//------------------------------// // Chapter One; Warm Summer Day // Story: The World Tree: World of the Frozen Moon // by Artaelian //------------------------------// Applebloom awoke in her bed at the cockerel cry at dawn. Her night had been rather fuzzy and dreamlike after Applejack had gone to the hospital with that pegasus filly. She yawned as the first rays of the sun entered her room through the window, wondering if it had actually been a dream. She climbed out of bed and stretched, front legs then back legs, before deciding to get breakfast. Two minutes later, she found herself in the kitchen, where only her older brother, Big Macintosh and her granny, Granny Smith, sat around a stacked plate of hay pancakes. Seeing her granddaughter awake, Granny stacked three on a plate, pushing them to her designated chair. Applebloom licked her lips and sat down, tucking in to her breakfast. “So, quite a night last night huh?” Big Mac said to her, making Applebloom look up at him. “What’d ya mean?” Applebloom asked him, raising an eyebrow. “AJ and Ma running off to the hospital with that pegasus filly that fell from the clouds, did ya forget?” Granny’s face looked a little too serious. “Oh, nah. I just couldn’t remember right away if it were a dream or not. They ain’t back yet?” Applebloom hoped there would be a simple reason for where the pegasus had come from and that would be the end of that. “Nope,” was the only answer she got from her brother. Without any further words, the three fell silent and continued to eat. All the while, Applebloom ran many thoughts through her head about the pegasus and her strange glowing leg bracelet. ‘Maybe she was trying to learn to fly, but became too tired? Nah, she’d have fallen closer to Cloudsdale. Oh, maybe somepony or griffon was trying to kidnap her, but something happened and they dropped her! But, then wouldn’t I have seen them too? Ah forget it, it’s too early in the morning.’ An hour later, while Applebloom was upstairs, attempting to finish her homework, Applejack and her mother returned, with the still sleeping pegasus filly. The four family members still downstairs looked at the orange filly as she lay on the couch. “So nothing wrong with her eh?” Granny Smith asked. “Nothing, the doctor said she’s strong, almost like a fully grown adult pegasus.” Applejack replied. “Well, only one thing to do. You three,” Granny pointed at the others with a hoof, “head out and find a pegasus who’s heading to Cloudsdale and see if any fillies are missing. I’ll stay here with her.” The three other Apple family members nodded their heads and left the house. Granny meanwhile found a blanket which she placed over the back of the sleeping pegasus, and sat down in the rocking chair across the room, where she too fell asleep. Applebloom finished her homework and put it away ready to hand in roughly fifteen minutes later, and not realising that her sister and mother had been back, slowly made her way downstairs, coming up with plans for the day. The sounds of her hoofsteps echoing slowly awoke the orange pegasus, who blinked her eyes a few times to clear them, while following the yellow shape she could see moving. Applebloom had gone to the kitchen, oblivious to the pegasus watching her, and poured herself a glass of water, which she drank in one go. She turned her head to look at the rocking chair where her Granny was sleeping, and did a double take when she saw the orange pegasus. “Oh mah gosh, ya scared me!” Applebloom said, thankful that she hadn’t dropped the glass. “I am ever so sorry, I did not mean to.” the pegasus replied, standing up off the couch and shaking the blanket from her back. “I guess mah sister came home then, she ran off with you when you fell from the sky last night, took you to a doctor.” “I see, I do not know how to respond to this.” the pegasus, deliberately walking around in circles around Applebloom, examining her. “Uh, well it was just to make sure you were okay, what are you doing?” Applebloom, becoming a bit nervous. “Oh, I am sorry, again, it’s just,” slowly and gently, the pegasus reached a hoof out and placed it gently to Applebloom’s shoulder, “I guess first of all, introductions are in order, my name is Scootaloo.” “Okay, pleased ta meet you Scootaloo. My name is Applebloom, now can ya tell me why you were being weird and walking around me?” Applebloom asked. “It’s just, you have such a nice well kept coat, your ears are a little strange though. You just have such a nice coat for someone so old.” Scootaloo answered, with a rather happy and pleasant smile. “Someone so old?” Applebloom repeated, very confused. “Why, yes! I mean, you look like you’re what, four hundred and fifty?” “Hey! I’m not a fossil!” Applebloom puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. “Oh no, you misunderstand, that really is a compliment!” Scootaloo waved a hoof in front of her, smiling a nervous smile. “How is it a compliment to say I’m four hundred years old? Wait, why do you think ponies can even get that old?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened, as she turned to face away from Applebloom. As Applebloom moved to face her again, she heard her mutter something about another world under her breath. “Answer me Scootaloo, why did you think I’d even be four hundred years old?” Applebloom pressed, her nose touching that of Scootaloo’s “Uh, could you tell me if there is a library nearby? I may need to look there first before I can answer any questions you might have.” Scootaloo answered, smiling in hopes to remove any hostility from Applebloom. Applebloom for her part thought for a moment, really wanting to deny the request to look at books and to just answer her questions. But this seemed important to Scootaloo, and she sighed. “Fine, I’ll take ya to the Golden Oaks library, it’s close to the other side of town though.” Applebloom stated. “Good, lead the way to the library.” Scootaloo sighed in hope. Time Twister stood outside the grand doors to the throne room, where Princess Maakera waited for him. It was just another part of his job, daily meetings with the princess, or summons such as this visit today. Each time it was something she wanted done that required him to get done fast, if she wanted something done slowly or never, she asked someone else. Beside him, Lieutenant Shining Armor smiled. He always smiled. It annoyed Time Twister so much, where was the anger towards him from Shining Armor? Even when he had lost a certain promotion because of a lucky chance on Time Twister’s part, there was Shining, smiling. Shining was the very first to congratulate Time Twister on becoming captain of the guard, smiling as he did so. Just once, Time Twister wished the smile would crack slightly, and show how Shining Armor really felt towards him. “Come on now Time, you don’t want to keep her waiting, she sounded worried when she asked for you.” Shining stated, still smiling. “Of course, she always does,” Time Twister replied, holding back what he really wanted to say about that damned smile, seriously, did Shining have surgery to change his mouth to always be smiling? It was like Shining was hiding something from him, some feeling he really wanted to get across, but didn’t because he worried of causing offence. He coughed, “but if I know her, it isn’t something to worry about, a minute or two more won’t hurt. I haven’t seen you for a few days, everything going alright?” Time Twister inquired. “Yes thank you sir, Cadance and I are planning our wedding, I was thinking of asking you to be the best stallion.” Shining Armor replied, that smile never fading or revealing true hidden emotions underneath. “Me? Why me?” Time Twister asked, a little surprised but he was sure he knew the reason. “I’ll be marrying a princess. It’s going to be an event the whole country will be keeping watch of, and you think I wouldn’t ask my friend to be by my side as I marry the love of my life?” Shining posed to him. TIme Twister blinked, he hadn’t expected that to be the reason. Shining wanted him there because of their friendship? It was touching, perhaps he was wrong about the guy, that the smile he held was because they were friends. “And besides, I’d get a lot of abuse if the best stallion wasn’t the guy who saved Princess Maakera’s life and the Captain of the Guard.” There it was, always with the public image for the royalty and nobles. Oh, how he wanted to hit Shining in his face and yell at him for thinking of a public image over what he really wished for, but it just wouldn’t be worth it, the damned fool would probably continue to smile and still ask him to be the best stallion. “I see. Well, I better see what the princess wants, we can talk after.” Shining simply nodded, as the doors opened and Time Twister entered the throne room. The throne room was a marvelous sight. Trees were growing indoors, and the walls not only had stained glass in them, depicting various historical events, but also had water fountains which fed small streams which ran under glass towards the trees, making the whole room feel alive. And sat in the middle on a pure white chair under a pure white gazebo was Princess Maakera. She was taller than any pony in the land, being an alicorn and named after a princess of an old legend, her coat was a leaf green, in contrast, her mane and tail looked like the branches of willow trees, yet still were clearly hair. “Good morning Time Twister, did you sleep well?” Princess Maakera asked, never looking up from a bird that had somehow found its way into the throne room, and sat on the table he had never seen in the room before. “As well as can be expected when I could be required at any moment.” Time Twister replied, drawing closer. He didn’t question how she knew it was him, she never did court and had summoned him, to expect anyone else would have been foolish. “Quite. Tell me, what do you make of this bird?” she asked. He was about to answer, and ask if she wanted it removed, when he stopped. Most birds in Equestria were pretty standard, a head, beady black eyes, two wings, two legs with clawed feet and a tail. Even the exotic phoenixes followed this. But this bird had four wings and eyes that looked as though they had intelligence behind them instead of natural instinct. “I,” he paused, shook his head and cleared his throat, “I do not understand your highness.” Princess Maakera smiled, and held a hoof toward the bird which examined it before hopping on it using all four wings to help. “It is a most amusing little creature, in all of this world, I have never seen this bird, and none have ever mentioned it before, I wonder where it came from,” she raised her hoof and held still for a moment as the bird examined its surroundings, and then flew towards a sole open window on the north side of the throne room, “but to other matters I suppose.” “Of course your highness.” “What do you know of Ponyville?” she questioned, her eyes hiding any thought that may have been in her head. “A backwater town founded by earth ponies, though home to a mix of all kinds, not far from Canterlot.” Time Twister answered. “I had hoped you’d know where it was. I sensed strange magic that could be a threat to Equestria spark and fade from my senses last night. I want you and the guard that can be afforded to leave Canterlot to head there. It may be nothing, but better to check and be safe.” Time Twister deflated a little. Typically she never asked him to do something, not directly. She simply suggested it in a way he knew really meant ‘Do this or you’ll find life suddenly unpleasant’. But she seemed a kind alicorn, and he rather hoped she wouldn't punish him by removing his rank, belongings and home at best, or his life at worst. “As you wish your highness, I shall make arrangements and we can leave with a full force in a few hours, but as I prepare, I shall send word to the local guard to be on the look out.” he bowed and hastily made his way out of the room. As the throne room doors closed behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. Oh sure, going to a backwater town wasn't an ideal thing, but this was far easier than his previous tasks, such as accompanying the princess’ own personal protegee and her strange friends to evict a dragon that had settled in the country. Now he thought of it, it seemed rather strange that Princess Maakera had forgotten this wouldn't be his first trip to Ponyville. But what his mind fell on was the bird. As he hurried around to prepare, and then passed on the task to some of the guard so he could head to his hidden room, Time Twister couldn't help but wonder if his life obsession had finally gained some solid evidence.