Questions and Answers
________________________________________
Under the warm light of the Sun, colts and fillies push their way through the legs of a crowd of ponies. Reaching the front of the crowd, their eyes widen at the sight of an alicorn with amber eyes of a sunset to his pure white coat that shines under the daylight. Their eyes then move to another alicorn with ice blue eyes and a flowing blue mane that resembles the night sky.
However, among the crowd of ponies, a large group of mares glares while others grind their teeth at a pale-yellow and beige mare next to the alicorns.
"Okay, let me get this straight, you're saying that you're the Sun and Moon, right?" asks Rose, tapping her chin with a hoof.
"Aye," says Sun, nodding.
"Rose, thou hast been asking the same question. Is there a reason why?" asks Moon, tilting his head.
"Yeah, for the past ten minutes…" says Bon Bon, rolling her eyes.
"B-but how can you be the Sun and Moon if they're still in the sky!" says Rose, stomping a hoof.
"Rose, don't think too hard about it. I mean, a lot of weird things happen in Ponyville, remember?" asks Bon Bon, lifting a brow.
"R-right…" says Rose, rubbing the side of her neck with a hoof.
"Besides, their cutie mark already proves it," says Bon Bon.
"Cutie mark?" says Moon, blinking.
"Oh yeah, you both don't know what a cutie mark is either…" says Bon Bon, walking to Moon's side. She stops and points a hoof to Moon's flank. "It's this mark right here."
"Strange…" says Moon, blinking at a crescent moon on his flank.
"Y-yeah, it's kind of weird…" says Bon Bon, her eyes widening at Moon's flank.
"Bon Bon, is something wrong?" asks Moon, furrowing his brows.
"Huh? O-oh, nothing!" says Bon Bon with a sheepish grin.
"I can't believe you were staring at his flank…" says Rose, rolling her eyes.
"Sh-shut it!" says Bon Bon with bright red cheeks.
"Forgive me, but are these cutie mark of ours important?" asks Sun, blinking.
"Yeah! They show your special talent! Look, mine's a rose!" says Rose while facing her flank to Sun.
"I see…" says Sun, lowering his head with his eyes on Rose's flank.
"U-um… Sun?" says Rose, her cheeks filling with red.
"Is something wrong?" asks Sun, blinking.
"I-I don't mind, but just don't s-stare at it too long…" says Rose, red rising from her chin to her ears.
"Ah, forgive me. I did not mean to cause thee any discomfort…" says Sun, frowning and lifting his head.
"I-it's okay!" says Rose, flailing her hooves.
"Nice, Rose, you got him to look at yours…" says Bon Bon, scoffing.
"Will you shut it!" says Rose, stomping a hoof.
"Whatever…" says Bon Bon, rolling her eyes. She then blinks, seeing a gray blur in the sky. "U-uh, Rose, what's that?"
"What's what?" asks Rose, lifting her head. Her eyes then widen at a gray blur growing bigger. "I-I don't know, but it's getting closer…"
The gray blur slams into the left side of Sun, colliding into Moon as the three skids over the ground.
"SUN!" says Rose with wide eyes.
"MOON!" says Bon Bon, placing her hooves on her head.
"O-ow…" says a gray mare, shaking her head. "W-wait, why's the ground soft?" she asks, rubbing a hoof on the white surface. Her eyes roll down, seeing amber ones.
"Greetings, little one," says Sun, blinking.
"U-um, hi…" says the gray mare, her cheeks turning red. She then blinks her eyes before turning her head, seeing Moon with his face close to her rear.
"Forgive me, little one, but art thou well?" asks Moon, his brows gathering in.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you both!" says the gray mare, jumping away.
"Do not apologize. What matters most is that thou art not hurt," says Moon, pushing himself up on his hooves. He then faces Sun. "Art thou in good health as well?"
"Aye," says Sun, standing. He then faces the gray mare. "Now then, little one, I wish to hear thy name."
"Oh, I'm Derpy, Derpy Hooves, but you can just call me Derpy for short!" she says, grinning.
"Greetings, Derpy. My name is Sun," he says, smiling.
"It's nice to meet you, Sun!" says Derpy, grabbing Sun's hoof with her own and shaking it.
"Derpy, forgive me, but I do not understand this gesture…" says Sun, frowning.
"Wh-what are you talking about? It's a hoofshake. Don't you know about it?" asks Derpy, blinking and letting go of Sun's hoof.
"Nay," says Sun, shaking his head.
"What is this hoofshake?" asks Moon, furrowing his brows.
"Um…" says Derpy, turning her head as she notices Rose and Bon Bon with scowls on their face. "Can you both help me? I'm kind of not good at explaining things…"
"Ugh, it's just another way of greeting somepony…" says Rose, rolling her eyes.
"Interesting…" says Sun with wide eyes.
"Are there more ways to greet others?" asks Moon, tilting his head.
"Y-yeah, but there's kind of a lot…" says Bon Bon, rubbing her head with a hoof.
"S-sorry to interrupt, but what's your name?" asks Derpy, pointing a hoof at Moon.
"Ah, forgive me, Derpy. My name is Moon," he says with a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Moon!" says Derpy, grabbing Moon's hoof with her own and shaking it.
"This is truly a strange gesture…" says Moon, blinking.
"Oh, before I forget! This is for hitting you guys earlier as an apology!" says Derpy, bringing a cupcake-like bread from behind her and putting it on Moon's hoof. She then trots to Sun, grabbing his hoof and placing another on it.
"Derpy, what is this?" asks Sun, lifting the pastry on his hoof to his face.
"That's a banana muffin! And Moon's holding a blueberry one! Muffins are my favorite kind of food to eat!" says Derpy, jumping up and down.
"Muffin? Food? Forgive me, but I do not understand…" says Moon, wrinkling his brows.
"Ugh, that's right! I forgot that you're both the Moon and Sun!" says Bon Bon, placing a hoof over her face.
"Y-yeah, that's why they don't know something like a muffin…" says Rose, rubbing her head with a hoof.
"What are you guys talking about?" asks Derpy, blinking.
"It's nothing, Derpy…" says Bon Bon, letting out a sigh. She then faces Moon and Sun. "A-anyway, aren't you guys hungry?"
"Hungry?" says Sun, tilting his head. His ears twitch, hearing the sound of rumbling before sitting on his haunches and putting a hoof on his stomach. "Strange…"
"Aye…" says Moon, placing a hoof on his stomach as it growls.
"Sun, Moon, that sound means you're hungry. Just eat your muffin," says Rose, chuckling with a hoof over her mouth.
"Eat… the muffin?" says Sun, his eyes looking down at the muffin on his hoof.
"Wh-what are you guys waiting for? Just eat them…" says Derpy, furrowing her brows.
"I-I do not understand…" says Moon with a watery gaze.
"Um, Derpy, you should probably show them how to eat it…" says Rose, her brows gathering in.
"Why? Don't they already know how?" asks Derpy, raising a brow.
"Listen, Derpy, I know this will sound weird, but Moon and Sun don't know anything…" says Bon Bon, frowning.
"W-wait, what? You're joking, right?" asks Derpy with wide eyes.
"No…" says Rose, shaking her head.
"Y-yeah, so just show them, okay?" asks Bon Bon with a small smile.
"Well, if you say so…" says Derpy, wrinkling her brows. She then faces Sun and Moon, bringing a muffin from behind herself with a hoof. "Just take a bite, like this!" she says, biting a part of her muffin, chewing, and gulping.
"I see…" says Sun, lifting the muffin on his hoof to his mouth, biting it. His eyes light up, chewing with a smile.
"Moon, you should try it too!" says Derpy, smiling.
"Aye…" says Moon, lifting the muffin on his hoof to his mouth, biting it. His eyes widen, chewing with a smile.
"So, what do you guys think? They're good, right?" asks Derpy, grinning.
"Derpy, I don't think you have to ask," says Rose with a small laugh.
"Yeah, their face already shows it," says Bon Bon, giggling with a hoof over her mouth.
"Derpy, I finally found you!" says a voice.
"Huh?" says Derpy, turning her head and seeing a tan mare with a frazzled mane. "Oh, Mayor Mare, what took you so long?"
"Y-you… I told you to slow down!" says Mayor Mare, stomping a hoof.
"S-sorry, but I really wanted to see the alicorns…" says Derpy with a sheepish grin.
"Oh, speaking of them, where are they?" asks Mayor Mare, turning her head side to side.
"Behind you," says Derpy, pointing a hoof.
"Really?" asks Mayor Mare, blinking. She turns and sees a white and blue wall before lifting her head as her eyes widen. "Th-they're huge…"
"Wait, Derpy, you told Mayor Mare about Sun and Moon?" asks Rose, rubbing her head with a hoof.
"Well, she did tell everypony to let her know if somepony important shows up, remember?" asks Derpy, lifting a brow.
"Oh, I forgot…" says Bon Bon, blinking.
"W-welcome to Ponyville, Your Highnesses!" says Mayor Mare, kneeling and bowing her head.
"Little one, please stand and look at us," says Sun.
"Y-yes!" says Mayor Mare, standing and lifting her head as her body shakes.
"Now then, what is thy name?" asks Moon, tilting his head.
"I-it's Mayor Mare!" she says while sweat runs down her face.
"Greetings, Mayor Mare. My name is Sun," he says, smiling.
"And my name is Moon," he says with a small smile.
"O-oh, it's nice to meet you…" says Mayor Mare as her body stops shaking.
"Ah, forgive me, but what was that strange gesture earlier?" asks Moon, frowning.
"What?" asks Mayor Mare with an open mouth.
"U-uh, Moon, Mayor Mare was just bowing!" says Bon Bon.
"Bowing?" says Moon, blinking.
"Is it another way of greeting others?" asks Sun with wide eyes.
"Sort of. I mean, it's common courtesy for somepony to bow to royalty…" says Bon Bon, rubbing behind her head with a hoof.
"Royalty?" says Moon, tilting his head.
"Oh, Sun, Moon, remember when I asked if you both knew that you were alicorns?" asks Rose, blinking.
"Aye," says Moon, nodding.
"But what are these alicorns?" asks Sun, his brows gathering in.
"Well, you guys are alicorns," says Bon Bon, pointing a hoof.
"Yeah, alicorns are blessed with the three races of ponies; pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies," says Rose, nodding.
"We are blessed with… all three ponies?" asks Sun, tilting his head.
"Yep!" says Derpy, trotting and stopping next to Sun's side. She then grabs Sun's wing with a hoof, stretching it. "See, I'm a pegasus, and you have wings like me!"
"Interesting. I have also seen another pegasus using their wings, but I do not know how to describe it…" says Moon, shaking his head.
"You mean flying?" asks Bon Bon, lifting a brow.
"If that is the word to describe it," says Moon, smiling.
"Well, since we're already talking about this, Sun, can you lower your head for me?" asks Rose, walking and stopping in front of Sun.
"Aye," says Sun, lowering his head.
"Okay, do you feel this thing?" asks Rose, rubbing a hoof on Sun's spiraling horn.
"Aye," says Sun, nodding.
"It's called a horn," says Rose, removing her hoof from Sun's spiraling horn.
"Horn?" says Sun, frowning.
"It's something that allows unicorns and alicorns to use magic," says Rose, rubbing an arm with a hoof.
"What is this magic thou speakest of?" asks Moon, furrowing his brows.
"Sorry, but we don't know much about magic since none of us are unicorns…" says Bon Bon, letting out a sigh.
"Y-yeah…" says Rose, hanging her head.
"S-sorry…" says Derpy, her brows gathering in.
"Do not apologize," says Sun, shaking his head.
"Thou hast been helpful in ways we cannot hope to repay," says Moon with a small smile.
"Well, at least Rose and I are earth ponies," says Bon Bon, smiling. "That's something we can tell you guys about-"
"Rose, Bon Bon, Derpy, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are some things I want to ask our guests. But seeing that you three got along quickly with them, I'd like to thank you for keeping them company," says Mayor Mare, smiling.
"N-no! It's the least we could do!" says Rose, her cheeks turning red.
"Y-yeah, Moon and Sun needed our help, so it's no problem…" says Bon Bon, rubbing a hoof behind her head.
"Besides, it's fun talking to them!" says Derpy, grinning.
"I'm sure it was," says Mayor Mare, chuckling with a hoof over her mouth. She then faces Sun and Moon. "Your Highnesses, I know that you both have a lot of questions, but can you please save it for another time? There's sort of a big crowd behind us…" she says, pointing a hoof.
Turning their head, Sun and Moon's eyes widen, seeing colts and fillies waving a hoof, stallions smiling and nodding, and mares in the crowd averting their gaze as their cheeks turn bright red.
"Big? More like everypony is here!" says Rose with wide eyes.
"It's mostly mares though…" says Bon Bon, huffing.
"I guess everypony wanted to see Sun and Moon!" says Derpy with a small laugh.
I'm more worried about the mares in the crowd eyeing you three out! thinks Mayor Mare, biting her bottom lip. She then places a hoof over her chest, taking a deep breath. "All right, everypony, please go back to your daily business!"
Colts and fillies wave a hoof before running off into town. Stallions nod and turn, walking away. However, a group of mares walking turn their head, scowling as their eyes reflect Rose, Bon Bon, and Derpy.
"H-hey, why did they look at us like that?" asks Derpy, blinking.
"Just ignore them, Derpy…" says Rose, letting out a sigh. I-I don't think I should walk around town tomorrow…
"They're just jealous…" says Bon Bon, rolling her eyes.
"Jealous? Of what?" asks Derpy, furrowing her brows.
"A-anyway, Your Highnesses, to what do we owe the honor of this visit?" asks Mayor Mare with a sheepish grin.
"Mayor Mare, there is no need to address Moon and I in that manner. Feel free to address us with our names," says Sun, smiling.
"Aye, we do not wish to inconvenience thee," says Moon with a small smile.
"Your Highnesses…" says Mayor Mare with wide eyes. She then puts a hoof over her mouth, seeing Moon and Sun frowning. "I-I mean, Sun, Moon!"
"As to thy question, Moon and I are searching for…" says Sun, blinking. "Forgive me, thou wouldst refer to others with the terms pony and somepony, correct?"
"Y-yes…" says Mayor Mare, nodding.
"I see. Now then, we have been searching for somepony, though we do not know this pony's name…" says Sun, furrowing his brows.
"However, we refer to this pony as the Azure One. Perhaps thou hast seen this pony?" asks Moon with a watery gaze.
"Azure One?" says Mayor Mare, tapping her chin with a hoof. She then shakes her head. "I-I'm sorry, but I don't know anypony that comes to mind…"
"Do not apologize. We understand. Moon, it seems our search will be longer than expected…" says Sun, hanging his head.
"Aye…" says Moon, frowning and nodding.
"Actually, I know somepony that could help, but she isn't here at the moment…" says Mayor Mare, letting out a sigh.
"She?" says Sun, tilting his head.
"You see, here in Ponyville, we also have a princess who is an alicorn," says Mayor Mare, smiling.
"Ah, where is this princess?" asks Moon with bright eyes.
"She's in Canterlot. It's over there," says Mayor Mare, pointing a hoof.
Following Mayor Mare's hoof, Sun and Moon's eyes widen at a white city with a castle sitting on the side of a mountain that stretches far into the sky.
"Mayor Mare, forgive us, but Sun and I wish to go there…" says Moon, his brows gathering in.
"It's okay. I already knew that you were planning to go there," says Mayor Mare with a small laugh. She then turns her head. "Derpy, I'm sorry, but can you come with me and our guests to Town Hall?"
"Sure, but for what?" asks Derpy, rubbing her head with a hoof.
"I need you to deliver a letter to the Royal Guard at Canterlot. It's to request a chariot for our guests," says Mayor Mare.
"Okay!" says Derpy, grinning.
"Now that everything's settled, Sun, Moon, please follow me," says Mayor Mare, smiling.
"Aye," says Moon with a small smile.
Sun nods his head.
"W-wait!" says Rose, stomping a hoof.
"Rose, is something wrong?" asks Sun, wrinkling his brows.
"Will you guys be okay without us?" asks Rose with a watery gaze.
"Aye," says Sun, smiling.
"A-are you sure?" asks Bon Bon, rubbing an arm with a hoof.
"Aye, we do not wish to trouble thee more than we already have," says Moon, shaking his head.
"O-oh…" says Rose, hanging her head.
"If you say so…" says Bon Bon, letting out a sigh.
Sun and Moon face each other, frowning. Nodding, Sun comes to a stop in front of Rose, while Moon stands in front of Bon Bon.
"Rose, please look at me," says Sun, lowering his head.
"Bon Bon, please look at me as well," says Moon, lowering his head.
"Wh-what is it, Sun?" asks Rose, lifting her head as her cheeks turn bright red.
"M-Moon…" says Bon Bon, lifting her head while her face turns beet red. Too close! Too close!
"I wish to thank thee for thy help…" says Sun, pressing his lips on Rose's cheek, the latter, her eyes widening.
"Now then…" says Moon, pressing his lips on Bon Bon's cheek, the latter, her eyes widening.
Mayor Mare's jaw drops on the ground.
"Thank you," says Sun and Moon, lifting their head and smiling.
"I-it's fine! I'm just g-glad I could help!" says Rose with steam coming out her ears while flailing her hooves.
"Y-yeah!" says Bon Bon with a sheepish grin. She then turns and places a hoof over her chest. I-I thought my heart was about to explode!
"Oh, Sun, Moon, do I get a kiss on the cheek too!" says Derpy, jumping up and down.
"Aye, I would like to thank thee for the muffin," says Sun, pressing his lips on Derpy's left cheek.
"The muffin was truly interesting. Thank you," says Moon, pressing his lips on Derpy's right cheek.
Mayor Mare's jaw drops on the ground, cracking it.
"You're welcome!" says Derpy, giggling with a hoof over her mouth.
"Strange…" says Moon, tilting his head. "Derpy, are those words one would say for the gratitude given to them?"
"Yeah!" says Derpy, nodding.
"Ah, interesting," says Moon, smiling.
"It truly is," says Sun with a small smile. He then turns his head. "Mayor Mare, as to earlier, please lead the way."
"Huh? O-oh, right!" says Mayor Mare, shaking her head. Turning, she walks as Sun, Moon, and Derpy follow behind.
"Rose, do you think we will see them again?" asks Bon Bon, gazing at Moon with a hoof on her cheek.
"I hope so…" says Rose, smiling at Sun with a soft glow within her eyes.
To be continued…