The Mandarin and the Butterfly; Pointing the Storyteller In a New Direction.
The Storyteller; Finding a Place to Call Home, Part 1
MLPFIM
It had been a less than a year and I have been all over this new world. Thanks to the kindness of Princesses, Celestia and Luna's I was touring around not only Equestria but surroundings countries in hope that I would find a place to call home. They were also hoping that by moving around so much that I would draw out the creatures that spirited me away into this world.
It was a little unnerving to knowing I was a pawn in a greater game. In truth aren't we all? It was nice seeing so many different places and meeting so many different creatures;
The Kitsune were fun, they were great with illusions and good scholars, but they asked me to leave, something about being born under a troubling sign. They said I was nice and a good being but they were worried I would bring misfortune.
The Minotaurs were OK , they had a lot of similar customs as humans. They were friendly and good nature. They did have a drinking problem, they reminded me drunken fraternity boys. I don't drink that heavily.
The Griffins were noble and they liked that I was an omnivore, they were also good at cooking. Though I did get the seances that some saw me as a new source of prey. There were good to know and I hope I made some friends.
Then the Diamond Dogs were more than happy to have me but... Not touching that subject.
King Triton of the Mere Ponies told me, "If not for the shadow's threat I would have loved to have you settle with my ponies." Luck for me I did not have to go all the way to the eastern sea for him to tell me this. He was visiting the Princess on day when the subject came up.
In fact Celestia tried to get many of the other nations to try and host me, but it was no use because they did not want to risk their peoples, my life, or the shadows coming any where near their nations. Which made senses, I wasn't mad at them at all for that.
I'm on a train heading back to Equestria. I guess there was no choice but to go back. It is the only place I did not have to worry about the anything. Sure finding a place where a place where the Ponies could except me for and not get worried about what I am.
My train car was quite as I watched the scenery whizz by I was not thinking of anything. I had been alone for quite sometime. The train stopped, passengers got on and off the train. That's when I heard. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, "Is there some in here?"
"Yes, I'm the only one." I called to the other side of the door.
"OK," The door slice open. A Monitor came into the car, he did not seem surprised at me he took a seat opposite to me. He was two tone blue and was wearing a black tie and a carpet bag "Thanks, I think this is the last car that's not full up."
"Your welcome, it was kind of boarding any ways." I reached over and offered him my hand. "So what brings you here?"
"Iron Will's the name and motivation speaking is the game. What's you do?" The Minotaurs asked.
"I don't know I'm bouncing around the hemisphere, I think I'm being used as Shadow Bait." I said a little cynical.
"Oh, those things. Listen, our ancestors believed that our kind were brought to this world by those things. Listen they cause trouble, stir up things and then disappear. I bet you're not the only one they took." He told me and then shrugged. "I don't believe that, but maybe it's true. On another subject I'm a motivation speaker. 'Iron Will's YOU CAN DO IT!'"
"Well, that sounds interesting how's it going?" I asked.
"Good, better then my assertiveness workshop. That caused a lot of problems." Will told me.
"Problems?"
"Ah, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Bar fights in the United Monitor League and the Griffin Empire and even a few problems with in Equestria, most of those had to do with payments. I promised you didn't have to pay if you weren't satisfied. Some ponies weren't satisfied with my work shop. Don't know why "
"That sounds rough. May be you should have asked why they weren't satisfy" I told him.
He nodded. "Yeah, maybe I should have."
"So where was that place you had payment problem?" I asked.
"Ponyville, it was a nice and friendly place." He pulled some papers from the carpet bag and started to study the papers.
The car door slid open, and a female griffin stopped in. "Oh Magenee, this car isn't empty great. YOU WILL BEAT IT OUT OF HERE!" She snapped.
I jumped a little but I did not move. Iron will looked up at his the griffin. "This is the last one, so you better be willing to take it or fly."
The female griffin opened her mouth to say something but shut it and sat down opposite to me. She cracked her head towards the window away from me. She said nothing and I said nothing as well It was quiet yet again. "So what are you?" The quiet was broken.
"Human, just touring around the world looking for a home." I shrugged.
"The Shadows' latest transplant." Will Stated.
"Oh," Guilda waved at me. "Sorry, that you couldn't find a place to crash with the griffins. Some are so obsessed with hunting that they see everything as prey even their own kind." She grumbled
"Why so friendly?"
"Shadow, they are pretty nasty... Had a cousin that ran into them once, never the same after." She shook her head and looked out the window again. "Ponyville, maybe a town full of dweebs, but it should suit you. The Shadows will go after the Princesses, but being in Equestria they would be so busy with them that they would not bother with you."
"Thanks that's a good idea." I thanked Guilda.
"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK" Some one knocked on the car door. "Is anyone in this car?" A voice called in.
"Oh, great." Guilda grumbled.
"Come down these cars can cold four." Will told her.
"There's room for one more." I shouted through the door.
The door slid open and a Pegasus came in. She a shall that covered her whole body a hat and large horned rim glasses. "Well, well, well, a griffin, a Monitor and..." The Pegasus took a minute to look at me. I could see her magenta eyes scanning me. "You must be that must the human that I've heard about from my sources."
"Sources?" Will asked.
"Yes, I'm a writer. A.K. Yearling, author of the popular Daring Do Series." She bowed her head slightly. "At your services."
"Take a seat near the Uman," Guilda grumbled. "It's crowded here."
"Human, oh, you're the creature that was brought here by the Shadows.” She smiled at me. Don’t worry I think they were dealt with already. As for the train, well I hope you are comfortable it will be a while before we start moving again. The Guard ponies had to clearing some monsters from the track ahead." A.K. Yearling stated.
Guilda raised an eyebrow. “Shadows?”
A.K. Yearling shook her head. “No, a could of hydras but we will be here for a while. I'm sorry about The Shadow stuff and all.”
“It is what it is. I don't know that do but I do what I think I can.” I told her.
"May I interview you? This will help me with my newest Novel." She asked.
"Sure, why not. What do you want to know?"
“Fantastic.” A.K. Yearling laughed.
A.K. Yearling interview was done. We still hadn't started up again, they were having trouble dealing with the hydras. That's what I heard from the porter.
I broke our silence again. “Well since we’ll be stuck her why not tell some stories?”
The three looked at each other. “Why not.” Will shrugged.
“If I have to,” Guilda added. "But you first."
I had to think of something, but what? Then the old story came to me. "When I was young back in our home town an old Library told me a story it takes place in my home world. It is the story of The Mandarin and The Butterfly."
A mandarin once lived in Kiago-oh who was so exceedingly cross and disagreeable that everyone hated him. He snarled and stormed at every person he met and was never known to laugh or be merry under any circumstances. He hated children especially, for they jeered and made fun of him.
When he had become so unpopular that no one would speak to him, the emperor heard about it and commanded him to emigrate to America. This suited the mandarin very well; but before he left China he stole the Great Book Of Magic, that belong to the wise Magician Haot-sai. Then, gathering up his things he took a ship to America. He settled in a City of the Midwest and started a laundry.
One day, as the ugly one was ironing in the basement of his shop, he looked up and saw a crowd of childish faces pressed against the window. He tried to drive them away, but as soon as he returned to his work they were back at the window, mischievously smiling down upon him. No matter what he did the children stayed as long as they pleased, and they came again the next days soon as school was over, and likewise the next day, and the next day. For children saw that their presence at the window bothered the Chinaman and were delighted accordingly.
"China and America are both countries in my world and I stopped to clarify.
"Remind you of something, Guilda?" A.K. Yearling said with a smirk.
"What's a mandarin and how is Haot-sai?" Will asked.
"I asked that too when I heard this story too, a Mandarin is a person from China who lives in a Province of China and Haot-sai was a wizard that was said to believe to live in that time. Of course it was a lot harder for me to understand our Liberian was an old French woman."
KNOCK, KNOCK The porter came into our cart. "Sorry folks but it's taking longer than expected."
"They grew more head!" A Voice yelled from outside.
"Well," The porter gave them a smile. "I thinks we have some snacks?"
"Oh, sweet Celestia, Their working together now!" They heard another voice yell out.
The porter gave passed them all the snacks and move to the exits cart.
We ate them but I was not too confident in the guards handling the hydra as I heard more screaming.
Will smiled. "I hate to interrupt you but may I go next? Guilda's old story reminds me of one of those historical fiction. I really like to tell it?"
"Sure why not, as long as I can continue again." I told her.
"Sure, my story goes like this, a long time ago..." Iron Will's story, it was Helen of Troy with monitors.
"Not bad, I'm glad that it didn't suck." Guilda liked it, I'm guessing she likes old war stories.
"Well," Iron Will nodded. "Back to your story."
"Thank."
The following day, being Sunday the children did not appear, but as the mandarin worked in his little shop, a big butterfly flew in the open door and fluttered about the room.
The mandarin closed the door and chased the butterfly until he caught it. He pinned it against the wall by sticking two pins through it's beautiful wings. This did not hurt the butterfly but it was now a prisoner. This butterfly was of large size and it's wing were exquisitely marked by gorgeous colors laid out in regular designs, just like a stained-glass window of a cathedral.
The mandarin took the Great Book of Magic he had stolen from Haot-sai. Turning the pages he came to a passage that described how to understand the language of the butterflies. He mixed the formula in a tin cup and drank it down with a wry face. Immediately thereafter he spoke to the butterfly in it's own language.
"You are my Prisoner," The Mandarin said. "If I please I can kill you, or leave you on the wall to starve to death. But if you promise to obey me for a time and carry out my instructions, I will give you a long and pleasant life by means of powerful magic."
"I Promise," answered the Butterfly, "for even as your slave I will get some enjoyment out of life, while should you kill me-that is the end of everything!"
"Then, listen! You know the children, do you not?"
"Yes, I know them. They chase me, and try to catch me, as you have done," replied the butterfly.
"They mock me, and jeer at me through the window," Continued the mandarin. "they are your enemies and mine! But with your aid and the help of the magic book we shall have a fine revenge for their insults."
"I don't care much for revenge," Said the butterfly. "They are children and it's their nature, why shouldn't they wish to catch such a beautiful creature that I am."
"Nevertheless, I care! And you must obey me," retorted the mandarin, harshly. "I, at least, will have my revenge."
Then he stuck a drop of molasses upon the wall besides the butterfly's head and said, "Eat that, while I read my book and prepare my magic formula."
So the butterfly feasted upon the molasses and the mandarin studied the book, after which he began to mix a magic compound in the tin cup.
When the mixture was ready he released the butterfly from the wall and said to it, "I command you to dip your two front feet into this magic compound and then fly away until you meet a child. Touch the child upon the forehead with your feet. Then return to me and dip your legs in the contents of this cup.
"What will this do to the child?" The Butterfly asked.
"The book Declares that whosoever is touched with this compound will become a pig, and will remain that way forever after. So shall all my enemies, the children, become swine, while no one will think of accusing me of sorcery."
"Enough of that for now!" Guilda roared, Interrupting me.
"Something bothering you?" I asked.
"I don't want to hear about kids tormenting some wise flank. Their is magic and magic user here."
"But not in his home so it would stand to reason that it would be a problem." A.K. Yearling told her.
"Well the story is going to get good soon." I told her.
"Nah, I'm taking over you can restart when I'm done."
"Ms. that is rude." A.K. Yearling told her.
"It's OK, if she want's to go then I'll let her go."
Guilda gave me a smirk. "Thanks, It has to do with a Great Griffin warrior..."
Guilda's story of King Arthur but with griffins. I didn't tell her that.
"Not bad Guilda," I stated. "So is it history or is it just a story." I asked
"Some from column A, bit of column B. So, who's next?" She answered.
"Well I'll start again if that's OK." They all nodded.
The Butterfly had no choice. "Very well, since such is your command, I obey," Side the butterfly. Then dip dipped it's front legs, which were the shortest of the six, into the contents of the tin cup, and flew out of the door and away over the houses to the edge of the town. It alighted in a flower garden and soon forgot all about its mission to turn children into swine.
As it went from flower to flower it soon brushed the magic compound from its legs. When the sun began to set the butterfly finally remembered its master, the mandarin, the butterfly knew that it could not hurt a child if it tried.
The Butterfly did not intend to try.
'That horrid old Chinaman,' The butterfly thought, 'Hates children and wishes to destroy them. Of course I must return to my master, for he is a magician, and would seek me out and kill me; but I can device him about this matter easily enough.'
The Butterfly returned to the mandarin's laundry, the Chinaman asked, eagerly, "Well, did you meet a child?"
"I did," replied the Butterfly. "It was a pretty, golden-haired girl-but now 'tis a grunting pig!"
"Good! Good!" cried the mandarin, dancing joyfully about the room. "You shall have molasses for your supper, and tomorrow you must change two children into pigs."
The butterfly did not reply, and it ate the molasses in silence.
Next morning, by the mandarin's command the Butterfly dipped its legs in the mixture and flew away in search of children. The Butterfly started to wonder it was true that the compound could turn a child into a pig but he did make a potion that allowed him to talk to him. When it came to the edge of the town it noticed a pig in a sty, and alighting upon the rail of the sty the Butterfly looked down and wondered, 'If this compound could turn children into pigs may be it can do the reverse?'
Being curious to determine this point the Butterfly fluttered down and touched the pig with it's front two feet on the nose. Instantly the animal became a dirty-looking boy, which sprang straight from the sty and ran down the road.
"OOPS, that's funny," Said the Butterfly. "The mandarin would be very anger with me if he knew of this. I have just liberated one more of the creatures that bother him."
Then it flew into a rose bush where it remained comfortably until evening. At sundown the Butterfly decide that it would once again to the mad Chinaman but it would make it different each time.
"Have you changed two of them into pigs?" He asked, at once.
"I have." the butterfly lied.
"Good! Good!" Screened the mandarin, in an ecstasy of delight. "Change every child you meet in to pigs!"
"Very well," Answered the butterfly, quietly, and ate its supper of molasses.
A mass of cheering stopped my story this time it was the guards. They had finally stopped the Hydras and the train was now being allowed to get under way. I stopped as I felt a jerk and the train was under way. I looked out the window and the scenery was moving again. "I guess it's time for another intermission?"
A.K. Yearling smiled. "So, I guess it's my time." A.K. Yearling stated. "But I think I'll get away from the old war stories and just tell something simple. It goes something like this..." Her story was a pony version of Tom Soyar and Hockly Berry Fin.
"Not bad, a quaint little tale of adventure with young friends.
"Leave to a pony to ruin a good time that was Lame!" Guilda yelled. "
The three looked at me. "It's my turn? I can finish my story now."
"We are sorry about breaking your story up but it was a long one." A.K Yearling added.
"So how did it end?" Will asked.
"Well you going to finish it?" Guilda asked. "It's not that bad."
And so I finished telling my story.
Several days passed by the Butterfly in the same manner. The Butterfly would dip her legs in the compound and leave the shop. Then finding a nice and safe place to rest, rub off the compound off. Then when night fell the Butterfly would go back to the Mandarin and tell him a false report of the children that he turned in to pigs. One evening, however the Butterfly thought it might be well to vary the report, so the mandarin might not grow suspicious; and when its master asked what child had been changed into a pig? The Butterfly answered, "It was a Chinese Boy."
This angered the mandarin, who was in an especially cross mood. He spitefully snapped at the Butterfly with his finger, and nearly broke its beautiful wing; for the mandarin forgot that the Chinese boys had once mocked him and only remembered his anger for American boys.
The Butterfly became very indignant at his abuse form the mandarin. His little black eyes sparkled with wickedness and no sooner had he dipped his feet into the magic compound the he flew full in the mandarin's face, and touched him upon his ugly flat forehead.
Soon after a gentlemen came into the room for his laundry. The mandarin was not there, but running around the place was a repulsive, scrawny pig, which squealed most miserably.
The Butterfly flew away to a brook and washed from its' feet all trace of the magic compound. When night came it slept in a rose bush.
It was quiet again, while I waited for them respond.
It was A.K. Yearling who broke the silence. "Are you still looking for a Home?"
"Yeah, do you have any idea?" I asked.
"Ponyville, close to Canterlot and the Princess, but I also here The Barres of The Elements of Harmony live there. As well as a lot of fans of the Daring Do series I write. Some are pretty good fighter and fighter. Just stay on the train after Canterlot and you'll be there in not time."
"Thanks," I told her. "It means a lot."
The train stopped. We looked out the window and Iron Will, Guilda, A.K.Yearling got up.
"Well, this is my stop," A.K. Yearling extended her hoof. "Good luck hope you find a home." She left the train.
"I also have to get going," Iron Will said standing up. "It was nice to meet you, I hope that everything works out." Iron Will shook my hand.
Guilda just shrugged. "Whatever, hope the Shadow leave you alone."
I was alone in the car again and it was getting late. I leaned back and decide to get some sleep it was still a long way from Canterlot and I knew that I wouldn't make it to Ponyville until tomorrow but at least I had a place that I might be able to call home.
"Ponyville?" I said aloud as I looked up at Luna's moon.
Author's Note
I do not own the right to My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic, it is the property of Hasbro. The story was also inspired by The Mandarin and the Butterfly from L Frank Baum's American Fairy Tale.
