Jakhowls in Equestria
Aurarora had certainly had a lot of changes over the last few months. The underground kingdom of jakhowls had gotten a lot of benefits from allying themselves with Equestria. Two weeks after the jakhowls and ponies partnered up, a group of pony architects and builders arrived to start working on building new homes for the jakhowls. They tested the land and determined what kind of structures would be best for the place, happy that the land under the Tree of Ancients were actually quite strong and could hold any kind of building.
As such, the town was soon rebuilt from the ground up to resemble the houses one would find in Ponyville. The jakhowls quickly grew to love their new homes, which were much stronger and didn't need anywhere near as much repair work. The ponies had also started teaching the jakhowls how to build and repair, though with the quality of the builds, that probably wouldn't be for a long time.
A bunch of vets had also travelled to the kingdom in order to do many different tests, with Ponyville's Doctor Fauna leading them due to her years of treating Springer and the pups in Ponyville. The jakhowls had been happy to find that they were all perfectly healthy, though they were no big fans of needing to get shots to keep themselves from catching some of the diseases their kind likely didn't have the immune system to fight off.
Magic had also been used to make jakhowl life easier, such as the waste. Now the toilets had all been remade as modern lavatories with magic piping that was designed to transport the waste to special storage area near the farms. As such, jakhowl life was never better. The citizens of Aurarora were enjoying their new freedom, though none had actually left the kingdom yet since they had no idea what was out there.
It was here that the leader of the jakhowls, Springer, stepped out of his new house, carrying a bunch of boxes. The house was nice, though it didn't yet feel like the home he had in Equestria. Especially since Ace and Mira had left for school. The place just felt too empty. As such, he made his way through the village toward the training grounds, where a bunch of young jakhowls and their teacher were waiting for him.
Another jakhowl was always watching from the sidelines, the one called Mirage. The silver jakhowl was interested to see how Springer intended to help this class, as all the jakhowls were young ones having trouble learning Aura Blast.
"Hello everyjakhowl," he smiled as he put the boxes down. "You all ready to learn Aura Blast?"
"Are you sure you can help us?" A young red jakhowl asked, "I've been trying for weeks and I can't get it right."
The others nodded as Springer chuckled, "Yeah, I get it." He opened the box, "But this is a technique that my tribe used to teach younglings how to do it. Instead of trying to do the Aura Blast perfectly right from the start, we'll break it up into stages."
The youngsters all tilted their heads at this, confusion clear on their faces as they saw what was in the boxes.
"Water balloons?" One asked.
"Rubber balls?" Another asked while the third held up an uninflated balloon. "How are these supposed to help?"
Springer smirked as he held up a water balloon. "The Aura Blast is a combination of three things: Rotation, power and control. You all are trying to do all three at the same time. Instead, master one and then add the next step. First, rotation." He held the balloon in his paw and everyjakhowl watched as it started bubbling and flexing in many different ways. "Using your aura, spin the water in the balloon until it pops. This'll help you get the feel for that specific step."
The water in the balloon pushed the material to its breaking point at this and popped. "Wow..." the younglings whispered as the water fell to the ground.
Springer smirked and took out the rubber ball. "The next step is power." Once again, the ball started shifting. "This time, using only your aura, burst the ball." The ball was then ripped apart by the aura that exploded out of Springer's paw, the younglings going wide-eyed, "And finally, control." He took out a balloon and inflated it to the same amount as the water balloon. Then held it in his paw.
The younglings waited to see what the balloon was gonna do, but nothing happened. "I don't get it," A pink female commented.
Springer smiled as he used his claw to pop the balloon, revealing a completed Aura Blast in his paw. "If you can combine the first two steps inside this balloon and control it enough to not pop it, you'll be ready to master Aura Blast."
The younglings gasped at this before reaching in to grab a water balloon. They all began to try what he showed them, some having trouble getting the water to spin a little while others were getting it to spin a lot but not enough to pop the balloon. But a few managed to get the balloons to pop on their first try. "Nice. Some of you have the first step down. Now try the second." They nodded and reached for a rubber ball. "Just keep practicing until you can get it."
Springer walked off at this, only for Mirage to appear beside him, "Well, that was certainly an interesting way to teach."
Springer smirked at this, "Just be thankful Princess Luna knew the training technique or I wouldn't know it either."
"Really? So you didn't learn it that way?" Springer shook his head.
"No, my Aura Blast just came naturally for me." Mirage blinked at this, "I was able to do it almost right out of the egg. Never had to learn."
"Huh," Mirage replied, "Well aren't you full of surprises."
"Didn't you see it when you saw my memories?"
"Um..." Mirage tried to respond, thinking back to she had saw the jakhowl's full life, "Huh. You did, didn't you? Strange."
Springer laughed at this, now seeing the surprise on Mirage's face. The female felt she kept getting surprised by Springer as she thought back to how much things had changed with him being the new leader. Though his teaching abilities left more than a little to be desired based on how much she had to correct Ace and Mira's fighting abilities, he seemed to understand the basics of teaching and leading everything else. He had learned a lot about leadership from Twilight and the rest of the alicorns in Equestria. He had in particular gotten help from Luna and Ruby, writing them a few letters after he had become the leader. He even asked if Luna wanted to come directly, as she had ruled over a jakhowl tribe before, but she said that that was in the past and Springer was the future. As such, her advice was more than enough, and Springer now seemed to always have an answer to the problems that presented themselves. It was something Mirage couldn't help but admire.
"You hear anything from Ace or Mira?" She asked as they headed out of Aurarora and up the mountain to the exit.
"Nope. Guess they're focusing too much on school. Or they've done something bad and begging to Twilight that she doesn't write to me about it." Mirage laughed at this as they left the mountain. Though the landscape the ponies had given them wasn't great when they first saw it, jakhowl hard work and pony assistance had allowed them to do wonders. A small farm had already been built at the base of the mountain, which had many crops the jakhowls hadn't seen before growing in it. The forest was an excellent source of lumber for them as well, and it wouldn't be long before the jakhowls were completely self-sufficient.
"Things are looking up," Springer commented, "And who knows, maybe one day there'll be a train station built and we can be connected to the rest of the world."
Mirage had heard about trains but was still a little confused about what exactly they were. "If that happens, jakhowls might start wanting to adventure out into the world."
"Yeah," Springer nodded, "Maybe. They can't all stay here forever. Even if it's just spending a day or two in another kingdom, the experience will be good for them. The younger jakhowls are all interested in seeing the world, especially after seeing my memories and all the stories Ace and Mira told them."
Mirage nodded back, her own interest rising to see the outside world, but with everything that had been happening, she felt she never had time to try. But as this thought went through her head, the universe had a funny way of working. For in that moment, a small cloud of ash flew down from the sky and made its way toward Springer.
"What's that?"
"Looks like Spike's sending me a letter." Springer responded, Mirage raising an eyebrow as the ash swirled around and morphed into a scroll, Springer grabbing it and unfurling the scroll. "Springer of the jakhowls, you are cordially invited to the first UFC Summit. You and a delegation are welcome to attend or refuse the summit at your leisure."
"A summit?" Mirage tilted her head, "What's that?"
"it's basically a meeting," Springer replied, "All the leaders of the kingdoms are sent to discuss any issues or ideas that will help the kingdoms prosper. I think this might be the first one ever. The United Federation of Creatures is still pretty new."
"Are you going to go?" Mirage asked.
Springer shrugged at this, "I don't see why not. I'm betting the other leaders will be there. It'll be interesting to see how they look at me now that I'm actually a leader instead of just the only adult member." He turned to Mirage, "You wanna come?"
She went wide-eyed, "Really?!"
"It said I can bring a delegation. You are my second-in-command, so you should learn what these things are like in case you need to fill in for me at a future point. Plus, it'll give you an excuse to travel outside of Aurarora."
Mirage slowly smiled at this, "Alright, let's do it. Where's the delegation taking place?"
Springer looked back at the scroll again, "Canterlot, but it asks that we head to Ponyville first since the city's undergoing some security work after what happened with Shroudheart." Mirage nodded, having heard about this evil pony and the horrors he had blanketed Equestria with. "The summit's in one week's time. Plenty of time to get everyone sorted for when we're not here. Core and the other elders can handle things until we get back." Mirage nodded and the pair headed back inside.
The week passed, both getting prepared to head to Ponyville for the summit. They were standing outside the newly constructed transport hut, which had the Rune Gate Twilight had given them that allowed for easy commute to another location. The elders and several other jakhowls were also there, ready to see them off.
"Have fun at your meeting," Clair commented, "We'll keep the place from burning down while you're gone."
"Thanks," Springer nodded, "And if there's anything that happens that you're worried about, don't hesitate to use the green fire in my house. Just put a letter into it and it'll be sent right to me." They nodded as the Rune Gate activated, the pair turning to one another.
Mirage stared at the light pillar and flinched, only to see Springer walk in without any hesitation and disappear into the light. The silver jakhowl gulped before quickly doing the same, and in the blink of an eye, she was transported. Stepping out of the light, she found herself in an unfamiliar room made from crystals.
Twilight and Flash stood in front of her, Springer happily hugging Twilight while giving Flash a high-five. The pair hadn't seen each other in a good while, so Mirage understood why they were so happy to see one another before turning to smile at Mirage.
"It's good to see you," Twilight told her, "Welcome to our home, and to Ponyville."
"Thank you for having me," Mirage replied, "I can't wait to see what this summit is all about."
"Of course," Twilight giggled, "Well, the summit won't be until tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to explore Ponyville or you can go ahead to Canterlot. We have a battalion of guards waiting for all the delegates. They'll act as your escorts and make sure you get to Canterlot safely. Sorry about all the hoops we're making you jump, but security is being doubled ever since Shroudheart attacked. And with Chrysalis still on the loose, we don't want to leave ourselves open to another attack."
"We understand," Springer responded, "We'll take a look around Ponyville and then head to Canterlot on the train. Mirage seems pretty interested in seeing it." Mirage blushed at this as the others smiled. "By the way, who else is here?"
"Prince Rutherford has already headed to Canterlot," Flash replied, "So has Queen Novo and her delegation. Thorax and Hiveena arrived a little while ago, so we're just waiting on Ember and the Griffon delegation." They nodded and Flash smirked, "Wait until you see Thorax and Hiveena. You'll be in for a pleasant surprise."
Springer tilted his head at this, only to gesture to Mirage, the jakhowl soon following him. They walked out of the Rune Gate room, Mirage going wide-eyed at the sight of the castle, "You used to live here? I mean, I know I saw it before but...its amazing up close."
"Yup." Springer nodded, "My first home was in that library Flash and Twilight lived in. Then it was destroyed and this place was built to replace it." Mirage nodded as they walked out of the castle, only to be greeted by a large number of Royal Guards.
The ponies all stood to attention as the pair appeared. "Sir!" One of them called out, "We are the guard in charge of your safe arrival to Canterlot. Are you ready to head over there?"
"Not yet," Springer shook his head, "We'll be going by train later."
"Very well sir. We'll send a squad over to the station to await your arrival." Several split off and marched in the direction of the train station while Springer began to lead Mirage away.
"Wow," Mirage laughed, "Those ponies sure take their jobs seriously."
"They don't get a lot of chances to prove themselves," Springer chuckled, "Whenever something really big happens, they find themselves getting outclassed. But they still do good work...when they're not being delivered cake."
Mirage blinked at this, only to shake her head as they arrived at the town. She had seen images of Ponyville when she saw Springer's memories, but actually seeing it herself was so much more. The ponies smiled when they saw them, many calling out to Springer and saying how nice it was to have him back in the town. Springer just waved back as they made their way over to one of the flower stands.
"Springer," the stall pony said, "So good to see you. And who's this lovely lady?" Mirage blushed at this, not used to all this attention.
"Hey Rose," Springer waved. "This is Mirage." He leaned forward and took a whiff, sighing at the lovely aroma. "Haven't smelled anything like this in a while. Wish we had these flowers back in Aurarora." Mirage was curious and leaned in as well, only to go wide-eyed as she sniffed it.
"Amazing." she whispered.
Rose smiled at the pair before picking up a lily, holding it over to Springer. "Here. I think your friend will enjoy this flower."
"Huh?" Springer took it, then turned to the slightly shorter jakhowl. She stared at the lily, Springer smirking before he placed the flower behind her ear. Mirage slightly flinched at this before blushing as she turned to see a big grin on Springer's face.
After saying goodbye to Rose, the pair kept exploring Ponyville. Mirage's eyes kept darting around, stars shining inside them, "This place really is amazing," Mirage commented, "I can see why you were so hesitant to leave."
Springer nodded, "My friends might have helped me grow into the jakhowl I am, but this town and its citizens were just as influential. It was here I knew I could always be safe and able to rest so I was ready to deal with any insane situation that life threw at me."
Mirage giggled at this, the jakhowl feeling the aura around her. She could feel the joy and love that flowed through this town. The ponies all cared about one another and it was the serenity in the town made her glad it was the first place she visited outside of her home. The pair then went up to Sugarcube Corner, Springer licking his lips as they approached. "I haven't had a cupcake in so long. I can't wait to have one."
"What's a cupcake?"
"Uh...remember that thing I told you about that I used to not be allowed to eat because I'd go crazy?"
Mirage blinked at this before remembering, "Why would you want to eat it now then?"
"Cuz I'm an adult." Mirage leaned back at this, only for Springer to add, "I don't know why, but I can eat them just fine now. Its also why I've made sure the school cafeteria doesn't serve Ace or Mira anything sugar based and Sugarcube Corner knows to only give those two sugar-free stuff. The last time they did was a disaster."
"Oh? What happened? I don't remember seeing that in your memories."
Springer glanced away at this as they got to shop's front door, "Er...let's just say the event is now called 'The Day of the Yellow Mouse's Reckoning' for a reason. And don't ask what that means. Its not worth explaining. Just know that we had to repair a third of the school from the sugar aura tornado explosion."
Mirage opened her mouth to ask what the heck that meant, only for Springer to open the door, the duo then greeted to the sight of two individuals standing at the counter. Mirage recognized them from Springer's memories as the changeling rulers, Thorax and Hiveena. The pair spun around, Mirage noticing Thorax was holding something: A baby changeling, which was dark blue in color and had a yellow jacket around his chest. He also had two little red nubs on his head, which would likely grow into a pair of stag beetle antlers like the one holding him.
"Thorax," Springer shined a grin as he walked up to them, "Hiveena. Long time no see."
"Hello Springer," Hiveena smiled before noticing the other jakhowl. "I see Thorax and I aren't the only ones using this summit as an excuse to get some alone time." The pair blinked at this before glancing away.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Springer laughed.
"I'm just here to make sure he doesn't embarrass the jakhowls," Mirage added as Springer rubbed the back of his neck.
The changelings laughed at this, only for Springer to ask, "So...who's this little one?" He reached down to tickle the baby changeling on the nose, making him laugh and the older changelings chuckled.
"Meet Costa," Thorax laughed, "The future ruler of the changelings."
"Aww..." Mirage giggled, "How cute. When I was told there were creatures out there that were a mix of ponies and insects, I never thought their babies would actually be cute. Guess this little youngling just proved me wrong."
"Well," Hiveena smirked, "If he had been born before our evolution, then you probably wouldn't see him as cute." Mirage remembered how changelings used to look from Springer's memories, the jakhowl wondering if she was right.
"So," Springer asked, "Has Costa shown any new abilities? I might be wrong, but doesn't each newborn royal changeling have a new ability that'll be passed on to the hive when they take the throne?"
"That's supposed to be true," Hiveena nodded, "I passed the ability to mimic the abilities of what we become into the rest of the hive. But Costa hasn't shown any unusual abilities yet."
"But he's still young," Thoraxa added, "If he does have a new ability, I'm sure it'll appear in time. But who knows, he might not have any abilities. The changelings might have finished evolving for the time being. At least, that's what I hope. If we keep gaining new abilities every generation, we might end up going a little bit out of control."
The other three nodded, only for a voice to suddenly exclaimed, "SPRINGER!" He turned to see something pink tackle him, "You're back!" Mirage jumped into a fighting stance when this happened, her instincts telling her to protect her leader...only to see Springer hugging the one that had tackled him, making her tense up.
"Hey Pinkie," Springer laughed as the pony leapt off of him. "Long time no see. So, how's it been going...Mrs. Wild Smile?" Pinkie giggled as she leapt back behind the counter.
"It's been going great! Things have been awesome ever since we defeated Shroudheart." She placed a box on the counter, Hiveena taking it in her magic. "So, what can I get for you today?"
Springer hummed as the changelings moved over to a table to enjoy their treat, the jakhowl staring at the many cupcakes before realising Mirage would be having her first one. "What would you recommend for a jakhowl that's never had a cupcake before?"
Pinkie gasped in horror as she turned to Mirage, "You've never had a cupcake before?!"
"No, I haven't." Mirage frowned, "Is that a bad thing?" She got her answer when Pinkie leapt over the counter and hugged her, tears exploding from her eyes.
"You poor poor thing! Never getting to enjoy the sugary goodness of cupcakes!"
"Now Pinkie, you do know too much sugar isn't the best for jakhowls." Springer chimed in, Pinkie letting go of the hug as her memories of Springer overloading on sugar came to mind.
"Oh. Right." She leaned over to Springer, "But she should be okay with a basic amount, right?"
"She should. Just don't go overboard."
She did a small salute at this, "You got it! Just take a seat and I'll be right back." She shot into the kitchen at this, Springer laughing at the sight before leading Mirage to a table. The jakhowl was confused by what she just saw, only for a minute later, Pinkie returned carrying a large tray of cupcakes. "Tadaa!" She exclaimed, holding the tray up, "My special sampler of the best cupcakes on the menu!"
She put the tray down and Mirage stared at the many small treats, now seeing the colors and toppings. Pinkie took out a knife and cut each of the cupcakes in half, making two groups of each half before pushing the tray forward. "Might I suggest the vanilla cupcake with pink icing and chocolate sprinkles?"
"It'd be my pleasure." Springer took the half in question and Mirage picked up the other half, "Cheers." Springer took a bite and instantly looked like he was about to melt in delight.
Mirage took this as a chance and placed the treat in her mouth, her teeth biting into the icing and through the cake. As soon as she did, a burst of flavor exploded in her mouth and Mirage's eyes went wide. Pinkie smiled as she saw Mirage looking like she had died and gone to heaven.
"Wow," Mirage whispered. "It's so...so...so..."
"Yeah," Springer chuckled, "I had the same thought when I first tried one of Pinkie's cupcakes." Pinkie smirked and returned to the kitchen as the pair continued to enjoy the delicious sweet treats. With each cupcake, Mirage found herself enjoying a different mix of great flavors, unable to believe she had gone her whole life without trying this amazing food.
Eventually, the pair finished eating the multiple halfs and were well and truly satisfied. "That was amazing," Mirage sat back in the chair.
"Yeah," Springer nodded, "Wanna order something else?"
"Well-"
"Looks like you two enjoyed yourselves," Pinkie commented as she walked up with a tray that had a large strawberry milkshake on it with two straws. "Here. On the house." Springer frowned at why Pinkie would only give them one drink, but Mirage seemed more interested in the drink itself. He started using the straw to scoop up the whipped cream, Mirage doing the same and finding it tasting just as good as the cupcakes.
Once they finished with the whipped cream, the pair began drinking the drink and ended up staring at one another as they did so. The pair couldn't help but blush at this, Springer wondering why his heart was feeling so funny. But the moment was broken when Mirage stopped drinking and grabbed her head. "Ahh!" She cried, holding it and looking like she was in agony, "What's happening to me?"
"Oh," Springer gulped, "Right. That's a little something called brain freeze. Happens when you eat or drink something cold too fast."
"Am I gonna die?" She asked, only for Springer to chuckle at this. Mirage was about to yell at him, but the pain began to subside before she could. She sighed as the aching stopped, allowing her to lower her paws.
"See? Nothing to be worried about. As far as I can tell, nobody's ever died from brain freeze."
"And everyone gets this if they drink too fast?"
"Almost everyone. Heart can't seem to get a brain freeze. Ace sent me a letter a while back, telling me how he, Mira and Soul watched Heart chug down six tubes of ice cream and never even get a tiny headache. He got a serious stomachache, but no brain freeze. Make of that what you will."
Mirage laughed at the implication as they finished off their milkshake. Thanking Pinkie for the delicious experience, they walked out of the bakery, Thorax, Hiveena and their child having already left and were likely on their way to Canterlot. Seeing this, Springer suggested that it was probably a good idea for them to head that way as well.
"So...this train thing. You sure it's safe?"
"Yeah. I've ridden it countless times. Once, I even had to hide under the seats so the ponies didn't know I was there." Confusion embraced Mirage's face at this before Springer told her the story of Spike's pet sitting adventure. By the time they arrived at the station, where the guards were waiting for them, the story concluded, and Mirage was laughing her head off.
Stepping onto the platform, the silver jakhowl saw that a bunch of ponies were simply waiting around. "So how does this work? Is there a button that summons this train or do you require some kind of spell?"
Springer chuckled as he sat on a bench, "No. Trains run on a schedule. There'll be one soon, but we have to wait for it." He told her what to expect so she wouldn't be scared when it happened, Mirage now curious to see what was so impressive about this train, especially since Springer wanted a station to be built outside Aurarora. After a little while, she heard the whistle and turned to see everyone getting up as a metal monster rolled into view. Mirage went wide-eyed at the sight, never having seen anything look that powerful.
The train soon pulled into the station and she watched as ponies started filing out of the carriages. "We have to go inside that thing?"
"It's no different from being inside a house," Springer chuckled, "Only this house has wheel and is being pulled by a steam powered machine." He took her paw and pulled her into the carriage, Mirage flinching as they got inside, "If you want, we can get a private booth at the back. That way nopony will see you looking worried."
"I am not worried," Mirage grumbled before jumping at the whistle. "But a private booth does sound good. Always nice to have some alone time." Springer laughed as they made their way through the train, soon getting to an empty carriage with the guards waiting outside.
The pair waited for the train to start up, Mirage gripping the seat as she felt the entire carriage shake. "We're okay," Springer put a paw on her shoulder, "This is normal."
"It doesn't feel normal," Mirage gulped as she looked out the window and saw the countryside begin to fly by. "How fast are we going?"
"About fifty miles an hour," Springer replied, "I asked Twilight the same thing on my first train trip and she said that was the fastest the train could safely run on the tracks without them getting damaged. Even with magic, nothing's indestructible."
Mirage sighed as she got used to the movement and slumped over in her seat, "Sorry. This is just so weird. I never thought my life would be this insane. Honestly, I never thought I'd ever leave Aurarora. Mostly because I never thought the seal would break."
"I get it," Springer nodded, "You've been thrown into the deep end. Nobody expected the jakhowls to return the way they did, so nobody had any idea how to handle it. But luckily, you all have got me and a few others to help you get used to things. The same way you helped me assimilate into jakhowl culture, I'll help show you the wonders of the modern age. And you've already shown how well you can adapt."
"R-r-really?"
"I didn't see you complain when you saw all the new houses the ponies built. Plus, the magical plumbing that stopped us from having to drag large tubs of poop around all over the place." Mirage laughed at this, nodding as she continued to look out of the window. "But I do understand why you're so worried. Lots of kingdoms in the world are going through a shift. The changelings used to be love starved monsters and the dragons were massive jerks until recently. Then there's the hippogriffs, who spent years hiding under the ocean. And don't even get me started on the yaks."
"And they're all changing who they are?" Mirage asked.
"Not changing. Improving. They're still who they were before, but with a little bit extra improving."
"I hope we can do that," she sighed, "I want the jakhowls to grow, but I don't want it to make us lose what made us special." She glanced back at him, "Am I starting to sound like Razor Fang?"
"No." he placed a paw on her knee, "Razor refused to believe that the jakhowls needed improving. He saw how different everything was and decided it was bad. He thought that only his way was perfect and refused to look or even try any other way. You're willing to try and see the world in a better light. Maybe you'll decide you don't like some things out here, but that's alright because you're willing to try it before dismissing it." Mirage smiled at this, placing her own paw on his. "And I promise I'm not gonna let the jakhowls become something they're not. We'll improve them together and keep what makes them special. Our traditions aren't gonna change, but we'll broaden their horizons and show the world why we're so amazing without needing to invade like Razor was planning."
Mirage nodded and chuckled at that, knowing her father would approve of where the jakhowls were going in this new age. If only he could have been there to see it. They continued to sit and enjoy the ride at this, Mirage growing more and more comfortable until they arrived at Canterlot. And as they entered the city, the train passed through an arch that Springer didn't remember it having before.
That arch unleashed a light inside of it that the train moved through, the light flowing through the carriages as it did so. One of the guards opened the door to their booth as the light was flowing over them. "No need to be alarmed. This magic is designed to scan those inside of any sign of dark magic or a transformation. Don't want Chrysalis or a mind-controlled slave to get into the city and cause havoc."
"Smart," Springer nodded as the light finished scanning their carriage. Once it was done, the train pulled into the station and rolled to a stop.
The guards lead them out of the train and onto the platform, the lead guard turning to them. "You have safely arrived at your destination. You can ask us to remain by your side until we reach the castle if you like."
"I think we'll be fine on our own," Springer replied.
"Very well." The guard held up a pair of glass vials with a mouth swab in each of them. "Apologies, but could you please give us a DNA sample? This way we can ensure the you that arrives at the castle is actually you."
Springer was amazed by how seriously they were taking security now. A part of him wondered if a changeling could change their DNA, but assumed Thorax had assured them they couldn't. As such, Springer took a vial and used the swab to take a sample from his mouth. Mirage did the same, though clearly confused about why they were doing this.
Once the samples were taken, the guards marched off for the castle as Springer began to lead Mirage through the city. And to see Mirage was intimidated by the size of the place was an understatement. "This place is huge!" She looked up at the large buildings, which dwarfed the ones in Ponyville and Aurarora.
"Tell me about it," Springer chuckled, "I guess it can be a little intimidating when you first come. But when you get used to it, it's not too scary." They made their way through the streets, being careful to avoid the many ponies that were rushing around. Springer smirked as he spotted Canterlot Cathedral in the distance, telling Mirage about the battle that took place there so long ago.
As they made their way deeper into the city, the place got more packed, Springer not daring to let go of Mirage's paw, fearing that if he did, she would get swept away by the river of ponies around them. And if he lost her, he might never find her again. However, as they turned a corner, they spotted an old earth pony mare walking down the street pushing a cart of some kind full of grocery bags. That is, till the cart's wheel suddenly came off and she lost control. "Oh!" She cried as her groceries fell to the ground, "Oh dear."
Mirage quickly pulled her paw out of Springer's and rushed over to her, Springer following, "Need a hoof?" He asked, catching the mare's attention. Mirage was worried when she saw her surprised expression, fearing she might see them as some kind of wild animal. That is, till Springer added, "First time seeing a jakhowl up close?"
"Indeed," she nodded, "I heard about your kind and I've seen a few with Princess Twilight and her friends. But it's the first time I've seen you so close before."
"Well, why don't we get that wheel fixed," Springer grabbed the wheel and lifted up the cart to reattach it. As he did this, Mirage started picking the mare's groceries up. The mare thanked them, happy to see such helpful creatures were now a part of Equestria.
They smiled as Springer finished fixing the cart while Mirage picked up the last can of food that had fallen from the cart. The mare thanked them next, soon pushing the fixed cart down the street and around the corner.
"That was nice." Mirage chimed in, "Helping others even if it's in a little way."
"Yup," Springer nodded, "You get used to doing that kind of thing when you're a defender of the peace. When we weren't protecting the town from destruction, we were helping fix wagons and paint houses. Not so much defenders as we were...handy creatures."
Mirage laughed at this as a pony walked up, looking lost as he stared at a map. "Excuse me?" They turned to him, "You don't happen to know where Crast Street is, do you?" Springer took a look at his map at this, Mirage watching and waiting, only to notice something on the ground behind a dustbin. It was a can of something, picking it up and realizing the mare from earlier must have dropped in and they had overlooked it. She glanced back the way the mare had gone and ran off to catch her.
And as she went around a corner, Springer pointed at a place on the map, "There it is." he started waving his paw on the map at this, "Alright. Head down this street, then take a left and keep going. Then take the third right and second left and you'll be there." The pony thanked him and ran off, "Alright Mirage-" He stopped when he saw she was gone. "Mirage?" He glanced around, only to go wide-eyed, "Oh no."
He leapt up the side of a building and perched himself atop the roof, trying to locate the female jakhowl. As he did this, Mirage returned after giving the can back to the mare, but when she returned, Springer was gone. "Springer?" But she didn't get an answer, making her worry as she started heading down another street. "Springer?" Unfortunately, the city's noise prevented them both from hearing each other as Springer tried to pulse out his aura, only to feel the massive amount of life in Canterlot, Mirage feeling the same.
"This is just great," Springer groaned as he stood up on the roof. "First time away from home and she gets lost..." He was starting to wish he had agreed to keep the guard around him. "Come on, think. Where would she go?"
Mirage had been running through the streets looking for Springer, but couldn't find hide nor hair of him. She was about to start panicking, the jakhowl trying to stay calm. "Maybe I should just go to the castle and hope he heads there." She glanced up at the large building in the distance. Sighing at the sight, she sat down, knowing she would need some energy for the trek.
And as she did this, she heard the ponies around her calling out to each other and some were pushing around carts of food. She was glad she had had all those cupcakes before, since she wasn't sure how she would get any food in this city without those strange coins they used. She continued to watch the ponies at this, a unicorn stallion dressed in a tux walking down the street alongside a mare with white fur and pink hair that had a pink strap bag around her neck now passing by her. When they did this, they saw the female jakhowl and the frown she wore.
"Hello there," the stallion spoke up. "Is everything alright?"
Mirage looked up at him and sighed, "I'm fine. I just...lost my friend. It's my first time in this city."
"I see," the stallion nodded, "Your friend doesn't happen to be called Springer, is he?" Mirage went wide-eyed at this, making him chuckle, "Ah, well I'm sure we can find him."
"You know Springer?"
"We've met a few times. My name's Fancy Pants and this is my wife, Fleur."
"Pleasure," she smiled, "So, how did you get separated?" Mirage quickly explained everything, the pair nodding in understanding. "I see. It was good of you to return that mare's belonging, but you should have let Springer know where you were going."
"Indeed," Fancy added, "Even if you thought you would be only a moment. It's easy enough to get lost in a big city like this." Mirage nodded, feeling silly for leaving him when she didn't know anything about the city. "But no matter. It shouldn't be too hard to reunite you."
"I thought going to the castle would be the best option, since that's where we're supposed to be staying."
"Good idea," Fancy commented, "And I know the best way to get to the castle from here that doesn't require going through any silly backstreets. Come along. Let's get you back where you belong."
Fancy led them through the city at this along with showing off the many parts of the city, "And over there is Canterlot Boutique," Fleur explained, "Which is owned by another of Springer's friends named Rarity."
"Oh," Mirage nodded, "He told me about her. Some kind of clothes maker?"
"I wouldn't let Rarity hear you call her that," Fancy chuckled as they walked down the street. "She takes her work very seriously." Mirage nodded, "Do jakhowls wear clothing? I've never really seen Springer wear anything except a bandanna when he was younger...if I remember correctly."
"Huh. Wonder why he doesn't wear it anymore." Mirage replied, "Where I'm from, we don't really have the material for something like that. We're more focused on survival, but...with everything that's been changing, I guess jakhowls might start wearing clothing if it's something that wouldn't get in the way if we need to move."
And as she said this, they turned a corner, only for Fleur to be suddenly tackled by somepony. "Oh!" The pegasus teen grabbed her before she could fall to the ground. "Sorry!" As he said that, Mirage suddenly felt an aura wave of deception flowing off of him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Fleur assured him, "Nothing damaged. Please be more careful from now on."
"Will do," the stallion nodded, "Promise." Mirage stared at the pony as he began to run down the street.
As he did this, Fancy noticed Mirage's expression. "Something the matter, my dear?"
"Something about that pony," Mirage mumbled. "It was...off." She turned to Fleur, "Are you sure you're alright?" Fleur nodded as she checked herself over and didn't find anything the amiss...until she checked her bag.
"MY PURSE!" The bag was now empty, "Thief!" Mirage had already shot in the direction he had gone, having locked onto his aura when she felt something was wrong. She spun around a corner and noticed the pegasus, who was throwing a purse up and down in his hooves and laughing. Mirage glared at him at this, the pegasus happening to glance back and see her coming.
Clearly realizing he was busted, the pegasus started running. Mirage hoped he would take to the air, since that would make him an easier target, but he clearly knew that was a bad idea and kept to the streets instead. He rushed around another corner as Mirage was hot on his heels, the jakhowl finding herself being slowed down by the many ponies gathered in the street. The pegasus moved more freely, able to duck and weave through the crowd without issue.
Mirage quickly had enough and leapt into the air, scaling up the side of a building and landing on the roof. She raced over the roofs at this, the pegasi going into an alleyway and hid there, hoping the jakhowl would pass him by. Crouching behind a dumpster, he peeked his head out. And after a minute of seeing nothing, he smirked as he slowly got up and went around the dumpster-
"Aura Blast!" He looked up at the voice, just in time to see Mirage fly down and thrust a small sphere of energy into his back. The orb exploded, sending out a pulse of aura that happened to be picked up by a nearby individual while the pegasus was slammed into the concrete.
Mirage smiled at this and picked herself up, grabbing the stolen purse from him. "Serves you right."
It was in that moment that a group of guards were on patrol in the city nearby heard the bang, causing them to run over, only to see Mirage step out of the alleyway with a purse in paw. "What's going on here?" The head guard ran up and saw the pegasus on the ground. "Freeze!"
The guards pointed their spears at her, making Mirage flinch and drop the purse, "Wait! I didn't rob him!"
The guards glared at her, only for another voice to ring out, "Mirage!" they all turned to see Fancy Pants and Fleur run up, Fleur seeing her purse on the ground.
"You got it back," she picked the purse up as Fancy seemed to notice the guards glaring at the jakhowl. "Thank you. Did the criminal get away?" Mirage gestured her head toward the alleyway.
"What's going on here?" Fancy asked the guards, who were still pointing their spears at Mirage.
"Just so we're clear," the head guard spoke up, "That's your purse and that pegasus stole in from you?"
"Yes," Fleur nodded, "And Mirage got it back for me."
The head guard turned to the others and nodded, the group retracting their spears. "Very well. Apologizes, but given how it looked, you can understand why we would think you were the criminal." Mirage nodded back, only for the guard to say, "But do you understand the severity of what you've done?" Mirage tilted her head at this as one of the troops pulled the crook up off the ground. "He may have been a criminal, but you're a civilian who's injured him. I'm afraid that still counts as assault."
"What?!" Mirage yelped, "Why?! He's a criminal!"
"Still didn't give you the right to attack him. Did he attack you first?" Mirage frowned and shook her head, "Then you shouldn't have attacked him. You could have tried to get the purse back, but injuring somepony outside of self-defense is still a crime."
She felt a bit of fear flow through her at this, knowing that Springer wasn't' going to like this. That is, till the jakhowl in question landed beside them. "What seems to be happening here?" Mirage gulped as the guard explained everything, Springer frowning as he heard about this. "Mirage."
"I'm sorry!" She looked down, "I just thought I needed to get the purse back." She showed a sheepish expression, "I didn't hurt him that badly. Nothing he shouldn't be able to sleep off."
"We'll need to have a doctor look into that," the guard replied, "Even so, I'll need you to make a statement."
Springer stepped in at this, "You may wish to inform Princess Celestia about this." The guard blinked at him, only for Springer to add, "Considering this involves a member of the jakhowl summit delegation."
The guard glared back at Mirage, only to sigh, "Very well. I doubt the princess will be willing to press any charges against your delegation, so long as the pony really isn't badly injured. Now if you would kindly follow me back to the castle." They nodded and Mirage turned to Fleur and Fancy, thanking them for their help as the two nodded back.
The trip to the castle was quite an embarrassing one, Mirage feeling like a criminal being shamed through the city as they made their way down the streets. "I'm really really sorry," she told Springer while telling him everything that had happened. And as they got to the castle, Springer and Mirage took another swab test to compare it to the sample given before. Once they were confirmed to be who they said they were, the guard lead them through the castle until they arrived at the throne room.
The doors then opened, the pair spotting Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Flash inside. "Springer," Celestia smiled before noticing one of her patrol guards. "What's going on?" The guard stepped up and explained everything, the ponies frowning at what had happened. "Well, it seems you had yourself quite the adventure," she told Mirage. "But the guard is right about using unnecessary force."
"I'm really sorry," Mirage bowed, "I just acted on my instincts. We don't have those kinds of issues in Aurarora, so I didn't have anything to base the situation on." She bowed again, "I humbly accept any punishment you deem fit."
"I don't think we need to go that far," Luna replied while shaking her head, "It was a criminal you attacked, and he was committing a crime. So long as the injuries he sustained aren't severe, I see no reason to give you anything less than a warning." The other royals nodded, Mirage sighing in relief. "But next time, leave the criminal handling to those trained in this situation."
"I will," Mirage responded, "And again, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."
"I'd hardly call stopping a crook trouble," Flash laughed, "And I'm sure Fleur is happy you got her purse back."
The others nodded as Twilight spoke up, "It's been a long day and you're probably exhausted. Why don't you go rest in your rooms and we'll send you something to eat while you relax."
The jakhowls nodded as a servant stepped up, having been placed in charge of making sure the pair were shown to their rooms. They went through the place in silence, neither sure what to say. And as they got to a doorway, the servant turned to them, "This leads to your apartment. It has a main room that leads to three other rooms and a balcony. Two of the rooms are sleeping quarters and the last is a bathroom. When would you like to be served dinner?"
"Um...an hour?" Springer suggested, knowing they would likely need time to freshen up in the bathroom. The servant nodded and turned to leave, allowing the pair to step inside and find a large round room with some comfy chairs, a dining table and four other doors. Three were normal wooden ones while the fourth was a large pair of glass doors leading out into a balcony. "If you want, you can go get cleaned up first."
Mirage nodded, thanking him as she started searching for the bathroom. When she did, she tried to see what everything was and saw the toilet was pretty much the same as back home...but everything else was different. She slowly figured out the shower, and when she got the hot water just right, she felt all the stress of the day wash off of her. It was truly glorious and something she wouldn't mind Aurarora getting at some point in the future.
Eventually, she finished her shower and toweled herself off while leaving the bathroom. It was here that she saw Springer was gone, only to see that the balcony doors were open. She walked over and saw Springer was standing on the balcony, looking out at the city. She stepped up next to him and the pair stared at the huge city. Mirage could now see in the far distance, the small town of Ponyville which looked even more peaceful than when she saw it earlier. And Springer just stared out in silence, making her sigh. "I'm sorry." He turned to her, "I'm sorry I ran off like that. It was stupid and I could have made the jakhowls look foolish with what happened to that criminal."
"I'm not mad at you," he replied, "I'm mad at myself for losing you so easily."
"I was the one that wandered off," Mirage countered, "You shouldn't blame yourself for my mistake."
Springer shook his head. "That's my job. As the leader of the jakhowls, I'm responsible for all of you. It might have been you who wandered off, but I shouldn't have been so easily distracted. Any failings of my subjects are my failings too. That's one of the lessons I learned watching my friends as they lead." Mirage frowned and Springer sighed, leaning his back against the balcony. "I'm still so new at this whole leadership thing. I've never really had to worry about it before. I've only had to really help out with Ace and Mira...but being the leader of an entire kingdom might be too much for me."
"Don't say that," Mirage shook her head, "You've done an amazing job."
"Yeah, because nothing's happened that needs real leadership. If I can't even keep my eye on one jakhowl in a big city, what am I supposed to do when there's a famine or an illness sweeps through Aurarora?" He sighed, looking down. "I'm a fighter. I follow the orders of those leading and carry them out. That's what I'm good at. I'm a great warrior, not a great leader."
"Springer..." he turned to her, "You are a good leader. I don't care what you think. My father trusted you with leading our tribe. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't think you had what it took to lead us the right way. Today might have been a little problematic, but you were able to handle it."
Springer slowly smiled at this, "Thanks."
Mirage nodded back, "And you know, it's good that you're doubting yourself. Because you're right about not being a great leader." He frowned at this, "But you are a good leader. And even good leaders make mistakes. And it's how you learn from those mistakes that'll help you become a great leader in time. And you won't do it alone. It's clear Celestia and the other leaders will help you when you have trouble making a leadership decision. You said your friends helped you grow into the jakhowl you are."
"Yeah...they really did."
"Well, then trust them to keep helping you grow until you're ready to be a leader that can stand on his own. My father might have been the leader, but he never made all the decisions on his own. And neither will you. You'll have your friend. You'll have the elders. And you'll have..."
She glanced down at this, Springer turning to her and grabbing her paw, using his other one to lift her chin so their eyes met. "And I'll have?"
Mirage took a deep breath, "And you'll have me." She warmly squeezed his paws, "You'll always have me." Springer smiled at her as the pair continued to stare at one another, both feeling something in their hearts swell up.
The pair didn't realize it, but they slowly moved their heads closer and closer together. And before either of them could stop each other, their lips met. The pair kissed and never before had they felt anything that seemed so right. They kept kissing upon the balcony for a while, until they were eventually interrupted by the servant that brought their meals. This forced them to split apart and focus on their food, but all the while they kept staring at each other.
The servant left and they ate together, talking about what had just happened and what it meant for the future. But they didn't really need to talk about it. They knew what it meant, and were happy. By the time the servant returned to gather the empty plates, the two were beyond anxious on what was going to happen next. And the second he shut the door behind him, the pair leapt at each and started making out.
They had no doubt in their mind that this was the right thing, and they would enjoy each other's company as much as possible.
The next day...
Celestia smiled as she sat around the large round table. Luna and Twilight stood behind her, the three alicorns waiting for the other delegates to get there. And as the door opened, Flash stepped in leading Thorax, Ember, Rutherford, Seaspray, Grampa Gruff and Springer into the room along with their delegates.
The only one who had come alone was Gruff, with Thorax of course having Hiveena with him and Ember bringing Flicker. Seaspray had brought a pair of hippogriffs and Rutherford had brought the two yaks he had originally come to Ponyville with back during their first meeting. Springer sat down besides Thorax as Mirage and Hiveena stood behind their chairs, the jakhowl looking a little tired, but was trying to shake it off before turning to Thorax, "Where's the little one?"
"Spike's taking care of him," Thorax replied, "I'm sure he'll be fine." Springer nodded as Celestia stood up.
"Welcome," she told everyone, "I'm happy we could all be here during what I hope is only the first summit meeting of the United Federation of Creatures." They all nodded back, "Here we can discuss what's been going on in our kingdom and what issues have begun to arise, with maybe another member having an answer to help solve it. I'm sure this summit will help bolster the friendships formed between our nations."
They all nodded again, beginning their discussions as those standing listened. As they did this, Hiveena leaned over to Mirage. "You and Springer look a little tired. Up late last night?" This made Mirage blush and glance away, making Hiveena laugh. "Congrats. I could tell there was something between you two." She said nothing else and focused back on the summit while Mirage could only smile.
She was very happy. It might have seemed out of nowhere, but she knew she and Springer were meant to be together. When her father died, she feared she would be on her own. But Springer, Ace and Mira had been there for her, and she now saw them as her family. Now things just seemed more official.
She sighed as she listened to Springer explain to the other leaders how the jakhowls had returned and his epic battle to claim leadership from Razor. He might not think he was worthy of the position, but there was no one else she trusted more with the role. He had helped the jakhowls grow more accustomed to the modern world, and no matter what, she would be there to help him through whatever hard times were ahead. The jakhowls were going to grow stronger with Springer and her leading them into the future.
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I considered this chapter as an epilogue to Springer's story as we got see how Springer's process as a leader of Jakhowls as well his relationship with Mirage.
I find it amusing to see Mirage to go through the experience in Equestria and having Springer helps her out (through, she almost land herself in a jail due to attack an unarmed civilian despite him stealing Fleur's purse)
Well, it's good to see Springer in this role for one last time since this is the final season of Flash Sentry Chronicles.
Here's highlights
Sure, trust the Royal Guards who pretty much got their ass whooped by every villains.
ROASTED!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I smell the ship tease!
Pikachu!!!!
WHAT?!?! THEY HAVE A KID?!
Ship Tease has strikes again!
WHAT?!?!?! THEY DID IT!!!!! SPRINGER AND MIRAGE ARE OFFICIALLY COUPLE!!!!!!
It was cool seeing Springer again & getting Mirage to experience some of Equestria's good & bad, also glad that we got to meet Thorak/Hiveena bundle of joy! An all-around feel good chapter!
For Highlights :
Talk about a sweet blessing for them!
And a sweet roast of Royal Guards have been delivered!
Glad we got to meet this little one before the series over, as for unusual abilities it's still early you know?
And another ship have set sail, glad we got this final sendoff for our favorite Jackhowl!
Loved this chapter Banshee, looking forward to the rest of S9!
This was a beautiful chapter. We finally got to focus on Springer again after he stayed in Aurarora to become the new leader of the Jakhowls. It is clear he still has a lot to learn, but he is still off to a good start and is willing to accept help from all his friends to improve himself.
We also got a nice look at his relationship with Mirage. With the first meeting of the United Federation of Creatures taking place, Mirage comes with him as his delegation, getting to see the outside world for the first time. It was cute, seeing her explore Ponyville, the town where Springer grew up, eat sweets for the first time in her life, and be amazed by something as common as a train. Just like Springer has a lot to learn about being a leader, she also has a lot to learn about the outside world, seeing as she almost got in trouble for using unnecessary force against a thief while trying to help Fleur.
But that is why they are perfect for each other. Both are willing to stand by each other's side and help them deal with these new experiences. Neither of them thought their lives would end up like this, but it seems to have worked out for the best. The two of them finally realize this themselves and seeing them hook up at the end was both heartwarming, and a little funny too. They certainly discovered their feelings for each other much quicker than some of the Mane 7 did with their own love interests.
I get it! Those are the same steps for mastering the Rasengan.
Aww, precious! Ever since the last chapter for The Movie, I was hoping we would get to see Thorax and Hiveena's family, since Thorax implied they were now officially together and had kids of their own on the way. Baby Costa is certainly adorable. It is interesting to think he will have a special power of his own one day, but I doubt we will get to see it, unless something unexpected happens.
Okay I'm not sure about this one, but it feels like a reference to the Changelings from Star Trek. During Star Trek: Picard they evolved a subspecies that can replicate internal organs and maintain their forms even after death.
After all the ship tease between them they just jump right into it. I love it!
Oh boy. They might want to settle down just a little bit though.
I really enjoyed this story. Here’s some highlights:
I’m glad we get to see Aurarora again. Also you spelled “no” instead of “not” between “were” and “big”
SPRINGER!! WE MISSED YOU!
Wonder how he’ll react to them becoming a couple?
The shipping fuel is strong with this one
Um why is Mirage looking at herself? Did you mean to say “before turning to smile at TWILIGHT”?
Smart
Or getting a surprise party
Rose is a shipper. Looks like Cadence has some competition as best matchmaker
Meanwhile in Pinkie’s room
My Pinkie senses are tingling! I am needed.
YES!! I was hopping we would get to see these two with their kids
Anyone else getting Jack-Jack vibes?
When did everyone in Ponyville suddenly become matchmakers?
Makes sense since he is a walking furnace. Wonder if Kirin’s are immune too?
You accidentally wrote “see” instead of “say”
You wrote “in” instead of “it” between “dropped” and “and”
It’s great to see Fancy Pants and Fleur again. Favorite Canterlot couple
They would probably wear em for fancy events and important meetings
YES!!!
I Kinda wanna see this
Overall I’m glad we got another story staring Springer. Can’t wait for next week.
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Me too. And we might see his special ability if the story goes where I think it’s going.
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Remember, during the last chapter of the MLP Movie special Thorax mentioned that Hivena wasn’t at the final battle because she was looking after the eggs.
Glad to see springer again
Well, that felt a little sudden. I'm a bit disappointed that there was no Parent Trap-ing involved, but at least they're happy. I wonder how long it will be before anyone else starts having children.
I wonder if you’ll include the Summer Sun Setback episode.
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Parent trapping?
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Most likely
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You've never heard of The Parent Trap? It's that story about a set of twin girls who attempt to get their divorced parents back together through a series of clever hijinks.
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I know the story but what I meant was who is parent trapping who?
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I wanted the pups to Parent Trap Springer with Mirage.
11593917
Ok that makes sense