THE STORYTELLER
Gather around, young’uns, for I have a tale to tell you of my journey many years ago to the fair city of Canterlot. Oh, Canterlot is a wondrous city, where our glorious princesses Celestia and Luna rule our land. After a long journey there, I even got a chance to see them both up close, and they are just as lovely as the pictures make them to be. I was even invited to dine with them.
It was the winter after Princess Luna had been freed from the moon. Oh, the seas were rough that winter. The few pegasi here did their best to keep the weather calm, but here at the edge of Equestria, the seas have a magic of their own that can overwhelm even the best.
It so happened that not long before Winter Wrap Up, our poor little village was struck with a terrible storm. The pens for harvesting and drying kelp, as well as the buildings for storing the sea salt were all destroyed by the wind and the waves. I doubt that if there were any unicorns in our village, they would've been able to prevent the damage. Luckily, nopony was hurt, but the loss of those buildings was terrible; our very livelihood depended on it.
My sire was the town elder back then. He knew that someone needed to let the officials in Canterlot know of our plight. But he couldn't go because he had to run the town and make sure any repairs that we could do on our own were done. Nor could we spare any of the Weather Team, between trying to prevent more damage and getting ready for Winter Wrap Up.
Thus it fell to me, just out of school and not much to do, to make the journey to Canterlot. My sire told me, "Nori, this would be a good chance for you to not only get some political experience, but also see more of the world." (Though, I think he just wanted me out of his mane, since I wasn't good for much in those days...)
The next morning, I bid my sire and dam goodbye, and with full saddlebags filled with carrots, apples and what little kelp that could be spared, headed out of Potroland on my own for the first time in my life.
Two days later, I came back for a map.
Setting off again, this time the saddlebags a little lighter and with some idea which direction to head, I made good time along the Princesses' Road towards Canterlot. With winter ending, there was still some snow, especially in those lands thinly populated by ponies, but the further inland I headed, the weather became noticeably more stable.
About three days journey and before the edge of Everfree Forest lay the village of Appleton. I had visited the town several times before, but always with my sire as part of the regular exchanges of goods that happen around both the Summer Sun Celebration and Hearth's Warming. But this was the first time I had visited the town on my own, and I was a bit nervous.
My sire suggested that I visit the village elder to see if I could secure some supplies and perhaps get some assistance for the village. I knew that the elder when I had last visited was a kindly pegasus mare, Rain Cloud, who had even given me rides when I was a little colt. Surely, she would help me and my village.
I politely knocked on the door of the elder's house in the center of Appleton. Who came to great me was not Rain Cloud, but a sour faced Earth pony. "Yes, what is it?"
Flustered, I asked, "Um, is this the elder's house? Is Rain Cloud in?"
"No, she retired after the last Running Of The Leaves. Went to Cloudsdale to be closer to her grandchildren. I am the new elder, Bogey. And who may you be?"
"Nori, sir, from Potroland. We had a terrible storm that ruined our kelp and salt drying shacks. I was heading to Canterlot—"
"Nori!" the older brown stallion bellowed. "You Bull Head's colt?"
"Y-yes?" I stammered in confusion.
"The same Nori that knocked over the statue of Celestia or broke something every time he showed up?" he asked in a suspicious voice.
I laughed nervously, not liking where this was going. "I was just a colt then..."
"Be gone! I don't want you in here and not in this village!"
"But sir, I just would like some supplies and help for–"
"I'll send someone, for your pa's sake, but you're not welcome!" He then slammed the door in my face.
Crestfallen, I managed to get a few supplies from some more sympathetic ponies, and I headed on to the Everfree Forest.
I had heard tales of the Everfree Forest all my life, but very few from our village had traveled through it; mainly the kelp and salt traders that journeyed to Canterlot and beyond. The first night I spent within the borders of the wood was terrifying. I found a place in the hollow made by a tree root, and settled down for a nervous night. Every little rustle of the dead leaves on the forest floor and calling of some night bird made it very hard to sleep that night, despite being tired from a long day on the road.
I must have dozed off finally at some time because I was awoken by the rising of the sun. I quickly grabbed a few bites of winter brown grass and an apple from my pack before stumbling on. The road in this part of the Wood, fortunately, was well marked since it was the main route to Canterlot, but the lack of sleep caused my mind to wander. Was that a manticore I heard roaring near a brook? Did I just see a hydra moving above the tree tops? I picked up my pace in order to put that strange place behind me.
The sun was finally setting behind the mountains when I found another place to rest, a small cave not far from the road. I'm not sure how far I actually traveled that day, and I had lost track of where I was on the map; all I knew was that I was on the correct road. I had hoped to get to a crossroad the next day, which would put me about two more days from Canterlot.
The cave looked dry, and while the sky didn't look like rain, I didn't like the idea of waking up covered in dew. I only took long enough to find a protected spot in the cave and to get a few bites of carrot before I collapsed into a exhausted sleep.
It was still dark when I was suddenly jolted awake by a rhythmic pounding. I looked around, but could see nothing. All I could tell was the pounding was getting closer. Carefully, I felt around for my saddlebags and put them on before peeking out of the little alcove I had found to settle down for the night. That was when I saw a large, green scaly leg right in front of my muzzle. The odor of sulfur was very strong.
Every pony sense told me to get out of there, but I quietly backed up into the alcove and hoped that the dragon would pass me without noticing. The dragon must have smelled me or heard me anyway because he suddenly stopped. "Who has entered my cave?" he bellowed.
I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to be a meal for a dragon.
I could hear the dragon sniffing the air, trying to place me. I am not sure if the wind was in my favor, or what, but eventually the dragon continued on his way. I could faintly hear the dragon settle onto his pile of gems. I decided to wait a little longer, just to make sure he was asleep or at least not paying attention, before I bolted from the cave. The fear of being caught propelled me to keep galloping until I was well past the crossroads, not stopping until I reached the edge of the woods and back into civilization again.
The road approaching Canterlot is one of the most glorious sights, especially with Celestia's Sun rising behind the Princesses' Castle. Once in more civil land, the journey was pleasant, and I was even able to get more supplies with a few bits I had from a farmer along the road. It didn't take long for a few scattered homes outside of the city to start appearing.
The road continued until it topped a small rise and the lower city was revealed. The road paralleled the railroad tracks that led into where most of the common ponies lived. The city had grown at the base of a mountain; the higher one went, the closer you were literally to royalty. Halfway up the mountain was perched Canterlot Castle, having commanding views of both the land of Equestria and the celestial bodies that the princesses controlled. By this time, there were several ponies along the road, mostly local farmers and merchants heading to the city to ply their trade. I fell in with one group, in the hope that I didn't stick out.
While most ponies could freely come and go along the road, there was an inspection station for merchants at the edge of the city proper. I spotted a pegasus guard stoically keeping watch over the traffic. I detached myself from the group to approach him. Politely, I asked, "Sir, what is the best way to speak with the Princess?"
The guard barely flicked an eye at me before continuing his straight ahead stare.
I cleared my voice, with the thought he hadn't heard me the first time due to the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones. "Which way do I go to speak with the Princess?" I said in a much louder voice.
The guard's wing barely ruffled.
I muttered some unkind words about the constabulary in Canterlot and headed back to the road, thinking perhaps of locating the train station and going from there. That is when I quickly found myself surrounded by several guards. While their expression was no different than the guard I tried to ask directions from, I could tell they were not pleased with me.
"Um, sorry?" I ventured, my ears pinned back in a gesture of humility.
The next thing I knew, I was in a holding pen at a local station. After what seemed like ages, a sober looking pegasus with a blue chevron on his uniform approached me. "Name?"
"What am I being charged with?"
The pegasus was not deterred. "Name?"
"Nori, sir. I've traveled from the small village of Potroland. I've come to petition the Princesses for assistance." The pegasus nodded in understanding. I decided to try again. "What am I being charged with?"
"Charged with? Nothing. But it was clear that you weren't from around here and you needed to follow procedure. I will return with a token so you can get on the next court session. You seem to be on the up and up." He turned and looked over his shoulder. "Just one word of advice, kid. Don't ever speak to any of the posted guards. They will not answer you; they are trained not to."
Relieved, I sat down and finally relaxed. The pegasus soon returned with a silver coin with Celestia's face on one side and Luna's on the other. "Give this to the steward as proof that you've checked in with the constabulary. You won't be able to line up until 11 am, and Her Highness will begin court after lunch." The pegasus showed a bit of a smile. "I would suggest you get something to eat before then; court can take a long time." He then gave me some directions to reach the castle. I thanked him, took the coin, and trotted out the door. It was still mid-morning, but I heeded the constable's advice and soon looked for a place to get something to eat.
It didn't take long for me to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of Canterlot. There were ponies all around, and soon I found a place that sold food, types of food I've seen before but all of them smelled delicious. I finally settled on a spiced pumpkin muffin and small fruit pie. It nearly depleted what few bits I had left, but I felt better afterwards.
A chiming of a bell reminded me that I needed to head up towards the castle. I moved from the lower residential and commercial areas to much finer buildings that clung to the sides of the mountain that clearly made up the royal district. Fortunately, I was able to get there in plenty of time. Even though nobody was allowed to line up officially, I could see a knot of ponies waiting outside of the gates, others like myself that had arrived early.
The white marble of the castle walls were surrounded by a lush green garden that looked like it was the height of spring, rather than the end of winter. Well, this was a city dominated by unicorns, so I figured magic had a hand in making the grounds look so beautiful.
After awhile, a pony with a fancy embroidered vest bearing the Equestrian coat of arms came out. "Those that wish to have an audience with Princess Celestia may line up at this time," he called out. Rapidly, the knot of ponies formed into a line, though not without a bit of jostling for position. A few unicorn guards appeared out from seemingly nowhere to settle any arguments, and take some of the more unruly elsewhere.
Unfortunately, I wound up towards the end of the line, as it seemed most of the others had been anticipating and were well practiced in the call. On the other hoof, the line seemed to move quickly. I could see a few would-be petitioners walking away dejectedly. As I waited, I hoped that the problems of our small village would be heard.
Eventually, I was at the head of the line. A unicorn pony with a reddish coat and glasses on his snout stood at a podium, quill floating lightly over a piece of paper. "Token?" he asked in a tone that said he's done this a million times already. This must be the steward that the constable mentioned. I dug out the token, and gave it to the unicorn, who looked it over carefully. He floated it back to me, "State your name and reason you wish to have an audience."
I was suddenly very nervous, and unfortunately, my voice cracked as I was trying to address this obviously very important pony. "My name is No*ahem*-- Nori, sir. I've traveled from the village of Potroland on the Tranquility Sea coast. We recently had a storm, and it destroyed our kelp beds and sea salt storage buildings; the primary industries of our village. I have come to ask help from the Princess in rebuilding."
The pony wrote a few notes on his sheet of paper. "What sort of assistance is your village looking for?"
At this point, I panicked. I knew we needed help, but I didn't know enough about the workings of the village, despite my sire being the elder, to decide what would be best. If I asked for too much, I might be turned away and this trip would be a waste of time. If I asked for too little, the village would struggle to rebuild. I decided to bluff. "As much assistance as the Princess deems appropriate," I replied with what I hoped sounded like confidence.
The steward gave me a glare that said that he saw through my bluff, but said in an even tone, "I will put you on the list for today. Please head through the door and wait for your name to be called."
The antechamber to the throne room was properly awe inspiring. The rich carpet reminded me that I had been standing on hard pavement for a long time, and it felt good on my hooves. Most of the others had already formed small knots again, though there were obviously a few that didn't have to wait in line; the various gentry kept as far away as they could from more common ponies like myself.
The muffin and pie from earlier were good, but I really needed something to drink. I did spy along one wall a table with a water pitcher and some cups. I carefully circled around a particularly large group of nobility, attendants and hangers-on. I was about ready to pick up the pitcher and pour myself some, when I was startled by a cry from the door. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia declares that court is now in session. All who wish to have an audience with her, please proceed to the throne room!"
Without thinking, my head whipped around to see where I needed to go. Unfortunately, I still had the water pitcher in my teeth. The movement caused water to fly everywhere. Most of it fell onto the carpet, but a small amount splashed on a light gray unicorn stallion with an amber mane, wearing a formal coat.
Quickly, realizing that I made a mess, I set the pitcher back on the table and frantically looked for a towel of some sort to help soak up the water before it ruined the beautiful carpet. In my panic, I didn't see the stallion approaching until he bellowed at me, "How DARE you ruin my coat! Do you know how expensive this is? Guards, seize this common pony for assaulting Prince Blueblood!"
I froze in my tracks at the pronouncement. Behind me, a couple palace servants were quickly and quietly mopping up the mess I had made, unaffected by the noble's wrath. As my mind raced what would now happen not only to myself but to poor Potroland, a pair of guards came over. "What seems to be the problem, sir?" one asked flatly.
"This peasant threw water at me!" Blueblood cried dramatically.
My brain finally unlocked enough to stammer, "It was, was an accident... sir. I was just pouring myself a drink and was startled by the announcement..." I lowered my head to appear as small as possible.
The guard looked at myself and back at Blueblood. After a beat, he said in the same monotone voice, "I see nothing wrong here. Don't be late with your audience, citizens." With that, and a slight flick of their tails, the guards returned to their post. Blueblood's face wore an expression of shock of being dismissed so quickly. I took the opportunity to head to the throne room as quickly as I could without galloping.
I was moving so fast that I didn't have time to really look at the throne room. I instead found a place along one wall so that I might be hidden from the gaze of the furious noble. The blood was still pounding in my ears, thudding so hard that I could hear little else - and in fact missed the beginning of court.
As my heart rate began to slow down, I looked around the chamber and was stunned by its beauty. The antechamber paled in comparison. The walls were lined with tall arching stained glass windows, showing various scenes of Equestrian history. Celestia's sun shone through them, casting a multicolored rainbow that danced on the thick carpeting. When my eyes finally settled on the head of the chamber where the throne rested, I finally caught sight of Celestia. She sat on a chaise, listening to a group of ponies giving a report about the status of Winter Wrap Up in the realm. Her mane of soft pastels moved mysteriously to a wind of its own, and small, patient smile was on her lips as the pony giving the report summed up how Ponyville was nearly late again, but was saved by some pony named Twilight Sparkle.
Something must have pleased the princess about the report, since she smiled genuinely at the group. "Thank you for the report, Madame Stargazer. Who is next on the list, Chamberlain?" Her voice was rich and wise, with a melody that only one so lovely and eternal could bear. I was so enraptured by her charms, I didn't hear the Chamberlain's reply.
Another group of ponies approached the dais, and I could hear them saying something, but it was all noise as I stood there transfixed, trying to burn the image of the Princess into my eyes. This went on for sometime until a sound caused my ear to flick. "...Potroland! Is this pony still in the chamber?"
Startled, I realized it was my turn. I quickly rushed to the place where I was to stand in front of the Princess. I heard some chuckles behind me distantly. I wasn't sure what to do, so I prostrated myself.
"There is no need to be so formal. What brings you here today, my little pony?" Celestia asked gently. It was so overwhelming when I realized that she was talking to me that my mind completely locked up. I think I made some sounds that might have been attempts at speech, but I'm not sure. But finally there was one sound that finally made me focus.
"Ruffian! I demand justice for my ruined attire!" I recognized that voice as it called out from one side of the chamber. Oddly, it was enough to get my brain to produce something approaching coherence. I decided it would be best to both ignore the call and get this over with as quickly as possible.
"Your Majesty, I am Nori, a representative from the village of Potroland on the Tranquility Sea. Recently, there was a storm that our small band of weather pegasi could not control, and it ruined our livelihood, our kelp and sea salt drying sheds–"
"Serves you right for assaulting my person!"
"—and I have come to ask you for some assistance in rebuilding," I finished in a rush, vaguely pleased with myself that I could get it all out.
Celestia looked thoughtful for a moment. "I had heard of those storms, but didn't realize they were so severe. What exactly sort of help were you looking for? I would assume that Appleton would give your village help?"
I stammered, partially because I hadn't really thought that far ahead and embarrassed about what had happened when I went through Appleton, "I-I-I had asked for help, but..."
"He should be locked up!"
I tried to speak again, but Celestia turned to her chamberlain. "Chamberlain, was there an incident in the antechamber?"
The Chamberlain cleared his throat, "Yes, Your Majesty, this pony here accidentally spilled a small amount of water on Duke Blueblood's morning coat."
"That's Prince, you peasant!"
Celestia ignored Blueblood's protest with an expression that said she had put up with this sort of thing in the past before. "Duke Blueblood will be removed from the chamber and will not be allowed back until he can show some civility."
I turned to spot Blueblood as his smug expression turned to shock at the Princess's words. "You can't do this! I am a prince! I have the right to attend court whenever I please!" However, unfortunately for me, my making eye contact him caused his expression shift to anger. "You! You are to blame for this!" With that, he lunged towards me at a full gallop. Despite being a noble, he was a fine specimen of a stallion, and was no match for myself, barely out of the ganglingness of colthood. So, I decided that the wisest and best course of action was to hide.
I looked around frantically for a place, and decided to head back into the crowd of ponies at the side of the chamber. However, Blueblood was hot on my heels, barreling through the crowd with little regard for anypony's safety and property. I weaved and cowered through the crowd, muttering a constant stream of apologies in my wake. I have the feeling the crowd tried to help me the best they could, but there was little they could do.
Soon, my only choice was to go through a door that I hoped didn't lead to a closet, or worse, the royal chambers. It turned out to open to a small grassy glade, edged by statuary and hedges. Quickly as I could gallop, I headed towards the hedges.
"Peasant! You can not hide from Prince Blueblood!" I could hear his hoof beats against the sod as I tried to lose myself in the hedge, the branches grabbing at my saddlebags. It wasn't long before I heard the crash of wood being snapped with little regard.
Frantically, I continued to pick my way though the vegetation as the sounds of Blueblood tearing his way through the hedge drew closer. I found myself hard against the pedestal of a strange looking statue, unsure which way to turn, when I felt a heavy hoof stomp down on my tail. I looked back in shock at the sharp pain, and felt like shrinking when I saw Blueblood, covered in leaves and mud, his fine jacket ripped to shreds and his eyes red in anger, snorting at me.
"I've got you now. I'll teach you to humiliate Prince Blueblood!" He raised a hoof to pummel me when...
"STOP!" The bellow froze us both in our tracks. Blueblood's ears folded back against his skull when he recognized that voice. "Duke Blueblood, you have finally gone too far."
Celestia was hovering slightly above the ground, a phalanx of guards grimly arranged behind her, waiting Her Majesty's orders. Blueblood, for his part, had of all of his bravado forcibly removed from him, and became a blubbering puddle of pony. "This pony ruined my jacket," he whined.
Celestia landed and quirked an eyebrow, "It would seem you have done a lot more damage to your jacket than this pony ever did. Not to mention destroying the royal grounds."
Blueblood had the enough sense to at least look a little ashamed. He started to say something, thought better of it and returned to his subservient cower. "You are a duke," Celestia subtly emphasising the last word, "and you have now disgraced both yourself and my royal self. Again. All because you were too vain to let another pony to apologize to you. I am sure if you gave this pony, Nori, a chance to apologize..."
At this point, I nodded my head rapidly, awed and relieved that the Princess would defend me so personally. "Oh, yes, your majesty. It was an accident and I sincerely apologize," I said a bit too fervently.
Celestia smiled indulgently at me. It was as if a thousand of her suns had shone on me at that moment, and the thousand small hurts from the hedge no longer hurt. "Now see how simple that was? However, my ruling still stands; you will not only write sincerely letters of apology to both myself and Nori of Potroland, you will also work to repair the grounds you destroyed. I will check with the Chamberlain later to see if any of the by-standers were injured in your little tirade and add that to your bill. Guards, if you please?"
The still flabbergasted but now chastised Blueblood was then walked back to the castle. I thought I heard him say something about having the letters delivered by dragon, but I wasn't sure.
Celestia then turned her gaze back to me. At that point, I would've battled Nightmare Moon for her. "Please rise, my little pony, and we'll make sure you weren't hurt." We started to head back to the audience chambers, awed that I was walking side by side with the Princess. However, she carried on conversationally, "As for your problem, I did receive word a couple days ago from the village elder of Appleton, Bogey, that he had sent some help to Potroland. But he didn't specify what the problem was. I think that I will need to speak with the head of the Weather Bureau in Cloudsdale to have more pegasi stationed in Potroland and other villages along the coast." By that time, we were back in the chamber. She mounted the dais and returned to her chaise, unflappable as ever. "Chamberlain, please make a note to contact the Weather Bureau head to make sure that more patrols are stationed along the coast." He just nodded and the quill floated up to scratch a few notes.
"Is there anything else that I can do to help?"
I was still standing awkwardly at the base, stunned by the turn of events. "No, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!" I quickly gathered myself up and made my way back to the knot at the side, basking in the glow of successfully helping my little village and my encounter with royalty.
Eventually, the sun became low in the sky and there were no longer any ponies that hadn't presented themselves to her. The Chamberlain’s voice boomed: "Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia now declares that today's audience has been concluded. All who presented today are invited dine with the Her Majesty as a token of her goodwill towards all ponies. If you wish to attend, please follow the guards to the dining hall."
I was humbled by the largesse, and eagerly followed the guards to the dining hall, as I was quite hungry and I wanted to save the few bits I had left. In fact, I realized, I hadn't even considered where I would be sleeping that night. Before I could enter the hall, an assistant spotted me and directed me to a room to see a physician. It didn't take him long to look me over to say that I had nothing worse than a few scratches. As I headed towards the hall, the same assistant somehow produced a new saddlebag to replace the one that was damaged. It was rather plain, but the finest quality, and something I still use to this day.
The royal dining hall was enormous, built to accommodate hundreds of ponies at a time. As in the audience chamber, the Princess, her immediate staff, and it appeared a few special guests were on a slightly raised platform at the end of the hall, the last rays of the sun shining dramatically behind stained glass windows behind Celestia. Those of a more noble bent were seated at tables at the foot of this platform. Us regular ponies had to settle for a long line of tables with low benches at the back of the room.
Because of the delay in being looked over, I didn't get there until just before the food was served. I was able to snag a spot towards the back wall, next to a fellow from Trottingham who was there to report on the upcoming farming season in his region.
Just as everyone was seated, and I was able to exchange a few pleasantries with my neighbor, the staff came out levitating our first course, a light broth flavored with a little seaweed. I thought it was quite tasty, but my neighbor took one look at the bright green squares floating and snorted, "What is that?"
"It's seaweed. We harvest it in our village, though... this looks like it might be a type harvested a little further south. It's quite tasty; it has a nice salty bite to it."
"You... eat that sort of stuff?" he asked me incredulously.
"My dam makes a similar sort of broth all the time. Usually in the winter months, when somepony is sick."
The fellow from Trottingham huffed, "You sea ponies are a strange lot." I wasn't sure if he thought we lived on, under (under the sea? That's just silly!), or beside. I didn't feel the need to correct him, regardless, so I continued to enjoy my soup. It wasn't long before a roasted carrot and apple salad made its way around, along with some fine breads. It was simple fare, yes, but it was the finest made, just as one would expect from royalty. I ate it all with relish.
As the sun was about to set, there was a slight murmuring that ran through the hall. I looked up and craned my neck to see what the commotion was about. Finally, she stepped onto the platform, her mane shading from a light purple to a field of stars that flowed mysteriously as her sister's, her dark blue coat a stark contrast to the last of the sun that came through the windows. Princess Luna looked a bit nervous at the gathering, after being away for so long. But she was still able to speak clearly to all gathered in the hall. A hush settled over the hall to wait for the Princess's words.
"WELL MET! IT DOTH PLEASE US TO SEE YOU GATHERED HERE TODAY," she bellowed formally. "ANON, WE SHALL RAISE THE MOON, BUT WE WISHED TO THANK YOU FOR HONORING US TODAY. FARE THEE WELL!" And after that short speech, she quickly departed to do her duty.
It wasn't long after that it was time to depart, as it was close to nightfall. I was able to inquire with a servant for a place to sleep, and was directed to a hostel that catered to travelers like myself for not much money, near the train station. As Luna's moon peeked over the horizon, I made my way back down the mountain, found the place and gratefully flopped myself into a cot with other weary travelers; it had been an eventful day.
The next morning, I gathered my things and returned home - this time, a bit wiser. It was a fairly uneventful journey. I did stop in Appleton on the way, and pointedly avoided the elder's house. However, I managed to find one of the other members of the council to express my gratitude for the assistance, as well as apologize indirectly to Bogey.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Nori," the older mare laughed. "That old coot has never liked colts and fillies running around, and always held a grudge. He only became elder 'cause Rain Cloud liked him for some reason and thought he could run the town."
She then turned thoughtfully to me. "Though, you did get quite a story out of all of this. I always thought your cutie mark suggested you'd follow in your father's hoof steps to be a politician."
I turned to the cutie mark that graced my flank, a pink sea pen, which kind of looked like a quill. "I never had much of a head for what my sire does. I got this after I was telling some exaggerated tales to my teacher one day. I still got in trouble, but I was happy getting the mark."
The mare chuckled. "Well, I would say that you have another story to tell, Nori." She kindly gave me supplies - plenty of them - and I trotted my way towards home.
THE END
