Chapter 1
Might be just a day away
Chapter 1 – Diapers or shovels
The morning's air has taken on it's normal pleasant and comfortable warmth, still though a slight bit of wispy white lines of steam dance just above the hot cup being held in your hoof. The little wisp of the last winter's cold don't last long though as you quickly move your hoof back to the table, bringing the still scolding hot chocolate cup to sit back to the table. Note to self, teach Twilight how to properly heat things up, and not follow the rule book of cooking.
You shift your gaze to the filly across from your seat as you look over the unmoved cup that has a steady and barely visible cloud of wispy lines coming from it. A slight smile cracks from your face as you look over the light purple filly that hasn't caught your gaze, ya ya, mini Twilight knew it was still too hot.
Your thought comes to an end as the steady chime of magic coming from your right breaks with the sound of another failed spell. "UGH!"
From the sound you turn your head back to the lavender mare with the same winter wrap up saddle and boots you saw her in yesterday. As she snouts her nose back her voice comes up, "-...I do NOT want to do winter wrap up sick!" A new found determination comes over her purple eyes as she squints to the book in her magical purple hold in front of her, "You are going to let me do the spell correct, you hear me Mr.Book?"
A chuckle comes from you as you smile to the mare, "Mr.Book?"
Her death stare comes to point at you, as it does you widen your smile as her heavy stuffy nosed voice comes back to her, "Yes, MR.Book...And I am still mad at you for making me sick, heck I didn't even get to write Celestia about Violet because of being too tired last night. OH AND i'm mad at you for letting me sleep in this morning."
You shrug to the comment as you move your hoof back to the cup just testing the temperature.
But even without your voice her's comes back as she turns her body to face more towards you, "I mean really, you know I had to get up early today."
You blink to the comment for a second but quickly roll your eyes as you nod to the stack of papers at the edge of the table, "Twilight, you do not have to go over every word you wrote."
The mare's stuffy nosed voice comes back to her as she puffs her chest out, "Write, look over, correct and look over. That's how you make sure there's no mistakes..." She holds her superior know it all stance as she continues, "...And if you find one mistake you can't just cross it out, quil ink would smudge, you have to restart."
A faint chuckle comes from you as you think to yourself, drunk Twilight-horny,giggly,sleepy, hangover Twilight-perfect,awake,smart. You move your eyes over the mare's face as you notice she's waiting for some kind of response, knowing you've lost this argument you change your approach with a now almost mocking tone, "Sooo...hows your head?"
Twilight loses her superior stance as she sighs and floats the book to her face, "Horrible! Its like being in heat..." Her voice quickly jumps from her last words as she speaks up, "Ah, here we go, this should work."
Twilight's tongue pokes a little from one side as she squints her eyes to the page of the book. The low chime of her horn comes up fast as she pushes through the spell, around her body a low purple glow comes to shimmer around her like the other few attempts before the spell's vail would break. But this time the vail doesn't break with a resonating chime, instead the wall that surrounded her body takes on a brighter glow as the wood room around the now bright purple veil shines from the new light thats suddenly appeared.
The light purple filly holds her ears up high and her eyes stay pinned to the oval shaped as the last loudish chime rings through the house. As it does the vail that clouded Twilight's figure is lost and the light purple filly gives a happy front hoof wiggle to the reappeared mare.
Violet's reaction sparks your own new amusement to the spell you've already seen, but you hold the smile to the purple mare as she takes a deep breath through her nostrils, "Ahh...Much better..."
As her voice ends the sound of a young boyish dragon runs down from the stairs next to the room, "Can you guys keep it down! Jeez, its not even after morning yet..."
Twilight sighs to the voice as she trots to the bottom of the stairs and calls up, "Spike, I told you not to have any cider!" No response comes back from the stairs as she shakes her head and turns her trot back to the floating book beside her, "He knows dragon's react different to cider then ponies."
You give a light laugh to the comment as Twilight floats the book to the empty spot in the bookshelf. As the book comes to set in place a knock at the door runs through the house but it's not just a simple knock, instead whoever is on the other side of the door really wanted to make some noise...or is really really hyper.
The answer to your thoughts comes fast as you watch the door fly open without you even getting have way over to it, the flood gate of pink has been breached as you see Pinkie's happy face comes hopping into the room. Although her happy pink face and bright blue eyes are not the only thing that scream good morning as she blows a party blower from her mouth.
Even you shrink your ears back to the shrill loud sound as the pink pony takes the item of ear rape from her mouth, "HI Twilight!"
You can tell from Twilight's downed ears and her hoof that she's brought to her head, that her mind from last night has still not calmed, however she gives a friendly hello to her friend as she holds her own, "Hello Pinkie..."
Without a moment the pink ball of fluff has started up in her normal nonsense as she begins to sit her flank to the ground as she moves her hooves to something on her back, "AjsaidthatIshouldcomeandsayi'msorryforwhathappenlastnight." A giggle comes from the mare as she moves one hoof to poke happily towards the lavender mare, "Hee-he, you were funny last night, you were all..." Her hooves both come back in front of her as she sticks her tongue out and wobbles her eyes crazy, "Whoo whoo ooh.. you know?"
Twilight gives an annoyed sigh as she nods, "Yes...I remember."
Pinkie smiles as she nods, "Glad you had fun! OH!ButIAlmostforgot! Here you go Twilight!" The mare jumps from her seated spot as she, in one motion brings a small box up in her front right hoof, "I hope you're not too mad Twilight."
A soft but large smile comes across the mare as her usual excited voice calms down.
Twilight blinks to the small box as she floats it from the mare, "Oh...thank you Pinkie."
"IT's a cocoa-butter vanilla super-duper good cake..." A smile comes over the mare as she takes a pause, "I know its your favorite, and this way we can see if Violet still likes vanilla! Thatwaysomeponycanmakesaspecialbirthdaycake!" Her smiling face turns to Violet as the filly just blinks to the words.
You have the same slightly confused stare but you've gotten better at deciphering the mare and you speak up, "Well Pinkie thats still a couple of months away."
"PFF!! As if..." She darts over to you as she moves her hoof to mess up your mane, "Celestia's year has shorter months but longer days silly, that means EVERY thing is soon! Hearts and Hooves day, The running of the leaves...OH! And That means more birthday parties for every PonY!"
The wide smile to her face holds for a moment but she stops it as she squints to you, "Hey...When is yours?"
You blink to her comment as you stutter, "Uh...I'll tell you when it is."
Her slightly faded smile comes back to it's full as she nods, "Okey dokey."
As Pinkie's voice ends Twilight takes advantage and speaks up as she trots over towards the table and floats the cake box to the table, "Well thank you Pinkie..." A giggle comes from her as she continues, "And don't worry about Violet's birthday party, of course we'll be asking you to help with it, no pony creates a party quite like-..."
"Alright!" Pinkies words end as her vice grip hug comes wrapped around her friend.
Twilight's face puffs out a little as the air is quickly pushed from her, to the mare's reaction Pinkie lets go of Twilight as she talks with a light laugh, "Sorry."
With a quick intake of air Twilight nods her head as she talks, "It's fine Pinkie...Are you ready to go?"
Pinkie speaks up as she nods her head to her saddle, it's at this point you realize what's draped over her, "Yep, I got my ice skates and everything."
You squint to her comment as you cock your head, "Ice skates?"
"Yep, OH!" Pinkie tilts her head back towards you as she talks, "Do you want to come and help me out with cutting the lake's ice?"
You smile as you start your words up, "Somepony has to watch Violet."
Pinkie blinks to your words as she shifts her eyes beside you, a laugh comes from her as she nods, "I bet."
"Violet." Twilight's voice turns your head as you shift your gaze back to the light purple filly that has frozen with big caught in the act eyes, Twilight's voice comes up as her magic wraps around the box, "You know no sweets so early."
Pinkie lets out a snorting laugh as she rolls her hoof to the comment, "Ha! That's funny Twilight."
The lavender mare doesn't pick up on the comment as she starts her trot towards the kitchen, you move a little closer to the filly as you look over the slightly pink frosted tips of her hooves. Your stare doesn't go unnoticed though as Violet gives a sly smile as she brings her hoof to her mouth with a childlike glee as she licks a bit of the frosting off.
"You're still going to wash your hooves." You hold your stare to the filly as the weird idea of washing something you walk with holds in your mind, but you stand by your comment as the filly nods her head.
The sound of Twilight's hooves comes back to the room as her voice trails in after her, "Alright Pinkie, lets get going. I'm hoping Winter Wrap up might actually be on time with no mishaps, we still have Violet's magic training to continue."
Pinkie nods her head as she trots towards the door with a slight bounce to her step, "Duh, of course we'll be done, you're doing the planning." Pinkie turns back to Twilight as she taps her hoof to her head, "You know your a smart cookie Twilight."
Twilight gives a friendly giggle to the comment as her horn sparks to float the few papers from the table. As the papers come to float next to her she speaks up, "Hopefully this won't take all day...but the last three years it did." A slight sigh comes over her as she shrugs.
You nod your head as you give her a little hug, "Bye Twilight."
As your embrace ends the mare trots towards the door with her friend as she starts outside. Your gaze of the mare is cut as you watch the door close, but as it does you move your eyes back to the filly with the still slightly frosting covered hooves as you speak up, "Come on Violet, lets get you cleaned up and then we'll find something to-..."
Your voice is cut off as you hear a quick paced tap-tap-tap of claws coming from down the stairs, you turn your head to the purple dragon as his eyes meet to you with a bit of surprise, "Twilight left?"
Spike's tone holds a slight grogginess to it, but his wide open and alert eyes show he's not really as tired as he sound...or so you think.
You nod your head as Violet moves from her seat, "Ya, she just left."
He blinks to your words as he stumbles a little on his words, "T-then can I just go back to sleep?"
You shrug to the comment as you and Violet move towards the stairs the little dragon came from, "Fine with me."
"All right!" Spike starts up after you and Violet as his voice ends with a boyish glee. The small dragon makes his way around you as he picks his pace up a little more, you watch him for a moment as you continue to lead the filly upstairs.
End of chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 – Questing for the ugly duckling, that made the beautiful swan
The sound of Violet's hooves comes back to the room around you a little louder as the filly almost gallops down the stairs like a professional. Clearly leaving you behind her as she takes her last hoof to the stairs and darts into the room to the left of you.
As the filly's bobbing ribbon tied tail leaves your sight you focus your mind back to the large comfy floor pillow you float beside you, you don't want to have to clean up burnt pillow stuffing so your magical chime is held to a low as you just barely hold your thoughts to keeping it off the ground.
You take the last stair under your hoof as you turn your gaze back to the table, naw, that cup of lava wouldn't have cooled off yet.
As the thought comes to an end in your mind you float the pillow towards one side of the main library room and start to trot inside room. Violet moves to the newly set down seat as you pin your eyes to the bookshelves...You know you put the one book back in place easy to find, but the sheer volume of colored spines and faced out books doesn't let your mind take you to it immediately.
But you finally locate your goal as you float it towards you, a quick glance shows the title as you read it to yourself, Prince Bubble Gum and the quest for the magic clam...written by Harness Hoofing Way. You squint to the name as you study it for a moment, but you shrug it off as you speak up.
"Alright..." You shake your head to the book as you turn back to the anxiously looking filly, "You sure you want to read this book?"
Violet blinks to your comment, but her hooves come up as you watch her speaking. You nod to the filly's motions as you bring yourself back beside the sitting filly, "Your right, don't start something if you're not going to finish it."
The filly smiles as she throws her left ear and left hoof into a motion.
A faint chuckle runs from you as you start to bring yourself down to the ground, "Oh ya, i'm dumb for asking?" You give a little emphasis on the word as you spark a childlike wheezing giggle from the little filly as she holds a smile to your voice.
"Ok...Lets start." You adjust your body as you bring the book to set in your front hooves. You're not really as comfortable as you were yesterday, but being stretched out is a lot better then sitting awkwardly in a chair.
You give a little sigh as you flip through the pages just skimming the words as you try to find where you left off last.
With a slight clear of your throat you start up your voice as you trail your eyes to the text,
Chapter four, locked away.
Sir.Bubble Gum's journey has brought him and his trusted traveling companion to the thick layer of dark clouds that have formed into an almost building like silhouette at the edge of King Avidità's empire.
The white coated and bright pink maned pegasus stallion tilts his head up as his mane slightly blows to the pull of the wind that seems to be stemmed from the thick packed cloud layer above him.
"Do you feel that Minty Rose?" Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he takes in a sharp inhale from his nostrils.
The white stallion turns his attention to his companion beside him as he looks the pale red coated and gold maned mare over, "Minty?"
Sir.Bubble Gum's words spark a reaction from the quiet mare as she quickly turns her head back to the stallion, "Oh, I-i'm sorry Sir.Bubble Gum, I have just never seen a cloud mass such as this before."
A laugh comes from the Sir.Bubble Gum as he speaks up...
You turn your head to the filly next to you as you notice her perked up ear, a smile comes over you as you pause from the text as you try your voice at giving a realistic laugh.
Your voice sparks a response from the filly as she slightly jumps from your bad acting. But as her surprise comes to an end as her hooves spark up. You nod your head to her as you answer her, "Yes we did read this part yesterday."
Violet blinks to the comment as she taps her right hoof to her left.
You shrug as you answer her, "Why, because I couldn't remember where we stopped."
The light purple filly's hooves comes back fast as she speaks up, but her smiling comment doesn't spark a smile in you as you squint to her, "...OH ya? And are you going to be that organised like mommy?"
The filly holds her smile as she pauses, but her answer comes up as she runs through her favorite response.
You give a true to life laugh as you nod your head, "Of course you're a big filly." From your laugh you turn back to the text as you pick your voice back up into your interpretation of Sir.Bubble Gum...Which borders Sean Connery, you shake the strange name from your head as you start to read.
"...Come now Minty, you have seen hundreds of pegasus creations such as this one."
The mare nods her head as she smiles, "Well...I have not really seen such beauty, an earth pony can not fly, and the sky's wonders never touch the ground so often." The mare gives a sweet smile to the stallion.
Sir.Bubble Gum rolls his hoof as he leans to one side of his four legs, "OH beauty...I love thee, AH but the beauty of the sky pales in comparison to Princess Impudente." The stallion's tone holds his eyes to a mindless distant stare as his mind wanders, "When I return King Avidità will be so pleased with me, I am sure to impress Princess Impudente with this quest."
Minty Rose nods her head as she turns her gaze towards the ground beneath her hooves a little disheartened, "Yes, ...of course she will."
"Precisely." Said Sir.Bubble Gum, "Now I must take to the sky."
"T-The sky?" Minty's voice comes back as her confused eyes come to the stallion's flexing wings.
With a nod Sir.Bubble Gum brings his body from the ground, "But of course, the foul beast the King spoke of lays in wait at the highest room in the tallest tower."
You smile to the words as you swallow back your voice to your thoughts, yep, i've read this book before...You hold the thought as you squint your eyes to the text, it's a dragon, i'm sure of it.
Your silence comes to an end as the filly turns her impatient stare back to you, from her blue eyed glance you start your voice up again.
Sir.Bubble Gum's quick and trained wings bring the white stallion off the ground and up head on into the slightly rotating cloud cover above the ground, as he dips past the first layer of cloudy white mist Minty Rose calls up from her earth bound position, "BE careful Sir.Bubble Gum."
The comment only adds to the stallion's confidence as he makes quick work of the thick clouds. With a few good strokes he pops from the cloud cover to a more open area, but as he lands himself to the clouds surface with the ease only a pegasus would know he begins to sway his head around.
Only, his surveying eyes don't take too long as a sound comes to his ears,Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, I smell the mane of Sir.Bubble Gum." A deep voice ran around the mist cloud's surface as the bright pink maned white pegasus tries to scan the area around him in search of the source of the voice.
"Who's there?" Said Sir Bubble Gum.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, you should have know better then to come." Again the deep voice rings around the cloud's surface as Sir.Bubble gum continues his search for the voice.
"I have come in search of the golden pearl laying clam that you have stolen!" Sir.Bubble Gum sprawls his wings out a little more as the stallion tries to hold his own to the building fright that pulses through his wings."
You flip the pages as you read past the last few words.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, that was dumb." The tone of the voice now takes on a mocking tone as it bounces from the clouds around Sir.Bubble Gum.
The readied stance doesn't hold long as the stallion speaks up, "HA, you mock me when you are too cowardly to show your face."
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, is never coward!"
"Then show yourself to me, or surrender the clam!" Sir.Bubble Gum's voice comes back with a-...
You're unable to complete the sentence as you let out a little chuckle, surrender the clam? Really? This is a story? Your sudden and abrupt laugh to the words spark a questioning stare from the filly next to you as you lose your laugh a little and clear your throat to continue.
...Sir.Bubble Gum's voice comes back with a quick response as he throws his head up proudly.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum...." The absent body to the voice finally starts to take shape as the clouds around the white and bright pink maned stallion begin to clear from a heavy and quick gust of wind.
Sir.Bubble Gum closes his eyes as he turns a little away from the rushing clouds, but as he turns back in front of him he sees the voice's holder...
You squint to the next few lines as you read them over just trying to make sense of them yourself, Violet on the other hoof impatiently swings her head between you and the book as the seemingly endless pause starts to end with your unsure voice.
Now standing before Sir.Bubble Gum is a much larger than normal buffalo,with a coat as grey as freshly mined gravel and mane and eyes as dull as the darkest reaches of the land of Cavallo.
However, the well spoken and brave Sir.Bubble Gum goes silent as he looks over the large buffalo's wings that sprawl from it's sides.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, silence has taken Sir.Bubble Gum." The buffalo's voice comes back to his large figure as he stands across from the white stallion.
Sir.Bubble Gum's response comes fast as he waves his hoof to the beast that lay in front of him, "Nonsense, I merely have been giving you a chance to surrender...You now see who you are facing and I am sure tha-..."
"HA ha ha, Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, thinks you are puny pony, Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, thinks Sir.Bubble Gum-..."
"You will not forfeit the clam beast?" Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he lowers his head.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, never give up the shell so pretty, shell give Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum shining rocks." The over sized winged buffalo moves his hoof to a normal sized rope tied bag around his neck as his deep voiced words come to an end.
Sir.Bubble Gum squints to the bag as he looks over the beast, "Very well...I shall take the clam from you." The white stallion's sprawled out wings come to flap hard and fast as he darts towards the beast.
Sir.Bubble Gum's hoof comes around the bag too quick for the large buffalo to react, and by the time it moves the stallion has pulled the bag free from it's neck and has darted up into the open cloud area.
The buffalo looks to the absent bag as his voice comes up, "Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum! You have taken it Sir.Bubble Gum!"
"Yes, I have." Said the stallion still hoovering well above the inside cloud's layer as he wiggles the dangling bag towards the buffalo.
The action turn's the furry beast's eyes into a sharp stare as his voice comes up and his wings sprawl out, "Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum...Wants Sir.Bubble Gum!"
His voice ends with a rumble, but unlike the previous sounds; but Sir.Bubble Gum's mind doesn't get the chance to wonder as the stallion's eyes quickly shrink to the beast's now glowing mouth.
Without hesitation a gust of intensely hot orange and red flames spit from the now flying buffalo's mouth as it tries to pinpoint the smaller white stallion....
A flying fire breathing buffalo? A faint chuckle rolls from you as you flip the page and adjust your sitting, ya I know see why this is a foal book...I could take him though.
With your own stupid smirk you clear your now drying throat as you continue on.
The brush of fire shoots itself past Sir.Bubble Gum just barely missing the stallion. "Whoa!" Said Sir Bubble Gum as he takes the bag to his mouth as he bites down on to it, freeing his front hooves to help his directions while he flies.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, stop running Sir.Bubble Gum... FFHFFFFH" Another heated dragon like's breath rings from the buffalo as he now chases after the stallion. Surprising for his large size and slightly heavy wings the buffalo holds his speed and is able to successfully halt Sir.Bubble Gum each time the stallion turns to escape the cloud inclosure.
The brave hero is trapped yet again, as a wall of fire runs past his exit. Lucky though Sir.Bubble Gum's quick wits and fast wings steer him from the certain doom.
You give a playfully emphasis to your words as you slightly rock your body to the filly next to you, which gives the filly a pleasantly surprising jolt that shakes her from her intensive listening.
The closed in clouds around Sir.Bubble Gum have started to ricochet the heat of the flames billowing from within as the vapors of the thick clouds begin to evaporate...
Pff, foal’s book...
...With every breath Sir.Bubble Gum takes his nostrils become filled with the vapors, but the nimbull stallion darts from each breath as the buffalo's voice comes back to the cloud layer, "Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, why Sir.Bubble Gum not sercombe?"
"Hmm-mmhh-nhh." Said Sir.Bubble Gum in a mocking fashion still biting the bag with his mouth, stopping any real words.
The heat around the stallion has now turned to a decent fog as he tries to find an opening in the cloud's not too packed to get through.
However the stallion's luck runs dryer then his open panting mouth as a gust of frightening air brushes his body...
Violet's ears pick up to the words as you take your own slight bit of surprise to the words you just read, but you push on now with a new found interest as you read.
Sir.Bubble Gum quickly stops his flight as he almost falls to the softish cloud floor beneath him. The brave stallion closes his eyes as the smell of smoke sends his mind into a howling, however as the heat that once stuck to his body fades from his feeling he opens his eyes.
The stallion slowing brings his body up as he leaves the small bag to the thick cloud ground, to his surprise the ragging flying buffalo did not swoop down. Instead the furred beast hoovers in air with its back turned to the white stallion as it swings its head around, "Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, I do not smell the mane of Sir.Bubble Gum..."
From the word's the stallion snaps his gaze up to the pink mane that once laid in front of his eyes, no mane now remains. The stallion quickly thrust his hooves up as he feels a very short bit of uneven mane, "MY mane!" Said Sir.Bubble Gum.
The words turn the buffalo’s body to face the white stallion's still sitting position. To the squinted and frustrated stare of the beast Sir.Bubble Gum covers his mouth with his hooves as his alert and ready eyes stay opened to him.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Hum, where be the mane of Sir.Bubble Gum?" Said the buffalo.
Sir.Bubble Gum stares unmoving to the confused beast for a moment, but only a moment before the hero regains his mind and quickly grabs to the dropped bag as he slowly and quietly begins to slink back to the entrance of the clouds.
The short distance last for what seems like thirty feather flaps, but the white stallion finally gets to the soft clouds as he drops himself through them and back into the bright sunned world. Only dropping from the clouds yields an unexpected surprise.
Not only was Sir.Bubble Gum's mane and tail changed, but the stallion's feathers have all but been burnt and the pegasus struggles to hold himself from falling like a simple drop of rain.
Sir.Bubble Gum's wings flap hard as he fights to slow his rapid descent, but his efforts proves unyielding as he hits the hard dirt ground with a thud and a groan.
"Sir.Bubble Gum!" Said a feminine voice quickly from his side
The stallion feels a hoof coming to his aide as the dazed stallion is brought up from the ground.
"You are hurt! I wi-..." The earth mare is cut off as the stallion regains his cocky tone, "Nonsense my companion, I am Sir.Bubble Gum, I never am weak and I am never unsuccessful!"
The white stallion moves his hoof as he reveals the bag, "I have got it Minty, we must return at once!" Sir.Bubble Gum starts his trot but only manages a few hoofs before buckling and falling to his front knees in a panted breath.
"You must rest! A quest such as this can surely be missed." Minty rushes to the stallion's side again as she helps him to his hooves.
"NO, time waits for no pony, and I Sir.Bubble Gum will not let time pass me by. On word! Back to the castle."
The mare follows beside the wobbly stallion as they trail off down the road to the large stone castle in the distance...
You sigh as you stretch your neck, "Alright...we'll read the rest latter."
To your words the filly quickly shakes her head as she starts her hooves up.
You blink to her words as you give a faint dry mouthed groan, "Ugh...Last chapter." You shift your eyes back to the book as the filly's happy smile drives you back to the next page.
Chapter five – the story's end
You smile to the words as you nod your head, good.
The trek back to Avidità's castle was nothing less than strenuous, but thanks to a little help from the mare the much bigger stallion leans to the large doors of the castle only lay a hoof away.
As the two ponies near the door a unicorn speaks up, "Halt." Said the gatekeeper, "Who goes there?"
Sir.Bubble Gum quickly springs from the mare's side as he speaks up, "Why it is I, Sir.Bubble Gum. I have returned from King Avidità's quest and I am here to return the king's rightful possession."
"You look nothing of Sir.Bubble Gum." Said the gatekeeper, still holding an unfazed stare to the two ponies.
"But this is true, he is Sir.Bubble Gum, the braves, kindest and smartest pony ever to fall from the land of pegasus." Said Minty Rose as she holds her hoof to the unicorn guard.
The gatekeeper blinks his eyes a little stunned to the earth mare's raised hoof, "Excuse me, but an earth pony should not-..."
Before the gatekeeper's words can finish the white stallion has moved his hoof to his folded back wings as he takes the bag to his front hoof. "Behold." The bag comes undone as a shining clam sits to the white stallion's hoof.
"The clam!" Said the gatekeeper-you must takes this to the king!"
Without a moment's hesitation the gatekeeper opens the doors as Minty and Sir.Bubble Gum follow in after the stallion.
The two ponies are lead through the castle as there brought into the throne room. And thats where the white stallion with burned pink mane and dirty dirt covered hooves sees her...Princess Impudente, the most beautiful mare that this stallion has ever laid his eyes on. Her mane has a sandy color only the softest sands of HorseShoe bay could compare to...and her coat the most lavish of caramel that would make a dipped sweet apple turn bitter.
But the stallion's gaze of the mare is brought to an end as a deep voice comes to the room from the elegant throne next to the mare of Sir.Bubble Gum's desire, "What is the meaning of this-this dirty excuse of a stallion."
Sir.Bubble Gum bows to the slightly raised voice as he speaks up, "My King Avidità, I have returned with your quest completed and I have come for a reward."
The white stallion holds the bright clam towards the sitted pony as he begins to go wide eyed, "Sir.Bubble Gum! You have returned! And you have defeated the beast I see!...Forgive me for not noticing you, why you look like a common..." The stallion stops his words as he notices the mare beside the pegasus, "Um, yes well what be your reward brave quester?"
The clam is taken from the stallion's hoof as he puffs his chest out and just stares to the princess in the throne next to King Avidità. The king doesn't pay attention to the stallion though as he begins to gawk to the shiny clam that now is held in his hoof.
"I would like the hoof of Princess Impudente..." Said Sir.Bubble Gum.
The Princess blinks astonished to the words, however the comment does bring a reaction from the mare beside Sir.Bubble Gum and the king, but Minty's face drops to the floor as the mare just listens quietly.
"MY Princess's hoof?" The king stops his intrigue of the clam as he turns his head to the caramel mare beside him, "My dearest daughter, what are your thoughts?"
The mare is silent for a moment as she turns between the two stallions, "Me? Her ear piercing and annoying high pitched feminine voice runs through the room giving every creature a slight shiver to their backs and ears...All but Sir.Bubble Gum as he listens to what his mind has portrayed as an angel's song continue to speak, "...You wish for me to decide?"
A nod comes from King Avidità.
"Hmm." Princess Impudente looks over the dirtied stallion and burnt mane as she quickly speaks up, "Your mane, what happened to your mane?"
The stallion blinks to her words as his usually confident and brave voice falters a little, "It shall return."
"...And what of your coat? Your coat has changed, you-you are more dull?" Said Princess Impudente.
"It will return with a simple wash-..." Sir.Bubble Gum's voice is cut off as the Princess shakes her head, "No, you are not the stallion for me, I need a brave and good looking stallion."
Sir.Bubble Gum is silent to the mare's words as King Avidità speaks up, "Then it is settled...My daughter has said no." The king waves his hoof to Sir.Bubble Gum as he continues, "You may go, unless you have more treasure to bestow upon me."
Minty Rose perks her ears up as she turns her head to the white stallion next to her as his trot starts to bring his disappointed face around.
But before he can leave the throne room Princess Impudente giggles her voice comes up, "Oh Sir.Bubble Gum."
The stallion quickly turns his head back around, "Yes?" He says.
"If you wish to ask again bring to me the pearl in Dragon's den." A smile comes from the mare as King Avidità shakes his head, "Yes, the clam of magic is great for gold pearls...But we do not have a silver dragon egg!"
Sir.Bubble Gum's eyes light up as he nods his head, "A quest?!"
King Avidità nods his head as he continues, "Yes, a quest only fit for a brave pony."
Sir.Bubble Gum's wings flair out a little as he speaks up in a brave and arrogant voice, "I am a brave pony! Consider this quest complete my King!"
King Avidità smiles as the mare next to him waves her hoof in a regal goodbye.
Sir.Bubble Gum slightly tugs on the mare next to him as he tries to pull her along, "Come now Minty, we have yet another quest to please King Avidità with!"
The mare reluctantly follows after Sir.Bubble Gum as the two ponies set off out of the castle into the fading day's sun.
You give a sigh as you notice the words to the page stopping midway, but you flip it just to make sure...There are a few sentences on the next page and even though they don't need to be read you mow them down anyways, "This concludes part two of The Prince Bubble Gum saga, made famous on the real life accounts of Sir. Sciocco depicted by Harness Hoofing Way. For continued reading please seek out your local library for parts three through ten."
You blink to the words as you close the book and begin to stand up and stretch your legs, ten parts to one story? Pff, why not just one. The thought doesn't really stay as you think over the last sentence, real life accounts?...There's flying buffalo?
Before you can settle your mind's debate a hoof to the door of the library shifts your mind back to the real world. You move to open the door as Violet slightly follows after you.
The outside world looks to be almost completely devoid of snow, with only small piles of unmelted white powder still really visible; and the fluffy white clouds that held in the sky above Ponyville most days have now vanished leaving the bright sun and a bluebird sky. But sadly your look over the world's post-winter beauty is cut short as a familiar small grey stallion makes his way into the library through the door you hold open.
As the small stallion trots past you his deep voice comes up, "Ah betrunken, i’m glad to see unlike most Ponyville services the library is not closed."
You squint to the stallion as you look him over, "Um ya...Stony?"
To your voice the stallion rolls his eyes as he begins to dig in the large satchel around him, "Yes, I believe you have noticed my lack of mane...it turns out the spell book you gave me had some kind of enchantment on it..." Stony's voice drops to a slightly annoyed tone as he continues, "And because of it the Parasprite ended up wanting to eat mane instead of it's normal appetite."
He brings the book from yesterday out of the satchel and for the first time you really get a good look at it...and sure enough its one of the books Violet and Twilight were using for enchantment practice. You give a friendly laugh as you float the new book next to the other book you already hold.
Your friendly laugh sparks a faint, "Hmph...You find my mostly eaten mane funny do you betrunken?"
You blink to the words as you shake your head and move your eyes back to his, instead of the strange and uneven mane cut.
Violet on the other hoof gawks to the smaller stallion, no doubt still remembering Sir.Bubble Gum from the story as she looks over Stony's mane.
Stony waves his hoof to your words as he shrugs, "Honestly mane has never been a concern of mine..." He squints to the other book in your purple hold as his own horn comes up in a faint glow, "Ah...I see the betrunken has good taste."
Your hold over the book becomes lapsed as Stony takes it to himself, you take the moment to trot over to the table as you place the book down and bring your old cup of never drank hot chocolate to your mouth. But as you take a sip all you get is a cold and very unpleasant amount of unstirred chocolate dust that just makes your dry throat feel worst.
But even if your voice is shot the other pony in the room begins to speak up clearly, "I have always found this book interesting...mainly because it's the only saga worthwhile of reading...Daring Do is nothing more then cheap adventures and corny se-..." The stallion halts his voice as he turns an eye to the silently staring filly.
"Yes...But anyways, I liked this book because it showed a lot of hidden messages.
You blow to the comment as you think to yourself, yep fire breathing flying buffalo...oh and magic clams.
Your laugh brings Stony's right eyebrow up as he cocks it to you, "Hmm let me guess, you most likely don't know old Unicorn so you wouldn't understand names...and you most likely are not stallion enough to realize the meaning of the clam, the idea of never giving up or the idea of using others for your personal gain..." The small stallion takes on an almost Twilight like know it all stance as he continues, "...Which mind you was the meaning of this one."
"Hmm..." Stony looks over the book again before he turns it back to you, "Still not as good as the next one...Now that's something that will take a stallion all day." A light laugh comes from Stony as you place the book to the table next to you.
You copy his light toned laugh as you turn your eyes to the window, "All day huh? Well I'd say it would, today's a Celestia half day." You look to the high sun for a second as you bring your idea to fact, which brings a smile to your face for being able to tell.
"HA! No, today is a Luna full night, Celestia half days are only in Luna's year...But nice try betrunken."
You lose your smile as you just blink to the stallion, great what's a Luna full night now?
Before you can speak up Stony's voice cuts you off as he starts to trot towards the door, "Any Hooves good bye, I have to get back before the ingenious pegasus decide to collect there pushed out clouds over my house again."
You nod your head to the stallion as you close the door behind him. As the door comes too close you turn your gaze back to the filly while you continue to stretch your legs out from your hour or two reading session.
But you pause for a moment as you watch the filly's hoofs come up with a bright smile, "Um...yes he said there were more."
The words send the filly galloping back to the main part of the library, you blink to her quick gallop as you take a step towards the room and call out, "But were not reading another one today ok Violet?...Violet?"
The sound of a few books crashing to the floor comes to your ears as you pick your pace up around the corner. Your eyes dart to the clutter of books that lay around the floor, but your gaze quickly shifts to the happily smiling filly that stands with her horn a glow to a much larger book held next to her by her magic.
Your silent as you look over the little filly's mixture of excitement, wonder and joy...
End of chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 – Spitting dust
The chime of your low magic holds to the room like it has for last little bit since stretching your front hooves out to hold a heavyish book became too hard. Next to your side sits a few cups of water and yours and Violet's neatly stacked plate, that still has a few crumbs of cake left on them. Your excuse for eating the cake may have been to help your dried out mouth, but you never really believed it would really help...Note to self Pinkie really does make the BEST sweets.
With your new wet and rested voice and your now more comfortable position reading through the rest of the book Violet pulled from the shelf really feel like nothing...Which is a good thing seeing as how their is no way you're going to be doing anything else other than this today.
But the sound of your voice is broken as the crack of the wooden door to the library comes open behind you. From the noise you and the light purple filly turn your heads as you watch the lavender mare coming into the house.
"Hi Twilight."
Your slightly raspy voice sparks the mare's eyes to shrink as she backs up a little more towards the door, "Oh Celestia, you're not sick again are you?"
You clear your throat as you give a laugh, "What? No no, i've just been talking a lot."
The little filly beside you quickly jumps from her sitting spot as she dashes over towards the lavender mare.
Twilight breaths a sigh of relief as she starts to undo her saddle while she gives a warm embrace to the little filly, "Thats a relief....So what did you two do today?" The mare's voice turns a little foal like as she gives a smile to the filly.
Violet's hooves spark up in quick and slightly incomplete motions as she happily tries to run through the books you've read.
You bring yourself up from the ground as you float the book, cups and plates up from the ground. Twilight's voice comes back as she holds her smile to the filly's excitement, "You did?" But the happy tone doesn't stay long as Twilight cocks her head, "What do you mean the cake was good?"
Her eyes come to you as you trot towards the kitchen, you halt as you speak up, "Don't worry, it wasn't a lot."
Twilight's trot brings her next to you as her horn takes the items from your magical grasp, "I would hope not, that's hardly a good lunch."
You smirk to the comment as you think to yourself, does she really think that was lunch? You push the thought aside as you cock your smiling face to Twilight, "There's still the biggest piece left for you."
Twilight's voice calls back from the kitchen as the sound of plates and cups clanging a little trail in behind her, "HA, biggest piece? What are you trying to do fatten me up?"
A faint chuckle comes from you as the mare comes back into your sight, "So you're done for the day?"
Twilight's playful expression changes as she rolls her eyes, "Ugh, yes but some of the pegasus team went too far south and Fluttershy said she found a few of her bunny friends missing a little bit of the tail's hair...Its like somethings eating hair?"
You blink to her comment but you don't bring your voice up as the sound of fast paced claws come to the room behind you, "Twilight! Twilight your back!"
You and Twilight both just stare to the slightly panted little dragon as he continues to speak, "I got something from Celestia a little while ago." His right claw waves around for a moment as he walks towards Twilight.
But the lavender mare's horn comes up as the paper moves from Spike's hand, "A letter? Oh...Celestia must have been looking forward to Violet's latest training update."
You roll your eyes to the comment as you think it over, I'm sure Princess Do Nothing would not have been following her letters that much.
Twilight runs her eyes across the page for a moment with a hesitant smile, however as she continues down the text her smile becomes completely lost as you look her over with a quick spike of fear that you haven't felt in a few months, "What? What's wrong?"
Theres a moment of silence as Twilight's building voice comes to the awaiting world around her the paper turns towards the rest of the ponies in the room, "Celestia says because of how well Violet's doing that she thinks we should just bring her up in the next two weeks! She already got us train tickets."
You blink to her comment as you breath a faint sigh of relief, "Oh..."
Twilight's voice holds its spike as she floats the paper to the table, "No, not OH, its oh no! We still haven't even gone over egg warming spells!"
You cock your head to her tone as you speak up, "But I thought you said we did everything else?"
Twilight's trot comes over towards Spike as she slightly pushes him into the main part of the library, "Well duh, you always do the harder stuff first, but we still need to go over all kinds of things, enchanting again, spellbinding again, teleporting again, telekinesis again, spell casting- we need to go over everything again...Spike go see if you can bring one of the enchanted brooms up from the basement."
The purple dragon pauses for a second but he moves from your sight as he walks quickly into the other room.
You just stand motionless as you study her words in your head, again...Any bit of worry that you had now drops to almost nothing as you shake your head and turn to the little filly next to you that just stare with her own confusion to the lavender mare's frantic motions, "...I think that mommy is just trying to make you perfect-..."
"Don't just stand there! Help me with these books." You snap back to reality as you move towards the web of books that have started to form from Twilight's floating magic.
Violet just sits with a patient smile as she stares to the magical juggling act being performed in front of her, with no regard to what lays just a week or two away.
End of chapter 3
