A Pony Displaced: Homeward

by NoLongerSober

Chapter 102 - A Grand Apology

A light blanket of clouds held over Vanhoover as a spring shower poured upon the city. The weather felt oddly fitting that Friday afternoon due to what had happened four days ago.

On April 1st, while Daring was called away for her archaeological expertise, Barrier and the privates had, on Princess Luna’s request, aided her in pulling a prank on her elder sister. To say Celestia did not take their prank well would be an understatement. Barrier had received a taste of his own medicine when Princess Celestia made him and his former privates believe they were to be executed in what was actually a prank.

The only one in the house who seemed to be in a cheery mood was Fruity Punch, who had volunteered to make dinner using a recipe she learned for beer battered fish and chips.

“Thanks for doing this, Punch,” Barrier said as he watched the pink-coated unicorn putting dinner in the oven. “We’re all just feeling… well, drained right now.”

“No problem,” Punch replied as she turned back to face the cobalt unicorn. “I’ve always loved the rain. It just leaves me feeling refreshed, y’know?”

“Wish I could say the same,” Barrier replied as he rolled his neck. “After that little prank Luna asked us to pull, along with what the privates did with my mother, I can officially say I hate April.”

“Well, I’m sure this month will pick up shortly,” Punch said as she took a seat at the table. “Maybe when the weather’s decent, we could do our training outside. I’m pretty sure that it’d be a nice change of pace.”

“Perhaps,” Barrier said as he rolled his foreleg, not wanting to admit that the dampness was making his joints sore. “Though I get the feeling Bea would use the opportunity to eat some of the grass on the lawn.”

“Fair point,” Punch replied as a series of knocks came from the front door. “Want me to get that or—”

“I’ll get it,” Barrier said as his horn glowed and in a familiar flash of blue, the stallion was at the front door swinging it open.

He was surprised at the sight of the mare standing in front of the door, to say the least. Of all the ponies who could have stopped by his house, she was the one he expected the least given recent events.

“Good afternoon, Barrier,” Princess Celestia warmly and regally said as she looked down at the shorter stallion, an aura of golden magic forming a shield to keep the rain off of her and the two guards standing behind her. “May I come in? I need to speak to you and your housemates.”

“Of course,” the charcoal stallion replied as he stepped back from the door before turning towards the stairs. “House meeting, right now!” Barrier barked as the princess stepped into the manor.

In a flash, Swiftsword appeared at Barrier’s side while Hat Trick, Gem, Verdant and Forge rushed down the stairs. Windy, Fleet and Daring rushed to the entryway and came to a halt.

“Hey guys, what’s... go...iiiinnn…” Punch’s words died in her throat as she saw the towering alabaster alicorn as her two guards entered the house and closed the door.

“Good afternoon, everypony,” Celestia said just as everypony in the house, save for Barrier and Daring, started to take a knee for her. “No, there’s no need to bow.”

“What services do you require, Princess?” Fleet asked as she looked the towering mare in the eye.

“I currently don’t require anything for myself,” Celestia said as her eyes swept over those in the house and spotted Fruity Punch. “Could we please move to the living room? I’d like to speak to the residents of this house in private.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Barrier said with a nod as he turned to head for the living room, only to almost bump into the still as a statue Fruity Punch, her response to the sight of the princess reminding him of how she reacted when she met Princess Cadance.

“Punch, are you alright?” Barrier asked as he waved a hoof in front of her face before giving her head a gentle rap.

“BATHROOM!” Punch suddenly exclaimed before dashing past the charcoal unicorn and running into the half-bath.

In a matter of moments, Barrier and his housemates were standing in the living room with the princess. The former privates and Wind Whistler all stood together in a line like practiced soldiers.

“Might I ask what brings you all the way out here again, Princess?” Daring asked as she removed her hat and glasses for the alabaster mare.

“Well, I had a meeting with the mayor earlier about several things today, so I decided to kill three birds with one stone.” Celestia answered before taking a deep breath. “First of all, Barrier. I owe you and your housemates all a well deserved apology.”

Barrier remained still and silent while Swift was the only one of those in the line that was unflinching in her stance.

“My actions in response to your practical joke were far more than called for and cruel,” Celestia continued as she looked over the little ponies. “I shouldn’t have made you think you were in danger of execution and made such a spectacle out of it. It was wrong and for this, I am truly sorry.”

“I must admit, it was surprising to see you do such a thing for a practical joke, Princess,” Barrier stated as he took a step closer to the line. “Though I did perform the exact same thing as a prank a long time ago, so I can’t exactly cast stones.”

“At any rate, you all have my sincerest apologies,” the princess said before she sighed. “Honestly, April Fools tends to bring out the worst in me.

“Long ago, I met a former student of mine, Sunset Shimmer, for the first time on April 1st. Over the years, we would pull small practical jokes on each other for the anniversary of our meeting until…” The princess fell silent for a moment before coughing in her wing. For an instant, Barrier thought he saw the glimmer of a tear in her eye and he had to resist the urge to try and offer a comforting word.

“Suffice to say, for many years, April fools was a sore spot for me because of all the memories it brought back, both good and ill.” The princess swallowed before she continued speaking. “My day was already one I didn’t look forward to, and you and Luna managed to pull a prank on me, ruining my breakfast in the process.

“Still, none of that excuses my actions. In retrospect, I should have gone with something much milder like perhaps pretending to arrest you for assault, only to take you to a bakery or something. I am sorry for my cruel joke and I wish to make amends for that night.”

Barrier began to speak in response, only for the alabaster alicorn to hold up a hoof and silence him.

“Rest assured, I insist that I make this up to you,” Celestia said as she set her hoof down. “To that end, I would like to offer you a weekend length vacation to the destination of your choosing, with the travel and hotel expenses provided by me.”

“I… don’t know what to say,” Barrier said as he took a careful step towards the towering mare. “You know that we could easily afford such a vacation, Princess… While the gesture is appreciated, you don’t have to do this.”

“I know, but I want to do something nice to make up for my bad prank,” she replied. “There’s no need to choose the destination now. Simply write me a letter with the location and I shall take care of things.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Barrier said, resisting the urge to bow before her. “I’m sure I speak for us all when we say we’re thankful for this and I personally forgive you.”

“Thank you, my little pony,” the princess said before her eyes moved from Barrier to the gray-maned, gold pegasus. “Now, for my last bit of business here, I have something to discuss with you, Professor.”

“Yes, Princess?” Daring asked as she drew closer to the regal giant of a mare.

“I’ve received word from some ponies that an ancient text was recently uncovered. The writing has yet to be fully translated, but they believe it’s a map to one of two potentially dangerous artifacts,” Celestia said in a firm and serious tone. “One possibility is that this is the Sun Stone of Flutter Valley. Another is that this could be the magic coins that once plagued Dream Valley.

“No matter what, though, it seems that whatever treasure they’ve found is within the long lost tomb of Dazzleglow.”

Daring gasped at what the princess had said.

“D-D-Dazzleglow?! I… I thought she was a myth!” Daring turned to face her housemates, all of whom seemed to have no idea what she was talking about. “Dazzleglow was supposedly an alicorn from long before the royal sisters! From way before the earth ponies first encountered pegasi or unicorns! If we really do have her tomb, this is rewriting the history books stuff! And not to mention how dangerous those coins and the Sun Stone are!”

“I’ve never heard of this Dazzleglow before,” Barrier said as Daring rushed up to the princess.

“Princess Celestia, I… I will prepare to depart immediately!” Daring said, making the alabaster mare lightly chuckle.

“Calm yourself, Daring. The translation isn’t nearly done and because of the condition of the text, they are treating the parchment very delicately.” Celestia’s statement made the pegasus let out a sigh of relief. “However, I ask that you be prepared, should the translation be finished sooner than expected.”

“You’ve got it, Your Highness,” Daring said as she gave the alicorn a salute. “I’ve been itching for an adventure.”

“Well, I am grateful for the acceptance of my apology and for your dedication, Professor Dazzle,” Celestia said with a nod. “Now, I must return to Canterlot, so I bid you all farewell.”

“Farewell, Princess,” Barrier said, giving a quick bow to the alicorn as she started to head for the door.

Princess Celestia soon made her way to the door, where her two guards stood at attention and saluted. As one reached for the door, a quick knocking came from behind it.

With a quick glow of her horn, the door swung open and revealed an excited looking griffin hen sorting through her saddlebags.

“Verdant, there’s a big sale going on at Cut Corners Groceries on bacon and I’ve got a ton of coupons, so we’ll be able to get this for free! We’ve… got… to…” Erica’s words slowed to a halt as she saw the mare that towered over her in the doorway.

“My, that sounds like quite the bargain. I hope your shopping goes well.” Celestia offered Erica a kind smile before she and her guards stepped outside, leaving room for her to enter. “Have a pleasant afternoon.”

Erica just stared slack jawed at the sight of the alicorn as she and her two guards headed for the gate. A moment later, she slowly made her way into the manor, where she saw Punch cautiously stepping out of the half-bath.

“Is… is she gone?” The unicorn nervously asked as the household started to make their way to the entryway.

“Yes, she is,” Barrier stated, drawing a sigh of relief from Punch. “She was apologizing for what happened on April Fools and has offered us a weekend vacation at the location of our choosing.”

“Well, that’s good,” Punch said as she brushed a foreleg against her forehead. “Gotta say, that was a really bad time for me to get the trots, right? Eh heh… heh.”

“And you’re about as transparent as glass,” Hatty said as Verdant went up to Erica’s side, saddlebags on his sides while Punch was looking at her foreleg.

“No, I’m still opaque.” Punch replied, drawing a chuckle from some of the household as Verdant and Erica headed out the door.

***

With dinner complete, the household had all gathered in the living room. The ponies all stood at attention as Daring stood in the center of the room.

“Alright, since the princess is giving us a free trip wherever we want, we should have a discussion about where to go,” the golden pegasus said, her eyes swept over her housemates. “I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life, so I know a fair amount of nice places to visit. Still, feel free to toss out any ideas for this.”

The room was silent for a moment as they pondered. After a prolonged moment, Forge, who was sitting in a chair, slowly started to raise a foreleg.

“Forge, you’ve got the floor,” Daring said as she pointed her foreleg, making everypony’s eyes fall on him.

“Well, I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea to visit Trottingham,” Forge said before rubbing his left foreleg with his right. “It was quite the place to be back when it was Gallopfrey, so it’s probably a lot better now that it’s been freed from griffin control for centuries.”

“Hmm… not a bad call,” Daring said as she rubbed her chin with her wing. “It’s got quite a number of popular tourist spots, to say nothing of the various shops, restaurants and beaches. It would be a pretty nice place to visit.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve visited myself,” Barrier quietly said, recalling the night where he’d nearly met his end at Grimhilde’s talons. “It wouldn’t be hard to top that particular trip.”

“I heard that the food scene there is something else,” Verdant chipped in. “Several restaurants that specialize in griffin recipes, and this really famous dairy with high quality milk and cheese products.”

“I recall the island being a rather high class city. My family once visited there for the wedding of a cousin,” Swift said as she moved up to Forge’s side. “I would also like to visit Trottingham.”

After several minutes, the household had come to an agreement. They would have their vacation in Trottingham.

“The next question would be when to go,” Barrier said, rising up from the couch. “Since the princess said she’d be willing to accommodate for a weekend length vacation, it would probably be best to have it on an actual weekend when we’re available.”

“Sir, might I suggest we consult Snowy Skies, Erica and Spearmint?” Gem asked from her spot beside Hatty. “I mean, it would kinda suck for Forge, Swift and Verdant to go on vacation without their special someponies. Oh, and Verdant will probably want to bring along Toil.”

“Good call, Gem,” Daring said before she started to head out of the living room. “You guys take care of setting things up with them. I’ve got to take care of something else.”

Shortly after Daring finished speaking, Verdant and Forge left the manor while Swift went upstairs to write a letter.

Barrier started to follow behind Daring as she headed into his bedroom. Stepping into the room bathed in moonlight, he could see Daring pulling out a dark green backpack that she started to fill with a variety of tools like grappling hooks, a collapsible pickaxe, a compass and some books.

“Daring,” Barrier began as he slowly approached. She briefly paused her packing to face the charcoal stallion. “How dangerous are those treasures?”

Daring let out a heavy sigh as she walked up to Barrier, gently rubbing a hoof against his face. “The Sun Stone was something that supposedly could rival, if not surpass things like the Elements of Harmony or the mythical Rainbow of Light. As for the magic coins, most legends describe them as something that could grant wishes with no real known limits. Either way, they’re dangerous and need to be locked away if we find them. That’s why I’m going to be prepped to go at a moment’s notice.”

“Would you like me to come with you?” Barrier asked as he gently placed a hoof on hers.

“I… I’m not sure,” Daring said, looking Barrier in the eye. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a more than capable fighter and stuff, but there’s a lot more to finding dangerous treasures than just being able to survive battles with killer griffins.”

“Yeah, like going to a pawn shop,” Barrier remarked, making the pegasus mare chuckle.

“Thanks. We’ll just have to wait and see what the translators say,” Daring replied as Fleet came into the room. “Plus, I don’t want to uproot you guys after you’ve been having such peaceful lives here.”

“You know we’d gladly do so for you,” Fleet said as she stepped up to the stallion and mare. “We love you, Daring.”

“And I love you too,” Daring said before she placed gentle kisses on Barrier and Fleet’s cheeks. “Y’know, the packing can wait. How about we just head to bed?”

With quiet nods of agreement, the three crawled into the large bed. Daring happily laid in the middle while Fleet wrapped a wing over her left side and Barrier cuddled against her right as his magic draped the warm blanket over the three of them as they slowly drifted to sleep.

Author's Note:

Alticron: Welcome back to the latest chapter of HW, everyone. Hope you had a fun time with it. Personally, when I was writing this chapter, my favorite part was including a ton of references to the past My Little Pony shows, including referencing how the My Little Pony Tales cartoon made Dazzleglow an alicorn when she was a unicorn in the toyline.

I can only guess the writers couldn't think of a way to work the Glow 'n Show ponies into the cartoon without giving them wings. Don't give your ponies Red Bull, folks.

Next time, we head off on the high seas. See ya then!

Comments

[redmar]

Because of other fanfics mentioning her I actually knew already who Dazzleglow was. Also those treasures are indeed dangerous since they could cause huge fires like they did in the episodes of G1 were they had their only appearance.

[A.P.O.N.I.]

I have forgotten and am confused. Why did Celestia call her professor Dazzle?

[PaintedPony]

I really liked this one and how it tied into the April Fools day episode. I also liked how you worked in the other Generations of MLP. Looking forward to the Daring Doo's daring doo. Hopefully Barrier goes with.