//------------------------------// // Letters from Home // Story: The Wandering Physicist Adventures // by WanderingPhysicist //------------------------------// Main Characters: King James Sparkle, Prince Helios, Derpy (RoH), TWP Cameos: Lucas (RoH), Princess Alba Original Write Date: 01/06/2012     King James Sparkle comes out of a meeting at Canterlot castle. He lets out a heavy sigh that carries with it all of the boredom the meeting induced and the relief he has to finally be free. He notices a number of castle staff rushing past as they set up for an upcoming event. He lets out another sigh as a series of painful memories wash over him.     The event is Ponyville Memorial Day, celebrating the memory of a city that was wiped out by an evil alien force. That day, all but one of the planet’s greatest heroes fell in the battle to repel the invaders. The day was saved when the scourge of Equestria, the god of chaos Discord, was manifest and destroyed the aliens once and for all. It was also the day that James was ‘born’ so to speak. It only cost him his identity and the life of the pony he loved. A very lovely wedding was also ruined that day.     James lowers his head as he walks to his next meeting. He always gets depressed this time of year as he misses his former fiancee. He would rip a hole in time and space to save her if only the wife would let him. She is right to stop him. He trained her well.     ‘Dad! Wait up!’     James turns to see a blue-grey alicorn with a silvery mane run up. Given the time of the day, Prince Helios must have just gotten out of school. The younger alicorn catches up to his father.     ‘You have a moment?’ Helios asks.     ‘You know I would drop everything for my friends and children.’     ‘Great. Can I have a thousand bits?’     ‘Ask your mother and hell no!’     ‘Fine. Can I get one of the royal chariots to take me to school next week?’     James looks at his son. ‘This isn’t for you, is it? You’re asking because your friends made you.’     Helios scowls. ‘I wouldn’t call them friends. More like leeches who think it would be cool to pretend they know the prince.’     ‘I could say I know what you are going through, but I wasn’t co-ruler of the most influential nation in a global republic until a couple years before you were born. Sorry.’     Helios sighs. ‘I can understand wanting us to go to public school, but I just wish I could escape the throngs of gold diggers and social climbers.’     ‘Don’t worry. You will find a group of friends who will understand you one day. Trust me. It just takes time.’     ‘Thanks, dad. You know just what to say.’     ‘No I don’t and you know that.’     The pair stop walking and look out over a garden. A small purple alicorn is reading near a statue of a unicorn with a six-pointed star cutie mark. The alicorn has several stacks of books surrounding her. James closes his eyes and moans.     ‘You still miss her, don’t you dad?’     ‘It is worse around this time of year. In a couple days, it would have been our anniversary.’     ‘I wish I could have known her. You and mom speak so highly of her.’     James stares at his daughter and the statue for a moment. ‘In a way, you know her pretty well already because of my existence.’     ‘Because you two merged minds or whatever?’     ‘Not exactly. What I did to split from Discord.... It is hard to describe. Pretty much I transferred as much of my original essence to her. It was all up to her body and luck if either of us were to survive. But she had this spark within her. A powerful spark. Because of her, our minds merged, we regenerated, and we stand here together right now.’     A throat clears behind the royalty. They turn to see an attendant standing behind them.     ‘Uh, King J...’     James glares down. ‘Can’t you see I am with my son now?’     ‘But you have...’     ‘Yes. I know I have a meeting, but this is more important. Just tell them I will be there as soon as I am free.’     ‘Y, yes sir.’     The attendant runs off before he can get in trouble.     James snorts. ‘I hate that everypony tries cramming in their meeting before a holiday. I am going to fire Lucas if he fills my schedule like this again.’     ‘You said that for Hearth’s Warming and the Celestia Sun Festival and every other holiday. For the past three years.’     James snorts. ‘You sound just like him.’     Helios laughs. ‘Hey. When is Auntie Pinkie getting here?’     ‘You just can’t wait to cause trouble with Apple again.’     Helios rolls his eyes. ‘Pfft. I wish. He is always so hard-working and honest. It is hard to get him to mess around and do something crazy.’     ‘Rainbow is always game for a crazy prank, and she loves doing fun things. You can always mess around with her.’     ‘Yeah, if she is not off on some cloud sleeping or reading with Alba in the library.’ Helios sighs. ‘Full Moon knows how to have fun. She is a much better big sister than Rainbow. … When is she coming home?’     James closes his eyes and forces back sad thoughts. ‘She is probably never coming home. Theta was very clear about that.’     Helios sighs again. ‘I miss her. She was really fun. I just wish she could have known.’     ‘With any luck, she is with the me of where she ended up and he is as thick as I am and accidentally told her already.’     ‘You’re not as thick as you say you are.’     ‘Right! He is thicker!’ A new voice shouts.     James shudders as his personal assistant Lucas storms up.     ‘I thought I gave you the day off,’ James moans.     ‘You’re right. You did. Dinky and I were at home helping her little sister get ready for her big recital tonight when my staff called and begged me to get you to go do your job.’     ‘If this is about me potentially being late for Krile’s big night, I was just going to cut out of my later meetings anyway.’     ‘Boss! You are going to go to your meeting now! No more time to dawdle. How many times do I have to tell you that running a country is not like running a video game shop?’     ‘I could fire you, you know.’     ‘Fine. Do that. I’ll be back to work tomorrow whether you like it or not.’     Lucas storms away. James growls at his friend. Helios laughs at his dad. Alba looks up from her book to watch the shouting.     ‘I’m going to tell Lyra that Derpy is a human and that is why all her kids are unicorns!’ James yells after Lucas.     ‘Don’t care! Do your job!’ Lucas shouts back as he exits the hall.     ‘It’s okay, dad. I shouldn’t keep you longer.’     Helios hops to the garden and trots over to chat with Alba. James grumbles then flies off to his meeting.     Later that night, James passes through a busy hallway clogged with ponies running and flying all directions. None of the ponies stop for any formalities with the king nor would he want them to. He gets to the end of the hall and enters an office. Derpy is sitting at her desk going over mail routes with an assistant. When she sees James enter, she waves her assistant away.     ‘Hey, Chief!’ Derpy beams. ‘How can I help ya?’     ‘Postmaster general,’ James says with a mock salute.     Derpy rolls her eyes, somehow in opposite directions. ‘Ugh. You have been doing that ever since I retired from traveling with The Doctor and took this job.’     James laughs. ‘Sorry. Anyway, I was talking with Helios earlier and that got me thinking, and well... I have a letter I need you to deliver for me...’     James drops an envelope on Derpy’s desk.     It is Ponyville Founders Day! All the residents of Ponyville are out at the center of town for the holiday. The Apple Family is serving their best Zap Apple products. Twilight is giving history lessons about various events and places in Ponyville, which the visiting Inkie is absorbing as best she can. Pinkie and Stormy have whipped up a giant batch of the greatest cupcakes in Equestria. Fluttershy has arranged for all of the local animals to sing happy tunes for the event. Rarity has sewn special costumes for all of the community leaders and presenters to wear. Discord watches the event from a cloud, hiding his sorrow by playing pranks with Rainbow Dash. The Wandering Physicist is even in the spirit by actually coming outside and having fun while the sun is out. Heck, somepony has to keep an eye on Rei so she does not cause too much trouble.     Yet in a more secluded part of the town, a covert action is going down. The muffled sounds of a TARDIS materializing can be heard coming from inside The Power Block. Inside The Wandering Physicist’s TARDIS, an older Derpy walks up to the center console. She appears somewhat translucent. She gets a letter from a well-worn mail pouch and sets it in plain view. She pulls a sonic screwdriver from her bag, aims it at the letter and activates it. The letter becomes more material as it phases to existence. Her mission complete, Derpy turns to head down one of the interior corridors but there is a pony in her way.     ‘Chief!’     ‘Very clever, D-squared,’ The Wandering Physicist compliments. ‘Uncoupling the phase regulator and setting quantum drift to maximum then materializing within the TARDIS herself. You cannot fully interact with the world, but you can sonic inanimate objects so they can permanently exist in this reality. Quite brilliant.’     ‘You’re supposed to... Good to see this side of you again, Chief.’     The Wandering Physicist picks the letter up from the console. ‘I’m just glad I figured out how you were doing this. Too bad you can’t bring Rei with you. She would be thrilled to go home.’     ‘It would rip her atoms in half.’ Derpy shakes her head. ‘It is always a big stretch just coming here.’     ‘Just tell me to stop writing these out himself. My mouth-writing is a dead giveaway.’     ‘Will do, Chief!’     The Wandering Physicist and Derpy salute each other and head their different directions. The Wandering Physicist takes the letter to Rei’s room before heading back out to rejoin the festival.