Itty Bitty Secretby NaturaChaptersStorytime With CelestiaStoryTime With A SpiderStorytime With Senton AuroraeStorytime, With A MistakeStorytime With CelestiaNow my dears, You may wonder how I deal with the omnipresent stress of being me. Ponies, gryphons and many others come to me with queries and questions all day. Most I see are opportunistic thieves garbed in the modest clothing of a noble asking for another object to temporarily quench their thirst for riches. To be perfectly honest with you they scare me slightly. Knowing that there are some in this world who are devoid of caring for others but themselves. But, in a growing society that is to be expected and so I never let my mask of indifference slip. Years of this and other problems slowly take their toll on me and my so called everlasting patience. Yet, I do get some brief respite. Occasionally a weary traveler or farmer with nothing to give but pure honesty and determination seeks audience with me for guidance. If I can help them it makes the candle of my mind burn brighter for a while. But sometimes that is not enough. Although I have lived many years and seen many things I still am, at heart a normal and functioning pony. Visiting friends (of which I have few) is a welcome break from the unrelenting responsibility of being a ruler. I love all creatures, whether pony or not but some have a special place in my heart. But another thing I love doing is playing pranks. I know, surprising isn’t it? Perhaps not. Everyone has a guilty pleasure and apart from a delicious gâteau now and then, fooling the more gullible or teasing with fears is mine. So, this brings me to the crux of my story. Let me take you back to the day where the idea first came to my mind. It was a particularly troublesome day and I had just finished the last meeting I had scheduled... As the light caramel tail of the gryphon I had just finished talking to disappeared behind the ivory doors leading to my throne I sighed and ever so slightly sagged. Just another problem. He wanted access to a particular stretch of ground to use for hunting. But this in turn would make any nearby ponies weary of the hunting gryphons. But the gryphons would become even more problematic if they weren't given access. It just kept going round in circles until they reached an impasse. “Ready for the after court revitilizer, Princess?” Asked the unicorn guard standing next to my throne. I looked towards his sympathetic smile and responded with one of my own. He had suffered through the same long hours I had and his comforting visage was enough to bring me out of my small pit of depression. “Yes please, two slices of a victoria sponge cake on two plates would be nice.” I replied, straightening myself up. “Expecting company my Princess?” The guard questioned me. “Something like that yes” I vaguely replied. “If you would excuse me I’ll go and oversee the preparations” He said. I nodded and he took this as a time to leave. A good thing about being a princess was the unquestionable loyalty I had gained from my guard. You can scare or force them into obedience but kindness and loyalty of others is gained. After only a few minutes the guard who I had sent returned with the tray of delicacies held in his magical grip. he looked around for a second and gave me an amusingly confused face. “Who is to be your company, Princess?” “I think you know” I replied. I conjured a small table and two chairs, one much larger than the other into the space between us (Discord is not the only one who can create objects from empty air) “Please sit” I gestured to the smaller chair while gently taking the tray full of cake from his grasp and gently setting it on the table. As expected, the guard began stammering something about not being worthy and how he didn’t want to offend me. I let this continue for a bit (Just for a bit of fun). Finally, I raised a alabaster white hoof and he immediately was silent. “Don’t have any misconceptions about what I am trying to do, you stood by my side in that frankly torturous spectacle and did not complain once. You have probably heard the saying Under every guard there is a good pony, the same applies to me. At heart, I am no different from any other. So please,sit.” I said in my most comforting voice. He still looked unsure. So I decided to help him along. I repressed my magical aura and buried it deep inside myself. I guessed it was my unnatural size that could be intimidating him, so I made myself a bit more approachable. I could feel my body shrinking as my wings dissolved into my back. My mane stopped flowing and lost its colour as it fell down onto my face, now a virulent shade of purple. My horn also shrunk but didn’t disappear. My transformation complete, I moved my mane out of my eyes and shrunk the chair I was sitting in until it suited my new size. I looked back at the guard, he was now looking at me with curiosity and more than a little bit of horror. “See? I am now no more than you. So please, sit” I repeated. This must have broken the guard away from his stupor and he slowly approached me and sat opposite. It didn’t look like he was going to talk so I started off the conversation. “What is your name my dear? I can’t really go on knowing you as guard now can I?” I queried while using a fork held in my magical grasp to spear a small chunk of the attractive victoria sponge in front of me. “S-Senton Aurorae” He stammered, still in disbelief about where he was. I raised an eyebrow.”An interesting name.” I pondered. I noticed he had not touched his cake. “Is it not to your liking?” I asked motioning towards the cake. Senton quickly replied “N-No it is it’s just that um...” It did make me inwardly chuckle, how the guards were all warm and confident ponies until taken out of their comfort zones. “Do not worry, please eat” I said. Not wanting to disappoint me, Senton took up a fork and speared himself a piece of cake from his slice. I waited until he had finished eating until I asked my next question., “So, Senton. Tell me why did you join the guards…” I shall skip over the rest of that conversation for time. To summarize, Senton grew a bit more confident and stopped stuttering after a while and we had ourselves a marvelous time eating cake and chatting together. It is rare I can do things such as this and I will take every opportunity. But you may be asking “why do we need to know who Senton is?”. Do not worry, he will be a vital part of the story later on but now we go to when I had said farewell to Senton and prepared to meet my sister Luna. As I finished stacking up some papers in the hall where my day court had taken place, I felt a slight but unmistakable presence behind me. “Hello my sister” I said warmly turning around to see the dark body of my younger sibling. ( to clarify, I had now returned to my normal size) Luna merely grumbled a reply vaguely akin to a hello. I noticed she looked tired and worn out. There were bags under her eyes and small twigs in her starry mane. She looked like she was about to fall asleep “Luna?” I questioned. She snapped awake “Yes, what is it” She asked. “What happened, are you hurt? Who did this to you?” I asked. (To be honest I was very overprotective of Luna on occasions.) “Hm? Oh yes. Unfortunately there were many bad dreams stalking the night yesterday. It took thee a long time but I eradicated them quickly enough. However I didn't get as much sleep as I would like” “Any reason for them?” I asked “Yes, I had forgotten prithee that spider eggs all over Equestria are hatching. Many are having some difficulties with them. It is a shame that so many fear them, I believe they are beautiful creatures” “Yes they are, but you can’t blame ponies for fearing them. Many have irrational fears.” I said as I used my magic to comb her mane clean of all the debris that had collected there. “I know,Tia.”(Yes, we are a bit more informal towards one another when alone).” But I did find something interesting,I saw Loyalty suffering from one of the nightmares. “Really?” I asked. Honestly, I was surprised. Rainbow Dash gave a very good impression of being fearless. “Yes...Rainbow Dash was being chased by a limpond redback of massive proportions and was unable to use her wings and speed to escape.” Luna replied. I stopped combing through Luna’s mane. She looked back up at me. “Problem?” “No,no there isn't. Well I must bid you goodnight sister” I said as I gave her a quick hug and swiftly exited. Luna was probably a bit confused about my sudden exit but didn't say anything. What she didn't realize was that I had now found the perfect way to alleviate a bit of stress. And I knew exactly who could help me. Returning to my quarters I quickly wrote a missive and gave it to the nearest of the castle staff asking them to deliver it to a certain Mr Senton Aurorae. I had a niggling feeling this was going to be very worthwhile in the long run... Author's Note I will continue this. But I've been away from writing for a while due to illness so this is just a bit of warming up. Have an awesome day everyone! StoryTime With A SpiderLess than two minutes later a triple knock emanated from the door to my quarters. I called to whoever was at my door, telling them to come in. As expected Senton entered and gave a respectful bow. “How can I be of assistance Princess?” He asked. Right back into professional mode it seems. “It is good to see you Senton, I am afraid to ask of you a favour. But I think it would help you as much as it will me. Tell me,do you like pranking ponies?” I asked. “Beg your pardon, Princess?” Senton said confusedly. “Pranks. Do you enjoy doing them, give me an honest answer” I repeated. I could easily tell Senton was very surprised by the odd topic but he did answer nonetheless. “When I was younger me and my sister used to play the occasional prank on each other but when you get into the guard its not really seen as appropriate” He replied, his eyes glazed over slightly as he remembered his childhood. I could easily relate to that. Eons ago when the requests of a nation did not way on Luna and I’s shoulders we frequently played pranks on each other and the local populace. Unfortunately, I don’t really get much free time nowadays. So having fun was down the agenda. But I do know that my faithful student Twilight Sparkle and her ever courageous brother Shining Armour used to be rather playful until they grew up. But now it seems like everyone had grown up too much to enjoy the more simpler pleasures of life. But I do suppose a princess who relentlessly pranks her subjects might not be the best idea. Especially since last time when some ponies began calling me a gigantic troll. I didn’t even know what that meant but I could tell it wasn’t the most flattering thing. Still, a little prank wouldn't be the cause for that large a concern. But, maybe I should have abstained from this one.,. I broke Senton out of his trip down memory lane and asked him “Would you want to relive these memories?” “What do you have in mind um… Princess?” He asked nervously. “Well there is a certain pony who I know who has a very particular fear. She is fearless to almost everything and is very brave, but she has one weakness. She is no stranger to pranks herself and has been quite a nuisance on the town of ponyville... “Sorry for interrupting Princess, but do you mean Miss Rainbow Dash?” Senton inquired. I raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Do you know her?” “Not in person, Princess…” “Call me Celestia, I don’t mind it” I interjected. “Oh um ...well Celestia, I know her because we went to flight camp together for a time. I was an instructor but as a unicorn I never flew, but I know a lot of flight theory. She used to be an avid pranker even back then” Senton nervously replied. This was good news. “And do you wish to exact a form of revenge?” I asked, a small smile gracing my face. “N-No that would be very wrong” Senton said as he started sweating. He was an even worse liar then Applejack. I merely raised an eyebrow and smiled until he caved in. “Alright!” He exclaimed. “Maybe some part of me wants a bit of justice for all the trouble she caused me back in flight camp.But how would we do it Pri… Celestia?” He stammered. “It’s all very simple. As you know my sister is ever vigilant for nightmares prowling through the night. She reported to me that Miss Rainbow Dash had a troubling dream Last night… about a spider.” “I think I see where this is going, Celestia. Would you wish for me to drop a spider on her?” Senton asked. I gave a small chuckle, the musical sound bouncing off the walls. “As much as that would be amusing, to make sure we get fully redemption we need something more elaborate. Do you know of Fluttershy?” I asked. This time it was Sentons turn to raise an eyebrow. “Yes, she was a good friend of Rainbows, I didn’t really know her very well” “Well, she is very good with animals of all sorts. Her kind and demure nature makes almost all animals feel a sense of calmness and peaceful clarity. But she is very socially anxious. So, whenever the poor dear can’t deal with an animal she is so shy that she won’t call someone from an animal control agency. She usually gets her friends to help her with any very difficult critters.” “If you don’t mind me asking ,Celestia. Where is this going?” Senton asked. I smiled calmly at him.” Rainbow is usually the one she calls to help her because they are so close. Do you know of the Limpond Redback variety of spider by any chance?” “I don’t think I have, Celestia” Senton replied after a moments silence. “Well, they are very rare and notoriously difficult to control. It takes a very powerful unicorn to remove them from their nest. They also have a look that some may find distressing yet they are completely harmless to ponies. Thus they are the perfect subject for our little social experiment” I said while maintaining my motherly tone. “So, what is the plan?” “Unfortunately, I am unable to leave the palace. The consequences would be huge if there was any delay in the day to day proceedings. But now I have you to help me.” I had to think for an excuse here. Although Senton was pure at heart, I couldn't let him know about the elements of harmony. “Rainbow, Fluttershy and the rest of their friends have gone on a three week long trip to Appaloosa. There has been many shortages of workers there and so they volunteered their services. They left two days ago so I think now would be the perfect time to prepare our little soirée. Now, I need you to place a small nest of baby Limpond Redback’s in the attic of Fluttershy’s house” “Are you sure?” Senton asked. “I know it may seem a bit direct but let me finish” I chuckled.” As I said I cannot leave the palace and Fluttershy will not be present. The Limpond Redback’s are only small but they grow fast.” “If you don’t me asking… where will you get the spiders from?” “I think you’ll find when you are a princess, things are much easier to acquire” I replied and that was that.”But once Fluttershy returns she will find her attic full of Limpond Redbacks. I don’t think she would of heard of them. They are not native to Equestria. Hopefully she will call on Miss Rainbow Dash whose sheer determination will be most hilarious to watch as she tries to remove the things she fears the most” “While placing the next. Could you also create a magical nexus on the opposite side of the attic?” I asked. “Hidden Camera?” Senton guessed. “Exactly. I will cast a scrying spell and a motion detector for the nexus. When somepony, most likely Fluttershy, enters the attic the camera will activate and our prank will unfold. I will send for you and we can watch this together.” I explained. “Of course, I am not forcing you to take part in this. You may back out at any time. After all it’s only a bit of fun” I said. j This bit of reverse psychology would hopefully get him into it. It would be problematic to get another guard to do the work. Anyways, I did like Senton and I hoped this would give him a nice break as well as myself. “No Princess Celestia. To be honest this is too good of an opportunity to pass up” He replied with a confident smile. Finally coming out of his shell it seems. “Very well, meet me in two days once your afternoon shift ends at 6PM. I shall be on the veranda. The password to get past the other guards guarding the veranda will be Dash.” “Can I ask you one more thing?” Senton said uncertainly. “By all means” I replied. “How will I get to Miss Fluttershy’s house?” “I will teleport you there. When the magical nexus is activated I shall teleport you back” “Very well, good night Celestia” Senton replied with a smile as he opened and exited through the mahogany doors in my bedroom. I nodded to myself, content with what was happening. Unfortunately, I had forgotten a very special characteristic of Limpond Redbacks and it would cause much more trouble than just a prank… Two days later and I was standing on the veranda. I had asked the solar guards behind me to not let anyone who didn’t know the predetermined password which I told them in and that was going to have a very deep reflection session. They fell for the ruse easily and now all I had to do was wait. The sun was beginning to clip the edge of the horizon and soon I would have to take it down. But it was a breathtaking view, even for an old mare like myself. Soon enough, the doors behind me opened and as I expected out came Senton. As before, he respectfully bowed. “Are you ready, Senton Aurorae” I asked. “Yes,...Celestia” Senton replied. “Marvelous. Here are the spiders” I carefully allowed him to grasp a box that was half green and half red.”Make sure to keep the box with the green side facing upwards and be careful with them, we don’t want any harm to come to them” I said slowly so he would get every word. “I won’t let you down” Senton replied. I smiled”No need to be so serious my dear” I said with mirth. Senton blushed slightly then readied himself to teleport. “Good luck” I said. Then I focused my energy and thought about Fluttershy’s little cottage, soon enough Senton was gone in an almost blinding white light. Storytime With Senton AuroraeA bit of context is required here my dear listeners. As you can guess. I was not able to see what Senton saw. But I got a very accurate recap of what happened from him so our tale will continue from Sentons point of view. Some of you may also wonder why ponies in ponyville don’t keep any locks on their doors. The reason is that crime hardly ever occurs. There have only been five thefts in Ponyville since it was created. Compared to Manehatten or fillydelphia it is much safer. So with that out of the way, let us continue our tale… “Good Luck” Celestia said as my vision warped, flashing golden. Then I felt like my body had been sucked down a drain and fried at the same time and then I felt weightless for a while before slamming back down on to the earth. Teleporting was never easy. Slowly, my vision came back into focus and I looked around and assessed the situation, guard training had its uses at least. I was standing on a very worn dirt pathway lined on both sides with a variety of colourful bushes and flowers. Bird houses hung from every tree nearby, but there was no activity, too late in the night for that. Right in front of me was a smallish cottage made out of wood that almost seamlessly blended into the nearby surroundings. There was no light coming from the structure and there was no sound coming from it, and it seemed Celestia had been right about Fluttershy not being there. The sun was swiftly setting so unless I wanted to do this in pitch black I had to get a move on. I made sure the spider box was facing the right way up before I went forward. The door to the cottage swung open without a creak, as if it had been very recently oiled. Then I got my first look inside. “Wow” I managed to breath out. The amount of animals in this single room was huge. Birds,owls and other flying creatures sat near the top most of them on perches, sleeping peacefully. Lots of other animals lay about on the floor in small clusters ,each one had its own little bed. It seems like Celestia “Forgot” to mention the abundance of animals. Oddly, there was what looked like a small stand with a little house on it. A lot more extravagant than the other small houses inside. I guess it was an animal with some more special needs. I didn’t want to wake any up. I doubt they would attack me but animals in Equestria are notorious for their intelligence and ability to work together so I guess staying silent was probably the best option. I could see stairs on the far side of the room and I made that my goal. I carefully creeped my way through the room, making sure to try and spread out my weight. A few animals stirred but didn’t wake. It was going well until I got to a very large pack of mice all clustered together. As I was going past one of them suddenly detached from the group and latched onto my leg and held on. I stopped and sighed, honestly, what was I really doing here? Silently creeping around somepony else's house and trying to avoid waking up some animals. I guess my career can only go up from here. I tried to shake the mouse off but it wouldn't let go. Then I had an idea. I used my magic and tickled the mouse very gently. It’s ears twitched and it let go of my leg to scratch itself. I quickly extracted my leg and continued forward.I soon made it to the stairs and made my way up. Unfortunately the stairs were a bit more creaky then the door was but I made it without getting eaten by rabid bunnies. There were no animals up here (Thank Celestia, well she was the one who got me into this mess so we’ll hold that for now) The door to what I could only guess was the attic was just in front of me. A small string with a bung on the end floated just above my head. I gave it a small tug with my magic. The door to the attic swung down with a boom that was way too loud for what should have been possible. Great, just great. I could hear scratching and mewling from downstairs so I took this time to move as fast as I could go up into the attic. I slammed the door down as quickly as I could. I don’t know how I even got up here that fast without a ladder but it didn’t matter. The attic was what you would expect from an attic. The whole place was covered in dust and was filled with all sorts of trinkets. The light coming from the window was complete moonlight now and it barely illuminated the room, but at least I could still see. Feeling like this was way more effort than a prank should have put into it, I set the box of spiders down. In the opposite corner of the room I focused and calmed myself, slowly closing my eyes. Reaching down I gave my brain the instructions to create a magical nexus. Through it, another unicorn or alicorn could cast any spell and sustain it even if they weren’t close by, it was all in all a useful spell. The air in front of me glowed a deep brilliant blue and then slowly faded. Before I had opened my eyes again I felt the familiar tug of somepony trying to teleport me. I didn’t fight it and before long I was gone in a brilliant corona of golden light. Unfortunately, I had failed to notice that the box of spiders wasn’t facing the right way up… I guess my frantic climbing had knocked it sideways. Even more unfortunate was the fact that when Celestia said “We don’t want any harm coming to them” She didn’t necessarily say the spiders… And now we switch back to Celestia's view, my dear readers. Don’t worry the spiders didn’t hurt anypony, well, at least not too badly. My horn began to itch as I waited for Senton to finish his task. Knowing he had now completed what I had asked of him I latched onto his magical presence and teleported him back to me. Once the light around him had faded I spoke. “Did it go well” I simply asked. “Well enough, Celestia, but I had a bit of trouble with a few animals” “I am sure they were no problem for a guard such as yourself” I teased. He gave me the most perfect look once I said that. Complete with raised eyebrow and shaking of the head. I chuckled slightly “Very well, I can detect the magical nexus from here and I assume the integration of the spiders went well. They should remain in the attic if you placed them correctly. But, that is all I need you for Mr Senton. You have done well” He bowed.” Thank you, Princess” he said. “Now, go and rest, you have earned it” He took this as his time to leave, and with another bow he did so, leaving me alone on the veranda. I couldn't help but smile. It had been such a long time since my last prank, it felt good to be back in the game! Author's Note Google Documents was being impossibly annoying and not letting me copy in this chapter, so sorry for the wait. Next chapter should (probably won't) be the final one. Bleh. Storytime, With A MistakeAuthor's Note Sorry for the wait. Google Docs are really annoying sometimes. Oh well. Have some horses... and spiders. Storytime, With A Mistake Days passed. Like a monochromatic grey blur they all just faded into one and swept past. When you’ve lived as long as I have individual days have the tendency to do that. The day court went by and everything blended into one. But a fateful savior came to me in the form of a letter. One from my student, Twilight Sparkle. I had just finished day court and was having a small nap in my chambers when the scroll appeared above me, it’s presence signaled by a green flash, one I could not mistake. I rose out of bed and unrolled the white parchment. Dear Princess Celestia (Even after all these years she still calls me that!) Due to the extra hooves available during the Appleoosa harvest, we have been able to gather a good harvest. It’s been hard work but everyone is relieved we managed to get it done. Mr Braeburn, the head of the appaloosa farm, was practically in tears when we arrived. The situation there was dire at best but we stuck through it. It seems like we all learned a valuable lesson of trusting others to help you when you need it most. On a little side note, rainbow was acting a bit strange during the entire trip. I don’t know what it was but it looks like something spooked her. It might be nothing but I can’t bear to see her like this. Perhaps there is another thing that we can all learn about friendship. We should have just come back to town around the time you get this. Anyway, I hope you are doing well, Princess! P.S: It’s been awhile since I last saw you, Princess. Maybe we could meet up sometime. That is if you can spare any time, It’s okay if you can’t, I understand you are busy. Love from your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle “Interesting” I whispered to myself. Perhaps Rainbow’s fear of spiders were greater than I imagined. Then I remembered what the letter had told me about the elements coming back today and I looked behind me. Just as I thought, there was a rapidly rotating red ball of light pulsing slightly with each rotation. A sign that somepony was moving near the magical nexus. I swiftly covered the distance between myself and the nexus and peered inside… I could see the entirety of the attic from this angle and I spotted the hatch of the trapdoor shifting upwards. Then a soft voice pierced the silence. “Don’t worry, i’m sure there’s nothing up here, but I’ll check if you really want me to…” A cacophony of noise answered her. “ O-okay then. But don’t worry, it’s probably nothing” She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than her animals with that statement. The trapdoor opened a bit more and a soft pink mane followed by two wide cyan eyes rose above the trapdoor, both shaking like a rabid leaf in the autumn breeze. Slowly, ever so slowly, Fluttershy’s legs and body joined the rest of her. She slowly circled the attic as I watched impassively from the magical nexus. Soon enough she spotted the small box full of spiders. A couple of spiders were running on the outside of the box which I thought was quite odd. They were usually quiet unless threatened. Something also looked amiss with the box itself but I couldn't pin down what it was… Another mistake I regret making. Fluttershy slowly walked towards the box speaking soothing sentences as she did so. All of her past fear had disappeared now. But, as I expected the spiders did not calm down, in fact they got more agitated until one reared up and showed its tiny bared fangs. This stopped Fluttershy in her tracks, even if the spider bit her it would cause next to no pain. But she was experienced enough with animals to know this was a blatant sign of aggression and you should probably stop. “Um… I hate to be a bother, but you are causing some of my friends to get worried” She whispered. The spider responded by leaping forwards and creating a clacking noise with its front legs. Fluttershy promptly took off and moved with a yelp of terror straight back down through the trapdoor. I had to stop myself from laughing aloud lest my guards or anyone else hear ( I know I’m a terrible pony!) Although that was quite amusing the main attraction had yet to show. I pulled my head away from the magical nexus and shook myself to clear my head. Then I walked over to my ornate dressing table and procured a piece of alabaster white parchment while simultaneously dipping a quill into a bottle of ink. I quickly finished the letter, then I trotted over to my door and opened it slowly. Giving the guards outside time to move aside. I stuck my head out and looked toward the guard closest to me. “Deliver this to the guard barracks, ask for Senton Aurorae, he’ll know what this means.” I said while letting the guard take the letter. “At once, Princess” He replied back in a gruff voice. I smiled warmly at him as he took off down the hall. Closing the door, I sat myself down on the bed and waited… I didn’t have to wait long. I could hear Senton way before I could see him. “Password?” The other guard outside asked. “Limpond Redback” I heard Senton reply. The door swung open and in walked the guard I was expecting. “I’m guessing its time, Princess?” “Soon, not long now” I replied. We made small talk to pass the time. Or rather I grouched about my day while he listened patiently. Poor pony was still a bit unsure around me. At least he listened well. What more could A immortal Princess want? Time passed and soon enough the magical nexus in the corner of the room began to flash red. “Here we go!” I thought. It had been too long. We both stuck our heads into the magical nexus and I felt my vision change and shift until I was looking at the familiar attic again. There was a slight thumping noise coming from below. The distinct noise of a pegasus flapping their wings. “Well it can’t be that bad. Even if it is I can beat it!” Came a scratchy voice from below. That was definitely Rainbow Dash. “Just be careful and don’t hurt them!” There was Fluttershy. “Yeah,yeah. So all I do is drop this in the nest and they leave?” “Unfortunately yes… Oh I feel awful! I don’t know what went wrong but they wouldn't listen to me. Thats never happened before. But it’s better that they go then stay… I just feel bad for doing it…” Fluttershy sighed. “Ah c’mon Shy! I’ll make it quick” Rainbow replied. The troor opened suddenly and the element of loyalty came up through the hole, with whatever they were using to move the spiders wrapped up in her hoof. She moved forwards a bit before seeing the cobwebbed covered spider box before stopping in her tracks. It was odd at the time why the box had suddenly been covered in cobwebs, when there had been none there half an hour ago, but like a fool I again dismissed it as coincidence. “Uh… F-Fluttershy, what exactly were the critters you wanted removing?” Dash asked her eyes wide. “A nest of spiders. I don’t know the species but we don’t get any poisonous spiders out here so I think they are relatively harmless… Are you okay Rainbow?” Rainbow Dash quickly cleared her throat.” Yeah,yeah just curious, thats all.” She said (upon a throne of lies!) Rainbow steeled herself and I could hear her muttering under her breath. “C’mon, your Rainbow Dash you ain’t scared of nothing.” Much like Fluttershy had done she creeped forwards ever so slightly. Wincing with each step. She was so intent on the box she had failed to notice the rather large spider sitting a few feet away from the box, near the trapdoor. To be fair to her I had only noticed it because of the angle I was looking at. Senton saw it as well and I heard him take a breath in anticipation. The spider reared up and still Rainbow failed to notice. Closer and closer until… Click! The spider moved fast, digging itself into Rainbow’s hoof. She looked down to see beady eyes looking straight back. She almost deafened my ears with the intensity of her scream. She flew around the attic yelling and hollering. The faces she was making were pure comedy gold. In fact they were more comedy platinum. I couldn't help but snicker and Senton, being the twisted pony I knew hid in there somewhere, was practically bawling with laughter. It got even better when Rainbow crashed into the box the spiders were in before giving one last yell before detaching the spider from her hoof. It spun through the air and landed on the wall, watching with beady eyes. Through my tears of mirth I noticed something that made my heart stop and my laughter to cease instantly. Now the cobwebs had been removed from the box by Rainbow. I could see that the red side of the box was facing upwards. Definitely bad news. The realization hit me like a brick to the head. Unfortunately for me my fears came true before I could react. A loud hissing echoed through the attic causing everyone to stop and freeze in place. “R-Rainbow, what was that?” Fluttershy whimpered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something crawling towards Rainbow Dash from the ceiling. The amorphous black mass detached from the ceiling and landed right in front of her. It was A Limpond Redback. Except it was as tall as Rainbow Dash and much wider than her. It hissed again and Rainbow Dash suddenly broke out of her stupor. She gave an ear rending scream and bolted down through the trapdoor. The spider seemed extremely confused and more than a little angry. With an angry snarl, it leaped through the only window in the attic; smashing the glass to smithereens and leaving behind a sickly trail of web in its wake. I pulled my head back from the magical nexus taking Senton with me. “ This definitely isn't good.” He said breathlessly. “No. No it’s not.” What had we done?
Storytime With CelestiaNow my dears, You may wonder how I deal with the omnipresent stress of being me. Ponies, gryphons and many others come to me with queries and questions all day. Most I see are opportunistic thieves garbed in the modest clothing of a noble asking for another object to temporarily quench their thirst for riches. To be perfectly honest with you they scare me slightly. Knowing that there are some in this world who are devoid of caring for others but themselves. But, in a growing society that is to be expected and so I never let my mask of indifference slip. Years of this and other problems slowly take their toll on me and my so called everlasting patience. Yet, I do get some brief respite. Occasionally a weary traveler or farmer with nothing to give but pure honesty and determination seeks audience with me for guidance. If I can help them it makes the candle of my mind burn brighter for a while. But sometimes that is not enough. Although I have lived many years and seen many things I still am, at heart a normal and functioning pony. Visiting friends (of which I have few) is a welcome break from the unrelenting responsibility of being a ruler. I love all creatures, whether pony or not but some have a special place in my heart. But another thing I love doing is playing pranks. I know, surprising isn’t it? Perhaps not. Everyone has a guilty pleasure and apart from a delicious gâteau now and then, fooling the more gullible or teasing with fears is mine. So, this brings me to the crux of my story. Let me take you back to the day where the idea first came to my mind. It was a particularly troublesome day and I had just finished the last meeting I had scheduled... As the light caramel tail of the gryphon I had just finished talking to disappeared behind the ivory doors leading to my throne I sighed and ever so slightly sagged. Just another problem. He wanted access to a particular stretch of ground to use for hunting. But this in turn would make any nearby ponies weary of the hunting gryphons. But the gryphons would become even more problematic if they weren't given access. It just kept going round in circles until they reached an impasse. “Ready for the after court revitilizer, Princess?” Asked the unicorn guard standing next to my throne. I looked towards his sympathetic smile and responded with one of my own. He had suffered through the same long hours I had and his comforting visage was enough to bring me out of my small pit of depression. “Yes please, two slices of a victoria sponge cake on two plates would be nice.” I replied, straightening myself up. “Expecting company my Princess?” The guard questioned me. “Something like that yes” I vaguely replied. “If you would excuse me I’ll go and oversee the preparations” He said. I nodded and he took this as a time to leave. A good thing about being a princess was the unquestionable loyalty I had gained from my guard. You can scare or force them into obedience but kindness and loyalty of others is gained. After only a few minutes the guard who I had sent returned with the tray of delicacies held in his magical grip. he looked around for a second and gave me an amusingly confused face. “Who is to be your company, Princess?” “I think you know” I replied. I conjured a small table and two chairs, one much larger than the other into the space between us (Discord is not the only one who can create objects from empty air) “Please sit” I gestured to the smaller chair while gently taking the tray full of cake from his grasp and gently setting it on the table. As expected, the guard began stammering something about not being worthy and how he didn’t want to offend me. I let this continue for a bit (Just for a bit of fun). Finally, I raised a alabaster white hoof and he immediately was silent. “Don’t have any misconceptions about what I am trying to do, you stood by my side in that frankly torturous spectacle and did not complain once. You have probably heard the saying Under every guard there is a good pony, the same applies to me. At heart, I am no different from any other. So please,sit.” I said in my most comforting voice. He still looked unsure. So I decided to help him along. I repressed my magical aura and buried it deep inside myself. I guessed it was my unnatural size that could be intimidating him, so I made myself a bit more approachable. I could feel my body shrinking as my wings dissolved into my back. My mane stopped flowing and lost its colour as it fell down onto my face, now a virulent shade of purple. My horn also shrunk but didn’t disappear. My transformation complete, I moved my mane out of my eyes and shrunk the chair I was sitting in until it suited my new size. I looked back at the guard, he was now looking at me with curiosity and more than a little bit of horror. “See? I am now no more than you. So please, sit” I repeated. This must have broken the guard away from his stupor and he slowly approached me and sat opposite. It didn’t look like he was going to talk so I started off the conversation. “What is your name my dear? I can’t really go on knowing you as guard now can I?” I queried while using a fork held in my magical grasp to spear a small chunk of the attractive victoria sponge in front of me. “S-Senton Aurorae” He stammered, still in disbelief about where he was. I raised an eyebrow.”An interesting name.” I pondered. I noticed he had not touched his cake. “Is it not to your liking?” I asked motioning towards the cake. Senton quickly replied “N-No it is it’s just that um...” It did make me inwardly chuckle, how the guards were all warm and confident ponies until taken out of their comfort zones. “Do not worry, please eat” I said. Not wanting to disappoint me, Senton took up a fork and speared himself a piece of cake from his slice. I waited until he had finished eating until I asked my next question., “So, Senton. Tell me why did you join the guards…” I shall skip over the rest of that conversation for time. To summarize, Senton grew a bit more confident and stopped stuttering after a while and we had ourselves a marvelous time eating cake and chatting together. It is rare I can do things such as this and I will take every opportunity. But you may be asking “why do we need to know who Senton is?”. Do not worry, he will be a vital part of the story later on but now we go to when I had said farewell to Senton and prepared to meet my sister Luna. As I finished stacking up some papers in the hall where my day court had taken place, I felt a slight but unmistakable presence behind me. “Hello my sister” I said warmly turning around to see the dark body of my younger sibling. ( to clarify, I had now returned to my normal size) Luna merely grumbled a reply vaguely akin to a hello. I noticed she looked tired and worn out. There were bags under her eyes and small twigs in her starry mane. She looked like she was about to fall asleep “Luna?” I questioned. She snapped awake “Yes, what is it” She asked. “What happened, are you hurt? Who did this to you?” I asked. (To be honest I was very overprotective of Luna on occasions.) “Hm? Oh yes. Unfortunately there were many bad dreams stalking the night yesterday. It took thee a long time but I eradicated them quickly enough. However I didn't get as much sleep as I would like” “Any reason for them?” I asked “Yes, I had forgotten prithee that spider eggs all over Equestria are hatching. Many are having some difficulties with them. It is a shame that so many fear them, I believe they are beautiful creatures” “Yes they are, but you can’t blame ponies for fearing them. Many have irrational fears.” I said as I used my magic to comb her mane clean of all the debris that had collected there. “I know,Tia.”(Yes, we are a bit more informal towards one another when alone).” But I did find something interesting,I saw Loyalty suffering from one of the nightmares. “Really?” I asked. Honestly, I was surprised. Rainbow Dash gave a very good impression of being fearless. “Yes...Rainbow Dash was being chased by a limpond redback of massive proportions and was unable to use her wings and speed to escape.” Luna replied. I stopped combing through Luna’s mane. She looked back up at me. “Problem?” “No,no there isn't. Well I must bid you goodnight sister” I said as I gave her a quick hug and swiftly exited. Luna was probably a bit confused about my sudden exit but didn't say anything. What she didn't realize was that I had now found the perfect way to alleviate a bit of stress. And I knew exactly who could help me. Returning to my quarters I quickly wrote a missive and gave it to the nearest of the castle staff asking them to deliver it to a certain Mr Senton Aurorae. I had a niggling feeling this was going to be very worthwhile in the long run... Author's Note I will continue this. But I've been away from writing for a while due to illness so this is just a bit of warming up. Have an awesome day everyone!
StoryTime With A SpiderLess than two minutes later a triple knock emanated from the door to my quarters. I called to whoever was at my door, telling them to come in. As expected Senton entered and gave a respectful bow. “How can I be of assistance Princess?” He asked. Right back into professional mode it seems. “It is good to see you Senton, I am afraid to ask of you a favour. But I think it would help you as much as it will me. Tell me,do you like pranking ponies?” I asked. “Beg your pardon, Princess?” Senton said confusedly. “Pranks. Do you enjoy doing them, give me an honest answer” I repeated. I could easily tell Senton was very surprised by the odd topic but he did answer nonetheless. “When I was younger me and my sister used to play the occasional prank on each other but when you get into the guard its not really seen as appropriate” He replied, his eyes glazed over slightly as he remembered his childhood. I could easily relate to that. Eons ago when the requests of a nation did not way on Luna and I’s shoulders we frequently played pranks on each other and the local populace. Unfortunately, I don’t really get much free time nowadays. So having fun was down the agenda. But I do know that my faithful student Twilight Sparkle and her ever courageous brother Shining Armour used to be rather playful until they grew up. But now it seems like everyone had grown up too much to enjoy the more simpler pleasures of life. But I do suppose a princess who relentlessly pranks her subjects might not be the best idea. Especially since last time when some ponies began calling me a gigantic troll. I didn’t even know what that meant but I could tell it wasn’t the most flattering thing. Still, a little prank wouldn't be the cause for that large a concern. But, maybe I should have abstained from this one.,. I broke Senton out of his trip down memory lane and asked him “Would you want to relive these memories?” “What do you have in mind um… Princess?” He asked nervously. “Well there is a certain pony who I know who has a very particular fear. She is fearless to almost everything and is very brave, but she has one weakness. She is no stranger to pranks herself and has been quite a nuisance on the town of ponyville... “Sorry for interrupting Princess, but do you mean Miss Rainbow Dash?” Senton inquired. I raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Do you know her?” “Not in person, Princess…” “Call me Celestia, I don’t mind it” I interjected. “Oh um ...well Celestia, I know her because we went to flight camp together for a time. I was an instructor but as a unicorn I never flew, but I know a lot of flight theory. She used to be an avid pranker even back then” Senton nervously replied. This was good news. “And do you wish to exact a form of revenge?” I asked, a small smile gracing my face. “N-No that would be very wrong” Senton said as he started sweating. He was an even worse liar then Applejack. I merely raised an eyebrow and smiled until he caved in. “Alright!” He exclaimed. “Maybe some part of me wants a bit of justice for all the trouble she caused me back in flight camp.But how would we do it Pri… Celestia?” He stammered. “It’s all very simple. As you know my sister is ever vigilant for nightmares prowling through the night. She reported to me that Miss Rainbow Dash had a troubling dream Last night… about a spider.” “I think I see where this is going, Celestia. Would you wish for me to drop a spider on her?” Senton asked. I gave a small chuckle, the musical sound bouncing off the walls. “As much as that would be amusing, to make sure we get fully redemption we need something more elaborate. Do you know of Fluttershy?” I asked. This time it was Sentons turn to raise an eyebrow. “Yes, she was a good friend of Rainbows, I didn’t really know her very well” “Well, she is very good with animals of all sorts. Her kind and demure nature makes almost all animals feel a sense of calmness and peaceful clarity. But she is very socially anxious. So, whenever the poor dear can’t deal with an animal she is so shy that she won’t call someone from an animal control agency. She usually gets her friends to help her with any very difficult critters.” “If you don’t mind me asking ,Celestia. Where is this going?” Senton asked. I smiled calmly at him.” Rainbow is usually the one she calls to help her because they are so close. Do you know of the Limpond Redback variety of spider by any chance?” “I don’t think I have, Celestia” Senton replied after a moments silence. “Well, they are very rare and notoriously difficult to control. It takes a very powerful unicorn to remove them from their nest. They also have a look that some may find distressing yet they are completely harmless to ponies. Thus they are the perfect subject for our little social experiment” I said while maintaining my motherly tone. “So, what is the plan?” “Unfortunately, I am unable to leave the palace. The consequences would be huge if there was any delay in the day to day proceedings. But now I have you to help me.” I had to think for an excuse here. Although Senton was pure at heart, I couldn't let him know about the elements of harmony. “Rainbow, Fluttershy and the rest of their friends have gone on a three week long trip to Appaloosa. There has been many shortages of workers there and so they volunteered their services. They left two days ago so I think now would be the perfect time to prepare our little soirée. Now, I need you to place a small nest of baby Limpond Redback’s in the attic of Fluttershy’s house” “Are you sure?” Senton asked. “I know it may seem a bit direct but let me finish” I chuckled.” As I said I cannot leave the palace and Fluttershy will not be present. The Limpond Redback’s are only small but they grow fast.” “If you don’t me asking… where will you get the spiders from?” “I think you’ll find when you are a princess, things are much easier to acquire” I replied and that was that.”But once Fluttershy returns she will find her attic full of Limpond Redbacks. I don’t think she would of heard of them. They are not native to Equestria. Hopefully she will call on Miss Rainbow Dash whose sheer determination will be most hilarious to watch as she tries to remove the things she fears the most” “While placing the next. Could you also create a magical nexus on the opposite side of the attic?” I asked. “Hidden Camera?” Senton guessed. “Exactly. I will cast a scrying spell and a motion detector for the nexus. When somepony, most likely Fluttershy, enters the attic the camera will activate and our prank will unfold. I will send for you and we can watch this together.” I explained. “Of course, I am not forcing you to take part in this. You may back out at any time. After all it’s only a bit of fun” I said. j This bit of reverse psychology would hopefully get him into it. It would be problematic to get another guard to do the work. Anyways, I did like Senton and I hoped this would give him a nice break as well as myself. “No Princess Celestia. To be honest this is too good of an opportunity to pass up” He replied with a confident smile. Finally coming out of his shell it seems. “Very well, meet me in two days once your afternoon shift ends at 6PM. I shall be on the veranda. The password to get past the other guards guarding the veranda will be Dash.” “Can I ask you one more thing?” Senton said uncertainly. “By all means” I replied. “How will I get to Miss Fluttershy’s house?” “I will teleport you there. When the magical nexus is activated I shall teleport you back” “Very well, good night Celestia” Senton replied with a smile as he opened and exited through the mahogany doors in my bedroom. I nodded to myself, content with what was happening. Unfortunately, I had forgotten a very special characteristic of Limpond Redbacks and it would cause much more trouble than just a prank… Two days later and I was standing on the veranda. I had asked the solar guards behind me to not let anyone who didn’t know the predetermined password which I told them in and that was going to have a very deep reflection session. They fell for the ruse easily and now all I had to do was wait. The sun was beginning to clip the edge of the horizon and soon I would have to take it down. But it was a breathtaking view, even for an old mare like myself. Soon enough, the doors behind me opened and as I expected out came Senton. As before, he respectfully bowed. “Are you ready, Senton Aurorae” I asked. “Yes,...Celestia” Senton replied. “Marvelous. Here are the spiders” I carefully allowed him to grasp a box that was half green and half red.”Make sure to keep the box with the green side facing upwards and be careful with them, we don’t want any harm to come to them” I said slowly so he would get every word. “I won’t let you down” Senton replied. I smiled”No need to be so serious my dear” I said with mirth. Senton blushed slightly then readied himself to teleport. “Good luck” I said. Then I focused my energy and thought about Fluttershy’s little cottage, soon enough Senton was gone in an almost blinding white light.
Storytime With Senton AuroraeA bit of context is required here my dear listeners. As you can guess. I was not able to see what Senton saw. But I got a very accurate recap of what happened from him so our tale will continue from Sentons point of view. Some of you may also wonder why ponies in ponyville don’t keep any locks on their doors. The reason is that crime hardly ever occurs. There have only been five thefts in Ponyville since it was created. Compared to Manehatten or fillydelphia it is much safer. So with that out of the way, let us continue our tale… “Good Luck” Celestia said as my vision warped, flashing golden. Then I felt like my body had been sucked down a drain and fried at the same time and then I felt weightless for a while before slamming back down on to the earth. Teleporting was never easy. Slowly, my vision came back into focus and I looked around and assessed the situation, guard training had its uses at least. I was standing on a very worn dirt pathway lined on both sides with a variety of colourful bushes and flowers. Bird houses hung from every tree nearby, but there was no activity, too late in the night for that. Right in front of me was a smallish cottage made out of wood that almost seamlessly blended into the nearby surroundings. There was no light coming from the structure and there was no sound coming from it, and it seemed Celestia had been right about Fluttershy not being there. The sun was swiftly setting so unless I wanted to do this in pitch black I had to get a move on. I made sure the spider box was facing the right way up before I went forward. The door to the cottage swung open without a creak, as if it had been very recently oiled. Then I got my first look inside. “Wow” I managed to breath out. The amount of animals in this single room was huge. Birds,owls and other flying creatures sat near the top most of them on perches, sleeping peacefully. Lots of other animals lay about on the floor in small clusters ,each one had its own little bed. It seems like Celestia “Forgot” to mention the abundance of animals. Oddly, there was what looked like a small stand with a little house on it. A lot more extravagant than the other small houses inside. I guess it was an animal with some more special needs. I didn’t want to wake any up. I doubt they would attack me but animals in Equestria are notorious for their intelligence and ability to work together so I guess staying silent was probably the best option. I could see stairs on the far side of the room and I made that my goal. I carefully creeped my way through the room, making sure to try and spread out my weight. A few animals stirred but didn’t wake. It was going well until I got to a very large pack of mice all clustered together. As I was going past one of them suddenly detached from the group and latched onto my leg and held on. I stopped and sighed, honestly, what was I really doing here? Silently creeping around somepony else's house and trying to avoid waking up some animals. I guess my career can only go up from here. I tried to shake the mouse off but it wouldn't let go. Then I had an idea. I used my magic and tickled the mouse very gently. It’s ears twitched and it let go of my leg to scratch itself. I quickly extracted my leg and continued forward.I soon made it to the stairs and made my way up. Unfortunately the stairs were a bit more creaky then the door was but I made it without getting eaten by rabid bunnies. There were no animals up here (Thank Celestia, well she was the one who got me into this mess so we’ll hold that for now) The door to what I could only guess was the attic was just in front of me. A small string with a bung on the end floated just above my head. I gave it a small tug with my magic. The door to the attic swung down with a boom that was way too loud for what should have been possible. Great, just great. I could hear scratching and mewling from downstairs so I took this time to move as fast as I could go up into the attic. I slammed the door down as quickly as I could. I don’t know how I even got up here that fast without a ladder but it didn’t matter. The attic was what you would expect from an attic. The whole place was covered in dust and was filled with all sorts of trinkets. The light coming from the window was complete moonlight now and it barely illuminated the room, but at least I could still see. Feeling like this was way more effort than a prank should have put into it, I set the box of spiders down. In the opposite corner of the room I focused and calmed myself, slowly closing my eyes. Reaching down I gave my brain the instructions to create a magical nexus. Through it, another unicorn or alicorn could cast any spell and sustain it even if they weren’t close by, it was all in all a useful spell. The air in front of me glowed a deep brilliant blue and then slowly faded. Before I had opened my eyes again I felt the familiar tug of somepony trying to teleport me. I didn’t fight it and before long I was gone in a brilliant corona of golden light. Unfortunately, I had failed to notice that the box of spiders wasn’t facing the right way up… I guess my frantic climbing had knocked it sideways. Even more unfortunate was the fact that when Celestia said “We don’t want any harm coming to them” She didn’t necessarily say the spiders… And now we switch back to Celestia's view, my dear readers. Don’t worry the spiders didn’t hurt anypony, well, at least not too badly. My horn began to itch as I waited for Senton to finish his task. Knowing he had now completed what I had asked of him I latched onto his magical presence and teleported him back to me. Once the light around him had faded I spoke. “Did it go well” I simply asked. “Well enough, Celestia, but I had a bit of trouble with a few animals” “I am sure they were no problem for a guard such as yourself” I teased. He gave me the most perfect look once I said that. Complete with raised eyebrow and shaking of the head. I chuckled slightly “Very well, I can detect the magical nexus from here and I assume the integration of the spiders went well. They should remain in the attic if you placed them correctly. But, that is all I need you for Mr Senton. You have done well” He bowed.” Thank you, Princess” he said. “Now, go and rest, you have earned it” He took this as his time to leave, and with another bow he did so, leaving me alone on the veranda. I couldn't help but smile. It had been such a long time since my last prank, it felt good to be back in the game! Author's Note Google Documents was being impossibly annoying and not letting me copy in this chapter, so sorry for the wait. Next chapter should (probably won't) be the final one. Bleh.
Storytime, With A MistakeAuthor's Note Sorry for the wait. Google Docs are really annoying sometimes. Oh well. Have some horses... and spiders. Storytime, With A Mistake Days passed. Like a monochromatic grey blur they all just faded into one and swept past. When you’ve lived as long as I have individual days have the tendency to do that. The day court went by and everything blended into one. But a fateful savior came to me in the form of a letter. One from my student, Twilight Sparkle. I had just finished day court and was having a small nap in my chambers when the scroll appeared above me, it’s presence signaled by a green flash, one I could not mistake. I rose out of bed and unrolled the white parchment. Dear Princess Celestia (Even after all these years she still calls me that!) Due to the extra hooves available during the Appleoosa harvest, we have been able to gather a good harvest. It’s been hard work but everyone is relieved we managed to get it done. Mr Braeburn, the head of the appaloosa farm, was practically in tears when we arrived. The situation there was dire at best but we stuck through it. It seems like we all learned a valuable lesson of trusting others to help you when you need it most. On a little side note, rainbow was acting a bit strange during the entire trip. I don’t know what it was but it looks like something spooked her. It might be nothing but I can’t bear to see her like this. Perhaps there is another thing that we can all learn about friendship. We should have just come back to town around the time you get this. Anyway, I hope you are doing well, Princess! P.S: It’s been awhile since I last saw you, Princess. Maybe we could meet up sometime. That is if you can spare any time, It’s okay if you can’t, I understand you are busy. Love from your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle “Interesting” I whispered to myself. Perhaps Rainbow’s fear of spiders were greater than I imagined. Then I remembered what the letter had told me about the elements coming back today and I looked behind me. Just as I thought, there was a rapidly rotating red ball of light pulsing slightly with each rotation. A sign that somepony was moving near the magical nexus. I swiftly covered the distance between myself and the nexus and peered inside… I could see the entirety of the attic from this angle and I spotted the hatch of the trapdoor shifting upwards. Then a soft voice pierced the silence. “Don’t worry, i’m sure there’s nothing up here, but I’ll check if you really want me to…” A cacophony of noise answered her. “ O-okay then. But don’t worry, it’s probably nothing” She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than her animals with that statement. The trapdoor opened a bit more and a soft pink mane followed by two wide cyan eyes rose above the trapdoor, both shaking like a rabid leaf in the autumn breeze. Slowly, ever so slowly, Fluttershy’s legs and body joined the rest of her. She slowly circled the attic as I watched impassively from the magical nexus. Soon enough she spotted the small box full of spiders. A couple of spiders were running on the outside of the box which I thought was quite odd. They were usually quiet unless threatened. Something also looked amiss with the box itself but I couldn't pin down what it was… Another mistake I regret making. Fluttershy slowly walked towards the box speaking soothing sentences as she did so. All of her past fear had disappeared now. But, as I expected the spiders did not calm down, in fact they got more agitated until one reared up and showed its tiny bared fangs. This stopped Fluttershy in her tracks, even if the spider bit her it would cause next to no pain. But she was experienced enough with animals to know this was a blatant sign of aggression and you should probably stop. “Um… I hate to be a bother, but you are causing some of my friends to get worried” She whispered. The spider responded by leaping forwards and creating a clacking noise with its front legs. Fluttershy promptly took off and moved with a yelp of terror straight back down through the trapdoor. I had to stop myself from laughing aloud lest my guards or anyone else hear ( I know I’m a terrible pony!) Although that was quite amusing the main attraction had yet to show. I pulled my head away from the magical nexus and shook myself to clear my head. Then I walked over to my ornate dressing table and procured a piece of alabaster white parchment while simultaneously dipping a quill into a bottle of ink. I quickly finished the letter, then I trotted over to my door and opened it slowly. Giving the guards outside time to move aside. I stuck my head out and looked toward the guard closest to me. “Deliver this to the guard barracks, ask for Senton Aurorae, he’ll know what this means.” I said while letting the guard take the letter. “At once, Princess” He replied back in a gruff voice. I smiled warmly at him as he took off down the hall. Closing the door, I sat myself down on the bed and waited… I didn’t have to wait long. I could hear Senton way before I could see him. “Password?” The other guard outside asked. “Limpond Redback” I heard Senton reply. The door swung open and in walked the guard I was expecting. “I’m guessing its time, Princess?” “Soon, not long now” I replied. We made small talk to pass the time. Or rather I grouched about my day while he listened patiently. Poor pony was still a bit unsure around me. At least he listened well. What more could A immortal Princess want? Time passed and soon enough the magical nexus in the corner of the room began to flash red. “Here we go!” I thought. It had been too long. We both stuck our heads into the magical nexus and I felt my vision change and shift until I was looking at the familiar attic again. There was a slight thumping noise coming from below. The distinct noise of a pegasus flapping their wings. “Well it can’t be that bad. Even if it is I can beat it!” Came a scratchy voice from below. That was definitely Rainbow Dash. “Just be careful and don’t hurt them!” There was Fluttershy. “Yeah,yeah. So all I do is drop this in the nest and they leave?” “Unfortunately yes… Oh I feel awful! I don’t know what went wrong but they wouldn't listen to me. Thats never happened before. But it’s better that they go then stay… I just feel bad for doing it…” Fluttershy sighed. “Ah c’mon Shy! I’ll make it quick” Rainbow replied. The troor opened suddenly and the element of loyalty came up through the hole, with whatever they were using to move the spiders wrapped up in her hoof. She moved forwards a bit before seeing the cobwebbed covered spider box before stopping in her tracks. It was odd at the time why the box had suddenly been covered in cobwebs, when there had been none there half an hour ago, but like a fool I again dismissed it as coincidence. “Uh… F-Fluttershy, what exactly were the critters you wanted removing?” Dash asked her eyes wide. “A nest of spiders. I don’t know the species but we don’t get any poisonous spiders out here so I think they are relatively harmless… Are you okay Rainbow?” Rainbow Dash quickly cleared her throat.” Yeah,yeah just curious, thats all.” She said (upon a throne of lies!) Rainbow steeled herself and I could hear her muttering under her breath. “C’mon, your Rainbow Dash you ain’t scared of nothing.” Much like Fluttershy had done she creeped forwards ever so slightly. Wincing with each step. She was so intent on the box she had failed to notice the rather large spider sitting a few feet away from the box, near the trapdoor. To be fair to her I had only noticed it because of the angle I was looking at. Senton saw it as well and I heard him take a breath in anticipation. The spider reared up and still Rainbow failed to notice. Closer and closer until… Click! The spider moved fast, digging itself into Rainbow’s hoof. She looked down to see beady eyes looking straight back. She almost deafened my ears with the intensity of her scream. She flew around the attic yelling and hollering. The faces she was making were pure comedy gold. In fact they were more comedy platinum. I couldn't help but snicker and Senton, being the twisted pony I knew hid in there somewhere, was practically bawling with laughter. It got even better when Rainbow crashed into the box the spiders were in before giving one last yell before detaching the spider from her hoof. It spun through the air and landed on the wall, watching with beady eyes. Through my tears of mirth I noticed something that made my heart stop and my laughter to cease instantly. Now the cobwebs had been removed from the box by Rainbow. I could see that the red side of the box was facing upwards. Definitely bad news. The realization hit me like a brick to the head. Unfortunately for me my fears came true before I could react. A loud hissing echoed through the attic causing everyone to stop and freeze in place. “R-Rainbow, what was that?” Fluttershy whimpered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something crawling towards Rainbow Dash from the ceiling. The amorphous black mass detached from the ceiling and landed right in front of her. It was A Limpond Redback. Except it was as tall as Rainbow Dash and much wider than her. It hissed again and Rainbow Dash suddenly broke out of her stupor. She gave an ear rending scream and bolted down through the trapdoor. The spider seemed extremely confused and more than a little angry. With an angry snarl, it leaped through the only window in the attic; smashing the glass to smithereens and leaving behind a sickly trail of web in its wake. I pulled my head back from the magical nexus taking Senton with me. “ This definitely isn't good.” He said breathlessly. “No. No it’s not.” What had we done?
