Perspectives
It was like a bucket of ice water was flooding through her veins. Her intestines felt uncomfortably stiff and heavy as her eyes focused on the letter once again. This was it, she realized, deaf to Ciloa, who was summoned by the ringing doorbell. This had been her chance. Wasted, left behind, thrown away, unfulfilled. A physical representation of a denied future. She focused back on the words, reading them again and again, the greetings, the address, even the blank flipside, trying to find something more, a hidden meaning, SOMETHING. Yet all it did was spark anger for every word she read. This letter determined her future, the fulfillment of her dreams, and all the writer managed was a basic no and an excuse lacking any information or substance? No reason, no explanation for why she’d been denied the efforts of weeks? Months? Why she’d have to wait a year for her next opportunity? But no, she realized. With Ciloa gone, she would have to move out, which meant she needed to find a new home long after the season of sales had ended with only a month's time to find a place to stay, or… or move back in with her mother.
Her hooves trembled as she glared down at the paper, this simple piece of paper that denied her dream for years, if not forever and wouldn't even tell her why. It made her feel sick.
Her ear picked up a shrill giggle, just before Ciloa bounced into the room. “Shetty, Press is here, you gotta help…” Her voice died off as she saw Shetlands trembling hoof. “W-what happened?” She asked and gasped when she saw the tears well in her friend’s eyes. Ciloa blanched. “No… they couldn't have.”
“They did!” Shetland said, wiping her eyes with a hoof. “I'm out. And that's it, that's all it says.”
Ciloa's magic tugged at the letter and reluctantly, Shetland let go of it. The changeling's eyes quickly traced the letters. “There has to be something… PRESS, COME OVER HERE!”
Entering with a steaming bag full of hayfries, his smile quickly died as he looked from Shetland to the letter. “Oh, shit,” he whispered, reading over Ciloa’s shoulder. “This can't be right!” he exclaimed, grabbing the envelope and checking the address. “Maybe they switched up our letters and we didn't notice!”
Shetland shook her head and said in a dreadfully flat voice “It says Dear Ms. Sparkle at the beginning, Press.”
“But…” Press struggled to wrap his head around it. “It can't be right,” Hh decided. “There's no way they would have me over you. I'm decent but you are… you! You excelled at everything!”
Shetland hiccuped and bit her lip to suppress new tears from welling up. If the situation had been different and Ciloa wasn’t there, she might have wanted to kiss him right now. Hearing him upset over her exclusion, even if it was to his own benefit, almost made it seem okay again. Yet, as it was, even his support could do little to change the facts. That for some unknown, stupid reason, she was denied what her friends had gotten. She felt anger seethe in her chest. What she wanted was answers. If she couldn't have her dream, at least she wanted to know why.
“Press, I don't want you to come with me.” she said, taking the letter from his magical grip.
“Where are you going?” He stood up, standing in the doorway, but instinctively backed away from her larger form.
“I'll get answers,” she simply said and checked the sender's address. “And he better have a good one.”
His eyes widened. “You can't do that!” he spurted out. “It'll come back to bite you!”
“So?” Shetland grumbled. “What do I have to lose still?” And with these words she left the apartment.
The streets of Canterlot were as full as any day, but Shetland's seething look paired with her sheer size was enough to clear her path as ponies jumped out of her way. But even as she picked up speed, every step seemed to taunt her with how long it took. “Calm.” she whispered through clenched teeth. As much as she would like to rampage straight towards the old pegasus, losing control like that would have repercussions, possibly denying her chances forever. Mentally, she pictured grabbing all her rage and pushing it into a little, hot, glowing ball and pushing it into her belly, where it burned and… and the metaphor wasn't helping at all, she acknowledged in exasperation. There was no more time, anyway.
She had arrived at a white stone building not too far from where the tests had been conducted. Judging from the utter lack of weapons, machinery or training, it was purely an administrative area. A perfect, comfortable place for the aging Sergeant, she thought disdainfully. She pressed her eyes closed for a couple seconds. “Calm.” hhe warned herself once again before she entered.
A little stallion at the information desk stared at the sudden entrance of a pony rivaling the size of an alicorn, his jaw dropping. He became even more decomposed when she looked down on him. He seemed to shrink in his seat and needed a moment to gather himself back up.
“I want to speak with Whistle White.” she said, her voice sounding strained from the effort to keep it levelled.
“S-sure,” The stallion squeaked. “I-I could make an appointment-”
“I would appreciate it,” she interrupted him. “If I could talk to him now.”
The stallion swallowed and Shetland took a step back, letting him take a deep breath and ease some tension. “Uh, I think he might be on his break right now, actually. I can't guarantee for anything but I could call him and ask if he'd give you the time.”
“Great. Tell him Miss Sparkle wants to speak with him.”
His eyes grew the size of dinner plates as he looked up and down her form again. “Y-you are-”
“Do it now, please.”
“Certainly!” he squeaked. “Please take a seat, I-I'm sure he'll want to see you.”
I doubt that, Shetland thought as she sat down on the bench. It creaked under her weight.
True to the stallion's word, Whistle arrived only a few minutes later. “Welcome, Miss Sparkle,” he greeted her, displaying a smile. “May I ask what you wish from me?”
Shetland narrowed her eyes and stood up from the bench, so she towered over the pegasus. He maintained his smile, although it started to crack. “I think you might know, Sir,” Shetland said. “I've received your letter this morning, and I would like to ask a few questions.” she faked a smile just as his faltered. Whistle grumbled.
“If you must, Miss Sparkle, but I'd prefer to speak of this in the privacy of my office.” With that, he briskly turned around, passed the stairs, and went for the elevator. He'll regret it, Shetland thought, hiding a wicked grin. She found these boxes tight by herself.
After their arrival, Whistle closed the door of his office. It was a nicely furnitured room with a high ceiling for the pegasus, but Shetland’s eyes were fixated solely on him as he stepped in the middle of the room.
“I shouldn't have let the queen convince me to say anything, Miss Sparkle,” he grumbled. “It led you to develop expectations. This is exactly why we keep our quiet.”
So you don't have to explain anything? Somehow, despite his words rekindling her temper, she managed to not say them out loud. Instead, she summoned a friendly, conversational voice. “Be that as it may, Sir,” she picked her words carefully, though the effort became apparent in her voice's quavering. “I am still curious as to what caused my exclusion. You said my results were good, if not great and yet I failed several times. I have no idea what caused that to happen and I need to know!”
Whistle sighed, looking conflicted as he poked the ground with a hoof. But just as Shetland dared to hope, his expression darkened. “I'm afraid I cannot do that, Miss. I have made one exception and one alone, for the queen. I won’t repeat this mistake.”
Shetland felt like her teeth might crack under the pressure she was putting them under. She felt blood shoot into her face like liquid flames. “So this is it!” She raised her voice and closed the distance, glowering straight down at him. He seemed shocked and took a startled step back but she didn’t care. “I spend a year of my life training, applying, going to tests and interviews and more tests, I wait weeks for you to get off your flanks and just look at my efforts and all I get is a stingy letter saying: Nope, better luck next time! With not even ten minutes time spent on giving me a reason or telling me why I just wasted a WHOLE YEAR?” She was screaming the last part, noting with satisfaction that the pegasus winced in pain as his crippled wing flared open following his flight instinct. But his fright was quickly replaced by anger, and his pale, bone-colored face adopted a glowing red tone.
“You're in no place to critique our management, Miss Sparkle!” He said grimly. “THIS is the reason we don't share unnecessary information with candidates. I won't make another exception.”
“I don't think my mother will be pleased when I tell her you wouldn't give her daughter some simple advice.” Shetland said coldly, glaring at the pegasus, watching him closely as color drained from his face once more. She had lost control for one moment, she hadn't wanted to say this. It had only been in the back of her mind, an option when everything else failed. She knew he cowered before ponies of higher rank, bent and broke rules for them, but would her invoking somepony else's title be impressive enough to him? Her shouting might be excusable, given the circumstances, but this was dangerously close, if not an outright threat! Only a last resort… but had she not tried every other option? Either way, there was no taking it back now.
It did have quite an effect on Whistle. He took another step back and his eyes darted to his desk. “But… it makes no sense, if she wasn't opposed, why would she-” He bit his lip, stopping himself and staring back to the hulking mare. Shetland's mind blanked.
“What was that supposed to mean?” She asked coldly, taking a step towards him. She didn't care anymore if she looked threatening. Heck, she might actually be!
“Nothing, nothing!” Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Whistle backed off further.
“Really?” Shetland growled. “Because it sounded like you were making assumptions about my mother's attitude towards this job.”
His back hit his desk. “I-I-It's nothing like that, Miss Sparkle-”
“THEN WHAT DID YOU MEAN?” Shetland screamed, glaring at him as if he would melt if she stared hard enough.
“W-we,” he stammered. “We sent your mother l-letters!” he squeaked under her angry scowl. “It's a standard procedure, we hope to find out about family issues t-to note if we have to give recruits more opportunities to build comradery.”
“I know of that.” Shetland hissed. “But you're not allowed to exclude any recruits for that reason. Is that what happened? My mom talked shit about me behind my back?”
“No! She- she never answered us at all!” he said, regaining a bit of courage. “And you'd be better advised to not talk badly about her!”
“YOU WOULD BE ADVISED TO FOLLOW YOUR OWN RULES!” Shetland shouted in his face. “This is the reason, right? Just because she didn't say anything? It's illegal to exclude me for that.”
“W-we…” he stammered, his resistance blown away once more. “It's not as you claim, we simply found it lowered our overall impression to a degree that another candidate-”
“You disgust me.” Shetland said spitefully as she turned to leave the pathetic flankkisser behind. He might mark it in her file, get her excluded forever, but she didn't care. She had her answers. Why she failed. And why she would have never succeeded either way. It seemed so obvious now, she thought as she stomped to the train station. If all the ponies who decided on the recruits were like Whistle, and considering the results, it seemed very likely, they wouldn't do anything that could upset “Princess Twilight.”
The ticket salespony looked aghast at the mocking tone Shetland had said the words with, but a dark look was enough to silence her protests.
It had never made the headlines of the Fine Print, Twilight had sought to that, but the quarrel between the Sparkles was far from a secret. If these cowards had done any research, which they surely did after Twilight's lack of a response, they would have surely stumbled upon THAT piece of information, and from then on, Shetland's chances were zilch. Because those doddering cowards wouldn't want to touch on a princess's family quarrel and rules be damned!
Fuming like this, Shetland didn’t even notice ponies backing away and in some cases even out of her train section. Maybe for the better, as some of the things she said in her ranting weren't for innocent ears.
She cursed as she was momentarily blinded. Covering her sore eyes, she glared at the offending crystal tree which reflected the midday sun into the eyes of everypony trying to do their business in the town. The thought of having to move back in loomed over her as she weaved her way towards it. She'd been so glad to leave this place last year, but things just had a way of coming around it seemed. As much as she had wanted to avoid this confrontation, circumstances forced her to it anyway, like a big, cuntish circle…
Shetland stopped at the castle's doorstep, her ears peaking as they picked up several bickering voices from inside. She placed her ear at the door and barely caught herself from falling as it swung open and now the voices swept from across the room, crystal clear into her ears.
“-no such thing!” Twilight declared with an uncharacteristic absoluteness in her voice. Shetland followed the voices to a side room, freezing as Press's voice came clearly from the door. Overcome by bewilderment, she opened the door, peeking through a narrow crack where she saw her friend shake his head.
“I know Shetland, I train with her every week. And… her results outclass mine by far, there is simply no way I passed and she didn't.”
Opening the door a little further, Shetland catched a glimpse of Ciloa, who awkwardly waddled on her hooves and… Twilight, whose expression was as unreadable as a book in pitch-dark blackness.
“Those are all merely assumptions.” Twilight said, declared. “And, forgive me, but your judgement in this matter is clouded.”
“And yours isn't?!”
Astonished by her hypocrisy, Shetland had been taken aback, long enough for Ciloa to preempt her outrage. Twilight whirled around, hot blood shooting in her face. “What do you mean?” she asked coldly.
“We…” Ciloa swallowed, her anger fizzling out momentarily. After a short pause, she attempted the sentence again. “We, that is, me and Press, we don’t think… we don't think Shetland could lose in any fair test.”
“Are you accusing me of SABOTAGING MY OWN DAUGHTER?” Twilight said, every word increasing in volume until she was screaming at the top of her lungs, the last scraps of calmness falling off of her like a used-up mask.
“No, Twilight-” Ciloa squeaked, but faltered under the alicorn's gaze. “P-princess Sparkle-”
“THEY WOULD BE RIGHT!” Shetland shouted back. She hadn't planned this entrance, her body had simply acted on its own, throwing the door open so that it slammed into the wall, straining its hinges.
All eyes in the room turned to her, filled with surprise and in Ciloa's and Press's case, with hope.
“Shetland-” Twilight said, her voice faltering. “This is false, I have never acted against you. I would never.” she said fervently. “Despite what your friends may think!” She pointed an accusatory hoof at Ciloa, who recoiled, narrowly avoiding it striking her nose.
“Get away from her.” Shetland hissed. “You didn't have to do anything. Your lack of action was enough. You just couldn't even pretend to support me, huh?”
Twilight froze, her mouth ajar. “What are you talking about?” she asked, bewildered.
“The letter. They sent you a letter. You didn't respond. That was enough.” Shetland said grimly.
“The- letter?” Twilight stuttered, taken aback. “The letter is just a formality.” Behind her Press gasped, shortly followed by Ciloa. They looked from mother to daughter.
“For anyone else!” Shetland pressed through her teeth. “But do you have any idea what ponies conduct the tests? They’re all old flankkissing morons! Remember how Whistle treaded around me when he needed to know about my father and instead asked you? ALL OF THEM ARE LIKE THIS! And that's why you don't need to lift a hoof to block my way. Being your daughter…” Shetland took a deep breath. “It does that by itself.”
“Shetty…” Twilight whispered, distress filling her voice as her shoulders sagged and her wings hung limply from her sides.
“You'll have a full year.” Shetland met her eyes with a glare. “A year where you can do the same as always: push me into what you want me to be, just like the ones you had before me, huh? Midnight, the great scientist and Smarty pants, genius inventor or Spike, the-
“No.” Twilight cut her off, flaring her wings. Yet, instead of anger, her eyes merely displayed sadness. “That's not what I wanted. I don't care what you want to do, I only wanted you to be safe.”
She looked in Shetland’s eyes with a sincerity that she couldn’t break away from. “I meant what I said. I cannot with good conscience support your goal, but I would never, never, try to hurt you. As it appears however,” She said with a great sigh. “I have inadvertently done so. I apologize.”
“So…” Shetland muttered, unable to muster any anger as Twilight finally gave in. But neither did she feel any satisfaction. “You will help me next year?”
“No.” Twilight said, drawing the shocked looks from Shetland, Press and Ciloa. Her eyes grew steely “I said I don't want to hurt you and I could do nothing worse than separating you from your friends. They will both be leaving the planet on the same ship?”
“Yes.” They hurried to confirm.
“Y-Your Highness.” Ciloa added with a cautious glimpse to the alicorn.
“Then I promise, she will come with you. I will see to that.”
The room was in stunned silence for a heartbeat, before Shetland’s friends exploded in congratulations, running up to embrace the stunned earth pony.
Pushing away their exuberant hug, Shetland sought her mother's eyes one last time, licking her dry lips.
“Thank you.” She said, feeling as if a weight was lifted as these words left her mouth.
Twilight’s eyes however, exuded no happiness. “I just hope I'm doing the right thing,” she said, then, with a smile that almost reached her eyes, “You should celebrate with your friends.”
Weirdly enough, her friends seemed almost more happy at this development than she was herself, all sporting a grin up to the ears, and so it took several minutes until Shetland managed to calm them down enough for her to start asking questions.
“Why were you here?” She asked when Ciloa finally stopped bouncing.
“Well, you kinda brushed past us.” Ciloa said, ceasing her giggles for a moment of sobriety. “I wasn’t sure where you´d go and I asked Press and he said-”
Press’s hoof laid on her shoulder. “I said we got to help you any way we can. And so we did the first thing we can think of, ask Twilight to investigate this or… give my place to you. It… didn't go well, though. Until you showed up.” He looked down at where the floor should have been, but instead gazed at Shetlands hoof. She pushed his chin up until he looked in her eyes.
“I heard you before, Press. C'mon, how many ponies can say they've stood up to a demigod for the sake of their friends? And also, you actually wanted me to take your place? I mean, wow, awesome, but I couldn't accept that!”
“You should have, though.” he replied. “I have a place here if it didn't work out for me, you would have had to live here again! You had more to lose than me.”
Shetland shook her head, glimpsing at Ciloa. Press followed her look. His mouth opened, but no words escaped him.
“Ask her out.”
He sputtered. “W-WHAT?”
“Ask her out.” Shetland repeated sternly.
“I-I can't, j-just like that-”
“Do it or I'll lock you two in a drawer until you're making out.”
“Y-you wouldn’t!” he said shakily.
“Try me.”
He swallowed and turned. “Uhm… Ciloa?”
“Yes?” she asked innocently, although Shetland was fairly certain she'd heard everything.
He took a step closer. “Uhm… would you like to, I mean... “ He cast a help-seeking glimpse to Shetland. She gestured him to step closer.
“I mean,” he started again, sweating. His face was mere inches from hers. “Maybe we could, because of this, we… and Shetland, we could celebrate thi-HURG!”
His voice cut off as Shetland, finally losing her patience, grabbed both lovebirds and pushed their heads together. It might not have been the romantic moment they wanted, but it was certainly the first kiss they needed. Backing away from the couple, Shetland chuckled as Ciloa gasped for breath and exclaimed:
“Now this calls for a PAAAARTAY!”
Late at night, over several empty bottles of alcoholic beverages, Press sat next to Shetland on the bench before her house. “Ciloa is asleep.” he informed the taller mare.
“So we got a few moments of quiet.” Shetland chuckled.
They looked up into the night sky.
Press was the first to break the silence. “Are you sure your mom can twist this around for you again? Does… she really want to? She didn't seem very keen on it”
“I don't doubt it.” Shetland replied. “She may be a know-it-all and be stuck on her own view sometimes, but at least she's honest. If she says she's gonna do it, she's gonna do it.”
“Well, how is she gonna do it?” Press interjected. “The letters have all gone out this morning-”
“Yesterday morning.” Shetland grinned. “It's 2 am.”
He groaned. “Yesterday morning, then. I can't imagine she will kick the other pony who's been chosen off so you can take their place.”
“Me neither.” Shetland admitted. “But my guess is that she'll simply make a third spot.”
“Can she really just do that?” He wondered.
“She's a princess. So that's probably a yes.” Shetland snorted. Then, after a long pause, she sighed.
“What's the matter?” Press asked.
“I dunno. It still kinda feels like… well, like I didn't really earn the spot, my mom just got it for me, right? I didn't get it from my own accomplishments.”
“Thats silly, Shetty.” He said as he craned his neck, once again looking at the stars. “You would have done it by yourself if it wasn't rigged against you.”
“I know.” She sighed. “Still doesn't feel like it.” He felt his hoof pat her back and met his eyes.
“You'll show them what you're worth.” Press grinned. “Give it two weeks and everypony's gonna admire your abilities.”
“Awww, Thanks, Press.” She chuckled. Then a shiver went through her. “Brrr, it's getting cold. We should get back inside.”
“Well!” He said and jumped on his hooves. “I better get home, now.”
She looked back, holding the door open. “Or… you could stay here.”
He blinked in confusion, before his eyes grew to the size of basketballs.
“She doesn't mind, believe me.” she assured him with a grin.
Flabbergasted, he looked up at the bedroom window, where Ciloa slept soundly in the lower bunk.
“As long as it's only sleeping...” Shetland trailed her voice off. “No other business. At least until we're all sober.” Chuckling to herself, she left the door open and went to her bed. Her grin grew even further when she heard a second pair of hooves before the door closed.
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Is Twilight wearing armor in the picture, or is she a robot?
8320459
Its a sci-fi-y picture that kinda portrays the armor characters will be wearing. Twilight will in fact NOT be wearing any armor in this story
8320761
Thanks for reading my story. Glad to know that increased effort lead to increased quality
Did it make you laugh?