//------------------------------// // Princess Twilight’s Told You So // Story: Alicornitus // by billymorph //------------------------------// Distant music from the Pinkie party to end all Pinkie parties echoed through the empty shop floor of the Carousel Boutique. The sounds were muffled by scores of buildings until only the thundering bass line and occasional whoop of joy broke through the stifling stillness. Luna’s moon hung large and heavy in the sky beyond the windows, well past its zenith. It spilled silver light across discarded bolts of fabric and the occasional ponyquin. The cheery jangle of the shop bell broke the silence, quickly silenced by a surge of azure magic. “Huh?” Sweetie Belle raised her head from Rarity’s mane, blinking owlishly. “What happened to the party?” Rarity smiled, closing the door as softly as she could. “Some ponies are still a little too little to party all night, Sweetie Belle.” “I’m not—” She interrupted herself with a huge yawn. “—too little.” Sweetie nestled herself back down on Rarity’s withers. “The Crusaders can party and party and party and...” Sweetie trailed away into a sleepy sigh and Rarity rolled her eyes. The Crusaders had, in fact, turned up in a pile of discarded cupcake wrappers underneath the snack table, fast asleep. Rarity intended to save the pictures for Sweetie’s inevitable teenage ‘I’m not cute!’ phase. Although it would be a nightmare to get all the crumbs out of her coat come the morning. Rarity picked her way across the boutique floor with the ease of long practice. A trickle of magic pulled open the curtain that hid the more domestic areas of her home and she stepped through. An alien pull of muscles rippled across her barrel as she pulled Sweetie’s sleepy form closer to her back with her wings. A trickle raced down her spine as Sweetie ran a hoof along her feathers. “I really like your wings,” Sweetie Belle murmured. “They’re so soft.” Rarity stifled a giggle. And ticklish, but she wasn't going to give her sister that kind of ammunition. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. I rather like them too.” She made up way up the backstairs, her hornlight the barest glimmer needed to see by. “Rarity?” Sweetie interjected, her eyes still closed. “You’re going to be a Princess now, right?” “Well, Princess Celestia hasn’t exactly set a date for a coronation... but I’d say it's only a matter of time.” Rarity tried and failed to keep the grin from her face. “And that means I get to be a Princess too?” Rarity pursed her lips. “Umm, of course it does, Sweetie Belle,” she said, hurriedly. She was going to have to check with Twilight just how titles flowed when it came to alicorns. “And Applebloom? And Scootaloo?” She let out another yawn. “And Applebloom?” Rolling her eyes Rarity stepped into Sweetie Belle’s room. “Don’t worry about that, Sweetie Belle.” “But we wanted to be Royal Crusader Princess!” Sweetie squeaked. A wave of magic lifted the half-asleep filly from Rarity’s back and gently placed her under the sheets. “Don’t fret, Sweetie, it’ll give you wrinkles,” Rarity chided. “Just sleep. You still have school in the morning.” “Murh, Princesses don’t go to school,” Sweetie murmured, frowning, although she didn’t open her eyes. “Somehow I think Twilight would disagree.” Strenuously. Using both a chalkboard and overhead projector. “Now, goodnight, Sweetie Belle.” She bent down and kissed her sister on the forehead. “G’night... Hey, Rarity. Mom and Dad missed your party.” Sweetie scrunched up her nose. “That’s sad.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “It won’t be the first thing they have missed,” she replied, with perhaps a touch more venom in her voice than was really due. “Still, maybe I’ll send them a postcard about it.” Sweetie cracked open her eyes. “Oh. I could make them a postcard!” she exclaimed, sleepily. “In the morning. Goodnight, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity kissed her sister more forcefully, pushing her head back down onto the pillow. “Oh, okay.” Sweetie Belle yawned and buried herself deeper into the blankets. Seizing her chance, Rarity backed away hurriedly and almost made it to the door. “Will we have to move?” Sweetie Belle cut in again, in a sleepy mumble. Rarity froze. “I’m sorry?” she exclaimed, whirling to face her sister. “Why would we have to move?” “Princesses live in castles, but you don’t live in a castle with all the other pumpernickels.” Sweetie rolled onto her side and began to snore. For a moment Rarity groped in vain for a reply, but Sweetie Belle had long since fallen deep into Princess Luna’s realm. Shaking her head, Rarity beat a hasty retreat. It wasn’t wise to put too much credence on Sweetie’s musings at the best of times, let alone while half asleep. Still, even as she settled into her own bed she couldn’t banish the niggling doubt. Applejack was a mare that rose with the sun. She used to say she rose with Celestia but after hearing Twilight’s disturbing stories about the solar monarch carrying out her astronomical duties from under a heavy comforter Applejack avoided the phrase. Regardless, the morning light saw no change to her routine save one crucial factor. She sat perched on her windowsill, watching the dawn's light creep across the orchard. It was a proper perch, all four hooves lined up in a row on the windowsill in such a precarious manner that she should have broken her foolish neck a good five minutes ago. In a way she expected to, but the minutes ticked by without the penny, or pony, dropping. Grown earth pony mares weren’t found in trees as a rule. Applejack was a good climber for a pony, it came from growing up in an orchard. Still, the days of being able to scramble up to the highest branches and spend a day nestled between the leaves were long since behind her. She’d lost the balance for it years ago, boasting far too much muscle and far too little time to practice. It wasn’t a skill she’d ever lamented losing to be fair. Sure, watching Rainbow Dash perch on frankly impossible objects—branches, clothes lines, Big Mac’s head—was galling. Not to mention put serious question to just how much pigeon lay in the pegasus’ ancestry. Still, beyond the odd childish twinge of jealousy Applejack never cared. It was just one of those ways that earth ponies and pegasi were different. And how alicorns and earth ponies were different, now that she came to think about it. Her ear flicked as Big Mac let himself into the room. The stallion, with surprising silence, made his way to Applejack’s perch and gazed out of the window alongside her. “Mornin’, Mac. Found your way home in the end then?” Mac furrowed his brow at her. “Hey, if you’re going to go to town on the hard cider then Ah get some sisterly teasing in.” She nudged him in the shoulder. “Now Ah just need to figure out who you’ve got your eye on. Unless it just so happens to be Cherilee again.” “That was love poison,” Mac said, his frown deepening. “Yeah, that only excuses you the first date,” Applejack shot back, grinning. Big Mac just rolled his eyes and turned back to the field. “Ah come on, Mac, you usually put up at least some fight.” Applejack nudged him again but Mac continued his lonely vigil. “Come on, what’s eating you?” “Just...” He paused and let out a long sigh. “Just wondering when you’ll be the one raising the sun.” Applejack blinked, then let out a bark of laughter. “Whoowee, that’s a hoot, Mac!” she exclaimed, slapping him on the shoulder. “Little ol’ me raising the sun. Ah wouldn’t worry about that anytime soon.” Big Mac just shrugged. “Seems a mite more likely today than yesterday,” he said, with a pointed look at Applejack’s horn. “Oh come on don’t be like that, Mac.” Applejack shook her head, fighting the urge to touch the new protrusion. She’d heard unicorns could go blind from rubbing their horns too much. “So Ah’ve picked up a few extras. Don’t mean I’m going to go live in a palace and raise the sun. Don’t mean Ah’m any different where it matters.” “Nope... Don’t mean things ain’t gonna’ change, though.” Mac shook his head. “Are you okay with that?” Applejack glared at him for a moment, but couldn’t hold it. “Not really.” She shrugged and shook head. “Still, it ain’t always a bad thing, though.” “Ain’t always good.” Both of the siblings glanced towards a little copse of trees near the back of the orchard. Few visited that part of the orchard, but all Apples ended their journeys there. Applejack looked away first as tears began to sting her eyes. “Why’d you do it, AJ?” Mac asked at last. Applejack frowned and then let out a long sigh. “Remember the year after Ah got my cutie-mark, there was that big drought because the weather service lost a couple typhoons. The crops weren’t growing right because of how dry the ground was and there wasn’t a single thing we could do about it. Old Water Wings wouldn’t give us a spare drop either, ‘cause the Harvests were slipping him bits under the table and a little more beside. Ah remember staring up at the clouds and promising I’d give a hind leg just for the chance to fly up there and a shake a few drops loose.” With a little chuckle Applejack flexed her orange wings, splaying out her primary feathers. “Heh, looks like I got a better bargain than Ah ever hoped.” She caught Big Mac’s sceptical look. “Oh come on. This is a good thing.” “Maybe.” Big Mac turned from the window and walked away. “Come on, we’ve plowing to do.” Applejack rolled her eyes but followed, pausing only to pick up her hat. Big Mac would come around. He always did in the end. There was no way to hide a horn. Fluttershy stood before her bathroom mirror, brush in hoof and fought back the tears as she tried yet another style. Her usual cascade of pink mane, so useful for hiding behind in an emergency, had failed. Pushing it all forward to cover the horn worked, but also left her blind. Pushing it all back just highlighted the new appendage and made her look like a punk-rocker. A parting didn’t work. A braid only drew more attention. A ponytail likewise. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d been thinking with dreadlocks but—while they certainly distracted from the horn—they only drew more attention. A hammering from the bathroom door interrupted her third, frantic attempt to shape a quiff that didn’t make her look like a crazed animal maniac. “Eeep!” Fluttershy dropped the brush with a startled squeak. “I mean... Um, who is it?” There was no answer and the hammering redoubled. Hesitantly Fluttershy unlatched the bathroom door. “Oh it’s only you Angel.” The rabbit stormed in, shooting a glare at Fluttershy that asked whether she was quite done with the bathroom. He had a tiny towel under one arm and a bath cap over his ears. “Umm, actually I was–” That was good, because the little rabbit was long overdue his morning shower. He hopped over to the sink and gave her another pointed look. Didn’t Fluttershy have breakfast with the girls to get to? “Oh... Well I’m was thinking of maybe staying home after all.” Fluttershy nervously ran a hoof through her mane. “I mean, I’m sure after the party last night the girls will understand that I need to– Um, need to– Oh, look after a sick chipmunk.” Angel rolled his eyes as he climbed into the bowl. It sounded to him like somepony was avoiding going out. “No, no, no, not at all,” Fluttershy protested. “I know Dale said he was feeling fine now but–” And it wouldn’t have anything to do with trying to hide her horn behind that ridiculous manestyle?   “I wouldn’t call it ridiculous.” Angel tapped his foot and Fluttershy wilted under his gaze. “Oh you’re right! What am I going to do? Everypony will see the horn and then they’ll realise I’m a Princess and then they’ll all be looking at me.” She shuddered. “I can’t go through that again. I just can’t.” Shaking his head Angel kicked the tap open. He figured it was too late to worry about being recognised after descending from the heavens in a blaze of light and magic visible to half of Equestria. But what did he know, he was just a rabbit. Fluttershy’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. Still, nothing to do but go out there and face the world. After all– The rabbit paused and put his paw against the tap, spraying water over Fluttershy and startling her out of her fear induced catatonia. After all, it wasn’t like she was just going to stop being an alicorn and if she never left the cottage again there would be a lot of hungry mouths to feed. “Umm, maybe Harry could...” Fluttershy wilted under Angel’s glare. “Oh you're right. What have I done?” Angel stepped under the tap and began to wash his ears. Other than ascend to a higher state and become a future immortal ruler of Equestria? Angel couldn’t imagine. “But I didn’t want any of that,” Fluttershy protested. “I just... I just didn’t want to be left on my own.” Her gaze fell to her hooves, which she shuffled, nervously. “What am I going to do?” she asked in a murmur. Same thing she always did, pluck up the courage and get out there. “I’m not sure I’m brave enough.” Angel rolled his eyes. She was brave enough to face down a dragon. Brave enough to fly in a tornado. Brave enough to befriend Discord. Even brave enough to read the spell. He figured she could handle it. Fluttershy hung her head. “I wasn’t being brave when I read the spell. I was scared. Rainbow and Rarity had already gone. What would have happened if I'd been the only pony left? They would have abandoned me.” Yeah right, like that was going to happen. “I... suppose you’re right.” Of course he was, that was the natural state of rabbits after all. Now, unless she wanted to see a bunny floss he recommended that she get moving. Get down to Ponyville and get them all used to the horn. There was no other way forwards. Fluttershy grimaced. “Yeah, no other way.” Sugarcube Corner had hosted more Princesses of Equestria than most bakeries, but even for Ponyville three alicorns sat around a table was unusual. They went more or less unnoticed, however, thanks to the blur of hyperactive energy chasing around after the dregs of the breakfast rush. Pinkie Pie raced across the floor, a plate balanced on each wing, serving at lightning speed with a smile and a wave for everypony that crossed her path. “I don't know how she does it,” Rarity observed, frowning as she picked at a croissant. “I swear she must be running on three hours sleep.” “Earth Pony stamina?” Applejack suggested, sipping from a deep mug of tea. Rarity shot her a flat look. “Yes, well I'm waiting for that to kick in.” Applejack smirked. “You’ll be waiting a mighty long time if that’s your attitude.” A bell jangled as Twilight stumbled into the bakery, stifling a yawn. She cast a bleary eye across the room and spotted the trio at their table. With a groan she dropped onto one of the stools. “Morning girls,” she said, yawning again. She paused, frowning at Fluttershy. “Umm, Fluttershy. What’s with the hat?” With a nervous tug Fluttershy pulled the oversized floppy hat further down over her eyes. Twilight thought she recognised the disguise from Fluttershy’s brief time as a model. “Oh, no reason,” she said, hurriedly. “It was just such a sunny day I thought I would... Um, do something special.” Twilight opened her mouth, but Rarity pointly shook her head behind Fluttershy. “Oh~kay. Well it looks nice.” She paused and pursed her lips. “Very... um, obscuring.” Rarity facehooved. “I know,” Fluttershy said, with a sad sigh. “But at least they’re looking at the hat, not the—” She swallowed a lump “—horn.” “Oh come now, Fluttershy,” Rarity interjected, putting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “You don’t need to be afraid. This is something to be proud of, something that a pony can stand up and shout about.” “I don’t like shouting.” Fluttershy retreated further beneath the brim of her hat. “I know, dear, but you don’t need to worry.” Rarity beamed, sweeping her free hoof across the room. “Look, all of Equestria lies open before us! While I’m sure there will be some adjustments to be made this can only be a good thing.” She paused, her smile wavering. “Right, girls?” Twilight shrugged. “Somedays at least. There’s been days I’ll admit I’ve woken up and had to reassure myself it wasn’t all just a wonderful dream, but most days aren’t so simple.” “Oh shoot, now you’re sounding like my brother,” Applejack cut in, banging a hoof on the table. “A couple of extra feather dusters ain’t gonna’ end the world no matter how you cut it. Sure, sure we’re gonna’ get a few funny looks, but ponies got over Twilight’s wings soon enough. No reason it’ll be any different for the rest of us.” Twilight just shrugged, that was what she was afraid of. “Hi girls!” Pinkie Pie chirped, sliding into a seat and dropped off a pair of drinks in front of herself and Twilight. Twilight’s was a coffee, a special blend she’d acquired through Princess Luna and so dark that it only emitted light via blackbody radiation. Pinkie’s might have been a hot chocolate but beneath the whipped cream, marshmallows, two flavours of ice cream, sprinkles and the lit sparkler it was hard to tell. “Wowwee, what a morning. It’s like everypony in town wanted breakfast here for some reason.” Pinkie let out an anxious chuckle and her wings fluttered, lifting her from her seat for a moment. “It hasn’t been this busy since Princess Celestia visited. Everypony wanted to congratulate us, and thank me for the party, and ask me to bless their crops... Hey, Twilight. Is that something we can actually do?” Twilight shrugged. “Maybe there’s a spell for it, but I would have asked Applejack before Celestia even a week ago.” “Yeah that sounds like a better idea. All I know how to do is make rocks grow and nopony seems to like my pebble flan.” Pinkie sighed, as she cast a wary look over her shoulders. “Girls, has anypony else got an icky knot in their stomach?” “How so, darling?” Rarity enquired. “Oh, you know, that feeling when you have big important news to tell somepony, but you don’t want to tell somepony.” Pinkie sighed and rested her head on the table between her forehooves. “It’s just nerves, I guess. I’m trying to stay super excited but... well, there’s a load of little things. The Cake twins don’t seem to recognise me with the wings, and three ponies called me ma’am this morning, and Bon Bon is staking me out as a possible threat to Equestria. Again.”  There was a sudden clatter as, two tables over, Bon Bon dropped her fork. “Hold up,” Applejack interjected. “What was that last one again?” Pinkie pointed with a wingtip to two tables over where the cream coloured mare was suddenly engrossed in a newspaper. “Bon Bon’s on a stake out,” she said, with the calm assurance of stating simple fact. “You can tell because she’s ordered a rhubarb flan. She hates rhubarb, it takes her a long time to eat it and that gives her an excuse to hang around.” The rest of the girls exchanged worried glances. “Oh come now, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity scoffed. “Bon Bon sells candies, she’s not some kind of superspy. Look, she’s leaving now.” Pinkie sighed, as Bon Bon made a hasty exit behind her. “I suppose you’re right. I guess I’m just a little jumpy. And worried. And a tiny bit hungry” She took a hasty bite out of the ice cream strata of her drink. “I want to keep feeling super excited but it’s just that... just that...” “That despite the fact that this can only be considered to be a good thing, it’s still going to change every single plan you had for the future in ways you have no way of yet imagining?” Twilight completed. She took a sip of her coffee. “Yeah, I know what you’re feeling.” The girls shared worried glances, after a long moment Rarity let out a deep sigh. “I suppose I should also admit that I’m a little concerned by the whole Princess situation. Sweetie Belle pointed out that Princesses aren’t known for their fashion design.” “Or their farmin’,” Applejack muttered. “Quite so. I know it's a silly thing to worry about at its heart but... I still am.” Rarity pursed her lips. “Does it get easier, Twilight?” Twilight stared into her coffee for a moment. “I’d really like to say yes, but I still wake up in sweats afraid that Celestia and Luna are going to come down from Canterlot, announce they’re going to Mareami for six months and tell me to keep an eye on Equestria while they’re away.” She shuddered. “I know it's ridiculous, but I checked through six volumes on succession law and there’s absolutely nothing stopping them beyond a requirement that I demonstrate ‘appropriate martial ability’.” “What, saving the world a half dozen times doesn’t count?” Applejack interjected. Twilight opened her mouth to protest, paused, then let out a groan. “Okay, then there’s absolutely nothing stopping them.” She dropped her head to the table. “Aww, don’t worry,” Pinkie said, patting her on the shoulder. She drew a bendy straw out from her mane and inserted one end in Twilight’s mouth and the other in her coffee. “Princess Celestia isn’t going to do that. And even if she did, we’ll be ruling right there alongside you so things will be just fine. Right, girls?” Applejack and Rarity exchanged worried looks, Fluttershy ducked under the table. “Right, girls?” Pinkie repeated, her eyes narrowing. “Oh, of course.” “Shucks, ‘course we will.” “Umm. Well, as long as I don’t have to make any speeches...” “Thanks girls.” Twilight lifted her head and smiled. “And sorry for being so down on you all. Let’s just say you aren’t the only ponies who’ve had their world upended in the last day.” “Think nothing of it,” Rarity said, with a flick of her mane. “And thank you for not saying ‘I told you so’.” Twilight smirked. “Oh no, I’m saving that for Rainbow Dash when she finally realises the downsides to being a Princess.” She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Where is she anyway?” “Oh, um, she left a note on her door this morning,” Fluttershy said, poking her head over the lip of the table. “She said she had to go to Cloudsdale for some unfinished business.” “Heh.” Applejack leaned back on her stool. “Ten bits says she’s rubbing her new horn in somepony’s face.”   “Oh no, no, no,” Fluttershy protested. “Rainbow would never do anything like that. I’m sure, whatever she’s doing, she’s just as worried about having a horn as we are.” Rainbow Dash strode, unannounced into the dining room just as her family were sitting down to breakfast. She paused a moment on the threshold, angling her head so the shiny new horn was clearly visible as a streak of sky blue in her mane. “Hey Mom! You remember when you said I’d never amount to anything after dropping out of Flight School?”