The Mail Mare and The Princess: A Fable of Sorts.

by Lyaksandra

The Only Chapter

Once upon a time, there was a pony Princess who held power over the Sun and lived in a luscious castle built over a cliff. Together with her younger sister, she ruled over a magnificent and rich land, and they did so with a fair and firm hoof, and a kind and understanding heart.

Life in their lands was by no means dull, nor were its inhabitants uncaring, but it came a day when the Princess of the Sun felt so very bored and so very alone. There were things to do, yes, and many ponies to keep her company. Alas, neither were those things the ones she wanted to do nor those ponies the ones she wished to be with.

It had all started with her faithful student, whom the Princess of the Sun had sent into town to learn about friendship and report about such findings. Her student had excelled at the task, just as the Princess had expected, and just as many times before. For a time it had been perfect, but then time and circumstance had driven them apart, and the Princess barely heard about her faithful student anymore.

The Princess of the Sun had then sought the company of her sister, the Princess of the Moon. This too had been perfect for a time, but the Princess of the Sun had also encouraged her sister to socialize and make friends, and also to make night court so she could rule their lands along with her. With time, the younger Princess grew weary during the day hours, since she had to remain awake for the whole duration of the night. This, added to the friendships the Princess of the moon made, had also with time driven the sisters apart.

Both relations the Princess of the Sun longed for were still present. Her sister and her faithful student had never left her life, but the relationships had become lesser than they once were. The Princess of the Sun understood it was the way of things, but in her heart she still coveted the days of old, before either of the mares she loved most had found their own path. A path that had unfortunately taken them away from her.

One morning, while the Princess of the Sun went over the unending pile of paper scrolls that comprised the day’s court business, she received a most unusual visitor. The mail mare.

Mail usually arrived into the Princess’ hooves by means of a service pony who carried it into her office, or even through magical means, but never straight from the mail mare, and especially not directly into her window. Even if the mail mare was a Pegasus, this method for delivery was indeed quite unusual in the Princess’ eyes.

“Muffins!” Had the mail mare so obscurely and enthusiastically exclaimed while hovering just outside the office’s window. After that, using her muzzle she carefully picked a single envelope from within one of the saddlebags on her back, and proceeded to offer it to the Princess.

Somewhat shocked by the unusual occurrence, the Princess of the Sun forgot her own magic, and walked over to the window. She captured the proffered envelope with her teeth, and noticed something wasn’t quite normal with this pony’s eyes. All the while, she simply stood there while the mail mare announced her farewell and then flew into the blue skies.

The Princess then came to the sudden realization that she had been extremely impolite, having failed to neither greet nor bid the mail mare a proper farewell, not to mention withholding any demonstration of gratitude for the service provided. She opened her mouth to say something, and too late realized the letter was still clasped within her teeth. By an absolutely ludicrous coincidence, the wind decided that this very moment was the most adequate to blow against the castle tower, thus sending the envelope flying in the direction where it was obscured from the Princess’ eyes.

“No!” The Princess shouted after the now gone envelope in a display of frustration quite uncharacteristic of her. She thought the envelope lost forever, its contents unrevealed to her for all ages to come.

Just as she was sighing at her own foally and putting a hoof to her face, the Princess of the sun noticed a sudden gray and yellow flash fly past her. The flash then went toward the area below the tower, where the envelope had floated away to.

It had never been brought to her attention that the mail mare was such a responsible and proactive pony. The Princess of the Sun determined in that very moment that she would especially commend the gray Pegasus for her outstanding services rendered unto the community. Thinking of this, the Princess sat down back at her desk, and patiently awaited the mail bearing Pegasus to return.

She stared and stared at the window, but nothing happened. Instead, there was a sudden rucks in the corridor just outside the front door to her office. There were clanking and banging noises, which strangely enough started sounding as if they were becoming closer and closer. The last bang blew open the doors to the Princess’ office, and in all its glory rolled in a tangled mess made of several castle guards and one mail mare.

“I just don’t know what went wrong.” Declared the gray Pegasus with calm and obvious conviction in that it was nothing but the truth.

An attitude so dissonant with the scene presented before her eyes, that the Princess of the Sun could not help but to giggle in a most un-lady like manner.

After the tangled pony mess in her office was finally undone and everypony properly set to continue their duties, the Princess received her letter, and this time she behaved as it was royally appropriate. Everything was perfect, and that was good, because from that point onward it would all spiral down into chaos. The Princess was known for enjoying a practical joke now and then, for having as it’s said: a sense of humor. At this point in her life, with the circumstances she currently found herself into, who could blame her for coveting a little fun for herself?

The second time she dropped the envelope intentionally, and the mail mare had returned it through the office window, while somehow burdened by the castle’s cooking staff hanging from her hooves.

The third time, the mail mare returned the envelope once more through the office doors, but this time she had somehow managed to drag with her one fuming Princess of the Moon and her whole bed arrangements.

The fourth time, the very dedicated gray Pegasus returned the envelope by crashing through the tinted glass above the office and beyond, through the corridor that led to it. The rucks had been such, that the castle was put in general alert under the assumption that they were all under attack by foreign powers.

Yes, the Princess of the Sun was enjoying with great mirth the little fun the day had presented at her hooves. She was known for enjoying a practical joke now and then, but she was neither cruel nor abusive, and sooner rather than later the Princess came to realize she had completely overdone it. The situation was getting completely out of hoof, and she was to blame entirely for it all.

When the mail mare returned from her latest venture in order to rescue the envelope, the Princess of the Sun decided it was time to stop the chaos wreaking she had perpetrated on the gray Pegasus and the castle service ponies.

She offered the mail mare a full explanation, a heartfelt apology, and proper compensation for the events that had transpired that morning. What was her surprise when the gray Pegasus replied that there was no need to do that, unless the Princess actually wished for it, but not because of what had happened.

The Princess of the Sun was deeply confused by this response, and so she asked the reason for it.

“Well, because I knew and went with it.” The mail mare declared with a broad smile in her lips.

The Princess was practically aghast. “You knew what I was doing?”

“Yes.” Came the brisk response.

By now, The princess was completely lost as to the inner motivations of this peculiar Pegasus. “Then why did you go through everything I so whimsically put you through?”

At this, the mail mare turned her head away from the Princess and casted her gaze unto the ground… probably, the Princess couldn’t actually tell with full certainty. After a moment of silence, the Pegasus finally spoke again.

“Well, because it made you smile Princess. For a moment you seemed so glum, and then you smiled and it was like the sunrise all over again.”

THE END

Comments

[Jykinturah]

That made me smile as well...

[Nordlichter]

Very nice and sweet. I do agree that the word "fable" describes this. Perhaps it might have been a little more, um, consistent if no actual dialogue had been used. The buildup of tension was nice, although there didn't seem to be much of a climax. 4/5

[SpiritOfDancingFlames]

.....
I rest my case.
Muffin rating? Twelve out of ten muffins
~SoDF