//------------------------------// // 38. Lessons in Flight - Part Three // Story: Letters From a Little Princess Monster // by Georg //------------------------------// Letters From a Little Princess Monster Lessons in Flight - Part Three To the outside observer, Mount Canter was a solid mass of granite and rock, an immobile part of the Canterlot mountain range that had always protruded above the center of Equestria as some permanent example of cup tectonics, and always would. It was only as one drew nearer that faults and cracks could be seen, some reaching deep into the stony flesh of the giant mountain range. Only one peak in the entire range had the stability to support a city, and that had only been possible with thousands of unicorns working for decades to lay the foundations. It was a challenge to the heavens, a symbol that unicorns working together could accomplish anything, but it could easily have become a ghost town of a few preliminary foundations and some dry bones early in the process. Cut stones require a cutter, but that is not all. Somepony had to plan where to cut, the proportions that the finished stone would take, where the rock fragments would be disposed, how to carry the stone to its destination, how to feed and water the cutter and the carrier, arrange for the disposal of their waste, care for the injured and the sick, protect them from accidents, and all of that had to take place on a desolate mountaintop with every tool and scrap of food provided by trains that were limited to a single set of tracks winding laboriously through the narrow cuts and trestles that had to precede the project. Any rational pony would have looked at the problem and thrown up their hooves. Alicorns are not rational ponies. When the Royal Sisters constructed their castle within the then-tame Everfree Forest, they ruled over a fairly small but growing populace that had only recently fled their Windigo-plagued homeland. There was no need for grand gestures or symbolism. The race of ponies had survived. That was sufficient. As time went on and the ponies expanded throughout their new lands, the Royal Sisters were called upon by the populous new cities to move the center of government to someplace more modern, practical, and convenient. Coincidently, that someplace was always the city making the suggestion, as they each pointed out the benefits of their particular location to a rather reluctant pair of alicorns who seemed to prefer their somewhat small and crowded castle that neither Celestia nor Luna expressed any interest in expanding to accommodate a growing number of politicians and bureaucrats. Then one day, the Royal Sisters vanished. The pegasi were the first to find them sitting on a large flat rock near the top of Mount Canter with a checkerboard and a basket of apples. There was considerable discussion among the three tribes, and eventually a small contingent with representatives from each tribe was dispatched to determine if this was just a picnic that had gone on too long, or if perhaps the strain of rulership had gotten to them. When the representatives returned, they carried a very short message. “We like the view.” After more substantial discussion among the tribes and a visit to several engineering firms, it was determined that the view from Mount Canter, the largest and most stable of the Canterlot mountain range was exceptional, and deserved to be shared. A year later, the first rail line had been laid, winding up the sides of the mountain to the geologically stable area that the engineers had determined would be the best place to build a city. A year after that, the outlines of the city foundations had been roughed out. It took the finest engineers twelve long years to drill boreholes into the granite flesh of the mountain and enchant the support beams that would prevent the city from buckling even in the worst disaster imaginable. It would have only taken ten if a small pocket of gemstones had not been found under the center of the city. Fortunately, the vast majority of them were low enough quality that the crystal rush petered out fairly quickly, and the ponies who had flocked to the mountain in the hopes of a quick bit found themselves doing construction work instead. It turned out to be much more profitable for them in the long run. Buildings rose from the new plateau, with spiral roofs and flags flying in a multitude of colors. An endless string of trains wound their way up and down the mountain, bringing workers and tourists to the new city in the sky. A castle was built, far larger and more grand than anything that had ever been seen in Equestria before. Below the surface, sewer tunnels were drilled, rainwater cisterns created, vast tunnels and caverns were bored out of the mountain for records, storage and supplies. Above the ground, the new Parliament building took shape, houses and apartments for the city dwellers rose in abundance, and the various Royals negotiated for places to put their own Royal Residences. Unicorn towers hugged close to the mountain and climbed its rocky sides in order to stretch for the sky while pegasus Royals built their estates right up to the edge of the cliff. Earth pony Royals took what was left over, the vast broad center of the city, where they built greenhouses stocked with fertile soil and vibrant flowers, and large comfortable apartments open to all who were willing to pay the rent and live by the rules. During the whole process, the machinery of government continued to turn. Once a week, Parliament sent a set of bills and proclamations up the mountain to the Royal Sisters, who still were bent over their checkers game. Once a week the sisters would send the papers back down, corrected for spelling errors and either approved or rejected. Forty years to the day after the Royal Sisters had flown up the mountain, they flew back down, only making a much shorter trip this time. They walked around the new castle and observed the completed construction, with little mentions of ‘hmm’ and ‘I see’ as they strolled. They sampled the flowers in the new Royal Gardens, observed the statuary, made a brief visit to the Parliament building, and retired to their respective rooms in the new castle. The next day, they made a joint declaration of appreciation for the new city of Canterlot with a celebration that ran all week, including feasts, dancing, and enough fireworks to fight a small war. Backdated newspaper subscriptions were picked up, delayed correspondence was answered, and introductions were made all around the castle as the Royal Sisters caught up with retirements and new hires. It took a year. At the end of the year, there was a somewhat more subdued celebration for the anniversary of the city’s founding, during which one diplomat from Great Griffon made the mistake of giving them a gift. The next morning, the castle staff found the Royal Sisters in their shared den as usual, although they were ignoring the grand view out of the huge window next to them. Scattered across the table in front of the window were the pieces of a chess set, and seated on opposite sides of the table were two alicorns with looks of intense concentration, making slow but deliberate moves as their new game progressed. ~ ~ ~ ♕ ~ ~ ~ The siren call of the descending sun awoke Princess Luna early from a rather troubling dream. The little flickers of distracted daydreams during the day always seemed as if a vast number of ponies were whispering in the distance without any words being discernible, but today she had been almost certain that news of the worst possible nature would await her awakening. It continued to bother her during a brief and vigorous shower to the point where she even cancelled her evening refresher class to brush up on changes in the Griffon language with a most handsome and charming young unicorn. Instead, she spent several hours in the study, trying to get a sense of the problem through the ancient art of Nuntimancy⁽*⁾. (*) Define: nun·ti·man·cy - noun The art of reading the future in newspaper clippings. “Hello, dearest sister,” said Princess Celestia, gliding into their mutual dining nook with the contents of a tray trailing behind her. “The kitchens have outdone themselves for dinner this evening. We have roast rack of avocado, a delicious tossed grass and alfalfa salad, and — Good heavens, Luna! What are you doing to the newspapers?” “Justice,” said Luna, spreading out a series of red-blotched articles across the table amidst a sea of small newsprint fragments. “The study of language under your rule has been most grievously neglected. Wouldst that we could fine them a bit per misspelled word, we could abolish all other forms of taxation and still run the government at a surplus. How do they ever expect to… There!” One silver-clad hoof pointed and an article floated up out of the tattered newsprint forest. “Fall is coming,” said Celestia, looking over Luna’s shoulder. “Wings are the things for fashion this season. What do you think it means?” “I know not,” said Luna, her brows narrowed in concentration as her indigo magic roamed over the article. “Only that it reflects upon the young pony who saved me from my corruption. Wings. Fall.” Luna looked up abruptly. “Sister, I must go at once.” “Is it something about Twilight Sparkle, Luna?” “Yes and no.” Luna flung open the window and the resulting breeze distributed the pieces of newsprint to every corner of their dining nook. “I feel a dream from her friend. Oh, and mate in seven.” With a soft wave of displaced air, the Princess of the Night vanished out into the evening and left Princess Celestia to regard their chessboard. A single rook had been moved three spaces, and Celestia closed the door and gathered the pieces of newsprint while she tried to think. * * * “Just so you should know, I think to the hospital he should go.” Zecora regarded the rhyming police officer and seemed to resist a twitch of annoyance as Trixie watched the ongoing scene over the top of a safe scroll. “Young mare of auburn hair, on my account you need not strain your choice of words for wise refrain.” Officer Grace nodded as she rolled back the unconscious stallion’s eyelid and peered inside. “‘Tis true, your speech is difficult to match, but with practice and thought, the pattern can be catch. Caught. Darn.” She left the stallion return to blinking in a dazed fashion while staring at his fascinating hooves. “His pulse is slow, his vitals strong. What ‘ere befell his… darnit. You make it sound easy.” “I could do this for hours while waiting for Flower, but our wait shall be done before the rising of the sun.” With the smallest gust of wind, the wide windows at the side of the treehouse room swung open to the night air and three ponies drifted inside. Princess Luna landed with barely a sound on the Zebrican library floor, with two smaller ponies held in her magic to one side. The Princess of the Night swept her gaze around the room and turned to Zecora, clearing her throat. “Good evening. I believe your daughter has something to tell you.” Still wrapped in Luna’s magic, Zecora’s adopted daughter floated over and was placed quite firmly in front of the somber zebra. The second little pony remained floating at Luna’s side, slumbering away with little twitches of her legs and undersized wings. “Good evening, my little Flower. You gave us quite a fright. Can you explain for your teachers what it is you did tonight?” * * * Monster had really not expected for her call to Princess Luna to be answered as swiftly as it had been. One moment she had been kneeling at the side of her slumbering friend, and the next it seemed as if the very night had wrapped itself around the both of them and swept them up into the sky. Scootaloo twitched as they rose into the night sky, her little wings rising by instinct to catch the breeze as it flowed past, even while Monster’s wings merely flapped and wobbled like loose shutters. It was so much of a relief to feel all of the strain of her secret begin to drain away, but it rapidly began to be replaced with a different fear. When she had first seen the brief flash of Scootaloo falling through the sky, it had shocked her right to the hooves. Even the earth spirits underneath her had hushed their endless whispers for a time, while the air spirits had seemed to tremble with fear of their own. She had seen those little flashes of insight before, and every time they had been right in every detail. Celestia sobbing in song in Ponyville while the dark pony swept down out of the sky. The false image of brother… of Shining Armor in Nightmare Moon’s illusion. That tiny fraction of time where she saw what would happen if the Elements of Harmony were permitted to be unleashed. They had all been so vivid, and every one of them had happened after they had been seen, but in ways that her abilities had been able to bend to avoid the consequences. This one was different. Scootaloo was going to fall, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She knew it, right down to her ears. Every moment she had climbed the jagged rocks, every second she had clung to her friend, it was all for nothing. Scootaloo would fall. But not today. The cool wind of the night not only streamed through her stubby mane but somehow seemed to pass through her heart while they flew. Above, the starlight brushed across her stubby wings as Luna arched her flight high into the sky. This was where Monster belonged, far away from others where they would not be hurt by her actions. If only she could gather enough clouds together to form a ship, she would sail alone among the stars forever. As if Scootaloo could sense her desire to flee, the sleeping little pegasus held tight and whispered, “I trust you, Twilight. I won’t let go.” The sensations of the ground returned in a tumble and thud, pouring in across Monster’s chest as Luna descended. The scent of apple trees in full fruit filled the air, and the nighttime insects of the forest sang their songs as the wind flowing over her body slowed from a gale to a breeze to a bare movement that could scarcely move a page. Monster had never flown into Home through a window before, and the open balcony swelled with heart-stopping speed in front of her, around her, and behind her as numb little hooves were set down on the wooden floor and she looked up into the loving eyes of her mother. “I’m sorry,” she started. It was a good place to start, a familiar phrase that she always meant, even if it was for a behavior she had done far, far too many times already. What she had done must have been extremely bad this evening, because a stern policemare sat silently to one side, listening to her confession without even a single nod or sigh to indicate sympathy as she poured out her story. Mom and Trixie nodded along as Monster told about her frightening vision of Scootaloo and her subsequent stalking of her friend by slipping from concealing bush to bush with short teleportation spells as she left Ponyville on the long walk to Ghastly Gorge. They both seemed concerned when she told about Scootaloo discarding her trademark scooter into the trash and the long trudge with her head down and muttering to herself all the way. Mom gave a sharp inhalation and Trixie a nervous twitch that traveled down her hide when she told about Scootaloo’s leap, and both of them seemed to lean into each other a little as she talked about their long huddle afterwards on top of the crumbling pinnacle of rock above the gorge. She finished in a very small voice, her nose almost touching the floor as she said, “Can I serve my sentence in the Ponyville jail? Don’t want to be away from my friends.” Both Mom and Trixie opened their mouths to speak, but the emerald-green policemare spoke first. “What sentence? Teleportation Without a License is only a crime if done for profit, your real age is far too old for the restrictions on curfew, and the section on the use of dream magic has been unenforceable for centuries.” The policemare gave a curt nod to Princess Luna. “Proceed, Your Highness.” “But I broke the rules,” blurted out Monster. “I used spells outside of my study guide! I could have gotten killed! I could have gotten my friend killed!” “Do not fret over what is not,” said Zecora with a gentle kiss to Monster’s forehead. “Instead, rejoice at what you got. Your friend is safe and resting now, so worry less about the how.” “She’s right,” said Trixie, stepping forward to grace Monster’s forehead with another kiss. “Buck the rules. You saved your friend. It’s time to stop worrying about what you’ve done, and start planning on how you’re going find out what drove her to this and how to help her deal with it.” “Me?” squeaked Monster. “I’d just muck things up,” said Trixie with a sideways glance at the other mares in the room that just dared them to agree. “Your mother has no experience with what a little pegasus who can’t fly is going through, and having Princess Luna ask about her problems would be like using a sledgehammer to crack peanuts.” “What about—” Monster looked up at the impassive policemare, who shook her head. “Sorry, ma’am. Princess Celestia’s orders. I’m solely responsible for Mister Crypto here.” Grace glanced down at the comatose stallion with the faintest indication of distaste. “He broke the law. You just scuffed it in a few places.” “Don’t worry, Menace,” said Trixie, pulling the little alicorn in closer and patting her on the head. “I’ll get you started. First, I’m adding teleportation to your spell list, provided you have three supervising unicorns or alicorns who can teleport to assist. Second, if it really bothers you, I’ll have Spike write a blank Request for Pardon to Princess Celestia…” Trixie hesitated and regarded the rather cold look she had just gotten from the Lunar Princess. “Or any other reigning princess who would care to process the request,” she added. “He’s gotten fairly good at the process.” “Forty-six Pardons,” said Grace. “Nearly a record.” “Whatever.” Trixie rolled her eyes and paused with a contemplative look. “Thirdly,” prompted Monster. “Right. Thirdly, before I pawn your friend’s problem off onto you and Princess Luna tonight, we’re going to have to get through her thick skull and find out what set her off. She’s kept it bottled up for so long, she’ll never tell us, so I’m going to show you…” Trixie paused with her tongue in her cheek. “I’m going to lie to her.” “Lie?” Monster cringed. “Right. You can tell her the truth after it’s over, but until then, I need you to stay quiet. This isn’t a nice lesson, or one that I expect you to use on any of your friends, but it’s something you have to learn, and I’d prefer that you learn it from me.” * * * Scootaloo burst through the clouds in a zoom climb with Rainbow Dash close behind. Their race to Canterlot to swoop through the Royal Throne Room had been too close to call, and they had decided to settle the differences about who was the best flier with a game of cloud tag. “Only one cloud left, Rainbow!” gasped Scootaloo, buzzing her wings into a frenzy as she paced her hero neck to neck on their colorful streak across the afternoon sky. The cloud grew rapidly as they flew until a dark pony standing in the middle of it drew her attention. The air thickened as she approached, and all of the flapping that she could do only allowed her to drift up to the edge of the cloud and look up into Princess Luna’s compassionate eyes. “It is time to awaken, Scootaloo.” The sky and clouds faded around her, being replaced by the weird library that Twilight had in her awesome home. There were three… No, four adults in the Zebrican-themed room this evening. One was a rather tranquil stallion whose eyes were fixed into a blank stare at a number of scrolls, most likely some sort of librarian or scholar. Behind him was a policemare, who regarded Scootaloo with a dispassionate gaze as if she were prepared to pull out a set of filly-sized hoofcuffs at a moment’s notice and drag her off to reform school. Zecora was off to the side with Twilight pulled in under one restraining foreleg and a bland look of inscrutability that could have been painted on. And standing directly in front of her was Trixie. She looked… different, in a quiet and compassionate stance that Scootaloo had never seen before. There was no arrogance at all about her, just the look of a caring pony who really was concerned about her well-being and was willing to listen without condemnation or shouting. At first, she thought that Tallgrass had transformed into a different version of Trixie, but Twilight’s adopted father was far, far away in Zebrica by now. It just seemed weird to see her like that, and even weirder when she started to talk. “Scootaloo,” said Trixie in a quiet whisper. “We already know what happened to you today. Twilight told us all about it.” “All of it?” Scootaloo cast an anguished glance at Twilight, who only slumped down farther behind her mother’s black and white striped leg. “All of it.” Trixie patted a cushion next to her so smoothly that Scootaloo found herself sitting down on it before she realized it. One soft foreleg wrapped around her and held on gently as Trixie rocked back and forth, her voice developing a small rasp as she spoke. “I remember being a young unicorn, unable even to make sparks from my horn. I tried everything I could think of, and even though everypony told me that my magic would come in time, I just knew that I was going to go through the rest of my life as some weird earth pony. That’s when I started wearing my hat. A unicorn who can’t cast spells is not really a unicorn, and I found out really quickly that I wasn’t an earth pony either.” “But you can do spells now,” said Scootaloo in a rush as the tears threatened to burst out again. “You’re fantastic and all kinds of splashy, but all I’ll ever be is a feather duster.” As she leaned into Trixie’s warm chest, the agonizingly painful words spilled out: her parents in Cloudsdale, the doctors and their diagnosis, the agony of sleepless nights torn between the pain of the braces and the pain of her inability, the sharp words of criticism from Diamond Tiara, her long trip to the Ghastly Gorge, and the terrifying realization that she nearly killed her friend. She had held back her frustration for far too long, concealing it from her friends, her family, and even herself. Unwilling to see the face of her friend, Scootaloo kept her eyes tightly closed as she talked, taking comfort in the warm foreleg wrapped around her chest and the gentle urging from Trixie whenever her voice faltered. Eventually, the words trailed away and only the warmth of the embrace remained. The scent of the strange library was comforting, even familiar, as if Twilight’s home for decades had absorbed the essence of her friend and was wrapping it around and inside her with every breath. Twilight had been a terrified and terrifying little filly, alone except for a Zebra mother who had never had foals of her own and was in turn halfway around the world from her own home. The tree had sheltered them from the elements and in turn been a step for the Elements of Harmony to gain bearers. Princess Celestia had told Scootaloo about why the Element of Generosity had selected her during that terrifying night, although Scoots had never thought about her actions as being generous, but just the way she lived her life. Much as Twilight had been so filled with magic that it only seemed obvious that she would carry the Element of Magic, Princess Celestia had said that she could see the generosity inside the little pegasus that Princess Luna had represented so many years ago as she gave the beauty of the night to all of the ponies and other races of Equestria. Despair had driven the dark princess into a destructive tantrum when her gifts were rejected, and now Scootaloo could taste the same ashes of defeat from her own brush with the consequences of her actions. In the long silence that they shared, it was almost expected when she saw the darkness beside the window peel apart and the Princess of the Night stepped out into Twilight’s attic library. She bent down to where Scootaloo was still held tightly in Trixie’s grasp and stretched a soft wing over them both before nuzzling Scootaloo gently behind one ear. “The time for recriminations is over, young one,” whispered Luna. “I know,” said Scootaloo, slumping over and allowing her tiny wings to droop by her sides. “I need to go tell my aunt what I did.” “Nay. I shall bear the burden of informing your caregiver of your actions this eve, and I assure you, she will not be dismayed by your actions. Provided, of course, you promise not to repeat them. Your task this evening shall be far more difficult.” “What?” Scootaloo looked up as Princess Luna swept a wing over both her and Twilight, lifting them in her magic as she drifted out the open window. “You must face another who shares your fears, Scootaloo.”