Chapter 2 -- Research
"Is this really all there is?"
Tornado Bolt grunted under the pile of books she was balancing on her front hooves, her purple mane swaying as she tried to keep her footing.
"Only? Sheesh Firelock, I've got a whole stack here."
"But this is really it? All of the stuff on Pony Magic and alicorns?" The unicorn raised her hooves above her head and bugged her eyes out at the grayish pegasus, who slumped and let the stack topple onto the table.
"Well there would be more if you let me get some of the fiction books. There's this one novel I really liked where the world started with Draconiqueseseseses..." the filly stumbled on the lengthy name, then coughed. "...Draconiqui."
"We're not looking for stories, Tornado! We're doing research, like big, important ponies! We need cold, hard, facts!" The last word was punctuated by a hoof slamming on the table. A small purple dragon poked his head around the corner.
"Hey! Quiet! It's a library in here, you know! Just cause Twilight's off doing some princessy stuff with her friends doesn't mean you can be loud! I am...doing important things, and need some quiet." Spike ducked back into the room.
"Sorry." Firelock muttered, hushing her voice. "I just hope Half Note shows up already, I figured she'd be here before we got all the books on the topic, but then I didn't expect there to be so few..." She picked one up out of the pile. "Ugh, what is this, even? It looks like politics."
"That's probably because it is. Most of the books that talk about Alicorns are political shmargon. Or novels, but you didn't wanna hear about how awesome that one with Harmony in Tartarus--"
"You can tell me later, sheesh! I like a good story as much as the next pony but--"
"Sorry I'm late, guys. I mentioned this to Cheerilee in the hopes I'd get extra credit for it but now she wants me to write a whole paper." Half Note squeezed up to the table.
"WHAT."
"...You didn't mention us, did you, Half Note?" Tornado twiddled her hooves.
"I DIDN'T WANNA WRITE A WHOLE PAPER I JUST WANTED TO PROVE A POINT." Firelock's face put down roots in the table as she groaned.
"Relax, guys, I just couldn't get her to stop talking about all the...the uh...the 'merits such a research project would have on the growth and understanding of all the foals in the classroom to the various natures of magic' or something. She went on and on about it for a while before I was able to leave." She walked up to the table and put her saddlebags down. "So, is this what you've got? It's a good start."
"It's all we could find that wasn't fiction." Tornado commented. "If we wanted more, we'd have to order from another library." the purple pegasus shrugged.
"Oh. Well, okay, I'll see what this one is about..." Half Note picked up a thick, red bound book. "...Princesses in Politics: A Comprehensive Study on the Gender and Racial roles in Equestrian Government. Well, I guess this is as good a place to start as any." She sat down and opened it.
"Woah woah woah. Are you gonna read through the WHOLE thing, or use the index like a smart filly?" Firelock jumped onto the table and pointed an accusatory hoof. Tornado calmly used her own to lower it.
"She's being thorough, Lock. Like a big, important pony. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna skim through "From the Founders to Fillydelphia". It looks like it should cover the different types of magic pretty well." The orange unicorn blushed a bit, then picked up a smaller book herself.
"Okay, then, I'll start with 'Winter Wrap Up -- Technique and Traditions.' But if it gets too boring and politic-y, just skip to the parts that sound relevant. Not nearly enough ponies remember that, and it's such a lifesaver."
Her friends did not respond, both of them sitting with their faces buried in their large books. Firelock groaned, then settled down to look at the diagrams.
"...So whereas the Earth ponies traditionally used their inherent traits of strength, stewardship, and durability to prepare the Earth for the return of spring--as heralded by the Pegasi since the days of old--Unicorn magick has been found to be just as effective and often much more efficient. Naturally, the planting and growing has been left to those most skilled at it, but it is often with the aid of magical devices. In areas with a high population density of Earth ponies, it is often traditional to use as little outside magic as possible in keeping with traditions..."
"...and at which point, it was decided that for their incredible wisdom and aid in the Battle of Discord, Celestia and Luna would be appointed to rule the schism-ed Nation of Equestria. By setting up the infrastructure of the bit and beginning construction of the Everfree Citadel, they ushered in an era of untold peace and prosperity, which allowed the cultures within to flourish, leading the Spartan Pegasi to convert their militaristic lifestyle to athletic rigor and sportsponyship. The unicorns also greatly profited -- no longer having to collectively channel their energies into moving the celestial bodies their Diarchy now managed, they uncovered untold potential in their telekinesis and innate magical abilities, and were able to bring to Equestria the arts and sciences in ways that had never been possible before. This time period of growth and harmony became known as the Pre-Classical Era, famous for it's conjurers..."
"...And despite numerous couplings between the three races leading to diverse bloodlines, nopony has been known to be born with both wings and horn. Even rumours and accusations indicating illegitimate royal parentage have only included Unicorn foals--all known attempts at such were reclaimed by their respective mothers, much to the chagrin of the fathers who purported the claims initially--and on a single occasion a pegasus with a shed stag's horn adhered to its forehead, which fell off during the mandatory magical checkup. The child was taken to foster care. Suggestions have been made that, much like the elusive Hippogryph, an Alicorn may be procured from an unusual paring. Included in the list of attempts to be made were manticores and dragons, to which, understandably, there were no willing volunteers. Why, then, do we entrust the helm of our fair nation to such an unstable life force, that may or may not even be of pony blood? Why has there yet to be a male leader worthy of note who was not shut down by our 'benevolent' alicorn leaders? Were King Sombra and Discord really the tyrants that our dustiest history texts indicate them to be, or were the Great Sisters merely preventing a stallion from taking the helm..."
"Ugh..." Half Note held her head in her hooves, and stared at the pile of read books they had accumulated. What hadn't been chock full of useless political jargon had been pure speculation or conspiracy theories with hardly a spark of evidence behind their outrageous claims. After going through most of the promising ones, the fillies had agreed to swap out and re-read each others books, in case one of them missed something. It had taken her three days to get through "Princess and Politics", and she came out with nothing more than an apologetic feeling towards every stallion ever and an extreme dislike of the author's tone. They'd been at this a week now, and aside from the headaches, all they'd gotten was that no Alicorn birthings or parentage had ever been recorded, all known Alicorns were strongly magical, and that apparently no author ever found Earth Pony magic interesting enough to talk about it more than "their inherent ties to the Earth".
Half Note groaned and set her head down on the table, feeling her blood throb in her ears. Firelock had been as enthusiastic as ever for the majority of the week, but even now she was looking as bored as the rest of them. Tornado Bolt had just managed to convince the adamant unicorn into letting her read a really, really, really old book full of fables that ponies used to tell their children, on the grounds that "it was so old it was practically history anyway."
The pink filly shifted her gaze from her exasperated orange friend to the pegasus with her nose buried. She was surprised to see her scribbling on a notepad.
"Tornado? What are you doing?"
"Mr mpffm Mrf." She stopped and blinked at the spittle now on her paper, and dropped her pencil. "I'm taking notes."
Firelock rolled her eyes and continued flipping through The Running of the Leaves -- And Other Earth Pony Traditions. "What could possibly be in those old pony tales that we could use?"
"Well, it mentions The Wild Spirits of the Earth..." The pegasus turned her book towards her friends, pointing at a sepia-toned illustration of a long, lithe creature with a coat of scales, a single horn, and a flowing mane. "It said 'let ye not be found wanting when the fourth of the Wilde Earthen Spirits rears its mightae head, lest Laccarentia claim ye amongst the glorious rays of the Sun, and the sweet harvests of the soil.'" She scrunched up her face. "It's really hard to read through the accents, but I like the pictures."
Half Note took the book from her friend and set it down, looking at the story and the sketch beside it. Even though the picture was done in ink on old, yellowed pages, the face of the semi-equine creature was so sharp and indifferent it made the little Earth Pony feel cold. She shivered.
"Did it mention any of the other 'Earthen Spirits'?" She asked, rubbing herself to warm up while Firelock took the book and flipped backwards, looking at the stylized drawings of earlier tales.
"Not yet, I only just got to that part. That story in particular was about an Earth Pony who wasn't helping to grow or collect food and instead went out to have fun and ate wild flowers and plants. I didn't get to the end yet, and I'm not sure if I wanna. A lot of the endings so far have been sad."
"Earthen Spirits, huh?" Firelock murmured, holding the book over her head and blowing her red mane out of her eyes. "Well, that's the best lead we got--nothing else has made Earth Ponies out to be anything special at all. I mean, er..."
"I get what you mean. It's not your fault nopony has recorded anything on Earth Pony magic. Tornado, were there any other of these old Fairy Tale books?" The pegasus nodded. "Maybe we'll be able to get somewhere with that. Can you bring them over here? I wanna finish reading this story." the Earth filly gently took the book back from her unicorn friend, who started reading over her shoulder.
"Okaaaaaaay, but don't spoil the ending, alright? I still haven't decided if I even want to hear it or not."
"I promise. Promise too, Firelock."
"Okaaaay fine. I promise to keep my big mouth shut."
"Okay! I'll be back with the other old storybooks!"
And with that, the two little ponies sat down to read.
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well this is looking to be quite the fun little fic. best advise I could offer is don't lose sight of your scope. as you mentions you know what direction you want to take the story just make sure you don't drag it there kicking and screaming. but judging from your work so far you don't appear to have any trouble with this.
I like this idea. The show doesn’t really give Earth Ponies enough credit.
Not too long now, and three little fillies will start feeling jaded at how Earth ponies aren't given very much credit and how they seem to have gotten the short end of the stick with having any outstanding, exciting talents.
By the sounds of it, jaded at how stallions are sometimes looked down upon in a presumably matriarchal society as well