Legacy of Illumination

by Metool Bard

Chaos, Glory, and Destiny

You are on a quest to seek the Holy Teapot for the High Princess Celestia. You and your traveling companion come across a great chasm known as the Gorge of Eternal Peril. It is so foggy that you can't see to the other side and have no idea how far it spans. The only way across is a rickety wooden bridge called the Bridge of Death. What do you do?

You approach the bridge and encounter an old goat who guards the bridge. He speaks with a gruff voice:

"Stop! Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side she see."
What do you do?

The goat leans forward and asks his first question:
"What is your name?"

He asks his second question:
"What is your quest?"

He then asks you his third and final question:
"What.......is your favorite color?"

The goat nods and steps aside.
"Very well, you may pass."

You cross the bridge. Once you near the other side, you notice your traveling companion flying through the air--in comedic fashion--into the the gorge for not knowing the capital of Aspuria.

...

Tell me, are you perhaps a remnant from Discord's reign of chaos, Mr. Book? Because you sure sound like it right now. Discord may have been before my time, but his demonstrable actions continue to live on in infamy.

Anyway, the question already has a flawed premise. Princess Celestia doesn't have a Holy Teapot, not to mention I wouldn't need to use a bridge as long as I had my wings. But for the sake of playing along, I'll answer the questions.

My name is Firefly, my quest is to find the Holy Teapot, and my favorite color is blue. Oh, and I would probably fly after my comrade, too. I'm not the kind of pony to leave comrades behind (which is why Songbird's death is still a pretty sensitive issue for me). Heck, I don't know where Aspuria is, let alone its capital. How would anypony else in my squadron know that?

Who is the "Muffin Mare?" Does she live on Drury Lane?

She's a mare who sells muffins, of course. Oddly enough, she does live on Drury Lane, which is a famous street in Trottingham. How did you know that, Mr. Book?

Wait, forget I asked that question. I'm probably better off not knowing. That or you really are a remnant of Discord's time and you're just being random.

What accomplishment are you most proud of? Your "Moment of Glory," so to speak.

Well, honestly, that would have to be the formation of the Wonderbolts. True, I've fought in many impressive battles, and I've put on many awe-inspiring airshows. But none of them will ever hold a candle to that fateful night when we celebrated Equestria's first celestial year of peace. The airshow itself was spectacular, and I haven't felt that alive since I got my Cutie Mark. In fact, no other airshow or battle has even come close to making me feel that level of euphoria.

But of course, that's not the only reason that I see it as my greatest accomplishment. I hate sounding like a broken record, but this bears repeating. The Wonderbolts are considered to be a major turning point not only in Equestria's history, but the history of the pegasi and how we're perceived by everypony else. No longer are pegasi expected to be proud warriors or simple meteorologist. We take pride in our ability to fly, sure, but we use that ability to entertain and inspire as well as defend our home. This is something that the Wonderbolts continue to strive for to this day, and that will probably continue for generations to come. If that doesn't qualify as a moment of glory, I don't know what does.

To what extent did you shape your own destiny, and how much was owed to fate?

Oh, so now we're getting into the conundrums of philosophy, are we? Well, I'm not much of a deep thinker, but I believe I have an answer to this question.

All ponies are destined to be good at something. We all have a special talent imprinted into us at birth, and it's our job to find out what it is as we grow up. But no matter who you are, you will find that talent eventually. It's as natural as a caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly. That much can be attributed to destiny.

But once you find that special talent; that ability that makes you who you are, it's up to you to decide what to do with it. Thistle Whistle's special talent was whistling. She could've used that talent to study birds or be a musical entertainer like my sister, but instead she chose to join the military and use her talent to warn others of danger. My talent is inspiring others, and that can be interpreted in countless ways. But I decided the best application for that talent was in the military. And even then, I branched out to inspire hope in all ponies when I formed the Wonderbolts. My special talent didn't change; only how I chose to use it.

So you see, Mr. Book. That's how I view destiny. I was destined to be good at something as well as to discover what that something was from the day I was born. The rest was forged by my own hooves. Again, there's a lot of philosophical debate about all this, and I don't claim to be as smart as the great scholars of Canterlot or anything. But I personally think this formula can apply to everypony in Equestria if you think about it enough.

Also, what's your opinion on New Zealand geese?

What's New Zealand? Is there an Old Zealand? Do the geese from this mysterious place not fly, given your obsession with flightless birds? I'm sorry, I can't have an opinion on something if I don't know what it is.

Comments

[111segasonic]

Why do bad things happen to good ponies? Also, why can't you go outside and fight an emu right now?

[theNDinspector]

Hmm, well played at the Bridge of Death Firefly. Very well played indeed. So what would your idea of an epic quest be?

What is your favorite type of muffin? How about your least favorite?