Memoir of Misery

by Silvak

Chapter XXIII: Message

"Mommy, why am I the only pony with wings and a horn?"

"It's because you were born that way, dear."

"But why was I born this way? Some ponies give me a funny look when they think I'm not looking..."

"...Dear, no matter what ponies say or do, you're a special filly. You're one of a kind, and I'm certain that one day, you'll be doing great things."

"Really mommy?"

"Yes de—"

"Vicium Mehemii."

---

"What the buck‽" Sapphire cried out as she suddenly sat straight up on her bed, startling the ponies around her bed as Harrow fumbled with a bucket, some water splashing out of it until he caught it. Blinking at the sight, Sapphire looked around to spot Silver, Foggy, the nurse and even Midnight around her as she found herself in some lavished room, with her being in a massive bed that she believed that both Luna and Celestia could sleep in together. Turning her attention towards Harrow, Sapphire asked, "What are you doing with that bucket of water?"

"Well... princess, since you fainted, I thought it would have been best to wake you up, and what better method than a bucket of water?" Harrow replied, causing Silver to facehoof at his answer. "But it seems that you saw that coming, being the Alicorn of Water after all, and woke up before you and your bed got soaked."

"Like I would even let you try that on the princess, Harrow. I mean, this is the princess we're talking about! I'm fairly certain that she could you have you imprisoned for life if she wanted to," Silver cried out as she resisted the urge to tug at her mane in frustration.

As Harrow started to pale at that, Sapphire let out a snort as she countered, "No I wouldn't, he was just doing it out of an honest intention to wake me up. Besides, it's just water, I can will it off me and out of the bed with no trouble at all. Now, can somepony tell me where I am?"

Turning her attention towards Sapphire as her anger melted off her face, Silver answered, "Oh, you're in the master cabin on my ship. After you fainted, we moved you here so you can be treated properly. In matter of fact, how are you feeling, your majesty?" as she looked at Sapphire with a genuine expression of concern.

Looking herself over, Sapphire let out a sigh as she said, "Nothing is wrong, at least nothing that I can feel. It was just the shock of the moment that caused me to lose consciousness. Which reminds me, Foggy, I need you to return to my quarters at City Hall and retrieve my dragonfire lantern along with the ribbon case next to it."

"As you command, your majesty!" Foggy exclaimed with a salute, briefly forgetting Sapphire's issue with her title as he rushed out of the room.

"A dragonfire lantern?" Hallow wondered out loud, tilting his head in confusion as he continued, "Why would you need such a fancy lantern when the room has magical lights?"

"Because the lantern has an enchanted dragonfire in it that allows the princess to send messages instantly to a set location," Silver explained. "In this case, I believe that this lantern would send messages to your fellow princesses?"

"That is a correct assumption, for I have some questions to ask Celestia... along with some new information..." Sapphire answered, causing all the ponies present to look at her in surprise, though for Silver, her surprise quickly morphed into terror.

Shaking a bit, Silver squeaked out, "N-new inf-formation?" to which Sapphire just rolled her eyes at her fear.

"Don't worry Silver, you're not in trouble. This isn't something involving you or Vanhoover, it's more of a private matter. Hence, nothing for any of you to worry about," Sapphire stated, causing Silver to let out a breath of relief.

Frowning at Sapphire, Midnight countered, "Are you sure, princess? It is my duty to see to your safety, so if this is something that is related to that, I would like to be informed of it."

Shaking her head, Sapphire replied, "No, it doesn't involve my safety, so you can relax and go back to sleep Midnight. Though I'm surprised you're even up at this hour..." before she glanced around the cabin room till she found a port window on the wall the bed was against, where she saw that it was still daytime outside.

"Princess, I wouldn't be that good of a guard if I'm not able to react to an emergency, even if it is during the day. A few hours of lost sleep will not stop this guard of the night!" Midnight declared, causing Sapphire to tilt her head at her theatrics before Midnight muttered to herself, "Especially after I was literally carried out of the train to my quarters yesterday."

Shaking her head in amusement at Midnight's complaint, Sapphire recalled something as she turned her attention towards Harrow. "Harrow, about that bucket of water thing, I recommend that you never do that to Princess Luna under the same circumstance. I doubt she will take it as well as I would," Sapphire stated, causing Harrow to gulp as he gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Good that you understand. Now Silver, what is there to do on your ship while we wait for Foggy to return?"

---

"Huff... phew... princess, I have returned with what you desired," Foggy said, having taken an hour to accomplish his mission. He entered the ship's dining room as Sapphire was having a late lunch with Harrow and Silver, and Midnight decided to resume her rest. Setting down a sealed black lantern with a brown wooden case right next to it, Foggy gave Sapphire a salute before dropping onto his rear, panting.

"Umm... princess, couldn't you have flown over and get it yourself with less effort?" Midnight asked as she cocked an eyebrow at Foggy, who eyed her back for her question.

"I could... but do you think Foggy would let me go on his own? I think he would find some loophole in something in order to be able to follow me, even if I gave him an order not to," Sapphire explained with a shrug. As Midnight nodded at Sapphire's answer, Sapphire turned towards Silver as she asked, "Can you get me a scroll and a quill please?"

"As you request, your majesty. Servant!" Silver exclaimed, causing a pegasi maid to come into the room. "Get the princess a scroll and a quill, immediately!" Silver ordered, causing the mare to scramble out of the dining room.

"...You know, you don't have to be so loud about it. Time isn't an issue, Silver," Sapphire stated as she took a bite out of a pear cake that Harrow personally baked. Though she did wonder why Harrow went through the trouble of making a pear cake when a pear pie would have worked. She suspected it was due to her comment about an apple pie yesterday at dinner.

"You may not be in a rush your majesty, but I don't intend to have you wait for any request you have given me," Silver stated, causing Sapphire to softly sigh as she resisted the urge to shake her head at the noble.

Does Celestia really put up with this on a day to day basis? Maybe this is why she wanted me to be a princess, so she can have some sort of reprieve from this at some point in the future, Sapphire thought to herself. It was then that the maid returned, holding up a scroll and quill along with an inkwell on a platter as she bowed towards Sapphire, much to her personal ire.

"Your writing utensils as requested, your majesty," the mare said, her head still bowed down as Sapphire levitated the objects into the air.

"Thank you for retrieving them," Sapphire replied, only to be surprised as the mare used her wing to hold onto the platter as she bowed even lower to the princess.

"It is an honor to serve you, your majesty," the mare responded before taking a few steps back before coming out of her bow as she quickly rushed out of the room.

Must be nervous being so close to me... Sapphire thought to herself before unfolding the scroll as she started to write down her message.

Dear Celestia,

Recently, I have learned about the potential chance of me having a longer than average lifespan, something that has been neglected in my education of being a princess. I would like to know whether that chance is true for me or not.

Furthermore, I have had a recent portion of my memory returned to me. While it was short, I discovered that I was born an alicorn. This is based on how a younger version of me made that statement, to which my mother who I was speaking to made no denial of it, cementing that statement as truth. Finally, the memory was interrupted by a particular phrase that I don't recognize that was spoken by an unknown pony. The words that were said was Vicium Mehemii.

From,

Sapphire.

Rolling up the scroll, Sapphire levitated the case and lantern onto the table as she cleared some space for them. Opening up the case, it revealed four sets of ribbons, one white, one dark blue, one pink, and another purple. Taking a white ribbon, Sapphire wrapped it around the scroll before pulling the black seal panel on the side of the lantern, revealing the green magical flame inside it. Tossing the scroll into the fire, Sapphire watched as it turned into magical smoke before drifting out the nearest open window. Closing both the lantern and the case, Sapphire declared, "Now I have to play the waiting game."

Blinking at the declaration, Silver replied, "Umm... don't you mean we have to pl—"

"Private matter Silver, remember?" Sapphire interjected, raising an eyebrow at Silver who promptly shut her mouth as she nodded. Instead of letting out a long-suffering sigh, Sapphire placed the lantern and the case on the floor next to her seat as she resumed her meal, only to be interrupted about ten minutes later as a whiff of smoke flew into the room, materializing into a scroll marked with a light blue ribbon. Opening the scroll, Sapphire spotted that all the ponies present, sans Foggy who was resting on his back, leaned over like they were expecting her to read out loud to them.

"Don't any of you know what a 'private matter' is supposed to mean?" Sapphire stated in an annoyed tone, causing the ponies to lean back as they looked at other parts of the room, some of them mumbling about not expecting anything from her. Shaking her head, Sapphire returned her attention to the scroll.

Dear Princess Sapphire,

I apologize for not informing you about this sooner, but due to a lack of information on your origins as well as not knowing how powerful your magic is, I was against the idea of informing you of your immortality due to the potential negative reaction you might have in regards to it if it turned out to be an unnecessary one. But, due to that memory that you have informed me of, and estimates done by the doctors and researchers that have been looking into the results of your medical examination, it appears that you are likely going to share a lifespan similar to my sister and me.

As for the phrase, it seems familiar to me, but I don't know its meaning. It may belong to a language older than Equestria itself, so I have some of the archivists look into what it could mean, and I will inform you immediately if anything is found. Thank you for informing me of this matter, and I do hope that your time in Vanhoover is an enjoyable one.

Yours truly,

Princess Celestia

Closing up the scroll, Sapphire looked at the ponies around her, who were showing signs of curiosity while doing their best to hide it. Letting out a sigh that caused them all to turn their attention to her, even Foggy's, Sapphire half-heartedly declared, "Well, I guess I might be an ageless alicorn like Celestia and Luna... go me."

Comments

[Cyana Flame]

next question is how old~ is she? x3

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Of course she was ageless she's an alicorn.

[KingJoltik]

I was against the idea of informing you of your immortality due to the potential negative reaction you might have in regards to it if it turned out to be an unnecessary one.

Seriously? That's the only thing Celestia thought Sapphire would have a negative reaction to? She's told you time and time again Celestia that she doesn't want to be a princess or an alicorn!

[Cyana Flame]

8722845
mostly just being princess, being an Alicorn was just a happy surprise

[Kevin Lee]

The next memory that gets revealed:
"You're in good hooves with All State. Where you'll be protected. From Mayhem. Like me!"

[The Watcher Face]

Can someone draw a picture of Sapphire waving a little flag saying “go me” in a really monotone sort of way?

[Fabian Corcair]

So... Many... Unedited... CHAPTERS!!!!

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

Closing up the scroll, Sapphire looked at the ponies around her, who were showing signs of curiosity while doing their best to hide it. Letting out a sigh that caused them all to turn their attention to her, even Foggy's, Sapphire half-heartedly declared, "Well, I guess I might be an ageless alicorn like Celestia and Luna... go me."

.

[Asolem2]

Does Celestia really put up with this on a day to day basis? Maybe this is why she wanted me to be a princess, so she can have some sort of reprieve from this at some point in the future, Sapphire thought to herself.

It's one of the reasons at least

[Asolem2]

"Vicium Mehemii."

Mayhem