For Want of a Quill

The trip to Canterlot palace was a quick one, partly due to the lack of conversation between the three ponies, and partly due to the lack of ice fiends materializing out of nowhere. They reached Canterlot in the time of a day, and they requested an immediate audience with the princess.

"Heh." The guards chuckled, "Like you're the only one with problems here. We've got requests coming in from everywhere. We've got one about some bloke in Manehatten whose house was broken into by an ice imp, we've got one about a family in Ponyville who lost their home to a glacier. What makes you think she's going to make an audience with you?"

"My word," They heard a voice coming from the room, "what is all the commotion out here?" Smarts and Sally stood gawk-eyed at the figure that walked out. Princess Celestia was looking in their direction.

"Princess!" The guards saluted, "These idiots want to request an audience with you."

"Well," she mused, "maybe that won't be necessary."

"But princess!" Smarts interjected, "Pardon my language, but this is a matter of life-and-death!"

"I am quite aware of this." The Princess replied, "I have actually been monitoring you two for quite some time now."

"But princess," Sally asked, "how did you know?"

"My student Twilight Sparkle wrote me a letter concerning two ponies out to save Equestria." Smarts' face paled at the mention of that name. All this time, the librarian in Ponyville was the princess's star pupil? "I found you two and was monitoring you closely until now. I just need to talk with the young one privately." She gestured to Comet who was cowering behind Sally.

"By all means, your majesty." Smarts humbly replied.

The guards escort Sally and Smarts out of the main hall, and are pushed out the doors.

"So," the princess said, "tell me about yourself." Comet didn't make a peep. She was just looking down at the ground while muttering things to herself. "Come on, now. There is a memory spell that I know of, so I'm going to get your memories one way or another."

"I'm so sorry!" Comet blurted out. Appalled at her own language, she quickly retracted with a whimper, "Sorry. It's just… I was so lonely…"

"It's okay. Why were you lonely? What ever happened to your parents?"

Comet took a deep breath, "My parents died." Celestia's eyes widened at this knowledge. "My parents died when I was just born. I don't even remember them."

"Didn't your parents have any relatives? Friends?"

"My parents lived in a small cave on Razorback Ridge. That's why I made my new house over there. In memory of parents I don't remember."

"What about orphanages?"

"I didn't want to leave." Comet started trembling, "Every time someone came to pick me up, I froze them where they stood. I was just so scared. I don't like new places."

"I see." Celestia replied, "What are your plans now? Do you have anywhere to go where you can be monitored by a responsible adult?"

"No. My only home is on the ridge. I don't want to go to an orphanage. Please, Princess! Don't make me go!"

"It is quite alright. In fact, I have an idea that could help both of us."

"An idea that could help you?" Comet asked. She wondered what could possibly happen that could help Celestia, who has the power to raise the sun every morning. "What is it?"

"How would you like to live in the castle with me and my sister?" Comet couldn't believe her ears. The princess accepted her, when she should have rightfully been executed.

"Do you mean it, princess?"

"I mean it. While you live here, we can hone your powers and use them for good."

"Like what?"

"You obviously are aware that the weather changes around here with the help of ponies. Why not use your power and control winter for us?"

"You're trusting me with controlling the seasons?"

"Indeed we are, my young Comet. Now, how about talking with your friends about the idea?"

"Oh." Comet's face darkened. "Those guys aren't my friends. They almost killed me. On purpose."

"Well, look at it this way. They didn't kill you. They might have wanted to, but they didn't." Comet's face brightened up slightly when she thought of it this way.

"Sure thing, princess." Comet trotted out of the doors and was met by Smarts and Sally, the first two living ponies to have met her.

"So," Sally asked excitedly, "how did it go?"

"It's great! I get to stay with the princess!"

"No way! We're so happy for you! Isn't that right, Smarts?" She gives Smarts a painful elbow to the gut.

"Yup. We're really happy for you." He said quickly.

"Thank you both so much. Really. I mean it. If it weren't for you two, I think that I would have died all alone."

"And if it makes you feel better," Smarts added, "I'm attending school here, so I can visit you when I have breaks."

"Really?" Comet's face lit up so much, her happiness was practically radiating out of her skin.

"But, I have just one question to ask you."

"Okay, anything."

"Back in Ponyville, we were attacked by an ice fiend, and in the mountain we were attacked by a giant worm. Now, I'm going to assume that the ice fiend and worm were yours. I'm not holding it against you. What's in the past is in the past. What bothered me was knowledge knowledge of the quill I have. How did they know about it?"

"That's my lucky quill!" She shouted. "I lost it one day, and now you have it! That quill made everything I had! The house, the guards, the… ice fiends… No matter! I lost it when I was playing with it. I think it blew out of a window, and it must've drifted into Ponyville because you found it! But… well, you did find it fair and square. It's yours now."

Smarts was starting to feel guilty, mostly because he was holding the quill that was her closest friend. "Oops." He said as he dropped it on the floor. "I think I lost it. I can't find it."

Comet picked up the quill. "It's right here, silly!"

"Oh, you found it. Well, looks like you can have it. Fair and square." He replied with a smile. He could practically feel Comet's elation at this point. It was hard to look directly at her, she was so happy. "Now, you gotta promise me. When you use it, make sure you tell the princess first. Okay?"

Comet nodded her head furiously, tears of joy streaming from her eyes.

"Well, it's been fun, kid." Sally said. "Definitely life-threatening and terrifying at times too, but it's been real fun."

"Thanks for everything you guys." Comet replied.

"Don't mention it." Smarts said, with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Say, Smarts…" Sally smirked, "Are you… crying?"

"No!" Smarts replied quickly, "Absolutely not! I just got a piece of sand stuck in my eye. From doing manly things at the beach. Like playing football and playing paintball."

"You guys are gonna visit me, right?"

"Of course we are, kid." Smarts smiled. "Of course we are."

Two months passed in a blink of the eye. Smarts went back to his dorm in Canterlot and Sally got written permission from the princess to be able to leave the borders of Ponyville. Smarts was deep in his studies, when there was a knock at his door.

"The door's open, Clyde." Smarts called, thinking it was his roommate. When the door opened, he saw Sally and Comet stride in. "Wha- how did you get in? This is a male-only dorm!"

"I learned a new trick from the princess!" Comet replied happily, "It's called… umm… sigh-toe-jen-is-is or something."

"The princess taught you cytogenesis?" Smarts shouted, "Then… wait…" he put two and two together, "Does that mean…"

"Of course not, Smarts!" Sally replied with a laugh. "We asked nicely. They let us walk up here no problem!"

"Well, that and they have to monitor us at all times," she gestured to a security guard watching them intently "so that we don't have… what was the word again? Secks? What does that mean, anyway?" Sally pulled Comet close and whispered something in her ear. Comet's face became distorted in terror and became a bright shade of red. "Oh, gosh! Was that how I was made?"

"Hey," the security guard said, "hurry up. You're on a time limit here. You got one minute."

"So, when's your next break gonna be, Smarts?" Comet asked with a big smile on her face.

"Probably in December. When you have to start your duties for controlling the weather."

"Aww! That's too long!" Comet complained.

"Yeah." Sally agreed. "Way too long. We're just gonna have to visit you in between then. So, Comet, when do you wanna see Smarts next?"

"I wanna see him tomorrow!"

"Well, it's settled then." Smarts and the security guard shared a look of shock, "We're going to come every day!" Smarts thumped his head on his desk. It was gonna be a long way until winter.