//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Of Playtime and Confrontation // Story: Friends and Fairy Tales // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// For two of the three Crusaders, they had their share of weird days before. Sometimes those events were taken place with their sisters as they became part of their adventures. But both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have to agree, out of all the strangeness they’ve endured, this was probably go on top of the list. “But how could one swift kick to any tree help bring down so many apples?” Alice asked, “And would those apples go everywhere other than the baskets?” “They jus’ do,” Applebloom answered. “Ah don’t know how all the apples fall anywhere other than the basket, but they jus’ do. Maybe it’s some sort of magic Ah guess.” “And where does magic come from?” Dorothy inquired. “It’s something that my other memories knows, but doesn’t know how.” “Uh…” the yellow apple turned to her friend. “Any answers?” “You two are asking a lot of tough questions,” the white unicorn pointed out. “That’s because you two are older than us,” Alice replied, “Even if it’s by a few years.” Applebloom sighed, “This is still weird.” “Look,” Dorothy said as she trotted up to Applebloom, “Where I come from, I never had a sister or a brother even. Although I know we’ve never met until this morning, it’s as if I’ve known you for all my life. So it’s rather odd for me as well, but at the same time, it’s comforting.” The yellow pony looked up at her, cocking an eyebrow. “Comforting?” “You see, while I was in Oz, all I can think about was to figure out how to get back to Kansas where I left my Uncle and Aunt behind. They were the closest thing to family I have because my real mother died when I was just a baby. So I don’t have any memory of her.” “Neither do Ah,” she said, her ears folded back. “But here,” Dorothy smiled, “I have memories of having a wonderful little sister, a big brother, and a grandmother that I never had. Sure, I may not have Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, but at least I have a family here.” “Except,” Sweetie said, “If you’re actually younger than us, wouldn’t that mean that you’re actually her little sister?” “She’s right you now,” Alice commented. “Even though we may look older, we’re still children in here,” she tapped the side of her head. Dorothy looked around the apple orchard they’ve been walked through, “Applebloom, where are going again?” “To our clubhouse up ahead,” she said. “Ah think it’ll be a good place to stay until this sort of thing settles down. But fer now, maybe we can play.” “That is if you want to,” Sweetie added. Alice and Dorothy looked at one another, “What do you want to play?” the yellow Pegasus asked. _*_ “Okay, before we go in,” Shining said as they were in the entry of the old ruin castle. “Does everypony remember the plan?” Twilight nodded, “Once we find Cinderella, Cadence will distract her while I use my freeze spell to hold her in place while Shining place the anti-ring as well as bind her wings and legs. After that, we take her to my castle to convince her to return to the book.” “Question,” Cadence said, “While we were casing her in the caves, how come you didn’t use it?” “Because I know it wouldn’t last,” the lilac Alicorn answered. “The spell, especially on somepony like Celestia, would require a good amount of energy just to keep her still for a minute or two. This is why Shining has brought the things to keep her still until we sort this out.” “Right,” the white unicorn held up the anti-magic ring and some enchanted rope. “Now all we need to do is to find where she is.” Cadence thought for a moment, “If she comes here to hide, I think the first thing she would do is to find a place where it’s suitable to hide in.” The three ponies agreed, and they set off, quietly, into the remains of the castle. They watched their step as they quietly went up staircases and down decaying hallways, keeping their ears perked for any sign of Cinderella. For several minutes, they didn’t hear anything except for the occasional bird call or a buzzing bug. But then they heard the opening and closing of a door, followed by hoofsteps. After listening closely, they figured that it was coming from above. Knowing where the stairs was, Shining and Twilight separate while Cadence went to confront the white Alicorn. The Princess of Love found her as she was descending the stairs. Cinderella’s eyes opened wide, “What! How did-” “Wait, please listen to me,” it was as far as Cadence got before Cinderella spread her wings. “Wait! Hear me out!” “Why? So thou can drag me back to that awful life?” The pink Alicorn shook her head, “I’m not trying to do that.” “Then what?” Cinderella questioned bitterly. Taking in a deep breath, she replied. “Simply put, I want the Celestia I know and love to come back. Even though you have her memories and knowledge of her experience, we both know that you’re not really Celestia. And before you accuse me for not knowing your story, I have read it on the way here.” “Of course you’ve read it! My whole life has been dictated by someone that has me suffer many years of my step-mother! One in which I had no say in! How would thou like it if thou hast found out that thy life was dictated by a writer that’s beyond thy control? In which that writer did not ask thee what thy fate ought to be?” “Does it matter?” “Yes it matters!” Cinderella’s wings lifted of the staircase. “It ought to concern thee as well! How dose thou know if thou art real at all?” “This moment, this situation is real to me. Just as it was for Shining as he was in the middle of the woods starving, and was taken advantaged by a witch that wanted to eat him. Even if it was written down in a book, it was all too real for him. Just ask him.” Cinderella flew over Cadence’s head until she was past her. “Why could thou not leave me alone? What harm hath I done unto thee?” “It isn’t like that! Look, Cinderella, I am truly sorry for what you’ve been put up with. Everypony, regardless if there are one or not, should be given kindness and respect that they deserve and not be put through such abuse. But do you honestly want Celestia, my aunt, to go through a continuous loop of being a slave to your stepfamily?” This gave Cinderella a moment of pause. “No. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. But what doth thou wish me to do? Go back?” Cadence cautiously decended the stone stairs, “It brought my husband back.” “But what about me?” she questioned. “I know that Princess… Twilight had convinced Hansel to return with the promise of happiness in the end. But how do I know if I wilt see it at all? Not every fairytale hast a happy ending.” “I’ve already read your story.” The Princess of Love pointed out, “Do you want me to tell you how it ends?” The white Alicorn shook her head, “I prefer that fate doesn’t tell me so I can be left with the last freedom I have.” “What is that?” “The freedom to choose my own destiny,” she answered. “Besides, I’m afraid of going back into the lion’s den once called home.” Before Cadence could respond, a bright, violet flash appeared over Cinderella, in which she saw that she was held still. “We’ve got her!” her husband cried. The staircase was soon joined with her husband and sister-in-law. “Now let me get these-” “Shining,” the Princess of Love interrupted. “Let her go.” This got a shocked surprise from them, “Excuse me?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think the ring and the ropes are necessary anymore,” she answered. “Twilight, let me handle this, please?” Reluctantly, she did. Cinderella, once released from being paralyzed for a moment, looked at her, “What art thou doing?” “You said that you wanted that freedom of choice, well, I’m giving you that choice.” The pink Alicorn said as she walked forward. “As far as I can see, you have one of two choices: you can either run now, or you can help us.” “Help thee?” “Twilight’s friends and Celestia’s nephew are too trapped in the same situation as you are. If I heard right, some of them have the mindset of children. They are lost and confused. They are in need of somepony that knows what you’re going through right now, and looking for guidance. Tell me, do you remember what you’ve promised your mother?” Cinderella bowed her head, her ears folded back, “‘Dear child, be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee, and I will look down on thee from heaven and be near thee.’” “What do you think your mother would say if she were here?” When the white Alicorn didn’t answer, Cadence places a hoof on her shoulder. “From now on, we won’t force you to go back home. I’ll allow you to think it over. But for now, will you help us setting things right.” There was a hesitation until the maid nodded. _*_ At the Crusader clubhouse, the game of pretend was in full swing. Much to the foal’s surprise, both Dorothy and Alice were very good at it, especially when they recreated their adventures in the cramped room. At the moment, they’ve already set out all the chairs and crates out in a long line with toy tea set, apples, and flowers scattered along the table. At the head, Alice was wearing a large newspaper hat asking, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” Dorothy scratched her head, “Golly, if only I had any brains, then I might answer that.” Applebloom rested her chin on her hoof in deep thought. “That’s one tough riddle Mr. Hatter.” “I’ll say,” Sweetie Belle nodded, “It’s probably as hard as that one riddle. You know the one that asks what walks on four legs at morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening.” Both fillies thought hard for a while, eventually, Applebloom said, “Welp, Ah give up.” “Same here,” the little unicorn turned to the yellow Pegasus, “What’s the answer?” “I haven’t the slightest idea.” Dorothy cocked her head, “Then what good are riddles, if you don’t know the answer to them?” “She’s right,” Sweetie agreed, “Doesn’t it seem like a wasteful of time to be asking something like that if there are no answers?” “If you knew Time as well as I do,” Alice said, adjusting her paper hat, “you wouldn’t talk about wasting it. It’s him.” “What are you talking about?” Dorothy asked. “Well of course you don’t!” she said, tossing her head disapprovingly. “I dare say that you never even spoke to Time!” “Maybe not,” Sweetie said, “but I do know that I have to beat time when I learn about music.” “Ah! That explains it,” Alice nodded. “He won’t stand being beaten you know. Why, if you were on his good terms, he’d do almost anything you like with the clock. Like for instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!” “Y’all are talkin’ as if Time were a pony,” Applebloom pointed out. “And that accounts for it, you’ve never met Time.” “There you guys are!” suddenly, Scootaloo burst into the clubhouse. “I’ve been looking for you guys everywhere.” “So what’s going on,” Sweetie asked, “What’s Rainbow doing?” “Okay, the good news is that the students that followed Ms. Crazy may or may not have nearly set the town on fire. But at least Cheerliee and Blueblood put a stop to it before things got really out of control.” “Blueblood?” Dorothy questioned, after thinking a little, she reprise it as, and “You mean the nanny?” Scootaloo shrugged, “What are you guys doing?” “We’re playing,” Alice said. “Would you like to join us? We’re having ourselves a mad tea party.” “Eh…” the orange Pegasus wrinkled her snout, “I think I’ll pass.”