//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Might Be For Us 
// by Fat1thatyoulove 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 23 – Vanhoover

Your head has started to feel a little soar as your result to your fail-safe to knowledge Twilight's continued rambling, "Mhmm."

Luckily though your voice doesn't need to come back up as the feel of the train starts to slow, "Oh where here..."

Twilight's voice turns your head as you look to the bright and colorful world outside, Ponyville has rolling hills of nothing more than grass and a few wild flowers...And Canterlot is pretty much the same but with a more mountainy feel. Neither of these compare to the scene outside though.

The train station you slowly ease into is almost cut into a forest of rich orange, yellow and red fall colored trees that stand abnormally high over where the dark stone train station sits.

You blink to the colorful world outside as you speak up, "What is the city cut into a forest or something?"

"Yes..."

a stallion's voice hits against your ears as you turn around to the vest wearing pony that was sitting next to the door that now stands in the train's walkway, "Vanhoover has been cut out of Tall Tail forest which sits around it..."

You nod to the words as you move your hoof to the bag as you bring it around you.

The stallion takes a step aside as he speaks up, "We've arrived now." A warm smile comes over the stallion's face as he holds his hoof to the door that's now open.

Twilight moves to her hooves as she nods her head, you follow after her as she gets a few hooves closer to the train's door.

It takes a few moments for the heavy mare's slow trot to bring her down the stairs but you follow after her all the same as another voice hits to your ears, "Twilight Sparkle?"

Your ear flicks to the young sounding mare's voice as you turn your head to a tan coated mare with curly mane that slightly matches the yellow color of the fall leaves that surround the train station. The only thing that comes to your mind as you look over the young mare is, whoa...she could be my daughter.

Twilight nods her head to the name as she speaks up, "Yes, that’s me."

The young mare gives a little smile as she takes to her hooves, "Hello Mrs.Sparkle, I am Maple, I have been tasked with escorting you to the castle." As her words end her trot starts up.

Twilight's heavy hooves try to match the young mare's pace but she ends up still behind the young mare, you hold your trot as you trail beside her and start to take in the sights around you.

The ground of the path you travel on is a slightly uneven cobblestone walkway, but as you swing your head up a little you start to understand why the ground beneath your feet is a little uneven. The bright fall trees that stand above you are actually all around the city from what you can see, and if these trees are able to reach that high then it makes sense that there roots would mess with the forest city's roads.

Your trot from the train station has brought you to what you would guess is the main street, the buildings around you are not as simple as Ponyville's hay covered house...But there definitely no clean stoned Canterlot or bright clear crystal buildings. Instead the mostly two story buildings look to be made with the same dark cobblestone as the road you travel on.

"...Vanhoover was one of the first cities settled in Equestria once Princess Celestia took power. Most of the building in the city still have some of the original stone."

The young mare's words nod your head as you move your gaze to the few ponies that trot around the city's leaf covered streets. From what you're guess is this city is more like Ponyville then Canterlot, no fancy dressed ponies and a main street you can actually trot through. A faint smile comes over your face as you think that over, the Applejack of this town must make Maple Cider or something...

- - -

You and Twilight's following of the mare has brought you through the city's length, it’s probably a little slower than the young mare wanted seeing as how she ended up slowing her pace for Twilight's shake.

But you're trailing after her is brought to a halt as you look over a long dark stone almost vertical staircase that the young mare has stopped at, "Only ponies who have been summoned to the castle may travel it's stairs...This is where I must leave you both."

Twilight gives a little laugh as she looks over the hard stone stairs, "Oh...ok..."

The young mare nods her head as she takes a step aside. You move yourself a little closer to Twilight as you wait for her to take her first step to the stairs, "Still glad you wanted to help Celestia?"

Twilight shoots you a cold stare, but being under the shade of the large trees above you keeps you from feeling it as you allow the heavy mare to lean on you a little as your trot starts up the stairs.

- - -

It takes about ten minutes to go up the most likely five story high staircase, but your endeavors pay off as you both take your last step to the now platform like courtyard of the large old and majestic looking castle that lays about a gallop and  half away from you.

You halfheartedly expected to find that you and Twilight went higher than the tree cover, but thats not the case as you tilt your head a little higher to the trees that only part to allow more of the warm fall sun in.

Twilight gives a little sigh as she starts her trot up towards the castle doors, "Well at least Celestia is already here."

You follow her eye's gaze as you look over the large regal white chariot that sits off to one side of the courtyard.

However your eyes are not able to stay to the familiar chariot for long as a pony wearing a fancy long greenish orange cape starts to emerge from the castle's opening doors.

The sign of the fancy dressed pony rolls your eyes as you think to yourself, well so much for this place being like Ponyville.

"Ah...Twilight Sparkle." The stallion's deep voice trails on as he nears you and Twilight's containing trot, "Please follow me and I will show you to your room."

Twilight stops her trot for a moment as she cocks her head, "Um...Celestia's letter said that I was needed immediately, should I not-..."

Her words are cut off as the stallion waves his hoof, "Oh yes yes yes, but Countess is busy at the moment with the ruler...We will bring you to the throne room when they have finished talking."

You squint to the pony's words as you think them over, Ruler? Come on, lets just call Princess Do-Nothing Princess. You hold a dumb but friendly smile as you follow Twilight's starting up trot.

There's about three steps leading into the castle but Twilight makes short work of them as you follow the cloaked stallion inside.

As you pass through the doors two ponies to either side of them start to close them, but you don't notice them as you look around the elegant room you've stepped into. Sure you've been to Canterlot and the Crystal empire, but they both hold to one theme either stone white or bluish crystal...Vanhoover's castle has a much brighter feel.

It's walls are a dark cobblestone that only brings out the unique mismatch coloring of the fall orange and yellow stone that tiles the flooring.

However your intake of the room is cut off as the stallion's pace quickens a little, "The guest rooms are here..." His trot turns to a long side hall as he lead you and Twilight down the red rugged room, there's a few lit torches around the hall that have burned away the chill of the fall weather.

Your guess is that the young mare was right, this city was very old and apparently they like fire not lights.

The stallion stops his trot as he holds his hoof to a closed dark oak door, "You may wait in here until you're summoned."

You and Twilight nod your heads as the stallion trots away down the hall.

Without hesitation Twilight's hoof comes to the door as she takes her steps inside, the multicolored stone tile of the castle is not present in the room instead a solid lime green sits to the room. Which goes pretty well with the dark reddish brown wooden furniture of the room, of course Twilight doesn't really notice the room as she quickly takes her hooves to the large bed on the left of the room, "Those stairs were a little hard..."

The heavy mare crawls herself to the bed as you close the door behind you, "Good."

A slight giggle comes from Twilight as she rolls herself to her back and stretches her front hooves to the top of her chest.

You float the bag to the dresser on the side of the room as you continue to just look around the room that's being lit from the large window that sits in front of where you stand. You hold your gaze to the window as you trot over to look outside of it...Of course theres really nothing to see as the tall trees block the view of the city you trotted through.

"Care to join me?"

Your ear flicks to the words as you cock your eye back to the large bellied mare that has rolled herself to face you, a smile crosses your face as you look over the bed, "For what?"

Twilight's head is taken a little back to her chest as she just holds her big soft purple eyes to you, "...I wouldn't mind my hooves rubbed...or my belly..." An innocent smile comes over her sheepish face as you trot over to the small spot on the bed.

You place your hoof to the bed as you bend your head down as you hold your smile to Twilight's face, "Oh ya?" You move your hoof over the warm bulge of her stomach as you wait for a response from her.

But only a little giggle comes from her as she scoots herself a bit more to the other side of the bed.

End of chapter 23