Tales of Equestria

                                                   Chapter 7: Meanwhile...Other Stuff Happens

While Blade was gaining some key knowledge about this new world. Destiny was quickly setting up the rest of the "Stage", and guiding the rest of the "Actors" to their places.

A mare smiled to herself as she rolled down the long hallways of the castle. Her new inventions, the Automatic Hoof Skates, were working perfectly! No more long walks down these stupidly long halls! Her name was Cinnamon Sugar, named for her cinnamon colored coat and white mane that had a single cinnamon colored stripe. She was an adventurous, spirited inventor that was also a personal assistant to the Princesses. She would have rather been down in the labs, working on some project. But, Celestia had called for her specifically so she really didn't have a choice in the matter. She sped toward the throne room, wondering what Celestia could possibly want. "I hope it has nothing to do with Prince Blueblood." She thought to herself remembering the little "Accident" she had with some hot tea last week. Prince Blueblood had really ticked her off, and she "Accidentally" dumped a whole pot of steaming tea all over him. Totally not her fault! A small giggle escaped as she remembered his expression as he jumped up and ran off in pain.

Not long afterwards, she was folding her skates back into her horseshoes with a small *click* and walking into the throne room. She trotted up to Celestia and gave her a small bow. Celestia nodded and said "Good evening Cinnamon, how are you doing?" Cinnamon looked up and said "Look, if this has anything to do with Blueblood. All I have to say is that he started it!" Celestia smiled gently and said "I know he can be a bit...insufferable at times. But that's not what I called you here for." Cinnamon blushed for a moment and said "Oh, sorry". She straightened up and then with a more formal tone said, "What do you require your highness?" Celestia then proceeded to tell her about their new arrival. "His name is Blade Edge" She said, "He is quite new here and needs somepony to guide him around. I ask that you would keep an eye on him, help him get used to how things work here." Cinnamon thought for a moment, then decided that she really didn't have much of a choice. Besides, what harm could come from showing some new pony around? She quickly agreed. "Excellent" Celestia said, "Then tomorrow morning, I would like you to join us for breakfast. Afterwards, I would like you to show him around town." Cinnamon nodded, "As you wish your majesty." and with another small bow, she left the throne room. Wondering what this new arrival was like.

"Oh man! this was going to be SO AWESOME!" The lightning yellow pegasus thought to himself as he stood atop a large puffy cloud, holding his favorite Cloudboard. His name was Spark Gale, a speed happy pegasus that loved "Cloudboarding". It was a rather new pegasi sport that was kinda like mixing snowboarding with free-falling. Instead of snow however, clouds were boarded on. Spark put on his "Cool" goggles and hopped on his board and launched himself quickly the cloudy "slope". "HA HAAAA YEAAAAH!" He shouted with pure joy as he rushed through the white cottony course. He launched himself off a bump in the cloud and had caught quite a bit of air. When halfway through a trick, a loud buzzing sound coming from his saddle bags suddenly caught him off guard, sending him crashing snout first into a puffy bank. Getting up and dusting himself off, he grumbled as he looked toward the enormous weather factory in the distance. "Ugh! Why now?" he thought to himself, "Can't they wait a little while longer?". He gave himself a shake, packed up his cloudboard, and grudgingly took off toward the large cloud structure that was the factory.

The Weather Factory wasn't really one single large building. Really it comprised of several different buildings that were each built for specific purposes. Spark Gale worked in the Cloud Control Department, a job the quite frankly bored him to tears. He landed in the C.C.D's lobby and and was greeted by his superior Cloudkicker who was tapping her hoof in annoyance. He shot her a smile and said, "Hey gorgeous! Miss me?". Cloudkicker just rolled her eyes, "You were supposed to be back from your job in Ponyville, like, HOURS ago!" she said with an annoyed tone. Spark Gale just shrugged and said, "Sorry Cloudkicker, I lost track of time.".

"In other words," Cloudkicker said letting out a sigh, "Goofing off again. Its no wonder you failed the Wonderbolts try-outs." "I can't help it!" Spark said, "Wonderbolt training was boring, and those clouds just BEG to be rode on!". Cloudkicker just shook her head and said "Well guess what hot-shot, your headed to Canterlot. And I'M going with you to make sure you do your job this time!" Spark opened his mouth to protest when Cloudkicker cut him off, "Its not my fault you tend to blow off your job alot. Your as bad if not worse than Rainbow Dash!" Spark clamped his mouth shut. Man, why was she always on his case? At least Rainbow doesn't have a nagging supervisor breathing down HER neck every few seconds! Just because he decided a little fun on the job occasionally (Ok, maybe most of the time.), doesn't necessarily mean that this was necessary! Oh well, at least he was going to Canterlot. There were tons of cute mares there. heh heh heh!

[Deep within the mountains]

A Changeling was propelling herself weakly through the air, grumbling about how horrid her day was so far. She absolutely HATED her position in the hive. She wasn't a Worker, Soldier, or even a Scout. She would have loved being a worker, or even a scout! But no, she was a lowly Messenger, she HAD to be a messenger. The lowest job possible. Her job was to make sure their queen was well informed on every single happening in and outside the hive. And she was also the one that had to deal with her majesty, Queen Crysalis's bad moods when she gave her bad news...like now. On top of that, her head hurt from where that strange stallion hit her with that rather solid branch, and she ALSO lost her most prized possession, a single pure-white feather that fell from Princess Celestia herself.

She paused at the sudden realization that she was feeling all the things. Feeling! She shouldn't be having these feelings or thoughts at all! After going through the process that turns one into a Changeling, she shouldn't have anything to feel with, she had no "Heart". Yet, every now and then she would have a flash of an emotion or feeling. No wonder she was at the bottom of the hive, she was a freak among freaks! She landed at the entrance, psyched herself up, and made her way to the "Throne" chamber. "Good day, my queen" the Changeling said bowing. Queen Crysallis rose from her seat and walked over to the Messenger, her face a deep scowl. "About time you got back" She said, "Tell me, did they successfully capture Celestia?"  The Changeling fidgeted for a second, and opened her mouth to reply, but Crysallis cut her off. "No of course you didn't!" She snapped, now snout to snout with the trembling Changeling. "Your all just a bunch of incompetent worms!" Crysallis paused and took notice of her Messenger's wound. "And how, pray tell, did you receive that?" She asked pointing at the bump on the Changeling's head."I r-ran into a y-young alicorn stallion, my liege." the Changeling said fearfully. Crysallis reared back and was about to launch into a full blown rage, but paused for a minute. Suddenly, seizing the frightened Changeling and pulling her close, Crysallis asked her in a demanding voice "Tell me! What did he look like?" The Changeling, now really scared at her new mood swing, answered "Well, he was kinda strange, he had this messy orangey-red mane and.." Crysallis let her go and started pacing around, looking thoughtful. "He has appeared, just like he said." she thought aloud. The Messenger slightly tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry my liege, who?" she said. Not giving her an answer, Crysallis quickly snapped out of whatever had come over her and issued an order. "Get me my commanders!" she said, "If you want something done right, you have to stab ponies in the back!"