Chapter 36 - Errata
The Traveling Tutor and the Royal Exam
Errata
The Canterlot Times office was dead quiet in the darkness of night, with only one pony still inside the cracked and peeling walls. News Flash sat back in the creaky old wooden chair that had been his throne over all he surveyed for the last ten years and regarded the fruits of his kingdom. Copies of the newspapers for the last three months lay scattered across his desk, with red circles and black lines adorning their faces like prostitutes in tacky makeup casting come-hither glances at potential clients, and one massive wedding issue on top like a fat madam presiding over the whole house. The second Royal Wedding and probably the last he would ever see was over, gone, and history, leaving only the normal day-to-day disasters to cover. Circulation number predictions were already trending down and the surplus cash flow that the paper had accumulated over the last few months would only last for so long. The upcoming Royal Foal would help fill the gaps, but a new story was needed to drive the eternal hunger of the fourth estate, some scandal or world-shaking event that would attract attention and bits, but where?
“Good evening, News Flash.” The tall form of Princess Celestia filled the doorway to his office, seemingly glowing with an internal light as if there were still a few beams of sunlight trapped inside, or perhaps it simply was the result of seeing so many other ponies happy. Her ethereal mane flowed in a soft wave of pastel colors down her back and the stars seemed to twinkle in her violet eyes as she continued, “May I enter your office, Editor?” much as if she were requesting entry into a foreign diplomatic enclave.
“Y-yes,” stammered News Flash. As much as he wanted to sweep the contents of his desk into the trash and offer Her Highness a chair, his trash can was already filled to the brim and there was no chair within a mile or so that could supposedly support the Princess of the Cakeflank, as his paper had referred to her several times.
“After having been congratulated so many times by others on my former student’s wedding, I thought it only proper to pass the praise along.” Princess Celestia’s horn began to glow gold and a dusty bottle of cognac floated over to the only free space on his desk. “Congratulations on your Peapony Award for your wedding coverage, Editor. I know it’s a few days before the official announcement, but things are going to get busy again soon, and I thought it best if I deliver my thanks personally.”
“Busy?” echoed News Flash. “Actually, things are winding down. Unless you happen to know where Princess Twilight Sparkle and her husband are spending their honeymoon.” He eyed the dusty bottle of cognac and tried to think of how much alcohol it would take to loosen Celestia’s legendary iron resolve. “Would you like a drink?” he offered.
“I believe I could accept just one, in the spirit of your achievement, of course.” A pair of glasses lifted from News Flash’s well-used minibar, a small one for himself and a considerably larger one for his considerably larger guest. “As for the location of my former student’s honeymoon, I’m afraid I’ll have to turn you down. We discussed so many locations, and Discord had the honor of making the final choice, so even I don’t know exactly where they went.”
News Flash remained silent while he poured the glasses full of shimmering golden cognac, only checking the date on the half-empty bottle when setting it down with a sudden respect for the passage of centuries and the contents of the castle cellars. “But you do have some ideas, correct?” he finally asked.
“Maybe.” Celestia lifted her glass and gently touched it against his. “You’re going to have to work to talk them out of me, though. Cheers.”
“To friendship,” he said abruptly. “To Equestria, and all that she stands for, and to you, Princess, for all that you do for us.”
Celestia smiled and touched the glass to her lips. “That’s a good start.”
* ✹ *
On a beach in Rio Neigh Janeiro, a young couple sat next to each other, soaking up the sun and measured doses of mojitos and caipirinhas with the restraint one would expect for somepony on an unlimited Equestrian expense account. One lilac alicorn and one scroungy green earth pony, both wearing sunglasses as a token attempt at a disguise, reclined in the beach chairs and observed the antics of a small brown earth pony colt as he frolicked in the waves. An elderly photographer nearby who had been snapping a near constant stream of photos plodded over to the sunbathing couple and nodded his head in a brief bow before speaking.
“Your Majesty… Um… Whichever you are. Could you possibly switch to something obviously non-alcoholic? When the pictures run in the Canterlot Times, I don’t think Princess Twilight would be too happy about being portrayed with a daiquiri while pregnant.”
The ‘alicorn’ in question lowered her sunglasses and glared at the photographer. “I’ll have you know -hic- that thish dakkery is a virgin. Tell ‘em, Sunny Bear.”
“Mom!” The green earth pony ‘stallion’ to her side pushed up her own sunglasses and rolled her eyes. “Celestia’s paying for our entire trip, so the least you can do is act reshponsible. Ressponsible. Like an adult.”
Blotter shook his head and returned to his ‘clandestine’ photography of the ‘Royal Couple’ on their ‘honeymoon.’ The sun was warm, the weather in Rio wonderful, Peep Sprout was a great little pony to be around even if he was a changeling, and the photographs he was stacking up were going to make a nice addition to his retirement fund. Things were looking up.
~ ~ ♥ ~ ~
The rattle and clatter of the railroad was music to Steely Resolve’s ears as his private car continued to roar along the tracks, on its way to take him and his guests back to the Royal Empire of Minos. Minotaurs were not known for stealth, but a blocking force of armed guards had kept the curious photographers and newspaper reporters back while his guests had been loaded, and they had remained secluded in the car ever since. The reporters who had managed to wrangle a ticket on the train waited in breathless anticipation for a glimpse of purple or green, but Steely had volunteered his services to pick up meals during the trip, and the reporters could do nothing but write suppositions about what was happening while the mysterious couple was secluded.
Steely knew, but he was not telling. Far, far too much kissing and not enough fighting.
“Here we go,” Steely announced once the outside door had been closed and the armed guard resumed his post. “Lunch for the Royal Couple. As requested, in addition to the main course of Spinach-Alfalfa Casserole, we have mixed baby carrots, peas, and baby pickled okra for the lovely lady, and a milo pilaf for the gentlestallion.”
“Gracias,” said the stallion, sitting his hat to one side and revealing his horn. “My wife and I would like to extend our thanks to you and the Minos Empire again for taking us in.”
“As I would also,” said the beautiful ‘alicorn’ to his side. “A year in the majestic Isles of Minos performing on a Royal Tour. You are far too generous.”
“Generous?” asked Steely Resolve with a startled blink. “Princess Celestia said she was paying for the whole thing, from Canterlot to Gourgouthakas and back again.”
“Oh, really?” Belle Plumè regarded her upcoming tour alongside her husband and smiled. Gambling was illegal throughout the Minos Islands, and the minotaurs were known to be exceptionally generous to dramatic performers. That and the excited flutter of new life tickling her ribs combined to make prospects for the upcoming year molto bene.
* ✹ *
The Indomitable thrummed under Emperor Ripping Claw with the sound of two out of four of the powerful rockoil-fueled engines purring along like happy fledgelings in the crisp morning air. He had ordered the engineers to take their time on the last two engines, due to his ‘special guests’ who had been slipped onboard with great secrecy and tightened security to the point where only about half of the city had to have seen it.
It was a performance worthy of a minotaur opera to see all of the Equestrian press scurry around, trying to get photographs of the purple ‘alicorn’ and her hat-wearing green stallion as they were being loaded along with the pile of Ambassadorial luggage with Princess Luna as an escort. Once they were securely on their way, Crosswind had promptly requested the use of a bathtub to wash out the dye and Papercut had burned the hat to ashes in his magic. Since then, they had been secluded away in their own suite, just the same as Luna and her translator had been tucked into a guest suite, and Ambassador Blueblood and the emperor’s daughter had been placed into their own, but the sounds of shouted interspecies argument came from only one of the three rooms.
It’s murder or it’s mating. Ah, and speaking of interspecies mating…
“Good day, Emperor.” The sleek alicorn princess who strolled casually down the hallway towards him seemed to be in a good mood, even for an Equestrian. “I take it Ambassador Blueblood and his retinue have not been a problem so far.”
“None at all, Ma’am.” Rip smiled along with Princess Luna and fluffed out his chest feathers, taking a quick glance at the somewhat small-seeming protector at his side. “Guard. Leave us. I must have private words with your princess.”
“No, Imperator.” The golden-eyed nocturne returned his gaze without blinking, but offered no further clarification.
“Very well.” The massive griffon turned back to the Princess of the Night and inclined his head slightly. “I apologize for the engine noises last night, Princess Luna. Something must have broken loose in one of the transmissions, because there was a constant rhythmic thumping that shook the whole airship, along with a high-pitched squeal at times. Just when the noise quit for a while and I thought the engineers had fixed the problem, it would start up again, over and over, all night long.”
Pumpernickel blushed almost crimson and coughed into one hoof. “Excuse me, Imperator. I’ll wait at the end of the corridor.”
The griffon emperor watched his guard pace swiftly to the other end of the corridor where he turned and stood nearly immobile, much as if he had been turned into a dangerous statue. The emperor turned his impending laugh into a brief chuckle and turned back to Luna. “My apologies, Princess Luna. Your translator seems quite… talented.”
“The privacy of your guest rooms seems to be less than advertised, Your Majesty,” returned Luna without a hint of the smile she had been wearing previously. “My hoofmaiden and thy newest guard were commiserating over their upcoming separation in the next room over. It was… distracting.”
The emperor waved a claw. “Don’t fret. I don’t plan on keeping him. Once we get to Manehattan and let them get all official over my visit, I’ll assign him back to you. Other national leaders have had the honor before, but he’ll be the first Imperial Guard in history to be assigned to the Equestrian Royal Guard to protect you.”
“And so the cycle turns full-circle.” Luna nodded. “From guard to wingmaster and back to guard again. It is acceptable, as long as you fully relinquish your authority over him.”
There was a subtext in her words that ran a chill up the emperor’s back. “Have you doubts about your guard’s loyalty, Princess?” he asked, feeling a second chill as her eyes narrowed. “All loyalty has its limits. Tell me, if I were to attack you now, which of us would he fly to defend?”
“You.” Luna continued to look the emperor straight in the eye without blinking. “I am proud of my Nocturne, and their loyalty to their oaths, as you should be proud of those who serve you. Even unto death.” Her horn glowed darkly and the rest of the corridor shimmered indigo with the ponies and griffons that he could see frozen in place like statues.
“An attack?” Emperor Ripping Claw lifted a furry eyebrow ridge. “And I thought we were friends.”
“Friends ask for assistance in their hour of need instead of simply taking advantage of an opportunity.” Her magic glowed again, and a small waxy lump dropped onto the airship decking in front of his claws. “Enough henbane to kill the strongest griffon, wrapped in a paraffin shell that would keep it from dissolving for several hours in crop digestive juices. I conjured it from the crop of your dead guard while he was being taken to his rest.”
The resulting silence spoke eloquently. Finally, the emperor sat down on the airship deck with a deep sigh. “Two can keep a secret only if one is dead. You are certain that we are not overheard?”
“The privacy spell is one of Twilight Sparkle’s ingenious creations. We are existing in a space several multiples away from normal time as long as it is maintained, which will prevent the watchers from noticing more than a brief squeal and some blurred motion. So…” Princess Luna tapped her hoof on the airship decking.
The griffon emperor took a deep breath, looking a little like a drooping haystack. “Soon, I shall die, as all mortal flesh perishes. I have striven all my life to bring order and harmony between all races of the Empire, so that I might proudly fly with my ancestors, and all of my works threatened to turn to shit upon my death.” The griffon paused, as if he expected the immortal Princess of the Moon to interrupt, and after several long moments, she did.
“So you ordered your own guard to poison the meal.” It was most certainly not a question, nor an accusation, simply a statement of plain fact.
“As well as ordering my longest and dearest friend to ignore any suspicions he had and to prepare it by my direct command. I had hoped that your guard would notice the henbane at the table, or if that failed, that one of the other Equestrians would. I had no idea that Princess Twilight would become involved. Had her unborn chick been poisoned… I would have rather slit my own son’s throat in his sleep.”
“And yet, you did.” Luna had not moved a muscle other than the slow flow of her stellar mane.
“I have no excuse. The evils we do to bring about good.”
“Speak to another of that if you wish sympathy,” said Luna in a perfectly flat tone. “Didst thou also order thy guard to consume the poisoned pellet?”
“No.” The griffon’s feathers flattened out until he looked almost ill. “He was loyal to me and to the Empire, despite his distaste for ponykind. Honor forbade him to restrain his blows, but if he were to slay me in combat, he knew of the civil warfare which would follow. One way or another, he would die to protect our Empire. His poisoning and subsequent death would have been taken as a sign from the ancestors. The faction of griffons who despise your kind would have been crushed, and one of my sons who share my views would ascend to the High Nest.”
Luna lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Know that I swore by the First Egg, in the Name of the Great Wyrm, that I would find the one who poisoned your people, and that whoever they were, pony, griffon or other, that they would die before me. As an immortal, it is a vow easily bent to the exigencies of convenience, but know that I meant every word. Now, I find it necessary to hide behind mere words when fulfilling my pledge would cause great harm.”
Her horn lit up, and the pellet of wax and henbane burst into ebon flames. In moments, it had burned to a faintly discolored patch on the airship decking, and Luna raised her head to fix the emperor with her emotionless gaze.
“It is right and proper that the honor of Stellar Screeching was restored with his death. May he soar with your ancestors in the Heavenly Peaks.”
“The Empire is in your debt.” The emperor ran a talon through his flattened crest and considered the ponies and griffons in the corridor, still frozen in the dark magic of the Equestrian princess. “Over the centuries, our kind has found itself in debt to yours far more often than many of us are comfortable with. The mighty and powerful griffons, brought low by a simple grazing herbivore on a regular basis. We think ourselves wise because of our martial prowess, but are flung back in disorder and defeat every time we are in conflict. We think ourselves mighty because of our vast nation, but dissolve into chaos whenever we are faced with a challenge.”
“And yet, you are there beside us whenever we are in need,” said Luna in a near whisper. “When Canterlot was besieged by a force that ponies could not defeat on their own, your kind swept down in a wave of steel and claws. When my guard slew the corrupted Wingmaster of the Misty Mountains, it was a griffon who stood up and prevented his death in return. Even now, two of your kind have pledged themselves to the Royal Guard, the first of many who will rise up in our nation to defend against the evils which threaten it. It is a long and wind-swept path that our nations fly, to a destination that we may never see, but as long as we fly it together…”
“It is better that we fly it with a friend,” finished the emperor. “Goodby, Princess Luna. If I have one regret, it is that we did not know each other longer.” A shadow of the mischievous smile returned to his face. “Someday, ask your sister about her trip to the High Nest when I took the throne. I believe we discussed naming one of our possible hippogriff foals ‘Moonshine’ due to the amount of alcohol we put away that week.”
“An acceptable name, for a foal. We shall consider it as well.” Luna bobbed her head almost in a griffon-like manner. “Goodbye, Emperor. May your wings never falter.”
“May your flight be swift and true, Princess. Guard well the aerie.” The emperor took one last look down the corridor at the griffons and ponies still seeming to be frozen in Luna’s magic and considered his next words. “One last question before you dismiss your spell. How did you know?”
“I did not.” Princess Luna’s smile was almost predatory. “Equestria’s youngest princess and a schoolteacher didst uncover thy scheme. Pass that along to your successor, so that such failures of communication do not happen again.”
~ ~ ♥ ~ ~
Far, far to the north, where the cold winds blow unceasingly outside the magical bubble that protects the Crystal Empire, there was a rather large crystal building filled to the top with books. It was the perfect spot for Equestrian historians to hone their skills on reference material that had been perfectly preserved for over a thousand years, provided they walked past the smaller section at the front of the library where a collection of Daring Do and Prancy Drew novels had begun to infiltrate the ancient tomes. Still, even though the vast majority of the crystal ponies were more than happy to browse through the new books and stand in line to get an autograph from Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious (Here for a limited time only), there was still a little activity going on up on the fifth floor, seventh stack corridor.
“Here we go,” said Green Grass, pointing to the book of historical flora he was browsing through. “The Yaks of YikYakistan had a crystal tree… Oh, wait. It was just ice. And they broke it.”
Twilight Sparkle giggled, which made Green Grass’ head bob since he was using her warm belly as a pillow while reading. (It was his turn. They swapped off every hour.) “Don’t be silly, Greenie. We’re supposed to be on our honeymoon, not trying to find references to the crystal tree in the Everfree Forest.”
“Crystal library. Crystal tree.” Green Grass turned a page. “It only makes sense.”
“Why can’t you just relax and— Oh, look. Here’s a good one. Elpis. It means ‘Hope.’”
“They’ll call her Ellipsis. Or Elkvis. I’ve asked you a dozen times already, why not just call her Clover? You know you want to.” Green Grass stuck a color-coded bookmark into the chapter he was studying and picked up a pencil to make a few quick notes.
“Princess Hope.” Twilight giggled, which turned Green Grass’ notes into an unintelligible scribble not much different than his normal shorthoof. “I’ll add it to the list.”
“Page seventeen,” quipped Green Grass, rubbing his head. “My ears are burning for some reason.”
“Mine too,” echoed Twilight, moving her head over to nuzzle her husband around his warm ears. “Somepony’s talking about us. Kiss?”
“Kiss for Princess Clover,” said Green Grass, rolling over so he could kiss his wife on the tummy. “And a kiss for mommy,” he added with a long, drawn-out kiss for his wife.
“You can’t say for certain that I’ll pick Clover,” insisted Twilight Sparkle once the kiss was over for the moment.
“Nope,” he declared, giving her another kiss and resuming his comfortable reading spot. “Can’t say that for sure. Oh, look. The Quilin of Neighpon have a whole crystal forest.” He held the book up sideways and squinted at the map. “Destroyed by a plague of crystal squirrels several centuries before the book was written. That’s no help.”
“It’s a possibility. I’ll write the Quilin ambassador a note. Maybe she knows more.” Twilight read over her husband’s shoulder for a while before nudging him. “Turn the page.”
“I’m not done yet.” Green Grass settled down into the crook of his wife’s forelegs and pulled a wing over him like a blanket.
“You are too.” Twilight Sparkle ran a feathery primary up Green Grass’ ticklish sides and relished the warmth of his body as he giggled. “I saw you reach the bottom of the page. Now turn it over.”
“Can’t make me,” he snorted through the giggles. “Besides, Princess Clover and I can fight back.” He rolled his head over and put his mouth against the thin skin under her foreleg before blowing a loud raspberry.
And the fight was on, with laughter and giggles that filled the upper stories of the crystal library and continued for a very long, long time, even in the days after they returned to their home in the hollow oak tree library.
Quite some time later…
♫ Let the rainbow remind you
That together we will always shine ♫
The streams of colorful magic began to fade as all of the magic that Tirek had stolen was returned to the proper owners. As they landed, the extra tints and marks vanished from the six mares who found themselves standing in front of a huge crystal castle that towered over nearby Ponyville. The last fading notes of music had not completely gone when the trail of smoke rising into the sky made five of the mares stare at the destroyed oak tree. All that remained was scattered burning books that now smoldered in the middle of their small town, the remains of the residence that had until today housed Spike and Twilight Sparkle.
Plus one more.
As the sounds of the townsponies emerging out of their houses began to get louder, the five mares and one dragon moved closer to Twilight Sparkle, who was still staring up at the gigantic crystal castle with tears at the corners of her eyes. They moved close, but not too close, as there was an awful lot of Twilight to get close to. The long-delayed delivery of her foal had left her, as Green Grass had liked to say, a nearly spherical alicorn of uniform density. It was a considerable exaggeration, of course, that always ended in laughter with him being thwacked by a pillow or wingtip, but now it seemed as if the laughter had gone away, never to return.
“Twi,” ventured Applejack with one hoof raised as if to put it around Twilight Sparkle’s neck and begin a hug. “Your home is destroyed, and Green Grass… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Twilight Sparkle was trying to stay firm and speak as a princess should speak, although her eyes never left the towering crystal castle and a quaver of tension emerged as she talked. “Green Grass taught m-me that h-home is ponies. It doesn’t m-matter that the l-l-library is d-destroyed. It was j-just a house. As long as I have my friends, I’m home, even if I have to live in a cardboard box in somepony’s basement. Or a giant crystal castle, I suppose.
“I knew this would happen eventually. I’ve prepared myself for this moment. Princess Celestia told me that all things have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We have to make preparations before the end so we’re ready when it comes, no matter how much it hurts.”
“But… what about the foal?” asked Fluttershy.
“I’ve been very patient and understanding. Maybe a little too much.” Twilight took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out. “All things have a beginning. I’m ready for this.”
“How can you just say you’re ready for this!” said Rainbow Dash, launching up into the air and hovering over her friends. “What about Green Grass?”
“What about me?” Green Grass came panting up to the circle of friends with the familiar (and large) ‘Foaling Emergency Bag’ strapped across his back, as it had been for the last several months. “Sorry it took me so long. I wanted to make sure everything was okay in the jail/shelter before I ran here. So what did I miss, Dear—” He came to an abrupt halt as the presence of the crystal castle seemed to suddenly penetrate his awareness, and his head went back further and further as he looked up. “I’m not cleaning those gutters by myself, I’ll have you know.”
“Did you save my comics?” asked Spike while the rest of Twilight’s friends simply stood and stared.
“Yeah,” said Green Grass, still staring almost straight up.
“All of the Golden Age, Mint Condition, Bagged Collector's editions?” continued Spike.
“Yeah,” said Green Grass in the same distracted voice. “Everything in the Emergency Evacuation Box, including the Moochick’s book and our photo album. Dear. This is yours, right? It has your cutie mark on top of it.”
“Yes,” squeaked Twilight.
“And you’re not hurt, right?” he added, still staring straight up.
“Labor,” she panted. “Water broke while I was fighting Tirek.”
“How far apart are the labor pains? And how tall is that thing, anyway?” Green Grass finally blinked. “Labor? Labor! We have to get you to the hospital! Now! Come on!” With a thunder of hooves and a trail of dust, Green Grass galloped away in the direction of the Ponyville Hospital.
“Fourteen months and one week.” Pinkie Pie checked her notebook. “Huh. Shining Armor wins the pool.”
Fluttershy cast a look at Discord, who had suddenly appeared in surgical mask and scrubs, with a troublemaking grin on his mismatched face. “No. Twilight needs to get to the hospital, Discord. You’re not delivering the foal here.”
“Awww…” Discord put on his unhappy face, sticking the other one in his pocket for now. “But we practiced. Remember that family of baby bunnies? Ow!” He glared back at where Twilight was standing in the middle of the road, hunch-shouldered and spraddle-legged while raising her wing to thwack him upside the head again. “Okay, okay. Spoilsport. The hospital it is.”
...Five hours, twenty-one minutes, and seventeen seconds later…
Princess Twilight Sparkle tried to make herself comfortable as the newborn foal nuzzled beneath her for a first meal. She had a sudden and understandable flash of sympathy for her mother, who had nursed four unicorns, as the stubby filly horn prodded her sensitive underbelly before the little foal found what she was looking for and latched on.
Hard.
“She’s adorable,” purred Green Grass, lying on his belly with his hooves out, ready to catch the little filly if/when she fell down again. “Just like her mother.” He closed the So You’re A Parent - Now What? book with the damp noseprint in it and sat it to one side before just remaining in place, watching the little filly stretch her wings and nurse.
“Yeah,” gasped Twilight. “Strong too.” She squeaked as one of the outstretched wings touched her tummy. “Unfair!”
Five mares, one dragon, three alicorns, and one ancient god of chaos remained almost perfectly silent as the little filly nursed and Twilight Sparkle made faces. Finally, she managed to gasp out, “Go ahead and say it.”
“Don’t want to,” said Green Grass. “You know, my mother had this little gadget that looked like a ping-pong ball that she used to stick on Frost’s horn while she nursed.”
“That sounds… useful,” said Rarity, who was still conflicted between being fascinated at the ongoing maternal activity and somewhat repulsed at it all. “Mother bottle-fed Sweetie Belle,” she added, with the additional “Thankfully” remaining unspoken.
“Go ahead. Say it.” Discord poked Green Grass with a long celery stick. “You know you want to.”
“I think it’s a very appropriate name,” whispered Fluttershy.
“You’re gonna say it eventually,” said Applejack.
“And you’re already in a hospital,” added Rainbow Dash. “There’s no time like the present.”
“All right. I’ll say it.” Green Grass remained laying on his chest while watching his daughter nurse. Her light green coat contrasted with her mother’s lilac hues except for the short purple mane (with a pink stripe, of course) that nearly blended with her mother’s belly hair, and the same shade of light purple tinging the very tips of her tiny wings.
“I think Clover is a wonderful name for our little princess. And I told you so.”
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Ok, now that's the end.
I've had a lot of fun writing Twilight and her friends and will keep writing about them, but Green Grass' chapters have come to an end. I'm trying not to write anything that I have to preface with "Well, first you need to read these three stories or this doesn't make sense."
(Edit: I did use him in to good effect in the Monster in the Twilight AU. Although he doesn't marry Twilight there, but he does get married. Also, both Green Grass and Clover have roles in Farmer Bruener Has Some Ponies, a Equestrians-in-Earth story which covers just what happens when two hundred of so of Ponyville's fine citizens are dropped in the middle of Randolph, Kansas for a few weeks.)
The short My Niece, The Star may also appeal to your interests, and there's more stuff, both good and bad, in the development cycle, so read and enjoy.
An extra-special thanks to KatysCornerTX for the Sparkle family sculpture linked here:
img00.deviantart.net/9512/i/2018/142/f/0/family_portrait_by_katyscornertx-dcc9afn.jpg
May the Horse be with you. Always.
Very nice. I've never been a big fan of shipping (especially with an OC) or romantic... anything, really. But this one has definitely been an exceptional journey. Good show, Georg.
So, it was the old Emperor after all. Well, something tells me that just knowing that he miscalculated and nearly harmed the innocent is enough punishment for him.
I'm sad that you're abandoning this fanon. The Nocturnes, the Griffons and the story of Twilight's romance with Green Grass was an excellent ongoing story that just kept on drawing you back. However, if you have no more inspiration in this matter then it is better that you finish rather than write substandard stories for the sake of your readers.
This was an amazing story. I don't know what else to say. I've been looking forward to and dreading this story ending. Greenie is by far my favorite character and I'm going to miss reading about him. Every story must end eventually though and getting to meet Clover? as the last thing was amazing.
Thank you for sharing such a fun story with the world.
I'm both sad and happy this is done.
Guess I will have to go back and reread this story from the beginning. I'm glad you stuck on the "Errata" chapter. It does a nice job of wrapping up the story. I suppose I can always hope for one-shots (but not expect them). Funnily enough, this is not the only story MLP I'm reading this week that has a wedding taking place!
Now they have an idea of how long an alicorn is pregnant! Oof! Poor Twilight. Also, they need to ban Shining from participating in betting pools regarding his sister. XD
Bravo! Clover is too cute.
I find it amusing that Twilight was heavily pregnant while fighting Tirek. I wonder if Tirek noticed this, and what he must have been thinking...
6690972 Oh, my stars, she's fat. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
6690945 Who better to know Twilight than the brother who grew up with her?
6690951 I love writing cute adorable little infants. Tune in tomorrow for My Niece, The Star.
6690867 I'm a very sharing individual.
6690857 I'm not abandoning this fanon, just that GG probably won't show up in my future writings. Heck, I've written about him for around three years so far.
6690839 To be honest, I started writing The Traveling Tutor and the Librarian because of some really, really bad M6 shipping that I had seen done that I like to refer to as "Hi there, I love you, let's bang" fics. I wanted a story where the two characters do NOT meet with romantic intent, do NOT get along at first, but as they realize they have things in common, they get over that first bump... only to hit another, and another. After all, it's called 'falling in love' for a reason, and most of the time you can only recognize it after the wagon has already rolled over you. (Cupid drives a semi) I thought it would only run about twelve chapters and I'd be done with shipping, but then I hit the sequelitus, and shipped the Pink One in Changelings, Love and Lollipops, and Flash Sentry/Sunset Shimmer, and couple of OCs in The One Who Got Away, so who knows what's next.
While I'm sad to see an end to this continuity, I can certainly understand the reasoning behind it. Thank you for one of the best romances on the site. Here's to whatever may come in the future, both for you and for the happy couple.
6691106 You mean like the entire sub-genre of Sailor Moon romance fanfiction referred to as "Usagi and Rei realize they're in love and make out like crazed weasels"?
That was a wonderful last couple of chapters for this story. I especially appreciate the little bit at the end of this chapter to really close up all the questions I've had going through this story. Although I would read more Green Grass I can understand wanting to do something different. I've read enough of your stories that I was actually really surprised I wasn't following you yet. I'll fix that.
6691106 well thank you for your excellent work in writing this. It was a fun and awesome ride to the end <3 kinda has that Disney Esq warm fuzzy feeling when a movie ends.
[aplauso]
6690769
Even if it's Bad Horse? I dunno...
...and stories really don't ever end. We just don't always get the next one in the series in stock, that's all.
We'll see about that...
See there you paparazzi morons? Don't follow the purple alicorn, follow the purple dragon.
Georg, thanks for a fantastic series! Very enjoyable all the way through, and I have had a lot of fun visiting the Traveling Tutor version of Equestria.
Are there any plans to continue this sequence in the immediate future? I ask because I'm trying to decided whether to re-read all of these stories now, or wait a bit.
Because that's a lot of words to re-read twice.
Well... that explains somethings. I do wish Ripping Claw wasn't in such bad health, he's a cool old griffon and I would love to see more of him in action. On the other hand... I can't help but picture Sunny dying from the Henbane and want to strangle him. The actor couple getting their own private vacation with a foal on the way is awesome, I hope Clover and their foal grow up friends.
So then. Here we are at the very end.
The Traveling Tutor and the Librarian was one of the very first stories I ever read here, and I remember fondly how I rapidly fell in love with the character of Green Grass. Its been such a long way since his days of being dropped in well, though perhaps I feel, that is not something that will remain solely in his past.
While I am sad to see this end, all things must, and I can think of no better place for you to have done it than at the begging of Green Grass's new life with Twilight. And of course, from the very adorable segments here in this chapter, we can all be assured that despite us not getting to see it, Twilight, Green Grass and Clover will truly live, Happily Ever After,
So Kudos to you Georg, and fair fortunes on your future endeavors.
Now that the formality is done:
Dawwww they named the foal Clover! Its so perfect!
So that's the end of the ride.
Green Grass, we'll miss you.
An excellent story. I really enjoyed it.
...I wasn't expecting the Emperor to be behind his own poisoning, though.
6692849
Oh course!
Thanks :)
A most excellent story, Thanks.
A wonderful end to a delightful series.
I'll miss Green Grass, he has been one of the most likeable and well written OCs I have read.
I can honestly say that this has been one of the most entrancing stories that I have ever read, including published works(of which I've read many.). You've made me laugh, cry, cringe, giggle, gasp, and d'aaw, and for that I thank you.
It is hard to believe that all of this...
is... over
And a part of me really was hoping to read about Blueblood, and his adventure with the Griffons. As well as more of Crosswind and Papercut.
Still, all great things must come to an end, it is said, and I feel that you have brought this to the best ending possible for us readers.
This has been an experience, a real masterwork. I have enjoyed every moment of it, and it couldn't have ended better. On the other hand though, is there any chance of some family one shots to wean us off gently? Clover's 1st date and her father's corresponding 1st visit to the gelding shear shop for instance? What goes around comes around and all that?
Well, ain't that a high-class establishment
Welp. Looks like someone is proactively making sure he doesn't make a mess?
Tsk, News Flash, you worded that wrong. Should be "unless you are willing to tell where they are spending their honeymoon." Because, of course she knows
Ah. Good call
Oi, Twilight! You're preggers! Easy on the alcohol!
Oh. A decoy. Well-played
That's more promising...
Decoy #2. Brilliant!
What, did they dress up Papercut and Crosswind to be Decoy #3?
Ohgods, they totally did!
lawl. Rip heard Luna and Graphite going at it.
Uhh... what?
Oh, yikes. That poor guy sacrificed himself for his emperor, for the sake of peace. That's... quite awful
Heh. Twilight's "not guards"
Hah. Clever couple.
Do they really deserve the moniker of "ancient" if they skipped a thousand years?
Welp. I guess nopony should be surprised they're spending their honeymoon in a library
They took Spike with them on their honeymoon? Poor guy. Hope they have a soundproof room far, far away from him
For the sake of avoiding a paradox he refrained from asking the time travellers?
How about a side story on Papercut and Crosswind's adventures in the Griffon Empire?
Boo! You didn't retcon the destruction of the tree!
Oh come on. This was a wedding story. You can't end it like that. I'm not buying it
Okay. That pretty much confirms he's alive, they know it, and she's just weeping over the tree.
He's out on another teaching trip, isn't he?
Hah! Talk about terrible timing
It's a good thing that she's probably too tired to clobber him, after those five hours...
Congratulations on a great and satisfying wrap-up to the Tutor arc. Very pleased that you integrated the events and characters of the show so elegantly. Your universe is now littered (ahem!) with loads of young fillies, colts and griffons so I expect more entertaining stories.
6694616 It's been a lot of fun, that's for sure. After all, that's what I write for.
"
6694505 "Welp. I guess nopony should be surprised they're spending their honeymoon in a library
Well, you shouldn't be surprised. I foreshadowed it in a blog post nearly two years ago (although I had to go back and get the exact floor and stack so I could put it into the story)
6693906 Oh, maybe. One shots are doable.
6692907 To be honest, if you had expected it, I would have done something terribly wrong.
6693839 It kinda hits the point of diminishing returns to write too deep into a sequel, particularly when I have so many projects already.
6692590 Prince Blueblood: Shoot again. This time, lead him a little. He's deceptivly fast.
6692546 And everything from here, you can just imagine Green Grass somewhere in the background of the gigantic castle.
"Dear? I'm lost again. Hello? Is anybody out there? It's a good thing that Pinkie Pie has established emergency cupcake stashes all over the castle for occasions like this."
6691181 I suppose a moral is in order. Shoot for the stars. If you fall short, maybe you'll wind up with a princess of your own as a consolation prize."
I am glad to see this completed but I am a little sad you won't be writing in this particular universe any more. I was hoping to see the adventures of Princess Sunshines and her knights the Cutie Mark Crusaders (plus Peepsprout) or more of Pumpernickel and his wife. Thank you for sharing this great story with us though.
6695864 Well, Pumpernickel and Lamina will show up in Farmer Bruner Has Some Ponies, a EiH fic that I'm doodling with. And if I do the AU with Green Grass and Stargazer, Princess Sunny will have a part.
I notice very few folks calling for the emperor's head after the poisoning.
Probably because he already looked kinda pitiful. Otherwise, it's a bit weird to be outraged over 'attempted murder' (which the suspect didn't plan on going through with) and fine with several near- and one actual killing.
LMB said about her Shards of Honor extension Barrayar that every great romance should end with a birth. Good show! And in the end, was Emperor Ezar the model for Ripping Claw?
Welp, looks like this marks the end of some... what, half a million words of this continuum? Been quite a ride.
Thanks a lot for that. Bretty gud/10, would read again and probably will. One of the rare actually satisfying pieces of writing to be found around here, with polished writing to boot.
6695512
I kinda suspected him. It all worked out a little bit too well for his cause after the "assassination attempt", too smoothly, in too quick a succession. He was in a fairly hopeless position before that. Desperate people tend to do shit things for (what they think are) good reasons. I wouldn't say you did anything wrong, though, I thought that little fishy feeling - no pun intended - around how that business resolved itself was intentional on your part.
6709872 I don't think it's a half-mil words. I've only got 1.1mil published. Hm. Maybe close. (Edit: I checked, it's around 400k for the whole series) Springing a surprise in a story is a tricky thing. Too few clues and you blindside the reader. Too many (unless you're running a Columbo here), and you have no suspense. When I wrote Diamond Tiara Buys a Little Sister (which I still think is one of my better stories), I had a cascading series of reveals which went from "Who?" to "Oh!" over the last chapter, with a goal of 5% "Oh, I knew it at the end of the first chapter" and 90% "I got it during the middle of the last chapter somewhere" and an unfortunate 5% "So, who's her mother?" I think I did pretty well.
6705319 In a way, yes. Not directly. Ezar was a ruthless tyrant, willing to rip, tear, and shred in order to get the end result he wanted before he died. Rip is more of an Aral, I suppose.
6698956 Well, the only ones in-story who know about it would be Luna, Twilight and GG, with most probably Celestia let in. Hopefully, the readers realize that the Emperor is well and truly backed into a corner here.
6710245
I'm not sure that counts as more 'backed into a corner' than being bodily slammed into one. He certainly came out with less personal consequences. Nah, the real reason is most fandoms consider being kinda rude and condescending the worst crimes imaginable.
As it is, realpolitik prevailed. And from the looks of it, even the emperor felt unclean and disgusted with himself.
noooooooooooo
Well, the ride was a good one. All the stories, side stories, and little bit at the end. Man, you can really spin a tale.
Gonna miss obsessing over this story.
I agree that a sequel won't be necessary, but what about a spin off starring Prince Blueblood and Princess Sophia?
Wow, so was she just very overdue with her foal, or is that normal for an Alicorn?
This has been a wonderful series, and I'm glad to have found it. You did very well with these characters and I'll definitely have to check out what you're writing from here on out.
6845295
Hypothetically, what would she have done if
followed by asking Cadence to officiate, or something similar? (Assuming Twi didn't tear him a new one, of course.) Would this be enough of a "red flag" for Celestia to attempt to halt the wedding, or would she just be Very Disappointed?
6845295
I can't speak for the reasoning of the others who criticized this, but for my part you seem to misunderstand at least my understanding of what you wrote and thus my reasons for criticizing this. I never did think you were just having Celestia 'use a sledgehammer to drive tacks', I didn't misunderstand your underlying reasoning, as it is rather apparent. I simply disagree with them being good reasons, and find it quite strange that you think they are.
First. Sometimes families drift apart due to the actions of one or both parties. This can be very upsetting, or not, depending entirely on the circumstances. Claiming that the alienation his parents caused (for yes I do not blame him for it in the slightest considering how his parents have acted) would not be good for them or their marriage is a very specious argument. Most likely it would not have affected them at all, but for the fact that since you are the author you can make it so that it would cause problems eventually. Then that is an end result of your making, and not an argument for forcing a faux reconciliation. Any damage to the Baron's marriage would be of their own making and up to them to deal with.
The most egregious argument you make, however, is the 'tit for tat' reasoning. If anything, that makes it even more despicable. What kind of person would use a request already requested and promised, a request to officiate her faithful student's marriage no less, to gain leverage in a demand you present for your own peace of mind. For that is definitely what it appears to be, Celestia's worry and unease and her projection of that onto the situation between Green Grass and his parents, and that pushed her to demand they be reconciled. She should have suggested it, maybe even give sound arguments with parallels to her own experiences, then left it alone as it really isn't her business. In any case she would be much better served going in the other direction, making the Baron apologize first, for it is them who were in the wrong, almost wholly so. And to claim she did not order it? When you make a demand with the threat of such consequences, then it is an order with another name and all the more reason for ensuring his resentment towards her.
All of this of course just makes his response(or lack thereof), how he just rolled over and decided to apologize, the fact he thought he should need to apologize, the entire apology itself and the aftermath thereof so very demeaning to his character. Contrived and convenient are words that spring to mind.
I suppose in the grand scheme of things this aspect isn't a large part of the whole story, but for me (and some others it seems) it really rubs me the wrong way something fierce. It's like you painted a work of masterful art, then decided to take a brush of tar and make a black slash across one corner, or make a piece of music and then introduce the sound of a car crash somewhere in the middle for the sake of it. It's small, it's somewhat short lived, but does it ever sour the good reading experience of an otherwise great story.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to respond to the criticisms levelled over this. I like it when an Author takes the time to do so, whether or not they stand by their decision or change their mind.
And therein lies the problem and why I found this to be absolutely distasteful - she is using Twilight's marriage (this is important - she isn't just screwing Green Grass over here, she's screwing over Twilight and her wishes) as a leverage to further her own personal agendas and as a tool for manipulation. No different in any way compared to what the Nobles were trying to do, except she got away with it.
Twilight wasn't looking for a favor in the business sense when she wished for Celestia to officiate her wedding - it would have been a joyous moment because Celestia is (or at least she considers Celestia to be, which might not entirely line up with reality) her beloved mentor and one of the most important ponies in her life; she would have been delighted and elated to share the happiest day of her life with her mentor.
Instead Celestia responds with whipping out the proverbial checkbook and asking Green Grass "So, how much are you willing to pay me for not screwing her hopes over?" That's callous and despicable on a level that's entirely identical with the one displayed by the Nobles - who cares what that silly little Princess wants or how it ruins her happy occasion, all that matters is that she gets to push her own agenda and meddle in things that are none of her business.
If she viewed this occasion (officiating Twilight's wedding) as a favor that she demands "payment" over, then she doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the wedding in the first place. It's a crying shame that Twilight never got to witness Celestia's true colors, which are nowhere as pure as her coat would lead one to believe.
Oh, there's one thing I've been meaning to ask; Did Green Grass ever find out that the reason Clover was conceived was because Twilight didn't take enough of that potion?
Quite ironic that a bookworm like Princess Twilight would have misread such important instructions...
This was great. I think I may also need to read everything you wrote.
6864413 Yes, I left that as a given. Besides, that's not the *only* reason Clover was conceived, and if you think about it, there is the possibility that on a subconscious level, Twilight may have done it intentionally.
6889537 That would be great. It's all there, waiting for you. Since you enjoyed this one so much, I would suggest starting with Changelings, Love and Lollipops, which is a tender story of gentle love between a party cannon and a certain changeling's face. It also includes Pinkie Pie.
Well it took me a couple weeks but here I am...
This freaking story-series... story... something. This FREAKING STORY! HOT DAMN IT WAS GOOD! Been a while since I've had this much fun reading. It's been an awesome adventure.
Thank you for bringing good content. I will remember this story for a long time. As it has become one of my favourites.
There's no closing quotation mark for this paragraph
7011468 Yes, that's normal for when you have a next paragraph still being spoken by the first speaker.