Chapter 5: Oasis
“Welcome, Twilight. How was the train ride?” Princess Celestia asked with a smile as she greeted the two into the throne room.
“It was… interesting,” Twilight reluctantly answered, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. Nightshade however had his ears pinned back, still feeling ashamed.
“The rule of threes has its downfalls, as you have already witnessed,” Luna said as she walked into the room and towards Nightshade with a warm smile, “It’s nice to see you again, Nightshade.”
This perked up Nightshade’s interest, “Luna! How have you been?”
“What is the term ponies use today? Same old?” Luna asked, trying to modernize her vocabulary. There were still a few turns of phrase that she was still trying to get used to.
“You say it twice. Same old, same old,” Nightshade said, “If you’re confused, you’re not alone. I don’t get why it’s said that way either.”
“So, is this your first task as part of the Twilight Guard?” Luna asked.
“Considering that my domain is friendship, shouldn’t my guard be referred to as the Friendship Guard?” Twilight asked when she heard what Luna said.
“I don’t know. Our guards don’t have to be referred to by our domains,” Celestia said, adding her two cents, “Cadance’s royal guard isn’t referred to as the ‘Love Guard’, it’s the ‘Crystal Guard’. Besides, I think ‘Twilight Guard’ has a nice ring to it.”
“Well, I suppose,” Twilight admitted, “I guess it’s just something I never considered.”
“I believe Twilight was summoned here for royal business?” Nightshade said, donning his royal guard persona.
“Ah, yes. He’ll be with us shortly,” Princess Celestia said, “He’s currently in the garden waiting. I’ll have one of my guards go get him.” With that, Celestia motioned to one of her guards to get the pony in question.
After a few minutes, the guard came back with another guard. This second guard was apparently Saddle Arabian. The Saddle Arabian guard then spoke, “Now entering His Highness, son of King Sandstorm and Queen Araba of Somnambula. The prince of Saddle Arabia, Prince Oasis!”
After that bold introduction, a golden tan pegasus entered with a straight mane and tail with stripes of blue and green, a golden collar with glowpaz embedded in the front, a cutie mark of a glowpaz scarab, and turquoise eyes lined with black eyeliner.
“Thank you for honoring me with your presence, Your Highness,” the Somnambulan Prince said with a bow, “Princess Sparkle, I have requested an audience with you with the hope that we can come to an agreement between our lands that will be most beneficial to both Saddle Arabia and Equestria.”
Twilight eyed the prince inquisitively. For starters, she thought that Saddle Arabia and Equestria already were in good relations with each other. And secondly, why not come to her personally? It’s not like her location is hard to miss.
“Do we not already have a good relationship between our two lands?” Twilight asked, trying to sound as official as she could.
“Yes, we are in good relations. However, this will tighten that bond,” Prince Oasis said with a bow, “What we have in mind will help to create a greater world. Equestrian ideals and Saddle Arabian ideals are similar enough that it won’t create conflict. I propose a joining of our two nations to create a larger super-nation.”
“That does sound advantageous,” Twilight said, contemplating the idea, “However, that doesn’t explain why you asked for me. I mean, I am the princess of friendship, and this merger is a sign of friendship. But this task could have been handled by Celestia. So why me?”
“Though Equestrian law involving merging lands is as easy as signing a few papers, Saddle Arabian merger laws are different,” Prince Oasis explained, “You see, in order for me to become king of my land, I must take a bride to be my queen. And in order for Saddle Arabia to merge with another nation, one of it’s royals must marry into royalty of that nation.”
Twilight’s eyes began to go wide as she put the pieces together.
“So in short, I’ve asked for you for a specific reason,” Oasis continued, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, would you do me the honor of being my bride?”
Nightshade, after hearing this, had excused himself to the other guards to leave the throne room for a moment. However, a moment after he had left the room, uncontrollable laughter could be heard.
“That seems rather unprofessional for a royal guard,” the Saddle Arabian guard said, not noticing that the rest of the guards in the room were also trying to hold in their laughter.
Twilight, who had practically dislocated her jaw from her jaw drop, was just standing there with her mouth open. Her mind was still trying to process what she just heard. After a few moments (and several hooves waved in front of her face to get her attention), she finally responded…loudly, “Are. You. CRAZY?!! You don’t just walk up to a stranger and ask them on the spot to marry them! I can’t believe I got dragged away from Ponyville just so some royal could marry me just to become a king and part of Equestria!” Twilight’s tirade continued on as she walked out of the throne room, leaving a very shocked and confused prince in her wake.
Prince Oasis turned towards the sun princess with a questioning look, “Have I said something to offend her?”
Twilight had gone to her quarters, where Nightshade had been waiting. And with his regained composure, he could talk seriously.
“Twilight, I feel that I must apologize for my…” Nightshade awkwardly clears his throat before continuing, “…my freedom of expression earlier. I meant no disrespect by it. It’s just that the suddenness of such a bold proclamation on the prince’s part just caught me off guard.”
“I imagine that it must have been pretty funny for everypony else,” Twilight reasoned, “I guess I can't blame you. It really came from out of nowhere.”
Nightshade nodded his head, “It was a far cry from a romantic gesture, that much is certain. The idea of entering a lifelong relationship with the same air as a business proposal… as serious as he was, it was hard to take it seriously. Does that make sense?”
“It does,” Twilight said with a frown, “Though I don't know if it would have been much worse if I had just laughed instead of questioning his mental state. I hope I didn't hurt his feelings, I really didn't mean to, but that's not just the sort of thing you spring on a pony you've only just met, is it?”
Nightshade looked at her thoughtfully before answering. “Not for ponies in Equestria, no. But, as you can probably tell, Saddle Arabia takes a different approach. If I’m not mistaken, arranged marriages are common place there. And though they’ve been leaning away from those ideals in recent years, some of the traits of those ideals are still rooted in their culture. They are a culture that are still unfamiliar with courtship.”
“How do you know so much about Saddle Arabian culture?”
“Being a royal guard means to accompany the princesses on royal duties. That includes traveling to other lands. So as royal guards, we are tasked to research the customs of other lands so that we know what is and is not acceptable behavior in those lands. It’s actually rather fascinating just how ritualistic some of these customs can be. Zebrica for example considers their rulers as divinity, and are very specific about how to communicate. The common folk are not to look upon their rulers. So they-”
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Princess Sparkle, may I speak with you? I apologize if I have offended you in any way. I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with Equestrian courtship customs,” The voice of Prince Oasis came through the door.
Twilight just groaned at the thought. But Nightshade had an idea, “Would you like me to talk to him for you?” he asked, “It’ll mean that you won’t have to deal with him. And personally, I’d like to get to know this Prince Oasis to better understand him mindset.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Twilight agreed with a groan, “As long as I don’t have to deal with him. I still need to cool down before I have the mindset to speak with him.”
With a nod, Nightshade opened the door and went to speak with the Somnambulan prince.himself, before quickly closing the door behind him.
“Princess Twilight needs a little time to relax. Your sudden… proposal surprised her,” Nightshade explained, “Is it alright with you if I speak with you? I’d personally like to evaluate you, seeing as I am Princess Twilight’s royal guard. And I can explain a few things to you as well.”
The Saddle Arabian guard got in between Nightshade and the prince, “And who do you think you are to address the prince so casually?” The guard questioned aggressively.
“He thinks he’s Princess Sparkle’s royal guard who is doing his duty,” Prince Oasis answered for Nightshade in a calm yet authoritative tone, “He’s also offering to shed some light on the situation. You will treat him with the same respect you would treat any other royal guard.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Prince Oasis turned his attention back towards Nightshade, “I admire the type of boldness you’ve shown by so easily addressing royalty.”
“I mean no offense, of course. However, Equestrian princesses are much easier to come forward to,” Nightshade explained, “I believe your praise of my boldness isn’t as deserved as you may believe it is.”
“Perhaps. My royal guards are a bit more strict,” Oasis explained, “Perhaps a merger of our lands will help to fix that. But that is not why you wanted to speak to me, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t. The reason for Princess Twilight’s outburst was because here in Equestria, you don’t just walk up to somepony you’ve never met before and ask them to marry you,” Nightshade explained as they began to walk down the hall, “Courtship rituals here in Equestria involve two ponies spending time together to get to know each other. That way,they have time to let a relationship develop naturally. In fact, ponies here tend to spend months, or even years courting each other before they make the decision to get married.”
“I see. That would make more sense. Though unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of years to get to know her,” The pegasus prince said, “If I don’t choose a suitor by my next birthday, one will be assigned to me. And if that happens the window for the chance of a merger would be closed.”
“And how long is it until your next birthday? And why Twilight?”
“Eight months,” Oasis answered, “As for why I chose Princess Sparkle, it’s because ever since her coronation, I had a bit of a crush on her. It may be silly. But I was in awe of her when I first saw her. In all honesty, the merger of our lands comes second. The first priority in my mind is her.”
‘That seems pretty cute…in a creepy, stalkerish kind of way.’ Nightshade thought, but chose not to say out loud for obvious reasons. The trio Stopped at a stain glass window depicting Twilight's castle.
“This will be complicated. But if you really do have romantic feelings for her, perhaps I can assist at least a little,” Nightshade said with a knowing smirk, “In all honesty, I’m not speaking from experience. However, I do know a few things. First of all, I hope you don’t mind if I speak with you in a more casual tone.”
Nightshade notices that the prince’s royal guard seemed like he wanted to comment on that. But the guard seemed to have curiosity win over asserting himself.
“You don’t mind if I speak with you more casually, do you Prince Oasis?” Nightshade asked in a respectful manner.
“No, I don’t mind,” Prince Oasis replied, “You’d actually be surprised how little I get to be myself, and not have to put on a royal demeanor.”
“No, I really wouldn’t,” Nightshade commented, “I have experience with royals who have expectations about their presence, and don’t get to show a more personal side to them often. That experience also comes with knowing when not to overstep your bounds, which is why I asked if it was okay.”
“Is it customary in Equestria for royalty to be more socially active with the common folk?”
“Let’s just say that it’s not customary for royalty to separate themselves from ‘the common folk’, as you put it,” Nightshade answered, trying to find the right words, “And here in Equestria, the princesses refer to ‘the common folk’ as subjects. And as for how they interact, that’s really up to the royalty in question.”
“Perhaps those are a few customs Saddle Arabia could implement when our lands merge. That is…if it happens at all,” Oasis mentioned with a giddy smile, “Though I fear we may be going off track a bit. You were going to help me with Princess Sparkle, yes?”
“That’s right. First, let me point out that if you want to earn her respect, don’t address her as a Saddle Arabian prince addressing an Equestrian princess. Address her as Oasis addressing Twilight. No titles. Just be yourself,” Nightshade suggested, “She’s going to want to get to know the pony, not the prince. Equally, you’re going to want to get to know her as the pony, and not the princess.”
“That does make sense,” Oasis said with a nod. Nightshade smiles at that before he noticed that Oasis’s guard seemed to also be paying attention. It seems the prince wasn’t the only one who was interested in how Equestria does things.
“Secondly, if you want it to be meaningful, meet her in Ponyville. It is her home after all,” Nightshade points to the image of Twilight’s castle, “But give her a few days before you come to Ponyville. That…proposal really did startle her. Oh, and before I forget, I feel I should warn you about Pinkie Pie. She will throw you a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party.”
“Why is that a warning?” Oasis said, perplexed.
“That’s what I asked,” Nightshade said, thinking back on the event, “Pinkie Pie is Ponyville’s Pink Party Pony who Plans the Perfect Parties with Perfect Precision.”
Oasis wipes his face with a hoof and flicks it, a splat being heard at the side, “I have a feeling I’m going to…have an interesting time.”
“And that brings me to my final point. Get to know the ponies there. They are…interesting to say the least,” Nightshade suggested. That’s when a thought came to mind, “In fact, perhaps you should get to know them as a normal pony. Even though Equestrian Royalty tends to be more approachable than how it sounds Saddle Arabian Royalty is, they still have a tendency to intentionally try to please royalty in a way that may make them not act as themselves. If they don’t know you’re royalty, you’ll get a more genuine reaction from them. Because I’ve noticed that who ponies are in front of royalty isn’t always the same as who they are in front of other ponies. If I’ve learned anything from being part of the Lunar Guard, it’s that the lack of genuine interaction with ponies can be lonely. But having those interactions is quite fulfilling.”
The thestral guard eyed the prince as he was considering what he said. A slight grin formed on the prince’s face.
“I suppose this is how our lands are different. I can’t imagine what my parents would think if they knew I was even considering the idea,” Oasis said with a mischievous grin, “I think I’m going to like it here in Equestria.”
“I must express my opinion on the matter. I personally don’t approve of the idea of you putting aside your royal status and interacting with commoners,” Oasis’ guard opposed. Though a small grin formed on his face, “However, if you wish, the king and queen will never have to know of this. I can’t deny that I’m intrigued by the idea. Perhaps it may even strengthen relations between our two lands by understanding the…subjects better.”
“I suppose I’ll see you and Twilight in about a week then?” Oasis asked, though it was less of a question and more of a confirmation request.
“We’ll see you then. Though perhaps under more casual circumstances,” Nightshade agreed before donning his more formal royal guard persona, “Now if I may be excused, my duty is to Princess Sparkle. And I mustn’t keep her waiting.”
Nightshade departs with the prince and his guard as he walks down the hall. After a few moments, Prince Oasis forms a curious smile, “An interesting individual, that guard.”
“Quite,” the guard replied simply. Then something came to mind, “Is what he says true, your majesty? Is it lonely being the prince?”
“He is correct. It is a lonely rank,” Oasis admitted, “And it occurs to me that I never got that guard’s name. In fact, it hasn’t occurred to me until now. But I don’t even know your name either.”
Nightshade returned to Twilight’s quarters to explain what he has learned. Thought he opted to leave a few details out.
“So what you’re telling me is that he’s had a crush on me ever since my coronation?” Twilight asked, receiving a nod from her guard.
“That’s the gist of it,” he replied, “Though it sounds creepier than it actually is.”
“You think?” Twilight deadpanned.
“And you must understand that the suddenness of the proposal comes from Saddle Arabian customs and being pressed for time,” Nightshade continued to explain, “From my little meeting with him, it does appear that he means well and his feelings towards you are genuine.”
“So what you’re saying is that I should accept his proposal?”
“What I’m saying is to consider it and give him a chance. And I told him that if his feelings truly are genuine, then he can come seek you out personally rather than make an official royal meeting,” Nightshade said sheepishly, telling a half-truth.
Twilight goes through the details in her head, taking into consideration what her thestral guard and told her. Then she finally relented, “Fine. If he comes to seek me out again, I’ll give him a chance. I do kind of feel guilty for just walking away like that. If he does have feelings for me, that couldn’t have been good.”
“Don’t worry. I made sure to explain how things work here in Equestria. And from what I gathered, he understands that he was the one who made a mistake. And I think he was more confused than hurt. Because of his royal status, he’s probably not used to getting ‘no’ for an answer,” then a thought occurred to him, “If you do accept and become a Saddle Arabian queen, and Saddle Arabia becomes part of Equestria, would that make you an Equestrian queen?”
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Legendbringer · 6.9k words · 19 8 · 1.4k views
- Lord King Cocoon · 15k words · 9 2 · 921 views
- Lord King Cocoon · 7.5k words · 10 0 · 1.1k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.071 seconds
Total duration
1,128 users online
1,682,376 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I just read through this, and it's pretty good. The only things I would do differently are make it not a Scootadopt fic, as it seems to mainly focus on Night, and all of his interactions, not just the ones focusing on Scootaloo.
That said, this is a good story, and it probably deserves more notice.
9519635
Well, this is supposed to be more than just a Scootadopt fic. But it's also still early in the story. But I appreciate the praise nonetheless.
9520154
No problem. This is quality work. I was just saying it feels like a slice of life where Scootaloo gets adopted instead of a scootadopt.
Will this be continued?
10527806
Honestly, it's hard for me to say either way. I don't intend on canceling this fic if I can help it. But I have three other projects that I'm currently working on which are taking up a lot of my attention. Although, that reminds me that I should perhaps give this story the On Hiatus tag.
10538333
Alright
I like how this story is going, but being no updates since 2019 it is most likely that it is a dead story. I hope I am wrong but it really seems like it is dead.
11825677
If I ever do return to this story, I'll likely just start over with a new story. As much as I hate leaving stories unfinished, I probably should just label this as cancelled.
11825785
It's such a good concept and I loved how the OC is and the story line so far. I understand that you might rewrite it as a new story one day. I would love to see it.
11825796
I personally hate leaving stories unfinished. So I consider loss of inspiration my worst enemy. That and I have so many story ideas in my head than I can keep up with.
11825802
A lot of writers have that problem on this site, maybe you feel like writing more for this story sometime after writing one that you could use as a crossover or a prequel.