The Play's the Thing: Celestia's Suspicions
It was well late into the night, when Dewey Decimal, a librarian at Mythica University, was summoned from his room to the principal's office.
"What in Celestia's name could be so important that they had to wake me up in the middle of the night?" The Earth Pony stallion wondered aloud. He soon got his answer as he entered the office and saw Princess Celestia standing beside the principal's desk. He immediately dropped into a bow. "Your highness." he said respectfully.
"Stand up Decimal," said the principal in a groggy voice. "The princess has come here on important business, and she needs your assistance."
Dewey Decimal stood at attention. "O-of course, whatever you need princess."
Celestia smiled politely and lowered her head in his direction before speaking. "Thank you. I came to inquire about a book I donated her long ago. Do you know if it's still here?"
Dewey Decimal tapped his chin and thought. "Perhaps. What is the book called?"
"A Compendium of Spiritual and Celestial Phenomena." answered Celestia.
The stallion nodded. "Ah yes, now I remember, we keep that book in the restricted section of the library. Only certain teachers and well-privileged students are aloud to leaf through its pages."
"I need to go over it if you don't mind, and if possible, maybe borrow it." said Celestia. "That is, if you'll allow it." she said to the principal.
The principal nodded. "Not at all. Anything we can do to help you, princess."
"Thank you again. I also want to know if you have any spare rooms I could use. My guards and I are tired from our journey and we'll need someplace to rest for the night before we can make the journey back."
"I believe that can easily be arranged." The principal then turned to Dewey Decimal and said, "Show the princess to the restricted section, and after that, take her and her guards to the vacant dorm rooms in the east wing."
"Yes sir. Right away sir." he motioned for the princess to follow him. "This way, your highness."
* * *
The library of Mythica University, while not as vast as the library of the Canterlot Archives or the Crystal Empire, was still a veritable well spring of information. Dozens upon dozens of books on every known subject lined close together on the large bookshelves. The restricted section of the library was clearly marked by a sign that read: Restricted. Do Not Enter. And was closed off by some velvet rope.
Dewey Decimal unhooked the rope and let the princess step through first before following her. "Please forgive the dust." he said. "I try to keep these shelves clean, but it's so rarely visited that I end up only doing once or twice a month."
"That's quite alright." said Celestia.
At the very end of the restricted section was an old door, bolted shut. Dewey Decimal pulled out a ring of keys and fit the largest one into the door's lock. With a turn to the right and the sound of a click, the door opened, and Dewey ushered the princess inside. The room itself was fairly small, only big enough for two ponies, and in its center, rested an old, cracked book upon a stone pedestal.
"There it is." said Dewey Decimal. "A Compendium of Spiritual and Celestial Phenomena"
Princess Celestia stepped toward the book, carefully lifting the cover and opening up to the yellowed pages. On each page, there were elaborate and detailed illustration of fantastical and legendary beings and occurrences that had long been extinct or forgotten. And next to the illustrations were descriptions pertaining to what the illustration was exactly and the mythos surrounding it. She flipped through the book until she landed on H. Celestia steadied her breath as her eyes fell upon a full-page picture of the pony she'd seen in her vision.
"Just as I thought," she murmured, after skimming over the description next to the picture. She closed the book and levitated it with her magic, turning to Dewey Decimal, she smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you for your kind assistance." she said.
"Anytime, princess." Dewey Decimal bowed to her as she left the room.
Celestia looked down at the book's cover as she walked, feeling quite certain that all would soon become clear, regarding not just her vision, but of her growing suspicions as well.
Harmony had another strange dream, once more taking place in darkness, except this time she was fall. She didn't bother to save herself or flap her wings in order to stop herself from plunging any further, instead, she allowed herself to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness. She couldn't explain it, but something told her that there was no reason to be afraid, that made her feel...oddly at peace.
"Harmony..."
Gazing up, Harmony could see six glimmering lights, five of which circled around the brightest of the six.
"Harmony...!"
The lights...were they...calling to her? She reached her hoof out toward the stars, feeling somehow drawn to them.
It's strange. She thought, They seem...familiar somehow...
"HARMONY!!"
Harmony felt somepony shaking her wildly, her eyes shot open, and saw the pony shouting at her and shaking her was Flurry Heart.
"Finally, you're up!" cried Flurry Heart in relief. "Come on, we have to get going."
"Why, what's going on?" asked Harmony, rubbing her eyes.
"We slept through most of the day." explained Flurry. "We have only fifteen minutes to get to the theater.
Hearing this got Harmony's attention, she jumped to her hooves, now fully awake. She looked wildly around, Kimono and Razzaroo were nowhere in sight. "Where are Kimono and Razz?"
"They're waiting outside for us in the cart, now let's get going."
"Right!" Harmony followed close behind Flurry Heart, as the two galloped out of the cafe, where Kimono and Razzaroo were waiting, hooked up to the cart.
"Hurry, climb on!" said Razzaroo.
"You don't need to tell me twice." said Harmony.
Flurry Heart and Harmony sat up front in the cart, while in the back sat the many boxes filled with cupcakes.
"Now that everypony is present and accounted for." said Razzaroo. "It's time to get a move on. To the theater!"
Kimono and Razzaroo began to walk forward to get the cart moving, but were quickly stopped. They tried to pull the cart, but no matter how much they pulled the cart didn't seem to budge.
"What's wrong?" asked Flurry Heart.
"The cart's too heavy!" cried Kimono. "It won't budge."
"Looks like we're not going to make it after all." said Razzaroo, starting to droop.
Harmony frowned, a determined look coming into her eyes. "Oh yes we are." she said. She whipped her head to Flurry Heart. "Flurry, can you enchant the cart so that it can move on it's own?"
Flurry Heart nodded slowly, "Yes, aunt Twilight showed me how when I was a filly."
"And can you make it go at any speed you want?"
"I guess, but I've never really tried before."
"Well today's the day you try." Harmony got off the cart and helped unhook Kimono and Razzaroo from it. "Come on girls."
"What are you going to do?" asked Kimono.
"I have a plan, Flurry Heart, start up the spell." said Harmony.
Flurry Heart gave a nod and her horn lit up.
"Are you sure it's going to work?" asked Kimono.
Harmony shrugged. "We'll have to see."
The golden aura of Flurry's horn enveloped the cart, and it started to move on its own. Soon, the cart began to pick up speed, as it whooshed through the streets.
"Alright, make a left at the next corner." instructed Harmony. Flurry's horn glew brighter, and the cart veered left. "Now, we go straight and make a right at the next corner." The cart followed Harmony's direction, soon, they were zipping by surprised ponies who narrowly dodged out of the way of the cart.
"Whoo-hoo!" cried Razzaroo with her hooves in the air. The wind blowing back her braids.
"How close are we to the theater?" asked Flurry Heart.
"Not much farther now, we should be there any moment now."
"Uhhh, guys?" said Razzaroo, a hint of panic in her voice. "Not to worry anypony, but, are the wheels supposed to be smoking like that?" She pointed a hoof at the wheels. The girls' eyes widened as the saw wisps of smoke coming off them.
"Uh oh, I think we're going too fast." said Flurry Heart. The friction is causing the wheels to heat up."
"We'll have to stop soon or they'll catch fire." said Kimono.
"No, not yet, we can still make it." insisted Harmony. "I promised Razzaroo I'd help her deliver these cupcakes, and I never go back on a promise."
"Aw! Thanks Harmony!" said Razzaroo with a smile.
"Ahem! The wheels!" Kimono reminded Razzaroo.
"Oh, right."
"I've got it!" said Harmony. "Flurry, speed this cart as fast as you can."
"WHAT?!" Flurry screamed.
"Trust me, and when I give the word, that's when you stop the cart."
"Okay, but, I hope you know what you're doing." There was an intense glow from Flurry's horn, and the cart sped faster than a rocket, blowing back the girls' manes wildly behind them.
Meanwhile, at the theater, Mr Maestro, a tall Unicorn with a mustache curled and neatly trimmed and a thinning mane, looked down at his antique pocket watch to check the time. "Hmm, 7:26. Miss Razzaoo should be here with the food at any moment, I do hope she won't be late."
"AHHHHHH!" screamed Razzaroo, along with the rest of the girls, except Harmony, as they barrled down the street.
"Look! I see the theater!" cried Kimono, pointing a hoof at the building.
"The wheels are smoking like crazy!" shouted Razzaroo.
"Anytime now would be good, Harmony." said Flurry Heart.
"Wait for it." she said.
Mr Maestro looked down at his watch again. 7:28. He head toward the wooden double doors to step out and have some fresh air while he waited for Razzaroo to come.
"Wait for it." said Harmony, her eyes narrowed on the theater, counting down to the exact second for when they needed to stop.
Mr Maestro was partway to the door when he was stopped by the janitor.
"Evening Mr Maestro. This place sure looks great." he said, referring to the decorations that were hung and the floral arrangements.
"Yes, Miss Razzaroo set them up a couple days ago, said she had urgent business to attend to regarding the food."
"Well, I hope that whatever it is, doesn't affect the taste. I've been waiting all week to have a crack at the buffet you've set up."
"Indeed, well, good night."
"Night."
Harmony then gave the word, "Now!"
Flurry Heart concentrated hard, using as much magic as she could to stop the cart, as it screeched to a halt.
Mr Maestro reached his hoof out and grabbed onto one of the handles, and began to pull.
With a skid and a slight bounce, the cart finally came to a stop, even the wheels stopped smoking, right in front of the doors as Mr Maestro opened them and stepped outside. He was momentarily surprised and looked down at his watch.
"Ah! Miss Razzaroo, 7:30 exactly! Right on time." he said. He circled the back of the cart, counting out the boxes and opening a few to inspect them. When he finished, he beamed at Razzaroo.
"You've truly out done yourself, better than I could've expected."
"Thanks." said Razzaroo, stepping down from the cart. "But I didn't do it alone. My friends were a big help to me getting it all ready."
"Indeed." said Mr Maestro, giving a nod of agreement. "Here, let's get these inside and I'll have the valet take care of your cart for you."
"Thank you very much sir." said Flurry Heart gratefully. She levitated the boxes off the cart and she and the rest of the girls were led into the theater.
A valet pony walked up to the cart, about to take care of it, when the wheels suddenly burst into flames and fizzled out into ashes. The cart came down with a thud, now completely wheel-less. The valet jumped back in surprise, and then scratched his mane in confusion.
The girls worked together to unbox all the cupcakes and arrange them out on the long food tables. All had gone well for the most part. Ponies started to file into the theater, handing in their tickets and going over to the table to taste the cupcakes the girls had made.
There were all kinds of cupcakes, from chocolate, to vanilla, to rose water, to poppy seed, to chai and honey. The ponies all seemed very pleased by the cupcakes, happily taking second and third helpings. Even the girls let themselves enjoy the fruits of their hard labor.
"Hmm! This is so yummy!" gushed Flurry Heart.
"You have Kimono and Harmony to thank for that. Those two sure can bake." complemented Razzaroo.
The two smiled in embarrassment. "Oh stop." said Harmony.
Mr Maestro strode up to the girls, smiling proudly. "I can't thank you girls enough. Thanks to you, my opening party has gone off without a hitch."
"Aw, it was nothing." said Razzaroo modestly.
"I don't know how I can ever repay you." a gleam then came into his eye. "Actually, I do! How would you all like to see tonight's show, free of charge?"
The girls all looked at one another and then back at Mr maestro.
"Y-you mean it?" asked Kimono.
"Of course, for all your hard work, I'd be glad to have you all here tonight to see my show." he said.
The girls smiled.
"In that case, we'd be honored to see your show." said Flurry Heart.
"Splendid! I have seats in the top balcony all set up. I hope you all enjoy the show."
The girls all waved goodbye as they watched Mr Maestro leave to talk to the other ponies who'd gathered in the theater, wishing them a good evening.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Harmony. "Let's get to our seats before the play starts!"
The entire theater was packed, everypony who was anypony had shown up to see that night's play. Written and directed by Mr Maestro himself, titled: On Whims of Love. The girls all sat together in their seats in the high balcony, waiting with anticipation to see the play. The lights dimmed, the orchestra began to play the overture, and the heavy curtains began to rise. The audience watched with rapt attention as the play unfolded before their eyes.
The story focused on two characters, a pretty noblemare who loved to express herself through writing, singing, and dancing, believing it to be the true way to show one's true heartfelt feelings. And the other character was a servant of the noblemare, an Earth Pony stallion who was unable to speak, but still found a way to express himself through the arts. He'd fallen in love with his mistress and took to writing her beautiful, anonymous letters that conveyed how he felt. The two wrote back and forth, until the noblemare found that she had fallen in love with the mysterious letter sender. Wanting to unmask him, she decides to throw a party, inviting any and all stallions in and around her town, declaring that there would be a contest to see which stallion would have the honor of being her husband.
At the party, the noblemare revealed that the contest would be to see which pony could best express themselves musically. Many of the stallions did their best, singing love ballads to the noblemare, but she was clearly not impressed by them and made remarks to how unoriginal they were. Finally, when it seemed like she would never find her anonymous lover, the mute servant steps up. The other stallions laugh at him, wondering how a stallion who can't speak, much less sing, could possibly compete in the contest. The mute stallion handed a sheet music he'd composed long ago for the noblemare to the musician's playing at the party, and offered his hoof to the noblemare, asking for a dance. She accepts, and the two dance with such grace, such passion, that they soon forgot about the world around them as they danced in each other's arms. When the song ended, the mute stallion made the ballet mime for 'I love you', and the noblemare saw that she'd found her letter writer. She declared that the mute stallion was the winner, and explained to the baffled stallions that she said they had to perform through music, which meant they didn't necessarily have to sing.
The orchestra cued up the final song, as the noblemare and mute stallion embraced one another, and the curtain fell on their happy ending. The audience stood up and filled the theater with thunderous applause. The curtain raised up again to give the actors a curtain call. The actors waved to the crowd and bowed, bouquets of roses flew through the air and landed onto the stage, or were caught by the actors.
With the show over, the ponies filed out of the theater in throngs, talking to one another about the play, including the girls, who were walking close together as they chatted.
"That was the best play I've seen yet!" exclaimed Razzaroo, jumping up and down.
Flurry Heart smiled dreamily and sighed. "And so romantic." she added. Being the daughter of the Princess of Love, Flurry couldn't help but be a hopeless romantic at heart, for her, a good romance was her bread and butter, even though she'd never been in love herself. "I absolutely loved the part where the stallion made the mime for 'I love you', it was so heart warming!" gushed Flurry.
Harmony arched an eyebrow as she looked at Flurry Heart. "It was sweet I guess, but I liked the idea of the anonymous letters and the contest more than the actual love story." she said.
"But that's the best part of the whole thing!" said Flurry.
Harmony shrugged, "Sorry, I've just never really been all that big on romance, that's all."
"Sigh! To each his own I suppose." said Flurry Heart.
"It was still a good play nonetheless." said Kimono. "And after all our hard work I think it was well-earned."
"I'll say." said Razzaroo, wrapping her arms around Harmony and Kimono's necks. "I can't thank you girls enough for all your help." She craned her neck to look over at Flurry Heart. "And you especially, princess."
Flurry Heart smiled and waved a hoof. "Please, just Flurry will do."
"It's getting late." said Kimono, looking up at the night sky. "We should all probably head home."
Harmony nodded. "I agree, I need to do some more shopping tomorrow for the cafe. Not to mention Tempo's probably eaten through all the food I've left for him at home."
"Yeah, I should get back to the castle too." said Flurry. "It was nice to meet you all and to have such a good time. I hope we can go out again sometime."
"Same here." said Razzaroo.
Kimono and Razzaroo were the first to say their goodbyes and head on off on their way home, leaving Harmony and Flurry to say their own farewells.
"Guess I'll be seeing you around." said Flurry.
"Yeah." said Harmony. "Take care, Flurry Heart."
And so, the two went home, each going in their own separate directions.
Princess Celestia was glad to be back home in Canterlot, after her two-day journey. She'd dismissed the Pegasi stallions to their quarters and was heading inside to greet her sister and tell her of her progress, when she spotted Flurry Heart running toward the castle.
"Good evening, Flurry Heart." said Celestia.
Flurry Heart stopped and looked toward where she'd heard the pony calling out to her, a smile springing to her face. "Oh, great-aunt Celestia, you're back." she said.
"Yes, but, if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing out here so late?"
"Well, I was just hanging out with some friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes, I made a few while you were away, they were really nice."
"I'm sure they are, but maybe you should wait until tomorrow to tell me. It's late and you should get your rest."
Flurry Heart nodded. "I will." she said. She turned and resumed heading into the castle. "Goodnight, great-aunt Celestia!"
"Goodnight!" said Celestia.
* * *
Princess Celestia entered the throne room, where her sister was waiting for her. "Sister!" Luna cried joyfully, rushing toward her side. "How was your journey? Did everything go well?"
Celestia nodded. "The pieces are starting to come together." She levitated the compendium she'd brought back from the university and showed it to Luna. "This will no doubt be of great help."
Luna took the book and opened it up to the section that Celestia had bookmarked. Her eyes widened. "So, what you saw, it really was--"
"Yes, without a doubt. After checking on the Tree of Harmony, my vision started to become much clearer. I have reason to believe that it's trying to tell me about her return."
Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder, but...no, never mind."
"What is it, Luna?" asked Celestia.
"Well, it's probably just a coincidence, but...it could be that I've found a possible connection with your vision. It's a pretty flimsy connection, so it's probably nothing."
"Tell me." pressed Celestia. "It might be of more help to us than you think."