EQD Writer's Training Ground

In the darkening sky a bluish gray night guard in full armor, her leathery wings flapping gently, glided over the mountains, towards the still golden horizon where the sun had just set. In the quiet among the mountain peaks her blue slitted eyes drank the scene unfolding ahead; falls of liquid rainbow, dropping from carefully sculptured clouds into a series of plateaus, created colorful streams that divided a small town into a rainbow-streaked mosaic. On the lowest of the plateaus a second town, this one a clearly temporary and composed of tents, stood; the fabled Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange. Her destination in sight she descended, sighing once when the mountains around Rainbow Falls concealed the tiny sliver of the rising moon.

She could soon make out the frantic activity of the Traders Exchange closing down. It reminded her of a disturbed ants nest; ponies were hurrying everywhere, some certainly attempting to conclude one or two last trades even after the Exchange had officially closed. Most ponies were coming from the direction of the nearly empty royal box, where the princess must have just officially closed this year’s Traders Exchange. The din of conversation reached as high as the permanent clouds above the town from where the famous rainbow falls, which gave the town it’s name, leaped to the earth.

The night guard circled above the tent town, eyes and ears open for any trouble; instead she found just harmony. Here an unicorn helping a pegasus collect and pack his wares; there another pegasus helping an earth pony take down his tent. As a smiling blue maned unicorn called her and gave her a lost object she smiled back, content with how well ponies nowadays accepted bat ponies not many moons after they made themselves known; the images of ponies cowering in front of the assembled night guard, soon after the return of Princess Luna, were still fresh on her mind.

Taking back to the air she scanned the dwindling crowds and disappearing tents for her true objective: kindred spirits. Most ponies would leave the field where the Traders Exchange took place before the moon appeared over the mountains, but some ponies would remain, trading stories under the night sky.

She closed her eyes for a moment and let her nose do the searching; her mouth watered as she smelled roasting marshmallows, freshly cooked hayburgers, and sweet cider. The scent guided her to a freshly lit campfire in front of a wagon turned fast food stand, a burly tan earth pony passing flagons of cider around while other ponies of all kinds talked excitedly.

A smile appeared on the guard’s face as she noticed a trio of unicorns around the campfire; a green stallion with a telescope for a cutie mark, a pink mare with a falling star cutie mark, and a white, wide eyed filly, still without a cutie mark and beaming at the other two unicorns. A family, then; this forebode pleasant, light conversation, and while the guard didn’t mind a rowdy crowd, right now she was in the mood for something lighter.

The tan earth pony, following the unspoken code of food merchants everywhere, was regaling his company with one tale or another.

“... And that’s when the professor took Donut Joe’s ukulele and tried to play. I say, he should —” He noticed the approaching guard mare and winked an eye. “Why, welcome! Wanna to join our little celebration? We have some leftover food we would rather not lug all the way back to our towns, so we decided to swap stories while enjoying good company and good food.” He waved his hoof around, the guard noticing then how most of the ponies around the fire had food-related cutie marks.

“It will be my pleasure.”

The guard sat down, promptly receiving a flagon of sweet cider from the tan pony, and a marshmallow on a stick from a light blue earth pony with her mane in a braid. As the conversation resumed, going on about princesses and salesponies, novelty lamps and ancient beasts, the night guard noticed the furtive glances she was receiving. Seeing a bat pony was rare, far rarer even than seeing a crystal pony, and while her campfire companions couldn’t conceal their curiosity they were too polite to directly question the night guard about her race.

All but one.

“Hey, is that a Nightmare Night costume? Why are you wearing it, did you get it in a trade? Is it the helmet that makes your eyes like a cat’s?”

The mother’s face seemed to reflect the fire more intently, while the father glanced from the filly to the guard, his eyes pleading forgiveness. The bat pony’s crystalline laugher cut through the air, restoring some of the composure to both parents.

“Don’t worry, it’s not the first time I’ve been asked, and I doubt it will be the last.” She turned to the filly, taking her helmet off, letting her silvery mane cascade down (and drawing a gasp from the filly as she noticed the eyes didn’t change). “I take it you don’t know about the night guard.”

“What’s that?” The filly inclined her head and smiled, seemingly eager to learn new things; she reminded the night guard of somepony else.

“The Royal Night Guard is responsible for guarding the princesses during the night,” started the night guard, assuming a regal pose and doing her best impression of a storyteller’s voice, to the filly’s utter delight. “Many among them are bat ponies, ponies that naturally sleep through the day and are awake at night. What you see is not a Nightmare Night costume.”

“Are you here to guard Princess Twilight?”

“No, young one. I’m not on duty right now, though I am always ready to help if needed.”

“But why is the princess here anyway? Mama told me that there must always be a princess at the exchange, but she wouldn’t tell me why. All that Princess Twilight did was tell those ponies that what they decided was fine, and I heard she tell that it’s always like that.”

The guard pony looked at the filly’s parents; The two, in turn, looked around the campfire, eyes pleading. As their gaze passed, each pony discreetly shook his or her head. The father finally, but slowly, opened his mouth. He is going to make up something, though the night guard, who winked her eye at the father and started talking.

“Princess Luna sometimes likes to speak of the past. I know the tale, and could share with you, if you want to hear.”

The filly almost jumped with excitement, her eyes —and horn — sparkling. Looking at her, a slim white unicorn with a crystal jar for a cutie mark said, “That should be interesting.” Everypony else nodded, a low murmur of agreement filling the air.

“Very well. Do you all know about the tale of the Hearth’s Warming Eve?” The guard directed her gaze to the filly.

The adults merely nodded; the filly, on the other hoof, started talking excitedly.

“Is that the one where a princess, a commander, and a chancellor are bickering so much that Windigos come after them, and their sidekicks save everypony by becoming friends? I love that story, Clover the Clever is my favorite —”

“Calm down,” the night guard said with a chuckle, “I thought I was telling the story.”

“Sorry!” The filly looked down, hoofing around.

“It’s okay. Now, there is one thing that the tale doesn’t tell. It took a long time for everypony to become friends.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” The night guard touched a hoof to her chin, considering how to proceed.

“Do you know other ponies of your age that know each other, but are not friends? Ponies that don’t like each other?” As the filly opened her mouth to answer, a thought crossed the night guard’s mind, who hastily added, “Don’t say the names, just nod if you know anypony.”

The filly closed her mouth and nodded.

“Do you think they would become friends the same day if their parents told them to be friends?”

The filly started to nod, but stopped when she looked the night guard in the eyes. The night guard could see something — a bit of desire, perhaps, and some clear pain — in the filly’s eyes as she shook her head sadly.

“Grown ups are like that, too. If two ponies dislike each other it takes time to learn to be friends. Not even a direct order from the princess could change that, not even if both ponies love the princess. And the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies had been disliking each other for a really long time.”

“What happened?” The filly looked up expectantly. “ How did everypony get to be friends?”

“That was the first task Clover the Clever, together with Smart Cookie and Private Pansy, set to do. Tell me, my little pony, did you have fun today?” The filly nodded. The night guard scanned around, her gaze passing every other pony around the campfire as . “Did you all have fun?”

The assembled ponies nodded and murmured their assent, while the night guard took the short pause to eat her now roasted marshmallow. Smiling her approval to the blue pony that had given her the treat, she continued.

“Those three very smart ponies found out that the best way to become friends was to have fun together. They created games, festivals, and other fun things for everypony to do, some that we do even now. And in all of them Clover the Clever would be there with her friends, reminding everypony that unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies could be friends. The Traders Exchange was one of those, though back then it wasn’t here in Rainbow Falls.” The filly raised a hoof; the night guard asked, “Yes?”

“If the ponies weren’t friends, didn’t they try to cheat?”

“They did, at first. But what do you think happened when somepony attempted to cheat in front of Clover the Clever, or to lie about cheating?” said the guard with a wink towards the filly.

“She would catch the cheater in a flash!”

“Yes,” said the guard with a chuckle, “she would. The cheaters gave up on cheating, and when nopony was cheating anymore everypony found out how fun the Traders Exchange could be. Even then Clover the Clever would always be there with her friends, to remember everypony to be friends and have fun.”

The filly was nodding, a smile in her lips, when a shadow of doubt crossed her face. “But why a princess now? Did Clover the Clever ask Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to take over?”

The night guard smiled sadly. It was a good guess, and accepting it would allow her to skip the most troubling part of the tale. But it would be a lie, unfair to the filly.

“No, child.” The guard winced softly. “Clover the Clever and her friends were long gone when someone more terrible than the Windigos came. He was named Discord, and had the power to make ponies fight among themselves. He could make best friends hate each other.”

The filly gasped; better to finish this part now, thought the night guard.

“Princess Luna and Princess Celestia defeated Discord. But the ponies were not friends anymore; they were fighting among themselves. So...” She winked at the fillie, goading her.

“The princesses did the same that Clover the Clever did!” The filly beamed as she gave the answer, receiving a gentle pat on the head as a reward.

“Yes. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna brought back the games, the festivals, and the Traders Exchange, and just like Clover the Clever, decided to always be there to remind ponies, and anyone else that came, to be nice to each other. This is why there must always be a princess at the Traders Exchange.”

The filly looked from the guard to the crimson horizon, where the sun sunk not long ago. "Why does it end when the sun goes down?"

“What?” asked the guard, her eyebrows arching in confusion.

“Well,” started the filly, sitting and lifting a hoof, “Princess Luna is the princess of the night. I saw her last Summer Sun Celebration. If she started the fair again, why does it stop when the sun goes down?”

“Ponies prefer to trade under the daylight,” she said, failing to keep an edge out of her voice.

“But doesn’t it makes her sad?”

The guard looked at the filly’s concerned eyes, a smile slowly forming. “A long, long time ago, it did, and Princess Luna went away for a long time because of that. But Princess Luna learned to look for ponies that enjoy the night, and found also ponies that care for her.” She gently bopped the filly’s muzzle. “Ponies like you.”

The two ponies stood still for a few moments, the mare’s eyes slightly moist; behind her the other ponies were now talking, seemingly discussing her story in hushed tones, but she paid no heed.

Their moment of quiet was interrupted by a distant rhythmic sound. The father lifted his head, ears tilting, and turned to his family.

“The train for Canterlot is coming; we have to get going now.” He looked from his daughter, who had moved to hug the guard, to the night guard herself. “Our little Winter Wishes seems to have taken a liking to you. Thank you for your tale, miss…”

“You may call me Midnight Bloom. And the pleasure was mine; your daughter is a treasure.”

“I’m Winter Star, and this is Sweet Wishes,” he said, pointing to the pink unicorn. “We need to be going. Goodbye and farewell.”

“Goodbye, miss!” The filly was walking backwards while waving, nearly stumbling. Catching her balance she smiled and ran after her parents, happily playing some kind of whistle.

“Fare thee well, my little pony,” whispered Midnight Bloom, turning back to the campfire. The tan pony opened his mouth, looking at her…

And the sudden sound of a pegasus landing at high speed startled her. Turning back, Midnight saw a rainbow trail fading from the sky, ending in a panting cyan pegasus just in front of the leaving family.

“Would you trade your bird call for an Orthros?” said the pegasus, after a few seconds to catch her breath.

“The doggie we saw with the princess! Mama, mama, can we?” said the filly, jumping up and down, as she looked at Sweet Wishes with sparkles in her eyes.

“I don’t know.” She turned from her daughter to the pegasus. “Didn’t you say at the judgement that they need to be trained for a long time, and that your friend that knows how to train it lives in Ponyville? We live in Canterlot”

“Yeah. I understand if you don’t want to trade.” She turned, head down, and started to flutter away. “Sorry to bother you.”

“Wait, Rainbow Dash, Sweet Wishes.”

The two mares turned towards the interloper. Midnight Bloom, in turn, faced Sweet Wishes.

“Is your issue just training the Orthros?”

“Well…” Sweet Wishes glanced at her husband, who nodded at her. “Yes. Why?”

“In that case I can help. I know the pony that handles the Cerberus for Princess Celestia; he is an experienced trainer that loves exotic beasts and will certainly enjoy helping train an Orthros. If you proceed with the trade I can arrange a meeting; come to the palace tomorrow in the afternoon and ask the majordomo to meet me, then I, or if I’m not available somepony else I trust completely, will introduce you.”

“Does this mean I can trade my bird call?” The filly tilted her little head.

“Yes, dear. You can.” Sweet Wishes turned to Rainbow Dash. “Where is the Orthros?”

“At the train station, with my friend. She is —”

“The yellow pegasus!” The filly looked towards the train station and then to her bird call, her excitement dying a bit. “But I wanted to bring home something I got from the fair.”

Midnight walked to the filly and put a wing over her. “I don’t see why not. Princess Twilight Sparkle is still in the train station, and —” she pointed the moon that was just rising over a gap in the mountains “— with her moon in the sky I’m sure Princess Luna will also bless the trade, so I think the trade still counts as being made at the Traders Exchange.”.

“Yay, you’re right! Thanks a lot, miss!” With a start the filly started galloping towards the tunnel that would take her to the train station, her father going after her after waving a hoof at the mares.

“Thank you again. And see you later.” Sweet Wishes turned to the pegasus with a chuckle. “Are you coming? My daughter should be almost at the station.”

“Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“If you say so.” Sweet Wishes turned and left towards the tunnel, following her family.

Rainbow Dash watched her go for a few seconds, then turned to Midnight Bloom, beaming.

“Thank you, my friend really wanted that bird call. She brought a bear call to trade for it, but lost it because of me.”

“Is the lost bear call this one?” Midnight took a small bear shaped whistle from inside her armor and presented it.

“Yeah, it is!” Rainbow Dash took it in her hooves. “How did you find it?”

“I didn’t. An unicorn found it and gave it to me, so I could find the real owner.”

Rainbow Dash looked the bear call over, then looked back at the night guard. “Do you want it?”

“I do have an use in mind, but —”

“Then take it.” Rainbow Dash tossed the bear call back. “Fluttershy brought it to trade for a bird call, I think she would want you to have it. Thank you, and see ya!”

In a rainbow blur the cyan pegasus was gone. Midnight Bloom shrugged and fluttered back to the campfire, where the other ponies were talking again. The voices silenced as she approached, heads turning her way.

The burly tan pony looked at her, eyebrows raised in a quizzical way. “Was that story true?”

“There was no falsehood in it, and as much of the truth as a filly ought to hear. She had no need to know about the infighting, the failed attempts at harmony between the races, how thieves and swindlers were treated, how Discord’s rule over Equestria really was, or the full extent of Princess Luna’s jealousy. Or,” she winked at the pony, throwing a knowing glance towards his wagon, “how making bits at the Traders Exchange is more important than having fun for many ponies.”

“True, that,” said the burly pony amid a laugh. “Care to stay? If even the tales you tell fillies are like that, I wonder what else you could tell us adults.”

Midnight glanced again at the sky; the moon was barely clearing the mountains, giving her a few hours before she had to return.

“As long as all you are interested is sharing are tales and food, certainly; the night is just starting, and I have many more tales from where that one came. But first let us trade tales; might you tell me of the judgement that happened today?”

Everypony else laughed, while the tan pony blushed softly. The tale of Rainbow Dash’s disastrous trade went quickly, and soon they were exchanging other stories, tales new or ancient, tame or raucous.

As always, Celestia awoke before sunrise. With nearly half an hour before she had to rise the sun she trotted happily towards the kitchen, from where the delightful aroma of freshly baked bread wafted.

Her quarry was of another kind, though. Politely waving at the ponies already hard at work preparing breakfast for the castle, Celestia went to a familiar cupboard, where a plate covered with a crystal dome waited for her. Inside, a strawberry and crystal berry cake slice; she turned to the chef, giving him her sincere thanks, and, softly humming a happy tune, left the kitchen towards the attached banquet hall, the covered plate gently floating in her magic. She didn’t even bothering to light the lamps.

Unknown to her, a pair of glittering eyes observed her every move from a shaded alcove behind an ancient suit of armor.

Celestia was settling in front of the table, plate still in the air, when a loud roar sounded. With a bound and a flap of her wings Celestia sailed across the air, horn glowing to create a shield between her and the horn; she turned in mid air and landed, legs tensed, head low, eyes narrowed…

And was met with Luna’s crystalline laugher, her cake — together with a bear-shaped animal call — safely floating inside Luna’s magic. “Gotcha.”

Celestia joined the laugh as the cake was returned to her. After a few moments she turned an inquisitive glance towards her sister.

“Did you find your answers?”

“You were right, sister,” said Luna as she nodded. “what I heard allayed my fears. I don’t think Twilight Sparkle is ready for the public life of a princess, like ourselves or Cadance, but she can act with decision and dignity even when her duty weighs down her heart.”

“What you heard?” Celestia’s eyebrow shot up inquisitively. “I thought you were going to observe Twilight yourself.”

“Nay, I decided to trust your judgement. Now, finish your cake, sister, and let us handle our morning duties.”

Author's Note:

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.
I'm specially interested in opinions about whether or not the tale in the middle was too long, and if the interactions between filly and night guard managed to make it interesting, as the story ended longer than I originally planned.

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