5. Breadcrumbs - Part One
Letters From a Little Princess Monster
Breadcrumbs - Part One
The sun had not risen yet when a small alicorn filly opened the shutters to her room and looked out across the soft twilight that filled the Ponyville valley, highlighting the slow moving apple cart that creaked down the dirt path in shades of violet and gold. She had planned on getting up to watch the sun rise into the sky and face the fear that still trembled somewhere in her mind, hidden below faded memories of ponies she feared to think about. Such things were best treated slowly, like the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Complete Treatment Guide book that mom had gotten from—
Monster paused, placing the phrase carefully together in her mind like the book said and attempting to associate it with positive things. Trixie. The sound of razortooth-bitey fish splashing in the sunshine. Spike sleeping in a sunbeam. That was better.
—Princess Celestia. The dividing line between the Everfree magic and the town was just a few trots outside the shadow of their home, and as long as she stayed inside that line, the giant blazing ball of fire in the sky would not hurt her.
The dark pony… Monster stopped and thought again, of stars dancing through the sky as mom sat to her side, pointing them out by name and telling of the events they foretold. She turned her head and leaned out the window to look at the moon, sitting impatiently on the horizon and looking so empty. The darkness that had been imprisoned inside was now gone, turned to magic and destroyed, leaving only Luna. She was probably afraid of the sun too, and if Monster were to go out and face her fears, she could write a letter to Princess Luna and make her less afraid of the light too.
The moon sank beneath the horizon, the sparkle of brilliant lights in the sky vanishing one at a time in a cascade that swept across the sky. Normally she would hide in the basement or in a thick bush whenever the sun rose, but this time she held herself to the window and concentrated as the sphere ascended slowly, as if the alicorn in charge of raising it had been reluctant to bring the dawn.
---~^~^~^~^---
Luna landed gently on her bedroom windowsill while the first rays of sunshine illuminated the Royal Gardens below in a glorious exchange of colorful flowers as the evening blooms closed and the morning blossoms opened their faces to the sun. The surge of beautiful colors and perfumed wave of air made her hesitate on the balcony, taking several large breaths of the intoxicating scent while admiring the gardens below before a pained yawn forced her to turn and enter through the thick curtains that protected her bedroom from the blazing rays of her sister’s sun.
“Late night, Luna?”
Celestia lay half-curled up on Luna’s gigantic bed, her golden regalia scattered around the floor in disarray, nearly as tangled as her pastel mane which had begun to show its natural pink. The Princess of the Night giggled and nuzzled her warm sister, fetching a manecomb with her magic and running it through her neglected pink mane, bringing the pastels flowing back to life with every stroke.
“Oh, Tia. You stayed up all night waiting for me? I told you I just wanted to get out and stretch my wings.”
“I didn’t stay up all night, dear sister.” Celestia yawned with an astonishing powerful blast of morning breath. “Your bed is just too comfortable to play the proper worried sister, watching the window in concern and love for her wandering little sis. It’s far too soft for old bones like mine. My back hurts like I slept on rocks.”
Luna gave her own yawn as she kicked off her shoes and accoutrements, curling up on the bed behind her big sister. “You know there’s a perfectly good cure for a sore back, Tia.”
With a roll of her eyes, Celestia kissed her sister on the forehead. “I’ve only done that once or twice in the last century, and I’m far too old to carry on that way any more, sis. What would our subjects say?”
“They would say,” started Luna with a yawn as the manebrush slowed in its pastel pathways, “that my older sister is still young enough to have a little fun. And go brush your teeth first.” A faint snore began as Celestia caught the falling manebrush, tucking her sister beneath dark covers before slipping silently out of the bedroom.
Luna was right. It had been a good many years since she had really enjoyed that particular physical activity, and the Court was buzzing like a hive of kicked bees. If she stayed around the castle, they would just pester her with hundreds of questions for which they already had the answers, which was one reason she had decided to hide in Luna’s bedroom in the first place.
It only took a few minutes to pass word through the guards that their princess was going to skip out on Court today for a little recreation, which was greeted with considerable smiling and winking among the royals. She made sure to brush her teeth and her coat before stepping out on her own balcony, spreading her white wings and soaring upwards on the warm summer breeze. After all, flying was the best treatment for a sore back.
Well, the second best.
---~^~^~^~^---
Monster carefully arranged her ink and quills before bringing a pristine sheet of paper onto the desk and frowning at it. There was something written on it already.
Monster, we decided to make this a Cutie Mark Crusader Scavanger Hunt today to celibrate your going to the library….
Just the tiniest squeak of pure joy escaped Monster as she scurried around the room, trying to figure out just what to bring to a ‘Scavanger Hunt.’ After a quick check of the dictionary and correcting ‘Scavenger’ and ‘celebrate’ on the note, she dashed down the staircase to mom’s room and opened the door cautiously in case the older zebra was still asleep.
At one time, mom had told her that a zebra’s stripes were a magical defense to confuse predators by making multiple zebras look like one big zebra. She had never really believed mom until now. Ever so quietly, Monster closed the door to mom’s bedroom, writing a note for when she and Tallgrass finally woke up before slipping out the front door of the tree house to meet her friends.
---~^~^~^~^---
Big Macintosh regarded the endless trees of the orchard with a sense of rising joy, a sea of gold and red that would soon be bucked into an array of wicker baskets and sent to the farthest corners of Equestria. Now that the foolishness of a few nights ago was all over, life was returning to normal, and that suited him just fine, although a few thoughts about last night still echoed through his mind in little pleasurable memories. It was probably a dream, just a silly foalish dream about princesses that had no business being in an earth pony’s head, although the sweat-soaked sheets and lingering perfume of lilacs in his bedroom still gave him the occasional pause.
And speaking of pausing, he stopped to look at a golden apple, just sitting on the ground a ways away from the tree line. Making a mental note to look for any of Fluttershy’s rabbits, he nipped it on the stem and tossed it onto the basket on his back before continuing his journey to the trees that needed bucking. Until he found the next apple on the ground. And another. And another.
The trail seemed to lead to Ol’ Lady Alice, a large distinguished tree with many children scattered throughout the orchard and other Apple family orchards across Equestria. He looked up into the thick green foliage and tapped the trunk cautiously with one hoof, triggering a rustling in the leaves and a scattered rain of apples before a large white pony seemed to plummet out of the tree and onto the ground at his hooves.
“Ooof! Well, that didn’t go as planned.”
“Princess Celestia!” Big Mac spared no time dropping to his knees and bowing, even going so far as to spit out the stalk of wheat he had been chewing.
“Oh, get up, Big Macintosh. Ow! I was just trying to find someplace to get the kinks out of my back. Ow!” The Princess of the Sun rose up in front of the trembling earth pony and stretched, the popping from misaligned vertebrae sounding much like popcorn as it echoed between the trees. “I used to sleep in apple trees all the time when I was a little filly. Guess I’ll have to find some other way to get my back unknotted.” Celestia swung her nose down to press against Big Mac’s nose. “Any ideas?”
“Um. Eeyup.”
---~^~^~^~^---
dear princess luna
today my friends had a scavenger hunt. they left a trail of hints through the town to follow starting with one on the inside of our house door that read…
...Your first clue is this:
It’s something you always want to eat more
Something that you might buy at the store
Her name is Twist, she makes what you cannot resist
She’s waiting down at your front _____
“Door!” exclaimed Monster as she flung open the door with the note written on it and bolted outside, catching Twist in a crushing hug and scattering little wrapped pieces of candy in all directions. “Twitht! Candy!”
The two-pony pileup as Twist and Monster tumbled around the ground suddenly added Sweetie Belle as they rolled under her hooves, the two larger ponies succembing rapidly to little feathered filly wings in the resulting tickle fight.
“Twitht! Sweetie! Thank you! Can we eat the candy?”
Sweetie Belle grinned and waved a note. “Don’t you want to get your next clue first?”
Monster paused, one unwrapped piece of taffy almost at the end of her tongue, before picking the wrapper up and deliberately rewrapping the candy, putting it with the rest in Twist’s saddlebag. “Share later. Note!”
---~^~^~^~^---
In this place we put in stitches
the stuffy air it makes me itches
the something is moot, I can not toot here
I’m over in the big building that looks like a carosal.
The front door to the Carousel Boutique creaked slightly open until the bell hanging over it went ‘ding,’ which triggered a sudden scratching, a noise much like a little pony inside a cardboard box might make when they recoiled away and tried to keep from running.
The resulting silence was broken only by whispering of, “Go ahead, it’s just my sister’s store,” and “Do you need another thinnamon thick?”
Finally, a little mottled purple filly nose poked back into the open doorway, and a small voice called out, “Scoots?” The remnants of a cinnamon stick vanished into her mouth with a crunching sound, and the rest of the little alicorn pony slipped into the store, looking at a little ponyquin in the middle of a patch of sunlight with the rest of her friends standing to its side.
“Scoots!” The hesitant trot Monster started as she crossed the store grew to a frenzied gallop as she flung herself forward, turning their hug into a ticklefest that quickly added the rest of her friends. Apple Bloom was the first to gasp in surrender, quickly followed by the rest of her friends as they rolled around on the floor, giggling and opening candy wrappers.
“Oh, Sweetie Belle,” caroled a soft voice from the other room. “I’m almost done getting the breakfast things ready for you and your little friends. We have healthy whole-wheat low-gluten bagels with diet orange juice, a delicious selection of granolas, bran muffins, zwieback toast, and some plain yogurt to tie the whole meal together. Sweetie?” Rarity looked out into her presentation room with a gasp of shock. Empty candy wrappers lay scattered around toppled stacks of cloth, while the little saddle bag she had put so much effort into was missing, as were all of the little ponies.
---~^~^~^~^---
My brother Big Mac is no quitter
and my sister Applejack was my best sitter
My name is Apple Bloom, and on Scootaloo’s scooter I like to zoom
The goal of this clue is a yummy ______
“Fritter!” exclaimed Monster, gathered around the cardboard box with the rest of her friends as big sis carefully slipped a short stack of delicious apple fritters onto their impromptu breakfast table. The short leafy bush that concealed the little ponies from the rest of the marketplace muffled the normal discussions between merchants and customers to a level that the tasty apple fritters were able to overcome, letting Monster dig in to her sugary breakfast nearly as energetically as her friends. The high-speed trot across town with the box being towed behind her in case of emergencies had been less terrifying than Monster had thought, with happy hoof-waves by the town’s ponies, and a frequent “Good morning, girls. And Featherweight.” that seemed to echo no matter where they had run. Her little friends chattered as they ate in such a warm interplay that she could only chew and listen, hearing about the ‘newspaper article’ and the ‘photo shoot’ that seemed to invigorate them so much. Writing for a ‘newspaper’ seemed to be such fun, and she could write, so maybe she could help. After all, she had a saddlebag now to carry her writing materials.
---~^~^~^~^---
“How’s this?” asked Princess Celestia, soaked in sweat as she adjusted her hind hooves.
“Bit higher,” said Big Mac, trickles of sweat working their way down his mane as he carefully moved a white forehoof a few inches. “It’ll give you more leverage. There’s a sweet spot right about… there. How’s yer back?”
“A lot better, actually. I really need to tell my sister about this. Ok, are you ready?”
“Eeyup, if’n you are.”
“Here goes.” Celestia leaned forward on her forehooves, her wings spread for balance as her hind legs lashed out backwards at the tall apple tree. A rain of golden and red apples cascaded all around, dropping flawlessly into the wicker baskets scattered around under Arthur Turner, a middle-aged tree heavy with fruit.
“Pretty good, for a novice,” said Big Mac, hefting a basket of apples up onto a nearby wagon.
“Novice?” scoffed Celestia. “I’ll bet these old bones can buck more apples than you can before noon. Winner gets a back massage.”
Big Mac looked out at the south field and considered the substantial progress they had already made. It was nice to have some help bucking this field, and when he won, a solid massage from Aloe and Lotus at the Ponyville Spa would feel mighty good.
“Yer on.”
---~^~^~^~^---
...i’ve never really had many things of my own before, but now i have a place to put them. the castle where you live is where you put your things, but do you still have things after being away for so long? i’m sure Princess Celestia would share her things with you. sweetie says Princess Celestia owns all of equestria, and that you get half of it, but when i asked which half, she just looked funny.
is that what caused the bad dark pony before? it seems silly not to want to share, but now that i have something of my own, it feels weird to give it to somepony. i can remember trying to take the sun away from Princess Celestia now, but it seems so far away and faded like somepony elses memories. i didn’t want to share either. all of my friends share and Trixie shares her books, so maybe you can share the country with your sister and it won’t feel that bad…
---~^~^~^~^---
Applejack trotted back home in the afternoon sunshine, the lightness of the market cart she was pulling counterbalanced by the happy jingle of bits inside. It was a temporary condition, to be sure, soon to be converted to fertilizer and irrigation pipe and the myriad other expenses a farm racked up every day, but an early end to the noon market meant she would have a little extra time to help Big Mac buck that huge field of apples in the south—
The clatter of the cart died away as Applejack looked south. Row after row of clean trees met her eyes, with stacks of apple baskets filled and awaiting pickup, and no Big Mac to be seen.
“Consarn it, Big Mac. I done told you we didn’t need to hire nopony to help out around the farm,” she muttered, loading a few baskets onto the market cart for the evening rush. “Leastwise I can get a sit down lunch today afore I blister your rump for goin’ around my back this way on the business.”
After finishing loading the market cart, Applejack trotted off to the farmhouse where Granny Smith would have lunch waiting. She had plenty of time to eat today, due to Big Mac’s unwarranted expenditure, but as she passed the barn, Applejack was forced to revise her opinion of the day’s events. The garden hose was uncoiled behind the barn, having been used recently by evidence of the wet towels tossed over the fence and a few leftover suds, and the strangest noises were emerging from behind the closed barn doors. They sounded like… moans? She crept closer to listen, just in case.
“Oh, yes. That’s the spot. Harder, please, Big Mac.”
“Yes ma’am. How’s that?”
“Oh, yeah. Long strokes, please. And a little higher up. Mmmmmm…”
Applejack retreated with a bright red blush before trotting quickly to the farmhouse. Neighbors helped neighbors, but that second voice coming from the barn had been definitely female. Although she never had any problems with their next-door neighbor, Golden Harvest, lending a hoof whenever needed, this was just a little… much. Still, it wouldn’t be very neighborly to go interrupting… whatever she and Big Mac were doing, so Applejack decided to just grab a quick lunch and pack a picnic basket for Big Mac and his… marefriend. They wouldn’t even notice if she closed her eyes and just slipped it in the door before trotting back to town to sell at the evening market.
Meanwhile in the barn, Big Mac applied another glop of Granny’s Apple Family liniment to Princess Celestia’s back and continued to rub the smelly concoction in with gentle hooves, trying not to look at the golden royal regalia sitting in a heap to his side. He had been taken just like a foal in the bet, and he was still puzzling out just how she had managed to pull it off, but the losing side of the bet wasn’t all that bad as the Princess of the Sun stretched out flat on the straw in front of him with a glorious relaxed sigh, swishing her tail from side to side in the warm sunshine that poured in through the open loft doors above them.
To be fair, the tail should have warned him.
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Amazing timing with the update. Posted at the exact same time three wildly popular stories update. Sigh. Oh well, it gives me three other stories to read
oh dear...
Big Mac gets all the mares.
Big Mac is so popular.
3456880 What-cha reading?
3456880 what three stories? I might not have read them!
3456908
a princess shows up and makes it rather obvious what she wants no problems for you and all you have to do is be ready when she comes back, soooo what's the problem here?
Idg that part with her tail but maybe I'm just too tired to understand innuendo right now. Also you used mirad when you should have used myriad, just to help.
Good
>Monster talks about sharing in her letters.
)
>Luna and Tia hook up with Big Mac on the same day.
Foreshadowing?! (Bum bum bummm
I look forward to seeing this everyday after work. I'm going to be a sad pony when this is complete.
But until then......
3457480 Tia and Mac are about to start bucking, or so it seems.
—Princess Celestia. The dividing line between the Everfree magic and the town was just a few trots outside the shadow of their home, and as long as she stayed inside that line, the giant blazing ball of fire in the sky would not hurt her.
Um, this is unclear? Is this just her fear of the sun, or is she somehow magically trapped in Ponyville?
Oh man, every bit as good as the original, Georg, just not as dark. Personally, i'm not one for shipping Mac with either princess, but you seem to make it work. Tracked, thumbed, faved.
3458226
I think it’s more like inside of Ponyville (like most of Equestria) Celestia can exercise control over the magic of the sun, but inside the Everfree, the sun does what it wants. So, as long as she stays inside Ponyville, the sun poses no problems, but in the Everfree, there might be risk of a “relapse” and she’ll melt.
That’s what I took away, at least. Your mileage may vary.
Applejack trotted back home in the afternoon sunshine, the lightness of the market cart she was pulling counterbalanced by the happy jingle of bits inside. It was a temporary condition, to be sure, soon to be converted to fertilizer and irrigation pipe and the mirid other expenses a farm racked up every day, but an early end to the noon market meant she would have a little extra time to help Big Mac buck that huge field of apples in the south—
The word is myriad. Good try though.
Otherwise, I am enjoying the story immensely. Keep up the good work.
3458355 3458226 Ok, remember this is Monster's POV. As long as Monster is inside the Everfree, the rules of magic are different. It's more difficult for her to do spells, therefore it is less likely she'll have a relapse of her uncontrolled "Entry Exam" time while watching the sunrise. I thought I had explained it well enough, but I had better check again. It's like that darned Twilight's Parents thing. I thought you were dead, Mr. McCandles.
3458541 3457480 Whoops, I'll get it. It's like that darned remis/remiss error I had once.
3458069 Apples!
Big Mac, you DOG!
Heh, all these comments about Mac. Monster's part of the story is no less adorable.
His misunderstanding about the massage was fairly hilarious, though. As if Aloe and Lotus were going to be administering it regardless of who actually won the bet.
I really like this Princesses/Mac subplot you have going on here. At first I thought it was just a joke but since it keeps coming back up is it gonna turn into something genuine? That could be cool.
Oh, Rarity. Your heart's in the right place, but not everyone wants to be as fancy as you.
Also, the Crusaders are heart-meltingly adorable. It's downright unfair.
Definitely looking forward to more, especially the continuing seduction of Big Macintosh.
Weird...Never thought of a Macstia/CeleMac ship before. Any ways, I don't know how, but somehow, Twilight is getting more adorable every chapter. Just one question, how is that possible?
lol, molestia at her finest!
3460131 brick joke.
Another day, another pony wants a Macintosh Apple.
Aaaah Big Mac, that swagger of yours will be the death of you.
You poor, sweet, innocent soul, Big Mac, you!
3456880
Never complain about updates!
Chapter title: Breadcrumbs - part one (aka The Dirty-Minded Test)
Also, is it strangle that I see Twilight/Monster as an alicorn fluffy pony?
I'm feeling so conflicted...
Just...no.
I love the parts with Twilight, but I hate the parts with Big mac and The Princesses.
This is just my humble opinion, but it's ups and downs for me personally and this rollercoaster of like and dislike is making me queasy
...not queasy enough to get off the ride though...
I can't figure out if Twist's cinnamon sticks are supposed to be candy or regular cinnamon sticks.
7327359 maybe it's like a peppermint pint stick, just cinnamon flavored
"mottled purple filly nose "
So, she's back to being purple?
Wouldn't it be funny if she had written a law back when Equestria was founded that said she has to marry the first stallion who touches her nose with theirs? I'd definitely read that story.
(I am pretty extra sure he's not the first one, though. :) )
3457148
Heh heh, it's pretty funny to have Twilight associate Trixie with positive things...can't wait to see more on that particular thought process.
8812836 Heh. For those of you who don't know, Irrespective is the author of the respected story No Nose Knows, which I've been helping edit, and corrupting him in the process. (Buhahahaha!)
I've been having the oddest craving for saltwater taffy recently...
8812836
You delightful troll, you.