MLP A New Generation 2: The Last of The Alicorns

by TwiShine45

Chapter 12

“The…the…the…the Castle of Friendship?!” Sunny managed to squeak out.

She spoke the group’s collective thoughts. They were all shocked at the hybrid creature’s revelation. The very idea that they were standing within the confines of such a legendary Equestrian paradise was awe inspiring. Sure, they’d heard about it in the stories that Sunny’s father had passed down to her, and that she’d passed on to them. However, none of them ever dreamed that they’d be actively investigating the location, much less visiting it. The idea brought them a sudden sense of joy, and it was as if the spirit of friendship that Twilight and her friends always fought for blanketed them as a wondrous snow.

“Yes, indeed, The Castle of Friendship!” The dragon/pony creature went on excitedly, “I’m thrilled to have you all here, even if your methods for getting in were a tad…”

“Unconventional?” Zipp offered.

“…I was gonna say unethical, but unconventional makes everything sound better. Plus, I really don’t want to drive you all away via accusations when we’ve barely met! It’s the first time in over 1,200 years that I’ve had visitors and I’m so eager to get to know you!”

Sunny examined their new compatriot. She certainly was an interesting creature, even in the dim recesses of this dilapidated, millennia old building. Her scales sparkled as the moon rose, sparking the beginning of night. She had the face of anypony, yet her tail stretched beyond her in an obvious nod to her mixed heritage. Her eyes matched her scales, and she carried both a sense of regal beauty and a commanding presence. She seemed friendly enough, but the question of what she’d do to them in the ensuing moments remained. This both frightened and intrigued Sunny, as her sharp mind went to work, building up a repertoire of questions much like the ones she’d asked Izzy when they first met.

“But, first, we must tend to dinner,” the creature went on, “and I’m so delighted to have guests for the occasion! Come, come.”

She turned and began leading the group down the broken hallways and corridors of the castle. They all wondered how she had food, considering the state of her home. It was rather sad, to say the least, but they didn’t question her guidance. For, after all, she knew the place way better than they did. If she said she had enough food to feed all of them, then they had to trust her. Friendships formed on trust, and this pony/dragon hybrid clearly wanted to befriend them. In fact, to a couple of Sunny’s friends, her happy attitude seemed almost…suspicious. In being new to friendship, they’d never met anypony who was so gung-ho about the idea. Sure, they wanted to make new friends, but after having been taught hatred for so long, it took some getting used to.

Meanwhile, the pony/dragon led them towards a certain door. Once there, she pressed a panel beside the portal with a hoof. Magic suddenly activated, causing the door to swing wide open and let them all inside. They quickly trotted through, eager to leave the brokenness, but not anticipating much on the other side. However, what they found there sent shockwaves through their hearts and minds. Their mouths fell open as they beheld the most beautiful home they’d ever seen. Huge buttresses towered over them, framing beautiful glass windows that offered a magical viewpoint of the old ballroom and mural outside. The floors were pure white marble, and fluffy red carpets were sent down endless hallways of light. Being weary, the travelers enjoyed sinking their hooves into the crimson tapestry.

They were led into a room where a roaring fire was going. Considering the chilly weather outside, this was a very welcome sight. Soon enough, they were all sitting around it, warming their hooves and reminiscing about days gone by. This was extremely exciting for their hostess, who circled ‘round about them, constantly asking questions about what was going on in the outside world. Zipp and Pipp, putting their mistrust aside for a few moments, talked with fondness about how their caretakers would light fires on cold winter nights. Izzy made reference to large bonfires that the Unicorns would have in Bridlewood, thought to ward off evil enchantments and incantations. Finally, Sunny, with tears in her eyes, spoke of how she and her father would share cold evenings in front of the lighthouse’s fireplace.

“It seems that fire brings you all together, regardless of differences,” their hostess said.

“A lot of things bring us together!” Izzy chirped, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

“I’m certainly happy to see that you all are friends, considering recent Equestrian history,” the hybrid creature said, “but now I must see to dinner.”

“Do you need any help?” Sunny asked.

“Oh, no, no, no,” the creature said, “but…I’d be happy of the company.”

Sunny smiled and got up to follow her new friend into the new place’s kitchen. It was as massive as the other rooms, featuring a wood burning pizza oven, state of the art stove, and layer upon layer of amazing cookware. The orange Alicorn was shocked at the amount of modernization that existed in a place that, once, appeared empty and abandoned. Her mouth opened wide as the pony/dragon began zipping around the kitchen, digging out all sorts of delicious treats. It seemed spaghetti was on the menu, and Sunny didn’t mind that. She was a bit of a “pasta-holic,” as her father had so quaintly put it when she was a filly.

“Mm…I love pasta!” She said.

“Me too,” her new friend said, “and I love having friends to share it with once more! But…”

“But what?”

The creature took a minute to ponder her thoughts before finally sighing. “Oh, it’s nothing. We can speak of it later. That said, I realized I haven’t properly introduced myself. I suppose I was so excited to have friends in the castle that I forgot. My name is Crystal Scales.”

“I’m Sunny, Sunny Starscout,” Sunny responded politely.

“Sunny…” The hostess said as she continued bustling around the kitchen, preparing mounds of the delicious pasta dish.

“Yes…Sunny,” Sunny said, hoping to spur the conversation further. “My name is…Sunny.”

A few moments of silence passed between the two, and Sunny hoped she hadn’t done something wrong. But there was something about the hybrid creature that just spoke volumes of friendliness and hospitality. Surely, Sunny thought, she couldn’t have done something to harm her new friend…could she? The answers were forthcoming, as Crystal turned from her work and eyed Sunny deeply. There was a sense of knowledge buried deep within Crystal’s green gaze that both comforted and frightened Sunny. It was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. It reminded her…of her father.

“Is…there…something I can help you with?” She offered with a small smile.

“No,” Crystal said, “not with dinner, but you can help me with something else.”

“Just name it,” Sunny said, “I’d be happy to help!”

“You can help me…save Equestria.”