long it would take them to get tired, but surely a rest-stop or two would not be out of the question. The two guardsponies drawing the carriage would need a rest also, would they not?
They did not. They flew the entire journey without rest. What was more, they barely seemed to have broken a sweat, as neither Rainbow or Fluttershy had either, once they'd arrived at the castle's carriage bay.
Zegram however, was shattered. He was capable of athletics, that he knew. But he had power, not stamina. The long flight had drained him of the will to move. Even Lemon seemed fairly at ease when they all landed, though he was visibly panting. Whether it was due to exertion or some other reason, Zegram would never know.
Upon touching down, Zegram's legs had given out, despite them not being the limbs that had just been overused. His wings hadn't even the strength to fold up, and so they lay limp at his sides. In an act of compassion which served only to produce more embarrassment, Lemon had opted to lift Zegram up onto his back, saddlebags and all.
The others, as the landed and disembarked from the carriage showed concern, save for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who found the scene funny, as did the guardsponies.
"Can you handle that?" asked Twilight, as she walked beside Lemon as Zegram lay across his back.
"Aah, sure. He's taller than me sure, but he's light as the feathers on his wings." he replied, to which Zegram responded by wheezing into his ear.
"You're taking to this whole pony body thing to a creepy degree." he whispered. The response he got was a lash from Lemon's tail across his muzzle.
As the group passed by the guardsponies, now removing the carriage harness, one of them couldn't help but chuckle and mutter something.
"All tuckered out, poor colt." he said. Zegram heard this, and couldn't abide it.
"OH I'M SORRY" he barked, now removing himself from Lemon's back and getting steadily to his hooves. "I DON'T KEEP A STRICT TRAINING REGIME OF FAILURE."
"What'd you say, colt?" asked the guard, now angered. "And what do you know of failure, flightless?"
"Oh not much. You know, all those riveting tales of the guards' successes during those big dramatic events, like that Nightmare Moon thing where you guys saved the da-oh wait, no that was the girls over there. Ok but that time with the changeling invasion you guys were...you were all defeated actually I think, saved by THE POWER OF LURVE. Oh but you guys were INSTRUMENTAL in the whole crystal empire escapa-oh wait, I don't think you guards were even there. At all."
He was now having a stare-down with the guardspony, who was clearly flustered, but moreso he was confused. He had no idea how this one mouthy pegasus had come to know of these events, or the details of their resolution.
"Yeah, well..." he stammered. "Sh-shutup!" His colleague, likely older and wiser, burst into a fit of wheezing laughter. This prompted Twilight to step forward.
"Gentlecolts, these two fellows are esteemed guests of myself, and due to the royal invitation that you surely know of, The Princess. A little more respect would be in order sirs." she said to them.
"Ofcourse, Princess Twilight." said the older one, who was done chuckling. "Come, Sky Dancer. We've duties to attend."
"Sky Dancer!?" Zegram couldn't help but laugh. Lemon chuckled some aswell, though the other six, the element bearers, simply rolled their eyes. The name wasn't all that unusual or funny to them. As the two guardsponies made way to their duties, Twilight beckoned the group to follower her as she led the way to the palace grounds.
Zegram and Lemon both took the journey as an opportunity to take in the sights of the place they'd only 'seen' per descriptions, which had all been embellishments and exaggerations. Canterlot wasn't so much a city, as it was a series of thin and narrow streets that weaved in between the massive towers of the castle that made up Canterlot as seen from afar. Perhaps it counted as a city, but it was more of a neat and polished slum for the rich, as no street seemed to have room for more than three ponies to walk side-by-side. There was one open area, a small square, though it was more of a circle, which a statue on a fountain. The homes, as they seemed to be, either side, were akin to cottages, but they were simply faces, as the actual dwellings were built into the massive rock towers of the castle.
Eerily, the streets were also empty. Every few corners, a pair of guards, white of coat and donning their golden armour, were stood at the corners. As Twilight and her group passed by each pair, they received just a stoic salute. Not even eye contact. As they drew nearer the palace grounds however, which they could all tell by the streets widening up and the cobble roads being replaced with flat paving, not to mention the massive face of the royal palace staring them in their...well their faces, the makeup of the guards varied. Instead of a single pair surrounding the massive shallow stairs, there were two. On one side, a pair of the white-coated guardsponies, one unicorn and one pegasus. On the other, with their dark coats, golden eyes and purple armor, a pair of bat-ponies. The sight seemed to stir some concern among the group, save for Lemon, who was entranced. Immediately, he trotted over to them, and began oohing and aahing at them.
"Ohhh man, you guys are so cool! I wish I was one of you bat guys. All sleek and shit like, dark crusaders of the night." he cooed.
They simply ignored him. Flattered though they were, seeing as how rarely a bat-pony received positive attention, least of all in Canterlot, a place they would hesitate to call 'Welcoming' to all species, they were on duty, and stoicism was the word of the day. As it was, every day. Or night.
As they all made their way to the palace doors, which were opened for them, Twilight was instantly beset by a small legion of her personal attendants, the soft-maned marble-coated mares that bore a striking resemblance to Fluttershy, which only Lemon and Zegram seemed to notice, and Twilight attempted gingerly to assure them and to tell them to leave her be.
And there she was. In the middle of the corridoor, leading to her throne room, the Princess. Large and in-charge, she stood majestically, appearing in motion without moving. Far removed from the visual depictions the two had seen before, she commanded gravitas by her mere presence. Tall and imposing, yet with an elegant and graceful form. Zegram wondered how in the blue hell her mane managed to tune into the solar winds that were blowing her mane and tail, whilst Lemon wondered if it tasted of sherbert.
"Twilight! My dearest student!" she said, a voice as smooth as a cotton rug, and took a few steps to receive the incoming hug. "And the bearers of the Elements of Harmony! A joy it is to see you all!"
With that, her massive head turned, as she glanced at Lemon and Zegram.
"And you must be the visitors. Twilight didn't include your names I'm afraid, but she has told me of your extensive knowledge, and of your predicament. I am Princess Celestia, and I must confess, upon discovering that you are not from the world within the mirror, I was at a loss. I've no strong ideas as to what other worlds beyond ours and the mirror exist, or how to travel between them. My sister, Luna, however, claims to know of certain other worlds. One of the few benefits of her time spent in the moon, it seems. I would have asked her to be here to meet you today, but she also has guests arriving today. Friends of hers that I have not had the pleasure of meeting, though she speaks of them most fondly. They too, are visitors from far away. Perhaps you might meet them. It would be curious to say the least."
At that moment, as if on cue, the doors behind Celestia opened. With a small troop of bat-ponies, around 6 to be exact, came Princess Luna. Smaller than her sister, and her presence far less commanding and more soothing, she strode with a stiff and regal air. Perhaps a symptom of old habits, a remnant of her having to adjust to modern times. Upon entering the corridoor however, Luna locked eyes on the group, and approached, her entourage hanging behind her.
"Twilight! 'tis everso good to see thee this day, as one doest rarely have the chance for a visit. I wouldst hope thy time is not too full, as I have visitors who would shortly arrive that I wouldst love for thee to meet!" she said to Twilight, who seemed excited by the notion. Little attention was paid to the other 5 element bearers, who were hanging a few paces behind Twilight, occupied amongst themselves with chatter.
Immediately after speaking to Twilight, Luna turned to Lemon and Zegram, and her face lit up with joy.
"MY FRIENDS!" she cried, and trotted over to the two, hugging them both.
"Hey Lulu!" said Lemon
"Luluuuu!" said Zegram, as the two hugged her back.
Celestia and the elements all stood, staring, slack-jawed. It was only Twilight who spoke up through the shock and awe.
"WHAT!?"