Scootaloo & The Cabinet of Seers

by HMXTaylorLee

Shadow on the Sun

Twilight departed from the Canterlot train station, the whistle from the train blowing fiercely behind her, announcing the conductor's own intent to depart soon. She hadn't been to Canterlot in a good while, and especially not since getting her flight practice in with Rainbow Dash. Still, she didn't quite feel comfortable with long distance flying just yet, so she opted to travel by rail. And also, as was further exacerbated by the noticeable stares she was already receiving from the Canterlot citizenry unused to her presence, she didn't want to risk embarrassing herself with an abject display of clumsy flying. Her pace quickened as the rumblings from the townsfolk that noticed her "royal" presence reached her ears and caused her face to grow slightly warmer in the brisk morning air.

Since she had moved to Ponyville, Twilight had almost forgotten what the hustle and bustle of a typical Canterlot morning was like. While Twilight wouldn't go so far as to consider Ponyville a "sleepy" town in and of itself, it appeared outright comatose compared to even just the single cobblestone laden street that Twilight was currently traversing. Ponies in the market stalls lining the streets were selling all sorts of odds and ends were crying out, vying for the attention of potential customers and their hard earned money. The swarms of ponies that composed the rest of the city folk seemed to move around her fluidly, like river water around a rock. Fortunately for her, she didn't have far to go to reach the castle gates.

Once inside the massive archway, the alicorn ambled towards the marvelous set of curved stairs that led to the castle interior. Two lone guards idled at their base, statuesque and unmoving. Twilight remembered when her brother would tell stories about his early days in the Guard, and how mind-numbing that duty was. Opting for the stairs on the right, Twilight uttered a polite greeting to the guards, to acknowledge that they weren't, in fact, the statues they were trying so hard to be.

"Good morning, gentlecolts," she said pleasantly. The guard closest to her nodded in return.

"Good morning, miss."

Twilight climbed up the stairs, and heard a commotion of clanking metal behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see the fuss, and saw that both guards had bowed down before her.

"Terribly sorry, Princess Twilight. We didn't recognize you at first," the guard furthest from her explained.

Twilight blushed, and waved a hoof dismissively. "Thank you, both of you. Um... carry on?"

"Yes ma'am," the guard replied, reverting back to his sentry-like position. The other guard, a younger one from the look of it, was still eyeing her curiously.

"Princess Twilight, are you by chance here to see Princess Celestia?"

Twilight stifled a giggle as she watched the older guard's face blanch in horror at the 'audacity' of the younger guard daring to ask a question.

"That I am," she answered. "I might be a bit early, but she knows that I'm coming."

"Of course, of course, I didn't mean to imply - I merely meant to say," the guard stumbled over his words. Twilight rarely saw Shining Armor on duty, but she wondered if he had ever been that tongue tied when he was addressing Princess Celestia.

"What he was trying to say," the older soldier interrupted loudly, "was that Princess Celestia is currently in a meeting with city officials out of Baltimare."

"Oh..." Twilight's smile faltered momentarily. "Should I come back later?"

"Negative, your highness. One of us will let her know you've arrived. If you like, you can wait in the throne room for her."

"I'll do that, thanks!" Twilight said brightly. "Thank you both very much."

"Of course, your highness." The younger guard bowed again before standing up, whereupon he shuffled up the opposite staircase. Twilight shook her head at the notion of being referred to as "your highness." That was going to take some getting used to - ponies were far less formal back in Ponyville. She reached the top of the stairs and continued towards the throne room.

Passing several groups of guards and an ornate set of double doors, she entered the grand hall and uttered an involuntary gasp. She had forgotten what it looked like when the sun filtered through the stained glass windows in the mornings, but she didn't know how she could have; it was breathtaking. Minus two soldiers stationed to her left and right, she was alone in the room. She made her way towards the throne, her hooves plodding softly on the thick red carpet below. At the steps below the throne, she stopped and turned around, taking a seat on the floor while she observed the patterns of the windows. She felt more than a little self conscious seeing herself depicted in several of them. She didn't need to endure that too long, however.

Princess Celestia's figure appeared in the doorway, her pastel mane flowing elegantly behind her. It had been a good while since the two had seen each other, and Twilight could tell from her mentor's noticeably hastened gait that Celestia was just as excited to see Twilight as Twilight was to see her.

"Twilight!"

"Princess Celestia!"

The two met halfway, exchanging their greetings as they shared an impromptu embrace. Because of Celestia's larger stature, Twilight had always felt like a little filly awkwardly reaching up, but Celestia was clearly used to it, and didn't hesitate to bow down to facilitate the process.

"It's so good to see you again, Twilight," Celestia spoke softly into Twilight's ear, which flicked of its own accord as a result.

Twilight's hoof slid down to the carpet. "Likewise. It's been too long. I almost forgot what it was like to be in Canterlot. I should try to come by more often."

"You are always welcome to, Twilight," Celestia smiled. "Though I suspect you've been quite busy doing your duty as a princess back in Ponyville."

"Yes, well... no. Not really," Twilight admitted, doing her best to phase out the stained glass depiction of her over Celestia's left shoulder. "Mayor Mare does a great job taking care of Ponyville. I haven't been called upon to do too much outside of running the library like I already did."

The elder princess rested a gold-plated hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Despite the adornment's metallic touch, it was still a comforting gesture. "The citizens of Ponyville can rest easier knowing that they have you nearby to watch over them, Twilight."

"I already did that before becoming a princess though," Twilight argued. "It feels like nothing has really changed outside of my title."

"Give it time, Princess Twilight," Celestia assured her. The formality of including her title wasn't lost on Twilight. "When the time comes, you'll play your part."

Twilight exhaled slowly from her nostrils, wearing a concerned frown. She hadn't intended on venting to Princess Celestia, but in all honesty, Twilight's friends, great though they were, weren't quite able to relate to her in regards to the expectations that come with being a princess.

"For what it's worth," Celestia continued, "the very reason you are here today is because of a royal duty, is it not?"

The effect was instantaneous. Twilight hadn't really thought of it in that way, but the Princess' Blessing was technically a part of her role as a princess! Immediately, her mood was uplifted.

"That's true, isn't it?" Twilight asked rhetorically. "Ever since I read about it, I was wondering how the whole thing works - the Princess' Blessing, the Cabinet of Seers, seeing the future, all of it!"

Celestia laughed as Twilight's excitement increased in tandem with the cadence of her voice.

"And, you'll get to see how it works first hoof. Please, come with me," Celestia motioned towards the double doors, her golden hoof plate glimmering in a sunbeam. Twilight nodded, and the two princesses exited the throne room, Celestia leading the way.

"I apologize for not informing you sooner, Twilight. I hope you weren't put on the spot too much about it," Celestia said, turning her head to observe her pupil from the corner of her eye as they wandered down a marble antechamber.

"Oh no. I was helping a student with a research project, and the topic came up," Twilight explained.

"That's good. What exactly was this student researching?"

"She was researching a holiday - Newborn Celebration Day."

At a junction, Princess Celestia turned to the right, and Twilight followed suit.

"That makes sense, I suppose. It's a shame that the holiday has fallen out of favor," Celestia said with a sigh. "It was always such a hopeful occasion to see all of the expecting parents being supported and celebrated by the entire community. Not that they aren't still, of course. Just not as openly."

They took another right, and began to descend a stairwell to the south wing of the castle. Twilight recognized this place as living quarters of the castle staff from when she was younger, but she didn't come here too often during her tenure as Celestia's student.

"So, do the members of the cabinet live here?" Twilight expressed curiously, looking up ahead at the various doors, wondering which one they would be entering.

"In a sense, yes," Celestia answered, her horn glowing and opening another set of doors leading to yet another corridor. This one did not have any windows, and was significantly darker, save for the dark orange flames emanating from the tips of candelabras dotting the walls. "Pheonixwood torches," Celestia pointed out as they walked past a set. "I trust you've read about it?"

Twilight had. Phoenixwood was a very rare and special type of wood that, once burned and turned to ash, would reform from the ashes into wood. Theoretically, as long as there wasn't an abundance of moisture to disrupt the fire, a torch from pheonixwood could essentially last forever. Twilight also knew that the wood didn't actually come from a tree, and that the title of "wood" was a misnomer. In fact, the material was formulated by a very famous magician - but said magician never explained in the written word how he had done so. Thus, the rarity.

"Starswirl the Bearded invented that, didn't he?" Twilight asked in awe, staring at the next set of candelabras more raptly than she had ever done to a light source before.

"Indeed he did. This is one of the oldest parts of the castle, Twilight, where Starswirl often retreated to during his studies. The book containing the spell that you finished came from one of these very rooms, believe it or not."

"Really? And the Cabinet of Seers live here?"

"Mm-hm."

They continued further, Twilight's anticipation growing ever greater. All of this strange and wonderful magic was right here the whole time! Perhaps when she was finished meeting with the Cabinet, she could have a peek around to glean more from Starswirl's less publicized accomplishments. Twilight was grateful that Scootaloo had brought the whole thing up with her project. Which reminded her...

"Princess Celestia?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"One of the reasons I was so keen to meet with the Seers, other than simply learning about the Princess' Blessing, was because of a request that was asked of me by the filly I was helping with the project."

"Am I to assume that the request was not made for the sake of her project?"

Twilight's eyes widened at how succinctly Celestia had discerned that particular.

"Well, yes, but it's not what you think!" she cleared her throat nervously. "See, this filly has been having a tough time lately, and she's wondering about her future."

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Scootaloo."

"Scootaloo... Ah yes, she was a flower filly at Cadence's wedding, right?"

"That's right!" Twilight exclaimed, recoiling at the sound of her voice bouncing around empty marble hall. "She's a pegasus, but she can't fly yet. And - you know how younger ponies can be, she's got it in her head that she might never fly. So, I promised that if I could, I would find out for her if she would be able to or not."

Celestia stopped moving, and Twilight barely managed to avoid crashing into her. The larger pony's chest heaved in a deep sigh, a display that frightened Twilight. Did she do something wrong?

"Are you two close, Twilight?"

Twilight thought for just a moment before answering. "No, not really. I've only really spent time with her for two days." Celestia turned her head, her eyes looking at Twilight thoughtfully through the dim glow of the candles.

"I don't see why that would be a problem," Celestia spoke after a short pause, to which Twilight exhaled in relief. "However," Celestia continued, "I'm going to ask you to reconsider."

"What for?" Twilight tilted her head.

"Knowing the future undoubtedly has its uses, Twilight, but it comes at a price." The princess' voice had taken on an air of discernable weight.

"What do you mean?"

"Allow me to illustrate," Celestia said. "Imagine that if you knew that tomorrow, your friends would disappear. What would you do?"

With an open mouth, Twilight struggled feverishly to comprehend such a situation. "My - my friends? Disappear? How?"

"Imagine that the 'how' isn't important. Just that tomorrow, your friends would vanish."

"Of course the 'how' is important!" Twilight cried, not caring about the echoes that followed. "My friends are more important to me than anything! I would do everything that I could to prevent that from happening!"

"That's the problem," Celestia whispered with an unexpected fragility that utterly contrasted the stark scenario she had concocted. "I would expect anypony in your situation to do the same about something they cared about so much."

"I don't understand..."

"Knowing the future doesn't mean you can change it. I appreciate that you want to help Scootaloo, but think about what would happen if you knew that she would never fly? What would you do?"

"I would tell her," Twilight answered with less enthusiasm than how the notion sounded in her mind. "I promised that I would, regardless of the answer."

"Now ask yourself, what would she do if she knew?"

Twilight didn't answer immediately. Her eyes had adjusted to the ambient lighting, but all she seemed to be able to do was stare at the floor. What would Scootaloo do? How would she react? Twilight hadn't really thought of an outcome where Scootaloo couldn't fly - the filly's enthusiasm and energy seemed too much to keep grounded. Twilight would be devastated to have to disappoint her. But, what would Twilight tell her if she lied and claimed that couldn't find out or didn't know?

“Maybe that’s your fault for making a promise that you couldn’t keep," Scootaloo's voice played back in her head, as hurtfully and accusatory as Twilight could remember. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, the liar. Not as perfect at everything as everyone thinks she is.”

"I appreciate the concern, Princess Celestia," Twilight looked up resolutely. "But I promised her that I would tell her, good or bad. Doesn't she deserve to know?"

"As a princess, that's for you to decide, Twilight." Celestia answered with a disparaging vagueness. "Either way, you won't have to wait long. We're here."

Twilight looked at the door to her right. It was a small brown door that was unexpectedly shabby considering the gravity of what lay beyond it. The only thing that was even remotely unique about the door was a silver rotating lock above the handle, and even that seemed underwhelming.

"Here?" Twilight said bemusedly, earning a nod from Princess Celestia in return. Twilight's horn glowed, and the silver handle turned downward. With a push of her hoof, Twilight opened the door to reveal... a broom closet. The room couldn't have been more than five meters deep, and there was literally nothing in it save for three scraggly broomsticks hanging on a rack against the back wall.

"Um..." Twilight looked back and forth between Celestia and the spindly sweepers in confusion. "Are you sure?"

"I've gotten so used to it, I forgot to mention," Celestia said with a giggle as she pulled the door closed. "You need to turn the lock." Her golden hoof pointed at the silver accessory above the handle. Twilight placed her hoof upon it, and pushed downward. To her surprise, the shoddy looking contraption didn't budge. She pushed down harder to no avail.

"You have to use your alicorn magic. Remember that only Equestrian royalty can meet with the Cabinet of Seers," Celestia pointed out in her quiet manner in such a way that Twilight didn't feel embarrassed that she didn't think of it before.

"...And Equestrian royalty are always alicorns," Twilight deduced as the lock was shrouded in a magenta aura. With minimal concentration, the lock rotated under her will, and the silver peg now lined up parallel to the door frame. Twilight didn't know exactly what happened, but she knew that there was no longer a broom closet on the other side of the door. A bright cyan glow traced along the outline of the door, and the gap beneath the floor and the door, once pitch black, was now bathed in what seemed to be the comforting glow of sunlight.

"How?" Twilight looked up at Celestia in amazement.

"Starswirl's greatest accomplishment," Celestia explained with some satisfaction, "was creating portals."

With her magic still surrounding the lock, Twilight pressed down on the handle, and pushed forward. She stopped when she heard Celestia speak again behind her.

"Remember what I said, Twilight."

Twilight looked back at her in surprise. "You aren't coming with me?"

Celestia shook her head. "This is something that you should experience alone. But I will be right here when you are finished."

"But how long will the meeting take?"

Celestia smiled. "Trust me, Twilight. I'll be here."

Twilight nodded back to her mentor, her words offering a great reassurance. She turned to face the door again, and pushed it open. Compared to the darkness of the hallway behind her, the light within the room was blinding. Twilight closed her eyes, and with only a moment of hesitation, she stepped inside.

Author's Note:

Pre-read by Raylankrios.

Comments

[Walabio]

"You'll play your part" sounds so familiar.

¡Cliffhanger!

[QuantumWalker]

Man , that's awesome. You're awesome! Can't wait too see what's inside...
Cheers!

[HMXTaylorLee]

6556669

Good catch!
6556875

Thanks!

[Blue2411]

It's awesome so far! Keep up the good work!

[Kenshinryuu]

For a moment I thought the 'seers' were actually the brooms and Celestia invented them as a way to get out of boring meetings and was going to turn the brooms to show painted faces. Very mysterious, can't wait to see what Twilight learns!

[Emperor]

"...And Equestrian royalty are always alicorns," Twilight deduced as the lock was shrouded in a magenta aura.

Somewhere, Prince Blueblood cries into an empty wine glass while Prince Shining Armor is similarly denied being actual royalty.

[Lord King Cocoon]

7155399
Especially considering that Blueblood is canonically related to Celestia by blood. He's her great great great great great... (there are a lot of "greats") ...great great grandnephew.