CanterTales: Part II
Canterlot Castle was a test of time.
Built as a testament to the strength of the tribes unifying after the War of the Tribes, the grand structure, for the most part, had remained unchanged over the millennia. Other than changing tapestries to correspond with the times, adding stained glass windows for important events, and repairing damage from the occasional skirmish or fight, the interior and exterior grounds were navigable by generations who knew the layout, which had never changed, and were kept in pristine condition by the staff and wards to remain the divine beauty that it was.
All, of which, made Mark start in awe.
From the polished marble floor to the gold and jewel-encrusted doors, everything that he made eye contact with seemed to draw his breath, rendering him into silence while they let him take in the beauty that the citizens considered ordinary as part of their daily lives. Flashes appeared in his mind of grand balls, ceremonies, and conquests as the objects shared their experiences with the alien visitor, being silently grateful that he took interest in the things that they had seen and heard and reigniting their passion just from the brief moment they were allowed.
Being the D&D geek that he was, he was thankful that the castle was nothing like the one Starlight “DM Menace of Mars” Glimmer had described for Nightmare Satellite, giving him a sense of security as the staff all waved and bowed when the astronauts walked past. Celestia and Luna had gone ahead of the group when they departed the train station, having waited to be escorted by some of the royal guards, to ensure that preparations for the festivities were close to being completed.
However, whereas Mark had overheard the staff talking about the sisters’ being in a special joint session of Day Court to clear up the itinerary, he and the others were led to a separate room. The area was massive, with a piano in one corner, a crystal chandelier overhead, and a flight of stairs that led up to a pair of vacant thrones that took up the far side of the room, making Mark assume that it was where balls and diplomatic gatherings were held. While that was, in fact, the normal use of the room, it currently was set up as a changing station with privacy curtains, wardrobe racks, and a certain marshmallow-white unicorn that had a smile that reminded Mark of a predator having cornered their prey.
"Good morning, darlings," Rarity said, a chipper note added to her tone as the crew was led in then, to Mark's mental horror, left alone with the fashionista as the doors shut behind them. "We have much to do and little time to do it, so I went ahead and prepared outfits for each of you to wear to the announcement and feast, as well as casual wear for after if you decide to travel around town meeting the ponies here and visiting the shops."
"Ok," Starlight said, taking a step forward and blocking her fellow crewmates from the unicorn's direct path. "I have known you long enough to know that you are up to something to make outfits this quick without asking if we even want them."
"My, my, did your time on Mars make you forget about me?" Rarity's quip didn't sit well with Starlight or her other friends, who each gave a dirty look while Mark simply crossed his arms in disapproval. "My apologies, but I couldn't stand the thought of each of you being in front of some of the most influential ponies in Canterlot, let alone Equestria proper, and not having something to show off in!"
"Except," Spitfire said, stepping around Starlight and getting muzzle to muzzle with the former Bearer of Generosity. "As Starlight said, we didn't ask! I am sure each of us, especially Mark, apprecate you making us outfits for today, but you cannot use it as a means to promote your business. If you try, I will go out there on the balcony as is, and I am sure the rest of our crew agree as well. Now if someone asks who made our outfits, we will direct them to you, but otherwise no outside promoting without our consent."
Five quick nods, in unison, followed.
"We have a gentlepony agreement," Rarity gave a courtesy now before regaining her composure and clearing her throat. "Now then, your wardrobes have your names on the rack, including a tag showing which outfit is for which occasion. I also took the liberty of arranging Mark and Dragonfly to share a privacy curtain."
"But-"
"Hold on Rarity," Dragonfly said, cutting off Mark as she felt the mirth flow from Rarity curled in waves like a chocolate and cream roll. As delicious as it tasted, it did not sit well with her that somepony was trying to use her relationship as leverage. "Did you do this to get some sort of amusement?"
Rarity didn't say a word.
"Just as I thought," Dragonfly chirped, an annoyed chirp that Cherry knew was the equivalent of a scoff as she gently tugged Mark to their area. "Come on Mark, sooner we get done, sooner we can leave this shipper to wonder what we discuss in our spare time while we attend to more important matters.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Mark said, following Dragonfly behind the privacy curtain and noting that a bubble of silence surrounded them both as they began to change into the attire that had been labeled for the ceremony. In Mark’s case, it was a silver suit with Onyx trim, with his tie sporting a replica of the NASA and Amicitas patches in the middle. "You know, you cutting me off reminded me-"
"Of what we used to do on Mars for fun?" Dragonfly giggled, putting on an emerald green dress that had Onix trim like Mark's suit. "You know, all the little quips I made weren't just for show, I had to subtly show my budding-"
"Affection?" Mark's reply was met with a nod, which made him give a sigh of relief that he had guessed correctly before allowing himself to smile. "I see that in hindsight, but you and I both know that the time we will be apart will be the true test of our-"
"Marriage, I know," Dragonfly said, continuing their game as they checked each other for any wrinkles in their outfits, Mark having to adjust the fabric between the changeling's wings before deeming it presentable. "We will get through it, both of us will, but for now…"
"We should not keep the others waiting," Even though it was only a few minutes, Mark and Dragonfly noticed they were the last to rejoin the others. It was a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the group, and Dragonfly felt like her teeth were going to rot from the amount of glee coming from Rarity. "It isn't what it looks like…"
"Sure sure," Spitfire, dressed in her Wonderbolts uniform, chuckled with a smile. "Then again, after so many trips through the decon shower, I wanted to get from behind that curtain as fast as possible. I was the first one changed."
"First pony changed you mean," Fireball said, smirking a bit as he pointed to his slip-on purple bowtie as Spitfire's ears folded flat. "Dragons don't do fashion, this is enough to wear today."
"Speed doesn't mean anything in this case," Cherry Berry, wearing a ruby-colored dress that had cherries held onto it by magic, said in a stern enough tone it made Fireball look sheepish as the ship commander popped another cherry into her mouth. "The important thing is for us to just get through the festivities so we can continue our tour of Equestria before Mark has to be sent home. Business first, then we can have fun as a crew and relax along the way."
"Yep," Starlight Glimmer, to her credit, made the turquoise dress she was wearing look good in contrast with her coat, as she joined the conversation while giving Rarity an annoyed look. “For the time being, however, I think that Rarity here needs to write Twilight a friendship report.”
“Beg pardon?” Rarity questioned, tilting her head in confusion at the statement. “What do I need to write Twilight for? I know that she used to do those sort of letters as Princess Celestia’s student, but I am not Twilight’s.”
“You still tried to take advantage of your friends for your purposes,” Starlight countered, summoning a quill, inkwell, and a blank scroll with her magic. “You better tell the truth in specific detail too, because I want to read it before you send it so that way I can fill in any missing info.”
“Fine,” Rarity huffed, taking the items from Starlight as the group headed out the doors. “Dear Princess Twilight…”
To say that the keepers of Canterlot Castle were quick workers was an understatement. Much to Mark’s surprise, the grand dining hall was already prepped for the post-speech feast, with lavish and old tapestries hanging from the ceiling, an elaborate table cloth, and the smell of frying fish in the air that made both Mark’s and Spitfire’s stomachs growl in demand. However, they both knew that it would have to wait until after the ceremony was all said and done, and it was with great reluctance that they carried onto the balcony entryway where they rejoined Celestia, Luna, and Chrysalis.
“Ah, right on time,” Celestia said, a warm smile on her face as she looked over each of the astronauts before giving a nod of approval. “Each of you look wonderful, and I hope that Rarity didn’t give you too much trouble trying to get you into your outfits.”
“Turning down a Rarity outfit? Don’t make me laugh.” Starlight snarked, earning a few raised eyebrows from the three present royals and making the unicorn get sheepish. “Sorry, just a little upset with her right now, but it will pass since I believe the matter is resolved. Anyway, I’d rather be back on Mars than turn down something she made, but don’t you think that this is all a bit… much?”
“It is an understandable sentiment, and you have my sympathies there.” Celestia said, her expression once again relaxing as she made a mental note later to see what Rarity’s take on what occurred was. Being pressed for time, she decided not to push it. “Please understand that if it were up to me, these steps would not be necessary, but each of the heads of the noble houses came to me as a group, minus Twilight Velvet, and demanded that me and Luna make it as flashy as possible for pictures. As they put it, “as important of a moment as this is, it better be presentable”.”
“Politics,” Each astronaut grumbled in unison, before Cherry Berry spoke up. “As mission commander, I should have had a say so in that decision. At the very least, Moondancer and Occupant should have, since they are over the space agencies.”
"That measure was struck down," Luna said, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the situation. "Me and Tia may be the princesses here in Canterlot, but the nobility do have a strong sway over certain things when they are unanimous with the power of yay and nay. It fits the customs of times long past, considering Mark is technically a foreign dignitary, they felt to invoke the old clauses for the occasion."
"You sure I can't just have some drones replace them?" Chrysalis asked, a few guards giving her an uneasy look as all attention was drawn to her. "I already Pinkie Promised they would do any measures you want passed, and promised Twilight her mother would be given a nice vacation spot in the Baahamas."
"As pleasant as it would be to have a few thorns removed from our flanks," Celestia gave her lover a gentle gaze, a small thrill running up her spine from having to keep her love life out of the public eye. Deep down, on a personal note, she would have taken the offer without second thought but knew better than to threaten pony-changeling relations after they had progressed so far in such a short time. "But we already explained why that would be a bad idea, do not want another didn't to form and all."
"I know that, but how would a villain like me take no for an answer cake flank?" Chrysalis laughed, causing Celestia's cheeks to light up in a blush and the other's mouths to drop. "Now then, we can throw around hypotheticals later, the show must go on!"
"Right…" Clearing her throat, Celestia turned to the guards that had been stationed to open the doors on their ruler's command. Receiving the affirmative nod from the Princess of the Day, the two pegasi flashed a
salute with their wings before pulling the doors open. The moment they did, the trumpeters awaiting on the other side let out their announcement call, and all fell silent as the Diarchs and Chrysalis made their way forward. Celestia, having memorize the routine to the second, stopped on the seventh trumpet call and casted a voice projection spell as Luna stopped to her left and Chrysalis to her right. "Greetings everypony, and to those watching on the television sets from the comfort of your own homes as we gather for the monumental moment in Equestrian history. I think that I can skip the boring parts about why we are here and so forth, because that answer is well known."
There were mutters not only amongst the crowd, but also between the nobility that made up the front row of ponies in the gathered courtyard. Their script had called for Celestia to give a grand verbose speech, highlighting Equestria's, and specifically Canterlot's, fundraising efforts to keep the rescue mission afloat. For Celestia to deviate from that itinerary raised several alarms, most of which were focused on blaming the changeling queen standing to Celestia's right. However, before they could raise an objection, silence fell once more as Celestia motioned for the astronauts to join her, and when they did she apoke again.
"To the individual to your right and left, ask yourselves this question: "Who do you see before you?'" Celestia knew she was going to have to answer to the nobles for her derailing their plans, but she saw it as equal measure for the ridiculousness that they were putting Mark and the others through. "Two princesses, a changeling queen, a drone, three ponies, a dragon, and a human would probably be your answers correct? Well, what if I told you that it is not who is standing before you?”
"Celestia, are you crazy?!" Chrysalis asked in a harsh whisper, feeling a building tide of anger being directed at her as the crowd started to turn to a frenzy of angry proclamations. "Are you trying to get me blasted out of Canterlot again?!"
"No," Celestia's face never wavered, and all it took was a shout of "SILENCE!" using her Royal Canterlot Voice to make the skittish crowd cower. "I must say, I am ashamed to say that was the reaction I was expecting, you all need to really let go of the past because Chrysalis did nothing wrong. To get back on track, you may see us for what we are, but not who we are so I think introductions are in order. My name is Celestia."
"I am Chrysalis," This caused the changeling to get more than a few raised eyebrows, including from the solar princess at the fact she had spoken up before Luna did. However, she could not keep a frown off her face as her potential sister-in-law did not follow suit. Raising her own eyebrow, the queen gave a look that was the silent equivalent of “Well? I’m waiting.”
“Oh…” Taking a moment to snap out of her funk, the Guardian of Dreams then took her turn to address the crowd. “I am Princess Luna.”
“Thank you Lulu,” Celestia whispered, below the threshold her amplifier spell was allowed to project. One by one the astronauts announced themselves, with the loudest two ovations being for Mark and Cherry Berry, and once the applause died down Celestia resumed. “This was done to show, despite our differences, pasts, and positions, we are no different than any of you. We are all individuals, bound by the same laws of Harmony that each of you follow every single day. So, why treat them any different than you would your neighbor? While I do expect you all to respect our positions and accomplishments, it should be remembered that fame comes with a heavy price.
“We are not awarded the same privacies that most of you have, in fact, it is quite the opposite. Everyday is filled with having to do one thing or another with paperwork, and every action we make is on full display for all of you. Ask yourselves: Would you rather quietly retire in relative peace, or be swarmed everywhere you go by ponies wanting your autograph or picture? To many, this cost is a burden, so I want this to be kept in mind as these six brave souls travel around Equestria and the neighboring lands.”
Celestia’s speech had the exact reaction she had been hoping for, with the crowd and nobles looking down at the ground. She knew Chrysalis and Dragonfly both were probably absorbing a large amount of shame and guilt, so to make the negative wave last as short as possible, she switched mental gears.
“With that out the way, we can move on to awards.” Celestia said, her horn igniting as a chest appeared on the balcony before her. Opening it revealed an array of medals and medallions, each having been painstakingly crafted by the royal jeweler to fit the occasion. “The first one that I want to present an award to is Flight Engineer Dragonfly. My little drone, would you please step forward?”
Dragonfly suddenly felt as if she was being slow roasted like a cockatrice over an open flame, not only from the Princess of the Sun saying she was ‘her’ drone, but also from how the crowd reacted to that declaration. The attention of the crowd was solely focused on her, with more than one source of vile hate being felt from the nobility, but she could feel a degree of uncertainty coming from her queen. It was that uncertainty that terrified her to the bone, for she knew her queen showing fear meant that there was trouble to come. For a mare that had danced with the Pale Horse and lived to tell the tale, being in front of so many important ponies that could potentially cause her trouble put her on the razor edge. It almost, almost made her rather deal with Mars and the ‘Death Box’ once more. However, feeling the encouragement from her friends, she did as was told and stood tall in front of Celestia.
“Dragonfly,” Celestia’s tone was like a soothing honey, drowning out the negative emotions and keeping the crowd in a reserved silence. The medal, cast in bright gold with obsidian trim, housed a gleaming emerald in the middle that casted a forest-green shadow wherever the light was sent. Surrounding the emerald were several smaller stones, ranging from ruby to a singular diamond at the top of the heart shape that they made. It was beautiful, but what caught her attention the most were the wings at the sides, a single feather that flawlessly transitioned to a changeling wing. “Before I give out this medal, a brief history lesson is in order. Several centuries ago, changelings and ponies lived together in harmony, much like how through painstaking measures has been a reality once more. They were a vital part of everyday life, holding a variety of important jobs, but there was one that stood above the others. This medal was made specifically for a changeling of the ranks, one that stood above even my coveted Captain of the Guard, because this post served to show the unity of both changeling and ponykind. Unfortunately, it never was given a bearer due to the fallout between the respective species, but I see fit that status changes. In recognition for your bravery as the Changeling Space Program’s Engineer, your rescue mission while Chrysalis was petrified, as well as your feats on Mars, I dub you the Solaris Havica… The Ambassador of me and Chrysalis, and answer to the two of us alone in our joint pursuit of Harmony. Congratulations.”
“I-” Words failed as numerous replies formed and tried to escape at the same time. Some thankful, some regretful considering how much Tartarus she had put Mark and the others through as a stomp of applause thundered through the air like a war tribe heading into battle. Yet, all it took was a single look from Mark, who had a smile and light twinkle in his eyes, for her to make her mind up. “Thank you, Princess Celestia, for putting me in such a high standing. From a pony of your status, saying it is an honor will be an understatement. With that said, I will do my best to hold up to the expectations, until I find a suitable successor to take over the role.”
“Oh?” While she had personally thought that Dragonfly would outright refuse the position, Celestia was silently pleased at the direction the drone had taken. It meant a lot less hassle with paperwork, as well as less headaches from the nobility. “If I may, what makes you feel unsuitable to hold the position that you have been appointed to?”
“I am an engineer, not a politician, no offense,” Dragonfly’s statement got many rather audible grumbles from the nobility down below, but much to her relief Celestia nodded in understanding. “Give me a stack of paperwork trying to figure out how to increase the efficiency of a fuel cell or jimmyrig a battery converter? I will do it no problem. However, try and give me legalese and I will get nowhere with it. If you wish for me to give a suitable list of candidates, I request a few months to present that to you.”
“Take all the time you need,” Giving Dragonfly the medal and allowing her to fall back into her previous place, Celestia looked at the other astronauts as they congratulated her and gave her a group hug. “Now then, Mark, will you please step forward for me?”
Even louder grumbles came from the nobility, and even Mark could hazard a guess why. Considering he was the alien to the planet, it would make sense for him to go last, not only to cap the presentation as a grand finale, but also from the aspect of building suspense and keeping the ratings up. However, before Celestia could start diving into her speech to him, a unicorn mare with a rust-red coat and cobalt blue mane and tail teleported onto the balcony with a glare that could heat the surface of Pluto to terraform levels.
“Pardon the interruption, Your Highness,” The mare said, her words laced with a venom that made Mark lightly squirm and take a few steps in retreat. “But if you would not mind, may I have a few moments with you in private?”
“Considering that this is a live broadcast, going out to those who could not make the trip here on this fine day, I am not going to take up any more time than acceptable,” Celestia countered, only enraging the mare more and making both Chrysalis and Dragonfly have to bite back bile from how close proximity the intense anger was to them. “Since you are so insistent on interrupting me, perhaps you would like to say a few words to everypony?”
“What you little bucking sneas-” Remembering the amplification spell, the mare bit back at her anger, but she realized it was too late. Several of the journalists were already jotting down notes, and a couple of the television reporters were talking into their enchanted screens.Taking a deep breath, she strained out a forced smile. “I’m sorry everypony, I have not been getting as much sleep as I should, so my attitude is a tad bit short. Today marks a grand occasion in Equestria’s history, and not just the reasons everypony may think. For a long time, ponies have looked to the skies for guidance, whether it be for direction or fortune telling, the question that has been written in countless ancient tomes has been ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ Even when the glorious Equestrian Space Agency began its own pursuit into Luna’s magnificent night sky, the question was still there. Cherry Berry and her crew have finally answered that question, granted through unexpected means, but the fact still remains that we are just a tiny speck in the vastness of the universe. Take heart, many new discoveries await, all for the betterment of ponykind.”
“Thank you Charlon Disc for your kind words,” Celestia said, a forced smile crossing her own face as the mare gave a curt nod and teleported back to her seat. With the interruption over, the patient princess looked at Mark once more. “Sorry about that Mark, but anyway, it is time for me to give you your award.”
“I already have it,” Mark smiled, his answer nearly making Dragonfly take off and soar from pride at the answer. “Being alive is a good enough reward. Returning home is as well, but being stranded on that lifeless rock brought me a wonderful opportunity. I am the first human to make contact with intelligent life beyond the atmosphere of Earth, and together we did what was seemingly impossible. They learned my language to help with communication, and we survived everything that planet was hellbent on killing us with. Dust storms, a blown air lock, multiple vacuum exposures, a perchlorate explosion, food shortages until we figured out the farming system, a really bad bacteria bloom that nearly killed the farm outright… Those things would break a weaker individual, but those experiences brought us together, and until my dying breath I will consider them my friends. Being here, on a lush world untainted by the hand of humanity, is just a bonus, and even after I return to Earth I will look forward to seeing them, and all of you again. So please, save your award and applause, for we only did what we had to do to survive.”
And Dragonfly basked in the reception as one by one the others followed Mark’s example in refusing their award and recognition, the applause and positive emotions in the courtyard filling her to the brim.
The meal following the proclamation, while rather filling for everyone that dived into it, was rather uneventful. With the press under strict orders to give a wide berth, and Celestia promising the nobility to have a meeting behind closed doors once the astronauts left Canterlot to continue their tour of Equestria, most of the chatter had come from Celestia and Luna wanting to know more about Earth. Mark happily obliged, remarking about the similarities he had come across between Earth and Eques, with Twilight continuing to write down information with the speed of an expert hacker going through code. After the luncheon, it was decided that Twilight guide Dragonfly and Mark, who wanted to see all that Canterlot had to offer, and thus they made their way through the streets with the Princess of Magic being a tour guide.
After all, what better tour guide you could ask for than one that knew the layout like the back of their hoof and knew a ton of details?
“Here is Saffleshire’s Saddleworks,” Twilight said, pointing up at a sign that had significant weathering, but the outline of the saddle engraved on it was still visible. “This is where my parents got my first ever saddlebags from when I was little, and even to this day I am a loyal customer. Their saddlebags are tough, durable, and the owner does not charge a hoof and wither to repair, unless they are one of the… ‘special’ ones anyway.”
“Special sad-” The blushes and wingboners on both mares gave him a plain and clear implication as to what Twilight had meant, and he felt his own cheeks color as several images popped into his mind. Images that he had to collar into submission. “Oh… did not know you ponies were into that kind of thing, being honest.”
“Wait, humans do too?” Twilight’s brain briefly locked up when Mark nodded, requiring five boops on the snoot from Dragonfly to properly reboot before she guided the couple further down the street as they closed in on the city wall. “Well, good thing that I do not have to go into detail about that, but still. Anyway! Here we have Fria&Son’s Fudge and Candy Emporium. Obviously, they cater to the fillies and colts from the two schools here in Canterlot, but they also carry several cider and rum spiced candies for adults. I personally prefer the cinnamon and honey spice, it really is nice when I am trying to de-stress myself on a weekend by the fireplace.”
“Wait a second Twilight, you like to get drunk?” Dragonfly said, raising an eyebrow as the lavender alicorn covered her face with a wing. “Since when was that a thing? I have heard stories from Spike about that one bender with Pinkie that supposedly made you quit cold turkey.”
That was the case, yes,” Twilight picked up her pace as she talked, pointing out several cafes, a playground, library, and the Canterlot Preservation Society before falling into a silence that made Dragonfly uncomfortable. It was not until the trio were by the castle wall that Twilight finally spoke up again. “Sorry, it is still a hard thing for me to talk about with anyone. I got hooked on the candies when we were trying to rescue you all from Mars, the only things keeping me functional being the weekends away from everything and everypony while nomming the candies and chewing Tree Hugger’s special herbal grass. I spent the weeks doing princess stuff and helping how I could in my reduced role, and spent the weekends by having me time.”
“I’m sor-”
“Do not apologize,” Twilight said, cutting Dragonfly’s apology short and giving her a reassuring hug. “It is ok, you should not feel bad for things that you did not know. Besides, we are supposed to be out here showing Mark around instead of living in past regrets. So Mark, anything else you want to look at before we head back to the castle? It is getting late, and I am sure that nopony would be happy if I had you two stay out too long. With us having to tour the space centers soon, we have got to get our rest where we can.”
“True,” Mark mused, thinking for a moment as he considered his options before looking up at the top of the city wall. To his best guess, it was only about thirty feet up, but considering they had spent the last few hours only covering a small part of the city, he wanted to see as much as he could with the limited time that he had at his disposal. “Well, do you think you can teleport us up to the top of the wall here so that I can see the city in all its glory? I would hate to miss out on any points of interest that you have in the other sections we did not have the chance to visit, so I would at least like to see them if we have the time.”
“Sure, no problem,” With magic being her element, Twilight wasted no effort in teleporting the three of them to the top of the wall. Facing the inner city, she leveled a hoof on a structure that was a little bigger than the others, and the bright white paint that transitioned to orange made it catching to the eyes even from halfway across the city. “There is Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. That is where I took my entrance exam and, with an unknowing magic boost from Rainbow, managed to hatch Spike from his egg. It is also the day that I got my cutie mark, so it is a day that is quite vivid to recall in detail.”
“I imagine so,” Mark chuckled, as adorable as Twilight looked to him as an adult, he could only imagine what a young Twilight looked like. Inwardly, that image made him smile, but the longer he looked at the building that set Twilight’s destiny in motion, the more one particular detail grew in confusion. “Say, can you explain to me why the top of the building is orange in comparison to the rest of the building? I know that Celestia has a sun for a cutie mark, is it some sort of tribute or solar collector?”
“Oh that! As good as those guesses are, they are both wrong unfortunately,” Twilight giggled, though in her mind she made a mental note to inquire to Celestia about why solar power was not a more widespread resource. “That is a rather new addition actually. When I attended school there all those years ago the whole structure was white, even the parts at the top. However, after air travel became more and more popular and increased in frequency, several rather bad accidents from aeroglider crashes in thick fog made Celestia issue a mandate here that stated all buildings over a certain height had to have that reflective paint that you see today. The only reason the castle does not have it is because there is a magic barrier around the perimeter that prevents that from happening to begin with. Considering how thin the air is up here outside the city compared to say, Ponyville or Horseton, it is harder for the aerogliders to turn compared to the natural magic of pegasi flight.”
“Thinner air?” Alarm bells began to ring in Mark’s head at that little tidbit. Thinner air meant a higher elevation, but considering that he had not felt his ears pop once since leaving Manehattan, he had no idea just how up he currently was. “Twilight, just how high up are we currently, in exact figures.”
“5000 meters, why?” Twilight could see, and Dragonfly feel, the panic that instantly hit Mark like a meteorite at that revelation. “You have nothing to worry about as long as you do not fall off the castle wall, there are wards built into the city foundation to keep the air pressure relatively close to sea level, and all trains to and from Canterlot are required to have them installed so that any visitors do not have a rough time adjusting to the change in altitude. However, the downside is that any aeroglider that crosses into the barrier is hit with sudden turbulence, but otherwise everything is fine. If you do not believe me, have a look for yourself, I am here to catch you if you accidentally fall.”
Slowly walking across the expanse of the wall, Mark readied his nerves as he glanced down over the edge, a decision that he instantly regretted. Other than the wall that contained the city proper, the horizon expanded outward and the world fell away below. He could make out the outlines of a few farming communities that also called Mount Canter home, but being over 16,000 feet in the air with nothing below him but a fall of death made him think briefly of the spacewalk between the Phoenix and Concordia. While that had been the longest forty feet of his life, being more than half the height of Mount Everest made him weak at the knees as a sense of vertigo set in.
“Mark!” Pulling him back from the edge in her magic, Twilight gently laid him flat on his back, a look of deep worry on both her’s and Dragonfly’s faces as she performed a scanning spell as a precaution. Relaxing slightly at the fact she found no underlying issues, she still felt bad about suggesting for him to look over that side of the wall to begin with. “Sorry, I did not think that you would have that kind of reaction, but considering all you have been through I should have expected it.”
“Do not worry about it,” Getting up into a sitting position, Mark gently rubbed Twilight’s ear to show that he was fine. Much to his surprise, Twilight leaned into it and lightly purred, something that only amplified the princess’ cute factor in his mind and nearly made him faint from a cuteness overload. “It was just a minor case of vertigo, nothing to be-”
A flash of golden magic cut him off, and when it died down a scroll bearing Celestia’s cutie mark was floating in front of Twilight. The former pupil allowed a fond smile to show itself as she broke away from Mark’s ear rubs, a reminder from when she had first set out on her own away from the confines of the castle and settled in Ponyville. However, the smile was wiped off her face the more she read, something that Mark and Dragonfly both picked up on when the bookhorse did not say a single word.
“Eques to Twilight, Eques to Twilight,” Mark could not suppress his giggles as his wife tried to get Twilight’s attention with yet another Earthism, but when that did not work Dragonfly resorted to biting on Twilight’s tail. The alicorn, surprised by the sudden bite, dropped the scroll and leapt into the air before glaring at the drone. “Sorry I had to do that Twi, but I had to do something to get you to respond.”
“Yeah, and now I got to borrow you for the night,” Twilight grumbled, making the other two look at her in confusion until she eventually sighed. “Considering that I am an alicorn, it is a way to show interest in a one night stand. Now, under normal circumstances I would decline, but since I am pretty sure that you both do not want ‘you-know-what’ from being known…”
“Good cover,” Dragonfly said, not happy about the circumstances, but a part of her wondered if she could feed off of Twilight’s love of books and knowledge. That was something she was willing to test, with consent of course, and considered it a win since it technically would not be cheating on Mark if Twilight fed her. “However, I was trying to ask if everything was ok? You looked rather lost in that scroll, and not in a good way from how fast your emotions soured and the smile vanishing as fast as it did.”
“No, everything is not ok,” Twilight sighed, taking a few moments to calm herself before looking at her companions once more. “It has nothing to do with you two, you have my word, just something I got to deal with when we visit the ESA. No biggie.”
“Alright,” Dragonfly said, nuzzling under Twilight’s chin and draping a wing along her back. The pegasus courtship ritual made Twilight’s own wings pomf into full plumage, making Mark smirk and the changeling giggle chirp. “Now then, seeing as how I owe you dinner, I suppose that place on Bridle and Mane is an option that you may be interested in?”
“Dragonfly, I know that you have not been here to know, but that place is expensive,” Twilight could not believe that Dragonfly had suggested such a place. She knew that Celestia had ensured she had the bits from when she was marooned on Mars, but for a simple cover date seemed like a bit much. “I mean, just to give you an example, a platter of tacos, rice, and guac is fifty bits.”
“So?” Dragonfly grinned, giving a sly smirk and wink. “Nothing is too good for my marefriend for the night now is it? I offered, and us being seen together will cause the rumors to be about us, so I see nothing wrong with that.”
“Dragonfly, your changeling is showing,” Twilight said, giving her dinner partner a bonk on the horn, making Dragonfly flinch from the sensitivity of the motion. “Mark is right here, don’t you think that it would be a good idea to hear his input?”
“Its fine Twilight,” Mark felt like he finally surprised Twilight with something that was not an Earth fact, judging by how fast the mare’s jaw dropped in response. “You two go on and have a good time, I will be perfectly fine just relaxing in my room tonight. After all the rough nights on Mars, I am spoiling myself by having a proper bed until I get back home.”
“Please Mark, at least come with us to the restaurant,” Twilight’s desperate attempt to get out of Dragonfly’s plans were stonewalled from the beginning, with Mark shaking his head as soon as he knew where she was going with her statement. “Ok fine, but may I at least ask why?”
“Simple, we are the only ones up here,” Looking around, Twilight could not help but notice that Mark was right, there was not another pony in sight, let alone in earshot. “You could have kept your mouth shut and avoided having to have Dragonfly as your partner tonight, but instead you stated that she was to spend tonight with you. Does not feel so good to be subject to something you have no control of, does it?”
“No, it does not,” Twilight sighed, realizing that Mark had a valid point. She had done this to herself, and was honorbound to see it through, “Tell me, is this how you felt in the medbay?”
“It was,” Mark said, giving Dragonfly a gentle nuzzle and hug before standing up and looking down at Twilight. “Let this be a lesson to you that sometimes laws that are in place have a time for when they are to be used. there are circumstances where it is better to stay silent on a matter to keep yourself out of digging your own hole, now you two go have fun. All I ask is that you teleport me to my bedroom.”
The last thing that Mark saw before being engulfed in the teleport was Dragonfly wink and give Twilight a kiss on the cheek. Landing on the soft bed and chuckling to himself, it was not long before slumber soon took its hold.
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I'm sorry I would not be caught dead any shiny silver suit. I would have demanded at least a compromise of some shade of gray.
I really don't think the character Mark Whatley would have been happy in a shiny silver suit either. He is a botanist after all, not a fashion model.
11507769
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who do not look good in shiny suits, and Steve Harvey.
Onix outlines?
Derpy mustve dropped off her Pokedex for Rarity to peruse?
Is Charlon Disc supposed to be that Flat Earther whose flat line measurement prooved the surface curved?
11507925
Onyx is an actual gemstone, much like Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, and Pearl are. Thanks for catxhing the letter mix up, as a Pokémon fan that spelling is my default.
As for your question, there is a reason she is constantly miserable XD
11507769
To be fair none of the astronauts were happy at Rarity, but given the time crunch of everything there was really no way to say 'no'.
Excellent chapter!
Did Chrysalis give Dragonfly the talk?
Now that she had joined the club of Changelings with Alicorn to nibbel on
11508068
If you mean the talk of the drone and human, Dragonfly is smart enough to know about that subject XD. However I do have something planned really long term
cake flank?!
11508406
being a marefriend has its perks
Oh, I'm sure those thoughts were collared～
11648719
Indeed! A hogging topic for Fimfiction it seemes like it.
Mostly clop though
KEEP WRITING!
I am NOT even kidding... This sequel is almost as good as the original 'The Maretian', and needs to be finished. I am a writer myself, even though I have never written any MLP content. My own writings are mostly 'star trek' universe type original content fan fiction, without using any of the various movies or series characters.
I am quite happy that someone is continuing the CSP tales by making a sequel of The Maretian.
CSP itself had me laughing my ass off at some of the often silly things happening as the story progressed. And The Maretian was 'constrained' by the necessity of 'keeping' to the general plot of the movie.
The sequel, though, is well written, has the characters from the previous pair of tales kept 'in character', with a few added 'twists'... like the untold tale between Celestia and Chrysalis.
Now for a few notes:
I don't really think that Mark will be able to avoid being awarded some kind of honor at the hands of the Two Sisters and the Hive Queen. Eventually, they will award him something to show their respect and honor, and as proof of Equis' existence and show the Human world just how much honor and respect that Mark has earned with them.
I wonder if 'Trix-Star' is a 'thing' in the CSP universe. If so, there should be a bit about the relationship noted in the story, if nothing other than Trixi arriving at Ponyville or Canterlot for one of her performances, and Starlight disappearing after the show.
As an Alicorn, Twilight should have her crystal tree castle, and when the survivors reach Ponyville, she should accommodate them within its walls... probably after one of Pinkie's parties.
I don't remember if in the CSP universe if Luna's proclivities are even hinted at... but if they are not, it might be 'fun' to show her during a Night Court session with a set of very devoted male Thestral guards. Guards who not only will protect her, but are devoted to her in a manner unlike Nightmare Moon... I.E. out of Love for her. Whether or not she takes advantage of this fact or not, it would still make for a good part of the story.
The whole Applejack-Rainbow Dash thing should at least be hinted at, if not a good cuddling scene of them, spied upon, perhaps by Mark, without their knowing about it.
Personal note: I have always been disappointed by how Rarity was 'shafted' by the MLP series, and ends up as an 'old maid'. This has never sat well with me. She should have a relationship as well... If I were doing the writing, I would have Rarity, Coco Pommel, and Sassy Saddles would be in a 'herd' with someone. And if I were doing this, I'd probably use a Hoity Toity, after he's been knocked down a few pegs regarding his ego.
As for the Canterlot Elite... I would steal from the 'On the Mark' series, and have Blueblood married to a Prench vineyard Heiress and amending his ways... which were only posturing in the first place, to keep his place at the top of the 'nobles' as an 'available' stallion, while keeping the other nobles in their places. A love-besotted Blueblood would be an interesting character, and one that finally takes his Cutie Mark's talent to heart, and makes detailed maps of Equestria and other lands as a way to keep him 'out of the limelight' most of the time, when he is not fawning over his bride.
It might be a 'good' idea to have Prince Mark Wells, and his version of Twilight, establish a portal to the CSP universe. With their links to other universes through portals, they could trade a LOT of magi-tek to the CSP universe in exchange for space travel technologies, and later, Human Tech as well, when the CSP universe makes 'contact' with their Human Earth through the 'rift' that Twilight found. Even if this means a trip from the 'Human' Mars to Earth on that side of the rift, it would still be worth the time and effort to establish a base on Mars to facilitate the trade exchange.
But, it is probably a good thing I am NOT the author... but, perhaps, these thoughts might open a few ideas for the author. One can only hope.
So, in conclusion, I say again... KEEP WRITING!
This is a GOOD tale, and one that needs finishing... no matter how long it takes.
Looking forward to the next chapter. Will it be Dragonfly on a date or something else?