Chapter 14
Twilight was the first to awaken, thanks to short but sharp banging on their bedroom door.
The unicorn’s eyes snapped open, and then let out a groan as she rubbed her tired eyes. The knocking on the door persisted, agitating Twilight further. ‘Can’t two mares get a doze?’ she yelled in thought as she brought her head up to gaze at the door with such a glare it would pierce metal if it could – or at least she hoped it would. ‘At least it hasn’t woke up Fluttershy yet.’ She ignored the knocking for a moment and looked at the pegasus sleeping soundlessly next to her, and smiled tenderly.
Fluttershy looked cuter than a sleeping rabbit kitten. Her long, silky pink mane covered most of her face, yet Twilight could make out a thin smile across her lips as she dreamt something the unicorn wished she knew. Her breathing was relaxed and steady through her parted soft, yellow lips – lips, Twilight just wanted to touch with her own. ‘No, Twilight,’ she chided herself. ‘Let Fluttershy make the first move when it comes to that.’ She didn’t mind the waiting; she was a pony born with the word patience as a birthmark.
Something that ponies didn’t have in Esperius, it seemed. The knocking on the door persisted, this time more fiercely than before, prompting Twilight to teleport herself out of bed to appear in front of the door. She opened it quickly and just missed a hoof coming from the Captain of the Esperian Guard swinging forward to knock again. “Can I help you?” she asked as nicely as she could, even though to her ears it sounded grating.
“Merchant Prince requests your presences at breakfast,” the Captain replied roughly, his eyes narrow as he stared at Twilight. It was obvious to the unicorn he hadn’t forgiven her for calling him cute. “He asks you and your marefriend to be there in ten minutes or less.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you, sir. I will wake my marefriend at once.” Before the very little pony could reply, she slammed the door shut in his face, and went back to the side of her marefriend. ‘May Celestia forgive me for what I am about to do,’ she thought. She had learnt many things about her marefriend in the time she had known her, and one thing in particular stood out like a pink pony on a sandy beach – never wake Fluttershy up in the morning, unless you want to leave her side without your head still attached.
Twilight hesitantly lifted a hoof, and pressed it gently against Fluttershy’s side. “Sweetheart?” she whispered delicately.
The pegasus in question stirred, and groaned while trying to push the offending hoof away with one of her own. “But school is off today, mummy,” she murmured. “Can I get a little bit of time for myself?” She rolled away onto her other side, and relaxed.
Twilight tilted her head a little, and smiled sweetly. “Fluttershy?” she said, prodding her back repeatedly. Fluttershy groaned something once more, while her eyes were trying to open. Twilight jumped up on the bed, and poked her belly. “Fluttershy?” she sang again, hoping it would be enough to calm her down.
Finally, Fluttershy groggily opened her eyes, and rolled over to gaze at Twilight with a stare that was so intense Twilight feared it would shoot lasers at her. “Listen, sweetheart, I am really sorry about this, but Grey Spot asked us to be ready for breakfast in ten minutes,” Twilight explained to the pegasus, who was between sleep and awake.
Fluttershy’s stare vanished, and her face lit up in delight. “Breakfast!” she repeated ecstatically. Her head shot up, nearly bashing Twilight’s face as she did so, and looked around frantically while sniffing the air. “Where’s breakfast? I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cake!” Her belly rumbled to prove the statement.
Twilight giggled, and nuzzled her gently. “Good morning to you, too. And I think breakfast is somewhere else in the palace. We’ve got to be ready in ten minutes.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment, feeling incredibly silly for forgetting her manners. “Oh, oh dear. Sorry. Good morning, Twilight,” she said, nuzzling her marefriend. “Did you sleep well?”
Twilight grinned and returned the affection with another nuzzle. “Lovely sleep, thank you. Did you sleep well?”
“Like an angel, thank you,” Fluttershy replied, grinning. Her belly rumbled again, making the pegasus blush once more. Twilight’s belly rumbled quickly afterwards, making the unicorn blush as well, and Fluttershy giggle. “I think our bellies want something to eat.”
“Agreed,” Twilight said, nodding as she felt her blush dissipate. “Right, I better go and have a shower… or whatever they have here.” She jumped down from the bed and trotted over to where she presumed to be the bathroom. Before she entered, she looked back at Fluttershy and smiled. “Care to join me?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock. She looked anywhere but at Twilight as she felt a fiercer blush form on her cheeks. “Oh, I don’t know, Twilight, it’s just that seems–”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Twilight interjected, smiling patiently. “Just a quick wash together. That’s all, nothing else.”
Fluttershy relaxed quickly, and she smiled and nodded. “Oh, well, okay then.” She jumped off the bed and trotted up to Twilight with a warm smile. “But no funny business,” she warned as she walked past.
Twilight smiled honestly and shook her head. “None at all.” The two smiled widely at each other, and walked inside the bathroom side by side.
A few minutes later, after a quick wash in an early version of a shower, and a thorough cleanup, the couple emerged from their room with their coats sparkling and their manes and tails glistening like metal in the low sunlight. The Captain of the Guard looked at both of them with nothing but contempt. “Follow me,” he ordered sharply, before turning right and heading down the corridor.
The two larger ponies looked at each other, before briskly following the little pony. “He can sure move quick for such a little guy,” Twilight whispered in Fluttershy’s ear.
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Oh, I know. It’s as almost as if he has roller-skates instead of hooves.”
Twilight looked at her marefriend for a moment. “You know, for a second there I actually thought you were going to say something inappropriate just now.”
Fluttershy tilted her head. “Like what?”
“Are you two following me or chatting between yourselves?” the Captain asked harshly, glancing over his shoulder to look at them with a glare. Twilight and Fluttershy instantly went quiet.
They followed the Captain until they came to the stairs they had taken yesterday. “Keep going until you reach end,” he instructed, pointing to the open door in front of them. “Dining hall is through door at far end. Can’t miss it, even for dumb ponies like you two.”
Twilight’s face etched itself into the definition of rage. “Right, that does it, you little piece of–”
Before she could go any further, Fluttershy slammed a hoof into her mouth and started to nudge her forward. “Thank you very much, sir. We will be on our way now. Thanks again, and have a good day! Bye!” She nudged Twilight’s backside with her head through the door so they could hastily get away from the Captain.
When they were through the open door and in the corridor, Fluttershy stopped and spun Twilight around on her shoulders. “What were you thinking just now?” she yelled angrily. Twilight flattened her ears in regret. “What good would have come out of attacking him? Nothing, that’s what!”
Twilight’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking back there. I just felt so angry about how he said you were dumb, and you are far from stupid. I…” She let her voice get carried away by the wind, and allowed her head to fall. “I was the stupid one.”
Fluttershy’s glare gradually softened until it didn’t exist. She put her hooves on Twilight’s cheeks, and raised her head up to look her in the eyes. “Sweetie, don’t let anything like that get to you,” she advised. “It will only bring you down and make you miserable. Something I learnt from the tornado duty a year ago.” She kissed Twilight’s forehead. “Besides, anypony saying you are dumb are stupid themselves. Your head has more knowledge than most libraries in Equestria.”
Twilight blushed at the compliment, and a thin smile crawled across her face. “Thanks, Fluttershy. And thanks for saving us from my foolishness.”
Fluttershy smiled kindly in reply. “You are welcome.” She pulled away and positioned herself by Twilight’s side. “Shall we continue?”
Twilight nodded eagerly, and set herself ready to continue walking. “Of course.” With the little incident behind them, the two ponies walked side by side once more, and admired the bronze coloured, stone corridor around them. “The palace seems so gothic in structure. It reminds me of the Crystal Empire a little bit.”
“Oh yes, I do like gothic architecture,” Fluttershy said. “I think it is because they look older than they are.” She looked up at the high ceiling. “And very tall as well.”
“Yes, and that concerns me a bit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Does it not bother you about how big this place is compared to the ponies owning it?” Twilight asked. When Fluttershy only looked at her oddly, she continued. “Look at this place. The corridors are wide enough for around a dozen of them to walk side-by-side, yet just big enough for us and our friends to walk together in a row.”
Fluttershy tilted her head even further. “What are you saying?”
Twilight stopped, reared up and leaned on the window, looking out at the vast city around them. “And yesterday, as we went through the city, the houses looked so big for them yet just the right size for us. And finally, the age. Though they all look brand new, there are some things across the city – the gothic architecture, the house designs to name but a few, and other things that give the game away to how old they really are.
“Remember what Grey Spot said yesterday. He said he had started a renovation project on the slums of the city. That could have meant that the slums were the last part of a massive renovation project that affected the entire city.”
Fluttershy joined her in looking out at the city. “I still don’t get what you’re on about.” She quietly added, “Sorry.”
“I’m saying that these little ponies didn’t build Esperius,” Twilight claimed, gesturing with a hoof at the city and the few inhabitants they could see going about their business. “Somepony else did long ago, before these ponies even existed or became a sentient breed. I would do anything to know the origins of this city.”
Fluttershy bit her bottom lip in thought. “Perhaps Grey Spot might know about it,” she reckoned. “He did say yesterday that he could talk about the history of the city all day, so he must know something about it.”
Twilight’s face lit up delightfully in thought. “Of course!” she exclaimed. She jumped off the side of the window and began to trot towards the end of the corridor. “Let’s go and see him, and have breakfast.”
Fluttershy stepped back and fell onto all fours, and then cantered after Twilight. “Oh, Twilight, can I talk to you about something? About Grey Spot, I mean.”
Twilight looked back at her in puzzlement. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
Fluttershy looked down the corridor for a moment to see if they were followed, and then whispered, “Do you trust him?”
The question forced Twilight to stop and scrunch up her face in thought. “Well,” she said with a shrug, “he seems like a nice enough pony. He gave us accommodation without asking for anything in return, and he did warn us about the flower, so–”
“But, do you trust him?” Fluttershy asked again.
“Nope, and I will probably not in a million years,” Twilight answered, shaking her head. The two continued walking. “He seems nice, but he just seems too nice, if you know what I mean. It’s as if he is trying to win our trust very quickly for some reason. Do you trust him, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy quickly responded with a shake of her head, which surprised Twilight. “I know I may seem horrible thinking that. But like you said, it is as if he is trying to win us over quickly for a purpose only he knows. And after the incidents with Seahoof, I wouldn’t want to trust somepony that is so quickly trying to win it.” She looked at the ground between them. “Does that mean I’m a bad person for not trusting him?”
Twilight stopped walking, prompting Fluttershy to do the same, and shook her head. “No, it does not. It means you are cautious, and you have every right to be wary,” she replied comfortingly. “We’re in an unknown city, surrounded by ponies we have no idea who they are or what they want, and no other friends to back us up. Just each other.” She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “While we’re here, we will not leave each other’s sight, until we can be sure Grey Spot is genuinely trustworthy. Okay?”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Of course, though I don’t think I could ever leave your side when we return home.” Her eyes widened when she heard herself say that. ‘Of course I have to leave her side at some point!’ she yelled at herself. ‘I have my own home to go to, as does Twilight, and we both have our own job–’ She was cut off from yelling at herself by something hugging the air out of her, and raising her into the air. She looked down to see Twilight squeezing her tight like she would with her teddy bear when she was scared.
“That is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me. Ever,” Twilight said, sounding as though she was on the verge of tears of joy. She set the pegasus down, but didn’t remove her forelegs from around Fluttershy’s body. “But we can’t stay at each other’s side forever; if we do, we will only start fighting more and more. I never want to have an argument with you, Fluttershy. That is the last thing I want.”
Fluttershy broke her forelegs out of Twilight’s hold, and then wrapped them around her marefriend’s neck while nuzzling the tip of Twilight’s nose. “And I don’t want to have a fight with you, either. But like you said yesterday, it is something that all couples go through, even if they are little ones. I know it is something my parents went through some times when I was a filly. It scared me to the point of tears every time I heard their voices rising with anger. Did your parents fight?”
“Oh yes, sometimes frighteningly bad,” Twilight replied sadly, shivering a little at the memories. “I was really scared that one day their arguments would turn into actual fights. Luckily, I had my B.B.B.F.F there to comfort me, and Cadence when he was not around.”
Fluttershy smiled a little. “You were lucky to have them. I didn’t have any brother or sister to go to when frightened; just my old teddy bear.”
“Well not anymore, sweetheart.” Twilight pulled her in closer. “You have me now.” Though Twilight didn’t see it, Fluttershy’s little smile crept further up her lips.
“Oh, there you two are. I was beginning to wonder where you both had flown off,” Grey Spot said from in front of them. “Oh, is this a bad time, because, I can go and gi–”
“No, no, don’t worry,” Twilight said, breaking off from her marefriend and making herself look presentable, as did Fluttershy. “Good morning, Grey Spot,” she greeted him amiably, hoping silently that he didn’t hear their conversation about him.
From the look of his face, however, their talk had stayed between themselves. “And good morning to you both, too,” Grey Spot replied cheerfully. “And a beautiful morning it is, as well.” He gestured with a sweep of his hoof to the morning, which held a bright blue sky, with a golden edge as the sun crept over the mountains.
“That it is,” Fluttershy agreed. She opened her mouth to say more, but her belly beat her to it as it rumbled like an earthquake. She blushed intensely as the two ponies beside her giggled. “Um… oh dear, I think we should head for shelter from the earthquake.”
“The only cure for an earthquake like that one is a good breakfast,” Grey Spot proclaimed. He turned around and started to walk. “Follow me, and once we’re in and seated you can eat to your heart’s content.”
Fluttershy very much loved the sound of eating to her heart’s content, so trotted after him with Twilight close behind. “I still don’t trust him, if that’s what you are wondering,” she whispered back to the unicorn. Twilight smiled and shook her head.
They were led into a large hall, with six pillars of white stone holding up the high roof, a lush red carpet staining the floor, a large hearth at one end, and in the middle was a long table of smooth, varnished wood, and around a dozen red and brown chairs.
Yet it wasn’t the room that concerned Fluttershy. It was the table, which was covered in plates of food of various sorts from salads to cheeses. The pegasus felt drool drip from her mouth and drop onto the floor. “Fluttershy!” Twilight gasped. “Watch your manners!” Fluttershy gasped in shock at herself and crouched down in the hope the floor would eat her.
Grey Spot just chuckled. “It is all right, Twilight Sparkle,” he said warmly. “Manners do not trouble me; you two should see the way the Esperians eat sometimes.” He shuddered as if remembering something. “To this day, I cannot understand how they manage to miss their gobs.” He moved up to the chair at the end of the table, jumped up and sat on his haunches. “Please, take a seat – anywhere you like.”
The couple complied and sat on chairs next to each other. “Wow, these chairs are comfy,” Twilight said, shifting her rump about as she got used to the softness pressing into her backside.
Fluttershy sat on her haunches, and then moved her tail around to wrap around Twilight’s, which was hanging along the side. The unicorn’s eyes widened in surprise when she felt something wrap around her tail, but relaxed and smiled when she saw it was only Fluttershy’s tail coiling around hers like a snake. “They are most comfy,” Fluttershy agreed. “And I am surprised that they are big enough for us.”
“Oh, that is because when I became the Merchant Prince of Esperius, I had this table built for me, and yet could be shortened to take the Esperians’ size as well,” Grey Spot answered as he leaned forward and brought a plate-full of lettuce towards him. “Please, dig in, and help yourselves to some wine.”
Fluttershy and Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wine?” they repeated. They looked observably at the table once more, and sure enough, four jugs of wine lay out in a line across the table, each surrounded by around half a dozen plain silver goblets.
The two ponies looked warily at each other for a second, before shrugging. “I don’t see any problem with that,” Twilight said, grinning disarmingly. She took hold of a jug of wine with her magic, set it down in front of her, then got hold of two goblets and started by pouring out her wine. “If I drink this and fall asleep, drop your goblet and run like the wind,” she murmured to Fluttershy as she poured wine in the pegasus’s cup.
“That’s enough for me, thank you, sweetie,” Fluttershy said, raising a hoof to stop her. She looked in her cup, and saw the wine along hugged the bottom of the goblet. Without hesitation, she brought it up to her lips and drank it down in one gulp before Twilight could stop her.
She tapped her lips together like she had seen ponies do at posh restaurants, her look thoughtful as her eyes wandered the ceiling. “It’s nice,” she remarked, nodding thoughtfully. “Very nice.”
Grey Spot grinned. “I’m glad you like it. That wine there is the best in Abyinisia, and all the five kingdoms trade it about like it is a currency – some would argue it is a second currency for this continent.”
Twilight and Fluttershy chuckled awkwardly, and started digging in to their breakfast greedily, as though their stomachs controlled them. They didn’t have time to taste the food or get a feel of it all, for they were just too hungry to care.
Ten minutes later, after some small talk with Grey Spot about Equestria, and eating a lot more than she was used to, Twilight leaned back and sighed contently as she finally felt full. Fluttershy, however, was still going, gobbling up plates in just a couple of seconds. ‘Fluttershy could really give Applejack a run for her money,’ she thought as she watched her marefriend eat. She hoped her lover didn’t get fat after this. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she chided herself. ‘Although she would look quite cute if she was a bit chubbier, she probably has a high metabolism rate so she can’t get fat.’
Yet she was still cautious about the wine. Twilight knew that wine was the perfect drink to drug somepony with, and though Fluttershy had drunk a bit, she still didn’t show any signs of falling asleep, which was good. ‘The wine must be all right, then,’ she thought. But she still didn’t touch hers.
“Twilight?” Grey Spot said. “Are you going to drink your wine?”
Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, who gestured with her head to go for it. “I will do in a moment,” she said. “I’m just not thirsty at the moment.”
“Of course, take your time,” Grey Spot said warmly, smiling. “Say, I have been meaning to ask you two something since coming here. Is Princess Celestia still in charge of Equestria?”
Twilight picked a plate of olives, and stuck one in her mouth. “Why yes. Yes she is, along with Princess Luna now that she has returned, and Cadence now she’s old enough to make decisions,” she replied after she had swallowed. “And she’s quite well, too, despite being a pony over two thousand years old.”
“I would really like to know her secret,” Fluttershy muttered to herself as she rolled what was left of her food about her plate. Twilight heard her and giggled quietly to herself.
“Wow,” Grey Spot said, looking surprised. “Do you two know her quite well, then? You must do, since you know that much about her?”
“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied. “I would have never met Twilight if it wasn’t for her allowing my Twily to stay in Ponyville, and she was very lovely when she came to visit us once or twice.”
At Grey Spot’s look of confusion, Twilight said, “I am her personal student, see, and–”
Grey Spot’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re the Princess’s protégé?” he asked incredulously. Twilight nodded proudly. Grey Spot laughed. “Goodness gracious,” he whispered, a grin forming on his lips. “I never would have thought I would meet somepony as special as you two. To know the Princess of Equestria so well must be a great honour.”
The two ponies blushed. “Oh, it is a great honour,” Fluttershy answered, nodding. She bowed her head a little and started playing with her hooves. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, of course, does the ponies of Esperius know of her at all?”
Twilight flicked an eyebrow up in wonderment. It was a very good question, and one that could – she hoped – lead to the creation of the city. “Ah, yes, the ponies of Esperius revere her as a goddess,” Grey Spot replied. The couple raised their eyebrows in surprise. “According to Esperian legend, she came across the sky in a blaze of golden light, so bright and powerful yet the little ponies did not need to squint their eyes or look away; the light was alluring to them, like a navigator looking at the north star. Celestia landed in the bay where this city resides, and with her bright light, formed the buildings, palaces, and lakes that make up this city. She created Esperius, and told the little ponies to thrive.”
Twilight’s jaw was on the table. Fluttershy leaned forward, and gently set Twilight’s jaw back up, closing her mouth. “How comes she never told me she built this city?” Twilight pondered aloud, scratching her head.
The Merchant Prince chuckled. “Because she didn’t,” Grey Spot answered. “It’s just a story, like so many other legends.”
Twilight turned on Grey Spot with questioning eyes. “Then who did? It’s obvious the Esperians didn’t build this city. The houses are too big for them and the streets are too wide. If a pony like these Esperians built this city, then they would have constructed it accordingly to their size.”
Grey Spot stared at Twilight for a long time, before sighing and setting down his goblet. “This city wasn’t built by Esperians,” he admitted. “Though don’t tell them I told you this, they wouldn’t want to admit it. Ponies like you and me built this city, and when they disappeared, the Esperians moved in.”
Twilight blinked perplexedly. “That’s it?” she asked. “Come on, Grey Spot, there’s got to be a lot more to that story.”
“I’m only speaking the truth, Twilight Sparkle,” Grey Spot said honestly. “I do not know any more about it, and I would share it with you if I knew.” The two went silent as Grey Spot finished off the last of his meal.
“Um, may I ask a question?” Fluttershy asked, raising her hoof.
Grey Spot and Twilight collectively turned to face her, and both ponies smiled. “I cannot say no to such politeness,” he said warmly. “What is it you would like to ask?”
“Well, I was just wondering about the flower – the Aphrodite Flower, you named it, right?” Grey Spot nodded, his expression shifting a little. “Well, um, I was wondering if you ponies had a possible location to where it might be… I just thought that since you know the continent well, you could possibly have a theory to where it might be… you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” Fluttershy explained, her voice getting quieter and quieter with each sentence.
Twilight tightened her grip on Fluttershy’s tail, smiling serenely. “That was very brave of you,” she whispered. The pegasus blushed bashfully and tried to cover her face with her mane.
“Well, we don’t usually disclose such information to outsider’s,” Grey Spot answered. “But since you asked so nicely, and that it wouldn’t really matter, I suppose you both can know of its location.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in anticipation, while Twilight picked up her goblet of wine and prepared to drink. “Then, where do you think it is?” the pegasus asked.
Twilight started sipping her wine. “We theorise it is located in a valley, just west of the area that was once the original territories of the three pony tribes,” Grey Spot answered.
Twilight spat all her wine out of her mouth, miraculously into the goblet without spilling a drop on the carpet. When she recovered from her shock, she slowly brought her head up to look at Grey Spot. “The original territories of the three pony tribes?” she repeated slowly. The Merchant Prince nodded. “You mean the earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn kingdoms where our ancestors used to live in?” Again, Grey Spot nodded. “You mean to say, that the answer to the blank page of history, has been on this side of the continent all this time?”
Fluttershy scrunched up her face in confusion. She tapped the unicorn on the shoulder to get her attention. “Um, I’m sorry, Twilight, but the what page of history?” she asked.
“The what page of history?” Twilight repeated, looking at Fluttershy with a surprised look. “You know, the blank page? The one blank page to befuddle them all? The uncharted piece of history? The empty but desperately wanting to be filled history pie? The–”
“Okay, I think I get it,” Fluttershy said, shushing Twilight with a hoof against her lips. “What I don’t understand is: what is it about?”
The unicorn pulled Fluttershy’s hoof away from her mouth. “Don’t you remember that Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant we put on a year or so ago?” Twilight asked. “The one about the founding of Equestria?”
Fluttershy’s mouth formed an O as she remembered. “Oh, yes, I remember it well. It was fun but pretty scary to act in front of all those ponies.”
“Yes, I know, I was the one who dragged you on the set by the tail.”
“Oh, don’t lie and pretend you didn’t like that.”
“All right, I did quite enjoy it,” Twilight teased, smiling flirtatiously. “Did you?”
“Ahem,” Grey Spot interrupted them before they could go any further.
“Oh, yes, right, sorry,” Twilight said, blushing sheepishly. “Well, you remember in the play that the scene changed just after we left our respective homes, and then it went to Spike who said that we encountered many adventures on the way, and then it cut to us finding Equestria?” Fluttershy nodded. “Well, that scene change wasn’t there to save time. It was there because nopony knows what happened to them all between leaving their homelands and finding Equestria. That’s why it is referred to as, the blank page of history.”
Fluttershy’s mouth opened wide as she took it all in. “So, does that mean they crossed the entire ocean just to get to Equestria?” Twilight nodded, her smile growing wider by the second. Fluttershy could not imagine the excitement in Twilight’s mind at the moment. A part of history that had been lost and unrecorded was being rediscovered, and Twilight was the one finally putting it together.
“Let’s piece this together, shall we?” Twilight said excitedly, her mind racing with all the unusual stuff they had seen along their travels finally coming together like pieces of an engine.
Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes, let’s!” she squealed delightfully, clapping her forehooves together. Grey Spot shifted in his seat and watched as Twilight looked around the room.
Twilight grinned ecstatically when she saw what she needed. She picked up a bowl of lettuce and set it down beside Fluttershy. “Pretend, that this bowl is the area of the original three kingdoms.” She picked up a large tray full of small bowls of olives and onions, and set it to the left of herself. “And this is Equestria, with the space in the middle the ocean separating the two continents.”
Grey Spot watched the scene with a blank expression on his face. “Didn’t your mother tell you not to play with your food?” he asked, finally able to lift an eyebrow.
“Hush, now, history is being written here,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof to silence him, and forgetting that he was the Prince and ruler of a whole kingdom. She picked up three differently coloured cups – a white one, a blue one and a green one – and set them in a line facing Equestria. “Now, the three groups left their respective kingdoms and headed east, as it is known.”
“It is known,” agreed Fluttershy.
“Now, they continue for some way until they come across their largest obstacle: the ocean.” Twilight moved the three pots to what she made out to be the edge of the ocean. “Of course, they couldn’t swim or fly across, so they had to build little boats that would take them there, or the earliest versions of cloud ships for Hurricane and Pansy.” She moved the pots across the ocean, whispering, “weeeee,” as she did so, before setting them down in ‘Equestria’.
“And according to history, Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy defeated the windigoes, freed their leaders, united them together and formed Equestria, and that is the end of that. But not for long,” Twilight continued as she turned her attention back to ‘Abyinisia’, “as we still have hundreds, if not thousands of ponies still stuck here and dying slowly from the winter the windigoes and the ponies have created.”
She brought another empty bowl from down the table to represent the mass of ponies leaving the three kingdoms, not noticing the look of admirable fascination from Fluttershy. The pegasus smiled as she watched her marefriend go to work, and doing what she did best all the while with a happy grin on her face. ‘Twilight is so adorable when she is like this,’ she thought.
“So begins a mass exodus of the three states. After leaving everything behind that they didn’t need, they move eastward, and stop at this point.” She brought her bowl down at the western edge of the ‘ocean’, and looked up at Grey Spot. “Exactly where this city stands.”
Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “So you’re saying that our ancestors built Esperius.”
“Not necessarily the entire city, sweetheart, but most of it, yes,” Twilight answered, nodding. “They needed a place to stay and be comfortable while they built ships safe enough to travel in, and here was perfect: a natural bay, mountains flanking either side, and a single entry point through a valley, making it easy to defend in case of attack.
“With the place in mind, they built the harbour to hold the ships, and started cutting down trees at an alarming rate to build said ships, while building houses big enough to shelter, um… two to three families, I think. The houses were made to accommodate ponies for a long period of time, for this wasn’t going to be a quick trip back and forth and Bob’s your uncle you’re done. This was an operation that would take decades, and many would probably not make it to the other side.
“Of course, once they built these ships and got ponies on board, they wouldn’t have enough provisions for them to last the entire trip, so they started searching for a place to land for a day or so, so they could gather and refresh their supplies. One ship – probably the first ship built – went out, and found an island that had enough food to last years–”
“The same island we were stranded on!” Fluttershy squealed delightfully, grinning widely.
Twilight looked at her and beamed brightly. “Exactly!” she replied. “I thought I recognised that flag in one of the huts when I saw it. It was the same one the unicorns had when they were still ruling their own kingdom. So, they would come to this island, refresh their supplies, and continue until they reach Equestria. And the cycle continues over and over again until finally everypony is taken out of Esperius, put on a ship and sent to Equestria.
“Of course, it doesn’t end there. They wanted to remember that this is where they came from, so before the tide came back in the remaining ponies made a cave painting that represented the ponies leaving. Unfortunately, the water washed a lot of it away, but it is still recognisable as our ponies journeying to our home.” Twilight leaned back and puffed out some air, the grin on her face wider than anything Fluttershy had ever seen before. “This. Is. So. Awesome!”
“Oh, that it is,” Fluttershy said, a large grin on her face as well. That grin faded a bit. “I just don’t understand how this large piece of history was lost from the pages of the elder scrolls.”
“Well, that’s easy. During the reign of Discord, a lot of the documents recording the exodus were destroyed when he took over; I believe many of them were supposedly eaten,” Twilight replied, rubbing her hoof. “But the fact remains that we have managed to uncover and put together what happened here thousands of years ago.”
“I gotta hoof it to you, Twilight,” Grey Spot said, his face unable to disguise his admiration for the young unicorn, “you made that pretty clear for even the slowest mind to understand.” His expression changed as he stared into Twilight’s eyes. “I might not be psychic, but I know what is going through your mind right now. So let me tell you, it is a place I highly recommend you both to stay away from.”
Fluttershy looked at Grey Spot, not failing to notice the slack she felt in Twilight’s tail. “Why?” she asked, tilting her head a little. Twilight’s large grin disappeared, and her whole expression turned to fear.
“Because, the castle of the unicorn king is haunted by wraiths, the old earth pony settlements are infested with goblins, and there is a tale that says that a wyvern nests in the place where the pegasus soldiers used to train; a vast network of gorges formed together,” Grey Spot answered.
Fluttershy paled. “A… w-w-wyvern?” she repeated shakily. She knew wyverns were the friendlier version of dragons – albeit missing two legs and were much smaller – they were still draconic creatures, and should be feared and left alone.
Twilight looked confused. “Wait, no windigoes?”
Grey Spot nodded. “Yep. Once the ponies left the kingdoms there was nothing for them to feed off, so they went off to someplace else and left it alone; nopony knows where they went, though some argue they fled deep into the wintry tundra of the Frozen North. The area is no longer covered in snow, but it is grown over and the original cities are just ruins, with many hostile creatures calling the area their home now. If you two want to see Equestria again, do not go there.”
Twilight and Fluttershy jumped in fright when a bell clanged from behind the Merchant Prince. “Oh, really, is that the time? Sorry about this, ladies, I must return to my duties now.” He pushed his chair back. “Thank you both for the lovely company, it has been a real pleasure to have somepony to talk to for one of these breakfasts. Please, enjoy the sights of the city, and be sure to go to the amphitheatre tonight. Can’t miss it, it’s large, round and has a domed roof.”
Twilight and Fluttershy pulled their chairs back and prepared to jump off. “Thank you for the meal, Grey Spot,” Twilight said. “And we’ll be sure to come to the amphitheatre. Right, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy nodded meekly. “Oh, yes, we’ll be there. And thank you for the breakfast; it was delicious.”
“You are most welcome. Would you both like an escort back to your room?”
“Thank you kindly, but that won’t be necessary,” Twilight said. “We can find our way back.” At once, the two ponies jumped off and started to walk to the door. “Thanks again, and see you tonight.” With that, the two ponies made their way through the door, looking back and waving goodbye to Grey Spot, who waved back delightfully.
When they were back in the corridor and out of Grey Spot’s hearing, Twilight said, “So what do you think, sweetheart?”
Fluttershy looked back to make sure he wasn’t watching, and then looked around and said, “He seemed friendly enough to me. And that food was delicious; I don’t think I could eat another bite for weeks.”
Twilight looked at her, blinking suddenly. “That’s good, but that’s not what I meant,” she said. “The fact is, somewhere out there are the ruins of our ancestors’ homes, unexplored, undiscovered and unrecorded.”
“Oh, right, that,” Fluttershy said, her ears falling flat. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, sweetie. On one hoof, it would be amazing to see it all, but on the other, is it worth risking our lives? You heard what Grey Spot said back there, those places are dangerous now. We could both lose our lives over it, and it would be all for nothing.”
When they reached the staircase, Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and stopped her. “What about you, Twilight? Do you want to see the ruins of our ancestors’ homes?”
Twilight looked at her marefriend for a long time, before sighing and shrugging. “I don’t know,” she replied. The two continued walking. “Like you said, it would be amazing to gaze at where Clover the Clever used to study, or see where Commander Hurricane used to do drill practice with Private Pansy. But then again, I don’t think it would be worth risking our lives over.” She sighed once again, and after a while, shook her head. “No. I don’t think we should do it. I think we should just go home and leave it at that.”
Fluttershy didn’t know why, but she felt disappointed. Whether it was on Twilight’s behalf, she could not say. “Are you sure about this, sweetie?” she asked. “You’re going to pass the opportunity of a lifetime, here. Surely you should give it some more thought, first.”
Twilight shook her head adamantly. “Nope. I made up my mind. And besides,” she paused to nuzzle her marefriend, “I know this is going to sound really cheesy, but going out with you is the only opportunity of a lifetime that I would dare not pass by.”
Fluttershy’s face went pink, and a warm smile formed on her lips. “Thanks, Twily,” she squeaked shyly. ‘I should really start getting used to the cheese in our relationship,’ she thought, grinning to herself. ‘There’s enough of it to feed a mouse for years.’
“Oh look, we’re here,” Twilight said, pointing to their door. Fluttershy broke out of her thoughts and looked up, and sure enough, they were outside their bedroom door. Twilight quickly opened it, and bowed her head low and gestured with a hoof for Fluttershy to enter first. “After you, my dear.”
Fluttershy bowed her head, and then lifted it high and proud, throwing her mane back behind her ears. “Thank you, Twilight, my love,” she said in a classy Canterlotian accent, with a faint giggle behind it. She nimbly trotted inside, while Twilight walked in and shut the door behind her. “So, um, what do you want to do now?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight stopped and tapped her chin in thought. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “We could have a break here for an hour, rest our stomachs and let out breakfast go down, and then go out and see the city; Grey Spot did say we can explore at our own leisure.”
Fluttershy’s face lit up in excitement. “Does that mean we could relax and cuddle together?”
Twilight grinned at Fluttershy’s look of pure love and innocence. “Sure,” she replied. Without warning, she lit up her horn and disappeared, only to reappear a second later on the bed sitting on her haunches.
Fluttershy squealed in joy, and then jumped up and sat next to Twilight while throwing her forelegs around the unicorn. After a moment to get comfortable on her haunches, she rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder and sighed. “You have a very comfy shoulder, sweetie,” she said, nuzzling it. “Not as bony as I thought it would be.”
Twilight chuckled, and wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus’s waist, while resting her head on Fluttershy’s. “Thanks. I hope that is a compliment and not saying that I’m fat.”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy denied, even with a cheeky grin on her face. “I wouldn’t say you’re fat. Maybe on the podgy side, but not fat.”
Twilight’s mouth opened wide in shock as a gasp escaped from between her lips. “Oh, you are one to talk… tubby.”
Fluttershy gasped and leaned back, even with a wide smile on her lips. That wide grin turned into a cheeky one. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am a bit tubby.” Twilight tilted her head, confused and unable to see where her lover was going with this. “But I can’t help myself; I just love to eat things. And right now, I am hungry again.”
“But you’ve just eaten. How can you possibly be hungry again?”
“I don’t know, I just am. And I know what I would like to eat.” She leaned forward, grinning predatory at Twilight. “Lavender ear!” she exclaimed, pouncing on her marefriend and nibbling on Twilight’s left ear, mumbling playfully, “Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!”
Twilight burst into laughter as she felt her marefriend’s lips tickle the tip and edges of her ear. “Ha ha, no! Please! That really tickles!” she yelped through her laughter. Fluttershy grinned through her nibbling, and continued, this time nibbling up and down and licking Twilight’s ear with her tongue.
Twilight’s laughter soared as she felt the tip of Fluttershy’s tongue tickle her relentlessly. ‘Time for some payback,’ she thought. She brought one of her hind legs under Fluttershy and pressed her hoof against the pegasus’s belly. She began rubbing it in circles, grinning as she watched Fluttershy’s expression change from shock to ticklish glee.
After suppressing it for so long, Fluttershy finally caved in, broke away from Twilight and laughed boisterously as she fell onto her back to get away. Twilight didn’t want to let her go so easily. She jumped up, fell on top of Fluttershy, and started tickling her belly once more, all the while looking into her marefriend’s eyes and grinning at her.
Fluttershy grinned back, and her eyes shone with love brighter than the sun.
After a while, Twilight collapsed on Fluttershy’s belly, thoroughly exhausted and her right foreleg ached; she thought she could feel it throbbing. She rested her head on Fluttershy’s chest, and let the pegasus stroke her head while both rested after laughing and playing.
As they rested and listened to the comforting sounds of each other’s breathing, Fluttershy’s mind thought deeply about the flower, the very reason they went to this side of the ocean in the first place. Though she knew the flower was dangerous and should be avoided, her more reckless side wanted to go and find it. And she was listening to it intently.
She wanted to find that flower. She wanted to see its magical beauty, and hear its song flow through her ears like the alluring song of a siren. And most of all, she wanted to know if it would help her to understand her feelings for the unicorn lying on her. She was set on finding it, but the question was: is Twilight willing to go after it as well?
“Twilight?” Fluttershy said after a deep breath, her eyes looking at the ceiling.
“Mm hmm,” Twilight replied. She looked up and smiled. “What is it, sweetheart?”
Fluttershy brought her head up. “Do you think our love is true?” she asked.
Twilight’s smile evaporated. She shifted herself across Fluttershy’s body and brought her head closer. “What makes you say that?”
Fluttershy leaned her head back onto the bed. “I was just thinking about the Aphrodite Flower again. I was thinking, if what Grey Spot says is true, and the flower can really sense true love, then maybe…” She trailed off, knowing that Twilight would take the hint.
Twilight blinked perplexedly. “You still aren’t certain of your feelings for me, then?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I’m not, but maybe if the flower can really sense love, then maybe it would tell me.” She sighed heavily, her stomach rising and falling. “I just don’t know how or what I am supposed to feel, and it’s driving me nuts.”
Twilight brushed Fluttershy’s cheek gently with her hoof. “Hey, it’s okay, sweetheart, I told you this already, I am not in any hurry for you to make up your mind. It will come to you in time – don’t worry, I have a lot of patience.” She pulled it away. “But to answer your question, I don’t think I could take such a big risk. This flower is dangerous and if we’re not to a standard it requires, then we could both lose everything.”
Fluttershy looked up, her eyes expressing her doubt. “Does that mean that you think our love isn’t true?”
Twilight put her hooves on Fluttershy’s cheeks and kissed her on the forehead. “I do not need some stupid, brain-damaging flower to tell me that my love for you is true. I know it is true,” she said firmly. “And you don’t need it, either. All you need are your friends. And me.” She let go of Fluttershy’s face, and allowed the pegasus’s head to fall back on the bed. “I might be your marefriend first, but I am your friend second, and I want to help you understand yourself, and to realise how you feel for me.”
Fluttershy brought her head up again, her eyes stating her delight. “You would do that for me?”
“Of course I would,” Twilight replied, setting her head down on Fluttershy’s cushiony chest. “I would travel through the nine circles of Tartarus if it meant being in your loving embrace.”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “Do you think they might have a cheese knife around here?” she enquired, looking around the room for anywhere there might be a cupboard to house knives and such.
Twilight looked confused. “Why would you want a cheese knife?”
Fluttershy looked up at her marefriend. “Because I might need one to cut the cheese we have between us,” she replied giggly.
Twilight’s eyes wandered the room for a moment, her mind trying to understand what Fluttershy was going on about. A minute later, she got it, and her face lit up in understanding. “Oh… oh, I think I get it.” She shook her head deplorably, even though she had a small smile on her face. “That was not funny.”
Fluttershy giggled through her hoof. “I thought it was. Now,” she wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, and brought her in close. “Enough chit-chat. Let’s cuddle.” With that, Fluttershy closed her eyes, leaned back and sighed.
“Um…” Twilight muttered, shifting uncomfortably in Fluttershy’s grasp. “Mind if you let go for a moment?” she asked, now squirming in place. “I really need to use the bathroom.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock, and a blush of embarrassment formed on her cheeks. “Oh.” She took her forelegs away from Twilight’s neck. “Of course.”
“Thanks,” Twilight said, before dashing off into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. Fluttershy giggled to herself, and fell back flat on the bed and closed her eyes, sighing contently as she let her mind wander while she waited for Twilight to return.
Yet, not matter how far it wandered, it always went back to Twilight Sparkle. Her dazzling eyes, her mane and tail that flowed like a mighty magenta waterfall, her perfect smile, and most of all, her large heart. A heart big and patient enough to love Fluttershy despite her faults, and the fears that constantly gnawed at her. ‘If it was anypony else I was going out with, like Rainbow Dash, they would probably be annoyed by now that we’re going this slowly,’ she thought.
She thought the idea was horrible, but couldn’t see it as anything else but the truth. Rainbow was a pony who liked her relationships fast and awesome, like herself. That was something Fluttershy could not do. ‘I can’t be as quick as her. I can only go as quick as Twilight wants me to.’ She smiled dreamily to herself. ‘Twilight doesn’t mind we’re going this slowly. She is the most patient and kindest pony I know.’
Yet, even with that assurance in her mind, it still didn’t take away her greatest fear. Twilight might be patient most of the time, but she still had her limits. ‘What if she starts getting frustrated over our speed? What if she turns snappy at me and we get into fights?’ She put her hooves across her face and groaned.
“Fluttershy?” At her name being called the pegasus looked up, and smiled as she watched her marefriend coming towards the bed with a look of concern. “Are you all right? You looked like you were having a fight with your hooves.”
Fluttershy waved the concern away with a hoof. “It’s fine,” she said, shaking her head. “Just having an argument with myself.”
Twilight tilted her head a little, and put her hoof on top of Fluttershy’s own. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
Fluttershy smiled disarmingly. “It’s all right, sweetie. It’s something I do all the time.” ‘I’ll have to, no, I need to face this myself.’ She patted the bed. “Now come on, hop up so we can cuddle.”
Twilight grinned, and then leapt through the air and into Fluttershy’s welcoming embrace. After a moment, they nestled into each other’s comfort and drifted off to sleep.
Twilight and Fluttershy were roused at the same time, by short, light and amiable knocks on the door. “Oh, that’s the second time in one day that this has happened,” Twilight complained, banging the back of her head on the bed. “Let’s just pretend we’re asleep and they’ll go away.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Now, Twilight, that’s not very nice. At least they are knocking on the door and not barging in like some ponies I know.” She shuddered briefly as the image of Rainbow Dash flying into her house and finding her in bed naked stained her mind.
Twilight puffed out some air. “I suppose. But I’m not going to answer the door; it could be the Captain again, and I don’t want to face him alone.”
Fluttershy sat up, and took one of Twilight’s hooves in her own. “You don’t need to, sweetheart. I’ll be right beside you. I promise,” she said, smiling her sweetest grin.
Twilight knew that when Fluttershy made that smile, everything would be all right with the world. She sat up and rested on her haunches, smiling kindly at her pegasus marefriend. “Then let’s go and see who is bothering us now,” she declared.
Together, the two ponies jumped off the bed and walked side by side to the door. They didn’t fail to notice how their hoofsteps were perfectly harmonious with each other. ‘Okay, that’s just spooky,’ Twilight thought as she watched Fluttershy’s left legs follow her own, and landed on the ground at the same time.
When they made it to the door, Fluttershy lifted a hoof up, wrapped it around the handle, and gently pulled it open. Who was waiting on the other side surprised them. “Ah, good afternoon, ladies,” the pony greeted them kindly, bowing his head. “I am sorry if I interrupted anything or disturbed you, but Grey Spot said you were planning on seeing the city, and requested me to advise you.”
Twilight and Fluttershy glanced at each other, before looking back at the pony. He was around the same size of every other pony in Esperius. His coat was a dark brown, like the colour of the bark of an oak tree, and was thick with long, shaggy hair. His chestnut orange mane and tail were long and rough, looking more like a wig made out of hay, and his crimson eyes shone bright with intelligence and cheer.
He looked back and forth between them, his face clearly one of expectance for an answer. “Um…” Fluttershy started, fidgeting in place. “That’s very kind of you, mister, um…”
The pony’s eyes widened as he realised he hadn’t introduced himself yet. “Oh yes, of course! Please forgive me I should remember my manners. I am Welara, personal advisor to the Merchant Prince of Esperius,” he introduced himself, putting a hoof to his chest and bowing low.
Twilight’s face lit up in realisation. “Oh, yes, I remember now. You were the pony Grey Spot spoke to when we first arrived.”
Welara nodded. “Yes, that’s me, the little ball of fluff in the corner. I’m surprised you noticed I wa- whoa!” he cried out when Fluttershy leapt forward and squeezed him in a hug. “This is new,” he rasped.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight gasped. She wrapped the pegasus in her magic and forced her to reluctantly break off from him. “Forgive her, sir, she just likes hugging things.”
She looked right to see that Fluttershy had regained her senses, and was looking deeply ashamed of herself. “I’m sorry, sir, but I couldn’t help myself. You are just so adorable!” she squeaked out the last word. She looked to Twilight with an expectant grin. “Oh, I hope they have little plushies like them for sale somewhere, or else I would have to take one home with us.”
Twilight looked back to Welara nervously, and then chuckled while patting Fluttershy on the head. “Don’t worry, she didn’t mean that. Didn’t you, sweetheart?” she growled, glaring at her.
Fluttershy regained her senses once more, and shied away. “Oh, um, yes, of course I didn’t mean it. It was the adorableness overtaking me,” she said, glancing between Twilight and the ground. “Sorry,” she added squeakily.
Twilight’s glare faded away, and smiled; she couldn’t stay mad at Fluttershy for long after that. “You’re forgiven, but try and control yourself – other ponies won’t be as forgiving.” She turned back to Welara, who was looking rather dazed by the contact. “Now, you said something about advising us on places of interest?”
Welara’s eyes widened as he came back to it. “Oh yes! Yes I did, didn’t I?” He rubbed the back of his neck as though it would help him remember. “Well, there are a few places worth visiting around here, like the Green Labyrinth, the largest maze in Abyinisia; that’s a great place to have a run around and have fun, as well as building up your team working skills.”
Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other, and then collectively nodded in agreement. “That sounds brilliant. I think we can do that easily,” Twilight said. “Anything else?”
“Well, at the harbour, you can look around at all the ancient ships put on display there, including one of the greatest warships of our age: The Golden Wave,” Welara answered. “If you’re both fans of history, then you’ll love it there.”
Again, the couple nodded at each other, though this time more eagerly than before. “That sounds relaxing and interesting at once,” Fluttershy remarked. “I would love to do that.”
“As would I,” Twilight agreed. “Anything else this city holds?”
“Uh, let me think,” Welara said, rubbing his chin. “Ah ha!” he exclaimed, making Fluttershy jump at the sudden exclamation. “If you both like reading then there’s the library to go to. That holds maps and other items of interest.”
Fluttershy grimaced as she knew what was coming. ‘Oh dear, he said the L word around Twilight,’ she thought. She glanced over, and saw Twilight practically shaking with delight. She figured it wouldn’t be long before the unicorn shot into the air and exploded like a firework in happiness.
However, the unicorn didn’t explode in the air or jump around like a deer. Instead, she leapt through the air and brought Welara into a bone-crushing hug. “This is going to end in tears,” Fluttershy mumbled to herself. From the look on the little pony’s face, she was right.
“Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Twilight squealed, nuzzling the poor stallion. “I didn’t think I would be so close to a book for a long time, but I am, and you are going to take me to my second love!”
Welara, even for his size, pushed Twilight back and forced her off him. “Yes, well, um, sorry, but I cannot do that,” he said as he brushed down the hair on his coat. “I have other commitments around the palace, I’m afraid. But the library isn’t so hard to find. It is just west of the harbour from here, a large round building with a large book above the door. The maze from here is in the south west corner, in the park.” He sighed when he saw their blank faces. “Would you both like a map?”
“Yes, please,” they both answered at once. When they realised they had said the same thing at once, they looked at each other weirdly. “Okay, now this is getting weird,” Twilight said. “We should both stop doing this.”
“I know. Oh, why don’t we just tap each other’s muzzles if we say the same thing?” Fluttershy suggested.
“That’s a good idea. Like this?” Twilight raised a hoof and gingerly tapped the tip of Fluttershy’s muzzle, squeaking, “Honk!” as she did so.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been around Pinkie too long.”
“I know. I think I might need a psychiatrist soon to help me cope with her.”
Fluttershy patted Twilight comfortingly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetie. It’s something we all go through after meeting her. Even today, I still get withdrawal symptoms once she’s gone home after a day with her – I love her to death, but she can tire you out.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. They were interrupted when Welara cleared his throat, and presented them a folded piece of paper, which the couple took to be the map of Esperius. Twilight took it in her magic, and spread it out to have a good look of the city. “I took the liberty of marking out all the places of interest in red on the map,” Welara said proudly. “Any other questions, feel free to ask.”
Fluttershy peered over Twilight’s shoulder, and had a good look of the map. Twilight noticed her head coming in, and snuck a quick, cheeky kiss on her cheek. The pegasus squeaked at the sudden contact of lips on her face, and blushed fiercely. “Twilight, not when other ponies are looking,” she muttered bashfully, bringing her head away.
“Let them look. I just want to show them how much I love you,” Twilight replied. She looked back at the map, giggling. “Uh… nope, I think everything is okay. Thank you, Welara, for the map.”
“You are most welcome, ladies. And I suppose I should thank you for the hugs. It’s not every day an Equestrian mare hugs me.” He rapidly shook his head. “Anyway, I better get on with something else. Enjoy your day.” With that, he turned away from them and trotted down the corridor, around the bend and out of sight.
Twilight watched him go, and then turned to Fluttershy with a very large, uncomfortable-looking grin. “So where would you like to go first?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and her eyes wandered the ceiling as she thought about it. “Um… I’m not really sure. The maze sounds nice and a bit of fun for us, but a walk through the harbour sounds really relaxing – I can smell the sea air even now.” She looked back at Twilight. “What do you want to do first?”
Twilight looked at her with a flat look. “Really?” she said flatly. “You’re going to ask me where I want to go first between the choices of a harbour, a maze and a library? Come on, Fluttershy, I thought you know me by now.”
“I do. I just didn’t want to presume you wanted to go to the library first,” Fluttershy explained, idly rubbing her foreleg. “I take it you want to go to the library, then?” Twilight nodded so fast it looked like it hurt. “Okay,” the pegasus sighed, “but can we not stay for long, please? I do want to see the harbour and the ships before we have to go to the amphitheatre tonight.”
Twilight smiled assuredly. “Of course. I doubt I’ll be able to read any of the books in there, anyway.” She turned around and began walking towards the stairs.
Fluttershy trotted after her. “Then, if you know you won’t be able to read any of the books, then why do you want to go?” she asked, adding a moment later, “I don’t mind, really, but I was just curious.”
Twilight looked back at her, and grinned wryly. “Because I don’t just love the books, sweetheart. I love libraries in general,” she answered. “The smell of old books that flows through the air, the large shelves and aisles that seem to stretch on forever, and of course, the vast amount of knowledge and entertainment they hold.” She sighed pleasurably. “Yeah, they’re the best things ever created since pancakes.”
They made it to the stairs and started walking down. “Would you like me to leave you and the library alone for a moment?” Fluttershy asked with a witty smile. “I don’t mind, really.”
Twilight giggled. “Oh, stop it, you make me sound like a weirdo,” she said.
They made it to the bottom of the stairs, where Fluttershy nuzzled her marefriend’s neck. “You’re my weirdo, Twily,” she said. “And I love you for it.”
Twilight leaned her head away, gazing at Fluttershy with surprise. “You know, that’s the second time you have said you loved me. Are you sure you don’t know how you feel about me?”
“Positive, Twilight, but I thought they sounded like the right words to say. That’s all,” Fluttershy said, looking away.
Twilight giggled. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I was only joking; I’ve already said there is no rush.” She nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek. “And I love you, too.”
Fluttershy’s face lit up pink. She looked back at Twilight and smiled. “Thank you,” she squeaked. They fell silent as they left the corridor and found themselves in the main hall and the palace’s throne room.
Along the edges, soldiers armed with spears stood tall with their heads held high, and their eyes glued to the space in front of them. Other than the guards, the hall was empty of other ponies. The throne where Grey Spot sat was empty, as was the space Welara stood yesterday. “Strange, I thought Grey Spot would be busy with day-to-day problems,” Twilight pondered as she stared at the throne. “I wonder where he is at the moment?”
“And where is Welara?” Fluttershy added, looking at the spot he occupied yesterday.
“Probably busy with something,” Twilight replied as they veered away from the throne and towards the main door, where six guards were waiting to open it. “That reminds me. Welara had very good knowledge of the Equestrian language, and could speak it in flawless Equestrian dialect. I wonder how?”
“Maybe Grey Spot taught him?” Fluttershy suggested. “It would make sense if he was Grey Spot’s advisor. Both needed to be taught both languages, so they turned to each other.”
Twilight hummed in agreement. “That makes sense. Though I would like to know how they managed to teach each other, and learn some of the Esperian language myself.”
Fluttershy moved her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance, a groaning sound ahead of them made her squeak in fright and jump back. She slowly relaxed upon realising it was the door being opened for them.
Twilight stopped beside her, and wrapped her tail around the pegasus’s as the door parted, and they were forced to shield their eyes from the sun as it glared in their faces. After a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the sun’s light, Twilight turned to her adventuring companion-plus-marefriend, and grinned. “Ready to see the city?”
Fluttershy straightened up, tightened her hold on Twilight’s tail, and nodded confidently. “I’m ready. Let’s go and see the city,” she replied.
Twilight nodded, and together the two ponies stepped out of the palace and into the exotic city.
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3026910 Well what if I said I would fall ill if there wasnt a new chapter soon because I need something other than things like Cheerlie's Garden to read?
3034812 Well, I would say sorry as the next chapter isn't finished, but it's getting there, and then it's a sprint to the finish.
3034831 Don't worry about it, take your time and perfect it!
Okay, this chapter has enough cu-errr, adorable-ness for several chapters
I loved the history lesson, quite the fascinating read
3035022 Don't thank me for that, thank Twilight for being the one historian I would listen to. And well done for changing cute to adorableness at the last second *gets jumped by a load of little ponies* oh god, no! oh dear god in heaven!
3035029 Thank you, I know the start is a bit rubbish (I hate beginnings) it does get better, honest.
ominous shadow being cast over Grey Spot! denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw575_Applejack_Spooky.gif
in all seriousness though, great chap once again^^ I gave up counting how many time Flutters and/or Twilight have killed me by now^^
3035159 Me too, they are just too adorable (except when they're Equestria Girls costumes. Oh god, have you seen those costumes on EQD? I won't sleep properly for a week). Thank you very much, good sir, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Yay, for another amazing chapter. I really love this story, and I'm glad you are continuing to write this beautful story.
3035207 I ALWAYS enjoy your chapters dude^^ youre a awesome writer^^
3035533 Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Ahhh, a good old barrel of squee!
... I hate doing that... her goes...
That seems unnecessary.
Psychic.
I love this story to pieces, it always makes me smile!
) Captain is grumpy (and cute
)!
Good backstory is good!
Grumpy (and cute
Suspicious Prince is suspicious!
Dragged-out joke is dragged-out!
And not funny...
I also think I botched the dragged-out joke line... as if it's not the words that I should use to describe it...
Now, back to trying to start XCOM... well, it did start before, just crashed in the tutorial. Probably because I did not reboot after installing.
Keep up the good work!
Other than that, great chapter as usual.
Please continue this story. It is, without exaggeration, perhaps the best romantic adventure story I've read in years. You are an excellent author, and I sincerely hope you will complete this fantastic tale.
Another amazing chapter. Hats off to you. I really love how you tied the Hearth's Warming story into this. It added even more to the world than you already had.
I like how their both cautious of Grey Spot, never trust someone with Grey in their name, because of their dealing with Sea Hoof and his wife. It shows some nice growth between the two.
The speed of their relationship is perhaps my favorite part of this story. By the way, I wonder what Lavender Ear is like? Om nom nom.
I look forward to seeing Fluttershy and Twilight explore their ancestors' ruins. I know they said that they wouldn't because of the danger, but you can't pass up on a chance for Fluttershy to try and overcome her fear of dragons, especially if wyverns are friendlier than dragons, or for Twilight to get a closer look at Clover the Clever's library.
I look forward to the next chapter. See you next week.
I'm impressed at your ability to pull everything they've seen so far together. I doubted most of it had any real connection to each other, but you did quite well. I'm also getting a huge kick out of Fluttershy's "true personality". It's being slowly revealed to Twilight as they get closer together, and it's done effectively.
Although,
Fluttershy's always naked.
And, I think it would be more realistic to have Twilight or Fluttershy almost say cute, but then stop themselves before they finish saying the word.
3035798 Thank you so much, good sir, and thanks for finding the mistakes; I'm surprised Word didn't catch on the psychic one, but oh well.
3036460 It was part of the joke from the episode where Fluttershy covers herself up for some reason. I could not stop laughing at that scene.
3036988 Thank you so much, good sir. And I will finish this story, don't you worry about that. If it wasn't for you and everybody else reading and faving, I would have given up on it, so I should be thanking you.
3037397 Thank you, good sir. I admit, that part of the story came to me after I scrapped the original idea, and later decided to put it in as a sort of test for them both. I can't think of an internal conflict with them (they are just too nice to each other) so do something else. I'm glad you like thier speed as well. It bothers me how quickly some stories go into pony relationships; so this I wanted to make it more realistic. And I am so sorry, but the next chapter will not be ready for a while.
sorry.
3040392 Thank you very much. I'm glad you're liking Fluttershy in this one. Again, Fluttershy sleeping naked was part of the joke from the cider episode, one of the funniest things I have seen. And I like to think they learn fast, so are able to stop themselves before saying cute.
3037342 Something I came up with after the MMMystery on the friendship express. Hope you're enjoying the story.
3041028 No, Fluttershy just likes fish.
3040890 Yeah, I got the joke, but still, in canon, it doesn't really make much sense. Probably just a joke for the adults that doesn't really apply.
Stitching together all the ancient and mysterious sites we've seen so far into one fantastic tale. Just epic and amazing.
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMDkvMDgvMDJfMzdfMTBfMTkzXzkyMzE4X19VTk9QVF9fZmx1dHRlcnNoeV9hbmltYXRlZF95YXkiXSxbInAiLCJyZXNpemVfZ2lmIiwiMjUweDI1MCJdXQ/92318__250x250.gif
I predict, Fluttershy and Twilight will go to the ancient home of the pony tribes; Dream Valley.
then the flower will sing about their love.
either that or one of them will have their mind wiped and the other will have to re-teach them everything, including their love for each other. It'll look shaky for a while, like love won't come around the second time, but love will win in the end. It's the twist I'd write anyway. Twilight would have the wiped mind.
but first, they have an adventure with the tiny ponies and I can't guess where that's going. It's all just so amazing
3040890 No need to apologize as I'm more than happy to wait for this awesome story. One thing I forgot to mention, I love you LotR reference. One page to befuddle them all.
*is three in the morning* Hey, I might actually get some good sleep for once!
)
*See's story has updated* Haha, lol, I lied! ONWARD!
(PS: Elder Scrolls. I see what you did there.
3041488 It's where this has all been leading to, to a great adventure across a territory so old and so new at once. Dream Valley, eh? That sounds like a good name for a place. We shall see where they go. Thank you so much for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy what comes next.
3042467 Hehe, it was originally going to be the blank page to rule them all, but I changed it at the last minute to befuddle; sounds funnier, in my opinion. Thank you kindly for the patience.
3042712 Thank you so much. I was unsure at first to add them but then I thought, meh, why not?
3043290 *starts playing the Elder Scrolls III theme* Thank you very much. I was thinking actually of writing an Elder Scrolls story where the mane six must journey to Tamriel and find the six elder scrolls (six ponies, six elder scrolls for six games so far; I'm counting the Elder Scrolls Online) and save Nern from Oblivion.
Anyway, I'm ranting, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
3044857
well, Dream Valley was the place where the ponies lived in the old G1 episodes, many other writers have used it before as the ancient home of the ponies, I assumed you would too.
3045003 Oh, G1. I've never seen any of the very old stuff so I wouldn't know. I would have done, but the fact that the three tribes were at an uneasy peace, it might not suit, so each territory will have different names.
Though it could be the name of the valley the flowers reside in. Hmm *rubs beard in thought*
3045090
it would be a good name for the flower filled valley.
and you should check out some of the old G1 episodes, some of them were good. Especially the tv movie. other worldly, powerful monsters, shadow stealing demons, the unstoppable smooze. since the series was made to sell toys most of the plots aren't great and adventures wrap up quickly, and there are lots of sickly sweet songs. but just a handful of episodes are good, good enough they could do with a G4 remake.
stay away from generations 2 and 3 though. too terrible to mention.
3045116 I watched a bit of Midnight Castle, and I have to say, those dragons were pretty good design. The idea of turning ponies into evil dragons is a good one, too (they could have done that with Sombra). The only thing that ruined it for me was Megan, the human girl. Was she really nessecary? Firefly could have easily taken them all on her own.
And sorry, I don't know what this G2 or G3 is. I just thought they went from G1 to G4 without stopping.
I'll avoid them, and don't forget G3.5... my eyes burned with a raging fire during and after.
Now I'm curious to how this will end.
Keeps getting better, I really hope they find a way back to equestria. I wonder what's i store for the 2 when they get back to equestria
3048850 Thank you, and we shall wait and see what happens.
Nnnnnngh so much beautiful world-building
On one hoof, I love the romance and how it's being handled, on the other I'm just hanging off my seat to see more of that new continent
Arrrrrrrrrg..I Promised i would never beg..but......Bring new chapters PLEASEEEEE...PLEASEEEEEEEEE..PLEASEEEEEEE..PLEEEEEEEEASEEEEE
3070570 Thank you, good sir, for the comments. At first, Grey Spot was going to have wings but couldn't fly, but that seemed silly so I cut out the wings and left the stumps. And the idea of the pony kingdoms on the other side of the ocean was something of an instant eureka moment. Just had a while putting it all together. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the remaining chapters.
3070899 More will come, I promise you. I'm just having too much going on to sit down and get on with it at the moment.
You are a little bit too soft on the mares, but doing a good gob with the story so far. thumbs up.
3076557 But Twilight and Fluttershy are too cute! I don't want to hurt them too much or - oh, don't worry, it will get a bit more difficult for them later. Thanks for the thumbs.
3076964
Looking forward to it
Still, can't help but cite this little gem:
3076989 In that case, you should read my other two stories. Fluttershy is ostracised in the first chapter of my third story, and from there things go from bad to worse for her. This one is more of a walk in the park for them both compared to the other two I have written.
Don't worry, I won't forget that rule.
3077180
will do!
My guess is that something is going to force them in the direction of the ancient pony ruins and the valley of the flowers. It would simply be absurdly reckless for the two of them to decide to go there purely out of... what, curiosity? I would doubt the sincerity of Twilight's love for Fluttershy if she was willing to put her up against that kind of risk.
3089408 That's why Twilight would not risk heading to the ruins. She would only do it if Fluttershy really wanted to go for it. Throughout the trip, Twilight has let Fluttershy be the one to decide whether or not to continue after the flower when they met a turning point, since she loves Fluttershy too much to drag her along and make her uncomfortable.
3071159
*3 weeks later*
What 'Bout now?
3186829 I just sent off the next chapter to my editors. It should be ready in two weeks or so.
3193724
3193799 Maybe less if I'm lucky.
How many times do you have to reference "A Song of Ice and Fire"? I love it!
Just please don't recreate the Red Wedding
Love the story so far (its the first Twi-Shy fic I've read) and keep up the good work!
I love how you've pulled together everything they've encountered so far into an awesome backstory for three pony tribes. Excellent bit of worldbuilding there. I too am of the opinion that is one of the best, if not the best romantic adventure story I've read in a while.
I see what you did there.