Growing Wings

by Twilicorn

Learning

Twilight awoke in the castle infirmary, confused. Why wasn't she in her bed in the castle? Glancing around, she recognized that it was the castle infirmary, and she remembered some of what had happened last night. Sighing, she carefully crawled out of bed, and within moments a nurse was at her side.

"How can I help you Princess?" Asked the nurse, bowing to the ground. Twilight inwardly groaned. Sure, bowing was a sign of respect, but to her it was more of a pain in the flank.

"Please, no need to bow Nurse..."

"Nurse Grey, at your service." Nurse Grey pulled out of the bow, her face apologetic.

"What happened?" Twilight Sparkle glanced around the room for any clue as to what had happened, but there was nothing, of course. The infirmary was kept in top shape, and everything sparkled.

"Well, Princess..." the Nurse's voice trailed off as though she was unsure how to phrase what she was about to say, then continued. "You were poisoned by a toxic plant entitled Nightmare's Curse. Princess Celestia is running a complete investigation, and who ever is found to be guilty will most certainly be punished with death." Twilight was shocked by the final part, and she made a mental note to ask Celestia when they had instated a death penalty.

"Thank you, Nurse Grey. Have a grand day." Twilight left, deep in thought as she walked to Princess Celestia's room. She arrived there within moments, and raised a hoof to knock, met by the door swinging open. Twilight poked her head in, and was shocked by what she saw. Princess Celestia was literally pulling her mane out, pacing back and forth through the room and yelling at some pony.

"Are you sure it'll work?... I need this to pull through... My crown will always be..." Twilight could only catch snippets of their conversation before she raised a hoof to knock once again, backing up as though she had just knocked for the first time. "Hello, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Greeted the white alicorn, stepping into the hall and shutting the door behind her. "Are you here to begin your lessons?"

"Yes, Princess," smiled Twilight Sparkle, putting the strange sight out of her mind for the moment. "Oh, Princess, when did we instate a death penalty?" Princess Celestia gaped, her mouth dropping open momentarily before she regained her posture.

"It's not really death-er, well, it is. After Prin-ahem, Luna was banished to the moon as Nightmare Moon, many ponies began trying crazy things, thinking they could get away with more since there was only one leader. Many of them killed each other or stole, and we had to do something about it. It is, however, completely painless, and done while they are asleep, and only after a fair trial. Anywho," she added, changing the subject, "Let's begin with the royal court. You can attend one of my cases and assist me."

"Thank you Princess," smiled Twilight before letting Celestia continue.

"Now, court isn't that terrible. You listen to both sides of the story, and decide whether the accused-who is always on your left-is guilty or not. If so, you decide a punishment, and if not, you dismiss the court. Often times, it is really nothing more than a simple case of someone taking somepony's flowers. However, this case is more severe." Twilight had struggled to keep up with her mentor's pace, walking quickly and taking smaller steps since her legs were slightly shorter. "We have a Roseluck of Ponyville accusing a Carrot Top of Ponyville of poisoning her entire garden. Before we continue, you may wish to read this." Out of seemingly nowhere, Princess Celestia held up a scroll, and Twilight grabbed it magically, unfurling it and reading it anxiously.

Crimes and Punisments
Traffic Violations: Fine of 100-300 Bits.
Petty Theft: Fine of the value of objects stolen.
Forgery or Counterfeiting: Fine of 500 Bits and one month community service.
Vandalism: Fine of 500 Bits and three months community service.
Major Theft/Robbery: Fine of 1000 Bits and up to six months community service.
Destruction of Property: Fine of 2500 Bits and up to six months imprisonment.
Abuse of Any Sort to Another Pony: Up to two years imprisonment.
Murder or Other Violent Crime to Another Pony: Up to twenty-five years imprisonment.
Should a crime involving multiple penalties arise, punishment guidelines are invalid save the maximum punishment of death penalty to be reserved solely for Murder or Other Violent Crimes and the maximum fine being 10000 Bits, Maximum community service is five years. All decisions must be just and can be appealed by the accused in which case they shall be brought to a jury of ten ponies who must all agree to the punishment.

Twilight quickly absorbed the scroll and nodded before Celestia lifted it and tucked it away. Turning towards the thick doors, they walked in smoothly, sitting in the booth several hooves above the below two boxes. One box, to the left, held Carrot Top accompanied by Doctor Whooves, and to the right was Roseluck and a pony Twilight was unfamiliar with. Her attention quickly turned back towards Celestia as she banged her hoof on the table in front of her and the room fell silent.

"We are gathered here today for a Formal Canterlot Court Hearing. Roseluck of Ponyville accuses Carrot Top of Ponyville of poisoning her garden. This falls under Vandalism, and Destruction of Property. We will first hear from the accused. Carrot Top, have you been sworn in?"

"Yes, Princess." Carrot Top's usually energetic voice was subdued, and her eyes glanced around the room nervously.

"Please come forward." Princess Celestia's voice had taken on a hard, no nonsense edge, and even Twilight flinched slightly. Carrot Top walked forward numbly, sitting on the hard wooden bench. "Now, Carrot Top, you are accused of poisoning Roseluck's prize garden. Do you deny these charges?" Carrot Top's lawyer nodded slowly at Carrot Top, and the orange mare took in a deep, slow breath before continuing.

"No." That one word shocked Twilight, but she continued watching intently.

"Very well. Now, what is your story?"

"I did poison Roseluck's garden, however, it was unintentional. Y-you see," her voice caught, and Twilight's curiosity increased tenfold. "I-I've always had a thing for Roseluck." Roseluck gasped, and her expression changed from anger and resentment to confusion. "I wanted to help her with her garden, become a secret helper of sorts until she became curious to who it was, then show myself. But the fertilizer I used must've been off, or something..." Carrot Top gulped, and Twilight's heart immediately swelled with pity for the mare. However, Princess Celestia's expression remained disapproving.

"As simply heartwarming of a story as that is," smiled Celestia sarcastically, "I still must punish you."

"No! No! I drop the charges!" Roseluck's voice was sudden and unexpected, but Celestia's expression did not waver.

"I see unfit to see both sides of the story, so I shall confer with Princess Sparkle and we shall decide what to do with her." She spat the final word before turning and walking back into the hall, followed by a confused Twilight.

"Princess? Why? She didn't mean to, and Roseluck wanted to drop the charges!" Twilight was angry at Celestia, and Princess Celestia's expression wavered for a mere moment.

"She wasted my time, so I now must complete the hearing. What do you believe the punishment should be?" Twilight glared at her mentor, then smiled.

"She should have to help Roseluck regrow her garden. 'Community Service' until the garden is back to its old state." Princess Celestia stared for a moment before nodding slowly and walked back in.

"Carrot Top, you have an indefinite amount of community service. You must assist Roseluck in regrowing her garden. You are dismissed." The other ponies in the room bowed gratefully and left, followed by Twilight to ponder about her mentor.

Twilight scrawled the letter anxiously before sending it, the scroll vanishing in a pale magenta flame. A few minutes later, she received the reply, and a smile flew across her face as she collapsed on her bed to nap for the time until she needed to raise the moon.

Back In Ponyville

"This is simply marvelous!" Exclaimed Rarity, fanning herself elegantly.

"This. Is. The. Coolest. Thing. Ever!" Rainbow Dash began flying in circles, before Spike interrupted everyone's eagerness.

"Guys? We might want to get to the train station."

"Oh yeah!" Exclaimed everypony else before dashing towards the train station. The train was just pulling in when they arrived, and upon presenting their tickets, were led to a car they had never seen before. It was lined with three Princess-sized bunkbeds, a door to the back leading into a restroom. Guards flew above the car, promising to be at the six mares' (and Spike's) beck and call. Spike's "room" was in the corner, separated off from the rest of the room. A freezer was stuffed with ice cream and gems, and he had an extremely comfortable bed. Within moments they had fallen asleep as the train chugged along, enjoying the custom-prepared beds.

In Canterlot

The ponies in the "Royal Carriage" awoke as the train screeched to a halt, and they were escorted out, led carefully to the castle. A large alicorn figure awaited them, and they bounded towards the Princess eagerly. Twilight swept them up in an alicorn-sized hug, babbling on about one thing or another, more glad to be seeing her friends than anything. She led them to their rooms, informing them of their new positions here in the castle. Rainbow Dash, however, didn't receive one until they arrived outdoors.

"Dash?" Rainbow Dash was startled by Twilight's new voice, the way it flowed through the air as though a natural part of the universe, but she blinked and turned towards Twilight.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to teach me to fly. Starting now."

"Is that a command, Princess?" Asked Rainbow Dash teasingly, a chuckle in her throat.

"Yes," grinned Twilight, and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. Same old Twilight.

"Well then let's start! I want you to flap those monsters with my voice. Up, down, up, down, up, down..." Rainbow Dash's voice started slowly before increasing in speed, flapping in time with the beat as well. "Updownupdownupdownupdown!" With that, Twilight raised herself from the ground ever so slightly, emitting a squeak of glee. "Keep flapping! Once you get up here," she added, already up about fifty hooves, "Slow your flapping to a hover." Honestly, Rainbow Dash was impressed by her "student's" skill, considering it was her first time flying.

"Like this?" Asked Twilight, interrupting Dash's thoughts.

"Yeah! Now, tilt your wings forward slightly, and lean with them, going towards the ground. About five hooves up, even your wings for a landing!" Rainbow Dash dashed through the movements, then flew back up, repeating the instructions slowly as Twilight completed them, landing evenly and gracefully. Rainbow Dash once again was shocked, her jaw slipping open as she stared at the goddess.

"What? Too good for you?" Twilight giggled, and Rainbow Dash was once again caught by the goddess' elegance.

"Yeah! Er, no, er..." Twilight giggled again, her musical voice echoing through the garden as she lightly cuffed Rainbow Dash over the ear.

"Shall we continue?"

"Yeah! Okay, let's try going higher! Fly as high as you can without getting dizzy or anything, then come down for a landing." Twilight nodded, probably calculating the best way to climb through the air, then hunched over slightly before jumping, flapping her wings and climbing.

"Wooooooo!" Screamed Twilight, forgetting her royal position as she flew in circles, stopping to land on a cloud near the highest tower. Standing on it, she decided to test something she had read once in a Pegasus Flight Manual. Rearing up on her hind legs, she stomped down on the cloud, sending her forelegs straight through it. A bolt of lightning followed the path of her hooves, crashing to the ground below. Within moments, Rainbow Dash was there, checking to see if the Princess was okay.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't do that! You could get hurt or something!" Rainbow Dash's voice was filled with concern, but Twilight simply laughed.

"I'm fine, Dashie! Now, I'm gonna try rain." Twi's impressive night vision scanned through the sky before locking on a dark grey cloud, and she zipped over towards it. "Hey Dash? Why am I so good at flying?"

"Probably because of all those books you've read, you egghead!" Teased Rainbow Dash, hovering a few hooves away from Twilight, unsure what she was going to do exactly.

"Probably!" Came Twilight's reply, before flapping her wings and raising about two hooves above the cloud. Without warning, she landed squarely on it, all her hooves landing simultaneously. The rain that had been held in the clouds fell towards the ground, landing slowly on the grass below. "I'm good at weather, aren't I Dash?" The question was partially a statement, and Rainbow Dash was unsure how to reply. "We should probably go to bed now," smiled Twilight, zipping past Dash and leaving her spinning cartoonishly before following Twi into the tower.

"Where's my room?"

"All of you guys' rooms are down the hall from mine-yours is closest to mine." Rainbow Dash's heart fluttered at this, and she wasn't sure why. Rainbow Dash crept into her room, collapsing on the bed, followed by Twilight in a tired stumble as she entered her own room.

Glancing around the room, Twilight wondered why it was so dark. Twilight sighed as she magically ignitied the candles and lamps strewed around the room. Although there was lighting, Twilight preferred the flickering light of candles. Glancing around, she sighed before falling on to her bed. Magically lifting the covers, she crept under them and smiled, her eyes flickering shut as she did.

Dawn

Twilight awoke as sunlight streamed barely through the window, and she leaped up from her bed. Running to the far side of her room, she ended up on the balcony. Sitting down, she closed her eyes and carefully nudged the moon past the horizon. Her eyes flickered open, and she turned to the opposing horizon, glad to see the sun rising without any problems. She was about to go awaken her friends when she remembered most sane ponies were still asleep. Stretching, she decided to search the "Princess Side" of the castle. There was a large "wing" to the Princesses, though it expanded across several levels. The bedrooms were located in the top, surrounded by guards, and she smiled as she clambered down the stairs.

In all, there was ten floors excluding the basement, the bedrooms composing the top floor. As she arrived on the ninth floor, she was shocked. It appeared to simply be a large dining area, though a third of it was divided off, most likely the kitchen. She heard sounds from it, but ignored them. Glancing around, Twilight decided there was nothing of great importance and clambered down the stairs to the eighth level. This one was Twilight's heaven. All of the walls were made of bookshelves, several desks arranged in a square, though none touching, around the center. The middle itself was composed off soft carpeting, a beautiful light lavender. Though she wished she could stay there, Twilight reminded herself she had several other floors to explore.

"What if..." Twilight pondered aloud to herself, then closed her eyes and imagined herself on the stairs. All the stairs were the same, making it easy to teleport. After all, teleporting required knowing where you were going. "Whoa!" Twilight exclaimed as she appeared on the steps, and she finished going down them, arriving below a sign marked "Seven" in bold writing. Once again, the sight was breathtaking. Here, in the center of a castle, was a garden. The walls were made of glass, the floor coated in grass save the stone path. Following it, she was shocked by the number of flowers here. Many of them were believed to be extinct, at least in the books she had read. She was about to leave when she saw a small shed to her right. Turning down a small dirt path, she knocked lightly on the shed door, the wooden texture lost to the metalworking of her Regalia.

"Come in," welcomed an aged voice, and Twilight magically opened the door, shocked at what she saw. The floor itself was another part of the garden, and the shed was simply a small, one roomed home. A wooden rocking chair sat to the side, an elderly pony rocking in it. His white hair was done in a wispy comb-over, and his very light brown body was coated in wrinkles that could put Granny Smith to shame. A wooden cane sat next to him, carved with unreadable markings.

"Hello, Mister..."

"I'm Green Hoof-named for my skill with plants. And you are?"

"I'm the new princess, Twilight Sparkle. I replaced Luna a few days ago."

"Ahhhh." Green Hoof sighed and shifted in his chair, his joints creaking loudly as he did so. "Well welcome to The Royal Gardens."

"Aren't the gardens... on the ground the Royal Gardens?"

"They are the Public Royal Gardens. These are simply for the Princess' use. I tend to them, you know." Twilight grinned inadvertently, and Green Hoof nodded slowly. "There's not much to show you, but have a look-see."

"Thank you, sir." Twilight magically opened the door once again, walking down the dirt path before continuing on the looping route of stone through the gardens. She finished off the loop quickly and headed back to the stairs, clambering down them. The next two floors were empty, though they appeared to have once been a foal's playroom. The fourth floor was... interesting.

It was dark and stone, the walls lined with armor, mostly alicorn-sized. A single wall was dedicated to normal-pony sized armor, and it all appeared to be quite ancient. Spears and swords took up a fair amount of the room, while helmets took another, some specifically unicorn-made to have covering for the horn.

"It's... interesting. I'll have to come back," decided Twilight Sparkle before leaving the floor. Her hooves followed a smooth rhythm down the white, marble staircase, and she followed the lights hanging on the wall with her eyes, counting twenty-one before getting to where the next floor should be. However, the stairs simply continued and Twilight pressed on, following the same rhythm. She finally arrived at the second floor, though a sign stated "Second and Third Level" in an elegant, loose writing.

The room was definitely worth the long flights of stairs. Inside was an incredibly tall room, the ground padded with mats that were good to fall on, but stable enough to walk on. Clouds formed near the top, and upon Twilight's testing, were stable enough to stand on. It was a flight practice room. There were weights with special attachments for wings to the side, as well as other wing-exercise tools. There was no pony in the room, but a counter was in a corner, with a sign stating they had shoes for walking on the mats. Twilight smiled, making a mental note to show Rainbow Dash, before leaving, heading towards the final level before the basement, which was merely a storage room. Inside, she saw there was a door that led to the main part of the castle, and the walls were filled with windows, but not as much as the garden. What was more shocking was to see Luna sitting in the large bowl that filled the center of the room, chatting with a pony who had a hoof file as her cutie mark. Upon seeing Twilight, Luna stopped their conversation, turning towards her daughter.

"Hello, Princess!" Smiled Luna, waving for Twilight to join her. Twilight complied, slowly descending the smooth stairs. As her first hoof entered, she moaned. The water was literally perfect. She emerged slowly, swimming towards Luna. "How are you, my dear?" Inquired Luna with a grin as the other pony filed away at Luna's hooves. "This is Cinnamon-she's the spa attendant here."

"Spa?" Inquired Twilight, impressed.

"Yes, the castle has a spa. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Indeed," agreed Twilight, resisting the temptation to moan once again.

"Isn't the water lovely?" Added Luna, sinking back into it slightly.

"Oh, oh yes," agreed Twilight, before Celestia burst in.

"What are you doing, Twilight!" Celestia's voice shook through Twilight's bones, and Luna resisted a whimper.

"I-I was exploring the castle," whispered Twilight like a reprimanded schoolfilly.

"You are supposed to be learning! I go to your room to look for you, and see no pony there! I have guards looking all over for you!"

"I think I am fully able to tour the castle myself, Princess," replied Twilight hotly, spitting the last word.

"Not while I'm in charge!" Yelled Celestia as Twilight leaped out of the pool, storming past Celestia and teleporting up to her room. Flopping on the bed once again, she glanced out the window to see a storm forming as she fell asleep once again.

Comments

[BarrenBaron]

well looks like a certain princess is angry over something...
like a plan failed or something?
I mean if it was me, i'd keep my cool,but you know...practice....

[Twilicorn]

-cackle- I'm looking forward to the next chapter! No spoilers though xD

[Twilicorn]

Thanks! I'm working on Ch 6 right now, where things really do take a twist

[Kapuchu]

Read just about half of this chapter before I stopped.

Please note that I do not say this to be cruel or to belittle you.
But you fail miserably at portraying the characters for who they are. Celestia is not the cold hearted leader, you view her as.

Not only that, but sometimes, things just happen. No warning, no nothing. It just happens.
How did Twilight even get back to her room? One moment she was in the Councel hall, the next in her private chambers.

As entertaining as the story was up until now, I'm afraid that I'll have to leave it be. It's not 'bad' per se, but it is severely lacking.

Edit:
I think I should rephrase something.

The STORY is not bad. The story is in fact brilliant and contains a massive amount of potential.
Your writing, however, or more precisely; your writing skill is what's lacking. Your style is OK, but you need quite a bit more practice before it will be of a decent level.
Yes, I know that my "standards" are high, but I'm a heavy reader and tend to expect a lot from stories :)

I hope this helps you at least a little. Practice is the only thing that you can really do to help yourself though.