The Vacation: Day 2 Part 3
The Vacation Day 2:
Exploration…
--
Twilight Sparkle is a mare of prodigious Magical power and potential. She is The most Faithful Student of the Solar Diarch Princess Celestia. She is the sister of Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard and prince of the Crystal Empire. She is the Element of Magic, a Knight of Equestria, and the defacto Leader of The Elements of Magic. She is a bibliophile of a most extreme caliber, having read more than enough books to have a mental Library to go on. And she is a well known stargazer, who takes some time off from time to time to simply watch the night sky.
Twilight Sparkle is all of these things... and at the moment, she is also beside herself with worry.
Twilight was used to speaking to Princess Celestia, especially through letters as she could hardly be expected to speak with the princess in person at any time. The problem was that in all the years that they had exchanged letters, Princess Celestia had never taken more than a few hours to reply at the very most. She'd gone to sleep and had expected a letter from the princess the next morning. She had been waiting since she had woken up, and since she had yet to receive any kind of reply to her letter, Twilight was becoming increasingly anxious.
"Why hasn't the Princess replied yet?" The lavender mare questioned while pacing back and forth, Spike idly wondering if she was going to wear a groove into the ground.
"Calm down Twilight, I'm sure that Princess Celestia is just taking her time to check things out." Spike assured the mare as gently as he could, even while he dusted a nearby book shelf. Admittedly he found dusting to be a bit boring, but with Twilight on the verge of another of her famous mental breakdowns, he knew that she needed him. Not to mention if he wasn't around he couldn't really give her the letter... which meant that until it arrived he couldn't go spend time with Rarity.
"I wish I could believe that Spike, but the Princess never takes more than one night for these things!" Twilight declared while continuing to pace the floor. The purple dragon in question took a moment to think back to all the other times Celestia had replied to Twilight's letters. It was a fact that she would get back to Twilight as soon as possible, for example was the incident with Nightmare Moon. Not to mention the fact that this was actually a much more pressing matter, even in his own opinion, and Spike could understand her worry.
"Alright I'll give you that." Spike replied while hopping to the floor and stopping to take a brief moment to rub at his aching shoulders. The young dragon had noticed that for a few weeks now, his shoulders had hurt, his head too, but mostly his shoulders. He figured he was simply doing too much work, but they hadn't rotated the Libraries stock in a while, which was really the most strenuous work he did. Once his shoulders stopped aching, the young Dragon crossed his arms and fixed the lavender mare with a stern look.
"But that still doesn't mean that anything is wrong. Maybe you just caught Celestia at a bad time or something." The young dragon stated pointedly and Twilight finally came to a stop and nodded her head.
"True, I suppose that could be it... and it's not like anyone knew I sent her a letter about that mare." Twilight admitted before her worries hit her with conspiracy theories and plots to usurp the throne. It was true that Twilight was a very bright mare, but unfortunately, she was also very prone to worry and exaggeration. Thankfully Spike normally had a pretty level head on his own shoulders, unless Rarity was involved, and so knew exactly what Twilight's curling mane and twitchy eye meant.
"Twilight seriously, calm down!" The young dragon stated and winced as his back gave another ache, this one a bit stronger than before before numbing down. He rubbed at his shoulder once more and shivered at the feeling before walking over to Twilight and patter her on the withers. "You know what happens when you get all worked up, calm down and take a breather. I'm sure Princess Celestia is just busy with court or something." Spike assured the mare calmly, the lavender mare taking a few quick breaths before sighing and slumping down.
"Thanks Spike, I really needed the reality check." She mumbled with a grateful smile and the purple dragon smirked.
"No problem, now why don't you go out and get a breath of fresh air to calm down." Spike offered the older mare and Twilight looked pensive for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. She knew she was prone to overreaction, and she remembered what happened the last time it got the better of her. A nice relaxing walk was really what she needed at this point.
"Yeah, that sounds good. And who knows, maybe Celestia will have replied by the time I get back." Twilight decided cheerfully and Spike nodded his head.
"Yeah, and then you'll see that you were worrying over nothing." Spike agreed and got a look from Twilight in response.
"Oh ha ha, just because I'm overreacting does not mean that Faust isn't potentially a dangerous pony." Twilight stated and the purple dragon shrugged.
"I know, but it doesn't hurt to be optimistic you know." He retorted while walking over to his duster and got back to his work. He hoped that his shoulders would stop aching soon, the passed few weeks had wreaked havoc on his back. "I mean c'mon, with all the other stuff that happens to Ponyville, I'm really hoping for this to be a silly incident with a normal mare." The young dragon added and Twilight couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. After dealing with Discord, Nightmare Moon, Sombra, The Changeling Queen, and all manor of other strange happenings, it'd be nice to have a false alarm.
"True..." Twilight allowed and then shook her head and released another calming breath. "In any case, if Princess Celestia does answer back Spike, be sure to hold onto the scroll until I get back. I think I'll take a walk and maybe head over to Sugar Cube Corner for something to eat." The lavender mare replied while trotting to the door and the purple dragon glanced back over his shoulder.
"Be sure to bring me back a cupcake!" He cried and Twilight nodded her head to her number 1 assistant with a smile.
--
Luna was a very old pony, she knew this, but times like this made her feel like a filly again. The massive halls and rooms of Faust’s tower made her feel tiny by comparison. Her hooves echoed as she walked along the polished floors, and she idly wondered who polished them. And of course it brought her mind to her mother, Faust. She knew that Faust wasn’t her birth mother, nor were they related by blood, but she was still her mother all the same.
She had been a foal when Faust found her and Celestia, she had only met her parents once she was a mare, so she thought of Faust as a mother. Admittedly, a thousand plus years and she had more or less forgotten her, but the reminder of their caretaker, friend, and teacher had caused the memories to come flooding back. She idly remembered days when she had been a silly filly always trying to go on adventures.
She remembered days when Faust would teach them both things besides magic, like how to cook… though unfortunately Celestia could burn water. There was a reason they had royal chefs and Celestia wasn’t allowed within five feet of a stove. She giggled as she remembered one time Celestia had tried to make a cake; it had ended up with her sister covered in enough soot to pass off as a tiny Nightmare Moon.
Faust wasn’t a great cook either, but she did manage to get them dinner on time and with relative ease on a nightly basis. Another thing was that it was Faust who taught her about the stars in the sky, and about the moon, and about everything the heavens had to offer. Faust was old even by her own standards, older than some mountains and older still than Discord. She was a mare who had lived a very long, but sadly very lonely life since becoming an Alicorn.
Luna didn’t miss her days before her banishment, no; she missed her days as a filly. She missed days when all she needed was a single mare’s attention and she was content with the world. Celestia was different, she knew Faust wasn’t their mother, but their own mother hadn’t aged when they returned her to normal. She and their father had never aged since being turned into… actually she didn’t remember what they’d been changed into.
She did remember that it was awkward around them afterwards, and Celestia hadn’t ever been the same.
Their parents had gone on to have a wonderful new foal from whose family Blueblood and Cadence had come. They were mares at the time, full grown and ready to go out on their own, but Celestia had hoped for something more from them. Luna didn’t know what she expected, she had only ever saw Faust as her parent, the mare and stallion who gave birth to her didn’t matter in her mind.
Blood was thicker than water, but Faust had taken care of them, raised them, and protected them from Discord and all manner of other beasts.
Whatever Celestia had expected from them, she hadn’t received it. And she changed as a result, never quite as Luna once knew her. She even changed her name from “Celestial Majesty” to simply Celestia to disassociate herself with her parents. She had of course also changed her name, where she was once “Lunar Glory”, she became simply Luna. Unlike her sister though, the change was to be closer to Faust, whose name was still unique even in this modern era.
In time, Celestia and Luna would take in a wandering unicorn stallion named Starswirl and teach him the secrets of magic as they learned from Faust. But unlike them, he would never ascend and instead become a cold and bitter old stallion. He too would train a student, a wonderful mare named Clover who would discover what he did not, the magic of friendship, which would lead all of ponydom to their care and prosperity.
But regardless, Princess Luna walked the halls of Faust’s tower and wondered why she hadn’t seen Faust in all this time. She didn’t question that Faust cared for them, you didn’t take in a pair of fillies for twenty sum years without getting attached, but it was the fact that they didn’t see her for over a thousand years. Some part of her remembered that Faust had likely seen many foals and fillies she cared for die, just as she had…
“Like Snow Drop.” She mumbled quietly to herself, her lost friend’s loss weighing more upon her for the fact she never got to say goodbye.
“Remembering the past again Luna?” Celestia questioned and the lunar pony yelped and turned to her sister with narrowed eyes.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She cried and a smile crossed her sister’s face.
“Oh calm down Luna, I’m just playing with you.” The older mare replied with a smile, and trotted passed her and down another one of the many halls of the tower. Letting out a huff Luna followed after the older mare as they explored the massive structure. It was a wonder that Faust never got lost in the place given the sheer scope and scale, it made Canterlot Castle feel tiny by comparison and that was a feat in and of itself.
“You find anything down that other hall?” Luna questioned of her sister and Celestia let out a tired sigh and rubbed her temple with one hoof.
“A broom closet and a bathroom, but when I closed the door and came out of one, the hall changed and I found an arena from ancient Roam…” Celestia replied tiredly and continued down the hall of the tower. Luna however barely resisted laughing; it was refreshing to see her sister in a more casual setting. Since returning the older diarch had been nothing but work work work, Luna gladly appreciated Discord’s antics if for nothing else then to stop the monotony.
“You do realize this building is magical, right?” Luna questioned and Celestia nodded her head with a groan.
“Yes yes, and magical artifacts and objects often develop a personality or magical traits that weren’t expected when they were first created.” The older mare replied simply, well aware of that, yet still not amused by how the tower seemed to change its design just to mess with her.
“Well then maybe the tower is trying to play a game with us.” Luna suggested and her sister snorted and scoffed at the very idea. The tower was ancient even by their standards; it had probably been around when Discord was in diapers. If in that amount of time it still liked to mess with ponies, then Celestia felt sorry for Faust having to deal with it on a daily basis.
“Luna, this building alone is likely older than the both of us combined. I doubt it would still play foalish games at its age.” Celestia stated with a nod of her head as they continued to make their way through the tower’s many halls. Their trek brought them towards a large door, one made from solid gold rather than iron. The door was large, at least four times her full height, with a series of golden steps leading to it and odd spires of some kind around it.
Oddly enough it also had a sign on it that simply said “Do not open”.
“By the moon! Who would waste so much gold on a door?” Luna demanded with an incredulous stare and Celestia frowned and approached the door instead. She examined the gold for only a moment before concluding it was pure gold, not only that but it was giving off enough magic to match her in raw quantity.
“It’s a magical door Luna, it likely leads somewhere special.” Celestia stated and trotted up to the door. Seeing her sister approaching the door Luna quickly blinked, or teleported, in front of her and narrowed her eyes.
“Wait! We are not opening this door!” Luna stated while stamping her hoof and Celestia raised a brow with an amused smirk.
“Why?” Celestia questioned curiously and Luna gave her sister a flat look.
“The sign says not to open it.” Luna replied and Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Calm down Luna, what harm can I do by opening a door. I just want to see where it leads.” Celestia replied and Luna gave her a look even as her sister used her magic to yank the door open behind her and knock her onto her face. The lunar mare growled and glared up at the solar diarch as she trotted passed her.
“That wasn’t funny Tia.” Luna growled while she rose back up to her hooves and watched her sister closely. Celestia merely giggled in response, the older mare idly noting that she felt a bit more playful than normal. Celestia also noticed that she was being just a bit reckless with this particular door, but then again, why would Faust have even more dangerous artifacts in her home when she already had The Necronomicon?
“Oh Luna, you really must calm down.” The solar princess urged her sister with a friendly smile, Luna merely staring at her sternly. “I’m just taking a quick peak and check to make sure that it isn’t a way out of here.” Celestia stated while idly nudging the door open with her nose. “If it is then I’m finding the biggest iron mallet I can and smashing it into Discord’s skull repeatedly and often.” Celestia finished with a smile which got a decidedly evil grin from Luna.
“Ahh, then let us check then dear Sister! I wish to exact some revenge upon Discord’s skull as well!” The lunar princess declared and both looked into the door… only to see a black void within its depths. “Sister, why does mother have an empty void in her home?” Luna questioned of the older princess and Celestia shrugged.
“I have no idea.” Celestia replied honestly, then turned away from the door and kicked it with her back hoof. “Let’s try searching the library, Luna. Perhaps Faust has a map of this place in there.” Celestia offered and Luna nodded her head in agreement, both ponies walking away from the golden door, which was left somewhat opened.
“Truly Tia, why do you still refuse to call her Mother?” Luna questioned of her sister with a flat expression and Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Because she’s not our mother, and we’re not her daughters.” Celestia replied and Luna gave her sister a look.
“So the mare, who took us in, raised us, protected us, fed us, taught us, and was there for us is not our mother in your eyes sister?” Luna questioned with a noticeable amount of indignation and her sister brought a hoof to her face.
“Luna, Faust herself never wanted us to think of her as our mother.” Celestia reminded her sister hotly and Luna rolled her eyes.
“It matters not what she wished, I think of her more as our mother than that mare that ignored us after Discord was defeated.” Luna grumbled and Celestia winced and sighed tiredly.
“Luna we were practically full grown, not to mention alicorns, knew more about magic than most unicorn elders, and were both powerful enough to move the sun and moon… what did you expect her to do?” Celestia questioned with a shake of her head and Luna gave her older sister a sidelong look.
“Tis not I who should be asked that Tia, t’was you who were hurt most when she ignored us.” Luna replied simply, a sudden twitch breaking Celestia’s normally calm façade.
“I suppose it was…” The solar princess replied quietly and slowly inhaled and then exhaled a calming breath. “But that no longer matters, we have more important matters to attend to.” The solar princess decided and trotted off quickly down the halls. Luna halted and watched her go for a moment, then shook her head sadly.
“Tia, thou knoweth we are here for thee, so why doth thee choose to hide thy sorrows?” She mumbled under her breath and then glanced back toward the Golden Door. “Did we shut the door?” She wondered for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders. “I suppose no harm can come from leaving a door to nothingness open.” She decided and made her way after Celestia, she turned down a corner and soon saw her sister’s tail, thus left the door to its own devices.
The door itself slowly opened, a khaki colored hoof pushing it open as a Pegasus mare walked out. The mare glanced around and caught the gleam of gold behind her, before turning around to see the Golden Door in its splendor. Her magenta colored eyes widened and she leaned her head back far enough for her pith helmet to fall from her head. As she took in the door, her jaw slackened and her wings rose from her sides in alarm.
“Holy hay! Is this the Golden Door?” She wondered before zipping into the air a monochrome trail following her as she circled around the door several times and lowered back to the ground. “It is the Golden Door!” The Gray-scale maned mare declared with a grin as she darted all around the door. “Buck yes! I’ve actually found THE Golden Door!” She exclaimed happily and galloped around the door, leaving none the wiser to her appearance…
--
Faust groaned as she and the girls left the Ponyville Day Spa, Pinkie bouncing around her while Rarity and Fluttershy followed. The Pink Party Pony had been bouncing ever since she found out that Faust raised two fillies. Given how youthful Faust was, it was no surprise that the pink party pony found it amazing that she was actually far older than her.
“I mean really Faustie! Who would ever guess you were a mom! You totally don’t look any older than Fluttershy or Rarity!” Pinkie exclaimed and Rarity shot the pink mare a look. “What? I was saying your young and Faustie looks your age.” Pinkie stated and the white fashionista frowned for a moment before turning to a highly annoyed Faust.
“Yes, be that as it may I must agree with Pinkie-Pie, Darling. You really must tell me your secret.” Rarity insisted with a winning smile and Faust merely rolled her eyes. Internally she joked about needing to grow a few extra appendages, but even she thought that would be in bad taste.
“Just the usual things you know, I exercise regularly, watch what I eat, the usual stuff…” Faust replied while never looking the white unicorn in the eye. Rarity idly nodded her head in understanding, while Fluttershy slowly trotted to Faust’s side.
“Um, Miss Faust, if you wouldn’t mind, but what were you’re fillies like?” Fluttershy questioned timidly and the off-white mare felt a mental groan come again. Especially when she remembered how much of a handful Celestia and Luna had been as fillies…
“Well technically they weren’t mine; I actually adopted them both when they lost their parents.” Faust began, telling the truth but withholding a lot of information about when where and how she found the two fillies.
“Really? Oh dear, that’s so sad for them… but at least you and your husband were there for them.” Fluttershy said softly and Faust began to twitch violently. As much as she would honestly love to have a special somepony, the fact that she was practically immortal really put a damper on that particular idea.
“Husband! No no no no! I’m a free mare! No Husband for me!” The mare exclaimed a bit too loudly, a noticeably manic quality to her eyes. The exclamation from the off-white mare caused Fluttershy to blush and shrink back to attempt to hide in her mane.
“Oh I-I-I’m so sorry, it’s just that fillies are such a handful and you’re only… um… n-no n-never mind.” Fluttershy said quietly while Faust tried to regain control of her rapid breathing, Rarity looking at the mare more than a little surprised.
“While I admit it was a bit presumptuous of Fluttershy to think you had a husband dear, I am surprised you managed to care for two fillies all on your own. I mean really, I have so much trouble with just Sweetie Belle, and she’s only my sister. I can’t imagine trying to take care of two fillies all by myself full time.” Rarity admitted with a shudder and Pinkie nodded her head.
“Totally, The Cake Twins are cute, but I’d probably go crazy if I had to take care of them all the time!” The Pink Party Pony declared and Rarity and Faust shared a look before wisely deciding not to question Pinkie-Pie’s sanity.
“Well thanks, but it wasn’t so bad. Cel… err, Celestial Majesty was about eight when I took her in. Her sister was admittedly very little but she did help take care of her. Celly was always really good about helping me take care of Lulu. I also got to teach her about magic and would tell them both stories when it was time for bed… my only problem with her was she was always trying to get more desert.” Faust admitted and then giggled as she remembered Celestia as a filly.
Contrary to the popular theory that the Alicorn Princesses were some kind of Goddesses or Demi-Gods, they had started off as normal ponies. This also meant that they had more than a few rather embarrassing quirks of which she was aware of. Celestia’s love of sweets was only one of those embarrassing secrets, and Faust had a veritable arsenal of them she was holding back.
“Yeah, she’s really had a problem with it too. There was this one time she actually used a spell to make her cake invisible, so I kept thinking she hadn’t got any. Come morning I found out how much she had because she was wallowing in misery from an overstuffed tummy.” Faust replied with a snicker, that had probably been the funniest thing Celestia had ever done back when she was a filly. Unfortunately, the mare still hadn’t gotten over her craving for sweets.
“Ooh, that’s so awesome! If I was a filly I’d totally do that too, but maybe not eat so much I got sick.” Pinkie declared while bouncing around, both Fluttershy and Rarity giggling quietly.
“Dear I’d say you’d eat even more.” Rarity replied back with a smile and Pinkie stopped hopping and thought about it for a moment.
“Eh, you’re probably right.” Pinkie admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. That got full-blown laughter from her friends, or in Fluttershy’s case a simple batch of giggles. Eventually calming down, Faust wiped a stray tear from her eye as she got back to her memories of the young fillies she’d taken in so long ago.
“In any case, I spent most of their early years taking care of Lulu or “Lunar Glory”. And boy was she a handful when she was little, always exploring and getting into trouble. I remember this one time she took a map of mine and made it into a pirate’s hat and went on an “adventure”. When I found her, she insisted that several rocks were alive and she was their queen.” Faust replied and mentally giggled, Luna as a filly had been absolutely adorable, even she admitted that much.
“Awww! That’s just so cute!” Rarity gushed while Faust rolled her eyes. She knew that little Luna had been absolutely adorable, it was hard not to be at that age, but she was also a bit of a terror.
“Don’t let her cuteness fool you, I swear that filly could be a little monster. She even used one of my books as a makeshift saddle, not to mention got into an old trunk of mine and took a bunch of old jewelry, she called it “Princess stuff” or something…” Faust stated with a shake of her head, only to cover her ears at the squeal from the other mares.
“Sounds like “Woona” was totally adorable.” Pinkie declared which got strange looks from all but a confused Faust.
“Wait, how’d you know I used to call her that?” Faust asked the pink party pony seriously and she merely shrugged.
“I just know things.” Pinkie replied honestly while Faust scratched her head in confusion, Rarity shaking her head.
“Dear, it’s best to let it go, it’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.” Rarity assured and a look crossed Faust’s face. However, upon remembering the “Pinkie Sense” incident with Twilight, and not desiring to have massive head trauma, the off-white mare sighed and rubbed her temples.
“Alright, it’s Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.” She decided and then continued on her way with the other three mares. “So Rarity, what kind of outfit are you going to be making for me?” Faust questioned curiously and the white unicorn hummed and took a look at Faust. The off-white mare's colors were very... dull, Rarity hated to admit it but Faust had a very dull look. Her off-white coat was simple, her mane and tail were a messy auburn red, she was physically very tall slender and willowy, more-so than even Fluttershy, and her horn and wings were, while unique as she had both, of average length and span.
To put it quite bluntly, Faust was a very average looking mare, even her gentle blue eyes didn't stand out much.
"Hmmm... I'm not sure. You are rather thin..." Rarity noted while thinking of what could look good on the tall slender mare.
"Ooh! How about a black suit with a red tie!" Pinkie offered with a grin and Rarity looked at her pink friend strangely.
"Why?" The fasionista questioned and the pink party pony grinned widely.
"Because she's tall, slender, and white!" She stated with a nod of her head and Rarity huffed and looked back over to Faust.
"Yes well, while I don't think a suit would suit her... perhaps something black might." Rarity mused while looking Faust over for a moment longer. Pinkie on the other hand suddenly stopped and felt her eye flop and her back hoof kick out. Glancing back for a moment the pink party pony grinned and looked to her friends.
"Yeah um, while I would love to stick around, I really think I better get back to Sugar Cube Corner. The cakes probably need some help selling all those pastries we made this morning." Pinkie decided before bouncing off and leaving Rarity, Fluttershy, and Faust behind. As Pinkie bounced off Fluttershy shifted her hooves for a moment before rising into the air and looking to Faust and Rarity shyly.
"Um, I'd love to see what you make for Faust Rarity, but I need to get home as well. It's almost supper time for my animals." Fluttershy stated and Rarity smiled to the timid mare kindly.
"Oh it's quite alright Fluttershy, I understand that you have to take care of your animals." Rarity assured with a wave and the butter yellow mare smiled kindly. "But I'll see you next week, right?" Rarity questioned of the timid pegasus and Fluttershy nodded her head.
"Oh of course, I really do enjoy these trips to the spa." Fluttershy confirmed before flying off leaving Rarity and Faust to their own devices. With Fluttershy gone, Faust idly looked back over to Rarity and shifted on her own hooves unsurely, while it was easy to talk with Pinkie, Rarity was a bit different. Pinkie was very open so made it that much easier to talk to her, Rarity on the other hoof was a bit harder to read and far less open.
"So, um... I guess we should head to your boutique then." Faust noted and Rarity nodded her head.
"Indeed." Rarity agreed and continued to stare at Faust and tried to get a bead on what the mare could wear. "Although perhaps more of a minimalist approach would be more suited to your particular frame and colors." The mare murmured mostly to herself while Faust rolled her eyes and idly ran a hoof over her sweater. The off-white mare glanced around as they continued on and noticed she was still getting odd looks.
"Well, Minimalist is what I normally go for." Faust admitted while they trotted down the street and Rarity glanced her way. She was honestly hoping for a little input as other than Fluttershy she'd never seen a pony with Faust's body type before, but Fluttershy's colors were far easier to compliment. Faust had a dull coloration which was rare among ponies, Time Turner also had a somewhat dull coloration, but his were far easier to compliment than the off-white and auburn of Faust.
"Really darling, if you don't mind my asking, but what do you normally wear?" Rarity asked the off-white mare curiously and Faust grinned sheepishly in response. Even she knew that saying her usual ribbons and horseshoes were "Minimalist" was being generous. The truth was she was certain that style of dress was so out of style as to be archaic in the current age.
"For the most part before I got this sweater, I've only ever worn a couple of ribbons and some horseshoes on occasion." Faust replied with a nervous chuckle and Rarity stared at Faust with her mouth agape.
"Really darling, only Ribbons and horseshoes?" Rarity all but demanded and Faust nodded her head. "My word, how in Celestia's name have you gone so long with so little? I mean even Twilight has a dress or two and winter clothes to wear!" The fashionista exclaimed and the red maned alicorn in disguise chuckled lightly.
"I've really never needed anything more, I pretty much live where I work after all and it's kept warm or cool as needed." Faust replied honestly, then watched a look of horror cross the fashion ponies face.
"I... I don't even have words for that miss Faust." Rarity stated bluntly while Faust felt more than just a little uncomfortable. The white unicorn soon regained her senses and cleared her throat, she knew her reaction was quite uncouth and unfitting of a lady, but she had honestly never had a pony tell her they had only ever worn accessories before. "Do forgive me for that moment of surprise miss Faust." Rarity pleaded of the off-white mare, while also trying to think of what she could make for the mare that would suit her physique.
"It's really no problem Rarity." Faust assured kindly, a soft smile on her face as they continued on their way to Rarity's Boutique. "I'm honestly not surprised by your reaction." The disguised alicorn stated and glanced upwards as she remembered a similar situation with another mare. "In fact, my old friend Sparkler was always trying to get me to wear this or that back when I was younger." Faust admitted and took a brief moment to remember the old friend who Rarity reminded her of.
"Really darling, well if you don't mind my asking, what did she have for you to wear?" Rarity questioned of the off-white mare and Faust mentally winced. At first Sparkler had only had necklaces and other such jewelry for her. But after becoming an Alicorn, not to mention eternally young as they later discovered and Majesty made her her successor, Sparkler had tried constantly to get her into more royal attire...
"Um, a bunch of jewelry and such, tiara's necklaces and bracelets and the like, occasionally she'd make a saddle and other such things. Her special talent was with gemstones so it wasn't really much of a surprise that she only ever had accessories for me to wear." Faust explained and Rarity hummed lightly, trying to think if she'd ever heard of a pony whose talent pertained to gemstones.
"I see, then perhaps something to mimic the Princesses would suit you then... yes, you are rather tall and willowy like they are, and you have both wings and a horn as well." Rarity considered and Faust's eyes bolted open and she rapidly shook her head.
"No! I'm confused for a princess more than enough already, I don't think dressing like one would help." Faust declared and Rairyt idly inclined her head in understanding and frowned deeply. "Besides that, you and your friends are "Knights of Equestria" you're all more royal than I am." Faust added more as an after thought and Rarity stared at her in confusion.
"Excuse me, but did you say I was a Knight?" Rarity questioned and Faust mentally groaned while nodding her head. She was becoming increasingly aware that centuries of isolation had wreaked havoc on her social abilities. The thing that was most severely affected seemed to be her ability to keep her muzzle shut, not to mention that she had a habit of blabbing.
"Yes, you and the other Elements of Harmony are considered "Knights of Equestria". You each have the tittle of "Dame" and are basically lower royalty. Your in no way as entitled as say a Lord or Baron, but you're technically not commoners." Faust replied in explanation and Rarity looked surprised to say the least, then shook her head.
"Yes well, while "Dame Rarity" does have a certain ring to it, I think I'm happier with just Rarity." The white unicorn replied and Faust nodded her head in understanding. She had never particularly liked tittles either, having been a Regent for Princess Majesty in her later years and her replacement for a hundred years after she passed on, she honestly preferred to be a simple Archivist. She did admit that her reign was short, and had she remained Discord likely wouldn't have taken over, but when the tribes started to expand and after that fight, she couldn't bear to see them tear each other apart.
The Sea-Ponies had been of the same mind having retreated to the ocean when The Great Divide occurred and hadn't been seen since. The Flutter Ponies on the other hand were not willing to run or hide, and as such had been right in the middle of the fighting. Although originally The Flutter Ponies had been in charge of caring for animals, something Fluttershy had seemingly inherited, they had been far more confident. They had even protected several of her friends when they were attacked back in the old days, fearlessly swarming the monster.
The Flutter Ponies were one of the greatest casualties of The Great Divide, although if rumors were to be believed the "Changelings" were possibly a remnant of their kind... and a true show of just what unicorn magic could do when it was used with hatred.
"In any case darling, hopefully we'll find something for you to wear. It may not be easy but I've worked miracles before." The white unicorn declared, pulling Faust out of her memories and the dark thoughts those memories summoned. Smiling faintly to the fashion pony, Faust turned to see they were fast approaching Rarity's boutique. The off-white mare then frowned as she saw a familiar green Pegasus fly over head, her appearance a dead ringer for her old friend Medley...
Not for the first time, Faust wondered why it seemed that Ponyville had so many ponies so similar to her old friends.
--
Celestia found it odd to watch Luna stare at a book, she found it even stranger as her little sister tried to burn the book. But it was funny to watch the book become a mist, before reconstituting back on the shelf. Luna tried to burn the book several more times, much to Celestia's amusement, before finally snarling at it. "ARGH! Why is it no matter how many times I burn you, you come back!?" The lunar mare demanded furiously while glaring at the book, which Celestia noted was the one she had written as Nightmare Moon.
"Because Faust likely put a charm on it that makes it return here if burned." Celestia replied calmly while looking through Starswirl the Bearded's journal, a sad frown crossing her face as she got to know the stallion a bit more. She hadn't known that he was actually half Earth-Pony when they took him in, nor that because of that the other tribes had always tended to look down on him. Especially the so-called purebred ponies of the old days.
"Bah! So then mother uses the same enchantment that you use on the parchment you and Spike use?" Luna questioned while continuing to glare at the book and Celestia nodded her head.
"Yes, it's called the "Burn Away Charm". Faust told me when she was studying with her own teacher they had a dragon around. He was prone to accidentally burning papers so she developed the spell so he wouldn't destroy anything useful. I wager she put it on every book here as a precaution, and has likely heavily enchanted them to ensure they aren't otherwise dismantled or destroyed." Celestia replied while continuing through Starswirl's journal, and raised a brow when she found that the grumpy old stallion had had a family.
"Why would mother go to so much trouble to protect a book like this?" Luna demanded with a scowl and Celestia sighed.
"Faust always said that there is nothing more evil than to destroy knowledge. She said that yes some things are made with evil intentions but could also be used for good. Just as things made for good have been used for evil intentions." Celestia replied while making a note to look for a genealogical tree for Starswirl's family, mostly to confirm a suspicion she had about it. Luna merely huffed at the response and continued to glare at the book she had written so long ago, before she glanced in the direction of The Necronomicon and shivered.
"Then pray tell sister, why is The Necronomicon here?" Luna questioned of her sister flatly, the solar diarch allowing a frown to cross her face as she looked back to her sister.
"Honestly, I have no clue." Celestia admitted and then released a shaky breath. The mere fact that the Necronomicon existed still worried her, the fact that it was so nearby scared her beyond reason. But even she had to admit that of all places, the Tower was likely the only one able to hold it. "Perhaps because this place is practically a prison unless you know your way around." Celestia finally offered to her sister and Luna hummed lightly and considered her sister's answer for a moment, then nodded her head.
"True, I can think of no place safer than with an Alicorn guarding it." Luna admitted and Celestia nodded her head in agreement, both sisters doing their best to put the cursed book out of their minds. As such they heard a ruckus nearby and glanced at one another. "Tia, did you do that?" Luna questioned worriedly and Celestia slowly shook her head, both feeling more than a little unnerved. While Celestia liked a good prank as much as the next pony, if it was Rainbow Dash that is, she was not about to go pranking her sister while they were locked in a tower with the sun knew how many dangerous relics.
Both sisters got to their hooves and slowly cantered in the direction of the noise. The silence after the ruckus was deafening, and as they approached the walls around them became more and more confining. The sisters stopped when the noise returned, both holding still and looking down a long dark hall. The hall was still for a moment, before a figure trotted passed, the sound of four hoof steps and wings flapping lightly echoing in the distance. Luna felt a bit of hope and looked to Celestia, the older mare far more reserved as she considered who the winged pony could be.
"Could mother have returned already?" Luna questioned hopefully and Celestia bit her lip.
"I would hope so, but given that Discord only brought us here today, I'd have to reason it's some pony else." Celestia replied honestly and Luna felt her ears droop. Seeing her sister look so sad was not something that Celestia enjoyed, so she moved to her and nuzzled her neck. "But if it is, I suppose it would be nice to spend at least a day with her." The solar diarch offered and a bright smile crossed her younger sisters face.
Both prepared the two alicorn sisters made their way down the hall, the noises from before growing louder and louder as they approached. Soon coming to the source of the noises, both sisters felt their jaws drop at what they saw in front of them. It was a mare, her coat was khaki colored and her mane and tail messy and gray-scale colored, her eyes were magenta and a compass rose cutie-mark adorned her flank. She was dressed in a green explorers shirt and what looked like a pith-helmet of all things...
"Man oh man I can't believe my luck! This is an actual map to the lost city of the Sea Ponies!" The mare declared while looking over a map and then zipped off in the other direction, a gray-scale trail following after her as she stopped in front of the Necronomicon. "Oh my sweet bucking Tartarus! The Necronomicon!" The mare exclaimed and then jumped away from the lock when it tried to bite her hoof. "Okay, stay away from that..." She muttered while shaking her hoof and then turned to see Celestia and Luna staring at her with wide eyes.
"T-Tia... is that who I think it is?" Luna questioned and barely managed to keep herself from gaping in shock. While she hadn't been back long, she had found some books to read that interested her, ones with even a mention of Nightmare Moon a chief among them. The mare in front of them had one such book, and she'd actually read a few of the other stories in which she'd featured.
"I... I believe so... but how it's possible is beyond me." Celestia admitted, openly shocked to see the pony as she approached them and then rubbed her chin as she looked them over. Celestia knew of the mare thanks mostly to her student, and while not a fan, it was hard not to at least hear of her with Twilight.
"Whoa, so Alicorn's are guarding this place? Makes sense." The mare noted with a nod of her head while Celestia and Luna glanced to one another.
"T-Technically our mother looks over this place, w-we are only here because she is missing..." Luna responded while the khaki colored mare approached them and tilted her head.
"Yeah, okay I guess that makes sense..." The mare replied before grinning as she realized she was talking to two Alicorns. "Oh! Wait, you two are Alicorns, which totally means that there really are more of them! I knew it!" The khaki colored mare declared and both Celestia and Luna glanced at one another and watched the mare. Said mare quickly regained her composure and grinned at the alicorns and offered them both a hoof. "Anyways, the name is Daring Do, treasure hunter extraordinaire. Pleasure to meet you." The gray-scale maned pegasus stated with a smile and both Luna and Celestia silently wondered how a storybook character was standing before them...
--
TBC…
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So the Golden Doorway leads to the inside of books...
And the Necronomicon exists.
[sarcasm]This will end well.[/sarcasm]
2408201 If I'm remembering correctly, The Golden Door leads to "The Realm of Imagination", so literally every story or fairy tale exists within the Golden Door. Unfortunately, something else is in that door as well...
2408285
...Clopfictions?
Thanks for mentioning the Knights :D
2408851 No problem. I told you I might use it.
2423449 She's not a hater, she's actually afraid of Luna being angry at her for not visiting in, oh I don't know, somewhere around two thousand years... Most ponies tend to take such lengthy times away quite personally you know.
Further evidence of such will be next chapter I assure you.
I guess this Daring Do gout out from the golden door...
->Foreshadowing.<-
...Was this intentional?
I am delighted to have stumbled across this story.
I knew it!
You had my suspicions with Faust's story last chapter alluding to the 'wishing' scene in Snowdrop, but this just confirms it.
I approve of this reference, you don't see that fanimation referenced very often.
“Wait! We are not opening this door!” Luna stated'
Alternatively:
"STOP. DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!"
Memes
oh no. if she escape she will tell someone about the Grand Archives!
1. eras her memories
2 banish her
3 kill her.
There was another typo, but I couldn't find it.
I really hope that nothing dumb will happen so that an ancient evil get released from The Archive. Would have hate for this to become a action story, since i really like the warm cozy feeling thing that is going on.
Most awesome OC ever.
Did she really ask that?
Awesome work.
7198175
I don't know man, Donut Steel is pretty great in every way.
And she will will you in a creepy forest with her tentacles
6379728
You sir, have some common sense, I like that in people
“A broom closet and a bathroom, but when I closed the door and came out of one, the hall changed and I found an arena from ancient Roam…”
Wait a second...
“A broom closet and a bathroom..."
Wait a second...
"A BROOM CLOSET"
"Faust, your adoptive daughter found it.
Just thought you would like to know"