You're The Inspiration

by AlwaysDressesInStyle

Her Highness

Princess Pipp Petals looked out the window and sighed. Centuries ago, the Pegasi had made their home in the very clouds themselves. At least according to the legends. Still, she’d read the ancient history tomes, and everything else was accurate, so there was no reason to doubt that there had once been mighty cities in the sky.

Pegasi still loved being as high as possible, and it was why they built skyscrapers that put the tallest Unicorn and Earth Pony structures to shame. The palace was the tallest of the buildings, of course, giving her the ability to gaze down upon her domain when she so desired. She turned away from the window – that desire was gone.

Pegasus history was complicated. Prior to the first unification, they were a militaristic tribe, ruled over by a series of commanders, the last of which was Hurricane. After the Big Split, overseen by her own great-great-great-however many times-grandmother, the Pegasi had once more returned to their roots. At first, they were ruled by Empress Cozy Glow. Her son, Ominous Glow, chose the moniker ‘commander’ to pay homage to the tribe’s roots, then later changed it to ‘king’ because his daughter insisted she wanted to be a princess. Their lineage had continued using the title in the ensuing centuries.

She strolled through the Hall of Ancients, gazing upon the portraits and stained glass windows of her ancestors. There were no statues to be seen. That had been one of Empress Cozy Glow’s first decrees, and her lineage had continued the tradition. Cozy Glow had been a great mare, picking up the pieces of Equestria and showing that only through the rejection of friendship could the tribes continue forward. She could’ve had all of Equestria, but chose to only take a third of it.

Pipp sometimes wondered what the Unicorns and Earth Ponies were up to, but if her parents didn’t concern themselves with them, why should she? If they didn’t bother the great cities of the Pegasi, then the Pegasi wouldn’t bother them. That was the way it had been for centuries. There was peace, because they didn’t associate with the other tribes of ponies, or other creatures.

Sadly, the wisdom of the ancients had died with them, and she felt no smarter standing in the hall dedicated to their accomplishments. She once more turned to look out the window. But instead of gazing down, she looked up, trying to picture a city in the clouds. The pictures of Cloudsdale showed it as a classically-styled city, with mighty cloud columns decorating the largest and most important buildings.

“Someday.” She already planned that when it was time for her reign, she would allocate the resources necessary to colonize the sky for real. They might not be able to walk on clouds like their ancestors, but Pegasi were industrious. She had faith a hovering city could be constructed. And then the Pegasi could truly leave the other pony tribes and other creatures behind once and for all.

It would be for the best. Though, before the time came, she hoped she could at least meet a representative of each of the other tribes. It would be interesting to meet ponies without wings.

Magic must’ve been nice, but she didn’t envy those ponies in the least. Technology could replicate anything magic could do – and more! Except cutie marks. Of course, if somepony really wants a cutie mark, they can just get a tattoo on their flank.

She trotted out of the room and her guard detail materialized around her. It was so nice of her parents to surround her with hunky young studs. It was a shame she was off limits to them, but that never stopped her from flirting with them.

She brushed a wing over one of her guards, flipping open his saddlebag in the process. A green sphere immediately drew her attention. “Why do you have a tennis ball in your saddlebags?”

“That’s not a tennis ball, ma’am, um, miss, er, princess… your highness.”

Pipp grinned. Teasing the colts below her station was one of her favorite perks of being a princess. “She grabbed the ball from the guard’s bag. “Looks like a tennis ball. Feels like a tennis ball.”

“It’s an anti-pointiness device. For Unicorn prisoners. That way nopony gets an eye poked out.”

“Bounces like a tennis ball…” She gave it a whack with a hoof and the ball anti-pointiness device shattered a vase in the next room. “…Breaks valuable heirlooms like a tennis ball. Are you sure this is safer than just leaving any theoretical Unicorn visitor’s horn unadorned?”

“It’s official policy.”

“Do we get many Unicorn prisoners?”

“No, Princess!” He saluted. “But there’s always a first time for everything.”

“You call me the instant you take a Unicorn into custody.”

“No can do! Unicorns are too dangerous, ma’am, I mean princess. Per your father’s orders, you’re to be kept far from any captives we might take.”

Pipp slid a wing over the guard’s withers and whispered into his ear. “But if you don’t come and get me, how can I see this amazing anti-pointiness device in action? Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll just have to assume that it really is just a tennis ball, and you’ve been slacking. Besides, with a big, strong guard like you around, no hornhead would dare attack me.”

Pipp could see the beads of sweat on the guard’s face as he struggled to keep his composure. “Typical colt. Leaving his toys out where somepony could slip on them. Are you just going to leave your anti-pointiness device on the floor?”

“No princess!” The guard saluted and retrieved his ball anti-pointiness device from the remains of the vase.

“And next time be more careful. I’ll smooth things over with my parents, but the next time your anti-pointiness device breaks something, it’s coming out of your salary. Now be a good boy and fetch a maid to clean up this mess.”

“Yes, princess!” He saluted and ran off.

Author's Note:

I know there’s a hypothesis floating around that G4 is a television series in G5. I’m standing by a ‘far future’ scenario for now for one reason. In the below image from the movie, Sunny Starscout is reading a tattered old book. This is completely speculation on my part, but I think it’s the Friendship Journal.

https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2021/2/25/2558616.png

I’m calling this story complete now, but if we get more information about Zipp and Hitch, I certainly won’t rule out expanding this story to include chapters for them.

Speaking of speculation, my theory here is that Pipp is the daughter of the king and/or queen and not the official ruler of her nation (unlike the Equestrian princesses).

Because I incorporated Cozy Glow into this story, watch, we’ll see the Legion of Doom statue in the movie as yet another shout-out to G4 (and it’ll probably get destroyed in the process). Still, something had to cause the friendship to leave the land, and Cozy Glow seems the most likely source for anti-friendship propaganda. She also seems smart enough to realize that a Pegasus filly has no place on a battlefield filled with eldritch abominations (and heroes, who she likes even less than the abominations). Speaking of Cozy, it was so humble of her to declare that no statues be made in her image. I'm sure that's the only reason. Really.

Of course, I'll be the first to admit my predictions rarely turn out to be accurate. G4 may turn out to just be a television show, and Sunny’s book is completely unrelated.

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

10708168
Out of left field. But I like the pony fics and worlds that weirdly have no magic. Or close too it. Because it gives everything that OPHH! You know? Just a little spice. No elements too fix a mare driven crazy by jealous. You got too got too therapy for that! Luna! The moon is not made of cheese!

But!

Iff someone asked me how they grab things with their hooves? I would just shrug and say talk too the tree.

[Reese]

"She trotted out of her room"
How did she get from the Hall of the Ancients to there?

"She also seems smart enough to realize that a Pegasus filly has no place on a battlefield filled with eldritch abominations (and heroes, who she likes even less than the abominations)."
Huh. Did she actually manage to take the title Empress and rule over the pegasi while still a filly in this universe, then?

Interesting, though, accurate prediction of G5 or not. Thank you for writing. :)

[howard035]

I love how Cozy fits in here.

[PonyDragon]

“Why do you have a tennis ball in your saddlebags?”

“That’s not a tennis ball, ma’am, um, miss, er, princess… your highness.”
“Looks like a tennis ball. Feels like a tennis ball.”
“It’s an anti-pointiness device. For Unicorn prisoners. That way nopony gets an eye poked out.”

Heh.
I'm sure this tennis ball will reach the same status as the G4 Twilicane once did.
Technically just a pointless detail, but the fandom loves it.

This is completely speculation on my part, but I think it’s the Friendship Journal.

You are not the only one having this thought:

[Scyphi]

Her son, Ominous Glow

Oh, the universe isn't even trying to hide it anymore.

"Per your father’s orders, you’re to be kept far from any captives we might take.”

Well...override them, then!

I know there’s a hypothesis floating around that G4 is a television series in G5. I’m standing by a ‘far future’ scenario for now for one reason.

...And you would be right. It has been formally confirmed that G5 is set in the same universe as G4, and is set to make reference back to it in some manner. I can't find a direct link at the moment, but this'll do for now: Link. Whether this means it will be a direct tie, or it'll just drop fun callback cookies to it for the long term fans, though, hasn't yet been made totally clear.

[Nothingo]

I have a theory about this fanfiction that is probably incorrect.
My theory is that the Discord in this fanfiction is in fact the Discord from the time-line that Starlight created where Discord won. https://youtu.be/pQWKrOUJQlM
I admit that this theory requires two assumptions to work: 1) the alternate time-lines that Starlight created still exist and 2) The alternate Discord is capable of going to different time-lines, including the prime time-line. As for where prime Discord is, maybe alternate Discord trapped him in some other dimension.

[Evil Paladin]

Magic must’ve been nice, but she didn’t envy those ponies in the least. Technology could replicate anything magic could do – and more!

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
-Arthur C. Clarke, “Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible”, 1962