Chapters The eyes of a little, purple lump looked up at the big, gray stallion. It was concerning him greatly.
Her unclear mood was affecting him and making him anxious, so he asked "did something happen, Twilight?"
"I'm hungry," said the filly gazing hopefully up at him.
"Oh," he smiled, "Alright then. Let me save the day, princess."
The little filly giggled when she heard "princess". She almost always did, so he called her that in every occasion.
"Ok," Twilight chirped and sat next to the table in the kitchen, monitoring every move of the stallion.
He smiled under his snout and opened a pantry. "We have to go shopping tomorrow morning, but it's enough for the dinner and a light breakfast," he intimidated to himself rather than to the filly.
The stallion gathered ingredients and made a salad. He used two carrots, three big and red as apples tomatoes, one long cucumber and of course a lot of leaves of lettuce, which was essential in every salad. He put a portion on a ceramic plate and set the plate on the table, exactly in front of the filly.
She was looking at the dropping sun, through the window. Her ears were pulled down and her face was long. She didn’t notice the food under her face, because her thoughts were somewhere else.
“This happens from time to time,” he thought, but he also knew what to do, so he put down a portion for himself and two glasses of water causing a noise.
Twilight rapidly returned to Equestria and looked over the room nervously.
“It’s always this same,” the stallion thought smiling a concerned smile.
Their eyes met again. Her grimace softened a bit.
She had located the glass and the plate and the salad, what changed her appearance even more. “Thank you,” her voice was truly grateful. Without hesitation and cutlery she started to devour the salad, smiling to the gray stallion between small morsels she had made.
He wasn’t eating because he was amazed at how this young pony could fill her cheeks with almost half of the meal he had planted on her plate. It was filling him with some kind of pride and disgust in this same time.
She was so clumsy that a big piece of tomato almost dropped to the floor but a gray magical aura wrapped around it and put it back on her plate, which was already empty.
“Sorry,” she said and ate that morsel of tomato.
“I saw nothing,” he winked.
She turned her head to the window again, taking sips of water from time to time, but he caught her still hungry look focused at his full plate.
He looked at her playfully taking a one lettuce leaf and put couple of other vegetables inside it, just like he would making a sandwich. “I guess you need bigger portions, princess.”
She only smiled this time.
“Oh,” thought the stallion.
He wouldn't be himself if he didn’t put his plate on her empty one.
She shyly looked at him lowering her head.
“Royals needs regal portions,” he waved his hood pretending to not be hungry. But she didn’t eat.
“Come on Twilight, it’s not like it’s poisoned,” he tried to fake a laugh but her sad eyes stopped him.
Then on her face showed an odd smile, “then check it.”
He didn’t move so she explained, “check it for me, you’ve said it’s not poisoned and the royal sister's get a food tester to… you know what.” After that she pushed the plate into him, at least as far as her little legs let her.
It surprised him at first but he quickly understood.
With one hoof he took his veggie sandwich and the plate went back to the filly.
She licked her lips but hesitated as long as he finished his food.
“See, it’s completely safe, prince-” he grabbed himself at the chest and grunted several times, “princess, I was wrong, the food is poisoned!”
That made her laugh aloud lifting her head up so far that he was terrified she might fall from the stool.
But she didn’t. Still laughing and not looking at him one of her front hooves grabbed a piece of cucumber from the plate, which was sitting in middle of the small table.
He caught that and then he relaxed, letting his laugh fill the air, accompanying her. They ate the rest of the food together.
They were living like this only for a couple months, but they had acquired a peculiar bond already. They cared for each other, making each other smile and laugh.
“I hope you enjoyed our meal,” he patted her head. She gave him the warmest smile he had ever seen, but in fact he saw that everyday.
Nevertheless for him every one of them were special.
“Twilight, we have to go to sleep now if we want to be well rested and visit the market tomorrow morning. Not like we have a real choice anyway.”
“Right,” she said and jumped off the stool landing on her four hooves.
They went together to her room and picked her up to help her get on her bed. It was his bed in his room, but since she had moved into his apartment he yielded it to her. He slept on the couch in the big room, but that was not the point.
He covered her with a quilt and hugged her goodnight. He hesitated before he turned off the light and looked at her because at the beginning she used to had a problem with sleeping without light.
She was looking so pure and innocence that he only said “Good night, princess.”
There was no reaction because she was partly asleep already, so he turned off the light and when he was closing the door, because he was planning to watch some movies in the tv before sleep and not to disturb her, he heard weak-
“Good night, dad.”
The door closed behind him on it’s own speed.
His heart stopped for a single second.
He silently sobbed.
She had never called him that before.
Author's Note
Critique is what I beg about.
The morning came suddenly, filling the apartment with the shining sunlight and waking up the stallion.
His eyes opened, he yawned stretching out his legs then jumped off the coach. The clock said it was only 5:30, but he was used to that early kind of time since he had been serving in the Equestrian army. Remembering what they’d planned for this morning, his legs led him to his- her room.
The door to the room slowly opened, making no noise. Little Twilight was in the bed, sleeping peacefully, letting out high squeaks every couple breaths.
He was about to wake her, but when her little hooves flew into the air as if she punched somepony in the face, she turned on the other side mumbling something under her snout.
What he witnessed redefined what he had called cuteness. A redefined conception of what a cuteness trull is changed his mind.
“Just this one time,” he said to himself, just like always, and left the room, letting her dream last a bit longer that he’d let himself.
Smiling, he clothed himself with an old, red robe, full of pockets. He placed his rump in front of the couch and pushed it a little. Under one of the planks was his secret hiding place. Where the money was hidden.
He counted enough for a bigger shopping, which was imminent.
The sun was only half visible above the horizon when he walked out of the apartment, closing the door and locking it with a key, which he packed swiftly into a little, purple bag hanging under his neck.
The corridor wasn’t long, but the staircase was problematic. It was on the 4th floor and the lift wasn’t working during those hours. From 8 to 12 and from 16 to 20 it was magically moved by a pair of unicorns, hired for this purpose.
In fact the elevator was still a new invention, so not every resident was convinced to use it.
The stallion ran downstairs and exited the building. He looked around to see that the street wasn’t empty. Shopkeepers had opened their booths already. Their shops were in every building on the ground floor. That was one of the main glamours of living in Canterlot. The best traders with the best stuff. Many of them were living just a floor above, to keep their sources of income safe, because burglars didn’t sleep at night, and for some of them their shops were their only property. That’s why this neighborhood was relatively safe for everypony.
He had his favourite shops, just like everypony, but every shopkeeper greeted him warmly. He could name almost every one of them, because he lived here for the last year as a guardpony.
After the great war between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdoms, he’d retired his job in the army. For what he’d got as his good-bye salary he had bought an apartment in the middle of Canterlot. A good friend of his, Celestia light above watch his soul, had helped him to receive this job, and it hadn’t been very hard since he was an officer. They didn’t pay well, but he had some savings. What happened before the war was another story, just like everything before he took his biological daughter into his place and life.
Time was passing by idly, he was carrying more and more bags full of every kind of food. Except meat of course.
Just before he said goodbye to the last clerc, somepony poked his back.
He turned toward the pony and surprised himself greatly.
“Golden Bullet! What are you doing here old champ!” yelled the green stallion looking at him suspiciously. One of his brows moved in a very weird manner, what betrayed this jester.
“Greedy Hoof! Long time no see!” The two stallion hugged each other, laughing like only young colts and fillies do.
“How much time do I have to say I’m Greeny Hoof you bastard!” The green one punched his old friend playfully.
“Don’t forget I used to know you!” Both of them laughed again, but a bit darker than before.
“Yeah, right. Tell me, wouldn’t you drink a hard cider with an old friend like me?”
“Oh I would love to, but I have to reluctantly refuse, because, you see my family-”
“WOAH!” the green pony yelled, disturbing nearby ponies, so the they came out of the shop, “Tell me who i your special somepony is! You have to! Start talking right now,” he paused and added “and don’t even try to lie to me!”
“Er. I don’t think this is the best place for that,” he winked to his friend and rounded one of his hood to make clear that actual spot isn’t too friendly. It was a private matter and in fact the street was getting fuller than before. Talking about private things like that wasn’t in his nature especially in public, where so many listening ears were. But those two stallion were old friends, brothers in arms and the green one was rather hard to get rid off, even when he wasn’t so hyped.
“But, Bullet! You have to! Why-”
“Ok! Just,” he cut sharply and continue after a short moment, “I may have no hard cider but I have some delicious tea.” He made a pause showing an old hoof movement which meant the word ‘contraband’.
“Come to my place and I will tell you everything!” He continued.
Greeny Hoof was persuaded with this idea even before Golden Bullet finished his sentence. He took some of the bags from Golden Bullet and he followed his old friend.
They went into the building, then upstairs towards the 4th floor, talking exuberantly about their old times and common colleagues.
“Greeny Hoof, be quiet, please, she might still be asleep,” said Golden Bullet as he pulled the key from the bag still hanging on his neck.
“Oh, ok,” his companion nodded. The door opened and they trotted in.
“Is she asleep?” the golden pony asked himself, then turned to his friend, “follow me to the kitchen, please.”
“Nice place you’ve got,” said the green one, when they both sat down next to the window, “it’s a pretty big place, aren’t you lonely?”
The golden one rose his eyebrow, asking “I don’t live alone, did you already forget that?”
“Oh, no. Not at all, but I mean... Look, there is enough space to raise… kids,” he stopped when the host took two empty glasses and planted them on the table. “You know, I remember times when you said you will never drink.”
“Yes, I do too,” Golden Bullet widely grinned, “take the glasses and come to the parlor with me.”
They did as he said.
In the parlor, Greeny Hoof sat down on the sofa, holding the still empty glasses. During this time the second pony kneeled down near him, facing a solid bedside cabinet. He strongly pulled on its small door. With a loud *CRACK* it opened.
Inside it were dozen of bottles of various colors and shapes. Some of them were empty already, some of them half empty. There was only one bottle of green alcohol, which hadn’t been opened. But he didn’t take this one, instead of that he chose a flask with a transparent liquid inside of it.
Greeny Hoof’s eyes opened rapidly when the smell of grain alcohol filled his nostrils, just after the prohibited intoxicant filled the two glasses. In fact, the drink covered only the bottoms of the glasses, but he didn’t oppose.
The glasses met, with a loud *CLANK*, both of them distort their snouts to take little sips, exhaling.
The room was silent while the bedroom’s door opened slowly, but they didn’t notice.
Twilight Sparkle spotted them and came closer, shyly. They turned towards her. Their faces were blank.
“Daddy?” she came closer. That triggered reactions in both of adults. They opened their mouths trying to get in some air and making wild noises.
“D-daddy? her tone trembled.
Golden Bullet patted the sofa next to himself, but still didn’t say a thing. She was a strong girl and she didn’t want to embarrass her father in the presence of his friend, especially because she had never met this one, so she jumped up and sat next to him.
When their mouths closed, she felt relief. “It was an adult’s game or something” she explained to herself.
“Hello my, princess,” a weak, high squeak came from her father, she smiled, hugging him. He smelt weird to her though.
“So, this is your special somepony,” the green pony coughed and hit his chest hard. He would like to add something, but he was dazed way too much.
“Yup. It’s my daughter, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, say hello to my friend. His name is Greeny Hoof.”
Twilight looked at Greeny Hoof, and beamed, “Hello, sir!” Her voice was like a promise of new, better day.
“Hello cutie! It’s very nice to meet you!” the green stallion bent forward and stretched his leg towards Twilight who accepted the shake, smiling from ear to ear.
She saw emptied glasses, “what are you doing?”
“Well,” Golden Bullet started touching her mane, “we are recollecting our memories, or we tried to start when you’d showed up, princess.”
“That’s nonsense!” yelled a cheerful Greeny Hoof who hit his own leg. “The past’s place is in the past, tell me sweetie, where did you meet this stallion? Do you know him well?”
It was said in a friendly way, but considering the story of that, she only looked at her father, hoping that he would speak for her. And both of the adults saw that.
“Well. You remember when I said you about beautiful mare I’d met at some party?”
The guest nodded looking at how Twilight was nestling innocently to his old friend.
“You also know we didn’t marry,” he stopped. What he didn’t say was that she had been married already, with another colt.. “So you see, when we had been sent to the front, her sweet mother didn’t tell me about, er. You understand, do you?”
“Yes. Of course. But, how could it happen when your little pride is in a safety hoof?” he scratched his head.
Before he heard the answer, Golden Bullet turned towards little Twilight Sparkle, “princess? Can I beg you about a favor? Jump to the kitchen and bring us the sandwiches I’ve made. I put them in one of the lockers, but I really don’t remember which.”
She smiled and crawled off the couch, “yes,” she said and as quick as she arrived she was already in the kitchen, from which came some noises of intense searching.
The stallions leaned to each other with marks of the highest conspiration of their faces.
“That mare said me I’m her natural father, something about three or maybe four months ago, but then a terrible accident happened, and she, they,” he paused, “well, I’m her closest family and as I was afraid for her, I took her in. Now she’s with me, and I’m happy. You know, I always wanted a daughter.”
Greeny Hoof nodded to himself as if that which he had heard was according to his previous info.
The bottoms of glasses was filled again with this same transparent liquid with the recognizable sharp odor.
“I think I’ve heard about that event, wasn’t it in the federal train to the Appaloosa?”
“Yes it was.”
They drank from their drinks again, repeating the slow manner and the grimacing just after a fast gulp.
Twilight came back from the kitchen, curled a little.“Um, I couldn’t find the sandwiches so I don’t have them,” her sad voice filled the air. She touched her leg, as she would wait for some kind of earful.
The adults weren’t able to speak, again.That assured her in that she had done something bad, didn’t search hard enough or something same unforgettable.
Golden Bullet’s mouths made an O shape out of shock, concerned by her reaction.
He managed to say, “Oh. We-ell,” in this place he almost choked himself with his dry tongue, “then maybe I didn’t make them? Huh?” on the huh, his voice cracked.
Greeny Hoof didn’t explode with laughter only because he wasn’t able to do that. Still barely breathing he smiled faintly.
“So, dad, will you make them now?” the hope in her voice was coming from a deeper part of her, than just from her stomach.
“Sure thing, princess,” she smiled again, and she hugged her father.
Greeny Hoof was looking at them with a joy in his eyes.
“Will you stay for the breakfast?”
“Nah, I have to go,” he stood up, so they all did. “You know, I’m in hurry,” he blinked to them.
“Oh, ok. You know where we live so feel free to jump in every time you’re nearby.”
“Yeah!” added Twilight Sparkle.
Everypony laughed, but she didn’t know why, actually.
“Ok, so I will be going for now,” they were already next to the door when the green pony hit his head with loud *SLAP* and took a paper card from his robe. “I almost forgot, please, take this.”
He gave a little piece of paper to Golden Bullet. It was an invitation. To a ball.
“What is it Daddy?” she chirped curiously.
“I don’t know-”
“That’s an invitation for the veteran ball, here in Canterlot. Princess Celestia will give the medals of honour to every pony. I have a couple of invitations handy in case I would met a familiar face, just like today. This card is for two,” he scratched his chin, pondering visibly. “They said it’s an open party, but with that card you’ll get a lot of free food,” he looked at the filly, “and some delicious cakes too.”
After word cakes Twilight jumped in place on the spot, “Daddy? Can we go? Can we?”
The father stared into filly’s eyes and saw the urge to eat all of the cakes. For him said rather a conception of free food, because, not hiding, his savings will end someday, and he knew that.
“So, what do you think? Will you come with your beautiful filly?” she looked like a beet right now. “Think of it as a reunion. Everypony will be here, everypony-” he bit his tongue.
Both of them knew that not everypony will be there. Some of their old comrades were already, like they say, in a better place.
“Yeah! Daddy! Everypony will be there!” little Twilight tried to sound convincing, but in his ears chimed a bell, which made him shuddered.
‘Uncle’ Greeny Hoof smiled triumphantly, just like the filly. “So, we will see each other at the party, all of us.”
“Yes, u-uncle Greedy Hood (sic!)”
“What?” both of the stallions thought this same and laugh heartily.
“She really is your daughter,” said uncle weeping a tear from his eye, still giggling.
“Yeah, I know.”
Only the filly didn’t understand what they were talking about, but to say the truth, she really didn’t care, because the promise of free cakes in great amount filled her young mind.
Author's Note
I need feedback.
The first anniversary of the enactment of peace assembled a lot of strong and wealthy ponies, who came from all around equestria. The canterlot palace was bright and shining. The streets were full, which in and of itself was a rather normal state, but there were emissaries of almost every civilised nation.
The griffons already had some small problems with city guards. Zebras tried to buy some fillies which in normal circumstances would cause a political faux pas, because slavery was illegal, but zebras didn’t care about that.
Golden Bullet had taken his daughter, Twilight Sparkle to go shopping couple days earlier. They had bought some fancy stuff, including a new green cravat for him and Twilight’s first dress. It was a simple yellow dress, with a violet loincloth. When he had seen how she had looked at that dress he had recognised the bright sparkles of hope in her big eyes, and for him that had been and still was more precious than all the money in equestria.
And talking about the money; his money was shrinking in a faster pace than he had expected.
But it was a time of joy, the national feast.
“Daddy, Can we go there?”
Twilight Sparkle inquired, laying or rather sitting at hers father’s head and neck. She pointed at a bakery on the other side of the road.
“With pleasure princess, but we have to be in the palace’s garden in less than half of an hour. Did you forget?”
“No. Not at all, but I’m hungry.”
“But we ate before we went out and that was less than an hour ago.”
“Yeah, but, we didn’t eat any cake.”
Golden Bullet chuckled, she loved cakes as much as he when he was in her age.
“You know what? If royal cakes will not please you enough, we will come here after the ceremony, or at least die trying to go through this crowd.”
She pondered for a while, “but, I thought the war is over.”
“Because it is, it was, er, a joke, you know. Because, there are a lot of busy ponies and we move so slowly we could die of age,” the stallion paused, trying to find a way to express himself.
“Oh, now I see,” Twilight poked his head with a hoof, “thank you for letting me climb on you, dad.”
“All the pleasure is mine, princess."
She giggled, and soon enough, they were in the place.
Canterlot garden which was around the castle was already filled with a high number of ponies. The music of the local orchestra was loud and energetic, but aside from dancing and meeting and admiring the gardens, which were truly the best, there was nothing more to do.
“Welcome citizen, how can I help you?” said a unicorn in a golden armor.
“Hello soldier, I have a this little card here, and it says that I will receive free food,” Twilight poked him gently, “cakes, especially cakes.”
The guard inspected the card, “I’m sorry, but this invitation is only for veterans.”
“I’m veteran, the 1st army 3rd regiment 3rd division 7th group.”
Twilight nodded like a little puppy.
“Sir, anypony can say that, I’m afraid I can’t let you in, especially without your uniform.”
Golden Bullet was ready to argue but Twilight interfered.
She caught his head in her small hooves and leant down looking at his face, being upside down, “Daddy? What does that mean?”
“That means,” he sighed, “we will have to go to the bakery.”
She hiked up back on his top of head, said nothing.
He could feel her sadness. Even the guard looked a bit confused. But rules are the rules and nothing could change them. That’s how the world works.
“I’m sure they have got your favourite chocolate cake.”
“It’s ok. I-I’m not sad.”
Golden Bullet noted for himself to talk with Greeny Hoof about that. When he moved Twilight lost her balance and fell from his head.
He panicked and moved fast to catch her, but she wasn’t in the air nor on the ground. She was in a mare’s snout.
The guard saluted.
A tall white mare with a shining rainbow mane and golden hooves kept hold on Twilight Sparkle. She put the filly back on her father’s head.
“Did someone say they were sad?” Princess Celestia’s voice was soft and playful.
“Yes, I did. Um, miss.” Twilight started but paused, when she noticed that this mare wasn’t a common one.
And she was right, because Princess Celestia could be described in a variety of different ways, but the word common never suits her.
She looked at the filly smiling, “On a day like this, nopony can be sad. It’s my personal duty to keep my subjects healthy and happy. What is your name, little filly?”
But Twilight was already embarrassed. A small crowd gathered around the event. Princess Celestia smiled, but didn’t look at them, focusing her eyes at Twilight.
“So, maybe you can tell me your daddy's name?”
Twilight looked straight into Celestias face, “Daddy.”
It was said completely serious. The crowd laughed. Princess Celestia giggled. Golden Bullet rolled his eyes. Twilight scratched her head and looked around.
“Oh, my, my, You are a very funny filly.” Celestia looked a judging look at Golden Bullet. He shivered under that look. The feel of being naked and weak and naked filled his mind, but he didn’t turned his head away.
“Soldier, what is your name?”
“Golden Bullet, ma’am,” his voice trembled as he saluted. Celestia’s eyes locked at his daughter again, so he quickly added, “and this is my daughter Twilight Sparkle.”
“I’m a princess!” she chirped. A wave of simultaneous laugh ran through the crowd.
“It’s nice to meet you Golden Bullet, and you too,” she eyed the purple blank flank, “ and you, princess Twilight Sparkle. It’s always a pleasure to meet another princess,” she winked to the filly as she exhaled with happiness. “I suppose you have a little problem with getting to the castle, hmm?”
“Yes! We want to eat all the royal cakes!” Twilight Sparkle chirped again.
Her father felt as his legs trembled as Princess Celestia covered her snout with a hoof.
“All of them?”
“Yep!”
“You will get sick.”
“Princesses can’t get sick.”
“How do you know?”
“I read about that.”
Celestia’s eyes opened widely. It was uncommon for a such young filly to read. The corners of her mouth rose up slightly.
“Shall we head in?” Celestia’s voice was cheery as she pointed out the portal to the caste.
Through the crowd, which was growing with every second, ran a murmur. Golden Bullet, still with Twilight Sparkle on his head, nodded minimally, smiling as he took care to make sure that his daughter didn’t fall this time. “After you, princess,” he said.
Twilight Sparkle gripped him firmly and showed her teeth with a smile, and made an approving, chirpy sound.
Celestia’s eyes shined as she took the lead to the great hall. Those two were just too cute.
The guard, the same one who hadn’t let them enter before, saluted to his princess and then to the two guests. Golden Bullet winked to him. He held no grudge. He knew the rules, just as the guard. However, that was noticed by Celestia. She didn’t give any indication that she had spotted, and went to join the festivities.
The great hall was… great. High ceiling, sculpted columns, marble floor. A thick, red carpet finished with golden thread was worth more than everything Golden Bullet had ever owned. Except, of course, Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight completely lost interest in princess Celestia, instead she tried to observe everything at the same time. That includes a reich of noble ponies in long dresses and suits, a high number of exotic looking maybe-ponies, mostly zebras, and a couple smaller groups of ponies who wore uniforms.
But Twilight’s eyes didn’t devour the atmosphere, the architecture, nor the not-ordinary faces, she was looking for cakes.
Once she spotted them, her hoof patted her father’s head saying, “Daddy!”
Golden Bullet squinted to look at her, then said “Yes, my princess?”
“Yes?” but it was Celestia who answered. She looked at him over her withers.
He raised a hoof and put it down in his surprise, he responded with “I’m sorry, princess Celestia I was talking to-”
Celestia hid her face behind her hoof. “To your princess, I see,” her laugh pealed like a harp’s sound. That popped the musical ambiance, which was more elegant and boring than that which was played in the garden.
“Oh no,” she said as ponies spotted their princess and immediately surrounded her, redefining the concept of personal space. “I hope we’ll meet again, Golden Bullet. Have fun with your daughter,” that was everything she got a chance to say before the wall of happy ponies rose from nowhere between them, just like the walls of ponies do.
Golden Bullet tried to thank princess Celestia for the invitation and warm words, but his voice wasn’t loud enough, and his princess was bitterly poking his head for the whole time, exactly in the rhythm of the march that was played. As the princess left he had no heart, or excuse, to keep Twilight away from the table filled with ‘royal’ cakes. His own tongue salivated as they neared their destination.
That wasn’t weird at all, because the cakes looked more noble than some of the guests, the veterans especially. There were all kinds of cakes that a pony could fall in love with there. From chocolate, to vanilla, as well as milk-cakes, but that wasn’t all. With pistachios, jelly, nuts, creams, ice-creams and alcohol. Those last were placed at a smaller, yet palatial table on his left.
Twilight was in seventh heaven. She stood on her hind hooves, and pointed with her hoof to every cake she wanted to try. Because she wanted to try ALL of them, except those with nuts, she hated nuts. Golden Bullet gave her a look gaining Twilight’s attention.
“Yeah! But I calculated the risk of getting sick and I still want to eat them all,” his eyebrows almost hit the ceiling, “And earlier you said that it was ok, daddy.”
She was stepping very fast in the spot. He was about to say something, just as the responsible parents does, but she stopped and added, “And even princess Celestia doesn’t mind.”
Golden Bullet smiled. “Well,” he started with voice higher than usual, “I’m sure her majesty took it as a joke.”
“Listen my little pony, lets make a deal. You can eat as much as you want,” as he said that Twilight almost exploded, “But only two cakes at the moment.”
“But-”
“No buts,” he pulled her closer to his legs. “I know that you know that on the plates fits three pieces of cake, but I also know something about you. Your manner of eating for example.” Her face turned red. “Please, be careful. If you mess your dress up we won’t be able to make our first dance.”
Her ears instantly popped up. “Ok dad, I understand. Could you hand me a piece of… this and this then?”
“I serve you with pleasure,” he said, and cut two big slices from two different cakes. She took the plate in her hooves and ate very carefully.
She was stunned with her newest manner of eating, so she didn’t pay attention to his laughing. But someone other did.
“Golden Bullet?! Is that you?!” someone yelled with surprise.
A group of familiar looking ponies in pristine fatigues came from nowhere and froze, looking at the ‘eating’ Twilight Sparkle.
Princess Celestia sat on her elevated throne. Some pair of noble and powerful unicorns were talking to her, but she didn’t pay attention. Her thoughts were somewhere else. Not away, though, still in the great hall, but not with her. It was uncommon for her to be unable to focus on her little ponies, nevertheless ages of experience led her to nod and smile to them, while her eyes were trying to find someone in the crowd.
And the crowd was dense, loud, and jumpy. There were no real chances to find who she was looking for. The fact that she didn’t consciously know who exactly she wanted to see also didn’t help.
There were a lot of other pairs of nobles who would love to talk with her, but she wasn’t interested in that.
The atmosphere was regal, but most ponies didn’t understand the bittersweet taste of this celebration. Everyone here was relaxed and happy, except her. The war was over. The peace was true. Equestria was safe. Then why was some weird sensation deep in her stomach growing?
After another volley of laughter, which exploded somewhere in the crowd, she anticipated continuation of the story they were talking. “I’m sorry my little ponies, but you have to excuse me. It was such a pleasure to talk with you, but, unfortunately, my duties call me now.”
That was a lie. No duties, except the speech and proffering the medals, were planned for today. She just wanted to… Find the stallion with his daughter. They weren’t ordinary. She had an unclear hunch of that he would understand her actual feelings.
The pair of unicorns bowed with smiles as she stood up. They had left her in no time.
She tried to find a purple lump of someone’s head, but thanks to contrived hats, that was impossible. The music stopped.
She looked around. Every pair of eyes were focused at standing her, and since she had wandered, she didn’t know why.
An old, small stallion came closer to her, stood next to her on her right side. It was her royal herald. So it was speech time after all.
Before he started the speech, she quickly called a guard with a single move of her hoof. As fast as he showed up, she said “Somewhere here is a former soldier known as a Golden Bullet. He is with a little, purple filly. Find him and make him stay if he tries to exit, but without force. Let him know I would be pleased to meet him later. Oh, and he is without an official uniform.”
The guard’s eyes shined under his helmet as he’d heard that. He saluted and moved to the crowd. ‘It was a good idea’, she thought, she had felt weird since she meet them. He was a caring father, a soldier, and she could read already. They could help her feel better, somehow. That was a bit embarrassing to admit, but she knew she needed to speak with them more, even if she didn’t know why exactly.
As the guard disappeared between ponies, the small stallion on her right, smiled to her and turned to the crowd. He said, “Ladies and Gentlecolts, we gathered today to celebrate the first anniversary of the Equestrian victory over The Griffon Kingdoms. Exactly a year ago the war, the war which will be remembered as the great war, ended.”
The crowd yelled in a spasm of excitement, some of the ponies were stomping in their spots. They all fell silent when they saw Celestia’s wings expand, making her twice, or even triple her size. Her head was high.
She tried to focus at the actual task, but to tell the truth, it was impossible for multiple reasons. For example, she had to speak now.
“My little ponies,” she started putting her wings back. “That’s true. It’s been a full year since we achieved the victory.”
A wave of random happy reactions ran through the crowd.
“It’s my duty and unmitigated pleasure to remind you that we won not only the war, but we also won the peace.”
No one moved, so she continued. “Peace is the highest value we ponies know. Peace is our natural state. We love this state as strong as we love Equestria. I have to personally thank you all for everything you’ve done in Equestria’s name. Thank you for all that you have done to bring back the peace. You, soldiers, nobles, civilians, I believe everypony present here had put his or her hooves to help in this or other way.”
“That’s why I thank you.”
The echo of her words stayed in the air. Her tongue dried.
“But we aren’t the ones who paid the highest price,” her voice trembled, “Our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, children of every race of ponies paid more than we did. That price will be never fully repaid.”
“That’s why I apologize to you.”
Silence.
Celestia’s hoof rose and stayed in the air, above her head.
“That’s why this war will not be called the great one.”
The crowd was quick to react.
Her hoof stomped causing a sound of a thunder. They stayed still.
“That’s why from now to the end of times,” she took off her crown and handed it to her herald who grabbed it just before it fell on the floor, “We will celebrate not the victory, nor end of the war, but the start of the peace. The peace who will be called the great one.”
She waited as confusion on the ponies faces was eventually replaced with comprehension. They were good ponies, decent ponies, but they needed time to understand what is really important.
“At the end, I would love to personally proffer a medal of service to all of you, but it would take another year, and we have a celebration to run.”
They laughed. The music played again. She was free. She could go to her room and rest. Cry in her bed like she had done since the war started. But she didn’t. Her mind was full of pictures of Twilight Sparkle sitting on her father’s head. And she still didn’t know why.
An orange light filled the room, thanks to the sun which had touched the horizon already. It was visible beyond the big windows the room had. It was a simple cabinet, but simple in a royal way and that changed everything. The furniture was wooden and sculpted, made in a manner which harkens back to the ancient masters of crafting. A red and patterned carpet on the ground helped provide some warmth to the room. And a ton of silk pillows of different sizes and shapes finished the view of true sumptuousness.
There were three pairs of doors that led to the room. The biggest one was a portal. They had gotten inside through it. And two smaller, but more beautiful pairs of doors flanked the opposing sides of the room.
A quiet sigh came out of Twilight Sparkle’s mouth as she changed her position in her deep sleep. She rolled over so she was lying on her stomach, babbling incoherent words on a comfy sofa but, thanks to the Stars, she didn’t drool like she sometimes did.
Golden Bullet looked over her and unknowingly smiled. She was too adorable in her father’s eyes. His hoof gently touched her head as he sat on the same sofa, avoiding the pillows. In his other hoof was the newest issue of “Equestria Daily,” which he had found on a table.
Next to the sofa was a table with fresh newspapers. He had taken his issue right from here. On this table were also three plates full of cakes, fruits and cups with different colours, which probably represented different juices.
But he was more than full. Back at the party Twilight had involved him in a simple game: the degustation. This idea had been born in her purple head when her stomach had been fully filled in consequence of sampling almost half of the cakes. She had made him continue her crusade-like mission of ‘trying all the cakes’ only by using one, simple, but always effective puppy face. Even if he hadn’t want to be the degustator, he had no heart to object to his little princess. So to the entertainment of idle spectators and his old mates he had obeyed and ate, a lot.
It hadn’t been embarrassing, even the part with describing the variety of tastes, because both of you were laughing aloud with every sample. Now he knew that he would be very a bad degustator. Every cake was like heaven in his mouth and after three or four little pieces he had to stop to feel taste. Nevertheless the cakes were truly the best he had ever eaten.
In the end, the veterans and even a couple of other ponies had showed some mercy upon him by joining the game and helping him out. Even some noble white pony with a blue mane and his pink mane marefriend participated in Twilight’s game. It took the rest of the ball, and before anyone involved in the game had realized it, the party had ended.
In those circumstances they hadn’t been able to achieve their first daughter-father dance, but it didn’t bother him. Her birthday was not far off. The dance could wait, unlike her gluttony. Especially when Golden Bullet knew after whom she had inherited that.
After the palace party had ended, ponies rushed like a wild element filling the already full streets, causing a second, bigger and unofficial party. But the two of them hadn’t. Two guards accompanied Golden Bullet and the absolutely tuckered out Twilight Sparkle, to the room. One of them, an older one with silver eyes, had said, “Be prepared for a visitor in no time. Meanwhile, make yourselves at home.” Both of them had saluted, and Golden Bullet had responded in kind. Since the guards had departed, they had occupied the room for about two hours.
The little filly sighed again, pushing her body up and down with a deep breath, then rolled around on her back with all hooves directed to the ceiling. Her sleep was deep, and her dress was, much to his surprise, still cakeless. Pristine. The corners of his mouth slightly rose up as he eyed the newspaper again.
No one came in. The sun was getting even lower than before. He read the “Equestria Daily”. Unfortunately, there were no small ads, but some bad political jokes* and a half-way filled crossword let him to kill some time, passing his focus to Twilight every time she moved falling deeper into the pillow.
*“What do you call a uni-corn who is against the pony union? A rebel-corn! Ha, ha, ha! ”. It’s not the publisher’s fault that the most talented wit had died in the war by being cut into steaks. As the publisher said, a stupid joke about blunt griffon talons that he had said too loud in a trench, had nothing in common with his sudden and painful death in griffon talons. It was a mere coincidence.
Celestia marched through her private chamber. Recollecting her day while a magically floating brush combed her mane, which was perfect already. But she didn’t notice.
She had tried to run away and prepare herself for the meeting just after her speech, but it had turned out to be impossible. In spite of her intentions she had to meet three rich noble ponies. They were truly wealthy ones, and since the post-war society counted influence by owned bits, they were also politically powerful. They had insisted on private auditions, what was a pain in flank, but she had endured it.
She had showed them her gratitude, smiled to them, laughed with them, and finally spent a fast dinner with all of them. Thank the Stars that they didn’t bitch about it.
But it had finished an hour ago. Since then she hid in her private chamber, trying to lie to herself with inventing new problems with her appearance. After the third round of making her mane, the brush was about to land on a shelf, but she started another round.
‘What are you afraid of? ’ her own voice rang in her ears, rousing the selfsame tension she had to barely managed to forget.
Her gaze focused at the locked door. Her internal voice which was usually happy working as her conscience woke up accompanying the feeling of air bubbles in her stomach.
Celestia hesitated. The question still echoed in her mind. “I’m not afraid.”
‘Yes, you are and don’t even try to lie to yourself. We are the same. I’m a part of you. I know you better than you and you know that I’m right, ’ the voice said.
The brush enveloped in a magical aura flew through the room like a spear, but it was an act of hopelessness. Celestia knew that the voice was serious. This voice showed up in less than a century after Luna…
“I…” she stopped. Took a breath and continued, “I’m maybe a bit afraid of them.”
‘You’re the princess. They should be afraid of you, ' the voice persisted.
“But I don’t want them to be scared of me!” Celestia yelled, cutting the tension like with a knife. Her eyes opened wide as she felt freedom from the balloon inside of her. And then she realized that.
‘I can tell a lot about them, but to say that they were scared of their ruler would be a lie. So trust me, I’m you. They don’t think you are a monster. Your sister on the otherhoof… '
“Enough!” it was her order. The conscience listened to her. Celestia closed her eyes trying to think.
It was true. She knew that, deep inside. She was scared of the possibility that they wouldn’t like to meet her. To talk with her. And she needed that, without knowing why exactly. And she was even more afraid because of some unknown reason that she didn’t know. Shame hit her once the realization set in. It was impossible for the princess to be so internally unstable. She was the stone, she was the pillar, she was the wall. Then why did her legs tremble?
Maybe Golden Bullet was a bit ashamed of his daughter’s behaviour but those two made her feel… something. Even though she was an observant mare, she didn’t know why exactly. Everyone knows that feeling but she was the princess, it didn’t behoove her.
‘Don’t worry, it will all be fine. Before you know it, them and the tension they cause will be gone- ’
“But I don’t want them to be gone,” had ejaculated out of her mouth before she stemmed that. It was her voice, and not only her. It was a mixture of her own one and inner one.
A solemn hush fell along the room. Her ears burned. Her rump met a pillow. Why she had said that? What exactly did she meant by that?
Her eyes met a mirror. Her reflection was as beautiful as always, her multi colored mane was floating by itself as if the room was caught in a slight breeze. But of course there was no wind, it was magically moved.
She touched her snout and smiled a smile she had learned a long time ago as she had made eye-contact with her reflection. It was a gentle smile. A warm one, but trained. That made her feel sick. Her own face was untrustworthy to her.
Her stomach was heavy. She wanted to ask ‘what now?’ but the only one who was in the room was her. As always. No one had came to her chamber for a long, long time. Even the guards were afraid of her. Avoiding her. She was losing it and the voice affirmed her of that. Yes, after the voice accomplished its mission it fell into the void, like the conscience does after making its bearer feel terrible.
Celestia finally knew what to do, but she wasn’t very happy with taking risks. It was a riddle for her for now, but with every second that passed, she was more ready to solve this.
As she moved to the door a burden made of concerns and fear became lighter with every step taken. Her conscience was right, they hadn’t been afraid. They were too pure to be afraid. Not like Celestia. She could talk with them normally, she hoped as she almost hit the guard behind the door.
The faces of the guards were stoic as always. They both bowed as Celestia stopped.
“Orders, princess?” one of them, a green one said.
“No, but thank you. I’m going to meet my guests, you can stay here or even go on a break.”
“Thank you, princess, but it’s our duty to make sure you are safe.”
That implied someone would like to attack her in her own castle in the middle of her own country. That was ridiculous and almost impossible. Almost.
She smiled slightly, “Thank you. Let’s go then.” After that they departed to a meeting.
